Remains of John Boyse, Title page – Table of contents
REMAINES OF THAT REVEREND AND FAMOVS POSTILLER, IOHN BOYS, Doctor in Divinitie, and late Deane of CANTERBVRIE.
Containing sundry Sermons; partly, on some Proper Lessons vsed in our English Liturgie: And partly, on other select portions of holy Scripture.
Uivit post Funera.
HEBR 11.
Being dead he yet speaketh.
LONDON:
Printed by AV…: MATH: for HVMPHREY ROBI… and are to bee solde at the three Pidgeons in Paule's Church-yard. 1631.
A BRIEFE VIEVV OF the s…fe, and vertues of the Authour.
CHRISTIAN READER,
GIve mee leaue to put thee in mind, (because I knovv thou art not ignorant of it,) that Man, notwithstanding hee hath but a dolefull Ingresse into the world, and a miserable Progresse in this world, yet can scarce brooke (if natures Statute could be repealed) a willing Egresse, out of the world. And I thinke it a reason sufficient, because while wee are alive; wee thinke, A liuing dogge better then a dead Lyon; Eccles. 9. 4.From whence this inbred desire of Man proceeds to labour so much, for the continuance of this …, Oh sp… mee a Psal., 9. 13.little, saith Dauid, before I goe hen…, being loath to loose an haires bredth of tha… little Spanne, allotted vntounto him; And that being, which nature denies in our selues, we desire may be continued in those that spring from our loyns, from whence Plato called Mariage, foreign, A deuice to bring Immortalitie into the world; thus good1. Sam 1. Hann…h seekes for a Samuel, with teares,Gen. …0. 4. and impatient Ra…el was earnest for children, whose birth afterward cost her her owne life; And yet though wee in our selues, and in our children, which are our Images, pay Nature her Tribute; Yet stil we draw on the line of life, by a continued Succession, and when wee cannot be thus much beholding to Nature; but that there must bee some Barren Mount, 2. Sam. 1 21.like that of Gilboa…, vponupon which the Deaw of Heaven falls not, Yet then wee devise other Artificiall meanes, for the preseruation…. Sam. 18. 1…. of our memories; Thus Absalom will hauehave his Pillar reared in the Kings dale; Dixerat enim non est mihi filius, It being the curse of the wicked man, that his name shall be as rottennes, and dung vponupon the earth, and his memory cleane put out, But for the righteous, they shall be h…d in Euerlasting remembrance: Of such menPsal. 112. 6. speaketh the sonne of Syrach, Their bodies ecclus. 44 14.are buried in peace, but their name liueth for euer, The people spea…e of their wisedome, and the congregation talke of their praise.
Amongst which men, I may (without preiudice to any) ranke a worthy and famous Diuine of our age, Mr. Iohn Boyse, Dr. in Diuinity, and sometimes Deane of the Metropolitical Church of Canterbury, who being dead, yet speakes; And why terme I him dead? Numquid enim non vivitur? uti que et beatè; visus est oculis insipientium mori, ille autem vivit in pace: One indeed that hath discharged natures debt; Et non est illi filius, He hath no child to continue his name here among vsus, yet hee reared him else, while he was aliue, A Pillar in the Kings dale, He that was …lumna spirans (as Theodoret called … ) a breathing Pillar, hath left behind him a monument of his fame, which Time cannot deface, nor the rotten tooth of Enuy euer obliterate; At whose death some Polished Stones were found, which now the Presse hath fitted, for the inlarging of his former building.
And hath hee had all this care for vsus? A thankefull heart will be desiring with2 King. 4. 13. Elisha, what we shall doe for him? The women thē that followed our Sauiour from Ga…le, will bee a good patterne, who (though the good Arimathean had decentlyLuke. 23 35. enterred the body of our Sauiour) could not be content till they had prepared, and brought their odours to the Sepulchre; In like manner, though his louing wife hath done as much for him, as Iaacob dif forGen 35. 20. his Rachel, set a Pillar vponupon his graue; Yet would I, who had no small share in his louelove, present some Odours, and I would be as willing to beg, as I am vnable to buy some of the sonne of Syrachs Perfume, made by the hand of a skilfull Apothecary, If this Alabaster boxe of spikenard, had not beene so lately broken, so that the smell is not yet gone; It shall suffice then for my part, to rub a little the spices, that grew in this pleasant garden, and leaue the sequel to your Christian discretion, cō sidering both the custome, and vse of such like Panegyricks, quibus ipsi grati sumus erga mortuos, et ipsi de vita nostra cautiores, The first commanded by the sonne of Syrach, Ecclus. 7.Mortuo non negabis gratiam, the other commended by him, as profitable for the liuing,44▪ 16. saying, that Enoch was translated for an example of repentance, to the generations; Concerning whose life, we may the better set it downe, by answering the Prophet Dauids three interrogatories, What am I? and what is my life? and what is the family of my father in Israel? The resolution of these three Quaeres, concerning this party, shall end this discourse; beginning with the last.
He was borne at Eythorne, a village in East-kent, a place wherein, as he sucked his first breath, so there he vented his last gaspe; A place for ayre, (if the purenesse of it adde any helpe to ingenuitie,) that sure the pleasant temperature of it yeelded some furtherāce to his sweet & witty disposition, whose fathers house, was not lik the Prophet Isayes Casula in deserto; Nor was he takē with Dauid from the sheepfolds, But hee sprang from a worthy & ancient family, and who knows not that Gemma in Auro, whē the precious Gemms of Grace, are set and placed in a golden nature, they must needes giuegive a goodly luster? foreign ▪ sayd Euripides in Hecuba, and the tree may easily be discerned by the fruite; as S Basil speakes well, foreign, The Parents worth best knowne, by their care, in bringing vp their children, and therefore Plato in his Theage, professed, that hee knew not vponupon what any one thing a wise man could better bestow his best endeauours; foreign, then that his sonne should grow vp to the height of virtue and goodnes, hence was this and another Oliue branch, springing from the same root, transplanted into the famous Nursery of good literature, the Vniuersity of Cambridge, wherein they grew to that Maturity and ripenesse, that the one was fit for any honour in the Church, the other for any imploiment in the Commonwealth; so that I may truly say of them, as the Hystorian of Anthemus, foreign.
The second Question is, What am I? If any had asked so much while hee was aliue, I know his modest soule, would hauehave replyed with the Prophet Dauid, I Psal▪ 22 6.am a worme, and no man; his humility and meekenesse of mind, did witnesse no lesse: Those two vertues which St. Bernard Serm. de assumpt.tells vsus, are Collactaneae▪ like the poore man, and his one only sheepe in Nathans 2. Sam 12.Parable, they are nourished vp together, they eate of the same morsels, and drinke of the same cup, both which manifest themselues by the same meanes, so that we may easily guesse where they dwell, if wee find in any man these three properties, that there is; In vultu serenitas, in opere gratia, in corde ad omnes dulcedo. (As the same father speaketh) there is true humility, and lowlinesse of mind; which, whosoeuer knew him, knew well to bee in him, vvhichwhich made him not an ordinary man; (Though Trismegistus boasts much of that priviledge of nature, making man no lesse then a miracle) but as Melancthon esteemed Luther, Miraculum inter homines, hauing as many vertues couched together, in that little house of clay, as was almost possible for that fraile vessell to containe: Neither was he Angusti oris Uasculum, a straight mouthd vessell, as vvilling to retaine to himselfe, vvhat vvas due to others, wee know the contrary, that the streames of his goodnesse, flowed abroad plentifully, to the refreshing of many a dry & barren land, where no water was, so that there were in his time, and yet are few soules in our Mother Church, that taste not of his brookes that ru…ne in the way. Hee needed not in a fearefull iealousie, hauehave asked them about him, Whom, or what men doe say that I am? Loquatur invidia; I dare trust this Daniel amongst such lyons, whose mouthes sure his goodnesse would stop, being truly such a man, as Dyon reports of Marke Anthony, foreign, a constant man, no changeling, and his constancy was grounded vponupon a good foundation, foreign such a man he was of whom that Noble Elogie which Trithemius gaue to Leo the Great, may with some moderation, I d…re say truely, in part bee applied to him, Fuit Ecclesiasticae Dictionis Tullius, Sacrae Theologiae Homerus, Rationum Fidei Aristotles, Authoritatis Apostolicae Petrus, et in Christiano Pulpito Paulus. Only for mine owne sake, and for my Brethrens sake, of the Linnen Ephod, I must take vp S. Bernards wish vponupon the death of Malachy, the Irish Bishop, Vtinam sic nos post trahat, vt pertrahat in tam recenti virtutum eius adore avidius, alacrius que currentes.
And now the last Q…uaere comes in, which cannot well bee distinguished from the second; What is my life? It is easily answered, being nothing else, but foreign, And I will make it as briefely a compendium of so large a Volume as I can.
His parents as they gaue him foreign, and foreign, so they were not wanting for the chiefe, and last thing which the Philosopher requires at Parents hands, which is foreign a care to bring him vp in instruction, and information of the Lord; So that after h…e had sucked the milke, vvhichwhich the lesser schooles afford; for imitating of youth in the countrey, he was sent to the Vniuersity, where in due time by his paines and proficiency, he was made Candidate, and Mr of Artes, After vvhichwhich honour, hee thinkes not presently, (as many doe) that hee was come, ad foreign, to his perfection; nor stayes hee there long deliberating, what profession he should take vponupon him, (as many Vniuersity men doe, whose distracted studies, hinders their proficiency,) but betakes himselfe to the study of Divinitie, for the attaining of which heauenly knowledge, he vsed the best means both for his entrance into his course of study, as also for his proceeding therein; procuring the acquaintance, and after gaining the heart of a famous Professour in Diuinitie, then, and after a most worthy and eminent Prelate of this land, Dr. Ouerall, Who like a good Palinure, taught him the way hovv to become a skilfull Steeres-man, in the little barke of Gods Church.
And hauing once tasted the sweetnes of this hony, as Ionathan did, but with the typpe of his rod; hee would not giuegive ouer, till hee had gotten Saint Pauls 2. Tim. 1 13.foreign, that plat-forme of sound Doctrine, which after made him famous; Which well did witnesse his paines in reading Sacred Scripture, in pervsing the Fathers, Schoole-men, and what else might make him, foreign, more serious he was at his booke, then Diogenes, of whom Aelian reports, that hee didDe v…r. hist. lib. 13. but foreign, extremit…tes foliorum comeder…, For hee was rather Hell…o Librorum, eating whole r…ules (with the Prophet of Sacred learning; When he had gathered his Omer full of Manna…, at the Schooles of the Prophets, then he leaues the Vniversitie, thinking it high time to distribute that hony, which like a laborious Bee, hee had gathered in the garden of the Prophets; So that his countreymen, at his returne, needed not to hauehave asked that question, for the time past, which the Spouse doeth for the present Tell mee, O thou whom our soules louelove, where Cant. 1▪ 6.hast thou f…dde? Because they might easily discerne; bo…h where, and how hee had fed; for as Ep…ctetus telleth vsus, how wee may know by tvvo infallible tokens, Quantum ov…s comed…rint, viz Lana…t Lacte, So might they easily guesse, Quantum hic Gregis Aries, (as Augustine calles such asEpistola 89. he wa…) … …, Lana & Lacte, by his skarlet …eece, a robe of the greatest honour, that his Mother Vniversitie could bestow vponupon him; and that plenteousnesse of milke▪ which he …ad gotten by his choice and of…n feeding, in Dauids Psal. 3 ….g…eene Pastures, by the still waters; which hee as freely distributed to others, as euer hee receiued, for hauing a priuate charge of his ovvne in the countrey, there hee spent much time, feeding his ovvne flocke at home, by his continuall preaching vntounto them, and others also, when he began Fauos facere, to make his ho…y combe, that sweete booke of his Postill…, whose sweetenesse as it giues repast to many painefull Bees, so contrary to his intention feedes some idle droanes in our Mother Church.
And here (if the boundes of a preface would permit) I might set foorth a Catalogue of his vertues, seeing by this time he vvas come to his full Maturity, and ripenesse; reckoning his vertues Naturall as a Man, or Morall as a Good man, or Theologicall, as a Religious man, or Pastorall as a Sacred and Ministeriall man, commending him for them, as Melancthon doth Luther, for his learning, Pomeranus est Grāmaticus, ego sum Logicus, Iustus Ionas et Orator, sed Lutherus est omnia in omnibus; So was hee for his vertues, All the fresh springs they were in him, He had purposed to spend himselfe, and end his dayes in priuat, had not his countreyes louelove, especially the Gentries care, drawen him out of this priuate course of life, not leauing him till they see him at the sterne of Christs Church in Canterbury, whereof hee liued and died a loving, and carefull Deane; The greatest part of which worthy society, can yet witnesse his paines in preaching every weeke▪ if not at his owne charge, yet there where was more need, his deuotion in frequenting publique prayers, his constancy in his studies; his studious vigilancy for the publike affaires, both of the Church & the Common wealth; So that hee might with as little Ostentation, hauehave spoken of himselfe, as Luther did of himselfe, Ego sum oneratiss…mus, psalterium exigit …ntegrum hominem, totum eundem Concio ad Populum, totum preculae & instituti m…i cultus, totum negotio…um alienorum occupatio; I am burdened more then any man my paines in my Pesth…ls▪ require a whole man, My Preaching to the people, a whole man, My priuate and publique deuotions, a whole man; common affaires belonging to my place in the Church, in the common wealth, a whole man: So that I may compare his life to such an one as S Augustine wished Eudoxius the Abbot to lead, Inter ignem et Aquam, Inter Apicem, Superbiae Epistola. …1.et voraginem Desidiae, Neither inclining to Pride on the right hand, nor idlenesse on the left; Wheresoeuer he liued, leauing some remarkeable token of his goodnesse; Witnesse his mother Camebridge, who will still remember him as truely for his learning as Trithemius did for Algerus: Vir fuit in sanctis Scripturis jug… studio exercitatus, veterum quo que Lectione Diues, at que in Secularibus literis magnifice doctus, ingenio cautus et disertus eloquio▪ And for his life, the like Testimony may be easily procured, that there was none in the Vniversity more obseruant of Order, Habit, …xercises, both publique and priuate; I hauehave heard it from his owne mouth, (and hee had, foreign) that he neuer missed publique Sermon at St. Maries, during all the time of his abode there, saue twice; I am loath to defile mine owne nest, Yet I feare, Aetas Parentum, peior Avis tulit nos nequiores: Witnesse likewise the Church in generall, for whom willingly hee would hauehave spent himselfe; so that few are left behind, but are loosers by his death, Heauen only a gainer, in whose blessed mansions hee now rests, fully satisfied with the melodious harmony of that Supernall Quire, Part of which musicke I thinke he heard before he departed this life, for the night before he dyed, all his discourse was of musicke, and being demanded whether he heard any, or what musicke he meant, his answere was; O Gabriel, Gabriel, Sure the blessed Choristers of Heauen, were ready to carry his soule with ioy into his Masters ioy.
I will conclude with him, as S▪ August▪ concerning his deare beloued, Nebridius▪ Nunc vivit in sinu Abrahae Boysius meus, dulcis amicus meus, nam quis alius tali animae Locus? My deare friend now rests in Abrahams bosome, for sure there is no othe place for so Diuine a soule.
Thus gentle Reader hauehave I giuen thee a short suruey of the life of him, whom perhaps thou knewest (though not in his person) yet in his workes; If I hauehave come short of what his desert might iustly challenge, (as the relation of Salomon did to the Queene of Saba) I must craue craue pardon for my weakenesse in this kind, it being thanke worthy for him that hath no better foreign, or if I hauehave shot my few arrowes ouer the marke with Ionathan, I shall be well content with S. Augustines censure vponupon Tully, for his large commendations of Caesar (So it may bee with his glosse) Dicebat hoc tam Magnus Laudator, aut tam Magnus Adulator sed si Laudator talem noverit, si autem adulator talem esse debere ostendebat.
To conclude, if this last worke of his, finde but that acceptation with thee, which vttered Viva Voce, it gaue to the auditors, or if this, Prol s Posthuma hauehave but some resemblance with his former offspring, that it be not thought altogether Spurious, I doubt not but thou wilt bee easily induced together with mee, and others that hauehave bene bettered by the godly example, and heauenly labours of this holy man, to glorifie the Author of eueryevery good and perfit gift, who will not cease to raise vp such excellent instruments for his owne glory, and the Churches good: To whose blessed Protection I commit thee, Euer Resting▪
Thine in what hee may R. P.
A TABLE OF THE CONTENTS.
Sermons on Proper Lessons.
1 The first Lesson at Morning Prayer on the second Sunday in Aduent.
ESAY 5. 18. Woe vntounto them that draw inquitie with cords of vinitie, and sinne as it were with a cartrope. Pag. 1
2 The first Lesson at Morning Prayer on the first Sunday after Epiphany.
ESAY 41. 14. Feare not worme Iacob, &c.16
3 The first Lesson at Evensong on the fourth Sunday after Epiphanie.
ESAY 58. 7. Breake thy bread to the hungry. 31
4 The first Lesson at Morning Prayer on Sep… Sunday.
… 1. 26. And God said, let vsus make man in our image after our likenesse. 50
5 The first Lesson at Morning Prayer on the seventh Sunday after Trinitie.
2 SAM. 24. 14. Let vsus fall now into the hands of the Lord (for his mercies are great) and let me not fall into the hand of man. 70
6 The first Lesson at Morning Prayer on the thirteenth Sunday after Trinitie.
2 KING. 19. 36. So Sennacherib King of Ashur departed, and went his way▪ and returned and dwelt in Niniue: and as he was in the Temple worshipping Nisroch his God▪ Ad…amelech and Sharezar his sonnes slew him with the sword 89
7 The first Lesson at Morning Prayer on the nineteenth Sunday after Trinitie.
DAN. 13▪ 16. Shadrach, Mesech, and Abednago, answered and said vntounto the King, &c. 106
8 The first Lesson at Morning Prayer on the one and twentieth Sunday after Trinitie.
ABACVCK. 2. 9. Woe be to him that coveteth an evill couetousnesse to his house 121
Other Sermons vponupon seuerall Occasions.
1 On Rogation Sunday.
PROV. 22 28. Remoue not the ancient bounds which thy Fathers hauehave made. 135
2 At the Sessions.
ROM. 13. 4. He is the Minister of God for thy good. 160
3 A Funerall Sermon.
PSAL. 42. 9. One deepe calleth another. 197
4 Before the King at Christchurch.
PSAL. 84. 10. One day in thy Courts is better then a thousand. 211
5 On PSALM. 105. 4. Seeke the Lord and his strength, seeke his face euermore. 228
6 IOHN 8. 6. Iesus stopped downe, and with his singer wrote on the ground. 254
7 IAMES 5. 16. Confesse your faults one to another. 27…