A26864:43
Rich. Baxters apology against the modest exceptions of Mr. T. Blake and the digression…
Rich. Baxters apology against the modest exceptions of Mr. T. Blake and the digression of Mr. G. Kendall whereunto is added animadversions on a late dissertation of Ludiomæus Colvinus, aliaà Ludovicus Molinæs̳, M. Dr. Oxon, and an admonition of Mr. W. Eyre of Salisbury : with Mr. Crandon's Anatomy for satisfaction of Mr. Caryl.
London: printed by A.M. for Thomas Underhill, 1654
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1. For the first, I knew not how to avoid it, without inconvenience. I must follow the leading of them that I reply to. I must not digress too far, to fetch in more useful matter then they put into my hands. Yet I think I have done somewhat in that kind, as far as I saw fit. And when the same words of theirs, require the same answers, I am forced sometime to repeat them, where the occasion is repeated. Yet I can promise the Reader that I will not go near so far in this way of repetition, as more learned disputants do, and in particular Dr. Twiss.
1. For the first, I knew not how to avoid it, without inconvenience. I must follow the leading of them that I reply to. I must not digress too farre, to fetch in more usefull matter then they put into my hands. Yet I think I have done somewhat in that kinde, as far as I saw fit. And when the same words of theirs, require the same answers, I am forced sometime to repeat them, where the occasion is repeated. Yet I can promise the Reader that I will not go near so far in this way of repetition, as more learned disputants do, and in particular Dr. Twiss.
2. For the second Exception, I must say, that many are mistaken in my way, in that they discern not the difference, 1. Between Necessary distinguishing and unnecessary. 2. Between Curiosity in the main Cause, and in the Means of discussing it. 3. Between curious Notions that are thrust on the Church and poor ignorant people, as Necessary and Certain; and such as we are forced to use with Learned men to discover their mistakes, and to expugne curiosity of Error or Uncertainty, by exactness of indagation, and as curious an explication of the Truth. I am somewhat confident that my curious distinguishing (as some call it) is but of the later sort, in all these respects. For example, In the present Controversy about the Instrumentality of faith to Justification, that which offendeth me is, that Divines should be so dangerously curious, as to make a Logical Notion of such Necessity, which Gods Word never used, nor for ought I know, the Church for many a hundred year; and which poor people cannot comprehend: Yea and that they may lay so much of the difference between us and the Papists on this point,