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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65764	The pastors charge and cure, or, A sermon first preached in Latine at Oxford and afterwards translated by the author the preaching of which created the author much trouble, and in the winding up of all, suspension from his ministery, and thereupon inforcement to leave his native countrey / by Nath. White, pastor of a congregation at summer islands.	White, Nathaniel, 17th cent.	1645 (1645)	Wing W1798; ESTC R33619	34,854	42

and to all the flock over which the holy Ghost hath made you Over-seers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own Bloud THIS excellent and plainly divine Precept of which we are by Gods gracious assistance this day to speak O yee Fathers much to be reverenced O yee my Brethren much to be respected in Christ Jesus is a part of that heavenly Sermon of St. Pauls which he made to the Elders of Ephesus being assembled at Miletus But before I come to the particular Explication of it it is necessary that I set before your eyes the occasion of the words And because nothing can be found to have been uttered rashly and unadvisedly by an Apostle so eminently gifted so throughly sanctified with the good leave of this learned Assembly that I tip up from the bottome the History that so the cause which moved the Apostle to utter these words may shew it selfe as resplendently as the Sun from under a cloud This blessed Apostle the up-roare being ceased which Demetrius had raised at Ephesus having gone over Macedonia and some Cities of Greece having also left behind him Troas where he raised to life Eutychus and Assos and Mitylene and Samos and Trogillium at last came to Miletus whither the Elders of Ephesus being called he admonishing them of his doctrine and proposing unto them his own example for imitation and commending unto them the care and administration of the Churches with a vehement attestation after this manner spake unto them It is not needfull my beloved Brethren that I rehearse unto you my candid sincerity in the businesse of the Gospel yee your selves are luculent and approved witnesses of my conversation amongst you after what manner I have been with you at all seasons from the first day that I came into Asia that I have not hunted after popular applause and vain glory neither in any thing have I sought mine own profit but serving the will of the Lord Jesus with all modesty and obeying his precepts with all integrity I have purely preached the Gospel of Christ to all both publickly and privatly and that I might tread in the holy steps of my blessed Lord and Master who that he might redeem and cleanse his Church and establish it against the gates of hell emptied himself and humbled himself and suffered sharp afflictions and a most bitter and shamefull death have suffered many and grievous things of the Jewes my Countreymen and Kinsmen the sworn enemies of the name of a Christian which Jewes that they might hinder the course of the gloriou● Gospel and that the grace of Christ might in no wise be communicated to the Genriles by my Ministery these laid ginnes and snares to intrap me and with divers and manifold tribulations afflictions they afflicted me All which things notwithstanding are so farre unable to hinder me in my course of preaching the Gospel or to beat me off from my purpose of making known the name of Christ that now however free in body yet bound in spirit I will goe to Jerusalem being altogether ignorant of those things which will befall me in that Citie but that being informed by the publick testimony of the holy Spirit I before-hand perceive that bonds and afflictions doe abide me This I am certainly perswaded of this I confidently beleeve notwithstanding I am not onely ready willingly to undergoe bands but also to lay down my life so that I may finish my course the Ministery which I have received of the Lord Jesus And now behold I know that yee all among whom I have gone preaching shall see my face no more wherefore I take you to record this day that I am pure from the bloud of all men for I have shewed to all the true way which leadeth to life And that no man might plead ignorance I have made known all the counsell of God viz. by what means it seemed good unto him to save mankind and in like manner what is to be performed by those who doe desire to persevere in sincere affiance towards the Lord Jesus Moreover I have set my selfe before you as an example by doing and suffering all things that you might continue constantly in the purity of the Gospel and therefore the destruction of none can justly be charged upon me Neither doe I willingly and of mine own accord suffer my self to be plucked from you at this present neither for feare of persecution doe I withdraw my selfe but I follow the guidance of the Spirit of God albeit it be into certain manifest danger of my life That therefore my Brethren which cannot be performed by my presence it is necessary that it be recompenced by your diligence Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the Flock c. that is take heed that you be not wanting to your selves look to it you having put your hands to the Plough that you look not back but you that are Elders to whom the care and charge of a multitude is concredited beware yee that the false Apostles doe not corrupt your selves and poyson the Flock which you have solemnly undertaken to foster and nourish and that in the presence of God and his holy Angels I have with great sincerity discharged that duty which was delegated to me by the Lord doe yee with the like diligence and with the like integrity pursue the care of that flock over which the holy Ghost hath made you Bishops i. e. Overseers that you minister unto the sheep of Christ wholsome food in due season and that you shew yourselves to be true Shepheards carefull Pastors towards the Congregation of God not hirelings not devouring Wolves which congregation since it hath been so deare to God that he hath redeemed it with the pretious bloud of his only begotten Sonne it is not negligently to be cared for of you neither should any such fact at any time be committed by you that a Merchandize of so great price should perish through your carelesnesse and negligence Yee see welbeloved Fathers and Brethren whither the words at the first blush look what the drift and scope of them is viz. that the Guardians of the Church should with all possible care take heed both to themselves and to all the flock of Christ This is that which I could wish from the very ground of my heart might take place in our age in which a very evill custome of neglecting of themselves and the Church of God hath gotten footing and from day to day like a Gangrene spreads further and further would to God as Bernard hath it in his Sermon to the Ministery of his time that the Pastors of the Church could be found as diligent to eye their Charge as they are prompt and ready to make hast to the Chaire likewise that they would watch diligently and carefully keeping the Church committed unto them yea verily that they would watch for themselves and that they would not suffer that to be

we have wrought And this shall suffice to have been spoken as concerning the Pastors care namely his Attention It followes now that we passe to the Extent of this Attention to whom and how farre it reacheth Take heed to your selves take heed to the Flock To the Flock that it be not seduced to your selves that yee be not punished both to your selves and the Flock that yee fail not that yee fall not from the sound and right way saith Aretius most excellently upon this place m Aretius in locum A simple and single care is sufficient for others a double care is required of you The holy Apostle would have you to be attentive to your selves as you are Christians to the Flock as you are Pastors to both as you are Overseers but first to your selves to your selves for unlesse you take heed to your selves who shall take heed unto you For who shall keep the Keepers Or if the salt have lost its savour wherewith shall it be seasoned To your selves because he that will not take heed to himselfe will never take care for the Flock of Christ and who will commit another mans to him that is not faithfull in his own Christ said unto Peter watching When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren This is Christs order first he would have him to take care of himselfe and to his own conversion When thou art converted afterward he would have this his care to extend it self to others also strengthen thy brethren A little after Christ saith to Peter being halfe asleep Simon sleepest thou namely thou whose duty it is to give heed to others to awaken others dost thou sleep dost thou not take heed unto thy self This seemed to Christ to be absurd and foolish and truly so it is Wherefore first of all let it be your care to take heed to your selves but how to your selves First to your life and then to your Doctrine To your life that it be undefiled to your Doctrine that it be uncorrupted to both that they be sincere and no way polluted Hence there ariseth a second Consectary or Doctrinall Conclusion which is this Conclusion 2 That abundance of care and circumspection is to be had that the Pastors of the Church of God doe keep themselves holy and undefiled as well in their lives as in their Doctrine in their life that it be not contaminated and defiled with the blots of sinne and wickednesse in their Doctrine that it be not corrupted with errors or any deceitfull impostures We have here a large field to walk in but I will run over it with as much brevity as possibly I can First of all the Pastors of the Church of God must take heed with all care and watchfulnesse that their life be holy and without blame which the Scripture requireth in every Pastor He that will but read St. Pauls Epistles to Timothy shall find this sufficiently confirmed n 1 Epist 3.2.3 A Bishop then must be blamelesse sober of good behaviour not given to wine no striker not greedy of filthy lucre but patient not a brawler not covetous Moreover saith the Apostle in the 7 8 he must have a good report of them which are without lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the Devill And in Chap. 4. v. 12 of the same Epistle he saith Be thou an example of the beleevers in word in conversation in charity in spirit in faith in purity And in his Epistle to Titus he thus speaketh For a Bishop o Titus 1.7 must be blamelesse as the Steward of God not self-willed not proud not given to wine not soon angry c. But what should I dwell any longer on a Doctrine so clear perspicuous God when he did forbid any of the seed of Aaron having any blemish to p Lev. 21.17 approach neere to offer the bread of the Lord And when the Lord did command that q Exo. 28.36 Holinesse to the Lord should be ingraven on the fore-front of the Mitre that it might be upon Aarons forehead and when that he did strictly charge that they should be r Isai 52.11 cleane who did beare the vessels of the Lord he did then and there clearly demonstrate that sanctimony and holinesse of life which ought to shine in the Pastors of the Church as the Sunne in the firmament Neither doth this truth want reason Reason 1 for that God whose they are and whom they serve is holy his eyes are pure and he cannot behold evill neither will he look on iniquity as the Prophet Habakkuk speaketh Å¿ Hab. 1.13 therefore the life of Pastors ought to be purged from all the filth and pollution of sinne otherwise it will be impossible for them to appear before the Lord with acceptance for which cause the Apostle exhorteth to t Heb. 12.14 follow holinesse without which no man shall see the face of the Lord. The office of a Pastor requireth holinesse yea an Angelicall purity and perfection saith u In Admonit ad Nep. Bellarmine excellently Furthermore Reason 2 there is a necessity that that hand should endeavour to be clean which will wash off the filth of others lest in stead of cleansing it doth more defile the things it toucheth it selfe being polluted and defiled Hence therefore is it said by the Prophet w Esay 52.11 Be yee clean who doe bear the vessels of the Lord. For they bear the vessels of the Lord who doe take upon them to bring the souls of their neighbours to the everlasting holy habitations in the trust and credit of their own conversation Let them therefore seriously perpend and consider with themselves saith x Past Cura part 2. Gregory notably how clean and holy they ought to be who doe carry the living vessels of the Lord unto the Temple of eternity in the bosome of their own stipulation In the last place Reason 3 the house and conversation of a Bishop being placed as a mirrour on a watch-tower is the Lady and Mistresse of publick discipline Hierome saith Hierome Lux gregis est flamma Pastoris the bright burning of the Shepheard is the light of the flock saith Gregory Gregory Yee are the y Matth. 5.14 light of the world a Citie set upon a hill saith our Saviour to his Disciples It is as much as if Christ had said Since that you are clearly and plainly to be seen and that afarre off like a stately and well built Pyramis or as a Candle burning in a Candlestick a great necessity lieth upon you that you be serviceable as well to the eyes of all that shall flow unto you for imitation as to their eares for instruction When the Pillar z Exod. 13. of the Cloud went right forward the people of Israel went forward but when that did again stand still the Congregation rested so at the beck and rebeck of every active Christian all things are done by those that are his subjects and

followers This was the cause why God commanded that the Captaines and Leaders of the people should go forth to the battel at the first sound of the Trumpet that so the Troops of the mixt multitude might follow after them as their fore-runners Therefore yee see my beloved brethren that abundance of care and circumspection must be had that the Pastors being the Captains and Leaders of the people may lead a sincere and undefiled life lest that they drive them that wander into by-paths and deadly precipices and so make themselves guilty of their bloud which they should reduce from their wandring with their Shepheards Staffe and Crook into the Kings high way the way of life and salvation To this purpose speaketh Gregory excellently a Past Cura part 3. Admo●it Let the Pastors learn to give themselves examples of living well to those that are committed to them for they ought to know that if at any time they shall perpetrate corrupt and filthy things they are worthy of so many deaths as they doe give examples of destruction and perdition to those that are their followers from whence there is a necessity that Pastors and Ministers should keep themselves so much the more warily from trespasses and sinnes in so much as they doe not only die themselves by the evill things which they doe commit but also are guilty of the death of their souls which by their evill examples they have destroyed If then the matter be so my reverend Fathers and Brethren in Christ hence first we may learn how unworthy they are of the Office and honour of a Pastor who live wickedly and who doe tumble and wallow in the filth and mire of sinne and wickednesse in surfeiting and drunkennesse in chambering and wantonnesse in strife and envying how dare such men as these take upon them to declare the righteousnesse of the Lord How dare they take his word into their impure mouthes when as they have hated to be reformed and have cast his words behind their backs With what face doe men of this stamp rashly set upon the holy things of God and handle them as they say with unwashed hands when as David a most holy Prophet of God would not compasse the Altar of Jehovah before he had washed his hands in b Psal 24. innocency that is as Calvin interprets it before in the common use of holy things he had separated himselfe from wicked things Are these meet successors of the Prophets and Apostles who are called Holy men of God not onely by reason of divine inspiration but also for the holinesse and integrity of life by which they shined as gloriously in the Orb of the Church as the Sunne in its proper O●b expressing by their unblameable manners and by their holy conversation the life of true and pure religion in which they had instructed others Alas in no wise ought these to be esteemed fit to take the places or fill up the roomes of such holy men of God If any of this sort doe heare me this day Men Brethren and Fathers which God forbid I will with your good leave propose a few Considerations to which if they will lend a diligent eare they shall be able the grace of God helping and assisting to renounce and to bid farewell for ever to their old and wicked course of life The first of which is this Conside ∣ ration 1 the wicked and prophane life of Pastors defiles the very face of God with filthinesse and uncleannesse Thou which teachest another teachest thou not thy selfe Thou which preachest a man should not steale dost thou steale Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery dost thou commit adultery Thou that makest a boast of the Law through breaking of the Law dishonorest thou God c Rom. 2.21 22 23 24. What followeth For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you as it is written Thus holy Paul in his Epistle to the Romans Hearken to this Men Brethren and Fathers the Ministers of the Gospell wallowing in the mire of sinnes doe pollute the glorious Name of God and shall these escape unpunished No by no means unlesse they repent they shall perish for ever Who ever shall escape the present or future wrath of God almighty they most assuredly shall undergoe the same Truly this is a terrible conclusion yet hath it in it no more terrour then truth For God will be sanctified in those that come nigh him that is either actively or passively as he hath witnessed of himselfe I will be sanctified saith he in them that come nigh me Levit 10.3 that is I will openly declare and make known the glory and holinesse of my name by sharply punishing those Ministers that doe transgresse my commandements A second consideration is this Conside ∣ ration 2 the wicked and prophane life of Pastors doth wound Religion for as the wicked life of the sonnes of Eli gave occasion to the people to d 1 Sam. 2.17 abhorre the sacrifices of the Lord so the impious and nefarious lives of our Ministers give occasion to the malignant of scandalizing Religion Wherefore for Religions sake let it never be told in Gath nor published in the streets of Ascalon that the Ministers of the Gospel doe live unholily lest peradventure the daughters of the Philistines rejoyce lest peradventure the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph and by this means at length conceive some hope in their minds that our Religion by this deadly blow being shrewdly wounded it may in short time languish and die and that out of its ashes Phoenix-like the Roman Monster may again arise The third consideration is this Conside ∣ ration 3 the wicked and prosane life of Pastors doth seduce the flock e Ser. ad Pastor Hence excellently Bernard in his Sermon to Pastors That which Heretickes do by their corrupt doctrines the same doe many now adayes by their wicked examples namely they seduce the people and lead them into errour and by so much the more pernitious are they then heretickes by how much works are of more value then words and men are more led by practice then by precepts To this purpose speaketh Leo Plenius opere quam voce docetur teaching by example and practice is a more full teaching then teaching by precepts Suitable to this is the saying of Nazianzen He which teacheth holy things and liveth filthily he builds with one hand that which hee pluckes downe with another The Greek Scholia to this purpose wittily hath concluded that as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used not actively onely but passively also would to God you would diligently consider this Fathers and Brethren ye are Bishops actively that is Overseers and passively that is spectacles at once to be Overseers of others and to be seen of others for the eyes and faces of all are towards you all in your Doctrine listen well unto you all in your life have their

eyes fixed on you so that if any amongst you doth give any example of evill if any among you be a curser a swearer if any be a false speaker a perjured person if any be a riotous person an Usurer if any of you be a dicer or a huckster of Benefices the example spreads farre and presently it is in the mouthes of the people too apt to be imitators of such things this our Bishop frequently doth this our Minister commonly practiseth certainly any the least offence committed by you will wonderfully encourage the hearts and strengthen the hands of wicked men in their evill courses The fourth is this Conside ∣ ration 4 The wicked and prophane life of Pastors destroyeth themselves Hence it is that venerable Bede thus speaketh f Beda De Temple Sol. Chrysostome They which endeavour to teach others a rule which they have not learned themselves doe not prepare a sanctuary for the Lord but ruine destruction for themselves And Chrysostom saith A Doctor of the Church by preaching well living ill teacheth the people how they ought to live teacheth God how he ought to condemne him A certain Pope saith That those that doe not live but teach savingly they are like to the water in baptisme which washing them sends them to heaven but it selfe afterwards descends into the channell To me they seem not unlike to a plaister which when it hath cured the wound together with the matter or corruption is cast into the fire But why doe I relate unto you the opinion of the Fathers or of my selfe Hearken what Christ saith who shall be the Judge of quick and dead g Matth. 7.22.23 Many shall say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name But what will Christ answer them Depart from me yee workers of iniquity A terrible answer and such an one as ought to wrest teares of bloud from those that are guilty Would to God my Brethren that these Considerations were so deeply recorded in the hearts of all Pastors but especially in the hearts of those that live wickedly that they might never slip out of their memory Secondly hence they are to be admonished who doe slight this holinesse and esteem it either in Pastors or in people to be a vain curiosity and Puritanisme that they would acknowledge their errour at last seriously repent for if they shall not see the Lord who doe want holinesse much lesse shall they ever see him who mock and scoffe at holinesse That God whom we serve is a God of h Hab. 1.1 pure eyes who hath pronounced them blessed i Matth 5.8 that are pure in heart and hath threatned that Dogs Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murderers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie shall be k Rev. 22.15 without such shall be without they shall never enter into the holy City Wo is me who whilst he speaketh these things can abstain frō tears For now impudence is grown to that height that it is a crime to be holy so that many men are compelled to be evil that they may not be accounted evill even as Salvian heretofore complaiued of his times He that will not now sweare and forsweare he that will not now drinke and play the glutton hee that will not turn topsie-turvie the Lawes of God and Man he presently is branded with the name of a Puritan and forthwith is vexed with the hatred of all yea even amongst some of the University I know what these haters of good men will say to these things they will say that they never hated any good thing or any good man onely they cannot endure that foolish curiosity which commonly is called Puritanisme of whom I desire to know this one thing Whether they doe believe or think that it is possible to be too curious precise in keeping Gods commandements when as the Apostle cōmandeth us to walk l Ephes 5.15 precisely And God commands us to keep his commandementss diligently m Psal 119.4 saith David yea with all thy might n Deut. 6.5 or as Buxtorfius hath it with all thy vehemencie when as our Saviour exhorteth to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect o Matth. 5.48 I am not ignorant that this Sicut this as is a sicut similitudinis non aequalitatis an as of likenesse not of equality as Gorran p Gorranin 1 Epist Ioh. hath wel distinguished notwithstāding I dare affirm this without blushing that when men have strained themselves to the uttermost and scrued themselves to the highest pegge of their endeavours that they may imitate this pattern they shall never be able to attain to the riches of Gods perfection and therefore it is not possible for men to be too strict accurate in their walking with God That therefore which these haters of good men call vain curiosity is true piety and according to that way which they call Puritanisme must we serve the living God and obey his divine Lawes If this shall seeme infam ous to any he is to be esteemed wicked and ungodly and the sacred Scripture brands such a man with a black Character and wheresoever he goes he shall alwayes be knowne by this mark to be a very Cain who slew his brother because his own works were q 1 Ioh. 3.12 evill and his brothers righteous Last of all from this conclusion doth flow this admonition unto us Fathers and Brethren who by the blessing of our most benigne God are advanced to this so high honour that our doctrine may flow in more powerifully may allure more effectually may adhere more firmly may grow up more fruitfully and may attain its blessed end more expeditiously let us diligently take heed that we doe not at any time commit any thing unworthy of so great an honour as that to which God hath called us let us take heed I say that our name agree with our actions and that our actions answer to our name that so there be not a sublimity of honour with a deformity of life that we doe not counterfeit Dove-like locution and Sheep-like profession and yet retain and keep a Crow like affection and a Wolfe-like disposition So Ambrose r Lib. de dig sacerd cap. 3. Let us in no wise be like unto Husbandmen who doe till and trim the ground being squalid and untrim themselves and whilst they endeavour to diminish the thornes they so grow into bushes that they doe involve and overwhelme themselves with those thorns from which they free the field But let us be like boyes going before in the night with burning Torches or rather let us be like to fore-runners whose paces and footsteps those that are our hearers and followers treading in they may prepare themselves more cheerfully more firmly more earnestly to a perpetual course in the race of godlinesse which that we may all both to the salvation of our selves as also to the glory of his