A

CHAIN of PRINCIPLES,

Or,

An orderly concatenation of Theological
Aphorifmes and Exercitations;
Wherein,
The Chief Heads of Christian Religion are
afferted and improved:

By

JOHN ARROWSMITH, D.D.
Late Mafter both of St Johns and Trinity-Colledge
fucceffively, and Regius Profeffor of Divinity
in the University of CAMBRIDGE.

Published fince his Death according to his own
Manufcript allowed by Himself in his life
time under his own hand.

ECCLESIASTES 12.9, 10, II.

Because the Preacher was wife, He ftill taught the people Knowledge. Tea; He
gave good heed, and fought out and fet in order many Proverbs.

The Preacher fought to finde out acceptable words, and that which was written
was upright, even words of Truth.

The words of the Wife are as goads and as nayls fastened by the Matters of the
Affemblies, and given by one .Paftor.

CAMBRIDGE:

Printed by Fohn Field, Printer to the University 1659.

And are to be fold at the figne of the Seven Stars in Fleet-firect
near S. Dunftans Church, LONDON,

2022

To the Reader.

I

T is the Profession of the

Apostle Paul to the Co-
rinthians in regard of

Himself. That as a wife Master 1 Cor. 3. 10.
builder he had laid the Foundation;
Whereby he would fignifie and
declare thus much unto them:
That the laying of the Foundati
on is the work of a Master-build-
or, as alfo that fome skill and wif
dome is both required and fhewn in
the right laying of it.

This hath been Eminently the care of the Reverend and Learned Authour of these ensuing dif courfes, who being fufficiently fenfible

2

fenfible of the defect, as well as necessity of a fettled and wellgrounded knowledge in the FunHib.6.1. damentals of the Doctrine of Chrift; hath therefore with all diligence applied himself hereunto in this Treatife, which he hath left to the world.

Neither was this more feafonable for the Time then it was proper and fitting for the place, in which at first it received it's Beginning, being in One of the Schools of the Prophets, & a Prin cipal Seminary of Divines, Johns Colledge in Cambridge. Where be ing at that time Master (and having as yet no other publick im ployment, which might take him up) he was willing to lay himself Brad

*

forth

forth fo much the rather in this way of his Miniftery, by Catecheti cal Lectures in that Chappel on the Evenings of the Lords day.As Elisha when he came to fericho, 2 King.2.21, cafting falt into thofe fprings of water,for the preferving of all fa vouriness and fruitfulness in them. ...Now these Sermons of his he had drawn up (fo far as to the preaching of them) into a complete Body of Divinity in thirty diftinct Aphorifmes with their respective Exercitations; being alfo the fum, and extract of most of his former labours in the whole course of . his miniftery; which He had intended (if God had permitted) to have fitted, and prepared for the prefs. But being prevented of

this