A Preparative to Contention, Title page – Dedication
A Preparatiue to Contentation: Conteining a diſplay of the wonderfull diſtractions of men in opinions and ſtraunge Conceits: And of the ſeuerall Diſcontentations which are incident to euerie particular vocation and condition of men in this life, with the cauſes and inconueniences of the ſame: Alſo how they may be either ſalued or qualified, pacified or eaſed.
Confected Applicatorie, eſpecially to this people and time, as an Argument moſt neceſſary and profitable to be vrged.
By Iohn Carpenter.
2. Pet. 2.17.
LoueLove brotherly fellowſhip. Feare God.
Honour the Prince.
Prou. 24.1.
LONDON Printed by Thomas Creede. 1597.
❧TO THE MOST Noble Theophilos, the friend, and welbeloued of God: I. C. wiſheth the right happie increaſe and continuance of the Grace, louelove, and peace of God, and the higheſt felicitie in Ieſu Chriſt.
AS he which regardeth the wind, ſhall not ſow: and he that reſpecteth the cloudes, ſhall not reape, (as ſaith Salomon) ſo,Eccle: 11.4 if eueryevery wel-willing mind that would gladly benefit the Church and common wealth, ſhould bee diſcouraged by the partiall cenſures of ſtraunge conceited heades, and the ſtinging obloquie of vncharmed tongs (wherewith the ingratefull worlde is repleniſhed) many things which bee both profitable and neceſſarie for either ſtate, would bee couched in thriftleſſe obſcuritie: and, as a thouſand learned wits hauehave bin thereby the ſooner occaſioned to fling from their fingers, both the pen and the paper, enterring moſt vnhappily their Lords Talent: there would preſently be ſeene too to many of thoſe negligent fooles, which perceiuing that all trauaile, and the perfection of workes do purchaſe emulation and enuie of one man towards an other, doo folde their handes with this ſorie reſolution: Yet one morſell with quietneſſe, is better, Eccles. 4.5.6then both the hands-full with labour and vexation of ſpirit. And as for mine owne parte (most Noble Theophilos) although I ſpeake of peace, and prepare for Contentation: yet hauehave I no leſſe cauſe of care and diſcouragement proffered me therein, when I aſſure my ſelfe to meete with them which are Enemies to peace, and (in their Diſcontented hearts) prepare themſelues to warre: for as the moſt vnnaturall maladies and venemous humours do moſt ſtrongly wraſtle and ſtriue againſt the ſoueraigne ſalues, and wholſome medicines which are diſcreetly prepared and applied to expel and purge them, & to reſtore health vntounto the patient: ſo is it the nature of the vaine men of this world (eſpecially of ſuch as are Moriones Diaboli, I meane the diriders of religion) to ſtriue and ſtruggle againſt thē which prepare to purge and heale ſuch paſſionate perſons: Neither will they like well of any medicine, how good and ſoueraigne ſoeuer it bee, that ſhall be applied vntounto their maladies. Howbeit, becauſe The Truth is ſtrong and preuaileth, and the Author of Truth hath taught, that whoſoeuer he bee which hath receiued either one Talent, or two Talents, or fiue Talents, after his abilitie, hee is to imploy and occupie the ſame accordingly: and hath alſo willed all them who minde to bee worthie partakers of the Supper of the great King, to eſchewe all excuſes and delaies: I hauehave thereon preſumed and aduentured in this ſort to caſt fourth my bread as on the face of the waters: Eccles. 11.1yet in this good hope, that in the length of dayes it ſhall bee recouered, and that my labours in the Lorde ſhall not bee in vaine. Next, for aſmuch as it is the bounden dutie of eueryevery leige Subiect,1 Cor. 15.58 ſo to tender and regard the ſafetie of his Prince, and the welfare of his Countrey, that when he perceiueth either the forreigne enemie to prepare his forces and endeuour to inuade: or the vnnaturall Subiectes to withdrawe their obedience and incline to rebellion: hee withſtande the one and ſuppreſſe the other to his power: defending and preſeruing both his Prince and Countrey, I thought it no leſſe my dutie to do the like. Therefore, when I conſidered how Nimrod that mightie Hunter before the Lorde, on the one ſide had called togither and muſtred his forces and aſſiſtants towardes the reedifying of the confuſed Tower of Babel; Pſal. 137and that the diſſembling Edomites on the other ſide, had aſſayed to raiſe and pull downe the repayred walles of Hieruſalem: and had taken vntounto them in that Action, the Iſmalites, the Moabites, the Hagarenes, Gebal and Ammon, and Amalek, the Philiſtines, and them that dwell at Tyre, with Aſſur, who hauehave caſt their heads togither, and are confederate againſt the Lord and his holy Annointed: yea, and that ſome other, pretending to new build with Zorobabel and the principall fathers of Iſrael, 1 Iſra. 4.23.hauehave rather hindred, then any way furthered the Lords worke, and hauehave practized without ceaſing to reduce our State, and ſo well ordered Common-wealth into an heedeleſſe Anarchie, and lawleſſe libertie,VVant of gouernment. which ingender nought elſe, but a monſtrous Ataxie and wofull infelicitie (from the which,A confuſion or diſorder. I beſeeche God in his merciemercy to keepe and defend vsus): I was thereuppon vehemently prouoked and ſtirred vp to ſtand foorth and to acquite my ſelfe (though as the meaneſt of others yet) Zorobabel, Nehemiah, and other the principall Builders vnderunder our moſt redoubted Lord Ieſus, to ſet hand to the Lords worke, the which being begun, he would ſhould be vrged: beeing in hande, hee willeth to bee furthered: and beeing accompliſhed, he commaundeth the ſame to be maintained accordingly. To, and for the which purpoſe, I hauehave taken in the one hand an Inſtrument to build for and with, Iſrael: & in the other hand a Sworde to fight againſt the foes of Iſrael: beeing right well aſſured, that the wiſedome of God (the which Ireuerence and highly eſteeme) is better then the weapons of warre: and that the valour of his Grace is preferred far aboue al the power, prudence, and pollicie of man. And ſeeing that it is that naughtie humor of Diſcontentation. (engendred in Ambitious heads, and in diſtracted mindes) that ſo much enflameth & agonizeth the ſtate of our church and Common-wealth, the which it laboureth to loade with ſuch inconueniences, as are not onelyonly dreadfull and daungerous, but moſt miſerable and remedileſſe. I thought it good in this time, and vponupon this occaſion, to diſplay on the one ſide, the horribleneſſe of that humour, and to diſſwade men from the ſame: on the other ſide, to ſhewe the vnſpeakable good of Contentation) the which ſpringeth vp of the feare of God, and combineth with true obedience to the Prince and brotherly louelove) and to perſwade all men to imbrace it, as that which is not onelyonly commaunded and commended in the word of God, but alſo eſteemed, honoured and obſerued of them that be the Lords. For this cauſe I hauehave both framed and intituled this diſcourſe, A Preparatiue to Contentation. This hauing finiſhed, and perpending to whome I might chiefely dedicate the ſame, I happily thought on thee (Moſt Noble Theophilos) to whoſe Nobilitie before all others, I both preſent and commend it, mooued to this choiſe by no meane cauſes. For firſt I conſider of thy worthineſſe beeing (indeede) the friende and welbeloued of God, and therein preferred to all others, as is the ſoule to the body and things caeleſtiall, to the things terreſtriall.
2 Next, I am not ignorant that theſe and ſuch like things which concerne the kingdome of God, doo properly appertaine vntounto ſuch as being of God beloued, doo alſo louelove and feare him; the which Saint Luke well conſidered, and therefore hauing compoſed two learned Volumes of the Euangelicall Hiſtory, he dedicated them both vntounto his deare Theophilos. Luke 1.3. Acts 1.1. Thirdly, it is certaine that the moſt reuerend Name and note of thy Nobilitie, doth adde ſuch an Admirable Grace to the things, which to the ſame commended thy worthineſſe, vouchſaueth to accept, that in regard thereof, they are the ſooner admitted and imbraced, as thoſe, which were ſometimes offred in the Temples, and conſecrated to holy vſes, hauehave beene eſteemed for pretious Iewelles, as Plynie ſaid, writing to Veſpaſian the Emperour.
4 Thy right willing and gratefull heart, in the ready acceptation and right eſtimation of thoſe things (though ſlender and by meane perſons) of good will dedicated to thy Nobilitie, is apparant and commended: the which (beeing well weighed (coulde not but mooue me at this time, to caſt into thy Treaſure-houſe this my good-wil offring, though ſo ſlender, as the two mytes of the pore wydow mentioned in the Goſpell.
5 Being the faithfull of the Lord, and of him ſo wel-beloued, thou wilt not admit, that either thoſe which ſlide of ignorance, infirmitie or feare, ſhould bee made publique examples of diſgrace: or that whatſoeuer is eyther ſayd, written, or wrought (eſpecially by them that thereby endeuour to benefit the church and common-wealth) ſhoulde bee wreſted and vrged with hard cenſures and like conſtructions: but rather, that the multitude of ſinnes ſhould be charitably couered, and all things taken in the better ſence, and fauourably conſtrued. Therefore I hauehave beene moſt willing to ſubmit my ſelfe and my labours in this parte vntounto thy godly Iudgment, and right charitable conſtructions.
6 As it hath pleaſed god in his louelove & merciemercy, both to grace and protect thee, ſo hath he alſo giuen thee a will & abilitie to fauour and defend both his ineſtimable truth, & the true profeſſours thereof: that ſo, howſoeuer the worldlings rage and raue againſt the one and the other, VViſedome may bee yet iuſtified of her Children: the Truth and her louers approoued and defended of them that louelove and feare the Lord.
7 Finally: I hauehave been moſt willing (moſt worthie Theophilos) in this ſort to ſignifie my heartie affection and good will towards thee: for whoſe happie increaſe and perſeueraunce in the louelove and grace of God, with all proſperitie I pray daylit vntounto his Diuine Maieſtie, and that by thine happie Miniſterie he would vouchſafe yet to helpe, ſuſtaine and edifie his Church, and promote and further that true, auncient, liuelie and Catholique faith and holy Religion within this realm and Church of England: the which hath theſe many yeares of our peace bin worthily defended in the ſame, by our right Christian and moſt Soueraigne Princeſſe Queene Elizabeth, whoſe moſt excellent Maieſtie, the moſt mightie God long proſper and preſerue to reigne ouer, vsus, for the comfort of his Church, and his high Glorie. And thus I commend this Preparatiue vntounto thee (moſt Noble Theopilos) and thy ſelf vntounto him who hath both loued, graced, and bleſſed thee in his Sonne Ieſu Chriſt: to whome be praiſed and glory for euer more, Amen.