The Lives of Sundry Eminent Persons, Part 1 · Biography 16 · Letter
MR. Samuel Fairclough, the sometimes famous and justly applauded Rector of Kedington alias Ketton in agro Suffolciensi, was a Person of great Renown, of eminent Note, and of Transcendent Abilities: He was like a City set upon an Hill, and as Saul among the People, so he among his Brethren, higher than any of them from the shoulders and upwards: whose name was exceeding precious, and as Ointment poured forth, 1 Sam. 18. 30. foreign The sound whereof gave so large an Eccho, not only in his own, but in the adjacent Counties, that he was generally owned, and justly esteemed (for his extraordinary Ministerial Abilities and Labours in the work of the Lord) as the Primus inter omnes; whom all the People were attentive to hear, and foreign, hung upon his mouth in hearing him. Luc. 19. ult. Crit. sacr. He flourished first in those times, when publick, practical, and edifying Preaching was but too scarce, (for reasons commonly divulged, and not fit for me to take notice of.) But by his prudent conduct of himself and of his Ministry, he obtained the favour, and the happiness of continuing in his publick Labours, and weekly Lectures: by reason whereof, as I have been often credibly informed, his Church was so thronged, that (though, for a Village, very large and capacious, yet) there was no getting in, unless by some hours attending before his Exercise began; and then the outward Walls were generally lined with Sholes and Multitudes of People, which came (many) from far, (some above twenty Miles) so that you should see the Church yard (which was likewise very spacious) Barricadoed with Horses, tyed to the outward Rayles, while their Owners were greedily waiting to hear the word of Life from his mouth. And as that famous Mr. Rogers of Dedham was the Fairclough of Essex, so he was the Rogers of Suffolk. I sometimes attended upon his publick Lectures, and heard him with trembling and admiration; for he was a Boanerges in the Pulpit, not only in respect of the strength of his Voice, and terribleness of his expression, when he thundered against prophaneness, and enforced to Repentance; but in regard of the solidness of his matter; free from all light, rash, uncouth expressions; nauseating Tautologies, indigested, crude and affected phrases (which have been noted, and justly censured in some others, although applauded and magnified by the injudicious and moveable Multitude) but closely compacted, judiciously framed, and excellently methodiz'd though in a Stile and manner peculiar to himself, (for I confess, I have seldom or never heard the like, with respect to all those admirable ingredients) and managed with such cogency of Reason, and strength of Argument, that he at once both drew, and conquered and compelled his Auditors. And I doubt not but he was a most happy and blessed Instrument (in the hand of the great God) to turn many to Righteousness. All this time I only knew him by report, and sight in publick, having for ten years and upwards (though then of the Vicinity) no private Acquaintance at all with him. And indeed, he had such a Majestick presence, and such a severe and reserved Gravity in his Countenance, that it (together with the Authority of his Ministry) had gained upon me, and did strike a kind of awful fear into me, which made me look upon it as an high degree of presumption, for a person so young as then I was, and sufficiently conscious of my own unworthiness, once to attempt the favour of so great a man, and so renowned and honoured in his Generation. But I was quickly undeceived, and soon after, easily apprehended my great errour and mistake which I had so long laboured under. For about that time, being drawn by some others (in a matter of great concern) to wait upon him, I had such a friendly and generous Reception, and found him so meek, so affable, so humble and familiar in his deportment and behaviour; and I was so surprised and captivated with the sweetness of his disposition, that I came away chiding my self for my former timidity, and conceiving a kind of indignation in my bosom, that I had deprived my self (for so many years) of such incomparable benefit, which I might have gained by a Converse so advantageous to me, both as to this, and the other world. Yet I soon happily experienced an abundant compensation; for the truth is, from that time he cast an especial eye, and set a signal mark of peculiar favour and friendship upon me; and soon took me for his most intimate acquaintance: and he was quickly the first occasion of that Preferment, the great God by his means hath graciously advanced me to. And now I frequently resorted to him; and they were the pleasantest, and most delightful Journeys I ever made in all my life: for what he said of his Friend, Semper a te doctior redeo, I could truly, and with a more happy addition say of him, Semper ab illo doctior & melior redii. His speech was gracious, and seasoned with Salt: His arguments nervous and cogent: His discourse sententious: His sayings Apothegms, and all tending to promote true Piety, and the power of Godliness. His Conversation such as becometh the Gospel of Christ Jesus; and I may justly pronounce of him that high and lofty, yet ingenious commendation Gregory Nazianzen pronounced on the great St. Basil, That he thundered in his Doctrine, and lightened in his Conversation. Orat. funebr. in laudem Basil. M. He was very exact in Family Discipline, and throughly digested that of the great Apostle, If a man know not how to rule his own House, how shall he take care of the Church of God? 1 Tim. 3. 5. I have been often at his Table, and in Family-Duty with him, where his heart would be exceedingly enlarged; and his design was to engage all to love and fear the Lord. He comfortably experienced the benefit and the blessing of it: Living to see all his Children grown up to great maturity in spiritual Wisdom and Understanding, and walking in the fear of the Lord; some of them especially, with whom I have had a more intimate converse, are true Inheritors of their Fathers eminent Virtues and admired Ornaments. In a word, I may truly say of him, he was as Apollos, mighty in the Scriptures, Fervent in Spirit, serving the Lord night and day with incessant Prayer, and unwearied Supplications; and as Barnabas a good man, not gilded but Gold; having, as Demetrius, a good report of all men, and of the Truth it self; shining as a great Light in his Generation, and transmitting and sending forth eminent Rayes and Beams to enlighten others. I never observed any thing in him that a very Momus might, without abominable wresting, carp at. From this time I attended more frequently upon his Lectures, which I more and more admired, both for the excellency of the matter, his rare and choice notions, grave and ponderous Sentences, soundness of Doctrine, solid Learning, and in a more sublimated and advanced Style, or as Lypsius phrases it, Stylo imperatorio, than what (I thought) I had before observed; and, as I apprehended, beyond the capacity of most of his Hearers: They were indeed elegant and rare Discourses, suited ad Clerum (many of which usually attended) rather than ad Populum; which, as I remember, I sometimes insinuated to him: But I found, he was now habituated and grown up to such a noble, generous and masculine way of expression; and it was become so familiar to him, that it was hardly in his power to take off himself from that Grandeur in his publick Discourses. And this I the rather believed, because even in Prayer, not only in publick, but in his Family (which sometimes, as I said, I had the blessed advantage of.) His way of expression was proportionable. And the truth is, he had a supereminent freedom in that Divine Exercise, beyond any I have known; neither making too bold with the great God, nor guilty of any indecencies; which was then too common a fault and indignity, offered to the God of the whole world: but addressing himself with that Reverence and Humility to the supream and sacred Majesty of Heaven and Earth, with that abasedness of Spirit in enlarged Confession (which some had then almost quite forgotten) and with that ardour and earnestness of zealous affection, that the Kingdom of Heaven seemed to suffer Violence, and he to be one of the violent that took it by force. He was a person of a most exact and solid judgment, and happy was he that could obtain and follow his Counsel; which I confess, I think some choice Friends only were enriched with; for (living in Critical times) he was very much (I am sure I thought too much) reserved: I my self yet found such success in following those advices which I gained from him, that I resorted to him as to an Oracle; and could I have obtained it, I should have been unwilling to have transacted any matter of moment, but by the Law of his mouth; which I always found guided within the bounds of pure Religion and undefiled, and by the exactest rules of profound prudence; and withal, he seemed to have more than ordinary foresight of Contingencies. He was an excellent Peace-maker, and very happy in his Decisions and Conclusions, which many have found much difficulty duplicate page duplicate page in, so to arbitrate and end a matter, as to send away the differing parties both equally satisfied. Once there fell out a difference between my self and a Neighbour Minister, we both centred in him to judge the Cause, and decide the Controversie: which he did, with so much gravity, piety, meekness, moderation and strength of Reasoning (after he had summed up the whole matter, and shewn the inconveniencies on either side) without any the least partiality, that though neither of us both had our wills, yet both came away fully contented, and were loving Friends ever after. He was adorned and enriched with sound and sober Principles, very moderate in his Judgment, as to our late (and still continued) unhappy Controversies. I knew a Friend that went to him for advice upon the point of Conformity, and I had it from himself, that he received this Answer from him, You shall excuse me as to any positive Resolution, this only I say to you: though I cannot for divers reasons (not so fit to be communicated) yield to all that is enjoyned; yet this I assure you, I judge what is injoined to be such, That if a man lives holily, and walks humbly with God, I shall ever love him, notwithstanding his Conformity; and if he be proud, contentious and prophane, I will never think well of him for his Non-conformity. And he was so affected and afflicted with our Dissensions about lesser things, that hearing some others and my self, debating some of those disputable things, He passionately brake off our Discourse with that Suspirium Bucholcerianum; Quis ne liberabit ab hac rixosa Theologia. He ever detested and abhorred that Regicide committed upon our late dread Soveraign; and was so affected with it, upon the first infaustous 30th of January that he had liberty to Preach, he chose his Text out of Hos. 1. 4. And was so exceedingly transported at that amazing and most blessed Revolution, in the miraculous and happy return of our dread Soveraign (whom God in mercy to this poor Nation, and his Church therein, long preserve) that upon the first occasion, as I have been credibly informed, he vented his Joy in his publick Exercise to the People, from those words of Loyal Mephibosheth, who had been falsly and basely accused, 2 Sam. 19. 30. Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my Lord the King is come again in Peace unto his own House. I much bewailed his exauthorising himself and his publick Ministry; and have often thought, that if there had been a Temper found, whereby such useful and sober spirited men (as I always observed him to be) might have been continued in their publick Function, under the shelter and protection of a legal Sanction, it had been a mighty strengthning to the Protestant Interest, and much better with the Church of England than now it is. Though far be it from me to censure or call in question the Actions and Decrees of our Superiours, to whom I have long since learned, in all things, not contrary to the Revelation of the Divine Will in the Sacred Cannons, to subject my self, not only for Wrath, but also for Conscience sake, whatever has been pretended or objected to the contrary. He lived many years after this, to the 83. or 84. year of his Age, and might have done much Service to the Church of God in his publick Ministry, by his eminent worth and exemplary Conversation, made more manifest to the world: But his Spirit was then much broken with that dismal and abortive suddain change which he sadly experienced in that place, (wherein formerly his Ministry had been so fruitful, powerful and successful) and he several times complained of it to me with great lamentation; and I doubt not but this made his Remove the more easie to him. Though I must perswade my self (if other considerations, which he reserved to himself, had not preponderated) he would not have deserted his Charge, meerly upon that sole account; for his bowels did exceedingly yearn towards that People. Once I remember going to his Lecture, it happened to prove a Funeral Sermon for a poor Woman, that in her sickness never sent to him, nor gave him the least intimation of her desire to speak with him; and so far as I can recollect, he told me, that he knew nothing of it, living at a considerable distance, till it was too late. The good old Gentleman (in the pangs and throws of his Spirit, fixes upon that Subject, James 5. 14, 15. Is any sick among you, let him call for the Elders of the Church, and let them pray over him—From whence, having most learnedly and judiciously asserted the Duty of the People, to send for their Minister at such a time; and shewn the great benefits might come to them thereby; he did so dolefully and passionately bewail his own unhappiness, that any (under his inspection and charge) should go to Eternity (he not having exercised his Pastoral Office towards them) that I believe it greatly affected all that were present; and sent away many with weeping Eyes, and akeing Hearts, for what they had heard that day; so highly valued, and so dearly beloved, were the Souls of the meanest of his People to him. After his withdrawing from Ketton, I commonly once or twice in a year, (till he removed into high Suffolk) waited upon him, to tender my respects and duty to him; and always found him chearful, full of sweet content; never complaining, but of the prophaneness and iniquity of the times, and Divisions of the Church of God, replenished with holy and heavenly motions, spiritual breathings, and blessed hopes of entring into Gods eternal rest; and still maintaining his ancient freedom and familiarity with me, and that esteem he had (altogether undeservedly) conceived of me. And I experienced him so true a Friend (though I rather justly honoured him as a Father) that neither difference of Opinion, nor distance of place, nor seldomness of Converse, nor any worldly respects, did cause the least ab-alienation of his spirit from a person so unworth: which most of all appeared, in the last visit I gave him at Stow-market; when quite spent and worn out with Age, he delivered himself to this purpose; I am now going out of the world, of which I have had my full, and must leave you, and all my Friends; But I have charged my Sons when I am gone that you may have no cause to complain for want of me; but that they maintain and keep up, the same degree of respect and friendship to you, that I have done. So firm was his Love, and so stedfast and immoveable his transcendent Kindness, that he would have it out-live Death it self: In this degenerous and declining Age, such a faithful Friend who can find? With what Circumstances his Sickness and Death was attended, I know not, nor ever had any account of; being at that time hindered from paying my dutiful Respects to him, by the heavy afflicting hand of the just and holy God long upon me. But I perswade my self, the frame and actings of his Soul at his Dissolution, were proportionable and suitable to the eminent Holiness of his Life; and he whose Conversation was in Heaven, while detained here on Earth, could not but have much of Heaven in his heart, in his nearest approaches thither. These are but some of those many Excellencies (which on a sudden, and in a great hurry of business) I could hastily gather up, as Fragments rather than Memoirs, to be remarked in this Worthy and Honourable Person. Which if you (Reverend Sir) and his other worthy Relations, vouchsafe to take in good part, it will abundantly add to that satisfaction I have in my own Spirit, in delineating, and copying them out of my own breast to you. Though I doubt not, but many of his cordial Friends, Reverend Fellow-Brethren and dear Neighbours, that knew him longer, lived nearer to him, and were more frequently partakers of his indefatigable Labours, and more happy in a continued Converse with him, can help you with whole Sheaves of his worth and excellency, and of the various passages of his most strict and holy Conversation; of which these are but some Gleanings only.