Three heavenly treatises, concerning Christ [brace] 1. His genealogie, 2. His baptisme, 3. His combat with Sathan : together vvith deuout meditations, for Christian consolation and instruction / by Mr. William Cowper ...

TO THE RIGHT Noble Lord, Iohn, Earle of Montrose, Lord Graeme and Mug∣dok, one of his Maiesties most Honourable Priuy Counsell in this Kingdome.

My Lord,

I Haue beene bold to pub∣lish these Treatises, vn∣der your Honourable name, not for any light, that by them can accresse to that trea∣sure of knowledge, which is in your Noble minde, but that (so farre as I can) I might make euident to others, for imitation, that grace which

God hath made so eminent in you.

I may truely say, there is no qua∣litie, which in the iudgement either of learned Ancients, or recents, hath beene required, to complete Nobili∣tie, lacking in you. Your honour being not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 onely, Noble by birth; but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 also, generous by manners, such as retaine, yea, by ver∣tue encreases, the honour of your ho∣nourable Fathers. It passed among the ancient wise men in a prouerbe, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: be∣cause commonly it fals out, that chil∣dren of worthy men, comming short of their fathers vertue, derogates to their glorie: aequat rara patrem soboles: And therefore in them qui clariores genere cens••ntur, it was euer thought an high commendation, maiorum fa∣mam sustinere; like as no greater shame can be to them of that ranke, then when by their ignoble life, they quench the light of their noble stock, et generi suo dedecori sunt.

It is now twelue hundreth years

since your honourable name hath beene famous in this kingdome: but which is much more, and wherein, in my iudgement, it is marueilous, the first mention of your Tribe, in the story, doth not record the rising ther∣of from a small estate vnto an high∣er, as it doth in many Peeres of the land, who for their vertue also were aduanced; but at the first sight, it pre∣sents your worthy Predecessor stand∣ing in the highest top of Honour, wherein a subiect can be: for not one∣ly was he then brother in law to king Fergus the 2. but for his Wisedome, Valour, & Manhood, by consent of the Nobles, both Scots & Picts, then gathered to battell, he was chosen, as meetest Chieftaine, to demolish that diuision-wall of Abircorne, stretching from the East sea, to the West, built first by Victorine, and fortified there∣after, more strongly, by Gallio, both of them Romane Lieutenants; but more victoriously, first & last, broken down by the valiant Graeme, in presence

of both the Kings, that so a way might be prepared to their armies, to make irruption vpon the Romans, for which, vnto this day, the remanents of that worke, beares the name of Graeme his ditch, when himselfe is gone. Facta ducis viuunt, operosaquè gloria re∣rum. Haec manet.

It is true, there are many honour∣rable families in this land, who com∣municate with you in the same name: but that this is the honour of your house, is euident, not onely by the lands, bordering with that wall, pos∣sessed as yet by your L. and was, as the story recordeth, one of the mo∣tiues why that waighty charge was committed to your worthy ancestors; but in this also that the remanant fa∣milies, who come vnder the commu∣nion of the same name, hold lands of your house, from which, as from a most ancient stocke, they as sproutes and branches, haue growne and sprung out.

And of this, as it is euident, that

your honourable house is more anci∣ent then the Chronicle can declare, so doth this greatly increase the glo∣ry of it, that it hath continued in ho∣nour euer since, euen to the daies of your noble Father of famous memo∣ry, who for fidelitie to his Prince, loue to his Countrey, equity toward all men, after he had borne many other offices of honour, was in his olde age honored to be his Maiesties high Commissioner, and also great Chan∣cellor of this kingdome: his house like the open court of Ahasuerus his palace, wherein hee banquetted his people, euer plenished▪ and patent to such, as pleased to resort.

In a word, no lesse honourable in this Kingdome hath your Familie beene, then the Tribes either of Leontis, or Aeantis, among the Athenians, for their feates of armes, and glorious vi∣ctories atchieued in battell; or among the Romanes, these fiue principall fa∣milies, Vitellij, Fabij, Antonij, Potitij, Mamilij, who for their most ancient

discent, were called Aborigines.

But howsoeuer these be great things, yet are they not the greatest, which doe commend you, Virtute de∣cet, non sanguine niti. It is a miserable pouertie, where a man hath no mat∣ter of praise in himselfe, but must bor∣row it from others.

Miserum est aliorum incumbere famae.

Yea, the more honourable the pa∣rentage is, the greater is the shame of him that degenerates from it, and so becomes indignus genere.

Perit omnis in illo Gentis hono••, cuius laus est in origine sola.

Here then is your greatest praise, that as you are, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, lineally discended of so Noble, and ancient, a stocke (for no writ, nor memory of man, can re∣cord the interruption of your Line) so are you the vndoubted heyre of those vertues, which shined in them, Wise∣dome, declared in doubtsome and diffi∣cult matters: Manhood, tryed, as we

say, in discrimine: Truth, fit enim quod dicitur, your words are sufficient war∣rants to such, as know you. Noble manners: Veram nobilitatem testantur facies & mores: these are Insignia numi∣na diuum.

And beside these, beautified with other two rare graces, wherunto they, in regard of their times, could not at∣tain, at least, in the like measure, Pietie and Erudition: your honour being learned, not onely in the common languages of the most famous coun∣tries of Europe, but in the three most renowned languages, whereby as yee haue attained to the knowledge of li∣berall Sciences, so doe ye stil conserue and dayly encrease it, by diligent rea∣ding, and conference with the lear∣ned: who for learning are loued, and honoured by you:

Nam quae mox imitere legis nec des••nit vnquam, Tecu•…•… •…•…rataloqui, Tecum Romana vetustas.

That which the wise K. Salomon said of Beauty without discretion, the like may be said of Honour without Eru∣dition;

It is as a ring in a swynes snout: and therefore hath the learned, ex∣pressed Erudition, by the name of hu∣manitie, both because the care and stu∣dy of Sciences, is committed to man onely, among all the creatures, and for that man without Erudition, is li∣ker a beast, then a man. Turpe est vi∣ro principi parem dignitatisuae virtutem non afferre.

And these two, Honour, and Eruditi∣on, shine so much the more cleerely in you, that they are both crowned with singular and vnsimulate Pietie, both professed, and practised, and that in a time of reu••lting, & great defection: yea, in most dangerous places, euen there where Sathan hath his throne: for this is no small argument of true religion, deepely rooted in your heart, that hauing trauelled through Italy, Rome, and other parts of the Popes Dominions, heard, and seene all those allurements, which carrieth away instable minded men, not roo∣ted, nor grounded in Christ, after

the loue of that richly busked Babi∣lonish Whoore, your Lordship hath returned home vnspotted, neither burnt with their fire, nor blacked with their smoake: not vnlike those three children, who came forth out of Nabuchadnezzars fire, and had not so much as a smell thereof on their garments.

This Pietie, euen in the iudge∣ment of them, who had no more but Natures light, was esteemed the high∣est matter of a mans praise, maiorem virtutem religione, & pietate in Deum, nullam in humano genere inueniri quis∣que sibi persuadeat. The reason here∣of is giuen by Diuines, illuminate with the light of the word, to be this, that by Pietie, and holinesse of life, we as∣cend ad primarium illud bonum vnde originem traximus: and therefore the same father speaking in the praise of Cyprian, affirmes, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. And indeede, since we are the genera∣tion

of God made, to his image, what greater glory can man haue then to conserue that image, and be like vn∣to him, to whose similitude hee was made? Vna itaque nobilitas imitatio dei.

Goe on therfore right Noble Lord, follow the course, which yee haue happily begunne; shew your selfe the kindely sonne of so worthy Fathers: aboue all, the Sonne of God, by the new generation; his worke-manship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes. Keepe in minde that warning of our Lord, Much will be required of him, to whom much is giuen: as the double portion obliged the first borne to the greater seruice, other∣waies, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. In all your waies looke vp to the Lord, hee it is, that exalts them of lowe degree, and puts downe the mighty from their seates, turning their glory into shame, who vse not their glo∣ry to honour him.

Pittifull proofes whereof wee haue

in this fearefull earthquake (as I may call it) going through this countrey, by which many Castles, Houses, and Lands, spewes out their inhabitants, shaking off the yoke of their ancient Lords, and rendring themselues to be possessed of their seruants, because they haue also cast off the yoke of the Lord their God, or at least not wel∣commed his grace, offred in the Gos∣pell, as it became them. The consi∣deration whereof, I doubt not, doth affect your Lordship, as it doth others who are become wise through the feare of God, and learnes by the losse of others to gather their thoughts, and make peace with him, whose praise it is, that he buildes houses to men, and vpholds them: for by him enterprises are established.

And herewithall remember Right Noble Lord, that as trees, on tops of hils, are subiect to the blast of euery winde, so men in the height of ho∣nour to great temptations; against which they haue neede to be armed.

But least I seeme Monere memo∣rem, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, more laborious then neede requires, I end: Humbly praying your Lordship to accept these small, and scarse-ripe fruit of my labours, as a testimony of my affection to your Honour, till it may please God some bet∣ter token come into my hand, whereby to declare it.

Your Lordships to command, M. WILLIAM COVVPER Minister of Perth.

Notes

• Ouid.
• Ouid.
• Claudian.
• Aul. Gal.
• Plato in Epino.
• Nazian. Orat. 33. in laud. Hiero.
• Chrisost.
• Luke 1. 52.
• Hos. 4. 7.
• 2 Sam. 2.