Two discourses; viz. A discourse of truth. By the late Reverend Dr. Rust, Lord Bishop of Dromore in the Kingdom of Ireland. The way of happiness and salvation. By Joseph Glanvil, chaplain in ordinary to His Majesty

A LETTER Concerning the Subject and the Author.

SIR,

I Have now perused, and re∣turned the Manuscript you sent me; it had contracted many and great Errours in the Transcription, which I have corrected: I was enabled to do it by a written Copy of the same Discourse which I have had di∣vers years in my Hands. The Subject is of great and weighty

importance, and the Acknowledg∣ment of the Truths here asserted and made good, will lay a Foun∣dation for right conceptions in the Doctrines that concern the Decrees of God, For the first Errour, which is the ground of the rest, is, That things are good and just, because God Wills them so to be; and if that be granted, we are disabled from using the ar∣guments taken from natural No∣tions, and the Attributes and Perfections of the Divine Nature, against the Blackest and most Blasphemous Opinions that ever were entertained concerning Gods proceedings with the Sons of Men. If there be no settled Good and Evil, Immutable and Indepen∣dent on any Will or understand∣ing, then God may have made

his reasonable Creatures on pur∣pose to damn them for ever. He may have absolutely decreed that they should sin, that he may damn them justly; He may most solemn∣ly and earnestly prohibit Sin by his Laws, and declare great dis∣pleasure against it; and yet by his ineluctable Decrees Force men to all the sin that is committed in the World: He may vehemently protest his unfeigned desire of their Life and Happiness, and at the same time, secretly resolve their Eternal Destruction; He may make it his Glory and Pleasure to triumph eternally in the tor∣ments of poor Worms, which himself hath by his unalterable and irresistible Will made mise∣rable; yea (as the discourse in∣stanceth) he may after his De∣crees

concerning the Salvation of the Elect, after the death of his Son for them, and the missi∣on of his Spirit to them, and af∣ter all the promises he hath made to assure them; thrust them also at last into the dreadful Regions of Death and Woe; I say if there be no immutable respects in things, but Just and Vnjust, Honoura∣ble and Dishonourable, Good and Cruel, Faithful and Deceit∣ful, are respects made by meer arbitrarious will, it will be in vain to dispute from Them against any such dismal Opinions: yea it will be great folly to argue for the Simplicity of the Divine Na∣ture against the vile conceits of the old Anthropomorphites, and the Blasphemies of the present Muggletonians, of God's ha∣ving

a Corporal shape, Parts and Members, if there be no necessa∣ry Independent Connexion, Im∣mensity, Spirituality and Perfe∣ction; but this being establish'd, that there are immutable respects in things, and that such and such are Perfections, and their con∣trary Defects and imperfections, hence it will follow, that it is im∣possible the forementioned Do∣ctrines can be true concerning God, who cannot lye, cannot deny himself: viz. He being Absolute and Infinite Perfection, cannot act any thing that is Evil or imperfect; But all the expre∣ssions in Scripture, that at first sight look towards such a sense, must be interpreted by the gene∣ral Analogy and course of them, which declares his Infinite, Immu∣table

Excellencies; and these No∣tions of himself, which he hath writ∣ten on the Souls of Men.

So that the Subject of this lit∣tle Discourse, is of vast Moment, and the truth asserted in it, is, I think confirmed with an irre∣sistable Strength and force of Reasoning; and not to be con∣vinced by it, will argue either great weakness of Vnderstanding, in not perceiving consequences that are so close and plain, or great obstinacy of Will, in being shut up by prejudices, and pre∣conceiv'd Opinions against Light that is so clear and manifest.

The Author was a Person with whom I had the Honour and Happiness of a very particular ac∣quaintance; a man he was of a clear Mind, a deep Judgment

and searching Wit: greatly learn∣ed in all the best sorts of Know∣ledge, old and new, a thoughtful and diligent Enquirer, of a free Vnderstanding, and vast Capa∣city, join'd with singular Mode∣sty, and unusual Sweetness of Temper, which made him the Darling of all that knew him: He was a Person of great Piety and Generosity; a hearty Lo∣ver of God and Men: An ex∣cellent Preacher, a wise Gover∣nour, a profound Philosopher, a quick, forcible, and close Reas∣oner, and above all, a true and exemplary Christian. In short, he was one who had all the Qua∣lifications of a Primitive Bishop, and of an extraordinary Man-This I say not out of kindness to my Friend, but out of Justice

to a Person of whom no Com∣mendation can be extravagant. He was bred in Cambridge, and Fellow of Christ's Colledge, where he lived in great Esteem and Reputation for his eminent Learning and Vertues; he was one of the first that overcame the prejudices of the Education of the late unhappy Times, in that Vniversity, and was very In∣strumental to enlarge others. He had too great a Soul for the trifles of that Age, and saw ear∣ly the nakedness of Phrases and Phancyes; He out-grew the pre∣tended Orthodoxy of those days, and addicted himself to the Pri∣mitive Learning and Theology, in which he even then became a great Master.

After the return of the Govern∣ment,

the excellent Bishop Tay∣lor, foreseeing the vacancy in the Deanery of Connor, sent to Cambridge for some Learned and Ingenious Man, who might be fit for that Dignity: The mo∣tion was made to Dr. Rust, which corresponding with the great Inclination he had to be conver∣sant with that incomparable Per∣son: He gladly accepted of it, and hastn'd into Ireland, where he landed at Dublin about Au∣gust 1661. He was received with much Respect and Kindness by that great and good Bishop, who knew how to value such Jew∣els; and preferr'd to the Deanery as soon as it was void, which was shortly after. He continued in that Preferment during the Bi∣shops Life, always dearly lov'd,

and even admir'd by him.

At his Death (that sad stroke to all the Lovers of Religion and Learning) he was chosen for the last solemn Office to his deceased Father and Friend; and he preach't such a Funeral Sermon as became that extraordinary Person and himself. It hath been since published, and I suppose you may have seen it, upon the lamen∣ted Death of Bishop Taylor, which hapned August 13^th 1677. The Bishopricks were divided: Dr. Boyle Dean of Cork, was nominated Bishop of Downe and Connor; and Dr. Rust Dean of Connor Bishop of Dromore; he lived in the Deanery about six years, in the Bishoprick but three; for in December 1670 he dyed of a Fever (in the

prime of his years) to the un∣speakable grief of all that knew his Worth, and especially of such of them as had been blest by his Friendship, and most sweet and indearing Conversation: He was buried in the Quire of his own Cathedral Church of Dromore, in a Vault made for his Prede∣cessour Bishop Taylor, whose sacred Dust is deposited also there: and what Dormitory hath two such Tenants?

This is the best account I can give you of the Work and the Au∣thor: and by it you may perceive his Memory deserves to live, and this Product of him: but there is so much reverence due to the Manes of so venerable a Person, that no∣thing should be hastily published under his honour'd name: I know,

had he designed this Exercitation for the Publick, he would have made it much more compleat and exact than we now have it: But as it is, the Discourse is weighty, and substantial, and may be of great use. As it goes about now in written Copiesit is, (I perceive) exceedingly depraved, and in dan∣ger of being still worse abused; the Publication would preserve it from further corruptions. However I dare not advise any thing in it, but this, that you take the judgment of that Reverend Doctor you mention (the deceased Authors Friend and mine,) and act according as he shall direct. I am,

Your real Friend Jos. Glanvil.