The Dignity of Preaching, Title page – Dedication
THE DIGNITIE OF PREACHING: IN A Sermon vponupon 1. Theſſal. 5.20.
By SAM. HIERON.
ROM. 10.15.
How beautifull are the feete of them which bring glad tydings of peace?
BY PEACE PLENTY. BY WISDOME. PEACE
AT LONDON Printed by FELIX KYNGSTON for VVilliam Welby, and are to be ſold at his ſhop at the ſigne of the Swanne in Pauls Churchyard. 1615.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL KNIGHTS, SIR FARDINANDO GORGES, Commander of his Maieſties Fort at Plimmouth, Sir WILLIAM STRODE of Newingham, Sir WARVVICK HELE of Wenbury, Sir CHRISTOPHER HARYS of Radford, and to the Worſh. GEORGE CHVDLEIGH of Strachleigh Eſquier.
RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL, Let it not (I beſeech you) be thought preſumption in me, to preſent that now to your view by Penne, which not long ſince, I commended to your eares by Voyce. I am, among many others, thankefull to God, who hath put it into your hearts, both to commiſerate, and to helpe, the ſpirituall neceſſitie of an vntaught Towne, by procuring the eſtabliſhment of a weekely Lecture in it. I hope, the Lord ſhall remember you in goodneſſe,Nehem. 5.15. according to that which herein you hauehave cared to doe for that people. And I doubt not but the ſoules which ſhall reape comfort by the ordinance of God, there, will bleſſe you, and God for you, acknowledging you his Inſtruments for their beſt Good. It is fallen to my lot, by your chuſing, to be one in this Preaching-courſe: when my firſt turne came, I thought it fitting, to hanſell (as it were) the Buſineſſe, by treating vponupon the worth and neceſſitie of that ſeruice, which the reſt of my Brethren and my ſelfe, were there called to diſcharge; that both they which wanted it, might vnderſtand their Hazard, and they which enioyed it might know their Happines, if they might be ſo happie as to embrace it. This thing thus laboured in by me, (according to my meaſure) though it was gladly entertained by the moſt, yet by ſome it was not ſo wholly approued of, but thought in ſome particulars, to ſmell too much of ſelfe-opinion. This hath moued me (contrarie to my firſt thoughts) to aduenture it by printing, vponupon the Common Cenſure. I hauehave deliuered nothing in it, but that which I hauehave learned, partly in the Vniuerſitie, partly ſince by my poore ſtudies in the Country, and that from the chiefeſt for learning, Place, and Paines, in this our Engliſh Church; whereof I reioyce to be a ſonne, and wherein, it ſhall be my glorie and my crowne in the day of Chriſt to hauehave been employed as a Miniſter. Now, I am bold, to ſhroud it vnderunder your patronage, in as much as your calling me to a Turne in this Lecture, was the occaſion of its first Being, and you all likewiſe gaue countenance to it by your Preſence, (according as you hauehave reſpectiuely done the like to vsus al, and I truſt will doe ſtill) when it was deliuered. If you ſhall pleaſe to accept it as a fruit of my due reſpect to each of you in your places, it is all the recompence I looke for: In confident exſpectation whereof, I binde my ſelfe vnderunder my hand, to be
Euer at your Worſhips ſeruice in the Lord, SAM. HIERON. From VVodbury. 1615.