Seven Treatises, Title page – To the reader 1
SEVEN TREATISES, CONTAINING SVCH DIRECTION AS IS GATHERED OVT OF THE HOLIE SCRIPTVRES, leading and guiding to true happines, both in this life, and in the life to come: and may be called the practiſe of Chriſtianitie.
PROFITABLE FOR ALL SVCH AS HEARTILY DESIRE THE SAME: IN THE WHICH, more particularly true Chriſtians may learne how to leade a godly and comfortable life eueryevery day.
PENNED BY RICHARD ROGERS, PREACHER OF the word of God at Wethersfield in Eſſex.
DEVT. 33. verſ. 12.
The beloued of the Lord ſhall dwell in ſafetie with him, who protecteth him all the day long.
PSAL. 84. verſ. 10.
One day in thy Courts is better then a thouſand other where.
DEVS IMPERAT ASTRIS
RD
AT LONDON Imprinted by FELIX KYNGSTON, for THOMAS MAN, and ROBERT DEXTER, and are to be ſold at the braſen Serpent in Pauls Churchyard. 1603.
TO THE RIGHT VERTVOVS, HIGH, AND MIGHTIE PRINCE, King IAMES, our dread Soueraigne, by the grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. long life, happie daies, and moſt proſperous raigne.
MOſt gracious and dread Soueraigne Lord, I hauehave not preſumed vponupon this dedication, as being ouertaken with the forgetfulnes either of your Maieſties greatnes, or mine owne pouertie: For I confeſſe, that if compariſon were made that way, I might worthily be blamed of preſumption. But the truth is, that I laid in balance your mind rather then your Maieſtie, and the argument rather then my penning of it. In this I confeſſe I preſumed and I truſt without deſert of blame, that as you hauehave preferred godlines before glorie in the middeſt of this glorie which God hath brought you vntounto: ſo you will preferre a treatiſe of godlines, thus ſimply furniſhed, before a glorious ſtile. Which is not ſeldome repugnant to the ſimplicitie of holie things. And yet my meaning is to confeſſe to your Maieſtie, that this argument deſerued both a more learned and more gracious penne then mine. To which I would with al my heart hauehave giuen place, if I had either ſeene before me, or heard behinde me the footſteps of any tending that way that I goe, though I confeſſe, there are ſome to bee ſeene trauailing in waies neere adioyning to this.
Concerning your Maieſtie, I am perſwaded, that you repoſe your greateſt greatnes in the communion of Saints, and not in your ſeuered calling which is tranſitorie: and therefore will account your ſelfe honoured by the augmentation of grace, and the furtherance of true holines. Your Maieſties owne affaires muſt be permitted to inioy their opportunities, and your godly wiſedome to inioy your choice in this varietie of reading. But I doubt not, but your godly heart will perſwade you to receiue a booke of this kinde with a gracious hand, though it were to no other end, but to begin to Gods people in the entertaining of any true hearted motiue vntounto holines. And this to ſay the truth, is that wherein I hauehave made bold to vſe your gracious and renowmed name, to aduantage my intent of furthering the people committed to your charge in their paſſage to ſaluation. Let it therefore (I moſt humblie ſupplicate) pleaſe your Maieſtie to giuegive allowance to my endeuour and drift, and to pardon my ſlips: for my meaning hath been to ſeeke the honour of God in this work, and to borrow helpe in this Dedication, of the grace he hath giuen you for ſuch purpoſes.
Thus reioycing, with the reſt of Gods people, for the comfort wherewith the Churches heart is comforted by you, and deſiring the lineall deſcent of theſe kingdomes to your Maieſties royall poſteritie, till Ieſus Chriſt with his glorious comming obſcure all the glorie of the world, I beſeech the holie Ghoſt to be with your ſpirit, and keepe your Maieſtie in Chriſt vntounto the end.
Your Maiesties most humble ſubiect RICHARD ROGERS, Miniſter of the Goſpell.
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.
THe children of this world are in their generation wiſer then the children of light. Luk. 16.8.The truth hereof may appeare in the Papiſts; who diſcerning that their bookes of Controuerſies, ſtuffed with manifold vntruths, fallacians, and corruptions, were not able to gaine ſufficiently (though ſmall gaine be too great for ſuch merchants) to their Babyloniſh kingdome,Reuel. 18.15. Iam. 3.6.hauehave ſet themſelues and others on worke (being all ſet on worke of Hell) to penne certaine treatiſes, tending to inſnare and intangle the minds of ignorant and ſimple Chriſtians, in the corrupt and filthie puddle of Popiſh deuotion. In this reſpect I perſwade my ſelfe, it is come to paſſe (not without the gracious prouidence of God) that the author hereof hath been incouraged in himſelfe, and by others, to write theſe Chriſtian directions, as a counterpoyſon to all ſuch inchauntments of Papiſts, who would by theſe meanes beare men in hand, that al true deuotion dwelt amongſt them▪ and were incloſed and tyed to their Cels and Cloyſters: In which vncleane cages it is vnpoſsible for any true ſpirituall and holy meditations to hauehave their abiding: for as much as euen the very mindes and conſciences of ſuch vncleane birds,Tit. 1.15. are defiled with damnable errors, and Idolatries. Wherefore I would earneſtly aduiſe, and heartely intreate thee (Chriſtian Reader) to imbrace this booke, wherein thou ſhalt finde good precepts, and holy directions, not deliuered by rote (as from a Parrat) out of the bookes and writings of other men: but confirmed by the ſingular experience of one, who hath long laboured the conuerſion, and confirmation of many other; but eſpecially the mortification and quickning of his owne ſoule and conſcience: one, whom indeed I hauehave euer eſteemed another Greenham: and herein more happie then he; becauſe he hath liued to penne, and peruſe his owne labours, and may yet liue (by the merciemercy of God) to correct and amend whatſoeuer ſlip of his penne (for in a long worke one may happily take a nap, two, or three) ſhall be ſhewed vntounto him. Reade it therefore (beloued Chriſtian) and that with diligence: and thou ſhalt finde (I doubt not) more true light and direction to a true deuout and holy life, then in all the Reſolutions of the Ieſuiticall Father Parſons (though neuer ſo refined, as a brick newly waſhed) or meditations of Frier Granatenſis, or any Popiſh Directories whatſoeuer. And ſo I commend thee and all thy holy labours in this and all other good bookes, eſpecially in the booke of bookes (I meane the holy Bible) to the rich and mercifull bleſsing of God our Father in Ieſus Chriſt.
Blackfriers London this 26. of May 1603. Thine in the Lord, STEPH. EGERTON.