_ ' "Ab ipsis fert religionis nosti-pe ounis et primordiis." Surely the rendering above is a wide deria,- tion Irom Owen's meaning,— " i'rom the infancy and origin of our religion/' that is, the Christian reli- gion.—Ed.
492 riiEFACE.
As to what pertains to theology itself, or that " knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness," wherewith being filled " we ourselves become perfect, and throughly furnished to every good work," and "able ministei's of the new testament, not of the letter, but of the spirit," — " apt to teach, rightly dividing the word of truth ;" that subject, I say, though a common and chief topic in the writings both of the schoolmen and others on religion, many have acknowledged, to their fatal experience, when too late, is treated in too perplexed and intricate a manner to be of any real and general service.
For while they are warmly employed in disputing whether theology be an art or a science, and whether it be a speculative or practical art or science; and while they attempt to measure it exactly by those rules, laws, and methods which human reason has devised for other sciences, thus endeavouring to render it more plain and clear, — they find themselves, to the grief and sorrow of many candidates for the truth, entangled in inextricable difficulties, and left in possession only of a human system of doctrines, having little or no connection at all Avith true theology.* I hope, therefore, — " if the Lord will, and I live," — to publish (but from no desire of gainsaying any one) some specimens of evangelical truth on the points before mentioned, as well as on other subjects.^
As to the work that I have now in hand, the first part of the dissertation is concerning the cause of the death of Christ ; and in the execution of which I have the greatest pleasure and satisfaction (though proudly defied by the adversaries, so conceited with themselves and their productions are they), becavise " I have de- termined to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified," — at least, nothing that could divert my attention from that subject.^
But now, learned reader, lest, as the saying is, " the gate should become wider than the city," if you will bear with me while I say a few things of myself, however little worthy of your notice, I shall immediately conclude the preface.
About two years ago, the parliament of the commonwealth promoted me, A\hile diligently employed, according to the measure of the gift of grace bestowed on me, in preaching the gospel, by their authority and influence, though with reluct- ance on my part, to a chair in the vei'y celebrated university of Oxford. I mean not to relate what various employments fell to my lot from that period ; what frequent journeys I became engaged in; not, indeed, expeditions of pleasure, or on my own or private account, but such as the unavoidable necessities of the imiver- sity, and the commands of superiors, whose authority was not be gainsaid, imposed npon me. And now I clearly found that I, who dreaded almost every academical employment, as being unequal to the task (for what could be expected from a man not far advanced in years, who had for several years been very full of employ- ment, and accustomed only to the popular mode of speaking; who, being altogether devoted to the investigation and e.\})lanation of the saving grace of God through Jesus Christ, had for .some time taken leave of all scholastic studies ; whoso genius is by no means quick, and who had even forgot, in some measure, the portion of polite learning that he might have formerly acquired, and at a time, too, when I had
1 The full sentence in the original runs in the following terms : — "Not a few wooers of truth havina; followed their guidance, grieveaiul lament huw they have strayed in their whole course, after finding themsclve.s pushed into inextricahle dilliculties, (like that old man in Terence, who was directed hy a villain of a slave bael<ward and forward, by steeps, and precipices, ami obscure corners, to land at length in a narrow alley with no tlioroughfare,) and left in possession only of a human system of doc- trine, having siarcely any thing in rommon with true theology."— Kn.
2 See Owen on the lloly Spirit. [This note is by the translator. AVe apprehend that Owen alludes to his work on " Communion with God." See vol. ii. of his works. — Kn.]
3 This jiaragraph is neither correctly rendered nor eonsisleut with fact. The whole paragraph stands thus in the oriRinal :— " As to the work now in hand, it is the lirst part of n difsertaHon concerning the criJiseis of thr (li.i'h nf Christ; to \\h\ch I willingly apply, because 1 have detennined to know nothing but Jesus (Christ, and him cruiilii d: tlmugh sailly provoked to turn my tlinuuht.s in another direction by the in.solcMit banghlini'ss of adversaries, who e;uuiot tliink highly enough of themselves and their productions ;— a sort of ))ersons than whom none are more silly, or held niori' cheap by wise and thought- ful men." Owen does not seem to have ever fulfilled his intention to comiilete this work on the causes of our Ijord's agony. The subject is fully considered in the Kxercitatious .\xix. and xxx., prefixed to his Jixposition'of the Epistle to the Hebrews.— Kd.