Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n
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A64125
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Rules and advices to the clergy of the diocesse of [blank] for their deportment in their personal and publick capacities. Given by the Bishop at the visitation.
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Taylor, Jeremy, 1613-1667.
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1661
(1661)
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Wing T387; ESTC R222418
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12,560
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52
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God can no more be hurt by all the powers of wickedness than by the noise of a flies wing or the chirping of a Sparrow Brethren do well for your selves do well for your selves as long as you have time you know not how soon death will come 13. Entertain no persons into your Assemblies from other Parishes unless upon great occasion or in the destitution of a Minister or by contingency and seldom visits or with leave least the labours of thy Brother be discouraged and thy self be thought to preach Christ out of envie and not of good will 14. Never appeal to the judgement of the people in matters of controversie teach them obedience not arrogancie teach them to be humble not crafty For without the aid of false Guides you will finde some of them of themselves apt enough to be troublesome and a question put into their Heads and a power of judging into their Hands is a putting it to their choice whether you shall be troubled by them this week or the next for much longer you cannot escape 15. Let no Minister of a Parish introduce any Ceremony Rites or Gestures though with some seeming Piety and Devotion but what are commanded by the Church and established by Law and let these also be wisely and usefully explicated to the people that they may understand the reasons and measures of obedience but let there be no more introduc'd least the people be burdened unnecessarily and tempted or divided IV. Rules and Advices concerning Preaching 1. LEt every Minister be diligent in preaching the Word of God according to the ability that God gives him ever remembring that to minister Gods Word unto the People is the one half of his great Office and Employment 2. Let every Minister be careful that what he delivers be indeed the word of GOD that his Sermon be answerable to the Text for this is Gods Word the other ought to be according to it that although in it self it be but the word of Man yet by the purpose truth and signification of it it may in a secondary sense be the Word of God 3. Do not spend your Sermons in general and indefinite things as in Exhortations to the people to get Christ to be united to Christ and things of the like unlimited signification but tell them in every duty what are the measures what circumstances what instruments and what is the particular minute meaning of every General Advise For Generals not explicated do but fill the peoples Heads with empty notions and their Mouths with perpetual unintelligible talk but their Hearts remain empty and Themselves are not edified 4. Let not the humours and inclinations of the people be the measures of your Doctrines but let your Doctrines be the measure of their perswasions Let them know from you what they ought to do but if you learn from them what you ought to teach you will give but a very ill account at the day of Judgement of the souls committed to you He that receives from the people what he shall teach them is like a Nurse that asks of her sick Child what Physick she shall give him 5. Every Minister in reproofs of sin and sinners ought to concern himself in the faults of them that are present but not of the absent nor in reproof of the times for this can serve no end but of Faction and Sedition publique Murmur and private Discontent besides this it does nothing but amuze the people in the faults of others teaching them to revile their Betters and neglect the dangers of their own Souls 6. As it looks like flattery and design to preach nothing before Magistrates but the Duty of their people and their own Eminencie so it is the begining of Mutiny to preach to the people the duty of their Superiors and Supreme it can neither come from a good Principle nor tend to a good end Every Minister ought to preach to his Parish and urge their Duty St. John the Baptist told the Souldiers what the Souldiers should do but troubled not their heads with what was the duty of the Scribes and Pharisees 7. In the reproof of sins be as particular as you please and spare no mans sin but meddle with no mans person neither name any man nor signifie him neither reproach him nor make him to be suspected he that does otherwise makes his Sermon to be a Libel and the Ministry of Repentance an instrument of Revenge and so doing he shall exasperate the man but never amend the sinner 8. Let the business of you Sermons be to preach holy life obedience peace love among neighbours hearty love to live as the old Christians did and the new should to do hurt to no man to do good to every man For in these things the honour of God consists and the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus 9. Press those Graces most that do most good and make the least noise such as giving privately and forgiving publiquely and describe the grace of Charity by all the measures of it which are given by the Apostle 1 Cor. 13. For this grace is not finished by good Words nor yet by good Works but it is a great building and many Materials go to the structure of it It is worth your study for it is the fulfilling of the Commandments 10. Because it is impossible that charity should live unless the lust of the tongue be mortified let every Minister in his charge be frequent and severe against slanderers detractors and backbiters for the crime of backbiting is the poyson of charity and yet so common that it is past into a Proverb After a good dinner let us sit down and backbite our neighbours 11. Let every Minister be carefull to observe and vehement in reproving those faults of his Parishioners of which the Laws cannot or do not take cognizance such as are many degrees of intemperate drinkings gluttony riotous living expenses above their ability pride bragging lying in ordinary conversation convetousness peevishness and hasty anger and such like For the Word of God searches deeper than the Laws of men and many things will be hard to prove by the measures of Courts which are easie enough to be observ'd by the watchful and diligent eye and ear of the Guide of Souls 12. In your Sermons to the people often speak of the four last things of Death Judgement Heaven and Hell of the Life and Death of Jesus Christ of Gods mercie to repenting sinners and his severity against the impenitent of the formidable Examples of Gods anger powr'd forth upon Rebbels Sacrilegious Oppressors of Widdows and Orphanes and all Persons guilty of Crying Sins These are useful safe and profitable but never run into Extravagancies and Curiosities nor trouble your selves or them with Mysterious Secrets for there is more laid before you than you can understand and the whole Duty of Man is To fear God and keep his commandments Speak but very little of the secret and high things of God
the ever Bl. Jesus the greatness of God our own meanness the dreadfull 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 4. 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 5. 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 burden 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 in Religion who are unwilling solemnly to partake of the Publick and Religious Joys of the Christian Church 6. 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 Visitation of the sick 1. 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 knowledg so it is his duty to minister a word of comfort in the time of need 2. 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 persuade 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 end 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 3. 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 4. In answering the cases of conscience of 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 conveniencie of his estate For no flattery is so fatal as that of the Physician or the Divine 5. If the sick person enquires concerning the final estate of his soul he is to be reprov'd rather than answer'd onely 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 6. In order to these and many other good purposes every Minister ought frequently to converse with his parishioners to go to their houses but always publickly with witness and with prudence least 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 1. EVery Minister is oblig'd publickly or privately to read the Common prayers every day in the week at 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 2. The Minister is to instruct the people that the baptism of their children ought not to be ordinarily defer'd longer than till the next Sunday or holy day after the birth of the child least 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 3. Let every Minister exhort and press the people to a devout periodical communion at the least three times in the year at the great Festivals but the devouter sort and they who have leasure are to be invited to a frequent Communion and let it be given and received with great reverence 4. 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 usefull 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 5. Let not a Curate of souls trouble himself with any studies but such which concern his own or his peoples duty such which may enable him to speak well and to do well but to meddle with no controversies but such by which he may be enabled to convince the gainsayers in things that concern publick peace and a good life 6. Be carefull in all the publick administrations 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 proclaim'd but the reward of alms and mercy 7. 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 〈◊〉 are to repair to your Bisâ—â—â— for further advice assistancâ— and information FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Rom. 16. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉