The Pastoral Office Opened, Title page – Dedication
THE Pastoral Office. Opened in a VISITATION-SERMON Preached at IPSWICH October 10. 1662.
By the Right Reverend Father in God, EDWARD Lord Bishop of NORWICH.
Greg. Nazianz. in Apologet.
foreign.
LONDON, Printed by T. Ratcliffe for George Thomason at the Rose and Crown in St Pauls Church-yard, 1663.
To the Right Worshipfull the Magistrates, and to the Reverend Ministers, and other Members of the Corporation of Ipswich in Suffolk.
Dearly Beloved,
THough I could not with any decency decline the Publication of this Sermon, which had been by you so earnestly desired, then, when the greatnesse of your Love and respects to my Person, and function, did for many dayes expresse it self in a most free and noble Reception: yet it pleased Divine providence, by a sore visitation on my Family, to obstruct the performance of this Service, so long, till I might justly have hoped to have been no more minded of it. But being disappointed in that hope, I now, though late, send it forth, without altering any one Line or period of what I then delivered. And although it be but a very Slender Return for the great favours I received from you alone, yet I must crave your leave to professe, That as a Ring, though placed only on a finger is yet a token of Love to the whole person; so this little Sermon, though dedicated only to you, is intended as a Testimony of that Honour & Thanks which I owe to all Orders in this great Diocese, for those signal and publick favours, which, in mine attendance on the service thereof, I every where received. All the Answer I can make to so great an Obligation, is daily to pray, That the Church of Christ in this large Diocese, may be beautified with the blessings of Truth and Peace, of Vnity and Holinesse; That the Clergy thereof may with all fidelity deliver the Word of Gods grace, and that it may by his effectual operation, have a free and successfull passage into the hearts and lives of the people committed to their Charge. And as this is the Continual Prayer, so I hope, that through the Assistance of Divine Grace, it shall be the unwearied Endeavour of him who desires to approve himself
An unfeigned Servant of your Faith, and Salvation, ED. NORVIC.