TO THE RIGHT HO∣NOVRABLE AND TRVLY noble WILLIAM Earle of Penbrooke, Lord high Steward of his Majesties Houshold, Knight of the most noble Order of the Ga•ter, and Chancel∣lor of the Vniversity of Oxon; The blessings of this life, and of the life to come be multiplied.

HAd the consciousnesse of my weaknesse left any place for expectation that my poore Labours should have found such benigne acceptāce with men of higher place and judgement, as by the report of Honourable personages, and mine owne late experience of your noble favours, some of them I now perceive have found with your Ho∣nour, Page  [unnumbered] these present papers had come to crave your patronage in a better dresse than now they doe. Besides the consciousnesse of my inabilities to please the acurate judgements of this age, want of opportunities for these many yeares to give my selfe that content∣ment, which I was once bold to promise unto my selfe, had almost deterred me from publishing any part of my former labours, which were not popular, and for the Pul∣pit, of which ranke this present Treatise is not. The subject or matter of it is Acade∣micall, and was conceived in that famous Nurserie of all good literature, which for these many yeares hath flourished, and ma∣ny more may it flourish under your Hono∣rable patronage. If either these, or other of my Labours of the like argument, which tooke their first being from the benignity of that soile, may finde acceptance with your Lordship, I shall need no other Apologie for publishing them beside my unfaigned desire to leave the Christian world a testi∣monie of that high esteeme which I have ever made of your Honourable favours to Page  [unnumbered] that renowned Vniversity, and of my thankfulnesse for my particular interest in your generall goodnesse. If this manifesta∣tion of my weaknesse may occasion other Academickes to shew their strength in this and like Arguments, it shall be a great part of my joy and comfort to see better fruits of your Lordships favour brought forth by others, than I can present unto you. But if these may finde that acceptance which I most desire, your Lordship will haply bee deemed by some, to patronize not my weaknesse onely, but mine errors. It is not so unusuall, nor so much for mee to be cen∣sured for an Arminian, as it will be for your Lordship to be thought to patronize Armi∣nianisme. To give your Lordship that satis∣faction therefore in this point, which I am not bound to give unto others; If the man which most mislikes the Arminian or Luthe∣ran doctrine in the points most controver∣ted through reformed Churches, will but agree with me in these two, That the Al∣mighty Creator hath a true freedome in doing good; and Adams off-spring a true freedome ofPage  [unnumbered]doing evill; I shall not dissent from him in any other points controverted, unlesse it be in this one, that there needs to be no other controversie at all betweene the Arminians and their opposites in point of Gods Pro∣vidence and Predestination. In all other particulars, save onely so farre as they are re∣ducible to these two, I have not yet the lear∣ning or understanding to conceive, what contradiction there is or can bee, betweene men not willing to contend about words. But if any in opposition to Arminius, will maintaine that all things were so decreed by God before the Creation of the world; that nothing since the Creation could have fal∣len out otherwise than it hath done, or that nothing can bee amended what is a∣misse, I must crave pardon of every good Christian to oppugne his opinion, not as an errour onely in Divinity, but as an igno∣rance which involveth enmity to the sweet disposition of the All-seeing and un∣erring Providence; as a forerunner of ruine to most flourishing States and Kingdomes where it growes common, or comes to full Page  [unnumbered] height. For supplanting or preventing the growth of such opinions, I make bold to crave your Lordships patronage. Thus with my continuall praiers for your Lord∣ships health, with all increase of honor and happinesse, I humbly take my leave.