Chapter 0
dedication and the preface to the reader lord my first-fruits present themselves to thee yet not mine neither for from thee they came and must return accept of them and me and make us strive who shall sing best thy name turn their eyes hither who shall make a gain theirs who shall hurt themselves or me refrain the printer to the reader the dedication of this work having been made by the author to the divine majesty only how should we now presume to interest any mortal man in the patronage of it much less think we it meet to seek the recommendation of the muses for that which himself was confident to have been inspired by a diviner breath than flows from helicon the world therefore shall receive it in that naked simplicity with which he left it without any addition either of support or ornament more than is included in itself
we leave it free and unforestalled to every man's judgment and to the benefit that he shall find by perusal only for the clearing of some passages we have thought it not unfit to make the common reader privy to some few particularities of the condition and disposition of the person being nobly born and as eminently endued with gifts of the mind and having by industry and happy education perfected them to that great height of excellency whereof his fellowship of trinity college in cambridge and his oratorship in the university together with that knowledge which the king's court had taken of him could make relation far above ordinary quitting both his deserts and all the opportunities that he had for worldly preferment he betook himself to the sanctuary and temple of god choosing rather to serve at god's altar than to seek the honor of state employments as for those inward enforcements to this course for outward there was none which many of these ensuing verses bear witness of they detract not from his freedom but add to the honor of this resolution in him as god had enabled him so he accounted him meet not only to be called but to be compelled to this service wherein his faithful discharge was such as may make him justly a companion to the primitive saints and a pattern or more for the age he lived in
to testify his independency upon all others and to quicken his diligence in this kind he used in his ordinary speech when he made mention of the blessed name of our lord and saviour jesus christ to add my master next god he loved that which god himself hath magnified above all things that is his word so as he hath been heard to make solemn protestation that he would not part with one leaf thereof for the whole world if it were offered to him in exchange his obedience and conformity to the church and the discipline thereof was singularly remarkable though he abounded in private devotions yet went he every morning and evening with his family to the church and by his example exhortations and encouragements drew the greater part of his parishioners to accompany him daily in the public celebration of divine service as for worldly matters his love and esteem to them was so little as no man can more ambitiously seek than he did earnestly endeavour the resignation of an ecclesiastical dignity which he was possessor of but god permitted not the accomplishment of this desire having ordained him his instrument for re-edifying of the church belonging thereunto that had lain ruinated almost twenty years
The reparation whereof, having been uneffectually attempted by public collections, was in the end by his own and some other's private free-will offerings successfully effected. With the remembrance whereof, as of an especial good work, when a friend went about to comfort him on his death-bed, he made answer, It is a good work if it be sprinkled with the blood of Christ. Otherwise than in this respect he could find nothing to glory or comfort himself with, neither in this nor in any other thing. and these are but few of many that might be said which we have chosen to premise as a glance to some parts of the ensuing book and for an example to the reader
we conclude all with his own motto with which he used to conclude all things that might seem to tend any way to his own honour less than the least of god's mercies End of Dedication.
