Treatise of Divinity, Dedication 2
To the Christian Reader.
REader, The number of bookes is without number, the Presses are daily oppressed with them. Yet (though the world abound with unprofitable, may pernicious*I may say of some writers in these daies as Tully of the Philosophers, that there is nothing so absurd which is not m…intained by some of them. Pamphlets) there are many excellent subjects which are either not handled, or not sufficiently. There is a great variety in mens fancies as well as in their faces; and bookesaLibri quasi liberi. (the fruit of mens brains) are as various as men themselves. Some books are to be tasted onelyonly,*Sir Francis Bacon in his Essayes. some chewed, and some swallowed. That saying of Stanchar the HeretickebRainoldus de lib. Apoc. tomo primo praelect. 4th. doth exceedingly please the Papists, Plus apud se valere unum Lombardum, quam centum Lutheros, ducentos Melancthones, trecentos Bullingeros, quadringentos Martyres, quingentos Calvinos. That onecPetrus Lombardus propter eminentem int…r Pontificios authoritarem magister sententiarum nuncupatus est. Rainoldus de lib. Apoc. Petrus Lombardus, quem omnes The… l…gorum schola singulari quadam venerationis excellentia magistium sententiarum appellant, & in cujus Theologiae compendium innumerabilia disputationum volumina eruditissimi clariss…marum tot… Christiano orbe Academiarum Theologi celebrarunt. Sixtus Senensis Bibl. Sanct. lib. 4▪ Lumbard was more esteemed by him, then 100 Luthers, 200 Melancthons, 300 Bullingers, 400 Martyrs, 500 Calvins. Focanus contrarily, saith thus of the Schoolmen, that one Austin among the Ancients, and one Calvin (in his Institutions of Christian Religion) among the moderne Divines, will afford thee more solid Divinity, then all the School-Doctors of the Popish Church, with all their vaine disputations, jejune distinctions, quodlibeticall questions, and foolish speculations, with which (saith he) Thomas, Scotus, Lombard, Bonaventure, Molina, Vasquez, Suarez, à Soto, Bellarmine, and other Doctors of the Romane Church are full, even ad nauseam. But the Bible is indeed the Booke of Bookes, it signifieth in the Greeke Tongue, A Booke in generall; and was sometimes taken so largely,So Scripture signifieth writing in generall, but by an excellency the Word of God. yet by an Antinomasie or excellency it is now taken for the Booke of the Holy Scripture, and is all one with Gods Booke. We told you before how much the Papists magnified Peter Lumbard the father of the Schoolmen, calling him the Master of the sentences, and preferring him before hundreds of ours. The next Schoolman after him Alexander of Ales is called Doctor Irrefragabilis Thomas Aquinas after him, Doctor Angelicus. John Scot the last, Doctor Subtilis. Yet a learned Doctor*De Prideaux Hinc Sementiariorum, Quaestionistarum, Quodlibetistatum ingens turba, qui pro solida Theologia spinosas & rixosas disputationes in Christianorum scholas invexerunt. of our owne saith of the Schoolmen, Scholastici vel hoc nomine non tanti sunt à nobis faciendi, quia in Justificationis articulo vix quicquam tradiderunt solidi. The Papists themselves note twenty Articles, in which their great Master Lombard erred; so that that is ascribed to them, hic magister non tenetur. But now Paul (the great Doctor of the Gentiles) of whom Chrysostome writes severall Homilies, is indeed an Angelicall, Subtill, Irrefragable Doctor. Austin desired three things:Revetendissimus Episcopus Vsserius De Christianarum Ecclesiarum successione & statu. c. 9. to have seen Christ in the flesh, Rome in its glory, and to have heard Paul preach. What he speakes is true as Gospell, and we can not apply to him what the Papists doe frequently to Peter Lumbard, hic magister non tenetur. We may exercise our judgement *Solis Canonicis debetur fides, coeteris amnibus Judicium. Lutherus.upon the writings of men (there being few that write much and contradict not themselves) but we must believe the Divinely inspired Writings.Lambert in his perambulation of Kent. Se▪ Speed in William the Conquerour. p. 42. There is a Booke in the Law called Liber Judiciarius, or Doomesday-Booke, because (as Matthew Paris saith) it spared no man, but judged all men indifferently as the Lord in that great day will doe. The Bible is the true Liber judiciarius, or Doomesday Booke. John 12, 48.The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. I shall now in a few words discover the usefulnesse of this threefold Treatise. Having been in these times of spoile unhappily plundered of my Bookes and Manuscripts, (which I esteemed as a precious treasure) recovering this twice with some others, I did resolve (for preventing any future dammages in that kind) to transcribe it faire for the Presse, which was the worke of a whole yeere. I know first the subject is very necessary for all Christians to search into, and I have perused all the best writers I could find, that I might handle it fully common-place wise, according to the excellency of the Theme. I have made use also of some Manuscrips of three*M. Pemble my learned Tutor, Master Wheattly my Reverend Pastor, M. Ball my worthy friend. worthy men, now with God, (whose memory I shall ever honour) for the compleating of the worke. I have gleaned a few observations from some of the worthy Lecturers in Westminster, from M. Ley of Budworth in his Lectures in the City, and from divers others of the Assembly, in their printed Sermons. This worke I conceive may be beneficiall for these purposes: Chiefly for setling and establishing of Christians in some maine principles of Divinity, viz. that there is a God, against the Atheists of these times; that the Scripture is the Word of God, against the Anti-Scripturists; that Christ is God, against all Arrians, Socinians, and other Heretickes ejusdem farinae, vel potius furfuris; that the so▪ … of man is immortall, against such who in these dai… deny the same. 2. For enabling a Christian to all d… ties, prayer, meditation, holy conference, catechizing his family. For example, suppose a Christian desire to instruct his family in the principles of Religion, and would make use of M. Bals Catechisme for that purpose (for I know not a better yet extant) he may by the helpe of this worke open the heads of Religion, from the beginning of that Booke to the Fall of man. I would there were the like out on the whole body of Divinity. But lest I trangresse the bounds of an Epistle, I commend the worke to Gods blessing, and desire thy benigne interpretation of my labours, still resting
Thy faithfull friend and hearty wel-wisher, EDWARD LEIGH