Memorials of Godliness and Christianity, Title page 1 – To the reader 3
MEMORIALS OF Godlineſs & Chriſtianity.
In Three Parts.
PART. I. CONTAINING MEDITATIONS 1. Of making Religion ones Buſineſs. 2, An Appendix Applied to the Calling of a Miniſter. With a Brief Account of the Authors LIFE.
The Tenth Edition Corrected and Enlarged.
By Herbert Palmer, B. D. late Maſter of Queens Col. Camb.
London, Printed for Henry Million at the Bible near White-Fryers in Fleetſtreet, 1670.
I Conceive this Letter, with the Appendix following it, to be very well worthy the Printing.
Ch. Herle.
TO THE READER.
Christian Reader
THis enſuing Meditation upon making Religion ones buſineſs, having firſt affected my own heart, and afterward ſome friends to whom it hath been communicated, I have been ſo far made to believe, that by Gods bleſſing it may be ſome advancement to the buſineſs of Religion, now in this ſeaſon when Religion hath Retainers enough, but not Servants enough; that at laſt my thoughts told me, The very expreſſions herein would upbraid me as not true to them, if I had denyed, or longer delayed their publication. I have no doubt but ſundry paſſages in them will meet with ſome Scoffs and ſome Cavils, as being over-nice, and preciſe, and I ſhall meet with ſome Reproches, as not anſwering my own ſtrict rules. But in hopes there will yet be found thoſe that will both be glad to ſee ſuch a piece of a Patern for their Hearts and Lives, and alſo ſtrive to make it their own in affection and practice; I have reſolved to adventure the one and the other: and do truſt alſo that by Gods grace, it will ſomwhat help to make me the more watchfull over my own ſelf and my behaviour, that I may not only not ſhame my ſelf and my ſo publick profeſſions, but alſo may ſet a real Copy in ſome proportion ſuitable to this verbal one, for thy double benefit. Herein if thou wilt help me ſtill with thy prayers (as I am confident thou wilt, if thou reap any benefit by it) I again tell thee, thou mayſt be the better for it thy ſelf, while I am thereby through Gods mercy to us both, helped to do thee yet ſome further ſpiritual Sevice, which while I live I muſt now alway profeſs my ſelf ambititious of, as being ever,
Thine and the Churches Servant in Chriſt altogether Herbert Palmer. Octob. 13. 1644.
A Brief Account of the Life of Mr. Herbert Palmer.
THE Reverend Author of this enſuing Treatiſe, was (whilſt living) prized by good men for his Piety, and loved by all wiſe men (that knew him) for his Learning: And now he is dead, let not the Reader in this ſhort Epitome of his life, expect any more than a brief Narrative or Account of his moſt eminent, peculiar, publick, paſſages and tranſactions in the world.
He was the Son of Sir Thomas Palmer of Wingham near Canterbury in Eaſt-Kent, where he was born about March 1601. he was prudently and piouſly educated, and in his Infancy made great proficiency in the ſerious ſtudy of Religion and Learning, ſo that when he was 4 or 5 years of age, he would oft cry to go his Mother, To hear ſomewhat of God.
From a Child he was acquainted with the Scripture, and earnestly deſired to be A Miniſter of Jeſus Chriſt.
He had excellent natural parts, both intellectual and moral; his excellency and exactneſs in the French Tongue, (which he could ſpeak almoſt as ſoon as Engliſh) and the great knowledge he had, as well of the perſons places and affairs of the French Nation, as in the propriety of the pronunciation of the Language, made many ſtrangers (to his Nativity) believe he was a French-man born; and after his call to the Miniſtry, he Preached to the French Church at Canterbury on two ſeveral ſolemn days to the great edification and approbation of the hearers.
His Industry alſo in learning the Latine Tongue, was manifeſted by his great proficiency therein whilst young.
His dutifulneſs and obedience towards his Parents, as well when grown to years of maturity, as whilſt young, ſpake his great reverence and esteem of them; and as he was a great Example of Filial obedience in his Converſation, ſo he was a great Aſſerter of Parental authority in his Doctrine.
At the age of about 14 years, (to wit) in the year of our Lord 1615. he was admittod as Fellow-Commoner in St. Johns Colledge in Cambridge.
And according to his standing, and deſert, took the degree of Maſter of Arts in the year 1622.
And in the following year was conſtituted Fellow of Queens Colledge in the ſame Ʋniverſity; and whilſt he ſo continued, he took on him the great care of many Pupils, who (by his prudent and painful instruction and care over them) made great proficiency in Learning whilſt they continued with him.
And in the year 1624. he was called, and ordained to the work of the Miniſtry, by a Licence from the then Arch-Biſhop of Canterbury. In the year 1626. he was called to the publick exerciſe of his Miniſtry at Alphage Church in Canterbury, where by his laborious Induſtry, ſound Doctrine, and exemplary converſation, he proved himſelf to be a burning and ſhining light.
In the year 1632. he removed to Aſhwell in Hartfordſhire by the preſentment of Laud Arch-Biſhop of Canterbury.
The plainneſs of his Preaching did manifeſt his great deſire to be underſtood by his Auditors for their Edification.
His pains in Catechiſing the ignorant, his charity in providing Bibles for the poor, and his humility in admitting perſons of all ranks and degrees to diſcourſe with him for their Souls edification, got him love, reſpect, and honour, from all acquainted with him, and was a great means of reformation amongst the people to whom he was a Paſtor, obliging them to ſeveral excellent reſolutions againſt drunkenneſs, ſwearing, or other open debaucheries.
He made and printed an excellent Catechiſm entituled, An endeavour of making the Principles of Chriſtian Religion plain and eaſie.
His Domestick or Family Government was as pious, as his Eccleſiaſtick or Church care was painful; he would not permit any of his houſhold for (frivolous excuſes) to be abſent from family duties, neither would he entertain any in his family, that either were not truly Godly and Religious, or willing to be instructed in the wayes of God. He read the Scriptures, and prayed, twice every day in his family, Catechiſed twice every week; and after every meal he cauſed to be read, as at his own, ſo at his ſervants Table, a portion of Gods word; requiring alſo on the Friday and Saturday, an account, from thoſe under his Tuition, of what they remembred of the Sermon I reached the Sabbath day before. He would not ſuffer any of his ſervants to ſit up late (about their weeks work) upon Saturday at nights; neither on the Sabbath would he eat of any diſh, if he underſtood it kept any of his ſervants from the publick ordinance, by providing of it.
And as he was painfull in his Eccleſiaſtick, and exemplar in the Domeſtick Government, ſo alſo was he pious in his more private retired cloſet duties, being a great admirer of, and having great knowledge in, the Scriptures, which he took great delight in when young, and highly honoured whilſt he lived.
He kept a perfect Diery of all (or moſt of) the paſſages of his Life.
He often ſet whole days apart, to humble himſelf, (in private) by Faſting and Prayer.
He took the degree of Batchelor of Arts, in the year 1630. and in 1632. he was taken in by the the Ʋniverſity, as a Ʋniverſity Preacher.
In the year 1643. he was called to be one of the Aſſembly of Divines, and ſome time after, elected as Paſtor in Dukes-Place, from whence he removed to New-Church in Weſtminſter, (where he was the firſt Miniſter that preached there) in both, which places, he was highly and greatly eſteemed of, and by all his Auditors (that were profeſſors of piety.) During alſo his Miniſtry at New-Church, he was a Lecturer at the Abbey Church in Weſtminſter, and ſo painfull was he (in the ſervice of God,) that he never declined any Miniſterial exerciſe that he was requeſted to perform, whether in publick or in private.
He was of a loving, friendly diſpoſition, courteous, and affable in his carriage towards men of the loweſt rank or degree.
April 1644. he was conſtituted Maſter of Queens-Colledge, by the Earl of Mancheſter, where he cauſed the exerciſe of Sermons, to be continued in the Colledge Chappel weekly, all the year; where alſo he endeavoured to promote Learning, by his conſtant exhortation of the Scholars to ſedulity in their studies; purchaſing alſo (by his own moneys) many Authors, which he gave to the Library, and maintained at his own charge, divers poor and neceſſitous Scholars.
He was a man of a publick ſpirit, laying out himſelf, for God: greatly ſelf-denying, and very Zealous for and in the things of God.
His freedome, and faithfulneſs, in reference to the publick affairs, may appear by the Sermons he preach'd before the Parliament at Weſtminſter; Divers of which are now in Print.
His Temperance and Sobriety were great, as well in his Apparel, as in his Dyet.
The good works he did, (while living) commands us to praiſe his liberal charity, and charitable liberality.
The time of his ſickneſs was not long, his diſtemper having little to feed on; he (whilſt in health) ſpending himſelf ſo much in the ſervice and work of God.
His humility, his patience in ſickneſs, his faith upon God, and ſubmiſſion to Gods will, did moſt eminently diſcover themſelves while ſick.
His deportment therein being holy and heavenly, and his diſcourſe full of ſuch expreſſions, that diſcovered where his heart was.
One exhorting him, to cast the burden of his ſickneſs upon God, he made this reply, I ſhould do very unworthily, if when I have Preached to others, that they ſhould caſt their burden upon God, I ſhould not do ſo my ſelf.
Anno Chriſti 1647, in the 46 year of his age, he returned his Soul into the hands of God; And for his body, it lyes buried in the New-Church at Weſtminſter; and thus he lived, and ſo he dyed, and now he's dead, his works do live,
Vivitur poſt funera virtus.
ANd thus (kind Reader) you have a brief Epitome, of the Life of that Reverend, Learned, Laborious, Pious, and Painfull Divine, who is the Author of this ſmall, (yet ſweet and precious) Treatiſe; from the peruſal of which, I'le not detain thee, by long or tedious digreſſions, of my own, begging only, acceptance of what may be well, and pardon for what is ill done, from all; but carping Momuſes, (whoſe favour not expecting,) I plainly declare, I no more value, or care, for their cenſures, than I prize or eſteem the flatteries of fond, and fooliſh Paraſites.
HE that deſires to ſee a larger Account of the Life of this Reverend Divine, let them peruſe it as Written by the Learned Mr. Clark in his Book of Lives.