Sermon Against Lukewarmness, Title page – Dedication
A SERMON AGAINST LUKWARMENESSE in RELIGION.
PREACHED AT SAINT MARIES in OXFORD, the Sixt of September, 1640.
By HENRY WILKINSON, Batchelour in Divinity of Magdalen Hall.
Printed by order from the Houſe of Commons.
LONDON. Printed by John Beale, for Humphrey Robinſon, and are to be ſold at the Signe of the three Pigeons in Pauls Church-yard, 1641.
TO THE HONOURABLE houſe of Commons, aſſembled in Parliament.
I Should never have preſumed to prefixe the name of this Honorable Houſe to my Sermon, had I not beene incouraged therto, both by your protection and approbation. For though it was my hard lot to be ſuſpended for preaching of it, (how juſtly you have ſeene) yet it was my happineſſe to have beene releaſed by you. As for the entertainement and uſage which both I and my Sermon have found from ſome, I wholly paſſe them over in ſilence, let it ſuffice that by the Vindiciae of this Honourable Court, I was freed from the cenſure impoſed on me, and by your Imprimatur, it is now become publici juris. Plinius Secundus in his Epiſtle to Veſpaſian ſayes, that many things ſeeme very precious for this very reaſon quia templis ſunt dicata: and we know how that the Goats hayre and Badgers skins though of ſmall value in themſelves, yet did contract a reverent eſteeme; being once dedicated to the Sanctuary. So this Sermon, which (that I may uſe the Epigrammatiſts word to Domician) from you hath received vitam id eſt famam, and which now caſts it ſelfe at your tribunall, rejoycing to bear your Cogniſance, may for this very reaſon, becauſe of your name which is praeſidium & dulce decus meum, find better acceptance, and a greater eſtimate, then it can challenge by any merit of its owne.
The onelyonly tribute which I can returne, is to beſeech Almighty God that he would be pleaſed to vouchſafe the gracious influence of his holy Spirit unto you, whereby the ſucceſſe of your councels may be as happie, as the hopes, and expectations be great: Let the beautie of the Lord be upon you, and eſtabliſh the Worke of your hands upon us: This is the earneſt praier of
Your moſt humble Servant, HENRY WILKINSON.