A16333:437
A16333:437
Mr. Bolton's last and learned work of the four last things death, judgement, hell, and heaven. With an assizes-sermon, and notes on Justice Nicolls his funeral. Together with the life and death of the author. Published by E.B.Mr. Boltons last and learned worke of the foure last things death, iudgement, hell, and heauen. With an assises-sermon, and notes on Iustice Nicolls his funerall. Together with the life and death of the authour. Published by E.B.
London: printed by George Miller, 1632
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Tantùm divinis cultibus serviamus. August. de Temp. Serm. 251. Soli divino cultui vacemus. Idem Ibid.
Eaque tantum faciat quae ad animae salutem pertinent. Hierom. in Cap. 56. Isa.
Nay the whole Church of England hath this threescore years and above complied exactly with antiquity in this point in the Hom. of the place and time of prayer: These are the words, GODS people should use the Sunday holily, and rest from their common and daily business: and also give themselves wholly to heavenly exercises of GODS true religion and service. And yet for all this, you are so wise in your own conceits; ye will none of this saving folly, you are no such fools, as after so long liberty to fall •o any such strictness.
Nay the whole Church of England hath this threescore yeares and above complyed exactly with antiquity in this point in the Hom. of the place and time of prayer: These are the words, GODS people should use the Sunday holily, and rest from their common and daily businesse: and also give themselves wholly to heavenly exercises of GODS true religion and service. And yet for all this, you are so wise in your owne conceipts; ye will none of this saving folly, you are no such fooles, as after so long liberty to fall •o any such strictnesse.
Secondly, suppose a Minister should counsel you when you come home from the house of GOD, to take your Bibles, and call both your wives and children to the comparing together, and conferring upon those things which were taught: That the husband should exact of the wife, and the wife ask of the husband those things that were there spoken and read, or at least some of them: That you should set this law to your selves to be kept inviolably, and not only to your selves, but also to your wives and children: that you would spend that one whole Day of the whole week, whereon you meet to hear the Word, in meditation ⟨p. 250⟩of those things which are delivered: I say now in this case your carnal wisdom would resolutely condemn such counsels, as contrary to the counsel of great houses, as a way to become a By-word to the whole Country, and as savouring too rankly of a foolish strictness, and needless singularity. And yet this was totidem verbis, wise, holy advise above twelve hundred years ago: For it giving the counsel, I have but rendered Chrysostom word for word in diverse places. Hom. 5. in Matth. In Eph. Serm. 20. Hom. 2. in Joan. Hom. 5. ad Popul. Antioch.
Secondly, suppose a Minister should counsell you when you come home from the house of GOD, to take your Bibles, and call both your wives and children to the comparing together, and conferring upon those things which were taught: That the husband should exact of the wife, and the wife aske of the husband those things that were there spoken and read, or at least some of them: That you should set this law to your selves to be kept inviolably, and not onely to your selves, but also to your wives and children: that you would spend that one whole Day of the whole weeke, whereon you meet to heare the Word, in meditation ⟨p. 250⟩of those things which are delivered: I say now in this case your carnall wisedome would resolutely condemne such counsells, as contrary to the counsell of great houses, as a way to become a By-word to the whole Country, and as savoring too rankly of a foolish strictnesse, and needlesse singularity. And yet this was totidem verbis, wise, holy advise above twelve hundred yeares agoe: For it giving the counsell, I have but rendred Chrysostome word for word in diverse places. Hom. 5. in Matth. In Eph. Serm. 20. Hom. 2. in Ioan. Hom. 5. ad Popul. Antioch.
Thirdly, If Preachers should press you to plant, and preserve Family Duties in your house, Prayer, and reading Scriptures, evening, and morning, Singing of Psalms, &c. and you of greatest means may best spare time for such blessed businesses. Would not your wisdoms think this more then need: And that it would be a foolish thing, and much against your profit, to rob your selves, and servants of so much time from your worldly affairs? And yet here I could produce four or five Fathers above a thousand years ago, pressing this point, and punctual for my purpose. ⟨p. 251⟩Besides Ambrose quoted in my Book of Walking with 1God, pag. 67. Here other Fathers, Basil, Origen, Chrysostom, August.
Thirdly, If Preachers should presse you to plant, and preserve Family Duties in your house, Prayer, and reading Scriptures, evening, and morning, Singing of Psalmes, &c. and you of greatest meanes may best spare time for such blessed businesses. Would not your wisedomes thinke this more then need: And that it would bee a foolish thing, and much against your profit, to rob your selves, and servants of so much time from your worldly affaires? And yet here I could produce foure or five Fathers above a thousand yeares ago, pressing this point, and punctuall for my purpose. ⟨p. 251⟩Besides Ambrose quoted in my Book of Walking with 1God, pag. 67. Here other Fathers, Basil, Origen, Chrysostome, August.
Fourthly, If you were moved by the Ministry, to restore every half penny that you have any ways, at any time got wrongfully, or by any wicked means, or that you detain unjustly from any man: And then casting your eye back, and considering, How you are grown hastily rich, and by what ways you are come to a great deal of wealth, should find very foul works: would you not force your selves by a strong counter-plea of carnal reason, not to believe the point, and think it extreme madness at the instance, and prating of a precise companion, which understands not the world (for so or in the like manner would you speak) to part perhaps with a good part of ⟨p. 252⟩your estate? And yet Austins Rule of above twelve hundred years standing, and confirmed concurrently by all Divines to this day, is, That Non tollitur peccatum nisirestituatur ablatum; No restitution, no remission. And our own Church tells us in the second exhortation before the Communion: That without readiness to make restitution, and satisfaction for wrongs done, the Sacrament as often as you come, doth nothing else but increase your damnation.
Fourthly, If you were moved by the Ministery, to restore every halfe penny that you have any waies, at any time got wrongfully, or by any wicked meanes, or that you detaine unjustly from any man: And then casting your eye backe, and considering, How you are growne hastily rich, and by what waies you are come to a great deale of wealth, should finde very foule workes: would you not force your selves by a strong counter-plea of carnall reason, not to beleeve the point, and thinke it extreame madnesse at the instance, and prating of a precise companion, which understands not the world (for so or in the like manner would you speake) to part perhaps with a good part of ⟨p. 252⟩your estate? And yet Austins Rule of above twelve hundreth yeares standing, and confirmed concurrently by all Divines to this day, is, That Non tollitur peccatum nisirestituatur ablatum; No restitution, no remission. And our owne Church tels us in the second exhortation before the Communion: That without readinesse to make restitution, and satisfaction for wrongs done, the Sacrament as often as you come, doth nothing else but increase your damnation.
Thus might I pass through all the points of Sanctification, and passages of holy life: And all the great men of the world, either in Learning, Wealth, Nobility, or Wisdom according to the flesh, would pass these censures upon them, and entertain conceits of them proportionable to that of Nicodemus about the New-birth. They will not become fools in the Apostles sense: And therefore they are soaked, and fast fettered in the gall of bitterness, and bond of iniquity; and that above ordinary.
Thus might I passe through all the points of Sanctification, and passages of holy life: And all the great men of the world, either in Learning, Wealth, Nobility, or Wisedome according to the flesh, would passe these censures upon them, and entertaine conceits of them proportionable to that of Nicodemus about the New-birth. They will not become fooles in the Apostles sense: And therefore they are soakt, and fast fettered in the gall of bitternesse, and bond of iniquity; and that above ordinary.
Thirdly, All ye great ones of the world in the sense I have said, As ye are very wise in your own conceits, and it may be truly so according to the flesh, so you are self-conceited, and soul-cozeners about your spiritual state. For you think all better then you, too precise, and all worse then you too profane; and your selves only to have happily hit upon the golden mean; and pitch upon that well-tempered moderation in Religion, whereby you may enjoy temporal happiness here, and eternal hereafter. Sleep in a whole skin (as they ⟨p. 253⟩say) and with a good conscience: Live the life of pleasures, and die the death of the righteous. Whereas to be so conceited, is the very complement and perfection of folly: And the very same attempt as to make two parallel lines to meet. You think ye have a reach beyond the Moon: To lie in some sweet sin, and yet to nourish in your selves some hope of salvation. To have two heavens, one in this world, and another in the world to come, which was never heard of: to wear two crowns of joys: whereas JESUS CHRIST himself had the first of thorns. But alas! Beloved, if you be saved in this condition, you must have a new Scripture, and there must be found out another way to heaven, then any of the Saints ever went since the Creation or shall do to the end of the world. And therefore we may say of you as Quintilian some where, of some deluded with an overweening conceit of themselves. That they might have proved excellent Scholars if they had not been so persuaded already: So if you did not think falsely, your selves safe already, you might be saved. But while you thus hug the golden dream of your mistaken states to GOD-ward like the Pharisees, the very Publicans and Harlots shall go into the Kingdom of heaven before you, Matth. 21. 31.
Thirdly, All ye great ones of the world in the sense I have said, As yee are very wise in your own conceits, and it may be truly so according to the flesh, so you are selfe-conceited, and soule-couseners about your spirituall state. For you thinke all better then you, too precise, and all worse then you too prophane; and your selves onely to have happily hit upon the golden meane; and pitch upon that well-tempered moderation in Religion, wherby you may enjoy temporall happinesse here, and eternall hereafter. Sleepe in a whole skin (as they ⟨p. 253⟩
Fourthly, you that are great in the world in the four forenamed respects, and meant in the Text; cannot possibly down with, and digest downright dealing and the foolishness of preaching as it is called, vers. 21. And that utterly undoes you. ⟨p. 254⟩You like well enough, nay and much approve, and applaud such Sermons as King JAMES censures, in the reasons of his directions for preaching, &c. which he there calls a light, affected, and unprofitable kind of preaching, which hath been of late years (saith he) taken up in Court, University, City, and Country,—whereby the people are filled only with airy nourishment, &c. and I warrant you, not especially hating to be reformed or disquieted, for these are not wont to discover your consciences, nor disturb you in your present courses, they never terrify you with any forethought of the evil day, neither torment you before the time: but now let a man come with the foolishness of preaching, by which it pleaseth GOD (saith the Apostle) to save them that believe, with demonstration of the Spirit, and of power, and come home to the conscience: if he suffer not Satan to revel in the blood of your souls without resistance, nor see you post furiously towards eternal fire, but will tell you that the pit of hell is a little before you: In a word, if he take the right course to convert you, and show you therefore only your spiritual misery, that you may be fitted for mercy, &c. O such a fellow is a dangerous man, a terrible and intolerable Teacher, able to drive men to distraction, despair, self-destruction; he breaths out nothing but damnation, and his searching Sermons are as scorching as the very flames of hell! Fit phrases for the Devil himself, railing in a drunkard, or scoffing Ishmael against faithfulness in preaching; and if you know where or ⟨p. 255⟩when such men preach, (and it may be you entertain some intelligence for that purpose to prevent the torture) you will not, you dare not hear them for your hearts, except you cannot decline it for stark shame; or for a time or two to satisfy your curiosities, but as S. Paul saith, you become their enemies, because they tell you the truth:
Fourthly, you that are great in the world in the foure forenamed respects, and meant in the Text; cannot possibly downe with, and digest downeright dealing and the foolishnesse of preaching as it is called, vers. 21. And that vtterly undoes you. ⟨p. 254⟩
to which truth not to have listened in this day of your visitation, will hereafter (when it is too late) torment you more than ten thousand fiery Scorpions stings, and gnaw upon your consciences with unknown and everlasting horror. Alas! Beloved, what mean you? You will give your Physician leave to tell you the distempers of your body: the Lawyer to discover unto you any flaw in your deeds: your horse-keeper to tell you the surfeits of your horses: nay, your huntsman the surrances of your dogs: and shall only the Minister of GOD not tell you that your souls are bleeding to eternal death? Preposterous and prodigious incongruity!
to which truth not to have listened in this day of your visitation, will herafter (when it is too late) torment you more than ten thousand fiery Scorpions stings, and gnaw upon your consciences with unknowne and everlasting horrour. Alas! Beloved, what meane you? You will give your Physitian leave to tell you the distempers of your body: the Lawyer to discover unto you any flaw in your deeds: your horse-keeper to tell you the surfets of your horses: nay, your hun•sman the surrances of your dogs: and shall onely the Minister of GOD not tell you that your soules are bleeding to eternall death? Preposterous and prodigious incongruity!
If it be thus then, that of all the several sorts of1 great men mentioned before (by reason that they are beset with such variety of snares, entangled in so many temptations, so much taken up by the world, and for other reasons rendered already) very few are called, converted and saved, my counsel in a word unto all such, is CHRISTS own word, Luke 13. 24. Strive to enter in at the strait gate, lay violent hands upon flesh and blond, strangle your lusts, contend and *wrestle as for the Garland in the Olympian Games, to which the word seems to allude, become fools in the ⟨p. 256⟩worlds censure, that you may be wise in the mystery of CHRIST; be little and vile in your own esteem, that you may be great and gracious in the eyes of GOD. In a word, submit your souls to the sword of the Spirit, and foolishness of preaching, (as the Apostle calls it) that you may be wrought upon savingly, and brought into the good way, and that by such works, and ways as these.
If it be thus then, that of all the severall sorts of1 great men mentioned before (by reason that they are beset with such variety of snares, entangled in so many temptations, so much taken up by the world, and for other reasons rendred already) very few are called, converted and saved, my counsell in a word unto all such, is CHRISTS owne word, Luke 13. 24. Strive to enter in at the strait gate, lay violent hands upon flesh and blond, strangle your lusts, contend and *wrastle as for the Garland in the Olympian Games, to which the word seemes to allude, become fooles in the ⟨p. 256⟩worlds censure, that you may be wise in the mystery of CHRIST; be little and vile in your own esteeme, that you may be great and gracious in the eyes of GOD. In a word, submit your soules to the sword of the Spirit, and foolishnesse of preaching, (as the Apostle cals it) that you may be wrought upon savingly, and brought into the good way, and that by such works, and waies as these.
Upon which before I enter, give me leave to give you an account, why at this time I labour rather to work upon your consciences for your personal conversion, than as heretofore to tender unto you counsels and considerations, for a more conscionable deportment in your several public places. When I well weighed with my self, the truth of that principle and position in Hooker, That it is no peculiar conceit, but a matter of sound consequence, that all duties are by so much the better performed, by how much the men are more religious, from whose abilities the same proceed. And finding by experience of all ages, and most of all in these worst and woeful times, that men of public employment and in high places, until there be infused into their souls by the Spirit of grace an internal supernatural principle and divine habit to work by, untill aliquid CHRISTI (as they say) be planted in them by the power of the Ministry, they cannot possibly be universally through, and unshaken. Some strong affection, fear, favour, or some thing, will make them fly out and fail in some particular very foully. Upon extraordinary temptation they will serve the times, and their ⟨p. 257⟩own turns: for▪ alas! as yet their spirits are not steeled with that heavenly edge, and mighty vigour, as to set to their shoulders against the torrent of the times, and not to be overflowed with it. I say, upon this ground I have advisedly chosen to assay and follow this way at this time: for, if once you turn on the LORDS side in truth, you are won for ever to an invincible constancy, and conscionableness in an uniform, regular and religious discharge of your public duties: and will ever hold fast without partiality, cowardliness, or fear of mans face, that brave and noble resolution, Ut fiat justitia, ruat coelum, let heaven and earth be blundered together with horrible confusion, before I make shipwreck of a good conscience, or be any ways drawn to do basely. Being incorporated into the rock of eternity JESUS CHRIST blessed for ever, you will stand (like unmoveable rocks) against the corruptions of the times, and all ungodly oppositions; and never before. For, in the mean time (say Ministers what they will) you will not be moved; but you hear our discourses of a faithful discharge of your places, as ye would hear a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice;
Upon which before I enter, give me leave to give you an account, why at this time I labour rather to work upon your consciences for your personall conversion, than as heretofore to tender unto you counsels and considerations, for a more conscionable deportment in your severall publike places. When I well weighed with my selfe, the truth of that principle and position in Hooker, That it is no peculiar conceipt, but a matter of sound consequence, that all duties are by so much the better performed, by how much the men are more religious, from whose abilities the same proceed. And finding by experience of all ages, and most of all in these worst and wofull times, that men of publike imployment and in high places, untill there be infused into their soules by the Spirit of grace an internall supernaturall principle and divine habit to worke by, untill aliquid CHRISTI (as they say) be planted in them by the power of the Ministry, they cannot possibly be universally thorow, and unshaken. Some strong affection, feare, favour, or some thing, will make them flie out and faile in some particular very fowly. Upon extraordinary temptation they will serve the times, and their
they leave no more impression upon your consciences, than a sweet lesson upon the Lute in the ear, when it is ended; for, then both the vocal and instrumental sweetness dissolve into the air, and vanish into nothing: It is too truly so with our Sermons upon your souls. Hear your character in GODS own words unto the Prophet; They come unto thee, as the people cometh, and they sit before me as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness: ⟨p. 258⟩and lo, thou art unto them, as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for, they hear thy words, but they do them not. Let us lift up our voices never so high, or cry never so loud: and •ll Judges, That they ought not to be afraid 1of the face of man, for the judgement is GODS: that in judgement, they must neither respect the person of the 2poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: that they should not only hold their hands from gross bribes with Epaminondas, who (as the story tells us) refused3 great presents sent unto him, although he was poor, saying, If the thing were good, he would do it without any bribe, because good: if not honest, he would not do it for all the goods in the world. But they must also be of Austins judgement, that not only money, gold and silver, or4 presents (as they call them) are bribes; but the guilt5 of bribery also may be justly imputed, even to any exorbitant affection, which sways a man aside from an impartial execution of justice: as love, fear, hatred, anger, pusillanimity, worldliness, desire of praise and applause, which is Austins instance, &c. That they beware of bringing more blood upon the Law by sparing the spiller of blood. For ble•d (saith GOD) it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it: that they must not look upon the cases which come before them only through the spectacles of a favourite, &c, and tell Justices of Peace, that they must be truehearted patriots, and not servers of themselves, and their own turns: that they must be serious, real, and grave; not only formal, not cyphers, not unnobly light in their behaviour on the Bench:
that they must ever aim at the public good, and never at their own ⟨p. 259⟩particular and private ends: that they should disdain and scorn at any time to combine factiously, or for a petty bribe to uphold a rotten cause, a pestilent alehouse, or lewd companion; and ever join with an unanimous magnanimity to honour GOD, and do their Country good. And tell the Lawyers, that they should not make hast to be rich, for so saith Solomon, they shall not be innocent, nor swallow down gold too greedily, least it turn to gravel, and the gall of asps within them; and they be enforced to vomit up the riches (as Job speaketh) they have heaped together so hastily, either by remorse and restitution in the mean time, or with despair, and impenitent horror here after: that to oppose and wrangle against a good cause, or undertake the defence of a bad; are both equally most unworthy the very moral virtue of an honest Heathen; that they must not learn to spin out the causes of their clients from Term to Term, and wire-draw their suits until they be utterly undone; that they should not now be taking instructions from their clients, when they should themselves here in the House of GOD be instructed to the kingdom of heaven: had they this morning received a message from the Almighty, that at night they should appear before that high and everlasting Judge to give an account for all things done in the flesh; if they be not Atheists, or Papists, O with what eagerness and violence would they have attended, adderest, and applied themselves to the present opportunity! and little do we know what the evening may bring forth. For, assure your selves, there is no man so assured of his riches, or life, but that he may be deprived of one or both the very next day or hour to come. And tell the jurors and sworn-men, ⟨p. 260⟩that they should rather die than draw the blood of any mans life, livelihood, or good name upon their own consciences, either by acquitting the guilty, or betraying the innocent. Here (had I time) I would intimate unto you a mystical, but mischievous packing sometimes in choice of jury-men. I have seen (I speak of that which was long since, and at a Sessions) some of the choicest drunkards in a Country chosen for that service.
that they must ever aime at the publike good, and never at their owne ⟨p. 259⟩
Now is it not a pitiful thing, that Country businesses should be put into the hands of such as labour industriously, and with equal cunning, to plague an honest man, and deliver a drunkard? I say now, all this while, we thus discourse unto you, earnestly endeavouring, and with a thirsty desire to do you good, and direct you aright, and by a divine rule in the several duties proper to your places: we do but plough in the sea, and sow in the air (as they say) except the immortal seed of the Word hath first moulded you anew, and ye be brought by the foolishness of preaching out of the warm sun into GODS blessing, and from the fools paradise of worldly wisdom, into the holy path of sincere professors; and thereupon prize and prefer the peace of a good conscience before all the gold in the West, and preferments in the world; which blessed change from nature to grace, is wrought by such stirrings of the soul, and footsteps of the spirit as these: lend me, I beseech you, (while I pass along them) something more than ordinary attention: for, I know they will seem strange things to all such great ones as are intended in my Text, and those who live at rest in their possessions, and have nothing to vex them. The natural stoutness of their spirits will disdain and scorn to stoop to such uncouth humiliations, ⟨p. 261⟩and this mighty change. And the more they are men of the world, and wise according to the flesh, the greater repugnancy and reluctation shall they find in their affections against these spiritual workings, which makes the point good which was proved before. But yet without them in truth and effect (I define not the measure and degree, GOD is a most free agent) they can never become either gracious men, or good Magistrates. They must upon necessity become such fools, or they can never be wise unto salvation.
Now is it not a pitifull thing, that Country businesses should be put into the hands of such as labour industriously, and with equall cunning, to plague an honest man, and deliver a drunkard? I say now, all this while, we thus discourse unto you, earnestly endeavouring, and with a thirsty desire to do you good, and direct you aright, and by a divine rule in the severall duties proper to your places: we do but plow in the sea, and sow in the aire (as they say) except the immortall seed of the Word hath first moulded you anew, and ye be brought by the foolishnesse of preaching out of the warme sun into GODS blessing, and from the fooles paradise of worldly wisdome, into the holy path of sincere professours; and thereupon prize and preferre the peace of a good conscience before all the gold in the West, and preferments in the world; which blessed change from nature to grace, is wrought by such stirrings of the soule, and footsteps of the spirit as these: lend me, I beseech you, (while I passe along them) something more than ordinary attention: for, I know they will seeme strange things to all such great ones as are intended in my Text, and those who live at rest in their possessions, and have nothing to vex them. The naturall stoutnesse of their spirits will disdaine and scorne to stoupe to such uncouth humiliations,
1. If any of you then would come out of Satan's clutches into the arms of CHRIST, he must be enlightened, convinced, and cast down with sight, sense, and trouble for sin, as in my art of comforting afflicted consciences I have showed.
1. If any of you then would come out of Satans clutches into the armes of CHRIST, he must be illightened, convinced, and cast downe with sight, sense, and trouble for sinne, as in my art of comforting afflicted consciences I have shewed.
they leave no more impression upon your consciences, than a sweet lesson upon the Lute in the eare, when it is ended; for, then both the vocall and instrumentall sweetnesse dissolve into the aire, and vanish into nothing: It is too truly so with our Sermons upon your soules. Heare your character in GODS own words unto the Prophet; They come unto thee, as the people commeth, and they sit before me as my people, and they heare thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousnesse: ⟨p. 258⟩and loe, thou art unto them, as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for, they heare thy words, but they do them not. Let us lift up our voices never so high, or cry never so lowd: and •ll Iudges, That they ought not to be afraid 1of the face of man, for the judgement is GODS: that in judgement, they must neither respect the person of the 2poore, nor honour the person of the mighty: that they should not onely hold their hands from grosse bribes with Epaminondas, who (as the story tels us) refused3 great presents sent unto him, although he was poore, saying, If the thing were good, he would do it without any bribe, because good: if not honest, he would not do it for all the goods in the world. But they must also be of Austins judgement, that not onely money, gold and silver, or4 presents (as they call them) are bribes; but the guilt5 of bribery also may be justly imputed, even to any exorbitant affection, which sways a man aside from an impartiall execution of justice: as love, feare, hatred, anger, pusillanimity, worldlinesse, desire of praise and applause, which is Austins instance, &c. That they beware of bringing more bloud upon the Law by sparing the spiller of bloud. For ble•d (saith GOD) it desileth the land: and the land cannot be clea•sed of the bloud that is shed therein, but by the bloud of him that shed it: that they must not looke upon the ca•ses which come before them only through the spectacles of a favourite, &c, and tell Iustices of Peace, that they must be truehearted patriots, and not servers of themselves, and their owne turnes: that they must be serious, reall, and grave; not onely formall, not cyphers, not unnobly light in their behaviour on the Bench: