A Glimpse of Gospel Glory, Title page – Dedication 2
foreign foreign.
OR A GLIMPSE OF Goſpel Glory.
Together with a ſhort but pithie Treatiſe of Mr. E. D. ſhewing tha… Peter was never at Rome; to which … ſubjoyned as an Appendix, ſome pregn… Collections, by that Grave and Reverend … vine Mr. H. Nelſon, B. D. to a like purpo…
The Firſt Part.
Hanc (ſcilicet) fallaciam ſcripturarum negle… in Chriſtianiſmum bodie de Antichriſto intru… Viricus Velenus Minhonienſis.
LONDON, Printed by M. S. for Tho. Parkhurſt, at the Th… Crownes againſt the great Conduit, at the lower end of Cheap-ſide. 1661.
Vere Honorabili, ac ter Reverendo Domino, Roberto Saunderſono, S. S. Theologiae Doctori, & pridem in Celeberrima Accademia Oxonienſi, Regio Profeſſori ornatiſsimo, jam vero Dioeceſis Lincolnienſis Epiſcopo Eximio, minutae hae ab indigno authore Evangelicae Gloriae, dantor humiliter que exhibentor ſcintillulae.
To the Right Honourable and very Reverend Robert Lord Biſhop of Lincolne, the Author of the enſuing Treatiſe, wiſheth all Peace and Glory, through and according to the Goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt, the Lord of all.
My Lord,
I Doubt not but your known worth for learning, ſoundneſs of judgement, piety, and conſcience-ſatisfying skill and experience hath ſingled you out as a fit object of eminent honour, from the publick Authority of this Nation, who yet do appear more honorable in the eſteem of conſcientious Chriſtians, in regard of that truly Chriſtian frame of Spirit remarkeably in you, by your ready propenſity in promoting of unitie, manifeſt by your willingneſs to the taking away the hinderances thereof in theſe divided times; the like diſpoſition of mind would alſo be juſtly honorable in all of your ranke, that ſubſtantial good in Religion might more be advanced, but ſhaddows and ſeeming appearances leſs, and the glory of Goſpel grace above all other glories; for which, the Apoſtles rule is both general and peremptory, 1 Cor. 14. 26. Let all things be done to edifying: How might truth and peace by that means ſoon be ſettled in the Church, which ought of all men to be eſteemed of far greater value, then all their worldly intereſts, yea, then a mans own deareſt preſent life: And truly ſo much as I know my own heart in my moſt retired thoughts, I have often offered in theſe diſtractions amongſt good men, even my life as an expiation unto God, if he would take it in any way of his faithful ſervice upon that account, ſo that I dying, truth and peace might live and floriſh in this our Iſrael; & yet I may happily amongſt ſome be deemed an obſtructer of both; but as according to my meaſure, I have been ſtudious of the one, ſo according to your Honours ancient teſtimony of me, I have followed the things that make for the other, to the utmoſt of my power, neither am I changed from my former principles, though now, in ſundry reſpects, I may not (perhaps) have the ſame freedome: I confidently beleeve the ſoveraign hand of divine providence, in ſpecial favour, (not only to my ſelf, but to many much better deſerving perſons) hath in this juncture of time given you the inſpection over us; the conſideration whereof, with other ſpecial favours, which you readily, & chearfully, aunciently vouchſafed unto me, with the obſervatioon of ſuch your Chriſtian frame of ſpirit ſtill abiding in you, whom new and eminent honour, known learning, ſound judgment, worldly intereſt or engagements appear not to have made either leſs humble, meek, peaceable, or charitable; and that man that is well moulded up from ſuch materialls, and in his better part (as it were) fitly compounded of four ſuch elements, muſt needs be of a good conſtitution; ſuch living Chriſtians adde a glory to Goſpel glory: I would my ſmall Mite here offered could adde unto your ſtore, yet if it doe but occaſion you better to weigh and value what you already have, to the praiſe of him that gives us all, it may prove ſome advantage to you, & then I ſhould be well appaid, and ſhall thankfully returne the praiſe to him, by whoſe remarkeable grace I have been carried on therein; who as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, Coloſ: 1. 29. ſtriving according to his working, who worketh in me mightily. Yet one thing more doth move me to this addreſs: I have long ſince known you a ſtrong Champyon of ſound truth againſt Popiſh errours; witneſs your ancient conditions of diſpute againſt Mr. Ford, well worthy of the worlds view, and profitable for ſuch uſe, which happily deterred him from proceeding: In the ſame general cauſe many times appeared your reverend father, and my worthy friend Mr. H. Nelſon, to whom about thirty years now paſt, I communicated a ſhort but pithie diſcourſe of Mr. E. D. a reverend perſon related to him, from whom I received it, and ſince alſo to my ſelf, which hereunto I have annexed, which your good father ſo well approved of (notwithſtanding all Antichriſtian flouriſhes to the contrary) that he was pleaſed to write ſome notes of his own upon it, ſome of which I tranſcribed into the margin, I cannot ſay all; and whoſe collections to like purpoſe, as an Appendix, I have alſo ſubjoyned thereunto, which after many years lying aſide unthought of, upon my late removal, were offered to my view, upon the peruſal whereof, I conſidering the known gravity and piety of both the Authors, with the worth of their workes fit to antidote ſuch weakelings (as are lyable to that danger) againſt the ſtrong contagion of that popiſh peſtilence, by beating down the main pillar of that foundationleſs fabrick; no wonder then the prophetical ſpirit, Rev. 8. 18. 1. reitterates her ruine, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, [Ʋt ingens pondus mole ſua ruens] as an huge and mighty pile weltring downward by its own weight, ſince her ſuppoſed foundation failes her, yea is diſcovered to be but a lye; which I here likewiſe tender unto your Lordſhip, but not with further expectation from your ſelf, in reſpect of this or the other to be approved, then as they will endure the tryall by the Touchſtone of all ſaving truth, the written word of God, and conſonant to ſound judgment and reaſon; and anſwerably thereunto, a bleſſing from his divine Majeſty thereupon, to whom (in that caſe) all the praiſe will be due; and to whom in the mean time, his prayer ſhall be preſented before the throne of grace, in the behalf of your ſelf, your deare yoakefellow, and all yours; that he would largely diſplay the ſpiritual glory of Goſpel grace, in and unto all your ſoules, to a greatertranſformation of them into the ſame Image, by the Lord the Spirit, (as followeth) to the inlargement of all your eternal glory, who is,
My Lord, Your Honours long obliged (though unworthy) ſervant in Chriſt, W. Sherwin. From my ſtudy, July 1661