A Model of Divinity, Dedication 3 – List
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL Mr GEORGE BYRCH, Maior of that famous and renowmed CITIE of NORWICH. AND TO THE RIGHT VVORShipfull Sr THOMAS HIERON, one of the Governours of the ſame Citie, and for this yeare high SHERIFFE of NORTHFOLKE.
TOGETHER WITH THE WHOLE Senate and Societie of the worthy and worſhipfull Iuſtices of Peace, Sheriffes, Aldermen, Common Councell, Commoners and Citizens, I. Y. wiſheth the proſperitie of all true peace and pietie.
I Should not (Right worſhipful and worthie Societie) hauehave preſumed to offer this place to ſo famous a Citie, but that the parts doe euer, or at leaſt ſhould, follow the nature and proceſſe of the whole. Our common Mother, in and by whom we are all borne … brought … Chriſtians, challengeth our firſt ſeruice. And becauſe ſome of you as well as my ſelfe hauehave enioyed ſo excellent a Nurſe and Foſter mother, cheriſhing and feeding vsus with the pureſt and moſt pleaſant liquor, til we came to ſome full and perfect age, wee ſhould doe amiſſe, if wee ſhould forget her in the chiefeſt and nobleſt of our thoughts. To you therefore I come, as being ſent from the breſts of my Mother, to giuegive you a taſte of her milke. OnelyOnly remember who it is that muſt giuegive the increaſe both to her in labouring, and you in profiting. Rebecca may Cooke the Veniſon: but Iſaack muſt giuegive the bleſſing. We can but ſpeake to the eare, God muſt ſpeake to the Conſcience. I wiſh we could condeſcend to the infancie of our Nurcelings, and become all vntounto all, rather ſtudying to make our people Schollers, then to ſhew our ſelues Schollers vntounto them. When the Iewes heard Paul, Act. 22.2. to ſpeake in their mother tongue, they both kept the more ſilence, and gaue the better audidence. Accept therefore the following Treatiſe, as a due acknowledgement of my louelove and thankefulneſſe, wiſhing not onelyonly with Philoſophers proſperitie, Phyſitians health, the common people ioy, Romanes ſafetie, S. Paul, welfare, but alſo with our bleſſed Sauiour, Mar. 9.50. Peace powdred with pietie: otherwiſe theſe congratulations of our ioy, ſhall but aequalize a drunken Nabals Sheepe ſheering, or the fatting of ſome Epicurean hogges, or the celebration of the feſtivall revels of the diſſolute crue, whoſe dyet and dainties are the Devils food. Cleanſe therefore the Augean ſtables of our drunken Tavernes and Tipling houſes, with all the blind vaults of profeſſed filthineſſe. The Citie of Alexandria in Egypt, nouriſhed the great Bird Ibis, to devoure the garbage and offall of it, and to cleanſe the ſtreetes; but he left of his owne filth and beaſtlineſſe more noyſome behinde him. They are the Devils deputies not Gods, who being ſet in their places, like the Kites feed themſelues with the offalls of the people; I meane, bribes to pervert the courſe of Iuſtice. They who in reformation ſeeme to amend the exorbitances of their places, and doe it not heartily, imitate the Phyſitian, who in an Hecticall body, laboureth to kill the itch, &c. Rouze vp your ſpirits, awaken your Chriſtian courage, and ſet your ſelues heartily againſt the crying ſinnes of theſe times. But I muſt take heed leaſt I runne into the inconvenience obiected by that Spartane to the Athenians, That wiſe men did conſult, and the ignorant giuegive ſentence. We may eaſily iudge our ſuperiours (conſulting of remedies) to be guilty of the increaſing of the maladies and miſchiefes of the State. Drunkenneſſe and the nurſeries of it, vſurping Sobrieties kingdome, as Adoniah did Salomons, hauehave gotten ſo ſtrong an head, that they can hardly be reſiſted. OnelyOnly let the Magiſtrate take to himſelfe a firme forehead, couragious heart, buſie hands, and not partiall, execute lawes with ſtrictneſſe and reſolution, and God ſhall bleſſe the ſame with happie ſucceſſe: If otherwiſe, God will ſuffer wickedneſſe to puniſh it ſelfe, and that no power can turne the ſtreame, becauſe God will hauehave it carry the offenders headlong to their perpetuall ruine, and his owne revenge: yet muſt the good Magiſtrate, even ſwimme againſt the tyde, knowing that without conqueſt, it is glorious to hauehave reſiſted: in this alone he were an enemie if he ſhould doe nothing, becauſe he ſees ſo little good come of all his traveile. Let but (worthy Magiſtrates) the endeuour be yours, and you may with comfort leaue the ſucceſſe to God; and ſo I ceaſe, neuer ceaſing to pray for you.
Yours in all Chriſtian dutie and ſeruice, IOHN YATES.
❧ An advertiſement to the READER.
THe truth and triall of this treatiſe (carefull Reader) may I hope the better be accepted without diſtruſt or diſtaſte, becauſe it hath paſſed thorow the fire, fanne and furnace of two iudicious and learned Divines, whom for honours ſake, I am bound to mention vntounto thee. The one is the Reverend and worſhipfull Mr Tho: Goad, Dr of Divinitie, by whoſe labour this worke is carefully corrected, and iudiciouſly ſupplied, where it might offend through want or weakneſſe, in any part or power of it: his ſtarres or his ſpits (that I may vſe Origens notes) hauehave beene welcome to this my Tractate. I expected his vnpartiall ſentence, and he hath done iuſtly to ſhut his friend out of doores, while this worke was diſcuſſed. Know therefore with me (good Reader) by whom thou haſt profited, and be thankfull. The other is Mr Alexander Richardſon, now deceaſed, to whom I hauehave done the office of a Chriſtian brother, in rayſing vp ſeed to the dead, to continue his name, that his memory and worth might not be put out of Iſrael. This ſkilfull Artiſt hath caſt and coyned the heads, and I would to God he had handled them before his death. Some few ſpecialties are vponupon neceſſary cauſe altered, but they are of ſo ſmall moment, that they make no great breach in the body, neither in thy knowledge in viewing of the order and methode of Religion. I know if the diſcourſe as well as the heads had proceeded from the ſame hand, they would hauehave beene more accurate and perfect. A ſhaft ſhot by the hand of a Gyant, and a childe differ much; yet will I not in a fond admiration, and apiſh imitation of any perſon make all his deeds and doctrines like the reflection of a looking glaſſe, to frame all thoughts and things by his ſhadow. This were but to catch Doterels, and ſhew feats of actiuitie, to deceiue the ſimple. Againe, if ſome little thing be cenſured in the firſt inventor, I hope they that louelove him, will not thinke, as good friends as they deale with him, like Gnatts, which after they hauehave made a ſweete kinde of Muſicke, euermore ſting before they depart. I feare not thy profit in it, if thou will ſubmit both it and thy ſelfe to the true touch-ſtone, I meane the ſacred Scriptures; otherwiſe with Perillus thou mayest periſh in thy owne inventions, and thine owne cunning at the laſt will fayle thee, and leaue thee as Abſolons Mule left his rebellious Maſter betweene heauen and earth. Conſider therefore what is ſaid, and the Lord giuegive thee vnderſtanding in all things, that thou mayeſt be no leſſe wiſe, then good. Amen.
¶ The Table of Religion, containing the Creed, the ten Commandements, the Lords Prayer, and the Sacraments.
Religion, whose parts are
Faith it selfe
In God
Which is eueryevery mans owne, I beleeve.
who is
one in essence.
In three persons
Father
Almightie.
Maker of
heauen
earth.
Sonne
who is
by name
Iesus.
Christ.
that
onelyonly begotten
our Lord.
who
humbled himselfe in
Life by being
both
Conceived by the holy Ghoſt.
Borne of the Virgin Mary.
and by
Suffering vnderunder Pontius Pilate.
being Crucified.
Death
Dying
and
being buried.
deſcended into hell
Exalted
Firſt by riſing againe
from the dead
the third day.
then
by his aſcending into heauen.
and
ſitting at the right hand of God.
his coming to Judge
quicke.
dead.
holy Ghost.
of the Church
which is
holy.
Catholicke.
whoſe benefits are
in this life
Communion of Saints.
foriueneſſe of ſinnes.
in the life to come
Reſurrection of the body.
Life euerlasting
The workes of faith
The Law the rule of
holineſſe, which is the worſhip of God. Table 1.
who is to be worſhipped
alone. Commandment 1.
with his owne worſhip. 2.
which muſt be
handled with all reuerence. 3.
leanred with all diligence. 4.
Iuſtice, which is our dutie to man. Table 2.
In
ſpeciall, our Parents. Commandement 5.
general, when we muſt preſerue
life. Commandment 6.
then his
chastitie. 7.
and
goods. 8.
good name 9.
with the whole man. 10.
and
prayer
where there is a reuerend place.
whoſe parts are
eyther
petition
where we craue graces
Spiritiall.
The Hallowing of his name. 1.
or
the enlargemēt of his kīgdome 2.
doing of his will, as in heauen, ſo in earth. 3.
Temporall, the giuing of vsus our daily bread this day. 4.
deprecation
Forgiueneſſe of ſinnes, as we orgiue others. 5.
Not to be deliuered into temptation, but deliuered from euill. 6
thankeſgiuving, wherein we acknowledge that to God belongeth for ever.
The gouernment of all things, for thine is the kingdome.
as alſo
power.
glory.
the ſhutting vp thereof Amen.
Sacraments
Baptiſme.
The Lords Supper.