TO THE WORSHIPFUL, And his Honoured Uncle, MICHAEL OLDISWORTH Esquire, And a Member of the PARLIAMENT Of the Common-wealth of ENGLAND.TO THE WORSHIPFULL, And his Honoured Uncle, MICHAEL OLDISWORTH Esquire, And a Member of the PARLIAMENT Of the Common-wealth of ENGLAND.

TO THE WORSHIPFUL, And his Honoured Uncle, MICHAEL OLDISWORTH Esquire, And a Member of the PARLIAMENT Of the Common-wealth of ENGLAND.

TO THE WORSHIPFULL, And his Honoured Uncle, MICHAEL OLDISWORTH Esquire, And a Member of the PARLIAMENT Of the Common-wealth of ENGLAND.

SIR,

I Have often heard you profess a deep dislike of the unnatural vanity of the English Nation, in preferring strangers in all callings above such of their own Country men, as far surpassed them. And of this unjust partiality, no profession hath tasted in a greater measure, than that of Divinity; for of our Ministers, such whom God hath best fitted with parts and Learning for the discussing of controversies, have been so undervalued in comparison of some Foreign Divines, whose Learning was little better than systematical; as that they languished in their private studies, and had dyed in obscurity, unless the fame of their great abilities had been echoed over unto us by the general applause of all Christendom. Nay this sometimes hath not awakened us unto a due estimation of them. Dr Ames was looked upon abroad, as one that amongst Protestant writers had few, either superiors, or equals, for subtlety in Logic, and Scholastical Divinity; and yet he dyed an exile from his Native Soil, so that his Tomb might have had that inscription upon it, which Scipio by his will appointed to be on his; Ingrata Patria ne ossa mea quidem habes, Unthankful Country, thou hast not so much as my Bones. Of how great reputation this our Author was beyond the Seas, I had rather you should hear from the able and judicious Rivet, than by me, who am censured by some (who I am sure much overvalue their own judgements) to have too high and admiring thoughts of him. Rivet (in his Epistle prefixed unto a late Book of D. Twisses against Arminius and Corvinus &c.) will assure you that ^aThe most Learned men in the whole Christian World, even those who are of the adverse party, do confess that there was nothing yet extant more accurate, exact, and full, touching the Arminian Controversies, than what was written by D. Twice.