Selected quad for the lemma: book_n
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A42335
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Advice to the clergy of the diocese of Lincoln by ... James Lord Bishop of that diocese, in order to his primary visitation.
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Gardiner, James, 1637-1705.
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1697
(1697)
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Wing G223A; ESTC R18382
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23,819
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40
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natural and acquired was especially remarkt for Integrity and Probity This made him Magnanimous resolute and fervent in resisting and oppugning the corrupt Practises of the Court of Rome altho it exposed him to the neglects and censures of that Court notwithstanding he was the greatest Man of Learning and Industry in that Age. The same Spirit and Disposition began and carried on the Reformation in the Western parts of Christendom in a wonderful manner through many difficulties and hazards It was indeed an happy Direction of Providence that at the same juncture many of those upright and sincere Reformers were also Men of better Capacity and better Learning than the common Romish Clergy and where Learning is joyned with Integrity and Simplicity there can be no better accomplishment for the Work of the Ministry The present Age abounds with many Helps and Assistances of Learning and the Church of England is provided of many Clergymen eminently Learned I will not accuse any of want of Sincerity but I am apt to think that if that was generally the reigning and governing Disposition in the Clergy there would be lesser need of Inquiry and Reformation than I doubt there is This would make them careful to observe the Vows and Promises they made at their Ordination This would make Rectors and Vicars tender of those Souls who are committed to their Cure at their * Form of institution Curam â—nimarum Parochianorum tibi in Domino committimus Institution This would make Curates Sollicitous for the Flock with which they are intrusted although they have not Institution This would restrain all sorts from the immoderate pursuit of Pluralities and reconcile them to Residence making it acceptable and delightful to them This would ingage all the Ranks of the Clergy to be zealous and earnest in regaining the Seduced and reclaiming the Vicious and improving all This is that salt which not only preserves the Clergy from Corruption but also seasons all their Performances In short this makes them acceptable to God and useful to the Church This therefore is that Grace or Disposition of Mind which you should beg of God to bestow upon you and use your greatest Indeavour to acquire which if you be indowed with it will appear not only in the Holiness of your Lives as you are Christians but also in the Faithful performance of your Offices as you are Clergymen This I shall make evident by instancing in the Principal Offices which your Holy Function does oblige you to perform The first of which is Prayer by which I mean the publick Liturgy of the Church To this you have promised to conform and subscribed your Hands to that Promise as also to the 2d of the 3 Articles mentioned in the 36th Canon That the Book of Common Proyer containeth in it nothing contrary to the Word of God and that you your selves will use the Form in the said Book prescribed in publick Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and none other Does he make good these Subscriptions who reads the Common Prayer very seldom or not in order or not the whole but only some parts and peices or if he do read the whole reads it so hastily or so slightly and awkwardly as that an impartial Hearer might be apt to think that he had no good liking to it Whereas a Man that is sincere and in good earnest in this partof Religious Worship would be careful to read it leisurely * Q. Eliz. Articles 1559. plainly and * Q. Eliz. Articles 1559. distinctly well remembring that he addresses himself as the Mouth and Leader of the Congregation to that God who knows and who requires the Heart in all such Services He would also use his best Endeavour to read with such proper and becoming Tone and Accent as may best excite attention affection and fervour in himself others There is indeed a natural Indisposition in some Men to all kind of vocal Harmony even to that which consists only in the Elevation and Depression of the Voice in proper places and periods I call them proper not only with regard to the art of Music but even to the sence of the Words But I shall not urge this further than the natural capacity of men will bear There is certainly a felicity in Voice and Accent which they ought to make good use of to whom God has given it and those that want it can only use their Endeavour to attain to such a degree as to avoid at least all gross absurd and ridiculous pronunciation But such as do not think this worthy their Labouring after I am sure they cannot excuse themselves in neglecting omitting or altering any part of the publick Offices And though they read them not with that propriety of Vtterance and Accent which may promote attention and devotion they ought at least to perform the Offices as they are directed and prescribed for nothing less than this can Answer their Subscription which will remain in the Bishops Custody as a witness of their Insincerity This is to be understood not only of the Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer which if they could be daily performed in all Parishes would be of great use to breed in Peoples minds a sense of their dependance upon God from day to day but also all Occasional Offices the Administration of the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords Supper Matrimony the Visitation of the Sick and Burial of the Dead All these ought to be performed seriously solemnly and deliberately and in the expressions and order in which they are directed which can only satisfy the Conformity which you have promised As to one of these Offices that of publick Baptism of Infants I must advise you to use your utmost Endeavour to prevail with your Parishioners to bring their Children to Church to be Baptized and not feign Pretences for having them baptized at their own Houses or if there be a real Danger and that Sickness or other need compels them so to do if the Child live you must not fail to admonish them that it is expedient as the Rubrick directs to bring the Child to Church afterwards This is a part of that conformity to the Liturgy of the Church of England to which you have subscribed I shall add one Word more upon this Subject which is the Observation of the Fasts and Feasts of the Church which are directed in the Books of Common Prayer the neglect of which has proceeded in some places as much from the Minister as from the People the Minister is to give notice of all such Days and why is that But that the People may know that such Days being appointed for the more than ordinary Worship and Service of God they ought to forbear their Labour and Work at least at the Hours of Worship and repair to Church where if there be no Minister to officiate to what purpose should they come This is an unaccountable Neglect and savours of Insincerity Now from
ADVICE TO THE CLERGY Of the DIOCESE of LINCOLN By the Right Reverend Father in God JAMES Lord Bishop of that Diocese In Order to his Primary VISITATION The Second Edition with Additions Corrected LONDON Printed for John Everingham at the Star in Ludgate-street 1697. My Brethren I Choose to take this Method of sending some Advices to you before my Visitation rather than to speak to you on a sudden at the respective places appointed for you to meet at But because this is a new Method therefore I think it not improper for me to give you my Reasons for so doing Which are these I. To make my own Duty and Business more easie to my self and the better to secure my Health and Strength which otherwise might be impaired and weakened in 7 or 8 Weeks travailing together and performing those Episcopal Offices which are requisite to be performed at the several places of Visitation so that it may be expected some times to happen that through weariness or other indisposition the season of the Year being usually hot and the places of Visitation many I may be hindred from speaking so much and so fully as I might otherwise be willing and desirous to do Besides there is one particular Office viz. that of Confirmation which I design to take the Opportunity of performing in my passage from one place of Visitation to another at the great Towns that lie in or not far out of my way of which I intend to give timely notice of the day and hour to the Ministers of such Towns that they may be ready to present such Persons to be confirmed as are within their own or their neighbouring Parishes which will take up no little of my time and labour II. But I have not regard to my self only in this Method but to you also for by this means some that may be hindred from coming to the place of Visitation by Sickness or very Old Age or unavoidable and necessary Business and Attendance elsewhere may be acquainted with what I think fit to lay before those that are concerned to appear upon these occasions Where these Excuses are unfeigned they are reasonable and sufficient and those that are forced to use them by having this Paper of Advice by them may see what I have to propose as well as they might have heard it if it had been spoken and they themselves present But I hope that none but those that are so indisposed as I now mentioned will absent themselves For as it is the Duty of a Bishop to Visit so it is the Duty of the Clergy to appear at such Times and Places where the Visitation is appointed Those Pretences that cannot excuse a Bishop before God and the Church and his own Conscience from Visiting can less excuse the Clergy of his Diocese from appearing A Bishop may ordinarily alledge his Age and the Indisposition that usually attends it Debility of Body and Voice The hazards of Health by continual motion it may be in ill Weather not conveniently accommodated and for many Weeks together so that a Bishop especially in this Diocese that would study his ease and health more than his obligation might colour his Omission by these and the like Pleas and satisfy himself with being quiet at his own Habitation But the Clergy of the Diocese except the very aged and diseased cannot in like manner excuse themselves for their Omission The weakest may have Strength enough for one days Journey without running any hazard and for the Younger and more healthful which are the greater Number they have so little to say in excuse of themselves that one would be apt to think that their absence proceeded either from Sloth or Envy or Prejudice or it may be some Scismatical or Political Principle for what else can hinder them Nay may they not propose to themselves many things that may induce and incourage them to come They may be present at the preaching of a Sermon fitted and prepared for the occasion of their Meeting They may have an opportunity of seeing several of their distant Friends and Acquaintance They may contract Acquaintance with such as are but newly entred into the Neghbourhood They may oblige one another in stricter Ties of Brotherly Love They may animate one another in the faithful discharge of their Office They may excite one another's Zeal and Fervency in promoting the same common Interest of the Christian Religion They may direct one another in the Knowledge of Modern Books and Treatises of Religion They may enter into combined Resolutions to defend the Church of England in its Doctrine Worship and Government as it is established against all Parties that divide from it They may incourage one another to oppose vigorously the Vices and the Factions of the Age and to advance Holiness and Peace and Submission to Authority In a word They may let this Atheistical and deluded Age see that they are unanimously bent to maintain the Doctrine to pursue the Service and to promote the Honour of the blessed Saviour of the World whose Servants they are and whose work and business of reconciling Men to God they have avowedly undertaken If the Clergy were sensible that they might attain to these good Ends by meeting their Diocesan at his Visitation what considering Man would absent himself So that I hope the sending of this Advice to be read and to lie by you will be so far from hindring you from coming to the Visitation that it will rather prevail with you to come and I hope that the serious and deliberate perusal of it may be of more Use and Benefit than a transient Discourse for I have observed that sometimes such Discourses have not been heard by all present either by reason of the weakness of the Speaker's Voice or the noise and talk which may occasionally happen or if they have been heard they have been soon forgotten so that many profitable Instructions have been dropt and lost whereas by this way they may not only be communicated to all but also be preserved and reviewed upon occasion And now having given you the Motives that induced me to transmit these Advises from the Press rather than to mention them at our Meeting I shall proceed to hint such Things as by your kind and unprejudiced Reception of them may with God's blessing make this Visitation useful for the Ends for which it is designed Which in General is to know the State of this Diocese to see how all Persons behave themselves in it with respect to their several Duties either as Christians in general or Ministers in the Church of Christ or Subjects of the Civil Government For Episcopal Visitation has an Eye both to the Clergy and * Instrument of Inhibition Clerum Laity but principally to the Clergy to whose Cure and Conduct in order to their eternal Salvation the * Populum Laity are commited This is a vast Business in this large Diocese and requires great diligence and