and they feede not the Sheepe The weake they strengthen not the sicke they heale not the broken they binde not vp they bring not againe what was driuen away they seeke not what is lost but with cruelty and rigor doe they rule Ezech. 34.4 And I would there were no such false Prophets amongst vs who loue themselues and the world so much as they can impart no part of it to others Loue seeketh not her owne things saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 13.5 And it was his pleasure to please all men in all things not seeking his owne profit but the profit of others that they might be saued 1. Cor. 10.33 But it is our pleasure to take paines onely to pleasure our selues and to bee so industrious in this kind as forgetting the dignitie whereunto we are called though vnworthy to betake our selues wholly to the plow the spade the rake and the flaile play the merchant sollicite causes supply the places of stewards and such like base offices so common in our cold Countrie that vnlesse a man be thus egregiously qualified hee can haue no place in the affections of our frozen patrons Are such Shepheards take away the Metaphor make them as indeed they are carnall shepheards and I will bring no other but the very sheepe themselues to speake to them yet in their owne tongue least they vnderstand not S. Bernards language Bernard Epist 42. And let the speech be thus If you that are our Shepheards goe crooked like vs who are your sheepe carrying your countenance downeward still looking to the earth and to pamper the belly euer seeke for foode In quo distinguimur wherein doe we differ will you see how the silly beast makes simple beasts on them Si venerit lupus Quis praeuidebit occurret If the Wolfe shall come who shall foresee him and preuent him Such sheepe are in a bad case yet if they bee slaine God hath vowed to require their blood at such Shepheards hands Ezech. 3.20 The third and last cause of this neglect is want of Prudence Defect pruden This may come through too much knowledge for Scientia inflat saith the Apostle knowledge puffeth vp 1. Cor. 8.1 And of this euen the greatest schollers many times doe labour who vpon a priuate conceit of their owne worth doe oft abuse good things to the hurt of others Those that are so wise are no company for honest Athenians Though this want of Prudence be monstrum yet it is mirum though it be a monster in a minister yet it is a maruaile in many of ours for the greatest Clarkes they say are not alwayes the wisest men Our Clarkes may be wise then for I am sure they are none of the greatest But why should I stand seeking these in euery minister Cum ex quouis stipite non fit mercurius Since euery person will not make a Priest The want of these three you see then is the reason why the flocke doe want some want learning therefore they cannot Preach Some want Loue therefore they cannot Pray And some want Prudence and therefore they cannot Edifie by their good example Thus some would and cannot some can and will not and many neither can nor would nor doe What remaines now for me but to draw to a conclusion Vsus 1. ad Episc If first you my honorable Lord will giue me leaue to leaue one vse with you Attendito tibi vniuerso gregi in quo spiritus sanctus te posuit episcopum Take heede to your selfe and to all the flocke whereof the holy Ghost hath made you ouerseer See then both to the Sheepe and Shepheards and those euils which you could not stop in the beginning yet stay them in their proceeding See that Shepheards feed the flocks and not altogether feede on the flockes But there is an other thing which craues your honors care take heed that the flocks feed not on the Shepheards This was a thing our Prophet neuer dreamed of Such vnnaturall dealing neuer came within the compasse of his conceit and yet such Wolues there are within your fields in sheepes clothing who kill their Shepheards wounding some in their good name opprobriously some in their bodies dangerously some in their estate iniuriously renting both the persons and their personages in peeces Are such sheepe they are better in the Shambles then in the field Are there such Shepheards and in your flock Yes They are sicke heale them they are weake strengthen them they are broken bind them vp that when you shall come to giue vp your accompt you may be able to say as the good Shepheard sayd Those that thou gauest me haue I kept and none of them is lost Ioh. 17 1â— You that are Shepheards beloued feede your flockes which depend vpon you caring for them not by constraint but willingly not for filthie lucre but of a readie mind And when the chiefe Shepheard shall appeare ye shall receiue an incorruptible crowne of glory 1. Pet. 5.4 You that are sheepe loue your Shepheards and giue to them that rule well double honour especially to such as labour in the word and doctrine And as you sow so shall you reape Now he that hath an office let him looke to his office I must conclude Brethren farewell be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind liue in peace and the God of loue and peace shall be with you Now the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that your whole spirit and soule and body may be kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost three persons and one euerliuing God we ascribe As due all honour and glory praise power dignitie and dominion now and for euer Amen FINIS
deere to me thē life how much more deere are those for whom I haue humbled my selfe to death The summe then of this is Those that loue Christ will loue his Flocke and those that loue it will feede it And for our encouragement herein Super. Ezech. Gregorie tels vs Quod nullum potest esse Deo gratius sacrificium quam Cura animarum That there can be no Sacrifice more acceptable vnto God then the Cure of soules And this Cure doth God require at euery mans handes who hath a Cure As he did of Moses as Moses himselfe doth witnesse when he Complaines vnto the Lord saying Haue I conceiued all this people or haue I begotten them that thou shouldest say vnto me Carie them in thy bosome as a Nurse beareth the sucking child c. Numb 1.12 In which kind how zealous S. Paul was himselfe can tell vs who thus much is bold to say of himselfe and his fellowes to the Thessalonians We haue beene gentle among you euen as a Nurse cherisheth her children Thus being affectionate towards you our goodwill was to haue dealt vnto you not the Gospel of God onely but also our owne soules because yee were deare vnto vs. 1. Thess 2.8 What is it that a Nurse will denie vnto her child and what will not Paul performe to this people He was ready to doe any thing because he was affectionate his affection made him ready To these two adde the third and that is Prudence he must bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prudens wise and discreet likewise that must be a good Shepheard For as those who are skilfull in Phisickes Art doe not minister all things to all men nor at all times but to euery one according to the qualitie of the disease or the complexion and constitution of the body of the patient So must he that is a healthfull feeder of Gods flocke bee wise to consider the nature of each sheepe and the strength of their stomackes and to minister foode there after to some milke to some flesh Some must haue comminations some consolations some must be gently intreated others seuerely reprehended Sometimes Wine will be necessarie sometimes Oyle sometimes one thing sometimes another This Prudence Paul requires in a Pastor 1. Tim. 3.2 And that good old Abbat alluding to his owne profession Cals it Abbatissam virtutum Bernard The Abbatisse the Lady or chiefe of all vertues which who so wanteth may rightly suspect himselfe since nothing is more necessary by Gods own testimonie Mat. 10.13 Thus are Ministers called Pastors feeders to shew that they must bee like Nurses in abilitie in affection and in discretion Now you that are Shepheards who haue taken vpon you the feeding of Christs flocke which hee with such care committed vnto Peter consequently to you Examine your selues vpon these three Articles whether you be able if able whether willing if willing whether wise enough to discharge so great a charge whilst I set this Shepheard which I haue brought into the field thus furnished to attend on his Office Next to the Title followed the Duety which is Pascere to feede what is he Officium and what call you him sayeth one in the Dialogue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato in Mino◠who is excellent in feeding a flocke of sheepe Answere is made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Shepheard the name is taken from the office hee therefore that fulfilleth not the one cannot challenge the other He must feede that would be called a Feeder and the necessitie of this Consequent was to Dauid an occasion of great comfort for calling God his Shepheard hee triumphs in it and hee giues this reason he can therefore want nothing God will feed him in greene pastures Psal 23.1.2 This is a large field and the further I walke in it the more subiect I am to wander I will therefore follow the path wherein Saint Bernard hath trod and take him to be my guide who vpon those words of our Sauiour vnto Peter Serm. 2. Resurr domini pasce oues meas Feed my Sheepe hath these pasce mente pasce ore pasce opere and then expounds himselfe pasce animi oratione verbi exhortatione exemplï exhibitione Feed with prayer feed with preaching feed with thy life and godly conuersation These as the three former doe well together but being a sunder profit little The most precious foode of the soule is the word of God Pasce ore This is that which perisheth not but endureth vnto euerlasting life Iohn 6.27 And this is conferd vpon the flocke by the action of preaching wherein how industrious the Apostles were none that are conuersant in the Scriptures can be ignorant What was the great charge giuen by S. Paul to his Scholler Timothie was it not to preach the word to bee instant in season and out of season to improue rebuke and to exhort with all long suffering and doctrine 2. Tim. 4.2 This he was to performe as he would answere before the tribunall seat of God when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed And this he confirmes with his owne instance when being to depart from Ephesus he committed the keeping of Gods flocke vnto the Elders of the Church with this memento Remember that by the space of three yeeres I ceased not to warne euery one both night and day with teares Acts 20.31 To whom was it said but to Shepheards Negotiamini dum venio Labour till I come Luke 19.13 Quod profecto negotium tunc verè nos agimus Libr. 2. Epist 39. Si viuendo loquendo proximorum animas lucramur saith Saint Gregorie which businesse wee surely then performe if by our preaching and liuing we gaine the soules of men if wee rebuke and reproue such as are obstinate if we comfort the penitent if we strengthen the weake heale the infirme bind vp the broken seeke what is lost and bring againe what was driuen away by the example of the good Shepheard Ezech. 34.16 As they must preach so must they pray for when they haue studied the word diligently Mente preached it purely exhorted gently reproued sharpely and laboured euery way sincerely to what end will all this come Paul may Plant Apollo may Water but it is God that must giue the increase 1. Cor. 3.6 As therefore Shepheards are the mouth of God to speake vnto the people so must they be the peoples mouth to pray vnto the Lord And herein wee haue our Sauiour himselfe for an example who albeit he was very God aswell as man and had power of himselfe to sanctifie the eares and hearts of his hearers and to make his preaching as profitable as himselfe listed yet he prayed to his Father both for himselfe and them Iohn 17.9 Whose example the Apostles followed Paul did bend his knees for the Ephesians As himselfe professeth vnto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that he would grant them accorcording to the riches of his
glory that they might be strengthened by his spirit in the inner man Ephe. 3.14 And deepely protesteth to the Romanes calling God to witnesse that without ceasing he made mention of them alwayes in his prayers Rom. 1.9 And he thankes God that without ceasing he had remembrance of his Scholler Timothie in his prayers night and day 2. Tim. 1.3 To these two adde sanctitie of life and no more can be required Operâ— be vnto them that beleeue saith S. Paul to Timothie an example in word and in conuersation 1. Tim. 4.12 For he that saith and doth not is like him who hauing mony can put it to no other vse but to tell it Plutar. de profectu morum which Anacharsis the Scythian somtimes spake of the Grecians who were great Philosophers in words but in life and manners most lewd and light Jn Lacon Plutarch tels a Story to this purpose of a certaine old man who hauing a long time walked vp and down amongst the Grecians at the games of Olimpus and finding no place to rest him in at length he went among the Lacedemonians where not onely all the children did rise to giue him place but many of the men likewise which when the Grecians as many of them as were present and did obserue did with great applause approue of The old man cries out Heâ— misertam Omnes graeci norini quid sit honestum sed eo soli vtuntur Lacedemonii All the Grecians doe know what is honest but the Lacedemonians onely practise it I would not our Shepheards proued Grecians and the flockes Lacedemonians and then that follow which the Lord spoke by his Prophet They that should minister the law knew me not and the Pastors also offended against me Iere. 2.8 Gods ministers are called the salt of the earth and if the salt be vnsauorie Mat. 5.13 wherewith then can it season other things Qui sibi nequam Cui bonus hee that cannot rule himselfe is not fit to rule others They are called lux mundi the light of the world Mat. 5.14 for the example of their vertues If therefore that light be put vnder a bushell how can it enlighten others It was a good saying that of Senecaes Eum elige tibi doctorem quem magis admireris cum videris quam cum audieris Epist 34. make choice of such a teacher as thou maist admire more hauing seene him then when thou heardst him Whose life is more commendable then his learning And therefore Paul commaunds Titus that aboue all things he should show himselfe an example of good workes Titus 2.7 For plus mouent exempla quam verba Examples do moue more then precepts Gregorie and a good life then a good lesson Et facilius homines ad bene faciendum exemplis quam verbis inuitantur Origen and men are incited sooner by works then by words and by liues then by lawes to doe well And this manner of teaching is very admirable and powerfull to inflame the minds of men with a desire to doe well A good souldier Non sentit sua cum benigni ducis contuetur vulnera Bernard feeles not his owne wounds when hee sees the soares of his kinde Captaine Iulius Caesar as Tullie tels it neuer said to his followers Goe but Come for the labour seemes alwaies the lesse when hee that commands cannot be idle Let Shepheards learne to instruct their flockes as Abimilech did his subiects by making himselfe an example who when he had cut downe boughs and bare them on his shoulders spoke to those that were with him Quemadmodum vidistis me facientem ita vos facite As you haue seene me doe so doe you Iudg. 9.48 But as the godly life of good Shepheards is powerfull to perswade the people vnto good So the lewd life of bad Shepheards is of as much or farre greater force to draw them vnto euil since such is our nature that we learne nothing sooner then filthines forget nothing more hardly And therefore saith Saint Gregorie Greg. in past There is no man more daungerous in the Church then hee that liues wickedly and carries a name or degree of sanctitie whereupon saith Saint Austen August lib. de past Omnis qui male viuit in conspectu eorum quibus praepositus est quantum in ipso est occidit He that liues badly in the sight of those ouer whom he is placed as much as in him is is a murderer Wherefore I will conclude this point with that of Saint Bernard to Eugenius Lib. 2. de considerat Monstrosa res est gradus summus animus infimus sedes prima vitaima Lingua magniloqua manus otiosa sermo multus fructus nullus vultus grauis actus leuis caput Canum et cor vanum facies rugosa lingua nugosa ingen authoritas nutans stabilitas And thus much of the Shepheards office Should not the Shepheards feed But whom should they feede Obiectum This is our third part the obiect of the duetie Pasce gregem Non seipsos sed greges Not themselues but the flockes Should not the Shepheards feede the flockes The Elders which are among you I beseech saith S. Peter feede the flocke of God 1. Pet. 5.1.2 Be diligent saith Salomon to know the state of thy flocke and take heede to thy heards Prou. 27.23 Two things there are of speciall moment to persuade hereunto The first whereof is the price the second the perill If we respect the first experience tels vs Praetium that we must regard what we hold deerest we loue most and what is most worth And what I pray you is more precious then the safetie of soules for which the onely begotten sonne of God did not sticke to shed his blood to lay downe his life to humble himselfe to an opprobrious death If the second what is subiect to more apparant dangers Periculum since our life is a warfare as Iob cals it vpon earth In which wee haue to deale with three cruell and bloody enemies The world the flesh and the diuell The first vaine and curious the second fraile and rebellious the third euill and malitious Saint Austine compares our life vnto a sea and such an one Vbi ventus est procellae non desunt tentationum Tract 14. in Ioan. Wherein there are both windes of aduersitie and stormes of temptations And Saint Chrysostome to the Aegean sea where there are venti angustiae Charibdis stagna syrtes winds waues rocks sands very hard to be sayled In the Marsilian sea saith Saint Bernard ex decem nauibus vix vna aliqua periclitatur of ten ships scarce any one is endangered but in the sea of this world often soules scarce any one is saued To be short for I would not likewise trouble you with tediousnesse amongst all the dangers of this world tell me of any either more imminent or eminent then this of