rescued some innocent persons from death when the executioner was ready to strike the fatal blow which thing even when it fell into inconvenience was indeed forbidden by Arcadius and Honorius but the confidence and honour was only changed it was not taken away for the condemned criminal had leave to appeal to the Audientia Episcopalis to the Bishops Court This was not any right which the Bishops could challenge but a reward of their Piety and so long as the Holy Office was holily administred the world found so much comfort and security so much justice and mercy so many temporal and spiritual blessings consequent to the ministries of that order that as the Galatians to S. Paul men have plucked out their eyes to do them service and to do them honour For then Episcopacy did that good that God intended by it it was a spiritual Government by spiritual persons for spiritual ends Then the Princes and the people gave them honours because they deserved and sought them not then they gave them wealth because they would dispend it wisely frugally and charitably Then they gave them power because it was sure to be used for defence of the innocent for relief of the oppressed for the punishment of evil doers and the reward of the vertuous Then they desired to be judged by them because their audiences or Courts did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they appeased all furious sentences and taught gentle principles and gave merciful measures and in their Courts were all equity and piety and Christian determinations But afterwards when they did fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into secular methods and made their Counsels vain by pride and durtied their sentences with money then they became like other men and so it will be unless the Bishops be more holy then other men but when our sanctity and severity shall be as eminent as the calling is then we shall be called to Councels and sit in publick meetings and bring comfort to private Families and rule in the hearts of men by a jus relationis such as was between the Roman Emperors and the Senate they courted one another into power and in giving honour strived to outdo each other for from an humble wise man no man will snatch an imployment that is honourable but from the proud and from the covetous every man endeavours to wrest it and thinks it lawful prize My time is now done and therefore I cannot speak to the third part of my text the reward of the good Steward and of the bad I shall only mention it to you in a short exhortation and so conclude In the Primitive Church a Bishop was never admitted to publick penance not only because in them every crime is ten and he that could descern a publick shame could not deserve a publick honor nor yet only because every such punishment was scandalous and did more evil by the example of the crime then it could do good by the example of the punishment but also because no spiritual power is higher then the Episcopal and therefore they were to be referred to the Divine judgment which was likely to fall on them very heavily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord will cut the evil Stewards asunder he will suffer schisms and Divisions to enter in upon us and that will sadly cut us asunder but the evil also shall fall upon their persons like the punishment of quartering Traitors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 punishment with the circumstances of detestation and exemplarity Consider therefore what is your great duty Consider what is your great danger The lines of duty I have already described only remember how dear and pretious Souls are to God since for their salvation Christ gave his bloud and therefore will not easily lose them whom though they had sin'd against him yet he so highly valued remember that you are Christs deputies in the care of Souls and that you succeed in the place of the Apostles Non est facilè stare loco Pauli tenere gradum Petri You have undertaken the work of S. Paul and the Office of S. Peter and what think you upon this account will be required of us S. Hierom expresses it thus The wisdom and skill of a Bishop ought to be so great that his countenance his gesture his motion every thing should be vocal ut quicquid agit quicquid loquitur doctrina sit Apostolorum that whatever he does or speaks be doctrine Apostolical The ancient Fathers had a pious opinion that besides the Angel guardian which is appointed to the guard of every man there is to every Bishop a second Angel appointed to him at the Consecration and to this Origen alludes saying that every Bishoprick hath two Angels the one visible and the other invisible This is a great matter and shews what a precious thing that order and those persons are in the eyes of God but then this also means that we should live Angelick lives which the Church rarely well expresses by saying that Episcopal dignity is the Ecclesiastick state of perfection and supposes the persons to be so far advanced in holiness as to be in the state of confirmation in grace But I shall say nothing of these things because it may be they press too hard but the use I shall make of it upon occasion of the reward of the good and bad Steward is to remind you of your great danger For if it be required of Bishops to be so wise and so holy so industrious and so careful so busy and so good up to the height of best examples if they be anointed of the Lord and are the Husbands of the Churches if they be the Shepherds of the flock and Stewards of the houshould it is very fit they consider their danger that they may be careful to do their duty S. Bernard considers it well in his epistle to Henry Archbishop of Sens If I lying in my Cell and smoaking under a Bushel not shining yet cannot avoid the breath of the winds but that my light is almost blown out what will become of my Candle if it were placed on a candlestick and set upon a hill I am to look to my self alone and provide for my own salvation and yet I offend my self I am weary of my self I am my own scandal and my own dangâ—r my own eye and my own belly and my own appetite find me work enough and therefore God help them who besides themselves are answerable for many others Jacob kept the Sheep of Laban and we keep the Sheep of Christ and Jacob was to answer for every Sheep that was stoln and every lamb that was torn by the wild beast and so shall we too if by our fault one of Christs Sheep perish and yet it may be there are 100000. Souls committed to the care and conduct of some one Shepherd who yet will find his own Soul work enough for all his care and watchfulness If any man should desire me to
Graces of the Spirit or think that Gods gifts are the lesse because they are born in Earthen Vessels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for all men bear Mortality about them and the Cabinet is not beauteous as the Diamond that shines within its bosom then we may without interruption pay this duty to Piety and Friendship and Thankfulness and deplore our sad loss by telling a true and sad story of this great man whom God hath lately taken from our eyes He was bred in Cambridge in Sidney-college under Mr. Hulet a grave and a worthy man and he shewed himself not onely a fruitful Plant by his great progress in his Studies but made him another return of gratitude taking care to provide a good Imployment for him in Ireland where he then began to be greatly interested It was spoken as an honour to Augustus Caesar that he gave his Tutor an honourable Funeral and Marcus Antoninus erected a Statue unto his and Gratian the Emperour made his Master Ausonius to be Consul And our worthy Primate knowing the Obligation which they pass upon us who do Obstetricari gravidae animae help the parturient Soul to bring forth fruits according to its seminal powers was careful not onely to reward the industry of such persons so useful to the Church in the cultivating infantes palmarum young Plants whose joynts are to be stretch'd and made streight but to demonstrate that his Scholar knew how to value Learning when he knew so well how to reward the Teacher Having pass'd the course of his studies in the University and done his Exercise with that Applause which is usually the reward of pregnant Wits and hard study he was remov'd into York-shire where first in the City of York he was an assiduous Preacher but by the disposition of the Divine Providence he happened to be engaged at North-Alerton in Disputation with three pragmatical Romish Priests of the Jesuits Order whom he so much worsted in the Conference and so shamefully disadvantaged by the evidence of Truth represented wisely and learnedly that the famous Primate of York Archbishop Matthews a learned and an excellent Prelate and a most worthy Preacher hearing of that Triumph sent for him and made him his Chaplain in whose service he continued till the death of the Primate but in that time had given so much testimony of his great Dexterity in the Conduct of Ecclesiastical and Civil Affairs that he grew dear to his Master In that Imployment he was made Prebendary of York and then of Rippon the Dean of which Church having made him his Sub-Dean he managed the affairs of that Church so well that he soon acquir'd a greater fame and entered into the possession of many hearts and admiration to those many more that knew him There and at his Parsonage he continued long to do the duty of a learned and good Preacher and by his Wisdom Eloquence and Deportment so gain'd the affections of the Nobility Gentry and Commons of that Countrey that as at his return thither upon the blessed Restauration of His most Sacred Majesty he knew himself oblig'd enough and was so kind as to give them a Visit so they by their coming in great numbers to meet him their joyful Reception of him their great Caressing of him when he was there their forward hopes to enjoy him as their Bishop their trouble at his Departure their unwillingness to let him go away gave signal testimonies that they were wise and kind enough to understand and value his great worth But while he lived there he was like a Diamond in the dust or Lucius Quinctius at the plough his low Fortune covered a most valuable person till he became observ'd by Sir Thomas Wentworth Lord President of York whom we all knew for his great Excellencies and his great but glorious Misfortunes This rare person espied the great abilities of Doctor Bramhall and made him his Chaplain and brought him into Ireland as one whom he believ'd would prove the most fit instrument to serve in that design which for two years before his arrival here he had greatly meditated and resolved the Reformation of Religion and the Reparation of the broken Fortunes of the Church The Complaints were many the Abuses great the Causes of the Church vastly numerous but as fast as they were brought in so fast they were by the Lord Deputy referred back to Dr. Bramhall who by his indefatigable Pains great Sagacity perpetual Watchfulness daily and hourly Consultations reduc'd things to a more tolerable condition then they had been left in by the Schismatical principles of some and the unjust Prepossessions of others form any years before For at the Reformation the Popish Bishops and Priests seemed to conform and did so that keeping their Bishopricks they might enrich their Kindred and dilapidate the Revenues of the Church which by pretended Offices false Informations Fee-farms at contemptible Rents and ungodly Alienations were made low as Poverty it self and unfit to minister to the needs of them that serv'd the Altar or the noblest purposes of Religion For Hospitality decayed and the Bishops were easie to be oppressed by those that would and they complained but for a long time had no helper till God raised up that glorious Instrument the Earl of Strafford who brought over with him as great affections to the Church and to all publick Interests and as admirable Abilities as ever before his time did invest and adorn any of the Kings Vicegerents and God fitted his hand with an Instrument good as his skill was great For the first Specimen of his Abilities and Diligence in recovery of some lost Tithes being represented to His late Majesty of blessed and glorious memory it pleased His Majesty upon the death of Bishop Downham to advance the Doctor to the Bishoprick of Dâ—rry which he not onely adorned with an excellent spirit and a wise Government but did more then double the Revenue not by taking any thing from them to whom it was due but by resuming something of the Churches Patrimony which by undue means was detained in unfitting hands But his care was beyond his Diocese and his zele broke out to warm all his Brethren and though by reason of the Favour and Piety of King James the escheated Counties were well provided for their Tithes yet the Bishopricks were not so well till the Primate then Bishop of Derry by the favour of the Lord Lieutenant and his own incessant and assiduous labour and wise conduct brought in divers Impropriations cancell'd many unjust Alienations and did restore them to a condition much more tolerable I say much more tolerable for though he rais'd them above contempt yet they were not near to envy but he knew there could not in all times be wanting too many that envied to the Church every degree of prosperity so Judas did to Christ the expence of Oyntment and so Dyonisius told the Priest When himself stole the golden Cloak from Apollo and gave him one of
their souls our Primate had so great a Veneration to his memory that he purpos'd if he had liv'd to have restor'd his Monument in Dundalke which Time or Impiety or Unthankfulness had either omitted or destroyed So great a lover he was of all true and inherent worth that he lov'd it in the very memory of the dead and to have such great Examples transmitted to the intuition and imitation of posterity At his coming to the Primacy he knew he should at first espy little besides the Ruines of Discipline a Harvest of Thorns and Heresies prevailing in the hearts of the People the Churches possess'd by Wolves and Intruders Mens hearts greatly estranged from true Religion and therefore he set himself to weed the fields of the Church he treated the Adversaries sometimes sweetly sometimes he confuted them learnedly sometimes he rebuk'd them sharply He visited his Charges diligently and in his own person not by Proxies and instrumental Deputations Quaerens non nostra sed nos quae sunt Jesu Christi he design'd nothing that we knew of but the Redintegration of Religion the Honour of God and the King the Restoring of collapsed Discipline and the Renovation of Faith and the Service of God in the Churches And still he was indefatigable and even as the last scene of his life intended to undertake a a Regal Visitation Quid enim vultis me otiosum à Domino comprehendi said one he was not willing that God should take him unimployed But good man he felt his Tabernacle ready to fall in pieces and could go no further for God would have no more work done by that hand he therefore espying this put his house in order and had lately visited his Diocese and done what he then could to put his Charge in order for he had a good while since receiv'd the sentence of death within himself and knew he was shortly to render an account of his stewardship he therefore upon a brisk alarm of death which God sent him the last January made his Will in which besides the prudence and presence of spirit manifested in making just and wise settlement of his Estate and provisions for his Descendants at midnight and in the trouble of his sickness and circumstances of addressing death still kept a special sentiment and made confession of Gods admirable mercies and gave thanks that God had permitted him to live to see the blessed Restauration of His Majesty and the Church of England confess'd his Faith to be the same as ever gave praises to God that he was born and bred up in this Religion and prayed to God and hop'd he should die in the Communion of this Church which he declar'd to be the most pure and Apostolical Church in the whole world He prayed to God to pardon his frailties and infirmities relied upon the mercies of God and the merits of Jesus Christ and with a singular sweetness resign'd up his soul into the hands of his Redeemer But God who is the great Choragus and Master of the Scenes of Life and Death was not pleas'd then to draw the Curtains there was an Epilogue to his Life yet to be acted and spoken He return'd to actions and life and went on in the methods of the same procedure as before was desirous still to establish the affairs of the Church complain'd of some disorders which he purpos'd to redress girt himself to the work but though his spirit was willing yet his flesh was weak and as the Apostles in the Vespers of Christs Passion so he in the Eve of his own Dissolution was heavy not to sleep but heavy unto death and look'd for the last warning which seiz'd on him in the midst of business and though it was sudden yet it could not be unexpected or unprovided by surprize and therefore could be no other then that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Augustus us'd to wish unto himself a civil and well-natur'd death without the amazement of troublesom circumstances or the great cracks of a falling house or the convulsions of impatience Seneca tells that Bassus Aufidius was wont to say Sperare se nullum dolorem esse in illo extremo anhelitu si tamen esset habere aliquantum in ipsa brevitate solatii He hop'd that the pains of the last Dissolution were little or none or if they were it was full of comfort that they could be but short It happened so to this excellent Man his Passive Fortitude had been abundantly tried before and therefore there was the less need of it now his active Graces had been abundantly demonstrated by the great and good things he did therefore his last scene was not so laborious but God call'd him away something after the manner of Moses which the Jews express by Osculum oris Dei The Kiss of Gods mouth that is a death indeed foresignified but gentle and serene and without temptation To summe up all He was a wise Prelate a learned Doctor a just Man a true Friend a great Benefactour to others a thankful Beneficiary where he was oblig'd himself He was a faithful Servant to his Masters a Loyal Subjest to the King a zelous Assertor of his Religion against Popery on one side and Fanaticism on the other The practice of his Religion was not so much in Forms and exteriour Ministries though he was a great observer of all the publick Rites and Ministries of the Church as it was in doing good for others He was like Myson whom the Scythian Anarchasis so greatly prais'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he govern'd his family well he gave to all their due of maintenance and duty he did great benefit to mankind he had the fate of the Apostle S. Paul he pass'd through evil report and good report as a deceiver and yet true He was a man of great business and great resort Semper aliquis in Cydonis domo as the Corinthian said There was alwayes somebody in Cydon's house He was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he divided his life into labour and his book he took care of his Churches when he was alive and even after his death having left 500 l. for the Repair of his Cathedral of Armagh and S. Peters Church in Drogheda He was an excellent Scholar and rarely well accomplish'd first instructed to great excellency by natural parts and then consummated by study and experience Melanchthon was us'd to say that himself was a Logician Pomeranus a Grammarian Justus Jonas an Orator but that Luther was all these It was greatly true of him that the single perfections which make many men eminent were united in this Primate and maâ—e him illustrious At at Quintilium perpetuus sopor Urget cui pudor justitiae soror Incorrupta fides nudaque veritas Quando ullum invenient parem It will be hard to find his Equal in all things Fortasse tanquam Phoenix anno quingentesimo nascitur that I may use the words of Seneca nec est mirum ex intervallo
Morning and Evening and in great Towns and populous places conveniently inhabited it must be read in Churches that the daily sacrifice of Prayer and Thanksgiving may never cease The Minister is to instruct the people that the Baptism of their children ought not to be ordinarily deferr'd longer than till the next Sunday after the birth of the child lest importune and unnecessary delay occasion that the child die before it is dedicated to the service of God and the Religion of the Lord Jesus before it be born again admitted to the Promises of the Gospel and reckon'd in the account of the second Adam Let every Minister exhort and press the people to a devout and periodical communion at the least three times in the year at the great Festivals but the devouter sort and they who have leisure are to be invited to a frequent Communion and let it be given and received with great reverence Every Minister ought to be well skill'd and studied in saying his Office in the Rubricks the Canons the Articles and the Homilies of the Church that he may do his duty readily discreetly gravely and by the publick measures of the Laws To which also it is very usefull that it be added that every Minister study the ancient Canons of the Church especially the Penitentials of the Eastern and Western Churches let him read good Books such as are approved by publick authority such which are useful wise and holy not the scriblings of unlearned parties but of men learned pious obedient and disinterested and amongst these such especially which describe duty and good life which minister to Faith and Charity to Piety and Devotion Cases of Conscience and solid expositions of Scripture Concerning which learned and wise persons are to be consulted Let not a Curate of Souls trouble himself with any studies but such which concern his own or his peoples duty such as may enable him to speak well and to do well but to meddle not with controversies but such by which he may be enabled to convince the gainsayers in things that concern publick peace and a good life Be careful in all the publick adminstrations of your parish that the poor be provided for Think it no shame to beg for Christs poor members stir up the people to liberal alms by your word and your example Let a collection be made every Lords day and upon all solemn meetings and at every Communion and let the Collection be wisely and piously administred ever remembring that at the day of Judgement nothing shall publickly be proclaimed but the reward of alms and mercy Let every Minister be sure to lay up a treasure of comforts and advices to bring forth for every mans need in the day of his trouble let him study and heap together Instruments and Advices for the promoting of every virtue and remedies and arguments against every vice let him teach his people to make acts of virtue not onely by external exercise but also in the way of Prayer and internal meditation In these and all things else that concern the Ministers duty if there be difficulty you are to repair to your Bishop for further advice assistance and information FINIS Heb. 7.19 Gal. 3.3 Gal. 6.12.13 Philip. 3.34 Sed Belzebulis callida Commenta Christus destruit Hos. 2.14 De legibus l. scire Prov. 28.14 S. Hier. in comment Isai. 8. Isidor l. 13. Orig. cap. 13. Commen in 12. Isai. l. 6. in Ezek. cap. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Legat. pro Christianis Rom. 8.13 Gal. 5.16 Rom. 8.7 1 Joh. 3.9 Matth. 7.18 Heb. 12.1 1 Joh. 3.8 3 Joh. 4.4 Mark 9.23 Ille laudatur qui ut caeperint statim interficit cogitata allidit ad petram * Rom. 3.28.4.5.5.1.10.10 Gal. 2.16 James 2.21 1 Cor. 13 2 Tuscul. 1. James 2.14 Gal. 5.6 Gal. 6.15 1 Cor. 7.19 Isa. 57.21 Exod. 23.7 Heb. 12.14 Titus 3.8 Heb. 6.1 1 John 3.8 Eph. 5.25 Tit. 2.11 John 15.2 Rom. 5. v. 8.10 Rom. 8.28 Rom. 4.25 Ecclus. 31. Rom. 8.10 Plaut Captiv Rom. 8.29 Rom. 2.6 7 8. John 6.28.29 2 Pet. 1.5 2 Thes. 3.2 1 Tim. 5.8 Heb. 11. Ecclus. 32.24 Panar lib. 1. edit Basil. p. 8. l. 46. 2 Tim. 2.16 Instit. l. 5. c. 9. Mark 11.24 Tit. 1.16 2 Thes. 2.12 Lib. 3. Ep. 69. Jerem. 9.1 Esa. 26.12 2 Thes. 3.1 * Cap. 24.25 Epist. 73. ad Jubaj 1 Tim. 6.14 * Rom. 12.6 Ephe. 4 11. 1 Cor. 12.28 * Acts 1.25 1 Tim. 5.19 1 Tit. 11. 2 Titus 15. Cap. 2. V. 2. Gal. 1.19 * 2 Cor. 8.23 Philip. 2.25 Psalm 45.16 in 1 Cor. 12. in Psal. 44. Epist. 1. Simpronianum Epist. 65. ad Rogat Quaest. V. N.T.q. 197. Isai. 60.17 Hunc locum etiam citat S. Clemens Ep. ad Cor. Neh. 11.10 2 Kin. 11.18 Numb 4.16 Epist. 2. ad Nepot Epistol ad Evagrium Heb. 13.17 Acts. 1.25 Isai. 60.17 1 Pet. 5.1 5. Luke 22.27 Mark 10.43 John 13.13 Lib. 3. Tit. 1. 1 Tim. 1.19 2 Tim. 3.9 in Cap. 2. Zeph. Lib. 1. Ep. 4. Dial. adv Lucifer Eccl. 45.26 24. C. Concil Antioch 1 Cor. 4.1 2 3. Jer. 3.15 Heb. 13.7 Zech. 11.7 Cap. 11. Prov. 6.3 4. D. Bernard ad Henr. Episc Senensem 2 Tim. 2. Jer. 13.20 21. Nullum malum majus aut infeliciter feracius quam inobedientia Seneca 1 Tim. 2 1◠Prov. 16.10 L. 8. cod de veteri jure enucleando Petrus Cellensis lib. de Conscientia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Num. 12. ◠7 8. Seneca * Rom. 16.17 Seneca Prov. 24.34 Ecclus. 5.10 Vulg. edit Lat. Psal. 111. ver 10. Psal. 119. Nazianz. ad Philagrium 2 Pet. 1. 1 Joh. 2.27 1 Cor. 2.14 Dan. 12.10 Eph. 5.14 Prov. 10.31 32. John 14.21 Rom. 1.25 26. Eccl. 2.26 John 14.26 Lib. 2. Ethic. c. 1. Nullum bonum perfectè noscitur quod non perfecte amatur Aug. lib. 83. qu. de gratia Christi Ecclus. 21.11 Lib. de Consummat saeculi inter opera Ephrem Syri Synes hym 6 1 Thes. 4.16 John 5.28 Dracuntius de opere Dei Luk. 14.14 * Rev. 20.6 1 Thes. 4.16 Rom. 5.10 Isa. 26.20 Numb 1.46.3.39 Seld. Hist. of Tithes c. 2. See Philo. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tract 25. in St. Matth. Pindar De scriptor Eccles. Epist. 30. Synes ep 57. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Rom. 16.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
governance to do alwayes that which is righteous in thy sight Have you any hope or any faith when you say that Prayer And if you do your duty as you can do you think the failure will be on Gods part Fear not that if you can trust in God and do accordingly though your sins were as scarlet yet they shall be as white as snow and pure as the feet of the holy Lamb. Only let us forsake all those weak propositions which cut the nerves of faith and make it impossible for us to actuate all our good desires or to come out from the power of sin 2. He that would be free from the slavery of Sin and the necessity of sinning must alwayes watch I that 's the point but who can watch alwayes Why every good man can watch alwayes and that we may not be deceived in this let us know that the running away from a temptation is a part of our watchfulness and every good employment is another great part of it and a laying in provisions of Reason and Religion before hand is yet a third part of this watchfulness and the conversation of a Christian is a perpetual watchfulness not a continual thinking of that one or those many things which may indanger us but it is a continual doing something directly or indirectly against sin He either prayes to God for his Spirit or relies upon the promises or receives the Sacrament or goes to his Bishop for Counsel and a Blessing or to his Priest for Religious offices or places himself at the feet of good men to hear their wise sayings or calls for the Churches prayers or does the duty of his calling or actually resists Temptation or frequently renews his holy Purposes or fortifies himself by Vows or searches into his Danger by a daily examination so that in the whole he is for ever upon his guards * This duty and caution of a Christian is like watching lest a man cut his finger Wise men do not often cut their fingers and yet every day they use a knife and a mans eye is a tender thing and every thing can do it wrong and every thing can put it out yet because we love our eyes so well in the midst of so many dangers by Gods providence and a prudent natural care by winking when any thing comes against them and by turning aside when a blow is offered they are preserved so certainly that not one man in ten thousand does by a stroak lose one of his eyes in all his life time If we would transplant our natural care to a spiritual caution we might by Gods grace be kept from losing our souls as we are from losing our eyes and because a perpetual watchfulness is our great defence and the perpetual presence of Gods grace is our great security and that this Grace never leaves us unless we leave it and the precept of a dayly watchfulness is a thing not only so reasonable but so many easy wayes to be performed we see upon what terms we may be quit of our sins and more than Conquerors over all the enemies impediments of Salvation 3. If you would be in the state of the Liberty of the Sons of God that is that you may not be servants of sin in any instance be sure in the mortifications of sin willingly or carelesly to leave no remains of it no nest-egg no principles of it no affections to it if any thing remains it will prove to us as Manna to the sons of Israel on the second day it will breed worms and stink Therefore labour against every part of it reject every proposition that gives it countenance pray to God against it all and what then Why then Ask and you shall have said Christ. Nay say some it is true you shall be heard but in part only for God will leave some remains of sin within us lest we should become proud by being innocent So vainly do men argue against Gods goodness and their own blessings and Salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Basil sayes they contrive witty arts to undo themselves being intangled in the periods of ignorant disputations But as to the thing it self if by the remains of sin they mean the propensities and natural inclinations to forbidden objects there is no question but they will remain in us so long as we bear our flesh about us and surely that is a great argument to make us humble But these are not the sins which God charges on his people But if by remains we mean any part of the habit of sin any affection any malice or perverseness of the Will then it is a contradiction to say that God leaves in us such remains of Sin lest by innocence we become Proud For how should Pride spring in a mans heart if there be no remains of Sin left And is it not the best the surest way to cure the Pride of our hearts by taking out every root of bitterness even the root of Pride it self Will a Physician purposely leave the Reliques of a disease and pretend he does it to prevent a relapse And is it not more likely he will relapse if the sickness be not wholly cured * But besides this If God leaves any remains of Sin in us what remains are they and of what sins Does he leave the remains of Pride If so that were a strange cure to leave the remains of Pride in us to keep us from being proud But if not so but that all the remains of Pride be taken away by the grace of God blessing our endeavours what danger is there of being proud the remains of which Sin are by the grace of God wholly taken away But then if the Pride of the heart be cured which is the hardest to be remov'd and commonly is done last of all who can distrust the power of the Spirit of God or his goodness or his promises and say that God does not intend to cleanse his Sons and Servants from all unrighteousness and according to S. Pauls prayer keep their bodies and souls and spirits unblameable to the coming of the Lord Jesus But however let God leave what remains he please all will be well enough on that side but let us be careful as far as we can that we leave none lest it be severely imputed to us and the fire break out and consume us 4. Let us without any further question put this argument to a material issue let us do all that we can do towards the destruction of the whole body of sin but let us never say we cannot be quit of our Sin till we have done all that we can do towards the mortification of it For till that be done how can any man tell where the fault lies or whether it can be done or no. If any man can say that he hath done all that he could do and yet hath failed of his duty if he can say truly that he hath endured as much
which we yet are very confident For the observation of the Lords day the consecration of the holy Eucharist by Priests the baptizing Infants the communicating of women and the very Canon of the Scripture it self rely but upon the same probation and therefore the denying of Articles thus proved is a way I do not say to bring in all Sects and Heresies that 's but little but a plain path and inlet to Atheism and Irreligion for by this means it will not only be impossible to agree concerning the meaning of Scripture but the Scripture it self and all the Records of Religion will become useless and of no efficacy or perswasion I am entered into a sea of matter but I will break it off abruptly and sum up this inquiry with the words of the Councel of Chalcedon which is one of the four Generals by our laws made the measures of judging Heresies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is sacriledge to bring back a Bishop to the degree and order of a Presbyter It is indeed a rifling the order and intangling the gifts and confounding the method of the Holy Ghost it is a dishonouring them whom God would honour and a robbing them of those spiritual eminencies with which the spirit of God does anoint the consecrated heads of Bishops And I shall say one thing more which indeed is a great truth that the diminution of Episcopacy was first introduced by Popery and the Popes of Rome by communicating to Abbots and other mere Priests special graces to exercise some essential Offices of Episcopacy hath made this sacred order to be cheap and apt to be invaded But then add this If Simon Magus was in so damnable a condition for offering to buy the gifts and powers of the Apostolical order what shall we think of them that snatch them away and pretend to wear them whether the Apostles and their Successors will or no This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bely the Holy Ghost that is the least of it it is rapine and sacrilege besides the heresy and schism and the spiritually For the government Episcopal as it was exemplified in the Synagogue and practised by the same measures in the Temple so it was transcribed by the eternal Son of God who translated it into a Gospel Ordinance it was sanctifyed by the Holy Spirit who named some of the persons and gave to them all power and graces from above It was subjected in the Apostles first and by them transmitted to a distinct Order of Ecclesiasticks it was received into all Churches configned in the Records of the holy Scriptures preached by the universal voice of all the Christian World delivered by notorious and uninterrupted practise and derived to further and unquestionable issue by perpetual succession I have done with the hardest part of the Text by finding out the persons intrusted the Stewards of Christs Family which though Christ only intimated in this place yet he plainly enough manifested in others The Apostles and their Successors the Bishops are the men intrusted with this great charge God grant they may all discharge it well And so I pass from the Officers to a consideration of the Office it self in the next words Whom the Lord shall make Ruler over his Houshould to give them their meat in due season 2. The Office it self is the Stewardship that is Episcopacy the Office of the Bishop The name signifies an Office of the Ruler indefinitely but the word was chosen and by the Church appropriated to those whom it now signifies both because the word it self is a monition of duty and also because the faithful were used to it in the dayes of Moses and the Prophets The word is in the prophecy of the Church I will give to thee Princes in peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Bishops in righteousness upon which place S. Hierom sayes Principes Ecclesiae vocat futuros Episcopos The spirit of God calls them who were to be Christian Bishops principes or chief Rulers and this was no new thing For the chief of the Priests who were set over the rest are called Bishops by all the Hellenist Jews Thus Joel is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Bishop over the Priests and the son of Bani 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Bishop and Visitor over the Levites and we find at the purging of the Land from idolatry the High Priest placed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishops over the House of God Nay it was the appellative of the High Priest himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishop Eleazar the Son of Aaron the Priest to whom is committed the care of Lamps and the daily Sacrifice and the holy unction Now this word the Church retained choosing the same Name to her superiour Ministers because of the likeness of the Ecclesiastical Government between the Old and New Testament For Christ made no change but what was necessary Baptism was a rite among the Jews and the Lords Supper was but the post-coenium of the Hebrews changed into a mystery from a type to a more real exhibition and the Lords Prayer was a collection of the most eminent devotions of the Prophets and Holy men before Christ who prayed by the same spirit and the censures Ecclesiastical were but an imitation of the proceedings of the Judaical tribunals and the whole Religion was but the Law of Moses drawn out of its vail into clarity and manifestation and to conclude in order to the present affair the Government which Christ left was the same as he found it for what Aaron and his Sons and the Levites were in the Temple that Bishops Priests and Deacons are in the Church it is affirmed by S. Hierom more then once and the use he makes of it is this Esto subjectus Pontificituo quasi animae parentem suscipe Obey your Bishop and reeeive him as the nursing Father of your Soul But above all this appellation is made honourable by being taken by our blessed Lord himself For he is called in Scripture the great Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls But our inquiry is not after the Name but the Office and the dignity and duty of it Ecclesiae gubernandae sublimis ac divina potestas so S. Cyprian calls it a High and a Divine power from God of Governing the Church rem magnam preciosaem in conspectu Domini so S. Cyril a great and a pretious thing in the sight of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Isidor Pelusiot the utmost limit of what is desireable amongst men But the account upon which it is so desireable is the same also that makes it formidable They who have tryed it and did it conscientiously have found the burden so great as to make them stoop with care and labor and they who do it ignorantly or carelesly will find it will break their bones For the Bishops Office is all that duty which can be signified by those excellent words of S Cyprian He is a
Bishop or Overseer of the Brotherhood the Ruler of the people the Shepherd of the Flock the Governour of the Church the Minister of Christ and the Priest of God These are great titles and yet less then what is said of them in Scripture which calls them Salt of the Earth Lights upon a candlestick Stars and Angels Fathers of our Faith Embassadors of God Dispensers of the Misteries of God the Apostles of the Churches and the Glory of Christ but then they are great burdens too for the Bishop is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intrusted with the Lords people that 's a great charge but there is a worse matter that follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Bishop is he of whom God will require an account for all their souls they are the words of S. Paul and transcribed into the 40th Canon of the Apostles and the 24th Canon of the Councel of Antioch And now I hope the envy is taken off for the honour does not pay for the burden and we can no sooner consider Episcopacy in its dignity as it is a Rule but the very nature of that Rule does imply so severe a duty that as the load of it is almost insufferable so the event of it is very formidable if we take not great care For this Stewardship is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Principality and a Ministry So it was in Christ he is Lord of all and yet he was the Servant of all so it was in the Apostles it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their lot was to be Apostles and yet to serve and minister and it is remarkable that in Isaiah the 70. use the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Bishop but there they use it for the Hebrew word nechosbeth which the Greeks usually render by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the interlineary translation by Exactores Bishops are only Gods Ministers and tribute gatherers requiring overseeing them that they do their duty and therefore here the case is so and the burden so great and the dignity so allayed that the envious man hath no reason to be troubled that his brother hath so great a load nor the proud man plainly to be delighted with so honourable a danger It is indeed a Rule but it is paternal it is a Government but it must be neither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is neither a power to constrain nor a commission to get wealth for it must be without necessity and not for filthy lucre sake but it is a Rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so S. Luke as of him that ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so S. Mark as of him that is servant of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so S. John such a principality as he hath that washes the feet of the weary traveller or if you please take it in the words of our Blessed Lord himself that He that will be chief among you let him be your Minister meaning that if under Christs Kingdom you desire rule possibly you may have it but all that rule under him are Servants to them that are ruled and therefore you get nothing by it but a great labour and a busy imployment a careful life and a necessity or making severe accounts But all this is nothing but the general measures I cannot be useful or understood unless I be more particular The particulars we shall best enumerate by recounting those great conjugations of worthy offices and actions by which Christian Bishops have blessed and built up Christendom for because we must be followers of them as they were of Christ the recounting what they did worthily in their generations will not only demonstrate how useful how profitable how necessary Episcopacy is to the Christian Church but it will at the same time teach us our duty by what services we are to benefit the Church in what works we are to be imployed and how to give an account of our Stewardship with joy 1. The Christian Church was founded by Bishops not only because the Apostles who were Bishops were the first Preachers of the Gospel and Planters of Churches but because the Apostolical men whom the Apostles used in planting and disseminating Religion were by all Antiquity affirmed to have been Diocesan Bishops in so much that as S. Epiphanius witnesses there were at the first disseminations of the faith of Christ many Churchâ—s who had in them no other Clergy but a Bishop and his Deacons and the Presbyters were brought in afterwards as the harvest grew greater But the Bishops names are known they are recorded in the book of Life and their praise is in the Gospel such were Timothy and Titus Clemens and Linus Marcus and Dionysius Onesimus and Caius Epaphroditus and S. James our Lords Brother Evodius and Simeon all which if there be any faith in Christians that gave their lives for a testimony to the faith and any truth in their stories and unless we who believe Thucydides and Plutarch Livy and Tacitus think that all Church story is a perpetual Romance and that all the brave men the Martyrs and the Doctors of the Primitive Church did conspire as one man to abuse all Christendom for ever I say unless all these impossible suppositions be admitted all these whom I have now reckoned were Bishops fixed in several Churches and had Dioceses for their Charges The consequent of this consideration is this It Bishops were those upon whose Ministry Christ founded and built his Church let us consider what great wisdom is required of them that seem to be Pillars the Stewards of Christs Family must be wise that Christ requires and if the order be necessary to the Church wisdom cannot but be necessary to the Order For it is a shame if they who by their Office are Fathers in Christ shall by their unskilfulness be but Babes themselves understanding not the secrets of Religion the mysteries of Godliness the perfections of the Evangelical law all the advantages and disadvantages in the Spiritual life A Bishop must be exercised in Godliness a man of great experience in the secret conduct of Souls not satisfied with an ordinary skill in making homilies to the people and speaking common exhortations in ordinary cases but ready to answer in all secret inquiries and able to convince the gainsayers and to speak wisdom amongst them that are perfect If the first Bishops laid the foundation their Successors must not only preserve whatsoever is fundamental but build up the Church in a most holy Faith taking care that no Heresie sap the foundation and that no hay or rotten wood be built upon it and above all things that a most Holy life be superstructed upon a holy and unreproveable Faith So the Apostles laid the foundation and built the walls of the Church and their Successors must raise up the roof as high as Heaven For let us talk and dispute eternally we shall never compose the controversies in Religion and
DIEV ET MON DROIT HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE ἙΒΔΟΜᾺΣ ἘΜΒΟΛΙΜΙΟΣ A Supplement TO THE ΕÎΙΑΥΤΟΣ Or Course of Sermons for the whole year BEING SEVEN SERMONS Explaining the Nature of Faith and Obedience in relation to God and the Ecclesiastical and Secular Powers respectively All that have been Preached and Published since the Restauration By the Right Reverend Father in God JEREMY Lord Bishop of Down and Connor To which is adjoyned His Advice to the Clergy of his Diocese LONDON Printed for Richard Royston Bookseller to the Kings most Sacred Majesty 1663. THE Righteousness Evangelical DESCRIB'D THE CHRISTIANS CONQUEST Over the Body of Sin FIDES FORMATA OR FAITH working by LOVE IN THREE SERMONS PREACHED AT CHRIST CHURCH DVBLIN By the Right Reverend Father in God JEREMIAH Lord Bishop of Down and Connor The second Edition London Printed for R. Royston Book-seller to the Kings most Excellent Majesty 1663. Imprimatur M. Franck. S. T. P. R. in Christ. Pat. ac D. D. Archiep. Cant. à Sac. Dom. Sept. 21. 1663. TO THE Most Noble and Vertuous Princess The Lady Dutchess OF ORMONDE HER GRACE Madam I Present your Grace here with a Testimony of my Obedience and of your own Zeal for the good of Souls You were in your great Charity not only pleased to pardon the weakness of this discourse but to hope it might serve as a memorial to thâ—se that need it of the great necessity of living vertuously and by the measures of Christianity Madam you are too Gâ—eat and too good to have any ambition for the things of this World but I cannot but observe that in your designs for the other World you by your Charity and Zeal adopt your self into the portion of those Ecclesiasticks who humbly hope and truly labour for the reward that is promised to those wise persons who convert souls If our prayers and your desires that every one should be profited in their eternal concerns cast in a Symbol towards this great work and will give you a title to that great reward But Madam when I received your commands for dispersing some Copies of this Sermon I perceived it was too little to be presented to your Eminence and if it were accompanied with something else of the like nature it might with more profit advance that end which your Grace so piously designed and therefore I have taken this opportunity to satisfie the desire of some very Honourable and very Reverend Personages who required that the two following Sermons should also be made fit for the use of those who hop'd to receive profit by them I humbly lay them all at your Graces Feet begging of God that even as many may receive advantages by the perusing of them as either your Grace will desire or He that preached them did intend And if your Grace will accept of this first Testimony of my concurrence with all the World that know you in paying those great regards which your piety so highly merits I will endeavour hereafter in some greater instance to pursue the intentions of Your zeal of souls and by such a service endeavour to do more benefit to others and by it as by that which is most acceptable to your Grace endear the Obedience and Services of Madam Your Graces most humble and Obedient Servant J. D. The Titles and Texts of the several Sermons SERM. I. The Righteousness Evangelical Matth. 5.20 For I say unto you that except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven SERM. II. The Christians Conquest over the Body of Sin Rom. 7.19 For the good that I would I doe not but the evil which I would not that I doe SERM. III. Faith working by Love James 2.4 You see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith alone SERM. IV. Preached at an Episcopal Consecration Luke 12.42 And the Lord said Who then is that faithful and wise steward whom his Lord shall make ruler over his houshold to give them their portion of meat in due season 43. Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing SERM. V. Preached at the Opening the Parliament of Ireland 1 Sam. 15.22 Behold to obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken then the fat of rams 23. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry SERM. VI. Via Intelligentiae John 7.17 If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self SERM. VII Preached at the Funeral of the L. Primate of Ireland 1 Cor. 15.23 But every man in his own order Christ the first fruits and after they that are Christ's at his coming Rules and Advices to the Clergy of the Diocese of Down and Connor THE Righteousness Evangelical DESCRIB'D MATTH V. 20. For I say unto you that except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven REwards and Punishments are the best Sanction of Laws and although the Guardians of Laws strike sometimes with the softest part of the hand in their Executions of sad Sentences yet in the Sanction they make no abatements but so proportion the Duty to the Reward and the Punishment to the Crime that by these we can best tell what Value the Law-giver puts upon the Obedience Joshuah put a great rate upon the taking of Kiriath-Sepher when the Reward of the Service was his Daughter and a Dower But when the Young men ventured to fetch David the waters of Bethlehem they had nothing but the praise of their Boldness because their Service was no more than the satisfaction of a Curiosity But as Law-givers by their Rewards declare the value of the Obedience so do Subjects also by the grandeur of what they expect set a value on the Law and the Law-giver and do their Services accordingly And therefore the Law of Moses whose endearment was nothing but temporal goods and transient evils could never make the comers thereunto perfect but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Superinduction of a better Hope hath endeared a more perfect Obedience When Christ brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel and hath promised to us things greater than all our explicit Desires bigger than the thoughts of our heart then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Apostle then we draw near to God and by these we are enabled to do all that God requires and then he requires all that we can do more Love and more Obediâ—nce than he did of those who for want of these Helps and these Revelations and these Promises which we have but they had not were but imperfect persons and could do but little more than humane Services Christ hath taught us more and given us more and promis'd to us more than ever was in the world known or believ'd before
unhandsomly I think I have great reason to say that this person does not do what becomes the sweetness of a Christian Spirit If it be replied It is no where forbidden to chide an offending person and that it cannot be a fault to understand when a thing is said or done amiss I cannot return an answer but by saying That suppose nothing of it were a sin yet that every thing of it is so like a sin that it is the worse for it and that it were better not to do so at least I think so and so ought you too if you be curious of your eternal interest a little more tenderness here would do well I cannot say that this dress or this garment or this standing for place is the direct sin of pride but I am sure it looks like it in some persons at least the letting it alone is much better and is very like humility And certain it is that he is dull of hearing who understands not the voice of God unless it be clamorous in an express and a loud Commandment proclaimed with Trumpets and Clarions upon mount Sinai but a willing and an obedient ear understands the still voice of Christ and is ready to obey his meaning at half a word and that is the righteousness Evangelical It not only abstains from Sins named and sins implied but from the beginnings and instruments of sin and from whatsoever is like it The Jews were so great haters of Swine upon pretensions of the Mosaick rites that they would not so much as name a Swine but called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Daber Acher another thing And thus the Romans in their Auguries us'd alterum for non bonum The simile of this St. Paul translates to a Christian duty Let not fornication be so much as named amongst you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as is comely amongst Christians that is come not near a foul thing speak not of it let it be wholly banished from all your conversation for this niceness and curiosity of duty becometh Saints and is an instance of the righteousness Evangelical I have now done with the first sort of measures of the Christian righteousness these which are the matter of our negative duty these are the measures of our caution and our first innocence But there are greater things behind which although I must croud up into a narrow room yet I must not wholly omit them therefore 4. The fourth thing I shall note to you is that whereas the righteousness of the Pharisees was but a fragment of the broken Tables of Moses the pursuance of some one Grace lacinia sanctitatis a piece of the robe of righteousness the righteousness Evangelical must be like Christs seamless Coat all of a piece from the top to the bottom it must invest the whole Soul Misma Dumah Massah said the Proverb of the Rabbins It is this and it is the other it must be all it must be an universal righteousness not a little knot of holy actions scattered in our lives and drawn into a sum at the day of Judgement but it must be a state of holiness It was said of the Paphlagonian Pigeons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every one of them had two hearts but that in our mystical Theologie signifies a wicked man So said Solomon The perverse or wicked man derachaim he is a man of two ways 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so S. James expresses an unbeliever a man that will and will not something he does for God and something for the world he hath two mindes and in a good fit in his well days he is full of Repentance and overflows in piety but the paroxysm will return in the day of temptation and then he is gone infallibly But know this that in the righteousness Evangelical one duty cannot be exchang'd for another and three vertues will not make amends for one remaining vice He that oppresses the poor cannot make amends by giving good counsel and if a Priest be Simonaical he cannot be esteemed righteous before God by preaching well and taking care of his charge To be zealous for God and for Religion is good but that will not legitimate cruelty to our Brother It is not enough for a man to be a good Citizen unless he be also a good man But some men build their houses with half a dozen cross sticks and turfe is the foundation and straw is the covering and they think they dwell securely their Religion is made up but of two or three vertues and they think to commute with God some good for some bad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if one deadly wound were not enough to destroy the most healthful constitution in the world Deceive not your selves It is all one on which hand we fall Vnum operantur Et calor frigus sic hoc sic illud adurit Sic tenebrae visum sic sol contrarius aufert The Moon may burn us by night as well as the Sun by day and a man may be made blind by the light of the Sun as well as by the darkness of the evening and any one great mischief is enough to destroy one man Some men are very meek and gentle naturally and that they serve God withal they pursue the vertue of their nature that is they tye a stone at the bottom of the well and that 's more than needs the stone will stay there without that trouble and this good inclination will of it self easily proceed to issue and therefore our care and caution should be more carefully imployed in mortification of our natures and acquist of such vertues to which we are more refractory and then cherish the other too even as much as we please but at the same time we are busie in this it may be we are secret Adulterers and that will spoil our confidences in the goodness of the other instance others are greatly bountiful to the poor and love all mankind and hurt no body but themselves but it is a thousand pities to see such loving good natured persons to perish infinitely by one crime and to see such excellent good things thrown away to please an uncontrolled and a stubborn lust but so do some escape out of a pit and are taken in a trap at their going forth and stepping aside to avoid the hoar frost fall into a valley full of Snow The Righteousness Evangelical is another kind of thing it is a holy conversation a God-like life an universal obedience a keeping nothing back from God a Sanctification of the whole man and keeps not the body only but the soul and the spirit unblameable to the coming of the Lord Jesus 5. And lastly The Pharisaical righteousness was the product of fear and therefore what they must needs do that they would do but no more But the righteousness Evangelical is produced by Love it is managed by Choice and cherished by Delight and fair Experiences Christians are a willing people homines bonae voluntatis men
as an oyster and discourse at the rate of a child but are greatly short of the righteousness Evangelical I have now done with those parts of the Christian righteousness which were not only an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or excess but an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Pharisaical but because I ought not to conceal any thing from you that must integrate our duty and secure our title to the kingdom of Heaven there is this to be added that this precept of our blessed Saviour is to be extended to the direct degrees of our duty We must do more duties and we must do them better And in this although we can have no positive measures because they are potentially infinite yet therefore we ought to take the best because we are sure the greatest is not too big and we are not sure that God will accept a worse when we can do a better Now although this is to be understood of the internal affection only because that must never be abated but God is at all times to be loved and served with all our heart yet concerning the degrees of external duty as Prayers and Alms and the like we are certainly tyed to a greater excellency in the degree than was that of the Scribes and Pharisees I am obliged to speak one word for the determination of this inquiry viz. to how much more of external duty Christians are obliged than was in the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees In order to this briefly thus I remember that Salvian speaking of old men summing up their Repentances and making amends for the sins of their whole life exhorts them to Alms and works of Piety But inquiring how much they should do towards the redeeming of their Souls answers with a little Sarcasm but plainly enough to give a wise man an answer A man says he is not bound to give away all his goods unless peradventure he ows all to God but in that case I cannot tell what to say for then the case is altered A man is not bound to part with all his estate that is unless his sins be greater than his estate but if they be then he may consider of it again and consider better And he need not part with it all unless pardon be more precious to him than his money and unless heaven be worth it all and unless he knows justly how much less will do it If he does let him try his skill and pay just so much and no more than he owes to God but if he does not know let him be sure to do enough His meaning is this Not that a man is bound to give all he hath and leave his children beggars he is bound from that by another obligation But as when we are tyed to pray continually the meaning is we should consecrate all our time by taking good portions out of all our time for that duty the devoutest person being like the waters of Siloam a perpetual spring but not a perpetual current that is alwayes in readiness but actually thrusting forth his waters at certain periods every day So out of all our estate we must take for Religion and Repentance such portions as the whole estate can allow so much as will consecrate the rest so much as is fit to bring when we pray for a great pardon and deprecate a mighty anger and turn aside an intolerable fear and will purchase an excellent peace and will reconcile a sinner Now in this case a Christian is to take his measures according to the rate of his contrition and his love his Religion and his fear his danger and his expectation and let him measure his amends wisely his sorrow pouring in and his fear thrusting it down and it were very well if his love also would make it run over For deceive not your selves there is no other measure but this So much good as a man does or so much as he would do if he could so much of Religion and so much of repentance he hath and no more and a Man cannot ordinarily know that he is in a saveable condition but by the Testimony which a Divine Philanthropy and a good mind alwayes gives which is to omit no opportunity of doing good in our several proportions and possibilities There was an Alms which the Scribes and Pharisees were obliged by the Law to give the tenth of every third years increase this they alwayes paid and this sort of Alms is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Righteousness or Justice but the Alms which Christians ought to give is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is grace and it is love and it is abundance and so the old Rabbins told Justitia propriè dicitur in iis quae jure facimus benignitas in iis quae praeter jus It is more than righteousness it is bounty and benignity for that 's the Christian measure And so it is in the other parts and instances of the righteousness Evangelical And therefore it is remarkable that the Saints in the Old Testament were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 right men and the book of Genesis as we find it twice attested by S. Hierome was called by the Ancient Hellenists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the book of right or just men the book of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. But the word for Christians is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good men harmless and profitable Men that are good and men that do good In pursuance of which it is further observed by learned men that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or vertue is not in the four Gospels for the actions of Christs Disciples should not be in gradu virtutis only vertuous and laudable such as these Aristotle presses in his Magna Moralia they must pass on to a further excellency than so the same which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they must be sometimes and as often as we can in gradu heroico or that I may use the Christian style they must be actions of perfection Righteousness was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for alms in the Old Testament and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or perfection was the word for Alms in the New as appears by comparing the fifth of S. Matthew and the sixth of S. Luke together and that is the full state of this difference in the inquiries of the righteousness Pharisaical and Evangelical I have many more things to say but ye cannot hear them now because the time is past One thing indeed were fit to be spoken of if I had any time left but I can only name it and desire your consideration to make it up This great Rule that Christ gives us does also and that principally too concern Churches and Common-wealths as well as every single Christian. Christian Parliaments must exceed the Religion and Government of the Sanhedrim Your Laws must be more holy the condition of the Subjects be made more tolerable the Laws of Christ must be
as is possible to be endured that he hath watched alwayes and never nodded when he could avoid it that he hath loved as much as he could love that he hath waited till he can wait no longer then indeed if he sayes true we must confess that it is not to be understood But is there any man in the World that does all that he can do If there be that man is blameless if there be not then he cannot say but it is his own fault that his sin prevails against him It is true that no man is free from sin but it is as true that no man does as much as he can against it and therefore no man must go about to excuse himself by saying no man is free from his sin and therefore no man can be no not by the powers of grace for he may as well argue thus No man does do all that he can do against it and therefore it is impossible he should do what he can do The argument is apparently foolish and the excuse is weak and the deception visible and sin prevails upon our weak arguings but the consequence is plainly this When any man commits a sin he is guilty before God and he cannot say he could not help it and God is just in punishing every sin and very merciful when he forgives us any but he that sayes he cannot avoid it that he cannot overcome his lust confesses himself a servant of Sin and that he is not yet redeemed by the blood of the Holy Lamb. 5. He that would be advanced beyond the power and necessity of sinning must take great caution concerning his thoughts and secret desires For lust when it is conceived bringeth forth sin but if it be suppressed in the conception it comes to nothing but we find it hard to destroy the Serpent when the egg is haâ—ched into a Cockatrice The thought is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no man takes notice of it but lets it alone till the sin be too strong and then we complain we cannot help it Nolo sinas cogitationem crescere Suffer not your thoughts to grow up For they usually come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Basil sayes suddenly and easily and without business but take heed taht you nurse them not but if you chance to stumble mend your pace and if you nod let it awaken you for he only can be a good man that raises himself up at the first trip that strangles his sin in the birth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good men rise up again even before they fall saith S. Chrysostom Now I pray consider that when sin is but in the thought it is easily suppressed and if it be stopt there it can go no further and what great mountain of labour is it then to abstain from our sin Is not the Adultery of the eye easily cured by shutting the eye-lid and cannot the thoughts of the heart be turned aside by doing business by going into company by reading or by sleeping A man may divert his thoughts by shaking of his head by thinking any thing else by thinking nothing Da mihi Christianum saith S. Austin intelligit quod dico Every man that loves God understands this and more than this to be true Now if things be thus and that we may be safe in that which is supposed to be the hardest of all we must needs condemn our selves and lay our faces in the dust when we give up our selves to any sin we cannot be justified by saying we could not help it For as it was decreed by the Fathers of the Arausican Council ad Hoc etiam secundum fidem Catholicam credimus c. This we believe according to the Catholick Faith that have received Baptismal Grace all that are baptiz'd by the aid and cooperation of Christ must and can if they will labour faithfully perform and fulfil those things which belong unto salvation 6. And lastly If sin hath gotten the power of any one of us consider in what degree the sin hath prevailed If but a little the battel will be more easy and the victory more certain but then be sure to do it throughly because there is not much to be done But if sin hath prevailed greatly than indeed you have very much to do therefore begin betimes and defer nor this â—ork till old age shall make it extremely difficult or death shall make it impossible Nam quamvis prope te quamvis temone sub uno Vertentem sese frustra sectabere canthum Cum rota posterior curras in axe secundo If thou beest cast behind if thou hast neglected the duties of thy vigorous age thou shalt never overtake that strength the hinder wheel though bigger than the former and measures more ground at every revolution yet shall never overtake it and all the second counsels of thy old age though undertaken with greater resolution and acted with the strengths of fear and need and pursued with more pertinacious purposes than the early repentances of young men yet shall never overtake those advantages which you lost when you gave your youth to folly and the causes of a sad repentance However if you find it so hard a thing to get from the power of one master-sin if an old Adulterer does dote if an old Drunkard be further from remedy than a young sinner if Covetousness grows with old age if ambition be still more Hydropick and grows more thirsty for every draught of honour you may easily resolve that old age or your last sickness is not so likely to be prosperous in the mortification of our long prevailing sins Do not all men desire to end their dayes in Religion to dye in the arms of the Church to expire under the conduct of a religious man when ye are sick or dying then nothing but prayers And sad complaints and the groans of a tremulous repentance and the faint labours of an almost impossible mortification then the dispised Priest is sent for then he is a good man and his words are Oracles and Religion is truth and sin is a load and the sinner is a fool then we watch for a word of comfort from his mouth as the fearful Prisoner for his fate upon the Judges answer That which is true then is true now and therefore to prevent so intolerable a danger mortifie your sins betime for elâ—e you will hardly mortifie it at all Remember that the snail outwent the Eagle and won the goal because she set out betimes To sum up all every good man is a new Creature and Christianity is not so much a Divine institution as a Divine frame and temper of Spirit which if we heartily pray for and endeavour to obtain we shall find it as hard and as uneasie to sin against God as now we think it impossible to abstain from our most pleasing sins For as it is in the Spermatick vertue of the heavens which diffuses it self Universally upon all sublunary bodies and subtilly
pay him a better obedience when he forgives us what is past he intends we should sin no more when he offers us his graces he would have us to make use of them when he causes us to distrust our selves his meaning is we should rely upon him when he enables us to do what he commands us he commands us to do all that we can And therefore this Covenant of Faith and mercy is also a Covenant of holiness and the grace that pardons us does also purifie us for so saith the Apostle He that hath this hope purifies himself even as God is pure And when we are so then we are justified indeed this is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the law of Faith and by works in this sense that is by the works of Faith by Faith working by love and producing fruits worthy of amendment of life we are justified before God And so I have done with the affirmative Proposition of my Text you see that a man is justified by works But there is more in it then this matter yet amounts to For S. James does not say we are justified by works and are not justified by Faith that had been irreconcileable with S. Paul but we are so justified by works that it is not by Faith alone it is Faith and works together that is it is by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the obedience of Faith by the works of Faith by the law of Faith by righteousness Evangelical by the conditions of the Gospel and the measures of Christ. I have many things to say in this particular but because I have but a little time left to say them in I will sum it all up in this Proposition That in the question of justification and salvation Faith and good works are no part of a distinction but members of one intire body Faith and good works together work the righteousness of God That is that I may speak plainly justifying faith contains in it obedience and if this be made good then the two Apostles are reconciled to each other and both of them to the necessity the indispensable necessity of a good life Now that justifying and saving Faith must be defined by something more than an act of understanding appears not only in this that S. Peter reckons Faith as distinctly from knowledge as he does from patience or strength or brotherly kindness saying Add to your faith vertue to vertue knowledge but in this also because an error in life and whatsoever is against holiness is against faith And therefore S. Paul reckons the lawless and the disobedient murders of Parents man-stealing and such things to be against sound doctrines for the doctrine of Faith is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the doctrine that is according to godliness And when S. Paul prayes against ungodly men he adds this reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for all men have not Faith meaning that wicked men are Infidels and Unbelievers and particularly he affirms of him that does not provide for his own that he hath denyed the Faith Now from hence it follows that faith is godliness because all wickedness is infidelity it is an Apostacy from the Faith Ille erit Ille nocens qui me tibi fecerat hostem he that sins against God he is the enemy to the Faith of Jesus Christ and therefore we deceive our selves if we place faith in the understanding only it is not that and it does not dwell there but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Apostle the Mystery of Faith is kept no where it dwells no where but in a pure conscience For I consider that since all moral habits are best defined by their operations we can best understand what faith is by seeing what it does To this purpose hear S. Paul By faith Abel offered up to God a more excellent Sacrifice than Cain By faith Noah made an Ark. By faith Abraham left his Country and offered up his Son By faith Moses chose to suffer affliction and accounted the reproach of Christ greater than all the riches of Aegypt In short the children of God by faith subdued Kingdoms and wrought righteousness To work righteousness is as much the duty and work of faith as believing is So that now we may quickly make an end of this great inquiry whether a man is justified by Faith or by works for he is so by both if you take it alone faith does not justifie but take it in the aggregate sense as it is used in the question of Justification by S. Paul and then faith does not only justifie but it sanctifies too and then you need to inquire no further obedience is a part of the definition of faith as much as it is of Charity This is love saith S. John that we keep his Commandments And the very same is affirmed of Faith too by Bensirach He that believeth the Lord will keep his Commandments I have now don with all the Proposiâ—ions expressed and implyed in the Text give me leave to make some practical Considerations and so I shall dismiss you from this Attention The rise I take from the words of S. Epiphanius speaking in praise of the Apostolical and purest Ages of the Church There was at first no distinction of Sects and Opinions in the Church she knew no difference of men but good and bad there was no separation made but what was made by piety or impiety or sayes he which is all one by fidelity and infidelity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For Faith hath in it the Image of godliness engraven and infidelity hath the character of wickedness and prevarication A man was not then esteemed a Saint for disobeying his Bishop or an Apostle nor for misunderstanding the hard sayings of S. Paul about predestination to kick against the laudable customs of the Church was not then accounted a note of the godly party and to despise Government was but an ill mark and weak indication of being a good Christian. The Kingdom of God did not then consist in words but in power the power of godliness though now we are fallen into another method we have turned all Religion into Faith and our Faith is nothing but the productions of interest or disputing it is adhering to a party and a wrangling against all the world beside and when it is asked of what Religion he is of we understand the meaning to be what faction does he follow what are the articles of his Sect not what is the manner of his life and if men be zealous for their party and that interest then they are precious men though otherwise they be Covetous as the grave factious as Dathan Schismatical as Corah or proud as the falling Angels Alas these things will but deceive us the faith of a Christian cannnot consist in strifes about words and perverse disputings of men These things the Apostle calls prophane and vain Bablings and mark what he sayes of them these things will encrease 〈◊〉
I shall enter no further upon this inquiry only I remember that it is not very many Months since the Bigots of the Popish party cryed out against us vehemently and inquired Where is your Church of England since you have no Unity for your Ecclesiastick head of Unity your Bishops are gone And if we should be desirous to verify their argument so as indeed to destroy Episcopacy We should too much advantage Popery and do the most imprudent and most impious thing in the world But blessed be God who hath restored that Government for which our late King of glorious memory gave his blood And that me thinks should very much weigh with all the Kings true hearted Subjects who should make it Religion not to rob that glorious Prince of the greatest honour of such a Martyrdom For my part I think it fit to rest in those words of another Martyr S. Cyprian Si quis cum Episcopo non sit in Ecclesia non esse He that is not with the Bishop is not in the Church that is he that goes away from him and willingly separates departs from Gods Church and whether he can then be with God is a very material consideration and fit to be thought on by all that think Heaven a more eligible good then the interests of a faction and the importune desire of rule can countervail However I have in the following papers spoken a few things which I hope may be fit to perswade them that are not infinitely prejudiced and although two or three good arguments are as good as two or three hundred yet my purpose here was to prove the dignity and necessity of the Office and Order Episcopal only that it might be as an Oeconomy to convey notice and remembrances of the great duty incumbent upon all them that undertake this great charge The Dignity and the Duty take one another by the hand and are born together only every Sheep of the Flock must take care to make the Bishops duty as easy as it can by humility and love by prayer and by Obedience It is at the best very difficult but they who oppose themselves to Government make it harder and uncomfortable But take heed if thy Bishop hath cause to complain to God of thee for thy perversness and uncharitable walking thou wilt be the loser And for us we can only say in the words of the Prophet We will weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people But Our comfort is in God for we can do nothing without him but in him we can do all things And therefore We will pray Domine dabis pacem nobis omnia enim opera nostra operatus es in nobis God hath wrought all our works within us and therefore he will give us Peace and give us his Spirit Finally Brethren pray for us that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified even as it is with you and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men for all men have not Faith A Consecration Sermon Preached at DVBLIN Luke XII 42. And the Lord said Who then is that faithful and wise Steward whom his Lord shall make Ruler over his houshold to give them their portion of meat in due season 43. Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THese words are not properly a question though they seem so and the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not interrogative but hypothetical and extends who to whosoever plainly meaning that whoever is a Steward over Christs houshould of him God requires a great care because he hath trusted him with a great imployment Every Steward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is in St. Matthew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is in my Text Every Steward whom the Lord hath or shall appoint over the Family to rule it and to feed it now and in all generations of men as long as this Family shall abide on earth that is the Apostles and they who were to succeed the Apostles in the Stewardship were to be furnished with the same power and to undertake the same charge and to give the same strict and severe accounts In these words here is something insinuated and much expressed 1. That which is insinuated only is who these Stewards are whom Christ had whom Christ would appoint over his Family the Church they are not here named but we shall find them out by their propeâ— dirâ—ction and indigitation by and by 2. But that which is expressed is the Office it self in a double capacity 1. In the dignity of it It is a Rule and a Government whom the Lord shall make Ruler over his houshould 2. In the care and duty of it which determines the government to be paternal and profitable iâ— is a rule but such a rule as Shepherds have over their flocks to lead them to good pastures and to keep them within their appointed walks and within their folds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that 's the work to give them a measure and proportion of nourishment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so St. Matthew calls it meat in the season that which is fit for them and when it is fit meat enough and meat convenient and both together mean that which the Greek Poets call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the strong wholsom dyet 3. Lastly Here is the reward of the faithful and wise dispensation The Steward that does so and continues to do so till his Lord find him so doing this man shall be blessed in his deed Blessed is the Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Of these in order â— Who are these Rulers of Christs Family for though Christ knew it and therefore needed not to ask yet we have disputed it so much and obeyed so little that we have changed the plain hypothesis into an intangled question The answer yet is easy as to some part of the inquiry The Apostles are the first meaning of the Text for they were our Fathers in Christ They begat Sons and Daughters unto God and were a spiritual paternity is evident we need look no further for spiritual Government because in the paternal rule all power is founded They begat the Family by the power of the word and the life of the Spirit and they fed this Family and ruled it by the word of their proper Ministery They had the keyes of this house the Stewards Ensign and they had the Rulers place for they sat on twelve thrones and judged the twelve tribes of Israel But of this there is no question And as little of another proposition that this Stewardship was to last for ever for the powers of Ministring in this Office and the Office it self were to be perpetual For the issues and powers of Government are more necessary for the perpetuating the Church then for the first planting and if it was necessary that
judge his people in Righteousness that their good things be not abolished and that their glory may endure for ever 4. All the offices Ecclesiastical alwayes were and ought to be conducted by the Episcopal order as is evident in the universal doctrine and practise of the primitive Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is the 40 th Canon of the Apostles Let the Presbyters and Deacons do nothing without leave of the Bishop But that case is known The consequent of this consideration is no other then the admonition in my text We are Stewards of the manifold Grace of God and dispensers of the mysteries of the Kingdom and it is required of Stewards that they be found faithful that we preach the word of God in season and out of season that we rebuke and exhort admonish and correct for these God calls Pastores secundùm cor meum Pastors according to his own heart which feed the people with knowledge and understanding but they must also comfort the afflicted and bind up the broken heart minister the Sacraments with great diligence and righteous measures and abundant charity alwayes having in mind those passionate words of Christ to S. Peter If thou lovest me feed my sheep If thou hast any love to me feed my lambs And let us remember this also that nothing can enforce the people to obey their Bishops as they ought but our doing that duty and charity to them which God requires There is reason in these words of S. Chrysostom It is necessary that the Church should adhere to their Bishop as the body to the head as plants to their roots as rivers to their springs as children to their Fathers as Disciples to their Masters These similitudes express not only the relation and dependency but they tell us the reason of the duty The head gives light and reason to conduct the body the roots give nourishment to the plants and the springs perpetual emanation of waters to the chanels Fathers teach and feed their children and Disciples receive wise instruction from their Masters and if we be all this to the people they will be all that to us and wisdom will compel them to submit and our humility will teach them obedience and our charity will invite their compliance Our good example will provoke them to good works and our meekness will melt them into softness and flexibility For all the Lords people are populus voluntarius a free and willing people and we who cannot compel their bodies must thus constrain their souls by inviting their wills by convincing their understandings by the beauty of fair example the efficacy and holiness and the demonstrations of the spirit This is experimentum ejus qui in nobis loquitur Christus The experiment of Christ that speaketh in us For to this purpose those are excellent words which S. Paul spake Remember them who have the rule over you whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation There lyes the demonstration and those prelates who teach good life whose Sermons are the measures of Christ and whose life is a copy of their Sermons these must be followed and surely these will for these are burning and shining lights but if we hold forth false fires and by the amusement of evil examples call the vessels that sail upon a dangerous sea to come upon a rock or an iron shoar instead of a safe harbour we cause them to make shipwrack of their precious Faith and to perish in the deceitful and unstable waters Vox operum fortiùs sonat quà m verborum A good life is the strongest argument that your faith is good and a gentle voice will be sooner entertained then a voice of thunder but the greatest eloquence in the world is a meek spirit and a liberal hand these are the two pastoral staves the Prophet speaks of nognam hovelim beauty and bands he that hath the staff of the beauty of holiness the ornament of fair example he hath also the staff of bands atque in funiculis Adam trahet eos in vinculis chaâ—itatis as the Prophet Hosea's expression is he shall draw the people after him by the cords of a man by the bands of a holy charity But if against all these demonstrations any man will be refractary We have instead of a staff an Apostolical rod which is the last and latest remedy and either brings to repentance or consigns to ruin and reprobation If there were any time remaining I could reckon that the Episcopal order is the principle of Unity in the Church and we see it is so by the inumerable Sects that sprang up when Episcopacy was persecuted I could adde how that Bishops were the cause that S. John wrote his Gospel that the Christian Faith was for 300. years together bravely defended by the sufferings the prisons and flames the life and the death of Bishops as the principal Combatants That the Fathers of the Church whose writings are held in so great veneration in all the Christian World were almost all of them Bishops I could adde that the Reformation of Religion in England was principally by the Preachings and the disputings the writings and the Martyrdom of Bishops That Bishops have ever since been the greatest defensatives against Popery That England and Ireland were governed by Bishops ever since they were Christian and under their conduct have for so many ages enjoyed all the blessings of the Gospel I could add also that Episcopacy is the great stabiliment of Monarchy but of this we are convinced by a sad and too dear bought experience I could therefore in stead of it say that Episcopacy is the great ornament of Religion that as it rescues the Clergy from contempt so it is the greatest preservâ—tive of the peoples liberty from Ecclesiastick Tyranny on one hand the Gentry being little better then servants while they live under the Presbytery and Anarchy and licentiousness on the other That it endears obedience and is subject to the Laws of Princes And is wholly ordained for the good of mankind and the benefit of Souls But I cannot stay to number all the blessings which have entered into the World at this door I only remark these because they describe unto us the Bishops imployment which is to be busy in the service of Souls to do good in all capacities to serve every mans need to promote all publick benefits to cement Governments to establish peace to propagate the Kingdom of Christ to do hurt to no man to do good to every man that is so to minister that Religion and Charity publick peace and private blessings may be in their exaltation As long as it was thus done by the Primitive Bishops the Princes and the people gave them all honour Insomuch that by a decree of Constantine the great the Bishop had power given him to retract the sentences made by the Presidents of Provinces and we find in the acts of S. Nicholas that he
upon him our Nature that he might learn us Obedience and in that also make us become like unto God In his Justice and his Mercy he was imitable before but before the Incarnation of Christ we could not in passive graces imitate God who was impassible But he was pleased at a great rate to set forward this duty and when himself became obedient in the hardest point obediens usque ad mortem and is now become to us the author and finisher of our Obedience as well as of our Faith admonetur omnis aetas fieri posse quod aliquando factum est We must needs confess it very possible to obey the severest of the divine laws even to dye if God commands because it was already done by a man and we must needs confess it excellent because it was done by God himself But this great Example is of universal influence in the whole matter of Obedience For that I may speak of that part of this Duty which can be useful and concerns us Men do not deny but they must obey in all Civil things but in Religion they have a Supreme God only and Conscience is his interpreter and in effect every man must be the Judge whether he shall obey or no. Therefore it is that I say the Example of our Lord is the great determination of this inquiry for he did obey and suffer according to the commands of his Superiors under whose Government he was placed he gave his back to the smiters and his cheeks to the nippers he kept the orders of the Rulers and the customes of the Synagogues the Law of Moses and the rights of the Temple and by so doing he fulfilled all righteousness Christ made no distinctions in his Obedience but obeyed God in all things and those that God set over him in all things according to God and in things of Religion most of all because to obey was of it self a great instance of Religion and if ever Religion comes to be pretended against Obedience in any thing where our Superior can command it is imposture For that is the purpose of my text Obedience is better then Sacrifice Our own judgment our own opinion is the sacrifice seldome fit to be offered to God but most commonly deserving to be consumed by fire but take it at the best it is not half so good as Obedience for that was indeed Christ's Sacrifice and as David of Goliah's sword non est alter talis there is no other sacrifice that can be half so good and when Abraham had lifted up his sacrificing knife to slay his Son and so express'd his obedience God would have no more he had the Obedience and he cared not for the Sacrifice By Sacrifice here then is meant the external and contingent actions of Religion by Obedience is meant submission to Authority and observing the command Obedience is a not chusing our Duty a not disputing with our Betters not to argue not to delay not to murmure it is not this but it is much better for it is Love and Simplicity and Humility and Usefulness and I think these do reductively contain all that is excellent in the whole conjugation of Christian Graces My Text is a perfect Proposition and hath no special remark in the words of it but is only a great representation of the most useful Truth to all Kingdomes and Parliaments and Councels and Authorities in the whole world It is your Charter and the Sanction of your authority and the stabiliment of your Peace and the honour of your Laws and the great defence of your Religion and the building up and the guarding of the King's Throne It is that by which all the Societies in heaven and earth are firm without this you cannot have a Village prosperous or a Ship arrive in harbour It is that which God hath bound upon us by hope and fear by wrath and conscience by duty and necessity Obedience is the formality of all Vertues and every Sin is Disobedience There can no greater thing be said unless you please to adde that we never read that the earth opened and swallowed up any man alive but a company of rebellious disobedient people who rose cup against Moses and Aaron the Prince of the People and the Priest of God For Obedience is the most necessary thing in the world and corruptio optimi est pessima Disobedience is the greatest evil in the world and that alone which can destroy it My text is instanced in the matter of Obedience to God but yet the case is so that though I shall in the first place discourse of our Obedience to man I shall not set one foot aside from the main intention of it because Obedience to our Superiors is really and is accounted to be Obedience to God for they are sent by God they are his vicegerents his Ministers and his Embassadors Apostolus cujusque est quisque say the Jewes Every mans Apostle is himself and he that heareth or despiseth you said Christ heareth or despiseth me And the reason is very evident because it is not to be expected that God should speak to us by himself but sometimes by Angels sometimes by Prophets once by his Son and alwaies by his Servants Now I desire two things to be observed First We may as well perceive that God speaks to us when he uses the ministry of men as when he uses the ministry of Angels one is as much declared and as certain as the other And if it be said a man may pretend to come from God and yet deliver nothing but his own errand that is no strange thing but remember also that S. Paul puts this supposition in the case of an Angel If an Angel preach any other Gospel and we know that many Angels come like Angels of light who yet teach nothing but the waies of Darkness So that we are still as much bound to obey our Superior as to obey an Angel a man is paulò minor angelis a little lower then the Angels but we are much lower then the King Consider then with what fear and love we should receive an Angel and so let us receive all those whom God hath sent to us and set over us for they are no less less indeed in their Persons but not in their Authorities Nay the case is nearer yet for we are not only bound to receive God's Deputies as God's Angel but as God himself For it is the power of God in the hand of a man and he that resists resists God's ordinance And I pray remember that there is not only no power greater then God's but there is no other for all Power is his The consequent of this is plain enough I need say no more of it It is all one to us who commands God or God's Vicegerent This was the first thing to be observed Secondly there can be but two things in the world requir'd to make Obedience necessary the greatness of the Authority and
magna generari mediocria in turbam nâ—scentia saepe fortuna producit eximia vero ipsa raritate commendat For in him was visible the great lines of Hooker's Judiciousness of Jewel's Learning of the Accuteness of Bishop Andrews He was skill'd in more great things then one and as one said of Phidias he could not onely make excellent statues of Ivory but he could work in Stone and Brass He shewed his Equanimity in Poverty and his Justice in Riches he was useful in his Countrey and profitable in his Banishment for as Paraeus was at Anvilla Luther at Wittenburg S. Athanasius and S. Chrysostom in their Banishment S. Hierom in his Retirement at Bethlehem they were Oracles to them that needed it so was he in Holland and France where he was abroad and beside the particular endearments which his friends receiv'd from him for he did do relief to his brethren that wanted and supplied the Souldiers out of his store in York-shiâ—e when himself could but ill spare it but he receiv'd publick thanks from the Convocation of which he was President and publick Justification from the Parliament where he was Speaker so that although as one said Miraculi instar vitae iter si longum sine offensione percurrere yet no man had greater enemies and no man had greater justifications But God hath taken our Elijah from our heads this day I pray God that at least his Mantle may be left behind and that his spirit may be doubled upon his Successour and that we may all meet together with him at the right hand of the Lamb where every man shall receive according to his deeds whether they be good or whether they be evil I conclude with the words of Caius Plinius Equidem beatos puto quibus Deorum munere datum est aut facere scribenda aut scribere legenda He wrote many things fit to be read and did very many things worthy to be written which if we wisely imitate we may hope to meet him in the Resurrection of the just and feast with him in the eternal Supper of the Lamb there to sing perpetual Anthems to the honour of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost to whom be all honour c. THE END RULES AND ADVICES To the Clergy OF THE DIOCESSE OF DOWN and CONNER For their Deportment in their Personal and Publick Capacities Given by Jer. Taylor Bishop of that Diocess at the Visitation at LISNEGARVEY The second Edition LONDON Printed by J. G. for Richard Royston Bookseller to the Kings most Excellent Majesty 1663. Rules and Advices to the Clergy I. Personal Duty II. Of Prudence required in Ministers III. The Rules and Measures of Government to be used by Ministers in their respective Cures IV. Rules and Advices concerning Preaching V. Rules and Advices concerning Catechisme VI. Rules and Advices concerning the Visitation of the Sick VII Of ministring the Sacraments publick Prayers and other duties of Ministers Rules and Advices to the CLERGY I. Personall Duty REmember that it is your great duty and tied on you by many Obligations that you be exemplar in your lives and be Patterns and Presidents to your Flocks lest it be said unto you Why takest thou my Law into thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed thereby He that lives an idle life may preach with Truth and Reason or as did the Pharisees but not as Christ or as one having Authority Every Minister in taking accounts of his life must judge of his Duty by more strict and severer measures than he does of his People and he that ties heavy burthens upon others ought himself to carry the heaviest end and many things may be lawful in them which he must not suffer in himself Let every Minister endeavour to be learned in all spiritual wisdome and skilful in the things of God for he will ill teach others the way of godliness perfectly that is himself a babe and uninstructed An ignorant Minister is an head without an eye and an evil Minister is salt that hath no favour Every Minister above all things must be carefull that he be not a servant of passion whether of anger or desire For he that is not a master of his passions will alwayes be useless and quickly will become contemptible and cheap in the eyes of his Parish Let no Minister be litigious in any thing not greedy or covetous not insisting upon little things or quarrelling for or exacting of every minute portion of his dues but bountiful and easie remitting of his right when to do so may be useful to his people or when the contrary may do mischief and cause reproach Be not over-righteous saith Solomon that is not severe in demanding or forcing every thing though it be indeed his due Let not the name of the Church be made a pretence for personal covetousness by saying you are willing to remit many things but you must not wrong the Church for though it be true that you are not to do prejudice to succession yet many things may be forgiven upon just occasions from which the Church shall receive no incommodity but be sure that there are but few things which thou art bound to do in thy personal capacity but the same also and more thou art obliged to perform as thou art a publick person Never exact the offerings or customary wages and such as are allowed by law in the ministration of the Sacraments nor condition for them nor secure them before-hand but first doe your office and minister the Sacraments purely readily and for Christs sake and when that is done receive what is your due Avoid all pride as you would flee from the most frightful apparition or the most cruel enemy and remember that you can never truly teach humility or tell what it is unless you practise it your selves Take no measures of Humility but such as are material and tangible such which consist not in humble words and lowly gestures but what is first truly radicated in your Souls in low opinion of your selves and in real preferring others before your selves in such significations which can neither deceive your selves nor others Let every Curate of Souls strive to understand himself best and then to understand others Let him spare himself least but most severely judge censure and condemn himself If he be learned let him shew it by wise teaching and humble manners If he be not learned let him be sure to get so much knowledge as to know that and so much humility as not to grow insolent and puffed up by his Emptiness For many will pardon a good man that is less learned but if he be proud no man will forgive him Let every Minister be careful to live a life as abstracted from the Affairs of the world as his necessity will permit him but at no hand to be immerg'd and principally imploy'd in the Affairs of the World What cannot be avoyded and what is of good report and what he is oblig'd to by
any personal or collateral Duty that he may do but no more Ever remembring the Saying of our blessed Lord In the world ye shall have trouble but in me ye shall have peace and consider this also which is a great Truth That every degree of love to the world is so much taken from the Love of God Be no otherwise sollicitous of your Fame and Reputation but by doing your duty well and wisely in other things refer your selfe to God but if you meet with evil Tongues be careful that you bear reproaches sweetly and temperately Remember that no Minister can govern his people well and prosperously unless himself hath learn'd humbly and cheerfully to obey his Superiour For every Minister should be like the good Centurion in the Gospel himself is under authority and he hath people under him Be sure in all your Words and Actions to preserve Christian simplicity and ingenuity to do to others as you would be done unto your self and never to speak what you doe not think Trust to Truth rather than to your Memory for this may fail you that will never Pray much and very fervently for all your Parishioners and all men that belong to you and all that belong to God but especially for the Conversion of Souls and be very zealous for nothing but for Gods glory and the salvation of the World and particularly of your Charges Ever remembring that you are by God appointed as the Ministers of Prayer and the Ministers of good things to pray for all the World and to heale all the World as far as you are able Every Minister must learn and practise patience that by bearing all adversity meekly and humbly and cheerfully and by doing all his duty with unwearied industry with great courage constancy and Christian magnanimity he may the better assist his people in the bearing of their crosses and overcoming their difficulties He that is holy let him be holy still and still more holy and never think he hath done his work till all be finished by perseverance and the measures of perfection in a holy Life and a holy Death but at no hand must he magnifie himself by vain separations from others or despising them that are not so holy II. Of Prudence required in Ministers REmember that Discretion is the Mistress of all Graces and Humility is the greatest of all Miracles and without this all Graces perish to a mans self and without that all Graces are useless unto others Let no Minister be governed by the opinion of his People and destroy his duty by unreasonable compliance with their humours lest as the Bishop of Granata told the Governours of Leria and Patti like silly Animals they take burdens upon their backs at the pleasure of the multitude which they neither can retain with Prudence nor shake off with Safety Let not the Reverence of any man cause you to sin against God but in the matter of Souls being well advis'd be bold and confident but abate nothing of the honour of God or the just measures of your duty to satisfie the importunity of any man whatsoever and God will bear you out When you teach your people any part of their duty as in paying their debts their tithes and offerings in giving due reverence and religious regards diminish nothing of admonition in these particulars and the like though they object That you speak for your selves and in your own cases For a counsel is not the worse but the better if it be profitable both to him that gives and to him that takes it Onely do it in simplicity and principally intend the good of their souls In taking accounts of the good Lives of your selves or others take your measures by the express words of Scripture and next to them estimate them by their proportion and compliance with the publick measures with the Laws of the Nation Eccesiastical and Civil and by the Rules of Fame of publick honesty and good Report and last of all by their observation of the Ordinances and exteriour parts of Religion Be not satisfied when you have done a good work unless you have also done it well and when you have then be carefull that vain-glory partiality self-conceit or any other folly or indiscretion snatch it not out of your hand and cheat you of the reward Be carefull so to order your self that you fall not into temptation and folly in the presence of any of your Charges and especially that you fall not into chidings and intemperate talkings and sudden and violent expressions Never be a party in clamours and scoldings lest your Calling become uselesse and your person contemptible Ever remembring that if you cheaply and lightly be engag'd in such low usages with any person that person is likely to be lost from all possibility of receiving much good from your Ministry The Rules and Measures of Government to be used by Ministers in their respective Cures USe no violence to any man to bring him to your opinion but by the word of your proper Ministry by Demonstrations of the Spirit by rational Discourses by excellent Examples constrain them to come in and for other things they are to be permitted to their own liberty to the measures of the Laws and the conduct of their Governors Suffer no quarrel in your Parish and speedily suppress it when it is begun and though all wise men will abstain from interposing in other mens affairs and especially in matters of Interest which men love too well yet it is your duty Duty here to interpose by perswading them to friendships reconcilements moderate prosecutions of their pretences and by all means you prudently can to bring them to peace and brotherly kindness Suffer no houses of Debauchery of Drunkenness or Lust in your Parishes but implore the assistance of Authority for the suppressing of all such meeting-places and nurseries of Impiety as for places of publick Entertainment take care that they observe the Rules of Christian Piety and the allowed measures of Laws If there be any Papists or Sectaries in your Parishes neglect not frequently to confer with them in the spirit or meekness and by the importunity of wise Discourses seeking to gain them But stir up no violences against them but leave them if they be incurable to the wise and merciful disposition of the Laws Receive not the people to doubtful Disputations and let no names of Sects or differing Religions be kept up amongst you to the disturbance of the publick peace and private Charity and teach not the people to estimate their Piety by their distance from any Opinion but by their Faith in Christ their Obedience to God and the Lawes anâ— their love to all Christian people even though they be deceived Think no man considerable upon the point or pretence of a tender Conscience unless he live a good life and in all things endeavour to approve himself void of offence both towards God and man but if he be an humble person
is hard to miss both Let every Preacher in his Parish take care to explicate to the people the Mysteries of the great Festivals as of Christmas Easter Ascension day Whitsunday Trinity Sunday the Annuntiation of the blessed Virgin Mary because these Feasts containing in them the great Fundamentals of our Faith will with most advantage convey the mysteries to the people and fix them in their memories by the solemnity and circumstances of the day In all your Sermons and Discourses speak nothing of God but what is honourable and glorious and impute not to him such things the consequents of which a wise and good man will not own never suppose him to be author of sin or the procurer of our damnation For God cannot be tempted neither tempteth he any man God is true and every man a lyar Let no Preacher compare one Ordinance with another as Prayer with Preaching to the dispaparagement of either but use both in their proper seasons and according to appointed Order Let no man preach for the praise of men but if you meet it instantly watch and stand upon your guard and pray against your own vanity and by an express act of acknowledgement and adoration return the praise to God Remember that Herod was for the omission of this smitten by an Angel and do thou tremble searing lest the judgement of God be otherwise than the sentence of the people V. Rules and Advices concerning Catechisme EVery Minister is bound upon every Lords day before Evening Prayer to instruct all young people in the Creed the Lords Prayer the Ten Commandements and the Doctrine of the Sacraments as they are set down and explicated in the Church Catechism Let a Bell be tolled when the Catechising is to begin that all who desire it may be present but let all the more ignorant and uninstructed part of the people whether they be old or young be requir'd to be present that no person in your Parishes be ignorant in the foundations of Religion ever remembring that if in these things they be unskilful whatever is taught besides is like a house built upon the sand Let every Minister teach his people the use practise methods and benefits of meditation or mental prayer Let them draw out for them helps and rules for their assistance in it and furnish them with materials concerning the life and death of the ever blessed Jesus the greatness of God our own meanness the dreadful sound of the last Trumpet the infinite event of the two last sentences at doomsday let them be taught to consider what they have been what they are and what they shall be and above all things what are the issues of eternity glories never to cease pains never to be ended Let every Minister exhort his people to a frequent confession of their sins and a declaration of the state of their Souls to a conversation with their Minister in spiritual things to an enquiry concerning all the parts of their duty for by preaching and catechising and private entercourse all the needs of Souls can best be serv'd but by preaching alone they cannot Let the people be exhorted to keep fasting days and the feasts of the Church according to their respective capacities so it be done without burthen to them and without becoming a snare that is that upon the account of Religion and holy desires to please God they spend some time in Religion besides the Lords-day but be very careful that the Lords-day be kept Religiously according to the severest measures of the Church and the commands of Authority ever remembring that as they give but little Testimony of Repentance and Mortification who never fast so they give but small evidence of their joy in God and Religion who are unwilling solemnly to partake of the Publick and Religious Joys of the Christian Church Let every Minister be diligent in exhorting all Parents and Masters to send their Children and Servants to the Bishop at the Visitation or other solemn times of his coming to them that they may be confirm'd And let him also take care that all young persons may by understanding the Principles of Religion their vow of Baptism the excellency of Christian Religion the necessity and advantages of it and of living according to it be fitted and disposed and accordingly by them presented to the Bishop that he may pray over them and invocate the holy Spirit and minister the holy Rite of Confirmation VI. Rules and Advices concerning the Visitation of the Sick EVery Minister ought to be careful in visiting all the Sick and Afflicted persons of his Parish ever remembring that as the Priests lips are to preserve knowledge so it is his duty to minister a word of comfort in the time of need A Minister must not stay till he be sent for but of his own accord and care to go to them to examine them to exhort them to perfect their repentance to strengthen their faith to encourage their patience to perswade them to resignation to the renewing of their holy vows to the love of God to be reconcil'd to their neighbours to make restitution and amends to confess their sins to settle their estate to provide for their charges to do acts of piety and charity and above all things that they take care they do not sin towards the â—nd of their lives For if repentance on our death-bed seem so very late for the sins of our life what time shall be left to repent us of the sins we commit on our death-bed When you comfort the afflicted endeavour to bring them to the true love of God for he that serves God for Gods sake it is almost impossible he should be oppressed with sorrow In answering the cases of conscience of the sick or afflicted people consider not who asks but what he asks and consult in your answers more with the estate of his soul than the conveniency of his estate for no flattery is so fatal as that of the Physician or the Divine If the sick person enquires concerning the final estate of his soul he is to be reprov'd rather than answer'd only he is to be called upon to finish his duty to do all the good he can in that season to pray for pardon and acceptance but you have nothing to do to meddle with passing final sentences neither cast him down in despair nor raise him up to vain and unreasonable confidences But take care that he be not carelesly dismiss'd In order to these and many other good purposes every Minister ought frequently to converse with his Parishioners to go to their houses but alwayes publickly with witness and with prudence lest what is charitably intended be scandalously reported and in all your conversation be sure to give good example and upon all occasions to give good counsel VII Of ministring the Sacraments publick Prayers and other duties of Ministers EVery Minster is oblig'd publickly or privately to read the Common Prayers every day in the week at