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
cannot be Popery in the Fabrick nor in the Seats or Table it must be in the Office or no where and one may safely affirm that no Man can prove it to be there But the use of the Chancel for the Communion Service is so far from being Popery that the Papists and Popish Impropriators in England permit the Chancels where they are concerned to lie the most disorderly and ruinous of any other as I my self have seen in several places they are not careful to repair or clean them nor can they be brought to contribute to the Reparation of Churches but by meer compulsion and they would be well enough satisfied to see all the Chancels and Churches in England lye in Ruin for this would be the most certain way to overthrow the Reformation and bring in Popery which being planted again by Authority would soon oblige that Party to rebuild the Churches This I thought not improper to mention concerning this matter upon this occasion But to return to Preaching under this Head I comprise Catechising which was an early Practise in the Church of Christ and of great use for the Instructing of the younger sort and prepare them thereby both for Confirmation and Receiving the Holy Communion If you consult the LIX Canon you will see that you are bound to this Duty of Catechising under the Censures of sharp Reproof first and upon willingly offending again of Suspension and upon the contemptuous continuance in the neglect of it of Excommunication So careful and so concerned has the Church been in this method of Instruction or Preaching But a sincere and well designing Man would chearfully discharge this Duty though there was no Ecclesiastical Censure to inforce it for he would consider that as the time of Youth is the most proper time to begin Instruction so Catechising is the most proper way to instruct them in Religion It is the Age in which they learn Arts and Sciences and how do they learn them but by the frequent and familiar Instructions of their Masters examining repeating inculcating and explaining as there is occasion and capacity for it After the same manner must they be taught the Principles of Religion which are contained in the Catechism It is not sufficient that they Repeat the Words by Heart but they should be taught the meaning also and this cannot be done but by explaining the several Heads more copiously and in the most easie and familiar manner And he that is sensible of this and of the Duty that he owes to the Children of his Parish as well as to the elder sort would no more fail to Catechise than he would to Preach for he knows that he ought to Feed as well with Milk as with strong Meat and as a Faithful Steward to give the Children as well as the rest of the Family their proper and * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 12.42 proportionable Diet. And here I may fitly take occasion to acquaint you That I would not willingly Confirm any Children but such as have been Instructed in the fore-mentioned manner and such as you your selves believe to have a competent Knowledge of the Principles of Christianity This Knowledge must not be measured by their Age nor by their ready utterance of the Words of the Catechism but by their capacity and ability to answer such Questions and to render such an account of their Faith as you may hope proceeds from a right Apprehension and true Understanding of the Sense of the Catechism And therefore I must earnestly desire you to take more than ordinary Pains before the times of Confirmation and that not only in the Church but if need be at your own Houses also to examine and instruct the riper sort that they may know what they are to do and what they undertake at their Confirmation and to give me a Note of the Names of such as are so qualified and prepared and for the younger and more ignorant it is best to advise them to stay till another opportunity There are other ways and methods of Preaching as it may in a general Sense be called namely private Exhortation and Admonition Resolving Doubts and Cases of Conscience Comforting the afflicted Furnishing the Poor with Bibles and other good Books directing the Richer sort what Books to provide for their own use and the use of their Familyes of which God be thanked this Age has produced many Giving or Lending to all sorts of Dissenters there being no other way of preaching to them such Books as have been written on purpose to prevail with them to return to the Communion of this Church particularly the Quakers whose gross Errors and Blasphemys have been detected and confuted so plainly by a late learned * Author of the Snake in the Grass Writer that if they be so sincere as they generally pretend they will be obliged to renounce them Not that this can be expected from the Leaders of that Party they have Ends to serve in the Conduct of that deluded People that will ingage them to adhere notwithstanding Confutation and Conviction too But I hope the Simple and well-meaning may be brought to see their Errors and forsake them if the b Satan disrob'd b Institution of Water-Baptism Books of this Author were put into their hands and that they could be prevailed with to read them or to hear them read Before I leave this Head of Preaching I must remind you of a particular opportunity you have and a very advantageous one of performing some parts of this Duty which is at the Visitation of the Sick for which there is a particular Office appointed In this the Exhortation is very proper and serious and the Collects very affecting and if it be performed whilest the Sick Person is capable of hearing understanding and joyning in it may be of great use and Benefit But either the Sick Person or the Relations are generally too negligent in giving timely notice so that it has not always that good Effect which otherwise it might But when it is known that People are sick they ought diligently to be visited that when they have least ability of their own by reason of their Weakness or Pain or fear of Death or punishment after Death they may be succoured and assisted by the help of others This is the time when the Devil the malicious and watchful Enemy of our Salvation has great opportunity of tempting and deceiving Men either by Presumption or Despair this therefore is an apt time for you to resist him and to rescue the Souls committed to your Care under so great a Danger Besides this Office duly performed may be of good use not only to sick and dying Persons but also to Relations and Visitors who may happen to be present and to the Minister himself who if he have a serious Sence of things cannot but improve himself in discoursing with Persons in that condition upon all which accounts this Office ought not to be
forced to expend Moneys in repairing before he receive any Prosits The like Prejudice happens to Successors in another instance in which many Clergymen are culpable which is the neglect of paying Tenths Pensions Procurations and other Duties chargeable upon their Preferments I am sensible that the Clergy cannot receive their own Dues in some places though they proceed fairly and legally to recover them Many delays and evasions are used in this case however they cannot answer the neglect of paying the forementioned Dues both as it is a Christian Duty to render to all their Dues and as they are lyable by the neglect to very great Penalties I have been much troubled to observe so great an Arrear of Tenths in this Diocese where it is my Duty to collect them It is my earnest Desire that for your own Interest and Reputation you would hasten the payment of the present Arrear for which purpose I shall appoint one in my Visitation to receive them and give Acquittances which may be of some ease to you and for the future I must advise you to make more timely and punctual payment The neglect of this has run some Benefices into so great an Arrear that Clergymen are discouraged from taking Institution to them so that they continue several Years under Sequestration in which state the Church and other Buildings become dilapidated the Tythe in a great measure unpaid and lost the Gleab untilled and purloyned the Patrons Right of Presenting extinguished and the Benefice at last turned into a sine cure So great a mischief has been occasioned only by the neglect of paying Tenths in due time Care and Honesty would have prevented this Another Neglect with which I shall conclude is that of not Residing upon Benefices which is an Omission of very ill Consequence and occasions great Complaint Not only the Canons of General Councells but the Provincial Canons allowed in this Kingdom are very strict in this Case and where they are not altered or limited by Statute Law remain in force according to the Opinion of many Learned Divines and Lawyers though some are of another Opinion and the xli Canon of the Convocation in 1603 though it supposes Licenses of Dispensation for the keeping of more Benefices with cure than one yet it ordains many Restrictions and Limitations which if they were duely observed would prevent many of those ill Consequences and Complaints of non-residence But Men have found out Evasions for these Restrictions with which however they may satisfy themselves they do not satisfie the plain design and meaning of the Canon and Sincerity would Remedy the neglect if the Law cannot I have now no more to add but only to desire you favourably to receive these Advices which proceed from that honest and sincere Intention which I have here recommended And I beseech Almighty God so to impress them upon your Hearts that I may see a good Effect of them Amen FINIS BOOKS Printed for John Everingham at the Star in Ludgate-street near the West End of St. Paul's A Sermon Preached before the House of Lords at the Abbey-Church of St. Peter's Westminster on Wednesday the 11th of December 1695. being the Day appointed for a Solemn Fast and Humiliation By the Right Reverend Father in God James Lord Bishop of Lincoln A Sermon Preached before the House of Lords at the Abbey-Church of St. Peter's Westminster on Saturday the 30th of January 169â— being the Anniversary of the Death of King Charles I. of Glorious Memory By the Reverend Father in God William Lord Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield Lord Almoner to His Majesty A Sermon Preach'd before the House of Lords at the Abbey-Church of St. Peter's Westminster on Thursday 30 Jan. 1691. being the Martyrdom of King Charles I. By the Right Reverend Father in God Humphrey Lord Bishop of Bangor The Guide of a Christian directing him to such Things as are by him to be Believed Practised Feared and Hoped for There are added at the End Prayers to be used on several Occasions The Second Edition carefully Corrected Prince bound 6 d. This Book is design'd to be given as Charity throughout all Parishes in England A Declaration of the Sense of the Arch-bishops and Bishops now in and about London upon the Occasion of their Attendance in Parliament concerning the Irregular and Scandalous Proceedings of certain Clergy Men at the Execution of Sir John Friend and Sir William Parkins Animadversions on Two Pamphlets lately Publish'd by Mr. Collier The one call'd A Defence of the Absolution given to Sir William Parkins at the Place of Execution Apr. 3. The other A Vindication thereof occasion'd by a Paper entituled A Declaration of the Sense of the Arch bishops and Bishops c. Shewing the Nature of the late Absolution both as to Church and State In a Letter to a Friend The Spirit of Jacobitism or Remarks upon a Dialogue between K.W. and Benting In a Dialogue between two Friends of the Present Government A Debate on the Justice and Piety of the present Constitution under King William In two Parts The first relating to the State the second to the Church between Eucheres a Conformist and Dyscheres a Recusant By Samuel Hill Rector of Kilmington Author of Solomon and Abiathar Eight Sermons preached on several Occasions By Nathaniel Whaley Rector of Broughton in Northamptonshire