A Pearl in an Oyster Shell, To the reader
To the Candid, Chriſtian Reader.
WIſe Solomon ſaith, There is no end in making Books. In Eccleſ. 12. 12.this Caſe, Covetouſneſs and Ambition, like the two Daughters of the Horſeleech, never ſay it is enough; and in Polemical Diſcourſes Men are endleſs in their Anſwers and Arguments; ſo that the Reader after a curious inſpection, will find many things impertinent, acted in paſſion, and utterly to fail his expectation; like the hungry Dog gnawing upon a Flint-ſtone, wherewith he may aſſoon (as we ſay in the Proverb) break his Neck as his Faſt; Which made Eraſmus ſo ironically to paſs his Cenſure of ſuch; Multi mei ſimiles (ſaith he) hoc Morbo laborant, ut cum ſcribere neſciunt, a ſcribendo tamen temperare non poſſunt. And leſt any man ſhould ſay unto me, Phyſician heal thy ſelf; Know, good Reader, that the Subject-matter of this ſmall Piece, is not Controverſial, but truly Chriſtian; you have here an Impartial Narrative of a Man of God, a Godly Divine, who was illuſtrious in his generation, one that thundred in his Doctrine, and lightened in his life; who was a holy Preſident to his Flock, and left many wholſome Precepts behind him when he died.
He was conſcious that Examples do more affect or infect, than Rule; that Practice doth obviate Precept, and that our life is a continual imitation, and that we are one anothers pattorns and temptations; that moſt men go the way that is gone, not the way that muſt be gone; and are carried by the gale of Cuſtom, rather than by the guide of Conſcience; he choſe therefore to go before his Charge, in all manner of Converſation and Godlineſs.
He was one that was high in Parts, holy and lowly in Heart, the more he knew the As Nazianzen of Athanaſius.more he perceived his own ignorance: as Boughs loaded with Fruit, and full Ears with Corn, and bow down the head, and bend towards the Earth.
As for ſuch, who have the higheſt natural Endowments, without grace, they are but glittering Glow-worms in the dark; or as Toads which (they ſay) have a Pearl in the head, and poyſon in their whole body. The Devil deſires to be adorned with theſe counterfeit Pearls and Briſtoll-ſtones. But this renowned Worthy had a good inſide and outſide, clean hands, a learned head, and a loyal heart to Jeſus Chriſt.
It were to be wiſhed, that ſuch who are Juſtin Martyr. non in verbis ſed in factis res Religionis dependet. Heſiod.ſo ready to ſtrive about words, would ſtrive to imitate him in good works: to imitate Vertue, is a Vertue to be imitated; and herein that is truly excellent wherein we ſtrive to excel foreign, follow him, as he follows Chriſt.
Now give me leave to acquaint thee (good Reader) with the occaſion of this my undertaking, I was deſired by ſome Friends to write what I knew concerning the Life of Mr. Hall, which I did with ſome unwillingneſs, and happily no leſs waywardneſs; and no wonder, for beſides my perſonal knowledg of him, and what I gathered out of his own Works, I could be informed little of him by his Friends, except about the manner of his Death; I could neither procure to ſee the ſeveral Occurrences of his Life written by his own hand, nor a ſight of the Sermon preached at his Funeral: and hearing that his Life written by himſelf was loſt, and being loſt that one ſo well deſerving of the Church of God, ſhould not be more publickly ſpoken of, I was perſwaded to print theſe plain Sermons, together with his Character, Life and Death; wherein happily I may expect to meet with ſome moroſe reception from the malevolent; but it matters not, contra ſycophantarum morſus non eſt remedium. As touching me, it is a ſmall matter for me to be judged foreign of 1 Cor. 4.3. Auguſt. cont. Faſſ. l. 22. c. 34.mans day. Non curo illos Cenſores, qui non intelligendo reprehendunt, vel reprehendendo, non intelligunt: My Comfort is this, That how mean ſoever the undertaking is, yet the intenton of the Author is to bring honour to God and imitation to Men. Go and do like to him.
Ibeg of thee (Courteous Reader) to pardon my boldneſs in this my undertaking, and where thou meeteſt with any Errata's, correct them with thy Pen, or cover them with a Mantle of love, conſidering with thy ſelf, Humanum eſt errare, errare poſſum, haereticum nolo eſſe; Miſtakes may be occaſioned by my diſtance from the Preſs, or through the Printers being unacquainted with my hand. Farewel
Horace his Epiſtle.—Si quid noviſti rectius iſtis Candidus imperti, ſi non his utere me-
Thine in the deareſt Lord. Richard Moore.