The Mystery of Mankind, Title page – Epigraph
THE MYSTERIE OF MANKIND, Made into a Manual, OR THE PROTESTANTS Portuize, reduced into Explication Application, Inuocation, tending to Illumination, Sanctification, Deuotion, being the summe of seuen Sermons, Preached at S. Michaels in Cornehill, London. By William Loe, Doctor of Diuinity, Chaplaine to his sacred Maiesty, and Pastor Elect, and allowed by autho…ity of Superiours of the English Church at Hamborough in Saxonie.
1 Cor. 3. 23. All are yours, and yee Christs, & Christ God.
LONDON, Printed by Bernard Alsop for George Fayerbeard, and are to be sold at his shoppe at the North side of the Exchange. 1619.
TO THE MOST CATHOLIKE and most Christian Monarch, IAMES, by Gods especiall appointment of great B…ittaine, France & Ireland▪ King, Defendor of the faith.
DRead Soueraigne. The blessed cō pany of holy ones, that houshould of faith, that Spouse of Christ, and Church of the liuing God (which is the pillar and ground of all truth) is so grieuously gastered, and so continually infested with hellish Athisme, misled Papisme, and misperswaded Separa…isme, especially in these last & worst ages of the world, that had not God of his exuberant mercies, set vp your Highnesse among vsus, for a blessing, as another Ioshua to succeede Moses, and as another Solomon, to sit vponupon the throne of Dauid, to the supportatiō of the Church of England. It is verily beleeued of many wise, and iuditious, that the doctrinall principles of Christian Religion, had not onelyonly beene sore-shaken within your Maiesties Realmes (as they are to the hearts-griefe of many thousands among your bordering neighbours) but also a most wofull and lamentable distraction,Witnesse the Remonstrants monstrous opinions in West-Freezeland▪ and open diuision, would before this time hauehave broken forth to to the vtter ruine, and razing of the verie foundations of the blessed peace, and established discipline of the church, within these your Maiesties Territories.
But magnified for euer be our God, who hath remembred vsus in mercy, and hath directed your Maiesties royall and enlarged heart, not onelyonly to take care of things, Quae sunt ante pedes: but also, amidst other your Highnes many and manifold cares of your most Christian gouernment, longe prospicere, as to hauehave an eye what manner of growth your Seminaries of Marchants hauehave beyond the Seas, at Hamborough, Middleborough, and other places; for asmuch as they are the men in all likelyhoode, who are to bee of your Maiesties great Chamber, the Citie of London, and to sit neere about the Sterne in future ages.
Therefore (most dread Sou…raigne) It beeing almost a whole year sithence I was by the worthy and auncient Companie of Merchant-Aduenturers elected and by the most reuerend Archbishoppe of Canterbury allowed to be Pastor of the English Church at Hamborough. I thought it my bounden duty before I departed, and in some part of recompence for my long stay to leaue behinde mee a token of that seruice, o…seruance, duty, louelove, and alleagia…ce, which I owe vntounto your Maiestie, and vntounto the Church of England, wheresoeuer the Lord di… pose…h of me.
The doctrine and discipline of which Church, I shall endeauour to maintaine (pro modulo meo) euen to my last breath, & think my selfe an happy m…n, to bee the sonne of so famous and Christian a Catholike Church. Some of the compilers of whose deuout Letu…gie hauehave shed their bloud for the testimony of the Lord Iesus, which bloud I hauehave alwayes thought to bee the best bloud in the world.Bonus sanguis non mentitur. A measure of which modell of mine, I here humbly prostrate at your Highnes feet, heartily beseeching Almighiy God to preserue your Highnesse, and your most royal seede, to be glorious instruments of his Church, & to crown your Maiesty, and your Princely Progenie with his sauing mercies in Christ Iesus.
Your Maiesties most humble s…ruant. and Subiect, WILL: LOE.
1 TIM. 3. 16.
Without controuersie, Great is the mysterie of Godlinesse, God manifested in the flesh, Iustified in the Spirit, S…ene of Angels, Preached vntounto the Gentiles, Beleeued on in the world, and receyued vp in glory.