The Trial of a Christians Estate, Title page – To the reader
THE TRIAL OF A CHRISTIANS ESTATE: OR A DISCOVERIE OF THE CAVSES, degrees, ſignes and differences of the Apoſtaſie both of true Chriſtians and falſe: IN A SERMON PREACHED IN LONDON by Maſter PAVL BAYNE, and afterward ſent in writing by him to his friend W.F.
AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston, for Nathanael Newbery, and are to be ſold at his ſhop vnderunder S. Peters Church in Cornhill, and in Popes head Alley. 1618.
TO THE READER.
CHriſtian Reader, good Wine needeth no garland, it will praiſe it ſelfe: ſo (I perſwade my ſelfe) will this enſuing Sermon, which a learned, holy and faithfull ſeruant of God formerly viuâ voce in publique, ſounded in the eares of me and many, and afterwards, as a token of his Christian louelove to me, beſtowed vponupon me in writing, which being ſo fruitfull and neceſſarie a labour, in the iudgement of the godly and learned that hauehave ſeene it, and ſo ſpecially befitting theſe luke-warme and backſliding times, I thought I could not, without preiudice to thee, ſuffer it to lie by me for my priuate inſtruction and benefit alone, and therefore for thy good, the keeping in precious memorie the Preacher thereof, whom the Lord hath gathered into his barne, and for the glorie of God eſpecially, I hauehave conſented that it be made more publique and common, by comming vnderunder the preſſe. The Lord grant, that it may hauehave that ſucceſſe in mee and thee, which hee that gaue firſt life vntounto it in ſtudying, and brought it foorth by preaching, intended, and I in conſenting and cauſing to hauehave it printed, deſire: ſo ſhall the feeble, weake and doubting Chriſtian, be taken by the hand, ſtaied and comforted againſt the feares of totall backſliding, and we all ſhall be of the number of them which follow faith to the conſeruation of our ſoules: which the Lord for Ieſus Chriſt his ſake grant. Amen.
Thine in his beſt deſires, W. F.