Divine Passions Piously and Pathetically Expressed, Title page – To the reader
DIVINE PASSIONS.
Piouſly and Pathetically expreſſed in three ſeverall BOOKES.
Viz.
I. Being a Dialogue between Dives and Lazarus, with the Authors Epigrams upon that Parable.
II. A Dialogue between the Prodigall Son, and the Pitifull Father, with Epigrams on that Parable alſo.
III. Contains firſt an Argument againſt Atheiſme. Secondly▪ an admiration of Gods mercy towards mankinde. Thirdly, the care and cure of a wounded Conſcience.
VVritten and Compoſed for private Conſolation, and now thought not unfit to be publiſhed to all, and preſented to certaine worthy Perſons of this Kingdome.
By Edward Calver, Gent.
LONDON, Printed by T. H. for Richard Harper, and are to be ſold at his ſhop in Smithfield, 1643.
In landem Authoris, On his DIVINE PASSIONS.
CHriſts Parables, were alwaies full of worth,
Which here in part thy pen hath wel ſet forth.
Dives and Lazarus well doe tipifie
We ſhould not ſcorne our brothers poverty;
Confuting Atheiſts, thou Gods mercy prayſeſt,
The wounded conſcience thou both cur'ſt & raiſeſt.
Thou ſhew'ſt a fathers paſſion, for a ſon,
That needs would from him prodigally run.
And in thy pleaſant Epigrams we read
We all to God are prodigalls indeed:
Thy Booke hath ſo much Paſſion, that who heart
Thy Stories, muſt turne Prodigall of teares.
S. W.
To the right Worſhipfull Sir Dennor Strut, Knight and Baronet, to the right Worſhipfull William Heveningham a worthy Member of the Honourable Houſe of Commons, to the Worſhipfull Nicholas Bacon, and Henry North, Juſtices of the peace, to the Worthy Thomas Baker, Nathaniel Thurſton, and John Bayles, Eſquires, and to Mr. John Mayhew, &c.
Noble Knight, and Worſhipfull, and generous Gentlemen:
I being bound to ſome of you in the bonds of affinity, to all in affection but above all in duty; I cannot but hold it my duty to proffer you the beſt of my endeavours, and for want of any thing worthy, I doe here perſent you my good will. I preſume not upon your Patronage, but only beg your acceptance; conſidering that if theſe my endeavours be worth the accepting, they ſhall need the leſſe aſsiſtance. But if any thing here brought forth be deformed, it is ſure moſt fit that he which begot it ſhould father it.
The world, peradventure, may wonder that I draw ſo large a circle, and then turn it to a cypher▪ that I preſume to ſtamp ſo many worthy Names in the front of this my unworthy worke, and then ſpeake nothing of the worth of your worthy perſons in particular: But let the world know that it is not for want of worth in your ſelves that I forbear the ſame for I doe ingenuouſly acknowledge I may juſtly draw your vertues into as large a Volume, as any other who have beene moſt copious in that kinde. But I, for my part, do hold it a labour little uſefull to paint over that to make it paſſe for currant, which doth ſhine moſt perfect in its owne colour. Beſides, I am reſolved your modeſt eares would be rather offended, then fed, with the ſound of your own prayſes though unfained.
But the chiefeſt aime of my deſires herein is to doe you ſome ſervice; not flatter for aſsiſtance. Therefore, if upon peruſall hereof (if your more ſerious imployments will admit the ſame) you ſhall reap any benefit, or at leaſt content, I ſhall, in this kind be ſufficiently ſatisfied. Only I deſire that upon your judicious view hereof, you would vouchſafe a favourable cenſure; of which I am the more confident, becauſe I know you cannot expect any thing poliſhed from a hand ſo uninſtructed. But not to be too full in a Preface, to too empty a Sequell, I implore your pardon, and deſire to be imploy'd, your Servant in all humility.
Edward Calver.
To the Curteous and Capable READER.
REad Curteous Reader, this is for thy ſake,
Through want of knowledge thou canſt not miſtake:
And as thou canſt not, ſo my truſt is built
Through want of charity thou never wilt.