APrefaceto theReader. cc' unedisQe t2i,jr,SbR Qbaiitt n t u 6*w'. *$$$$$$$$$WelibMinc.4 R É ADER F thy enquiry be o&yafter the fub/lance of the Truth in the enfuing Treatife contended for , I delire thee not to flay at all upon this preti- minary difcourfe,but to proceed thirher,where it is expreflyhandled from the Scriptures , without the intermixtureof any humaneTeflimonies , or other lets necessary Circumfiances, wherein perhaps many of them may not be concerned,whofe interest yet lies in the truth it felfe,and it is pre.. clous to their Soules. That which now I intend and ayme at, isto give anaccount to the learnedReader , ofTome things nearly relating to the doRr:ne , whoseproteftion ( in the ftrength ofhim , who gives to his.,fuitable helps for the works and Employments hecalls them to ) I have undertaken and what entertainment it hath formerly found,and received in the Church,and among theSaints ofGod. Dr the Ac- complishment of this intendment, Abreife mention of theDoetrine it felfe will make way. Whom in thiscontroverfy we intend by the name ofSaints , andBeleivers theTreatife fol- lowingwill abundantly manifeft. The word Perfeverantia is ofmoft knowneufe inEccles fiaflical writers : Auflin bath a book with the infcriptionof it in its forehead. The word in the New Testament fignifying the fame thingis,mswriì. Of them that followed Paul it is Paid that heperfwaded them, talgillIP Ty e ntT yes ", A. 13.43. That is:to Per / euere. `s risitoth is of the fame import. '04 izrooyivat £is -rae- `u'sos ors..:4 .Math.I 0,23. Ile that perfevereth to the end; TheVulgar Latin rendersthat wordalmoftconftantly by perfivero.KapTre:ia is aword alto of the fame fignification and which theScripture ufeth to express thefame thing : xesíT' is, fometimes by aMetathefis expreffed xapr@;Thence is KJrta,vald'e :and xap,sp:W,fpokenofhim who is of a valiant refolvedmind. Byfaith cA'lofes left Egypt, notfearing the Wrath ofthe King, rir y5 0I'6e,m, Wç útWr trtjpr pnes.He.r ï.ay.As eying the invifible he endured(histryal ) with a con- flaw valiant mind. riessrapnplis from thence is moftfrequently to perfevere. A& E. 14. and $,ov J4 4e9o41p7Sp ,7v7e5 Tî,dtJxx,r:''Azrn5vEmr A l.2.4a. They persevered in the Doeirine ofthe Apoftles. rreoeepaieiiess once used in.the NewTestament, is rendredby our Tranfiatoursperfe- verance. Eph.6. r8. In whatvarietyofExpreflion the thing is revealed in the Scripture, isin the Treatifeit serfs abundantly declared. TheLatin word is Clafcal,Terfevero, is Confianter funsfeveru: : In that felfeas Senecahies Resfevera eft venomgaudinm. It's extreme in ex- cels is , Pertinacy; if there arenot rather diftinguifbed from theirobje&s, then in themselves. Varro lib 4.de ling:Lat :Tells us that Pertinacia is a continuance orgoing en, in that, whereinone ought not tocontinue,or proceed. Terfeverantia is that, whereby any one continues in that Where- in he ought fo to doe. Hence is that definition of it commonly given by the School-men from Au(lin: Lib 87. qu:3 r,who took it from Cicero (one they little acquainted themfelveswith - all) lib. z,de Invent: it is fay they, In ration bent fundatâ,flabilis & perpetuapermanfio. And this at present maypats for a general defcríption ofit, that is used in an ethical ; andPvan. gehcal fenfe. Perfeverance was accounted a commendable thing amongPhilofophers. rite- -t rally Perfeverance is that part ofFortitudewhereby the mind iteflabliffled in the performanceofa- ny good andnece far' work, notwithflanding theaffaults and opposition it meetswithal ,with that tedioufnefs and Weerifomners, which theprotrailion oftime , in thepur/uit ofany Jain atten- dedwithal. Ariflotle informes us that it is excercifed about things troublefome , lib. 7. Eth: Nicom : givinga difference between Continencewith it's oppofite vice , andforbearance , or yer /everance ro uo J' ó pti ,ei riAr.Z isparis, i ¡s'rywgazñs. `O 4 ,*..; Tires; uaSauós ,; dt xaprsas ç. He that abides in hisundertaken work fo it be good andhoneft, notwithftanding that trou- ble and perplexity he may meet withal is xarneasìc. Hence he tellsus that xatrepici'ç'r as well as jw,p.vus is not pleasant CO many, lib. ro.cap.9. And that becaufe fo to live, implies dif- ficulty and opposition. And He alto, as Varro in the place above mentioned, diftinguifhes it from pertinacy; And of men infefled with that deprav'd habit ofmind,he fays there are three forts;léleyea;aeieo,Ju«so and s'yevcoi: all Thefe are in his Judgment,l,v,.yeduovss.1Picom.lib. 7. cap: 9. Which perverfe difpofition offpirit he there clearly manifefts to be fufficiently diffetenced from afruits refolved frame ofmind,whatever itmay refembleir in.Now though B there
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