his noble and unexpected choice And that elogie which Nazianzene gives to S. Basil truly and Orat. 20. properly fits our Bishop he was promoted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he did not steale or shuffle himselfe into the chaire hee did not invade it the honour sought and followed him and though hee acknowledge a deepe obligation to many great and honourable Friends yet hee owes it to no thing to no man but to God and the King And thus shall it bee done to all them which truly honour God and the King God and the King without doubt will honour them Thus at length we have done with the first part of the Text the authority of Peters commission Iesus said unto him the next now followes expressing the matter or sum of it Feed my sheepe A rich and copious argument wherein it were easie to be endlesse But because the time which remaines is not long I will bee short and with a light foot slip over this boundlesse field wherein otherwise if I durst presume I could desire to expatiate In the words our Lord imposes a necessity upoÌ„ al his holy servants and officers and requires their constant continuall care in the instruction of his people by sound doctrine and a holy life The charge is given in metaphoricall termes and the metaphor is very proper and significant Feed my sheepe Every word caries the weight of an argument and implies a pressing motive to this dutie The words are three so are the arguments The first taken from the quality of the Minister Thou art a Pastor of the People therefore feed them The second from the qualitie of the People they are Sheepe therefore feed them The third from their relation to Christ they are my sheepe not thine and therefore as thou wilt answer me feed them For the first the Embleme and image of a Shepheard sets out to the life all the sweet and gracious qualities the tendernesse providence innocence benignitie fidelitie prudence diligence c. that should be in every good Governour Therefore no Metaphor more emphaticall none so frequent in all good Authors holy and profane throughout the body of Scriptures as this There we finde God himselfe often termed a a Psa 〈◊〉 1. Pastor and Christ our Lord the b Ioh. 10. 14 good Pastor the c 1 Pet. 5. 4. chiefe Pastor all Kings and Prophets are Pastors and for us of the Ministerie we may say as they to Pharaoh d Gen. 46. â—4 We are all Pastors from our youth we and our Fathers and all our Tribe What are the dutâ—es of a good and wise Pastor we may collect from that description of a wicked and foolish Pastor in the Prophet Zechar. e Zech. 11. 16. Ezech. 34. Loe saith God I will raise up a Shepheard in the land who shall not visit those that be lost neither shall seeke the lambes nor beale that that is broken nor feed that which standeth still but he shall eate the flesh of the fat and teare their clawes in pieces Woe to the Idoll Shepheard that leaveth the flocke To doe the contrary to all this is to doe the part of a good Pastor One word in my Text implies all Feed Shortly the principall Vid. Naz Orat. 7. cares of a good Shepheard are three which accordingly require three principall vertues first valour to keep off the thiefe the Wolfe the Fox and all ravenous beasts Secondly wisdome to keepe all his flocke within the pale of good order and if any unruly disorderly Ramme will bee ranging to curbe and call him in with his whistle if he can or if not with his crooke Thirdly fidelity to provide his lambs and sheepe of wholsome convenient pasture These same cares and vertues in proportion are required in all spirituall Pastors specially and eminently in every good Bishop 1. Such as professedly or secretly corrupt the true doctrine of godlinesse bringing in either profane novelties or destroying opinions they are Theeves Wolves 2 Tim. 2. 16 2 Pet. 2. 1. Foxes and must be opposed convinced confounded by the valour and learning of the Bishop But especially if hee love his Master or his flocke let him beware of that Monster compounded of a Wolfe and a Fox that brand and boutefeu of all Churches and Kingdomes the Iesuite A thing that was never of Gods making created onely by the Pope and yet though he owes his being to the Pope and the Pope againe reciprocally his being now to him and would seeme to honor him whose name hee leudly assumes yet the truth is as that prudent French Cardinall d'Ossat wel Epistre 8. a Mons Villivey observing the maximes of the Iesuitical Cabale their practises long since rightly defined him A Iesuite some few excepted is one that neither beleeves in Iesus Christ nor in the Pope 2. Such as walke disorderly and are scandalous in their evill life likely to taint all the flocke with the contagioâ— of their bad example these the Bishops wisedome and authoritie must either reclaime by sweet words of admonition if he can or otherwise represse them by the sharpe edge of Ecclesiasticall censures And it were perhaps to be wished that the spirituall sword were both more tenderly used in some cases and more severely in others more blunted against some offendors and better edged against others But 3. the prime care and vertue of a good Bishop is faithfully and fruitfully to dispense the word of life the doctrine of salvation to his people and to live himselfe the life which he commends that so he may be an absolute paterne of pietie and his life a cleare commentary upon his doctrine This I call his prime care and vertue for t is this which our Lord principally intends in this charge to Peter and all Pastors Feed my sheepe and therefore here wee will insist a little This care requires as I have said 1. wholsome doctrine 2. a holy life Of either a few words By wholsome doctrine I meane not any vaine jangling about unprofitable questions not any nice or curious speculations in forbidden mysteries which serve more to amaze or distract the people then to instruct them and more inlarge the kingdome of Sa 〈…〉 an then of Iesus Christ planting rather Atheisme and irreligion then sound knowledge and devotion But I meane the plaine preaching of that truth which is according unto godlinesse the laying of the foundation of faith in Christ and repentance from dead workes and new obedience Which howsoever now adayes we put off to our Curates and under-journeymen as a thing unbeseeming our learning and greatnesse yet Saint Paul is of another judgement and accounts this the master-piece of a wise Architect And sure that 1 Cor. 3. 10 I may borrow the words of a reverend Prelate of this Church the D. H. most usefull of all preaching is Catecheticall this is both food and physicke both a cordiall to comfort and settle the heart in truth and a
A SERMON PREACHED AT The Consecration of the right Reverend Father in God Barnaby Potter D D. and L. Bishop of Carlisle At Ely House in Holbourne March 15. 1628. By Christopher Potter D. D. Provost of Queenes Colledge in Oxford Hereunto is added an Advertisement touching the History of the Quarrels of Pope Paul 5 with the Venetians Penned in Italian by F. Paul and done into English by the former Author LONDON Printed for Iohn Clarke and are to be sold at his shop under St. Peters Church in Cornehill 1629. REVERENDO IN Christo Patri Ac Domino D. Barnabae Potter S. Th. D. Episcopo Carleolensi Praesvli Sanctitatis Et Ervditionis Fama Clarissimo Charissimo Patrveli Christophorvs Potter Hanc Concionem Svmmi Amoris Et Observantiae Tenve Pignvs Et Tesseram L. M. Q. D. D. A Sermon preached at the Consecration of the Right Reverend Father in God Barnaby Rotter D. D. and L. Bishop of Carlisle Ioh. 21. v. 17. Iesus said unto him Feed my sheepe THe words perhaps may not unfitly be termed The Consecration of S. Peter into his Apostleship or more properly the renewing of his Commission which by denying his Master he had foully defaced and forfeited The Text in it selfe is very cleare the sense obvious and easie no word no phrase obscure or ambiguous S. Peter had three times denied his Lord and forsworne him which in such a prime Apostle such a confident Professor so great a zelote Though all should denie thee yet will not I was a sin very shamefull damnable and scandelous But our Lord is infinite in compassions and no sinne is unpardonable to a penitent and S. Peter had seriously and sadly repented Hee wept bitterly and I doubt not his heart ble 〈…〉 fast as his eyes Therefore the Lord lookes upon him with mercy not onely pardons his fault but admits him againe into his favour and here by a publique solemne act restores him againe to that degree and dignity from which hee was falne But before his admission his Master thinkes meet to examine him and the more to oblige him to his service he first requires him to give satisfaction for the scandall which hee had given and as hee had thrice renounced him so thrice againe to protest his ardent affection and love unto him Saint Peters fall had taken downe his pride and taught him the vanity and feeblenesle of a strong presumption Hee now answers his Master with no lesse zeale but with more modestie Christ askes him I ovest thou mee more then these A galling question secretly and sweetly taxing his former confidence Peter understands him and humbly replyes Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee I dare say my love is true and sincere I dare not say it is strong and steddie lest a second slip confute and betray me And having thrice repeated this protestation and so often recanted his former denyall our Lord honors him a new with his ancient charge puts him againe in his commission and for his comfort here thrice repeats it If thou lovest me and as thou lovest me Feed my I ambes feed my sheepe feed my sheepe â—â—o I commend to thy care and custody together with the rest of thy brethren that which I have most deare and precious my Sheepe my people my Church and therefore see thou looke well to thy duty be faithfull in thine office with all care and conscience with all diligence and discretion with all wisdome and fidelitie labour effectually to plant and propagate my Gospell to inlarge my Kingdome to win and gather soules unto me helpe to cherish and nourish them by wholsome doctrine by a holy and exemplarie life by good discipline For loe have not I called thee to this charge and art not thou a Pastor and are not they sheepe and my sheepe not thine owne all pressing arguments to move thee to hate and abandon all carnall corrupt affections ambition covetousness vaine-glory tyranny in this holy worke and with a constant cheerfulnesse to attend my service and thy Ministery Iesus said unto him feed my Sheepe Iesus said unto Peter but how To Peter in particular or as Prince of the rest exclusively and privatively to all the other Apostles No the solemnity of this threefold repetition seemes peculiar to Peter as a salve to his threefold abjuration but sure the charge is generall to all the Apostles and their dignity and duty in all regards equall though our Lord here speake onely to Saint Peter yet he meanes it not to S. Peter onely For in the former Chap. the same Commission which here he repeats to Peter as his particular case required he gives promiscuously and indifferently to all the Apostles and to all their lawfull Successours Bishops and Pastors As my Father sent mee so send Ioh 20. 21 23. I you Whos 's soever sinnes ye remit they are remitted whose ye retain And elsewhere in more large and ample termes a little before he left the world Goe into all the world Mat. 28. 19 Mar. 16. 15 teach all Nations Preach the Gospel to every creature delivering the same power and office which here in other words hee delivers to Saint Peter Feed my sheepe This is the plaine and proper and native meaning of the words and thus the ancient Catholike Church for many ages without seruple or question made this and no other construction of my Text. For those worthies of the Primitive times were wont to bring onely learning and a good conscience to the expounding of Scripture laying aside all passion and priuate interest and they were content to take such a sense as the holy Text offered not daring to bring or make a new sense of their owne such as might suit w th their desire or fantasie But the following Ages lost by degrees first conscience then learning and at length all modesty The first Bishops of Rome for many yeares good soules thought more of their Martyrdome then of any Monarchy They truly succeeded Peter in his holinesse in his fidelity in his humility and receiued this precept from Christ our Master plainly as he intended it and with an honest simple mind accordingly applied themselves to feed his sheepe After a while when the warme favour of the times had somewhat kindled their hopes and ambition though they began to nourish great and boundlesse thoughts and had an itching desire to inlarge their fringes yet at first they were reasonably moderate in their pretensions partly out of their owne ingenuity for they lost not all shame at once and partly by reason of that stout and free opposition which upon any attempt or invasion they found in the Easterne and Africane Churches which began quickly to be jealous of Romes growing greatnesse They claimed onely a precedency or a primacy not any supremacy a primacy of order or at most of honour not of power among their Brethren not over them Some contestations they had with Bishops none with Emperors For
in the very b Jnter aliquâ—t Iesuitas Dominicanos Church of Rome and it were happy if wee could suffer charitie to moderate in all our disputations If it be truth we seeke and noâ— victorie why take wee not the counsell of Saint Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To seeke and speake Eph. 4. 15. truth in love Since the matters questioned are clogged and perplexed with so many insuperable difficulties that the greatest Wits and Spirits of all Ages have here found themselves entangled in a maze and at length after all vexing disquisitions seeing no evasion no issue out of this Labyrinth no banke or bottome in this Ocean were forced to checke their restlesse repining understandings with S. Pauls O Altitudo Since on all hands they are c Pareus in Iren. Frid. 3 Palatâ—n Confess ad fin â—dmon Ne. â—stad confessed to be not fundamentall not essentiall to the faith since our owne Church as the d Câ—lestin Epis 〈◊〉 ad Epist Gâ—ll. c. ult Vide Epistolas Prosp. Hilarij ad Aug. Primitive in great wisedome hath thoght meet here to walk in a latitude and to be sparing in her definitions why should we not all be wise unto sobriety and let God alone with his secrets why may not our e Rom. 141 Phil. 2 3. 3. 15. 2 Tim 2. 22. 1 Cor. 13. 4 7. See Perkins in Gal 1. 2. Gal 3. 15 Vid in g nem S 〈…〉 erga dissen tientes a se mo lestiam epist 73. ad Iubaian in fine in praefat concil Caâ—thâ—â—g â—audatâ—â— sepeab â—â—ag de bap cont Donat l. 2 6. ult l 2. c. 3. l. 4 c. 8 9. c. hearts be united though our heads doe differ why doe wee not desire rather safely and sweetly to compose these differences then rashly with f Aug. Enchir ad Laurent c. 59. danger to define them and forbeare all Capitall censures either way which must needs involve many holy soules now at rest with God many g Bez. Annot major in Rom 11. v. 35. Calv. Inst l. 3. cap. 22. Sect. 1. Sect 8 vid. * Catholique Bishops of the ancient Church many learned and godly Doctors of our owne nay entire reformed Churches all which have varied in these opinions though most neerly linked in their affections The faire and moderate cariage of these controversies between those P. Melans in Rom 9. Sixt. Sen. lib. 6. ann 251. two reverend men whose memories we justly honour h Vide cum in praefat ad Loc com Melanct. Gallice à seversos epistolas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn Calvin and Philip Melancthon easily perswades me that their violent followers at this day are not more learned but more uncharitable And it appeares by that which M. i Exam. of Ioh. Careles Fox hath recorded that our owne blessed Martyrs in the daies of Queene Mary in their very prisons freely disputed and dissented in these opinions And Bishop Hooper hath left his judgement to posteritie in the Preface to his Exposition of the Decalogue which haply he learnt at Zurich of H. Bullinger his intime friend and familiar In all likelihood the wit of man cannot better determine these doubts then as our most gracious and religious Soveraigne hath done by silencing them for the best charme against a Spirit of contention is to strike it dumbe Wherein he hath worthily imitated the wisedome and piety of his blessed Father our late great Peacemaker who by the same meanes quenched a dangerous sparkle kindling upon the Protestants of France and likely to inflame them in a nice question about justification God Almighty grant us here the same successe give us holy wisedome to temper our zeale and unite us all in the holy bond of truth and love I passe from our Pastors wholsome doctrine to his holy life For a 2 Tim 2. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to talk aright is but one part of our duty the other is b Gal. 2. 14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to walke aright Doubtlesse the life of a Minister should be most exemplary in holinesse he should be a patterne of sanctification to all his people Like Catoes Orator he must be c Sene praf ad Controv. Vir bonus dicendi peritus it is not enough for him to teach the way to heaven he musttread it His speech should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as d Lib. 3. â—p 202. Isidore Pelusiota a speech quickned and enlived with action For sure there is no life in his doctrine who hath not doctrine in his life Our workes must feed as well as our words and our hands teach piety no lesse then our tongues Our people with Thomas in another case except they see they will not beleeve their eyes must bee taught as well as their eares therefore said Paul to his Philippians Do those things which you have heard Phil. 4. 9. and seene in me It was an excellent elogie which Nazianzene gave to great Basil in his Epitaph 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his words were thunder and his life lightning Thus it should be with all us my holy brethren If sin now grown shamelesse impudent bee deafe to the thunder of our voices we must discountenance and strike it dead with the lightning of a pure conversation if wee cannot outcry it wee must outlive it And no wonder if such strict mortification such severe Christianity be looked for in us for our devotion must set many hearts on fire and like burning Beacons give warning to all the Country On the contrary as in a writing Copy an error doth not onely show but even teach it selfe the common lines still aiming at their originall so here the sinnes of teachers are the teachers of sin others leud example doth but countenance evill theirs in a sort commands it And therefore as Isidore Pelusiota hath judiciously Lib. 2 ep 121. remarked in â—evit 4. the Lord appointed as great a sacrifice yea the same for expiation of the Levit 4. Priests sin and for the sin of the whole Congregation implying that all our sinnes are publique and scandalous that which is but a small blemish in any other coat is a foule stain in a linnen Ephod infirmities in other men are enormities in us and that which is sin in them in us is more then sacriledge A wicked Priest is the vilest creature upon earth and most disnonors God for the people quickly loath the sacrifice if once the sonnes of Eli be sonnes of Belial What then shall I say but pray with Moses Lord let thy Vrim and Deut. 33. 8. thy Thummim bee with thine Holy ones or with David Let all thy Priests he clothed with righteousnes let Holinesse to the â—ord bee written upon al our hearts and foreheads that we may all endeavor to bee seriously and solidly pious and be able to say to our people as Gideon to his souldiers Looke on me and Iud. 7. 17.
doe likewise as ye see me doe so do you Inducements are many weightie some you have heard many more there are The glory of God the credit of Religion the honour and propagation of the Gospell the winning of others soules the comfort of our owne all these are much advantaged where unblameable conversation walkes along with wholsome doctrine and they are no lesse indangered where this friendly couple is divorced where doctrine is livelesse Who sees not the persons of unreformed Ministers despicable their admonitions cold and heartlesse their instructions without authority their reproofes without liberty and no wonder For whilst they should summon their hearers before Gods tribunall and arraigne them for pride ambition luxury drunkennesse covetousnes or such vices their owne conscience within will needs answer and cry guilty And experience sometime tels us what combats such men have when they fall upon Texts that point the finger at their owne sores My censure then must needs be sharpe against those unworthy sonnes of I evi who cary fire in their doctrine but water in their lives whose tongues are of a large size but their hands are withered who are Divines as Epictetus in * Noct. Attie lib. 17. cap. 19. Agellius said that many were Philosophers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philosophâ sententiâ ignava operâ Stoickes in word Epicures in deed who by their loose and dissolute manners poure contempt not only upon their owne faces but upon their whole Tribe and their venerable calling These are they that expose us all to publike reproach whilst the world gathers an ignorant and malicious conclusion from a premise borrowed from these Some Ministers are unsavoury salt therfore let them all be troden under foot But our personall contempt is nothing to the dishonor of God the blemish of religion the blasphemy of aliens the losse of innumerable soules that are ready to follow these wandring guides by heapes and hundreds into the mouth of hel Surely these verball Doctors these worklesse talkers shall one day stand dumb and speechles when God shall pose them with that terrible question a Pâ— 50. 16 Rom. 2. 21. Why dost thou take my lawes into thy mouth thou which hatest to be reformed Is not this in b Naz. orat 1. Nazianzens proverbe to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to profess thy selfe a Chirurgian to heale the sores of others whilst thine owne body runs with bloody issues Nay first of all Physitian heale thy selfe try the vertue of thy drugs upon thine own diseases lest otherwise thou prove like that ridiculous Apothecary in Lucian who sold medicines to cure the cough was shrewdly troubled with one himselfe As when the hand is tuned to the tongue it makes a sweet delightfull harmony so no discord so harsh and incongruous as when the hand is jarring runs in a contrary tone A Kingdome divided against it selfe cannot stand sayes our Saviour no more can a Ministery and such a divided Ministery is that where the doctrine condemnes the life and the life confutes the doctrine The importance of the matter makes me thus tedious We have done with one argument pressing our Pastor to his Cure taken from the quality of the Minister he is a Pastor therefore to feed Two more follow in the two last words 1. drawne from our peoples quality they are sheepe 2. from their relation Christs sheepe not ours Of these two in one word for I will not handle but touch them The simplicity and stolidity of sheep is such that it hath given occasion to a proverb In * De Hist Anim. lib. 9. c. 3. Aristotle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sheepish manners is a proverbiall forme of speech and therefore sheep stand in need of a Pastor to feed them Though now adaves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some of our sheepe will take upon them to feed and teach their Pastors T is true a very sheepe is not such a stupid thing but it can by a naturall judgement make choice of good nourishment If it be turned into a pasture where there are some venemous herbs some grass sweet and convenient by instinct of nature it can distinguish the one from the other feeds upon the one and abstaines from the other And the reasonable sheep of Christ shall thy be unprovided of the like necessary prudence No himselfe gives them this testimony that they heare his voice they know it they follow it and they fly from the voice of strangers Ioh. 10. 4. And therefore we have great reason to thinke and hope very well of our poore Forefathers that lived and died under the darkest times of Popery They had then indeed a pack of blind and wicked Pastors which were as S. Cyprian Epist 11. speakes of such Lanii magis quà m Pastores rather Butchers then Shepheard Those deceitful nurses tendred to Gods people the milk of his word but mingled with poison offered bread but mixt with leaven As in false coins of brasse or copper â—ever some fragments of good gold and silver are intermingled to adde a colour so those compounded or rather confounded pure truth and religion with false and pernicious errour and corruption But no doubt the good people of God took onely the milk left the poison received the bread rejected the leaven fed heartily upon the plaine word of grace and mercy by Christ scantly touched the new dishes devices of Rome which by Gods especiall provideÌ„ce were of so hard digestion of such a high and subtle strain that vulgar capacities could not reach them and so could not be poisoned by them Againe a sheepe is a creature not more simple then innocent And to this end must all our labors with our People all their endeavors aime that they may be at length presented as a flock of harmless sheepe to the immaculate I amb of God the soverain Pastor Otherwise he wil not acknowledge theÌ„ for his For his Church is a Communion of Saints a flock of sheep not a herd of swine or a kennell of dogs or a den of wolves tygers c. Last of all the most considerable and pressing motive to care and diligeÌ„ce in our holy calling is that which now in the last place I can but mention It is the flock of Christ which thou art charged to seed they are his sheep not thine His dearly esteemed dearly purchased with the price of his bloud and thy soule for theirs if any miscary through thy perfidiousnesse Now then canst thou neglect so precious a pledge which thy Master hath deposited with thee and committed to thy trust canst thou thinke much to spend a few dropps of thy sweat upon them for whom Christ shed so much of his bloud If thou hast no pity on their soules yet have pity on thine own be perswaded to diligence either by the love or by the feare of that Lord who will one day make just retribution and either richly recompense thy faithfulnesse or severely punish thy