History of the First Ten Persecutions, Dedication 2 – History 4
TO THE MOST NOBLE, VERTVOVS, AND ELECT LADIE, MARIE, COVNTES OF MARRE, Wisheth grace, merciemercy, and eternall felicitie.
THE prouident care of our GOD (most noble Ladie) hath appointed, that the vertues of his Saintes like vntounto gold, should bee tried in the furnace, purged from drosse, & counted pretious. In the first 300. yeeres of our LORD, the faith & patience of Christians was tried with the yoke of tenne cruell persecutions. In the next 300. yeeres, the knowledge of the Church was tried by heretiques, who by the mistie cloudes of errour, endeuoured to blind-fold the eyes of men, and to lead them captiue from the simplicitie of the trueth of God: But in these ages also the power of the light of God was manifested, euer dissipating darknesse, as the Sunne rising abolisheth the darknesse of the night. This is an incouragement to vsus, when wee see false Teachers dayly renewing their Fortes, to fight against the trueth, as the Philistimes did, who faught against Dauid in the valley of Rephaim, after they had bene oft ouercome by him. The last period of all their obstinate reluctation against the Anointed of the Lord, was losse and hurt vntounto them selues, and dishonour to their gods, whom they were compelled to leaue behind them, and Dauid tooke them, and brunt them with fire, and the place was called Baal. perat-zim, that is, the rupture of Baal. The aduersaries 1. Chr. 14. verse 11.of the Gospell, in our land, by renewing their forces againe, are procuring a newe name vntounto their idoles. They cannot bee content with the names of Baal-P…or, Baal-Meon, Baal-Thamar, Baal-Chatsor, Baal-Gad: But they will spread out their banners in the valley of Rephaim, against our Soueraigne LORD, his Highnesse Statutes and Lawes, longing for the last name Baal-Peratzim. The grandour of the speeches of Scottish Papists, is not vnknowne to mee: but tumour and swelling in the flesh, is seldome joined with salubritie and health. It is time for mee to bee afraide of the din of emptie pitchers, when I finde them furnished within with holie Lampes, and to be backed with the sound of holy Trumpets, blowne by the Commandement of GOD: I meane such as were in the Armie of Gedion. Of this I am Iudg. 6. verse 16.fully perswaded, that the light of GOD, the trumpet of GOD, the sword of GOD, and Gedion shall hauehave the vpperhand in GODS appointed time. Some of them seeme to be deuout, and they lament for vsus, as Iaakob lamented for his sonne Ioseph, whom he supposed to hauehave Gene. 37. verse 34.beenedead: But our lamentation for them, is grounded on better knowledg…, as the lamentation of Ioseph was, when he fell vponupon his Fathers face, and wept vponupon him, Gen. 50. verse 1.and kissed him. Alwayes (Madame) consider, that the sense of feeling, the chiefe of all senses, the most vnseparable companion of the spirituall life, is most inlaking in them, who striue against the Gospell of CHRIST preached in this land. They hauehave so many easie remedies at hand to vnladen their soules of the heauy burthen of sinne, such as sprinckling of holy water, auricular confessions, and pennance, indulgences and pardons, that they neuer suffer men to enter into a deepe consideration of their own miserie, & of the superabundant compassions of GOD, freely pardoning sinne: but they are content with the superfice and scruif of new inuented remedies. In the meane time (Madame) receiue vnderunder the shadow of your Ladysh. fauourable protection, this Booke also, Of the Arrian and Eutychian persecution, wherein, as in a viue mirrour, is represented the falshood, deceite, and subtilty of lying Teachers; and likewise their mercylesse inhumanity and cruelty against GODS seruants, when they are assisted by the supporting strength of secular powers. And let your La. and your noble house continually Epistle Iude, verse 11.beware of Teachers, whom yee find to bee deceitfull and bloody, for they walke in the way of Cain.
Now the mercies of the LORD IESUS, the author and finisher of our faith, attend vponupon my Lord your Husband, vponupon your Ladiship and all your noble house, for now, and euer,
AMEN.
Your La. humble seruant, P. SIMSON.
TO THE READER.
IN writing of COMPENDES, eueryevery man, who hath presumed to doe such a worke, hath found difficulties: and it hath not beene an easie thing to any man, to satisfie either himselfe or others, beeing inuironed with many straites. If he be short in his Compend, hee seemeth obscure: if hee write at length, then his Compend seemeth to hauehave need of an other Compend, to abridge his prolixity. Yet in all these difficulties, it is better to set forward, to doe some good, both to our selues and others, then to spend our time in idlenes, lest our cogitations bee like vntounto the vpper and lower Milne-stones, lacking good graine to grind vponupon, they rub violently one vponupon another, vntill both be broken: and incase our cogitations bee not well exercised, our thoughtes will bee spent vponupon vaine things, which wil procure harme both to our soules and bodies.
In my TREATISES I hauehave ouerpassed with silence the question anent Festuall dayes, lest I should seeme …t one time to contend both against friends & foes, as some men hauehave done, who if they had more increased their charitie, and diminished the feruent heat of their contentious spirits, they had benefited the Church of Christ more then they hauehave done. Would GOD LUCAS OSIANDER had walked in the foote-steps of Christian louelove.
Now I will begge this fauour at thee, Christian Reader, that my weake trauels may be taken in good part. The house of our GOD in this land is large and ample (praised bee his moste holy NAME therefore) it hath need of bright-shining torches, for the Halles, Parlours, and Chambers: and it hath need of smaller Lightes, for Sellers and office houses: let my pennie Candle giuegive light in the lowest Seller of the House of our GOD, and mine heart is fully content.
Farewell.