Honor the King, Title page – Dedication
HONOUR THE KING A SERMON Preached on the SOLEMN FAST, Ianuary 30. 1672/3.
Wherein the Duty of SUBJECTS to their SOVEREIGN is Opened and Asserted, the Principles and Practices inconsistent therewith are Detected and Condemned, and the Innocent Vindicated from Unjust Censures.
At Birmingham in Warwick-shire, at the Publick Meeting-Place there Licenced according to His MAJESTIES Gracious Declaration.
By Samuel Fisher, M. A. late Preacher of the Word at Thornton in Cheshire.
He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord, Prov. 17.15.
Praesens aetas probris onerabit quos oderit,
Posteritas suum cuique impendet.
London, Printed for George Calvert at the Golden Ball in Duck-lane, and Hierom Gregory Bookseller in Birmingham in Warwick-shire, 1673.
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE GEORGE Lord DE LA MERE, Baron of Durham-Massy.
Right Honourable, and my very Honoured Lord,
THIS poor Brat that now creeps under your Lordshps wing for shelter, was begotten and brought forth upon your Lordships Free-hold at the Parsonage of Thornton in Cheshire, to which your Honour (without my seeking) was pleased freely to present me; in that place, after your Lordships great adventures to serve His Majesty, our Lord and Sovereign, in your cordial endeavours for His reduction to His undoubted Right, with the hazard of your All in Temporals, and your great sufferings in the Tower for those Loyal (though misconstrued) endeavours; and after God, had succeeded second attempts, (when your Lordship had broken the ice) and had brought our Sovereign Lord (with great rejoycing) to His Native Soil, People, and Inheritance; I judged it my duty to acquaint my People of that place with my duty and theirs to our Sovereign Lord the King, which accordingly I prosecuted several dayes from that Text, and in the same method and expressions as they now lie before your Lordship.
Since that time it hath pleased the wise and just providence of God, to suffer my self, with many hundreds more, and more deserving, to be laid aside as dead men; save only that (through a merciful connivance of Authority) those dead men did speak now and then to smaller numbers of the People, where it might be done with least noise and appearance of contempt to Authority, (which we heartily bless the Lord for, and give thanks to Authority for their moderation. In this condition (my Lord) I had thought I should have lain, being upon the sixty eighth year of my age, till God should call me off the stage of this world: but in the midst of dying thoughts, and under the stroke of a civil death, of … sudden, and unexpectedly, came forth words of life to those that were in their graves, from His Majesty the Lords Anointed, whose Heart the great God had inclined to give them a gracious Indulgence to stand up again, and to speak in the Name of the Lord to his People. How joyful this hath made the Hearts of Thousands of His Majesties Loyal Subjects, both Ministers and others, it is hard to express. VponUpon this good news, (my Lord) amongst others, I applied my self, with the first, to petition His Majesties Licence; which being obtained, I did without delay fall upon my work, to winde up the bottom of my dayes in the service of my Master, and for the Souls of Men. Whilst I was in the improvement of my slender T…le…t, the Thirtieth of January coming on, it was resolved amongst us solemnly to observe the Day, the preaching of the Sermon in the Sermon in the afternoon (the Congregation having been at the Parish-Church in the morning) was by my Brethren made my Province. I submitted to their determination, knowing that I had a Sermon in readiness to serve the occasion. When the day came I did address my self to the work, (though much indisposed, by reason of an arrest of the Gout, which had siezed upon me in the interim) hoping that when my Sermon was done, my work had been ended; but contrary to my expectation, when the Sermon was preached, I fell under an honest rape, (I dare not give it worse language) and was beset from all quarters by those that were Hearers, to Print the Sermon; and was told plainly upon my refusal, that if I would not part with my Notes, they would amongst themselves gather up the fragments of what they had taken, and Print them without my leave. My Lord, I was I thought fixedly resolved, having once escaped the Press, never to come there again, there being so many in this learned Age, able to serve their generation to all purposes, with the Artillery of their Pens, which I never durst think my self in the least measure accomplished for: but (my Lord) who can withstand a torrent? I am forced with an unwilling willingness in this storm▪ to throw my goods over-board to prevent a wrack; what will be the fate of this poor Sripling, thrust into the wide World, I know not, if innocency in the intention, and charity in the interpretation do not procure its pass, it is like to suffer; however, it must to the Waters in an Ark of Bulrushes, and take its lot.
Now, my honoured Lord, I have given you this trouble in a broken account of what hath passed in the latter p…t of my dayes▪ I humbly crave your Lordships pardon for …he boldness of this address to your Lordship, having none amongst Nobles to whom I owe more, nor from whom I can promise my self more candour, and fair respect, then with your Lordship. My Lord, since I left those parts, distance of place hath not made me forget my duty; and though I have wanted opportunity to wait upon your Lordship where your residence hath been, yet I have not ceased dayly to make mention of your Lordship, and noble Family, for the blessings of the great God, the Father of mercies, to fall upon your Lordship, and all yours, that you may live long, and whiles you live be singularly instrumental for the glory of God, the service of His Majesty, and the Country round about you. Now to that God (who hath promised to honour those that honour him) I do humbly commend your Lordship, and beg leave to style my self.
My LORD, Your Lordships humbly devoted, (when I can do nothing else) to serve you with my poor requests to God, who hath Heaven in his gift, Samuel Fisher. From my Study in Birmingham, March 10, 1673.