The Lives of Sundry Eminent Persons, Part 1 · Biography 6
A brief account of the Life and Death of Mr. Richard Vines, who died Anno Christi 1655.
RIchard Vines was born at a Town called Blazon, in the County of Leicester, about His Birth & Education.the Year 1600. His Parents finding his Towardliness and Ingenuity, kept him at School till he was fit for the University, and then sent him to Cambridge, where he was admitted into Magdalen Colledge; In which place he soon discovered much quickness of Wit, and pregnancy of Parts, which, though they were lively and facetious, yet never sinful or prophane.
In that Colledge he followed his studies very hard, and profited much in the Arts and His proficiency.Tongues: And after he had continued some good time in the University, going into his own Country, he was chosen to be a Schoolmaster at Hinckly, a little Market-Town, bordering upon Warwickshire.
There he continued for some good time, training up his Scholars in Religion and Learning, till the Death of Mr. James Crunford, head Schoolmaster in the Free-School of Coventry, who also was Rector of Weddington in the same County; by whose death that Rectory He is chosen to Weddington.falling void, Mr. Adderly, a godly and Religious Gentleman, who was Patron of the place, and lived in the Parish, presented Mr. Vines to it.
The Parish was very small, and the Ministers means of maintenance answerable, being not above 60 l. per annum, yet Mr. Vines accepted of it, and laboured faithfully in the work of the Ministry, with much Evidence and demonstration of the Spirit and Power, so that many reforted to his Ministry from places adjacent, and Mr. Adderly took such a Love and liking to him, that he bestowed his Daughter upon him, who proved a loving and loyal Wife unto him all his days.His Marriage.
Having continued some time at Weddington, there was another little Parish within less than a Mile of it, called Cawcot, which falling void by the death of the Incumbent, the To Cawcot.Patron conferred that upon Mr. Vines also, because the Churches being but about half a Mile asunder, he might preach in the Morning at the one, and in the Afternoon at the other; or one Lords-day at one, and another at the other, yet the Profits of both did not amount to 100 l. per annum.
His Parts and Pains were so conspicuous that they were not fit to be bounded within so narrow a compass, and therefore at the request of divers Friends, he undertook a Lecture His Lecture at Nun-Eaton.at Nun-Eaton, a large Market-Town near unto him, and about seven Miles from Coventry, unto which multitudes resorted, both of the Gentry, Ministry, and private Christians, whereof many came from places divers Miles off, as I my self was somtimes a Witness.
There he continued till the Civil Wars brake forth, Anno Christi 1642. between the King and the Parliament, at which time, for his safety, he retired with his Family into His remove to Coventry.Coventry, as divers other Ministers did; and considering the heavy Judgments of God upon the Nation, and the great danger that they were in, they agreed amongst themselves to set up a Morning Lecture, which began at Seven, and ended about Eight a Clock, which they kept by turns, to the great Comfort and Edification of the Citizens, and others of the Gentry, that were retreated into the City. Mr. Vines was one that kept up this Lecture, and preached also somtimes on the Lords-days, with great approbation, and content to his Hearers.
There he continued to the year 1643. at which time the Assembly of Divines was called, Chosen into the Assembly.and he was chosen one of the Ministers for Warwickshire, and it was a Mercy to the Church of God that he was so: For how much good he did there about the matter of Church-Government, may safely be concealed, but scarcely be expressed without offence to some.
This occasioned his coming to London, and soon after he was chosen to preach before the House of Commons on one of their solemn Fast-Days, which he performed with much His coming to London.judgment, Masculine and Nervous Oratory, as may be seen in his Sermon, printed by Order of the said House: And he was taken so much notice of, that soon after he was chosen Minister of Clements Danes, a very large, and considerable Parish, wherein, besides Citizens, To Clements Danes.there were some Nobles, and Persons of Eminency.
And Essex-House being in that Parish, that Noble Earl was his frequent Hearer, with whose Ministry he was so pleased and taken, that he became his great Friend to his dying Day, and after his death Mr. Vines was made choice of to preach at his Funeral, which curious and ingenious Sermon is to be seen in Print. He was called often to preach before the Parliament, sometimes before the House of Lords, and sometimes before the House of Commons, all which he performed to the great Satisfaction of his Hearers, especially of the most judicious. And how effectual his Ministry in his own Parish was, some yet living can, and have testified, not without many Tears, being much troubled for the drying up of those Breasts, from which, for some years, they had such wholsom, pleasing, and profitable nourishment.
After some time spent in that place, by the sollicitation, and procurement of the Earl of Essex, (Clements Danes being so large and unweildy a Parish) he was removed to the Rectory of Watton, in the County of Hertford. The Parsonage was of good value, yet His Remove to Watton.much over-rated in the common Report, (as most Ecclesiastical Living use to be;) but it proved small to him, by reason of his great Charges in repairing a ruinous House; great Taxes (the tenth of all which was laid upon him by his Neighbours, who knew not how to value such a Pearl,) and (as himself told me) being forced to find a Horse and Arms without any other joined with him: Besides, in regard of his necessary absence sometimes, he was fain to maintain an Assistant to supply his room.
When the University of Cambridge was reformed by the noble Earl of Manchester, he was chosen, and appointed to be Master of Pembrook Hall: And sew there were more To Cambridge.fit for Learning, or a Spirit of Government, and for such a trust than he. When he came to it, he found the House very empty of Students, and the Buildings much out of Order, by abuse of rude Soldiers that had been quartered in it: But the Fame of Mr. Vines, now made Master, quickly drew Scholars; the Chambers were repaired, and made fit for their Entertainment, & the House flourished with godly, and learned Fellows, and Scholars. There he continued, promoting Religion and Learning to the utmost of his Power, till he was put out for refusing the Engagement, even that Engagement, which, though some did swallow, yet to others it proved a stone of sttumbling, and a Rock of Offence to many other tender, Consciencious Heads of Houses, Fellows of Colledges, and Ministers in the Kingdom.
From being Pastor of Watton (a place too mean for his Gifts) he had a fair Invitation and Call to the Pastoral Charge of Lawrence Jury, London, and so he returned to the City To Lawrence Jury.again, where he exercised his choice. Talents to Gods Glory, and the great good of his People, and others that flocked to his Ministry: And God so blessed his Labours, and gave him such room and Interest in the Hearts of his People, that whereas his House was old and incommodious, they pulled it down, built it new, and enlarged it out of their own Purses, which cost them (as I was informed) about Five Hundred Pounds.
Whilest he was Minister there, he was chosen to be one of the weekly Lecturers at St. Michaels Cornhill, which Lecture was set up and maintained by some godly and well affected Merchants, who frequented the same, together with multitudes of other Citizens, out of all parts of the City, and it was a means (through Gods Blessing) to edifie many, and to settle and establish others in those giddy times.
As he was thus indefatigably spending himself, and labouring in the Lords Harvest work, it pleased God to afflict him with a great distemper, accompanied with much pain in his His Sickness.Head, which suddenly almost took his sight from him, insomuch (as himself told me, with whom I was intimately acquainted for about Fourteen years before his Death) that he could not see to read the largest Print, neither would any Spectacles help him. This occasioned a very great change; for whereas before he was of a lively, chearful, and active Disposition, now he became dull, and Melancholly: whereas before he was of a strong, and healthful Constitution, now he became weak and crazy, yet would not be taken off from his Labours to the last; but was desirous to spend and be spent in the work of the Lord.
On a Sabbath Day he preached his last Sermon, and administred the Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper, not finding any sensible change in himself, till about Ten a Clock at Night, when he was going to Bed, at which time he fell into a great Bleeding at the Nose, probably having over-heat his Blood by the labours of the Day; and having finished his course upon Earth, and faithfully discharged the Work and Errand for which God sent him into the World, between Two and Three a Clock that Night, he quietly and comfortably resigned up his Spirit unto God that gave it, and was honourably buried (multitudes His Death.attending his Corps to the Grave, with much Lamentation and Mourning) at Lawrence-Jury London, Feb. 7. Anno Christi 1655. and of his Age about Fifty Six: And from the Sanctification of the Lords-Day he went to his everlasting Rest.
He was (as John the Baptist) a burning and a shining Light: An Interpreter one of a His Character.Thousand: Of very great and eminent Parts: taller by the Head and Shoulders then most of his Brethren. A Man mighty in the Scriptures; Another Apollos in that; excellently and exquisitely accomplished in all parts of Learning. A perfect Master of the Greek Tongue; a good Philologer; an excellent Orator. He was a ready and piercing Disputant, and so he approved himself even to admiration, in those two famous Treaties, the one at Uxbridge, the other at Newport in the Isle of Wight; in both which places, being (with some other Divines) appointed to attend their Commissioners sent from the Parliament, in the former Place to treat with the Kings Commissioners, and in the latter with the King himself, he strenuously enervated the Arguments of those, who asserted the Divine Right of Prelacy, and assertest the Presbyterian Government.
He was a solid and judicious Divine, who read much, and concocted what he read; One who was able to give a weighty and pithy Decision in any controverted point: He was a notable confuter of Errours, he seldom spake to them, but hit the Bird in the Eye, and made him die, not a lingring, but a sudden Death. In the course of his Ministry he was highly Orthodox, sound in the Faith, very powerful, very spiritual; His whole design and drift in his Ministry was to clear up that great Doctrine of Justification (in which he was eminently, and throughly studied) to debase Mans Righteousnes, and to exalt the Righteousness of Jesus Christ; He was one that knew how to speak a word in season to wounded and bruised Spirits. There was a great Light, who is now with God, Mr. Angel of Grantham, who, being under a sore and grievous Desertion, did receive much Comfort by discourse with him.
His diligence in his Work and Calling was great in Labours much, in Preaching much, His Industry.and towards his end his great weakness neither did, nor could hinder him from his Masters Work, with St. Austin, he desired, that when Christ should come, he might find him aut Precantem, aut Praedicat…m; Either Praying or Preaching. That which would have made some to keep their Beds, could not keep him out of the Pulpit. And as he Preached, so he lived, By his Parts he did foreign; By his Grace he did foreign: What he Preached to others he practiced himself, and was not like a Mercurial Post, that directs the way to others, but never stirs it self.
For his natural temper, he was a Man of a Heroical and undaunted Spirit, some called Lutherlike.him Luther, not being much unlike him (as it should seem by his Picture) and indeed he was another Luther; he feared not the Faces of any in the discharging of a good Conscience. In his Deportment he was somewhat blunt and inobservant, yet not in the least Proud, or morose, and supercilious. Two things were objected against him by some: First, his frequent removes from place to place, towards his latter end; And secondly, Covetousness, which they inferred from the former. But their is no question but that a Minister may have just and lawful occasion of removing from one place to another, especially in such unsetled times as those were (yet it is confessed that, for the avoyding of Offence, they should be very wary and circumspect therein) but for his particular case, after he had long continued in his Pastoral charge in the Country (tho the Place was obscure, and the means small) in all his latter removes, he can scarce be said to have undertaken a Pastoral Charge in any of them, except in the last of Laurence Jury.
As for the charge of Covetousness, I remember that Mr. Calvin had the same aspertion Vindicated.cast upon him, but his last Testament shewed that he dyed a very poor Man: For all his Goods, yea and his Library, being sold very dear (saith Mr. Beza) scarcely amounted to three Hundred Crowns. And Mr. Calvin himself in his life time, hearing of this impudent slander, answered, If I cannot persuademen whilst I am alive to believe that I am no great Monyed Man, yet my Death will shew it. And the Senate at Geneva could testify that his stipend being very small, he was so far from not being contented with it, that when they offered to enlarge his Pensions, he utterly refused the same: By this small estate which he left at his Death, it appeared that either his Gifts were not great, or else that he spent as God sent: So Mr. Vines by what he left at his death; made it abundantly appear, that his Heart was not much set upon the World; For if it had, sure there would have been more of the World in his Purse: for it may be confidently affirmed, that their was not a Minister of any repute in the City of London, for some years, that died with so small an Estate as Mr. Vines did.
If we take him as a Christian, he was another Enoch, a true Walker with God, a very Holy Man: more cannot be said of any Man; less cannot be said of him, without wronging his his memory. His Life was like Enochs Life, and his Death was like Enochs Translation; for he died suddenly. He went to Bed, slept, and dyed. His Death was a sleep indeed: Being weary and spent with his Work, God took him to Heaven, there to give him a Cordial: From the Pulpit he went to the Throne: As soon as he had ended his Sabbath here, he entred upon his everlasting Sabbath in Glory. He went warm from his Work to his Wages. That's blessed thing for a Minister to be found by Death about his Lords business. Mr. Vines his work was done, he was weary and feeble, and God his good Master took him to himself, crowned him with Life and Immortality, and instead of hard Labour here, called him to that joyful work of singing forth Praises and Hallelujahs to his God and Father.
Quod si digna tuâ minus est mea pagina laude,
At voluisse sat est—
Lucan.
Let us also hear what Mr. Simeon Ash, and Mr. Edmund Calamy have left upon Record concerning Mr. Vines.
IT hath been (say they) no small Grief unto us, that so many Faithful, Fruitful, Orthodox Ministers, eminent both for Learning and Piety, have been of late removed from us, now in the time when we have most need of their Counsel, Preaching, and Prayers, for our present healing, and the preventing of our future feared dangers.
Oh! How sad a sight is it to behold our Pilots, our Steersmen, lying dead upon the Deck, when the Winds rise, the Seas swell, the Clouds blacken, and the Heavens lowre, presaging approaching Storms? How awakening a Providence is this, to have our Quarters beaten up, and at the same time to see our Captain, and Standard-Bearers laid lifeless in the Dust? We cannot without Sorrow remember the Death of many of our Worthies, whose signal Characters of deserved Commendations have already been made publick for the use of succeeding Ages: And this our late blow received in the removal of famous Mr. Vines, doth cause our former Wounds to bleed afresh.
Mr. Vines his natural Acumen, together with acquired Abilities were extraordinary. He His Character.was a smart Disputant, as it was observed in many places with admiration; Not only in the Assembly of Divines against Diffenting Brethren, but likewise at the Conferences at Uxbridge, and in the Isle of Wight, about the Jus divinum of Prelacy, where some of his learned Opposites were very sensible of his strength.
He was a well studied Orthodox Divine, his Ministry was solid, pithy, nervous, quick, and searching, as his most judicious Auditors, both in Warwickshire, Cambridge, and London, will acknowledg. His Sermon preached at the Funeral of the Earl of Essex, doth prove him to have been an excellent Rhetorician, and an eloquent Orator. The Sermons which he preached before both Houses of Parliament, do not only discover his high parts, but do tell the World, that he was neither a Flatterer, nor a Time-server.
As he had a clear Head, and could dive deep into a knotty Controversie, so he had (Luther-like) an undaunted Spirit, and was not afraid of Men, but could and would speak his Mind in any Company, with brave Mettal, and high Magnanimity. The great design of his Ministry (especially towards his latter end) was to drive Man out of himself, and to draw him unto Christ; to discover the cheats of Mans deceitful Heart, and to throw down all sandy Foundations of Hope of Heaven, to encourage an humble dependance upon the Lord Jesus Christ; as also to quicken inside Holiness with the Power of Godliness in a Christian Conversation.
And (that which was the Crown of all other his Excellencies) he was a man of a right, gracious, and tender Spirit, whereof this was an evident Demonstration, (to instance in no more) that he resolved rather to suffer, by being turned out of the Mastership of Pembrook-Hall in Cambridge, than to subscribe the Engagement against his Conscience: Yea, he was (out of Knowledge) an hearty Presbyterian, notwithstanding the manifold discouragements, which were from every hand, cast upon that way of God, in those woful and declining times.
Now upon the Death of this worthy man, our much endeared Brother, our words cannot sufficiently express the grief of our Hearts. And to move others to mourning for such a loss, (besides sundry other Arguments which we will not mention) we may truly apply some of the passages of David's Lamentation over Saul and Jonathan, (2 Sam. 1.) Weep over Saul, who cloathed you with Scarlet, with other delights; who p… on Ornaments of Gold upon your Apparel. The Bow of Jonathan returned not back: They …onger than Lions. How profitable pleasant? How warm in Afflictions? How delightful … Language? And how rich in Notions was pretious Mr. Vines in his Ministry? And with what irresistible strength was he wont to shoot Arrows of Conviction into the Consciences of his Auditors? But alass, alass! Now this Champion; This Prince of Preachers is laid silent in the Dust (with many other of our Reverend deceased Brethren) never any more to awaken, to warm, to encourage, and to edifie our Souls by his Ministerial Endeavours.
He left only two Daughters behind him.
Many Elegies were made for him: I shall only present some of them to you.
Richardus Vines. Anagramma. Charus Dei sinu.
Una deest Anagrammate litera, sed tibi nullus
(O dilecte Deo) desideratur Apex.
It's true our Anagram doth limp a little,
That speaks thy Bliss; but it wants not a tittle.
Will. Spurstow, D. D.
Richardus Vines. foreign. Hic rarus videns. 1 Sam. 9. 9.
Hic est ille Videns, quo non est rarior alter.
Assertor Fidei; quo non nervotior alter.
Malleus Heresium; quo non solertior alter.
Praeco Dei Verbi; quo non divinior alter.
Nec Vitae absimilis voci; non sanctior alter.
Huic plures, Deus alme, pares concede Videntes.
T. D.
On his receiving the Lords-Supper, not many Hours before his Death.
STrange Miracle! Elijah's blest Repast
In Forty days brought him to God at last:
But stranger this; our Vines to God does go
In some few hours, and without Fasting too.
And yet in me it shall no wonder move,
A Raven did bring that, but this a Dove.
Delicious Fare! He relish'd naught beside;
But tasting of it, lik'd it not, and di'd.
Yet stay, I'me out; for know he is not dead,
But after such a Supper went to Bed.
Peter Vinke, Th. B.
Ʋpon the Death of so many Ministers of late.
STill we do find black Cloth wears out the first;
And Fruits tha… are the choicest keep the worst.
Such Men, so many, and they die so fast,
They're precious (Death) Od…or make such waste!
Scarce have we dried our Eyes for loss of one,
But in comes tidings that another's gone.
Oh that I had my former Tears again,
(All but those few laid out upon my Sin)
Had I an Helicon ine ither Eye,
I have occasion now to Verse them dry.
Tryumph (Lycentious Age) lift up thy Song,
Preshytery sha'nt trouble you ere long;
Those that tormented you before your Day,
Are now apace removing out o'th' way.
Yea rather, tremble (England) stand agast,
To see thy glorious Lamps go out so fast;
When Death (like Sampson) thus laies hold upon
The Pillers of the Church,—the Buildings gon.
When we do see so many Stars to fall,
Surely it bodes the Worlds great Funeral.
London, look to't, and think what Heaven is doingA Prediction.
Thy Flames are coming, when thy Lots are going
Well may we all fear God intendeth Wars,
When he commands home his Ambassadors.
That venerable Synod which of late
Was made the Object of mens scorn and hate,
(For want of Copes and Miters, not of Graces)
Are now call'd (with Moses) and their Faces
Where they return, shall shine; God sees it fit,
Such an Assembly should in Glory sit.
The Learned Twiss went first, (it was his right)
Then Holy Palmer, Burroughs, Love, Gouge, White,
Hill, Whitaker, Grave Gataker, and Strong,
Perne, Marshall, Walker, all gone along.
I have not nam'd them half: Their only strife,
Hath been (of late) who should first part withLife.
Those few who yet survive, sick of this Age
Long to have done their Parts, and leave the Stage.
Our English Luther Vines (whose Death I weep)
Sloth away (and said nothing) in a sleep:
Sweet (like a Swan) he Preach't that Day he went,
And for his Cordial, took a Sacrament:
Had it but been suspected—he would Die,
His People, sure had stopt him with their Crie.
My blear-ey'd Muse ('tis Tears have made them so)
Must wash his Marble too before she go.
Ʋpon the much Lamented Death of the Reverend Mr. Richard Vines.
ART thou gon too (Thou great, and Gallant mind)
And must such sneaks as I be left behind?
If thus our Horsemen and Commanders Die,
What can the Infantry do then but fly i…
Oh Divine Vines! Tell us, why wouldst thou go,
Unless thou could'st have left thy Parts below:
If there's a Metempseuchosis indeed,
Tell us where we may find thee at our need?
Who hath thy Memory? Thy Brain? Thy Heart?
Whom didst thou leave thy Tongue (for every part
Of thee can make a Man (what if we find,
(As I'le not swear this Age wo'nt change her Mind)
Prelacy (tho her Lands are sold) revive?
Or Independency (who hopes to thrive,
No where suits Trump) should dare dispute at length?
Where hast thou left thy Presbyterian strength,
With which thou got's the Game, i'th' Isle of Wight,
Where the King cri'd, that—Vines was in the right?
When Essex di'd (the Honour of our Nation)
Thou gav'st him a new Life in thy Oration.
But when great Fairfax to hsi Fate shall yield,
Whom hast thou left—to fetch from Naisby Field,An Expression in Mr. Vines his Sermon on my Lord of Essex.
Th' Immortal Turf, and dress it with a story,
That shall perpetuate his Name and Glory.
Where's thy Rich Fancy (Man?) To whom (beneath)
Did'st thou thy losty and high strain bequeath?
Tell us for thine own sake, for none but he
That hath thy wit, can write thine Elegy.
Till he be found, let this suffice, which I
Leave on thy Stone.—Here lies the Ministry.
R. Wilde, Minister of Aynhoe.
Upon the Death of the Learned and Pious Mr. Rich. Vines.
DEath that was wont the tender Grass to mow,
And crop with gentle Syth the Flowers that grow
In Broidred Fields, now fells our stoutest Oaks,
Tall Sedars, choicest Vines with fatal stroaks;
And to compleat our misery at one blow
All these in one fierce Death did overthrow.
For him in whom the strength of Oaks did rest,
Beauty of Cedars, and of Vines the best:
By a swift, secret stroke too, envious Death,
Out of our sacred Grove removed hath.
Thus Vines cut down, and 'cause we for his fall
Cannot lament enough, our Children shall.
Mat. Newcomen.
To the Honourable Memory of Mr. Richard Vines.
BUt why so soon? Why mak'st such haste away?
Could'st thou not brook a little more delay?
And give some warning of so sad a blow;
No private but a common overthrow?
As when the Fabrick of some stately Tower
Comes near the Period of its fatal Hour;
Hear shrinks a Rafter, there a Pillar groans,
And all the Parts breath out their Farewell moans;
That so some just, and seasonable fear,
May the Indwellers for the stroke prepare.
And was it thine intent to verifie
What we thought false, That Seraphims can Die?
Sure could they Die, just so they'd lose their Breath,
Nor would they pray against a sudden Death.
What was the cause thou wa'st so hurried hence,
Nor with a moments stay would Death dispence?
Was it because that restless Hellish Crew,
Did with good Angels their Dispute renew
'Bout Moses Body? And th' Arch-Angel chose
Thee for his Second to confound his Foes?
Or did those blessed Spirits (who use to pry,
And search into the Gospels Mystery)
Come to a Riddle, and resolve it thus,
To send for thee to be their Oedipus?
Were it not heathenish to apprehend
Mortals could to a Deity ascend,
I should expound thy sudden change to Bliss,
A token of thine Apotheosis.
As Romulus, when to be Deifi'd,
He must to Heaven in a Whirl-wind ride.
Or was't because had a more lingring Death
Giv'n timely notice of thy passing Breath,
Such Rivers would have flown from Mortals Eyes,
As might the World with a new Flood surprise.
Or else (like Niobe) such had been our moan,
That all Mankind had wept into a Stone.
But now amazement did our Tears suppress,
And made our Grief the more, but danger less.
Forraign Geographers did once surmise,
That England had three Universities;
London was one: But now they'l change their Tone:
'Tis now too true, England hath less by one:
Oh you Caligula's, whose monstrous Rage
Could wish that all the Levites of this Age
Had but one Neck, that so one bloody Sword
Might cut off all the Conduits of the Word;
Forbear, 'tis done, and here doth bleeding lie
As in a Map, all England's Ministry.
You brood of Munster, whose prodigious Ire
Destines all Libraries unto the Fire:
Surcease your barbarous Rage, within one Span
Here lies the Ashes of the Vatican.
When Lambeth-Sea of Books was to forsake
Its ancient Seat, and a new Channel take,
Our Senate did espouse those choice Remains
To Sion-House, Cambridge forbad the Banes.
'Twas doubtful where that walking Library
Would fix: Both places were resolv'd to try
Their Titles; but at last did thus agree
To send it to the Universitie
Upon these tearms, they should with Vines dispense,
And send him hither for a Recompence.
He was transplanted. Thus our common Mother
Found one vast Library, and lost another.
Or if you please, you may compound it thus,
They got the Shadow, th' Substance came to us.
Some blam'd the publick Body of the Nation,
Because they did not call a Convocation;
They sent for Vines, and what need further cost?
In him a whole Assembly was engrost.
It could not then be said to Englands shame
It hath no Synods: For such was thy Fame,
That in thy Head, as in a Common-Hall,
The saw, they heard a Council General.
Some say that Englands present Ministry
Is nothing but an Antichristian Fry;
Then sure thou wast the Pope; for 'twas confest
Thou hadst all Laws i'th' Cabinet of thy Breast.
But peace, my whining Muse, and say no more,
Of unknown worth conceal his hidden Store,
Bury the rest, lest Mortals too much prize
His sacred Reliques, and Idolatrize.
Lest other Student; when his Parts they hear
Grow negligent, and sink into despair.
Do but name Vines, more needs not be exprest,
Tagus and Ganges will report the rest.
Each Eccho at the mention of his name
Will be a sounding Trumpet of his Fame.
Sure that at Uxbridge will speak his Renown
Oftner than th' Eccho at Pont-Charetoon.
Mat. Pool.
On the sudden and unexpected Death of that famous and incomparable Preacher of the Gospel, Mr. Rich. Vines.
I'M pleas'd much more to see a Vine, though weak,
Laden with clusters till its Branches break
With weight of Grapes, than view a sturdy Tree
Barren, though standing to Eternity.
A Knife that cuts the Sheath I'le rather chuse,
Though't wear apace, than that's not fit for use.
A brave Man's gone; but this shall be my strife,
Just so to live, though so I end my Life.
My Fancy runs too flat; for every Line
Should yield a flavour of the sprightly Vine.
I would not drop a crabby Tear on's Hearse;
Eager Devotion martyrs him in Verse.
Yet farewel Mirth. Just reason for complaint,
When Vines are dead no wonder though we faint.
Nothing but Cypress pensive Heads shall dress;
The Vineyard is become a Wilderness.
Sour Grapes, I know, there are in every Hedge;
But he who eats them sets his Teeth on Edge.
Thy Grapes were ripe (Pure Soul) so that the Press
Was needless, since the streams of Happiness
Ran from thee freely, and thou didst distil
The blessed Dictates of thy Makers Will.
For Souls inflam'd with Lust, thy Art Divine
Afforded Water, when they long'd for Wine:
And where a Soul lay prostrate with despair,
Thy Wine prov'd Aqua Vitae, cordial, rare:
Milk unto Babes, strong Meat to manly Stature,
Thy Doctrine Sympathiz'd with every nature.
Thus the Vine flourish'd till a soveraign Fate
In Paradise did it inoculate.
Sa. Jacomb.