TO , THE. ·FAITH F V LL MlNISTERS OF THEGOSPELL= ANb TO ALL THAT ARE dcfirous of, •nd doe labour for the knowledge ofHoly lc:mung. ,fF~:;:«'~S~\ H~<~t csmmonplacufdiuiniri~, wbichconcenuth the framing of s~rmons, i! both weightieand d1Ji~ttlt,ifthert he An] qtfur rhrough•m Allth.tt (acred (ciencr. For thtm4lltr,which it is to explicate and treate on, u Prophccic.; anexcellentgift in– d~e4wJgther we confiderit inrc!JuEl ofdignitit or of v(e. Thedigr.itie thereof ttp· ,p,Mrtth,inthatlikea Ladie it U highiJ mounted and carrird aloft in a cbari!Jr: i t~hcre/Uallothergi/tsi)(Jthoftongues an~Arts, llfUndontb~bk._e handm.aides aloofe ._ __ ojf.rJnfwerableto tbi& dignitiethere is al(o A two-foldvfo: one, in·th~tt it (eruuh to eo/lea the Church,andtoaccompb/hthe number of the Eidl: the othtr, ftJY th<tt it driruth llll·111 the lw~.~olues from the!•Idesofthe L~rd,for this HindeedethAt Flexanima,that ai/Hrerifthe Soule;whtre6J m!nt{row11rdmindesaremitigatdand moouedfrom an 'Ungodly AndDllr/J.crouJ/ifevnc9 ChrtPtan {11'th I andreprnt:z'llce.This ~t!foiJthAt Engine;which .u it bath fhr;ken thefo~ndation of auncimt htrt'{frs. fo it h.atb itl the(efew b]·p4./lyeares,cutafmH.Jer the(inerpf of th11tgre•t A11tichrijl. Wherefore if it 6ee de– m-tndedwh1ch Uthe moft excellentgtft of'all, douinle{fe tbepraift!muft 6cgilun to Prophecymg. N Oil' 6; howmuch the more t>,:celient cuer; thingU,by (o much the m1re diiigentl] it ought tobeadorned rvtth va· ri#ie ll,dplmtie ofprcceptt.Therefore,when l {aw tl1il commonplacefo ha~tdled ofmtmy, lU that it would YC...I'l/4inena~d andpoore,ifaliotherarts/houldcafl[or tho{ethings,which aretheiroJf'vc: I pa11[ed the writingu[DiuiHes,a'ldhauinggatbered(ome rules outofthem, I hAue couched them in that muhode, ~hich 1haueJum~dmtJ/1 commodiout:that thq might6e betterfor~fe,and fitterfor the mtmorit.ldoe al(opubt./hthem,th•t th'J might beapprooued,ifthe1 bring with them tb.rwhrch ugood:ifa.y rlltl,rhat they m:~J recliue their d((eruedptmi/hmmt,Andwho{oeuer theN Art th11tplea/cP li re~~dc them, ~here tho~tJrt perfivaded of this orderofPrettcbi,g,which here I h.ndl(~ walk.,e onwith me: rr-b,,.e thoujla'ldcft at aftay,inquir~with mt;.!(where thoHperceiueifthine owne errors,rmm1etome; where thoufot>{l mine, c11fl me backetothee.For thllt;whicbnowb/eth me, fhRIIdijlik._eme, ifitltkJ not god(] and 'I»Oderatemin– ded wen. But ifany nun/hall carpe at this my trauaile,thotlgh ver!{matljet him ~or:~,tbat m7one/1mM– ning is toPenefit the ChNrch ofqr;d: And that th6 confcunceofm]faU is A (14Jficitnt muniment againfl all ca!umnirs,l doe"'"' briak.no• to qod,andthu (traEiate of thr) arl of Prophecying, both to JOU andto t;od. Ann. 159>. Dcccmb. u. VVILLIAM ~ERKINS. THE
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