A Brand Taken out of the Fire, Title page – Dedication 3
A Brand taken out of the Fire. Or The Romish Spider, with his Webbe of Treason. Wouen and Broken: together with The seuerall vses that the World and Church shall make thereof. Gathered out of the 64. Psalme.
Psal. 112. vers. 18.
This shall be written for the generations to come, and the people that are created shall praise the Lord.
AT LONDON Printed by G. Eld for Iohn Hodgets, and are to be sould at his shop in Paules Church-yeard. 1606.
To the High and excellent Princesse ELIZABETH, eldest Daughter to our Soueraigne Lord IAMES by the grace of God of Great Britaine, France and Ireland King, defendor of the faith.
MOst gracious Princesse: vouchsafe (I pray you) the remembrance of that blessing, the enioying whereof (I doubt not) was exceedingly welcome vntounto you. And let your fauourable acceptance, pardon the boldnes of the remembrancer, who hauing nothing of his owne, worthy to congratulate your Highnesse comming vntounto our Cittie, hath beene glad to take the oportunitie of that gift, which the Lord hath bestowed vponupon you, in this great deliuerance, and to present you with the remembrance of your owne renewed estate. For as in this deliuerance, whatsoeuer you are, or hauehave, is newly giuen vntounto you: your most renowned Father, and Princely Mother, your louing brethren, and tender sister yourselfe & all: all new gifts, euen newly created; by this great worke of God: so is this remēbrance, a renuing of this great deliuerance, as reuiuing the worke daily vntounto you, & prouoking you thereby to answer it in newnes of life. Accept therefore I beseech you (most excellent Lady) the reuiuing of that worke, by which you are that which you are: that so it may further you to that which (by Gods mercy) you shalbe. And to this end shall my vowes and praiers be renued vntounto our God for you, And so I humbly commend your Grace to the grace of God.
Your Graces most bounden, Thomas Cooper.
To the right Honourable, the Lord Harington, and his most vertuous Ladie.
RIGHT HONOVRABLE: seeing the Lord hath ioyned you both in the benefit of this great deliuerance: therefore hauehave I beene emboldened to ioyne your Honours also in this remembrance thereof. Though I doe not say with the Iewes, concerning the Centurion, that you are worthy of this blessing: yet I may safely say what Peter did of the other Centurion: that herein hath the Lord remembred your louelove vntounto the Gospell, and care vntounto his Saints. My hearts desire is, that this deliuerance may encrease these blessings vntounto you, that so you may grow vp from grace to grace, 'till you attaine vntounto the full measure of the age of Iesus Christ: to whose blessed protection I commend your Honours, and your Princely Charge. And so I humblie take my leaue.
Your Honours in all dutie. Thomas Cooper.
To the Right Worshipfull my Christian friends and Auditors, maister Mayor of Couentrie, Maister Arch-deacon: the Iustices, Maister Steward, All those of the Councels, together with All that doe vnfainedly louelove the Lord Iesus, and do long after his glorious appearance.
RIght Worshipfull, two causes there are which hauehave moued me to put forth these plaine and vnpolished meditations: the one is the generall good which we hauehave all receiued from the hand of our gracious God in this late great deliuerance of Prince and people, Church and common-wealth, from that bloudie and hellish practise of our desperate aduersaries: the other is that particular good which I hauehave receiued from you, since my comming among you. Concerning the common good which we hauehave all beene partakers of: surely it hath beene such, and so great, as that if we should holde our peace, the very stones would speake. And therfore that they may not be a witnesse against me, I hauehave in your hearing spoken of this deliuerance. And because it is required that we should not onelyonly declare the worke of God, but commend it also by writing vntounto the generations to come: therfore hauehave I taken this further paines, to commit to writing such notes as I hauehave obserued concerning this great worke, that they may be trials of our present thankefulnesse, for the blessings receiued, and furtherances also to strengthen our faith, and establish our posteritie, that they may waite vponupon the Lord in the affiance of the like mercies.
And the rather hauehave I beene incouraged herevnto, by that particular good which from time to time, since my comming among you, I hauehave receiued from you, that so it might be some pledge of my thankefulnesse vntounto you for the same. I may well say you hauehave comforted my body, and my soule: not onelyonly my outward man, when I was a stranger to you, and by reason of the visitation of my familie, in some affliction. A kindnesse which by Gods mercy I shall not faile to leaue recorded to posteritie, when opportunitie shall serue: but specially my soule and inward man: in beholding your Order and louelove vntounto the Gospell. Which though it hath made you stincke in the Nostrels of the common aduersarie: yet hath this sauour of your oyntmens, caused the Saints to louelove you: yea the hatred of your enemies hath the Lord recompenced with such extraordinary pledges of his fauour, As that you hauehave not onelyonly your liues & liberties giuē you for a prey, but further also the Lord hath honoured your Cittie with the presence and protection of a gracious Princesse: not onelyonly by making your Cittie an harbour for a season vntounto that royall branch, but thereby in mercy opening a way (if you shall accept it) by so comfortable a protection, to the strengthening & continuance of your holy libertie in the waies of God, And surely if you shall not vse your libertie as an occasion, to the fl…sh: if the dead flies of hypocrisie, and luke-warmnesse shall not corrupt that pretious ointment: but you shall streng…hen that which is ready to die, and doe the first workes, and continue therein: you shall vndoubtedly be a sweete swelling sauour in the nostrils of the Lord, and so not onelyonly hauehave your Cittie blessed with the dew of heauen, and fatnesse of the earth, but by the merciemercy of God, you shall be lead forth in your most holy faith, to receiue the ends therof euen the saluation of your soules: Which, as I do heartily sigh and long after, so hauehave I to this end thought fit to stirre vp your pure mindes by these meditations: that you might hauehave somewhat of mine with you, as a pledge of my thankefulnesse vntounto you, for your louelove towards me: and a Spurre to prouoke and continue our thankefulnesse vntounto God, for his wonderfull mercies, renued and continued vntounto vsus, in this great deliuerance: and that herein I may free my selfe from imputation of vanity and negligence, which may happily arise from the strangenesse of the Title, and plainenesse of the matter, giuegive me leaue (I pray you) to yeeld you reasons of them both.
Concerning the Title, my purpose is therein to discouer the nature of our aduérsaries, who would hauehave done vsus so great euill. A very cursed generation, and full of deadly poyson, extreamly cruell where they can preuaile: and yet by the Iustice of God, breeding their owne bane, when their sinne is full, euen bursting a sunder with the poyson thereof, and iustly confounded with their owne malice. So is the Spider, Yea as the Spiders Webbe is cunningly Wouen, and quickly broken, so are and shal be the deuises of our aduersaries: they shall not be established by their iniquitie: but their owne cunning hath and shall be their confusion. And let this satisfie you concerning the Title.
As for the plainenesse, and rudenesse of the matter, if you doe duly consider the rule of my direction. I trust you will acknowledge, that the power of the spirit is best seene in weaknes: and that plaine lines, doe best answer a straight and euen leuell: the euidence of the spirit, is best seene in plainenesse. You see I hauehave informed my selfe in these meditations, by the most perfect Paterne: a Psalme of that Princely Prophet Dauid, that man of afflictions: when his life was indangered by the subtiltie and violence of his close and trecherous enemies. To be deliuered from these, he flies vntounto his God in prayer: and the rather to preuaile, he layes before the Lord the desperate practises of his enemies: thereby implying: that vnlesse the Lord stood vntounto him, hee iustly feared that they would swallow him vp. This feare of his, is the rather confirmed: because he saw them soddaine and fearelesse in their mischieuous practises: And why they should be thus fearlesse, he discouers in the next words: because they did by many sorts of incouragements meet with this feare. And here begin our meditatiōs: deriued as you see frō this pure fountaine: and watered all along with the streames therof. If this heauenly treasure hath so shined in this earthen ves sell, that the excellencie of that power, may appeare to be of God, and not of vsus: giuegive God the glory in the treasure, and be humbled in respect of the vessell. If the vessell hath receiued that honour from this beauenly treasure, as not to hauehave handled it craftily and deceitfully: but in declaration of the truth shalbe approued, to eueryevery mans conscience in the sight of God.
Then if our Gospell be hid, it is hid to them th… …ish. But I perswade myselfe better things of you, euen su… …company saluation. And let this be your triall, that you are contented to heare the same things againe. So accepting these paines according to the entent thereof, you shall happily ease yourselues of the Mother and the Daughter, forgetfulnesse and vnthankfulnesse: and burthen me willingly with further paines, for the further building of you vp in Iesus Christ. To whose protection I commit you. I pray you to beare with the faults escaped in the printing, and correct the grosser of them as followeth.
Pag. 19. lin. 11. for rest, read cost. ead. lin. 21. for that may, read that we may. ead. lin. 1. for we, read he. ead. lin. 29. for bloudie execution, read for the bloudie execution. pag. 22. lin. 30. for Rhamaes, read Pharaoes. pag. 23. lin. 5. for perpetuall, read externall. ead. lin. 8. for framing, read foaming. ead. lin. 30. for so Satan, read superstition. pag. 29. lin. 30. for thing, read change. pag. 34. lin. 28. for saue, read some. pag. 35. lin. 24. for life restored, read life are restored. pag. 43. lin. 28. for meane, read mayne. pag. 44. lin. 28. for the, read these.