concerning the Neceffity and Contingency of Events, in refpect of God's eternal Decrees: which was recommended to us by a Perfon for whofe Judgment and Learning it is a small thing to fay that we have a great deference. This we doubt not will abundantly commend it Self to the Judicious Reader, as it fapps the very foundation of all thofe monftrous Opinions and amazing Errors, which have been Broached and Contended for in thefe Controverfies. The necessary Production of all manner of Events, thro' the force of an Irrefiftible Decree, is herein proved abfurd, and derogatory from the Divine Ho

nor.

The liberty of a Rational Being is Afferted and Vindicated, and the dignity of Providence maintained: all which is performed in a clear and mafculin ftyle, with frength of Reason, and accuracy of Judgment.

The Author was a Perfon every way Eminent in his time, having the repute of a Great and General Scholar, exact Critic and Hiftorian, a Poet, Orator, Scholeman and Divine. He was fecond Son

to

to Dr. Goad, Provoft of King's College in Cambridge: to which Society he was Elected in 1592. His Father conferred on him the Rectory of Milton in Cambridgefhire, which he refigned upon the Afflux of greater Preferments. In 1618 he was Deputed by King James I. to the Synod of Dort, in the room of Dr. Hall Dean of Worcester, who came back indifpofed; where he acquitted himself with applause. He was then doubtless, of very different Sentiments from thofe which he Maintains in this Difputation; otherwife he had never been Fudged a proper Person to have been fent to that Synod, nor would have been in any Degree acceptable there: but the force of Truth, and an impartial confideration of the reasons offered in its Defence, at length Prevailed with him, as well as Tilenus, to alter his Judgment. After his return we find him Chaplain to ABp. Abbot, and loaded with numerous Preferments, Prebendary of Winchester and Canterbury, Precentor of St. Paul's, Rector of Notley in Effex, and Hadley in Suffolk

He

1

He Died in 1638. and is Buried in the Church of Hadley, having left the Colilege, to which he formerly belonged, the Medal Prefented to him by the States of Holland for his Service at the Synod of Dort, and 20 Pound per Annum to purchafe Books.

We have Printed this laft Piece, and Dr. Potter's Letter, without any other al... teration, than the correcting the Manifeft Errors of the Copier or Prefs: and we have done little more to the Examination of Tilenus, excepting that we have caft the References to Texts of Scripture into the Margin, which the Author himself defigned to have done, had he been prefent at the first Printing of it. Almost the whole of our Labor was bestowed on the firft Piece, in the former Edition intitled Appello Evangelium, for the true Docttin, &c. this we found very incorrectly Printed, the Author dying before it was Published, and perhaps never having Copied it over for the Prefs. Some Quotations were not taken Notice of to be fuch, many referred to wrong places, Au

thors

thors Names Jomtimes mistaken, and Words here and there omitted, which rendered the fenfe of fome Places almost imperceptible. The Tranflation of the Quotations from Antient Writers was lefs accurate, and from thence (to whatever Hand we owe it) not always agreeable to the Purpose for which they were Produced. And what farther clouded the Beauty of the Performance, the Author frequently Spoke a mixture of Languages, and darkned his meaning by ufing Scholaftic Terms, and blending broken Quotations with the Context: In fo much, that one would have wondered how a Man, who was Mafter of that Simplicity, Sublimity and Nobleness of Style, which he certainly excelled in, could drop into fuch a manner of writing, if we did not know that the Age he lived in was fond of those Gothic Ornaments, and barbarous oftentations of Learning. We have done our best to redress these inconveniencies, we have compared the Tranflations with the Originals, and corrected what feemed amifs; we have cleared up the obfcure places by

CONT

confidering the Scope of the Author, and comparing them with other Passages more clearly expreffed; we have exchanged the Scraps of Greek and Latin for English, and transferred others into the Margin; These were often used only as Ornaments, and when they were not fo, we have taken care to infert the Senfe of them into the thread of the Difcourfe: and that we might difembarrass the Style as much as poffible, we have taken the liberty to tranfpofe Parentheses and other perplexed Paffages, fo as to clear and reduce them to continued Sentences. Some little Alteration, Omiffion or Addition is often made, but we hope we have ufed Juch Caution in our Proceding, as not to have deviated from the Author in any thing Material, or done any thing, but what, if he were now living, he would readily approve. We have often changed words for fome other Synonymous, but, as we Fudged, more expreffive or beauteous Terms; but our main defign was not to polish the Language, but only to render it intelligible. And therefore the Reader must not be difgufted,