Catholique divinity: or, The most solid and sententious expressions of the primitive doctors of the Church. With other ecclesiastical, and civil authors: dilated upon, and fitted to the explication of the most doctrinal texts of Scripture, in a choice way both for the matter, and the language; and very useful for the pulpit, and these times. / By Dr. Stuart, dean of St. Pauls, afterwards dean of Westminster, and clerk of the closet to the late K. Charles.

Mors optima est perire, dum lacrymant Sancti.

Seneca in Hypol.

SOmething is to bee given to Cu∣stome, something to Fame, to Na∣ture, and to Civilities, and to the ho∣nour of deceased Friends. For that man is esteemed to dye miserable, for whom no friend, no relative sheds a tear, or payes a solemn sigh. I desire to dye a dry death, but am not very desirous to have a dry Funeral. Some flowers sprinkled on my grave would do well, and comely; and a soft showre to turn those flowers into a springing memory, or a fair rehearsal, that I may not go forth of my doors as my servants carry out the entrails of Beasts. But that which is to bee saulted in this particular is, when the

grief is immoderate and unreason∣able; and Paula Romana deserved to have felt the weight of St. Jeroms se∣vere reproof, when at the death of every one of her children shee almost wept her self into her grave. But it is worse, yet when people by an ambiti∣ous and a pompous sorrow, and by ce∣remonies invented for the ostentati∣on of their grief, fill Heaven and Earth with exclamations, and grow troublesome, because their friend is happy, or themselves want his com∣pany.

It is certainly a sad thing in Na∣ture to see a friend trembling with a Palsie, or scorched with Feavers, or dried up like a Potsherd with immo∣derate heats, and rowling upon his uneasie bed without sleep, which can∣not bee invited with Musick; nothing but the servants of cold death, poppy, and weariness, can tempt' the eyes to let their curtains down, and then they fleep only to taste of death, and yet wee weep not here: The solemn op∣portunity for tears, wee choose when our friend is faln asleep, when hee hath laid his neck upon the lap of his

mother, and let his head down to bee raised up to Heaven: This grief is ill placed, and undecent.