used to do and came out of his Bed-chamber into the Hall and after Prayer he called for his ordinary breakfast which he used before he went to Church for still he held his resolution for Preaching which was an Egg he took it into his hand but alas it would not down whereupon he said to his daughter Eunice I am not able to go to Church yet I pray thee lead me to my Bed I will lie down a little and rest me So he rose up out of his chair and walked up and down she supporting him and when he came to the Parlour door before he put his foot over the threshold Oh Eunice saith he What shall I do Put your trust saith she in that God of whom you have had so much experience who never yet did leave you nor forsake you Yea saith he the Lord be thanked So he gathered up his strength went to the Bed-side sat down upon it and immediatly composed himself to lie down He lifted up one of his Legs upon the Bed without any great difficulty laid down his Body and rested his Head upon the Pillow His Daughter still stood by expecting when she should lift his other leg upon the Bed thinking that he had been faln asleep and she was not mistaken for so he was It proved his last sleep and before she could discern any change in him his soul had taken its flight into heaven even into the Arms and embraces of his Blessed Saviour whom he had faithfully served all his life long being about fourscore years old He intended a Sabbaths labour for Christ and Christ gave him rest from his labour even the rest of an eternal Sabbath When his daughter began to speak to him and to lift him she found that his breath was departed yet was there not any change in his countenance at all his eyes and his mouth continuing in the same posture they used to be in his sweetest sleeps Thus the Lord gave unto his faithfull Servant the desire of his soul and a return of his Prayers such an easie passage as that his death could not be discerned from a sweet natural sleep Not many days before his death he called his daughter and said to her Daughter Remember my love to my Son John I shall see him no more in this life and remember me to the rest of my children and Family and deliver this message to them all from me Stand fast in the faith and love one another This was the last message that ever he sent to them He ended his life with a Doxology breathing out his last with these words The Lord be thanked When he had thus yielded up his Spirit into the hands of his heavenly Father his daughter Eunice dispatched away a Messenger to his Son John at Norwich for so had her Father given order before he died that his body should not be put into a Cofsin till his Son John came and God carried him through the journey in hard weather so that through Gods good providence he arrived at Belsted early on the Tuesday and going into the house of mourning he found the Body of his deceased Father still lying upon the bed they uncovered his face and sweetly he lay and with a smiling countenance and no difference appearing to the eye between his countenance alive and dead only that he was wont to rejoyce and to bless his Son at their meeting and now he was silent His son fell upon his face and kissed him and lift up his voice and wept and so took his last leave of him till they should meet in a better world February the 4th in the afternoon Anno Christi 1634. was he Interred at which time there was a great confluence people from all the parts thereabout Ministers and others all taking up the words of Joash King of Israel Oh my Father my Father the chariots of Israel and the Horsemen thereof Good Mr. Samuel Ward that famous Divine and the glory of Ipswich came to the Funeral brought with him a mourning Gown and offered very respectfully to have preached his Funeral Sermon now that such a Congregation was gathered together and upon such an occasion But his Son and daughter durst not give way unto it for so their Father had often charged them in his life time and that upon his blessing that there should be no Sermon at his burial For said he it may give occasion to speak some good of me that I deserve not and so false things may be uttered in the Pulpit Mr. Ward rested satisfied with this and accordingly did forbear But the next Friday at Ipswich he turned his whole Lecture into a Funeral Sermon for Mr. Carter in which he honoured him and lamented the Churches loss to the great satisfaction of the whole Auditory Gloria fugentes sequitur Glory is like your shadow follow it and it will flie away from you but she from it and it will follow you And so it proved with Mr. Carter He was most eminent for Humility Humble he was in his habit and humble in all his deportment For though his Gifts called him before great men yet his most ordinary converse was with those of an inferiour rank in whom he saw most of the power of godliness So that he might truly say with David Psal. 119. 63. I am a companion of all them that fear thee and of them that keep thy precepts He wrote very much but he left nothing behinde him save what is Printed and his Exposition upon the Revelations and a Petition to King James for the taking away of burdensom Ceremonies out of the Church Nothing else but a few broken Papers which he regarded not Probably he burnt the rest when he saw his appointed time draw neer meerly out of a low opinion of himself and his own gifts He avoided all things that might tend to outward Pomp and ostentation He would have no Funeral Sermon He left order in his Will not to be buried in the Church but in the Church-yard where he and his wife that glorious pair he interred together without so much or rather so little as a poor Grave-stone over them He had learned of Christ to be meek and lowly in heart He was humble in his Life and humble in his Death and now the Lord hath highly exalted him He kept a constant Diary or day book in which every day he set down Gods extraordinary dispensations his own actions and whatsoever memorable things he heard or read that day He cast up his Accounts with God every day and his sins were blotted out before he came to his last reckoning his day of refreshing came and he rests from his labours Plus vivitur exemplis quam preceptis saith Seneca Examples of the dead are Sermons for the livâ—ng He was a true child of Abraham and the blessing of Abraham fell upon him I will bless them saith the Lord to him that bless thee and I will curse
them that curse thee Some years after his death his Son John being at Bramford there was an ancient Gentleman that had lived there long and was Mr. Carters old Friend who spake thus unto him Mr. Carter I have nowliâ— to see the downfall of all your Fathers opposites and enemies there is not one of them but their Families are scattered and come to ruine Let all the enemies of Gods faithfull Messengers hear and fear and do no more so wickedly It may be truly said of him and his faithful Yoke-fellow as it is written of Zacharias and Elizabeth they were both righteous before God walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless and truly the world will and can testifie that neither of them did ever do that thing that was evil or unjust or scandalous or uncomely even their enemies themselvs being Judges they were as to men without blemish their life was a sweet savour and they went out of this life as a fragrant persume This Life was drawn up by Mr. John Carter Junior now also with the Lord one who degenerated not from the steps of his Learned and holy Father and by him was sent to me some years since together with this ensuing Epistle which I have the rather inserted to provoke and stir up others who can in this way revive the memories of the Dead Saints to do it which will be a more lasting Monument to them and far more beneficial and advantagious to the Church of God than any sumptuous and costly Funerals or Grave-stones whatsoever To his Reverend Brother and fellow Labourer in the Lords Vineyard Mr. Samuel Clark Pastor of Bennet Fink London Worthy Sir THat which Naomi spake to Ruth concerning Boaz He hath not left off his kindnesse to the living and to the Dead It is fully verified of your self You cease not to shew kindness to the Living and to the Dead To the Living by your Preaching and Ministery you make Saints daily To the Dead Saints you shew kindness by perpetuating their Names to their honours and the good of many And herein you are a greater gainer you shine your self by making others shine Amongst the rest of those that honour you I am one though I never saw your face otherwise then in the Frontispiece of your Learned Books In the first part of your Marrow of Ecclesiastical History we had information that you did resolve to add a second Part and to put in the Lives of such godly Divines and others as were eminent in these latter times if you were furnished with faithfull Informations Hereupon divers did set upon me with very great importunity to write the Life of my dear Father and to send it up to you Truly worthy Sir I was desirous of the thing but durst not undertake the work I was sensible of mine own weakness and also that his sayings and doings had 〈…〉 slipped the memories of this Generation that I should have brought to light such an imperfect thing as rather would have been a blemish to so eminent a Saint than any Honour Hereupon I laid aside all thoughts of medling or attempting such a thing I know that he is glorious in heaven and on earth too so far as his name is spread Now good Sir let me be bold to give a short account of my self Some few days since I went about to make a new Diary for my self I was desirous in the first place to set down some passages of my Father for mine own satisfaction and use I began so and before I was aware it amounted to so much as I thought better that that should be published than nothing at all and at last my Spirit grew restless I could not satisfie my self till I had digested it into some order and made it publick And now Sir here it is I present it to your judicious view accept it in good part from a meer stranger My humble request to you Worthy Sir is this that though I slipped the last opportunity yet if you shall set forth any more Lives or if you shall have a new Impression of any of the former that you would extract so much of my precious Fathers Life as you shall judge fit and place it where you please in your Ecclesiastical History Your Monuments will be lasting in after Ages when my poor Pamphlet will be worn out with time Pardon my boldness The Lord lengthen out your days for the good of his Church and the honour of his Saints Your most observant friend and brother that truly Honoureth you JOHN CARTER The Life and Death of Mr. Samuel Crook who died An. Christi 1649. SAmuel Crook was born at Great Waldingfield in Suffolk Jan. 17. Anno Christi 1574. He was a Prophet and the Son of a Prophet even of that great and famous Light Dr. Crook a Learned and Laborious Divine who was sometimes a Preacher to the Honourable Society of Greys-Inn A Gentleman well descended and of an ancient Family This our Samuel was in his younger years trained up in Merchant Taylors School in London and having perfected his Studies there he was sent to the University of Cambridge and admitted into Pembroke-Hall where he was first Scholar and afterwards chosen Fellow of that House being chosen by the unanimous consent and suffrage of all but the Master upon whose refusal he was soon after Elected and admitted one of the first foundation of Fellows in Emanuel College where until this day his name is precious being preserved in their Library amongst their choicest Ornaments of that House in the Catalogue of their first Fellows thus written Mr. Samuel Crook Batchelour in Divinity From his very youth he was highly esteemed in that University both for his candid and ingenuous behaviour in a comely person as also for his pregnant parts ready wit great industry and answerable proficiency in all kinds of Polite Learning which renders a man more expedite and exquisite for any worthy and noble imployment and is more especially preparatory and introductory to the Study of Sacred Divinity which being observed and taken notice of he was first made choice of to be the Rhetorick Reader and afterwards was advanced to be Philosophy Reader in the Publick Schools both which places he performed with general applause Amongst his other youthly imployments he translated Virgâ—ls Eclogues the first and second Books of his Aeneids Juvenals first Satyre and most of the memorable speeches both in Virgil and other Poets All which were clear demonstrations of his ingenious capacity and ingenuous sufficiency And to shew that his heart even in his youth was drawn Heaven-ward from whence his wit was sanctified he translated divers of Davids Psalms and composed several Sacred Hymnes of his own Some of which he sung with tears of joy and desire in his last sickness having a sweet voice and good skill in Musick In his younger years also he was a constant and diligent hearer and
yet will I trust in him I will wait and hearken to him when I say he is thus far proceeded Satan may now go shake his ears and receive his answer Its God that justifies who shall condemn Oh! Hell where is thy power Oh! Death Oh! Devil what is thy Commission It s not my meaning to prescribe to God any one way of working but this is the way he often takes with his children and this we may finde exemplified in this foregoing Narrative touching the conversion and procedure of this Saint so far as she hath commented upon her own life Now for her death I will tell thee whâ—t my observations were thereabout 1. I finde that God began with her quickly and called her hence before she was aged and that is mostly his method where an early harvest is intended a timely seeds-time is promised they live quickly and live apace who ripen betimes so was it with her who was seldome out of action after her entrance but gained as much time in so little a time as any I knew 2. I observe that death came not all at once upon her she was yearly dying some years before she dyed her last and thus death was made familiar to her I have seldome known any of her age that was less amazed at the speech and thoughts of death so good a thing it is to know experimentally what it is to dye beforehand 3. Observe how Gods power triumphs in weakest vessels It is a thing I have often thought on that godly women for the most part dye more confidently and comfortably than do good men the Lord trampling upon Satan in them and in her very eminently 4. Her patience was remarkable in the midst of sore pains which frequented her in the beeding and bearing of children yet then her speech was I fear not pains I fear my self lest through impatiency I should let fall any unfitting word It is a blessed frame when pain seems light and sin heavy 5. I plainly saw in her the power of Grace beyond nature 1. When life and death were both laid before her her speech was this I am at my Fathers disposal howbeit of my self I rather incline to death than life 2. Whereas her affections were very strong both to her loving Husband and children insomuch as it was conceived that the last farewell would go very near her when she should part with so precious and dear Friends she was so much taken up with the thoughts of Christ that she seemed not to stick at any such relations Nay thirdly she seemed wholly to forget her natural self for being intreated to favour her body and speech in regard of the lowness of her spirits after some pause she brake forth into these words Shall I for this poor carkass be wanting to my souls comfoâ—t and my Saviours praises Let me have your prayers still and God his praises yea pray not onely for but with me Which being done she overflowed with comfort and in that condition I left her and that stream of comfort led her not long after to the Fountain where are Rivers of joy for evermore Thus lived she a most profitable life Thus dyed she a most fruitfull death God so turned this his servant that living dying and after death she should be fruitfull Thus will God honour those that honour him To him be all honour to Eternity Amen Now it may be usefull to make mention of her last sickness especially eight weeks before her death All her discourses were savoury tending to edification Many good Christians came to visit her who all if it were not their own fault might reap some spiritual benefit from those many excellent speeches which proceeded out of her mouth And the counsels she gave to her Relations and other friends were tempered with gravity and affection She accustomed not her self to affectation of high-flown phrases but held fast the form of sound words She was an old Disciple and her grave and sober language accordingly discovered her so to be From the very first of her last sickness her apprehension was that she should dye shortly and her longing desire was to be dissolved and to be with Christ. She often repeated those words of Job There the weary go to rest and those words in the close of the Revelations Come Lord Jesus come quickly upon the approach of her death whereof she was very sensible she asked her Husband what Promises of assurance were a firm ground for her to bottome upon He named Joh. 10. 28. And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand Likewise he added Rom. 8. 33. 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again who is ever at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us He added vers 38 39. For I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor â—â—ings to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. These said she are sweet promises That morning she dyed she desired her Husband to read the 17 Chapter of John which Chapter that eminent holy Scotchman Mr. Rollock caused to be read to him when he was dying after that was read she was ravished with great joy and expressed her self accordingly Her Husband and two other Friends prayed with her After the last Prayer was ended she said My flesh and my heart faileth Her Husband answered her That God was the strength of her heart and her portion for ever He would never fail her She returned an answer which were the last words which ever she spoke to him He will never fail me About an hour after she resigned up her spirit unto God who gave it and her last words were I have finished my course She slept in Jesus December the 8 Anno Christi 1654. To her to live was Christ and to dye was gain She lived much desired and dyed much lamented Her name is like precious Oyntment powred forth She lived holily and dyed comfortably and now partakes of those joyes which eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither can enter into the heart of man to conceive even those things which God hath prepared for them that love him Divers Epitaphs were made at the Death of this rare Gentlewoman I shall onely insert two which were made by two Reverend and Learned Doctors On the Death of that worthy Gentlewoman Mrs. ELIZABETH WILKINSON E-re while Dear Consort I was leas'd to thee Wise now to Christ for perpetuity L-iving with thee was sweet with him far best I-n earth joy 's mixt with pain in him all rest I-wrought I suffer'd much in a few years L-ife now rewards
God he afterwards found not only to be beneficiall unto him in preparing his heart for his work but also that it became an effectual means of his more peaceable and comfortable settlement in that place where the people were divided amongst themselves by reason of a potent man in the Town who adhered to another Cambridge man whom he would faign have brought in But when he saw Mr. Cotton wholly taken up with his own exercises of spirit he was free from all suspition of his being Pragmatical or addicted to siding with this or that party and so both he and his party began to close more fully with him Secondly Whereas there was an Arminian party in that Town some of whom were witty and troubled others with Disputes about those points by Gods blessing upon his Labours in holding forth positively such truths as undermined the foundations of Arminianism those Disputes ceased and the Tenets of Arminianism were no more pleaded for Thus God disposeth of the hearts of hearers as that generally they are all open and loving to their Preachers at their first entrance For three or four years he lived and preached amongst them without opposition They accounted themselves happy as well they might in the enjoyment of him both the Town and Country thereabouts being much bettered and reformed by his Labours But after he was not able to bear the Ceremonies imposed his Non-Conformity occasioned his trouble in the Bishops Court at Lincoln from whence he was advised to appeal to an higher Court and imploying Mr. Leveret who afterwards was one of the Ruling Elders of the Church of Boston in New England to deal in that business and he like Jacob being a plain man yet piously subtile to get such a spiritual blessing so far insinuated himself into one of the Proctors of that high-Court that Mr. Cotton was treated by them as if he were a Conformable man and so was restored unto Boston After this time he was blessed with a successfull Ministry unto the end of twenty years In which space he on the Lords Dayes in the afternoons went over the whole Body of Divinity in a Catechistical way thrice and gave the heads of his Discourse to those that were yong Scholars others in the Town to answer his questions in publick in that great congregation and after their Answers he opened those heads of Divinity and finally applied all to the edification of his people and of such strangers as came to hear him In the morning of the Lords Dayes he preached over the first six Chapters of the Gospel of St. John the whole Book of Ecclesiastes the Prophesie of Zachariah and many other Scriptures and when the Lords Supper was administred which was usual every monâ—th he preached upon 1 Corinth 11. 2 Chron. 30. the whole Chapter besides some other Scriptures concerning that subject On his Lecture days he preached through the whole first and second Epistles of John the whole Book of Solomons Song the Parables of our Saviour set forth in Matthews Gospel to the end of Chapter the 16th comparing them with Mark and Luke He took much pains in private and read to sundry young Scholars that were in his House and to some that came out of Germany and had his house full of Auditors Afterwards seeing some inconvenience in the Peoples flocking to his House besides his ordinary Lecture on the Thursdays he preached thrice more in publick on the week days viz. on Wednesdays and Thursdays early in the morning and on Saturdays at three a clock in the afternoon Only these three last Lectures were performed by him but some few years before he had another famous Colleague He was frequent in Duties of Humiliation and Thanksgiving Sometimes he continued five or six hours in Prayer and opening the Word So indefatigable was he in the Lords Work so willing to spend and be spent therein Besides he answered many Letters that were sent him far and near wherein were handled many difficult Cases of Conscience and many doubts cleared to great satisfaction He was a man exceedingly beloved and admired of the best and reverenced of the worst of his Hearers He was in great favour with Dr. Williams the then Bishop of Lincoln who much esteemed him for his Learning and when he was Lord Keeper of the Great Seal he went to King James and speaking of Mr. Cottons great Learning and worth the King was willing notwithstanding his Non-conformity to give way that he should have his Liberty in his Ministry without interruption which was the more remarkable considering how that Kings Spirit was carried out against such wayes Also the Earl of Dorchester being at Old Boston and hearing Mr. Cotton preaching about Civil Government he was so affected with the wisdom of his words and spirit that he did ever after highly account of him and put himself forth what he could in the time of Mr. Cottons troubles to deliver him out of them that so his Boston might still enjoy him as formerly but his desires were too strongly opposed to be accomplished About this time he married his second Wife Mistriss Sarah Story then a Widow He was blessed above many in his Marriages both his Wives being pious Matâ—ons grave sober and faithfull By the first he had no children the last God made a fruitfull Vine unto him His first-born was brought forth far off upon the Sea in his passage to New England So that he being childless when he left Europe arrived a joyfull Father in America In memorial whereof he called his name Sea-born to keep alive said he in me and to teach my Son if he live a remembrance of Sea-mercies from the hand of a gracious God He is yet living and entred into the Work of the Ministry A Son of many Prayers and of great expectation The corruption of the times being now such that he could not continue in the exercise of his Ministery without sin and the envy of his maligners having now procured Letters Missive to convent him before the High Commission Court which Letters a debauched Inhabitant of that Town undertook to serve upon him who shortly after died of the Plague Mr. Cotton having intelligence thereof and well-knowing that nothing but scorns and imprisonment were to be expected from them according to the advice of many able heads and upright hearts amongst whom that holy man of God Mr. Dod of blessed memory had a singular influence he kept himself close for a time in and about London as Luther sometime did at Wittenberg and Paraeus since at Anvilla Yet was not that season of his recess unprofitable For addresses during that time were made unto him privately by divers persons of worth and piety who received satisfaction from him in their Cases of Conscience of greatest concernment And when he went into New England it was not a flight from duty but from evident danger and unto duty Not from the
profession of the truth but unto a more opportune place for the profession of it When Mr. Cotton arrived at New England his manner of entrance unto them was with much blessing For at his first coming he found them not free from troubles about setling the matters both of Church and Commonwealth At which time being requested he preached before the general Court His Text was Haggai 2. 4. Yet now be strong O Zerubbabel saith the Lord Be strong O Joshua the son of Josedek the High Priest and be strong all ye people of the Land saith the Lord and work For I am with you saith the Lord of Hosts And the Lord working mightily by this Sermon all obstructions were presently removed and the spirits of all sorts as one man were excited unanimously and vigorously in the work of the Lord from that very day In order whereunto the Court considering that all the Members of that Republick were also Church Members and therefore to be governed according to the Law of God they desired Mr. Cotton to draw an abstract of the Judicial Laws delivered from God to Moses so far forth as they were of Moral i. e. of perpetual and universal equity which accordingly he did advising them to persist in their purpose of establishing a Theocraty i. e. Gods Government over Gods people From this time it was a usual thing for the Magistrates to consult with the Ministers in hard and difficult cases especially about matters of Religion yet so as notwithstanding occasional conjunction Religious care was had of avoiding confusion of Councils After which time how usefull Master Cotton was to Old England to New England to Magistrates to Ministers to People in Publick in Private by Preaching by Counsel and resolving difficult questions all know that knew him and consequently saw the Grace of God so evidently manifested in him In the course of his Ministry in New Boston by way of Exposition he went over the Old Testament to Isaiah the 30. The whole New Testament once through and the second time to the middle of Hebrews the 7th Upon the Lords Days and Lecture Days he preached through the Acts of the Apostles the Prophesies of Haggai Zechariah Ezra the Revelations Ecclesiastes Canticles the second and third Epistles of John the Epistle to Titus both the Epistles to Timothy the Epistle to the Romans with other Scriptures The presence of the Lord being with him and Crowning his Labours with the Conversion of many Souls and the edification of thousands Besides these aforementioned Labors he hath many pieces in Print which being well known need not be here enumerated His youth was unstained whence he was so much the more capable of being an excellent Instrument in the Church in his elder days He that will do good in the Church must have a good report of them which are without lest he fall into the reproach and snare of the Devil 1 Tim. 3. 7. St. Augustine tels us that A good life is requisite in respect of our selves but a good name is requisite in respect of others We may be good men if we have a good Conscience but we are not like to do much good if we have not a good name He was a general Scholar studious to know all things the want whereof might in one of his Profession be denomitated ignorance and piously ignorant of those things the nescience whereof made him more Learned Deservedly therefore is his praise great in all the Churches that he not only gave himself to the acquiring of Learning but exceeded many that had done vertuously therein He excelled in the greater part of the Encuclopaidia Those which best knew his goings out and his coming in cannot but give a large testimony to his Piety He was a Saint above many of the Saints manifestly declared in the Consciences of the Godly amongst whom he walked to be the Epistle of Christ known and read of all men In his house he walked with a perfect heart He was an example to the Flock clothed with love and humility amongst his Brethren One of a thousand in respect of his worth But as it is reported of Dr. Whitaker as one of the multitude in respect of his facile and companion-like behaviour Both ability and modesty in such a degree are not ordinarily to be found in the same man Others with much affection beheld the beauty of his face whilest himself was as one who knew not that his face shined He was a Father Friend and Brother to his fellow-Elders and a shining Light before all men He well knew that a Bishop ought not to be defective in the well government of his Family He must be one that rules well his own house In conscience whereof he himself rising betimes in the morning as soon as he was ready he called his Family together which was also his practice in the evening to the solemn worship of God reading and expounding and occasionally also applying the Scriptures unto them alwayes beginning and ending with Prayer In case of sin committed by child or servant he would call them aside privately the matter so requiring laying the Scriptures before them and causing them to read that part which bore witness against such an offence Seldome or never correcting in anger that the dispensation of godly Discipline might not be impured or become less effectuall through the intermixing of humane passion He began the Sabbath on the Saturday evening and therefore then performed Family duties after Supper being larger then ordinary in Exposition after which he Catechized his children and Servants and then returned into his Study The morning following Family worship being ended he retired into his Study untill the Bell called him away Upon his return from the Congregation he returned again into his Study the place of his Labour and Prayer unto his private devotion where having a small repast carried him up for his dinner he continued till the toling of the Bell. The publick service being ended he withdrew for a space into his aforementioned Oratory for his sacred addresses unto God as in the forenoon Then came down repeated the Sermon in his Family prayed and after Supper sang a Psalm and towards bed time betaking himself again to his Study he closed the day with Prayer Thus he spent the Sabbath continually In his Study he neither sate down unto nor arose from his Meditations without Prayer Whilest his eyes were upon his Book his expectation was from God He had learned to Study because he had learned to Pray An able Student is a Gospel Student because unable to Study without Jesus Christ. The barrenness of his Meditation at some times yea though his endeavour was most intense upon a good matter convinced him whence it was that his heart musing upon the same Subject at another time his tongue became as the Pen of a ready writer As he was not comparatively wanting in parts
him frequently Magnum Usherium Usher the Great Morus in his Oration at Geneva dedicated to him stiles him The most Excellent servant of God The most Reverend man of God the Athanasius of our Age. Thy breast saith he is a breathing Library Thou art to Britain as Austin was to Hippo Farewel Britains great Honour Ludovicus de Dieu in his Animadversions on the Acts dedicated to him entitles him To the Excellent Prelate worthy of an Eternal memory c. Paulus Testardus Blesensis stiles him Seculi Ecâ—clesiae decus eximium the greatest honour of the Church and Age. Arnoldus Bootius saith of him That he did excel with a most singular Judgement in the Oriental Languages and in all other abstruse and deep learning Venerable to all Europe whose Authority prevails much with all men c. Mr. Selden saith of him The most Reverend Prelate James Usher a man of great Piety singular Judgement learned to a Miracle and born to promote the more severe studies c. Dr. Prideaux calls him The most rich Magazine of solid Learning and of all Antiquity Dr. Davenant speaks thus of him A man of singular Piety abounding with all manner of Learning Sir Roger Twisden acknowledging the assistance he had from him in his History saith thus This we owe to the most worthy Archbishop of Armagh in whom with incredible learning and rare knowledge of Antiquity his most courteous conversation and wonderful sweetness in instructing the unskilful mixed with a certain serious Episcopal gravity were seen to strive one with the other c. There was an eminent Character given of him by a the whole University of Oxford in the year 1644 by solemn Order in the Convocation which was given in charge to sixteen eminent persons of whom seven were Doctors chosen with the Vice-Chancellor Proctors to see his Effigies cut and an Elogium worthy of him to be prefixed to his Annotations on Ignatius his Epistles there then in the Press and at the charges of the University and in the publick name of it Indeed it was omitted to that book but was aftewards affixed to his Book De Symbolis the Elogium is this James Usher Archbishop of Armagh Primate of all Ireland the most skilful of Primitive Antiquity the unanswerable Defender of the Orthodox Religion the Maul of Errours in preaching frequent eloquent very powerful a rare example of an unblameable life Yea for his learning his very Adversaries being Judges those of the Church of Rome have acknowledged A certain Jesuit in a Book called Hyberniae Vindiciae writing against Dempster a Scotchman who had undervalued the Irish for learning after he had reckoned up many Learned men of his own and other Orders of that Nation at length he addes this of our Primate And if I should put in men of a different Religion I might truly say Scotland never saw another Usher whose sublime wit and most curteous behaviour I wish that unlucky education amongst Sectaries had not been his stepmother Divers others of his Popish Adversaries might be mentioned but I forbear and shall adde onely the Testimony of Dr. William Chappel sometime Fellow of Christs College in Cambridge and afterwards Provost of Trinity College Dublin who was very judicious and a great learned man He gave three reasons why he thought our Primate to be the greatest Schollar in the Christian world 1. Because of his rare natural parts having a quick invention a prompt wit a strong memory a clear understanding a piercing judgement and a ready utterance Seldome said he do all these meet in an eminent degree in the same person but in him they so concurred that it is hard to say in which of them he most excelled 2. Because few men had made so rich an improvement of these parts nor indeed had such means by reason of the choice Libraries which he had the use of viz. his own Dr. Challoners the University Library at Dublin which he had frequent access unto besides the University Libraries and Sir Robert Cottons in England He had also taken indefatigable pains in studying and that for many years together which few other mens bodies and brains could bear 3. Because in these and in the Universities beyond the Seas he was so esteemed and whosoever conversed with him found him a skilful Linguist a subtile Disputant a fluent Orator a profound Divine a great Antiquary an exact Chronologer and in brief a living and walking Library Insomuch that the greatest Professors admired the concatenation of so much learning in one person A Catalogue of the Books published by him De Ecclesiarum Christianarum successione statu in 4o. Epistolarum Hybernicarum Syloge in 4o. Historia Goteschalci in 4o. De Primordiis Ecclesiarum Britanicarum in 4o. Ignatii Epistolae cum annotationibus in 4o. De Anno Solari Macedonum in 8o. Annales Veteris Testamenti in Fol. Annales Novi Testamenti c. in Fol. Epistola ad Cappellum de variantibus textus Hebraici lectionibus in 4o. De Graeca Septuaginta Interpretum versione Syntagma in 4o. A Sermon before the House of Commons Feb. 18. 1618. A Declaration of the Visibility of the Church in a Sermon before King James June 20. 1624. A Speech in the Castle in Dublin the 22 of Nov. 1622. An Answer to Malon the Jesuit in 4o. 1631. The Religion professed by the antient Irish and British in 4o. 1631. Immannel or The Incarnation of the Son of God in 4o. 1639. A Geographical Description of the lesser Asia in 4o. 1644. Confessions and Proofs of Dr. Reynolds and other Protestant Divines about Episcopacy in 4o. 1644. A Discourse of the Original of Bishops and Archbishops in 4o. 1644. His small Catechisme reviewed in 12o. 1654. His Body of Divinity in part his but published without his consent in Fol. A Method for Meditation or a Direction for hearing the Word Annals of the Old and New Testament with the Synchronismes of Heathen Story to the destruction of Jerusalem in Fol. The Life and Death of Mr. Richard Capel who dyed Anno Christi 1656. Mr. Richard Capel was born in the City of Gloucester Anno Christi 1586 of good Parentage descended from an ancient Family of the Gentry of his own name in Herefordshire and of alliance to the Lord Capel but he had learned with brave Philpot to tread that under his feet His Father was a stout man and an Alderman of that City a fast friend first to Mr. Thomas Prior and afterwards to Mr. John Workman having had a principall hand in drawing of him thither both of them men of great sufficiency for the preaching of the Gospell and instruments that the Lord made much use of for the advancement of the true saving knowledge of himself and for the setting up of the reall and substantiall power of godliness in that City during the time that they exercised their Mâ—nistry there His elder Brother yet lives and is an Alderman in that place
many places Read the Proverbs and remember him in this 1. Forsake not an old Friend 2. Be friendly and faithful to your Friends 3. Never trouble or trust Friends unless there be a necessity 4. Lastly be long in closing with Friends and loath to lose them upon experience of them For your Marriages In Marriage you lay the foundation of your present woe or weal therefore here be not rash go not alone yet remember Paul 1 Cor. 7. 2. First study whether you have a calling to Marry yea or no and advise well of that If none forbear if so advise with friends before your affections be engaged In your choice 1. Aim at Grace 2. Good nature and education the best woman is not ever the best wife 3. Good parts of understanding Huswifery c. As for Portion be it more or less be upon certainties and trust not words and for Parentage let not the distance be too great lest you despise or be despised However be sure that the person likes not your fancy but your judgement For your Children Make it your chiefest work to make them 1. Godly 2. Useful Bestow most of their Portions in good Education and if Grace make no difference do you make none in your affections countenances portions partiality this way ends in nothing else but envy strangeness c. For your selves within your selves My desire hath been to carry an even hand over you all and have laboured to reduce you as near as I could all circumstances considered to an equality and therefore my last request and charge is that you will live together in an undivided bond of love you are many of you and if you joyn together as one man you need not want any thing what counsel what comfort what money what friends may you not help your selves unto if you will contribute your aides wherefore my dear children I pray beseech command adjure you by all the Relations and dearness that hath ever been betwixt us that you know one another visite as you may each other comfort counsel relieve succour help admonish one another Whilst your Mother lives meet there if possible yearly When she is dead pitch upon some other place if it may be your eldest Brothers house or if you cannot meet yet send to and hear from one another yearly And when you have neither Father nor Mother be so many Fathers and Mothers each to other so you shall understand the blessing mentioned Psal. 133. For your Estates Be not troubled that you are below your kindred get more wisdome humility goodness and you are above them onely this do 1. Study work more than wages 2. Deal with your hearts to make them less 3. Begin below 4. Joyn together to help one another 5. Rest upon the Promises which are many and precious this way 6. Sow mercy Take of your Mother to this end a piece give that in works of mercy and if all other means fail you that shall maintain you I know I know I say and I am confident in it that if ye will be humbled for my barrenness and will trust God in his own way he will make comfortable provision for you Object no more but trust him For the Publick Bless God that you are born English men and bear your selves dutifully and conscionably towards Authority See God in the Magistrate and hold Order a precious things And for the Church neither set her above her Husband Christ nor below her Children give her that honour obedience and respect that is her due and if you will be my Children and heirs of my comfort in my dying age be neither Authors nor Fautors of any either faction or novelty It s true this is not a rising way but it is a free fair comfortable way for a man to follow his own judgement without warping to either hand Perhaps you may hear variety of judgements touching my walk when I sleep in silence some taxing me for too much some for too little Conformity but be not ye troubled I did what in my circumstances seemed best to me for the present howsoever the event hath not in some points answered expectation yet I have learned to measure things by another rule than events and satisfie my self in this that I did all for the best as I thought Sure I am my Saviour Christ is perfect and never failed so much as in circumstance To him I commit your Souls Bodies Estates Names Lifes Deaths All and my self waiting when he shall change my vile body and make it glorious like unto his own Amen Even so come Lord Jesus Amen On the Memory of that Famous and Godly Minister Dr. Robert Haris my late worthy Friend As once Elias in John Baptist came Back to the Jews in that Triumphant flame Of Light and Zeal wherein he did before Without Deaths help up into Glory soar And by this Transmigration of his Grace Prepared paths before his Masters face Even so in thee blest soul did breathe anew Great Chrysostom yea great Apollos too To thee those mighty Orators did give Their Tongues to speak to thee their life to live Nay thou thy self didst in thy self renew Thy Fort'ys vigour in Fourscore we knew When all thy strength decayd thy Gifts did thrive The man is dead the Preacher still alive Alive in his own Sermons in our love His Name alive below his Soul above And may the younger Prophets still inherit A double portion of their Fathers spirit That by a sacred Metempsychosis The gifts may now be theirs which once were his That every Sermon which we hear may be Rare Preacher a true Pourtracture of thee Yea may it of each following age be true The former are exceeded by the new Visions of young surpass old Prophets dreams The Fathers Light 's outshin'd by Childrens beams That in their measures we may more and more Th'unmeasur'd fulness of our Lord adore E. REYNER The Second Part Containing the LIVES OF GVSTAVUS ERICSON King of Sueden who was the first Reformer of RELIGION in that KINGDOM AS ALSO Of divers other Christians who were eminent for Prudence and Piety We desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end That ye be not slothful but followers of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the promises Heb. 6. 11 12. LONDON Printed for Will. Miller at the Gilded Acron near the Little North-door in St. Pauls Church-yard 1661. The Life of Gustavus Ericson King of Sueden who dyed Anno Christi 1562. IN the dayes of Christian the Second King of Denmark who also laid claim to the Crown of Sueden after the decease of Swanto the Lords of Sueden chose Steno Stur to be their Governor against whom Gustavus Archbishop of Upsal opposed himself loving his place more than his Country and being crossed in his expectation he promotes the interest of Christian of Denmark who to set forward his claim to the Crown of Sueden spent