IT is the Rule of the Apostle and of our Savi∣our Christ, Rebuke not an Elder, but exhort him as a Father: Oh therefore that it would please that blessed Lord, even the God of wis∣dome, that I might performe this dutie to your Lordship with such regard of your noble quali∣ties and tender care of your precious soule as I ought: but however I may faile in point of dis∣cretion, yee I hope your Lordship will beare with me, since it doth proceed from a heart that doth unfainedly desire your everlasting happinesse, I know it is a hard taske and many times a thanklesse office, to admonish men of mean qualitie of their faults, and to bring them to acknowledge their errours; much more then those that are so farre our Superiours: yet where grace and true nobi∣litie is, it will teachmen with meeknesse to suffer the words of exhortation, and with the kingly Prophet to say, Let the righteous smite me, for that shall be us precious Balme unto me, for the wisest and greatest in this world, have their frailties and in∣firmities. David a man after Gods owne heart, yet erred in numbring the people, and confessed he had done very foolishly. And Salomon his son the wisest and the greatest statesman that ever was upon the earth, yet erred greatly, and although he provided men-singers, and women-singers; and the delights of the sons of men; yet he doth acknowledge all was but vanitie, and vexation of spirit: And so I trust your noble and religious Page  17 heart, will tell you though you did provide you such excellent singers such rare conceits and cu∣rious Actors and numbred the people to behold it, yet all is but vanitie, and vexation of Spirit: and the more vanitie, and vexation of spirit, because it was on the Lords day, which should have been taken up with better meditati∣ons, and the contemplation of Heaven and hea∣venly things, and therefore that God might not be heareafter so, dishonored, nor your everlasting happinesse thereby endangered I beseech you, in the tender mercie of our Saviour Christ, give ear to the Counsell of your servant, and be you plea∣sed to submit your self to the censure of your own Court, that so it may appeare to the world, that you will not stand out in any thing that is ill, but will give glorie to God, and yeeld obedience to all good Lawes, and so ye may stoppe the mouths and stay the fury of many prophane people, which proclaime such libertie (from this example, to follow their vaine delights upon the Sabbath day, But I hope when they shall heare that such is the justice of the Court, and faithfulnesse of your Officers, they will execute justice without respect of persons, and therefore in this case will spare neither Lord, Bishop nor Knights nor Ladies: I trust I say when they shall heare of this, it will be a great danting and discouragement to them, and also, through the Lords mercie, a means to repair again the breach whereat otherwise whole troops of prophane wretches will enter to lay violent hands upon the Lords Day: and so beseeching the Lord God of Sabbath that my counsell might be Page  18 as wholsome and as acceptable unto you, as the Counsell of Abigal was to David, that you might with that holy man say, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel that hath sent thee to meet me, and bles∣sed bee thou that hast kept mee from giving any countenance or encouragement to any man that dares presume to prophane the Sabbath of the great God of heaven, Amen Lord Jesus Amen.