Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	blood_n	great_a	sin_n	3,992	5	4.5136	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47322	The charge of Richard, Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells, to the clergy of his diocese at his primary visitation begun at Axebridge, June 2, 1692	Kidder, Richard, 1633-1703.	1693 (1693)	Wing K396; ESTC R6408	18,007	42

THE CHARGE OF RICHARD LORD BISHOP of Bath and Wells TO THE CLERGY of his DIOCESE AT HIS Primary Visitation Begun at AXEBRIDGE June 2. 1692. LONDON Printed by J. H. for Brab Aylmer at the Three Pigeons in Cornhill 1693. My Dear Brethren THE design of my calling you together at this time is that I may as much as lies in me set those things right that are amiss and if you meet me here with the same purpose I cannot but promise my self very good success from the blessing of God and our united Endeavours It stands us very much in hand to improve the time we have for the good of those Souls that Christ hath purchased with his pretious blood There are many considerations which may awaken us to the greatest diligence in this matter The care of Souls is of all things of the greatest weight We must shortly give a severe account of our discharge of this great duty we have sins enough of our own to account for we had not need the addition of the guilt of others Those that miscarry through our negligence we must answer for On the other hand if we use due care and win Souls to God if we convert Sinners from the evil of their wayes how blessed a work will this be and how great shall be our reward To be thus imployed is a God-like work 'T is an imitation of God and our Blessed Saviour 'T is a work of the greatest charity an instance of the highest wisdom an imitation of the most conspicuous example of our Lord and Master Besides 't is a work we stand obliged to not onely as we are Christians but more especially as we are the Ministers of Jesus Christ we are stewards of the mysteries of God Ambassadors for Christ we are appointed to govern and oversee the flock of Christ labourers in God's Vineyard all which expressions intimate to us the need of great circumspection and diligence Happy most happy will those men be who do their utmost to gain Souls to God and to righteousness He that converteth a sinner from the Error of his wayes shall save a Soul from death and shall hide a multitude of Sins Jam. 5.20 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever Dan. 12.3 If we will take the pains to reflect upon the promises we made when we entered into Holy Orders and the Holy Sacrament that then we took upon those promises and whereby we bound ourselves to make them good we shall find this of mighty force to awaken us to the utmost care and circumspection We professed then to be inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost and truly called to that holy Office That we would diligently frame and fashion our own and families lives to the doctrine of Christ Diligently to minister the Doctrine and Sacraments and Discipline of the Church That we would banish all erroneous doctrines and use publick and private monitions and exhortations to the sick and the whole That we would be diligent in prayers and reading and studying the Scripture That we would set forward quietness peace and love Upon these terms we were admitted into this Holy Office How far we have made these promises good we ought to consider God will not be mocked If we have failed 't will concern us highly to return to our duty and to take that diligent care of our flocks that we may both save our selves and them that hear us And to this great end and purpose I commend to your care the following particulars First That ye would be Examples to your people 1 Tim. 4.16 Teach them not onely by your Sermons but by your Lives So live that they may safely follow you Tread out the steps before them that they are to take towards Heaven Let them see that you do that your selves which you perswade them to do This is the most compendious and powerfull way of teaching and perswasion 2 This is the way that our great Lord and Master took St. Luke calls his Gospel a Treatise of all the things that Jesus began to Do and Teach Act. 1.1 He did not onely instruct his followers by his Sermons his Parables his Conferences and wise Speeches but by his actions and the whole course of his life They might from his life learn that Piety that Charity that Righteousness that Abstraction from and Contempt of the world which he commended to them from his Doctrine He not onely commanded but led them as became the great Captain of their Salvation His Example was instructive as well as his Sermons They might see in him that exemplifyed which he preached to them He scattered beams of light as he went along and his disciples might clearly see what they were to do by what he did He taught them to believe in God in all difficulties and straits to love and honour him to worship him and be resigned to his will But then all this might be learned from his Example also He trusted in him in the barren wilderness and upon the troubled Sea and hanging on the Cross He loved him above all and sought not his own glory but that of him that sent him He was much in Prayer to God frequently at the Temple where he was worshipped the zeal of his fathers house eat him up to him he resigned himself under the greatest agony saying not my will but thine be done Jesus taught his followers exact righteousness and he practifed it also He taught them to love each other and to forgive their Enemies And he gave them a great example of it For he went about doing good he fed the hungry and taught the ignorant and relieved the oppressed and made joy and gladness where-ever he came And for his bitter Enemies he with his last breath prays for them Father forgive them for they know not what they doe 'T were easie to shew in a great number of instances that Jesus did practise himself what he taught us He commends to us humility and bids us learn of him for he was lowly in heart nor was there ever such a mirror of profound Humility in the World The same may be said of Patience and Contempt of the World Fortitude and Courage c. Our Lord taught these lessons by his great Example And thus must we do We must do as well as teach This is the way to bring Souls to God Let 's hear St. Peter speak The Elders which are among you I exhort Feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre's sake but of a ready mind neither as being Lords over God's heritage but being Ensamples to the flock 1 Pet 5. 1 2 3. This way of example it seems is the sittest method and course and so indeed it is 'T will do more good than violence and compulsion more than subtilty and dry reasoning

therefore you that are to prepare persons for Confirmation may hence understand what you are to aime at You are to put them in mind of their baptismal Vow to explain the several parts of it to instruct them in the principles of that Religion which they profess to put them upon owning it publickly and not to be ashamed of the Gospell and Cross of Christ This is an admirable institution and wonderfully fitted for the advancement of true Religion There was something like this practiced in the Jewish Church He that was circumcised in his Infancy when he became of the age of 13 years took upon himself the Mosaical precepts and then he was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a son of the precept If after this he broke the Law he himself was answerable for that breach and not his Parents or Sureties We are in our office of Baptism to mind the Sponsors for the baptized infant to take care that the child be instructed And that the children be minded of their baptismal vow and taught all the things which a Christian ought to know and believe to his Souls health And after this they are warned to bring them to the Bishop to be confirmed Your care then I must desire and if that be not wanting you shall find me most ready to do what belongs to me Fourthly Beware of non-residence You are obliged to reside by the Law Upon Vicaridges you are bound to reside by Vertue of the Oath you have taken That Oath obligeth you unless you are dispensed with by the Bishop That indeed is the onely way to secure the non-resident Vicar from Perjury Nothing else but that can do it 'T is nothing to this purpose what was the reason why all Vicars are obliged to take this Oath When they have taken it they are obliged if they reside not unless dispensed with they are foresworn 'T is certainly so whatever a late Author in his book of Pluralities hath advanced to the contrary An Oath is not to be trifled with For my part I cannot see how non-residence can be justifyed therefore I must and do require you to reside upon your Cures I hope I need say no more of the residence of Vicars they are obliged by Oath and very obnoxious if they reside not But there are other non-residents that give great scandall Some have two Livings and reside on neither as they ought Others that have but one reside not on that They take a Curacy or pursue a Lecture elsewhere They choose to live in a better aire or among more fashionable persons than their poor neighbors are They are for the conversation of Gentlemen and Men of learning others spend their time vainly and foolishly and neglect those poor Souls which they have taken the charge of Did Jesus do thus did the Apostles did the ancient Holy Bishops and Martyrs thus leave their Sheep Did Jesus spend his time among Grandees and the Wits of the age He preached much in Galilee an obscure and mean Country He conversed with poor and weak sickly and illiterate people Good God awaken us to a just sence of things and grant that while we leave our flocks the Souls that in our absence pass into another world do not carry thither just complaints against us We shall have the blood of those Souls to answer for whom we have neglected Fifthly Neglect not those days of Fasting appointed by Authority nor any of those Prayers which are sent you and required to be used during the present state of affairs I hope you need not to be put in mind of these things because you have taken an Oath to their present Majesties and are I hope sensible how much lies at stake Our Religion our Liberties and Properties our Lives our All call for this at our hands We have the strongest obligations both from duty and interest Besides we shall be self con-demned if we are not hearty to that Government to which we have sworn and to which we stand obliged several wayes We are very vile if we be not true to that Government which we have so solemnly owned I am not willing to believe so hard a thing of you If there be any such I wish they may not know the difference between a mild and gentle Government under which we are and the insolence of a foreign Tyrant I wish they may never know what arbitrary Power and draggooning mean Keep the days of Fasting with all manner of care put your people in mind of them and give them due warning of their approach And make the people sensible how much they are concerned in this matter Sixthly You are also to take great care that you do not marry any without Banns or Licence and that in this matter you govern your selves by the Rubrick and Canon The Minister that offends is liable to be suspended for three years Canon LXII And to the same penalty is he liable that marries those that are licensed at unseasonable times or in a private place Nor may he do it with Banns without the consent of Parents And he that offends tho' in an exempt Church Canon LXIII is liable to the same penalty This is the penalty and yet as great as it is it hath not proved sufficient to restrain bad men Insomuch that other ways have been thought upon by our Law-makers to keep these bad men in awe And there was a Bill on foot in Parliament not long since to punish it with death I am sure the Fault is great whatever the punishment be To steal a woman without consent of Parents is no small sin But as great as that is 't is not to be compared with that of the Minister He cannot be supposed under the like temptation and ought to be of a virtue more conspicuous The Minister hath no plea unless he plead poverty But the theif and highwayman may plead this as justly as he This plea ought not to save the robber from death nor this offender from the penalty of our constitution That Minister that takes the liberty of Clandestin mariages must needs be an abandoned wretch He does that which is most vile and unbecoming his function He prostitutes this holy State and joyns them together whom God hath not joyned and nature hath separated He knows not the mischief he does For what he knows he marries those that are married or that ought not to marry He may bless the incestuous and the most unclean mixtures which God abhors and nature it self forbids What mischief to families what horror to the minds of the married persons what confusion and guilt follows not from thence There 's hardly any punishment great enough for so great a sinner And sure I am there are less offences than this which our Laws have made Capitall I cannot think so hardly of any man that hears me as to suppose him guilty of so great a Crime Marriage is Honourable in all 't is an holy state 't was appointed in