Vasanos alåethinåe, the true touchstone which shews both grace and nature, or, A discourse concerning self examination, by which both saints and sinners may come to know themselves whereunto are added sundry meditations relating to the Lords Supper / by Nathanael Vincent ...

TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL Sir THOMAS PLAYER, Knight, and Chamberlain of the City of LONDON.

Much Honoured Sir!

GReatness and Goodness, though more rarely joyn∣ed, are not inconsistent. God himself is Optimus Maximus, the Highest and the Best of Beings. Magistrates that are good, do best deserve the Name of Gods on Earth. Psal. 82. 6. I said ye are Gods, but ye shall dye like Men. And when

Death seizes on them, their Great∣ness is buried with them, but their goodness accompanies them into another World, and in this World perpetuates their Names, and makes their Memory Blessed. Rich men ought not to be High minded, nor trust in uncertain Riches. Wealth is but as it were a Castle in the Air; and a High Wall in the conceit and fancy of him that has it. The Rich man therefore is to rejoyce that he is made low, because as the flower of the Grass he shall pass away, Jam. 1. 10.

Good Sir,

Weigh this World but in the right Scales, and it will be found a Drop, a Small Dust, as the Prophets phrase is.

Goodness is the most real Gran∣deur, Holiness the highest Honour,

Godliness the greatest Gain; and Purity has the most solid and exqui∣site Delight and Pleasure for its con∣comitant.

In this degenerate Age, wherein Sin is so much in fashion, and be∣come the Mode of the Times; it is matter of rejoycing, to see some Great men striving against the stream, and manifesting to all that they are not afraid or ashamed of being Religious. I wish more Great Men were good, and that all good men were a great deal better! Times would quickly alter with Manners, and if more would lead good Lives, more would see good days.

Go on I beseech you Sir! To stand up for God, and for your Country. God and your Country

will stand by you. It is your Glo∣ry that you are a firm Protestant a∣gainst Popery, and against Atheism also and Prophaneness; and that both in Word and Conversation.

Go on to be Faithful, in that great Trust which most deservedly is reposed in you; and to be a great∣er Treasure to your beloved City, then that you are keeper of; Go on to a Father to Orphans, a Patron to Apprentices, a Friend to Masters, and one of the Darlings of London. May you live long to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a publick Good, and may your Name outlive you many Ages!

Stapleton the Jesuit put forth a Book Entitled Tres Thomae, the Three Thomas's. St. Thomas the Apostle, Thomas of Becket, and Sir Thomas More. Every Christian will

readily grant the preeminence to an Apostle; but for the other two, the Arch-Bishop and the States∣man; The Thomas I addresse to, does much outvy them, and in say∣ing this, I cannot justly be charged with Flattery.

The proud Prelate Becket, and the Unhappy Wit Sir Thomas More, were for the Pope against their Kings. But Sir Thomas Player is, and will be for the King against the Pope and all his Adherents.

Many Trials of the Papists have of late been Printed, in this Trea∣tise is the greatest Trial of all, and that is the Trial of our selves. May your Conscience upon the perusal of it acquit you at present; and pro∣nounce

you upright; and may you be absolved and crowned at the great approaching day of Trial, this is the Prayer of

Sir,

Your most Humble Servant, Nathanael Vincent.