The True Convert, To the reader
THE AVTHOR to the Reader: AND IN SPECIALL to the Pariſhioners of St MARY ABCHVRCH London, ſometime his Chriſtian Auditors, Grace and Peace from the Prince of Peace.
HOw vnwilling I was to bring theſe vnpolliſhed Collections to light, there are many that can witneſſe with my conſcience. For firſt I knew the great difference that is betwixt preaching, and reading, of one and the ſame matter: Liuely voice hauing a kinde of ſecret force,Habet neſcio quid latentis foreign viua vox. Hier. and more liuely energie in it, then writing or reading hath. Secondly, I well remembred, how cenſorious the world is growne; ſo that no mans workes, how godly ſoeuer, lacketh ſome enuious calumniator and reproacher: and can I look to ſpeed better, then my betters hauehave ſped before me? Thirdly, I conſidered how many aged Worthies, hauehave refrained, and do yet refraine, from labouring in this kinde: Now for me to ſpeake, when they are ſilent, doth argue intolerable boldnes and preſumption. Fourthly,Quam ſit mihi curta ſupellex. I know my owne inſufficiencie, and am priuie to my owne weaknes, ingeniouſly confeſſing, I hauehave more neede to ſit at home, mending my nets, then thus to launch forth into the Ocean. Theſe many and weighty diſcouragements, did cauſe me for a time to with-hold the publiſhing of theſe Notes, and reſolutely to withſtand the earneſt requeſts of ſome of my louing freinds for the printing of them. But at length (what through importunacie of ſome (the common excuſe for the Preſſe in this p…inting age) and my owne weakneſſe yeelding thereunto) I came to ſome ſecond thoughts, and began to conſider; Firſt, what good might redound hereby to the Church of God: for albeit Preaching be the cheife; yet writing is not without it vſe and profit. Some are lame, and ſicke, and weake, and cannot come to the hearing of the word preached: now for ſuch to hauehave ſome plaine Expoſition or Sermon vponupon ſome part of Scripture, muſt needs be very comfortable and vſefull Yea, and in ſome reſpect, writing may ſeeme to claime the priuiledge;Quo liceat libris, non licet …re mihi. for this reacheth far and neere. My bookes may be admitted where I cannot come. And further, this tendeth for the good, not onelyonly of the liuing, as Preaching doth, but alſo for the good of ſuch as are yet vnborne: In which reſpect, ſaith one, He that ſpeaketh profiteth for an houre, but he that writeth profiteth for euer. Secondly, I conſidered, what an excellent helpe it was, both for the Ʋnderſtanding, as alſo for the Memorie. Alas I how dull are we of conceiuing, in the things of God? ſo that a thing once ſpoken, is as good as neuer ſpoken, ſuch is our corruption. But this giueth a man leaue to pawſe vponupon, and ponder on the things we hauehave heard deliuered: So that, though Preaching, moueth the Affections, and worketh more vponupon them: yet Printing may be ſaid to teach more, and better to informe the iudgment. And ſo for our Memories; who findes not how leaking & ſiue-like they are in reteyning of diuine truth? ſtrawes & haires indeed will theſe ſieues hold; ſome odd conceit or broken phraſe ſhall be remembred, when the pure water ſhall runne out: Sound ſolid matter ſhall be quite forgotten. But now by our often reading, things are brought againe into our mindes, and a long time reteyned in our memories; and what formerly wee hauehave heard deliuered, is as it were ſtill ſounding in our eares. Thirdly, I remembred, (what neuer can ſufficiently be bewailed) my time miſ-ſpent and loſt; which cauſed me to redeeme ſome time with the loſſe of my owne caſe and pleaſure, that I might doe good this way to Gods Church and people. And laſtly, the euill reports that ſome malignant ſpirits made of me, when I preached them, (viz. that I taught noueltie, and falſe Doctrine; and what I did, proceeded from a ſpirit of gall and bitternes, and the like,) hath much moued me to this worke. All theſe things being well weighed, did darken my former thoughts, and cauſed me to pervſe my Notes, and as I had time, to fit them for the Preſſe; which now I ſend into the world, deſiring the bleſſing of heauen to accompanie them, that they may be profitable.
As for the Matter, I doubt not, but it is ſound and good, and how euer,Eccleſ. 1.9. There is no new thing vnderunder the Sunne; And that there can be nothing ſayd, but what hath beene ſaid before, as the Heathen man could ſay;Nihil eſt iam dictum, quod non ſit dictum prius. yet there may be a more full opening, and a more perſpicuous deliuering of poynts: yea, and daily is, to the great benefit of the Church of God, though happily in regard of the ſumme and ſubſtance of matters; the former ſaying may be true. I cannot then here promiſe thee (Chriſtian Reader) any new thing, which thou haſt not before heard of; but this I can promiſe thee, though nothing els; Thou haſt here this Parable handled more amply and fully, then (to my knowledge) thou euer haſt had it heretofore, for I know not any that hauehave trauailed throughout in the opening of it. I doe confeſſe, I (with the little Bee) hauehave flowne ouer many a Garden, and ſucked many a flower for this little, and hauehave beene beholding to many an Author, both old and new, for ſome matter and ſtuffe, towards the erecting of this building. But blame me not for this, ſeeing I hauehave done no other then all other Expoſitors hauehave done before me; and withall hauehave laboured by enlargement to make thoſe things as vſefull to thee, as I could.
As for the ſtyle, it is plaine and homely (though I truſt not ouerhomely) I hauehave euer deſired, (and I hope for euer ſhall) ſo to ſpeake, as that the ſimpleſt might vnderſtand, ayming in all my teaching, at that to which the whole Scripture driues, viz Humilitie, Comfort, and Conſcience of obedience. Rom. 3.27.Firſt, at the humbling of the obſtinate and impenitent, and abaſing of their pride. Secondly, at the comforting of the diſtreſſed ſoule,Rom. 5.1. and ſetling of his conſcience in true ſolid peace, through the aſſurance of Gods louelove. Thirdly, at the framing of mens hearts to a conſtant deſire, and care of pleaſing God, and to the prouoking and ſtirring vp of the penitent to more obedience.
1. Cor. 2.1.4.Now this I know cannot be performed with excellencie of ſpeech, nor with the enticing words of mans wiſedome. If then the ſtyle diſlike thee, as too homely, harſh, or ragged, being neither round, nor fluent; know, that matter was more regarded, then Rhetoricall termes: And the Author deſires rather to work vponupon the conſcience, then to tickle the eare with affected eloquence. And to be plaine, he hath no skill in crooked conceits; which if he had, yet he would be loath to ſpend his time ſo idly, as to feed that itching humour of many, which hath more need to be purged then to be nouriſhed. But to be briefe, ſeeing that this booke is come into thy hands, let me deſire thee, firſt, to read it through; begin not onelyonly but make an end: thou knoweſt not, the beſt wine may be reſerued vntill the laſt.Iohn 2.10. To read by ſnatches, and by peece-meales, here a little and there a little, or els by fits, as it were, vponupon rainie dayes, ſeldome proueth profitable: read conſtantly, and read it ouer; and when thou haſt ſo done, ouer with it againe; vponupon thy ſecond reading, what formerly ſeemed difficult, will appeare more plaine.
Secondly, I deſire thee before thou readeſt to amend thoſe faults which are eſcaped in the Printing, and where ſo euer thou findeſt words falſyfied; ſentences diſmembred, or confounded by falſe poynting, or the like, couer them with thy louelove. Beſides literall and punctuall faults, which are too too many, there are many materiall faults, which doe much peruert, and obſcure the ſence, eſpecially in the former part of this booke (for a more heedfull regard was had for the remainder, after it was perceiuied) as page 1.1. line 23. it is thus ſayd, It ſpeakes againſt the Deuils Diana, this Idoll of vice with ſo many worſhippers, when it ſhould hauehave beene thus printed, That ſpeakes againſt the Diuels Diana, this Idoll vice which ſo many worſhip. And ſo againe, page 29. line 16. you ſhall finde it thus printed, I confeſſe this affection in worldly mens iudgements is a ſtrange Paradoxe, when it ſhould hauehave bin thus, I confeſſe this aſſertion, &c. And in the 45. page, and the laſt line, you hauehave it thus, God is immediately the firſt cauſe of all things, produced by the two cauſes, when it ſhould hauehave beene, produced by the ſecond cauſes. And in the next page to that, line 3. it is thus, the ſame writer alſo doth confirme the third, when it ſhould hauehave beene, doth confirme the ſecond. And in the 47. page, and 23. line, it is thus, For put caſe many ſo be, when it ſhould hauehave beene, for in ſuch a caſe they may be. And page 225. line. 11. there is far more, for, for in one: though this fault in moſt coppies is amended. I will not trouble thee with any more errors here, thou ſhalt find them ſet downe at the end of the Booke, onelyonly theſe I doe in ſpeciall manner mention, becauſe they are ſo groſſe, and deſire thee in ſpeciall manner to correct, how euer thou dealeſt with the reſt. I muſt needs ſay, the coppie was very cloſe, and much of it not re-written, but deliuered to the Printer, as it was ſet downe at the firſt draught; for my employments would not afford me ſo much time, as indeed it was fit I ſhould hauehave had. It is needleſſe to ſay more, for what Apelles ſometimes ſaid to a fooliſh painter, thou mayſt ſay to me; I ſhould hauehave iudged thy worke to hauehave bin done in haſt, though thou hadſt ſaid nothing.
In omnibus meis ſcriptis non modò pium lectorem, ſed liberum correctorem deſidero. Aug. in Proam. lib. 3. de Trin.I ſubmit my weakneſſe to thy cenſure, ſmite me friendly, ſuch balme ſhall not breake my head. Remember, I am a man, and it is not incident to humane frailtie to be without faults. What faults I find, or heare off, ſhall be amended, if I liue to ſee it come againe vntounto the Preſſe. In the interim, accept of this, as it is meant vntounto thee. I meane thee no hurt, if thou meaneſt me any, the Lord forgiue thee. And amōgſt others, I eſpecially intreat you that were my Auditors, to take my meaning in good part; it is your good I eſpecially intend and ayme at. If any of you receiued comfort when theſe points were preached, or ſhall get any good by them now that they are Printed, giuegive God the praiſe, and mee thy prayers, that true grace may be more and more increaſed in mee, and ſo Gods people hauehave more and more profit by mee. If thou doeſt thus, I ſhall be ſufficiently recompenced, and euer reſt;
From my Studie in St Margarets, Fiſh-ſtreet, London this 7. of Ianuary. 1619. Thy true friend, in the Lord to be commanded; NEHEMIAH ROGERS.