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lrsen
ademptum
,
a
dark,difmal, uncomfortable,
fruitlt/},
death
-
procuring dollrine
;
fuch as
it
is
marvei-
ions,
that
ever
any poor
foul
fhould
embrace
or
choofe
for
a
Companion or
guide
,
in
its
pilgrimage
towards
heaven.
Rolling
through
this feud
,
his expreffions fwell
over all bounds and limits
;
meta-
phors,
fmilitudes,
parables,
all
help on
the current: though the
ftreames
of
it being
(hallow
and
wide, a
little oppofition
eafily
turnes it for the moft part
alide ; a noife
it
makes indeed
with
a
goodly thew
and appearance.
Herculeii
non mole
minor
--
Agylleus
Sed
non
ille
rigor ,
patriami
in
corpore
robar.
Luxuriant artus
,
effuf.s fanguinelaxo
tillembra
natant
--
This,
(
as
I Paid,
)
prompts
(I
fears
)the
learned perfon
of
whom
we
fpeak,to
dealefo huffily with
fome
of
them
with whom
he
hath to do.
And
it
is
hill
feared
,
that
---
partt
s toiit
cornaa;
,2zalis
Lycamba
fpretut
infido
goner
,
&
elot acer
halite
Bapalo.
It
might indeed
be
the
more
cxcufable,
if
evident provocation were alwaies ready
at
hand to be
charged with
the
blame
of
this
procedure
,
if
he faid
only
&fin,
quit atro
dente
me
petiverit
c4'[abtus ut
flebo
puer?
Butfor
a
man to warme hirnfelfe
,
by
rafting about
his
own pen
,
until
it be
fo
filled
with
indigna
Lion
and
frotte
,
as
to
blur every page and
almoft
every line
is
a
courfe'that
will never
promote the
praife,nor adorne the
Truth
of
God.
For what romainesconcerning him;
do
illi
ingeniam,do eloguen-
tiam, &
indufiriam;
fadem,
Fr
veritatem atinam
coluiffet,
The Courte
&
Condition
of
my procedure
with
him
,
whether it
be fuch
as
becometh
Chriftian mo-
deity,
and tobrrety,
with
an allowance
of
thofe ingredients
of zeal,
in
contending for thetrut,hwhicb
in
fuch cafes
the
Holy
Ghoft
gives
a
command
for
is
referred
to theJudgment
of
all
who are
con-
cerned.and
:recount
themfelves
fo,in the things
of God.
As
to
any
bitternefs
ofexprellion,
perfonal
tefieltions
by
application of Satyrical
invecìives,
I
know
nothing
by my
felfe
,
and
yet I dare not
ac-
counr,that
I am
hereby
juftified. The
calme and indifferent
Reader,not
fenfible
of
thofe commotions,
which the difcovery
of
Sopht
focal
evafions,pretlïng
of
inconfequent confequences, bold Affections
&ec
will fornetimes toile
in
the
molt
candid and
ingenuous mind,rnay ( and
efpecially
if
he be
an
obferver
of
failings in
that
kind
)
efpie
once and againe
,
tome
fagnes
and appearances
of
fuch
exafperations as
ought
to
have been
allayed with
a
fpirir
of
meeknefs
,
before
the thoughts
that flirted
them
up,had
been
turned out
of
dootes,in the
expreffions
obferved.Although
I
am
nor confcious
of
the
delivery
of
try
felfe in any
termes, intimating
a
Captivitie under the power
of
fuch
a
fnare for
a
momcnt,yet what
(hail to the
Chriflían Reader occurre
of
fuch a
teeming
tendency
,
I humblyrefer
it
to
his
judgment,
being
content to
fuffer
lofs
in any
hay or
hobble what ever
,
that
I
may have layd
upon the foundation
of truth
,
which
I
am
Pure is
firmly
fixed by
God
himfelfe , in
the
bufinefs in
hand.
For what further
concernes
my
manner
cf
dealing
in
this Argument
,
I
have
only
a
few
things
to
mention,
( Reverend
Brethren)
and
you will
be
difcharged
of
the trouble
of
this prefatory addrefs
un-
to you. The matter
in
hand
I
hope you will find attended and
purfued,without either Jocular
or
hifto'
rical diverGons, which are
judged
meet by force
to
manic
the
fpirits, andintice the minds
of
the Rea..
dens
,
which are apt to faint
and
grow weary
ifaiwaies bent to
the
confideration
of
things weighty
and ferious.
With
you
,
whoare continually
exercifed
with
feverer
thoughts and
ftudies
,
then
the
molt
of
men can immix themfelves
withal
fuch
a
condefcention
to
the vanity
ofinens
minds,
and lightnefs
of
their
fpirits,I
am
Pure
can find
no approbation.
And
as
for them who make it
their
bu-
finefs,to run
through
books
of
a Polemical
nature,in
what
fubjeet foever,in
purfuit
of
what
is
perfonal,
ridiculous,
invedl
ue,
beating
every
Chapter, and
Salim
,to
find
only what
ought not to
be
there,and
recoyling
in
their fpirits,upon the
appearance
of
that
which
is
ferious,and
periling to the taufe in hand,
I
fuppole you judge them
not worthy to
be
attended
to,
with
fuch
an impoGtion
upon
the
time
and
diligence
of
chofe
who
Gncrely
feek
the
Truth
in love
,
as
the fatisfying
of
their
vaine
humour would
requite.
It
is
indeed
of
fad
confideration
to
fee,how tome learned men
(
forgetting the
lofs
ofpreci-
ous hoares,wherewith they
panifia
their Readers
thereby)in
dilcourfes
of
this
naturedo,
offend
againff
their
profeffed
intendments
,
by
perpetual
diverfions in
long
perfonal
Harangues, delighting
tome
for
a
moment
,
inftruéing
none
,
in
the mattrer inquired into.
Some parts
of
thisTreatife you may
perhaps judge not
fo
clofeiy,
&
fcholaftically argumentative,as
the regular
!awes
of
an
accuratedifpu-
cation would require. In the fame
judgment
with
you,
is
the Authour:where yet he
fuppofes
himfelfe
not without
ju".i
Apologie,ar.d
that
fuch
as
renders
his
way
of
procedure
not
blame
worthy:
where-
as
other
wife he
flrould
not think
any excufe fufficient
to expiate
fuch an
errour.
He
is
worthily blam-
rued,who had not rather
chufe
to want
a
fault,
then an
excufe.
The
truth
is,neither would
the matter
treated
.