The Calling of the Ministry, To the reader
To the Christian Reader, and Especially to all such as hauehave any Coppies of the workes of Maister Perkins, or intend any of them to the Presse.
FOrasmuch as there hath beene lately signification made, of diuers of Maister Perkins his workes heereafter to bee printed, in an Epistle to the Reader praemised before the Treatise of callings, and that signification beeing but generall, might peraduenture giuegive occasion to some, to set out some particulars (without the consent of Maister Perkins his assignes) as imperfectly as are these two bookes, intituled The Reformation of couetousnesse, & The practise of faith, iustly and truly (for ought that I see) censured in the aforesaid Epistle: It is therefore now thought good, to mention the particular Treatises, and workes of his, which shall heereafter (if God will) be published, for the benefit of Gods Church: I doe therefore heereby make knowne to all, whom it any way may concerne, that there were found in the studie of the deceased and are in the hands of his Executors, or assignes, and preparing for the Presse.
1 His Expositions on the Epistle … the Galathians.
2 on the Epistle of Iude.
2 His Booke of the Cases of Conscience.
3 His Treatises 1 of Wi…chcraft.
2 of Callings.
All these he had perused himselfe, and made them ready for the presse, according to which coppies by himselfe so corrected, some of them already are, and the rest will be published in due time: And heereuppon we desire all men who hauehave coppies of these, or any of them, not to offer that wrong to that worthy man of God, as to publish any of their owne, seeing the coppies heereof which are to bee printed, are of his owne correcting: but rather if they can helpe to make any of them more perfect by their coppies, they may therein doe a good worke to the benefit of many, and much comfort to themselues.
And further, I doe heereby make knowne, that I hauehave in my hands at this present, of his workes, taken from his mouth, with my owne hand, heereafter (if God will) to bee published, with the allowance of our Church, and for the benefit of his children, these particulars.
1 His Expositions or readings, on the 110 Psalme.
2 On the 32 Psalme.
3 On the 11 Chapter to the Hebrewes.
4 on the 1, 2, & 3, Chapters of the Reuelation.
5 on the 5, 6, and 7 Chapters of Saint Mathew.
2 His Confutation of Camsius his little Popish Catechisme.
3 His Treatises 1 of Imaginations out of Genes. 8, 2.
2 of Temptations out of Mathew 4.
3 of Christian Equity out of Phillip, 4, 3.
4 of the Callings of the Ministerie, out of 2 places of Scripture.
5 of Repentance out of Zephaniah 2, 1.
Besides many other particular Sermons, and short discourses made vponupon seuerall, and speciall occasions: of all which seme are alreadie published by others, and some by my selfe: and all the rest that remaine, as they be the Iewels of Gods Church, so doe I willingly dedicate them to the publicke and generall good. Iudging it were a foule sinne in me, or any other, to impropriate to our selues, or our owne priuate vse, the labours of This ▪ or any other learned man, which are in my opinion, parts of the Treasurie of the militant Church: And as it were wrong to the Church, if I should conceale them, so doubtlesse were it to him and his children: if I should publish them for my owne alone, and not for their benefit. If I doe, I thinke it may bee iustly sayd vntounto me, or whosoeuer doth so, Thy monie perish with thee. And what heerein I hauehave sayd for my selfe: I knowe I may boldly and safely say, for those his Executors or assignes, which hauehave or had in their hands, any of those which were found in his study: In the publishing of all which, as we doe intend to deale truly with the Christian Reader, and not to commit any thing to the presse, which hath not either beene written or corrected, by the Author himselfe, or faithfully penned according to the truest coppies taken from his owne mouth, and since by others of sufficiency & integritie, diligently perused: so we purpose to referre them to the benefit of the Authors wife and children, as much as may be, wishing that vponupon this caueat man would not be so hastie (as some hauehave beene) to commend to the world, their vnperfect notes, vppon a base desire of a little gaine, both to hinder the common good of the Church, and to defraude the sayd parties of their priuate benefit, to whom in all equity & Conscience, it doth principally appertaine: And desiring all, who hauehave any perfect Coppies of such as are in my owne hands, that they would either helpe me with theirs, or rather take mine to helpe them. That by our ioynt powers and our forces layd together: the walls of this worthy building, may goe vp the fairer and the faster. And so I commend them all to Gods blessing, who endeuour to commend themselues, and their labours to God and to his Church.
Your brother in the Lord. W. C.