Hannibal Gamon - The Praise of a Godly Woman

Honovrable Sir,

Although it bee true (which a worthy Diuine 1 1 Mr. Bolter Diſc. of true Happineſſe, p. 61. obſerueth) that formall Hypocrites are heartned and hardned in their lewd courſes & falſe conceits of happineſſe, when they heare more infamous Sinners than themſelues, gloriouſly and flatteringly commended at their Deaths; yet we need not feare any ſuch bad effect by the Funerall-commendation of Gods true Saints; becauſe the publike Teſtimonie of their iuſt Praiſes doth not onely make the wicked more inexcuſable, and the Glory of Gods Graces ſhine farre brighter to Poſteritie; but alſo enkindleth in the hearts of the godly a greater fire of Zeale for imitation. Theſe are ſome of the Ends, why it hath euer been and is ſtill an vnreproueable Cuſtome in Gods Church, that the Godly ſhould be Marked 2 2 Pſalm. 37. 37. Deut. 34. 7, 10, 11, 12. Hebr. 3. 2. & 11. cap. and Honoured 3 3 2 Chron. 32. 33. at their Deaths, as Hezekiah was by all Iudah & Ieruſalem : Valentinean , Satyrus and Theodoſius by Saint Ambroſe 4 4 S. Ambr. tom. 3. : Baſil , Gregory and Gorgonia by Nazianzen 5 5 Greg. Nazian. Orat. 30. Orat. 28. Orat. 25. : Nepotian , Paula and Marcella by S. Ierom 6 6 S. Ierom. Ad Heliod. Ad Euſtoch. Ad Princip. Ad Ocean. . Had not their Holy Liues and Happie Deaths beene publiſhed by ſuch vnpartiall Pens, wee ſhould haue bin ignorant now of many excellent Courſes of ſanctified Men and Women, of many comfortable workings of the Holy Ghoſt in them, and ſhould haue wanted many inflaming Motiues to follow their religious ſteps. Vpon this conſideration I was bold to commend vnto Gods people the more than Ordinary paſſages of your Honourable Mothers Holy Life and Death: wherein I haue as a Chriſtian ſpoken the truth of a Chriſtian, that is, (as Saint Ierom 7 7 Teſtor Iesum cui illa ſeruiuit & ego ſeruire cupio, me utramq, in partē nihil fingere; ſed quaſi Chriſtianū de Chriſtianâ quæ ſunt vera proferre, id eſt, Hiſtoriam ſcribere non Panegyricum. S. Ierom, Epitaph. Paulæ. proteſteth in a like caſe) made a true Narration; not a Vain-glorious Panegyrick. Let Poets and Oratours praiſe thoſe women, which Poppæa -like 8 8 Poppæa cuncta alia fuêre præter Honeſtum animum. Tacit. Annal. l. 13. , are graced with all other things ſauing a Gracious Heart: Let them commend their Wit, Wealth, Beautie, Nobilitie, and other Gifts of Fortune (as they call them) in ſtead of Vertues 9 9 Laudauit ipſe Nero apud roſtra formam eius & quòd diuinæ formæ parens fuiſſet, aliaque fortunæ munera pro Virtutibus. Id. Annal. l. 16. . Wee the Miniſters of Chriſt, and Stewards of the Myſteries of God, muſt adorne none with the Honourable Attributes of Heauenly Praiſe; but ſuch as are truly beautified, enriched, and ennobled with the Purity and Power of Gods Feare in their Humble Soules 10 10 Eſai. 61. 3. . This praiſe the Lord will Proſper 11 11 Eccleſ. 15. 10. , which is vttered in that Wiſdome 12 12 Prou. 9. 10. , whereof the Feare of the Lord is the beginning . But for the Saints themſelues: I dare ſay with Saint Auguſtine 13 13 Epiſt. 125. where S. Auguſtine refuſeth to commend vnto a wicked Husbād his godly wife that was dead, not onely becauſe ſhe deſired not his praiſe, ſaying: Laudem ab hominibus iam illa non quærit, imitationem verò tuā tantum quærit etiam defuncta, quantum te dilexit etiam diſſimilem viua ; but alſo becauſe her Husband loued Her not, which he proueth thus: Nam utiq ſi amares, cum illa eſſe poſt mortem deſiderares, quod profectò non eris, ſi quàlis es, talis eris. , that they deſire more the Imitation, than the Commendation of their vertues: and therefore to tell you the truth (as the ſame Father doth his friend) you ſhould neuer haue heard mee commend this deceaſed Lady, but in hope, that Gods Graces in Her might by this meanes, ſuruiue in your religious Imitation, and not only in you and all them that are of Her bloud; but alſo in all them that haue heard or ſhall reade this Sermon. This is all the gaine I looke and pray for, that Gods 14 14 Ier. 23. 22, 28. 1 Pet. 4. 11. Tit. 2. 8. 2 Tim. 2. 15. 1 Tim. 4. 13. & 6. 3. word, which I haue faithfully alledged (not without ſome Illuſtrations (I confeſſe) borrowed from the holy Fathers 15 15 – Ingenuo pudore qui ornabat ætatem, quid cuius eſſet, confiteri … Illud (aiebat) Tertulliani, iſtud Cypriani, hoc Lactantij, illud Hilarij eſt. Sic Minutius Fœlix, ita Victorinus, in hunc modum eſt locutus Arnobius. S. Ierom. ad Heliodor de Nepotian. , whereof I need not to be aſhamed) may be conſtantly practiſed by vs all. For when all is done and ſaid, aſſure your ſelfe (Deare Sir) it is only the Life of Grace, the Grace of the Feare of the Lord can truly Honour you, or any vpon earth, ſweetly comfort you at your Death, and eternally Glorifie your Soule and Bodie in Heauen. Abandon then I beſeech you in the name of Chriſt 16 16 2 Theſſ. 3. 6. 2 Tim. 2. 19. Prou. 4. 14. 1 Cor. 5. 11. Epheſ. 5. 11. Pſalm. 26. 4, 5. & 119. 32, 36, 128. 2 Chron. 19. 2. & 20. 37. , all iniquitie, and all workers of iniquitie, yea abominate the ſweeteſt ſin, to which your youthfull affections are moſt endeared, elſe you will neuer be able to encline and enlarge them to the purſuit and practiſe of ſo excellent and Glorious a Grace as the Feare of the Lord ; becauſe this godly Feare and the impenitent Allowance of any luſt, is as incompatible as Heauen and Hell: ſo that if you ſhould hate to be diuorced from your Boſome-ſin whatſoeuer it be (which God forbid) you could haue no true right and intereſt to the precious promiſes of this and of that other life 17 17 1 Tim. 4. 8. . Thinke on this continually, and hold it your greateſt Honour, the Nobleſt imployment of your Soule, as it is indeed, to keep your ſelfe (as a King 18 18 Pſal. 18. 23. did before you.) from your iniquitie. Quod ſi tu (quod procul abſit) nolueris, ego liber ero. Epiſtola, immo concio me hæc mea, cum lecta fuerit, abſoluet. 19 19 S. Ierom. ad Caſtorin. Materteram. And ſo I reſt, being mindfull of your Vertues,

Saint Mauganthe

19. Auguſt 1626.

Praiſe is a Debt (ſaith Gregory Nazianzen 20 20 Orat. 25. fol. 439. Rom. 13. 7, 8. ) and it muſt be paid, not to men alone, but to women alſo; yet not to euery woman, be ſhee neuer ſo noble, wittie, wealthy or faire 21 21 Non poſſumus reprehendere diuini artificis opus; ſed quem delectat corporis pulchritudo, multo magis illa delectet venustas, quæ ad imaginem, Dei eſt intus, non foris comptior. S. Ambr. Inſtit. Virg. c. 4. Prou. 11. 22. Eccle. 11. 2. … Homo igitur mihi non tam vultu quam affectu admirands emineat atque excellat: vt in his laudatur, in quibus etiam Deus prophetico iudicio laudatur de quo ſcriptum eſt Pſal. 66. 5. Terribilis in conſiliis ſuper filios hominum; cuius opera coram Deo luceant, qui bona iugibus operibus facta contexat. Id. ib. cap. 3. , vnleſſe ſhe be godly withall: For fauour is deceitfull, and beautie is vaine; but a woman that feareth the Lord, ſhee ſhall be praiſed .