A MEMORIALL TO PRESERVE
Unspotted to Posterity the Name and
Memory of Doctor CRISPE.
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YOu that know what truth is, and doe now feare,
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You shall no more her pleasing doctrines heare,
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Since Doctor Crispe is dead, unlesse it be
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From unglosd Scripture, truths pure treasury.
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You that were lately prest with sinne, and found
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A hell in your owne hearts, you that were bound
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In errors, fetters, and could never see,
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Though you were Christians cald, your liberty
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Wherein Christ made you free, till this man drew
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Your vaile of darkenesse off, and formd you new.
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You all know how to prise his worth, and can
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Beare witnesse with me that he was a man
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That best deservd the Pulpit, that his brest
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Was full of what he spake, and did digest
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His Doctrines first in his owne heart, his braine
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Labourd with no devices or forced straine
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To please the easie people, or beget
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An audience basely by delighting it.
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He scornd that truth should stoope, or be made stale
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To vitious ends, he hated more to vaile
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Her glorious lustre, or eclipse her light
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By mingling false lights with her, cause mens sight
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Is weake and dazled at her brightnesse; no
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He migh[t] mens common errors foster so.
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Such as doe use such arts doe rather aime
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T advance themselves then truth, to get a name,
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And so a living: But this Doctor strove
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Rather to draw men up to truth and love.
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To allure them with her sweetnes, for no by-
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Respect, but their owne Soules felicity.
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He knew the power of truth, and therefore usd
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No artificiall baits, but rather chusd
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Instead of words, and the deceitfull dresse
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Of popular Eloquence, her owne nakednesse.
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Twas from his Soule he spake, and not because
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He [m]ight obtaine a Legacy, or applause,
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N[ot to] enhaunce his tithes or quarter-gifts,
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[Nor th]at he might seeme learned: such vile shifts
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And mercenary arts he did despise
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(Though much in fashion now) as a fit guise
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For holy seeming Hypocrits, who have made
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Religion not their practise, but their trade.
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Truth was his end, and each mans good his aime,
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Mens persons he respected not, but came
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Freely timpart glad tidings unto all,
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The love of God he knew was generall.
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The man in Plush and braver was no more
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In his esteeme then whom the world cals poore;
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He lookt upon mens Soules, for their array,
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Tis no part of the man whethert be gay
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Or for necessity, vertue may lie
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And oftner under rags then Taffety.
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He was compod of love, meeke as a Lambe,
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Without all affectation still the same.
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Mild in discourse, impassionate, and free
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From wild contentions of Philosophy,
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And other nice disputes; bout what is vaine,
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He troubled not his owne or others braine.
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He knew the Apostles no such customes usd,
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And therefore onely usefull Subjects chusd;
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Such as had greatest vigour to remove
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Long setled errors, and beget true love,
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To God and man: All his abilities,
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His Labour, study, health, and faculties,
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He did imploy to doe his brethren good,
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Twas chiefe of his delight, his Soules best food
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To make men reall Christians not in name,
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But in beliefe and practise, to the shame
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Of what most men that beare that title are.
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His Doctrines (though since scandald) were so farre
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From giving raines to vice, or Liberty
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To a loose life and all obscenity,
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As some that feare their trade will downe, object,
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Whose teaching on their profits still reflect:
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That theres no precepts, no instructions can
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Beget a godly life, and make a man
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An honour to that faith he doth professe,
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To abandon lust and all ungodlinesse,
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But those firme truthes he preacht; for what can more
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Perswade with men to live well and give ore
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Whatever misbeseemes them or beget
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Our Saviours owne minde in them, then to set
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Before their eyes what he for them hath done,
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His boundlesse love and his Compassion;
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How he did pay their desperate debts and free
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Their Soules from Deaths, hells, conscience, Tyranny;
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How he did dye that death they should have dyed,
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Cleared the law, Gods justice satisfied,
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Atond us with his Father, all our feares
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Dispeld, adopted us his Sonnes, Coheires
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With Christ himselfe, cast all our proud foes downe,
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Purchasd a Kingdome for us, and a Crowne;
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And all this too not when we were his friends,
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Obedient to his sacred lawes, and ends;
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But when wee were his foes, ye when we lay
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Weltring in blood and sinne, and did betray
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Our onely friend, when we did crucifie
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Our Master, and more wicked yet deny
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The Lord that bought us, that his grace might be
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Above our wonder, and our eyes might see
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That he was goodnesse selfe, and that his love
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To man, was all his other workes, above,
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Even in this state he dyed for us, and paid
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His precious bloud our ransome, then he laid
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His life downe for us and his dignity,
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That we might live to all eternity.
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This having done, and knowing twas above
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Us men to comprehend this devine love,
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(Nought being within our reach but what doth lye
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In reasons circumscribd capacity)
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Gods love extended further, knowing well
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Without the knowledge of his love, a Hell
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Would still possesse us, and a thousand feares
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Distract our mindes, and drowne us in sad teares,
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Our sinnes being ever present fore our eyes,
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Our sad Soules frighted at our conscience cryes,
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That we might not be left thus comfortlesse,
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And ignorant of all our happinesse.
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He sent his blessed Spirit to declare
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Peace to our Soules, and what our comforts are.
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Which the same Spirit hath done, to those were sent
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To tell the same to all, to the intent
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All teares might be wipt off from our sad eyes,
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And wee left fearelesse of hells miseries.
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These were his Doctrines, thus he preacht, the same
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Glad tidings from Gods blessed Spirit came.
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That Christ hath purchasd our Redemption
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Without our aid, without condition,
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That tis already done, and freely too,
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Wants no addition from what we can doe.
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Therefore lets please our lusts: Perverse man, no,
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He nor the Scripture did not conclude so.
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What wast cons[trai]nd th Apostles to deny
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All wordly lusts and to live soberly,
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To abound in all good works? What wast say you?
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The love of God constraind him so to doe.
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Why should the same love then by us be thought
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The ready way to make us vile and nought?
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The holy Scriptures motive for to tie
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Our Soules and bodies, God to glorifie,
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Is because he hath bought us with a price,
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And for us paid himself a Sacrifice.
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The greatest bond on earth is love, if so
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What greater love then this did man ere know?
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Looke on his Auditors, see their lives, and say
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Who have more vertue or more love then they.
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This was his way to allure mens Soules with sight
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Of the most glorious comfortable light
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Of Gods eternall truth, and not to aw
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Their sadned Soules, with terrors of the law,
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Or keepe em downe that so he might subject
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Their purses and obedience, and erect
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Their spirits as their contributions rose,
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He loathd such Tyrannous practises, and chose
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To make men wise and good for their owne sake,
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Strict against Vice, chiefly against such as make
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Their liberty a cloake to wickednesse,
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And turne the grace of God to wantonnesse;
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Gainst such as these, the shame of men, he would
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Expresse an anger great as good men should,
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They were the chiefest foes Religion had,
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No enemies so great as they, so bad,
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Although he knew none of them but by fame
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Of their ill life, and rumours of their shame.
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For such howere that thus abuse the free
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Goodnesse of God he knew this remedy.
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See what good Counsell first will doe, and when
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Theyle not returne, publikely shame em, then
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If they shall still persist, let justice draw
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Forth her correcting rod to overaw
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Their stubborne hearts with feare of punishment;
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If then they shall consider and relent
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With armes of love embrace them, let them see
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The difference twixt good life and vanity.
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If when all this is done they shall remaine
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Vitious men still, or shall returne againe
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To their loose life and manners, let them be
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Excluded quite from all society.
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Thus discipline should meet with vice, and free
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The Church from slander, vice, and Calumnie.
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After this briefe expresse of what is true
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Of my dead Friend, and short of whats his due,
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Let no mans forward malice strive to cast
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Dirt on his fame, or with false rumours blast
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His honest life or Doctrines, because they
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Perceive some of their audience drop away;
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If they shall yet persist and vainely shew
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They feare truth will yet thrive, let such men know
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I doe denounce em mine and plaine truths foes:
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He that can bite in verse, can sting in prose.
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