Josephs Party-Colored Coat, Title page – Dedication
IOSEPH'S PARTIE-COLORED COAT, CONTAINING, A COMMENT ON Part of the 11. Chapter of the 1. Epistle of S. Paul to the CORINTHIANS▪
Together with severall Sermons: namely,
1 Growth in Grace.
2 How farre Examples may be followed.
3 An ill Match well broken off.
4 Good from bad Friends.
5 A Glasse for Gluttons.
6 How farre Grace may be Entayled.
7 A Christning Sermon.
8 Faction confuted.
By T. F.
IOHN 6.12.
Gather up the Fragments that remaine, that nothing be lost.
LONDON, Printed by Iohn Dawson, for Iohn Williams, and are to be sold at his shop, at the Signe of the Crane, in Pauls Church yard. 1640.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL, the Lady IANE COVERT, of Peper Harrow in Surry.
MADAM,
CVstome hath made it not only pardonable, but necessary to flatter in Dedicatory Epistles, Epitaphs, and Dedications, are credited alike.
But I will not follow the streame herein: First, because I account it beneath my calling, to speake any thing above the truth. Secondly, because of you it is needlesse: Let deformed Faces be beholding to the Painter, Art hath nothing to doe, where Nature hath prevented it.
Wherefore I will turne my praysing of you, into prayer for you, desiring God to strengthen and increase all goodnesse in you, and give you perseverance (that golden Claspe) which joynes Grace and Glory together.
Thus desiring to shroud my weake labours, under your favourable Patronage. I rest
Your Ladiships in all service, Thomas Fuller.
A COMMENT on 1 COR. 11.18. &c. For first of all when you come together in the Church, I heare there be divisions among you, and I partly beleeve it.
THE Apostle calleth the Corinthians to an account, and readeth his black Bill unto them. It containeth severall Items, which you may reade in the following chapters; but the Imprimis is in the Text. For first of all &c.
When you come together in the Church, &c.
Even in the non-age and infancy of Christianity,Observ. there were Churches appointed for Gods holy service. True some take Church here, pro caetu fidelium; yet Theophylact, and all Greeke Writers generally expound it, the materiall place of meeting.
Two things then were chiefly aymed at in Churches.
1. Receipt, that the place were capable to containe the people.
2. Privacie.
Being then under persecution they built not their Churches to be seene, but not to be seen, and then were as plaine in their houses, as in their dealing. Beauty and Magnificense were of later date in Christian Temples, when Religion grew acquainted with peace and prosperity; and good reason Gods house now should bee decently garnished: Some shunning whorish gaudinesse, leave the Church to sluttish nastinesse. The Font (our Iordan) having more mud than water in it: the Communion-table unseemingly kept.
Caution.Withall let us take heed lest as it hath been observed in England, that great House-building hath beene the bane of good Hous-keeping. So let us take heed lest piety in us bee so much the worse, by how much our Churches are better then they were in the time of Saint Paul: What a shame would it be, if there should be more light in the Church windows than in our understanding: more pious sentences written in their wals than in our hearts, more uniformity in the building, than in our behaviours.