The Praise of a Godly Woman, Title page – Dedication
THE PRAISE OF A GODLY VVOMAN.
A Sermon preached at the Solemne Funerall of the Right Honourable Ladie, the Ladie FRANCES ROBERTS, at Lanhide-rock-Church in Cornwall, the tenth of August, 1626.
By HANNIBALL GAMON, Minister of the word of God, at St. Maugan in the same Countie.
1 Cor. 4.5.
Therefore iudge nothing before the time, vntill the Lord come, who will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse, and will manifest the counsells of the hearts, and then shall eueryevery man hauehave praise of God.
Galath. 3.28.
There is Neither Iew nor Greeke,
There is Neither Bond nor Free,
There is Neither Male nor Female, for yee are all one in Christ Iesus.
St. Hierom. Eustoch.
—In seruitute Christine quaquam Differentia sexuum valet, sed mentium.
Idem ad Principiam.
Non faciovllam inter Sanctas Foeminas Differentiam, quod Nonnulli inter Sanctos Viros & Eccles…arum Principes, stultè sacere consueuerunt.
LONDON, Printed by I. H. for Iohn Grismond, and are to be sold at his shop in Ivie-Lane at the signe of the Gunne. 1627.
TO THE TRVLY NOBLE IOHN ROBERTS, Son and Heire to the Right Honourable RICHARD Lord ROBERTS of Truro: the Vnualuable Riches of sincere Grace here, and of Eternall Glory hereafter.
HONOVRABLE SIR,
ALthough it bee true (which a worthy DiuineaMr. Bolton Disc. of true Happinesse, p. 61. obserueth) that formall Hypocrites are heartned and hardned in their lewd courses & false conceits of happinesse, when they heare more infamous Sinners than themselues, gloriously and flatteringly commended at their Deaths; yet we need not feare any such bad effect by the Funerall-commendation of Gods true Saints; because the publike Testimonie of their iust Praises doth not onelyonly make the wicked more inexcusable, and the Glory of Gods Graces shine farre brighter to Posteritie; but also enkindleth in the hearts of the godly a greater fire of Zeale for imitation. These are some of the Ends, why it hath euer been and is still an vnreproueable Custome in Gods Church, that the Godly should be Marked bPsalm. 37.37. Deut. 34.7, 10, 11.12. Hebr. 3.2. & 11. cap.and Honoured c2 Chron. 32.33.at their Deaths, as Hezekiah was by all Iudah & Ierusalem: Valentinean, Satyrus and Theodosius by Saint Ambrose *S. Ambr. tom. 3.: Basil, Gregory and Gorgonia by Nazianzen ''Greg. Nazian. Orat. 30.28.25.: Nepotian, Paula and Marcella by S. Ierom †S. Ierom. Ad Heliod. Ad Eustoch. Ad Princip. Ad Ocean.. Had not their Holy Liues and Happie Deaths beene published by such vnpartiall Pens, wee should hauehave bin ignorant now of many excellent Courses of sanctified Men and Women, of many comfortable workings of the Holy Ghost in them, and should hauehave wanted many inflaming Motiues to follow their religious steps. VponUpon this consideration I was bold to commend vntounto Gods people the more than Ordinary passages of your Honourable Mothers Holy Life and Death: wherein I hauehave as a Christian spoken the truth of a Christian, that is, (as Saint Ierom dT…stor le…um cui il…a ser…uit & …g… se…ire …a…i…, … utramq. in …ar…e ni …l fin…ere; … q…s…i Christicanu d… C… sti… qu… s…t vera pr…f r…, … est, Histori…m scribere non P ne g…ricum. S. Ier…m, Epitaph. …uloe.protesteth in a like case) made a true Narration; not a Vain-glorious Panegyrick. Let Poets and Oratours praise those women, which Poppaea-likeePoppa… cun… …lia fuêre …o…te… Honestum animum. Tacit. Annual. l. 1…., are graced with all other things sauing a Gracious Heart: Let them commend their Wit, Wealth, Beautie, Nobilitie, and other Gifts of Fortune (as they call them) in stead of VertuesfLaudauit ipse Nero apud rostra formam …ius & quòd diuinae formae parens fuisset, aliaque fortunae munera pro Virtutibus. Id. Annal l. 16.. Wee the Ministers of Christ, and Stewards of the Mysteries of God, must adorne none with the Honourable Attributes of Heauenly Praise; but such as are truly beautified, enriched, and ennobled with the Purity and Power of Gods Feare in their Humble Soules*Esai. 61.3.. This praise the Lord will ProspergEccles. 15 10., which is vttered in that Wisdome hProu. 9.10., whereof the Feare of the Lord is the beginning. But for the Saints themselues: I dare say with Saint Augustine iEpist. 125 where S. Augustine refuseth to commend vntounto a wicked Husbād his godly wife that was dead, not onelyonly because she desired not his praise, saying: Laudem ab homin…bus …am illa non quaerit, imitationem verò t…a tantum quaerit etiam defuncta, quantum te dilexit etiam dissimilem viua; but also because her Husband loued Her not, which he proueth thus: Nam utiq si amares, cum illa esse post mortem …esider…e, quod profectò non eris, si qualis es, talis eris., that they desire more the Imitation, than the Commendation of their vertues: and therefore to tell you the truth (as the same Father doth his friend) you should neuer hauehave heard mee commend this deceased Lady, but in hope, that Gods Graces in Her might by this meanes, suruiue in your religious Imitation, and not only in you and all them that are of Her bloud; but also in all them that hauehave heard or shall reade this Sermon. This is all the gaine I looke and pray for, that GodskIer. 23.22, 28. 1 Pet. 4.11. Tit. 2.8. 2 Tim. 2.15. 1 Tim. 4.13. & 6.3. word, which I hauehave faithfully alledged (not without some Illustrations (I confesse) borrowed from the holy Fathersl—Ingenuo pudore qui ornabat aetatem, quid cuius esset, confiteri—Illud (…ebat) Tertulliani, istud Cypriani, hoc Lactantij, illud Hilarij est. Sic Minutius Foelix, ita Victorinus, in hunc modum est locutus Arnobius. S. Ierom. ad Heliodor. de Nepotian., whereof I need not to be ashamed) may be constantly practised by vsus all. For when all is done and said, assure your selfe (Deare Sir) it is only the Life of Grace, the Grace of the Feare of the Lord can truly Honour you, or any vponupon earth, sweetly comfort you at your Death, and eternally Glorifie your Soule and Bodie in Heauen. Abandon then I beseech you in the name of Christm2 Thess. 3.6. 2 Tim. 2.19. Prou. 4.14. 1 Cor. 5.11. Ephes. 5.11. Psalm. 26.4, 5. & 119.32, 36, 128. 2 Chron. 19.2. & 20.37., all iniquitie, and all workers of iniquitie, yea abominate the sweetest sin, to which your youthfull affections are most endeared, else you will neuer be able to encline and enlarge them to the pursuit and practise of so excellent and Glorious a Grace as the Feare of the Lord; because this godly Feare and the impenitent Allowance of any lust, is as incompatible as Heauen and Hell: so that if you should hate to be diuorced from your Bosome-sin whatsoeuer it be (which God forbid) you could hauehave no true right and interest to the precious promises of this and of that other lifen1 Tim. 4.8. Thinke on this continually, and hold it your greatest Honour, the Noblest imployment of your Soule, as it is indeed, to keep your selfe (as a KingoPsal. 18.23. did before you.) from your iniquitie. Quod si tu (quod procul absit) nolueris, ego liber ero. Epistola, immo concio me haec mea, cum lecta fuerit, absoluet pS. Ierom. ad Castorin. Materteram.. And so I rest, being mindfull of your Vertues,
Saint Maugan the 19. August 1626. Yours in all Christian Deuotion, and heartiest prayer to God for you, HANNIBAL GAMON.