Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A30945
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Memorials of Alderman Whitmore, Bishop Wilkins, Bishop Reynolds, Alderman Adams ...
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Barksdale, Clement, 1609-1687.
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1681
(1681)
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Wing B798; ESTC R35314
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15,360
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50
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Laws of it He encouraged him in it he desired his Friendship and protected both him and many others by an interest that he had gained and made use of chiefly for such purposes 13. How he demeaned Himself then is known in both Vniversities where he governed with praise and left a very gratefull Remembrance behind him How in the next Times since is well known in London And having named this City and the two Universities I think he could not be placed in a better light in this Nation There were enough that could judge and he did not use to disguise himself I appeal to you that conversed with him in those dayes what zeal he hath exprest for the Faith and for the Unity of the Church How he stood up in defence of the Order and Government How he hath asserted the Liturgy and the Rites of it He conformed himself to every thing that was commanded beyond which for any Man to be vehement in little and unnecessary things whether for or against them he could not but dislike and as his free manner was he hath oft been heard to call it Fanaticalness How this might be misrepresented I know not or how his Design of Comprehension might be understood 14. Sure I am that since he came into the Government of the Church to which he was called in his Absence he so well became the Order that it out did the expectation of all that did not very well know him He filled his Place with a Goodness answerable to the rest of his Life and with a Prudence above it considering the two extreams which were no where so much as in his Diocese Though he was as before very tender to those that differ'd from him yet he was as before exactly conformable himself and brought others to Conformity some eminent Men in his Diocese He endeavoured to bring in all that came within his reach and might have had great success if God had pleased to continue him But having given full proof of his Intentions and Desires it pleased God to reserve the Fruit for other Hands from which we have cause to expect much Good to the Church 15. He was in perfect Health in all other respects when a known Infirmity from an unknown Cause that had been easier to cure then it was to discover stole upon him and soon became incurable He was for many dayes in a prospect of Death which he saw as it approached and felt it come on by degrees Some dayes before he dyed he found within himself as he often said A sentence of Death In all this time who ever saw him dismaid who ever found him surpriz'd or heard a word from him unbecoming a wise man and a true Christian At the times I was with him I saw great Cause to admire his Faith towatds God his Zeal for his Church his Constancy of Mind his Contempt of the World and his chearfull Hopes of Eternity That the Memory of this Worthy Prelate may not be abused I declare and that upon most certain Grounds That he dyed in the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Communion of the Church of England as it is by Law established 16. He dyed only too soon for the Church and for his Friends but for Himself he had lived long enough He has lived long enough that dies well As for us we must submit to the Will of God Our Comfort is that we shall follow and come together again in due Time Doctor Edward Reynolds Lord Bishop of Norwich Obiit 1676. From Mr. B. Riveley VIr nec tacendus nec dicendus A Man of whom I can't be silent without detriment to the Church and dishonor to God and yet a Man of whom I can't speak without loss to his Merit and diminution to his Worth 1. He was a Good Man He was of a most sweet and obliging temper of great Candor and Integrity He had a comely Countenance a gentle Disposition a pleasantness of Conversation Reason sat as Queen in his Soul Passion and Appetite were as Handmaids 2. He was a Good Christian Revelation was a great Mistress with him and he was a great Adorer as well as Practicer of the will of God Religion sanctifyed his Reason and Grace his Nature and of all Accomplishments he accounted it his Glory to be a Disciple of Christ The Fear of the Lord was to him the top of his Wisdom He endeavoured that his ways might be found perfect before God He was carefull to maintain good Works I speak it knowingly as the necessary Fruits of Christian Faith and such Works as are due to Men as well as those that have a more immediate respect to Cod. To honour his King to speak well of his Superiors to be obedient to Laws in Church and State to govern his Tongue to love his Neighbors and to take the worst Enemies he had in the world into the number This was his Religion 'T was a piece of his Conscience to do these things as well as to preach and to pray and to frequent the worship of God 3. He was a good Minister of the Gospel For this he had a great name all his undignified time and when he came to the high place he did not make an end of prophecying He was built and framed on purpose to be an Instructor and Curate of Souls For he was sober and wise able to salve difficulties to determine cases to quiet consciences He was an Interpreter one of a thousand another Apollos mighty in the Scriptures He was of a sedate mind of a tender Compassionate Spirit heartily desirous of Mens eternal Good and not only his Industry but his delights run out that way how to bring it about 4. He was a good Bishop There are two sorts of People and they differ among themselves toto coelo that can hardly allow him to have been a good Bishop The one sort think him not good because a Bishop at all making those terms Good and Bishop inconsistent but these are absurd and unreasonable Men and their tongue is no slander and I trouble my self no further with them the other can't afford him to be good in his capacity because he was not so much a Bishop as they would have had him that is to say because he would not drive their pace he would not govern by their Rules not execute censures at their heights nor interpret Canons in their sense What truer Indication would you have of wise and good Government then from its natural and proper effects And for that matter I dare appeal to your own observation whether in any Diocese in the Kingdom caeteris paribus there be to be found a more sober regular and loyal Clergy a more conformable People more decent and well repaired Churches and a greater alteration both of Judgment and Manners of Men since the late Times of Anarchy and Confusion which is especially visible in matter of the Sacrament then in this Diocese Resolve this into the
true Reason and continue malevolent to the Memory of him that is gon if you can I pass on to his Learning Writing Preaching Living 1. He was an excellent Scholar He had a great stock of natural Parts and endowments to which he added an indefatigable Industry and God gave a plentiful Benediction His skill in the Greek Tongue got him his Fellow-ship in Merton College in Oxford in Sir Henry Savils time And what a rare Humanist he was and how well vers't in the Polite parts of Learning his juvenile piece upon the Passions abundantly testifies 2. And indeed he was an admirable Writer for wit judgment and fancy of all which there seems to be a curious mixture in his Books 3. Moreover he was a Great Divine and in his Time a most celebrated Preacher For his Divinity I need only say He was a true continuer of the name of Reynolds in the Church of England and for his Sermons they met with the Approbation both of Prince and People Scholars Gentlemen and Citizens all ranks of Men have given their honorable Testimony to them He was a Man of God throwly furnished to every good word and work He had the Art of saving Souls if ever any had 4. But above all I must not forget the Virtues and Graces wherein he did excell For he was as good a Liver as he was a Preacher or a Writer All his other good qualities were adorned and both greener and riper years were seasoned with the Piety of a Saint His youth was not observ'd to be stain'd with the vices of that Age and when the Church brought him her Miter God had Crown'd his Head before according to that of Solomon The hoary head is a Crown of Glory if it be found in the way of righteousness But more particularly his Humility Meekness Patience Charity are remarkable in him 1. He was cloathed with Humility and 't was his upper Garment and cover'd all the rest of his Accomplishments He had mean thoughts of Himself and was content that others should have so of him too and though his face shone yet he would not know it There was no leven of Pride or ill Humour or Surliness or Ambition in him no difficulty of access nor affectation of distance if you had but the face of a Gentleman or the habit of a Clergy-man all Ceremony must be laid aside in order to Converse Doubtless he was a great Judge of Learning and yet the most candid Auditor of Sermons in the World he was never heard to censure any body though he himself has not been spared 2. Neither was there wanting in him the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit whereby he became a true Copy of the Grand Exemplar and Bishop of our Souls 'T is an usual saying among some such a thing would vex a Saint but truly what would vex or ruffle or discompose this holy Man was a hard matter to determin 'T is scarce remembred that ever he was seen in Passion For forty nine years together wherein He and his Consort liv'd in married state not many words worthy of the denomination of Angry have been observed to drop from him This I can assure you He had his share both of Injuries from Men and of Afflictions from God and he was sensible of them always with the preservation of his Religious Integrity and the exercise of Meekness towards Men and of Patience towards God 3. And I may truly say that in him Patience had her work Though toward the latter end of his Life his days were full of pain nights of weariness yet he knew that by Patience he was as well to wait as to endure and that he was to honour the Soveraign of his Life and Death as well by tarrying his leisure as by bearing his hand His repeated Prayer to Heaven was that in his utmost Extremities he might not be provoked to speak dishonorably of God and when through some fierce exacerbation of his disease he was constrain'd to make some noise and outcry he would presently subjoyn Though he did roar he did not murmur 4. As the Complement of all the rest His Vniversal Charity to the Persons and Souls of Men was so conspicuous that the world could not deny it but was forc'd to call it Compliance All the doubt may be concerning his Charity to the Poor and Needy because the excellency of this Virtue lies in the secrecy of its Practice Dayly and hourly were the Emanations of his Charity while he liv'd but most of them running like streams under ground til he was dead Many were the Gifts he scattered to the bringing up of poor Children at School to the maintenance of poor Scholars in the University to the supportation and encouragement of ancient foundations of Piety and Learning to the relief of visited places in his Diocese to the supply of the wants of poor Ministers Widows to the Augmentation of small Vicarages in his Gift Add the several shares that Southampton the place of his Birth Merton College the place of his first Preferment Northhampton the place of his first Ministerial Employment Norwich where he departed had you cannot want a sufficient evidence of his abundant Charity Lastly God was pleased to do him an extraordinary kindness an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a gentle Death the last sand in the Hour-Glass falling with no less difficulty than wherewith he expired IV. Sir Thomas Adams Alderman of London Obiit 1667. From Doctor Hardy 1. THere is no less then a Three-fold obligation laid upon us of publishing the excellencies of those who have done worthily and been Famous in their Generations Hereby we glorifie the Lord in his Servants and that is Piety we honor the Dead in their Memory and that is Equity we benefit the People by their Examples and that is Charity I shall not say more of this Worthy Person then what not only very credible Information but for the most part my own personal knowledge will warrant me having had the honor of more than Twenty Years acquaintance with him Fifteen whereof he was the Chief Inhabitant of that Parish wherein I was an Unworthy Laborer 2. His very outward aspect was amiable nay venerable and his presence as the appearance of some bright Star having a pleasing influence upon all that looked upon him But could you have viewed his inside beheld that virtuous Soul which inhabited his comely Body how would it have ravished you and yet though we could not directly we might reflexively and that both from his words and works The Lips of the Righteous feed many to wit with wholsome Counsells and Comforts keeping as it were an open Table for all Comers such were his Lips with which as well nay better than with his Bountiful Table he fed not only his Children and Servants but all who conversed with him Among whom I can truly say I never went to him but I did or might come away better'd by his gracious and prudent discourse Nor