The Practice of Piety

In my desire therefore of the common salvation;¹ but especially of your Highness everlasting Welfare: I have endeavoured to extract out of the Chaos of endless Controversies, the old Practise of true PIETY, which flourished before these Controversies were hatched; which ⟨image 7⟩my poor labours in a short while comes now forth again the third time, under the gracious protection of your Highness favour; and by their entertainment seem not to be altogether unwelcome to the Church of Christ. If to be pious, hath in all ages been held true honour; how much more honourable is it, in so impious an age, to be the true Patron and Pattern of Piety? Piety made David, Solomon, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, Josiah, Zerubbabel, Constantine, Theodosius, Edward the 6. ⟨image 8⟩Queen Elizabeth, Prince Henry, and other religious Princes, to be so honoured: that their names (since their deaths) smells in the Church of GOD, like a precious ointment, ²and their remembrance is sweet as Honey in all mouths, and as Music at a banquet of Wine: when as the lives of others, who have been godless and irreligious Princes; do rot and stink in the memory of Gods people. And what honour is it for great men to have great titles on earth; when God counts their Names unworthy ⟨image 8⟩to be written in his Book of life in heaven?

In my desire therefore of the common saluation;¹ but especially of your Highnesse euerlasting Welfare: I haue endeuoured to extract out of the Chaos of endlesse Controuersies, the olde Practise of true PIETIE, which flourished before these Controuersies were hatched; which ⟨image 7⟩my poore labours in a short while comes now forth againe the third time, vnder the gracious protection of your Highnesse fauour; and by their entertainment seeme not to be altogether vnwelcome to the Church of Christ. If to be pious, hath in all ages beene held true honour; how much more honourable is it, in so impious an age, to be the true Patrone and Patterne of Pietie? Pietie made Dauid, Salomon, Iehosaphat, Ezechias, Iosias, Zerubbabel, Constantine, Theodosidus, Edward the 6.