Selected quad for the lemma: judgement_n
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A64360
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His Grace the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury's letter to the Reverend Dr. Batteley Archdeacon of that diœcese, to be communicated to the clergy of his archdeaconry
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Tenison, Thomas, 1636-1715.
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1699
(1699)
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Wing T699; ESTC R219200
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3,604
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8
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His Grace the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury's Letter to the Reverend Dr. Batteley Archdeacon of that Dioecese to be Communicated to the Clergy of his Archdeaconry Reverend Sir MY Writing to You at this time is occasion'd by a sensible growth of Vice and Prophaneness in the Nation which to the great Affliction of all good men appears not only in the corrupt practices of particular persons but also in the Endeavours that are used to subvert the general Principles of our holy Religion And this with a boldness and openness far beyond the examples of past times so that if a speedy stop be not put to such National Provocations we have just cause to fear they may bring down the heaviest Judgments of God upon Us The preventing whereof belongs more immediately to us who are the Ministers of Christ and as such are obliged to the utmost care and watchfulness in opposing these Instruments of Satan I doubt not but many of the Parochial Clergy are sufficiently sensible both of their own duty and the danger we are in In the Cities of London and Westminster and other places I am sure the good effects of their diligence have been very evident of late years But in some Parts that are more remote all of them may not so well understand either the Arts or the Industry of these Enemies of Religion And therefore I thought it a Duty incumbent on the Station wherein Providence has placed me to desire of you to warn the Clergy of your Archdeaconry of these attempts against Religion and Virtue and to excite them to a Diligence proportionable to the Danger and to suggest to them such Methods as are most likely to work a General Reformation With this request I send You such Particulars as in my Opinion are very necessary to be pressed upon the Clergy for the attaining so desirable an End As I. That in their own Lives and the Government of their own Families they would make themselves Examples of a sober and regular Conversation It is the Apostles Reasoning If a man know not how to rule his own house and much more his own Life and Actions how shall he take care of the Church of God The true method of working a Reformation abroad is to lay the foundation at home which alone can give our Reproofs a just Weight and Authority but till that is done no Exhortations whether in publick or private can either be offer'd with decency or receiv'd with reverence II. To Piety they should add Prudence in all their Actions and Behaviour which even in Private Christians is a great Ornament to Religion but in Publick Teachers is a most necessary qualification for the due discharge of their Ministry A Mildness of temper with a Gravity and Calmness in their Conversation will not fail to gain them a general Love and Esteem among their Neighbours and a discreet Caution in their Words and Actions will preserve them from those little Imprudences that are sometimes so sensible an Obstruction to the good Endeavours of well-meaning Men. Persons in Holy Orders are not only bound in the conduct of their Lives to consider what is lawful or unlawful in it self but also what is decent or indecent in Them with respect to their Character and Function Abstaining from all appearance of evil and giving no Offence in any thing that the Ministry be not blamed III. While Our Enemies are so very industrious in seeking out Objections against the Christian Religion it becomes the Clergy who are set apart for the Vindication of it to be no less diligent in their Preparations for its Defence By acquainting themselves thorowly with the rational grounds of Christianity and the true state of such Points as are the Subjects of our present Controversies together with the Objections which are usually made by our Adversaries of all sorts and the Effectual Answers that have been returned to them by so many Eminent Writers of our own Church That so they may be ready on all occasions to do justice and honour to our Religion and be able to expose the folly and ignorance of these Gainsaying Men. The Cause which God has put into our hands is undoubtedly good but the best cause may suffer by the weakness of its Advocate and when this happens in the matter of Religion it gives the Adversary an occasion of Triumph and is apt to stagger the faith even of sincere and unprejudic'd Christians IV. It were to be wisht that the Clergy of every Neighbourhood would agree upon frequent Meetings to consult for the good of Religion in general and to advise with one another about any difficulties that may happen in their particular Cures By what Methods any Evil Custom may most easily be broken How a sinner may be most effectually reclaimed and in general How each of them in their several circumstances may contribute most to the advancement of Religion Such Consultations as these besides the mutual benefit of advice and instruction will be a natural means to excite the zeal of some to reduce the over-eagerness of others to a due temper and to provoke All to a Religious Emulation in the improvement of Piety and Order within their respective Parishes And These Meetings might still be made a greater advantage to the Clergy in carrying on the Reformation of Mens Lives and Manners by inviting the Church-Wardens of their several Parishes and other pious persons among the Laity to joyn with them in the Execution of the most probable methods that can be suggested for those good Ends. And we may very reasonably expect the happy Effects of such a concurrence from the Visible Success of that Noble Zeal wherewith so many about the great Cities in my Neighbourhood do promote true Piety and a Reformation of Manners And therefore I desire you that you will particularly excite the Clergy to the procuring such assistances as these for the more effectual discharge of their own duty V. It would very much further and facilitate all their Endeavours of this kind to gain over the persons who have the greatest Esteem and Authority in their Parishes to a hearty concern for the honour of God and Religion frequently suggesting to them the Obligation that God has laid upon them to be Examples to others and the great good that it is in their power to do by setting a Pattern of regular living and the unspeakable mischief of their irregular behaviour For if once the better Sort can be brought to such a Seriousness and Sobriety the rest will more easily follow Example being the most powerful Instruction and Experience teaching us that shame and fear which arise from the Authority of such good Patterns are commonly the most effectual restraints upon the meaner sort VI. Where any Person is obstinate in his Vices and not to be reclaimed either by Teaching or Example by Exhortation or Reproof the Ordinary ought to be informed of it that he may proceed to reclaim such by Ecclesiastical Censures and where those are like to prove ineffectual the Civil Magistrate must be applied to and desired to proceed against them according to the Laws in those Cases provided Which Information and Request especially in the Case of such incorrigible Offenders can be made by none so properly as by the Clergy who may best be supposed to understand the necessity there is of having recourse to the Civil Magistrate And since our Law-givers have Enacted these temporal Punishments on purpose to assist us in the discharge of our Ministry it would be a great failing in us not to make use of them when all other Methods have been tried to little or no Effect VII Every Pious Person of the Laity should if need be be put in mind by the Clergy that he ought to think himself obliged to use his best endeavours to have such Offenders punished by the Civil Magistrate as can no otherwise be amended And that when he hears his Neighbour swear or blaspheme the Name of God or sees him offend in drunkenness or prophanation of the Lords Day he ought not to neglect to give the Magistrate Notice of it In such a Case to be called an Informer will be so far from making any Man Odious in the Judgment of Sober Persons that it will tend to his honour when he makes it appear by his unblameable behaviour and the care he takes of Himself and his own Family that he doth it purely for the glory of God and the good of his Brethren Such well disposed persons as are resolved upon this should be encouraged to meet as oft as they can and to consult how they may most discreetly and effectually manage It in the places where they live VIII As in reforming the Laity they ought to use the Assistance of the Civil Magistrate so if any of their own Brethren be an irregular Liver and cannot be reclaimed by brotherly Admonition the neighbouring Clergy should be strictly enjoyned to make it known to you and by you to me if the Case requires That so the Offender may be Admonisht to live suitably to his Character and if a bare Admonition will not do he may be proceeded against by Ecclesiastical Censures for the preventing such Scandals and Mischiefs as will always accompany the irregular Life of a Minister of the Gospel IX And whereas the Foundations of Piety and Morality are best laid at the beginning in the Religious Education of Children I cannot but wish that every one of the Parochial Clergy would be very diligent in Catechising the Children under their Care and not only so but in calling upon them afterwards as they grow up to give such further Accounts of their Religion as may be expected from a riper Age. That being thus carefully instructed in the Faith and Duty of a Christian they also may teach their Children the same and so Piety Virtue and Goodness may for ever flourish in our Church and Nation These Directions with such others of the same nature as will occur to you I desire may be Transmitted by you to the Clergy of my Dioecese for the Religious Government of themselves and their People in these dangerous Times So commending you and them to the Blessing of God I rest Your Affectionate Brother Tho. Cantuar. Lambâ—th April 4 th 1699. London Printed by Charles Bill and the Executrix of Thomas Newcomb deceas'd Printers to the Kings most Excellent Majesty 1699.