صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

THE

CHRISTIAN'S DEFENCE

AGAINST THE

FEARS of DEATH.

WITH

Seasonable Directions

HOW TO

Prepare Ourfelves to DIE well.

Written Originally in FRENCH
By the late Reverend Divine of the Proteftant
Church of PARIS,

CHAR. DRELINCOURT:

Tranflated into ENGLISH

By MARIUS D'ASSIGNY, B.D.

The Thirteenth Edition newly Corrected: With
an Account of the AUTHOR, and his LAST
MINUTES.

LONDON:

Printed for D. MIDWINTER and A. WARD,
R. WILKIN, A. BETTESWORTH, R. ROBINSON,
J. PEELE, B. MOTTE, and J. LACY.

M, DCC, XXXII.

[ocr errors][merged small]

THE

PREFACE

TO THE

Christian Reader.

TH

HE true Character of Monfieur Drelincourt, the Author of thefe excellent Meditations, we find published by Mr. Bayle in his great Historical Dictionary, &c. as followeth:

Charles Drelincourt, Minifter of the Church of Paris, was born the 10th of July, 1595, at Sedan, where his Father was admitted to an honourable Office, being Secretary to Henry Robert de la Mark, Duke of Bouillon, and Sovereign Prince of Sedan; afterwards he was advanced to be Secretary to the chief Council of that City. His Son Charles was put to study Ethicks and Divinity in that University; but was fent to Saumur to compleat his Philofophy under Mr. Duncan. He was ordained Minifter in June 1618, and began the Exercise of his Function near Langres, continuing there until he was called to the Church of Paris in March 1620. He was married in the Year 1625, to an onely Child of a rich Merchant of Paris, called Monfieur Balduck, who had newly embraced the Proteftant Religion. Providence bleffed him and his Wife with a numerous Iffue, he having had Sixteen Children by her; and gave no lefs Succefs to his Ministry. His Sermons were very powerful: But his chief Talent was in comforting the Sick, and performing all other neceffary Offices of a careful Paftor. He was very faithful and zealous, in refpect of his own Congrega-. tion and others; his Judgment being always defired in Matters of Moment. We cannot fufficiently commend the Services he has rendered to the Church of

[blocks in formation]

God by his many Writings he hath published; whether we examine his Books of Devotion or of Controverfy. There is fo much Piety contained in the former, and fo many excellent Texts of Scripture explained in the latter, that many Religious Perfons both have, and daily do find seasonable Confolations. That which he hath written against the Church of Rome, hath wonderfully ftrengthened the Proteftant Profeffors. For by the Arguments that he brings, the Ignorant and Unlearned have been able to confound the Monks and Priefts, and to maintain the Principles of their Religion against the subtileft Miffionaries. So that his Writings have caused him to be esteemed the Scourge of the Roman Difputants. Nevertheless, as he was beloved of the contrary Party, fo he was highly efteemed by the greateft Lords of the Reformed Reli gion, as the Duke de la Force, the Marefchals of Chatillon, de Gaftion and Turenne, and by the Lady de la Tremouille, &c. He had alfo great Respect paid him by the frequent Vifits of Ambaffadors from feveral foreign Princes and States.. He was a Person who expreffed a particular Efteem and Veneration for the Church of England, as appears by his Letters to Dr. Durel. He died the 3d of November 1669, in fuch an excellent and devout Difpofition of Mind, as may be expected in a Perfon who was animated with an holy Zeal, and had with an unwearied Diligence confecrated all his Study and Labours to the Glory of God and the Service of his Church. He was more frequent in Prayer towards the Conclufion of his Life: And when he was private and alone, he never heard the Clock ftrike, but he fell upon his Knees in Prayer to God.

This is the approved Character published of our eminent Divine, after a long Experience and Practice amongst departing Souls and in the Houfes of Mourning, at the Request of fome of his Congregation, who mightily approved of the proper and feafonable Arguments that he made use of to fortify

dying Perfons against the Apprehenfions of Death; fuitable to their Conditions and Temper, he pubkfbed this Book of Confolations. About Twenty Editions have been Printed in France, and one at Avignon, in the Pope's Dominions, with a Suppreffion of the Reverend Author's Name. How many Impreffions have been published in Holland, Germany and elsewhere, I cannot determine. We find it tranflated into feveral Languages, but was not in our Mother Tongue, until, at the Request of the Author's Son, now Dean of Armagh in Ireland, I tranflated it into English: What Reception it met with amongst us, let this Thirteenth Impreffion declare. I fhall therefore judge it needless, after fo many publick Teftimonies of an univerfal Approbation, amongst Chriftians of all Profeffions, to speak any thing in Commendation of this Defence against the Fears of Death. How ferviceable it may be to Divines in Funeral Sermons, in vifiting the Sick, the Poor and Afflicted, and how proper to be left as Legacies to furviving Friends at Funerals, I leave to others to judge, who fhall fincerely defire to promote the Salvation of Souls.

And now I cannot but take fome Notice here of the high Efteem and Commendation that a late Apparition, too well attested to be flighted, bath given of this Book. An exact Account of it you have in the printed Relation hereunto prefixed. To reject all Narratives of this kind as fictitious, argues, in my Judgment, as great an Error,Weaknefs and Prejudice, as to believe all that is reported of Apparitions. This comes to us cloathed with all the Appearance and Circumftances of Truth, that

A 3

« السابقةمتابعة »