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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51986	Fair warnings to a careless world in the pious letter written by the Right Honourable James Earl of Marleburgh, a little before his death, to the Right Honourable Sir Hugh Pollard, comptroller of his Maties houshold. With the last words of CXL and upwards, of the most learned and honourable persons of England, and other parts of the world.	Pollard, Hugh, Sir, 1610-1666.; Lloyd, David, 16315-1692.; Smith, Henry, f. 1665.; Marlborough, James Ley, Earl of, 1618-1665.	1665 (1665)	Wing M686; ESTC R1009	20,131	51

Fair Warnings TO A Careless World In the Pious LETTER WRITTEN By the Right Honourable JAMES Earl of MARLEBURGH a little before his Death TO The Right Honourable Sir HVGH POLLARD Comptroller of his Ma ties Houshold WITH The LAST WORDS of CXL and upwards of the most Learned and Honourable person● of England and other parts o● the world London Printed for Samuel Speed at the Rainbow in Fleet-street 1665. To the Right Honourable Sir HVGH POLLARD Comptroller of his Ma ties Houshold Right Honourable WHat influence our Saviours injunction to Penitents When thou art converted confirm thy brethren had on our honourable Convert's generous Soul appears from these words subjoyned to the Noblest Retractation that ever was made since that of S t Augustines And as many of my friends besides as you will or any else that desire it I pray grant this request What power the great obligation of friendship and the greater of doing good had on your Honours Goodness appears by the numerous Copies you were pleased to communicate with no less designe I am sure and I hope with no less success then the Reformation of a sinful Nation to gratifie the Curiosity of some persons therein the Piety of others and the general Wish of all becoming impossible by transcription a way by reason of the Carelesness of some transcribers and the Knavery of others not so exact as the Paper it self or its Author deserveth is endeavoured by Printing in either of which capacities what good soever it may do and it promiseth with Gods blessing not a little together with these other Papers of the same tendencie which demonstrate that men of all qualities whatsoever when they reflect seriously on themselves and the state of things without them in their last and best thoughts conclude that it is mans great interest to be seriously and strictly religious shall redound to your Honours account in that day wherein they that convert sinners from the errour of their ways shall shine as the Stars for ever I am Your most humble servant HENRY SMITH FAIR WARNINGS TO A Careless World A Letter from the Right Hon ble James Earl of Marleburgh a little before his death in the Battel at Sea on the coast of Holland To the Right Honourable Sir Hugh Pollard Comptroller of his Majesties Houshold SIR I Believe the goodness of your nature and the friendship you have always born me will receive with kindness this last office of your friend I am in health enough of body and through the mercy of God in Jesus Christ well disposed in minde This I premise that you may be satisfied that what I write proceeds not from any phantasing terrour of minde but from a sober resolution of what concerns my self and earnest desire to do you more good after my death then mine Example God of his mercy pardon the badness of it in my life-time may do you harm I will not speak ought of the vanity of this world your own age and experience will save that labour But there is a certain thing that goeth up and down the world called Religion dressed and pretended phantastically and to purposes bad enough which yet by such evil dealing loseth not its being The great good God hath not left it without a witness more or less sooner or later in every mans bosom to direct us in the pursuit of it and for the avoiding of those inextricable disquisitions and entanglements our own frail Reasons would perplex us withal God in his infinite mercy hath given us his holy Word in which as there are many things hard to be understood so there is enough plain and easie to quiet our mindes and direct us concerning our future being I confess to God and you I have been a great neglecter and I fear despiser of it God of his infinite mercy pardon me the dreadful fault But when I retired my self from the noise and deceitful vanity of the world I found no true comfort in any other resolution then what I had from thence I commend from the bottom of my heart the same to your I hope happie use Dear Sir Hugh let us be more generous then to believe we die as the beasts that perish but with a Christian manly brave resolution look to what is eternal I will not trouble you farther The onely great God and holy God Father Son and holy Ghost direct you to an happie end of your life and send us a joyful resurrection So prays old James neer the coast of Holland Your true friend MARLEBURGH April 24. 1665. I beseech you commend my love to all mine acquaintance particularly I pray you that my Cousin Glascock may have a sight of this Letter and as many of my friends besides as you will or any else that desire it I pray grant this my request King CHARLES the First HAd that sense of Religion upon his spirit as that the one act of passing the Bill for the Earl of Strafford's death and the other to the prejudice of the Churches of England and Scotland troubled him as long as he lived and brought him not onely to vow as he did before the most Reverend Father in God G. Lord Archbishop of Canterbury to do Penance for them but also to a resolution never to allow the least thing though it was but the little Assemblies Catechism against his conscience And when it was told him his death was resolved on he said I have done what I could to save my life without losing my soul and sinning against my conscience Gods will be done Sir WALTER RAWLEIGH AT the meeting usually held with the Virtuosi in the Tower discoursing of Happiness urged that it was not onely a freedom from Diseases and pains of the body but from anxiety and vexation of spirit not onely to enjoy the pleasures of Sense but peace of Conscience and inward tranquillity to be so not for a little while but as long as may be and if it be possible for ever And this happiness so suitable to the immortality of our souls and the eternal state we must live in is onely to be met with in Religion M r HOWARD AFterwards the Learned Earl of Northampton being troubled with Atheistical suggestions put them all off this way viz. If I could give any account how I my self or any thing else had a being without God how there came so uniform and so constant a consent of mankinde of all ages tempers and educations otherwise differing so much in their apprehensions about the being of God the immortality of the soul and Religion in which they could not likely either deceive so many or being so many could not be deceived And when it was urged that Religion was a State-policie to keep men in awe he replied That he would believe it but that the greatest Politicians have sooner or later felt the power of Religion in the grievous lashes of their consciences and dreadfulness of their apprehension about that state wherein they must

Miraris hominem ad deos ire Deus ad homines venit nulla sine Deo mens bona c. Et hoc habet argumentum divinitatis quod illum divina delectant nec ut alienis interest sed ut suis i.e. The soul hath that argument of its divinity that it is most pleased with divine speculations and conversed with them as with matters that neerly concerned it and when it hath once viewed the dimensions of the heavens contemnit domicilii prioris angustias Sir CHRISTOPHER HATTON A Little before his Death advised his Relations to be serious in the search after the will of God in his holy Word For said he it is deservedly accounted a piece of excellent Knowledge to understand the Law of the Land and the Customs of a Mans Countrey how much more to know the Statures of Heaven and the Laws of Eternity those immutable and eternal Laws of Justice and Righteousness to know the will and pleasure of the Great Monarch and Universal King of the World I have seen an end of all Perfection but thy Commandments O God are exceeding broad Whatever other Knowledge a man may be endued withal could he by a vast and an imperious Mind and a Heart as large as the Sand upon the Sea-shore command all the Knowledge of Art and Nature of Words and Things could he attain a Mastery in all Languages and sound the depth of all Arts and Sciences could he discourse the Interest of all States the Intrigues of all Courts the Reason of all Civil Laws and Constitutions and give an Account of all Histories and yet not know the Author of his Being and the Preserver of his Life his Soveraign and his Judge his surest Refuge in trouble his best Friend or worst Enemy the Support of his Life and the Hope of his Death his future Happiness and his Portion for ever doth but sapienter descendere in infernum with a great deal of wisdom go down to Hell FRANCIS JUNIUS A Gentile and an Ingenious Person as he was reading Tully de Legibus fell into a perswasion nihil curare Deum nec sui nec alieni till in a Tumult in Lyons the Lord wonderfully delivered him from imminent death so that he was compelled to acknowledge a Divine Providence therein And his Father hearing the dangerous ways that his Son was mis-led into sent for him home where he carefully and holily instructed him and caused him to read over the New Testament of which himself writ thus Novum Testamentum aperio exhibet se mihi adspectis primo augustissimum illud caput In principio erat Verbum c. When I opened the New Testament I first light upon John's first Chapter In the beginning was the Word c. I read part of the Chapter and was suddenly convinced that the Divinity of the Argument and the Majesty and Authority of the Writing did exceedingly excel all the Eloquence of Humane Writings My Body trembled my Mind was astonished and I was so affected all that day that I knew not where and what I was Thou wast mindful of me O my God according to the multitude of thy Mercies and calledst home thy lost Sheep into thy Fold And as Justin Martyr of old so he of late professed That the power of Godliness in a plain simple Christ wrought so upon him that he could not but take up a strict and a serious Life The Earl of LEICESTER IN Q Elizabeth's days though allowing himself in some things very inconsistent with Religion came at last to this Resolution That Man differed not from Beasts so much in Reason as in Religion and that Religion was the higest Reason nothing being more rational than for the supreme Truth to be believed the highest Good to be imbraced the first Cause and almighty Maker of all things to be owned and feared and for those who were made by God and live wholly upon him to improve all for him and live wholly to him Agreeable to the Apostle Give up your Souls and Bodies unto him which is your reasonable Service SOLOMON KEpt his wisdom he pursued such manly and noble delights as might not vitiate but rather improve his intellectuals Eccles. 2.1 2 3. I said in my heart Go to now I will prove thee with mirth therefore enjoy pleasure and behold this also is vanity I said of laughter It is mad and of mirth What doth it I sought in my heart to give my self unto wine yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom and to lay hold on folly till I might see what was that good for the sons of men which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life Again his wisdom was furnished with variety of subjects to enquire into he had magnificence and provisions suitable to the greatness of his Royal minde sumptuous and delicate Diet under the name of wine vers 3. stately Edifices vers 4. Vineyards and Orchards yea very Paradises as large as Woods vers 5 6. Fish-ponds and great Waters multitudes of Attendants and Retinue of all sexes mighty herds of Cattel of all kindes vers 7. great Treasures of Silver and Gold all kindes of Musick vocal and instrumental Further Solomon exceeded in all these things all that ever went before him Vers. 9. Moreover as he had the most abundant so likewise the most free undisturbed unbated enjoyment of them all he withheld not his heart from any there was no mixture of sickness of war or any intercurrent difficulties to corrupt their sweetness or blunt the taste of them Here are as great preparations as the heart of man can expect to make an universal survey of those delights which are in the creature and yet at last upon an impartial enquiry into all his most magnificent works the conclusion is they are but vanity and vexation of spirit vers 11. Which vexation he further explains 1. By the necessary divorce which was to come between him and them he was to leave all vers 18. 2. By his disability so to dispose of them as that after him they might remain in that manner as he had ordered them vers 19. 3. By the effects that these and the like considerations wrought in him they were so far from giving real satisfaction as that First he hated all his works for there is nothing that maketh one hate more eagerly then disappointment in that which a man expected When Amnon found what little satisfaction his exorbitant lust received in ravishing his sister Tamar he as fiercely hated her as he desired her before Secondly he despaired of finding any good in them because they beget nothing but travel drudgery and unquiet thoughts Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man For God shall bring every work to judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil Saint POLYCARP WHen perswaded to swear by the Fortune of Caesar and blaspheme or

renounce his Saviour said Fourscore and six years have I served Christ neither hath he ever offended me in any thing I have lived by him I will live to him Bishop USHER THat most learned and knowing Prelate after his indefatigable pains as a Christian a Scholar a Prelate and a Preacher went out of the World with this Prayer Lord forgive me my sins of Omission and desired to die as Mr. Perkins did imploring the Mercy and Favour of God My Lord BACON THat understood the World and himself as well as any man in Europe would say That a little smattering in Philosophy might tempt a man to be an Atheist but a through study of it would bring him back to be Religious And after variety of Fortunes in the World breathed ou● his Soul thus Sir JOHN MASON PRivy Councellor to King Henry the eighth and King Edward the sixth whom some make Secretary of State setting him a little too high others Master of the Requests placing him as much too low upon his death-bed called for his Clerk and Steward and delivered himself to them to this purpose I have seen five Princes and been Privy-Councellor to four I have seen the most remarqueable observables in forreign parts and been present at most State-transactions for thirty years together and I have learned this after so many years experience that Seriousness is the greatest Wisdome Temperance the best Physick a good Conscience is the best Estate and were I to live again I would change the Court for a Cloyster my Privie Counsellers bustles for an Hermits retirement and the whole life I lived in the Palace for one hours enjoyment of God in the Chappel all things else forsake me besides my God my duty and my prayer Sir HENRY WOTTON AFter his many years study with great proficiency and applause at the University his neer relation to the great favorite Robert Earl of Essex his Intimacy with the Duke of Tuscany and James the sixth King of Scotland his Embassies to Holland Germany and Venice desired to retire with this Motto Tandem didicit animas sapientiores fieri quiescendo being very ambitious of the Provostship of Eaton that he might there enjoy his beloved Study and devotion saying often that the day he put his Surp●ice on was the happiest day of his life That being the utmost happiness a man could attain to he said to be at leasure to be and to do good Never reflecting on his former years but with tears would say How much time have I to repent of and how little to do it in Sir THOMAS SMITH AFter he had many years served Q. Elizabeth as Secretary of State and done many good services to the kingdome particularly to the setling of the Corne-rate for the Universities discharged all affairs and attendants a quarter of a year before he died sent to his singular good friends the Bishops of Winchester and Worcester intreating them to draw him out of the word of God the plainest and exactest way of making his peace with God and living godly in this present world adding that it was great pitty men knew not to what end they were born into this world until they were ready to go out of it My LORD BACON WOuld say towards the later end of his life that a little smattering in Philosophy would lead a man to Atheisme but a through insight into it will lead a man back again to a first cause and that the first principle of right reason is Religion in reference to which it was the wisest way to live strictly and severely for if the opinion of another world be not true yet the sweetest life in this world is Piety Virtue and Honesty If it be there are none so miserable as the loose the carnal and profane Persons who lived a dishonourable and a base life in this world and were like to fall to a most woful state in the next TERTULLIAN COme life come death I will worship none but God Almighty O Lord God Almighty receive the soul of thy Servant in peace who suffereth death for thy Cause and the Gospel ORIGEN IF my Father stood weeping upon his knees before me and my Mother hanging on my neck behind and all my Brethren Sisters Children and Kinsfolks howling on every side to retain me in a sinful life I would fling my Mother to the ground run over my Father despise all my Kindred and tread them under my feet that I might run to Christ. I am sayling with the Marriner through the boysterous Sea but shortly I shall be in the haven c. Help me with your prayers To my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ my Hope and my Salvation I wholly offer up my soul and body I cast my self wholly upon his Mercy and Grace Sir THOMAS COVENTRY ONce hearing some Gallants jesting with Religion said that there was no greater argument of a foolish and inconsiderate person than profanely to droll at Religion It 's a Sign he hath no regard of himself and that he is not touched with a sense of his own interest who playeth with life and death and makes nothing of his soul. To examine severely and debate seriously the principles of Religion is a thing worthy of a wise man whosoever turns religion into Raillery and abuseth it with two or three bold jests rendreth not religion but himself ridiculous in the opinion of all considerate men because he sports with his own life for a good man saith If the principles of religion were doubtful yet they concern us so neerly that we ought to be serious in the examination of them JUSTIN MARTYR HEre I stand before God and this honourable Audience and take him to witness that I never willingly and wittingly taught any false doctrine and therefore have I a good conscience before God and all good men I am sure that you and I shall come before a righteous Judge before whom I shall be as good a man as you pointing at the Accuser and I nothing doubt but that I shall be found then a true member of Jesus Christ be everlastingly saved Merciful Father Father of Heaven for the Lord Jesus Christ my Saviours sake receive my Soul into thy hands An Excellent PERSONAGES Sentiments for Religion IT may justly seem strange that true Religion which containeth nothing in it but what is truly Noble and Generous most rational and pleasing to the spirits of all good men should yet suffer so much in its esteem in the world through those strange and uncouth Vizards it is represented under some accounting the life and practice as it speaks subduing our wills to the will of God which is the substance of all Religion a thing too low and mean for their rank and condition in the world while others pretend a quarrel against the principles of it as unsatisfactory to Humane Reason Thus Religion suffers with the Author of it between two Thieves and hard it is to define which is most injurious to it that

in David's Psalms and Paul's Epistles Oh Sirs said he to those about him mind the World less and God more all the Learning in the World without Piety and the true fear of God is nothing worth The Fear of the Lord that is Wisdom and to depart from evil that is Understanding GROTIUS THe greatest Scholar that this Age boasted of after so many Embassies well performed abroad and as many Transactions well managed at home after an exact survey of all the Hebrew Greek and Latin Learning after so many elaborate Discourses in Divinity and other parts of Learning concluded his Life with this Protestation That he would give all his Learning and Honour for the plain Integrity and harmless Innocence of Jean Urick who was a devout poor man that spent eight hours of his time in Prayer eight in Labour and but eight in sleep and other Necessaries and this complaint to another that admired his astonishing industry Ah! Vitam perdidi operosè nihil agendo and this Direction to a third that desired him in his great Wisdom and Learning in brief to shew him what to do viz. Be serious Cardinal WOLSEY HAd I served GOD as carefully as I did my Master the KING he had not thus forsaken me in my old Age. Bishop BANCROFT MAster of University-Colledge and Lord Bishop of Oxford dyed suddenly and a little before his Death would say Oh how infinitely greater is the comfort of being good than of being great What I gave away I have and what I have I shall lose Mark the perfect man and behold the Upright for the end of that man is Peace That man onely hath peace at his death that hath answered the end of his Creation by glorifying God and doing good in the World in his life WILLIAM Earl of PEMBROKE THere is but one Sun in the World nor but one Righteousness one Communion of Saints If I were the most excellent creature in the world if I were in righteousness equal to Abraham and to Isaac and Jacob yet had I reason to confess my self to be a sinner and that I could expect no Salvat●on but in the Righteousness of Jesus Christ for we all stand in need of Gods Grace And as for my Death I bless God I feel such inward Joy in my Soul that if I were put to my Choice whether to dye or live I would a thousand times rather chuse death than life if it may stand with the holy VVill of God Prince HENRY's last Words O Christ thou art my Redeemer and I know that thou hast redeemed me I wholly depend upon thy Providence and Mercy From the very bottom of my Heart I commend my Soul into thy Hand A Person of Quality waiting on the Prince in his sickness who had been his constant Companion at Tennis and asking him how he did was answered Ah Tom I in vain wish for that time I lost with thee and others in vain Recreation Now my Soul be glad for at all the parts of this Prison the Lord hath set his aid to loose thee Head Feet Milt and Liver are failing Arise therefore and shake off thy Fetters mount from thy Body and go thy way Socrates Critoni vehementer suadenti ut si viam ipse suam negligerat certe liberis etiamnum parvulis Amicis ab ipso pendentibus se servaret incolumem liberi inquit Deo qui mihi eos dedit cujus erunt Amicos hinc discedens inveniam vobis aut similes aut etiam meliores ne vestra quidem consuetudine diu cariturus quandoquidem vos brevi eodem est is commigraturi Erasm. Apoth 1.3 ex Platone Xenoph. The Earl of ARUNDEL HE lying on his Death-Bed said My flesh and my heart faileth and his Ghostly Father added t●e next words That God was the strength of his heart and his portion for ever he would never fail him He answering All the world hath failed he will never fail me M r SELDEN WHo had comprehended all the Learning and Knowledge that is either among the Jews Heathens or Christians and suspected by many of too little a regard to Religion one afternoon before he died sent for Bishop Usher and Doctor Langbaine and discoursed to them to this purpose That he had surveyed most part of the Learning that was among the Sons of Men that he had in his Study Books and Papers of most subjects in the VVorld yet that at that time he could not recollect any passage out of those infinite Books and Manus●ripts he was Master of wherein he could rest his Soul save of the holy Scriptures wherein the most remarkable passage that lay most upon his Spirit was Tit. 2.11 12 13 14 15. For the Grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and gl●rious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all inquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good works These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority A serious GENTLEMANS Discourse of being Religious MEn generally stand upon the credit and reputation of their Understandings and of all things hate to be accounted Fools because Folly is so great a reproach to the Understanding of a man and so high a reflection upon his Discretion But I know no way for men to avoid this imputation and to bring off the credit of their Understandings but by being truly Religious by fearing God and departing from evil for certainly there is no such imprudent Person as he that neglects God and his Soul and is careless and slothful about his everlasting concernments because this man acts contrary to his truest Reason and best Interest he neglects his own safety and is active to procure his own ruine he flies from Happiness and runs away from it as fast as he can but pursues Misery and makes haste to be undone Hence it is that Solomon does all along in the Proverbs give the title of Fool to a wicked man as if it were his proper name and the fittest character for him because he is eminently such There is no such fool as the sinning fool who every time he sins ventures his Soul and lays his everlasting interest at the stake every time a man provokes God he doth the greatest mischief to himself that can be imagined A mad-man that cuts himself and tears his own flesh and dashes his head against the stones does not act so unreasonably as a sinner because he is not so sensible of what he does Wickedness is a kind of voluntary Frenzie and is a chosen Distraction and every sinner does wilder and more extravagant things than any man can do that is crazed and beside himself and out of his wits onely with this sad difference That he knows better what he does Is that man wise as to his Body and his Health who onely clothes his hands and leaves his whole Body naked who provides onely against the Tooth-ach and neglects whole troops of mortal Diseases that are ready to rush in upon him Just thus is he who takes care onely for this vile Body but neglects his pretious and immortal Soul who is very sollicitous to prevent small and temporal inconveniencies but takes no care to escape the Damnation of Hell Is he a wise man as to his temporal Estate that lays designs onely for a day without any respect to or provision for the remaining part of his Life Just thus does he that provides for the short time of this Life but takes no care at all for Eternity which is to be wise for a moment but a fool ever and to act as untowardly and as crosly to the reason of things as can be imagined to regard Time as if it were Eternity and to neglect Eternity as if it were but a short Time Do you think him a wise man who is serious about Trifles but trifles about the most serious Matters Just so is he who pursues the World and the petty Interests of it with all his might but minds Religion and the weighty concernments of Eternity as if he minded them not Do you count him prudent who throws himself over-board to save his Goods Just so doth he who to secure any thing in this World makes shipwrack of his Conscience and casts away his Soul Is he wise who is wise in any thing but his proper Profession and Employment wise for every body but himself who is ingenious to contrive his own Misery and to do himself a mischief but is dull and stupid as to the designing of any real advantage or benefit to himself Just such is he who troubleth himself with other things and neglecteth himself who is wise to do evil but to do good hath no understanding Is he wise who neglects and disobligeth him who is his best Friend and can be his shrewdest Enemy Just so doth every wicked man who neglecteth and contemneth God who can save and destroy him Is he wise who in matters of greatest moment and concernment neglecteth opportunities never to be retrived who standing upon the shore and seeing the tide making hast towards him a pace and that he hath but a few minutes to save himself yet will lay himself to sleep there till the cruel Sea rush in upon him and overwhelms him Just so doth he who trifles away this day of Gods Grace and Patience and foolishly adjourneth the work of Repentance and the Business of Religion to a dying hour FINIS