Epitome of Mans Misery and Delivery, Title page – Dedication
AN EPITOMIE OF MANS MISERY AND DELIVERIE.
IN A SERMON PREACHED ON the third of the Romans, Verſ. 23. and 24. by Mr. PAVL BAYNE.
Hoſea 13.9.
O Iſrael, one hath deſtroyed thee; but in me is thine helpe.
Iſaiah 53.6.
All we like ſheepe hauehave gone aſtray: wee hauehave turned eueryevery one to his owne way, and the Lord hath laid vponupon him the iniquity of vsus all.
LONDON, Printed by Felix Kyngston for Nathaniel Newbery, and are to be ſold at the Signe of the Starre, vnderunder Saint Peters Church in Cornehill, and in Popes-head Alley. 1619.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR HENRY BAKER, KNIGHT BARronet, health, honour, and happineſſe, from, and in the Lord.
RIght Worſhipfull, although it bee a complaint (perhaps) not cauſeleſſe, of too many bookes penned and printed in theſe dayes; yet there is, and euer will bee neede of new bookes, chiefly ſuch as ſauour of the wholeſome doctrine of Ieſus Chriſt, and ſet forward that knowledge of the truth which is according vntounto godlineſſe. Nay ſurely, it is no leſſe worke of Gods prouidence, to ſet open the fountaine of heauenly truth, and to maintaine it in a perpetuall current, by the preaching and writing of his faithfull ſeruants; then that the waters of greater riuers, and leſſer ſprings, doe runne with a continuall ſtreame. For what theſe are to the earth to water it, that it may bee fertile for mens behoofe, and ſerue their bodily wants; the ſame are thoſe to Gods Church to make it fruitfull vntounto the Lord, and relieue the ſpirituall want of mens ſoules. Beſides, whereas the muddy and poyſonous waters of falſe and hereticall doctrine, of vngodly and filthy language (like thataReuel. 16.3. noyſome bloudy ſea in which no ſoule could liue and breath the life of God, doth daily bubble, or rather puddle forth with proud and ſwelling ſtreames, through the tongues and pens of the diuels ſcribes, or ſcriblers rather: Is it not a ſingular bleſsing, that thebMiraris ſi nō dum ſapientia omne opus ſuùm impleuit? Nondum tota ſe nequitia protulit. Senec. nat. quaeſt. lib. 3. c. 32. fountaine of truth doth hold its courſe alſo, from whence iſſue the wholeſome waters of life, to correct the poyſon of the diuels puddle, and preſerue Gods people from the deadly contagion of it? Which wholly to damme vp, or in part to reſtraine, were as great a deſpite vntounto Gods people, as was done vntounto Iſaac by the Philiſtims, incGen. 26.15. ſtopping vp all the welles which Abraham had digged open. What though in new bookes we bring to light (ſpecially in poynts of religion) no new matter? who (I pray) doth cauill at it in liuing fountaines, that they run ſtill the ſame waters in colour, kind, and taſt? we doe rather like them ſo much the better, counting it a ſpeciall benefit, that by their perpetuall courſe, as wee hauehave the ſame waters for kind: ſo we receiue them euer freſh, whereby they are the more pleaſant for taſt, and the more wholeſome for our vſe. So it is a commendation rather than any imperfections in our new writings, that they propound ſtill the ſame ancient doctrine touching faith, & good manners, but haply in ſome new forme and method, wherby they giuegive a freſher and more pleaſant reliſh to theſe wholeſome waters, and ſo quicken mens dull and diuers appetites to the better liking of them, and allure them the more liberally to drinke thereof. I may therefore (I truſt, to good purpoſe) adde alſo this Sermon of that godly and faithfull Preacher Maſter Paul Bayne, vntounto ſome other books of his, ſet forth by my ſelfe and others, and open (as it were) one little fountaine more, for thirſty ſoules to draw and drinke of. Come to it and taſt who will, I aſſure him that hee ſhall prooue the waters thereof to be good, ſweet, and wholeſome. Among water wondersdThe French Comment on Bartas, in the third day of his firſt week, out of Mela. writers report of two ſprings, not farre diſtant one from the other in one of the fortunat Ilands; the one whereof doth yeeld deadly waters, and the other very wholeſome: who ſo drinketh of the firſt, is anone taken and torne with moſt painfull conuulſions, euen vntounto death; againſt which, the onelyonly ſure and preſent remedy is to drinke of the other fountaine there at hand. This fountaine (which here is opened) riſeth out of Paradiſe (I meane the Scriptures) with one head, but in the courſe thereof it is parted into two ſtreames. The firſt giuing vsus the taſt of our ſinfull and damnable ſtate by nature, is very bitter, and in it ſelfe mortall: but the ſecond, refreſhing vsus with the knowledge of our redemption by Chriſt, is as the water of life, and wine of Gods louelove, moſt cordiall and comfortable. If any deſire to be made whole and ſound in ſoule, he muſt drinke deepe of both. The doctrine of our wretchedneſſe (like vntounto theeNumb. 15.18. bitter and curſed water in the Law) must ſearch how ſound we be within, or rather make vsus feele the ſicke and rotten ſtate of our ſoule. And then the doctrine of our ſaluation by Chriſt, like thefIoh. 5.4. waters of Betheſda, must reſtore vsus, curing vsus of our inward rottenneſſe and outward ſores, whereof wee are deadly ſicke.gIs corde ſolus arido Chriſtum ſitit; Sentit miſeriam corde qui fracto ſuam. We ſhall neuer thirſt heartily, nor reliſh fully the ſweet waters of life in Ieſus Chriſt, vntill we hauehave drunk deepe of the ſalt and bitter waters of our owne miſery. Nor will they heale or worke vponupon our ſoules to health, vntill theſe make our vnſound and rotten hearts ſmart euen to death. This fountaine (I grant) is not deepe, and likehIſa. 8.6. Shiloah, doth runne but ſoftly. For it ſerueth rather for Gods Lambes to wade in, than Elephants to ſwimme in: and it aimeth more to bring men to a feeling of their miſery in themſelues, and true reioycing in their ſaluation by Chriſt, than to exerciſe their heads with curious contemplation of ſchoole-poynts. What it is (as it is no degenerate of-ſpring of a good man and worthy diuine, not wholly vnknowne vntounto you, and ſometime entertained by you) I offer it (moſt worthy Sir) vntounto your worſhips hands. Entertaine it (I pray you) according to your wonted and natiue courteſie, a vertue (in the eyes of all) eminent in you, and which (in a ſpeciall degree) is appropriate vntounto your ſelfe: and deriue ſome part of that louelove and kind reſpect to this orphane Sermon, which ſometime you did ſhew vntounto the author of it in his life.
For my part, I hauehave ſent it abroad with your Worſhips name wreathed, ſo to ſpeake, on the fore-front thereof; that whereſoeuer it doth paſſe, it may report your ſingular kindneſſe and good will many waies extended, and yet continued toward me, and ſtand vp as a witneſſe of my thankfull remembrance and acknowledgement of the ſame. An office which (I hope) will not be vngratefull vntounto you: who although you are farre fromiThemiſtocles vt Cicero in orat: pro Archia. his mind which counted that voice the ſweeteſt muſicke which did moſt loudly chaunt his vertues, yet may (without impeachment of your modeſty) heare this imperfect Eccho of them, from my ruder tongue, rather ſtammering thankes from an honeſt heart, than glozing with you by a lauiſh blazing of of your praiſe.
But not to hold you longer from the Sermon it ſelfe, by my courſer manner of diſcourſing, proceed (Good Sir) to louelove and countenance learning and vertue; mor ſpecially, foſter piety and religion, hang out from your houſe (as from an high watch-tower) a banner thereof for example and encouragement to all that feare God. Eſteeme vertue the noblest armes of Gentry: as not amiſſe the HeathenkIuuenal. Satyr. 8. Poet,
Nobilitas ſola eſt atque vnica virtus.
Vertue is onelyonly
True Nobility.
And religion the honour and crowne of Nobility, as better thelPrudent. foreign, in Romano martyre. Chriſtian Poet,
Generoſa Chriſti ſecta nobilitat viros:
Cui quiſque ſeruit, ille vere eſt nobilis:
Illi rebellis inuenitur degener.
The generous faith of Chriſts profeſſion,
Doth men ennoble with the beſt renowne:
Who him doth ſerue comes of the nobleſt blood,
Who him reiects, much baſer is than mud.
And in all this take in good part my well meaning heart, who for this, or whatſoeuer ſeruice I can doe, hauehave the full price of my labour to be reputed,
Your Worſhips moſt reſpectiue in the Lord, I. E.