The Grounds of Divinity, Title page – To the reader
THE GROVNDS Of Diuinitie, Plainely diſcouering the Myſteries of Chriſtian Religion, propounded familiarly in diuers Queſtions and Anſweres: Subſtantially proued by Scriptures; Expounded faithfully, according to the Writings of the beſt Divines, and euidently applyed by profitable Vſes, for the helpe and benefite of the Vnlearned which deſire Knowledge.
To the which is prefixed a very profitable Treatiſe, containing an Exhortation to the Study of the Word, with ſingular directions for the Hearing and Reading of the ſame.
By ELNATHAN PARR Miniſter of the Word, at Palgraue in Suffolke.
PROV. 3.13.14.
Bleſſed is the man that findeth wiſedome, and the man that getteth vnderſtanding.
For the Marchandiſe thereof is better then the Marchandiſe of Siluer, and the gaine thereof is better then gold.
LONDON, Printed by N. O. for SAMVEL MAN, and are to be ſold at his Shop, in Pauls Church-yard, at the ſigne of the Ball. 1614.
TO THE VERTVOVS, RELIGIOVS, AND MOST WORTHY LADY, the Lady IANE CORNEVVALLEYS, Widdow: Grace and Peace from God the Father, through our Lord Ieſus Christ.
MADAME,
I Preſent vntounto you theſe my weake and homely labours, being the firſt fruits of my paines in this kinde, humbly deſiring that your Ladiſhip wold vouchſafe to patronize them. That which hath emboldened me to dedicate them to your worthy Name, is Partly A minde willing in the beſt meaſure I can, to teſtifie my thankefulneſſe for your many vndeſerued fauours, whereby I confeſſe you may iuſtly challenge more then my Mediocrity can euer performe: Partly, your louelove vnfeigned, and ſincere profeſſion of the Goſpell, (whereby you are an honour to your Degree and Sexe) cleerely euidenced many wayes, during your abode in Suffolke: which, as it is a ſweete teſtimony to your owne breaſt, that you are beloued of God, and hath made you farre and neere honoured by all ſuch which louelove God: ſo alſo it hath made mee very confident, that your Ladiſhip will fauourably accept theſe my thankefull endeuours. Goe on I humbly beſeech you (good Madame) goe on in that good way which you hauehave choſen: and conſtantly continue, as a bright Starre, to ſhine (without waning, or being ecclipſed) to the directing, confirming, and comforting of many, as hitherto you hauehave done. And, for my part, I ſhall neuer ceaſe (among many other) to ſtand vp as an humble Suppliant to God; that you may bee more and more ſtrengthened in his Grace, and directed by the Eternall Spirit, that as you hauehave already, by your zeale in Religion, prouoked many: ſo you may perſeuere vntounto the end, in this holy courſe, and bring on, and encourage others by your ſingular example: Then ſhall your Name bee ſtill more honourable while you liue here, and your account furthered in the day of our Lord IESVS. And thus humbly tendering my beſt ſeruice to your Ladiſhip, and to the hopefull Gentleman Mr FREDERICKE, your ioy, (vponupon whom I beſeech God to double the glory of all his Anceſtors) and wiſhing vntounto you both, and to your whole family, all temporall and eternall bleſſings by Ieſus Chriſt: I humbly take my leaue, and alway reſt,
Bound to your Ladiſhip to my vttermoſt in all Chriſtian duty, Elnathan Parr.
¶ To the courteous Reader.
COurteous Reader; Thou haſt here the fruit of my ſickneſſe, whereby in the beginning of this Winter, I was made vnſeruiceable for my publique duety. In this while, conſidering that Time is pretious, and the dayes euill, as the Apoſtle ſaith, the Lord put into my heart, to redeeme the time: Whereupon (as God enabled me to hold vp my head) I looked ouer my ragged Notes, and ſcattered papers. Part of which, after my rude maner polliſhed, are here offered vntounto thee. I am not without hope, but that (by the good hand of God) as I had experience of the profit of theſe things, being deliuered by liuely voyce: ſo alſo the charitable reading of them may much auayle thee. I know that eueryevery day there are many new Bookes ſet forth, and of this kind not a few: yet in this method, with ſound & briefe Propoſitions of the principall points of Diuinity: euident and infallible proofes: ſuccinct and perſpicuous Explications; and plaine and liuely Applications, I hauehave not obſerued any: So that, this, and alſo the great ignorāce of the multitude conſidred, I doubt not but the Indifferent, will free theſe my Endeuors from the cenſure of ſuperfluous, & of writing Iliads (as they ſay) after Homer. I confeſſe ingenuouſly that much of my Explications is drawn frō the fountains of other men, both forren Writers, and many our owne worthy Countreymen. So that, as the little Bee, greatly induſtrious, flieth ouer many a garden and flower, to gather a little hony: ſo hauehave I out of many mens gardens, ſelected and gathered many ſuch choice things, which I iudged might moſt make for thy benefit. And this can be no Imputation to mee, in aſmuch as the Learned know, that (not to ſpeake of ſome of the Pen-men of the holy Ghoſt) both auncient & later Writers, hauehave, to the great benefit of the Church, taken this courſe: & alſo becauſe I hauehave made ſuch things, which I hauehave receiued from others, ſo to ſerue my purpoſe, either by contraction, addition, expoſition, or marſhalling into my order: that I may in ſome ſort iuſtly challenge them as mine owne.
The ſumme of this my ſmall Labour, (to the which is prefixed an exhortation to the ſtudy of the Word) is an Expoſition of the Deſcription of God, named the Grounds of Diuinitie, expounded & applied, becauſe it propoundeth, preueth, and as a key openeth, & eaſily vnlocketh, the hidden myſtery and counſell of God, concerning our ſaluatiō by Ieſus Chriſt. The Queſtions and Anſwers, are familiar and friendly depending. The Explications, plaine, & for the moſt part, conciſe, pointing at ſome things in a word, at ſome in a parentheſis, which to the induſtrious Reader wil be the more aduantageable: and for the Vſes (which being practiſed, are the praiſe & life of knowledge) I hauehave not obſerued eueryevery thing, nor ſo preſſed any thing, but that I leaue much more to be gathered and obſerued, by ſuch which are accuſtomed to Meditation. In a word, that which I iudged moſt profitable, I hauehave performed for thee.
If thou beeſt learned, as thou needeſt it not, ſo I humbly intreate thee to know that I writ it not for thee yet I barre thee not the reading, but moſt willingly ſubmit it to thy cenſure. If thou blameſt the Phraſe and Stile, that it is not fluent and round, but ragged and harſh: Truly neither can I commend it. Happily, I hauehave ſtriuen, to be plaine, or at leaſt, hauing no skill in finer cookery, hauehave dreſt it as I was able, after our homely and country faſhion for the ſtomackes of the vnlearned, who relliſh and like better, of that which is plaine and eaſie, then either learned and deep treatiſes which they vnderſtand not, or ſuch cooked conceits where the coſt is greater then the nouriſhment. Some delight in toyes like children: I ſhould then thinke very ill of my ſelfe, when I ſhould goe about to pleaſe their humour, fitter to be purged then noriſhed. Some (& worthily) in regard of their great acuity & iudgemēt, like nothing (for themſelues) but that which tranſcendeth common capacities: I doe not thinke my ſelfe able to doe that which might giuegive them ſatisfaction. And, in aſmuch as there are three fold more which hauehave but meane knowledge, then which abound, it ſhall content me, that euen as Golde is common in Rich mens pockets, but Siluer is currant among the common ſort; it ſhall (I ſay) content me, if, while thoſe of deeper iudgement bee conuerſant in the Writings of the learned, my Labours may be in the hands of the meaner ſort, for whoſe ſake ſpecially I hauehave taken this paines.
For thee therefore which arte but a beginner I hauehave laboured. If I may adde to thy knowledge and affection, and be a helper of thy Faith and Ioy; giuegive thou God the glory: I hauehave then attained the end of my labors: Reade once, and reade againe; it may bee the ſecond reading wil be more ſauory then the firſt. If thou profiteſt herein, according as I hauehave praied for thee, I know thou ſhalt neuer repent thee. And thus, deſiring the helpe of thy prayers, I commend thee to God, and to the word of his Grace, wiſhing thy farther vp-building in all ſauing knowledge, godlineſſe, and eſtabliſhed comfort of conſcience, through Ieſus Chriſt.
Thine in our Chriſt. E. P.