The Freedom of the Will, Title page – Printer to the reader
A DISCOURSE OF THE FREEDOM OF THE WILL.
By PETER STERRY, Sometimes Fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge.
HEB. 13. 2.
Be not forgetful to entertain STRANGERS: for thereby some have entertained ANGELS unawares.
LONDON: Printed for John Starkey, at the Miter near Temple-Bar, in Fleetstreet. 1675.
The Printer to the Reader.
THe Author having written so large a Preface to his following Discourse; and therein given the Reader such a delightful tast of his excellent Spirit: The Publishers decline saying any thing either of it or him. Only I am desired by them to inform thee, that this Discourse is posthumous, and not Originally design'd for the Press, but the private satisfaction of some worthy persons, who beg'd the Author's sense concerning this Argument: and to whom he was pleas'd at several times by set discourses to communicate his thoughts so plentifully, that they and some other Friends importun'd him to peruse what he had dictated to them upon this Subject, to make some additions to it, and to fit it for Publick View. Whilst the Author was perfecting this undertaking, it pleased God to take him out of this life, but in pursuance of his own desire before his death, thou hast here with all possible integrity deliver'd to thee so much of his intended Discourse as came to the Publishers hands either in his own Copies, or those of his Friends which were examin'd and own'd by himself; there being nothing alter'd, or added by them but the Title Page. By these means it is now grown into a Book, and thou art acquainted with all this not to bespeak thy greater gentleness and candour in reading it, but to do the Author right, and give thy self the true accompt, why thou art wholly disappointed of what he design'd upon that Argument taken from the proper form and essence of Liberty; and not so fully satisfied in the application of the argument drawn from the Knowledge of God; and those other two taken from the nature of the Soul, and the Mediation of Christ: the Scripture cited and promised to be opened from the 1. Gen. being omitted in the explication of the former, and in the other nothing said concerning the progress and propagation of the Mediatory Work of Jesus Christ through his whole Body.
I have only this further to add concerning the many Errata's that have escaped the Press, which thou wilt find set down and corrected to thy hand at the end of the Book. That the impatience of some Friends to have this Discourse out; and the fears of others lest it should be stifled in the birth; with some other difficulties of the Copy, have by precipitating the Press, and perplexing the Printer, occasion'd so great a number of mistakes. That yet there is not so many as at first view the Reader may apprehend, because for the sake of the more ordinary capacity, more words are made use of for the reforming of most of them than would else have been necessary. And lastly that thou wilt find they are generally Errors only in the points, which are easily and without defacing the Book to be mended; although otherwise of great moment to the sense: and are therefore with great care corrected in the last page for the service of the Vulgar Reader: who may be in some places not a little help'd in his perusing of this Treatise by thereby observing where to place most usefully the points.