To the Pious and Judicions Reader.. Reader,

D

untoftly,) for that faith which was once delivered"

au, Jude v.3.

* Nec fi ubique clariffimis ver

bis teftatum re

men rem fe habere nobis com

Oeft thou expect an Account of the Preching and Publifhing of this Treatife, tak what the Frontispiece holdeth forth. The Word of Reconciliation is that facred Depofitum, which God hath committed to his Minifters, not that it fhould be fmo:hered in their private bofomes, but that by them it might be tranfmitted and published to the world. And fuch is the main Subject of this Dilcourfe, which is here Doctrinally opened and Practically applied. As for the Polemicall and Controverfall Part of it, I with it were not too juftly occafioned through thofe pernicious errours of Socianifme, which now, a-t 'Era[@vilemong the croud of many other, begin to walk abroad, ftriking at the very Root or Foundation of that Religion, which harh hitherto been called Chriftian. And if The Foundation be deftroyed, what hall the Righteous do? This it is which hath stirred my fpirit to appear in this caufe, thus to contend (which I am required to do, and periremus,fic tathat Saints: Wherein my defigne is, not so much to recover those who are already taken in this frfare pertum cffet. Sowho are by others (how juttly let themselves fee to it Chrifto Servalooked upon for the most part, as men lo wedded to their own carnall Reafon, as that they difdain to fub- tore, part.3. mit themselves to God's Reafon; not regarding the Authority of Scripture further then as it complieth with the genius of their naturall Principles. So much their Mafter and Leader fticketh not to profeffe, who hath in down-right terms published it to the world, that as for God's punihing our fin in, and upon his Son Chrift, though he fhould find it every where attested in most expreffe words in Scripture, yet would be not take it for granted men ità rem that fo it is. And again, peaking of Chrift's of Chrift's Satisfaction: For my parlaith he though I should not once, but prorfùs fe babeoften meet with textantin facred Records, yet would I not for all that believe that it was fo indeed. Now it his fol lowest of thellaéiind. hall leave them as I find them, only praying for them, (what Simon Peter wil

*

+ Ego uidem, mèl, fed fepè etiamfi non fe

nimentis fcripid in facris mo

tum extaret, non idcircò ta

re crederem,

ut vos opinamini. Socin.ibid. cap.6. Act

leth Simon Magus to do for himselfe, that upon their Repentance, his thought of their beart may be forgiven them. It is for the fake of others that I have spent this little ftrength; fuch whofe veins are not as yet infected with this poifon. For them have I prepared this Antidote, that their fpirits being confirmed in the ancient and received Truths of God, they may not by whatever devices of Satan, or his Inftruments, be removed to another Gofpell. In the managing of this Controver fe, I must acknowledge (what my Margin confeffeth) my felfe to owe not a little to the learned Grosius. But whether to Grotius Orthodox, or Grotius Heterodox more, I muft fay I cannot readily tell. I have made ufe of both, comparing the one with the other, his former with his later thoughts, bis Book De Satisfa ctione, with fome of his Comments. So doing, I have found the one clear and candid,, free from fubterfuge, or evafion; fuch as (whatever hath been affayed by way of reply to it) may give full fatisfaction to any unprejudiced fpirit: The other fo palpably guilty of both, as that they deferve both Genfure and Pity. And this to me, (and I fuppofe it may be the like to others,) hath been, and is no small confirmation of this Truth of God. Surely, if any one had been able to answer Grotius, it fhould have been Grotius himselfe, then whom I know none more able to have done it, and (as it feemeth) none more willing. But finding him fo foiled by bimfelfe, fo unable by all his Artifice, to build again what before he bad destroyed; I cannot but fubfcribe to 1 Efdras 4.41. that Apocryphall Text, Magna eft veritas, pravalet:

Great is Truth, and mighty above all things. May thefe my poor labours contribute ought towards the clearing and vindicating of this facred Truth, (upon which I do freely adventure my own foul, not knowing in what other way to look for falvation,) whileft God hath the Glory, and others the Benefit, my felfe thall have what I aimed at. In the defire whereof, I reft

Thine in the Service of this bleffed Mediazour, JOHN BRINSLEY.

To the good Angels Chrift is a Me-When Chrift was called to this of

201 fice
Chrift a Surety by way of caution

The Grace of God in vaine to four forts af Perfons.

Kingdom of Grace and Glory, Grace of God in Christ to t