The
Printers
to
the
Reader
.
THe
dedication
of
this
work
having
been
made
by
the
Authour
to
the
Divine
Majestie
onely
,
how
should
we
now
presume
to
interest
any
mortall
man
in
the
patronage
of
it
?
Much
lesse
think
we
it
meet
to
seek
the
recommendation
of
the
Muses
,
for
that
which
himself
was
confident
to
have
been
inspired
by
a
diviner
breath
then
flows
from
Helicon
.
The
world
therefore
shall
receive
it
in
that
naked
simplicitie
,
with
which
he
left
it
,
without
any
addition
either
of
support
or
ornament
,
more
then
is
included
in
it self
.
We
leave
it
free
and
unforestalled
to
every
mans
judgement
,
and
to
the
benefit
that
he
shall
finde
by
perusall
.
Onely
for
the
clearing
of
some
passages
,
we
have
thought
it
not
unfit
to
make
the
common
Reader
privie
to
some
few
particularities
of
the
condition
and
disposition
of
the
Person
;
Being
nobly
born
,
and
as
eminently
endued
with
gifts
of
the
minde
,
and
having
by
industrie
and
happy
education
perfected
them
to
that
great
height
of
excellencie
,
whereof
his
fellowship
of
Trinitie
Colledge
in
Cambridge
,
and
his
Orator-ship
in
the
Universitie
,
together
with
that
knowledge
which
the
Kings
Court
●●d
taken
of
him
,
could
make
relation
farre
above
ordinarie
.
Quitting
both
his
deserts
and
all
the
opportunities
that
he
had
for
worldly
preferment
,
he
betook
himself
to
the
Sanctuarie
and
Temple
of
God
,
choosing
rather
to
serve
at
Gods
Altar
,
then
to
seek
the
honour
of
State-employments
.
As
for
those
inward
enforcements
to
this
course
(
for
outward
there
was
none
)
which
many
of
these
ensuing
verses
bear
witnesse
of
,
they
detract
not
from
the
freedome
,
but
adde
to
the
honour
of
this
resolution
in
him
.
As
God
had
enabled
him
,
so
he
accounted
him
meet
not
onely
to
be
called
,
but
to
be
compelled
to
this
service
:
Wherein
his
faith●full
discharge
was
such
,
as
may
make
him
justly
a
companion
to
the
primitive
Saints
,
and
a
pattern
or
more
for
the
age
he
lived
in
.
To
testifie
his
independencie
upon
all
others
,
and
to
quicken
his
diligence
in
this
kinde
,
he
used
in
his
ordinarie
speech
,
when
he
made
mention
of
the
blessed
name
of
our
Lord
and
Saviour
Jesus
Christ
,
to
adde
,
My
Master
.
Next
God
,
he
loved
that
which
God
himself
hath
magnified
above
all
things
,
that
is
,
his
Word
:
so
as
he
hath
been
heard
to
make
solemne
protestation
,
that
he
would
not
part
with
one
leaf
thereof
for
the
whole
world
,
if
it
were
offered
him
in
exchange
.
His
obedience
and
conformitie
to
the
Church
and
the
discipline
thereof
was
singularly
remarkable
Though
he
abounded
in
private
devotions
,
yet
wen●
he
every
morning
and
evening
with
his
familie
to
the
Church
;
and
by
his
example
,
exhortations
,
and
encouragements
drew
the
greater
part
of
his
parishioners
to
accompanie
him
dayly
in
the
publick
celebration
of
Divine
Service
.
As
for
worldly
matters
,
his
love
and
esteem
to
them
was
so
little
,
as
no
man
can
more
ambitiously
seek
,
then
he
did
earnestly
endeavour
the
resignation
of
an
Ecclesiasticall
dignitie
,
which
he
was
possessour
of
.
But
God
permitted
not
the
accomplishment
of
this
desire
,
having
ordained
him
his
instrument
for
reedifying
of
the
Church
belonging
thereunto
,
that
had
layen
ruinated
almost
twenty
yeares
.
The
reparation
whereof
,
having
been
uneffectually
attempted
by
publick
collections
,
was
in
the
end
by
his
own
and
some
few
others
private
free-will-offerings
succesfully
effected
.
With
the
remembrance
whereof
,
as
of
an
especiall
good
work
,
when
a
friend
went
about
to
comfort
him
on
his
death-bed
,
he
made
answer
,
It
is
a
good
work
,
●f
it
be
sprinkled
with
the
bloud
of
Christ
:
otherwise
●hen
in
this
respect
he
could
finde
nothing
to
glorie
or
●omfort
himself
with
,
neither
in
this
,
nor
in
any
other
●hing
.
And
these
are
but
a
few
of
many
that
might
be
said
,
which
we
have
chosen
to
premise
as
a
glance
to
some
parts
of
the
ensuing
book
,
and
for
an
example
to
the
Reader
.
We
conclude
all
with
his
own
Motto
,
with
which
he
used
to
conclude
all
things
that
might
seem
to
tend
any
way
to
his
own
honour
;
Lesse
then
the
least
of
Gods
mercies
.