Death Judgment Hell and Heaven, Frontispiece – To the reader
Aspicis effigiem tantúm: par nulla figuraIo Payne Fe… 1032.
BOLTONI Genio, qui super astra manet.
Doctior an melior fuit, haud scio. Dicere▪ fas est,
Secula vix referent, quem tulit una dies.
E. B.
Mr. BOLTONS LAST AND LEARNED WORKE of the Foure last Things, DEATH, IVDGEMENT, HELL, and HEAVEN.
WITH AN ASSISE-SERMON, and Notes on Iustice Nicolls his Funerall.
Together with the Life and Death of the Authour.
Published by E. B.
LONDON, Printed by GEORGE MILLER dwelling in the Black Friers. MDCXXXII.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL, FRANCIS NICOLLS Esquire, one of His Majesties Iustices of Peace and Quorum, for the County of NORTHAMPTON.
SIR,
IT was the desire of this reverend Author, when that *A quarian ague.furious messenger of Death first seized upon his spirits, giving him no more intermission, than what would serve for some feeble preparations against a New Encounter: that I would, in case he died, (which afterwards lamentably fell out) frame an Epistle to this Worke which he had then made ready for the Presse; and dedicate it (in his name) to your selfe, as a pledge of his avowed thankfulnesse for those many favours he received from that religious and renowned *Iustice Nicolls, as grave and learned a Iudge a… this Kingdome c… joyed in the age it held him.Iudge, his noble Patron: and from your selfe, his immediate heire and successour.
This request from him (that would deny me nothing) I knew not how to with-stand, though I wrong'd my selfe in the acceptance; as to draw a line in that Worke, from which so rare a Work-man had taken off his learned and eloquent pen. But yet a necessity lay upon me; for he desired in his sicknesse, that by this Dedication it might appeare to the world how much he honoured your selfe and family, which first preferred him.
It was no small joy to his heart to see that speech of God himselfe fulfilled upon your House, Those that honour 1 Sam. 2. 30.me I will honour. It is fit the world should know (that it may blush and mend) to what eminency of place the meere merits of Iustice Nicolls in that short race of his life rais'd him unto. Called he was by the Writt of Queene ELIZABETH to be Serjeant at Law: He was by King IAMES made Serjeant at Law to Prince HENRY his eldest Sonne: Iudge of the Common Pleas, and Chancellour to our (now) gracious Soveraigne, when he was Prince of Wales. But that which truly ennobles his memory, and makes me call to mind what our Fleta reporteth was the honour of Iudges about King EDWARD the first's dayes: He had and held all these places Nec prece, nec *Qui pecunia & largitionibus honores sacerdotia & magistratus ambiunt, his poena deportationis est praestituta. Lex Iul. de ambitu.pretio, nec praemio. I am not afraid to english it, for I well know the truth of it: He neither begged them, nor bought them, nor gaue Iustice of Peace—and Quorum, Iustice of Oyer Oyer and Terminer, Knight of the Shire, High Sheriff of the County.so much as a New-yeares-gift for them.
The like I can truly speake of your selfe; Those dignities which have been cast upon you in your owne Country (since he was taken to glory) which are neither few nor meane: they came to you, you sued not for them; *Honor fugientem sequitur, sequentem fugit.you sought them not: Nay, you degraded your selfe of one of them (a thing not usuall) by making earnest suit to be out of the Commission of Oyer and Terminer, after you had a while endur'd it.
From hence (as I have good ground to conceive) would this worthy Author have mounted you up on Eagles wings to the Throne of the Highest, who hathI…y. 40. …. done these and greater things for you, and have prest upon you large and highe… performances. If ever there were a time for Righteous men that are in authority to shew themselues, the time is now come. Meane Christians, their very persons and actions are by the abounding of sinne become a very Parable of Reproach; A company of Block-heads, as a melancholy Diuine cals them. If those therefore that are in place should now be silent, it is pitie but their breaths should be stopt for ever. I have observed it long, and not without wonder, (looking upon former times) that in these dayes such a spirit of feare and faintnesse hath possessed the hearts of holy men, that they dare not be couragious in the cause of God. It is no strange thing for a man to be fearfull in the Darke: but when such a light shines upon us from heaven, as that our eyes are euen dazelled in the beholdingDegeneres animos timor arguit. of it; now to be timerous, now to be faint-hearted in a good cause for feare of men, or any such ignoble respect;Psal. 146. 3, 4. is monstrous Cowardize. What is there in theNec Christiani ultrà durare aut esse possumus, si ad hoc ventum est ut perditorum minas atque insidias pertimesca…us. … Cypr. Lib. …. … pist. 3. ad Corn. face of man, made of the same mould, tossed to and fro with the same vanity, resoluble into the same Clay: that we should feare it? What is outward preferment, to the losse, or certaine hazard of a good conscience? For, they are rarely kept together: what are mockings, …revilings, reproches, imprisonment, &c. to godly men? but deeper impressions of stricter holinesse, and the very markes of the Lord Iesus.
The name of Christian is a name both of Honour and Oportuit in divinis castris milites CHRISTI: ut non minae terreant nec cruciatus & tormenta devincant. Cyp. lib. 2. Cap. 6.Valour, and begets better spirits then either Romane or Grecian; let Machiauell and other Atheists say what they will: which of their stories euer made mention of so valiant an army, as that Noble Army of Martyrs, mentioned in the 11th. Chapter to the Hebrewes? How can they want spirit that deriue their courage from no lesse Author than the Lion of the Tribe of Iuda. Nay, it were no hard matter to proue, (might I recede from an Epistle, to pursue a Common place) That no man can be truly valorous; but he that is truly religious.
As this Courage ought to be in all that feare God: so specially in those that are Magistrates, and sit in the seats of Iustice, the very Tribunals of God himselfe: For them to be dastardly and fearefull, is to shame their Master. Give me therefore leave, by some warrant from the Author, in your person (whom I cannot but commend in this particular) to presse this virtue upon all that beare rule in their Country. It is part of the Essence of a Iustice of Peace, to be a man of Courage. The counsell of I…thro to Moses, was, to make onelyonly such to beExod. 18. Magistrates, as were men of *Or, able men, in the last … slation.courage, fearing God, &c. Wherein the Spirit of God preferres the daughter before the mother, and Fortitude before the Feare of God, of which it is the effect, because it is more conspicuous in the eyes of men: For the feare of God is a thing hidden i… the heart, but that which drawes it forth and makes it illustrious, is that valour and high resolution of spirit by which it worketh. Almighty God makes this good by an example of his owne choice. For when he had appointed Ioshua to succeed Moses, and had mightily supported his mind with arguments of his owne assistance and presence with him, he requires nothing else of him, but to be strong and of a good courage, with many iterations of the same thing in such phrases as these, Be Iosh. 1. 6, 7, 9, 1….strong and of a good courage, be very couragious, be not afraid, be not dismaid: And, as if there were no other virtue desireable in a Magistrate, the people (in accepting him for their Captaine) require of him no other condition but this, OnelyOnly be strong, and of a good courage. And the Law of this Land, which in this, as in most other things, is parallell with the Law of God, (as I could shew) would onelyonly hauehave those Iustices of Peace, which are the most *Stat. …4. E. 3. Cap. 1. i… the old Stat. at large.valiant men of the County.
I speake not this to exclude all those requisites of wisdome that ought to be in the holiest and most valiant men. I may say in these times as the Apostle said of another virtue, There is great need of wisdome. The childrenH…b. 10. 36. of God ever hauehave beene, still are, and ever may be the wisest men upon earth. Let an unwise world think what it list. I meane not that wisdome (falsly so called) whereby a generation of men to save their skinnes, handle a good cause like a Venice-glasse, loath they are to do any thing that may offend great persons with whom they would comply: or expose themselves to any danger or losse. (The very wisdome which caused Francis Spira to despaire.) This is rather cunning or craft: or, to linke them together in the language of the Apostle, bEphes. 4. 14.A cunning craftinesse, it is not wisdome. True wisdome in the morall Schooles of Philosophy, and in the purer Schooles of Divinity, is that Queene of virtues, which like the soule in the body giveth life and cAnima est tota in toto, & tota in qualibet parte.information to all the rest, commands all the affections, regulates all the actions of mans life, and adds an active quickning power to every virtue, to every faculty in man, directing them to a blessed issue. So that a wise man is a valiant man, a just man, a temperate man, an humble man, &c. But he that is addicted to any vice, a servant to any lust; proud; angry, ambitious, fearefull, covetous, &c. is in all sound Morality and Divinity a very foole, Solus vir bonus (saith that great dAristotle … o. Ethic.Philosopher) revera est prudens, OnelyOnly a good man is a wise man. And King Salomon makes this Philosophy good Divinity, Pro. Et solus prudens revera est v…r bonus▪ contrà, stolidi & im…ntes sunt mali.24. Vers. 4. Wisdome is too high for a foole, by whom throughout the Proverbes he meanes a wicked man. There is a connexion in the virtues, the way to be wise, is to be good, and the way to be couragious▪ is to be wise. K…ck. Syst. Ethic Lib 1. Cap. 3. p. 148.A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge (saith Salomon) increaseth strength. From all which it is easie to conclude, and hard to be gain-said, that a cowardly person, let him swell never so bigge, let him carie his crest never so high, is neither wise nor good. The wicked flee Prov. 28. 1.when no man pursiseth, but the righteous are bold as a Lyon.
The kindly venting of those two affections of Anger and Love hath made me long in this argument, and must now be my excuse. That of anger at the present degeneration of mens minds from that noblenesse of spirit that was wont to be in the servants of GOD: the other of love to you, in encouraging you to as high resolutions as ever; though he be taken away that was to you as Moses to Ioshuah, your tutor in your youth, your singular instructor by his powerfull Ministry in your after-yeares: and ever your friend till he went hence, and was seen… no more. Amongst those many speeches of his which in his ordinary conference passed from him by weight, and not by number; I will resume one in your hearing most fitting my purpose, Innocency and independency (said he) make the bravest spirits. And it cannot be otherwise: for, that mans heart which is upright with GOD, and depends upon him alone, is of invincible courage, and becomes like the spirit of Martin Luther, who, when newes was brought to him that both the Emperour and the Pope threatned his ruine, answered thus in short, but very stoutly, Contemptus est à me Romanus furor & servor, I scorne In vitâ Lutheri.the worst the Pope can doe: like that of David, The LORD is on my side, I will not feare what man can doe Psal. 118. ….unto me.
What you heard him speake, you saw him practice. For, I may say of him as was said of Gideon, such as the man is, so is his strength: he was one of a thousand forIudges 8. 21. piety and courage, which were so excellently mixed with wisdome, that they who imagined mischiefe against his Ministry (for, no other occasion could they ever find against him then touching the law of his GOD) were never able by all their plotting toDa…. 6. 5. doe him any more hurt, than onelyonly to shew their Psal. 37. 12.teeth.
And although he be now gathered to his Fathers, yet he still speakes to you in this excellent Treatise, of which he died in travell; encouraging you thereby still to do worthily in Ephratah, and to hold on in those goodRuth 4. 11. wayes of piety which you have ever loved. The veryforeign Heathens could …ay that a good man was a publike good; but a good Magistrate is much more, for, he hath a price in his hand to do good, and is armed with power and authority to bring it to passe. These times have need of such: up therefore and be doing: put on righteousnesse, and let it cloath you, and let Iustice Iob 29. 14, &c.be to you as a robe and a diademe to breake the jawes of the wicked, and to plucke the prey out ofRegium est cùm benè feceris malè audire. Sen. their teeth. And although these kind of men will for this very thing pursue you with envy, hatred, reproaches, &c. You need not care; for, their teeth are broken, and they cannot hurt you. Envy doth ever attend goodnesse; though not as a companion, yet as a thing which doggs it at the heeles. I considered (saith Salomon) every right worke, that for this a man is envyed Eccles 4. 4.of his neighbour. This is your comfort (and it is a great one) aPsal. 91. 14, 15, &c. I will set him on high, because he hath knowne my name, &c. I will deliver him and honour him, &c.GOD and the bProv. 22. 11.King shall honour you for well-doing: He that loveth purenesse of heart, (though for this he be scoffed and jeer'd at in the world) yet (saith Salomon) for the grace of his lips the King shall be his cI hold a good Iustice of Peace in his Country to doe Me as good service, as he that waites upon Me in My Privy Chamber, and as ready will I be to reward him: For, I account him a… capable of any Honour, Offi…e, or preferment about My Pers…n, as well as any Courtier that is neere about Me. King IAMESS Speech in Starre▪ Chamber, 20. Iune. 1616.friend.
I will hinder you no longer from reading this excellent Treatise which properly belongs to you, being the grand-worke of two Sermons preached before you; the one at the Funeralls of that worthy Iudge your unkle, my most deare father in law (whom I honour in the dust) The other in the time of your Shireevalty▪ I will therefore end all in the prayer of this Authour, and the last words that ever he spake to you in this world, the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob be upon the heads of you, your wife and children for ever.
Your loving brother, and very friend, EDVVARD BAGSHAVVE.
TO THE READER.
BEhold here a Post-humus: a Child brought into the world after the Own-Father was taken out of the world. A Foster-Father is thereupon required for it: but certenly, more for custome, than need. Such was the Own Father, as it is commendation enough for the Child to say, This is the Child of such a Father. And such is the Child, as for its owne sake it will find good entertainment, though the Father of it were unknowne.
Adistinct narration of the life and death of the Author you have truly and punctually (as becommeth such a narration) premised.
All his Workes do shew that he was full in what he undertooke: so full, as he leaves scarce any thing (if any thing at all) for another Author to add, more than he hath done, to what he hath done.
He had a very searching and diving gift: whereby he was able to anatomize and lay open the severall parts and nerves of the points which he handled, and to set out pertinent signes, rules, meanes, and motives thereabout.
His expression of his mind by fit words and phrases was answerable to his invention. Both very copious, full of variety.
Take for instance this ensuing Treatise: the maine scope whereof is to furnish a Christian against the evill day.
Therein you may observe, how, on the one side he discovers the false meanes which most use; and how, on the other side he revealeth the true meanes that are of singular use to the end intended: yea, and how he enforceth the same with reason upon reason, the better to demonstrate the equity of the point: how also he infers all sorts of Uses thereupon, as, Reprehension, Exhortation, Direction, and Consolation: and finally, how he takes occasion from thence of an exceeding large discourse upon the foure last things, which (to use his owne words) have beene ever holden very materiall and of speciall moment to make us (by GODS blessing) more humble, un-worldly, provident and prepared for the evill day. Those foure Heads are, DEATH, IVDGEMENT, HELL, HEAVEN.
To add more to what he hath set out thereabouts, were to powre water into the sea. First read, then judge: and the LORD add his blessing.
W. G.