Selected quad for the lemma: love_n
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A53982
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A sermon, preached Sept. 28, 1692, at a primary visitation held at Chichester by the Right Reverend Father in God Robert Lord Bishop of Chichester by Edw. Pelling ...
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Pelling, Edward, d. 1718.
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1693
(1693)
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Wing P1103; ESTC R20716
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13,499
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32
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but this that we shall scandalize our Friends gratifie our Enemies bring upon one another a common Reproach and in the End expose our whole Church to God's Judgments God be blessed notwithstanding Faction and Vice there are great Numbers of good People who love the Ways of this our Sion especially where the Feet of those who preach Salvation unto it are beautiful When they see as it was said of Origen an admirable Harmony between the Doctrine and Life of a Clergy-man when he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Chrysostom speaks a Representation and Picture of good Living and an animated Pandect of the Laws of Religion then is the Church's Face amiable indeed in the Eyes of all her Friends and then every good Man though he be illiterate hath the same Argument to offer for our Church that was anciently used in defence of Christianity viz. the good Lives of the Professors and Preachers of it And this is sometimes a more ready way to convince and confirm People than Dint of Disputation But when they who should be Patterns blot their own Copy how can we hope to see a good Transcript In such a Case we should discourage even those that love us we should make them ashamed of those Affections which they see so ill placed and of that Confidence which they repose in Men so contradictory to themselves And perhaps too we may occasion some secret Jealousie in our best Friends that we our selves are not persuaded of the Terrors of the Lord when we express so little Apprehension and Fear of them Nor is this all For any Man may see how many there are in the World that look upon us with an insidious Eye and watch for our Halting So that between Irreligion and Superstition and Hypocrisie we are still in danger And what an acceptable thing would it not be to such to discover any Flaws in the Lives of a Clergy whose very Vertues they hate And if we would stand only upon our own just Defence nothing can be a greater Satisfaction or Security to us to take heed unto our selves this being a certain Way for us to keep a Conscience void of Offence both to God and Man and even towards our Enemies And 't is no inconsiderable part of Christian Prudence to cut off all just Occasion of Quarrel especially where Men seek it and to minister no Grounds of Scandal in an uncharitable Age when Scandals are apt to be taken whether they be given or no. What manner of Men ought we to be when even our Righteousness and our good Works are an Eye-sore When Men will not be so just as to pardon at least our Vertues we cannot expect they will be so merciful as to forgive us our Vices Let us therefore behave our selves with such Caution that if Men will malign us they may hate us for no other Cause but for that we are Ministers of True Religion and then we need not be ashamed or discouraged because it was upon that sole Account that the World hated our very Lord and Master before us To this let me add that we should take heed to our selves in defence of our Common Fame for that always suffers by the Miscarriages of a few sometimes by the Faults of some one whose Immoralities some will be sure to lay open that they may defame all the rest whose Vertues and Merits they will as surely conceal You know how in the early Times of Christianity the Impieties of the Simonians redounded to the prejudice of the whole Christian Cause those Wickednesses which they acted being by the Heathens laid to the Charge of the whole Church though as Justin Martyr in his Apology tells us they had nothing common with them but only the general Name of Christians And so it is with us at this Day Let one of our Members suffer in his Reputation and though it be unjust that in this Sense the whole Body should suffer with him yet 't is usual for the Reflexion and Scandal to pass upon all without Discrimination the Guilty and Innocent are slain together And so it comes to pass that both the Injury which every particular Clergy-man sustains by it is of great Concernment and the Dammage which the Publick sustains too is irreparable But matter of Scandal is not the greatest thing to be considered though that be too great There is something of a higher nature yet Since Ephraim is against Manasseh and Manasseh against Ephraim and both against Judah we ought to take very great heed lest by our Sins and Neglects God be provoked to be against us all We have no reason to be confident that God will keep that Candlestick safe and fast in his Hand whose Tapers yield not their due Light And it is observable that when those Messages in Apoc. 2. 3. so full of Admonitions and Threats were sent to the Seven Churches of Asia they were directed specially to the several Angels or Bishops of those Churches and in all probability Timothy was then one of them Which intimates to us that it lieth very much in the Ministry of any Church either to prevent or to further and help on those dismal Calamities which are many times the Issue of Carelesness and Irreligion Therefore my Brethren for God's Honour sake whose Authority and Character we have for our Fellow-Christians sake whom Charity obligeth us to regard as Signets upon our Right Hand for the Faith sake which was once for all delivered unto the Saints for the Kingdom 's sake in the Prosperity and Peace whereof every particular Man's Interest is bound up for the Churches Sake which is the Mother of us all and whom we are bound to Obey Honour and if need requires to be Victims for Upon all these accounts let us the Clergy of this Church give all possible diligence that we may be blameless and unreprovable that we be Exemplars of Vertue and Holiness to those whom God hath set us over that we watch for their Souls and that we may Execute our Office and give an account at last with Joy And before I shut up this point I beg leave to recommend briefly to our common Christian Care these few particulars 1. That we often peruse and consider seriously those Solemn Promises and Vows which we made at our Ordination and look upon them as such Sacred Tyes as are not to be answer'd but by our faithful Performances and by our utmost Cares and Labours to the last gasp 2. That we our selves be careful to walk all of us by the same Rule and to mind the same thing and to be knit together like Brethren in an inviolable bond of Love and Friendship to one another and all of us to be inseparably united in due Affection and Obedience to our Learned and Conscientious Diocesan 3. That we feed the Flock of God not for filthy Lucre but of a ready Mind out of an Honest Heart and a pure Conscience and
that we make our Charges throughly sensible if we can that we Act upon Principles of Conscience and out of sincere Love and Charity to them and because the Love of our common Saviour constrains us St. Chrysostom hath well observed that when our Lord ask'd Peter whether he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 2. Loved him and commanded him to Feed his Sheep it was not that he might find out Peter's Affections to himself for he knew his Heart but that he might shew his own Affections and Love to his Church and that he might Teach all Ministers of the Gospel to express the same Affections to his Church by his own blessed Example 4. That in the discharge of our Ministerial Office for Love sake we apply our care and pains as it is most suitable to particular Mens Necessities Instructing the Ignorant assisting the Infirm visiting the Sick comforting the Afflicted admonishing Evil Doers in Meekness instructing those that oppose us compassionate to the Needy Patient and Merciful to Enemies Candid towards the Imprudent Just Kind Friendly Gentle Charitable and Tenderly Affected towards all 5. That God may prosper the great Work in our Hands it is to be wisht that we would daily open the Doors of our Churches and invite our Parishioners to meet us there constantly for the Solemn Celebration of God's Service There a main part of our Business lies to Catechise Youth to Administer the Sacraments of Christ's Body and Blood and with one Mouth and one Heart to invocate the Goodness of God for a Blessing upon us all And the oftner these things are done the more shall we and our Charges be fixt in a course of Virtue and Piety and the more will their Hearts be knit to us as well as our Hearts to them 6. To which let me I beseech you add without Offence that we use the Prayers of the Church with that Reverence Decorum and Zeal which is suitable to so solemn a Service The Arguments against our Common Prayers are trifling and will appear so every day more and more if we our selves do but recommend them to others by our own Devotion 'T is the slubbering of them over after a hasty cold and uncouth manner and sometimes with an affected and ungraceful Tone Voice I cannot so well call it 't is this that has made our Service-Book contemptible among some People who consider not the Excellent Contexture and the True Christian Spirit which is in the Prayers themselves And we shall be the more to blame if we take not heed to remove this Objection because it is an Objection out of our own Mouths Briefly then we should be careful to Read the Publick Prayers with that Gravity and Concern'dness with that Thoughtfulness and Deliberation with that Attention and Presence of Mind and with that Fervency of Spirit as if we were to give up the Ghost the next hour And were all of us but Zealously intent upon this I dare say there would be no need of further Arguments or Oratory to bespeak the Affections of People to our Service or to render it Venerable Secondly I beg the excuse of this Reverend Assembly that I have been so particular and prolix upon the former part of my Text of taking heed to our selves because it is indeed the Principal thing that which is a most necessary ingredient to make our Doctrine operative and effectual and considering that what hath been said already has taken up more time than I thought it would have cost us I must dispatch this next thing with a quick Hand Take heed unto thy Doctrine I must not take the Confidence here to direct this Learned Body and yet there are some things to be borrowed of St. Paul which may be of very great use to us all though Ministred by the unworthiest Hand 1. First That our Doctrine be such as Naturally tendeth to promote a Good Life Doctrine which is according to Godliness 1 Tim. 6. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1. 10. wholesome Sanatory Doctrine such Truths as are Restoratives and Preservatives of Substantial Religion Unnecessary Disputes lofty Speculations fine airy Descants and the like though there may be Truth in them and profitable Truth too in its kind yet they are quite out of our way whose Business is to Teach People to hold the Faith in a pure Conscience Our Discourses therefore are to be in some measure or other Practical and the more Practical our Matter is the plainer our Method the easier our Style the clearer our Expressions the more obvious our Arguments and the more solid and instructive our Notions are the better shall we do the parts of Conscientious and Skilful Preachers and the more Profitable will our Discourses be witness for all that one Excellent Book the Whole Duty of Man the Book that hath done such Universal Good in the World and that not only by the Gravity of the Matter but by the usefulness of the Style the Contexture of that Book being ordered by the most Pious and Judicious Author so that the whole is Practical Plain Inviting Adapted to every Man's Reason easie to be understood by People of all Capacities 2. Let us take heed Secondly that our Doctrine be the True and Genuine Doctrine of the Gospell Uncorrupt found Speech that cannot be Condemned as S. Paul directed Titus Tit. 2. 8. Many Errors are abroad in the World which have Tainted the Truths of the Gospel with a mixture of Humane Traditions and Private Fancies To keep our selves and our Flocks from infection these two things in short are very adviseable 1. First that in all Points we diligently consult and have an eye upon the Faith of the most Primitive Ages There is a concise way saith St. Cyprian for Religious and simple minded Epist 74. Men to remove an Error and to find out and discover the Truth And what way is that Why by going to the Spring to the Head and Original of Divine Tradition As if you would find where the fault lyes when the Water fails the readiest course is to repair to the Fountain to see whether the fault be there or in the Aquaeduct so when Truth fails or becomes uncertain the surest way is to go to its Original to the Gospel of Christ and to Apostolical Tradition And certainly the better Judgment we shall be able to make in all material points the nearer we go to the Fountain-Head and the more narrowly we observe what condition things were in Anciently in those Channels which were next to the Fountain Had this course been well and carefully followed abundance of unhappy Controversies might have been prevented which in these latter times have made such vast disturbances in the Church 2. Next to the Doctrines of the Old Catholick Church let us for God's sake take great heed to the Doctrine of our own Church in particular which hath with the greatest care followed the Ancient pattern I mention this the rather because some have presumed to represent us to the unthinking part of the World as Friends to some Foreign Doctrines Doctrines brought hither some from Rome others from Irenopolis An Accusation full of Uncharitableness and I am confident of Falshood it being impossible for those who are profest Members of the Church of England and have often Subscribed to her Articles and whole Constitution to entertain or favour such pernicious Errors without such horrible Hypocrisie as no Man of Candor and Justice will suppose so many Guides of Souls can be guilty of But sometimes there is no fence against Calumny and we must content our selves with the Answer of a Good Conscience in such a case Nevertheless my Brethren 't is Prudential and Necessary for us to keep at a great distance from every Opinion which in the Eyes of discerning and good Men looks like Heretical and not to come within the reach of Suspition for it is not enough for us to be Innocent unless we appear so To conclude let us take heed that our Doctrine be the True Word of God that it be agreeable to the Sense of the Ancient Church where the Holy Scripture is not plain that it be a means to form in Peoples Hearts those Virtues wherein the Life and Substance of Religion doth consist things which are Honest Just Pure Lovely and of good Report that it aim at those Virtues chiefly which are productive of many more as a Devout Temper Humility Charity Sobriety and a peaceable Disposition that it help to promote the Practice of those Duties wherein our Charges are most negligent and most wanting That it tend to the Publick Good of the Church and State to which we all belong that it Teach People to be orderly quiet and obedient in all things lawful that it be not mixt with any mean Designs of our own but that God's Glory and the good of Souls be the end of Preaching doing the work of God as Faithful Servants of God and as in the sight of God that our Doctrine be deliver'd with Gravity and Zeal with Meekness of Spirit with Simplicity of Mind with Application to those Sins which are most reigning and infectious with that impartiality and Honesty which becomes Men who are Stewards of God's Mysteries And as long as we addict our selves to Minister before God after this manner we shall have all the Reason to hope that he will bless our Ministrations Nor should we be discourag'd if we presently find not the Success we desire For Grace and Virtue grows like the painful Husbandman's Seed by degrees by little and little first the Blade then the Ear at last the full Corn and a good Crop The Religion of our Lord Jesus is in some points so much above the Carnal Reason of Unregenerate Men in others so contrary to their Corrupt Inclinations that it requires Time and Labour to bring them to the true Sence Love and Practice of it If we be diligent and assiduous God whom we serve will be Glorified our Church will rife in its Honour and Interest our Charges will be Edified and by God's Gracious Assistance we shall Save our selves and them that hear us Which that every one of us may do God of his Mercy grant for Christ Jesus his sake FINIS