Saint Stephens Last Will and Testament, Title page – Dedication
SAINT STEVENS LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT.
A FVNERALL SERMON ON ACTS 7. VER. 59.
Preached at the Enterrement of the Remaines of Mris JOICE FEATLY.
Together with the Teſtimonie then given unto her By THO. GATAKER, B. of D. and Rector of ROTHFRHITH.
LONDON, Printed by E. P. for Nicolas Bourne, and are to be ſold at his Shop at the South Entrance of the Royall Exchange. 1638.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFULL, His very kind and much honoured Friend, DANIEL FEATLY, Doctor in Divinitie.
WORTHY SIR,
YOur earneſt requeſt, to have a Tranſcript of this rude and raw Diſcourſe, ſodainely conceived, and ſorrily cemented, out of your affection to the partie, whom in ſpeciall manner it concerned, could not but prevaile with me, to recollect it, while it was yet freſh in memorie, and to commit that to writing, as well as I could call it againe to mind, whereof I had no more then ſome generall heads and briefe notes ſcribled in a looſe paper before: mine obligations to you, and your intereſt in me, of right affording you power to command from me a greater matter then that your requeſt amounted unto. And how *Quod eſt potentiſſimum imperandi genus; rogabat, qui jubere poterat, Auſon. Idyl. 13.powerfull requeſts are, backt with ſuch engagements, it is both commonly well knowne, and generally acknowledged. But ſince your requeſt therein ſatisfied, I have received it backe againe from you, with ſignification of the importunitie of divers friends, who out of that reſpect they bare to the partie deceaſed, while ſhe lived, and deſire of the continuance of the memorie of her with them, have beene no leſſe earneſt ſuiters unto you, to have Copies from you of the ſame. Which being a worke over-troubleſome, to make ſo many Tranſcripts, your ſecond requeſt was, that with my conſent it might be made more publike. To which purpoſe alſo, you had remitted it to me, that I might, if I were content to condeſcend thereunto, upon review of it, adde or alter in it what I ſhould thinke fit, ere it came out. Now howſoever it was never intended by me for the Preſle; nor indeed have I at preſent any deſire or purpoſe, to adde ought in this kind to thoſe things that I have publiſhed alreadie; nor did your former motion to me concerning it, extend it ſelfe any further, then to have it as a foreign, that is, as I underſtand it, a private Monument, to lye by you as a memoriall of her, whom not without good ground you ſo entirely affected; nor can I yet deeme it (being ſo indigeſted a Piece) ſuch as may be expoſed to ſo publike view, without ſome kind of cenſure: yet to give ſatisfaction to your ſelfe, whom I owe ſo much to, and thoſe friends of yours, that ſeeme ſo much to deſire it, I have layd a Law upon my ſelfe, ſetting all diſſwaſives aſide, to give way thereunto, if your mind ſhall continue ſtill bent that way. And upon occaſion hereof, I have indeed reviewed it, but altred nothing at all of moment, in the maine body of it; that thoſe who were preſent at the deliverie in the Pulpit, might not reade any other then what they then heard: OnelyOnly the quotations of Scripture, and ſuch ſhreds or parcels of exotike Language, as might be ſome rub to an Engliſh Reader, but had beene indifferent to your ſelfe, I have removed into the Margine, and ſet on a little more Lace there, to make the Piece ſomewhat ſutable to the reſt of my Works, that are in hands abroad alreadie. So onelyonly fourbiſhed, I returne it againe entire to you, as by free donation your owne formerly; *Sive tegenda habeas, ſive legenda putes, Auſon. ad Drepan.to be diſpoſed of by you, either for your owne private uſe, (which would beſt like me) or for the publike, as your ſelfe ſhall pleaſe. And thus with heartie wiſhes of all health and happineſſe to you, as well in your preſent condition, as in the alteration of it alſo, if any hereafter ſhall enſue, I take leave, and reſt
Yours ever much obliged, THO. GATAKER.