pains with them that hee may lay the foundation of future Blessings The time of every ones first receiving is not so much by yeers as by understanding particularly the rule may be this When any one can distinguish the Sacramentall from common bread knowing the Institution and the difference hee ought to receive of what age soever Children and youths are usually deferred too long under pretence of devotion to the Sacrament but it is for want of Instruction their understandings being ripe enough for ill things and why not then for better But Parents and Masters should make hast in this as to a great purchase for their children and servants which while they deferr both sides suffer the one in wanting many excitings of grace the other in being worse served and obeyed The saying of the Catechism is necessary but not enough because to answer in form may still admit ignorance but the Questions must be propounded loosely and wildely and then the Answerer will discover what hee is Thirdly For the manner of receiving as the Parson useth all reverence himself so he administers to none but to the reverent The Feast indeed requires sitting because it is a Feast but man's unpreparednesse asks kneeling Hee that comes to the Sacrament hath the confidence of a Guest and hee that kneels confesseth himself an unworthy one and therefore differs from other Feasters but hee that sits or lies puts up to an Apostle Contentiousnesse in a feast of Charity is more scandall then any posture Fourthly touching the frequency of the Communion the Parson celebrates it if not duly once a month yet at least five or six times in the year as at Easter Christmasse Whitsuntide afore and after Harvest and the beginning of Lent And this hee doth not onely for the benefit of the work but also for the discharge of the Church-wardens who being to present all that receive not thrice a year if there be but three Communions neither can all the people so order their affairs as to receive just at those times nor the Church-Wardens so well take notice who receive thrice and who not CHAP. XXIII The Parson's Completenesse THe Countrey Parson desires to be all to his Parish and not onely a Pastour but a Lawyer also and a Phisician Therefore hee endures not that any of his Flock should go to Law but in any Controversie that they should resort to him as their Judge To this end he hath gotten to himself some insight in things ordinarily incident and controverted by experience and by reading some initiatory treatises in the Law with Daltons Justice of Peace and the Abridgements of the Statutes as also by discourse with men of that profession whom he hath ever some cases to ask when he meets with them holding that rule that to put men to discourse of that wherin they are most eminent is the most gainfull way of Conversation Yet when ever any controversie is brought to him he never decides it alone but sends for three or four of the ablest of the Parish to hear the cause with him whom he makes to deliver their opinion first out of which he gathers in case he be ignorant himself what to hold and so the thing passeth with more authority and lesse envy In Judging he followes that which is altogether right so that if the poorest man of the Parish detain but a pin unjustly from the richest he absolutely restores it as a Judge but when he hath so done then he assumes the Parson and exhorts to Charity Neverthelesse there may happen somtimes some cases wherein he chooseth to permit his Parishioners rather to make use of the Law then himself As in cases of an obscure and dark nature not easily determinable by Lawyers themselves or in cases of high consequence as establtshing of inheritances or Lastly when the persons in difference are of a contentious disposition and cannot be gained but that they still fall from all compromises that have been made But then he shews them how to go to Law even as Brethren and not as enemies neither avoyding therfore one anothers company much lesse defaming one another Now as the Parson is in Law so is he in sicknesse also if there be any of his flock sick hee is their Physician or at least his Wife of whom in stead of the qualities of the world he asks no other but to have the skill of healing a wound or helping the sick But if neither himselfe nor his wife have the skil and his means serve hee keepes some young practicioner in his house for the benefit of his Parish whom yet he ever exhorts not to exceed his bounds but in tickle cases to call in help If all fail then he keeps good correspondence with some neighbour Phisician and entertaines him for the Cure of his Parish Yet is it easie for any Scholer to attaine to such a measure of Phisick as may be of much use to him both for himself and others This is done by seeing one Anatomy reading one Book of Phisick having one Herball by him And let Fernelius be the Phisick Authour for he writes briefly neatly and judiciously especially let his Method of Phisick be diligently perused as being the practicall part and of most use Now both the reading of him and the knowing of herbs may be done at such times as they may be an help and a recreation to more divine studies Nature serving Grace both in comfort of diversion and the benefit of application when need requires as also by way of illustration even as our Saviour made plants and seeds to teach the people for he was the true householder who bringeth out of his treasure things new and old the old things of Philosophy and the new of Grace and maketh the one serve the other And I conceive our Saviour did this for three reasons first that by familiar things hee might make his Doctrine slip the more easily into the hearts even of the meanest Secondly that labouring people whom he chiefly considered might have every where monuments of of his Doctrine remembring in gardens his mustard-seed and lillyes in the field his seed-corn and tares and so not be drowned altogether in the works of their vocation but sometimes lift up their minds to better things even in the midst of their pains Thirdly that he might set a Copy for Parsons In the knowledge of simples wherein the manifold wisedome of God is wonderfully to be seen one thing would be carefully observed which is to know what herbs may be used in stead of drugs of the same nature and to make the garden the shop For home-bred medicines are both more easie for the Parsons purse and more familiar for all mens bodyes So where the Apothecary useth either for loosing Rubarb or for binding Bolearmena the Parson useth damask or white Roses for the one and plantaine shepherds purse knot-grasse for the other and that with better successe As for spices he doth not onely prefer home-bred things
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
Cambridg The third was the Author of this book Master GEORGE HERBERT Fellow of Trinity Colledge Orator of the University of Cambridge and Rector of Bemmorton in Wiltshire All three Holy in their lives eminent in their gifts signall Protestants for their Religion painfull in their severall stations pretious in their deaths and sweet in their memories First I will give thee a briefe of some confrontments common to them all and then some of their at least this Authors proper excellencies apart 1. They all had that inseparable Lot and signe of Christ and Christians Isa. 8.18 Heb. 2.13 Luke 2.34 To be signes of Contradiction or spoken Against men wondred at and rated at by the world Doctor Jackson in two particulars suffered much 1. He had like to have been sore shent by the Parliament in the year 1628. for Tenets in Divinity I cannot say so far driven by him as by some men now they are with great Applause His approach to Unity was very neer Grant me saith he but these two things That God has a true freedom in doing good and man a true freedome in doing evill there needs be no other controversie betwixt the Opposites in point of Providence and Predestination Attrib Ep. Ded. 2. He had an Adversary in England who writ a book against him with a Title not so kindâ—â— as might have been devised It was this A Discovery of Dr. Jacksons follies which he bound as an ornament upon him as Job says that is never answered but in the language of the Lamb dumb before the shearer silence and sufferance And he had one in Scotland who also girded at him without cause or answer And for M. Ferrar he was so exercised with contradictions as no man that lived so private as he desired to doe could possibly bee more I have heard him say valuing not resenting his owne sufferings in this kind That to fry a Faggot was not more martyrdome then continuall obloquy He was torn asunder as with mad horses or crushed betwixt the upper and under milstone of contrary reports that he was a Papist and that he was a Puritan What is if this be not to be sawn asunder as Esay stoned as Jeremy made a Drum or Tympanised as other Saints of God were and after his death when by Injunction which he laid upon his friends when he lay on his death-bed A great company of Comedies Tragedies Love Hymnes Heroicall poems c. were burnt upon his grave as utter Enemies to Christian Principles and practices that was his brand some poor people said He was a Conjurer And for our Authour The sweet finger of the Temple though he was one of the most prudent and accomplish'd men of his time I have heard sober men censure him as a man that did not manage his brave parts to his best advantage and preserment but lost himself in 〈◊〉 humble way That was the 〈…〉 remember it The second thing wheâ—â—â— al Three agreed was a singular sincerity in Imbracing and transcendent Dexterity in Defending the Protestant Religion established in 〈◊〉 Church of England I speâ—â— it in the presence of God I have not read so hearty vigorous a Champion against Rome amongst our Writers of his Rank so convincing and demonstrative as Dâ—Jackson is I blesse God for the confirmation which he hath given me in the Christian Religion against the Atheist Iew and Socinian and in the Protestant against Rome As also by what I have seen in Manuscript of Mr. Ferrar's and heard by relation of his Travels over the Westerne parts of Christendome in which his exquisite carriage his rare parts and abilities of understanding and Languages his Moralls more perfect then the best did tempt the Adversaries to tempt him and marke him for a prize if they could compasse him And opportunity they had to do this in a sicknesse that seized on him at Padua where mighty care was had by Physicians and others to recover his bodily health with designe to infect his soul But neither did their physick nor poyson work any change in his Religion but rather inflamed him with an holy zeale to revenge their charity by transplanting their waste and misplaced zeal as they were all three admirable in separating from the vile what was precious in every sect or person under heaven to adorn our Protestant Religion by a right renouncing the world with all it's profits and honours in a true crucifying the flesh with all it's pleasures by continued Temperance Fasting and Watching unto Prayers In all which exercises as he farre out-went the choicest of their retired men so did he far under value these deeds rating them much below such prices as they set upon them Upon this designe hee help'd to put out Lessius and to stir up us Ministers to be painfull in that excellent labour of the Lord Catechising feeding the Lambs of Christ Hee translated a piece of Lud. Carbo wherein Carbo confesseth that the Hereticks i. e. Protestants had got much advantage by Catechizing But the Authority at Cambridge suffered not that Egyptian Iewell to be publish'd And he that reads Mr HERBERT'S Poems attendingly shall finde not onely the excellencies of Scripture Divinitie and choice passages of the Fathers bound up in Meetre but the Doctrine of Rome also finely and strongly confuted as in the Poems To Saints and Angels pag. 69. The British Church pag. 102. Church Militant c. Thus stood they in aspect to Rome and her children on the left hand As for our Brethren that erred on the right hand Doctor Jackson speaks for himself and Mr. F. though he ever honoured their persons that were pious and learned and alwayes spoke of them with much Christian respect yet would hee bewaile their mistakes which like mists led them in some points back again to those errors of Rome which they had forsaken To instance in one He that sayes preaching in the pulpit is absolutely necessary to salvation fals into two Romish errours 1. That the Scripture is too dark 2. That it is unsufficient to save a man And perhaps a third advancing the man of Rome more then they intend him I am sure But the chiefe aime of Master F. and this Authour was to win those that disliked our Liturgy Catechisme c by the constant reverent and holy use of them Which surely had we all imitated having first imprinted the vertue of these prayers in our own hearts and then studied with passionate and affectionate celebration for voyce gesture c as in God's presence to imprint them in the mindes of the people as this Book teaches our prayers had been generally as well beloved as they were scorned And for my part I am apt to think That our prayers stood so long was a favour by God granted us at the prayers of these men who prayed for these prayers as well as in them and that they fell so soon was a punishment of our negligence and other sins who had not taught even those that
naturall Productions Children of such Parents as be Fasting and Prayers being like Isaak and Jacob and Samuel most likely to become Children of the Promise Wrastlers with God and fittest to wear a linnen Ephod. And with this Fasting he imp'd his prayers both private and publick His private must be left to God who saw them in secret his publick were the Morning and Evening Sacrifice of the Church Liturgie which he used with consciencious devotion not of Custome but serious Iudgement Knowing 1. That the Sophism used to make people hate them was a solid reason to make men of understanding love them Namely because taken out of the Masse Book Taken out but as gold from drosse the precious from the vile The wise Reformers knew Rome would cry Shism schism and therefore they kept all they could lawfully keep being loth to give offence as our blessed Saviour being loth to offend the Jews at the great Reformation kept divers old Elements and made them new Sacraments and Services as their frequent Washings he turned into one Baptisme some service of the Passeover into the Lord's Supper 2. That the homelinesse and coursenesse which also was objected was a great commendation The Lambes poor of the Flock are forty for one grounded Christian proportionable must be the care of the Church to provide milk that is plain and easie nourishment for them and so had our Church done hoping that stronger Christians as they abounded in Gifts so they had such a store of the Grace of Charity as for their weak Brethren's sakes to be content therewith He thought also that a set Liturgy was of great use in respect of those without whether erring Christians or unbelieving men That when we had used our best arguments against their errours or unbeliefe we might shew them a Form wherein we did and desired they would serve Almighty God with us That we might be able to say This is our Church Here would we land you Thus we believe see the Creed Thus we pray baptize catechise celebrate the Eucharist Marry Bury Intreat the sick c. These besides Unity and other accessary benefits he thought grounds sufficient to bear him out in this practise wherein he ended his life calling for the Church Prayers a while before his death saying None to them none to them at once both commending them and his soul to God in them immediately before his dissolution as some Martyrs did Mr. Hullier by name Vicar of Babram burnt to death in Cambridge who having the Common-Prayer Book in his hand in stead of a Censor and using the prayers as incense offered up himselfe as a whole Burnt Sacrifice to God with whom the very Book it selfe suffered Martyrdome when fallen out of his consumed hands it was by the Executioners thrown into the fire and burnt as an Hereticall Book He was moreover so great a Lover of Church-Musick That he usually called it Heaven upon earth and attended it a few days before his death But above all his chief delight was in the Holy Scripture One leafe whereof he professed he would not part with though he might have the whole world in Exchange That was his wisdome his comfort his joy out of that he took his Motto LESSE THEN THE LEAST OF ALL GOD'S MERCIES In that he found the substance Christ and in Christ Remission of sins yea in his blood he placed the goodnesse of his good works It is a good Work said he of Building a Church if it be sprinkled with the Blood of Christ This high esteem of the Word of life as it wrought in himselfe a wondrous expression of high Reverence when ever he either read it himselfe or heard others read it so it made him equally wonder that those which pretended such extraordinary love to Christ Jesus as many did could possibly give such leave and liberty to themselves as to hear that word that shall judge us at the last day without any the least expression of that holy feare and trembling which they ought to charge upon their souls in private and in publick to imprint upon others Thus have I with my foul hands soiled this and the other fair piece and worn out thy patience yet have I not so much as with one dash of a pensill offered to describe that person of his which afforded so unusuall a Contesseration of Elegancies and set of Rarities to the Beholder nor said I any thing of his Personall Relation as an Husband to a loving and vertuous Lady as a Kinsman Master c. yet will I not silence his spirituall love and care of Servants Teaching Masters this duty To allow their Servants daily time wherein to pray privately and to enjoyne them to do it holding this for true generally That publick prayer alone to such persons is no prayer at all I have given thee onely these lineaments of his mind and thou mayest fully serve thy selfe of this Book in what vertue of his thy soul longeth after His practice it was and His Character it is His as Authour and His as Object yet Lo the humility of this gracious man He had small esteem of this Book and but very little of his Poems Though God had magnified him with extraordinary Gifts yet said he God has broken into my Study and taken off my Chariot wheels I have nothing worthy of God And even this lowlinesse in his own eyes doth more advance their worth and his vertues I have done when I have besought the R. Fathers some Cathedrall Ecclesiasticall and Academicall men which Ranks the modest Authour meddles not with to draw Idaea's for their severall Orders respectively Why should Papists as Timpius be more carefull or painfull in this kind then we If it do no other good yet will it help on in the the way of Repentance by discovery of former mistakes or neglects which is the greatest if not the onely Good that can probably be hoped for out of this Tract which being writ nigh twenty years since will be lesse subject to misconstruction The Good Lord prosper it according to the pious intent of the Authour and hearty wishes of the Prefacer who confesses himselfe unworthy to carry out the Dung of Gods Sacrifices A Priest to the Temple OR The Country PARSON his CHARACTER c. CHAP. I. Of a PASTOR A PASTOR is the Deputy of Christ for the reducing of Man to the Obedience of God This definition is evident and containes the direct steps of Pastorall Duty and Auctority For first Man fell from God by disobedience Secondly Christ is the glorious instrument of God for the revoking of Man Thirdly Christ being not to continue on earth but after hee had fulfilled the work of Reconciliation to be received up into heaven he constituted Deputies in his place and these are Priests And therefore St. Paul in the beginning of his Epistles professeth this and in the first to the Colossians plainly avoucheth that he fils up that which is behinde of the