or so vain as Eckius, who, in his Chrysopassus, ventured upon the highest and most mysterious question of predestination, "ut in ea juveniles possit calores exercere;" such persons as these, or any that is furious in his opinion, will scorn me and my discourse; but I shall not be much moved at it, only I shall wish that I had as much knowledge as they think me to want, and they as much as they believe themselves to have. In the mean time, modesty were better for us both, and indeed for all For when men indeed are knowing, amongst other things they are able to separate certainties from uncertainties: if they be not knowing, it is pity that their ignorance should be triumphant, or discompose the public peace, or private confidence.

men.

And now, my Lord, that I have inscribed this book to your Lordship, although it be a design of doing honour to myself, that I have marked it with so honoured and beloved a name, might possibly need as much excuse as it does pardon, but that your Lordship knows your own: for out of your mines I have digged the mineral; only I have stamped it with my own image, as you may perceive by the deformities which are in it. But your great name in letters will add so much value to it, as to make it obtain its pardon amongst all them that know how to value you, and all your relatives and dependents, by the proportion of relation. For others I shall be incurious, because the number of them that honour you, is the same with them that honour learning and piety, and they are the best

theatre, and the best judges; amongst which the world must needs take notice of my ambition, to be ascribed by my public pretence to be what I am in all heartiness of devotion, and for all the reason of the world,

My honoured Lord,

Your Lordship's most faithful,

And most affectionate servant,

JER. TAYLOR.

ΘΕΟΛΟΓΙΑ ΕΚΛΕΚΤΙΚΗ,

OR,

A DISCOURSE

OF

THE LIBERTY OF PROPHESYING,

WITH

ITS JUST LIMITS AND TEMPER.

THE infinite variety of opinions, in matters of religion, as they have troubled Christendom with interests, factions, and partialities, so have they caused great divisions of the heart, and variety of thoughts and designs amongst pious and prudent men. For they all, seeing the inconveniences which the disunion of persuasions and opinions have produced, directly or accidentally, have thought themselves obliged to stop this inundation of mischiefs, and have made attempts accordingly. But it hath happened to most of them, as to a mistaken physician, who gives excellent physic, but misapplies it, and so misses of his cure: so have these men; their attempts have, therefore, been ineffectual: for they put their help to a wrong part, or they have endeavoured to cure the symptoms, and have let the disease alone till it seemed incurable. Some have endeavoured to reunite these fractions, by propounding such a guide which they were all bound to follow; hoping that the unity of a guide would have persuaded unity of minds; but who this guide should be, at last, became such a question, that it was made part of the fire that was to be quenched, so far was it from extinguishing any part of the flame. Others thought of a rule, and this must be the means of union, or nothing could do it. But supposing all the world had been agreed of this rule, yet the interpretation of it was so full of variety, that this also

became part of the disease for which the cure was pretended. All men resolved upon this, that, though they yet had not hit upon the right, yet some way must be thought upon to reconcile differences in opinion, thinking, so long as this variety should last, Christ's kingdom was not advanced, and the work of the Gospel went on but slowly. Few men, in the mean time, considered, that so long as men had such variety of principles, such several constitutions, educations, tempers, and distempers, hopes, interests, and weaknesses, degrees of light and degrees of understanding, it was impossible all should be of one mind. And what is impossible to be done, is not necessary it should be done. And, therefore, although variety of opinions was impossible to be cured (and they who attempted it did like him, who claps his shoulder to the ground to stop an earthquake); yet the inconveniences arising from it, might possibly be cured, not by uniting their beliefs,-that was to be despaired of, but by curing that which caused these mischiefs, and accidental inconveniences of their disagreeings. For although these inconveniences, which every man sees and feels, were consequent to this diversity of persuasions, yet it was but accidentally and by chance; inasmuch as we see that in many things, and they of great concernment, men allow to themselves, and to each other, a liberty of disagreeing, and no hurt neither. And, certainly, if diversity of opinions were, of itself, the cause of mischiefs, it would be so ever, that is, regularly and universally: but that we see it is not. For there are disputes in Christendom concerning matters of greater concernment than most of those opinions, that distinguish sects and make factions; and yet, because men are permitted to differ in those great matters, such evils are not consequent to such differences, as are to the uncharitable managing of smaller and more inconsiderable questions. It is of greater consequence to believe right, in the question of the validity or invalidity of a death-bed repentance, than to believe aright in the question of purgatory; and the consequences of the doctrine of predetermination are of deeper and more material consideration, than the products of the belief of the lawfulness or unlawfulness of private masses: and yet these great concernments, where a liberty of prophesying in these questions hath been permitted, have made no distinct communion, no sects of