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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64132	A sermon preached in Christs-Church, Dublin, July 16, 1663, at the funeral of the most Reverend Father in God John, late Lord Archbishop of Armagh and primate of all Ireland with a succint narrative of his whole life / by the Right Reverend Father in God Jeremy, Lord Bishop of Down and Connor.	Taylor, Jeremy, 1613-1667.	1663 (1663)	Wing T396; ESTC R11878	29,244	70

he stood up in publick and brave defence for the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England First by his Sufferings and great Example for Verbis tantùm philosophari non est Doctoris sed Histrionis To talk well and not to do bravely is for a Comedian not a Divine But this great man did both he suffered his own Calamity with great courage and by his wise Discourses strengthened the hearts of others For there wanted not diligent Tempters in the Church of Rome who taking advantage of the Afflictions of His Sacred Majesty in which state Men commonly suspect every thing and like men in sickness are willing to change from side to side hoping for ease and finding none flew at Royal Game and hop'd to draw away the King from that Religion which His most Royal Father the best Man and the wisest Prince in the world had seal'd with the best Bloud in Christendom and which Himself suck'd in with His Education and had confirm'd by Choice and Reason and confess'd publickly and bravely and hath since restor'd prosperously Millitie●e was the man witty and bold enough to attempt a zelous and a foolish undertaking and address'd himself with ignoble indeed but witty arts to perswade the King to leave what was dearer to Him then His Eyes It is true it was a Wave dash'd against a Rock and an Arrow shot against the Sun it could not reach him but the Bishop of Derry turn'd it also and made it to fall upon the shooters head for he made so ingenious so learned and so accute Reply to that book he so discover'd the Errors of the Roman Church retorted the Arguments stated the Questions demonstrated the Truth and sham'd their Procedures that nothing could be a greater argument of the Bishops Learning great Parts deep Judgment Quickness of Apprehension and Sincerity in the Catholick and Apostolick Faith or of the Follies and Prevarications of the Church of Rome He wrote no Apologies for himself though it were much to be wish'd that as Iunius wrote his own Life or Moses his own story so we might have understood from himself how great things God had done for him and by him but all that he permitted to God and was silent in his own Defences Gloriosius enim est injuriam tacendo fugere quàm respondendo superare But when the Honour and Conscience of his King and the Interest of a true Religion was at stake the fire burn'd within him and at last he spake with his tongue he cried out like the son of Croesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Take heed and meddle not with the King His Person is too sacred and Religion too dear to Him to be assaulted by Vulgar hands In short he acquited himself in this affair with so much Truth and Piety Learning and Judgment that in those Papers his memory will last unto very late succeeding Generations But this most Reverend Prelate found a nobler adversary and a braver scene for his contention He found that the Roman Priests being wearied and baffled by the wise Discourses and pungent Arguments of the English Divines had studiously declined any more to dispute the particular Questions against us but fell at last upon a general Charge imputing to the Church of England the great crime of Schism and by this they thought they might with most probability deceive unwary and unskilful Readers for they saw the Schism and they saw we had left them and because they consider'd not the Causes they resolv'd to out-face us in the Charge But now it was that dignum nactus argumentum having an Argument fit to imploy his great abilities Consecrat hic praesul calamum calamlque labores Ante aras Domino laeta trophaea suo the Bishop now dedicates his labours to the service of God and of his Church undertook the Question and in a full Discourse proves the Church of Rome not only to be guilty of the Schism by making it necessary to depart from them but they did actuate the Schisms and themselves made the first separation in the great point of the Popes Supremacy which was the Palladium for which they principally contended He made it appear that the Popes of Rome were Usurpers of the rights of Kings and Bishops that they brought in new Doctrines in every Age that they impos'd their own devices upon Christendom as Articles of Faith that they prevaricated the Doctrines of the Apostles that the Church of England only return'd to her Primitive purity that she joyn'd with Christ and his Apostles that she agreed in all the Sentiments of the Primitive Church He stated the questions so wisely and conducted them so prudently and handled them so learnedly that I may truly say they were never more materially confuted by any man since the questions have so unhappily disturbed Christendom Verum hoc eos malè ussit and they finding themselves smitten under the fifth rib set up an old Champion of their own a Goliah to fight against the Armies of Israel the old Bishop of Chalcedon known to many of us replied to this excellent Book but was so answer'd by a Rejoynder made by the Lord Bishop of Derry in which he so press'd the former Arguments refuted the Cavils brought in so many impregnable Authorities and Probations and added so many moments and weights to his discourse that the pleasures of reading the Book would be the greatest if the profit to the Church of God were not greater Flumina tum lactis tum flumina nectaris ibant Flavaque de viridi stillabant ilice mella For so Sampson's riddle was again expounded Out of the strong came meat and out of the eater came sweetness his Arguments were strong and the Eloquence was sweet and delectable and though there start up another combatant against him yet he had onely the honour to fall by the hands of Hector still haeret lateri lethalis arundo the headed arrow went in so far that it could not be drawn out but the barbed steel stuck behind And whenever men will desire to be satisfied in those great questions the Bishop of Derry's book shall be his Oracle I will not insist upon his other excellent writings but it is known every where with what Piety and acumen he wrote against the Manichean Doctrine of Fatal necessity which a late witty man had pretended to adorn with a new Vizor but this excellent person wash'd off the Cerusse and the meretricious Paintings rarely well asserted the oeconomy of the Divine Providence and having once more triumph'd over his Adversary plenus victoriarum trophaeorum betook himself to the more agreeable attendance upon Sacred Offices and having usefully and wisely discours'd of the sacred Rite of Confirmation impos'd hands upon the most Illustrious Princes the Dukes of York and Gloucester and the Princess Royal and ministred to them the promise of the holy Spirit and ministerially establish'd them in the Religion and Service of the holy Jesus And one thing more I

he was there their forward hopes to enjoy him as their Bishop their trouble at his Departure their unwillingness to let him go away gave signal testimonies that they were wise and kind enough to understand and value his great worth But while he lived there he was like a Diamond in the dust or Lucius Quinctius at the plough his low Fortune covered a most valuable person till he became observ'd by Sir Thomas Wentworth Lord President of York whom we all knew for his great Excellencies and his great but glorious Misfortunes This rare person espied the great abilities of Doctor Bramhall and made him his Chaplain and brought him into Ireland as one whom he believ'd would prove the most fit instrument to serve in that design which for two years before his arrival here he had greatly meditated and resolved the Reformation of Religion and the Reparation of the broken Fortunes of the Church The Complaints were many the Abuses great the Causes of the Church vastly numerous but as fast as they were brought in so fast they were by the Lord Deputy referred back to Dr. Bramhall who by his indefatigable Pains great Sagacity perpetual Watchfulness daily and hourly Consultations reduc'd things to a more tolerable condition then they had been left in by the Schismatical principles of some and the unjust Prepossessions of others form any years before For at the Reformation the Popish Bishops and Priests seemed to conform and did so that keeping their Bishopricks they might enrich their Kindred and dilapidate the Revenues of the Church which by pretended Offices false Informations Fee-farms at contemptible Rents and ungodly Alienations were made low as Poverty it self and unfit to minister to the needs of them that serv'd the Altar or the noblest purposes of Religion For Hospitality decayed and the Bishops were easie to be oppressed by those that would and they complained but for a long time had no helper till God raised up that glorious Instrument the Earl of Strafford who brought over with him as great affections to the Church and to all publick Interests and as admirable Abilities as ever before his time did invest and adorn any of the Kings Vicegerents and God fitted his hand with an Instrument good as his skill was great For the first Specimen of his Abilities and Diligence in recovery of some lost Tithes being represented to His late Majesty of blessed and glorious memory it pleased His Majesty upon the death of Bishop Downham to advance the Doctor to the Bishoprick of D●r●y which he not onely adorned with an excellent spirit and a wise Government but did more then double the Revenue not by taking any thing from them to whom it was due but by resuming something of the Churches Patrimony which by undue means was detained in unfitting hands But his care was beyond his Diocese and his zele broke out to warm all his Brethren and though by reason of the Favour and Piety of King Iames the escheated Counties were well provided for their Tithes yet the Bishopricks were not so well till the Primate then Bishop of Derry by the favour of the Lord Lieutenant and his own incessant and assiduous labour and wise conduct brought in divers Impropriations cancell'd many unjust Alienations and did restore them to a condition much more tolerable I say much more tolerable for though he rais'd them above contempt yet they were not near to envy but he knew there could not in all times be wanting too many that envied to the Church every degree of prosperity so Iudas did to Christ the expence of Oyntment and so Dyonisius told the Priest when himself stole the golden Cloak from Apollo and gave him one of Arcadian home-spun that it was warmer for him in Winter and cooler in Summer And forever since the Church by God's blessing and the favour of Religious Kings and Princes and Pious Nobility hath been endowed with fair Revenues inimicus homo the Enemy hath not been wanting by pretences of Religion to take away God's portion from the Church as if his Word were intended as an instrument to rob his Houses But when the Israelites were governed by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and God was their King and Moses his Lieutenant and things were of his management he was pleas'd by making great Provisions for them that ministred in the service of the Tabernacle to consign this truth for ever That Men as they love God at the same rate are to make provisions for his Priests For when himself did it he not only gave the 48. Cities with a mile of Glebe round about their City every way and yet the whole Country was but 140. miles long or thereabouts from Dan to Beersheba but besides this they had the tithe of all increase the first fruits offerings vows redemptions and in short they had 24. sorts of Dues as Buxtorf relates and all this either brought to the Barn home to them without trouble or else as the nature of the thing required brought to the Temple the first to make it more profitable and the second to declare that they received it not from the People but from God not the Peoples kindness but the Lords inheritance insomuch that this small Tribe of Levi which was not the 40th part of the People as the Scripture computes them had a Revenue almost treble to any of the largest of the Tribes I will not insist on what Villalpandus observes it may easily be read in the 45. of Ezekiel concerning that portion which God reserves for himself and his service but whatsoever it be this I shall say that it is confessedly a Prophecy of the Gospel but this I adde that they had as little to do and much less than a Christian Priest and yet in all the 24. courses the poorest Priest amongst them might be esteemed a Rich man I speak not this to upbraid any man or any thing but Sacrilege and Murmur nor to any other end but to represent upon what great and Religious grounds the then Bishop of Derry did with so much care and assiduous labour endeavour to restore the Church of Ireland to that splendor and fulness which as it is much conducing to the honour of God and of Religion God himself being the Judge so it is much more necessary for you than it is for us and so this wise Prelate rarely well understood it and having the same advantage and blessing as we now have a Gracious King and a Lieutenant Patron of Religion and the Church he improv'd the deposita pietatis as Origen calls them the Gages of Piety which the Religion of the ancient Princes and Nobles of this Kingdom had bountifully given to such a comfortable competency that though there be place left for present and future Piety to inlarge it self yet no man hath reason to be discourag'd in his duty insomuch that as I have heard from a most worthy hand that at his going into England he

do it in Religion which yet is to be conducted as all humane affairs are by humane instruments and arguments of perswasion proper to the nature of the thing it is an obstinacy as cross to humane reason as it is to Divine Faith But this Article was so clearly prov'd that presently it came to pass that Men were no longer asham'd of the Cross but it was worn upon breasts printed in the air drawn upon foreheads carried upon Banners put upon crowns Imperial presently it came to pass that the Religion of the despised Jesus did infinitely prevail a Religion that taught Men to be meek and humble apt to receive injuries but unapt to do any a Religion that gave countenance to the poor and pitiful in a time when riches were ador'd and ambition and pleasure had possessed the heart of all Mankind a Religion that would change the face of things and the hearts of Men and break vile habits into gentleness and counsel that such a Religion in such a time by the Sermons and Conduct of Fishermen Men of mean breeding and illiberal Arts should so speedily triumph over the Philosophy of the World and the arguments of the subtil and the Sermons of the Eloquent the Power of Princes and the Interests of States the inclinations of Nature and the blindness of zeal the force of custom and the sollicitation of passions the pleasures of sin and the busie Arts of the Devil that is against Wit and Power Superstition and Wilfulness Fame and Money Nature and Empire which are all the causes in this World that can make a thing impossible this this is to be ascrib'd to the power of God and is the great demonstration of the Resurrection of Jesus Every thing was an Argument for it and improv'd it no Objection could hinder it no Enemies destroy it whatsoever was for them it made the Religion to increase whatsoever was against them made it to increase Sun-shine and Storms Fair Weather or Foul it was all one as to the event of things for they were instruments in the hands of God who could make what himself should chuse to be the product of any cause So that if the Christians had peace they went abroad and brought in Converts if they had no peace but persecution the Converts came in to them In prosperity they allur'd and intic'd the World by the beauty of holiness in affliction and trouble they amaz'd all men with the splendour of their Innocence and the glories of their patience and quickly it was that the World became Disciple to the glorious Nazarene and men could no longer doubt of the Resurrection of Jesus when it became so demonstrated by the certainty of them that saw it and the courage of them that died for it and the multitude of them that believ'd it who by their Sermons and their Actions by their publick Offices and Discourses by Festivals and Eucharists by Arguments of Experience and Sense by Reason and Religion by perswading rational Men and establishing believing Christians by their living in the obedience of Jesus and dying for the testimony of Jesus have greatly advanc'd his Kingdom and his Power and his Glory into which he entred after his Resurrection from the dead For he is the first fruits and if we hope to rise through him we must confess that himself is first risen from the dead That 's the first particular 2. There is an order for us also We also shall rise again Combustúsque senex tumulo procedit adultus Consumens dat membra rogus The ashes of old Camillus shall stand up spritely from his Urne and the Funeral fires shall produce a new warmth to the dead bones of all those who died under the arms of all the Enemies of the Roman greatness This is a less wonder than the former for admonetur omnis aetas jam fieri posse quod aliquando factum est If it was done once it may be done again for since it could never have been done but by a power that is infinite that infinite must also be eternal and indeficient By the same Almighty power which restor'd life to the dead body of our living Lord we may all be restor'd to a new life in the Resurrection of the dead When Man was not what power what causes made him to be whatsoever it was it did then as great a work as to raise his body to the same being again and because we know not the method of Natures secret changes and how we can be fashioned beneath in secreto terrae and cannot handle and discern the possibilities and seminal powers in the ashes of dissolved bones must our ignorance in Philosophy be put in balance against the Articles of Religion the hopes of Mankind the Faith of Nations and the truth of God and are our Opinions of the power of God so low that our understanding must be his measure and he shall be confessed to do nothing unless it be made plain in our Philosophy Certainly we have a low Opinion of God unless we believe he can do more things then we can understand But let us hear S. Paul's demonstration If the Corn dies and lives again if it layes its body down suffers alteration dissolution and death but at the spring rises again in the verdure of a leaf in the fulness of the ear in the kidneys of wheat if it proceeds from little to great from nakedness to ornament from emptiness to plenty from unity to multitude from death to life be a Sadducee no more shame not thy understanding and reproch not the weakness of thy Faith by thinking that Corn can be restor'd to life and Man cannot especially since in every creature the obediential capacity is infinite and cannot admit degrees for every Creature can be any thing under the power of God which cannot be less than infinite But we find no obscure foot-steps of this mystery even amongst the Heathens Pliny reports that Appion the Grammarian by the use of the plant Osiris call'd Homer from his grave and in Valerius Maximus we find that AElius Tubero return'd to life when he was seated in his Funeral pile and in Plutarch that Soleus after three dayes burial did live and in Valerius that AEris Pamphilius did so after ten dayes And it was so commonly believ'd that Glaucus who was choked in a vessel of honey did rise again that it grew to a Proverb Glaucus poto melle resurrexit Glaucus having tasted honey died and liv'd again I pretend not to believe these stories true but from these instances it may be concluded that they believ'd it possible that there should be a Resurrection from the dead and natural reason and their Philosophy did not wholly destroy their hopes and expectation to have a portion in this Article For God knowing that the great hopes of Man that the biggest endearment of Religion the sanction of private Justice the band of Piety and holy Courage does wholly derive from the Article of

had done like AEsops Viper they licked the file till their tongues bled but himself was wholly invulnerable They were therefore forc'd to leave their muster-rolls and decline the particulars and fall to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to accuse him for going about to subvert the fundamental Laws the way by which great Strafford and Canterbury fell which was a device when all reasons fail'd to oppress the Enemy by the bold affirmation of a Conclusion they could not prove they did like those Gladiatores whom the Romans call'd Retiaries when they could not stab their Enemies with their daggers they threw nets over him and cover'd him with a general mischief But the Martyr King Charles the First of most glorious and Eternal Memory seeing so great a Champion likely to be oppress'd with numbers and despair sent what rescue he could his Royal Letter for his Bail which was hardly granted to him and when it was it was upon such hard terms that his very delivery was a persecution So necessary it was for them who intended to do mischief to the publick to take away the strongest pillars of the house This thing I remark to acquit this great man from the tongue of slander which had so boldly spoken that it was certain something would stick yet was so impotent and unarm'd that it could not kill that great same which his greater worthiness had procur'd him It was said of Hippasus the Pythagorean that being ask'd how and what he had done He answer'd Nondum nihil neque enim adhuc mihi invidetur I have done nothing yet for no man envies me He that does great things cannot avoid the tongues and teeth of Envy but if calumnies must pass for evidences the bravest Hero's must alwayes be the most reproched Persons in the World Nascitur AEtolicus pravum ingeniosus ad omne Qui facere assuerat patriae non degener artis Candida de nigris de candentibus atra Every thing can have an ill name and an ill sense put upon it but God who takes care of reputations as he does of lives by the orders of his providence confutes the slander ut memoria justorum sit in benedictionibus that the memory of the righteous man might be embalm'd with honour And so it hapned to this great man for by a publick Warranty by the concurrent consent of both Houses of Parliament the Libellous Petitions against him the false Records and publick Monuments of injurious shame were cancell'd and he was restor'd in integrum to that fame where his great labours and just procedures had first estated him which though it was but justice yet it was also such honour that it is greater then the virulence of tongues which his worthiness and their envy had arm'd against him But yet the great scene of the troubles was but newly open'd I shall not refuse to speak yet more of his troubles as remembring that St. Paul when he discourses of the glories of the Saints departed he tells more of their sufferings than of their prosperities as being that Laboratory and Crysable in which God makes his Servants vessels of honour to his glory The storm quickly grew high transitum est à linguis ad gladios and that was indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iniquity had put on arms when it is armata nequitia then a man is hard put to it The Rebellion breaking out the Bishop went to his charge at Derry and because he was within the defence of Walls the execrable Traitor Sir Phelim ● Neale laid a snare to bring him to a dishonourable death For he wrote a Letter to the Bishop pretended Intelligence between them desir'd that according to their former agreement such a Gate might be deliver'd to him The messenger was not advis'd to be cautious not at all instructed in the art of Secrecy for it was intended that he should be search'd intercepted and hang'd for ought they car'd but the Arrow was shot against the Bishop that he might be accused for base Conspiracy and die with shame and sad dishonour But here God manifested his mighty care of his Servants he was pleas'd to send into the heart of the messenger such an affrightment that he directly ran away with the Letter and never durst come near the Town to deliver it This story was publish'd by Sir Phelim himself who added That if he could have thus ensnar'd the Bishop he had good assurance the Town should have been his own Sed bonitas Dei praevalitura est super omnem malitiam hominis The goodness of God is greater then all the malice of Men and nothing could so prove how dear that sacred Life was to God as his rescue from the dangers Stantia non poterant tecta probare Deos To have kept him in a warm house had been nothing unless the roof had fallen upon his head that rescue was a remark of Divine favour and Providence But it seems Sir Phelim's Treason against the Life of this worthy Man had a Correspondent in the Town and it broke out speedily for what they could not effect by malicious stratagem they did in part by open force they turn'd the Bishop out of the Town and upon trifling and unjust pretences search'd his Carriages and took what they pleas'd till they were asham'd to take more they did worse then divorce him from his Church for in all the Roman Divorces they said Tuas tibi res babeto Take your goods and be gone but Plunder was Religion then However though the usage was sad yet it was recompenc'd to him by his taking Sanctuary in Oxford where he was graciously receiv'd by that most incomparable and divine Prince but having served the King in Yorkshire by his Pen and by his Counsels and by his Interests return'd back to Ireland where under the excellent conduct of his Grace the now Lord Lieutenant he ran the risque and fortune of oppressed Vertue But God having still resolv'd to afflict us the good-man was forc'd into the fortune of the Patriarchs to leave his Countrey and his Charges and seek for safety and bread in a strange Land for so the Prophets were us'd to do wandring up and down in sheeps-clothing but poor as they were the world was not worthy of them and this worthy man despising the shame took up his Cross and followed his Master Exilium causa ipsa jubet sibi dulce videri Et desiderium dulce levat patriae He was not asham'd to suffer where the Cause was honourable and glorious but so God provided for the needs of his banished and sent a man who could minister comfort to the afflicted and courage to the persecuted and resolutions to the tempted and strength to that Religion for which they all suffered And here this great man was indeed triumphant this was one of the last and best scenes of his life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The last dayes are the best witnesses of a man But so it was that