Although it bee true (which a |
worthy Diuine[a] obserueth) that | [Note a: M^r. _Bolter_ Disc. of
formall Hypocrites are heartned and | true Happinesse, p. 61.]
hardned in their lewd courses & |
false conceits of happinesse, when |
they heare more infamous Sinners |
than themselues, gloriously and |
flatteringly commended at their |
Deaths; yet we need not feare any |
such bad effect by the |
Funerall-commendation of Gods true |
Saints; because the publike |
Testimonie of their iust Praises |
doth not onely make the wicked more |
inexcusable, and the Glory of Gods |
Graces shine farre brighter to |
Posteritie; but also enkindleth in |
the hearts of the godly a greater |
fire of Zeale for imitation. These | [Note b: _Psalm. 37. 37. Deut.
are some of the Ends, why it hath | 34. 7, 10, 11, 12. Hebr._ 3. 2. &
euer been and is still an | 11. cap._]
vnreproueable Custome in Gods |
Church, that the Godly should be | [Note c: _2 Chron. 32. 33._]
_Marked_[b] and _Honoured_[c] at |
their Deaths, as _Hezekiah_ was by |
all _Iudah_ & _Ierusalem_: |
_Valentinean_, _Satyrus_ and |
_Theodosius_ by Saint _Ambrose_[A]: | [Note A: _S. Ambr. tom. 3._]
_Basil_, _Gregory_ and _Gorgonia_ |
by _Nazianzen_[B]: _Nepotian_, | [Note B: _Greg. Nazian._
_Paula_ and _Marcella_ by _S. | { 30.
Ierom_[C]. Had not their Holy Liues | _Orat._ { 28.
and Happie Deaths beene published | { 25.]
by such vnpartiall Pens, wee should |
haue bin ignorant now of many | [Note C: _S. Ierom._
excellent Courses of sanctified Men | { _Heliod._
and Women, of many comfortable | { _Eustoch._
workings of the Holy Ghost in them, | _Ad_ { _Princip._
and should haue wanted many | { _Ocean._]
inflaming Motiues to follow their |
religious steps. Vpon this | [Note d: _Testor Iesum cui illa
consideration I was bold to commend | seruiuit & ego seruire cupio, me
vnto Gods people the more than | utramq, in part[=e] nihil fingere;
Ordinary passages of your | sed quasi Christian[=u] de
Honourable Mothers Holy Life and | Christiana quae sunt vera proferre,
Death: wherein I haue as a | id est, Historiam scribere non
Christian spoken the truth of a | Panegyricum. S. Ierom, Epitaph.
Christian, that is, (as Saint | Paulae._]
_Ierom_[d] protesteth in a like |
case) made a true Narration; not a |
Vain-glorious Panegyrick. Let Poets |
and Oratours praise those women, |
which _Poppaea_-like[e], are graced | [Note e: _Poppaea cuncta alia fuere
with all other things sauing a | praeter Honestum animum. Tacit.
Gracious Heart: Let them commend | Annal. l. 13._]
their Wit, Wealth, Beautie, |
Nobilitie, and other Gifts of |
Fortune (as they call them) in |
stead of Vertues[f]. Wee the | [Note f: _Laudauit ipse Nero apud
Ministers of Christ, and Stewards | rostra formam eius & quod diuinae
of the Mysteries of God, must | formae parens fuisset, aliaque
adorne none with the Honourable | fortunae munera pro Virtutibus. Id.
Attributes of Heauenly Praise; but | Annal. l. 16._]
such as are truly beautified, |
enriched, and ennobled with the |
Purity and Power of Gods Feare in | [Note A: _Esai. 61. 3._]
their Humble Soules[A]. This praise |
the Lord will Prosper[g], which is | [Note g: _Eccles. 15. 10._]
vttered in that _Wisdome_[h], |
whereof the _Feare of the Lord is | [Note h: _Prou. 9. 10._]
the beginning_. But for the Saints |
themselues: I dare say with Saint | [Note i: _Epist. 125._ where S.
_Augustine_[i], that they desire | _Augustine_ refuseth to commend
more the Imitation, than the | vnto a wicked Husb[=a]d his godly
Commendation of their vertues: and | wife that was dead, not onely
therefore to tell you the truth (as | because she desired not his praise,
the same Father doth his friend) | saying: _Laudem ab hominibus iam
you should neuer haue heard mee | illa non quaerit, imitationem vero
commend this deceased Lady, but in | tu[=a] tantum quaerit etiam
hope, that Gods Graces in Her might | defuncta, quantum te dilexit etiam
by this meanes, suruiue in your | dissimilem viua_; but also because
religious Imitation, and not only | her Husband loued Her not, which he
in you and all them that are of Her | proueth thus: _Nam utiq si amares,
bloud; but also in all them that | cum illa esse post mortem
haue heard or shall reade this | desiderares, quod profecto non
Sermon. This is all the gaine I | eris, si qualis es, talis eris._]
looke and pray for, that Gods[k] |
word, which I haue faithfully | [Note k: _Ier. 23. 22, 28. 1 Pet.
alledged (not without some | 4. 11. Tit. 2. 8. 2 Tim. 2.
Illustrations (I confesse) borrowed | 15. 1 Tim. 4. 13. & 6. 3._]
from the holy Fathers[l], whereof I |
need not to be ashamed) may be | [Note l: _--Ingenuo pudore qui
constantly practised by vs all. For | ornabat aetatem, quid cuius esset,
when all is done and said, assure | confiteri ... Illud (aiebat)
your selfe (Deare Sir) it is only | Tertulliani, istud Cypriani, hoc
the Life of Grace, the Grace of the | Lactantij, illud Hilarij est. Sic
_Feare of the Lord_ can truly | Minutius Foelix, ita Victorinus, in
Honour you, or any vpon earth, | hunc modum est locutus Arnobius. S.
sweetly comfort you at your Death, | Ierom. ad Heliodor de Nepotian._]
and eternally Glorifie your Soule |
and Bodie in Heauen. Abandon then I |
beseech you in the name of |
Christ[m], all iniquitie, and all | [Note m: _2 Thess. 3. 6. 2 Tim.
workers of iniquitie, yea abominate | 2. 19. Prou. 4. 14. 1 Cor. 5.
the sweetest sin, to which your | 11. Ephes. 5. 11. Psalm. 26.
youthfull affections are most | 4, 5. & 119. 32, 36, 128. 2
endeared, else you will neuer be | Chron. 19. 2. & 20. 37._]
able to encline and enlarge them |
to the pursuit and practise of so |
excellent and Glorious a Grace as |
the _Feare of the Lord_; because |
this godly Feare and the impenitent |
Allowance of any lust, is as |
incompatible as Heauen and Hell: so |
that if you should hate to be |
diuorced from your Bosome-sin |
whatsoeuer it be (which God forbid) |
you could haue no true right and |
interest to the precious promises |
of this and of that other life[n]. | [Note n: _1 Tim. 4. 8._]
Thinke on this continually, and |
hold it your greatest Honour, the |
Noblest imployment of your Soule, |
as it is indeed, to keep your selfe |
(as a King[o] did before you.) from | [Note o: _Psal. 18. 23._]
your iniquitie. _Quod si tu (quod |
procul absit) nolueris, ego liber |
ero. Epistola, immo concio me haec |
mea, cum lecta fuerit, |
absoluet._[p] And so I rest, being | [Note p: _S. Ierom. ad Castorin.
mindfull of your Vertues, | Materteram._]
|
|
_Saint Mauganthe
19. August 1626._
_Yours in all Christian Deuotion,
and heartiest prayer to God for
you,_