IF thy heart hath not made a Covenant with Ignorance, or not grown obstinate, through peevish wilfulness, read, peruse, and digest these ensuing lines, dropped from the learned and judicious quill of this most pious and renowned Author; whose well known worth and singular wisdom may challenge (if not, command) your fair acceptance: He appears not, here, like David, ruining the Philistine; but like our Saviour, reproving the Pharisees; reserving his downright blows for stronger Enemies, and more discovering the folly of his Foe, then the smartness of his scourge; whose sudden pen (not guilty of any thing that is not precious) carries with it the Aspect, ⟨image 3⟩rather, of an ingenious haste, than a studied Confutation: Which, nevertheless, upon mature deliberation, if it convince not the erroneous fancy, and rectifies not the weak Judgement of unwilling ignorance, his Pearls are lost, till found by such as have the knowledge how to prize them.
IF thy heart hath not made a Covenant with Ignorance, or not growne obstinate, through peevish willfullnesse, reade, peruse, and digest these ensueing lines, dropt from the learned and judicious quill of this most pious and renowned Author; whose well knowne worth and singular wisedome may challenge (if not, command) your faire acceptance: He appeares not, here, like David, ruining the Philistime; but like our Saviour, reproving the Pharisees; reserving his downeright blowes for stronger Enemies, and more discovering the folly of his Foe, then the smartnesse of his scourge; whose sudden pen (not guilty of any thing that is not pretious) carries with it the Aspect, ⟨image 3⟩rather, of an ingenious haste, than a studyed Confutation: Which, neverthelesse, upon mature deliberation, if it convince not the erronious fancy, and rectifies not the weake Judgement of unwilling ignorance, his Pearles are lost, till found by such as have the knowledge how to prize them.