Defense of the Synod of Dort, Title page – Preface
A DEFENCE OF THE DOCTRINE PROPOVNDED BY THE SYNODE AT DORT: AGAINST IOHN MVRTON AND HIS ASSOCIATES, IN A Treatise intuled; A Description what God, &c. WITH THE REFVTATION OF their Answer to a Writing touching BAPTISM. By IOHN ROBINSON.
Printed in the year, 1624.
THE PREFACE.
THE record which the Apostle bare the Iews Rom. 10. 2.in his time; such as either reade these mens writings, or know their persons may bear them; which is, that they hauehave a zeal of God, but not according to knowledg, I add touching them, nor in modesty neither. Which if it held any place in their hearts, as were meet, would moderate and restrain both their causlesse presumption in themselvs, and gracelesse licentiousnesse which they fear not to use, both towards God, and other men.
They would seem very zealous for the Scriptures purity and perfection: vvarning all to take heed they presume not aboue Epistle to the Reader▪what is written; nor to add to, or diminish from the perfect law of the Lord contained therin: And yet they themselvs presume so frequently, and notoriously in this their book, to corrupt the very words of the Texts which they cite, by adding to, and taking away, and altering, for their advantage; as I suppose, the like hath not been seen before in any, of any sect whatsoever: and as if, in truth, they meant not to use a gift to interpret the holy Scriptures, but a priviledg to correct them. A taste of this they giuegive us in their very Epistle, where answering an objection taken from the learning of the Synode at Dort, by Es. 29. 14, & Math. 11. 25. 26, they, instead of wise and prudent, which are Christs words, put learned, and that in small letters as part of the Text, both wronging therin that lawfull and helpfull learning in others, which themselvs want, and corrupting the Lords words, which they ought religiously to keep; and obtruding another meaning then ever came into his mind: which they doe usually in this Treatise, by neglecting the main scope of the place cited, and catching at a word or phrase in it▪ which is the highest way, that can be, to all heresie.
And for men, how uncharitable are they towards them in their persons, judging them as perishing without remedie, if they receiv not their new Gospell of Anabatistry and Free-will? How injurious in relating their own mis-formed collections, for their opinions? And lastly, how contemptuous of their gifts and graces, how eminent soever? As if the word of God came out from them, or to them 1 Cor. 14. 38.alone. It is true, we ought not to pin our faith on the sleevs of any, nor to call any Master, as Christ speaks and means, but him alone: and no lesse true, that Christ hath given gifts to some men, for the edifying of others; and that we ought not to look on our Eph. 4. 8. 11.things alone, as if we alone had knowledg and conscience, and zeal, and soules to saue: but every man also of the things of others (though in some things differing from them) as having thesePhil. 4. 4. things, as well as we: and therwith considering, that many eies see more then one, and that specially having, as so many spectacles, the advantages of knowledge of Tongues, and Arts, with daily travail in the Scripture, which in us are wanting. And thus serving God, in all modesty of minde, and being sincere in the truth Act. 20. 19 Eph. 4. 15.in louelove, we shall be much sitter, both to help others, and to be helped by them in the things agreeable thereunto.