The Riches of Gods Love, To the reader
TO THE READER.
IN the days of our Henry the 8th the whole Convocation offered unto Sr Thomas Moore the ſum of foure thouſand pounds at the leaſt, thereby to recompence, in part, the paines, and travailes he had taken, in writing for the defence of the Romiſh faith; which my Author miſcalls the true Catholicke Faith. Now the undertakings of Sr Thomas Moore for the Popiſh cauſe, are not worthy to be named the ſame day with the performances of Doctor Twiſſe against the enemies of God's grace, both Jeſuites, and Arminians; I was therefore (I confeſſe) tranſported with a juſt both ſorrow and indignation, when I could not prevaile with any (though I ſolicited diverſe) to adventure upon the Printing of this following Worke of his, without a large ſupply towards the the charge thereof. a His Latine Rivet. Inde factum eſt ut Guilielmus Twiſſus, vir doctiſſimus, & in controverſiis illis exercitatiſſimus, cauſam illam Dei, contra renaſcentem Pelagianiſmum, tanquam alter Bradwardinus, iterum defendendum ſumpſerit, & Librum illum Arminii tam decantatum non eſſe invincibilem, accurato & luculento ſcripto probaverit, nihil omittendo quod non excuſſerit, uſ que ad minutiſſima. Quod opus quam fuerit acceptum, ex eo colligi poteſt, quod. quamvis ſit magnae molis, duabus editionibus diſtractis tertia nuper prodiit apud eundem Typographum, qui primam curaverat. Hoc labore notus & celebris factus Author in tranſmarinis regionibus, &c.Workes have rendred him ſo renowned in forraine Churches, as that they have looked upon him as the Bradwardine of the Age. The States of Weſt-Friezland, unto whom he was no otherwiſe known, than by his Anſwer to Arminius his Book againſt Perkins, offered him the greateſt preferment that a Minister in that Country is capable of, viz. the place of a Profeſſor of Divinity in the Univerſity of Franeker, and took order for defraying the charges of his journey, and tranſportation of his family; and were this Book, that I now preſent unto thy view (unto which there is not in the Engliſh Tongue any peere for ſolidity, and accurateneſſe in Scholaſticall Divinity) tranſlated into Latine, I am perſwaded that Outlandiſh Divines would have ſuch an eſtimate of it, as St Jerome had of certaine Bookes of the Martyr Lucian written with his own hand, which he valued as a precious jewell; or as bClarkes Lives.Beza had of a Commentary of Mr Rollocke upon the Romans and Epheſians; concerning which he wrote unto a friend, that he had gotten a treaſure of incomparable value. It was therefore very strange unto me, that there ſhould be any knowing and ſober perſons who ſhould either deſpaire or doubt of the acceptation thereof; But my wonder would have been ſwallowed up of a greater amazement, if I had known that, of which I was ſince by a good hand informed, that this active, unwearied, and victorious Champion of Gods grace, lived in great want even whileſt he was Prolocutor of the late Aſſembly of Divines. Nay which is ſtranger yet, that he was ſlighted by ſome of his owne calling; who, if they had not much forgotten themſelves, would (ſeeing they ſwam in all plenty) have imitated (in ſome degree at leaſt) that forementioned example of the gratefull munificence of a Popiſh Convocation unto S t Thomas Moore. D r Ames, in his Preface to the Dioceſans Tryall of that Worthy Divine M r Paul Baine, tells us, that the ſaid M r Baine, was all his life after his ſilencing preſſed with want, not having, as he often complained unto his Friends, a place to reſt his Head in, which me thought (ſaith D r Ames) was an upbraiding of the Age and place where he lived with baſe Regardleſneſſe of piety and learning. If I ſhould apply the like cenſure unto thoſe that neglected this our Author (the Glory of his Age, and Ornament of his Nation) I ſhould not be over bitter, He is now above any recompence to be made unto him in his owne Perſon by us; but we may expreſſe a gratefull Memory of him, as unto his Children, ſo unto the Iſſue of his minde, His Bookes. I ſpeake not only for the entertainment of thoſe that are Extant; but for bringing into the light thoſe Pieces, that lye in the Hands of his Children; which are likely to be Buried in Duſt, and Perpetuall Oblivion. If I had but halfe that Intereſt in great Perſonages, which diverſe of my Brethren in both the Univerſities, & in the City of London have, I ſhould apply my ſelfe with an undeniable importunity, to perſwade them unto ſo good, and great a Worke, which will Purchaſe them a precious Memory with the Godly and Learned in all future Ages of the Church. I have but one thing more to ſay of the Booke, before I take my leave of Thee: If any Arminian whatſoever will give a Juſt, Full, and Scholaſticall Anſwer unto It, I ſhall by God's helpe returne him a Reply; For 'tis De Cauſa Dei (as Bradwardine Entitles his Booke) And in defence of God's Cauſe I ſhall feare no Colours. But if the Ignorant Paper-blurrers of the Time ſhall Snarle, and Snap only at ſome few Paſſages, they are not to expect, that ſo much as any ſerious notice ſhould be taken of them.
Thine, In all the obligations of Charity and Truth HENRY JEANES.
THE FIRST BOOK IN TWO PARTS: WHEREOF, THE FIRST Containeth a Conſideration of thoſe Reaſons for Which Mr HORD (as he pretended) Firſt queſtioned the truth of Abſolute Reprobation. THE SECOND Examineth thoſe Arguments againſt the Abſoluteneſſe of Divine Reprobation, which M. HORD took to be of a Convincing Nature.
OXFORD, Printed by LEON: LICHFIELD, for THO: ROBINSON.
Anno Salutis M. DC. LIII.