The Riches of Gods Love, Dedication
TO THE WORSHIPFULL, And his Honoured Uncle, MICHAEL OLDISWORTH Eſquire, And a Member of the PARLIAMENT Of the Common-wealth of ENGLAND.
SIR,
I Have often heard you profeſſe a deep diſlike of the unnaturall vanity of the Engliſh Nation, in preferring ſtrangers in all callings above ſuch of their own Country men, as farre ſurpaſſed them. And of this unjuſt partiality, no profeſſion hath taſted in a greater meaſure, than that of Divinity; for of our Miniſters, ſuch whom God hath beſt fitted with parts and Learning for the diſcuſſing of controverſies, have been ſo undervalued in compariſon of ſome Forraine Divines, whoſe Learning was little better than ſyſtematicall; as that they languiſhed in their private ſtudies, and had dyed in obſcurity, unleſſe the fame of their great abilities had been eccho'd over unto us by the generall applauſe of all Chriſtendome. Nay this ſometimes hath not awakened us unto a due eſtimation of them. Dr Ames was looked upon abroad, as one that amongſt Proteſtant writers had few, either ſuperiors, or equalls, for ſubtilty in Logick, and Scholaſticall Divinity; and yet he dyed an exile from his Native Soyle, ſo that his Tombe might have had that inſcription upon it, which Scipio by his will appoynted to be on his; Ingrata Patria ne oſſa mea quidem habes, Unthankfull Country, thou haſt not ſo much as my Bones. Of how great reputation this our Author was beyond the Seas, I had rather you ſhould heare from the able and judicious Rivet, than by mee, who am cenſured by ſome (who I am ſure much overvalue their own judgements) to have too high and admiring thoughts of him. Rivet (in his Epiſtle prefixed unto a late Book of D. Twiſſes againſt Arminius and Corvinus &c.) will aſſure you that aDe auctore, ejus Methodo, Scholaſticâ diſputandi formâ, acumine & accuratione, judicium lectoribus relinquo; quibus praeiverunt Doctiſſimi ex toto orbe Chriſtiano viri, etiam ex iis qui in contraria ſunt parte, fatentes, nihil acuratius, nihil exactius & plenius in hoc argumento hactenus proditum fuiſſe.The moſt Learned men in the whole Chriſtian World, even thoſe who are of the adverſe party, doe confeſſe that there was nothing yet extant more accurate, exact, and full, touching the Arminian Controverſies, than what was written by D. Twiſſe. bHoc ſaltem omnibus piis placere debet, quod uſ que & ubi que in bonam cauſam fuerit intentus; camque, ſi quiſquam aljus, ab abſurdis objectis, & adverſariorum calumniis, ita vindicavit, ut ex illius labore habeant non docti tantum, ſed etiam minus exercitati, quo ſe poſſine extricare laqueis adverſantium. ibid.As alſo That he (if any one) hath ſo cleared and vindicated the Orthodoxe cauſe from objected abſurdities, and the calumnies of adverſaries, as that out of his labours, not only the Learned, but alſo thoſe who are leaſt verſed in controverſies, may find enough whereby to diſentangle themſelves from the ſnares of Oppoſites. Indeed there is none almoſt that hath Written againſt Arminianiſme ſince the Publiſhing of any thing of Dr Twiſſes on that Subject, but have made very honourable mention of him, and have acknowledged him to be the mightieſt man in theſe Controverſies, that this Age hath afforded. And yet this Worthy and able Combatant for the Truth and Cauſe of God, was here at home deſigned unto Ruine, as I have found in a Manuſcript under his owne Hand. This I grant was by the Canterburian Faction, but withall I could tell ſtrange Stories of the neglects that were heaped upon him by ſome, who were (I believe) Zealous (I am ſure forward) Sticklers for a Reformation. Theſe Men (me think) ſhould bluſh at the ingenuous Teſtimony, which Biſhop Hall (though diſſenting from him about Church Goverment) gave of his eminent worth in a Letter of his to Mr W. S. by way of Approbation of a ſmall piece of Dr Twiſſes Entituled, The doubting Conſcience Reſolved &c. The Doctor ever declined conference by word of Mouth, as out of modeſty, ſo becauſe he thought the more deliberate way of the Pen, to be quieter, and fitter too, for the bolting out of the Truth: And hereupon he ſpake not much in the late Aſſembly of Divines at Weſtminſter. This, ſome (who talked their ſhares) interpreted as an Argument of the former weakneſſe, or at leaſt preſent decay of his intellectualls. But as cCicero de Senectute.Sophocles, when his Sonnes brought him into queſtion for Dotage, is reported to have recited a Tragedy of Oedipus Coloneus, which he had laſt written, and had in his Hands, and to have demanded whether that ſeemed the Verſe of a Dotard, or no. So our Doctor could have ſtop'd the Mouths of theſe bold cenſurers by Publiſhing very Maſculine and Vigorous pieces that he Penned in even his moſt declining Age. I may wiſh but I doe not expect, to Live ſo long, as to ſee any thing Publiſhed touching this Argument more convincing the adverſary, than this Elaborate and Weighty Diſcourſe; and yet ſome, who are Perk'd up into places, unto which their parts and gifts bare no proportion, have very lately beſpattered it as lame, imperfect, and I know not what. But the beſt of it is, this their detracting from it, is not likely to be any diſadvantage to it; for it was ſo farre from working that miſchievous effect, which it ſeemes they intended, as that it begat in thoſe who heard it, and unto whom it was afterwards reported, only an admiration, and a ſerious indignation at the immodeſt impudence of ſuch raw young men, who are no better ſkill'd in Polemicall Divinity, then the mock dHeylins Geography & Torſhells Hypocrite.Councel of the Great Duke of Muſcovie are in State affaires, which is made up of the graveſt and ſeem lieſt men of all Muſco, and the adjoyning Citties, richly apparrelled out of the Wardrope; which to ſorrainers, not knowing this fraude, appeare ſo many Princes, and Noble men; but indeed are meane and unqualified perſons, and of no more ability, than ſo many pictures in a fairewrought hanging, that ſerve only to cover a Wall. But I appeale from the raſh and unrighteous cenſures of theſe preſumptuous Novices, unto your more knowing and candid judgement, who as you highly reverenced this our Author whileſt living, ſo have you ever ſince his death borne a zeale unto his memory, and therefore I am aſſured that this Book of his will find with you, not only a favourable, but alſo a gratefull acceptation; and the ſame confidence I have concerning all rationall, Learned, and Orthodoxe men, unto whoſe reading I commend it, and that unto the bleſſing of the Almighty; and ſo I reſt,
Your deeply Obliged, And moſt Humbly devoted Nephew, HENRY JEANES.