Letter to Bishop of Chester, Title page – Dedication 2
A LETTER (Againſt the erection of an Altar.)
Written Iune 29. 1635. to the Reverend Father Iohn L. Biſhop of Chester.
BY IOHN LEY, Paſtour of Great Budworth in Cheſhire.
LONDON, Printed for George Lathum, at the ſigne of the Biſhops head in Pauls Church-yard. Anno Domini 1641.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL, AND WORTHILY HONOURED Gentleman, PHILIP MAINWARING, ESQUIRE.
RIGHT WORTHY SIR,
THis ſhort diſcourſe enſuing (though long enough I hope to reſolve the Queſtion propoſed) is Yours by right of Dedication (now it is publick) ſince it was Yours before by cauſality of production (as a private manuſcript) for your letter to your Reverend Ʋncle (my honoured Friend) and his to me, have been unto it, as a Grandfather and father, from whoſe motion and ſollicitation it is lineally deſcended. Accept it then (good Sir) as your owne: and me with it, whom Your immanent merit in your ſelf, and tranſient benignity to me, have long and deeply obliged to remaine
Yours, to love, and ſerve You, with affection and fidelity. JOHN LEY. From my lodging at the Fountaine in S. Pauls Church-yard. Febr. 24. 1640.
To the Right Honourable ROBERT Lord Viſcount KILLMURREY my very worthy and much honoured Lord.
Right Honourable,
IT is not without example (which for the preſent I ſhall follow as a patterne) to dedicate to one a Letter written to another, Biſhop Hall wrote an Epiſtle to Mr. I. B. and dedicated it to his Father, Decad. 1. Epi. 10. pag. 266. He wrote another to W. E. which he dedicated to M. Robert Iermin Dec. 4. Ep. 2. p. 308. Another to M. T. S. and dedicated it to Sir Fulk Grevell Dec. 6. Epi. 2. p. 349.occaſion and affection, diverſly inducing a diverſe inſcription: That directed me to write unto the Biſhop, This to give your Lordſhip a title in the Publication of that I have written, as in acknowledgement of your ancient and conſtant kindneſſe to me, neither cooled by age or interpoſition of time or place, nor laid aſide with your honours, (which are wont to change manners) nor requiring more obſervances of me, than my manifold imployments would permit, nor excepting againſt mine omiſions of attendance on your honour, (your wiſdome and goodneſſe truly and charitably interpreting them, rather as conformities to my calling, than as ſignes of ſlighting, or ingratitude.) To all this your Honour hath lately added a favour (which the leſſe I thought of it before hand, the more I am bound for ever to remember it) in being ſo mindfull of the mending of my condition as to name me in a Petition to the high Court of Parliament, as worthy of better recompence of my paines, and coſt in my paſtorall charge than hitherto I have received.
Thus (my good Lord) while I am at greateſt diſtance from you, you have drawn my devotions neerer to you, and have cheriſhed them to a greater vigour of deſire and indeavour to bee
as really as affectionately your Lordſhips humble Servant IOHN LEY. From my lodging at the Fountaine in Pauls Church-yard Feb. 13. 1640.