Jllor. Od., lil>. V. 6. 2 Ibid.
1 G THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY,
readers thereby), in discourses of this nature, do ofFend against their professed intendments, hy perpetual diversions, in long personal harangues, delighting some for a moment, instructing none in the matter inquired into. Some parts of this treatise you may perhaps judge not so closely and scholastically argumentative as the regular laws of an accurate disputation would require. In the same judgment with you is the author, when yet he supposes himself not without just apology, and that such as renders his way of procedure not blameworthy; whereas, other- wise, he should not think any excuse sufficient to expiate such an error. He is worthily blamed who had not rather choose to want a fault than an excuse. The truth is, neither would the matter treated of, nor the persons for whose sakes chiefly this labour was undertaken, admit of an accurate scholastical procedure in all parts of the treatise. The doctrine asserted and the error opposed are the concernment of the common people of Christianity. Arminianism is crept into the bodies of sundry congregations, and the weaker men are who entertain it, the more gross and carnal are their notions and conceptions in and about it. Pela- gius himself was never so injurious to the grace of God as some amongst us. Now, the souls of [the] men whose good is sought in this work are no less precious in the sight of God, though they arc unacquainted with philosophical terms and ways of arguing, than the souls of the most learned. Besides, that which we account our wisdom and learning may, if too rigorously attended, be our folly. When Ave think to sharpen the reason of the Scripture, we may sti-aiten the effi- cacy of the spirit of it. It is oftentimes more effectual in its own liberty than when restrained to our methods of arguing, and the weapons of it keener in their own soft breathiags than when sharpened in the forge of Aristotle. There is a way of persuasion and conviction in the Scriptures that is more divine and sub- lime than to be reduced to any rules of art that men can reach unto. God in his word instructs men, to make them " wise unto salvation." Syllogisms are not, doubtless, the only way of making men wise with human wisdom, much less divine. Some testimonies, on this account, are left at their own liberty, impi'oved only by explanation, that they might lose nothing of their own strength, seeing no other can be added to them. Where the corrupt philosophy, or sophistical argu- ings, or, indeed, regular syllogistical proceedings, of the adversaries, have rendered a more close, logical way of proceeding necessary, I hope your favourable judg- ments will not find cause to complain of the want thereof. Whatever is amiss, whatever is defective, whatever upon any accovint cometh short of desire or ex- pectation, as I know none in the world more able to discern and find out than yourselves, so there are none from whom I can expect, and justly promise myself, a more easy and candid censure, a more free and general pardon, a more favour- able acceptation of this endeavour for the service of the truth, than from you. Besides that personal amity and respect which God by his providence hath given me (one altogether unworthy of such an alloy of common perplexities in his pil- grimage) with you and amongst you, besides that readiness and ingenuous promptness of mind unto condescension and candid reception of labours m this kind which your own great worth and abilities furnisli you withal, exempting you and lifting you above that pedantic severity and humour of censure which possesseth sciolists and men corrupted with a desire of emerging in the repute of other.s, you know full well in what straits, under what diversions, employments, I)usiness of sundry natures, incumbent on me from the relations wherein I stand in tlie univer»ity, and on sundry other accounts, this work hath been carried on. The truth is, no small portion of it owes its rise to journeys, and such like avoca- tions from my ordinary course of studies and employments, with some spare hours, for the most part in time of absence from all books and assistances of tiiat nature whatever. Not lortger to be burdensome unto you with things of no greater con- cernment than what may have respect to one every way so unworthy as myself.
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY. 17
what is of the seed which God graciously supplied, I am sure will find acceptance with you; and what is of its worthless author, or that I have added, I am fully content may be consumed by the fire that tries our works of what sort they are.
My daily prayer, honoured brethren, shall be on your behalf, that in the days wherein we see so many fall from the truth and oppose it on the one hand, a great indifference as to the things of God leading captive so many on the other, so few remaining made useful to God in their generations by a conjunction of zeal for the truth and ability unto its defence, and those for the most part so closely engaged in, and their hands so filled with, the work of public beseeching men to be reconciled to God in Christ, and building up of them who are called in their most holy faith, you may receive help from above, and encouragement to engage you by all means possible to spread abroad a savour of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to labour continually that the truths of God (for whose defence you are particularly appointed) may not be cast down, nor trampled on under the feet of men of corrupt minds, lying in wait to deceive, alluring and beguihng unstable souls with enticing words of human wisdom, or any glorious show and pretence whatever, turning them from the simplicity of the gospel and the truth as it is in Jesus ; that you may not faint nor Avax weary, notwithstanding all the opposi- tion, contempt, scorn, you do or may meet withal, nor even be turned aside to corrupt dalliances with error and falsehood, as is the manner of some, who yet would be accounted sound in the faith; but keeping close to the form of whole- some words, and answering the moidd of gospel doctrine, whereinto you have been cast, may shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, knowing that it is but yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Yea, come. Lord Jesus, come. So prays your unworthy fellow- labourer and brother in our dear Lord Jesus,