The Tombstone, Title page 1 – Dedication 4
THE TOMB-STONE, AND A RARE SIGHT.
LONDON, Printed by Tho: Roycroft, for Edw: Dod, and Nath: Ekins, and are to be ſold at the Gunn in Ivie Lane, 1653.
THE TOMB-STONE, OR, A broken and imperfect Monument, of that Worthy Man (who was juſt and perfect in his Generations;) Mr. JOHN CARTER, Paſtor first of Bramford, and laſt of Belſted in SƲFFOLK.
Erected above eighteen years after his deceaſe:
BY His unworthy Son JOHN CARTER, Preacher of the Goſpell, and as yet ſojourning in the City of NORWICH.
PROV. 10. 7.
The memory of the Juſt ſhall be bleſſed.
London, Printed in the Year, 1653.
HERE under this stone lyeth hid a Rich treaſure, The Precious Dust of that holy man, that burning, and shining Light Mr Iohn Carter: first Pastor of Bramford, and afterwards of Belsted in Suff: With Esther, his Faithfull Conſort, both of them Waiting for a bleſſed Resurrection.
2 Tim. 4.
7. I have fought a good fight, I have finiſhed my courſe, I have kept the Faith.
8. Henceforth there is layd up for me a Crown of righteouſneſſe, which the Lord, the righteous Judge ſhall give mee at that day: and not to me onelyonly; but unto them alſo that love his appearing.
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE, And that both by the firſt, and alſo by the ſecond Birth: To the truely Noble, Worthy, and Religious Lady, the Lady FRANCES HOBARTE.
Madam,
ATYS, the Sonne of Croeſus the Rich King, was dumbe in his Child-hood, & ſo continued many years: he was never heard to ſpeake a word, till Cyrus enter'd Sardis, and then, the Child ſeeing a common Souldier running upon his Father with a drawn ſword to kill him, brake forth into violent and articulate ſpeech, O man, kill not Croeſus! So that he, who till that time lived mute to himſelfe, then became a cleare ſpeaker for the ſaving of his Father.
This, Madam! in a ſence, is my very caſe. I had thought to have been mute in this kind for ever, and never to have ſpoken againe by my Pen in Print. Though many, and amongſt the reſt, even your Honour have endeavoured often to perſwade me to make ſome poor pieces of mine publike: But bring ſenſible of mine owne weakneſs, I ſtood out, and was reſolved forever to forbeare. For Iam a Child, and cannot ſpeak; at leaſt, not with that skill, and energy that the Printing-preſſe calleth for: Yet now at laſt ſeeing my precious Father his name in hazard (not of being ſtained, its not capable of that; Nor of being utterly forgotten, for his name is written in the Booke of Life, with Golden letters, and his praiſe ſhal be for ever in the Goſpel; but that his remembrance amongſt men (after this Generation) might have beene cut off by devouring time; to ſave the memory of my Father alive, I break ſilence.
I annex to his life, a piece of mine own. The reaſon why I do ſo, and why I put forth this Sermon rather then any other, it is not for any worth that I apprehend in it, but becauſe I had a ſpecial calling to it: So ſoon as it was preached, the Major with the Aldermen, and ſome Miniſters came to me, and with great earneſtneſſe, deſired me to print the Sermon, that ſo they might againe ſee what they had already heard. I did not yeild to them at that time. But now ſeeing that God hath within theſe fow daies ſtirred up my Spirit, to do ſomething whereby I might honour my Father, before I go hence to meet him in another, and a better Country, I remembred my Friends requeſt, and did reſolve to anſwer their deſires, according to my poore ability, though ſome few yeares after.
Why I preſume to tender this homely peece to your Honour, I ſhal humbly give a ſhort account; Partly for my Fathers ſake. Ioſeph, to honour his good old Father Iacob, brought him, and ſet him before the King. Give me leave alſo, Elect Lady! to bring my Reverend Father into your Honours preſence: It will be ſome grace to him on Earth; and had your Ladyſhip known him, you would have honoured him.
Alſo, becauſe the Subiect is ſoe ſuitable to your Honour all the way. Your Ladyſhip loves the ſweet perfume of the dead Saints. And as for the Lyon, it is the Enſign of Nobility, and Magnanimity; and your Honour bears the Lyon in your own Coat of Armes. But as for the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah, you bear him in your heart, and embrace him with the Arms of your precious faith. My Naile, and Wheele, I preſented to your Ladyſhip out of duty and gratitude onelyonly. The Subiect of thoſe worthleſſe papers, did not ſo aptly cloſe with your Honours condition; they did more immediately concern the Magiſtracy. But in this work of mine, my whole deſigne is to exalt the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; I ſet him up before you as an Enſigne; which I know your Honour wil with all cheerfulneſſe follow.
Yet further, your Honour cannot be ignorant of the frame of my ſpirit that as the bleſſed Apoſtle Paul ſaid concerning his Corinthians, ſo I of your Ladyſhip. Madam! you are in my heart; Chriſt lives in your Honour, and where ſo much of Chriſt appears, who can but give Honour?
Finally, As Saint Paul writ to Philemon, Thou oweſt to mee even thine owne ſelfe; In a like phraſe I may ſpeake to your Ladyſhip; Iowe even mine ownſelf to your Honour, which I would have acknowledged to the whole world, & made it out in ſome particulars; but that I feare (ſuch is your humility and goodneſſe) your Ladyſhip would not have reſented it well. Accept, I beſeech your Honour! this poor Preſent, with the ſame Candor it is offered. And be aſſured, Madam! that I am,
As Your Honours humble Servant, So Your Ladyſhips faithfull, and conſtant Orator at the Throne of Grace: And So ſhall continue, whileſt he hath a heart, or a tongue to pray, JOHN CARTER.
TO ALL HIS WEL-BELOƲED NEPHEWS, AND NIECES: Even all the Remnant that are yet ſurviving of his Fathers Houſe.
WHen Saint Paul called to remembrance the unfeigned faith that dwelt in the Grand-Mother Lois firſt: Hee was eaſily perſwaded that the ſame dwelt in Timothy the Grand-Child alſo. So truely, when I conſider the unfeigned faith and holineſſe, that dwelt firſt in your good aged Grand-Father, and Grand-Mother; I cannot but conceive ſome hope, that there is ſome meaſure of the ſame faith, and ſanctity even in you.
Now to the end that any of you, who (being of the elder ſort) have received any Godly Principles, immediately from your Grand-Father and Grand-Mother, when they were amongſt the living, That you, I ſay, may the better retain thoſe godly Inſtructions to the end; And that you may teach them to your Children, and Childrens. Children, I do here ſend you your Reverend, and Pious Grand-Father, in ſome meaſure revived.
It is, I confes, but an imperfect and blind delineation of ſo deſerving, and perfect a man. Conſuming time hath worne off much of his orient luſtre: yet there is ſo much remaining, as hath a great deale of beauty in it, enough to refreſh your memories. Here, take him for your patterne; Bee yee followers of God, of Chriſt, & of your good Grand-Father alſo as dear Children, and tread in his ſteps.
It was the ſaying of a learned and godly Divine unto his children, when he was at the point of death. How will you looke me in the face, before the dreadfull Tribunall of Jeſus Chriſt, if any of you appeare before me then, in an unregenerate condition? How will any of you look your Venerable Grand-Father in the face at that terrible day; If you be found in any Error, Hereſie, Schiſme, or inordinate walking, as becomes not the Goſpell of Ieſus Chriſt? It is our great honour that we had ſuch a holy root, ſuch a Father of our Family: It will bee our greateſt ſhame, a blot never to be wiped out, if any of us ſhal degenerate. This was the Brand and Ignominy of multitudes of the Iewes; they boaſted, and ſaid, We have Abraham to our Father: but Chriſt ſaid to them again, Yee are of your Father the Devill, for the luſt of your Father ye wil do. Theſe things I write, not that I ſuſpect you, much les condemn you, (Of many of you I am confident) but in tenderneſs of love to warn you, and excite you to walke accurately. The bleſſing of my Fathers God be upon you al.
Accept in good part this poor remembrance, from
Your Affectionate Ʋncle, JOHN CARTER.
To his wel-beloved Country-men, the Inhabitants of BRAMFORD, AND BELSTED in Suffolk.
EVen Nature teacheth us Neſcio qua natale ſolum dulcedinecunctos ducit, & immemores no… ſinit eſſe ſui.to love dearely the Land of our Nativity. I cannot but wiſh well to that place, and people where I drew my firſt breath; viz. Bramford: as alſo to that place, and people where my good Father finiſhed his courſe, and breathed his laſt: viz. Belſted. To both thoſe places, and peoples I ſend Salutations. But that is not my main deſigne.
Brethren! My hearts deſire, and prayer to God for you, is, that you may bee ſaved. The meanes of Salvation you enjoyed a long time, under the Miniſtry of yout Ancient Paſtor, my deare Father, Mr. John Carter. He appeared to you all that while, as that bright Star, Matth. 2. By his light, and motion, by his Doctrine, and Converſation, he guided you to Chriſt. He ſo long as hee was in his Tabernacle of Clay, was not negligent to put you alwaies in remembrance of thoſe things which concern your everlaſting peace. That which I drive at, is, Now that hee hath put off his Tabernacle, now in his ſtead to admoniſh you. Remember therefore Revel. 3. 3.how you have received, and heard, and hold faſt, and repent. Remember how hee was an example 1 Tim. 4. 12.of Beleivers, in word, in converſation, in Charity, in Spirit, in faith, in purity. Conſider, how ſhall you eſcape, if you neglect ſo great Salvation: Will it not be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom, in the day of Iudgment then for you? Now for the eternal good of your Souls, here I ſend nou your old Paſtor again. I confeſſe his livelie voice, that cannot be recalled, but his life and example I endeavour to revive again. The rich man in Luk. 16. 30.Hel ſpake thus; Father Abraham! If one were ſent to my Fathers houſe, from the dead, they would repent. I commend unto you your ancient ſpirituall Father, in ſome ſort raiſed from the dead. Now look to your faith, look to your repentance, look to your holy walking; elſe his Miniſtrie will riſe up in iudgment againſt you. For hee being dead, yet ſpeaks. O that you would now ſo conform to his Doctrine, and practiſe, that when hee, and you ſhall ſtand together at the laſt day, before the great Shepheard of the Sheep: Hee that had the rule over you, might bee able to ſay with ioy; Lord here I am, and the Children which thou haſt given me.
This is, and ſhal be the prayer of him that is
Your wel-wiſhing Friend, and Country-man, JOHN CARTER.
TO HIS REVEREND BROTHER, AND Fellow-Labourer in the Lords Ʋineyard, Mr. Samuel Clark, Paſtor of Bennet Fink, LONDON.
Worthy SIR,
THAT which Naomi ſpake to Ruth concerning Boaz; Hee hath not left off his kindneſſe to the living, and to the dead: It is fully verified of your ſelfe; you ceaſe not to ſhew kindneſſe to the living, and to the dead. To the living; by your preaching and Miniſtry, you make Saints daily. To the dead Saints you ſhew kindneſſe, by perpetuating their Names, to their honours, and the good of many. And herein you are a great gainer; you ſhine your ſelfe, by making others ſhine. Amongſt the reſt of thoſe that honour you, I am one, though I never ſaw your face, otherwiſe then in the Frontiſpice of your learned Bookes.
In your firſt part of the marrow of Eccleſiaſticall Hiſtory, We had information, that you did reſolve to add a ſecond part; and to put in the Lives of ſuch godly Divines, and others, as were eminent in theſe latter times, if you were furniſhed with faithfull information. Hereupon, divers did ſet upon me with very great importunity, to write the life of my deare Father, and to ſend it up to you. Truely, Worthy Sir! I was deſirous of the thing, but durſt not undertake the work: I was ſenſible of mine own weakneſſe; and alſo that his ſayings, and doings had ſo far ſlipped the memories of this Generation, that I ſhould have brought to light ſuch an imperfect thing, as rather would have been a blemiſh to ſo eminent a Saint, then an honour. Hereupon, I laid all thoughts aſide of medling, or attempting ſuch a thing. I knew that he is glorious in heaven, and on the Earth too, ſo far as his name is ſpread.
Now, good Sir! let me be bold to give you a ſhort account of my ſelfe. Some few daies ſince, I went about to make a new Diary for my ſelfe. I was deſirous in the firſt place, to ſet down ſome paſſages of my Father, for mine own ſatisfaction, and uſe. I began ſo; and before I was aware, it amounted to ſo much, as I thought better that publiſhed, then nothing at all: and at the laſt my Spirit grew reſtleſſe; I could not ſatisfie my ſelfe, till I had digeſted it into ſome order, and made it publike. And now, Sir, here it is; I preſent it to your judicious view: accept it in good part from a meer ſtranger. Becauſe it was ſo ſhort, therefore I joyned it to a weak and unworthy piece of mine own, to make it a Book.
My humble requeſt to you, worthy Sir, is this, that (though I ſlipped the laſt opportunity, yet) if you ſhall ſet forth any more lives; or if you ſhall have a new Impreſſion of any of the former: that you would extract ſo much of my precious Fathers life, as you ſhal judge fit, and place it where you pleaſe, in your Eccleſiaſticall Hiſtory. Your Monuments will bee laſting in after ages, when my poore Pamphlet will bee worne out with time. Pardon my boldneſſe: The Lord ſtrengthen out your daies, for the good of his Church, and the honour of his Saints.
Your moſt obſervant Friend, and Brother, that truely honoureth you, JOHN CARTER.