Two Treatises, To the reader
To the Pious and Judicious Reader.
Reader,
DOeſt thou expect an Account of the Preaching and Publiſhing of this Treatiſe, take what the Frontiſpiece holdeth forth. The Word of Reconciliation is that ſacred Depoſitum, which God hath committed to his Miniſters, not that it ſhould be ſmothered in their private boſomes, but that by them it might be tranſmitted and publiſhed to the world. And ſuch is the main Subject of this Diſcourſe, which is here Doctrinally opened and Practically applied. As for the Polemicall and Controverſall Part of it, I wiſh it were not too juſtly occaſioned through thoſe pernicious errours of Socianiſme, which now, among the croud of many other, begin to walk abroad, ſtriking at the very Root or Foundation of that Religion, which hath hitherto been called Chriſtian. And If the Foundation be deſtroyed, what ſhall the Righteous do? This it is which hath ſtirred my ſpirit to appear in this cauſe, thus to†foreign, Jude v. 3. contend (which I am required to do, and that earneſtly,) for that faith which was once delivered unto the Saints: Wherein my deſigne is, not ſo much to recover thoſe who are already taken in this ſnare; who are by others (how juſtly let themſelves ſee to it) looked upon for the moſt part, as men ſo wedded to their own carnall Reaſon, as that they diſdain to ſubmit themſelves to God's Reaſon; not regarding the Authority of Scripture further then as it complieth with the genius of their naturall Principles. So much their Maſter and Leader ſticketh not to profeſſe, who hath in down-right terms publiſhed it to the world, that as for,*Nec ſi ubique clariſſimis verbis teſtatum reperiremus, ſic tamen rem ſe habere nobis compertum eſſet. Socin. de Jeſu Chriſto Servatore, part. 3. cap. 2. God's puniſhing our fin in, and upon his Son Chriſt, though he ſhould find it every where atteſted in moſt expreſſe words in Scripture, yet would he not take it for granted that ſo it is. And again, ſpeaking of Chriſt's Satisfaction: †Ego quidem, etiamſi non ſemèl, ſed ſaepè id in ſacris monimentis ſcriptum extaret, non idcircò tamen itaà rem prorſùs ſe babere crederem, ut vos opinamini. Socin. ibid. cap 6. Acts 8. 22.For my part (ſaith he) though I ſhould not once, but often meet with textant in ſacred Records, yet would I not for all that believe that it was ſo indeed. Now if his followers be of the ſane mind, I ſhall leave them as I find them, onelyonly praying for them, (what Simon Peter willeth Simon Magus to do for himſelfe, that upon their Repentance, this thought of their heart may be forgiven them. It is for the ſake of others that I have ſpent this little ſtrength; ſuch whoſe veins are not as yet infected with this poiſon. For them have I prepared this Antidote, that their ſpirits being confirmed in the ancient and received Truths of God, they may not by whatever devices of Satan, or his Inſtruments, be removed to another Goſpell. In the managing of this Controverſie, I muſt acknowledge (what my Margin confeſſeth) my ſelfe to owe not a little to the learned Grotius. But whether to Grotius Orthodox, or Grotius Heterodox more, I muſt ſay I cannot readily tell. I have made uſe of both, comparing the one with the other, his former with his later thoughts, his Book De Satisfactione, with ſome of his Comments. So doing, I have found the one clear and candid, free from ſubterfuge, or evaſion; ſuch as (whatever hath been aſſayed by way of reply to it) may give full ſatisfaction to any unprejudiced ſpirit: The other ſo palpably guilty of both, as that they deſerve both Cenſure and Pity. And this to me, (and I ſuppoſe it may be the like to others,) hath been, and is no ſmall confirmation of this Truth of God. Surely, if any one had been able to anſwer Grotius, it ſhould have been Grotius himſelfe, then whom I know none more able to have done it, and (as it ſeemeth) none more willing. But finding him ſo foiled by himſelfe, ſo unable by all his Artifice, to build again what before he had deſtroyed; I cannot but ſubſcribe to that Apocryphall Text,1 Eſdras 4.41. Magna eſt veritas, & praevalet: Great is Truth, and mighty above all things. May theſe my poor labours contribute ought towards the clearing and vindicating of this ſacred Truth, (upon which I do freely adventure my own ſoul, not knowing in what other way to look for ſalvation,) whileſt God hath the Glory, and others the Benefit, my ſelfe ſhall have what I aimed at. In the deſire whereof, I reſt
Thine in the Service of this bleſſed Mediatour, JOHN BRINSLEY.