HAving lately seene a Pamphlet, mis-called a Sermon, and fathered upon my name, under this Title, [A Sermon preached in Exon, before the Deputy Livetenants, Captaines, &c. in the County of Devon, by John Bond, Minister of the word of God in the City of Exon] The text being, Prov. 25. v. 5. and perusing those broken notes uppon it, contained in some 35 pages. I thought it my duty (so soone as I could recover my selfe from astonishment at the injurious boldnesse of the publisher, T. B.) to tell the world, that not onely my selfe, but, which is farre more neere me, the very Cause, Text, and Reader, are abused in that bastard-copy. I may not, for the matters sake, be forced to hatch a Cuckco's egges, or to father anothers bratt, especially when tis a monster.
And therefore mine intreaty to the Reader of these lines is this, that for his owne sake as well as mine, he would save the labour of reading those shreds, or at least the charges of buying them; and if he will needs see something of mine upon that Text, let him but hold-in his purse, and lay-out a little patience in staying a few weekes (perhaps dayes) untill I can finish my beginnings upon that Scripture, and then hee may have the Commodity at first hand, perhaps cheaper and sweeter then it can come from such regrating, and soyling Hucksters. Meane while, pray for him that is,