A00564:231
The black devil or the apostate Together with the wolf worrying the lambs. And…The blacke devil or the apostate Together with the wolfe worrying the lambes. And…
The black devil or the apostate Together with the wolf worrying the lambs. And the spiritual navigator, bound for the Holy Land. In three sermons. By Thomas Adams.The blacke devil or the apostate Together with the wolfe worrying the lambes. And the spiritual navigator, bound for the Holy Land. In three sermons. By Thomas Adams.
London: printed by William Jaggard, 1615London: printed by William Iaggard, 1615
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
TO THE TRULY worthy Gentleman M. HENRY FORTESCUE, Esquire, a favourer of virtue and good Learning.
TO THE TRVEly vvorthy Gentleman M. HENRY FORTESCVE, Esquire, a fauourer of vertue and good Learning.
SIR, I have put up the Wolfe, though not hunted him; as judging my self too weak for that sport-earnest. It is no desertless Office to discover that subtle and insatiate Beast; to pull the Sheep-skin of Hypocrisy over his ears; and to expose his feming malice and sanguisugous cruelty to mens censure and detestation. Let those hands strike him, that have darts of authority put into their Quivers. Our Land is no Forrest, literally or metaphorically understood: but whether for Church or Common-wealth, profession or soil, an Orchard of Gods own planting; fruitful in goods and good works. Wolves we have none, but some Mystical ones; whose ferocity is yet hidden under the habits and ⟨image 46⟩cases of those Lambs, they have devoured. These I have set in view, or at least meant my best to do it. I have seldom pretended that common poise, that (by their own report) sets so many mad pens, like wheels, a running, Importunacy of friends. I have willingly published, what I had hope would do good published. Only this I feared to keep from the Press, lest it should steal thither another way. Being there, I could not with better confidence fasten upon a known Patron, then your self: who can both understand it, and will read it: not only the Epistle, but the whole Book. Though that fashion with many patrons, of perusing more then their own Titles, be now as a Suit of the old make. I know you spend some hours of all days in such good exercises; abandoning those idle and excessive customs, wherein too many will please themselves, and none else.