It was always supposed, and known to some, that there are sundry persons in this nation, who, having been themselves seduced into Socinianism, did make it their business, under various pretences, to draw others into a compliance with them in the same Avay and persuasion. Neither hath this, for sundry years, been so seci'etly carried, but that the design of it hath variously discovered itself by overt acts of conferences, disputations, and publishing of books; which last way of late hath been sedulously pursued. Unto these three is now a visible accession made, by that sort of people whom men will call Quakers, from their deportment at the first erection of their way (long since deserted by them), until, by some new revolu- tions of opinions, they cast themselves under a more proper denomination. That there is a conjunction issued between both these sorts of men, in an opposition to the holy Trinity, with the person and grace of Christ, the pamphlets of late pub- lished by the one and the other do sufficiently evince. For ho^^■ever they may seem in sundry things as yet to look diverse ways, yet, like Samson's fo.xes, they are knit together by the tail of consent in these fire-brand opinions, and jointly endea- vour to consume the standing corn of the church of God. And their joint manage- ment of their business of late hath been as though it were their design to give as great a vogue and report to their opinions as by any ways they are able. Hence, besides their attempts to be proclaiming then- opinions, under various pretences, in all assemblies \\hereinto they may intrude themselves (as they know) without trouble, they are exceeding sedulous in scattering and giving away, yea, imposing gratis (and, as to some, ingraliis), their small books which they publish, upon all sorts of persons promiscuously, as they have advantage so to do. By this means their opinions being of late become the talk and discourse of the common sort of Christians, and the exercise of many, — amongst whom are not.a few that, on sundry accounts, which I shall not mention, may possibly be exposed unto disadvantage and prejudice thereby, — it hath been thought meet by some that the sacred truths which these men oppose should be plainly and briefly asserted and confirmed from the Scripture ; that those of the meanest sort of professors, who are sincere and upright, exercising themselves to keep a good conscience in matters of faith and obedience to God, may have someuhat in a readiness, both to guide them in their farther inquiry into the truth, as also to confirm their faith in what they have already received, when at any time it is shaken or ojiposed by the " cunning .sleight of men that lie in wait to deceive."
And this compriseth the design of the ensuing discourse. It may possibly be judged needless by some, as it was in its first proposal by him by whom it is written ; and that because this matter at present is, by an especial providence, cast on other hands, who l)0th have, and doubtless, as occasion shall require, will well acquit themselves in the defeijee of the truths opposed. Not to give any other account of the reasons of this small undertaking, it may suffice, that '• in publico discrimine omnis homo miles est," — " every inans cuuccrnmcnt lying in a common danger," — it is free for every one to manjige it as he thinks best, and is able, so it be without prejudice to the whole or the j)articular concerns of others. If a citjfc be on fire, whose bucket that brings water to (lucnch it ought to be refused? The attempt to cast fire into the city of God by the opinions mentioned, is open and plain; and a tiinely stop being to be put unto it, the more hands that are orderly emijloycd in its quenching, the more speedy and secure is the effect like to be.
THE PREFACE. oi'J
Now, because the assertors of the opinions mentioned Jo seem to set out them- selves to be some great ones, above the ordinary rate of men, as having found out, and being able publicly to maintain, such things as never would have entered into the minds of others to have thought on or conceived ; and also that they seem with many to be thought worthy of their consideration because they now are new, and such as they have not been acquainted withal ; I shall, in this prefatory entrance, briefly manifest that those v/ho have amongst us undertaken the manage- ment of these opinions have brought nothing new unto them, but either a little contemptible sophistry and caption of words, on the one hand, or futilous, affected, unintelligible expi*essions, on the othei', — the opinions themselves being no other but such as the church of God, having been opposed by and troubled with from the beginning, hath prevailed against and triumphed over in all generations. And were it not that confidence is the only relief which enraged impotency adheres unto and expects supplies from, I should greatly admire that those amongst us who have undertaken an enforcement of these old exploded errors, whose weak- ness doth so openly discover and proclaim itself in all their endeavours, should judge themselves competent to give a new spirit of life to the dead carcase of these rotten heresies, which the faith of the saints in all ages hath triumphed over, and which truth and learning have, under the care and A\atchfulness of Christ, so often baffled out of the world.