Five Sermons 1, Dedication 3
TO HIS SACRED MAIESTIE.
MOST GRATIOVS SOVERAIGNE
AMongſt the many comforts of my Ministery, to the embracing wherof, Almightie God was pleaſed, to mooue the heart of your Maieſties bleſſed Father, of holy memory, to mooue mine, this is a great one, That your Maiesty is pleaſd ſome times, not only to receiue into your ſelfe, but to returne, vntounto others, my poore Meditations, and ſo by your gracious commandement of publiſhing them, to make your ſelfe as a Glaſſe, (when the Sun it ſelfe is the Goſpell of Chriſt Jeſus) to reflect, & caſt them vponupon your Subiects. It was a Metaphor in which, your Maiesties Bleſſed Father ſeemd to delight; for in the name of a Mirroir, a Looking Glaſſe, he ſometimes preſented Himſelfe, in his publique declarations & ſpeeches to his People; and a continued Metaphor is an Allegory, and holds in more. So your Maieſtie doth more of the offices of ſuch a Glaſſe; You doe that office which Moſes his Glaſſes did, at the Brazen Sea in the Temple, (for you ſhow others their ſpots, and in a Pious and vnſpotted life of your owne, you ſhow your Subiects their deficiences) And you doe the other office of ſuch Glaſſes, by this communicating to all, the beames which your Maieſtie receiud in your ſelfe. Wee are in Times when the way to Peace is Warre, but my Profeſsion leades not me to thoſe Warres; And wee are in Times when the Peace of the Church, may ſeeme to implore a kinde of Warre, of Debatements and Conferences in ſome points; but my diſpoſition leades mee not to that Warre neither. For in this Sermon, my onelyonly purpoſe was, that no By-ſtander, ſhould bee hurt, whileſt the Fray laſted, with either Opinion. And that your Maieſtie accepts it ſo your ſelfe, & ſo reflects it vponupon others, I humbly beſeech your Maiestie to accept alſo this Sacrifice of Thanksgiuing, for that, From
Your Sacred Maieſties humbleſt Subiect, and Deuotedſt Seruant and Chapleine. IOHN DONNE.