Disputations Concerning Matters of Religion, Discourse
A DISCOURSE Of DISPƲTATIONS Concerning matters of Religion.
Reverend Sir,
THough you would not uſe the liberty I gave you for correction of the long conſolatory diſcourſe I ſent you,aforeign. Saph. Carm. p. 58. Edit. Henr. Steph; in 12. Cum Pindaro & aliis Lyricis Poetis Graecis. which (I am glad to perceive by your reſpective return) was as well taken by you, as intended by me: Yet have I made ſo bold with your ſhort gratulatory Letter, as to expunge the two Parentheſis of the two firſt lines, as comming too near the poeticall hyperbole, uſed in the praiſe of the Poems of Sappho, wherein though your errour of brotherly love might be excuſed, my errour of ſelf-love would not be pardoned, if I ſhould be ſo vain as to own your Encomium as due to any dictate of mine; all I can juſtly claim being no more then a witneſſe to my good will, and endeavour to do well. Waving then that part of the reaſons of your requeſt for publication of it in print, I am content upon the account of the reſt which you have rendred, to give it up to your diſpoſall, in hope of the good effects which (as you preſage) it may produce. And for the ſecond part of your Letter, wherein you make juſt complaint of Mr. John OnelyOnly his injurious dealing with you, and deſire mine advice, Whether it were better to let the man alone, or to anſwer a fool according to his folly; you ſhall have mine anſwer with my reaſons, but firſt I muſt tell you that I no ſooner put pen to paper for that purpoſe, but I found my ſelf by what I have read and obſerved of the diſputations of the precedent and preſent age, both minded of, and moved to an Enlargement of my labour, beyond the limits of your requeſt and expectation: So far as while I pay a debt of love to you, to make others indebted unto me (by your occaſion, and for your ſake) by delivering ſomewhat of importance, and (I hope) alſo capable of their acceptance, which haply would not have come to their notice by another hand; and this the rather, becauſe I do not think Mr. O. worthy of ſo much of my notice and reſpect, as of purpoſe to appeare in publick againſt him, or any man of his temper and condition: It will be enough for him to be brought in as an occaſion or an appendix to that which is of more moment. I ſhall then thus divide my diſcourſe; treating
1. Of Diſputations in generall concerning matters of Religion.
2. Of our Diſputation with Mr. J. O. in particular, as by him it is publiſhed, and his examination of ſome of your Arguments, ſet forth in print, to ſet forth himſelf as a Triumphant Antagoniſt (for his Sect,) not onelyonly over you, but over all the reformed Churches throughout the world. Of whom when I come to that part, I ſhall give you my ſenſe and apprehenſion as he deſerveth; and mine advice touching an anſwer to him as you deſire, and I conceive to be moſt convenient.
Firſt for the Generall, I ſhall reduce it to, and comprehend the whole in the firſt ſix enſuing Chapters, as their contents are ſet down in the foregoing Table.