IF this striving work be unpleasant to you, it must be much more so to me: It is not the least advantage that Satan getteth against the Church, that by other mens sins he can occasion that to become our duty, which else would be a sinful loss of time, and against the peace of our selves and others. A multitude of heresies make it our duty, to read abundance of Books, and study those languages, and trifling Arts, which else were needless: And the multitude of Erroneous, malignant, and other adversaries, and the variety of their assaults, maketh many Defences, Evidences, Witnesses, and Confutations necessary, which else would signify that evil Contentiousness, which the assaulters manifest. Though the servant of the Lord must not strive, yet must we contend ⟨image 3⟩earnestly for the Faith, and must not forsake and betray truth and innocency. And the necessitated Defender may do his duty, while the wilful Aggressor doth sinfully militate against Truth, Charity, and Peace. And as we must love our Enemies, so we take our selves bound much more, to love our tempted envious brethren; and if they use us as Joseph, cast us into the Pit and sell us as slaves, we will call them brethren still, and hope one day their repentance will render them more lovely than they are. And though some Preach Christ in Envy, Strife, and Contention, to add to our affliction, and not sincerely, we rejoice and will rejoice that Christ is Preached: And though they would drive us out from the inheritance of the Lord, 1 Sam. 26. 19. We will not venture with David to curse them, ⟨image 3⟩but say as he in another pursuit, 2 Sam. 15. 25. 26. Carry back the Ark of God into the City: If I shall find favour in the Eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, and show me both it and his Habitation. But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee, behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good to him. In my endeavours for peace these Thirty Four Years, as I have been put to publish many things which I had rather might have been spared, so I have written to satisfy others, the Quantity of many Volumes, which I cast away as unnecessary to the World. But some men that I have dealt with, will not give me and the Reader such an indulgence.
IF this striving work be unpleasant to you, it must be much more so to me: It is not the least advantage that Satan getteth against the Church, that by other mens sins he can occasion that to become our duty, which else would be a sinfull loss of time, and against the peace of our selves and others. A multitude of heresies make it our duty, to read abundance of Books, and study those languages, and trifling Arts, which else were needless: And the multitude of Erroneous, malignant, and other adversaries, and the variety of their assaults, maketh many Defences, Evidences, Witnesses, and Confutations necessary, which else would signifie that evil Contentiousness, which the assaulters manifest. Though the servant of the Lord must not strive, yet must we contend ⟨image 3⟩earnestly for the Faith, and must not forsake and betray truth and innocency. And the necessitated Defender may do his duty, while the wilfull Aggressor doth sinfully militate against Truth, Charity, and Peace. And as we must love our Enemies, so we take our selves bound much more, to love our tempted envyous brethren; and if they use us as Joseph, cast us into the Pit and sell us as slaves, we will call them brethren still, and hope one day their repentance will render them more lovely than they are. And though some Preach Christ in Envy, Strife, and Contention, to add to our affliction, and not sincerely, we rejoyce and will rejoyce that Christ is Preached: And though they would drive us out from the inheritance of the Lord, 1 Sam. 26. 19. We will not venture with David to curse them, ⟨image 3⟩but say as he in another pursuit, 2 Sam. 15. 25. 26. Carry back the Ark of God into the City: If I shall find favour in the Eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, and shew me both it and his Habitation. But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee, behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good to him. In my endeavours for peace these Thirty Four Years, as I have been put to publish many things which I had rather might have been spared, so I have written to satisfie others, the Quantity of many Volumes, which I cast away as unnecessary to the World. But some men that I have dealt with, will not give me and the Reader such an indulgence.
