Men are gods, or, The dignity of magistracy, and the duty of the magistrate…

To his Reverend Friend Mr. Thomas Hall, B. D. Pastor of Kings-Norton in Worcestershire.

Esteemed Sir,

I Have now at last, in answer to your desires, and in pursuance of my promise, sent you my Meditations on the 6th verse of the 82. Psalm. Indeed soon after the Sermon was preached, I was sought to, that it might be printed; But I was then scarce fledged (not having in years equalled the days of the shortest month) and so unwilling to venture a flight into the world, lest I should fall. And truly my Apology still must be with ⟨image 4⟩the good Father (when the fruits of his youth were stolen to the Press) Infans eram, ¹nec dum scribere noveram; Nunc, ut nihil aliud profecerim, saltem Socraticum illud habeo, Scio quod nescio. Such as it is, I commend it to you; and the more cheerfully, because its younger brother, which two or three years since, supplanted it, and got away the birthright, did meet with a blessing. The good Lord make it instrumental (in these unhappy and unholy days, wherein Moses and Aaron, Magistracy and Ministry are trampled under foot) for the glory of his Name, and the good of his people. So prayeth he who never saw you, yet loveth and honoureth you, and desireth to be frequently and fervently remembered by you at the throne of grace,

I Have now at last, in answer to your desires, and in pursuance of my promise, sent you my Meditations on the 6th verse of the 82. Psalm. Indeed soon after the Sermon was preached, I was sought to, that it might be printed; But I was then scarce flegd (not having in years equald the dayes of the shortest month) and so unwilling to venture a flight into the world, lest I should fall. And truly my Apology still must be with