Ten Sermons, Title page 1 – To the reader 2
TEN SERMONS PREACHED
I. Ad Clerum. 3.
II. Ad Magistratum. 3.
III. Ad Populum. 4.
BY ROBERT SAVNDERSON Bachellor in Diuinitie, sometimes Fellow of Lincolne Colledge in Oxford.
1. Cor. 3.8.
He that planteth, and he that watereth are one.
LONDON, Printed for R. DAWLMAN, at the signe of the Bible in Fleet-street neere the great Conduit. 1627.
THREE SERMONS, AD CLERVM: PREACHED AT THREE SEVERALL VISITATIONS AT Boston, in the Diocesse and County of Lincolne.
The Third now first published, By ROBERT SAVNDERSON, Batcheller in Diuinity, and somtimes Fellow of Lincolne Colledge in Oxford.
ROM. 14.19.
Let vsus follow after the things which make for peace; and things wherewith one may edifie another.
LONDON, Printed by R.Y. for R. Dawlman, at the Signe of the Bible neere the great Conduit in Fleet-streete. 1627.
TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER in God, GEORGE, Lord Bishop of London, my singular good Lord.
My good LORD:
I Had euer thought, the interest of but an ordinary friend, might hauehave drawne me to that, whereto the despight of a right bitter foe should not hauehave driuen me: till the Fate of these Sermons hath taught me my selfe better, and now giuen me at once a sight both of my Errour and Infirmitie. The improbitie of some good friends, I had out-stood, who with all their vexation could neuer preuaile vponupon me for the publishing of but the former of them: when loe, at length the restlesse importunity of hard censures, hath wrung both it, and the fellow of it out of my hands. So much hauehave we a stronger sense of our owne wrongs, than of our friends requests: and so much are we forwarder to iustifie our selues, than to gratifie them. How euer, if (by Gods good blessing upon them) these slender labours may lend any helpe to aduance the peace & quiet of the Church, in setling the iudgments of such, as are more either timorous than they need be, or contentious than they should be: I shall hauehave much cause to blesse his gracious prouidence in it, who, with as much ease, as sometimes hee brought light out of darknes, can out of priuate wrongs work publike good. In which hope, I am the rather content to send them abroad: though hauing nothing to commend them, but Truth and Plainenesse. Yet such as they are, I humbly desire they may passe vnderunder your Lordships protection: whereunto I stand by so many deare names engaged. By the name of a Visitour; in respect of that Society, wherof I was of late a member: when founded by your Lordships godly aRichard Flemming, and Thomas Rother…am, Bishops of Lincolne,Predecessors, hath had plentifull experience of your Lordships singular both Care and Iustice in preseruing their Statutes, and maintaining the rights of their foundation. By the name of a Diocesan; in respect of the Countrey, wherein it hath pleased God to seate me: which hath found much comfort in your Lordships religious and moderate gouernment. By the name of a Master; in regard of that dependance I hauehave vponupon your Lordship by speciall seruice. Which, as it putteth a boldnesse into me, to tender this small pledge of my thankefulnesse to your gracious acceptance: so it layeth a strong Obligation vponupon me to tender my best prayers vntounto Almightie God for the continuance and increase of his blessings vponupon your Lordship, to the good of his Church vponupon earth, and your eternall crowne in heauen.
Booth by Paynell Linc. Nouem. 20. 1621. Your Lordships Chapleine in all dutifull obseruance, ROBERT SAVNDERSON.
AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER.
GOod Christian Reader, vnderstand, that in the deliuery of these Sermons (because it was fit I should proportion my speech as neere as I could, to the houre) I was forced to cut off here and there part of what I had penned: which yet now, together with that which was spoken, I here present to thy view, distinguished from the rest with this note (") against the lines. Thus much I thought needfull to aduertise thee (because I see men are cap…us more than enough,) le…t I should be blamed of vnfaithfulnes, in either adding any thing vntounto, or altering any thing of, that which I deliuered: which I hauehave auoided, as neere as the imperfection both of my Copies, and memory would permit. Reade without gall, or preiudice: Let not truth fare the worse for the Plainenes: Catch not aduantage at Syllables and Phrases: Study, and seeke the Churches Peace: Iudge not anothers seruant. Let vsus all rather pray one for another; and by our charitable support, helpe to beare the burdens one of another: and so fulfill the Law of Christ. Amen. Amen.
The Texts of the seuerall Sermons.
I. AD CLERVM. 3.
LEt not him that eateth,I. Rom. 14.3. despise him that eateth not: and let not him that eateth not iudge him that eateth. pag. 1.
And not rather as we be slaunderously reported, and as some affirme that we say;II. Rom. 3.8. Let vsus doe euill, that good may come: Whose damnation is iust. pag. 50.
But the manifestation of the Spirit is giuen to eueryevery man to profit withall.III. 1. Cor. 12.7. pag. 96.
II. AD MAGISTRATVM. 3.
I put on righteousnesse, and it cloathed me:IIII. Iob 29.14. my iudgment was as a roabe, and a diademe.
I was eies to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.15.
I was a father to the poore:16. and the cause which I knew not, I searched out.
And I brake the iawes of the wicked,17. and plucked the spoile out of his teeth. pag. 147.
Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not, &c.V. Exod. 23.1. &c. pag. 199.
Then stood vp Phinehes, and executed iudgement, and so the Plague was staied.VI. Psal. 106.30. pag. 238.
III. AD POPVLVM. 4.
Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himselfe before mee?VII. VIII. IX. 3. Kin. 21.29. because he humbleth himselfe before me, I wil not bring the euill in his daies: but in his sonnes daies will I bring the euill vponupon his house. pag. 283.
Brethren, let eueryevery man wherein he is called,X. 1. Cor. 7.24. therein abide with God. pag. 401.
Some Aduertisements to the Reader.
Know, Christian Reader;
THat one speciall reason I had, to induce mee to print these Sermons, was, the irkesomenesse I had found in transcribing copies of some of them, at the request of some friends that had desired it: by my facility in yeelding to whose desires therein, I had so farre prouoked others, that thought they had some interest in mee, to request the like; that I had now no other way left to put them off, and to redeeme my selfe from an endlesse drudgery in that kinde, than this of sending them to the Presse. Sundrie mens importunities, I hauehave staied hitherto for a good space, by promising to print those they desired; and hauehave now (so farre) satisfied, by doing it at last.
That the Aduertisements prefixed before the two first Sermons once before printed, concerning the meaning of this marke (") before the lines in some places, ought to be extended to the other eight Sermons also, (now first published,) as well as to those two.
That the particular Contents of each Sermon are so placed in the Margent after this note (§) in the beginning of eueryevery Section or Paragraph; that the Reader, with running ouer the Margent onelyonly, may hauehave a briefe and summarie abstract of the seuerall Sermons. God blesse them all to thy Instruction and Comfort. Amen.