To the Reader.

WHat a losse the Church
of God had by the
death of D. Playfere,
I had rather the opinion
of the world should
determine, then my
slender penne attempt
to expresse. If euer those combinations of
Vertue and Learning, of Knowledge and Vtterance,
of Wit and Memorie, of Reading
and Vse, of Holesome and Delightfull, of
Schoole and Pulpit, of Old and New, or in
one word to say, of Nature and Industrie, of
humane felicite and heauenly grace, concurred
to make a Scribe perfect and absolute to
the kingdome of God, we may not be so much
our own back-friends (though we detract not
from the fortune of places further off) nay
we may not so impeach the honour of the giuer,
nor disparage the worth of our friend

departed, as to doubt but this was principally
manifested in M. Playfere.
Who because he was but lent the world for
a time, nay because he was redemaunded sooner
then his time, (if it were lawfull to controll
the heauenly wisedome with that word
Sooner, but I meane in regard of the Churches
vse, and that same propter vos, which
made the Apostle to demur) I say since he was
to be returned back againe to his maker, and
ouer-ripe perfection not to continue ouer-long,
it had beene to be wished, he had left
behind him some more monuments of his
trauails, as wel comfortable to the suruiuers,
as honourable to himselfe. Which whether he
in his discretion, and because he had so resolued,
was nice to doe, after the example of
them that would write nothing, though verie
able, or was then a doing most when God cal'd
him, I cannot say. This which the good Reader
will be loath perhaps to heare, I may not
conceale, that these are the last of all his labours
which are like to be divulged. Into so
small a compasse is that spirit now ranged, as
to be as she sayes,
En sum quod digitis quinque leuatur onus,
or indeede not so much as a iust handfull,

which lately was not co~finable within bounds
too great for me to speake of.
But the summe is this: (For I list not to
defend his method of preaching against the
Method-masters of our age, who me thinkes
should knowe either that of the Apostle, Diuersitas
donorum est, sed vnus spiritus:
or that of the Prophet, Laudate eum in tuba,
laudate in cithara: or if nothing will
please them but what they doe themselues, we
must be faine to say as Crassus did to Scevola,
Omnium igitur conciones tu conficies
vnus, omnes ad te sub tempus veniemus, &c.)
I say the summe is this: that as
the Sun-light is pleasantest toward the set, &
the skilfull eare finds most store of musike in
the close: so this Sunne, this Swan, this sweet
singer of Israel, (for what lesser tearmes can
our loue affoard him? if any bring more we
will not refuse them) his last monuments,
and his last labours, that the world may euer
hope for, shall finde we trust the dearer
intertainment.
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