RIGHT HONOURABLE, anda truly Noble, (for that is the bestb Nobility that Christian Grace giveth:) give me leave the meanest of many that ⟨image 3⟩wish well to your Lordship, and rejoice in your well-fare, with this sorry Present (though coming somewhat late) to welcome your return home from your late employment abroad: And therein to join Her with you, whomc a spiritual knot, as well as a civill band, hath made one with you in Christ. This the rather, because I assure my self, that you are both of you, of the Persons therein deciphered, and have joint share therefore in the Benefit therein propounded and promised. For the Work it self; I doubt not, but many things will be found in it, that to a mere Natural Man will seem to bed strange Paradoxes; which yet every good Christian, having duly weighed, will easily acknowledge with me, to be agreeable to Truth. So it is indeed, thate Gods works (as that blessed fLight of God, Martin Luther, was wont to say) are effected usually by Contraries. And a Christian Mans Life here (as ⟨image 3⟩gthe Heathen Man said of every Mans) is a mere Mixture of hContrarieties. iNone encumbered with more Crosses; but knone accompanied with more Comforts, and those such as may well not countervail only, but even throughly weigh down the other. In so much, that I see not why a Christian Man, though exposed to such a multitude of Crosses, (were it not for his own, either want of wisdom, or weakness) might not well live the comfortablest life of any Man in the world, whatsoever estate or condition of life God hath pleased to assign and confine him unto. Nor have any therefore cause to waive the profession of Christianity in regard of such Crosses, as a disconsolate and uncomfortable estate. Of Children we use to say, that they are lCertain Cares, uncertain Comforts; and yet we seem how desirous naturally Men and Women are to have Issue: and ⟨image 4⟩that,n even those also that for outward things might well live comfortably without. How much more have all cause to desire Christian Grace, when the Comforts that attend it, are so sure and certain, if men be not their own Enemies; yea when no sound Comfort (as is here showed) can be attained without it? Unworthy is he of Issue, thato esteemeth not the Care he taketh for his Children, especiallyp being toward, dutiful, and inclinable to good things.
RIGHT HONOVRABLE, anda truly Noble, (for that is the bestb Nobilitie that Christian Grace giueth:) giue me leaue the meanest of many that ⟨image 3⟩wish well to your Lordship, and reioyce in your well-fare, with this sorie Present (though comming somewhat late) to welcome your returne home from your late imployment abroad: And therein to ioyne Her with you, whomc a spirituall knot, as well as a ciuill band, hath made one with you in Christ. This the rather, because I assure my selfe, that you are both of you, of the Persons therein decyphered, and haue ioynt share therefore in the Benefit therein propounded and promised. For the Worke it selfe; I doubt not, but many things will bee found in it, that to a meere Naturall Man will seeme to beed strange Paradoxes; which yet euery good Christian, hauing duly weighed, will easily acknowledge with me, to be agreeable to Truth. So it is indeed, thate Gods works (as that blessed fLight of God, Martin Luther, was wont to say) are effected vsually by Contraries. And a Christian Mans Life here (as ⟨image 3⟩gthe Heathen Man said of euery Mans) is a meere Mixture of hContrarieties. iNone encombred with more Crosses; but knone accompanied with more Comforts, and those such as may well not counteruaile only, but euen throughly weigh downe the other. In so much, that I see not why a Christian Man, though exposed to such a multitude of Crosses, (were it not for his owne, either want of wisdome, or weaknesse) might not well liue the comfortablest life of any Man in the world, whatsoeuer estate or condition of life God hath pleased to assigne and confine him vnto. Nor haue any therefore cause to waiue the profession of Christianitie in regard of such Crosses, as a disconsolate and vncomfortable estate. Of Children we vse to say, that they are
- aNobilis genere, nobilior sanctitate. Aug. epist. 179.
- b[Greek or Hebrew]. Greg. Naz. in Gorgon. & in Basil. [Greek or Hebrew]. Idem in Patr. [Greek or Hebrew]. Idem in Heron. [Greek or Hebrew]. Isidor. Pel. l. 2. ep. 291. Summa apud Deum nobilitas est clarum esse virtutibus. Paulin. ad Celant. Christianum esse, est, verè nobilem esse. Nec gencre sed virtute censetur nobilitas. [Greek or Hebrew]. Iphicrat. Arist. rhet. l. 2. c. 23. Quod optimum nobilissimum. Velleius hist. l. 2. [Greek or Hebrew]. Antisthen. Laert. l. 6. [Greek or Hebrew]. Plato ibid. l. 3. Quis generosus? ad virtutem benè à natura compositus. Non facit nobilem […] plenum fumosis imaginibus: animus facit. Sen. ep. 44. Nemo altero nobilior, nisicui rectius ingenium, & artibus bonis aptius. Idem de ben. l. 3. c. 28. [Greek or Hebrew]. Eurip. Dictye. [Greek or Hebrew]. Epicharm. [Greek or Hebrew]. Democr. Stob. c. 84. animalia muta Quis gene•••• putet nisi fortia? Nobilitae summa est atque unica Virtus. Juven: sat. 8.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Greg. Naz. in Gorgon. & in Basil. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Idem in Patr. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Idem in Heron. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Isidor. Pel. l. 2. ep. 291. Summa apud Deum nobilitas est clarum esse virtutibus. Paulin. ad Celant. Christianum esse, est, verè nobilem esse. Nec gencre sed virtute censetur nobilitas. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Iphicrat. Arist. rhet. l. 2. c. 23. Quod optimum nobilissimum. Velleius hist. l. 2. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Antisthen. Laert. l. 6. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Plato ibid. l. 3. Quis generosus? ad virtutem benè à natura compositus. Non facit nobilem 〈…〉 plenum fumosis imaginibus: animus facit. Sen. ep. 44. Nemo altero nobilior, nisicui rectius ingenium, & artibus bonis aptius. Idem de ben. l. 3. c. 28. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Eurip. Dictye. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Epicharm. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Democr. Stob. c. 84. animalia muta Quis gene•••• putet nisi fortia? Nobilitae summa est atque unica Virtus. Iuven: sat. 8.
