A PRIEST To the TEMPLE OR The Countrey PARSON HIS CHARACTER AND Rule of Holy Life The AUTHOUR Mr G. H. LONDON Printed by T. Maxey for T. Garthwait at the little North door of St Paul's 1652. THE AUTHOUR TO THE READER BEing desirous thorow the Mercy of GOD to please Him for whom I am and live and who giveth mee my Desires and Performances and considering with my self That the way to please him is to feed my Flocke diligently and faithfully since our Saviour hath made that the argument of a Pastour's love I have resolved to set down the Form and Character of a true Pastour that I may have a Mark to aim at which also I will set as high as I can since hee shoots higher that threatens the Moon then hee that aims at a Tree Not that I think if a man do not all which is here expressed hee presently sinns and displeases God but that it is a good strife to go as farre as wee can in pleasing of him who hath done so much for us The Lord prosper the intention to my selfe and others who may not despise my poor labours but add to those points which I have observed untill the Book grow to a compleat Pastorall 1632. GEO. HERBERT A Table of Contents to the COUNTRY PARSON CHAP. 1. OF a Pastour p. 1 2. Their Diversities p. 2 3. The Parsons life p. 6 4. Knowledges p. 10 5. Accessary Knowledges p. 14. 6. The Parson Praying p. 17 7 Preaching p. 21 8 On Sundays p. 28 9. His State of life p. 32 10. In his house p. 38 11. The Parson's Courtesie p. 49 12. Charity p. 52 13. Church p. 57 14. The Parson in Circuit p. 60 15. Comforting p. 66 16. A father p. 68 17. In Iourney p. 70 18. In Sentinell p. 73 19. In Reference p. 75 20. In Gods stead p. 79 21. Catechizing p. 81 22. In Sacraments p. 88 23. The Parson's Compleatnesse p. 94. 24. The Parson Arguing p. 101. 25. Punishing p. 104 26. The Parson's Eye pag. 105. 27. The Parson in mirth p. 115. 28. In contempt p. 116 29. with his Church-wardens p. 120 30. The Parson's Consideration of Providence p. 122 31. The Parson in Libetry p. 127 32. His Surveys p. 131 33. His Library p. 142 34. His Dexterity in applying Remedies p. 147 35. Condescending p. 157 36. Blessing p. 160 37. Concerning detraction p. 165. ERRATA in the Country Parson Page 14. l. 9. compiled Pag. 50. l. 3. dele and 57. l. 12. Desk 75. l 4. and 110. l. 2. judgment Country 111.10 much they 122. l. 12. dele right 131. l. 19. Survey A PREFATORY VIEW OF THE LIFE OF Mr Geo. Herbert c. A Prefatory View of the LIFE and VERTUES of the AUTHOUR AND Excellencies of This BOOK To the Christian more designedly to the Clergy-Reader of the same Time and Rank and Mind and in like Condition with the Epistler Grace c. and Recovery and Profit by the ensuing Tract. My poor and deer Brother DO not expect I humbly beseech thee the High and Glorious Titles of Companion in tribulation and in the patience of JESUS c. I could most willingly if I thought that I could truely give thee them knowing that what lustre I cast upon thee would by rebound lite upon my self But my mouth is stopped Let God be true and the Iustice of God be Iustified 1. The reading of those piercing Scriptures 1 Sam. 2. 3. chap. Jer. 23. Exek 3. 33. Hos. 4. Mal. 2. 2 The view of this ensuing Tract which mee thinks is not a Book of 37 Chapters but a Bill of seven times 37 Indictments against thee and me a strange Speculum Sacerdotale in its discovery me thinks something resembling the secret of the holy Urim As if this good Bezaleel had invented a living pure looking-Glasse in most exact proportions of Beauty that should both present it self as a Body of unblemished perfections and shew all the beholders deformities at once that should shew thee both Aaron in the Holy of Holyes before the Mercy-Seat in all his pure Ornaments and Hophni or Phineas ravening for their Fees of Flesh and wallowing in their lust at the door of the Tabernacle 3 The reflecting on common Conversation in the day of our prosperity and the paralelling the Book of mine own Conscience with the Authors Book in both which I finde my self not to say Thee written highly defective in every duty the good man commends and not a little peccant in every particular taxed by him These three have convinced and even inforced me to confesse that I am sure mine and I fear thy sufferings are not the meer sufferings of pure and perfect Martyrs but of Grievous Transgressors Not only under the rods of Gods just judgment but the scorpions of his heavy displeasure fierce wrath and sore Indignation Not only from the smoaking of Gods jealousie or the sparks of his Anger but the flames of his furnace heat seven times more then ever yea even from the Furiousnesse of the wrath of God Psal. 78.50 Gods sinking the Gates his destroying the wals his slighting the strong holds of Zion his polluting the Kingdom his swallowing the Palaces his cutting off the Horn of Israel Gods hating our Feasts his abominating our Sabboths his loathing our solemnities Esa. 1. Gods forgetting his Footstool his abhorring his Sanctuary his casting off his Altar are to me signes that the glory of God is departed to the Mountain Ezek. 11.23 That God hath in the indignation of his anger despised the King and the Priest Lam. 2. It must be acknowledged sure that the hand of God hath gone out against us more then against others of our Rank at other times at least that God hath not restrained violence against us so as he did that against those of our Profession in the dayes of old The portion of the Egyptian Priests that served the Oxe the Ape and the Onion escaped sale in time of the Famine Learned Junius in his Academia Chap. 4. sayes that the Philistines spared the Schooles of the Prophets in their Warrs with Israel and that the Phoenicians Caldeans and Indians were tender over such places Thus then did God restraine the spirits of Princes yet that God who in his own Law Lev. 25.32 gave the Levits a special priviledg of redeeming Lands sold by themselves at any time when other Tribes were limited to a set Time hath not stayed the madnesse of the people against us but that our portions are sold unto others without Redemption We must acknowledg that Gods word hath taken hold of us Zec. 1.5 That the Lord hath devised a device against us hath watched upon the evil and brought it upon us For under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Ierusalem Dan. 9.14 Let us not flatter our selves presumptuously The punishment answers the sin as the wax the seal and as the Mould owns the Figure And let us own both It is very
liked them well to use them aright but that the good old woman would absolve though not so loud yet as confidently as the Minister himselfe Lastly The blessed Three in One did make these three men agree in one point more That one spirit which divides to every man gifts as he pleases seems to me to have dropt upon these three Elect vessels all of them some unction or tincture of the Spirit of prophesie Shall I say I hope or Fear Mr. Herberts lines pag. 190. should be verified Religion stands one Tipto in our Land Ready to passe to the American strand When height of malice and prodigious lusts Impudent sinnings Witchcrafts and distrusts The markes of Future Bane shall fill our cup Unto the brim and make our measure up When Sein shall swallow Tyber and the Thames By letting in them both pollutes her streams When Italy of us shall have her will And all her Kalender of sins fulfill Whereby one may foretell what sins next yeer Shall both in France and England Domineer Then shall Religion to America flee They have their times of Gospel even as we My God thou dost prepare for them a way By carrying first their Gold from them away For Gold and Grace did never yet agree Religion alwayes sides with poverty We think we rob them but we think amisse We are more poor and they more rich by this Thou wilt revenge their quarrell making Grace To pay our debts and leave our Ancient place To go to them while that wch now their Nation But lends to us shall be our disolation I pray God he may prove a true prophet for poor America not against poor England Ride on Most Mighty Jesu because of the word of truth Thy Gospel is a light big enough for them and us But leave us not The people of thine holinesse have possessed it but a little while Isaiah 63.15 c. When some Farmers neer the place where Master Ferrer lived somewhat before these times desired longer leases to bee made them hee intimated that seven yeares would be long enough troublous times were coming they might thank God if they enjoyed them so long in peace But considering the accustomed modesty of Dr. Jackson in speaking of things not certain I much admire that strange Appendix to his Sermons partly delivered before the King about the Signes of the Times printed in the year 1637. touching the great Tempest of wind which fell out upon the Eve of the fifth of November 1636. He was much astonished at it and what apprehension he had of it appeares by these words of his This mighty wind was more then a signe of the Time Tempus ipsum admonebat The very time it selfe was a Signe and interprets this Messenger's voice better then a Linguist as well as the Prophets were any now could do Both wind and time teach us that truth often mentioned in these Meditations Thus much the Reader may understand that though we of this Kingdom were in firm League with all the Nations of the earth yet it is still in God's power we may fear in his purpose to plague this Kingdome by his owne immediate hand by this Messenger or by like Tempests more grievously then he hath don at any time by the Famine Sword or Pestilence to bury many living souls as well of superiour as inferiour Rank in the ruins of their stately Houses or meaner Cottages c. And what shall be thought of that which fell from his Pen in his Epistle Dedicatory of his Attributes written November 20 1627 and Printed 1628 in these words or more If any maintain That all things were so decreed by God before the Creation that nothing since could have fallen out otherwise then it hath done That nothing can be amended that is amisse I desire leave to oppugne his opinion not onely as an errour but as an Ignorance involving enmity to the sweet Providence of God as a forerunner of ruine to flourishing States and Kingdoms where it grows common or comes to full height Was this a conjecture of Prudence or a censure of the physicall influence or of the meritorious effect of these Tenets Or rather a Prediction of an Event Let the Reader judg In these they did agree The sequell will shew wherein they differed This Authour Mr. G. HERBERT was extracted out of a Generous Noble and Ancient Family His Father was RICHARD HERBERT of Blachehall in Mountgomery Esq descended from the Great Sir RICHARD HERBERT in Edward the Fourth's time and so his Relation to the Noble Family of that Name well known His Mother was Daughter of Sir Richard Newport of Arcoll who doubtlesse was a pious daughter she was so good and godly a mother She had ten children Job's number and Job's distinction seven sons for whose education she went and dwelt in the University to recompence the losse of their Father in giving them two Mothers And this great care of hers this good son of hers studied to improve and requite as is seen in those many Latin and Greek Verses the Obsequious Parentalia he made and printed in her memory which though they be good very good yet to speak freely even of this man I so much honour they be dull or dead in comparison of his Temple Poems And no marvel To write those he made his ink with water of Helicon but these Inspirations propheticall were distilled from above In those are weake motions of Nature in these Raptures of Grace In those he writ Flesh and Blood A fraile earthly Woman though a MOTHER but in these he praysed his Heavenly FATHER the God of Men and Angels and the Lord Iesus Christ His Master For so to quicken himself in Duties and to cut off all depending on man whose breath is in his nosthrils hee used ordinarily to call our Saviour I forget not where I left him He did thrive so well there that he was first chosen fellow of the Colledge and afterward Oratour of the Universitie The Memorials of him left in the Orators Book shew how he discharged the Place and himself intimates Church pag. 39. That whereas his Birth and Spirit prompted him to Martiall Atchievements The way that takes the Town and not to sit simpering over a Book God did often melt his spirit and entice him with Academick Honor to be content to wear and wrap up himselfe in a gown so long till he durst not put it off nor retire to any other calling However propably he might I have heard as other Orators have had a Secretary of States place But the good man like a genuine son of Levi I had like to have said Melchisedeck balked all secular wayes saw neither father nor mother childe nor Brother birth nor friends save in Christ Iesus chose the Lord for his portion and his service for employment And he knew full well what he did when he received Holy orders as appears by every page in this Book and by the Poems call'd Priesthood and
Aaron And by this unparalell'd vigilancy which he used over his Parish which made him sayes that modest Authour of the Epistle before his Poems N. F. who knew him well A Peer to the primitive Saints and more then a pattern to his own age Besides his Parsonage he had also a Prebend in the Church of Lincoln which I think because he lived far from and so could not attend the duty of that place he would faine have resigned to Master Ferrer and often earnestly sued to him to discharge him of it but Master F. wholly refused and diverted or directed his charity as I take it to the re-edifying of the ruined Church of Leighton where the corps of the Prebend lay So that the Church of England owes to him besides what good may come by this Book towards the repair of us Church-men in point of morals the reparation of a Church-materiall and erection of that costly piece of Mosaick or Solomonick work the Temple which flourishes and stands inviolate when our other Magnificences are desolate and despised These things I have said are high but yet there is one thing which I admire above all the rest The right managing of the Fraternall duty of reproof is me thinks one of the most difficult offices of Christian Prudence O Lord what is then the Ministeriall To do it as wee should is likely to anger a whole world of waspes to set fire on the earth This I have conjectured was that which made many holy men leave the world and live in wildernesses which by the way was not counted by Ancients an act of Perfection but of Cowardise and poor spiritednesse of Flight to shade and shelter not of Fight in dust and blood and heat of the day This Authour had not only got the courage to do this but the Art of doing this aright There was not a man in his way be he of what Ranke hee would that spoke awry in order to God but he wip'd his mouth with a modest grave and Christian reproof This was Heroicall Adequate to that Royall Law Thou shalt in any case reprove thy Brother and not suffer sin upon him And that he did this I have heard from true Reporters and thou mayst see he had learned it himselfe else he never had taught it us as hee does in divers passages of this Book His singular Dexterity in sweetning this Art thou mayst see in the Garb and phrase of his writing Like a wise Master-builder he has fet about a forme of Speech transferred it in a Figure as if he was all the while learning from another man's mouth or pen and not teaching any And whereas we all of us deserved the sharpnesse of Reproofe {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} He saith He does this and he does that whereas poor men we did no such thing This dart of his thus dipped pierces the soul There is another thing some will call it a Paradox which I learned from Him and Mr. Ferrer in the Managery of their most cordiall and Christian Friendship That this may be maintained in vigour and height without the Ceremonies of Visits and Complements yea without any Trade of secular courtesies meerly in order to spirituall Edification of one another in love I know they loved each other most entirely and their very souls cleaved together most intimately and drove a large stock of Christian Intelligence together long before their deaths yet saw they not each other in many years I think scarce ever but as Members of one Universitie in their whole lives There is one thing more may be learn'd from these Two I may say these Three also Namely That Christian Charity will keep Unity of souls amidst great differences of Gifts and Opinions There was variation considerable in their Indowments Doctor Jackson had in his youth as if he then had understood Gods calling laid his grounds carefully in Arithmetick Grammer Philology Geometry Rhetorick Logick Philosophy Orientall Languages Histories c. yea he had Insight in Heraldry and Hieroglyphicks hee made all these serve either as Rubbish under the Foundation or as drudges and day labourers to Theology He was copious and definitive in Controversies of all sorts Master Ferrar was Master of the Westerne Tongues yet cared not for Criticismes and curiosities He was also very modest in points of controversie and would scarce venture to Opine even in the points wherein the world censured him possessed Our Authour was of a midle Temper betwixt or a Compound of both these yet having rather more of Master Ferrer in him And to what he had of him he added the Art of Divine Poesie and other polite learning which so commended him to persons most Eminent in their time that Doctor Donne inscribed to him a paper of Latine verses in print and the Lord Bacon having translated some Psalmes into English meetre sent them with a Dedication prefixed To his very Good friend Master GEORGE HERBERT thinking that he had kept a true decorum in chusing one so fit for the Argument in respect of Divinity and Poësy the one as the Matter the other as the Stile that a better choice he could not make In summ To distinguish them by better Resemblances out of the Old and New Testament and antiquity Me thinks Doctor J. has somewhat like the spirit of Jeremy Saint James and Salvian Master Herbert like David and other Psalm-men Saint John and Prudentius Master F. like Esay Saint Luke and Saint Chrysostome yet in this diversity had they such an Harmony of souls as was admirable For instance In one who differ'd in some points from them all yet in him they so agreed all as that Master F. out of a great liking of the Man translated him into English Master Herbert commented on him and commended him to use And Doctor J. allowed him for the Presse It was Valdesso's no Considerations It would swell this Preface too much to set down the severall excellencies of our Authour His consciencious expence of Time which he ever measured by the pulse that native watch God has set in every of us His eminent Temperance and Frugality the two best Purveiors for his Liberality and Beneficence his private Fastings his mortification of the body his extemporary exercises thereof at the sight or visit of a Charnell House where every Bone before the day rises up in judgement against fleshly lust and pride at the stroke of a passing bell when ancient charity used said he to run to Church and assist the dying Christian with prayers and tears for sure that was the ground of that custome and at all occasions he could lay hold of possibly which he sought with the diligence that others shun and shift them Besides his carefull not scrupulous observation of appointed Fasts Lents and Embers The neglect and defect of this last he said had such influx on the children which the Fathers of the Church did beget at such times as malignant Stars are said to have over
undecently to the station wherein God hath placed me I am Covetous More particularly and to give one instance for all if God have given me servants and I either provide too little for them or that which is unwholsome being sometimes baned meat sometimes too salt and so not competent nourishment I am Covetous I bring this example because men usually think that servants for their mony are as other things that they buy even as a piece of wood which they may cut or hack or throw into the fire and so they pay them their wages all is well Nay to descend yet more particularly if a man hath wherewithall to buy a spade and yet hee chuseth rather to use his neighbours and wear out that he is covetous Nevertheless few bring covetousness thus low or consider it so narrowly which yet ought to be done since there is a Justice in the least things and for the least there shall be a judgment Countrey people are full of these petty injustices being cunning to make use of another and spare themselves And Scholers ought to be diligent in the observation of these and driving of their generall Schoole rules ever to the smallest actions of Life which while they dwell in their bookes they will never finde but being seated in the Countrey and doing their duty faithfully they will soon discover especially if they carry their eyes ever open and fix them on their charge and not on their preferment Secondly for Gluttony The Parson lays this ground He that either for quantity eats more then his health or imployments will bear or for quality is licorous after danties is a glutton as he that eats more then his estate will bear is a Prodigall and hee that eats offensively to the Company either in his order or length of eating is scandalous and uncharitable These three rules generally comprehend the faults of eating and the truth of them needs no proofe so that men must eat neither to the disturbance of their health nor of their affairs which being overburdened or studying dainties too much they cannot wel dispatch nor of their estate nor of their brethren One act in these things is bad but it is the custome and habit that names a glutton Many think they are at more liberty then they are as if they were Masters of their health and so they will stand to the pain all is well But to eat to ones hurt comprehends besides the hurt an act against reason because it is unnaturall to hurt ones self and this they are not masters of Yet of hurtfull things I am more bound to abstain from those which by mine own experience I have found hurtfull then from those which by a Common tradition and vulgar knowledge are reputed to be so That which is said of hurtfull meats extends to hurtfull drinks also As for the quantity touching our imployments none must eat so as to disable themselves from a fit discharging either of Divine duties or duties of their calling So that if after dinner they are not fit or un-weeldy either to pray or work they are gluttons Not that all must presently work after dinner For they rather must not work especially Students and those that are weakly but that they must rise so as that it is not meate or drinke that hinders them from working To guide them in this there are three rules first the custome and knowledg of their own body and what it can well disgest The second the feeling of themselves in time of eating which because it is deceitfull for one thinks in eating that he can eat more then afterwards he finds true The third is the observation with what appetite they sit down This last ruâ—e joyned with the first never fails For knowing what one usually can well disgest and feeling when I go to meat in what disposition I am either hungry or not according as I feele my self either I take my wonted proportion or diminish of it Yet Phisicians bid those that would live in health not keep an uniform diet but to feed variously now more now lesse And Gerson a spirituall man wisheth all to incline rather to too much then to too little his reason is because diseases of exinanition are more dangerous then diseases of repletion But the Parson distinguisheth according to his double aime either of Abstinence a morall vertue or Mortification a divine When he deals with any that is heavy and carnall he gives him those freer rules but when he meets with a refined and heavenly disposition he carryes them higher even somtimes to a forgetting of themselves knowing that there is one who when they forget remembers for them As when the people hungred and thirsted after our Saviours Doctrine and tarryed so long at it that they would have fainted had they returned empty He suffered it not but rather made food miraculously then suffered so good desires to miscarry CHAP. XXVII The Parson in mirth THe Countrey Parson is generally sad because hee knows nothing but the Crosse of Christ his minde being defixed on and with those nailes wherewith his Master was or if he have any leisure to look off from thence he meets continually with two most sad spectacles Sin and Misery God dishonoured every day and man afflicted Neverthelesse he somtimes refresheth himselfe as knowing that nature will not bear everlasting droopings and that pleasantnesse of disposition is a great key to do good not onely because all men shun the company of perpetuall severity but also for that when they are in company instructions seasoned with pleasantness both enter sooner and roote deeper Wherefore he condescends to humane frailties both in himselfe and others and intermingles some mirth in his discourses occasionally according to the pulse of the hearer CHAP. XXVIII The Parson in Contempt THe Countrey Parson knows well that both for the generall ignominy which is cast upon the profession and much more for those rules which out of his choysest judgment hee hath resolved to observe and which are described in this Book he must be despised because this hath been the portion of God his Master and of Gods Saints his Brethren and this is foretold that it shall be so still until things be no more Neverthelesse according to the Apostles rule he endeavours that none shall despise him especially in his own Parish he suffers it not to his utmost power for that where contempt is there is no room for instruction This he procures first by his holy and unblameable life which carries a reverence with it even above contempt Secondly by a courteous carriage winning behaviour he that wil be respected must respect doing kindnesses but receiving none at least of those who are apt to despise for this argues a height and eminency of mind which is not easily despised except it degenerate to pride Thirdly by a bold and impartial reproof even of the best in the Parish when occasion requires for this may produce hatred in those that