52 / 504
A
Preface to
the
Reader.
n6"
4`.31°r:ÿ
zá
µú4,1¿4&
ra
s1;
geva ó9sdO
Ancséppaßw
:va} iveavia
voleyro¡.úzt,7z' Ness
xsei-
uo.
An
is
confirmed and Ratified by
the
earneft
of
the
Spirit
,
that
is given
to
them
that
be-
lieve.
Of
thofe
that
lived
after the days
of
the forementioned
,
(I
meaneall
of
them
but
the
lift)
that
I may
not cloy the Reader
,
I
(hall not mention
any ,
until
the bulnefs of
Divinity
and
the profeflion
ofít,was
taken upby the
School-men
and
Canonifls
,
who from
a
mixture
of
Divine
and Humane principles
,
framed
the
whole body
of
it anew
,
and
gave
it over
into the poffeflìon
of
the
prefent
Roìn
{/b
Church
,
moulded for the
molt part
to the worldly
carnal Interefts
of
them on whom they had their Dependency
,
in
their
feveral
generations.
But
yet
as
there
was
none
of
thofe
,
but one way or
Other, was
eminently conducing to
the
carrying
on
of
the myftery
of
Iniquity
by depraving
,
perverting, and corrupting
one
Truth
or other
of
the
Gofpe!
, fo
all
of
them
did
not
in
all Things equally
corrupttheir
waies,
but
gave
fomeTeftimony more or
lefs
to
fome
Truths
, as
they
received them
from
thofe
that
went
before them
;
fo fell
it
out
in
the matter
of
the
Grace of
God
,
and the
Corruption
of
the
IV
ature of
man
:
though
Come
of
them laboured
to
corrode, and corrupt
the
ancient received
Do
&rive
thereof
,to tome
againe contended
with
all
their might
in
theirway
,
and
by
their
Arguments to defend
it; as
is
evident in the Inftance
of
Bradìvardine,
crying
out
to
God,
and
cíN_an
to
help in
the
Caufe
of
God.
againft the Telethons
in his Dayes ,
in
particular complai-
ning
of
thegreat
Mafterof
their Divinity.
So
that
notwithftanding
all
their Corruptions,
theft
enfuing
Principles
pafs
currently among the moft eminent
of
Them,
as
to
the Doctrine
under confideration,which continue in credit with
many
of
their
Sophiflical Succeffours
to
this Day.
I
ThatTerfeverance
it
agrace of
Cod ,
bellowed according
to
Predeflination,
or
Ele£lian,
on
men;
that
is,
that
God
gives
it to
Believers ,
that
are Tredeflinated,and
EleEl
d.
2
That
on whomtoever
the
Grace ofPerfeverance
is
beftowed
,
they do
Perfevere
to
the
end;
tine[
it
is
impolfible
in
fome fenfe
,
that
they fhouid otherwife Doe.
3
That
nonewho
are
not
predeftinate, what grace
foever
they
may bemade partakers
of
in this
world
,
íhahl constantly continue to
the end.
4 That
no Believer can
by
his
own ftrength
or
power(incited,or ftirred up,by what
man-
like,
or
rational
confiderationfo ever
)
Perfevere in
the Faith;the
Grace
of
Perfeverance being
a
gift
of God
:
It
is
true;
that
their Judgments being perverted by fundry
other Cor-
rupt
Principles ,
about the
Nature,
and
Efficacy
of Sacraments , with
their
Conveyance
of
Grace
,
ix
opere
operaéo,and
out
of
Ignorance
of
the
Righteoufnefs
of
God,
and
the
Real
work
of
Regeneration, they generally maintaine(though Rrad»ardine punctually expreft himfelfe
rio
be
of
another
mind
)
that
many Perlons
not
Predeftinate, may
come
to
believe,yet fall
away and perifh.
Now the Truth
is
,
it
is
properly no part
of
the Controverfy under confideration,whether,
or how far, and
in
what
fenfe, men
by Reafon
of
the
Profeflion,
&
Participation
of
Ordinan-
ces
with the work,
&
effe&
of
common
Grace
upon them
may be fayd
to be
True
Believers;
but the whole,upon the matter,ofwhat
we
plead
for
is
comprifed
in
the
Affections
now afcri-
bed
to
them;which
that
it
is
done upon
fufficient
grounds,will
be
manifeft by calling
in
fome
few,
ofthe
molt eminent
of
Them,
to
fpeak
in
their own words, what their thoughts
were in
this
matter.
To bring
them
in, I
delire
that
one who
(though
noneofThem)was eminent
in his
under-
takings for
a
mixture
of
Divinity,and Law,in
thofe
dayes wherin
they had
their
eminent
rife
and
Original
may be heard. And
that
is
gratian,
who after
his
manner
bath Collelled
many
things
to
thePurpofein
hand:p.x.c.333eie
pan.di
/.a:Charitae(faith
he)ei
junlIa
Dea infepe-
retbiliter,&unita,t
in
omnibus Temper
a.AndEleffi
quippe,
fir adBonum
tendunt,ut ad
meta
perpetranda
non
redeent;
&,Poteft
difcurfus,&mobilisas Spiritus
f?c
mtelligi.ln San(larum
quip
-
pe
eordibus
juxt,?
quafdam
virtutes
Temper
permanet;juxta quafàam vera
rece
ffurus venir ,
ventu-
res
recedit:in
fide
erenim,O.Spe,&Charleate,&
bonis
aliis,
fine quibsu
ad
Cceleftem
peeriam
non
po.
left
eeniri(fcut
eft
Humilitae,Cafiitou
juflitia
ari,
Mfericordie)perfeilorum
cord,*
non
deferit:in
Trephetie
verb
virtute
,
doElrino
facundiel,tíhlireculorum
exhibition, faitalignando
adefl
quandofe
fsebtrahit,Anfwering the obje&ion,of
the
Spirits
departurefrom them,on
whom he
is
bellowed
He
diftinguifheth
of
the
refpects
,
upon
the
account
whereof
,
he may
be
laid
fo
to
do
;
in
refile&
of
Come
Common gifts ( fayth he)
he may
withdraw
himfelfe
from them on
whom he
is
bellowed but not
in
refile&
of
Habitual
San&ifyinggrace.
Among the School-men there
is
none
of
greater name,
&
eminency,
for
Learning,Devoti-
on,
and
Subtilty,then our
Bradwardin,
who
was Proctor
of
this
Vniverftty, iii
the
yeare
1325;
and