The Infants Advocate of Circumcision and Baptism, Dedication 3
TO The Honoble and truly Religious GEORGE BERKELEY▪ Sole Son and Heir to the Right Honourable GEORGE Lord BERKELEY, &c.
SIR,
WHen I look on the Creſt of your ancient Arms, (A Mitre powdered wth Croſſes) I read therein an abridgment of the Devotion of thoſe darker dayes: the Mitre ſhewing your Anceſtors actions in Peace; the Croſs, their atchievements in the Holy War: the Mitre, their doings at home; the Croſs, their darings abroad.
Yea I fancie to my ſelf each ancient Lord Berkly, like one of the Iſraelites at the walling of Jeruſalem, Neh. 4. 17. With a Trowel in one hand, and a Sword in the other. We alwayes find him either fighting or founding, either in a Battel or at the building of ſome Religious Fabrick, as (beſides others) the intire Abbey at Briſtol, (afterwards converted into a Cathedral) was ſolely founded by one of that Family.
This was the Devotion of thoſe dayes, wherein the world knew no better, and ſcarce any other. Since the Reformation, your Noble Houſe hath not had leſs heat for having more light. Your Charity hath not been extinguiſhed, but regulated, not drained dry, but derived in righter channels; and flowing with a clearer ſtream free from the mud of ſuperſtition.
As for your particular, that your ancient Creſt is worthily born by you, the Mitre ſpeaking you a Patron of Learning; the Croſſes, a Practicer of Religion. Qualities which encouraged me to preſent this ſmall Treatiſe unto you.
Acceptance is more then it can expect, pardon being as much as it doth deſerve, being ſo long in coming, ſo ſhort when come. But becauſe it had its firſt Being by your Command, it hopes to have its well-being by your Countenance.
Should I deſire ſo many Lords of your Family hereafter, as heretofore have flouriſhed in a direct line, by deſiring a particular Happineſs to your Houſe, I ſhould wiſh a general miſchief to mankind▪ that men ſhould live ſo many years in ſin & ſorrow before the coming of the neceſſary and comfortable day of Judgment. My prayer therefore ſhall be, That the luſtre of your Houſe may continue with the laſting of the World, (ſo long as God will permit the badneſs thereof) in that honourable Equipage of your Anceſtors: May Perfection here, and Peace hereafter light on you, your vertuous Lady, and hopeful iſſue; which is the daily deſire of
Your Honours moſt bounden Servant THO. FULLER.