3. Let not any one attempt dealing with these men that is not in some good measure furnished with those kinds of literature and those common arts wherein they excel; as, first, the knowledge of the tongues wherein the Scripture is loritten, namely, the Hebrew and Greek. He that is not in some mea- sure acquainted with these will scarcely make thorough work in dealing with them. There is not a w^ord, nor scarce a letter in a word (if I may so speak), which they do not search and toss iq? and down ; not an expression which they pursue not through the whole Scripture, to see if any place will give countenance to the interpretation of it which they embrace. The curious use of the Greek articles, which, as Scaliger calls them, are "loqua- cissimfB gentis flabellum," is their great covert against the arguments for the deity of Christ. Tlieir disputes about the Hebrew words wherein the doctrine of the satisfaction of Christ is delivered in the Old Testament, the ensuing treatise will in part manifest. Unless a man can debate the use of words with them in the Scripture, and by instances from other approved authors, it will be hard so to enclose or shut them up but that they will make way to evade and ascape. Press them with any testimony of Scripture, if of any one word of the testimony, whereon the sense of the whole in any measure depends, they can except that in another place that word in the original hath another signification, and therefore it is not necessary that it should here signify as you urge it, unless you are able to debate the true meaning and import of the word with them, they suppose they have done enough to evade yoiu- testimony. And no less [necessary], nextly, are the common arts of logic and rhetoric, wherein they exercise themselves. Among all Socinus' works, there is none more per- nicious than the little treatise he wrote about sophisms ; wherein he labours to give instances of all manner of sophistical arguments in those which are produced for the confirmation of the doctrine of the blessed Trinity.
He that would re-enforce those arguments, and vindicate them from his exceptions and the entanglements cast upon them, without some consider- able acquaintance with the principles of logic and artificial rules of argu- mentation, will find himself at a loss. Besides, of all men in the world, in their argumentations they are most sophistical. It is seldom that they urge any reason or give any exception wherein they conclude not "a par- ticulari ad universale," or "ab indefinito ad universale, exclusive," or "ab aliquo statu Christi ad omncm," or "ab ceconomia Trinitatis ad theologiam Deitatis," or "ab usu vocis alicubi" to "ubique: " as, " Christ is a man, therefore not God ; he is the servant of the Father, therefore not of the
Ev TOKri yvfj-vccffrixoKriv ai Iv uKpnv tui^icc;, ^(paXipa), r,v Iv rZ i/r^arai iairiv oh yap duvavrai f^ivuv h rui aVTiiu ohli arfi/jciuv Wii Ti ovx ccTptf^iouffiv ovVi Tt "himavrai Itti ri
(iiXTiev iTiiilivai, Xii^irai It) to x^^P"^ Hippocrat. AplioHs. lib. 1. sect. 11.
THE PllEFACE TO THE READER. 61
same nature," And the like instances may be given in abundance ; from which kind of arguing he will hardly extricate himself who is ignorant of the rudiments of logic. The frequency of figurative expressions in the Scripture, which they make use of to their advantage, requires the know- ledge of rhetoric also in him that will deal with them to any good purpose. A good assistance (in the former of these especially) is given to students by Keslerus, "in examine Logicje, Metaphysicfe, et Physicse Photiniance." The pretended maxims, also, which they insist on from the civil law, in the business of the satisfaction of Christ, which are especially urged by Socinus, and by CreUius in his defence against Grotius, will make him who shall en- gage with them see it necessary in some measure to be acquainted with the principles of that faculty and learning also.
With those who are destitute of these, the great Spirit of truth is an abundantly sufficient preserver from all the cunning sleights of men that lie in wait to deceive. He can give them to believe and suffer for the truth. But that they should at any time look upon themselves as called to read the books or dispute with the men of these abominations, I can see no ground.
4. Always bear in mind the gross figments that they seek to assert and establish in the room of that which they cunningly and subtiiely oppose. Remember that the aim of their arguments against the deity of Christ and the blessed Trinity is, to set up two true Gods, the one so by nature, the other made so, — the one God in his own essence, the other a God from him by office, that was a man, is a spirit, and shall cease to be a God, And some fartlier account hereof you will meet with in the close of the ensuing treatise.
5. Diligent, constant, serious reading, studying, meditating on the Scrip- ttires, with the assistance and direction of all the rules and advantages for the right understanding of them which, by the observation and diligence of many worthies, we are furnished withal, accompanied with continual attendance on the throne of grace for the presence of the Spu-it of truth with us, to lead us into all truth, and to increase his anointing of us day by day, " shining into our hearts to give us the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ," is, as for all other things in the course of our pilgrimage and walking with God, so for our preservation against these abominations, and the enabling of us to discover their madness and answer their objections, of indispensable necessity, Apollos, who was "mighty in the Scriptures," Acts xviii. 24, "mightily convinced the" gain- saying " Jews," verse 28. Neither, in dealing with these men, is there any better course in the world than, in a good order and method, to multiply testimonies against them to the same purpose; for whereas they have shifts in readiness to every particular, and hope to darken a single star, when they are gathered into a constellation they send out a glory and bright- ness which they cannot stand before. Being engaged myself once in a public dispute about the satisfaction of Christ, I took this course, in a clear and evident coherence, producing very many testimonies to the con- firmation of it; which together gave such an evidence to the trutli, that one who stood by instantly affirmed that "there was enough spoken to stop the moutli of tlie devil himself," And this course in the business of the <ieity and satisfaction of Christ will certainly be triumphant. Let us, then, labour to have our senses abundantly exercised in the word, that we may be able to discern between good and evil ; and that not by studying the places themselves [only] that are controverted, but by a diligent seai'ch into the whole mind and will of God as revealed in the word; wherein the