56 / 504
A
Preface
to
the Reader.
gratiam habuerant
,
ita
reguntur
&
proteguntur
á
Deo,ut
ve!
non
cadart
,
vet
fi
eecidcrint
re!urpnt
;
tsr
licètfapisu
cadant&
refurgant,tandem ahquando
ita refurgunt ut
ampliur
non
cadant:
in
which few
words
be bath
briefly
comprized the fumme
of
that
,
which
is
by us
contended for.
It
was
in
my
Thoughts
in
the
laft
place
to
have
added the concurrent
witnefs
of
all
the
reformed
Churches,with
that
of
the moft eminent Divines which have written
in the defence
of
their
Conceffì-
ons:but
this
Trouble
upon
lecond
confiderations,I (hall
(pare
the
Reader& my
felfe:for,as many
other
reafons
lye
againft the Profecuting
of
this
Defigne,
fo
efpecially
the
ufilefvefs
of
trending
Ttme,and
paines,for the
demonfiration
of
a
thing
offo
evident
a
truth,
prevailes
with
me
to
dehft;Notwithlan.
ding the Indeavours
of
CMr.
Goodwin
to wren the words
of
tome
of
the moft antient Writers
who
laboured in
the firfi Reformation.of the Churches;I
prefume no unprejudiced Perfon in the
loft
mea-
fure
acquainted with
the
fyfleme
of
that
Da5lrine
,
which with
fo
much paines
,
diligence, piety, and
Learning, they
promoted
in
theworld,with the
clearnefs
of
their Judgments,in going forth
ro
the
ut-
most compafs
of
their
Principles which
they
received
,
and
their conftancy to
them felves,
in
afferting
of
the Truthes they embraced,owned
by
their
Friends and Adverfaries,until
fuch
time
as
Mr.Coodwin
difcovered
their
felfe
Contradiétions
, will fcarce be moved once
to
quefion their
Judgments
by the
Excerpra
of
tí*?r.
Goodwin
Cap: 15:of
his
Treatife:fo
that
of
this difcourfe this
is
the
lflue.
There
remaines
only that
I
give a
brief account
of
tome concernments
of
the enfuing Treatife
and
difmiffe
the Reader from
any
further Attendance
in
the
Porch,or entrance
thereof.
The
Title
of
the book
(peakes
of
the
Aime
and Method
of
it the Confutation
of
c26-.
Goodwin
was
but
fecundarily in my
eye;and
the belt
way
for
that
I
judged
to
confift,in
a
full Scriptural
Confir-
¡nation
of
the
Truth
he
oppofed.
That
I cheifly
intended, and therein
I
hope the
pious
Reader,
may
through
the Grace
of
God,
meet
with
fatisfaetion. In.my undertaking
to
affirme
the Truth
of
what
I
affert, the Thing
it
felfe
firft, and then the
manifef'cation
of
it,
was in
my
Confideration:
for the
thing
it
felfe, my
arguing hath
been
to
difcover
the Nature
of
it, it's
principles, and caufes
,
it's relation
to
the
Good
will
of
the Father
,
the
mediations
of
the
Son
and
difpenfation
of
the Holy
Ghofi
to the
Saints
thereupon
;
it's ufe and tendency,
in,
and,unto
that
fellowfhip
with
the
Father
and
the Son ,
whereunto
we
are called and
admitted.
As to the
manner
ofit's
Revelation,
the proper
feates
of
it
in
the
Book
of
God,the
eccaßon
of
the De-
livery
thereof,in
feveral feafons,
the
Significant
Expreffons wherein
it
is
fet
forth,
and
the
receiving
of
it
by them
, to
whom it
was
revealed have been diligently remarked.
In thofe
parts
of
the
Difcourfe , which
tend to thevindication
of
the Arguments from Scripture,
whereby the
Truth
pleaded
for
is
confirmed,ofthe
nfefulnefs
of
the thing
it felfecontended
about
&c.
I
have
been I hope Careful
to
keep any
Difcourfe from degenerating into jangling
,
and
ftrife
of
Words
( the
ufual Iffue
of
Polemical
writings)
being not
altogether
Ignorant of
the devices
of
Satan,
and
the
ufual carnal Attendencies
of
fuch proceedings:The weight
of
the Truth
in
hand, The
Common
in-
terelt
of
all
the
Saints,in
their
walking with
God
therein,fenfe
of
rey
own duty, &the
near
approach
of
the
Account which
I
muff make
of
theminiftration
to
Committed
,
have given
bounds and
limits
to
my
whole difcourfe,
as
to the
manner
of
handling the
Truth
therein afretted.
Writing
in
the
Corn-
meal
language
of
the 21(ation
,
about the
Common
po
frrfon
of
the
Saints,
the meaneft and weakeft
as
well
as
the
wifeft and
the
moft
learned, labouring
in
the
workes
of Chrift
and
his
Gofpel
, I
ductt not
hive
the
underftandingof
what I aim'd at,
by
mingling
the
plaine
doftrine
of
the Scripture,with
Metaphy-
fecal
21(ptions,
expreJtas
of
Arts, or
any pretended ornaments
of
wit,or
fancy;becaufe
I
Feare
God
For
the more
fublime
Confideration
of
Things
,
and
fuch
a
way
of
their Delivery,
as
depending upon
ii
acknowledg'd reception
offundry
Arts and
fciences
which the
Generality
of
Chriftians neither
are
nor
need
to
be
acquainted withal
;
Scholars may
communicate their
Thoughts
and
Apprehenfions
un-
to,and
among Them
felves,and
that
upon the ftage
of
the world,in
that
language,whereunro they
have
confenred,for,&to that end&purpofe:That
I
have
carefully abflayned from
Perfonalrrfieflions,(coffes,
Undervaluations,applications
of
Stories, and old fayings,to
the provocation
of
the Spirit
of
them with
whom
I have
to
do,Ithink
not at
all
prayfe worthy;becaufe
that
upon
a review
of
tome
paffages in
the
treatife(now irrecoverable))
feare Ihave
fcarce been
focareful,asI
am
Pure
it
was
my
duty to
have
'nett
Errata
in the 'Preface,
Read.pt.1..36 it'3
4
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