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                              THE PRAISE OF A
                                GODLY WOMAN.


                 A Sermon preached at the Solemne Funerall
                 of the Right Honourable Ladie, the Ladie
                 FRANCES ROBERTS, at _Lanhide-rock-Church_
                      in _Cornwall_ the tenth of
                               August, 1626.

                                    By

                    HANNIBALL GAMON, Minister of the word
               of God, at S^t. _Maugan_ in the same Countie.


                              _1 Cor. 4. 5._

  Therefore iudge nothing before the time, vntill the Lord come, who
  will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse, and will manifest
  the counsells of the hearts, and then shall euery man haue praise of
  God.


                            _Galath. 3. 28._

           { Neither Iew nor Greek,
  There is { Neither Bond nor Free,
           { Neither Male nor Female, for yee are all one in Christ Iesus.


                         S^t. Hierom. Eustoch.

   _----In seruitute Christi nequaquam Differentia sexuum valet,
   sed mentium._


                           Idem ad Principiam.

  _Non facie vllam inter Sanctas Feminas Differentiam, quod Nonnulli
  inter Sanctos Viros & Ecclesiarum Principes, stulte facere
  consueverunt._

                                  LONDON,

  Printed by _I.H._ for _Iohn Grismond_, and are to be sold at his shop in
               _Ivie-Lane_ at the signe of the Gunne. 1627.



                                TO THE TRVLY
                             NOBLE IOHN ROBERTS,
                          Son and Heire to the Right
                      Honourable RICHARD _Lord_ ROBERTS
                     of _Truro_: the Vnualuable Riches of
                     sincere Grace here, and of Eternall
                              Glory hereafter.


                                HONOVRABLE SIR,

  Although it bee true (which a       |
  worthy Diuine[a] obserueth) that    | [Note a: M^r. _Bolter_ Disc. of
  formall Hypocrites are heartned and | true Happinesse, p. 61.]
  hardned in their lewd courses &     |
  false conceits of happinesse, when  |
  they heare more infamous Sinners    |
  than themselues, gloriously and     |
  flatteringly commended at their     |
  Deaths; yet we need not feare any   |
  such bad effect by the              |
  Funerall-commendation of Gods true  |
  Saints; because the publike         |
  Testimonie of their iust Praises    |
  doth not onely make the wicked more |
  inexcusable, and the Glory of Gods  |
  Graces shine farre brighter to      |
  Posteritie; but also enkindleth in  |
  the hearts of the godly a greater   |
  fire of Zeale for imitation. These  | [Note b: _Psalm. 37. 37. Deut.
  are some of the Ends, why it hath   | 34. 7, 10, 11, 12. Hebr._ 3. 2. &
  euer been and is still an           | 11. cap._]
  vnreproueable Custome in Gods       |
  Church, that the Godly should be    | [Note c: _2 Chron. 32. 33._]
  _Marked_[b] and _Honoured_[c] at    |
  their Deaths, as _Hezekiah_ was by  |
  all _Iudah_ & _Ierusalem_:          |
  _Valentinean_, _Satyrus_ and        |
  _Theodosius_ by Saint _Ambrose_[A]: | [Note A: _S. Ambr. tom. 3._]
  _Basil_, _Gregory_ and _Gorgonia_   |
  by _Nazianzen_[B]: _Nepotian_,      | [Note B: _Greg. Nazian._
  _Paula_ and _Marcella_ by _S.       |         { 30.
  Ierom_[C]. Had not their Holy Liues | _Orat._ { 28.
  and Happie Deaths beene published   |         { 25.]
  by such vnpartiall Pens, wee should |
  haue bin ignorant now of many       | [Note C: _S. Ierom._
  excellent Courses of sanctified Men |           { _Heliod._
  and Women, of many comfortable      |           { _Eustoch._
  workings of the Holy Ghost in them, | _Ad_      { _Princip._
  and should haue wanted many         |           { _Ocean._]
  inflaming Motiues to follow their   |
  religious steps. Vpon this          | [Note d: _Testor Iesum cui illa
  consideration I was bold to commend | seruiuit & ego seruire cupio, me
  vnto Gods people the more than      | utramq, in part[=e] nihil fingere;
  Ordinary passages of your           | sed quasi Christian[=u] de
  Honourable Mothers Holy Life and    | Christiana quae sunt vera proferre,
  Death: wherein I haue as a          | id est, Historiam scribere non
  Christian spoken the truth of a     | Panegyricum. S. Ierom, Epitaph.
  Christian, that is, (as Saint       | Paulae._]
  _Ierom_[d] protesteth in a like     |
  case) made a true Narration; not a  |
  Vain-glorious Panegyrick. Let Poets |
  and Oratours praise those women,    |
  which _Poppaea_-like[e], are graced  | [Note e: _Poppaea cuncta alia fuere
  with all other things sauing a      | praeter Honestum animum. Tacit.
  Gracious Heart: Let them commend    | Annal. l. 13._]
  their Wit, Wealth, Beautie,         |
  Nobilitie, and other Gifts of       |
  Fortune (as they call them) in      |
  stead of