C Ap. I. 4: t2.03. The Dot:ofthe Sts Apo{aacy by whommaintained. 8 & vicious converfation, no finall partof the growingevilsofthedaies where: in he lived, did yet cry out againft the doétrinesofothersas tendingto Ioof- nefe and profaneneffe,upon whole brealts& teachingswas writtenHolineffe Armin. Anti- to theLord all their dates' Afterwards Arminiuswithhis 0.pinquarticulan Fol- lowers, perk takeing up the matter, though they laboured witirall their might to có Rem . !!. Hag. Artic.5. anfwer fundry of the Arguments whereby the truthof this do&rine is de- rñonftrated, yet for a feafonwere very faint and dubious in their own affer- tions: not daringto breakeinat onceupón fo great aTreafureofthe Church ofGod: * and therefore in theirsynodalia ire forced toApologife *Nos cdm mentem nopram for their H4itation nine years before in theirConference at the taperhoc arguments. categarl- ce dogmaticè in alteram Hague. But nowof late , the glorious light of Socinianifine partemdefinivimtu,nulln iure bath broken forth from thepit, men by their new fuccours, are tevitati iu !aer polte,pro fgrown bold todefie this great truth ofthe Gofpell andgrace of pterea 4uòd novem ab hint n"-a, eon non ita diJertè Qg the Covenant, as an abomination for ever to be abhorred. Audax rotundè enuecievcrimru, fed omniaperpeti Gens humana,ruitper vetitum nefees, folummodò difyuirentium ad- bue in morem profef Pmts. Declar. fens. Rem. circa 5.Artic. f Socin. Fuld!. Theo!. cap. 6. art.7. &c. r 2. In particular, the late fludiousEndeavours ofaLearnedman in hisTreatife Intituled Redemption Redeemed, for'to difpoyle the fpoufeof Chrift ofthis aloft Glorious pearl wherewith her beloved hath adorned her,cals for a particular Confederation. And this (difeharging a regard unto any other motives fupon (cheifly) thisaccompt, that he hath with great paines and travel! gathered together whatever hath been formerly given out, and dif- perfedby themolt confiderable Adverfaries of this Truth (efpeciallynot o- witting any thing" of moment in the synodall defence of the fifth Article, with an exalt tran(latiou of the dramaticall Profopopteias , with whatfoever looks towards his defigne in hand from their fourth at- tempt about the manner ofconverfion) giving it a new not only an elegant dreffe, and varnifh of Rhetoricall .expreffions, but moreo- ver reinforcing the declining caufe of his Pelagian Friends with not to be Can. 4. defpifed fupplyes ofappearing Reafon,and hidden Sophiftry. So that though I (ball handle thisdoltrine in'my owne Method, (with the reafon whereof, I (hall inftantly acquaint the Reader) & not follow that Author mi,Pets; yet handling not only the main ofthe Doëfrineit felfe,but all the concernments andconfequences ofit in the feverall branches of the Method intended, I hope not to leaveany thing confiderable in that whole Treatife ( as to the Truth in hand) Undifeuffed , no Argument Unvindicated, no objeaionUn- anfwered, noConfequenee Unweighed, with a fpeciall eye to the Companion inftituted betweene the Do trines in conteft, as to their dire& and eau- fallinfluence into theobedience and Confolationofthe Saints. 4 13. Thatwe may know then what we f eake and whereof we doe ofrme, I (hall breifly State the Do trine under confideration, that thedifferencea- bout it may appeare.Indeed it feemes ftrangetome amongother things,that heofwhommentionwas laftly made,who hath liberallydifpended fogreat a Treafure, of Pairies, Reading, and Eloquence, for the fubverting ofthe Truth, whofe explanation and defence we have undertaken, did not yet once attempt fairely tofixe the State ofthe differenceabout it, but in a ve- ry tumultuarymanner, fell in with prejudices fwelling overall bounds and Chap. y. limits ofordinary reafoning, Rhetoricall amplifications upon a do&rine not attempted tobe brought forth and explayned, that it might beweighed in the Ballance, as in it felfe it is. Whereas there maybe manyReafons, of fuch a proceeding, it maywellbequeftioned whether anyofthem becandid & commendable. Certainly the advantages thence taken fox the improve- ing
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