A Hand of Fellowship to Help Keep Out Sin and Antichrist, Dedication 5
TO HIS MVCH RESPECTED FRIENDS, Maſter PETER CVRTHOPE Gentleman, and Miſtreſſe IANE, his moſt deare and beloued Wife: Grace in this world, and glory in the world to come, through Chriſt our common SAVIOVR.
My right worthy friends:
HOW can I be vnmindfull of you, who finde you ſtill mindfull both of me and mine? My ſtudies are much refreſhed by you both: if then amid my ſtudies, I, acknowledging others kindneſſes, ſhould be forgetfull of yours, my thankfulneſſe would bee neere a wracke. Receiue therefore this my poore Preſe…t: and if I cannot ſhew my ſelfe in what I would, I hope you will accept of what I can. Bookes were neuer more plentifull; as knowledge, they doe abound as waters of the Sea: yet there was neuer more need of good ones, as being one ſpeciall meanes to pull downe ſinne and Antichriſt. I cannot commend mine to be ſuch: yet, as Gods gifts, I can commend my deſires to be forward (as I am able) to doe God ſeruice both by tongue and pen. I ſee the iustice of God giuing ouer ſome, who had no louelove to the truth, to beleeue the lies of the Man of Sinne. And God hauing made me a poore Watchman in his Church, I would willingly warne mine owne ſheepe of the danger, both by word and writing; yet, before it goeth to others, it doth come vntounto you both, acknowledging your furtherances of it, and crauing your fauours both to entertaine and vſe it as your owne. We poore Schollers doe wearie our bodies many waies: by writing amongst the reſt. But a valiant man will not ſtand vponupon the breach of his weapon, ſo he may get the victorie: nor we vponupon the wearying and wearing of our bodies, if we may gaine what we fight for, to wit, the acceptance of our labours by them to whom wee doe intend them, together with the ſaluation of their ſoules. How-euer the ſucceſſe may be, my hope ſhall lift vp my head amid all my faintings. Neither doe I feare, but that good people will giuegive approbation to what I hauehave rather laboured to doe, than done. My aime is but to ſtriue for Religion, and for that Religion which will giuegive vsus comfort before God. I hauehave conſidered many times the danger of Idolatrie: as firſt, that Idolaters are a ſottiſh people, who, through Gods iuſt iudgement,Eſay 46.6, 7, 8. Eſay. 54.9, &c. withhold the truth in vnrighteouſneſſe, and will not walke in the light of reaſon. Secondly, that they are a cruell people,Dan 3. like Nebuchadnezzar, who garded his Idoll with a fiery fornace, and heat it ſeuen times hotter for the true worſhippers of God; and like the ancient perſecutors vnderunder the Romane Emperours, who put Chriſtians vponupon croſſes and ſtakes, who did teare and ſcratch their ſides with nailes and clawes, who cast them vntounto beaſts, and burnt and broyled them with fire, and the like. Thirdly, that they are an alluring people, who hauehave their vermilion Images, like thoſe that tempted Ieruſhalem, and their great rewards like the Deuill,Matth. 4. All this will I giuegive thee (ſaith he to Christ) if thou wilt fall downe and worſhip mee: In which reſpects as Images or Idols are called Louers, ſo Idolaters, Whore-mongers, who will ſpare for no coſt or paine to ſatisfie their luſts; like Nebuchadnezzar, who made his Image of gold,Dan. 3. and countenanced it with varietie of muſicke, to wooe the minds of the ſimple, and to ſtirre vp ſuperſtitious affections. And hauing laid vp theſe things with my ſelfe, and ſeeing withall that Poperie cannot (with all its ſubtill euaſions) waſh it ſelfe from deepe ſtaine in this kinde; equalling, if not exceeding euen Heatheniſme it ſelfe in varietie of Idolatrous louers, as we may ſee by comparing the multiplicitie of heatheniſh and Romiſh Idols. When I hauehave conſidered, I ſay,Ʋide Wolfgang. Muſcul. in Pſal. 16. & Epiſc. Der. in diat. de Antichr. cap. 7. l. b. 3. cum multis alijs. that as the Heathens had protecting Idols for Nations, as Belus for the Babylonians, Iſis and Oſyris for the Aegygtians, Neptune for the Africanes, the Sunne for Rhodes, Iuno for Samos, Venus for Paphos, Apollo for Delphos, Quirinus for Rome, Minerua for Athens, and Diana for Epheſus: So Rome hath Saint Iames for Spaine, Saint Dennis for France, Saint Peter and Paul for Rome, Saint Ambroſe for Millane, Saint Marke for Venice, the three Kings for Collen, Saint Lewis for Pannonia, and Saint Mary for Heluetia. And as the Heathens had guardians for the Elements, as Iupiter for the Heauen and Fire, Iuno for the Aire, Neptune for the Sea, and Pluto for the Earth: So Rome hath Saint Agatha for the Fire, Saint Nicholas for the Sea, and Saint Theodulus for Tempeſts. And as the Heathens had guardians for the Fruits of the earth, as Bacchus for Wine, and Ceres for Fruit: So Rome hath Saint Iodocus for Fruits, and Saint Vrbanus for Wine. And as the Heathens had guardians for their Cattell, as Apollo and Pan: So Rome hath Saint Wendaline for Sheepe, Saint Eulogius for Horſe, Saint Pelagius for Oxen, and Saint Anthony for Swine. And as the Heathens had their protectors for Trades, Arts and Sciences, as Minerua for Learning, Vulcan for Smiths, Aeſculapius for Phyſitians, Mars for Warriours, Diana for Hunters, Caſtor and Pollux for Sea-faring-men, and Flora, Venus and Lupa for Harlots: So Rome hath Saint Catherine and Gregorie for Schollars, Saint Luke for Painters, Saint Coſmas for Phyſitians, Saint Maurice for Souldiers, Saint Eulogius for Carpenters, Saint Criſpine for Shoo-makers, Saint Gutmane for Taylors, Saint Magdalen and Afra for Harlots. And laſtly, as the Heathens had their guardians againſt Diſeaſes, as Apollo againſt the Plague, Lucina againſt the paines of Womens trauailes, and Hercules againſt the Falling-ſickneſſe: So Rome hath Saint Sebaſtian againſt the Plague, Saint Petronel againſt an Ague, Saint Marke againſt ſudden Death, Saint Margaret againſt the paines of Womens labours, S. Otilia againſt the diſeaſes of the Eyes, S. Apollonia againſt the Tooth-ache, and the like. The conſideration of all theſe and many other obiects of Idolatrie (none of which were of Gods making) hath made me many times to ſearch into the cauſe of Religion, and to ſtriue both with my ſelfe and others, that all inſinuating Idolatrie being laid aſide and abhorred, the truth may take place both in our heads and hearts. I know that deepe deciſions of controuerſies are not ſo eaſily apprehended in our ordinary aſſemblies. I hauehave ſought therefore to bring the truth vntounto the eaſieſt triall, in remouing ſuch ordinary exceptions as it is ſubiect vntounto by the wiſe men of the world. Whatſoeuer it be, I doe offer it vntounto both your hands: deſiring God that it may confirme you in the truth of our true Religion. It ſhall be my reioycing to ſee you and yours alwaies walking in the truth, and ſo humbly reſigning your ſelues to the diuine wiſdome of Gods word, both for the direction of your ſoules and bodies, that God may neuer hauehave iuſt cauſe to giuegive you ouer to Schiſme, Hereſie, Vanitie, or any other wickedneſſe whatſoeuer. Euen ſo humbly prayeth he, who hath ſome few yeeres had experience of your great louelove, and who deſireth to continue
Your faithfull Shepherd, ROBERT ABBOT.