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
THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY Represented to The Clergy of the Diocese of ELY By SYMON Lord Bishop of ELY LONDON Printed for Ri. Chiswel at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's-Church-Yard 1698. ERRATA PAg. 23. lin 2. r. Temple and to p. 29. l. ult r. though not in every p. 34. l. 11. r. peculiarly p. 46. l. 16. r. mere creature p. 49. l. 24. r. teachest p. 50. l. 21. r. Historia p. 52. l. 13. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 56. l. 5. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 70. l. 17. r. celebrated The WORK OF THE MINISTRY REPRESENTED To the CLERGY OF THE Diocese of ELY Dear Brethren TO shorten my own Labour and your attendance at my approaching Visitation I send you this little Treatise beforehand which may serve in stead of the Exhortation which is wont to be made on that occasion You will read it I hope with as serious consideration as you would have heard it had it been spoken with due attention By which means you will receive a greater benefit than you could have done the other way for you may read that often and imprint it in your minds which you could have heard but once and might have slipt out of your memory You see by the Title of it that it treats of the Duties which belong to that Function in which it hath pleased the Most High to do you the honour to employ you A Function so truly noble that it is not in my power to set forth the Dignity of it For the Blessed Apostle St. Paul thought it so great an honour to be made a Christian that he thought no words too lofty to express the dignity of their state which he calls not only our High Calling III Philip. 14. but our Heavenly Calling in Christ Jesus III Heb. 1. Which I cannot think of but it makes me reflect what an honour then it is to be made a Minister of Jesus Christ whose business it is to bring others into this glorious state of Christianity and to breed them up keep them in it What preferment is there comparable to this to be constituted a Servant and a Minister of the King of Glory a Steward of the Heavenly Mysteries an Embassador for Christ a Labourer in his Vineyard or Harvest which implies indeed great pains but carries in it also the great honour of sowing the Seed of Eternal Life in Mens Souls and cultivating that is preparing and making them fit to be carried into Christ's Heavenly Kingdom I do not name all the places in the Holy Writings where you find your selves described under these Characters because you cannot but be well acquainted with them I shall only add that we do not assume too much to our selves when we call our selves the Clergy i. e. God's Portion or Inheritance being peculiarly separated to his Service as our Famous Mr. Mede hath most judiciously observed Discourse XXXVI p. 270. For the prime Ministers of our Lord Christ are called by himself The Angels of the Churches over which they presided I Revel 20. And therefore St. Chrysostome in his third Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feared not to say That the Priesthood is a Dignity raised far above all the honours of this World and approaching to the Angelical Glory Which if it be duly weighed and laid to heart we can never cease to give God thanks who hath advanced us to such a noble Station nor be unmindful of the service he expecteth from us but both study all the duties belonging it and endeavour to perform them with a Spirit suitable to our Function What those Duties are it is the principal business of this small Treatise to lay before you And with what Spirit they ought to be performed I shall in the Conclusion of it briefly admonish you These Two will comprehend all that I have to recommend to your Consideration For there is no necessity sure to prove that they whom God hath set apart to himself for a peculiar service and therefore have a special relation to him and have received a special favour from him have a singular Obligation to do all they can to express their gratitude to him by discharging faithfully that great trust which he hath commited to them PART I. NOW as to the Duties which are incumbent upon the Ministers of Christ I shall First treat of those which are to be performed in Private and then of those which are of Publick concernment SECT I. The Private Duties being to qualifie them for the right discharge of all Publick Offices are principally the Study of the Holy Scriptures and Prayer We profess at our Ordination that we are Perswaded the Holy Scriptures contain sufficiently all Doctrine required of necessity for Everlasting Salvation c. and we declare that we are determined out of the aid Scriptures to instruct the People committed to our charge c. Which supposes that above all things we ought to apply our selves to the serious study of these Holy Books that there we may learn our own duty and the duty of those whom we are to instruct in the Christian Religion And accordingly a solemn Exhortation is made to those who are to be admitted to the Order of Priesthood to consider how studious they ought to be in reading and weighing and learning the Scriptures that they may wa◠riper and stronger in their Ministry And more than this we promise before God and his Church that we will be diligent herein which no Man can think of if he have any Conscience and live in the neglect of this Sacred Study For after we have given our Faith 〈◊〉 God and to his Church to be careful in this matter we Seal it by receiving the Holy Communion of Christ's Body and Blood Which one would think should be of mighty force and will be so if duly weighed to stir us up to this part of our duty that we may not be guilty of the breach of such solemn promises as were made to God at his Altar And here it may be proper briefly to remember you that this is so conformable to the Doctrine and practise of the Ancient Church that Theophylact upon the X St. John 1 c. saith the Scriptures are the door by which the true Pastor enters and that he is a Thief who comes not in by these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. for he doth not use the Scriptures as witnesses and vouchers for what he says By these saith he we are brought to God these will not permit Wolves to enter they keep out Hereticks placing us in safety and security These give us right notions of all things wherein we desire to be infomed And therefore My Brethren apply your selves devoutly to the Study of these Divine Books or rather of these Books which will make you Divine For so they were called in the Ancient Christian Language Deificos libros and Deificas Scripturas and Instrument a Deifica as Aelianus Proconsul of Africa calls them
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
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