Circumspect Walking, Title page – Dedication
Circumspect WALKING: Describing the seuerall Rules, as so many seuerall Steps in the way of Wisedome.
Gathered into this short manuell, by THO. TAYLOR, Preacher of Gods word at Aldermanbury Church in London.
GAL. 6. 16.
As many as walke according to this rule, peace shall be vponupon them, and mercy, and vponupon the Israel of God.
LONDON, Printed for Iames Boler, dwelling in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Marigold. 1631.
TO THE RIGHT Honorable and learned Knight, Sir ROBERT NANTON, one of the principall Secretaries vntounto his Excellent Maiestie, and of his Maiesties Honorable Priuie Counsell; All the blessings of this life, and a better.
SIR,
THat which Salomon teacheth in that one Aphorisme often repeated; wanted not apparent weight and moments of reason: saying, that in the prosperity of the righteous, Pro. 11. 10. and 29. 2.the Citie reioyceth: for God being in couenant with them, for their sakes doth good to such, as are ioyned in the same society with them: for one Ioseph all Potiphers house was blessed; and for one Paul, all that are in the ship with him are saued: yea, good and vertuous men by their presence, as Lot in Sodome; by their prayers, as Moses in the breach; and by their prudent Counsell, as that poore wise man,Eccl. 9. 15. withstand the iudgments of God, and saue the Citie: for had there beene found one good man, all Ierusalem had beene spared for his sake. Againe, vertuous men aduanced, will conferre all their honour and grace to the publike good: they liue not to themselues and theirs, but take in the Church and Common-wealth,foreign. as fellow-Commoners of all their goodnesse. Mordecaies authority wrought publike deliuerance to the whole Church, and Iosephs aduancement sustained the whole land, by opening the garners in time of famine. The honour of one good man shall be the grace of all good men; his power the strength of many; his greatnesse the raising of many: as when one Mordecai is raised,Esse… 8. 6 light, and ioy, and gladnesse, and honour, came to all the Iewes. Further, good men honoured by God, will honour God againe, and withstand his dishonour: they will (to their power) prouide that Gods worship be erected, that his Sabbaths be sanctified, that true religion be maintained, that falsehood and errors be suppressed, that publike peace be not disturbed, that common iustice be not peruerted, least Gods fauour be discontinued, and his iudgements let in. Whence they are to be esteemed the strongest towers,Sine pi…s ce…tu…lex murus rebus seruandis par… est the thickest wals, the most impregnable forts, the surest muniments, and the stoutest horsemen and Chariots of their Countrey: yea, the Wise man in one word saith much more,Pro. 10. 25. Iustus fundamentum mundi. that the Righteous is a sure foundation, vpholding the whole world.
But why write I this, or to your Honour? surely as one who euer reuerenced your worthy parts. I could not but craue leaue to expresse my selfe one of the Citie, reioysing and praising God in your honours prosperity and aduancement: and the rather, because my selfe was an eye-witnesse how God led you through some of your yonger yeeres, which were so studiously and commendably passed, as this your latter time fitly answereth that expectation which was then conceiued of you.
You were then deare to our common mother that famous Vniuersity of Cambridge; which for your eloquence and grace of speech and perswasion, appointed you her Orator: for your wisdome and grauity in gouernment, chose you her Procter: for your soundnesse in all kinde of fruitfull and commendable litterature, tendred you all her honors and degrees: and for your sober, studious, and vertuous conuersation worthily held now her great Ornament. And now as riper for greater emploiments, the same God (whose priuiledge it is to dispense promotions, for he pulleth downe one and setteth vp another) hath moued his Maiestie not onelyonly to set your seat among the honouroble, but to admit you (as it were) into his breast, and betrust you with the secrets of this great state and Kingdome: an office not more ancient then honourable, befitting onelyonly men of rarest wisdome, fidelity, and fitnesse to stand before so great, so wise a King. This was a most honourable office among the most ancient Kings of Israel: for King Dauid had his two principall Secretaries,2 Sam. 8. 17 Seraiah and Iehonatham, 2 Chro. 27. 32.whom the text commendeth for a man of counsell and vnderstanding: and King Salomon his sonne had other two, Elihoreph aud Ahiah, 1 King. 4. 3who were in chiefe place neere the King. Wee read also of Shebna, 2 Kin. 18. 1…principall Secretary to King Hezekiah, of whom Iunius saith; he was fecundus à rege. Now your place being a seruice of such honour vnderunder his Maiestie, cannot be without an answerable waight and charge. Your Honour easily conceiueth that the Lord chargeth you with a chiefe care of honouring him, who hath honoured you: that you stand charged to his Maiesty with great trust and fidelity: that the Church expecteth that by your authority, you should promote her causes, and stand in the maintenance of pure religion: that the Common-wealth claimeth her part in you, for the preseruation of peace within her wals, and prosperity within her palaces: that the Vniuersity looketh you should aduance her iust causes, promote learning, and encourage her students, by helping them into the roomes of the ignorant and vnlearned Ministers: in a word,Pro. 11. 11. that the whole City hopeth to be exalted by the prosperity of the righteous.
And now if your Honours thankefull heart shall call vponupon you, and say, Quid retribuam domino? you will easily fal into frequent thoughts and desires,Tota vita Christiani …anctum desiderium est. Aug. in Ioh. tract 4. of discharging all this expectation. This shall be happily done, if you shall chuse about you the wisest Counsellors, for the happy and prudent carriage of your great affaires, imitating herein that peerelesse patterne of wisdome, Salomon himselfe, who notwithstanding his extraordinary measure of wisedome, chose vntounto himselfe, selectissimum sena…um, a bench of most wise and graue Couns…llours, whose counsell Rehoboam after despised. The best counseller is that great Counsellour, Esa. 9.who is daily to be consulted by feruent praier. The next is the word of God, which as it giueth no lesse certaine direction in difficult cases, than the Oracle did vntounto Israel, or then did the pillar of the cloud, and of fire by day and night for their motion or station, while they passed through the wildernesse: so the daily consulling with Gods statutes, by reading and meditation (as with so many learned counsellours) made holy Dauid wiser than the aged, Psa. 119. 98 99, 100.than the learned, than the Princes, than his aduersaries. Iosh. 1. 8.And if Ioshuah would prosper and hauehave good successe in his high enterprises,foreign. he must keepe him to the Booke of the Law, and not depart from it. The feare of God is wisedome, and the next wisedome to that, is to conuerse and consult with such as doe feare God,Pro. 10. 32. whose lips speake iust and good things: wherby a man shal become both wiser and better. This is the high way to attaine and retaine grace and reputation with God and good men; for this is an inheritance not gotten with greatnesse, but with goodnesse: the former cannot force or compell affections, the latter sweetly drawes and allures them: the former may procure flattery and applause, the latter onelyonly yeeldeth true honour and sound comfort.
Might I adde but one grain to your godly care, by this olittle direction, with which If … fer my most inward affections, I hauehave my expeation. I know well your Honours sufficiency, euen in this kind, aboue many of my profession, to furnish your selfe with diuine directions, if your leisure or weighty affaires would permit you to set them downe: yet I assure my selfe, your Honour will not refuse the helpe of such, as are at more leisure to gather them, and humbly offer them vntounto your hand. I was also more presumptuous to offer these lines vntounto your view, because I conceiued that the rules of Christian prudence and circumspection, could not bee more sitly directed, nor bee better welcome, than to so prudent and circumspect a parsonage. In which assurance I rest, commending your Honours further happinesse and prosperity to him, who is an exceeding great reward, abundantly able to fill your heart with grace, to crowne your dayes with blessing, and finish them with comfort, life and immortality. foreign.
Your Honours, to be commanded, THO. TAYLOR.