tura atque adeo divina cognitionis pars ben magna pulfa, heu pulfa tandem exulet. Va lete omnes, qui mufas colitis honeftiores,& iftiufmodi faces fub acumen calams congerere fapienter timetis, que agri animi faftidia ad augent potiùs, quàm detergunt. Deus Veritatis & Pacis dirigat vos Spiritu fuo Sancto,ut Academia, Patria, Ecclefia, diu multumque prodeffe valeatis, propter illum qui eft via, veritas, & vita. Gratia Domini Iefu Chrifti, Charitas Dei, & communicatio Spiritus Sancti fit cum omnibus vobis. Amen. To the Worshipfull FRANCIS ROUS Esq; SIR, Periculo Twas the fad complaint of Hi. lary in his time, That there were as many Creeds as Wills, fum nobis and every one prefumed to al- eft tot ter the wholefome Forme of nunc Fides found Words,or elfe wreft it to a corrupt fenfe, exiftere,. And you know the fenfe of a Creed is the quot vo Creed. In thefe dayes of Libertinisme,men ac- dum aut count it a kinde of bondage to confine them ita Fides felves to a wholesome Forme of found words, fcribuntur thongh they are a Confecrated words, and ut volu. therefore fuch as cannot be condemned, luntates, mus, aut ut volu mus Hilarius. The Devil hath fet good men at variance about faculal affaires, Private interefts and intelli, publique rights, and in the mean time robs or guntur, cheates us of what is Spirituall and glorious, a Verbis the purity of truth, the power and beauty of ho lineffe. We live in fad times, in which Athe- utendum ifme pleads for protection and intolerable er- Quintil. rours contend for a toleration. They who (B) blaf confecratis The judg ment of God upon fcoffing A. theifts. blafpheme Chrift and his Gospel in jeaft are Atheists in good earnest (as Lucian and Rablais were) but God will plead his ow caufe,if we will not. Lucian (as Suidas reLates) was torne to pieces with dogs, and Rablais died drunk with Wine and Atheifme: We have good caufe to suppresse and bewaile the very first rifings of naturall Atheisme we must not fuffer any black fuggeftions or In animâ hovering thoughts which rellish of Athedicuntur fme to rooft and nestle in our hearts; Thefe effe, quæ funt in eâ extemporary thoughts, are fins which do proceed from us; but Ő let them not be familiars, dum quie- and inmates which lodge, and dwell within us. tis; reliqua I fear that Atheisme may foon become a Napotius di tionall fin in England,if there be an indulgence cuntur effe (worse then any at Rome) vouchlafed to irquàm in regular phantafies, and appetites under pious animâ. Vi pretences. They who deny the God head of de Bona- Jefus Chrift, and the Holy Ghost, hope to elib.z.dift. Scape cenfure in England,if they can have the per mo ab animâ, vent. 38. favour to be called devout Familifts, although their blafphemy and wantonnefje doth declare them to be fenfuall Socinians, and beastly Atheifts. The Socinians and Familifts have even already shamed the more modeft Mahumetans. Mr. Pocock the learned and kii fpeci ingenuous Profeffour of Hebrew and Aramen Hift. bick in this University, in his notes upon GreArab.pag. gory the Arabian Phenix) affures me that 21.Annot. the Al Hayetians acknowledge the incarnation pag. 218. of the Eternall Word, and that we shall all be judged D. Pococ & 219. judged by this Incarnate Word at the last day. B 2 metan hominum Pocockii Annot. p es metan would teach them better langnage and behaviour alfo; He faith that cleanlyneffe is a part of Faith, and the Key of Prayer, that we must have pure mindes,clean hearts and hands. But enough of that. 1 Sir, Being encouraged by the Committee, for regulating this University,to undertake a fervice which I even tremble to repeat, and you being Chaireman of that Committee, I conceived my felf obliged to prefent you with this Treatife. When the University was pleafed to elect me the L. Margarets Profeffour of Divinity, the revenue due to that Profeffour by a grant made under the great Seale of Apr. 20. England 3io. Caroli, was fetled by Speciall Act ball Act. And the University did purchase the not extend leafe of the House and Meadowes in Worto the revc- cefter, which belong to the faid Profeffour, nues of any and would (if they might have had the com 1649.This feffor or Ad lau publik pro- mon priviledge of leafeholders) have bought reader in the inheritance of the premises outright for eeither of ver;but the University is denyed the benefit of the uni the leafe and the common priviledge aforefaid. verfities. The House and Meadowes are fold to others, dem & ho- and no revenue payed to the Profeffour. Idenorem fan- fire that the 'Univerfity may be righted, and ax & in- that my fucceffour may not fuffer as I have dividuæ done. Sir,notwithstanding these difcourageac Fidei & ments, I conceived it my duty either to read or Chriftia Write for the propagation of the Christian Faith, and honour of the bleffed Trinity acaugmen-cording to the first Grant. I confulted the U Trinitatis, norum tum. |