TO be a father to the fatherless, is properly the virtue of the most high, and therefore meet for those who bear his name and office upon earth. Among whom (Right Honourable) seeing it hath pleased his Majesty to count your Lordship faithful, and to put you in so high a service, it shall (I assure my self) be matter of rejoicing unto your Lordship, to take the Patronage of this poor Orphan, which knoweth not whither to fly for succour, but to you, who did so many ways commend your favour to his late deceased Father, that if he had lived to the birth of this his last off-spring it was his full purpose (as ⟨image 3⟩many can witness) to have committed it unto your Lordships protection, as most meet among many to take this Patronage upon you, that this young Infant growing up under your roof, may in time effect that indeed, whereof it bears the name, to be The ruin of Rome, To speak of the excellent parts thereof, and of what hope it is like to be in the Church of Christ, I think needless, and I fear the note of partiality: it shall speak for it self, (I doubt) will commend to all posterity his worthy fathers memory. Now for my self (right Honourable) being so straightly bound to this duty, in regard of my near conjunction with my late Brother Master Dent, and great importunity of his poor Widow, was the more willingly drawn hereunto in two respects. The one to give some public testimony of my love towards him, and reverence of the rare grace which we all (who enjoyed his sweet society) did continually in our comfort behold in him. Whose learning his labours do show: whose diligence, yea extreme and unwearied pains in his ministry publicly, privately, at home, and abroad, for four and twenty years at least, all our Country can testify. All which being ⟨image 3⟩adorned with so special humility, do make his name the greater, and our loss the more grievous. I may not leave out this, which I avow to be as certain, as it is singular, that besides all other his great labours, he had (with the Apostle) a special care of all the Churches night and day, by study and fervent Prayer, procuring the prosperity of Zion, and the ruin of Rome. And to end with his blessed end, his life was not more profitable to others, then his death is peaceable to himself;
TO be a father to the fatherlesse, is properly the vertue of the most high, and therefore meet for those who beare his name and office upon earth. Among whom (Right Honourable) seeing it hath pleased his Majesty to count your Lordship faithfull, and to put you in so high a service, it shall (I assure my selfe) be matter of rejoycing unto your Lordship, to take the Patronage of this poore Orphane, which knoweth not whither to flye for succour, but to you, who did so many waies commend your favour to his late deceased Father, that if he had lived to the birth of this his last off-spring it was his full purpose (as ⟨image 3⟩many can witnesse) to have committed it unto your Lordships protection, as most meete among many to take this Patronage upon you, that this young Infant growing up under your roofe, may in time effect that indeed, whereof it beares the name, to be The ruine of Rome, To speake of the excellent parts thereof, and of what hope it is like to be in the Church of Christ, I thinke needlesse, and I feare the note of partiality: it shall speake for it selfe, (I doubt) will commend to all posterity his worthy fathers memory. Now for my selfe (right Honorable) being so straightly bound to this duty, in regard of my neere conjunction with my late Brother Master Dent, and great importunity of his poore Widdow, was the more willingly drawne hereunto in two respects. The one to give some publike testimony of my love towards him, and reverence of the rare grace which we all (who injoyed his sweete society) did continually in our comfort behold in him. Whose learning his labours do shew: whose diligence, yea extreme and unwearied paines in his ministery publikely, privately, at home, and abroade, for foure and twenty yeares at least, all our Countrey can testifie. All which being ⟨image 3⟩adorned with so speciall humility, do make his name the greater, and our losse the more grievous. I may not leave out this, which I avow to be as certaine, as it is singular, that besides all other his great labours, he had (with the Apostle) a speciall care of all the Churches night and day, by study and fervent Prayer, procuring the prosperity of Syon, and the ruine of Rome. And to end with his blessed end, his life was not more profitable to others, then his death is peaceable to himself;
