166 The Reputation of; Vol. I. Men are contented that his Imperfe&ions fhould be buried in his Grave with him. Death bath put him out of the reach of Malice and Envy, his Worth 'and Excel- lency does nowno longer Eland in other mens light ; his great Virtues are at a diftance, and not fo apt to he brought into Comparifon, to the prejudice and dif advantage ofthe living ; mortui non mordent ; The Example of the dead, is not fo cutting a reproof to the Vice of the living ; the Good Man is removed out of the way, and his Example, how bright foever, is not fo fcorching and troublefom at a diftance ; and therefore Men are generally contented, to give him his due Chara&er. Befides, that there is a certain Civility in Humane Nature, which will not fuffer Men to wrong the dead, and to deny them the jut' commendation of their worth. Even the Scribes and Pharifees, ( as bad a fort of Men as we can well imagine) though they were juft like their Fathers in perfecuting and flaying the Prophets, while they were alive ; yet had they à mighty Veneration for their Pi- ety and Virtue, after they were dead, and thought no Honour too great to be done to them. They would be at the Charge of raifing Monuments to the Me- mory of thofe Good Men, whom their Fathers had flail] ; and whom they would certainly have ufed in the very fame manner, had they either lived in the days of thofe Prophets or thofe Prophets had lived in their days, as our Saviour plainly told them. All that now remains is, to draw fome Inferences from what bath been laid, by way of Application ; and they (hall be thefe Three. I. To vindicate the Honour and Refpe&which the Chriftian Church, for many Ages, bath paid to the Memory of thefrrfl Teachers and Martyrs of our Religion. .2. To encourage us to Piety and Goodnefs, from this Confideration ; that the righteous 'hall be in everlafling remembrance. g. That when we pretend to honour the Memory of Good Men, we would be careful to imitate their Holinefs and. Virtue. z. To vindicate the Honour, which the Chriftian Church hath for many Ages done to the fie and Martyrs of our Religion ; I mean more efpecially to the Holy Apoflles of our Lord and Saviour; to whofe Honour, the Chriftian Church bath thought fit to fet apart Solemn Times, for the Commemoration of their Piety and Suffering, and to ftir up others to the imitation of them. This certainly can with no good colour, either from Scripture or Reafon, be pretended to be unlawful; and when David here fays, the righteous 'hall be in everlafiing remembrance, he can:îot certainly be thought to exclude the molt fo- lemn Way of commemorating their Piety and Virtue. I do not preterid, this Cuftom can be derived from the very firft Ages of Chri- flianity ; but furely it is fufficient, for the lawfulnefs of it, that it is no where forbidden ; nay it is rather required here in the Text; the belt way to preferve the Memory of Good Men, being thus to commemorate them. And it may be of great Ufe to us, if it be not our own fault ; the .letting before our eyes, the holy Lives of Excellent Men, being in its own nature apt to excite us to the Imitation of them. Befides that I could tell you, that though this cannot be proved fo ancient, as fome vainly pretend ; yet it is of great Antiquity in the Church, and did begin in fome of the bell Ages ofChriftianity. Memoria Martyrum, the Meetings of Chri- flians at the Tombs of the Martyrs was praetifed long before the degeneracy of the We fiern Church ; and the Chriftians were wont at thofe Meetings, folemnly to commemorate the Faith and Conftancy of thofe Good Men, and to encourage tliemfelves from their Examples. 'I know very well, that this did in time degenerate into grofs Superftition, which afterward gave colour and occafion to that grofs and Idolatrous Practice in the Church of Rome, of Worfhipping Saints. But this Abufe is no fufficient Reafon for us, to give over the Celebrating of the Memory of fuch holy Men, as the A pòflles and Martyrs of Chrift were; and propounding them to our felves for our Patterns. We may frill lawfully give them theirdue Honour; tho' the Church of Rome bath fo over-done it, as to robGod of his. 2. Let
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