A01956:14
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ…The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ…
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations upon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrews : together with certain other meditations and discourses upon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles whereof immediately precede the book : being the sum of diverse sermons preached in S. Gregory's London / by Thomas Adams ...The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations vpon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrewes : together with certain other meditations and discourses vpon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles wherof immediately precede the booke : being the summe of diuerse sermons preached in S. Gregories London / by Thomas Adams ...
London: printed by G.P. for John Grismand, 1619London: printed by G.P. for Iohn Grismand, 1619
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 worthy Citizens of Saint Gregory's Parish, sincere lovers of the Gospel, present happiness, and everlasting Peace.
To the worthy Citizens of Saint Gregories Parish, syncere louers of the Gospell, present happinesse, and euerlasting Peace.
I Owe you a treble debt, of love, of service, of thankfulness. The former, the more I pay, the more still I owe. The second I will be ready to pay to the uttermost of my power; though short both of your deserts, and my own desires. Of the last I will strive to give full payment; and in that (if it be possible) to come out of your debts. Of all I have in this volume given you the earnest: as therefore you use to do with bad debtors, take this till more comes. You see I have venturously trafficked with my poor talent in public, whilst I behold richer graces kept close at home, and buried in silence: liking it better to husband a little to the common good, then to hoard up much wealth in a sullen niggardice. I censure none: if all were writers, who should be readers? if none, idle Pamphlets would take up the general eye, be read and applauded, only through want of better objects. ⟨image 4⟩If the grain be good, it doth better in the market, then in the Garner. All I can say for my self is, I desire to do good; whereof if I should fail, yet even that I did desire it, and endeavour it, shall content my conscience. I am not affrighted with that common objection of a dead letter: I know that God can effectuate his own ends, and never required man to appoint him the means. If it were profitable being spoken, sure it cannot be unnecessary being written. It is not unknown to you, that an infirmity did put me to silence many weeks: whilst my tongue was so suspended from preaching, my hand took opportunity of writing. To vindicate my life from the least suspicion of idleness, or any such aspersions of uncharitable tongues, I have set forth this real witness, which shall give just confutation to such slanders. If it be now condemned, I am sure it is only for doing well. I very well know the burden of preaching in this City: we may say of it in another sense, what Christ said of Jerusalem, O thou that killest the Prophets. Many a Minister comes to a Parish with his veins full of blood, his bones of marrow; but how soon doth he exhaust his spirits, waste his vigour! And albeit there are many good souls, for whose sake he is content to make himself a sacrifice: yet there are some so unmerciful, that after all his labour would send him a beggar to his grave. I tell you but the fault of some, quitting your particular selves: