Gods Arraignment of Hypocrites, Religious tract 2 · Dedication
❧ TO THE RIGHT Worſhipfull Sir IOHN CROFTS, a true louer of learning, Grace and Peace.
BEEING well perſwaded (right Worſh.) both of your good knowledge in Gods holy truth, & of your vnfained affection therunto, I could not but in louelove and duty, preſent you with ſome: part of my labours. I hauehave reſerued vntounto you the laſt part of my booke, but not the leaſt part of my louelove: the laſt is ſometimes the beſt, and I doubt not but the experience of Gods louelove toward you, will conſtraine you to confeſſe this laſt to be the beſt, ſeeing I am fully perſwaded, that you knowe that there is nothing like vntounto the feaſt of a good conſcience. The reaſon why I would with-hold the Reader a little in ſuſpence, is for that I hauehave wearied him with a large diſcourſe, and as yet hauehave giuen him no refreſhment: therefore being … in the laſt period of my text, which is the placing of ſinne before the conſcience, a torment moſt lamentable, wofull, and miſerable, I ſhould vtterly breake his heart, if I ſhould giuegive him no breathing. No ſtrappade, racke, wheele, or any exquiſite torture euer inuented by the witte of man is comparable to this. The Poets hauehave ma…ked this vnderunder the furies of hell, whoſe hayres on their heads they hauehave, compared to ſnakes, their eies to ſparkling fire, their faces grim and grieſly, their hands full of burning torches, &c. The maske beeing taken off, the morall will prooue no fable, but a plaine expreſſion of the greateſt horror and diſtreſſe of mind, that poſſibly can bee imagined: no phyſickeeither by purgation can dispatch this humour; or cordialls by their ſweeteſt spirits, drine theſe ſpirits from the trembling heart: No ſurgerie either by corraſiue, can eate it out; lenitiue, mitigate and aſſwage the paine; oyles mollifie, or ſalues cure. Friendſhip by louelove, labour, intreatie, gifts, ranſomes, pledges, &c. may deliuer a man out of priſon: but who can vnlock the priſon dores of the conſcience, knocke off the bolts, heale vp the wounds, refreſh the decaied ſpirits of a ſorrowfull mind? if there were but one of a thouſand, he were better then millions of gold and ſiluer: but alas, there is but one in all the world, and he ſeemes to be ſo farre remote, that the conſcience dare neuer once imagine, that if he were ſent for he would make any haſt to come in time. Power and commaundmay recouer a man from baniſhment, but what command ſhall preuaile with the powers of darkenes, and the gates of hell? Authoritie and timecan we are out reproach: but eternitie it ſelfe cannot out-laſt this ſorrowe: no countenance can beare it out, or fauour releiue it: this dies not when we die, but makes vsus liue, when with all our hearts we would be dead. Therefore (right Worſh.) patronage a fewe verſes of a bad Poet: I hauehave deſired to make them ſauourie meat: if they taſt harſhly, excuſe the cooke for his good-will, as ready to make amends in the next ſeruice: if they want arte, or be dreſſed without their ſugred ſauce, I hope a good appetite wil ſerue inſteed of that ſeruice. And the rather I offer them vntounto your ſelfe, becauſe I hauehave made bold to dreſſe them with ſome of your fire, and I doubt not but in regard thereof, they wil be a little the warmer: and though I would not wiſh that any man ſhould ſcald himſelfe with ouer-haſty tasting; yet doe I wiſh with all my heart, that the fire of your zeale againſt the ſacrilegious patrones of our dayes, might a little diſſolue the cold and frozen hearts of theſe robbers of Churches, to worke in them a better reſpect vntounto Gods people, and the good of their owne ſoules. And ſo praying the Lord to make your heart ſtable and vnblameable in holineſſe, I commit you to his grace in Chriſt Ieſus.
Auguſt. 10. 1615. Yours in all good affection, IOHN YATES.