Works, Preface – Publishers notice
THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
THe lips of the righteous feede many. The true diet of theProu. 10. 21. soule is an Art most rare, a very diuine facultie: It must be graunted that the liuely voice of the Prophets feedeth most effectually, searching euen the secret chambers of the soule, and working greatest impressions in the heart. The holy bookes and monuments of the righteous are as strong chests and storehouses; wherein God hath euer reserued most pretious food for posteritie: neither may wee reiect the industrie of the heathen: for they hauehave some foode meete for liberall men in matters naturall and politike, seruing well (if due regard and choise be had) for our direction in things appertaining to this present life. All wise men are circumspect what they feede vponupon, to preserue their bodies; and ought they not much more to be respectiue wherewith they feede their soules? Some regard onelyonly the lips of the righteous, and feed long before they be strong men, or hauehave their wits exercised to discerne good or euill. Some attend onelyonly the hand and bookes of the righteous, and these know little how soundly and truely the beleeuers mindes and hearts be fed by the breaking of the bread of life. Some regard neither: these men starue their soules with ignorance, and are setled in Atheisme and prophanenes. Some attend both, and hauehave well tasted of the good word of life, and goe on from strength to strength,Ephes. 4. 13. vntounto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ. Some yet there are which neither regard righteous men, nor righteous matter, but feede *Intemperantiae genus est. Seneca lib. 13. epist. 89. Non discentes necessaria, quia superuacua didicerunt. Seneca.indifferently vponupon all bookes alike, to the great hazard of their owne soules: these men are vaine, and feede themselues with vanitie. The diuell in elder ages, in the blinde Papacie, fed blind soules with fables, and idle Friers inuentions: now mens wits be refined, they can no more feede on such dry stubble. Hee feedes daintie eares with choise of words, and vncleane hearts with the vnchaste and wanton louelove-songs of Italian Poetrie. Such foode breedes many vncleane beasts in Citie and Country. Such men cannot louelove the truth and holinesse, because they are repleate with errour and vncleannesse.
Mr. Ascham, a man greatly to be commended for his learning and good affectionIn his Schoolmaster. to pietie, of this matter writes on this manner. These inchanters of Circes (saith hee) brought out of Italie, marre mens manners in England, much by example of life, but more by precepts of fond bookes, translated out of Italian into English. Againe, tenne Sermons at Paules Crosse doe not so much good for mouing men to true doctrine, as one of those bookes doth harme with inticing to ill liuing. I say further, these bookes tend not so much to corrupt honest liuing, as they doe to subuert true Religon: More Papists be made by your merrie bookes of Italie, than by your earnest bookes of Louaine. This complaint ought wise men to consider well of, for that the world was neuer more full of Italian conceits, nor men more in danger for the long contempt of Gods truth to be Italianated. The diet and cure of soules afflicted is a very great mysterie, wherein but few hauehave trauelled to reduce that matter into any good forme of art, or to giuegive vsus any good method of practise. M. Luther, M. Beza, Vrbanus Rhegius, M. Taffin, and others, hauehave very excellent formes of consolation; and many godly brethren in our times hauehave ministred good helpe for the cure of soules afflicted: but wanting art and good experience, we conceiue the danger to be great, and often (as blind Empyrikes) cause it to be greater; for that wee rather gesse vncertainlie to applie good remedies, and speeches vntounto the sicke, than know how to proceed by any certaine rule of art, and well grounded practise. If the naturall Physition might truly say, as touching his facultie, *foreign. Hip. lib. 1▪ Aphor. 1.Vita breuis, &c. much more assuredly may the spirituall Physition prefixe such an Aphorisme to all this mysterie wee hauehave in hand. For herein the godly learned know it a matter farre more difficult to iudge what secret causes breede the hidden distemper of the soule: and here it is farre more dangerous to proceede onelyonly by experience, without art and skill. And here we must as carefully respect all occasions and circumstances of time, place and persons: For a word spoken in due time, is like an apple of gold with pictures of siluer: so the contrarie, vnseasonable and impertinentPro. 25 11. speeches be most dangerous.
The patient here must doe his part, prout fides patientis adiuuat: and the assistantsCypr tract 4. de Idolor▪ va…it. must be of like tender affection, and good meanes must imforme, and time conuenient rightly be applied. *Magnum esse solem Philosophus probabit, quantus sit Mathematicus, qui vsu quodam, & exercitatione procedit: sed vt procedat, impetranda illi quaedam princifia sunt. Sen lib. 13 Epist. 89.It fares here with vsus as with other men in humane sciences, wee know the afflictions of the minde to be very great and dangerous, but how great and perilous, all men cannot so well conceiue, much lesse how with art and skill to proceede in the practise of this cure.
This reuerend man of God, M. GREENHAM, was a man in his life time of great hope, and could hauehave giuen best rules for this vnknowne facultie: for that the Lord by his good knowledge and experience, restored many from vnspeakable torments, and terrors of minde; of which some are asleepe in Christ, and as yet liuing not a few. If the Lord had not so soone translated him to rest, hee was no doubt as fit, and as willing as any in our age to effect this matter. Of his knowledge this way, all the godly learned that knew him, both can and will speake, I doubt not. Of his good will herein to posteritie, let his owne words testifie the good desires of his heart: for by a speciall occasion he speaketh of himselfe on this manner. He hath had a long time a setled disposition (as he trusteth) of God, to studie the cases of Conscience, to succour the perplexed in them: heIn his Apologie. hath been so filled with compassion to the afflicted (which God wrought in his heart) as if he had been distressed with them: He hath seene the manifold blessings of God vponupon his trauell. Againe, that many godly learned friends would perswade him to the aforesaid studie, by these and such like arguments. First, that hereby hee might traine vp some younger men to this end, and communicateIn the same Booke. his experience with them. Secondly, that he might leaue vntounto posteritie a commentarie of such particular maladies, as through Gods blessing hee hath cured, together with the meanes vsed to that end: and because precepts are wanting, rules of direction in such cases (by a through searching, with a diligent and continuall obseruation and conference with others learned and experienced) might in this age, or in the age following, be brought to some forme of method and Art, whereby the knowledge and experience of these things might be made common to many, not onelyonly to the fruitfull curing, but also the healthfull preuenting of manifold mischiefes. Thus farre his owne words.
Let these graue Counsels and fruitfull obseruations in this first part of his holie workes (which I hauehave here published) testifie how mindfull and carefull he was for many yeeres, to giuegive herein a comfortable direction for posteritie.
I am the meanest and the weakest of many brethren to write of this reuerend mans life, and labours in the Church of God: yet had I rather be noted of some for want of skill, than of any for want of louelove and affection to so louing a father. I hauehave knowne his life for many yeeres, and reioyce in heart to hauehave knowne it, for that most rare graces of Gods spirit did shine in him, all tempered as with faith vnfained vntounto Christ, so with bowels of compassion and louelove towards men. In his holy Ministerie, hee was euer carefull to auoide all occasions of offence, desiring in all things to approoue himselfe as the Minister of Christ; he much reicoyced and praised God for the happie gouernment of our most gratious Queene ELIZABETH, and for this blessed calme and peace of Gods Church, and people vnderunder it; and spake often of it both publikely and priuatly, as he was occasioned, and stirred vp the hearts of all men what he could to pray, and to praise God with him for it continually: yea, this matter so affected him, that the day before his departure out of this life, his thoughts were much troubled, for that men were so vnthankfull for that strange and happie deliuerance of our most gratious Queene, from the dangerous conspiracies and practises of that time. He was the speciall instrument and hand of God to bring many, bothD. Lopes. godly and learned, to the holy seruice of Christ, in his Ministerie, and to restraine, and to reduce not a few from schisme and error, striuing alwaies to retaine such in obedience of lawes, and pretiouslie to esteeme and regard the peace of the Church and people of God.
When God had translated this Elias from vsus, then I sought to finde him in his workes: for they doe liuely expresse the picture of his minde and heart, and taste sweetly of that pure fountaine of God, from whence they were deriued.Noct…s Attic… Gellius & Phauorinus. While he liued, his lips often refreshed my soule: when he was gone, I lamented much that I had not in Christianitie made that vse of him; that a Heathen doth of a naturall wise man in humanitie. But now I praise God I hauehave found some good supplie of that which (through mine owne negl…gence) I wanted: for of his workes (which were then dispersed farre and neere, but now by Gods prouidence the greatest and best part are come into my hands) I can say for my content as much as Cyprian could say of his graue, ancient and learned Tertullian, Da mihi M… strum.both for speciall instruction and consolation.
He was no sooner gone from vsus, but some respecting gaine, and not regarding godlinesse, attempted forthwith to publish some fragments of his workes, to the griefe (that I say no more) of many louing friends, which hauehave long desired and expected the impression of all his workes. And here could I wish all the godly learned were of *In his Epistle before his notes on the Reuelation.M. Francis Iunius iudgement, for hee (to escape these hucksters handling) endeuours wisely in his life time to preuent such a mischiefe. For this cause M. D. Crooke, (a reuerend man for his learning and labour in the Church, well deseruing of Gods people) for the great louelove hee bare him, and desiring the good of many, pervsed and corrected some part of these workes, intending to reuiew the whole. Now the Lord hath taken him also from vsus, and giuen him rest; I hauehave endeuoured what I could to looke ouer the rest of all these workes; and here I offer and recommend them to the Church of God, in the best manner that I can, after some labour and wearines. I wanted not the helpe of diuers both godly and learned friends, we hauehave conferred sundrie copies together, and by good conference reuised and corrected all.
The Treatise of Counsels I found most distracted and corrupted. Of many hundreds I selected these few, and hauehave reduced them into this alphabeticall order, desiring so to dispose them, as that eueryevery counsell might be set vnderunder one speciall head or argument, whereunto it seemed to hauehave most reference. As for example, all of affections I couched vnderunder that title AFFECTIONS, and all of afflictions, vnderunder that title, and so of the rest. Of these Counsels I may anouch (Christian Reader) that thou shalt finde more experienced knowledge, and more sound refreshing for thy soule in some one of them, than in some one whole Sermon, full of humane eloquence, and affectation of stile, which so many nice eares doe so much admire, and yet still be learning and come but to a poore and meane taste and knowledge of the truth.
When this volume was finished and past the presse, in reuiewing the whole, for the correction of some verball faults: I see and must confesse wee hauehave offended by our negligence, not onelyonly in the words, but also in the matter: yet so as I trust the louing and Christian readers, will accept our endeuour without offence. In the Counsels ye hauehave often this addition, he thought this, or he said that: here I must request thee (Christian reader) not to iudge any such speeches to proceed from any pride or singularitie: for that such obseruations (as I suppose) were collected and taken by *M. Hopkins.others, and not set downe by himselfe. If his own hand had giuen these workes the last filing, they might hauehave (no doubt) a farre more excellent forme and beautie. But such were his trauels in his life time in preaching and comforting the afflicted, that he could not possiblie leaue these workes as he desired. In that one treatise of the Sabbath I found his owne hand, with many *He knew right well the Poets wittie counsell: Vos ò Pompilius sanguis carmen reprehendite, quod …n multa dies & multa litura coercuit, atque perfectum decies non castigauit ad vnguem.corrections, and yet not answering (I am well assured) his hearts desire.
There are foure yeeres past since I first purposed the collection and publishing of all these works. Now thou hast (good reader an impression of all (which hitherto I hauehave collected) in this forme thou seest, that so by Gods good prouidence they may the better be reserued as a holy monument for posteritie. Concerning which, be aduertised againe (good Christian) that whereas some books serue well for the increase of knowledge in diuine mysteries, in the causes and meanes of saluation, yet thou must remember not to rest herein: for many be rich in knowledge which be very poore, and barren in obedience, contented onelyonly to looke on the end a farre off, and thinking that when like Snailes they creepe in the way, they be too forward, and make too much haste to follow Christ. And againe, whereas others labour much and to good purpose in books of controuersies against all the professed enemies of the Gospell: this studie also hath not the like fruit in all sorts of people, for howsoeuer some profit much this way the Church of God, in the confutation of all the aduersaries of the Gospell: yet in very many, these bookes helpe little to godlines, but rather fill the heads and hearts of men with a spirit of contradiction and contention, as our common experience daily teacheth vsus. This good seruant of Christ in all these workes, doth not onelyonly teach and informe the mind in sundry arguments handled in this volume, concerning truth and error, that so in iudgement wee might receiue the one and reiect the other: but most principally respecteth in the whole, to edifie the heart and conscience, being well assured, that this part hath most neede in most Christians of direction and consolation: and as we be in this part affected, so be we in substance and veritie before God. For this cause hee desireth and laboureth most in all these workes, to stirre vp the heart, and to quicken the affections to embrace true godlines, that so being freed from sin by the blood of Christ, & made the seruants of God, we might hauehave our fruit in holines, Heb. 9. 14. Rom. 6. 22.and in the end eternall life. In this Impression I hauehave carefully reuised and corrected in the whole worke, all the faults, which either by mine owne priuate reading, or by the helpe of other louing friends, I could obserue in word or matter. Here I rest for a time, requesting thy prayers (good Christian Reader) that now all these holy workes thus knit together, may serue to Gods glorie, and to the further building of the Church of God in our Land.
Thine in the Lord Iesus HENRY HOLLAND.
CHristian Reader, thou hast here all Maister GREENHAMS workes, as they hauehave beene heretofore gathered and published by the industrie of that worthy and painefull Preacher, Maister Henry Holland. In this edition thus much is performed, viz. the 119. Psalme perfected, a praier of Maister GREENHAMS in the end of his workes added, and the whole Booke reduced into a more methodicall order, which would hauehave beene d…e by Maister Holland if he had longer liued: all which hath now beene thought fit to be published in this manner, as may appeare in the contents following.