The Rule of Faith, License – Dedication
FEBR. 27. 1666.
Tractatus cui Titulus, The Rule of Faith, A doctissimo Viro Iohanne Tillotson scriptus Imprimatur una cum Appendice.
Humfr. London.
THE Rule of Faith: or an ANSWER to the TREATISE of Mr. I. S. entituled, Sure-footing, &c.
By JOHN TILLOTSON, D.D. Preacher to the Honourable Society of Lincolns-Inn.
To which is Adjoined A REPLY TO Mr. I.S. his 3d APPENDIX, &c.
By EDW. STILLINGFLEET D. D. One of His Majesties Chaplains in Ordinary.
The second Edition.
LONDON, Printed by H.C. for O. Gellibrand, at the Golden-Ball in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1676.
To my Honoured and Learned Friend, Mr. Edward Stillingfleet.
SIR,
I Have with a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction read over your Book, which I find in every part answerable to its Title, viz. A Rational Account of the Grounds of Protestant Religion. And now I thank you for it, not only as a private favour, but a publick benefit. No sooner had I perused it, but I met with a Discourse entituled, Sure-footing in Christianity. And although I have no small prejudice against Books with conceited Titles, yet I was tempted to look into this, because it pretended to contain Animadversions on some Passages in your Book which I had so lately read over. VponUpon perusal of which Animadversions, I found that the Author of them had attaqued (and in his own opinion confuted) a page or two in your Book. This drew me on to take a view of his main Discourses; which because they are in great vogue among some of his own Party, and do with an unusual kind of confidence and ostentation pretend to the newest and most exact fashion of writing Controversie, as being all along demonstrative and built upon self-evident Principles: Therefore I resolved throughly to examine them, that I might discover (if I could) upon what so firm and solid Foundations this High and Mighty Confidence was built.
But before I had entred upon this undertaking, I met with a Letter from the Author of Sure-footing to his Answerer, directing him how he ought to demean himself in his Answer. In which Letter, though there be many things liable to great exception, yet because I am unwilling to be diverted from the main Question, I shall not argue with him about any of those matters, only take leave to use the same liberty in managing my Answer, which he hath assumed to himself, in prescribing Laws to me about it: Therefore without taking any further notice of his Letter, I address my self to his Book.