The Plain Mans Spiritual Plow, Title page – Dedication
THE PLAINE MA… Spirituall Plough.
CONTAINING THE GODLY and Spirituall Husbandrie.
Wherein eueryevery Chriſtian ought to be exerciſed, for the happie encreaſe of fruite, to eternall life.
By I. C. Preacher of the Word.
Ierem. 4.4.
Plough vp your fallowed ground: and ſowe not among the thornes.
LONDON Printed by Thomas Creede. 1607.
TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD, my very good Lord, William Cotton, Lord Biſhop of Exon. Grace, merciemercy, peace, and Pietie, in Ieſu Christ.
PTolomeus Philadelphus, king of Aegypt, (Right Reuerend Father) asking his frend, whom he had inuited to his Table, what was the greateſt glory of a Man: receiued of him this anſwere: Timan tòn theòn: To honour God: that not ſo much with gifts and ſacrifices, as with the Pietie of minde, and a godly purpoſe. Which ſaying, not onelyonly Ptolomaeus (being a right wiſe & learned Prince) well approued; but alſo thoſe Philoſophers which frequented his Preſence, with great conſtancie, both publiſhed and praiſed. Likewiſe, among the diuine Oracles of the wiſeſt Graecians, this was celebrated for a Principle, Epoū Theô; Imitate God: as that whereby men might be incited to acknowledge, to louelove, and to worſhip the higheſt Maieſtie. As the former hath an affinitie with that godly Affixe of Salomons laſt Solace; Feare God, and keepe his commandements. And the latter, a reſemblance of S. Pauls exhortation: Bee yee followers of God, as deare children: ſo, in either, that heroicall grace (I meane Pietie) is highly aduaunced, and no leſſe commended vntounto men, and that condignelie: for beeing the daughter of the heauenly Lógos, a right ſoueraigne Princeſſe, and of beautie, incomparabiliter pulchrior, quàm Helena Graecorum, (as Saint Auguſtine ſaide of the Veritie) ſhee is alſo (after Platoes definition) the perfect knowledge of the diuine worſhippe: alſo the beginning, the middle, and the end of mans life: tollerating the things before ſpoken of, hoping for that which is promiſed, teaching that which is commanded, mittigating the enormities of this world, wherein a man hath his Croſſe; and leading him to eternall life, wherein is his Crowne. This is the ſame (after Saint Pauls affirmation) which is to the Diuines the greateſt myſterie: to the contented, the richeſt treaſure: to men of moſt vtilitie, and that which (indeede) hath all the promiſes both of this life, and of the life to come. Neither is the greateſt wiſedome in all the world, which hath not anie combination with Pietie, of higher eſtimate, then that Religion which hath no wiſedome: for as the one among men is meere ſuperſtition (as that zeale which hath no knowledge): ſo is the other before God, verie fooliſhneſſe, and euermore liable to the ſenſe of that reſolute iudgement perdam ſapientum ſapientiam. Finally, this is that ſoueraigne Seede of the higheſt Power, without the which, there is placed no certaine difference betweene a man and a beaſt. Haec enim ſola (ſaide Lactantius) differentes homines à belius facit, & quam, qui non admittit, alienus à natura hominis, vitam pecudum ſub humana ſpecie vivit. Therefore, Pietie being in nature ſo good, in beautie ſo excellent, in myſterie ſo high, in price ſo ineſtimable, in vſe ſo profitable, in requeſt ſo neceſſarie, and in the ende ſo glorious; ſhee hath not onelyonly enamored her friendes, and furthered her followers: but at this time perſwaded theſe, and ſemblable productions, ſo correſpondent to Veritie, againſt the ſyniſter oppoſitions of the maleuolent foes.
Moreouer, for that Pietie is that ſoueraigne Seede, appointed by the decree of the moſt Holy, to be ſowen in the heart and minde of man, cōparable to that ground, which without the help of the Plough & manuall induſtrie, is neither fit for the ſeed, nor apt to beare fruit, for the deſire of which good effects, the cauſes ſhould not be neglected. I hauehave thought it as neceſſarie, as it is profitable, & no leſſe my duty, not only to affect this kind of Georgy with the ſpiritual good husbād▪ but alſo with the Plough-wright to aſſay the framing of ſuch an Aratre, as wherby my Lords field in this ſeed time, may be the better cultured, manured & prepared: the which I reſolued might the ſooner bee performed by placing (in a meet Antitheſis) the image of Impieties Plough, & manner of husbandry oppoſite to the ſame: ſo that, as vertues are beſt diſcerned by the conſideration of vices, & the cleare light eſteemed in reſpect of vgly darknes the wicked Hag Kakia might be abandoned, in the due regard of noble Euſebia, worthy to be honoured. And that being done in this form & frame, and my ſelf preſt to expoſe the Plough (by Gods help) to the Lords Land, I preſumed to dedicate the ſame to your good L: and at this time to preſēt it, as a grateful gift of this new yeere, the which I wiſh to be proſperous vntounto your L: and the whole Church. And herevnto was I iuſtly moued (in my cōceit) as for many others: ſo chiefly for theſe 3. cauſes: Firſt, for that, as I conſidered your L: high calling and like place in this particular part of the Church, ouer which the Holy Ghoſt hath made you Ouerſeer: ye are beyond many others ſo much the more excited to regard the good directiō of the Plough, the which is then beſt performed, when reſpecting rather Onus, thē Honos, with that good Elder, who in lieu of the firſt, deſerues well the ſecond: ye vrge on the Lords worke, for the benfit of the Church, the example of others, & the praiſe of the right Lord of this land. Secōdly, I was willing in this ſort (though ouer audatious) to expreſſe, as my gratefull mind & duty: ſo my hea…ty good will towards your L: whoſe fauors I hauehave ſo often enioyed, as well for others, as for my ſelfe: the which, ſeeing it was not ſo eaſie for me to obtain that wherwith to requite, as to deſire it (as Nazian alſo ſaid in the like) I was willing to offer, thogh not gold with the wiſe Magi: yet with Peter & Iohn, ſuch as I had. Thirdly, of all other my labors in the Church, I was the ſooner moued to commend this Georgie vntounto your L: becauſe, when ſometimes it pleaſed you to yeeld me audience in the aſſembly of my brethren at your viſitation, I then briefly intimated that in effect, which I hauehave ſithence conceiued & thus broght forth: hoping that as it was on that occaſion well meant of my part, and not diſliked either of your L or any other learned and then godly hearers: ſo eftſoones, theſe fragmēts collected, with ſome others of ſemblable nature, ſubiect and qualitie in this method diſgeſted, wil ſeeme neither harſh to your hearing, nor to your preſence vnpleaſant. It may therefore well pleaſe your wiſedome to accept of my good meaning, to pardon my defect, and admit my preſent, and Paſtor like to protect this Spirituall Plough, as wherby the Lords land may be well tilled, the husbandry furthered, the worke deſired, & the higheſt glorified. In this hope, I humbly take my leaue, committing my preſent to your Lordſhip, and the ſame with that right worſhipfull and vertuous Matron (Miſtris Cotton) and al yours to the heauenly Landlord, who be bleſſed for euer.
Norleigh in Deuon. this firſt of Ianuary. Anno ſalutis. 1606. Your good Lordſhips to be commanded in all dutie, IOHN CARPENTER.