The deuills banket described in foure sermons [brace], 1. The banket propounded, begunne, 2. The second seruice, 3. The breaking vp of the feast, 4. The shot or reckoning, [and] The sinners passing-bell, together with Phisicke from heauen / published by Thomas Adams ...

Ad vel in Lectorem.

REligious Reader, (for I thinke, few of the profane rabble read any Sermons) let me intreat thee for this, that (cum le∣ctoris nomen feras, ne licto∣ris officium geras) thou wouldst accept it, not except against it; and being but a Reader, not vsurpe the office of a Censurer. The maine intents of all Prea∣chers, and the contents of all Sermons, ayme to beat downe sinne, and to conuert sinners. Which the most absolute and vn-••rring Scriptures haue shadowed vn∣der diuers metaphores; comparing them to beasts, to blots, to sicknesses, to sterrillities, to pollutions, to leauenings, to whoredomes, to Deuils In all which (and many other such figuratiue speeches) I thin••e it lawfull, nay necessary for vs, Gods Ministers, to ex∣plane the Metaphore; and (still within bounds of the simillitude) to shew the fit accordance and respon∣dencie of the thing meant, to the thing mentioned. Indeede, to stretch the Text against the owne wil••, is to martir it: and to make euery metaphore runne vpon foure fe••t, is often violabile sacris. B••t so long as we keepe the Analogie of faith, and the sen••e of the present Theame, it is a fault, to finde fault with vs. Indeed Rhe••oricall flourishes without solid matter, is like an Egiptian bond-woman in a Queenes robes; or the Courtiers Chamber, which is often a rotten roome, curiously hanged. Gods word is full of darke speec••es,

darke not in themselues, but to our thicke-sighted vn∣derstandings: therefore his propositions, require ex∣positions. Not that we should turne plaine Morals in∣to Allegories, but Allegories into plaine Morals. The former was Origens fault, of whom it is said, (I speake not to vncouer that Fathers nakednesse; but to shew that all men may erre, and therefore truth of loue must not preiudice loue of truth) that wherein hee should not allegorize, he did; and wherein he should haue al∣legoriz'd, to his woe, he did not. I haue presumed, not without warrant of the best Expositors, to mani∣fest the manifold temptations of Satan, vnder the Harlots inueigling her Customers. 1. As Wise∣dome ver. 3. sends forth her Maydens, her Mini∣sters, to inuite guests to her Feast of Grace. So Vice sends forth her temptations; nay, she sits at the dore her selfe, ver. 14. and courts the passengers. 2. If Wis∣dome call the Ignorant. ver. 4. Who so is simple, let him turne in hither, as for him that wanteth vnder∣standing, she saith, &c. Vice, which is the true Folly, is her Zani, and takes the words out of her mouth. ver. 16. Who so is simple, let him turne in hither, and as for, &c. 3. If Wisedome promiseth Bread and Wine, ver. 5. Come eate of my bread, and drinke of the wine, which I haue mingled. Sinne will promise no lesse to her guests. ver. 17. Stollen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is plea∣sant. Here is then a plaine opposition of Grace and Sinne, Wisedome and Folly, Chastitie and vn∣cleanenesse, Christ and the Deuill. Hee is mistaken then, that shall iudge mee mistaken in this Allegorie.

I stand not so much on the sound, as the sense; not so much on the literall, as spirituall meaning. In the former I haue instanced, insisted on the latter. It should be tedious, to giue account for euery circum∣stance. The learned and good man will iudge faucu∣rably. To the rest. Si quid tu recti••s istis Pro••ir us imperti, si non, his vtere mecum. I passe by ••he triutall obiections against Sermons in print: as the deadnesse of the letter, the multitude of Bookes p••es∣sing to the P••esse, &c. As if the eye could giue no help to the soule: as if the queasie stomach could not for∣beare surfetting: as if some mens sullennesse, and cry∣ing push at Sermons, should be preiudiciall to ot••ers benefit: as if the Prophets had not added line to line, as well as precept vpon precept. I heare of some ••dle Drones, humming out their dry derisions, that wee will be men in print, slighting the matter for the Au∣thors sake. But because their inuectiues are as im∣potent, as themselues are impudent, I will answere no further, then haec culpas, sed tu non meliora facis. Or to borrow the words of the Epigrammatist.

Cum tua non edas, carpis mea carmina Leli: Carpere vel noli nost••a, v••l ed••tua. Sloth sits and censures, what th'industrious teach. Foxes dispraise the Grapes, they cannot reach.

One caueat, good Reader, and then God speed thee. Let me intr•••• t••ee, not to giue my Booke the chopping cen∣sure. A word old enough, yet would haue a Comment. Do not open it at a ventures, & by reading the broken pieces of two or three lines, iudge it. But read it through, and then I beg no pardon, if thou ••islikest it. Farewell.

Thine THO. ADAMS.