THE WORKS OF ROBERT SANDERSON, D. D. SOMETIME BISHOP OF LINCOLN, NOW FIRST COLLECTED BY WILLIAM JACOBSON, D. D. REGIUS PROFESSOR OF DIVINITY AND CANON OF CHRIST CHURCH. IN SIX VOLUMES. VOL. II. OXFORD, AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS. M.DCCC.LIV. S23 v. 2. THE PREFACE.* 1655. I HAD thought to have given somewhat a larger account in this Preface than now I do, as well concerning the publishing of these Sermons,-First, Why at all? Secondly, Why now, so late? Thirdly, Why these? so many, so few,-as concerning the Sermons themselves, First, the Truth, and Secondly, the Choice of the Matters therein handled. Thirdly, the Manner of handling, and such other things as some Readers out of curiosity expect to be satisfied in. But considering with myself, that there may be times wherein it may be a point of the greatest prudence to keep silence, and wherein, as it was Amos v. 13. wisely said of old, Qui bene latuit, bene vixit,† 'he liveth best, that appeareth least;' so it may be as truly said, Qui bene tacuit, bene dixit, 'he speaketh best that saith least,'-I thought it safer to save that labour, than to adventure the possibility of having offence taken, upon no better security than the not having meant to give any. 2. Therefore, in short, thus. After these Sermons were preached, so far was I from any forwardness to publish them, that for some years they were thrown aside without any thought at all of printing them, but rather a resolution to the contrary. I could not observe any such scarcity of printed Sermons abroad, as that there should be any great need of sending out more. And the copying out of most of them again, * Originally prefixed, in 1656, to a Volume containing Sermons ixvi. ad Aulam, Sermons iv, v, vi. ad Magistratum, and Sermon viii. SANDERSON, VOL. II. ad Populum, according to the ar- a 1505 |