mihi Jesus O good Jesu be thou a Jesus to me Here then away with that scandalous reproach cast upon Episcopacy by Schism and Sedition as if forsooth by some strange enchantment and charm to be made Lord Bishop were to unmake a good Man and a good Minister Here we see that scandalous reproach perfectly confuted and were it not too too impudent this and many other deceased Presidents as well as other surviving examples might wholly silence it Sure I am beyond all contradiction we have seen Dr. Wilde and the Bishop of Derry one and the same in Piety in Charity in diligent Preaching holy Living hospitable House-keeping and all other the commendable qualifications of a good Man and a good Bishop To draw to a close reflect we upon the last scene of all his Labors his Sickness and Death know then he having received not long before the Blessed Sacrament of the holy Eucharist his preparation for death was no sick-bed task and therefore did he rather meet his dissolution then flie it He was none of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those strange sort of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He lived as one expecting Death and died as one assured of Life He felt no retinacula animae no pull-backs of the Soul to hold him from Christ either from love of enjoying the World or fear of leaving it So that being in firm Peace of Conscience and full Hope of Glory when I minded him of the approaches of Death he did with much Pathos of Devotion utter that our Saviours prescribed Petition Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Ay Thy will O God be done says he In hac terra mea This my Earthly Body smiting upon his Brest Again quickning his Devotion from the Mystery of the Churches Festival Christ come in the Flesh as being come the desire of all Nations he pathetically broke forth in a pious descant upon the Prophets words concerning the Messiah Hag. 2.7 That he was Desideratus cunctis Gentibus desiderium omnium Gentium summe desiderabilis evidencing by the Pathos of his expressions That Christ was indeed the cheif desire and delight of his Soul Which holy Flame was kept alive on the Altar of his Heart in continually renewed Devotions till his prevailing sickness closing his Breath the holy Flame mounted up with his Soul to Heaven there to become Seraphick in Glory Thus God having granted what he so earnestly desired his sense and understanding quick unto the last in a sweet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indeed this servant of the Lord did depart in peace without any struglings of Body or of Soul In articulo mortis in the minute of his dissolution as having already begun his eternal rest And well it is I am come to his rest I question else where I could have stopt being carried away with love and zeal upon so dear a Subject But now I am at a pause I remember well we are to perform Funeral Rites due to the Body as well as the Memory of the deceased so that I will onely add this As for you who are his Friends and who is not a friend to so eminent a Vertue and Goodness so excellent a Piety and Charity Let me prompt you to this service and I shall readily comply with you in the performance that our Hearts and Affections may make him a Tomb and our Lives in imitation write the Epitaph and if you please let the Inscription be those words of the Apostle Christ is our Life And so when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory Halleluiah FINIS
advantage as the Churches good or rather indeed in the Churches good seeking his best advantage as having an eye with Moses to the recompence of reward And now beholding him taking his leave of his London-friends in his farewel design for Derry methinks I see St. Paul encompassed with those devoted ones of the Church of Ephesus taking his farewel bound for Jerusalem Acts 20. Some are sighing some are weeping all are sorrowing Sorrowing for this especially that they believed they should see his face no more Sure the good Man did here undergo an hard tryal much like that of St. Pauls And had he not had an Heroick Piety cheerfully to encounter difficulties and dangers he had certainly been entangled with his friends embraces but his love to Souls brings him to Derry where he hath left this testimony of honorable fame That he was faithful in his office to God the King and the Church In his constant Preaching he fed the Peoples Souls and not their Humors and in his Pastoral Discipline he struck at their Pertinacy not their Persons He did aedificare but not in ruinam in the words of Tertullian he did edifie but not to ruine as do too many with their edifying Sermons falsly so called who teach Sedition and Schism under the mask of Religion and Zeal which the more home they Preach the more hurt they do This we too sadly know the deceased Bishop Taper-like consumed himself to give light to others so that to all contemners of his Ministry and opposers of his Pastoral charge to them I say Behold not the dust of his feet but even the carcase of his body is cast off against you For for your sakes it was that his heart became troubled with cares and his spirit wasted with studies and thereby his body the sooner brought to its Grave After almost five years continuance in his Episcopal charge as the duty of his place in service to the King and Church did require he repairs to Dublin to attend the sitting again of the Parliament in which himself was a Peer and at his entrance into the City he brought death in his face which not long after seized his heart some sensible decays he had to which his sprightly Genius would not stoop but bore up with chearfulness till Christmas Eve intending the service of Pulpit and Altar of Sermon and Sacrament at St. Brides on Christmas-day and sitting up late in preparation for that intended Service he was seized with the first Paroxysme of his sickness as a summons of Death who now laid siege to the Cittadel of his Heart And thus though he died not standing in the Pulpit yet he died studying of the Sermon and blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall finde so doing He was then upon his duty and guard when by Death encountred which encounter hath thus far onely prevailed to a conquest over the outward man His pious Soul being on the Friday following translated by the ministry of Angels from the Militant state of Christs Church on Earth to that state which is Triumphant in Heaven Now before we close give me leave to reflect a while in some pertinent observations upon the Life and Sickness and Death of the deceased 1. In a review reflecting upon his Life I observe his days were like the Suns revolution in a continued sphear of heavenly vertues And that to give you a Summary of his Religious conversation were to do with Christian piety what Florus did with the Roman History In brevi tabella totam ejus imaginem amplecti draw its full Portraicture in a short Table for indeed he was no Mercurial Statue to point out the way and not walk it himself no but rather he was like the Angelical Star at the Birth of Christ which declared Christ born to the Magi and went along with them to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the words of St. Basil on Psal 63. He was a Preacher in Life as well as in Doctrine in Pattern as well as in Precept Again I observe such were his frequent Fastings and Prayers that wheresoever he did reside if he had not time and place opportunity and conveniency for Gods publick Worship he either made his Chamber a Chappel or the House a Temple the Churches Prayers being still a part of his constant Devotions Again I observe his Charity that was greatly diffusive even into all the Three Kingdoms having his poor Widows his necessitous Gentlemen young Schollars and puny Catechists all his continued Pensioners some in London some in Cambridge some in Oxford some in Dublin some at Glascow some at Derry some at Faughen indeed what place did he ever come into or could well send into that did not taste some influence of his bounty The whole sum of his Charity besides the charge of his Buildings hath been computed by them that best know it 500 l. per annum And observe that which speaks his goodness hugely ingenuous when he gave any thing of his Purse in a contribution of Charity he gave something also of himself in a compassionate pitty ay and something of his Office too in a Benediction or Prayer In the Will which he made there are indeed many Legacies but none to gratifie the rich most to relieve the necessitous some indeed are Honorary such as that of his giving to the Library of St. Johns Colledge in Oxford many of his best Folio's with an 100 l. towards the building their Founders Tomb Ay and that his Charity might not die with him he desires in his Will that what could be spared from the charge of his Funerals which he ordered to be decent and not pompous might be disposed of for the relief of the poor Thus the deceased dying in the Lord rests from his labors and his works follow him So that great no doubt is his gain in Heaven who is entred into the joy of his Lord but sure I am great is ours and the Churches loss on Earth which thousands in both Kingdoms do bewail His number of endeared Friends out-vying that of most mens common acquaintance O how many are ready to say of him taken from them by Death what St. Jerome said of Nepotian O avulsa sunt viscera mea O my Bowels are torn from me Ay in a louder accent of sorrow how many are there poor Souls who cry out Avulsa sunt alimenta mea Oh my Bread my Food and so my Life is taken from me by his Death Such was their maintenance and supplies administred from his hand of Bounty and Love And observe what is not to be buried in silence his devotions so zealous were all a Vestal Flame a Virgin Piety not defiled with the ravishments of the Flesh or the impurities of the World he had espoused himself to Christ and therefore engaged in no other marriage then that of his Soul in love to Jesus according to that which was his frequent and fervent ejaculation O bone Jesu esto
A NARRATIVE Panegyrical Of the Life Sickness and Death OF GEORGE By Divine Providence Lord Bishop of DERRY IN IRELAND As it was delivered at his Funerals in the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity commonly called Christ Church in Dublin on Friday the 12th of January Anno Domini 1665 6. By R. Mossom D. D. and Dean of the said Cathedral Church London Printed by Tho. Newcomb and are to be sold by Timothy Garthwait at the Kings Head in St. Pauls Church-yard 1665 6. A Narrative Panegyrical of the Life Sickness and Death of George Lord Bishop of Derry who departed this life at Dublin on Friday the 29th day of December Anno Dom. 1666 5. Men Brethren and Fathers IN Conformity to the ancient practice of the Primitive Saints and the continued Custom of Christs Church we are here met in this present Congregation to perform the Funeral Rights due to the Body and the Memory of the Right Reverend Father in God George by Divine Providence Lord Bishop of Derry lately deceased A Bishop he was by Divine Ordination Lord Bishop by Royal Commission This our Elisha's double Mantle of Honor so well consistent are these two A Lord Spiritual and the Spirit of the Lord which Spirit of the Lord may make the Honor immortal and yet not the Person For that whereas Men of high Dignity either in Church or State are for their Light and Influence aptly called Stars I may say of the Right Reverend Personage whose Funerals we celebrate I may say of him in a better sense then Lipsius did of Origen Stella utinam non caduca A Star he was I wish he had not been a falling one But why should I thus wish seeing he is advanced by his fall for in an happy exchange of Mortality for Glory this Star is become sixt fixt in the Firmament of Heaven the Society of the Blessed leaving behinde him on Earth the character of O 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that he was a Blessed Assertor of Loyalty a Blessed Champion of the Faith a Blessed Patron of the Poor a Blessed Father of the Church and therefore now a Blessed Saint in Heaven The memory of whose name shall be venerable to all Posterity in the Annals of the Churches Worthies Waving what might be said of his ingenuous Education his Academical Degrees and those esteems in Oxford which brought him to Lambeth Made Domestick Chaplain to the then Lord Archbishop of Canterbury lately Martyred of whom in the Church and in the Tower he had a President suitable to his Principles of being actively zealous and patiently resolute in the Kings Cause and in the Churches Service Waving all these I begin my Commemorations of him where I first began mine Acquaintance with him and that was not long after the Death of Charles the First King and Martyr Our first meeting was in the Fiery Furnace of the Churches Persecutions and of those things I may speak the more knowingly Quorum magna pars fui as having then a great share with him in those Sufferings though indeed such was the Power of Divine Providence restraining the fury of those Flames that they scorched not his Garments nor an Hair of his Head perished notwithstanding he stood in the face of the then prevailing Factions and was daily threatned with Surprize and Imprisonment For some years he hovered like Noahs Dove over the Waters of Confusion sometimes Preaching in the Countrey and sometimes in the City sometimes in private and sometimes in publick as he found opportunity offered to promote Piety and perswade Loyalty At length Divine Providence receives the Dove into the Ark an House is provided near Fleetstreet in London and in the House an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an upper Room is prepared after the manner of Primitive Devotion which upper Room becomes an Oratory fitted for the Preaching of the Word and Administring the Sacraments with a constant use of the Publick Liturgy of the Church And here I cannot but recount with joy amidst all this Funeral Sorrow what were then the holy ardors of all fervent Devotions in Fastings and Prayer and Solemn Humiliations Ay in Festival and Sacramental Solemnities O the lift-up praying and yet sometimes down-cast weeping eyes of humble Penitents O the often extended and yet as often enfolded arms of suppliant Votaries Upon days of Solemnity O how early and how eager were the Peoples devotions that certainly then if ever the Kingdom of Heaven suffered Violence so many with Jacob wrestling with God in Prayer not letting him go till he gave them a Blessing and no Blessing would answer the importunity of all these but that Soveraign Blessing of these Kingdoms and Churches a King restored to His Throne and that King Charles the Second restoring with His Throne both Churches and Kingdoms And now the Shepherd which kept this Flock even in the midst of Wolves that Priest that then served at the Altar amidst all the variety of State Confusions Instructing Supporting and Encouraging by Precept by Pattern and by Prayer it was Dr. George Wilde afterwards by Divine Providence Lord Bishop of Derry the Personage deceased And whereas some good Obadiahs did then hide and feed the Lords Prophets it was his care to communicate to others relief what himself received for his own support Many Ministers Sequestred many Widows Afflicted many Royalists Imprisoned and almost Famished can testifie the diffusive bounty of his hand dispensing to others in reliefs of Chariry what himself received of others in Offerings of Devotion Notwithstanding that Wing of Providence which was over him for his protection yet did he sometime suffer Surprize and Imprisonment but Nubecula fuit cito transivit it was a small cloud and soon passed over and if at any time the Persecution was so hotly pursued that his mouth for a while was stopt yet even then as Maldonat says of John Baptist that Miraculum non fecit magnum fuit John indeed did no miracle yet was he himself a great Miracle so may I say of this then Loyal Doctor Concionem non fecit magna fuit when he Preached no Sermon yet was he himself in the pattern of Patience and Piety a good Sermon After this when His Majesties safe Return the Universal joy of these three Kingdoms did at once open the Subjects hearts and the Churches doors to Loyalty and the Liturgy together then did the deceased leave his private Oratory in exchange for the publick Temple And sure I am such was the strength of his merit and interest as could undoubtedly have procured him preferment in England equal to that he had in Ireland Yet this I know when he had in his deliberate choice whether to accept of the Bishoprick of Derry or some other of equal Dignity that which would have been the Argument of anothers refusal was the very reason of his choice even the difficulty of the service as zealously intending what might promote not so much his Dignity as Gods glory not so much his