\ Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/chedtOOhoad THE LordBilhop of SALISBURY'S CHARGE, er ft In the Year MDCCXXVI. Price Six-Pence. CHARGE Delivcr'd to the CLERGY, A T T H E Primary Visitat ion Of The Diocese of S A R U M, In the Year, M DCC XXVI. —^ By B e n j a m i n, a Lord Bifloop of the /aid Diocese. LONDON: Printed for J a m e s and JohnKnapton, at the Crown in St. Tauh-Church-Tard. M dcc xxvi. CHARGE Deliver'd to the CLERGY, &c I O U know, My Brethren, that the Re- lation, I now bear to You, makes it my Du- ty, upon the prefent Occafion, to fay fomething to You. And, as this is the firft time of our coming together for that Purpofe : I think, I cannot better employ it, than by call- ing to your Minds, and my own, fome of the mod Im- portant and General Totnts, which are of equal Concern to You and Me i and of the greateft Weight to Us all in the Difcharge of our feveral Duties. And, for this good End, nothing appears to me to be more proper than I. Tq O] I. To confider our felves, not only as Chriftians, but as, Minifters of Chriji 5 and as having particularly devo- ted our felves to the Service of God, and of the Souls of Men, in the Chriftian Church. II. To confider our felves as Troteftants >, and as Mini- fters in a Troteftant Church. And III. To confider our felves as Minifters in the Church of England, peculiarly fo called, as it is at prefent Eftablifh'd amongft Us. The Divifion of our Thoughts under thefe Three Heads will be of great Ufe to Us : as it will lead Us more di- ftinclly to confider the feveral Adverfaries We have to deal with, and the true Line and Meafure of our Duty with refpect to Them ; as well as the Weight of our Of- fice, and Our great Concern in the due Performance of it. I. The fir ft and great Point, is, often to confider that We are not only Chriftians ; but Minifters of Chrift, who have voluntarily and deliberately taken upon our felves a Sacred Office in the Chriftian Church; and have devoted our felves peculiarly to the Service of Thofe Souls for which Chrift died. This C3] This is an awful and folemn Confideration, which ought to govern our whole Conduct, and fpread its influence over Every Part of our whole Behaviour. As We have chofen this Office, I truft, upon fuch good Grounds and Motives, as will j unify Us, before God, in what We fo- lcmnly declared at the firft Step We took towards it, Viz. That We trufted Wc were moved to it b) the Holy Spirit of God j it behoves Us, as much as Wc value the Favour of God, and our own Eternal Salvation, to take the great- eft Care that No One of Thofe committed to Us, fall fhort of the great Reward which all Chriftians have in their Eye. If IVe be not wanting, on our Part, towards this ; no Wick- ednefs or Wilfuilnefs of Others will be charged upon Us. But if there be any wilful Defect in our Care and Watch- f.ilnefs 5 Thofe whnperifh will not perifh without our Guilt mixt with their own : and We muft anfwer at the Great Tribunal for our Share in fo unfpeakable an Evil. But not only this. The frequent Confideration of Our felves, as Minifters of Chrift, will be an infallible Rule of Judgment and Action to Us, in every Circumftance of our Office. It will guide Us into the true Notion of the 'Dignity of it : And it will lead Us to keep up, in fome degree, our whole Conduct to that 'Dignity. There is, without doubt, a great and highly valuable T>ignity in our Office. But it is in vain, my Brethren, for Us to boaft, or fo much as to fpeak, of it, uniefs We underftand B z . what L4] what it is ; and, after We do understand it, unlefs We live and ad, as if We our felvcs were fenft- ble of it. We mult firft reverence Our felves, before We can exped that Others fhould reverence Us : Reverence our felves ;— Not by demanding outward Marks of Refpctt ; but by fuch a Behaviour, as will naturally command them, by attracting the Real Efteem of thofe around Us ; and by fuch a Conduct, as will convince all who are WitnefTcs to it, that We are in earneft, and know what We mean by the juft Value We fet upon our Office. Our 'Dignity is our nearer Relation to Chrift : And this nearer Relation is contracted by means of that parti- cular Function which We have, under his Eye, and accord- ing to his Will, deliberately and ferioufly undertaken ; the Office of helping *r>rwarH and promoting, in the World, the great End which He propofed in coming down from Hea- ven, and living and dying for Mankind. Now, all Relations to Chrift, are either our Honour, or Reproach ; our great Glory, or our great Shame ; our higher Reward, or our deeper Condemnation 5 according as We our felves behave our felves in them. A wicked Chriftian has indeed a wor. thy Name, viz, that of a Chriftian : But He himfelf has no Dignity by taking upon Him that Name, whilft He con- tinues wicked. He reflects Shame upon the beft Name in the World \ and the Name He has ailumed reflects Shame and Ignominy upon Him, whilft He (hews himfelf utterly un- worthy of it. So it is., and fo it mud be, my Brethren, with C5] wirh Us. The Office We have undertaken, is a Gloious Office j I will lay, a God-like Office, — to carry forward the T urpofes of God himfclf, in the Direction of Mankind to his Favour and their own Eternal Happincfs. There is a Dignity and an Honour in it, confider'd in this View, not to be equal'd by any of the higheft Offices of this World, deck'd out with all their Pomp and Shew. But }Ve can have no 'Dignity accrue to Us from this Office, if We be fo unhappy as openly and plainly to oppofe our felves to the main Defign of it. The higher the Honour, the greater the Dignity of the Office j. the more confpicuous will it render every wilful De- viation of ours from it. In a Word, It is impoffible, He fhould have Dignity in Himielf, or conciliate Refped and Honour to himfclf; who, making the beft and moft glorious Profeflion with his Mouth, is fecn openly to con- tradict it in the Tenor of his Conduct. He only receives a "Dignity from it, who adds fome Dignity to it, in his pro- portion, by his excellent Life and Chriftian Doctrine. And it is He only who cannot fail of procuring to Himfelf the Refpeti of All whofc Refpeft is valuable, who fhews thatHerefpects himfelf; and, not in Words but in Deeds, looks upon himfelf as more nearly, than others, related to his great Lord and Mafter. This, I fay, is one great Ufe of our confidering our felves as the Minifters of Chrifi ; that it will lead Us to the true Notion of the Dignity of our Office, in the imitation of Him whofe Minifters We have under- taken to be. And this Notion, thoroughly imbibed, and received into our Hearts, will fpread it felf over our whole Lives j [*:•) Lives; and engage Us to frame and faftrion our whole Deportment in fuch a manner, as that What is, in it /elf, the Higheft Glory, may not, thro' our own Willfulnefs, become our Shame ; and tend to our Indignity and Con- demnation, when we fhall come to appear before our Righteous Judge. But there is another and very important Ufe to be mil made of this firft and principal Point, viz. the Confideration of Our (dvcszsthe Minifiers of JefusChrifi : and that is, to be perfuaded, from thence, to take all our Directions ; all our Maxims ; all our Rules both of Life and Doctrine ; from Him alone, whofe Minifiers We profefs our felves to be. From the firft Moment of our devoting our felves to his Miniftry, We become totally engaged to him. We are no longer under any other Guidance but His. This is implied in the thing it felf. It is an Abfurdity, a dired Contradiction, to call or think our felves The Minifiers of Chrifi, unlefs We c- fteem our felves under the ftricteft Obligation to con- fult and follow Him alone as our ultimate Director and Guide. This is indeed, at once our Honour ; our Hap- pinefs ; and our 'Duty. It is our Honour ; becaufe it is our Adherence and Refemblance to Him, to whom God hath given a Name above Every Name. It is our Hap. pinefs-, becaufe We maybe fure, We cannot err, or wan. der from the Truth, or from any thing necefiary, fo as to hurt our felves, whilft We follow fuch a Guide in the Uprightnefs and Sincerity of our Hearts. And it is our 'Duty j becaufe We have made our felves his Servants and Minifiers [7] Minifters : and, as placed in fuch a Relation to Him, muft be guilty of a great and unpardonable Sin in not doing From hence it will appear to Us, that We muft throw off all regard to Our felves, to our own Wifhes or Inclinations, to our own private Opinions and Notions, any farther than as they are perfectly agreeable to his exprefs 'Declarations. And from hence it as plainly appears, that We muft not be the Followers or Minifters of Men, in any fuch Senfe as is inconfiftent with our conftant Uniform Regard to Chrift and his Will. There is no other infallible Oracle for Us, but This : And This will be fufficient for all our Purpofes, if We have no Purpofes but what become Chriftians, and arc fuitable to our Holy Profeflion. In our Lives and Con- verfations, This is common to Us with all other Chriftians, that from his Laws, from his Promifes and Threatnings, We muft take all our Rules of private Behaviour : And We have This to add peculiar to our felves, that, from the fame Director we muft learn effectually to be Examples to the Flock ; to exccll in good Works ; and to let the light of thofc good Works fo jhine before Men, that They may from them be led to glorify our Father which is in Heaven. And then, as to our breaching, and that Great Duty in- cumbent upon Us of inftru&ing Others ; how can We pofli- bly hope to do it, either with Satisfaclion to our own Con- fciences, or with the Hope of God's Favour accompanying our [ 8 ] oar Labours, unlcfs We frame and fafliion all our Teaching upon the Go/pel deliver'd by Chrift, or by his immediate "Difciples from Him ? We fay, We are the Minifters of Cbrift 5 befeeching Men, in his Name, to be reconciled to God through Him ; and to be what He has declared They ought to be, in order to be accepted by God. How there- fore, can We be the Minifters of Chrift in this Work, unlets We take all our Directions from Him : when it is fo very evident, that, as far as We neglect to do this j as far as We follow our own Imaginations and Con- ceptions, or the Imaginations and Directions of any other Uninfpired Men, without comparing them with the Will of Chrift ; fo far, We ceafe to be His Minifters or Servants, and become the Minifters of our O'xn Will and Pleafure, or of the Will of other weak Men like our felves? And how can We teach and advife and befeech Men to be reconciled to God 5 and to behave themfelves fo as to be accepted by Him ; without declaring to them thofe Terms, upon which alone They may be thus accepted ? And how can We lay before them thofe Terms, unlcfs We know them our felves \ And how can We pollibly know them our felves, but from Him, who alone had Authority from God to propofe them to the whole World, where-ever the Sound of his Goftel mould be heard ? You will forgive Me, My Brethren, if I infift upon this as the Principal of all Confiderations in which We have any Concern. It is in order to imprefs That upon I 91 rny own Confciencc, as well as Tours, without which We cannot take One right Step in our whole Duty j but under the conftant influence of which, We may be happy, and go on fecurc in the Satisfaction of doing our Duty thro' every Branch of it. I fhould cftcem my felf utterly unworthy of the Name of a Minijler of the Gofpel-, and much more fo, of the Relation which I now {land in to You ; if, in putting you in remembrance of any Inftances of your Duty, I could ever forget this Great Foundation of all ; or fhould ever ccafe to inculcate this upon Tou and My felf, That it is in vain we eall our felves the Minijler s or Servants of Chrifty unlcfs we take Him and his Gofpel, as He left it Us, for the Rule of our Preaching his Will : and that it is in vain we preach to Men the glad Tidings of Salvation, unlefs We ftudy thot'c Sacred Books in which alone thofc glad Tidings are to be found ; and ftudy them fo effectually, and with fo juft Conceptions of them, as from Them only to lay before our Hearers thofe Terms of Salvation, which They alone can teach us. And happy will it be for Us, if We continue conftant to this Rule. It will be our Guide, and our Support, in every Branch of our Office. It will over- rule our Hearts, and Practice, in every Circumftance of it. It will be a Fountain of Infallible *Direc7ions to our Flocks. And it will entitle our felves to the Favour of that Great Majler, from whofe Mouth alone we thus feek for True Knowledge. C II. The [ IO] II. The fecond General Point, I mentioned at firit, was, That We ought often to conftder our felves as ( Proteflants $ Members and Minifters of a Church reformed from the Superfiition and Tyranny of the Church of Rome. And I mention this, to put our felves in remembrance of what Length of Time, and our own feeming Security from Danger, may too often remove from our View 5 and yet, what is of great Importance to have often before our Eyes. I would not have it thought, that I intend by this to ftir up any undue Zeal, or Refentment, againft the Perfons of Any who are Members, of that Communion. I think They have the Common Right, with All others, as to their Religious Tenets, (properly fo called) to be treated with Humanity, and to be convinced only by Ar- gument. What their 'Priwriplpt \ec\A to, with refpeft tO the Civil Government 5 or what their Practices threaten 3 This is the proper Concern of the Civil Government. But as to Us, whofe only Concern, as Preachers of the Gofpel, is with their Religion, (which is to be treated by Us with Spiritual Weapons only,) the prefent Confidera-. tion will be of a double Ufe. The fir (i arifes from hence, That it is very apparent;, from the Experience of every Week, and almoft every. Hour 5 That Thofe of that Communion ceafe not, Day or Night, to perpetuate and prefs all; their antient Claims ; that They watch every Opportunity, and make ufe of every C » ] every Ait, to Ingratiate, firft Themfelves, and then their c Doclrines, to the Minds of the Unliable, and the Un- thoughtful Part of our World ; to infufc into Thofe who come in their Way, the raoft agreeable, but falfe, Notiors of their Religion ; and to feduce Many out of the Flocks committed to our Care. From hence, I fay, arifes One Rcafon for our frequent Confideration of our felves as Miniftcrs in a Troteftant Church; That We may not be lull'd afleep, whilft fuch an Enemy is [owing Tares in the Field of it ; That we may not be led to think that the antient Controverjies between Us and Them are of no Moment : but that We may frequently review them in the Courfe of our Studies; and lb thoroughly comprehend them, that We may be ready and prepared to refolve the Doubts, and anfwer the Scruples, which may at any time be artificially conveyed info the Minds of our People j and be always arm'd with every thing ncceffary to combat the Sophiftry, and to wipe off the Falfe Colourings, of the Adverfary , and fo to preferve Thofe who, without our Help, muft too probably be carried away with the fair Outfide and Appearance of things. Another Ufe of this Confideration will be, That, right- ly apprehended, it will prevent Us from giving Thofe fame Adversaries that great Advantage which they have always made Ufe of moft effectually againft Us, by preferving Us from all Inconfijiencies, in our Arguings and Practices, as Troteftants. I mean, by leading Us (as it muft do, if C 2 we L 12 ] we purfue it juftly and fmcerely) to an Uniform Set of Principles and Behaviour ; by fhewing Us the neceffity of not Claiming, .or Pra&ifing, Anything our felves, which We utterly condemn in Them ; and for the fake of which {chiefly, if not only,) We feparated from them. Withxh\s, We have nothing to fear from any the ftrongeft Attaque that can be made from that Quarter, in the Way of Debate or Argument. But without it, I will be bold to fay, They are fo well inftruttcd, and know fo well the Force of Topics taken from our WeaknelTes, and Inconfiftencies, that it is in vain to hope for much Succefs againft them : Not to mention here a very important Confideration ; That All Truth muft of neceflity be Uniform and Self-Con- fiftent. I pafs on now, III. To the laft General Point I propos'd at firft : which was, That We muft confider Our felves as Minifters in the Church of England, peculiarly fo call'd, as it is at prefent Eftablifh'd amongft Us. And this I am fo far from wifrnn CT to be ever left out of our moft ferious Thoughts, when we are confidering our Office, or our Duty ; that, I think, We are under all the Obligation to the contrary, which the Voluntary and Serious Engagement of Our Selves to this Church can poflibly lay upon Us. I have time only to mention one or two Particulars under this Head ; which yet will comprehend moft of What may, at another Opportunity, be more largely infiftcd upon. We C 13 J We have deliberately chofen, not merely Conformity to this Church, but the Minifterial T)uty in it. And if We have acted fincerely in this, as I truftWe all have; This Choice, 1 think, muft have been made, becanfe It appears to Us, (who muft be determined by our own Judgments, as Others are by Theirs} after the mod ma- ture deliberation, all things confidcred, to be the moft Unexceptionable and moft Excellent of All which have come within our View : Or, in other Words 3 a Church, in which, We truly think, We can do GOT), and the Souls of Men, moft fervice. This therefore, We are obliged, agreeably to our voluntary Engagements, to defend by our Arguments * y as Perfons always ready to give a Reafon for the Choice We have made. This we are obliged to comply with, as to Its Rules and Orders, in all our AHminiftrations } as well as to adorn by our Examples, whilft We continue Mivifters in it. In all our Defenfes of It, againft Thofe who differ from Us, on each Hand, We muft never forget the Twa- former Confiderations, that We are Chriftians, and Tro- teftants -, and that This Church is a Chriftian and a Tro- teflant Church. The View of thefe two Toints will make all our Arguments Powerful and Coniiftent. The Meek and Good Spirit of Chriftianity will govern all our Zeal ; and give it not only a Beauty, but an Effett, beyond, what it could otherwife have. And the great Foundation- ftone tHl -{lone of &ll¥ roteftanti/m laid down always for the Ground- work, will probably make whatever We mall build upon it> Uniform and Strong beyond all Danger. Thefe Two abfolutely neceflary Points, will teach us to endeavour to convince the Judgments of Thofe who differ from Us, but not to conround or injure their Terfons ; and will, at the fame time, fhew Us the Only good Method of doing it. I n our Miniftrations in this Church, Our Engagements oblige Us to keep to the Rules and Orders laid down plain- ly and exprefly in it : Which, as it is eftablifhed by Law, has by that fame Law tied Us down to the Orders and Ceremonies appointed in it ; and indeed, has effectually and plainly forbidden all other, befides Thofe prefcribed in the Book of Common-Grayer These Orders and Prefcriptions, I think, we are ftri&ly obliged toobferve, as the Rule and Meafure of our Beha- viour in all the Administrations belonging to our feveral Offices. And this Rule, I truft, (as We ought, fo) We may all follow, as the fafeft : without being cenfured, ei- ther on one hand, for not adding Other Ceremonies, Arbi- trary and Unprefcribed ; or, on the other hand, for not omitting or varying Any of Thofe which are ap- pointed. We C *$ 3 W e muft add to this a Conusant Care to perform the publick Services of the Church in a Manner that may (hew Us to have a Mind to prefcrve and to conciliate a Refped and ferious Regard to them : behaving our felves- in all our Adminiftr at ions, with the utmoft Decency and Gravity : reading the Offices with a diftinft, deliberate, and' manly Pronunciation ; without the Affectation of any thing Theatrical on one hand ; or any thing Low, Carelefs, Dead, and Spiritlefs, on the other. And to all We muft add the ftricteft regard to our own Lives and Conventi- ons j That our Conduct may adorn our Profeflion ; that our Care of our Flocks may be fuitable, in fome Degree,. to our Obligations; that our Examples may teach : With- out which, all our Words and all our T reaching , will not,, I fear, teach Any who attend upon Us ; or reconcile any One of our Adverfaries to the Communion We would moil: willingly recommend to Them. An d thus I have given You my belt Thoughts, upon. Thofe principal Points, which I propofed to fpeak of at: this time. To Thefe, all other Particulars relating to our Duty in our Function, and our Behaviour with refpect to All around us, (whether agreeing with Us, or not,) may be. reduced ; and rightly judg'd of, from them. But the Time does not now allow Me to fhew this diftinctiy in the fe— veral Inftances which might be named; or to enter into any other Important Confutations, as 1 once defign'd to do ; and. c * of Cbefters Charge IN HIS VISITATION. ' BISHO O F Chefter's Charge I N h i s $timarp lUQtatiott A T CHESTER May 5. 1691. LONDON, Printed fot 7bomas Rennet at the Half Moon in •J ^ 6 f Ci3 THE Biihop of Cbefters Charge, &c. Since nothing can more conduce to the Edification of the Church in Faith and Holinefs, than that its Pallors be duly qualified for their Work : I think my time cannot be better employed in this my Primary Vifitation, than in putting you in remem- brance, what manner of Men the Paftors of the Church ought to be ; and in quickening you and my felf, to the faithful Difcharge of thofe great Duties which are incum- bent upon us. In Order to both which Purpofes, you need do no more than ferioufly refleQ: upon thofe things, which be- fore your admiflion to this Sacred Office, you folemnly before God and his Church, profefs'd to believe, and pro- mis'd to perform. The firft Queftion propofed to you, as preparatory to your Ordination to Priefthood, was, Do you think in your heart that you be truly called, according to the Will of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and the Order of this Church (/England, to the Order and Miniflry of Priefihood > To which you Anfwered, / think it ,- That is, I think it in my heart, I am verily perfwaded, that I am fo truly called, accor- ding to the Will of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and the Order of this Church of England, Thefe latter Words [ The Order of the Church of England] are not put to denote another Rule, different from the Will of Chrift - y but are rather added, by way of Explica- tion, to fliew, Who thofe are that are called according to his Will, viz. Thofe who are fo qualified as the Church of England requires. B The The Call here meant, is the inward Call from God j which muft go before to prepare a Perfon, for the out- ward Call from the Church, in fetting him apart to this Office, by Prayer and Imposition of hands. This inward Call coniilts in the due qualification of the Perfon, for this weighty Work ( for God never calls a Man to any Employment, which he does not before in ibme good meafure fit him for): Thefe Qualifications may be reduced to Three General Heads : That the Life, That the Learn ing.Thzt the Defignoi the Perfon be fuch, as are agreeable to the Sacrednels or' the Office. All which are contain'd, in the Caution the Bifhop gives to the Per- fon who prefents to him the Perfons to be Ordain'd. Take heed, that the Perjons whom you prcfent to us , be apt and meet for their Learning and godly Converfation, to ex- ercife their Miniftry duly, to the Honour of God, and the edifying of his Church. Firfi, That he be for Life, blamelefs, Joher, jufl, holy, temperate, as St. Paul prefcribes in his Epiftle to Titus : That is, that he be not addi&ed to any of thofe Vices, which would be a Difparagement to his Miniftry, and hinder the good effecT; of it -, and that he be indued with all thofe Venues, which may adorn it. Whofoever there- fore lives in the Practice of any fuch Vice, as will leffen his Authority, and expofe his Miniftry to Contempt, he is not qualified, according to the Order of the Church of England Secondly, That he be for Learning, fo well acquainted with the Senfe of the Holy Scriprures, as to be able to inftruft his Flock, in all that is neceilary for them both to know and to do, in order to their Eternal Salvation; and toprefs their Duty upon them by fuch Confiderati- ons, as may be apt to work upon their Wills, and induce them to the Practice of it. Thus St. Paul advifes Timothy, to make choice or fuch for Paflorj, who Ihall be able to teach others ; and commands Titus to fee, that thofe he C3 3 he ordained were fuel), as were able by '/bund Qp&i / 1 hey Anlwered, They had fo determined hy God^s Grace. When in the very Words of Ordination, it uns la,d upon them, as a Charge, To be faithful Dif- peafers of the Word of God. Now this Teaching is either puhlick or private .« Of the private I (hall fpeak, when 1 come to the next Que- ition fave one : That which is publick, is to be perform 'd there Two ways elpecially ; by Preaching and by Cate- chifing. And, Pint as to Preaching, Confidrr that folemnand dread- 2 Tim. 4. 1,2. fal Charge St. Paul Jays upon Timothy, I charge th'eebe- fore God \ and the Lord fejus Chriji , who fhall judge the Quick and the Dead at his appearing , and his Kingdom, U??eac& t&e tK30|fc Conhder aifo, That our Church hath enjoy ned every allow 'd Preacher that is beneficed, L Can. 45- to have a Sermon every Lord's Day in the Tear. And as a farther Enforcement, That His Majefty hath charged Letter to all the B Ihops, To fee that the Clergy in their refpellive x«Lfo? 0r ° f Difcefes y be duly refident upon their Livings, preaching the Word of God plainly. How afliduous many of the Ancients were in this part of their Office, and how neceflary they thought it fo to be, I need not tell you ■ but methinks a ferious reflection upon it, ihould make thole not only blufh but tremble, who live in the Negle& of it , who are lo far from ob- ferving [7] ferving the Laws of our Church , while they boafl of more than ordinary Conformity to it, that they have not perhaps more than, one Sermon in a Year, for two Bene- fices. Now,that we may in this way of Teaching, be fuccefs- ful to the Salvation of our Hearers, we are here directed both as to the Matter and the Manner of it. Fn-ft, As to the Matter of our Preaching, it mud be out of the Holy Scriptures : But fince of the things con- tain'd in the Holy Scriptures, fome are necejfarv, Come are profitable only ; and hnce ofthefe things winch are only profitable, lome are more, others are leis profitable; our Pulpit- Difcourfes ihould be chiefly confined to thofe Truths, which are necejfary or highly profitable, in order to eternal Salvation ; omitting all School - Niceties, and lubtle Difputes, which are of no Practical Ule; and ne- ver let any Truth, which is call'd in quefhon by none of \our Hearers, be made a Matter of Controverfie in the Pulpit. Endeavour effe&ually to convince your Hearers,how by our Apoftafie from God, we have made our ielves obnox- ious to His heavy Diipleafure; and that there is a neceliity of a Mediator between God and Man. Shew them who this Mediator is, and how he is qualified for this great Work; what the Terms are, upon which God hath gracioufly promiled to pardon our Sins, and how ready he is, upon theie Terms, of Faith, Repentance, and fincere luture O bediencc, to receive us into liis Favour : Prels thole Gra- ces and Duties moll, which are molt comprehensive, as J.utfice and Chant). leach them to render to all their dues, as tribute to whom tribute is due , cuftom to whom cultom, &c. Keprelcnt C H A Kl 1 Y to them, in all thole branches of it, in w hicn it is uefcribed by Sr. Paul in i Cor. 13. Set ) our idves specially againlt tho!e iins, which are molt vhible in your Auditors ; as St, Paul, who reaton'd [3 ] reafon'd of Righteoufnefs and Chaftity, when he preach- Aft8t4.2$. ed before an unjuft and adulterous Felix. More particu- larly, in purluance of His Majefties Letter , preach fre- quently againfl profane Swearing, Perjury, Drunkenne/s, and Profanation of the Lords Day,* and when fuch a Sermon is to be preached, read to your People fuch Sta- tute-Law or Laws, as are provided againft that Sin, which is the Subject of the Day : Which Statutes, together with his Majefties Letter, I have formerly fent you. And let not only the more grofs Sins of the Flefh, but the more fubtle Sins of the Spirit, (fuch as Pride, Envy, Ma- lice, &c. J be expofed to your People in their odious na- ture, and aggravating Circumftances. Acquaint them not only with thofe Duties, to which they are all in common obliged, as they are men and Chriftians; but with thofe fpecial Duties, which are incumbent upon them in their different Ages, States and Relations. In mort, let that be the drift of your preaching , which is the defign of the whole Gofpel of Chrift, To teach men to deny all Vngod- Tit. 2. 1 1, 12. i me j- s an( i w or Miy Lufts,and to live Soberly, Righteoufly and Godly in this prefect World. Secondly, As to the Manner of -Preaching, palling over other particulars, I fhall mention Three only at prefent, Two of which are here fufficiently implyed : Preach the Word ftneerely, plainly and affectionately. i. Sincerely ; Which is implyed in thefe Words, That yea will teach nothing as required of necejfity to eternal Sal- vation, but that which you fball be perfwaded may be proved by the Scriptures. For Sincerity confifls, as in teaching all that the Scripture makes neceiTary* fo in teaching no- thing for neeefiary, that is foreign to the Scripture,- as the Church of Rome does in her new Creed, impofing ma- ny Do&rines as neceflary to Salvation, which are not on- ly Strangers to the Scriptures, but plainly contrary to the Doctrines, which are there taught. 2. Plainly, [9 3 i. Plainly, and to the capacity of your Hearers • which is implyed in the Word injhdt .• For how can a man be inftrudted by a Difcourfe, which he knows not the mean- ing of* He defeats the deilgn of his Preaching, and be- trays Ins Hypocrifie, who renders that oblcure, which he pretends to reveal. To which I add,- 3. Preach Affectionately, with that warmth and'earneft- nefs of Spirit, which becomes matters of the greateft mo- ment : it would grieve a Man to hear matters of the greateft moment, fo coldly and drowfily delivered, as if the Preacher did not himfelf believe what he (aid, and were afraid left his Hearers ihould be brought to believe it. O my Brethren, let us but ferioully confider the inefti- mablc worth of fouls, the unvaluable price that was paid for them, what danger they are in of being eternally loft, how dreadful our accounts will fliortly be, if they be loft through our ilightnefs and lazinefs : Let us but confider what Heaven and Hell mean, what it is to be everlaftingly faved or damned, and we fhall then think our greateft zeal and fervency, will be little enough, for fuch a Work as this. I ihall fay no more concerning Preaching, but proceed to the next way of publick teaching, which is - Secondly, By Catechifmg, "or inftrudting perfons in the Principles of Religion : Which is indeed but a more fa- miliar way of Preaching. This is a Duty laid upon you by the Canon and Statute-Law both. The Fifty Ninth Canon under a fevere Penalty, requires every Rector, Vh car and Curate, upon every Lords Day in the Afternoon, to examine , and injlrutl the Touth, and the more ignorant. People of his Parifi in the Catechifm. The fame is made your Duty by Aft of Parliament, in the firft Kubrick after the Catechifm • and becaufe fome ( who are apt e- nough to cenfure their Brethren for breaking other Laws) can too eafily difpenle with themfelves in this, His Ma- jefty hath charged the Bilhops to fee, That all the Clergy Bi(h?of°«rf. in their refpeftive Diocejjes do Catechife the Touth. To which, if we add the Practice of the Apoftles, ( the great Matter- Builders of the Church) who firft taught Men the Principles of the Do&rine of Chrift : And laftly, the voluntary Engagement you lye under to it, methinks no- thing can be thought wanting to oblige you effe&ually to this Duty. But now ihould we fet afide all thefe Confiderations, and confider only, how advantagious this Work is to the Welfare of the Souls committed to our care; the great Benefits they would reap by k y the great Mifchiefs they fall into by the Negled of it, one would think we mould need no other Motive to put us upon the diligent pra- ctice of it. What is the Reafon that our Sermons are generally of Jo little effeft ? That our People hear us year after year, and many of them are never the wifer, are ever learning, and never come to the Knowledge of the Truth ? One main Reafon doubtle/s, is, becaufe they were never prepared to underliand our Sermons, and to profit by them, by being firft more familiarly inftruc~ted in the Principles of Religion. What's the Reafon, That many are fo eafily feduced to Error and Vice, but becaufe they were never well rooted and grounded in the Faith ? Train up a Child Prow 22. 6. in the way that he Jhould go, and he will not depart front it when he is old. As therefore, my Brethren, you tender the Salvation of your People, fet your felves without delay, to this fo advantagious and neceflary a Work : And that you may Jo it the more u'feitually, I give it you. in Charge, to preach conftantiy in the Afternoon , upon fome part of the Church Catechifm ; and to Examine fome of the Young People of your Parifh quite thorow it, as oft as you preach upon it. And that Parents and Mailers may take the greater care to fend their Children and Servants, to be inftrufted by you, do not only frequently and ear- neftiy [ n ] neftly exhort them to it, but thorowly acquaint them with the great Benefits that will accrue, not only to their Children and Servants, but likewife to themfclves there- by; as their Children will by this means be render'd more dutiful and obedient, and their Servants more faith- ful and diligent. Having iolemnly declared, That Ton are perfvaded, that the Holy Scriptures contain [ufficiently all Dotlrine required of neceffity to eternal Salvation \ and that you were deter- mind out of the [aid Scriptures ', to injlrutl the People com- mitted to your Charge : fn the next place you promifed, To give your faithful diligence always fo to minijler the Do- clrine , Sacraments and Difcipline ofChrifl, as the Lord hath commanded, and as this Church and Rt aim hath received the fame, according to the commandment of God ; that is, as God hath prefcribed in the Holy Scriptures. Of Minijlring the Doclrine of Chrill, I have already fpo- ken, in what I have (aid about Preaching and Catechil : ing. As to the Sacrament of Baptifm, I fliall at prefent on- ly put you in mind of fome few things, which are either exprefly or implicitly required by the Rubricks. Firfiy Let your People know, That Baptifm being the folemn AdmiUIon of a Perfon into the publick Society of Chriftians, it is very unbecoming its Nature and Defign, to have it adminifter'd in private. Admoni'h them there- Rubrkkbe- fbre to bring their Children to be baptiz'd in the publick f° re i? rivate Congregation, left by their refufmg fo to do, Chrift fhould a? ' '"' reckon them in the number of thofe, who are alhamed of him and his Religion before men. Secondly, Admonifh your People, That it is mod conve- nient, that Baptifm mould not be adminifter'd, but upon Rubr. before Sundays and Holy-days, when the greateft number of Peo- P ublick dap- ple ccme together; becaufe in the Baptifm of Infants/'' 1 "' C i every [ II] every Man prcfent, may be put in remembrance of his own Profeflion, made to God in his CaptiOn. Exhort them therefore diligently to attend throughout the whole Adminiftration, to reflect upon their paft lives, and to confider how far they have kept, and wherein they have broken their Baptifmal Vow. Rubr. before. Thirdly, Admonifh your People, not to defer the Baptifm fifm. ate Bap of their Children longer than the firft or fecond Sunday next after their Birth, left by unnecellary delay the Child die, before it be dedicated to the Service of the Lord Jefus. Fourthly, I add, (as, being nearly allied to Baptifm) That you take due care to prepare the young People of your Can. 6 1. Parifhes for Confirmation: So foon as Children are come Rubr after to a competent Age, and can fay in their Mother Tongue, the thecatechifm q.^ the Lord > s Prayerj and the Ten Commandments, and can anfwer to the other Quejlions in the Jhort Catechifm, they are to be brought to the Bifhop to be confirm d : But they are not to be thought to be of a competent age, ( tho' they can repeat the Words,) till they be capable of know- ing the meaning of them, and their own great Concern- ment therein. For what profit can they receive by Con- firmation, unlefs they underftand what the defign of it is, and the Obligation they take upon themfelves there- by ? And this, my Brethren, is to be your care. You Rubr after are rec l u i rec l either to bring or fend in writing, with your the catechifm hand fiibfcribed thereunto, the Names of all fuch Perfons within your Pariihes, as you mail think fit to be prefent- ed to the Bifhop to be confirmed : And how can you think them fit, before you have examined them, and find that they have a competent knowledge of thefe things, and are k willing to content to the Vow that was made in their Names, and to take it upon themfelves ? As to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, ( the too ge- neral neral negle& of which, is jufl: matter of lamentation) make your People know that they are not left at liberty, whether they will receive it or not ; but that it is a necef- fary Duty laid upon them, by the exprefs command of Chrift: That if they fincerely love Chrift, or have any Value for ChrilYs Love to them, they will need no other motive to induce them to it ; That it is their Duty to receive it, not only fometime or other before they die, C perhaps at their Iaft breath) but frequently while they live, if they have opportunity : That the firft Chriftians made it a conftant part of their publick Worfhip. And I befeech you to adminifter it in your Churches, as often as you can get a convenient number together to receive it ; to be lure, ib often that every perfon may have opr portunity of receiving it at leaft three times in the Year. As to Difcipline, obferve more efpecially the Kubrick before the Communion, in keeping back thofe Offenders from the Lords Table, whom you are there required not to admit, ( viz. Notorious evil Livers, or fuch as have- done any wrong to their Neighbours, by which the Congregation is offendedT) and in giving an Account of them to the Or- dinary. And here, my Brethren, I defire you ferioufly to con- fider, That in this, and in your Anlwer to the next Que- flion, You promifed faithful diligence, in doing the Duties of your Office ,• fo many and lo weighty indeed are they, that the utmoft diligence imaginable, is little enough for the due performance of them ; our Comfort is, all that God requires is faithful diligence. If we do not chufe to neglect any Duty, or to do it careletfy ; but fincerely endeavour to perform them all as we ought, in what we fall fliort, God will be merciful to us, and gracioufly ac- cept the Will for the Deed. And this is the lead that God will accept ; be not therefore flothful in this great bufinefs, but apply your felves conftantly to your Work, and whatfoever jour hand finds to do, do it with all your might, . [ i4 1 might. I might tell you, that the nature and defign of our Work requires this ; That the Names by which we are in Scripture fignified, ( as Stewards, Ministers, Shep- herds, Watchmen, Labourers, ) do all import diligence and induft ry ; that the Work is of all others, the moft excellent, worthy of all the pains we can lay out upon it ,• I might fet before you the example of our bielled Saviour, and his Apoftles, of all thofe faithful Paftors who have gone before us : But I fhall only add for your encouragement, That your Recompence from God,, will . be proportionable to your labour,* by how much the more abundant you are in this work of the Lord, by Co much the more abundant will vour Reward in Heaven be. But to proceed. In the next place you promifed thefe Two Things in the general. I. That you would be ready with all faithful dili- gence to lanijh and drive away all errone- ous and Jlrange Dotlrines contrary to God's Word. I I. To ufe both publick and private Monitions and Exhortations, as well to the Sick as to the Whole within your Cures, as need /hall re- quire, and occafion /hall be given. First, That You would be ready with all faithful diligence, to lanifh and drive away all erroneous and ftrange Doclrines contrary to God's Word. Concerning which Obferve • i. That the Erroneous Doclrines here meant, are thofe only, which your People ( Lome of them at leaft ) are already infeded with ; for no Errors can be banifhed from them, but thofe which they have given entertainment to. As C ■* ] As for other Errors, which they know nothing of, never fb much as mention them, left by acquainting your Peo- ple therewith, you may endanger their being inihared by them. Obfervc, 2. That though all Erroneous Doctrines, are with faith- ful diligence, yet not all with equal diligence to be oppo- ied; but as the Errors are more or Iefs mifchievous, fo our Zeal againlt them ought in proportion to be more or Iefs. Some Errors there are which do not touch any part of the Foundation, which have no vifible tendency to an evil Life, or to the difturbance of the Peace of the Church : Others there are which oppole fome Articles of our Creed, as that Chrift is nor the Eternal Son of God,,, begotten of the Father before all Worlds, &c. and which are inconfiftent with Peace and Holinefs. The former fort do not deferve to be oppofed with fo much Zeal as the later, againft which we can never too earneftly con- tend : Of which for inftance, are thefe ; That no Man is bound to repent of his Sins till he come to die; That Chrift's Righteoufnefs is fo made ours, that we need do nothing our felves in order to the obtaining of Eternal Salvation, &c. Secondly, The next thing you promifed, was, To ufe loth publick and private Monitions and Exhortations, as well to the Sick as to the Whole within your Cures, as need /hall require, and occafion /hall be given. Firft, to the whole $ To ufe not only publick but private Monitions and Exhortations, as need /hall require. And tru- ly, my Brethren, there is commonly but too great need of this : For the Reproofs and Exhortations we ufe in pub- lick, being not directed to this or that Perfbn in parti- cular, but to all in common, who are guilty of the Sin reproved, or of the Neglect of the Duty exhorted to : They who are concerned, do commonly find fbme way to ftiift them off from themlelves,- but when you ad- drefs to each Sinner in particular, and plainly tell him, that [ i6 ] rhat be h the Man, who Jives in the practice of this or that known Sin, &c* he can then find no way to make his Efcape. And here, my Brethren, I befeech you, not to be (Gran- gers to your People ; but as you have leifure and oppor- tunity, to go to their Houfes, and acquaint your (elves familiarly with them, that you may the better know, what their particular Tempers and Inclinations are, what are the Prejudices they lie under, what the Temptations they are moft obnoxious to, and may accordingly apply your felves to them. By one hours familiar Difcour/e with them in private, you may work more good upon them, than by many Sermons in publick. Publick Preaching has, I grant, this great Advantage, that therein you fpeak to many, and by confequence may do good to many at once ; but an Application to a Sinner in private, is uiually much more effectual, as to him in particular. To fatisfie you, that this is your Duty, I need not tell you, that St. Paul taught not only publickly, but from ° 20 ' 31 ' houfe to boufe : That Night and Day he ceaied not ( as hetiKttw be had opportunity) to warn every Man-, not all colle- ctively, but every one apart, as the Words in the origi- nal import ; That he exhorted and comforted, amd charg- iThef. 2. ii. ed every one. It will be enough to tell you, That to re- buke a finning Brother, and to exhort one another,, are the bounden Duties even of private Chriftians, and therefore much more of thofe, who by their Office are to watch over Souls, and to give an Account to God for them : But fuppofe this were not made your Duty antecedent- ly by God, yet you have made it fb Your felves, by your voluntary Promife to perform it. But that this weighty Work of private Inftruction, Ex- hortation, Admonition and Reproof, may be the more fuc- cefsfully managed, take the moft convenient feafons for it, when the Perlons are the molt apt to be wrought upon • ' and do it with that meekne/s and demonstration of love, that [i 7 ] that it may plainly appear to your People, that you do it out of meer Kindnefs and tender Companion to their Souls. Secondly, The next thing you Vowed, was, Faithful diligence in your Monitions and Exhortations to fie k Per fins : Which is a Work of the grcateft moment, in order to the engaging them to a HOLY Life, if they reco- ver ; or the preparing them for a Happy Death, if they be taken away by their ficknels ; and therefore requires a proportionable care in the management of it. To fee a ibul entring upon the other World, likely within a few hours to be in an endlefs ftate of happinefs or mifery in- exprefiibie, ihould, methinks, make us beftir our felves ; to fave it from Death, before it be too late. Do not therefore ftay till you be lent for, but go to them of your own accord. Deal faithfully, and withal prudently with them about the ftate of their fbuls. If you find them grofly ignorant, inftruct them ( as you have opportunity ) in thofe Truths which are abfolutely necef- fary to be known. If they be fuch as have lived in any notorious fin, or whom you have great Reafon to fear are meer ftrangers to a Holy Life, labour to awaken them, by the moft moving Confiderations, to a fenfe of their fin and danger ; but let them withal know, that their Cafe is not fo defperate, but that there is dill ground of hope concerning them : Shew them the greatnefs of that Salvation which Chrift hath purchafed for them, and upon what Terms it may beflill obtained by them. And though in their ficknefs they cannot give Proof of the fincerity of their Repentance, by refuting and overcom- ing thofe Temptations which formerly prevailed over them; vet put them upon all that which in their prefent circumftances they are capable of doing ; upon confeilin^ their fin r , and imploring the mercy of God thro' Chrift^ upon patient fubmiffion to God's good pleafure ; upon forgiving thofe from the heart who have offended them • D and C i8 3 and upon making Reftitution (as far as they are able) for any Injuries they may have done to others; upon Refolutions and folemn Promifes , by the afliftance of God's Grace, of forfaking their former fins, and of lead- ing a new Life, if God ihall pleafe to raife them up a- gain. And if they recover, go to them again, and f.ri- oufly" mind them of the Vows they made upon their fick beds, and. quicken them to the performance of them. Do not fail to let them know , ihat their condi- tion will be much more deplorable, if they fhall again relapie into their old fins. ■ In the next place, thefc Queftions were propos'd to vou, Will y oh be diligent in Prayers, and in reading of the Holy Scriptures, and in fuch /Indies as help to the Knowledge of the fame, laying afide the ftudy of the World and the Flt[h ? To which you Anfwered : / will endeavour my /elf fo to do> the Lord being my Helper. So that } ou promifed by God's Help thefe Four Things : I. That you would be diligent in Prayers. II. That you would be diligent, in reading the Ho- ly Scriptures. III. In fuch ftudies as would help to the Knowledge of the fame. And therefore, IV. That you would lay afide the ftudy of the World and the Flelh. Firft, That you wouldbe diligent in Prayers. That is, both in publick and private Prayers. i. In publick Prayers. Which we ought more efpeci- ally to attend to, fince G O D is much more honou- red by our publick Addrefles to him, than he can be by thofe which are made- to him in private; and becaufe we our felves may expect a greater Bleifing from thofe Prayers which are put up to God by many joyntly, than from thofe which are put up by our fingle felves. As there- C is 3 therefore anciently a Morning and Evening Sacrifice wa.> every day publickly orfer'd up to God in the Temple at Jerujaltm ; fo I heartily recommend it to you, my Bre- thren, That in all your Parifhes, where a Congregation (though but a finall one J can be got together, you would every day have Morning and Evening Prayer in your Churches. And that you read the Prayers not partially, but entirely ; and with fuch ferioufnefs as becomes them, as may invite all pioufly-difpofed People to them, and quicken their Devotion when they are at them. I know not how any Minifter can dilpenfe with himfelf in this matter, or what Salvo he can have for his Confcience, who does otherwife. But though publick Prayers be the more excellent • yet, 2. This cannot excufe you from being diligent in pri- vate Prayers ; and that both for your People, and for your felves. FirH, Pray much and earneftly for your People: Of this St. Paul hath fet us an Example, as he himfelf tefti- fles in his Epiftles ; thus be pra> ed for the Cohffians, That the) might be filed, with the knowledge of the mil of God, ColoG »■ > in all Wifdom and fpiritual Under ft anding, that they might I0 ' "' walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleafing, being fruitful in every good wo>k. Thus he pray'd for the Ephefians, That the God of our L§rd Jefis Chnlt, the Father of Glory, would E Pj cfi *' l< " gi 1 1 unto them, the fpirit of Wifdom and Revelation in the ' 7 ' * knowledge of him ; the eyes of their under Jlanding being en- lightened-, that they might know what is the hope of his Calling, &c That God would grant them according to the riches of his Glory, to be Jlrengthend with all might, by his ^f'^g* fpirit in the inner Man ; that Cbrill might dwell in their hearts by Faith, &c. Thus he tells the Romans, That with- out ce*fi»g he made mention of them always in his prayers. Rom ' u 9- In like manner he prayed for the PhilipUns ; Always (fays he ) and in every Prayer of mine for you a ll y making requtft Phil " *' 4 * with joy. He thought it not enough to pray once or twice, D 2 but t 10] but he ceafed not (till to pray for them. It cannot be thought, that any Paftor, who aims, as he ought, at the falvation of his People, can forbear to pray for them. Secondly, Pray conftantly and earneitly for your (elves. For fuch afliftances of God's holy fpirit, as may inable you rightly to difcharge the Duties of your holy Calling. We 2 Cor. 3. 5 art not fufficient of o-tr fives, to think any thing as of our felves, but all our fuffickncy is of God. We made our Or- dination Vow in expectation of, and dependance upon Gods help. / will dj fo by th he'p of the Lnrd^ I wi/l, the Lord being my h Iper. And we need not doubt of God's help, if we fincerely and importunately pray for it ; for Luk. 11. 13. he hath promiled his Holy spirit to them that ask it; That is, all the Gifts of his Holy Spirit, we (land in need of. But to proceed : z. You promifed, To be diligent in reading the Holy Scriptures. And, 3. In fuch jludics as help to the knowledge of the fame. I put them both together for brevities fake. 1 Tim. 4. 13. St. Paul commanded Timothy , to give attendance to read- ing, viz. of the Holy Scriptures ; and that not only in publick to others, but alfo in private ; that he himfelf might be the more thoroughly inftrutted in them. And if this was needful for Timothy, who had learn'd the Ho- ly Scriptures from a Child, it will I fear, be much more needful for many of us. The Scriptures were infpired by God to this very end, That the man of God ( that is the 2 Tim 17 Minifter of the Gofpel) might be throughly furnijhed to all good works. That he might be inftrufted in every part of the Duty which belongs to his Office ; whether it be to teach, or to reprove, or to correct, or to inftrucl: in righteoufnefs. Out of this facred repofitory, and this only, we may be fupplyed with whatfoever is necefla- ry for us and our People, to know, and to believe, and to do. & [ M ] I therefore earneftly prefs you to the ftudy of the Ho- ly Scriptures day and night ; to get fuch parts of them by heart, as may be of moft frequent and neceflan ufe, that you may have them in readinefs upon all occa. oris. And in your reading of them, to obferve th »ie places which are molt obicure, to compare them with the Ori- ginals, and with the words coherent ; to confult Ibme one or more of the beft Commentators upon them, that you may attain to the true fenfe of them. And for thole who have leifure and ability for it to read the Fathers, at leaft,of the three rirft Centuries ; the Hiftory and Anti- quities of the Church; &c Buby Ionian ^erfim^Greek^Romafi and JewjJj Antiquities ; and fuch other parts of Learning, without which many places of Scripture cannot be well underftood. And that you may be thus diligent in Pray- er, and in reading and ftudying the Holy Scriptures. Fourthly , You promifed To lay afide the ftudy of the World and the Fltfh. For the more you ftudy the World, the lefs will you ftudy the Holy Scriptures ; the more you confult the eafe and pleafure of the Flefh, the lefs will you attend to the pleating of God, and the laving of Souls. In what degree foever your affetlions are fet upon the things on the Earth, in that they will neceffarily be taken off from the things above. O remember, That eve- ry Clergy-man is a man of God, dedicated -to him in a more eminent fervice than others are ; and that you rob God of all that time and ftudy, which are needlelly fpent upon other matters. Remember, that you are obliged, not only by your Baptifmal Vow, to renounce the World and the Flefh, as Lay Ch rift ians alfo are ; but more clofe- ly bound to it than they, by this fblemn Vow you made at your Ordination. Let it appear to all Men, that you pay your Vows by your living above this World, and having your Converfation io Heaven. In [ 11 ] In the next place you promifed thefe two things : This part of I. That You would be diligent to frame and fajhion the Ordinati on -Vow was made the Sub- your own ft Ives and your Families, according to the DotlrineofChnJ}. And which is fomewhat more, jeer of the ] j j" ma ke both your ft Ives and them, as much as in at another^ 6 7°" fy&bj wholefome Examples and Patterns to the place; and Flock of ChriH. therefore is here the more , r , ... , . briefly fpokcn Fir ft, You promiied to be diligent, I o frame your own f0 ' Jehes according to the Doctrine of Chrijl i to have your Converiation in all things fuitable to the Gofpel you preach. He can never be ferioufly concerned for other mens fouls, who has not firft a care of his own ; nor make it his chief ftudy to conduct others in the narrow way that leads to Life, who walks himielf in the broad way that leads to dtftrullion. But fuppofe he could fincerely endeavour to deftroy that fin in others which he cherifhes in himfelf ; yet what fuccefs can he in reafon expecl ? Can it be thought that his People fhould pay any regard to what he fays, when they fee that he does not regard it himielf? Can they think, that he does in good earned: believe what he preaches, when he unpreaches the fame again in his life? And is it then likely, that they fhould believe it, efpecially when it thwarts their beloved Lufts ? But if there fhould be any among us, whom this Con- fideration does not afTecT ; yet methinks it fhouid awaken them to confider, That a vicious Preacher, is in a much more miferable and deplorable Condition, than a vicious Hearer; becaufe his fins are mucU more aggravated, and confcquently,his Punifhment will beproportionably more intolerable. Thou that teacheft another Man fhould not be drunk, if thou art a Drunkard ; 1 hou that preacheft another fhould not be covetous, or proud, or contentious, if thou art fo thy felf, thy own Sermons will rite up in Judgment againft thee ; out of thy own Mouth (halt thou be C*3 3 be condemned to that utter darknefs thou haft warned o- thers to make their elcape from ,• and (halt have the dark- eft and moft difmal Portion in it. But this is not all: Tor, 2. That meafure of Grace and Holinefs which may fuf- fice for a Lay man , will not be enough for thole who are to be their Guides. You cann t go to Heaven at i'o cheap a rate, as your People can; as your Calling is more holy, and ftand ; in a nearer Relation to God, foal- fo mull ) our Lives be You muft be Patterns of all thofe Graces and Vermes you recommend to them ; that they by looking upon you, may be able to difcern wherein they are defective. In all things fhewing thy Jet f a Pattern of good Works, fa\s St. Paul to Titus • which he alio gives Tit. 2. 7. in charge to Timothy, Be thou an Example to the Be'zevers, in word, in converfation, in charity, in fpirit, in faith >, in . purity. Which Commands, though given to thofe who were of the higher, yet are in proportion applicable to thofe of the lower Order of the Clergy : For as Bifhops ought to be Examples to the inferiour Clergy, fb the in- fer iour Clergy ought to be Examples to the Laity. It is indeed the Duty of all , even the moft vulgar Chriftians, if compared with the men of the World, to be Patterns to them ; fo our Saviour tells his Diiciples, 1 hat they were to be the /alt of the Earth, and the light of the World \ and commands them to let their light To Mat. <,. ij,i$, fhine before men, that others feeing their good works, mi obi *6> l6 - glonfe their Father which is in Heaven. What then is re- quired of you, my Brethren, who ought to be Examples to them, who are to be Examples to the reft of Mankind ? what manner of Perfons ought you to be, in all holy Conver Ca- tion and Godlinefs ? Nor muft we only endeavour to frame our felves, but our F jmi lies too, according to the Do&rine of Chrift • and to make them Examples to other Families,- to make our Children and Servants, as much as in us lyeth, Ex- amples to thofe of others, in all thofe Graces and Duties, which Eh! which are proper to thofe Relations: Which muftbe done by more fully inftrucling them in their refpedrive ut ts, and by frequently prefling their Duties upon them by fuch Conf -.derations, as may be of power to over-awe fheir Coufciences, and oblige them to the performance thereof; and by hearty Prayers to God, to make our endeavours this way fuccefsiul. There is one thing more in your Ordination- Vow, which I lhall but very briefly recommend to your Con- federation and PraOice; and that is, fhat^ou will main- tain and jet forward, as much as lieth in you, quiet nefs^peace^ •and love among all ChriHian- People ; especially among them ivbo are, or {hall be committed to your Charge. As to make peace, not only between God and Man, but alfo between man and man, was one great thing our bklTed Saviour had in his eye, when he came into the World ; fo, in order thereunto, he hath enjoyne d the Pra- ctice of all thofe Vermes, which tend to the begetting and promoting of Peace, and hath forbidden all thofe ill-na- tur'd qualities, that are Enemies to it. As he hath com- Rom. 12.18. manded, if it be p'SW^y as much as Ihth in us, to live peaceably with all men: bo he hath preiTed us with great r.ph. 4.1, 2, 3. variety of the molt powerful Arguments, to be at peace Phil. 2. 1,2,3. amor g our ft Ives. So much was Peace his 3 efign, thct he is ftiied the P K I N C E of Peace, and his Gofpel is called, the Gofpel of Peace. As therefore we are the Ambafiadois of this Prince ot Peace, and intruded with the difpenfation of his Gofpel of Peace, we are above all other men in the World, obliged, to the utmoft of our power, to prevent or reconcile differences ; and to main- tain and promote Peace among our People. To that end, go to them that you hear are at variance, endeavour to remove their Prejudices, to correct, their Miitakes, to allay their Paffions, to perfwade them to mu- tual Condeicenticn; and by all other fair means to make - them heartily Friends : Ever remembring, That, B : ejjed Lis 3 are the Peacemakers for they Jball be called the Children of Mat. j.j. God. To the laft part of your Ordination- Vow, Qviz. That you will reverently obey your Ordinary, and other chief Mi- nijlers, to whom is committed the Charge and Government over you, &c. ) I lhall fay nothing, but leave it to your own Consciences to comment upon it, prefuming you will be impartial therein, and lefs favourable to your felves than I iliould be. There is one thing ftill behind, that I mull: give you in Charge, and that is, The ftri<3: obfervation or the Ca- Can. 62. non againft clandeftine Marriages. I hope thofe who pra- ctice contrary to it, are in comparifon but few, ( not- withstanding the many Complaints which have been made to me about it) That they are no other than the idle, loofe and vagrant; that is, the Scum and Refute of the Clergy, who drive on this fcandalous Trade : For I cannot per- fwade my iclft That any Man who has not very much debauch'd his Conlcience, and loll all fenfe of Honour and Reputation, can be eafily prevailed with to make luch Marriages, coniidering how exprefs and fevere the Laws of our Church are againft them; and coniidering the many fins and mifclners which are the ufual Conse- quents 0? them. I lhall pafs over thofe which are of a more general ex- tent, and only mention a few of thofe Ecclefialucal Con* flitutions, which more particularly relate to our own Church. In a Council conven'd at Weftminfter in the Year 1175*, it was Ordain'd, That if any Pneil lhall be found to have joyned any in Marriage clandellinely, he fbail be append- ed from his Office for the /pace of Three Years. In a Council held after this, in the Church of St. Pauls in London in the Year 1328, it was decreed, That all Lynw.l.-.. Priefts who fliall prefume to be prefent at any Matrimo- Tit^.ci. nial Contracts, before the folemn publication of Banns, £ fliall Tit. 3. c. 2. EM3 fliall be fufpcnded from their Office for three Years. And that every Pried, whether Secular or Regular, who fhall without the fpecial leave of the Diocefan , prefume to Celebrate Marriage in any place but a Church or Chap- pel, which hath Parochial Rights, fball be (u'pended a whole Year ah Officio. In another Council held at St. Pauls London, in the Lynw. 1. 4. Year 1341, it was decreed, That all Priefts who (hall pre- fume to be prefent at any clandeftine Marriages, fliall ip- Jo fafto incur the Sentence of Excommunication ; and mall be publickly denounced lour times every year. Which Decrees are (till in force, by the Statute of the z$th. of ■Hen. 8. C. 19. But we need not look fo far back ; one would think, it might be fufficient, to confider the 6zd. Canon, made in the Convocation in the year 1603. In which every Mi- nuter upon pain of Sufpenfion for three years ipfofatto y is prohibited to Celebrate Matrimony between any Per/ons without a Licenfe, except the Banns of Matrimony have been firft publifh'd three feveral Sundays or Holy-days, in the Panlh Churches or Chappels, where the (aid Par- ties dwell. And is alfo upon the like Penalty prohibited, under any pretence whatfoever, to joyn any Perfons fo licenfed, in Marriage, at any time but between the hours of 8 and n in the Morning ; or in any place, but in the faid Churches or Chappels where one of themdwelleth. It is not enough barely to have a Licence, if the Circumftan- ces of Time and Place be not duly obferved, you incur the Penalty of three years Sufpenfion. And as our Church hath fet fuch a ftricT: Fence about Marriages, fo there was great Reafon fhe fliould be fo fe- vere in punifhing thole that break thorough it ; confider- ing thole enormous Sins, and thoic intolerable Milchiefs, which are the uliiai Attendants and Confequents of Clan- deftine Marriages. One too common efTcC-t. of fuch Marriages, is the Sin of i C *7 3 of Inceft, in joyning thofe Perfons In Matrimony who are within the Degrees prohibited. In one of thofe Ecclefi- aftical Laws, 1 have now recited, this is menuon'd as the Reafon of it. A Proof of which ( as I am infortrTd ) you have lately had, in Two Incettuous Clandeitine Marriages made in this Diocefs. Another Sin ufually attendant on thefe Marriages, is the violating the Rights of Parents, and contempt or their Authority. Nor do they only deprive Parents of the Duty of their Children, but in effecT; of their Children themfelves; which is one of the worft fort of Thefts, and deferves a much more fevere Punifhment, than many other Thefts, which are by our Laws puniihed with Death. The Difhonour they reflect upon our Church, and our Holy Profeflion, is intollerable; fo much hath the Repu- tation of the Clergy been thereby lellen'd, that it hath been moved more than once, in the great Council of the Nation, that this Work might be taken out of their hands, and intrufted to others, who might be more faith- ful in the Execution of it. How mifchievous thefe Marriages commonly prove to the Parties (o Married, and to their Children after them ; how fatal they often are to confiderable Families, even to the ruine of themj and confequently, What Mifchiefs do hence redound to the Publick, I need not tell you. I forbear to proceed to other particulars, becaufe thefe al- ready mention'd, will, I hope, be fufHcient, to deter eve- ry man from this fcandalous Practice, who hath not finn'd away all Confcience and Shame. What remains, but that I charge the Church wardens under Pain of Perjury, to prelent all thofe Minillers, whom they either know, or have been credibly inform'd have been this way guilty. And if the Church-wardens mall neglect their Duty, I beieech you, my Brethren, to take care, that they may be lome way or other prefented; that [*8 ] that I may take care to fee them punifhed according tx> Law. And if any Minifters (hall after this Admonition given them, proceed to make fuch Marriages, as thinking their Danger will be pad, as fbon as the Visitation fhall be over, I fhall not tail, upon Information given me, to execute the Canon in its rigour againft them. To Conclude. Let us now, my Brethren, ferioufly reflect upon what hath been fpoken. Let'us confider the Truft committed to us, the Vows that are upon us, the Account we mud fhortly give to the Almighty, All-feeing and Impartial Judge; the dreadful Woe we fhall incur, if we be falfe to our Truft j the Glorious Reward we fhall have, if we be faithful. For "your Peoples fake, if you defire to fave them : For your own fakes, if you defire to fave your felves, and would not be condemned to a more intolle- rablc Heli, than the word of your People (hall be con- demned to: For God's fake, if you have any regard to his Commands ; For jefus's fake, if you have any Love for him, Feed his Flock which he hath purchafed with his own Blood '; feed them, not by cor/flraint, but willingly . not for filthy Lucre, but of a ready mind.. Be in flan t in feafon, and out of fexfon. Reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all low fujfering and patience : Make full proof of your Miniflry - That jo when the Chief Shepherd fhall appear, yon may re- ceive a Crown of Glory , which fadeth not away. FINIS.