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A26078
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A theological discourse of last vvills and testaments by William Assheton.
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Assheton, William, 1641-1711.
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1696
(1696)
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Wing A4046; ESTC R17297
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32,407
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122
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thereof as well in Matters concerning the Corporation as in electing of Officers and Management of their Revenues and impose Penalties on Offenders against the said Laws and recover the same to the use of the said Corporation And therein it is appointed that the persons thereby Constituted to be the first President Vice-President Treasurers and first Assistants should continue in their respective places until the second Thursday in November 1679. And from thenceforth until there should be a new Choice made of persons to succeed them And that on every second Thursday in November for ever or oftner if there be occasion there should be a General Assembly of the said Governors and the Major part of the Members then present might chuse a President Vice-President three Treasurers and Forty two Assistants who should continue for the Year following And that in case of the death of any of the said Officers within the Year others might be chosen at a General Assembly into their places And that such General Assembly might Elect such other person or persons to be Members and Governors of the said Corporation as they or the greater part of them shall think fit Provided That the President Vice-President and Treasurers above-named should before they enter upon their Places take their Oaths before the Lord Chancellor faithfully to execute their Respective Trusts And that all other the Members of the said Corporation before they act as Assistants and all succeeding Presidents Vice-Presidents Treasures Assistants and all other their inferior Officers should take the like Oath before the Persons by the said Charter impowr'd to administer the same And that the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Lord High-Chancellor of England Lord Archbishop of York or Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England Lord High-Treasurer Lord Bishop of London Lord Almoner and the Lord Mayor of London for the time being should be the Visitors of the said Corporation and settle all differences about the Government thereof and touching the disposition of their Revenues HAving thus publish'd this great favour of his late Majesty here are next set down the Forms of Subscriptions and also how any Legacy in Money or Houses and Land may be given by WILL to the said Corporation I _____ of _____ do promise to pay to the Governors of the Charity for Relief of poor Widows and Children of Clergy-men the Sum of _____ Sterling on or before the _____ Witness my Hand I _____ of _____ do promise to pay to the Governors of the Charity for Relief of poor Widows and Children of Clergy-men the Sum of _____ Sterling at the two usual Feast days of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Michael the Archangel by equal Portions during _____ The first payment to be made at the next of the Feast Days above mentioned that shall happen after the Date hereof Witness my Hand This may be inserted among LEGACIES in a WILL. ITem I give and bequeath unto the Governors of the Charity for Relief of poor Widows and Children of Clergymen the Sum of _____ Pounds to be paid to one of the Treasurers For devising HOVSES or LANDS ITem I give and devise unto the Governors of the Charity for Relief of poor Widows and Children of Clergymen and their Successors for ever all that my Messuage _____ and Lands Situate and being in _____ IT is thought fit and requisite to give notice That the Governors of this Charity by the assistance of many worthy persons who have bountifully contributed thereunto and whose names are Registred as Benefactors Have not only made some Purchases as a Yearly Bond but also distributed considerable Sums amongst poor Widows and Children of Clergymen And also several poor Children are Yearly placed forth Apprentices by the Direction and Encouragement of the Stewards It is therefore much hoped That considerable Subscriptions will still be made Gifts and Legacies bequeathed in all parts of this Kingdom Such a certain Method and Security being Established for the due Administration of this Charity so that nothing can be diverted to any other use All Persons who shall please to promote this Charity or have any thing to communicate concerning the same may direct Letters as occasion shall require to Mr. Thomas Tyllot the Register of the Corporation at Doctors Commons LONDON FINIS THE CONTENTS THE Design of this Treatise Page 2 That Divines may Discourse of Last Wills and Testaments and how Page 3 Directions concerning Last Wills and Testaments Ib. I. Make your Will in your Health Ib. For 1. If you defer it to your Sick-Bed you may possibly never make it at all Page 4 Or 2. It is then most commonly imperfect and Defective Page 7 3. Disturbing to the Dying Testator Page 12 II. Make a Christian Will. Page 15 III. Make a Prudent Will Page 19 Express this Prudence 1. In the form of Words and Phrases in which the Will is Drawn and Composed Ib. 2. In the Subject-matter of the Will the Distribution of an Estate whether Real or Personal 20 IV. Make a Just Will Page 24 The nature of Restitution Page 26 The Reason of it Page 30 V. Make a Charitable Will Page 33 It is the Duty of the Clergy earnestly to move Sick and Dying Persons to be liberal to the Poor Ib. Charity commanded by St. Paul Page 35 By St. James Page 40 By St. John Page 41 By our B. Saviour Page 43 And in the Law and the Prophets Page 47 Motives to Charity 1. Charity to the Poor makes us like unto God Page 51 2. It is an Act of Justice Page 53 3. 'T is the most proper expression of our Gratitude to God 4. 'T is an Act of Prudence and of great Advantage to our Selves I. With Respect to this Life 1. To Preserve 2. Increase 3. Sanctify an Estate Page 62 c. II. Charity shall be rewarded in the Life to come Pleas and Pretences to excuse the neglect of Charitable Distributions Plea I. Pressing of Charity is Popish Answ Page 78 Plea II. The Laws have provided for the Poor Answ Page 80 Plea III. My Estate is but small Answ Page 82 Plea IV. I have Wife and Children to provide for Debts to be paid Answ Page 83 Plea V. There are so many Objects of Charity I may give away all my Estate Answ Page 87 Plea VI. I will remember the Poor when I Die Answ Page 91 Plea VII Charity is often abused Gifts and Legacies are Perverted Answ Page 95 Poor Widows and Children of Clergymen most humbly recommended Page 97 An Abstract of the Charter for Relief of Poor Widows and Children of Clergy-men Ib. Catalogue of some Books printed for B. Aylmer A Conference with an Anabaptist Being a Defence of Infant-Baptism In 8 vo price 12 d. A Theological Discourse of Last Wills and Testaments In 8 vo price 12 d. A Short Exposition of the Preliminary Questions and Answers of the Church-Catechism Being an Introduction to a Defence of Infant-Baptism Price 2 d. Directions in order to the Suppressing of Debauchery and Prophaneness 2 d. A Discourse against Blasphemy Being A Conference with M. S. Concerning 1. The Rudeness of Atheistical Discourse 2. The Certainty and Eternity of Hell Torments 3. The Truth and Authority of the Holy Scriptures 2 d. A Discourse against 1. Drunkenness 2. Swearing and Cursing 2 d. These are the price of each of these small books single but for the encouragement of those that are so charitably inclined to give away some quantities of them they may have them at ten shillings a hundred At Brab Aylmer 's in Cornhill These above all Writ by the Reverend William Assheton D. D. Certain Propositions by which the Doctrine of the H. Trinity is so explained according to the Ancient Fathers as to speak it not Contradictory to Natural Reason Together with a Defence of them in Answer to the Objections of a Socinian Writer in his newly printed Considerations on the Explications of the Doctrine of the Trinity Occasioned by these Propositions among other Discourses in a Letter to that Author A Second Defence of the Propositions By which the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity is so Explained according to the Ancient Fathers as to speak it not Contradictory to Natural Reason In Answer to a Socinian Manuscript In a Letter to a Friend Together with a Third Defence of those Propositions in Answer to the Newly published Reflections contained in a Pamphlet Entituled A Letter to the Reverend Clergy of Both Universities Both by Edward Lord Bishop of Glocester Lately Printed the Holy Bible Containing the Old Testament and the New With Annotations and Parallel Scriptures To which is annexed the Harmony of the Gospels As also the Reduction of the Jewish Weights Coins and Measures to our English Standards And a Table of the Promises in Scripture By Samuel Clark Minister of the Gospel Printed in Folio of a very fair Letter and good Paper the like never before in one Volume The Four Last Things viz. Death Judgment Heaven and Hell practically Consider'd and Applied in several Discourses By William Bates D. D.
caution will provide for the worst For suppose you should Die suddenly or unexpectedly What then Let me then repeat it to you as very good and Christian Advice Make your Will in the time of your Health for otherwise it may so happen you may never make it all 2. Suppose a man hath both time and inclination to make his Will upon his Sick-Bed yet it is then most commonly Imperfect and Defective Indeed there are some Chronical Diseases so gentle and easy that could men be persuaded to make their Wills when they are first seized with such lingring Distempers they might then settle and dispose their Estates with the same prudence as in their healths But this is rarely to be supposed for the same reasons which prevailed with them to neglect it in their health will have still influence upon them As 1. Doth the hope of long Life encourage them to defer it As to this the presuming expectations of Decaying Persons are very notorious How will they hope even against hope and flatter themselves and are vainly flatter'd by others with such groundless fancies as these 'T is true I find my self a little indisposed but good Air and careful Nursing will quickly restore me And as weak as you now think me I may live to see many a stronger man to go before me Or 2. Is it a desire of improving their Estates that they may have something considerable to bequeath which occasions them to neglect it This likewise makes Impression even on weak decaying People 'T is true saith the Consumptive Person I am admonished to make my Will and I resolve to do it only I think it prudent to put my Affairs in a little better Posture before I settle what I have When I have made this Purchase taken in that Mortgage concluded such a Bargain secured and gotten in these and those Debts then you shall see I 'll defer it no longer Or 3. Is it a fond love for this World and an unwillingness to leave it which makes men thus backward in so weighty a Concern This also doth influence these Consumptive People For they are as loth to depart from their Houses and Lands as Lot was out of Sodom who lingred and hung back when commanded to be gone Thus you see let death give never so much notice and the Disease be never so lingring yet the concerns of these decaying persons are as much neglected and their Affairs are left in as great confusion as if they had been taken off by the sudden stroke of the acutest distemper For when the Disease by insensible Degrees is come to its height and the malignity of it hath conquered Nature then his Physician at last gives him over and whispers his condoling Friends to remind him of his End to settle his Affairs and to commend his Soul to God But such is the foolish Pity of his Friends and Relations they are commonly afraid to propose it to him lest it should damp his Spirits and disorder his Thoughts and so hinder his yet hoped for Recovery But when at the last he finds himself sunk and his Spirits to fail and observes his condoling Friends to stand round about him with Tears in their Eyes being how convinced that he hath not perhaps many hours to live he is at last persuaded to send for the Scrivener to take directions for the drawing of his Will But what sort of Will he is like to make former experience in such cases as these doth too sadly testify For when his Imagination is disturbed his Thoughts distracted his Memory either lost or diverted by his Pains what can such a man do under these Circumstances that is either fixt or prudent A Will indeed he makes but to speak properly 't is the Will of others of those who are about him more truly than his own What their importunity shall suggest to him tho perhaps never thought on before he readily admits in hopes of a little respite and that he may turn to the other side From this distraction it happens That some for whom he hath a kindness are wholly forgotten Others are more liberally remembred not because they are dearer to him but because he loves not to be uneasy by displeasing those who attend him and who press him to it In this hurry many times an unskilful Person hath the drawing of the Will because no better could be got whereby several mistakes to the ruin of whole Families have unfortunately hapned Or if managed by a knowing Person yet there being not time or conveniency to have a competent number of Witnesses the intended Will becomes void because not attested according to Law At this rate Things are usually managed in these Death-Bed Disposals which are not only as I have shewed you imperfect in themselves but also 3. Are very Disturbing to the Dying Testator Persons and Things are then properly said to be Disturbing when they unseasonably offer themselves at such a juncture of Time when some other Transaction of greater Consequent and Moment is to be attended Now when a Man is Dying he hath done with this World and leaves the Cares and Business of it to those who survive His Thoughts should then be fixt upon that happy Place to which he is now going to remove His only Treasure is in Heaven for his earthly Treasure must be left behind him and where his Treasure is there should his Heart his Thoughts and Desires be also 'T is very improper therefore nay impertinent and unseasonable for a dying expiring Person to be disturbed and diverted from his main Concerns by these worldly distracting Thoughts and Cares When a man is convinced he hath not many days perhaps not many hours to review the Actions of his whole Life and in the bitterness of his Soul is begging Pardon for his imperfect Repentance is humbling himself before his Judge and is passionately acknowledging his own Demerits and pleading God's Mercy And is raising his hope that through the Goodness of God and the Merits of his dear Redeemer in a little time all Tears shall be wiped away when he shall be removed to that happy place where neither Sin nor Sorrow neither Satan nor Temptation shall be able to reach him Having thus attained some foretaste of Glory and a glimpse and view of that Blessed State and by the eye of Faith and perhaps also of his Body having seen the Guardian Angels even ready to conduct him Having I say thus composed and raised his Soul what a mean as well as disturbing Dispensation is it to be pulled down from this delightful Prospect and to be diverted with the rufflings of Parchments and Noverint Vniversi's to be told of Bills and Bonds and Reckonings to be calculating and disposing his Temporal Estate when he is going to take Possession of his Spiritual The perplexing Agony of the departing Soul under such disturbance is scarce to be expressed And therefore to avoid this distraction make your Will in your health when