The Last Conflicts and Death of Thomas Peacock, Title page – Preface
THE LAST CONFLICTS and DEATH OF Mr THOMAS PEACOCK, Batchelour of Divinity, and fellow of Brasen-nose Colledge in Oxford:
Published by E.B. from the Copy of that famous Divine, Mr Robert Bolton, late Minister of Broughton in Northhampton shire.
LONDON, Printed by George Miller dwelling in Black-Fryers. 1646.
THE PREFACE TO the READER.
Christian Reader,
I Had not performed a trust, had not I published this ensuing Narrative; and I had not paid a debt which I doe and shall ever owe to the Publike, had not I made it common. Mr Bolton (a man of precious memory, and famous in his generation) desired me upon his death-bed, to publish such of his papers as I thought fit for the Presse, which I have already done. This copy being found amongst them, (though penned by another hand) I durst not withhold, being to my knowledge intended by him for the presse, in memory of his familiar friend, and spirituall father, Mr Thomas Peacock; who was a very Godly Minister of Christ, and of rare example for humility and holines of life; for a Religious care in educating his scholars, and for exceeding charity to the bodies and souls of poor distressed Christians. And yet this godly man, that for piety had in him the root of an Oak, when God cast him upon his bed of sicknes, and suffered Satan to winnow him, he was no more in his hands then a leaf tossed too and fro with the winde. Gods dealings with him in these his last conflicts, are of singular use in these present times, in which the ends of the world, and the dreggs of schisme and sinne are come upon us at once.
First, for caution to the true servants of God, to take heed of small sinnes; for from the lesser sinnes and infirmities of Mr Peacock, the Devil did thence take a rise to cast him into the most bitter spirituall desertion that we shall lightly read of: under which he had sunk, had not God wonderfully pat to his hand, by making the issue of his afflictions more glorious and comfortable, then the combate was grievous and terrible. It was a memorable saying of Francis Spira, which he spake to his mournfull children and friends, beholding that sad spectacle of his finall despaire, earnestly wishing them to take heed of committing the smallest sinnes against conscience; By this means, saith he, I fell into greater sinnes, till I came to deny the Gospel of Christ, and after that to renounce it in writing, and deliberately to subscribe to it with my hand, though (saith he) I heard a voice in my conscience telling me, Spira, doe not subscribe it; after which I thought I heard the voice of Christ whom I denyed before men, to pronounce the sentence of death upon my soul, and to exclude me from salvation. And thus he dyed.
Secondly, for confutation of sundry sorts in Religion, in these unhappy dayes of Civill warre, as naturally producing them as mud and filth doe toads and vermin. Some there are that quite abrogate the Law, which Christ came to fulfill, and so make the gate of Heaven wider then ever our Saviour made it, by admitting lawlesse persons into it. Holy Bradford was of another minde, who was wont to say, that the gate of Heaven was so strait, that he which halted could not enter into it; and the way so narrow, that he which reeled could not walk in it. Others there are, whe though they doe not wholly destroy the law, yet they cast it into a dead sleep, thinking it unlawfull in the children of God to be sorry, or to mourn for sinne, contrary to the Doctoine of the primitive Fathers, teaching this lesson, Semper doleat paeniten…; & de dolore gaudeat; Let the penitent person alwaies mourn, and rejoyce in that mourning; agreeing with the rule of our Saviour, Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Nay, I lately heard it not without horrour; that some men, in outward appearance of great sanctity, doe hold an opinion, that it is a fault in godly men to pray for pardon of sin, (all sinnes being pardoned in Christ before they pray) contrary to the prayer of our Saviour, Forgive us our trespasses. Neither Mr Peacock, nor any of those godly Divines that came to comfort him, knew this kinde of Doctrine; neither we, nor the Churches of God, till within these few late unhappy dayes.
What will become of our reformed Religion, streaming down to us in the blood of so many Martyrs, if God by a miracle of mercy should not shorten these our miserable dayes? For whiles some are taking from us the Ten Commandements, others, the Lords Prayer, there is scarce any thing left us of Christianity but our Creed, and how long we shall enjoy this, the Lord in Heaven knowes. For so long as the civill sword of warre devoures so much Protestants blood from without, and a worse civill warre of sinne and separation, destroyes so many Protestant souls from within, we may justly feare that we shall either want sound Orthodox Protestants to maintain it; or we shall want a Creed for them to maintain.
I shall, for conclusion, desire that Reader into whose hands this ensuing discourse shall fall, to observe three things concerning Mr Peacock, a man whom I well knew, and blesse God that ever I knew him.
1. That the sorest and sharpest afflictions doe very often befall the dearest and choisest servants of God: I mean, not outward and temporall afflictions, common to good and bad: but inward and spirituall afflictions, and the heaviest of these spirituall desertions, whereby God withdrawes his glorious countenance from his children: and Satan in liew thereof, shews them his ugly visage, thereby convincing a secure world. That it is no easy matter to goe to Heaven, and that the safest and surest way to it, is to sayl by the gates of Hell. If the righteous can scarcely be saved (saith the Apostle) where shall the wicked and sinner appear?
2. That the deepest humiliations of Gods children, doe usually determine in the highest consolations. And hereby the wicked, who like ravening wolves hunt after such opportunities, doe misse of their prey, and returne ashamed when they consider what end God hath made. And thus it fell out with Mr Peacock here.
3. Lastly, Though a spirituall desertion be the highest affliction that befalls Gods childe; yet it discovers in him the greatest sincerity of an upright heart; For at such a time he is so farre from hiding his sinnes, that he cares not what shame he puts upon himself, so God may have glory. For in a spirituall desertion, though the soul of a Christian be extreamly distressed through the terrour of sinne; yet at the same time hath it a true touch of grace, though not of the comforts of it: like iron touched with the Load-stone, it stands directly Northward, though with much trembling: So doth the soul of a Christian stand directly Heaven-ward in this hellish agony: and the absence of God and of his consolations, is the cause of those bitter convulsion-fits in the soul. And assoon as ever the comforts of grace shine upon it, those former tremblings of heart for grief, are presently changed into leapings for joy; just as the same wrinkles of the face, which serve for crying when the heart is grieved, serve for laughter when it is filled with joy. This was the case of Mr Peacock, in this manner he grieved, in this manner he rejoyced, and this happy issue God made of his bitter afflictions. So that amidst the numerous and various afflictions of Gods dear Saints and Children, this conclusion of the Prophet David remaines sure and firm, Mark the upright man, and behold the just, for the end of that man is peace. So I rest,
Thine in the Lord E.B.