Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A89045
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A memoriall to preserve vnspotted to posterity the name and memory of Doctor Crispe.
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1643
(1643)
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Wing M1696; Thomason 669.f.6[120]; ESTC R212626
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3,057
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1
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A MEMORIALL TO PRESERVE Vnspotted to Posterity the Name and Memory of Doctor CRISPE YOu that know what truth is and doe now feare You shall no more her pleasing doctrines heare Since Doctor Crispe is dead unlesse it be From unglos'd Scripture truth's pure treasury You that were lately prest with sinne and found A hell in your owne hearts you that were bound In errors fetters and could never see Though you were Christians cal'd your liberty Wherein Christ made you free till this man drew Your vaile of darkenesse off and form'd you new You all know how to prise his worth and can Beare witnesse with me that he was a man That best deserv'd the Pulpit that his brest Was full of what he spake and did digest His Doctrines first in his owne heart his braine Labour'd with no devices or forced straine To please the easie people or beget An audience basely by delighting it He scorn'd that truth should stoope or be made stale To vitious ends he hated more to vaile Her glorious lustre or eclipse her light By mingling false lights with her ' cause mens sight Is weake and dazled at her brightnesse no He might mens common errors foster so Such as doe use such arts doe rather aime T' advance themselves then truth to get a name And so a living But this Doctor strove Rather to draw men up to truth and love To allure them with her sweetnes for no by Respect but their owne Soules felicity He knew the power of truth and therefore us'd No artificiall baits but rather chus'd Instead of words and the deceitfull dresse Of popular Eloquence her owne nakednesse 'T was from his Soule he spake and not because He might obtaine a Legacy or applause Not to enhaunce his tithes or quarter-gifts Nor that he might seeme learned such vile shifts And mercenary arts he did despise Though much in fashion now as a fit guise For holy seeming Hypocrits who have made Religion not their practise but their trade Truth was his end and each mans good his aime Mens persons he respected not but came Freely t' impart glad tidings unto all The love of God he knew was generall The man in Plush and braver was no more In his esteeme then whom the world cals poore He look't upon mens Soules for their array 'T is no part of the man whether 't be gay Or for necessity vertue may lie And oftner under rags then Taffety He was compo'd of love meeke as a Lambe Without all affectation still the same Mild in discourse impassionate and free From wild contentions of Philosophy And other nice disputes 'bout what is vaine He troubled not his owne or others braine He knew the Apostles no such customes us'd And therefore onely usefull Subjects chus'd Such as had greatest vigour to remove Long setled errors and beget true love To God and man All his abilities His Labour study health and faculties He did imploy to doe his brethren good 'T was chiefe of his delight his Soules best food To make men reall Christians not in name But in beliefe and practise to the shame Of what most men that beare that title are His Doctrines though since scandal'd were so farre From giving raines to vice or Liberty To a loose life and all obscenity As some that feare their trade will downe object Whose teaching on their profits still reflect That there 's no precepts no instructions can Beget a godly life and make a man An honour to that faith he doth professe To abandon lust and all ungodlinesse But those firme truthes he preacht for what can more Perswade with men to live well and give o're What ever misbeseemes them or beget Our Saviours owne minde in them then to set Before their eyes what he for them hath done His boundlesse love and his Compassion How he did pay their desperate debts and free Their Soules from Deaths hells conscience Tyranny How he did dye that death they should have dyed Cleared the law Gods justice satisfied Aton'd us with his Father all our feares Dispeld adopted us his Sonnes Coheires With Christ himselfe cast all our proud foes downe Purchas'd a Kingdome for us and a Crowne And all this too not when we were his friends Obedient to his sacred lawes and ends But when wee were his foes ye when we lay Weltring in blood and sinne and did betray Our onely friend when we did crucisie Our Master and more wicked yet deny The Lord that bought us that his grace might be Above our wonder and our eyes might see That he was goodnesse selfe and that his love To man was all his other workes above Even in this state he dyed for us and paid His precious bloud our ransome then he laid His life downe for us and his dignity That we might live to all eternity This having done and knowing 't was above Vs men to comprehend this devine love Nought being within our reach but what doth lye In reasons circumscrib'd capacity Gods love extended further knowing well Without the knowledge of his love a Hell Would still possesseus and a thousand feares Distract our mindes and drowne us in sad teares Our sinnes being ever present 'fore our eyes Our sad Soules frighted at our conscience cryes That we might not be left thus comfortlesse And ignorant of all our happinesse He sent his blessed Spirit to declare Peace to our Soules and what our comforts are Which the same Spirit hath done to those were sent To tell the same to all to the intent All teares might be wip't off from our sad eyes And wee left fearelesse of hells miseries These were his Doctrines thus he preacht the same Glad tidings from Gods blessed Spirit came That Christ hath purchasd our Redemption Without our aid without condition That'tis already done and freely too Wants no addition from what we can doe Therefore let 's please our lusts Perverse man no He nor the Scripture did not conclude so What wast constrain'd th'Apostles to deny All worldly lusts and to live soberly To abound in all good works What wast say you The love of God constrain'd him so to doe Why should the same love then by us be thought The ready way to make us vile and nought The holy Scriptures motive for to tie Our Soules and bodies God to glorifie Is because he hath bought us with a price And for us paid himself a Sacrifice The greatest bond on earth is love if so What greater love then this did man ere know Looke on his Auditors see their lives and say Who have more vertue or more love then they This was his way to allure mens Soules with sight Of the most glorious comfortable light Of Gods eternall truth and not to aw Their sadned Soules with terrors of the law Or keepe 'em downe that so he might subject Their purses and obedience and erect Their spirits as their contributions rose He loath'd such Tyrannous practises and chose To make men wise and good for their owne sake Strict against Vice chiefly against such as make Their liberty a cloake to wickednesse And turne the grace of God to wantonnesse Gainst such as these the shame of men he would Expresse an anger great as good men should They were the chiefest foes Religion had No enemies so great as they so bad Although he knew none of them but by fame Of their ill life and rumours of their shame For such howe're that thus abuse the free Goodnesse of God he knew this remedy See what good Counsell first will doe and when They 'le not returne publikely shame'em then If they shall still persist let justice draw Forth her correcting rod to overaw Their stubborne hearts with feare of punishment If then they shall consider and relent With armes of love embrace them let them see The difference twixt good life and vanity If when all this is done they shall remaine Vitious men still or shall returne againe To their loose life and manners let them be Excluded quite from all society Thus discipline should meet with vice and free The Church from slander vice and Calumnie After this briefe expresse of what is true Of my dead Friend and short of what 's his due Let no mans forward malice strive to cast Dirt on his fame or with false rumours blast His honest life or Doctrines because they Perceive some of their audience drop away If they shall yet persist and vainely shew They feare truth will yet thrive let such men know I doe denounce 'em mine and plaine truths foes He that can bite in verse can sting in prose FINIS Printed at London for John Sweeting 1643.