Humility the Saints Livery, Title page – Errata
HVMILITIE, THE SAINTS LIVERIE; OR, THE HABIT OF HVMILITIE, THE GRACE OF GRACES: Fetched out of the Wardrobe of SAINT PAVL. As it was deliuered (for Substance) in two Sermons at Blacke-Fryers in London, the one, September 22. the other, October 6. 1624. By DANIEL CAVVDREY Minister of the Word of God, at little Ilford in Essex.
Iam. 4. 6.
God resists the proud, but giues Grace to the humble.
August. de Temp. Ser 213.
Humiliare vt exalteris, ne exaltatus humilieris: quia tanto eris apud Deum pretiosior, quanto fuer is ante oculos tuos vilior.
LONDON, Printed by Iohn Haviland, for Edward Brewster, and are to be sold at the great West doore of Saint Pauls. 1624.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL AND THRICE VVORTHY Sir Thomas Fanshawe Knight, the Kings Maiesties Coroner, and Attourney in the Court of Kings Bench; Surueyor Generall of all the Princes his Highnes Lands and possessions, and one of the Commissioners of his Reuennues, all honour and happinesse.
RIGHT VVORSHIPFVLL,
I Neuer yet was so far in louelove with the issue of my owne braine, that I durst suffer (much lesse offer) it to the publick view. Neither did I euer thinke ought of mine, worthy of the light. What approbation I found, (why should I deny, I hauehave found approbation?) of my poore endeuours, from others, especially from your selfe, I tooke for friendly wel-wishing encouragements, not for certaine acclamations of any more than ordinary merit. I know men, (Wise men especially) vse to applaud, what they doe not in true Iudgement acknowledge excellent, to excite endeuour to that excellence which they gladly would applaud. Adde to this the consideration of the times whereinto we are fallen; partly accurately iudicious, partly vncharitably censorious. The one likes nothing not exquisite, not sublimated, the other nothing at all. This my late-borne off-spring, was by mee determin'd and condemn'd to the same obscuritie with other its fellowes. So farre was I from teaching it the way to the Presse, that it could scarce obtaine leaue to the Pulpit; especially in the presence of so vnderstanding an Audience. At the best, I committed it (as Moses Mother did him, Exod. 2.in an Arke of bulrushes) to the mercy of the waters, (people are waters in Scripture Apoc. 17. 15.phrase) and stood aside (as Miriam Moses sister) to see what would become of it. Since which time, that God, who hath (as I hope) design'd it, to some greater good of his Church, (as he did him) hath prouided some friends (like another Pharoahs daughter) to vndertake for the life and enlargement of it. These hauehave perswaded me, almost to louelove mine owne, at least to take vponupon me, as the parent of it (so was Moses by the prouidence of God, brought to his owne mother to Nurse) to nurse it, and being growne to this stature, that now you see, to present it backe againe, to them that vndertooke for it. Such, and so extraordinary hath beene their approbation of it: (At their perill be it, if they flatter) such their importunity for it, that I hauehave condescended both to approue of their iudgements, and to yeeld to their requests. For what should I doe in these streights? To deny their Iudgements, were in mee rash and vncharitable. To repulse their requests (for the life of my owne) were cruell and vnmercifull. To doe either, were to runne a-crosse to that doctrine which I taught it to speake, and to shew my selfe proud, while I desire to teach others to be humble. It is not Humility, but selfe-conceited arrogance, to prefer our owne single, partiall, opinion, (whether of our good, or euill) to the ioynt conspiring iudgment, of many truly iudicious. As well too low as too high a valuation of our owne, if affected, cannot auoid suspition (at least) of vaineglory. To deny, or purpose to set an edge vponupon importunity; to giuegive backe, to fetch a greater rise of glory, (as I call it after) an Artificiall kinde of Humility; is to affect the praise of Humility, in the subuersion of Humilitie, as that Father speakes. Thus hauehave you the reason Appelere de humilitate laudem, humilitatis non est virtus, sed subuersio. Bern in Cantic. serm. 16.of this present publication, but not all. I was very willing to make a vertue of Necessitie; and to take the opportunity of this their Importunity, to testifie to the world, my many obligations to your worthy selfe, to whom (next to God and his Church) I owe my selfe, and what I am. If I hauehave obtained any fauour from God, to winne any fauour from men in my poore seruices of his Church, I must (and doe) thankfully acknowledge it, to hauehave beene deriued to mee from your enheartening encouragements, your encouraging countenance. To whom then (that I may giuegive a reason of my present dedication) to whom are my First-fruits more deseruedly due, than to him, that may iustly challenge the whole crop? as hauing beene, and still being, the strongest encouragement of my poore labours, vponupon earth. Besides all this, The very Subiect of my discourse in the sequell, seemes to send mee to your patronage: In whom parentage, wealth, learning, wisdome, honour, hauehave all met with humility. How many are puffed vp with one of these? Hee's more than a man, that outstands the last. Rara virtus humilitas honorata. The world hath taken notice of your worths, and cannot but say, Honour hath followed you, not you it. The body of honour is vertue and meritorious deseruings; the soule of it is Humility; Whosoeuer rises without the one, or stands without the other, embraces but the shadow of a shadow: may be notable or notorious, cannot bee truly Noble. Go you on (Worthy Sir) to honor God (who hath honoured you) with your honour, with Religion, with true humilitie, and (I dare be your Prophet) that God of all honor and glory, shall adde more honour to your head, a good measure pressed down, in this life; shaken together and running ouer in that other. Such shall be the daily deuotions of
From my little Zoar this 12. of Nouemb. 1624. Your Worships humbly deuoted, Daniel Cawdrey.
Errata.
Page 8. line 7. . for ?. p. 15. l. 16. abhorre for abhore. p. 22. l. 13. weare for were. p. 25. l. 20. Sunne for Lunne. p. 31. l. 24. or for as Ibid. l. 26. put in, In () p. 44. l. 18. defends for respects. pag. 47. l. 13. in for to. p. 51. l. 9. name for man.