Exposition of the Apostles Creed, Letter – Part 3
To the Right Worshipful Sir THOMAS ABDY, Knight, And his two Brothers, Mr. ROBERT ABDY, and Mr. JOHN ABDY; The Authour wisheth all health and happiness.
Worthy Sir,
IT is more than thirty three years since your grave and prudent father committed you to my tuition, being then but of tender age; but even then I confess soft and excellent wax, apt to receive a clear impression of learning, vertue, and Religion. I should do you wrong, if I did not acknowledge that you were even then ingenious, and industrious, and so staid and grave beyond your years, that you promised to be the man, which I now hear you are, sober in your wayes, prudent in your undertakings, just in your dealings, pious in your devotions, and settled in your Religion, which in this shaking age is no small commendation. My hopes of you were great in your minority, and in my old age it is my comfort, that they are not frustrated. It is now about thirty years since I saw you; yet to give you assurance, that as yet I bear you fresh in memory, I have presumed to dedicate the Third Part of my Meditations of the Creed to your name and protection. I know that of the rest it will need a shield, which your judgement ripened by time is able to afford it, and my presumption is you will.
And I hope it shall not offend, that I have joyn'd your brethren with you, in whom I have no other interest but that of your parents, a vertuous, pious, and prudent couple whom I honour'd in their lives, and do not forget in their graves. The remembrance of them is to me yet precious, and therefore I have brought my box of spikenard, as desirous to embalm it. Which yet I confesse is far inferior to that perfume which you three green branches of that excellent root send forth. 'Tis the desire of every man to be immortal; which because he cannot be in himself, his study is to preserve that immortality in his seed Nor wealth, nor wit, nor policy can ever perpetuate that. The Philosopher makes it the possession of vertue, the Divine of Religion; and they both say truth, the difference being easily reconciled, since vertuous Religion, and Religious vertue is the sole way to perpetuate a Noble family. Go on then you dear brethren, who lay in the same womb, let Religion be your rule, and the practice of vertue the Expresse, and I shall not doubt the continuance of your memory to posterity.
I am perswaded you need no Nomenclator. But there be some who are of such a busie nature, that they will be giving advice where no need is. And among these Polypragmons I shall bear it, if you rank me. However love may bring a mantle, and cover this fault of old age, which is by nature Talkative. In quicker words, if what I present here, may any way be serviceable to make you more knowing and practical in the duties of Religion, I have my end. As for my freedom, I humbly crave pardon, being one who desires that you may remain three bodies with one heart, as at this distance I hear you do, and that with one heart you may be the servants of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom
I am ready to serve you, William Nicolson.