A Preface to the Reader, ved toan affurance of in our Condition, to the enjoyment of the full inheritanceis not contemtible in the Caufe in hand, as is further manifefted in the treadle it (elfe. And there inflames may fuffce for thefirlt period of time mentioned before the riling of the Pelagian herefy,o fwhich;& thofe others ofthe fame kind that might be produced,though they maynot teem fo full and expreffive to the point under ConGderarion, as there which followafter, yet concerningthofe Authors and their teftimonies,thefe two things may be al: fated. r That though fume Exprefflons may begathred from Tome ofthe Writers within the fpáce ofTime mentioned that teem to allow poffibility ofdefetlicn, and Apoflacy in Belie, vers, occafioned all of them by the general ufe of that word, and the taking in the fveral ac- counts , "whereon menboth in the Gofpel , and in common ufe are fo called , yet there is no one of them that ever afcribed the perfeveranceof them,who Altually &eventually perfevere, to fuch grounds and principles as cMr. Goodwindoth , and which theReader shall find at large by him infifled on , in theenfuing treatife. The truth is, his maintainingof the Saints perfe'verance is as bad,if not worfe,thenhis maintaining their Apoflacy. That I fcarce know any Head in Religion, concerningwhich the Mind ofthe Antients who wrote before it received any oppofttion,maybe madeout more clearly,then we have done in this, by the Inflances produced , and infifted on. The Pelagian Herefy beganabout the yeare 417. The firíi oppofers thereofare recko- ned upby Proffer, ,Cap : a, de Ingrat : The BiJhop ofRome , thePalefline Synod in the Cafe ofTelagisu, Hierome, eltticue BiJlapofConflantinople,the Synod ofephcfees,Sicily,and two in Africk, he mentions in order, concluding them with thefecund Africangathered to that end and purpofe; Anne aliens infinempellet precedere [annum la cui Dux eArarelius Ingeniumgr Auguftinue erat? quern Chrifligratia corms Oberiore rigans, noftro lamen dedit avo , Accenfamverode Lamine, nam cibus ills Et vita O regaies Deus eft omnifgr volaptae Vase amor Chrifti eft,antu Cbrifli eft Honor slli: Etdamnullsfibi gaarit bona,fit Deusills Omnia , & in Sautto regnatfapientiaTemplo. Andbecaufe I (hallnot burden the Reader, being now entred upon the Place and Time; wherin very many witneffes call aloud to be heard about theDifference in hand , ofthe frft oppolers of the PelagianHerefy , I (hall infift only on him,who is indeed Inflaromnium, and bath ever been fo accounted in the controverfies about the Grace sfGod: And I [hall the ra- ther lay this weighton him, becaufe it's evident that he fpake the fenfeof the whole Church, in thofedayes wherin he lived. This is ..fuftin , ofwhom faith the fame Trofper I ve- rinr illi nonfolamRamanamEcclefamAffricanamg, , fed per smuts Mandi parses univerfos pro- rnifionis fzliasmomDottrinâ Hopei Viri,fcutintoed fide, itainGratiaconfefonecongruere :Epiff; adRuth: Andwhen his writings began to be carped at by theSemi. PelagianofFrance Calefline Bifhop ofReme in his Epift: codGallos,gives him this Teftimony:.iluguftinum Santla Recor- dati,na Pirum pro vita' fad (7moribae,in noftra Communionfemper habuimas, nec unquam bane finiflra fafpicionie rumor [altem afperfit , quern tanta fcientia olimfail a meminimtu , at inter maglftrosoptima; etiam ii mein Predecefforibue haberetur. His writings alto were made ufe of notonly by Prsfper Hilary,and Falgentiuo,bar generally ofall that engaged againft the Pela- gians.Zom:miLJ( faith Profperad Collat: c:q.1:)citm effet :Dofiiimru,adversis Librestamen Pe- lagianorambeati Auguflini refponfa pofcebat. And, Leo Epift: adConed: Araufic: tranfcribes out ofhim verbatim the things thathe would have confirmedand eflablifhed. And in hisown dayes norwithflanding the differences between them, that Aged and learned Hierome , tells him Epif: 94: (...Mob: decretum e/t toamare, to fu[picere,colere, mirari, tea dilla,quaf mea,ele- fendere. Hence was thatoutcry in the Palefline Synodupon the fleighting ofhis Authority by Pelagian. 'Thais Pelagitu, Loh eft mihi AugaRinses ? Acclamabant maresBla[phemantern in Epifcopum,ex capesore dominus Vniverfa Africa Vnitatin indul /exitfanitatem , non (clam is con- ventu ills, fedab emni Ecclefa' pellendum: Orof : Apologet : pa?: 62i. 622: So alto Gelan: bibli- eth: Pat:Tcm:} Colam:5 53.pag: 589. Fulgentian alto with them affembled with him at Byzacene , when theywere banifhed A- frickbyThrafirnundtu,in that Synodical Epift : gives them this Counfel: pra omnibus [Indium gerite
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