Animadversions on William Dells Book, Title page – Preface
ANIMADVERSIONS ON Mr. WILLIAM DELLS Book Intituled The Crucified and Quickned Chriſtian.
BY HUMFRY CHAMBERS, D. D. Paſtor of Pewſy in the County of Wilts.
2 JOHN 9.
Whoſoever tranſgreſſeth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Chriſt, hath not God: he that abideth in the doctrine of Chriſt, he hath both the Father and the Son.
Saepe ſub diverſis verbis idem tenetur ſenſus. Attamen qui novas phraſes, terminos, definitiones rerum excogitant, etiam nova dogmata moliuntur. Nolunt enim loqui cum aliis, ut ſupra alios ſapere videantur. Simul indicat (ſc. Apoſtolus) remedium quo ſchiſmata caveri, & curari poſſint, ſi idem loqui ſtudeamus, hoc eſt, phraſes eccleſiae proprias, perſpicuas, conſuetas ſtudioſè teneamus. At non debemus eſſe jurati in cujuſquam verba, nec admittere aliquid extra ſcripturas.
Pareus ad 1 Cor. 1.10.
Novemb. viceſsimo, 1652.
Imprimatur
JOHN OWEN Vicecan. OXON.
London, Printed by R. N. for Sa. Gellibrand, at the Ball in Pauls Church-yard. M.DC.LIII.
TO HIS EXCELLENCY The Lord General CROMWEL.
My Lord,
I Truſt it ſhall not be adjudged overdaring preſumption in me (ſeeing Mr. Dell did adventure to Dedicate his book to you) that I take the boldneſſe to follow him into your preſence, and to lay down theſe Animadverſions on his book at your Excellencies feet: If you pleaſe, and the multitude of your important affairs will admit you to cast an eye upon them: I hope you will diſcern in them, amidſt many weakneſſes, a heart ſtudious of keeping the unity of the ſpirit in the bond of peace, and deſirous to ſpeak the truth in love. I have great aſſurance given me, that your Excellency expreſſed a reall diſtaſte of ſome of the Doctrines contained in Mr. Dells book, when he publiſhed them in your hearing, and I believe it, being convinced that there are many poſitions, and expoſitions in Mr. Dells book, which cannot but afford matter of juſt offence to a pious and judicious ſpirit: But I will not preſume any farther to trouble your Excellency. The God of power, wiſdom and mercy, make you Inſtrumental to promote his truth, kingdom and Glory, which is and ſhall be the hearts deſire and prayer of,
My Lord, Your Excellencies ſervant in the truth and ſervice of Jeſus Chriſt HUMFRY CHAMBERS.
To Mr. WILLIAM DELL, Maſter of GONVIL and CAIUS Colledge in CAMBRIDGE.
Mr. Dell,
NOt out of any itch which I have to put my ſelf under the ſcratching of this way-ward wrangling age, nor out of a deſire to be ſeen at this time wherein (were it not for conſcience of duty) I ſhould prefer a Cave in a wilderneſſe with bread and water, above any pallace and proviſions which I know in this low world, nor out of a conceit of ſufficiency duly to mannage points of difference and difficulty in matter of Religion, wherein no man knoweth more of my weakneſſe then my ſelf: But out of love to the everlaſting truth of God, which if I much miſtake not, is generally clouded, and I fear in ſome places contradicted in your book; I have been induced in the face of many diſcouragements to expoſe theſe Animadverſions on the ſame to publike view. In ſo doing I do not know that I have given you any juſt cauſe of offence, ſeeing you, and I, and all that pretend to be the ſervants of Chriſt, have warrant upon no other terms in word or writing to tender doctrines unto others, then as unto wiſe men who are to judge what we ſay, and proving all things, to hold faſt that which is good. 1 Cor. 10.15.A faithful ſervant of God now at reſt, lying upon his ſick, and as it proved his death bed, being much diſquieted with your book, put it into my hands, who before had never ſeen it or heard of it, and deſired me to make ſome ſhort notes upon it, and communicate them to him who was then by reaſon of his bodily infirmity unable to compoſe his own thoughts. Mr. Henry Scuddar.I anſwered his deſire in part before he died, ſince which time, conſidering as you teſtifie that ſeveral good men deſired the publiſhing of your doctrine, and being aſſured that the ultimate doctrine of your book which ſeems to me very contrary to ſound doctrine, and the power of godlineſſe, namely concerning the ſubſiſting of believers ſpoiled of all proper perſonality in themſelves, in the nature and perſon of the Son of God, hath been lately preached by another in a large congregation, in words much like yours, if not the ſame; and ſeeing how ready many high profeſſours of Religion in our dayes are to ſwallow novelties without chewing, which breedeth ſtrange crudities, and cauſeth ſuch stupendious putting of darkneſſe for light, and light for darkneſſe; of bitter for ſweet, and ſweet for bitter: I reſolved through the ſtrength of God, to go through your book, and weigh it at the ballance of the Scripture, with a firm purpoſe to give all the allowance to your words which reaſon and charity could call for; and if I found them conſonant to the word of God, then to ſit still, if otherwiſe, to give publike warning to Gods people, to try before they truſt your new doctrine: In proſecution of this reſolution, I have now publiſhed theſe Animadverſions on your book; If you or any other, ſhall ſhew me that I have erred in them from the rule of truth or love, I here bind my ſelf to make a thankful, and (if it be deſired) a publike acknowledgement of ſo great a favour, conceiving it a great mercy when God bringeth any one unfeinedly to the honourable duty of a juſt retractation, and knowing that errour in print unretracted, may do unſpeakable miſchief to ſucceeding generations, when the Author thereof is dead and rotten. Sir, I thought fit thus far to give you an account of the true reaſon of my undertaking, in the compoſing and publiſhing of thoſe Animadverſions on your book. The good Lord reduce us where either of us erre, and confirm us where we go aright; and teach us to triunph in our own leſſnings, whilſt the truth of God is exalted. So prayeth he who is
Deſirous to meet you in the truth, love, life, and kingdom of Jeſus Chriſt, Humfry Chambers.