The Epifile DEDICATORY, nancy concur, and fweetly fall in one with another, forthPrreigleme st and dire&tionof every perfon in a common -wealth, to make the whole ha and bleffed : and where they are both thus united, there, and only here, isthe blefhng, in affurance whereof Hezekial, rejoyced : rrorb and peace. An agreement without truth, is no peace, but a r covenantwith death, a league with hell, a confpiracy againf the kingdom of Chrifl, a flout rebellion againft theGod of heaven; and without luftice, great commo - wealths are but great troopsof robbers. Now the refult of theone of thefe iscivil peace, of the other ecclefiaftica}, betwixt which two there is a great fympathy, a ft:ia connexion: havilig on each ufually attended other th fcl»fms,l and fà blots in thechurh, and thedivfoes}of ítle church are too often, even the fubverfious ofthe common- wealth. Thus it bath been ever fince that unhappy difference between Cain and Abel s which was not concerning the bounds and limits of their inheritance, not which of them fhould be heir to the whole world : dirffe t on bathbeen tmore ft lied up,tfascefthe princetof rpeace, bath by his gofp I font the fsvord amongft us : for the preaching thereof, meeting with the firm g holds of fàtan, andthe depraved corruption of human nature, muff needs occafioa a great fink- ingof the earth. But moft efpeciallydiftraaed chriftendom loth found fearful slfoes of this difcord, finer theproud romifh prelates have fought to eflablifh theirhell- broached ecr maintaining uncharitable, errors, by winhheft caafing(hifmsaddrra£tions in the then being helped forwards by the bliudnefs andcruelty of ambitious potentates, have railed war within nation the late civil wspof France, wheerafergdìvetrs horrible . maffures, many chofe rather todie fouldiers, than martyrs. And Oh, that this truth might not, at this day, be written with the blood of si- p,rties;pwit expiring the horrible Mather of 'lathy as, d hofe brainswere chopt out with an axe, by his own Brother Ai eafae (a), for forfaking the ramifh religion: what rents in men, ha e 1appeed by reafousof fomeinferiour differences, we ll at this daygrieve en- to behold ; tanrum Religioparole foaderemalees moil cone oin khen isit of as tothn- deavour obedience to our Saviour's precept, g gift we may be partakers of the good things, comprifed in the promrfe annexed: were there but tis one agument for depends thepeace ofrtthe commonweal h,tlit peace ee fuffrcenthto quicken thereon ourutmoft induftry for the attaining of it. Now what peace in the church, without truth? All to deftroy any i but the agre of ement Chrift and his kingdom, netheris itthis, or that particular trth, but the whole counfel of is required, Gto make our peace firm and ft.bl . Na ha}dting betwixt l7ehrvah and Bad; 1.s to Ghrift and the language oflrAf rdod, good part11thle `language of theN ns: hence, hence hathbeen the rife of all our miferies, of all our diffenuons, whilft factious men laboured every day to commend ao analoft i cey riou new errors, whofe ptro gethey idwik dlundertaken: vho would have thought, would and given k ever have Belgi k femipelag s s who have call dirt upon the faces, raedup the fhes of all thofe great and pious fouls, whom God magnified inufirg as his:iìftrume.ststo reform inase his church ; to the leaft of themfelves equal, though they fivell till theyb eak.What beneSt didlever creme to y this church, by attempting to prove that thechef part in the fe eral e errs of our 11. falvation, is to be afcribed unto our felves, rather than God Which s tlae head and fum of all the controverfies between them and us and muft not the I tr aduçn gant enjoye fomenting of a do£tcine, fo oppofite to that truth our church Intl: q etly enjoyed, c.e ration ever fince the firft reformation, receffarily being along with it 1c} r,liñe ar d d fo long as any remain who love the truth, or eiteen rhe;o'y 1. abovel à, the ces of all Neither let any deceive year wifdoms, by affirming, that [boa' are d fF re tes of a a divines o rather, that a.. -e at thisday agitated afed but to cart the n eye on the follo v r g inftances, divines of the reformed church, be p asai (a) Sleid. Comm. f
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