Two Treatises, Postscript
A Poſtſcript.
THeſe Notes, with this memorial of this excellent Lady, were within ſome few months after her death drawn up, and ſeveral Copies tranſcribed, and preſented to her noble relations; the ſame for ſubſtance (Reader) as thou haſt them here, though they may be a little altered as to ſome words or phraſes. Nor had I any thoughts of makeing them publick till Anno 1664. God taking away her noble Siſter (whom I had the honour eighteen years to wait upon) I thought it my duty to raiſe her up a monume…t according to my ability (though her honourable name needed no ſuch little advantage as this.) Having taken up this reſolution, I reſolved alſo to joyn theſe notes with them, and accordingly ſent them to a Stationer, in whoſe hands they were Anno 1665. when the Plague hindered the printing of them; and Anno 1666. till the Dreadful Fire conſumed them. I was for ſome times after divided in my thoughts, whether to revive them or no; but at laſt finding (accidentally) amongſt my notes, an imperfect Copy of them; I ſet to the work, and through Gods affiſtance, have once more brought it to an iſſue; and I cannot but in it ſomething confider the Providence of God retarding my hand to an opportunity of doing a piece of ſervice to the laſt mentioned Lady, which I never thought her honourable name for Religion would have ſtood in need of.
Within theſe ſix months laſt paſt (to juſtifie if it were poſſible, the tremendous Apoſtacy of another) I hear it commonly reported amongſt the Papiſts, that both this noble Lady and her Husband died Papiſts, and that her only Son is alſo one.
For Mr. Courten, he was wholly unknown to me; I never ſaw his face; it was his unhappineſs to die in a Papiſh Country, which might give an advantage to ſuch a fiction. But his Son, William Courten, Eſquire, yet living, is a ſufficient teſtimony againſt this fabulous report, who both viſited the place ſince his Fathers death, and received the teſtimony from a friend, which his dying Father left of his perſeverance in the communion of the Proteſtant Church, and abhorrence of the viſits and ſuperſtitious vanities with which thoſe Votaries uſe to trouble dying perſons: as alſo had a real teſtimony from the unhallowed burying place which alone the Papiſts would allow him. This, and much more, I have had from his worthy Son, which I have forgot, as not thinking I ſhould ever have had any cauſe of ſuch a repetition. But that worthy Gentleman yet lives; and if any be unſatisfied, and will take the pains to inquire of him, he can ſatisfie them both that his Father died no Papiſt, and that himſelf is none (according to another part of their ſabulous report, who are pleaſed in making lyes their refuge) he hath ſeen too much of the exceeding fondneſs, the folly, and ſuperſtitious vanities of that Pageantry in Religion, to be ever proſelited to it, and is I think ſatisfied that it is juſtly to be abhorred by a ſober perſon, were it only for the little influence it hath upon the lives of thoſe where it is moſt practiſed, and the diſpenſation it gives to all manner of Luxury. But he is of age and abilities ſufficient to ſpeak for himſelf.
For this Excellent Lady; none living is a more competent witneſs than my ſelf, who had the opportunities of daily converſe with her, till the moment of her diſſolution; nor can there be a better teſtimony, than theſe Papers, containing the ſubſtance of her diſcourſes with me to her very laſt gaſp: They underſtand little of the Popiſ… Faith, that upon the reading of theſe diſcourſes, will not conclude, that her Ladiſhip was at a ſufficient diſtance from it; and that theſe were not diſcourſes formed for ſuch a deſign as her Vindication. There are four or five Honourable Perſons in England, her near relations, can teſtifie, who have had theſe notes fourteen years at leaſt, if not fifteen or ſixteen by them; the ſame, as to the ſubſtance of them, though poſſibly (as I ſaid before) ſome phraſes may be altered upon more mature deliberation. Theſe diſcourſes do not ſound like the language of one who believed the Doctrines of Popery about remiſſion of ſins, aſſurance, merit, prayers to Saints and Augels, &c.
But indeed a perſon is not ordinarily to be ſound, upon whom that tribe could with more diſadvantage ſaſten ſuch an imputation, than upon upon this Excellent Lady. Who ſo wiſely c…ſts their eye upon thoſe who in this noon-day of the Goſpel, are in Proteſtant Countries, proſelyted to that kind of devotion, will find that their temptation to it hath been advantaged.
1. From ſome carnal conceits of God, and his Worſhip, thinking him ſuch a one as themſelves, to be pleaſed with muſick, and gay pompous ſhews of devotion; or at leaſt ſome Jewiſh conceits for the continuance of what the Apoſtle calls, worldly Ordinances, and a carnal Sanctuary; not regarding that God is a Spirit, and under the Goſpel to be worſhipped in ſpirit and in truth; but pleaſing themſelves with what the Apoſtle calls the rudiments of the world, and ſuch Ordinances as touch not, taſte not, handle not, which are things periſhing with the uſing after the Commandments, and Doctrines of men, which things Col. 2… 20, 21, 22, 23.indeed have a ſhew of wiſdom, in will worſhip and humility, and neglecting of the body, not in any honour to the ſatisfying of the fleſh. Some ſuch temptation as this might eaſily help to Proſelite, a Vane, a Craſhaw, a Nonnanton, &c.
2. Or elſe ſecondly, an ignorance in the things of God. Ignorance we know is avowed the Mother of their devotion for Laicks: and indeed an ignorant ſoul, as to devotion, is White-Paper, upon which a Mahumetan, or a Papiſt may write any thing: And of knowing perſons, we rarely find any proſelited, unleſs ſome rare perſons whom the Lord picks out to make examples of his vengeance, who (as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, 2 Theſ. 2. 10, 11, 12.) Having 2 Theſ. 2. 10, 11, 12.received the truth, and not the love of the truth that they might be ſaved. God gives up to ſtrong deluſions, that they ſhould believe a lye: That they all be damned, who believed not the truth, but had pleaſure in unrighteouſneſs.
3. Or elſe Thirdly, They are ſuch perſons, who are tempted to it, from their dependancies (as ſervants to their Maſters or Miſtreſſes) or Relations: the Wife to pleaſe her Husband, or an Husband to humour his Wife; or from their hopes to gain ſuch relations and carnal advantages, as their neceſſities, or covetouſneſs, or a…ition betrayes them to thirſt after, and pu…haſe, though at the price of their immortal ſouls.
4. Or Laſtly, Such, for whoſe looſe and wanton feet, the waies of the Goſpel are too ſtrait: They muſt have more ſenſual pleaſure than a Goſpel Rule will allow them, and are no… able to endure the rebukes of a conſcience ſmiting them for ſuch vanities, and fain would have a pardon at a cheaper rate, than the Goſpel will afford it; and that with a licenſe to ſin again, and be upon the ſame terms of peace again, upon the ſlight terms of a little mony, or an auricular confeſſion, or a ſlight penance, or a ſhort Pilgrimage, &c. Thoſe who wiſtly caſt their eyes upon thoſe few Proſelites which the Papiſts have in England will find, that ſome, or more of theſe things have been and are their temptations.
Now, who ſo knew this eminent Lady, knew her far enough from the impreſſions of ſuch temptations. No perſon lived a more ſevere and ſtrict converſation; nor was more fearful of deceiving her ſelf with falſe hopes; nor wary in giving her ſelf grounds of hope as to the remiſſion of ſins, and the favour of God. No perſon living was more an enemy to a pompous, vain Pageantry in the Worſhip of God; nor more affected to a ſimplicity, plainneſs, and ſpirituality in her devotions: ſhe was an exceeding knowing, judicious perſon in the waies of God, and one who truly received the truth in a moſt ardent love of it; nor had ſhe any temptation from any dependancyor relation, from any carnal enjoyment, or hope of any. Her fear for her dear Huſband, leſt the temptation of the place where he was, (which was Italy) ſhould have any influences on him as to Religion, was a great affliction to her; her joy as much, when by Letters received from him, ſhe underſtood his conſtancy: ſhe was earneſt with every Chriſtian that came near her, to beg of God to keep him in that Country from the Idolatries and ſuperſtitions of it. Her acquaintance and delight was not only in and with Proteſtant Miniſters; but with thoſe of them, whoſe principles were at greateſt diſtance from any thing of Popery. I dare ſay, that in the two laſt years of her life, ſhe never ſaw the face of a Popiſh Prieſt. All which things conſidered, I leave it to an indifferent Reader to determine, with what diſadvantage to their own honour and repuration, as well as impudence, as to matter of juſtice and common honeſty towards a noble perſon, who hath now theſe ſixteen years been in Heaven, any perſons evulge ſuch impudent ſlanders; but their boldneſs to rake in the aſhes of a perſon dead, is the more evident, from the imputation with which they are not aſhamed to brand the only male-branch of this excellent root, who (bleſſed be God) yet lives, and that not only rotted in the Proteſtant Faith, but able to juſtifie it againſt ſuch as oppoſe it.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Collinges, Two Treatises (1669)