The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1873-03-25 00:00:00

total anb District Adm.

AN OLD TRZATISZ TO THE MAYOR,
HURGIESW3, rb.n., OF DORCHESTIL
"Rao White, Muter of Arts sod timelier of God's
Word In Darshoster," in a volume written by him, nod
petaled under data 1647, scathed "A Way to the Tray
of Ufa," las the following interesting pram», which
blades hadiosting the position of Pastors to th.lr flocks
at that time, that. manner of erbortaticro, and the
thal. from • roild(WlM point of via., tolls of a pesti-
lence which 'init. Hatanaka 1646, an lof the oaf-
helpful spirit in tha people set about to repair
the ravages of the L at Sr. at Dorchester in 1613.
To
The Right Worshipfull the Mayor. Baronies, fiailree.
B•reners, rad du roe itg the haobirean in the 8*2706114
of Denture?, iat tie Coo IS of Dove.
Grace be unto you and pesos from God our
Vetiver, and from our Lord Jesus Christ.
No man (I conceive) will wonder (Right Woradpfull
and Dearly Beloved in the Lord) teat I present you
with this mill treatise: being an secompt of sums of
my taboo!" which I ban take. sruonga yos. I know
not of whom they are likely to dude (nor dodos they
nay have) better aceeptanos than of those, of whose
love manifested unto me in so many honours and
fibroses, by which you hays no many wales engaged me
now mere them two and featly years, (whereto I have
motional amongst yen) I have had so abundant and
full *spaded*. Resides in presenting you with this
poor Treatise Igloo you of your own (se I may truly say
with the Prophet David, 1 Garon. ads, 14, rilthosth
not altogether in his sonse). For am not 1 yours ?as
It. Paul tells the Corinthisoe,thst himself'. and Apollo,
and Cophas, wror• theirs 1 Chron. id, 22. And by
consequent the Issues of all my weak realities, you
may in jell, challenge' to be your Own se the Mostar
alight Warne the lanes of the bond 'laves borne in hie
bones to be his ; sod as in true estimation it is each,
so I dear. you to accept ir, an an acknowledgment
(although in no proportion • satisfaction) of that great
*el* which I owe unto you.
And, to speak truth, it will be of special nOll to you,
to seoompt this labour of mire. such OA it !a ea your
own that you may no entertaine and embrace it, so leo,
husband, and employ it to your Lea advantage, no we
use to doe those things that are or own. For the
chief* moon whenfore the manifold helm which
God is plueed to Ilford as by the labours of other man,
usually profit us so little, i., Maass men looks not
on them as matters wherein theinsolva have • peculiar
Interest, and so neglect them, as in too usu .117 do*
thou things which are of common and generall coo.
cenersent.
As for au matter bandied in this short Treating, I
desire you to take notice, hint of all the Truths that I
have delivered unto you, In so Large • time of my ,
ministry, cootinuod animist you. I have chosen this,
above all other alai erne, to recommend unto you in •
more special manner, .od to leave with you es •
menimiall of my tender affection towards you, for thou
two weighty reasocs. First, because thin duty of
studying the Scriptures (+hereunto dots Truth,* is
intended ..an help) Is of all others of 01041 general
coooernemont, and of most paces ary and oommon
Secondly, karma it bath pleased the 1..,rd to out us
Into dangerous timer, wherein wore men endeavour,
what they can to bring the Scriptures tato contempt,
crying down ;hat sacred books, as containing nothing
elsa but • dead letter, end being a beggarly stemma,
fitt for none but the lowest fors, of Christians. Others
that are unstAble and solurned, (as the apostle
truants them, 2 Pet. id, 16) wrest them at their
pleasure, to their own dean/anon, and the endangering
of then brethren's MILL
Lot me, therefore, in u!' the bowels of Christ, bea
you (Eirethren) so you ever hope to get any power of
grata into your Wart:, to hay* your spiritual
quickened, your somforts assured, and your ways
climbed, to take heed to this sure sod Infollitrle word of
truth, sa to • light shining in a darks place, (is the
Apostle speaker, II Peter L, 19) at oontaiologsla it
your Food, your Mania, your Evidences, your Corn.
forts, your knees, both for officio", sod defence; sod
in • word, which is the my life of your Soaks, the
Light of your Understanding, the Dictator or yvur
Will,, and tt• Moderator of your Affection.. Study
this Word, which our Saviour karma Searching the
Scriptures, John v., .39, which is dose not by
Rouliog them over minority, but by enuniolog them
diligently; comparing Scripture with Scripture, that
we may know the full mind" of God revealed therein,
who many times layes not down the wholo truth
tether In one place, bet leaves us to take In some
other alums, out of other please, to make up the full
of that truth whiah hes would reveal* ult. us. For
want of this ears of laying Scripture to Scripture, many
taking up the troth of God by pert., ground then upon
dangerous wears, wronging God in making him to
"'mike what he never meant, sal overthrowing their
own Faith, to the loaned of their owne Souls..
Of one clung we most be very crrefull, that we bring
with us our minds free, and not prepomest with soy
opinion, which we have either framed in our oleos
phantasy, or r. caved from Others. 4 mind forestalled
by an erroneous eon xipt, Is no fit Jocks of any Truth,
ov of soy Testimony concerning Truth ; bat as
cotoured Akre transmits the tight, and represents it to