A SERMON PREACHED AT S. MARTINS Church in the Fields.  
AT THE funeral of the Lady blunt, the 6. day of December, An. Dom. 1619.  
LONDON, Printed by Bernard Alsop for John Hodgets. 1620.   

A SERMON PREACHED AT S. Martins in the Fields.  
welbeloved in Christ Iesus, here are two objects presented before you; the one, unto your eyes, the other, tendered unto your ears: the one, the sad spectacle of Death, which is the state of Desolation,( if we consider it in itself;) the other, is the Word of Life, which is and ought to be our special consolation and comfort against Death: For the performance whereof, albeit some perhaps expect, that I should speak of Death natural, and Resurrection corporal; yet I haue thought good rather( vpon some special Occasion) to make choice of a Text that speaketh of Life spiritual, and of the first Resurrection, which Saint John speaketh of in the twentieth Chapter of his revelation; where he saith: Blessed and holy is he, 
Apocal. 20.6.  that hath part of the first Resurrection, for on such the second Death hath no power.  
Concerning this first Resurrection, I haue chosen for my, Text an Example taken out of the fourth of Saint Iohns gospel, the nineteenth, twentieth, and one and twentieth Verses, which is the Text I mean to speak briefly of. The words are these: John 4.19, 20, 21. 
The Woman said unto him: Sir, I see that thou art a Prophet.  
Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.  
Iesus said unto her: Woman, beleeue me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor at jerusalem, worship the Father.   
IN these words are contained part of a Dialogue, 
Three Degrees tending to the conversion of the Samaritan.  or Dispute between our saviour Iesus Christ, and this same convert of Samaria. In the Woman of Samaria, we are to consider three Degrees, whereby she was brought to conversion: two whereof are contained in her words, in the first place; and the third, in the answer of our saviour Iesus Christ unto her question.  
1. The first Degree, is the dim sight she had of the prophetical Office of Iesus Christ, contained in these words: The Woman said unto him; Sir, I perceive that thou art a Prophet.  
2. The second containeth her care of true Religion, under a dark Cloud of an objection she made to our saviour Iesus Christ, concerning the manner of the Worship of God, in these words: Our Fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.  
3. The third sheweth her Resolution, in the words of our saviour Iesus Christ, and his answer to the former objection, wherein no doubt she restend; expressed in these words: Iesus said unto her; Woman, beleeue me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor at jerusalem, worship the Father.  
These are the three degrees whereby it pleaseth the wisdom of the holy Spirit of God to bring this woman to a more full resolution of true Religion; first concerning the first: I mean to bee brief in all.  
1 In the first degree we are to consider three things, a compellation of reverence, where she calleth him, Sir.  
2 Secondly, an apprehension of intelligence, in these words, when she saith: I see and perceive.  
3 Thirdly, a confession of his office prophetical: I perceive thou art a Prophet.  
First, concerning the first, in that she honoured Iesus Christ, that had reproved her before in the precedent part of this Text, Chrysostome noteth, That she shewed much wisdom and a notable example for all men and women to follow; that though they be reproved for error, yet notwithstanding, they should not take it grievously, they should not go away discontentedly: as Chrysostome saith. This woman did not go away in anger, nor did she use any contumelious or reproachful speech against our saviour: but rather honoured him, and said; Sir, I perceive thou art a Prophet. Hard it is to bear reprehension, though never so justly deserved; and more difficult, to give honour to the reprehender: but this woman doth both; she taketh this admonition in good part, and giveth honour to Christ.  
Concerning the second part of her apprehension, in understanding; she saith, I see thou art a Prophet: this is referred( as divines say) not to the sight of the body, but of the mind; she saw no more in the body, before faith, then this, That Iesus was a jew: for when Christ did ask to drink of the water she came to draw, she then answered in scorn and disdain; How cometh it to pass, that thou being a jew, dost ask drink of me a Samaritan? She doth disdain him; for there was no good correspondency between the Iewes and the Samaritans, as appeareth in the ninth verse of this Chapter: for the Samaritans were a schismatical kind of people; they would in prosperity take part with the Iewes, and be of their kindred: but in time of adversity, either relinquish, or stand against them.  
This Samaritan, Christ made a true Christian; therefore she ought to be an example, not to persist obstinately in former ignorance: when it pleased God to show some light of truth, she made a true confession; I perceive more then I did before. 
So did S. Peter, Act. 10.34. So S. Paul, 1. Tim. 11.13. So S. August. in his Retract, Sen. Epist. 76.  Some remain ignorant; because they haue seen nothing in youth, they will learn nothing in age, and therefore continue in blindness still. Quidest stultius, quàm quia diu non disceris, non discere? Tam diu discendum quàm diu nescias. What is more fond( saith Seneca) then because thou hast not learned of long time, now not to learn at all? So long shouldst thou learn, as thou art ignorant. This woman did not so, she was a Proficient. Many hear the Word of God, and do not profit by it; but she did profit by it, and profess that she profited: even as it pleased God to open the eyes of this worshipful Lady, to see that which she had not seen, and to declare with thankfulness the light which she had received.  
Thirdly, in that she confessed the Lord Iesus Christ to be a Prophet, she maketh a true confession. I will not stand to dispute with Abulensis, whether Christ were a Prophet or no; for I haue made it plain here in my ordinary exercises, that Christ was a Prophet, and more then a Prophet: he was the Prophet, the more includeth the less. This woman cometh to her knowledge by degrees; after this, she came to further knowledge of Christ, as that he was the messiah, verse 9. the great Prophet of whom Moses saith, 
Deu. 1●. 15.1●  A Prophet shall the Lord raise up unto you like unto me, him shall ye hear: for it shall come to pass, that the soul that heareth not that Prophet shall be rent from among you. This Commination, this threatening, is against them that will not hear the great Prophet, Iesus Christ. Thus much for the first degree of her conversion.  
The second degree wherein shee profiteth in Christian Religion, is, in that to clear her conscience from the Cloud of dubitation, she objecteth to Iesus Christ, and saith: Our Fathers worshipped in this mountain; but you say, jerusalem was the place where men ought to worship. Here is the objection: shee leaveth it to the wisdom of Iesus Christ, concerning the truth of the diuers opinions that were between her, and the Iewes, she leaveth that to Christ, to determine and set down in his just Iudgement.  
Here is great constancy in this convert: first, in that shee tarrieth by Christ, till shee were fully instructed; and doth not go, as soon as she met with a Prophet: she doth not run into the town( as afterward she did) to tell the people whom she had seen, and what she had heard; but she first seeketh to heal her own conscience: this sheweth great patience and prudence in this convert. Besides, shee sheweth, shee hath a care of her soul more then her body: shee came to draw water, but having met with the Prophet, and more then a Prophet, she thinketh no longer of the original water, but of the spiritual and celestial; and therefore moveth a question of Religion: having a Prophet, shee maketh use of his presence, and gifts; moveth a controversy to him, that could well determine it. This controversy was not concerning God himself; for both parties, the Iewes and Samaritans were resolved, that there was but one true God: secondly, that this God appeared to the patriarches, and that this true God was to bee worshipped with inward and outward worship; this was not the controversy: but the question was, of the place where God was to bee worshipped; concerning that, there were two opinions, the one of the Samaritans, and the other of the Iewes, both which this woman propoundeth distinctly: Our fathers( saith she) worshipped in this mountain; and you( that are Iewes) say, jerusalem is the place. Here she setteth down who were the two parties, and which were the places: The parties, the Samaritans, and the Iewes; the places, the mountain Geresim, and jerusalem. She concealeth not the Argument which both use; the Argument of the Samaritan: Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; the Argument of the Iewes, jerusalem is the place where they should worship: so she doth propound these points to the consideration of our saviour Iesus Christ. I will not stand to describe the diversity of dispositions of the Iewes and Samaritans, nor speak much of the place of Mount Geresim, and jerusalem. I am not ignorant that the Scriptures and Iosephus afford diuers observations of both places. But one thing concerning Mount Geresum is remarkable; that besides that it was the place that the Patriarks worshipped in, it was that mountain in which the blessings were pronounced: therefore if we respect any place for holinesse and antiquity, this is the place, in the Samaritans opinion. She bringeth her Argument, that seeing the Patriarks worshipped here, the Mount Geresim was better then the Iewes jerusalem. And mark how she doth two things: First, she doth insist and build herself vpon the authority of the Fathers: Secondly, she extenuates the authority of the Iewes, with, Ye say, jerusalem is the place: which was a strange kind of course of the Samaritans; they extolled the inferior and weaker Argument, and extenuated the better, which was built vpon the Scriptures: she amplifieth the authority of the Fathers, which she proposeth, and opposeth, and postposeth; and diminisheth the authority of the Scriptures, which was for the Iewes. But Iesus Christ our saviour doth sharply say, in way of reprehension, Ye worship ye know not what: We know what we worship, salvation is of the Iewes; the Iewes had the Word of God, for God reserved the choice of the place of his worship to himself, & left it not to men to choose, as appeareth in Deut. 12.11, 14. in these words; The place which the Lord your God shall choose: which place was jerusalem, after the ark was removed from Silo; where it continued, till God by miracle and special revelation of his glory, established the Temple at jerusalem to be the place of his Worship, as appeareth evidently, 2. Chron. 6. and 7. chapters, at large.  
Therefore the IEes had the express warrant of Gods Will and his Word for the place of their worship, and Religion; which was a better ground& foundation, then could be put off and slighted with a ( Vos dicitis:) for not onely the Iewes said it, but God himself had said it, and established it. But I make hast, because of the Time. I would note to you, the error that seduced her, was, to insist altogether vpon this place, though it had been a good and holy place otherwise: For after the Lord had established jerusalem, it was no good Argument to press the fathers examples; after God had by his open approbation expressed his choice, she should not haue opposed the authority of the fathers, against the Father of fathers. This was an error to neglect that which God ( A quo omnis paternitas in Coelo& Terra, 
Ephes. 3.15.  of whom all fatherhood is in heaven and earth) and amplify that which the fathers said or did. This the aduersaries of the gospel do, under pretence of the like authority and argument. This woman supposed Christ would give sentence either against her, or against the Iewes; so that either Mount Gerisim, or jerusalem, should be appointed for the only place of worship: for shee was persuaded, that true Religion was to be fixed to some place, and but to one place; but which that place was, whether the one or the other, of that she desireth resolution. Our blessed saviour according to his divine wisdom answereth( as after ye shall understand) contrary to her expectation: That the exercises of Religion were to be used in other places, then jerusalem, or that mountain.  
The Argument of such antiquity maketh a great show, but is neither any essential mark of the Church, nor any proper note of the Truth: not essential, because the Church was in the beginning a true Church without it; neither proper, for that the Heathens and ethnics urged it against Christians: therefore solely, and by itself, it sufficeth not to prove the Truth.  
For the ethnics, 
In Epist. ad Theodosium. And Ambros. Epist. 30. lib. 31  Symachus saith, Si longa aetas authoritatem religionibus conciliat, servanda est ●ot seculis fides,& sequendi sunt nobis parent●● 〈◇〉 secuti sunt felicitur suos; If( saith he) long age procure to Religion authority, we are to follow those parents, which happily did imitate theirs. And Lactantius saith, 
L●ctan 2. lib. Institut. dium. cap 6.  Tanta est Authoritas vetustatis, vt inquirere in eam scelus esse ducant; So great is the authority of antiquity( with the Heathen, saith Lactantius) that they think it great wickedness to make any question of it.  
xaverius the Iesuite, 
xaverius lib. 4 Epist. Acosta de Indor. Salute. lib. 2. cap. 18.  and Acosta confess, That the Indian Heathen haue no greater impediment to hinder them from receiving Christian Religion, then the Argument of their ancestors, and custom: So that this Argument hath been and is common to ancient and modern Pagans and ethnics. Ambrose, Augustine, and Arnobius, were wont to answer, That Religion was not to be esteemed by antiquity, but by verity, which is the life and soul of Antiquity; without which, Antiquity is but a dead carcase: for that is true Antiquity, that respecteth the ancient of dayes, Dan. 7.13.  
Our saviour Christ, 
Mat. 19.3.  in the question of divorce, reuoketh the pharisees,( pretending Antiquity from Moses Authority) to the first Institution; Abinitio non fuit sic, From the beginning it was not so.  
In questions therefore of faith, we must not judge by a later prescription, but reduce them to the Scriptures, which are most ancient, and there seek out the certain truth.  
In Ezechiel, 
Ezech. 20.18, 19.  God forbiddeth his people to follow their Idolatrous fathers statutes, and commandeth them to walk in his Precepts, and observe his judgements.  
The Fathers were wont to appeal to such Antiquity, as was joined with truth.  
Ignatius saith, 
Ignatius Epist. 6. qua est ad Philadelph. justin. apolog. 2  {αβγδ}. Iesus Christus mihi pro archiuis est; Iesus Christ is my Antiquity. justin saith, Consuetudinem veritati posthabere {αβγδ} esse, To prefer custom before Truth, is madness. Tertullian, 
tart. Apol. contra gent. c. 47.  Sine diuina Literatura nullius momenti esse antiquitatem; Without divine Literature, antiquity is of no moment. Antiquior omnibus veritas ni fallor; The Truth, 
Idem contra mere. cap. 5. ( saith Tertul.) is more ancient then all, except I mistake it. The same Father giveth this rule; 
tart. de veland, virg. cap. 1.  Id verius quod prius, id prius quod ab initio, id ab initis quod ab apostles. again, in another place he saith: Veritati nemo praescribere potest; non spacium temporum, non patrocinia personarum, non priuilegia Regionum: No man can prescribe against the truth; not space of times, not patronage of persons, nor privilege of Regions.  
Carolus Sigonius speaketh of our case in this Text, 
Sigonius de Repub. Heb. lib. 2. cap. 6.  Eligebat Deus( inquit) duas urbes cultus sui; Silo in Samaria,& jerusalem in judea: God choose( saith he) two Cities of his worship; Silo in Samaria, and jerusalem in judea: In that, saith he, he placed his Tabernacle; in this, founded his Temple: rejecting Silo, he loved jerusalem. Samaria, nevertheless challenged the praise of divine worship to itself, because that the Name of GOD was first there called vpon. The Iewes contrariwise drew that dignity to themselves; God did prefer Sion, that is to say, jerusalem, before Silo.  
jansenius saith, 
Cornel. jansen. in hunc Textum.  That this Samaritan woman contended for the antiquity of the place of divine worship, and objected the example of Abraham& the Patriarks; the Iewes contrariwise defended their worship, by the authority of the Prophets, and the divine Word: The Samaritans seemed to themselves, to insist in the steps of antiquity.  
To conclude, Saint jerome saith, 
Hierom in jer. 9  Noc parentum, nec maiorum, error sequendus est, said authoritas Scripturarum, 
Arnob. Contra gent. lib. 2.  & Dei docentis imperium. Arnobius saith, Authoritas non tempore aestimanda said numine; We must not esteem authority( saith Arnobius) by Time, but by divine direction.  
And so much concerning this Argument, and pretext of antiquity.  
For as concerning true antiquity, which ought to bee reduced to the prophetical and apostolical Doctrine, vpon which the Church is builded; 
Ephes. 2.  the Aduersaries of the gospel, and Maintainers of unwritten Traditions, haue it not at all, in those Cases and Points, wherein they differ from the Professors of the gospel of Iesus Christ, who called himself Truth, and not custom, as diverse of the Fathers observe.  
I come to the Resolution, that is, the third general part, which giveth light to all the rest: Our saviour Iesus Christ saith to the Woman, Beleeue me, the time cometh, that neither in this mountain, nor jerusalem, they shall worship the Father.  
1. First, In these words our blessed saviour first requireth belief; Woman, beleeue me.  
2. Secondly, He sheweth and revealeth the time, and saith; The time cometh.  
3. Thirdly, He sheweth, That both these Opinions of the Samaritans and the Iewes are to be abrogated; Neither in this mountain, nor jerusalem, they shall worship the Father.  
4. Fourthly, Christ setteth down an establishment of Truth: They shall not worship indefinitely, they shall worship with a special and comfortable resolution and revelation of God the Father in Iesus Christ; Neither in this mountain, nor jerusalem, shall they worship the Father.  
1. Concerning the first point( for I will but point at every one of them, and that shortly, because of time:)  
It is certain, whosoever will come to God, must first beleeue, that God is. In the eleventh to the Hebrewes, the Apostle saith, Without faith it is impossible to please God: Therefore Christ requireth faith, and saith, Woman, beleeue me; that is to say, whatsoever the Samaritans say on the one part, and the Iewes say on the other part,( for the Samaritans pretend the authority of the Fathers, and the Iewes allege the Word of God for the onely place of Worship) yet Woman, beleeue me: This knowledge is nothing without me; I am a Prophet, Beleeue me. It is a good argument: If wee yield, that Iesus Christ is a Prophet, we ought to harken to him; Except we beleeue, wee shall not understand: Therefore many understand not, because they beleeue not; Nor do beleeue, because they pray not unto God, to give those divine inclinations, to beleeue the Truth, the authentical Truth: Therefore Christ requireth the Woman to beleeue, and us with her, if we will understand the Truth.  
2. The second, is the instance, or time, The time cometh. This time Christ propoundeth, to the intent, that he would after further instruct the Woman, that he was the true messiah. It is not the superstition of the Samaritan, nor the ceremonies of the Iewes, that are to be perpetual, for they were both to cease; for all the Sacrifices of the Law ended in the messiah, whom they did( in type and figure) signify: therefore, The time shall come, that they shall neither in this mountain, nor jerusalem( onely) worship the Father. I am not ignorant, that there passed diuers Epistles between Austen and jerome, of the cessation of this legal Worship, when it was Mortua, dead, when Mortifera, deadly: but concerning the time, and those effects and validity for that time, they did Christian-like debate of in charity; but not of the use and continuance of them for ever.  
3. The third thing that Christ teacheth in this third part, is, That both the Opinions of the Samaritans and Iewes, concerning the restraint of the public Worship of God to one place onely( excluding others) was now to cease: for neither of these determinate places of the Samaritans, or Iewes, the mountain, or jerusalem, were to be the Seat and Center of the Church; which now was to bee diffused throughout the whole World, without exception or limitation of particular place.  
Concerning the Samaritans, albeit they wanted not good intention, yet because they had no foundation or warrant of Gods Word, our saviour saith of them afterward, Vers. 22. Vos adoratis quod nescitis; You worship you know not what: Wherein he condemneth them of Ignorance, and so consequently, of Error and Superstition; their Pretext of the Patriarkes example notwithstanding.  
But concerning the Iewes, there is more difficulty: because our saviour saith of them in the fore-named Verse, Salus ex judaeis est; salvation cometh of the Iewes: 
Rom. 3.2.  for they had the Oracles of God committed to them; to them appertained the Adoption, and the Glory; the covenants, and the giuing of the Law; the service of God, and the Promises: the Fathers were theirs; of whom, concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, 
Rom. 9 4.  GOD, blessed for ever, Amen: as the Apostle speaketh in the ninth to the Romans, the fourth Verse. Therefore their prerogatives were great, and many; especially, if wee further consider the amplitude of the Promises made unto the Church of the Iewes, as they appear in diverse places of the Word of God: As in these; 
Psal. 46.6. Psal. 72.17. Psal. 89.30.  God is in the midst of her, therefore shee shall not bee moved: And her Name shall continue for ever, as the sun; and his Seat shall be as the dayes of heaven: And this is my covenant, saith the Lord, My Spirit which is in thee, 
Esay 59.21.  and my words which I haue put in thy mouth, shall not depart from thy mouth, nor from the mouth of thy Seed, saith Iehouah, from this time forth for evermore.  
Many more Promises there be, of this nature and extent, made to the Church of the Iewes, in the Old Testament: and yet for all these Promises, and privileges, there was a time, when in persecution the Prophet thought he had been left alone; 
1. King. 19.18.  albeit almighty God in his answer unto him, sheweth, That he had reserved to himself seven thousand, that had not bowed their knees to Baal, neither had their mouths kissed him.  
If therefore this Church, which was called and counted the Ioy of the whole Earth; if this faithful city became a Harlor; if the jewish Church, by their perfidiousness, broken the covenant that God made with their Fathers: What marvell is it, that our saviour in the gospel justifieth of them, That they should be ejected, and cast out of the kingdom, though they be called Children of the kingdom? 
Mat. 8.11.  filii Regns eijcientur, The Children of the kingdom shall be cast out.  
What assurance then hath any one place in the World( which hath no such Promises) that the Church shall bee fixed and tied to that one place, without fear, or doubt of forfeit, or change? especially, seeing the contrary is taught in the New Testament,( lest they should seek an evasion in that distinction, as some do) by the lamentable case of the Church of the Galathians, in the Apostles own time, and the most of the Churches by them planted, afterward fallen: and likewise, by the careful Admonition of the Apostle to the Romans, 
Rom. 1.8.  whose faith was published throughout the whole World; to take heed, 
Rom. 11.20, 21  That seeing God spared not the natural Branches of the true olive, lest he spare not them which were Branches of the wild olive: and therefore wished them, not to bee high minded; but rather, to fear.  
And so much concerning the Opinion of this topical, typical, or local Religion and Worship of God; which our saviour sheweth to be fully abrogated, by his coming: so that now Christ hath made both one, 
Ephes. 2.14.  and hath broken down the middle wall of Partition between us; and gave equal Commission to all and every of his Apostles, to preach the gospel to all Nations, to baptize them, and to teach them to observe all things whatsoever he commanded them: without restriction or limitation of any one Place, or dependence vpon any one Person.  
And this is the true sense of the Church catholic, or universal; howsoever some do arrogate that Name or Title to one Church, more then to the rest, contrary to the truth of this Doctrine.  
4. The fourth point, the time suffereth me not to insist vpon: which is, That Christ doth not indefinitely set down, that they shall worship; but definitely, how they shall worship, with a special and comfortable revelation of God, as a Father in Christ Iesu.  
Which kind of Knowledge of God, differeth from the Pagans and ethnics; that rest not in One, but imagined a plurality and multiplicity of Gods: And from the Iewes and Turkes; which aclowledge One true and onely God, but not the trinity of Persons, nor the Office of Mediatorship of Iesus Christ: Without which, 
John 17.3.  eternal Life cannot bee attained; neither can there bee any true and comfortable apprehension of God, as a Father, nor any assurance of our Adoption, as his sons, but by Christ.  
But, as I said, the time permits me not to stand vpon this last Point.  
THus haue I run over( as the shortness of the Time, and my other Occasions would give me leave) this part of the Dialogue and Dispute: Wherein you haue heard, how our saviour, the Great shepherd of the sheep, sought to reclaim and call home this wandering and straying sheep, this Samaritan to his fold, to his Church; from Ignorance and Error, wherein shee had long lived and continued, to the right way of Faith, and the Light of his heavenly Truth.  
Let us learn by this Example, not to disdain nor neglect them, that haue or do go astray: but aclowledge with the Prophet, in the 119. psalm, I haue gone astray, like a sheep that is lost; and pray( as he doth there) O seek thy seruant, &c.  
The Prophet Esay extendeth this Confession as the voice of the whole Church, saying; 
Esay 53.6.  Wee haue all gone astray, every one his own way. Which Saint Peter repeateth: and addeth; 
1. Pet. 2.25.  But now ye are returned to the shepherd of your souls.  
Lamentable is the Error; but comfortable, the return to God: The Angels of heaven rejoice at the conversion of every sinner that repenteth; as Christ saith.  
Now therefore, seeing wee haue an Example of this conversion, not onely in this Text of the Woman of Samaria, but likewise in the Person of this worshipful Lady( vpon whose funeral wee now attend) Let him that seemeth to stand, take heed lest he fall, according to the apostolical admonition; Let them that haue run astray, learn to return, and repent, by these Examples.  
Let us give humble and hearty thankes to almighty God, for his mercy and Grace to those that are penitent: whom, as Saint Augustine saith, he ceaseth not to call; and in calling, to instruct; and in instructing, to persevere; and in perseverance, to crown with glory.  
Let us beseech God, that the evil, which hath been in any, wee may carefully avoid; the Good, wee may learn diligently to imitate, and follow, while we are here Strangers and Pilgrims in this Vale of Misery: 
2. Tim. 4.7, 8.  that after wee haue fought the good Fight, run our Race, finished our Course, and kept the Faith; wee may receive the crown of righteousness: which the Righteous judge shall give at that Day, not onely to those that are already gone before us, but also to all those that love his appearing.  
Now therefore let us pray, &c.  
AS wee sand up Prayers unto GOD, for the Prosperous and Flourishing Estate of his whole Church universal, and every Member of the same: So in particular, wee offer up the sacrifice of Praise and thanksgiving unto our merciful and gracious God, for looking vpon the Blind and Ignorant Estate of this worshipful Lady; whose funeral, of worthy Memory, wee are come together, at this present, Religiously to Celebrate.  
Touching her civil manner of living, and carriage toward all persons:  
As I understand by those who were her most Familiars, She hath left behind her many singular arguments of great commendations, for her wisdom in the same: Especially, for that Amiable and reverent Spowsall duty, wherewith Shee did always prosecute Her most worshipful Husband; for Her loving, Christian, and virtuous Care, in the education of Her Children; and for that laudable Concord, and neighbourly Affection, shee delighted to entertain with her neighbours.  
Concerning her outward Religion.  
It is true, She was ever hitherto so seduced and carried away, partly by her own ignorance, and partly by the deceiving counsels of some of her Kindred, that She was brought from the believing of the Truth, to give place unto error, and false Doctrine: until it pleased God( who hath his own designed means, and times, of bringing home his wandering sheep) to visit Her with this corporal Disease, whereinto it hath pleased Him, in his mercy, to take her away; and by the troubles of her Body, so lively to exercise the Faculties of Her soul, by making the bright beams of his Gracious Countenance, not onely to irradiate but also powerfully to beate vpon her heart: that before it pleased his majesty to close up the eyes of her Body, the eyes of her soul were illuminated so clearly, that Shee did see that Glory which before was hide from her; and did embrace most gladly those eternal loyes, which hither-to Shee did, for so long time, ignorantly cast behind Her back.  
Of the which comfortable things, I am informed not onely by many private faithful Witnesses, but also by the true Testimony of a reverend Bishop, written and confirmed by his seal of Office, to this effect: Who testifies, That in sign and token of her willing and joyful conversion, Shee had purposed( if so it had pleased God to haue prolonged her dayes) this Sabbath last, being the fift of December, to haue been present in this Church with her Worshipful Husband, at the celebrating of the Supper of onr Lord, and with him, to haue been partaker of the same.  
But God, who is onely wise, disposing otherways, in his mercy, hath put an end unto this Her perishing life; and in stead of communicating with him in his Supper, hath united and conjoined Her unto Him, by a straighter and nearer Coniunction.  
Which should put every one of us in mind of our Mortality; and stir us up, by forgetting those things which bee behind us, to aspire unto that celestial jerusalem: That as Shee is made already( as we assuredly hope) a Glorious Citizen of the same; so we having finished our course here, may be made Partakers of this high and excellent dignity, promised unto us in Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  
FINIS.