A10945:9
Seven treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holy Scriptures, leading…Seuen treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holie Scriptures, leading…
Seven treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holy Scriptures, leading and guiding to true happiness, both in this life, and in the life to come: and may be called the practise of Christianity. Profitable for all such as heartily desire the same: in the which, more particularly true Christians may learn how to lead a godly and comfortable life every day. Penned by Richard Rogers, preacher of the word of God at Wethersfield in Essex.Seuen treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holie Scriptures, leading and guiding to true happines, both in this life, and in the life to come: and may be called the practise of Christianitie. Profitable for all such as heartily desire the same: in the which, more particularly true Christians may learne how to leade a godly and comfortable life euery day. Penned by Richard Rogers, preacher of the word of God at Wethersfield in Essex.
London: printed by Felix Kyngston for Thomas Man, 1603
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 RIGHT VIRTUOUS, HIGH, AND MIGHTY PRINCE, King JAMES, our dread Sovereign, by the grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. long life, happy days, and most prosperous reign.
TO THE RIGHT VERTVOVS, HIGH, AND MIGHTIE PRINCE, King IAMES, our dread Soueraigne, by the grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. long life, happie daies, and most prosperous raigne.
Most gracious and dread Sovereign Lord, I have not presumed upon this dedication, as being overtaken with the forgetfulness either of your Majesties greatness, or mine own poverty: For I confess, that if comparison were made that way, I might worthily be blamed of presumption. But the truth is, that I laid in balance your mind rather then your Majesty, and the argument rather then my penning of it. In this I confess I presumed and I trust without desert of blame, that as you have preferred godliness before glory in the middest of this glory which God hath brought you unto: so you will prefer a treatise of godliness, thus simply furnished, before a glorious stile. Which is not seldom repugnant to the simplicity of holy things. And yet my meaning is to confess to your Majesty, that this argument deserved both a more learned and more gracious pen then mine. To which I would with all my heart have given place, if I had either seen before me, or heard behind me the footsteps of any tending that way that I go, though I confess, there are some to be seen travailing in ways near adjoining to this.
MOst gracious and dread Soueraigne Lord, I haue not presumed vpon this dedication, as being ouertaken with the forgetfulnes either of your Maiesties greatnes, or mine owne pouertie: For I confesse, that if comparison were made that way, I might worthily be blamed of presumption. But the truth is, that I laid in balance your mind rather then your Maiestie, and the argument rather then my penning of it. In this I confesse I presumed and I trust without desert of blame, that as you haue preferred godlines before glorie in the middest of this glorie which God hath brought you vnto: so you will preferre a treatise of godlines, thus simply furnished, before a glorious stile. Which is not seldome repugnant to the simplicitie of holie things. And yet my meaning is to confesse to your Maiestie, that this argument deserued both a more learned and more gracious penne then mine. To which I would with al my heart haue giuen place, if I had either seene before me, or heard behinde me the footsteps of any tending that way that I goe, though I confesse, there are some to bee seene trauailing in waies neere adioyning to this.