Samuel Hieron's "Worldling": a funeral sermon, 1618 and the controversy over eulogies.

After the Reformation, English clergymen debated the efficacy of funeral eulogies. Some believed they flattered the deceased and might be seen as prayers for the dead. Because the bereaved wanted to hear about the goodness of their beloved, most preachers gave eulogies, some in a generalized form for Godly imitation, not expressing the deceased's individuality.