SAlomon saith, There is no new thing under the Sun, for the thing which hath been, is that which shall be, and the thing which is done, is that which shall be done, Eccles. 1.9. Yet the Apostle Saint Paul saith, That all things are become new, 2 Cor. 5.17. Which contradiction, between the wisest of men, and divinest Apostle, next S. Iohn, accord­ing to my understanding, may be thus reconci­led: To earthly minded men there is no new thing in this terrestriall Globe, except God work a miracle, and create a new heaven and a new earth, which the heavenly minded man lookes after, 2 Pet. 3.15. Whence it is, that God saith by the Prophet, Eze­chiel 3.15. That he will make them a new heart, and a new spirit, yea, a new creature: according to the meaning of that in the 2 Cor. 5.17. There­fore our Saviour saith, That such a man will bring out of his treasure things new and old. In consideration whereof, I having little learning, but what I have gathered from moderne and ancient Writers, have been bold to turn many of their divine Doctrines, and histo [...]ica [...]l Narra­tions, into a new mould, and made thereof An Annuall world. And not content therewith, I made a new heaven, and placed therein the Sun, Moon, and a Star, of such refulgent lustre, that it darkened the eyes of many earthly minded men. Whereupon, there arose such a cloudy mist out of my seeming grosse ignorance, that those heavenly illuminations were wrapt up in a cloud of selfe-conceit. The meaning whereof, is more plainly thus: I having in my private devotions con­versed with many rare mens workes, framed a Booke of briefe Medi­tations upon all the Holy dayes in the yeare, according to our Church Liturgie, which I intuled, An Annuall world, or the world in the yeare; and therein shewed, how those dayes may fitly have a corre­spondence with the seven Planets, fixed Stars and Elements, fit for [Page 2] private devotion. Which work I compared to the Sun, for as Sol illu­minat Mundum, so those Festivities enlighten and stirre up the devo­tion of all true zealous godly men. Whereto, I annexed briefe Poeti­call Meditations upon the Day in generall, and all the Dayes in the Week; which Booke, I compared to the Moone, for I do humbly ac­knowledge, some expressions therein are borrowed from the radient Sun of divine Du Bartas his Weekly Dayes. But before these I had fixed a Star (intituled, Liber Amoris) in a seeming bright firmament of favour, which was transformed into a Meteor of discontent; where­upon, arose flashes of lightening, with terrible thunder, from the coun­tenance, gesture, and tongues of some maliciously instigated, and o­thers malignantly affected to my honest endeavours. Wherefore, see­ing the best of men, such as the Prophet David, a man after Gods owne heart, doth acknowledge, That sometime he spake unadvisedly with his lips. And Austine, Origen, and other learned men, have made large Volumes of Retractations, which formerly they had spoke or writ; I that have little learning, and no way qualified with such spirituall gifts as those men were, may not think it any disparagement to make recantation of what I have done publiquely amisse. And therefore, first, I confesse it was not wisely done in me, to seeke the favour and good will of a young Damsell to be my wife, by making good Books. But for that folly, I have lost two or three hundred pounds, be­sides other worldly goods, which otherwise I might have had by the favour of great personages. Yet as I was foolish in that, so I know I did not amisse to shew my honest intentions, and industrious en­deavours in the good or well spending of spare time. Secondly, the matter of my Books consist in Divinity, Morality, and Fancie. For my Divinity, though it is not so exquisitely performed, as by a learned quill it might have beene, yet it shews the devotion of my soule; which was disesteemed by some maliciously affected to my honest endeavours, and such malignant parties at this time do abundantly multiply, and oppose themselves against all good order in Church and Common­wealth. Secondly, for the Morality in my Meteor, I do acknowledge, it seems to be too satyrically ridged in the applicatory part therof privat­ly exhibited, but if you would be pleased to cōsider the occasion as wel as the thing, you shall not finde it altogether so fault-worthy. In pub­lishing the Abstract of all Sir Iames his Legacies, I do acknowledge [Page 3] that I have given my Lady and the Executours just cause to be offen­ded, especially my Lady, who forewarned me to do the same. And because, that it may come to the hands of some who know them not, and therefore may imagine, that there was some great strife betweene my late judicious Master and his vertuous Lady, because he therein hath bequeathed her little more then what was agreed upon at the time of their Matrimoniall Contract: which some say is a great dis­grace to them both. But I would intreat them to be pleased to consi­der, That though therein my Master seemed to be over just, yet with the plentiful overplus of his estate, he hath shewed himself to be so truly charitable, that what is defective in the one, may be supplied in the o­ther. And therefore, in the opinion of all godly, judicious, learned men, such a famous Testament ought not to be smothered in oblivion, to stirre up all rich mens hearts to make this their president for them to follow, according to my Paterne of Iustice, and Mercy, and Apologie: for his charitable Legacies, though I doubt not of the performance thereof by the worshipfull Executours, yet I feare they may be over­swayed by others, that seek to expulse me out of the service where I have been imployed in the most troublesome businesse above the space of a yeare, and in a close manner disgrace me for revealing the secrets of the Executours, whose actions ought to be so even and equall with­out partiallity, that they may endure the triall of the most nicest and sharpest Satyricall quill. And therefore, I think my late honoured Ma­ster knew well what he did, when he left no Overseer but God, and consciences of the Executours, in the disposall of those Legacies; for he knew my spirit was such, that, if I was so bold with him, on whom my livelihood and welfare in this world did depend, and whose good­nesse towards me then, I had as little cause to suspect, as I have of my Ladies now, having tasted thereof in such a measure, as my printed la­bours and manuscripts declare, I would not feare his Executors, though never so potent. Then why should I fear the greatest Lord in the Land or most Potent hypocrite in this City which shall finde fault with any of my fantasticall or rather satyricall labours; for I have in that manner named none but such as will apply it to themselves.

But if some will be maliciously quarrelsome, and take it to them­selves: Let them understand that I fear none of them; for I shall then prove them to be much more hypocriticall, then my late judicious [Page 4] honoured Master was like Laban or Nabal, and so far from Scandalum magnatum, that it shall appear verbum veritatis, for if they seek utterly to abolish the Book of Common Prayer and then to erect an Aristocra­ticall or Democraticall Jurisdiction in this Kingdom which hath been so long governed under many Royall Monarchs, or at least shall finde fault with my industrious labour in my making of Bookes which was onely to clear my selfe of what I had writ in my Meteor, I protest and affirme that they are a company of hypocrits that do such acts: and therefore I thought good to marke them which so cause divisions in Church and State, according as is related in his Majesties Declarations and other mens writings, for many of them are such as the Apostle speaks of: 2. Timothy 3.6. Who creep into houses and lead captive silly wo­men laden with sins led away with divers lusts ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. And truely I fear it is this kinde of people that endeavour now as they did when my Master was living, to seek my utter ruine, meerly for doing good as well to themselves as o­thers, if they were not maliciously minded: for these my works of Chri­stian fortitude, Pitety and devotion in my Annuall World and Sacred Poems. In my Paterne of Iustice and Mercy, with my Star and Meteor, and in my Disaster; Paradox and Vindication for Book making, is approved and commended by two that are Knight Baronets, nine Knights and Aldermen of London, fifteen that are Aldermen, and others judicious and able Citizens of London, and eight or nine that are learned Di­vines Schollers and writers of Bookes in print, as by two Certificates under their hands may appear, which in justice and charity they would not deny: Yet I do beleeve if they had known I would have put them in print they would have refused their subscription, because these dange­rous times they would not be seen to animate or incourage my angry and satyricall quill: And for my Reverend Patrone he was so far from advising me, that he did utterly dislike and diswade me from it as by his letter may appear; for since I have made my Disaster, I have not seen him, which grieves me to the very heart, that such men as he should be kept in obscurity, and not suffered to preach and write the word of God as in former times. For my Lady and other my friends have been so far for incouraging me, that they have threatned me to put me out of their service, and tell me in the words of Samuel, that obedience is better then sacrifice; & to hearken then the fat of Rams: for who hath required these things [Page 5] at my hands: And who ever rejected the councell of the wise and did prosper, with other such like exhortations which I did very well consider: But yet being continually upbraided for my works w^ch my conscience tel­ling me is well done, & therin is no wrong to any but such galled backs as found themselves prickt to the quick, I was not carefull to answer them in verball expressions, but in print for which I was wronged: And sure I think I am divinely called thereunto, and therefore it is better to obey God then man, whose breath is in his nostrils, and in time of dan­ger or necessity like a broken reed, will rather grieve then help the spi­rit of the afflicted, as experience of this time makes too manifestly ap­pear: for if God hath put a seasonable word into my heart that aimes at his glory and good of other: shall I not write it? if God hath stirred up my spirit as he did the Prophet Daniels in the 45. and 46. verses of Su­sannas Story, shall I fear to say that I am clear of, or from all the inno­cent blood that hath been shed in this unnaturall Civill War? No I will not: for with Balaam the word that the Lord hath put into my heart that will I write though I might gaine a house full of Gold, nay all Sir Iames his Legacies, I will not leave till I have vanquished all my malicious adversaries: And therefore to those that wish me to desist I speak in the words of our Saviour, Get thee behinde me Satan, for thou savourest of the things of men and not of God. And to my friends I speak in the words of Saint Paul, what mean you to weep and to break my heart; for I am ready not to be bound onely but also to die at Ierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus. And therefore intreate them onely to pray that God would send me a quiet minde, for if they be righteous I am sure their prayer will prevail with God. And in time I shall have good successe. And I could wish all England especially London would take my satyricall labours as a warning peece discharged from a good conscience but not from the Cannon oath, &c. nor ordinances Illegall, &c. For though they may seem to be fancies, dreams or Chymera's of my own brain, yet they may prove as fatall to some as Pharaohs Bakers did, and to others succesfull as his Butlers. For I would that all people in the land did seriously con­sider, not onely mine, but the resolved conscience of all true god­ly learned men such as Saint Paul, Rom. 13.1. That it is utterly un­lawfull, nay damnable to resist, much more oppose the higher powers, who are as Saint Peter describes them, First the King and those that are sent by him, and not those that set up themselves against him; Then there would not be such [Page 6] warlike preparations and bloody massacres against Parliamentary pro­ceedings, free speaking, as now there is on both sides; for now an honest man, may not speak, much lesse write his minde freely according to the word of God, and the Protestation which I have taken, unanswerable by argument, as I praise God my works are, but he shal be counted a Malig­nant, and threatned to be plundred, pillaged or imprisoned, as by wofull experience it is too manifest. But I with Saint Paul having fought with beasts after the manner of men and overcome all my malicious adversaries: As barking of Dogs, grumbling of Cats, hissing of Serpents, and with David freed my self from the paw of the angry Lyon, & ravenous Bear, do not fear nor care for the crafty slights of the Fox, the malicious sub­tilty of the Wolf or tyrannicall jurisdiction of any cruell Tyger; but hope in time to overcome even great Goliah himselfe. And if I come into trouble for this my fancy, I am confident that the Lord in good time, will deliver me, according to that of the Psalmist, Though many are the troubles of the righteous, the Lord will deliver him out of them all; he keepeth all his bones so that not one of them is broken, evil shall slay the wicked, and they that hate the Righteous shall be desolate: But the Lord redeemeth the soule of his servant, and none that trust in him shall perish, Psal. 43.19.20. And there­fore conclude with this heavenly Soliloquium of the prophet David, whose actions of conquest I desire to imitate, 1. Sam. 17.37. Why are thou cast down, O my soule, and why art thou disquieted within me, hope thou in God, for I will yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God, Psal. 42. ult. The Lord grant us right understanding in all things.