Three Sermons, Title page 1 – To the reader 1
THREE SERMONS Preached by WILLIAM SCLATER Doctor of Diuinity, and Miniſter of the word of God at Pitmiſter in Sommerſetſhire.
Now publiſhed by his Sonne of Kings Colledge in Cambridge.
LONDON, Printed by THOMAS HARPER for Robert Allot, and are to be ſold at his ſhop in Pauls Church yard at the ſigne of the blacke Beare. 1629.
SERMON Preached at St. Maries in the Vniuerſity of Cambridge.
By WILLIAM SCLATER Doctor of Diuinity, ſometimes Fellow of Kings Colledge, and Miniſter of the word of God at Pitmiſter in Sommerſetſhire.
Now publiſhed by his Sonne of the ſame Kings Colledge in Cambridge.
LONDON, Printed by THOMAS HARPER for Robert Allot, and are to be ſold at his ſhop in Pauls Church yard at the ſigne of the blacke Beare. 1629.
To that pious root of Religion and vertue, the worſhipfull and deuout gentlewoman, Miſtriſſe IANE STILL, Together with her tender branches at Hutton in Sommerſet, William Sclater wiſheth all happineſſe and proſperity in this life, and that which is to come.
Moſt worthy Matron:
TO auoyd the imputation of Ingratitude this ſlender Epiſtle of mine proſtrates it ſelfe to your fauourable acceptation, deſiring (though meanely) to expreſſe its Authours ſeruice, and (that indubitate office & act of louelove) his thankfulneſſe for that abundance of kindneſſe, couetesy and well-willing, which from the infancy of your acquaintance with our deare Father, has beene from you propagated to vsus branches of that root. Were it not, that I ſhould be fouly iniurious to a Saint in Heauen (the memory of whom, as of a iuſt man is for euer bleſſed) I could willingly deſire the accompliſhment of that w… which once ſome, (though in another caſe) ſub… …ing vnderunder the Statue of Brutus, made, would G… thou wert aliue Brutus! ſo I, would heauen would reſtore him, whoſe image externally I beare, & hope to be made heire of thoſe vertues (the beſt inheritance) reſplendent in him, that hee might himſelfe hauehave preſented you with this badge of his thankfulneſſe, the contrary whereof was euer odious to him, and abhorrent from his nature; but ſince I cannot craue the fruition of his preſence without bereauing him of felicity, let this gratefull office tendred by his Sonne hauehave acceſſe at the barre of your courteous acceptation, and if it (weighed in the ballance of your rich fauours) come ſhort of equall counterpoizing them, you may in part aſcribe it to the tenuity of the enditers immature iudgement, and want of rhetoricke to ſet it downe, but chiefly to the greatneſſe of your kindneſſe, which tranſcends the capacity of ſo illiterate a pen-man; but what you finde defectiue on my part, ſuppoſe (if there be any ſence of ſuch things among the Saints in Heauen) to be ſupplyed by the approbation of him, whoſe ſonne I was. The preſent here offered vntounto you is a Sermon preached by the Authour, my deceaſed Father, at St. Maries in the Vniuerſity of Cambridge, when he commenced Doctor of Diuinity, which through the importunity of ſome my worthy friends, and men of iudgement, who wiſh well to the Common-wealth of Iſrael, I hauehave put to the preſſe, hoping, that when it's brought forth, and expoſed to the open world, it may finde ſafe ſhelter, and protection vnderunder the wings of your patronage. In it it you … …y furtherance of your faith, I dare promiſe for the Author, that he hath his deſire; as for my ſelfe, be pleaſed thus to thinke, I had rather be accounted any thing, then vnthankfull. Now, the God of all grace, that hath called you to his eternall glory by Chriſt Ieſus, make you perfect, confirme, ſtrengthen and ſtabliſh you in the true faith of his ſonne, deliuer you from eueryevery euill worke, and preſerue you to his heauenly kingdome. Amen.
Yours deuoted in all thankfull obſeruance WILLIAM SCLATER. From my Chamber in Kings Colledge in Cambridge. Nou. 18. 1628.
To the Reader.
GEntle Reader, be pleaſed co… teouſly to embrace what not mine owne, but the maturity of others iudgements hauehave thought worthy the Preſſe. The Authours whole purpoſe euer was to heale, if poſsible, the breaches of Gods people, and further the fayth of his Church. Where he is faulty, ſmite him friendly, it ſhall be balme to the heades of his poſterity, and perhaps a meanes, that the remnant of his labours redound heereafter to the Churches good. Now the Lord ſole giuer of increaſe to the painefull indeuors of his Miniſters, make this part of his works fruitfull, to the comfort of thy conſcience, and eſtabliſhment of thy fayth. Amen.
Thine in Chriſt W. S.