YOU have here an Antidote against the most common distemper of God's people in his Worship. My own disease caused me to study the cure; the general complaint of good people against these Egyptian Flies, moved me to preach it; and the common good of God's Church (not without solicitations thereto) hath now persuaded me to publish it. Be not offended, that so much is written of so minute a point; greater ⟨image 5⟩Tracts of the Fever, Stone, or Tooth-ache (whereby they might be certainly cured) would not be thought too long, by such as are sick thereof. Indeed, this had never seen the light, but that the disease is so general and that so few, if any, that have throughly, and on purpose handled it. However, this may serve (as the Learned L. Verulam *hath it) to awake better spirits, and to do the Bell-ringer's office, who is first up, to call others to Church. This being my first Essay, riper Judgements will (I believe) observe divers defects and superfluities therein, but Candour is a common debt, which we all owe one to another; and one poor mite may be accepted by men, when two mites can please Christ himself. It is my Request To you especially, that were the first Hearers hereof, that ye be not Hearers ⟨image 5⟩or Readers only, but Doers of the Word. The world knows, you have been constant hearers, let the world see, that you are careful doers. The indubitable truths and duties, that I have still laid before you, will undoubtedly convert you, or else undoubtedly condemn you; and therefore I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, that ye receive not the Grace of God in vain. For now I live, if ye stand fast in the Lord. And my earnest request for you, is, that Divine Power may accompany Divine Precepts. If you reap any benefit, let God have all the praise, and put the poor Instrument into some corner of your prayers. I have chosen a dialect and phrase familiar, for the advantage of the matter, rather than the applause of the Writer, being contented to be ranked among those,2 qui non secundum artem ⟨image 6⟩scripserunt, sed secundum gratiam; you will excuse the unevenness of the stile, and other imperfections, when you understand that I had more studies than books in the composing hereof, being distant from my Library, and variously distracted in the writing about Distractions.
YOU have here an Antidote against the most common distemper of God's people in his Worship. My own disease caused me to study the cure; the general complaint of good people against these Egyptian Flies, moved me to preach it; and the common good of God's Church (not without solicitations thereto) hath now perswaded me to publish it. Be not offended, that so much is written of so minute a point; greater ⟨image 5⟩Tracts of the Fever, Stone, or Tooth-ach (whereby they might be certainly cured) would not be thought too long, by such as are sick thereof. Indeed, this had never seen the light, but that the disease is so general and that so few, if any, that have throughly, and on purpose handled it. However, this may serve (as the Learned L. Verulam *hath it) to awake better spirits, and to do the Bell-ringer's office, who is first up, to call others to Church. This being my first Essay, riper Judgements will (I believe) observe divers defects and superfluities therein, but Candour is a common debt, which we all owe one to another; and one poor mite may be accepted by men, when two mites can please Christ himself. It is my Request To you especially, that were the first Hearers hereof, that ye be not Hearers ⟨image 5⟩or Readers only, but Doers of the Word. The world knows, you have been constant hearers, let the world see, that you are careful doers. The indubitable truths and duties, that I have still laid before you, will undoubtedly convert you, or else undoubtedly condemn you; and therefore I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, that ye receive not the Grace of God in vain. For now I live, if ye stand fast in the Lord. And my earnest request for you, is, that Divine Power may accompany Divine Precepts. If you reap any benefit, let God have all the praise, and put the poor Instrument into some corner of your prayers. I have chosen a dialect and phrase familiar, for the advantage of the matter, rather than the applause of the Writer, being contented to be ranked among those,2 qui non secundum artem ⟨image 6⟩scripserunt, sed secundum gratiam; you will excuse the unevenness of the stile, and other imperfections, when you understand that I had more studies than books in the composing hereof, being distant from my Library, and variously distracted in the writing about Distractions.
- *Letter to the E. of Salisb. concerning his Advancement.
- 2Ambro•. lib 8. •p. 6•.
