The Devils Banket Described, To the reader
Ad vel in Lectorem.
REligious Reader, (for I thinke, few of the profane rabble read any Sermons) let me intreat thee for this, that (cum lectoris nomen feras, ne lictoris officium geras) thou wouldst accept it, not except against it; and being but a Reader, not vsurpe the office of a Censurer. The maine intents of all Preachers, and the contents of all Sermons, ayme to beat downe sinne, and to conuert sinners. Which the most absolute and vn-…rring Scriptures hauehave shadowed vnderunder diuers metaphores; comparing them to beasts, to blots, to sicknesses, to sterrillities, to pollutions, to leauenings, to whoredomes, to Deuils In all which (and many other such figuratiue speeches) I thin…e it lawfull, nay necessary for vsus, Gods Ministers, to explane the Metaphore; and (still within bounds of the simillitude) to shew the fit accordance and respondencie of the thing meant, to the thing mentioned. Indeede, to stretch the Text against the owne wil…, is to martir it: and to make eueryevery metaphore runne vponupon foure fe…t, is often violabile sacris. B…t so long as we keepe the Analogie of faith, and the sen…e of the present Theame, it is a fault, to finde fault with vsus. Indeed Rhe…oricall flourishes without solid matter, is like an Egiptian bond-woman in a Queenes robes; or the Courtiers Chamber, which is often a rotten roome, curiously hanged. Gods word is full of darke speec…es, darke not in themselues, but to our thicke-sighted vnderstandings: therefore his propositions, require expositions. Not that we should turne plaine Morals into Allegories, but Allegories into plaine Morals. The former was Origens fault, of whom it is said, (I speake not to vncouer that Fathers nakednesse; but to shew that all men may erre, and therefore truth of louelove must not preiudice louelove of truth) that wherein hee should not allegorize, he did; and wherein he should hauehave allegoriz'd, to his woe, he did not. I hauehave presumed, not without warrant of the best Expositors, to manifest the manifold temptations of Satan, vnderunder the Harlots inueigling her Customers. 1. As Wisedome ver. 3. sends forth her Maydens, her Ministers, to inuite guests to her Feast of Grace. So Vice sends forth her temptations; nay, she sits at the dore her selfe, ver. 14. and courts the passengers. 2. If Wisdome call the Ignorant. ver. 4. Who so is simple, let him turne in hither, as for him that wanteth vnderstanding, she saith, &c. Vice, which is the true Folly, is her Zani, and takes the words out of her mouth. ver. 16. Who so is simple, let him turne in hither, and as for, &c. 3. If Wisedome promiseth Bread and Wine, ver. 5. Come eate of my bread, and drinke of the wine, which I hauehave mingled. Sinne will promise no lesse to her guests. ver. 17. Stollen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. Here is then a plaine opposition of Grace and Sinne, Wisedome and Folly, Chastitie and vncleanenesse, Christ and the Deuill. Hee is mistaken then, that shall iudge mee mistaken in this Allegorie. I stand not so much on the sound, as the sense; not so much on the literall, as spirituall meaning. In the former I hauehave instanced, insisted on the latter. It should be tedious, to giuegive account for eueryevery circumstance. The learned and good man will iudge faucurably. To the rest. Si quid tu recti…s istis Pro…ir us imperti, si non, his vtere mecum. I passe by …he triutall obiections against Sermons in print: as the deadnesse of the letter, the multitude of Bookes p…essing to the P…esse, &c. As if the eye could giuegive no help to the soule: as if the queasie stomach could not forbeare surfetting: as if some mens sullennesse, and crying push at Sermons, should be preiudiciall to ot…ers benefit: as if the Prophets had not added line to line, as well as precept vponupon precept. I heare of some …dle Drones, humming out their dry derisions, that wee will be men in print, slighting the matter for the Authors sake. But because their inuectiues are as impotent, as themselues are impudent, I will answere no further, then haec culpas, sed tu non meliora facis. Or to borrow the words of the Epigrammatist.
Cum tua non edas, carpis mea carmina Leli:
Carpere vel noli nost…a, v…l ed…tua.
Sloth sits and censures, what th'industrious teach.
Foxes dispraise the Grapes, they cannot reach.
One caueat, good Reader, and then God speed thee. Let me intr… t…ee, not to giuegive my Booke the chopping censure. A word old enough, yet would hauehave a Comment. Do not open it at a ventures, & by reading the broken pieces of two or three lines, iudge it. But read it through, and then I beg no pardon, if thou …islikest it. Farewell.
Thine THO. ADAMS.