The worthy communicant, or, A discourse of the nature, effects, and blessings consequent to the worthy receiving of the Lords Supper and of all the duties required in order to a worthy preparation : together with the cases of conscience occurring in the duty of him that ministers, and of him that communicates : to which are added, devotions fitted to every part of the ministration / by Jeremy Taylor ...

To the Most ILLUSTRIOUS PRINCESS Her Highness Royal MARY Princess of Great Britain, Dowager of Orange, &c.

MADAM,

ALthough none of the Sub∣jects of these Nations can, in propriety of speaking, be a stranger to the Royal Family, from whom every single person receives the daily emanations of many Blessings; yet besides this, there is much in your Royal Highness by which your Princely Person is related to all amongst us that are or would be excellent. For where Vertue is in her exaltation, to that excellent Person all that are or would be

thought vertuous do address themselves, either to be directed or encouraged, for example or for patronage, for the simili∣tude of affection or likeness of design; and therefore, Madam, although it is too great a confidence in me, something a stranger, to make this Address to so high-born and great a Princess; yet when I considered that you are the Sister of my King, and the Servant of my God, I know there was nothing to be expected but se∣renity and sweetness, gentleness and good∣ness, Royal favours and Princely graces; and therefore in such fruitful showers I have no cause to fear that my fleece shall be dry, when all that is round about it shall be made irriguous with your Prince∣ly influence. I shall therefore humbly hope that your Royal Highness will first give me pardon, and then accept this humble oblation from him who is equally your

servant for your great Relations, and for your great Excellencies: For I remember with what pleasure I have heard it told, that your Highness's Court hath been in all these late days of sorrow a Sanctuary to the afflicted, a Chappel for the Religi∣on, a Refectory to them that were in need, and the great Defensative of all men and all things that are excellent; and there∣fore it is but duty, that by all the acknow∣ledgments of Religion that honour should be paid to your Royal Highness, which so eminent vertues perpetually have deser∣ved. But because you have long dwelt in the more secret recesses of Religion, and that for a long time your Devotion hath been eminent, your obedience to the strict∣est rules of Religion hath been humble and diligent, even up to a great exam∣ple, and that the service of God hath been your great Care and greatest Imployment,

your Name hath been dear and highly ho∣nourable amongst the Sons and Daughters of the Church of England; and we no more envy to Hungary the great Name of St. Elizabeth, to Scotland the glorious memory of St. Margaret, to France the triumph of the piety of St. Genovese, nor St. Katharine to Italy, since in your Royal Person we have so great an exam∣ple of our own, one of the Family of Saints, a Daughter to such a glorious Saint and Martyr, a Sister to such a King, in the arms of whose Justice and Wisdom we lie down in safety, having now nothing to employ us, but in holiness and comfort to serve God, and in peace and mutual cha∣rity to enjoy the blessings of the Govern∣ment under so great, so good a King.

But Royal Madam, I have yet some more personal ground for the confidence of

this Address; and because I have recei∣ved the great honour of your reading and using of divers of my Books, I was readi∣ly invited to hope that your Royal High∣ness would not reject it, if one of them de∣sired upon a special title to kiss your Princely hand, and to pay thanks for the gracious reception of others of the same Cognation. The stile of it is fit for Clo∣sets, plain and useful; the matter is of the greatest concernment, a rule for the usage of the greatest solennity of Religi∣on: For as the Eucharist is by the vene∣rable Fathers of the Church called the Queen of Mysteries; so the worthy Com∣municating in this, is the most Princely Conjugation of Graces in the whole Rosa∣ry of Christian Religion; and therefore the more proportioned and fitted for the handling of so Princely a Person, whom the beauty of the Body, and the greatness

of Birth, and excellency of Religion, do equally contend to represent excellent and illustrious in the eyes of all the world.

Madam, it is necessary that you be all that to which these excellent graces and dispositions do design you: and to this glo∣rious end, this Manual may if you please add some moments; the effecting of which is all my design, except only that it is in∣tended, and I humbly pray that it may be look'd upon as a testimony of that greatest Honour which is paid you by the hearts and voyces of all the Religious of this Church, and particularly of

MADAM,

Your Highness most humble and most devoted Servant, Jeremy Dunensis.