be Confirmed or be ready and desirous to be Confirmed One of these is plainly here made a Preparation for the other And as none should be admitted to the Communion till they be Confirmed so being Confirmed or ready for it and desirous of it I take it none are to be refused the Communion It is of the greatest Concernment therefore that young People be discreet and serious before they be brought to be Confirmed Of the Necessity of which King James before-mentioned was as sensible as he was of the Necessity of Catechetical Instruction For his Son who was afterwards King Charles the Martyr was not Confirmed till the thirteenth year of his Age. Then he was Confirmed on Easter Monday 1613. in Whitehall-Chappel after a long and strict Examination by the Arch-bishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Bath and Wells as Dr. George Hackwell who was an Ear-witness of the Satisfaction he gave tells us in a little Tractate he wrote upon that Occasion concerning Confirmation I conclude this Section with these remarkable Words of a famous Divine of our Church Dr. Jackson in his X Book upon the Creed Chap. 50. which I have mentioned with a great deal more upon this Subject in a little Book about Baptism near Forty Years ago Whether the solemn Baptizing of all Infants which are the Children of presumed Christian Parents throughout this Kingdom without solemn Astipulation that they shall at years of Discretion personally ratify their Vow in Baptism in Publick in such manner as the Church requires be not rather more lawful or tolerable than expedient I leave with all submission to the consideration of higher Powers In like manner may I be bold to put this Question Whether it be to any purpose to admit those to this solemn Act of Ratifying and Confirming their Vow in Baptism who are not arrived at such Years of Discretion as understandingly to consent thereunto and to remember it all the Days of their Life For I fear many have been Confirmed who have no more Memory of what they then did than they have of what was done to them in Baptism SECT IX The next Office wherein you are concerned is the Solemnization of Matrimony Which though it be not a Sacrament yet is such an Holy State that as there is the greatest reason it should be solemnized with publick Rites and Forms by the Ministers of Christ so they ought to take care to perform it in a very solemn manner It may be demonstrated that no Marriage anciently was ever made among Christians which the Church did not allow and the Benediction of Marriage by the Priest was a sign of that allowance Nay among the Jews it is manifest from the Story of Boaz and Ruth that Marriage was Celebrated before the Elders IV Ruth 11. And Epiphanius was of Opinion that our Lord was invited to the Marriage of Cana in Galilee that as a Prophet he might bless the Marriage And therefore it ought to be lebrated in the Church in as publick a manner as may be and with such Gravity and seriousness as becomes the Place and the Priestly Function and the State it self which is Holy and Honourable In order to this the People are to be instructed often with what Advice Deliberation and Reveence such a weighty matter is to be undertaken Of which they are excellently admonished in our Liturgy at the time of Marriage and should be admonished before-hand that they may not lightly or wantonly enterprise it but discreetly soberly and in the fear of God For the better security of this keep strictly to LXII Canon which requires you to marry none except the Banns of Matrimony have been first Published in time of Divine Service three several Sundays or Holy-days Or a License have been obtained to do it without according to the Canons C. CI. CII CIII Which most reasonably constitute that none be Married either with License or after Banns Published under the Age of One and Twenty Years compleat without the consent of their Parents or of their Guardians and Governours if their Parents be deceased Remember also that Marriage is to be celebrated publickly in the Parish Church or Chappel where one of the Parties dwelleth and in no other place and that between the hours of Eight and Twelve in the Forenoon For which reason care is taken by the Second Rubrick in the Office of Matrimony that if the Persons that are to be Married dwell in divers Parishes the Banns must be asked in both Parishes and the Curate of the One Parish shall not Solemnize Matrimony betwixt them without a Certificate of the Banns being thrice asked from the Curate of the other Parish These Laws are the more Sacredly to be observed because they are for the preservation of Human Society Which made Plato say in the beginning of his Book de Legibus that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Laws for the regulating Marriage should be the very first which a Law-giver should establish because the Propagation of Mankind is the support of Cities and Kingdoms of which if due care be not taken all other Laws are in Vain This very consideration that Marriage is Seminarium generis humani as Tertullian calls it Lib. 1. ad Uxorem cap. 2. was sufficient to make our Church so very cautious in its Constitutions about this important affair that those many mischiefs might be prevented which have insued from the neglect of them in many places Which have been no less than incestuous Mixtures together with the ruin of several Families great grief of Parents by the disobedience of their Children which hath quite alienated their Affections one from another not to mention the contempt and reproach it hath brought upon those of the Clergy or others that have had a hand in these irregular actions I question not but all imaginable care will be taken in my Diocess that no License be granted but according to the Canon and none of My Clergy I perswade my self can be so mean as to let a little Money prevail with them to dishonour their Holy Calling by violating those Wise and Pious Constitutions of our Church which they have sworn as I take it to observe in their Oath of Canonical Obedience SECT X. The next Office which follows in our Liturgy is that of Visitation of the Sick which ought to be attended very seriously as much if not more than any else For Men are never so sensible of the everlasting concerns of their Souls as they are when they lye on a sick Bed If they had no thought of God before no reflections on their ways they can scarce avoid them in that condition Pliny tells us he learnt this by the Sickness of a Friend of his Optimos nos esse dum infirmi sumus that we are then the best Men when we are sick Read a most pithy Epistle of his which is wholly upon this Subject Lib. VII Epist XXVI Where among other things he tells Maximus to whom it is
once a Year on the first day of Lent though the Prayers then appointed are to be used at other times as the Ordinary shall appoint This if done solemnly though it seem a thing of no great labour yet might have a great effect For every one knows or ought to know that the Lent Fast was Instituted to be a time of Repentance and to bring Men to it what can be more effectual than this Denunciation of Gods Anger and Judgments against Sinners with most comfortable assurances of Grace and Mercy to the Penitent I know it is hard as the World goes to get a Congregation together upon that day when this is required to be read in the Church You may therefore read it on the First Sunday in Lent and then put the Sense of it into your Sermon where it may be proper to press them to weigh every part of it distinctly And in order to it remove that foolish Objection which I have heard some have in their Mouths that they cannot endure to Curse their Neighbours by showing them plainly that they are not the Curses of the People but of God himself which he hath denounced against Sinners To which when the People are ordered to say AMEN they only consent to the truth of that which God saith The very Office teaches this when it declares the end of reading those Curses gathered out of the XXVII of Deuteronomy and other places of Scripture and the Peoples saying Amen to them that they may flee from such vices for which they affirm with their own mouth the Curse of God to be due And represent to them also that whether they will affirm these Curses to be due or no they will fall upon them if they be such Sinners as are there named and the sooner because they refuse to say Amen to the Words of God that is affirm what he affirms who is the Faithful and the True This Cavil being taken away it will be easie to make them sensible how useful it is for them to joyn with you in this Commination which may awaken drousy Souls to consider and amend their evil doings that they may escape those Judgments that are threatned to them which are unavoidable if they go on still in their Sins There was something like this among the ancient Jews who at certain stated times were wont to denounce a general Anathema against all the Israelites who knowingly and willingly violated such and such Laws A Form of which Mr. Selden hath given us out of their Ritual called Colho Lib. IV. De Jure Nat. Gent. cap. 7. This it is likely the Christian Church thought fit to imitate not by denouncing a formal Anathema but only by a solemn recital of the Threatnings in God's Laws against impenitent Sinners And their affirming the truth and certainty of them Which in the Romish Church came at last to such an Anathema as I now mentioned in the Jewish Ritual call'd The greater Excommunication which here in England was denounced by every Bishop twice a year and by every Parish-Priest four times a year against certain Persons A Form of which great Curse the same most Learned Person hath given us out of the Ritual according to the use of the Church of Sarum in his first Book De Synedriis Cap. X. where he observes that in the room of this our first Reformers only ordered this Maledictory Commination as he well stiles it to be used once a Year In the beginning of which Commination there is mention made of a godly Discipline in the Primitive Church whereby such Persons as stood Convicted of notorious sins were in the beginning of Lent put to open Pennance This Discipline we there wish might be restored again but seem to suppose that for the present we can only instead of it denounce God's anger and judgments against sinners and make them say Amen thereunto whereby they may stand Convicted in their own Consciences that they are under the Curse of God and so be brought to Repentance Had we not need then do this very seriously if it be all that we can do of this kind Yet let it be considered whether we may not be able to do something more if we will attempt it For may not scandalous Persons be more frequently presented than they are May not private Admonitions if not publick be more used Let us not then think fit to do nothing because we cannot do all that we would The right way to enlarge our Authority of the want of which we complain is to use that which we have uprightly and faithfully That is if we presented none in the Ecclesiastical Court till private Applications had been made to them with seriousness and earnestness unsuccessfully and if it were done without respect to Persons Parties or Interests we might bring our Courts into that just esteem and credit which they ought to have And having mentioned private Admonition let me in a few words remember you that at your Ordination you promised to use both publick and private monitions and exhortations as well to the sick as to the whole within your Cures as need shall require and occasion shall be given And perhaps more good might be done this way than any other if it were done at fitting times with as much secrecy as may be and with apparent affection to them In some Cases perhaps it may be done most effectually by Letter which may be sent when you cannot have opportunity to speak to them And here it may be proper to admonish you that Dissenters from our Church are thus to be dealt withal by some way of private Conference with them not by Preaching against them for they are not there to hear it Our own People indeed are by publick Discourses as well as otherways to be confirmed and established in our Communion But there is no way to reduce them but by private arguing with them Which is not to be omitted because the present act of Indulgence doth not justify them in their separation but only suspends the Punishments to which they were before liable Still they are in a state of Schism out of which you should endeavour to recover them by kind Perswasions and Arguments which may work more upon them than all the Penalties formerly inflicted which made them Angry but did not Convert them For the Conclusion of this part of my Treatise I should upon the mention of LENT have said something concerning that Fast and other days of Fasting or Abstinence appointed by the Church which if Men could be perswaded to observe as times of Recollection and Examination of themselves and Prayer they would find great benefit thereby to the encrease of Christian Piety I wrote a little Book about it in the beginning of the late Reign which had the Approbation of my Superiours But I have not room to say more of it here Nor of the Festivals which are ordered to be kept in Commemoration of great Blessings God hath bestowed
and our fault be laid upon our Religion There is a remarkable Precept to this purpose which the Apostle gives both to Timothy and to Titus 1 Tim. IV. 12. II Tit. 15. Let no Man despise thee Which some may fancy as Theodoret observes to be a command belonging to others rather than to us who cannot hinder Mens despisals But that 's a mistake in the Apostles opinion who would have Timothy to know that he who commands and teaches others may preserve himself from contempt by this means though he was a young Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Be thou a living Law show in thy self the perfect work of the Law lead such a life as will bear witness to thy words Which life he describes in the words immediately following be thou an example of the Believers in Word in Conversation in Charity in Spirit in Faith in Purity He that thus makes himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Oecumenius expresses it as it were a living Image and Rule of a good Life will preserve himself from contempt and not lose but maintain his Authority To conclude this there is nothing the Devil more desires and endeavours than to alienate the hearts of the People from their Ministers and therefore they should take the greatest care to do nothing that may give the least occasion of it And here I cannot forbear to mind you of one thing which hath given no small Scandal which is the not keeping your Houses and that part of the House of God which belongs to the care of some Ministers in good Repair and leaving them so to their Successors This argues a very careless or covetous sordid Spirit minding nothing but a Mans self and the present World and having no consideration of the future I hope I need not exhort you to observe the LXXV Canon of our Church which requires you not to resort to any Taverns or Ale houses at any time other than for your honest necessities c. Which occasions cannot be frequent nor of any long continuance I shall only tell you that Julian the Apostate in his famous Letter to Arsacius the High Priest of the Pagan Religion in Galatia having commended the Exemplary Charity of Christians to the imitation of his Priests adds after some other good Admonitions of governing their Families well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Exhort a Priest that he neither go into the Theatre nor drink in a Tavern nor exercise any base or ignominoius art Honour those that obey these Orders and put the disobedient out of their Office Fpist XLIX This showes how sensible he was of the necessity of the Apostolical Precept that he who ministred to God should have a good report of them which are without i. e. are not of his Religion 1 Tim. III. 7. To Conclude think often what an honour it is to serve the Lord Jesus and what Care he took of his Flock How invaluable the Souls of Men are which he purchased with his Blood What an inestimable Treasure the Gospel of Christ is wherewith you are intrusted in what an high Station God hath placed you and then you will never submit to so much as any mean Action but do such things as may procure you esteem or at least prevent contempt And to keep this Good Spirit in you which I have described it would be of singular Use to read every Lord's day at least every Ordination Sunday the Vows and Promises you made when you were admitted into Holy Orders Which are so Solemn that it is impossible not to be moved by them if they be not merely read but seriously weighed and considered These Instructions I have Written in the midst of great variety of Business and with many interruptions which may make them defective in many Particulars and less accurate than they might otherwise have been But what they want in that will be made up I hope by the sincere desire I have to do good and by the Grace of God accompanying all honest endeavours Unto which Grace I most heartily commend you and rest Your Affectionate Brother Sy. Eliens March 19. 1697. Books Written by the R. R. Symon Patrick D. D. now Lord Bishop of Ely and Printed for Richard Chiswell THE Parable of the Pilgrim written to a Friend The 6 Edition 4to 1681. Mensa Mystica Or a Discourse concerning the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper In which the Ends of its Institution are so manifested our Addresses to it so directed our Behaviour there and afterward so composed that we may not lose the Profits which are to be received by it With Prayers and Thanksgivings inserted To which is annexed Aqua Genitalis A Discourse concerning Baptism In which is inserted a Discourse to perswade to a confirmation of the Baptismal Vow 8vo Jewish Hypocrisie A Caveat to the present Generation Wherein is shewn both the false and the true way to a Nations or Persons compleat Happiness from the sickness and recovery of the Jewish State To which is added A Discourse upon Micah 6. 8. belonging to the same matter 8vo Divine Arithmatick A Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. Samuel Jacomb Minister of St. Mary-Woolnoth-Church in Lombard-street London With an Account of his Life 8vo A Sermon Preached at the Funeral of Mr. Tho. Grigg Rector of St. Andrew-Vndersharft London 4to An Exposition of the Ten Commandments 8vo Heart's Ease Or a Remedy against all Troubles With a Consolatory Discourse particularly directed to those who have lost their Friends and Relations To which is added Two Papers printed in the time of the late Plague The sixth Edition corrected 12mo 1695. The Pillar and Ground of Truth A Treatise shewing that the Roman Church falsly claims to be That Church and the Pillar of That Truth mentioned by St. Paul in 1 Tim. 3. 15. 4to An Examination of Bellarmin's Second Note of the Church viz. ANTIQVITY 4to An Examination of the Texts which Papists cite out of the Bible to prove the Supremacy of St. Peter and of the Pope over the whole Church In Two Parts 4to An Answer to a Book spread abroad by the Romish Priests Entituled The Touchstone of the Reformed Gospel wherein the True Doctrine of the Church of England and many Texts of the Holy Scripture are faithfully explained 8vo 1692. A private Prayer to be used in difficult times A Thanksgiving for our late wonderful Deliverance A Prayer for Charity Peace and Unity chiefly to be used in Lent A Sermon Preached upon St. Peter's Day printed with Enlargements 4to A Sermon Preached in St. James's Chappel before the Prince of Orange Jan. 20. 1688. on Isaiah 11. 6. A Second Part of the Sermon before the Prince of Orange on the same Text. Preached in Covent-Garden A Sermon Preached before the Queen in March 1688 9. on Colos 3. 15. A Sermon against Murmuring Preached at Covent-Garden in Lent 1688 9. on 1 Cor. 10. 10. A Sermon against Censuring Preached at Covent-Garden in Advent 1688. on 1
Cor. 4. 10. Fast-Sermon before the King and Queen April 16. 1690. on Proverbs 14. 34. A Thanksgiving-Sermon before the Lords Nov. 26. 1691. for reducing of Ireland and the King 's safe Return On Deut. 4. 9. A Fast-Sermon before the Queen April 8. 1692. On Numb 10. 9. A Sermon before the Lords Nov. 5. 1696. on Dan. 4. 35. Sermon before the Lord Mayor at St. Brides Church on Easter-Munday 1696. on 2 Tim. 2. 8. A Commentary on the First Book of Moses called Geneses 4to 1695. A Commentary on the Second Book of Moses called Exodus 4to 1697. A Commentary on the Third Book of Moses called Leviticus 4to 1697. Commentary on the Fourth Book of Moses called Numbers now in the Press Dr. THOMAS TENISON now Lord Archbishop of Canterbury his Sermon concerning Discretion in giving Alms. 1688. Sermon against Self-love before the House of Commons 1689. Sermon of doing Good to Posterity before Their Majesties 1689 90. Sermon concerning the Wandring of the Mind in God's Service before the Queen Feb. 15. 1690. Sermon of the Folly of Atheism before the Queen Feb. 22. 1690. Sermon Preached at the Anniversary Meeting of the Clergy-mens Sons Decemb 3. 1691. Sermon concerning the Celestial Body of a Christian before the Queen on Easter-day 1694. Ser Sermon concerning Holy Resolution before the King at Kensington Decemb. 30. 1694. on Psal 129. 106. His Sermon at the Funeral of Queen Mary in the Abby-Church Westminster On Eccles 7. 14. A Vindication of Their Majesties Authority to fill the Sees of the deprived Bishops in a Letter occasioned by Dr. B 's Refusal of the Bishoprick of Bath and Wells 4to A Discourse concerning the Unreasonableness of a new Separation on Account of the Oaths to the present Government With an Answer to the History of Passive Obedience so far as relates to them 4to A Vindication of the said Discourse concerning the Unreasonableness of a new Separation from the Exceptions made against it in a Tract called A brief Answer to the said Discourse c. 4 to Rushworth's Historical Collections The Third Part in Two Volumes Containing the Principal matters which happened from the meeting of the Parliament Nov. 3. 1640. to the end of the Year 1644. Wherein is a particular Account of the Rise and Progress of the Civil War to that period Fol. 1692. in 2 Vol. A Discourse of the Pastoral Care By Gilbert Burnet D. D. Ld. Bishop of Sarum 1692. Origo Legum Or a Treatise of the Origine of Laws and their Obliging Power as also of their great Variety and why some Laws are immutable and some not but may suffer change or cease to be suspended or abrogated In seven Books By George Dawson Fol. 1694. Bp. Burnet's Four Discourses delivered to the Clergy of the Diocess of Sarum Concerning I. Truth of the Christian Religion II. The Divinity and Death of Christ III. The Infallibility and Authority of the Church IV. The Obligations to continue in the Communion of the Church A Brief Discourse concerning the Lawfulness of Worshipping God by the Common-Prayer in answer to a Book intituied A brief Discourse of the Vnlawfulness of the Common-Prayer-Worship By John Williams D. D. 4to 1694. A true Representation of the absurd and mischievous Principles of the Sect commonly known by the Name of the Muggletonians 4to 1694. Memoirs of the most Reverend THOMAS CRANMER Archbishop of Canterbury Wherein the History of the Church and the Reformation of it during the Primacy of the said Archbishop are greatly illustrated and many singular Matters relating thereunto now first published In Three Books Collected chiefly from Records Registers Authentick Letters and other Original Manuscripts By John Strype M. A. Fol. 1694. The History of the Troubles and Trial of WILLIAM LAVD L. Archbishop of Canterbury wrote by himself during his Imprisonment in the Tower To which is prefixed the Diary of his own Life faithfully and entirely Published from the Original Copy and subjoined a Supplement to the preceding History The Archbishop's Last Will His large Answer to the Lord Say's Speech concerning Liturgies His Annual Accounts of his Province delivered to the King and some other things relating to the History Published by Henry Wharton Chaplain to Archbishop Sancroft Fol. Bishop of Sarum's Sermon at the Funeral of Archbishop Tillotson 1694. Archbishop Tillotson's Sermons of Sincerity and Constancy in the Faith and Profession of the True Religion being the First Volume Published from his Originals by his Chaplain Dr. Barker 2d 3d. and 4th Volumes of Seamons of the said Archbp. Published by Dr. Barker A Fifth Volume of the same now in the Press Dr. W. Outram's 20 Sermons the 2d Edition 1697. Dr. Hezik Burton's Discourses in Two Vol. in 8vo Published by Dr. Tillotson Mr. Hen. Wharton's Sermons Preached in Lambeth Chappel In Two Vol. 8vo With an Accout of his Life
be taken about the due Performance of it That is 1. First of all you ought to invite your People to a frequent Participation of it We are not told in Scripture how oft we are to do this in remembrance of our Saviour But when we consider that this is the end and intention of it to Commemorate the wonderful Love of our Lord in his Death and Passion for our sakes we cannot think fit to let there be a long time between one communion and another Especially when we consider that the first Christians it is manifest met together every LORDS Day at least to magnifie the mercy of God in giving his only begotten Son to be our Redeemer and the inconceiveable love of the Son of God in making himself an Offering for our Sins This they thought their great business when they assembled together so that our Assemblies never look so like Christian Assemblies as when the Holy Communion is celebrated 2. In order to which frequently open to your People the Nature Necessity and the great Benefits of communion with Christ and one with another in this Holy Sacrament of Christs Body and Blood Answer their Scruples and remove their Objections but especially awaken them out of that lazy indifference wherein too many live whether they live like Christians or no. 3. When the time is appointed for its Administration warn them to prepare themselves for it and direct them how to do it and require them who intend to partake of it to signifie their Names to you at least sometime the day before So the first Rubrick before the Order for Administring the Holy Communion requires with great reason because you ought to have time to do what follows 4. If any Person in your Parish be a notorious evil liver or have done any wrong to his Neighbours either by word or deed so that the Congregation be thereby offended you ought having knowledge thereof to admonish him as the next Rubrick directs to amend his naughty Life and not presume to come to the Lord's Table till the Congregation be satisfied of his Repentance and that he hath made such a recompense to those he hath wrong'd as they accept of The like is to be done when you perceive Malice and Hatred to reign among any of your Parish endeavouring to bring them to a reconciliation before you suffer them to partake of the Holy Communion 5. And more than this the Third Rubrick requires you if these private endeavours have no effect openly to repel such Persons from the Communion if they offer themselves to receive it who will not be reconciled nor reformed giving notice of their obstinacy to the Ordinary within the time there prescribed 6. In the Administration of the Holy Communion compose your selves to the most serious and solemn deportment and perform every part of this most Christian service with the highest degree of Devotion So St. Justin Martyr tells us in his Second Apology where he gives an account of what was done in the Christian Assemblies in his time that Bread Wine and Water being set before him that presided He sendeth up Prayers and Thanksgivings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all his Power or Might Which is an expression that hath been much abused by those who separate from us to prove that no forms of Prayer were used in the Church in those days but he who officiated conceived a Prayer of his own as well as he was able So they interpret that Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is manifestly an expression of that earnestness of Devotion with which the Bishop or Priest came to Consecrate the Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood It being a Phrase very much used among the Jews when they speak of their Prayers For their Ancient Doctors have this saying among them as our excellent Mr. Thorndike observes Whosoever saith Amen WITH ALL HIS MIGHT the gate of the Garden of Eden is opened to him And Maimonides describing their Morning Service useth the same form of Speech The People answer Amen be his great name Blessed for ever and ever WITH ALL THEIR MIGHT See Service of God at Religious Assemblies Chap. VII To which may be added what we read in the Apostolical Constitutions where there is a large Form of Thanksgiving at the Eucharist for all Gods Blessings Especially in our Lord Christ from his Incarnation to his Sufferings Death and Resurrection And then it follows Therefore being mindful of these things which he suffered for us We give Thee thanks O Almighty God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not so much as we ought but as much as we are able Which exactly answers to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ALL THE MIGHT in Justim Martyr and explains the meaning of it But there have been so many excellent Books written about the Holy Communion that I will enlarge no further upon this Subject SECT V. In that Office there is a Rubrick directing where the Sermon is to come in and therefore I shall in the next place say something to you concerning Preaching Which is a Duty to be performed by every Priest according to the Authority given to him at his Ordination in those words Take thou Authority to Preach the Word of God and to Minister the Holy Sacraments in the Congregation where thou shalt be lawfully appointed thereunto And the Prayer made after the Ordaining of Priests That God's Word spoken by their mouths may have such success that it may never be spoken in vain Now to make it thus successful a great many directions might be usefully given concerning both the Matter of Sermons and their Form their Stile also and manner of Delivery with distinct Pronunciation and such like into which if I should launch out they alone would be sufficient to fill a little Book I shall therefore only briefly desire you to consider the state and condition of your Auditory and to suit your Discourses thereunto Country People are not to be troubled with Controversies and Disputes but to be plainly taught what to believe and practice 1. Therefore endeavour to instruct and settle their minds in the Principles of Religion And for this end study well the Works of Two Late Bishops of Chester One of which Dr. Wilkins hath wrote a Treatise of Natural Religion and the other Dr. Pierson hath given a full account of the Christian in his admirable Book upon the Apostles Creed 2. Especially instruct them in the great Fundamental Article of our Religion the Divinity of our Blessed Lord and Saviour and of the Holy Ghost showing them how all our comfort is built upon this And truly I look upon it as a singular Providence of God that he did not 〈…〉 Hereticks who now boldly strike at this great Article of our Faith to start up in an ignorant Age but in a time when there are so many able Men in the Church to beat them down God hath furnished us with a great number of such excellent Persons as have throughly studied