A Sinners Indictment, Title page – Dedication
A SINNERS INDITEMENT. By WILLIAM WARD Minister of the word of GOD.
Imprinted at London by W. White, for Tho. Pauier in Iuielane. 1615.
Leuit. 26. vers. 3, 4, 18, 19, 20.
3 If you walke in mine Ordinances, and keepe my Commandements, and doe them.
4 I will send you raine in due season, & the Land shall yeeld her increase, and the Trees of the Field shall giuegive their fruite.
18 And if you will not for these things obey me, then will I punish you seuen times more, according to your sinnes.
19 And I will breake the pride of your power, and I will make your Heauen as Iron, and your Earth as Brasse.
20 And your strength shall be spent in vaine; neither shall your Land giuegive her increase, neither shall the Trees of the land giuegive their fruite.
To the right Worshipfull & worthy Patron of good Learning, S. Henrie Pierre-pont Knight, one of his Maiesties Iustices of the Peace in the County of Nottingham, W. W. Minister of the word of God at Prestvvold in Leicestershire, wisheth the rich blessinges of God, externall, internall, and eternall.
SIR: When the Tabernacle was builded by Moses for the worship and seruice of God, EueryEvery one brought such as they Exod. 25. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.had, some more, some lesse; some better, some worse; and all was necessarie for the Worke: Euen so, for the building of Gods Church, eueryevery one should bring such as they hauehave, according to the abilitie which the Lord of the House hath giuen vntounto them, to profit withall; and therefore I (though the least of the Apostles children) doe hold my selfe bound to dooe something; for Pauls Woe will light vponupon mee, If I preach not the Ghospell; assuring my 1. Cor. 9. 16.selfe, that the Maister of the Worke will accept of my poore seruice, as our Sauiour Christ did of the Widdows Mite cast into the treasury.Luk. 21. 2. 3.
I know very well (right Worshipfull) that some are so puffed vp, that they scorne, so much as to 1. Cor. 4. 18. 19.affoord their eyes to read, or their eares to heare the writings or words of any, but onelyonly such as are excellent, and eminent for Learning and Eloquence: notwithstanding experience teacheth, that men of meaner Giftes, and (for their Learning) not worthy to carry the Bookes of the Learned after them, doe sometimes speake as effectually to the Consciences of the Country people, as those whom the Lord hath graced and intrusted with many Talents: Neither doe I doubt, but as the Apostle speakes of Almes, so in this action. If first there be a willing minde, it is accepted 2. Cor. 8. 1.according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. Now the speciall cause of my presuming to present this poore Paper-gift into your hands, arising not onelyonly out of that christian and reciprocall louelove that I beare to your person, because you fauour Learning & louelove them that are Learned (so that, as it was once truly said of the house of that renowned and blessed Saint of God Henrie late Earle of Huntington I President of Yorke, that it was in his time a Sanctuarie for the Cleargie) so it may as truly be reported, and passe for currant, that your House (most noble Knight) I speake before God, without flatterie, is not onelyonly a Nursery for poore Schollers, but also a refuge and receptacle for all faythfull, painefull, and godly Ministers, and your selfe a Sword and Shield, to your posse, for them: But also for the many and vndeserued kindnesses and fauours, which (by the blessing of God) I hauehave found flowing from you vponupon so small acquaintance; and that your meere bountie, without the least desert of mine: which if I should burie in obliuion, or drowne in the riuer Lethe, I might iustly be condemned of ingratitude with the nine Leapers, and accounted (as Luk 17. 17.Ouid speakes) Telluris inutile pondus, not worthy to inioy the common ayre, because, Ingratum si dixeris, omnia dixisti. When I was driuen to a non plus what course to take for the preferring of that young Impe, my Sonne, to the Vniuersitie, it pleased God (who worketh all for the best to those that are his) to make you the blessed instrument of no lesse comfort vntounto mee, then the Angel was to Hagar in the Wildernesse.Gen. 21. 15. 16.
And when I heard that it pleased you to take a good liking of him, being a Scholler neere to your house in Nottingham, and vponupon my first acquaintance with you, commended him, not only to mee, but also to that good Knight S. William Skip with, who was his Godfather, and of whom the Country hath now a great losse, I was rauished with no lesse ioy, then was old Iacob, when Gen. 45, 27he saw the Chariots which his Sonne Ioseph had sent to carry him into Egipt. For what greater earthly comfort to a Father, then to see and heare his Child accepted of, and commended, by those that are wise, learned, and in place of gouernment, and authoritie. To knit vp all in a word, my especiall desire is, that it may please you to accept of my simple seruice herein, and to take this poore offering with like affection as that famous Artaxerxes did the Water which a poore man brought him in the hollow of his hand: which fauour, if I may find at your Worships hands (as I cannot doubt but it will easily be found) then shall I account my selfe thrice happy. Thus, beseeching the Almighty to multiply his blessinges vponupon you, and yours, with increase of Worship in this life, & perfection of Honour and Glory in the life to come, I commit you to the protectiō of him, who neuer leaueth his.
Prestwold. Iune. 20. 1612. Your Worships in Christ to be commanded during life, William Ward.