text: Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/cnattriOOburn THE Biftop of S A K V Ms Charge A T •His Triennial Vifitation, 1704. A CHARGE Given at the eventual Bifitatton O F T H E Diocefe of Salisbury , In October 1704. By the I^gfij Reverend Father in God, GIL<BE ^T^Lorl "Bifliop of 5 A % U M. LONDON: Printed for l£t. CijtftDeil , at the Rofe and Crown in St. Paul's Church- Yard. M DCC IV. A CHARGE Given at the Triennial Vifitation, 1704. WE meet not together on thefe Occafions, only to exhibit Inftruments, and to fee that none intrude into the Service of the Church, but thofe who are lawfully Cal- led, and duly Authorized : Which , how Formal and Needlefs foever it may feem to be , yet if it were not done , the Church would be foon over-run with great Diforders. But when this is done , the Chief End of our Meeting is yet before us ; That we may quicken and encourage one another to do our Duty , as becomes Perfons that are feparated from the World, and appropriated to God and his Service. This is pro- perly our 'ETn^-Trw , a Looking round our Diocefe , and to every Corner of it j an Obferving of your Be- haviour, and a Hearkening to every thing that is offer- ed to us, We hope you do fo look to your felves, and to your Flocks, that our Looking after you (hall be Matter of Joy, and not of Grief, to us. 1 wifh that I may fo fpeak to you of your Duty, as to fet the Senfe of my own more home to my felf; and that I may be A 3 there* The Btjhop of SarumV Charge thereby ftirred up to be a Pattern to you ; and may feel the Impreffions of what I owe you and the Church lo deep and quick upon my own Thoughts, that I may fpeak of thele Things to you with more Advantage, and greater Authority. There is nothing that will give you a truer View of your felves, than frequently to read o*er the Offices by which you were Ordained Deacons and Priefts. They are much the perfe&eft , that," if we may judge by all that remains of former Ages, were ever in the Church of God. In the Charges that were then given you, and in the Promiies that were then made by you, you will fee, what your Duty, and what your Obli- gations are. If you think it too much every Ember- Week, to have a Day of Devotion, of Fading and Pray- er, for examining your felves by thefe ; yet I hope you will not think it much, on thac Week, at the end of which you were Ordained, to read over thofe Offices $ and to enter into your Consciences, and ask your felves in the prefence of God, How you have performed the Vows that you then made ? A Promife to a Man, chiefly when it is folemnly made, is a Sacred Thing : The Breach of it is thought to be bale and infamous : What muft it then be, to break our Faith to God > For the Bifhop who Ordained you, demanded thofe Promi- ies of you in the Name of God, and of his Church : So it was to God that you made them ; upon your ma- king them, you were Ordained : So if you break thele, and live on in a Violation of them, you have no reafon to expect a Blellmg from God on your Perfons or Con- cerns. If you have broke loofe from your Vows, you have no Claim to him to whom you then feemM to dedicate your felves, and yet have violated the Faith that was at His Triennial Vt fit at ion > 1704. 5 was then plighted. Happy they, who, upon a Arid Review of themfelves, feel, that, in the midft of many Defeds and Infirmities, in the main they are ftudy- ing to mind their Duty , and the Promifes they then mace. If their Conlciences do anfwer tbem, that they have, as gcod and faithful Servants and Stewards, en- deavoured to approve themfelves to God, and to their People ; fo that they can fay, Te are witnejfes, and God » ?W a. alfo, how holily, and jufily, and unblameally, we have he- ' °' haved our felves amongft you ; then they may with joy look towards that Crown of Glory, which they ihall receive, when the Chief Shepherd ihall appear. We have, in a Ihort Word of St. Paul's, a full Charader of what 27 iff} we are, and ought to be ; God, whoje I am y and whom 1 13. ferve. We are his ; appropriated to him, upon our own Ad and Choice. It is the worft Sort of Sacrilege , to prophane that which is in fo immediate a manner fepara- red from the World, and made God's Peculiar. We have reafon to glory in this, That we are what the Word Clergy imports, God's Lot and Portion : But while we call our ielves his, let us join to it the other Part of the Character, whom I ferve. We are not his, as fo many dead and lifelefs Utenfils ; we ought to ferve him, and to maintain the^Value that we juftiy claim, by living and acting faitably to it. We are ready enough to entertain every thing that may raife the Dignity of our Function : And if we do this only for the Honour of our Mafier, and that we may ferve him to better purpofe, and with more Authority, we ad as becomes Ambafladors for Chrift. An Ambaflador, how humble foever he may be in himfelf,yet mud maintain, even in fmaller Matters,, the Dignity of his Character, and his Matter's Honour. But it is on his Mailer's Account, and 4 The Bijhop of SarumV Charge and not his own. Whcreas,he whofhould only difpute about Pun&ilio's with an officious Exa&nefs, without ever minding the chief Bufinefs he came for, ot his Matter's Honour in more Important Matters, would make but an 111 Figure, and be both Difowned and Recalled with Difgrace. The bed way to maintain the Dignity of our Function, is to Live and to Labour fo, that the World may be Convinced , not fo much by our Diiputing about it, to which Anfwcrs will be readily made, right or wrong, as by (hewing wc deferve it on our own Account. Then the belt, and perhaps the greateft Part of our Peo- f Tim s- pl e > W *M P a Y us Double Honour, if they fee that we do «7- not only Rule we//, but that we labour in word and do , rine. They will then be convinced that they ought to ejleew t Thtf.s. us highly in love for our works fake. Our Character cer- **■ tainly makes us but a little lower than Angels, if we do iHeb. 1 4. minifter to thofe that are the heirs of falvation ; but if we will feparate our Dignity from the Work and Labour that belongs to it, the World will be apt to Difpute our Right both to the Refped that we may otherwifc juflly claim , and to the Provifion that the Law has made for us : When they fee that we think that thofe Things be- long to our felves on our own Account , and do not be- long to our Function,, and the Labour Hhat it engages us 10.Luk.7- to. the labourer is indeed worthy of his hire t But the words may be jaftly turned, That the Hire u worthy of a La- bourer ; and fo he that Labours not, what Legal Title fo- ever he may have to the hire, yet has not the Equitable and Evangelical Title to it. The beft way to maintain the RefpeS; due to our Character, is to refpeel it our felves J for if the World does not fee that we Efteem it our felves, they will quickly Defptfe it. Primitive Lives, primitive Tempers, and primitive Labours, muft reco- at His 1 rtenmal Vifitation^ 1 704, 5 ver to us the Rciped: that was paid our Function in the Primitive Times. It may ieem an unreafonable Charge, TV Let no man defpife thee ; but it is certain, that this, m great Meafure, depends on our felves : If we render our felves too Familiar, and lay our felvcs too open to our People, that they lee no great Difference between us and themfclves , they wiil foon apprehend that no great Dif- ference is to be made, where they oblerve no great Di- ftindion. According to the Greek Notion of the Word Km Sr, what is Common is alfo Prophane ; if we make our felves too Common, we fhall loon prophane our Character and render it Contemptible j or rather God will, according to what is Denounced by the Prophet, render us bafe and *• Ma! 9 contemptible before all the people , // we the Priefis keep not his ways y but are partial in the law. There is no fore of Partiality fo odious, as when we lay heavy Burdens on 'J'™"* others, and touch them not our felves. There are words of great Severity delivered by another Prophet, that if we reflect on them with due Attention, others will have lefs reafonto remember them : The paflors are become bru- . tifh, they have not fought the Lord, therefore they fhall not" prof per, and all their flocks fhall befcattered. Nothing will give us that Authority in our Labours, nor recommend them fo effectually to others, as when they fee that we do really believe thar, in which we In- ftruct them : And when they obferve in us, aCourfe not only Innocent and Blamelefs, but of an Exemplary and Shining Converfation. If we content our felves with fuch a degree of Virtue as keeps us from Cenfure or Trouble, and rife no higher, this will be lookt on as the effect only of Fear, Intereft, or Self-love. If we reflect on the Sa- crednefs of our Character and Employment, we fliali not be looking out what are the loweft Degrees of Innocence B that 6 v the Bifljop of Sarum s Charge that will lave us harmlefs , but rather what are the high- eft Meafures of Holinefs to which we can raifeour iclves. We lhali with St. Paul for get what u behind, and reaching ,, towards the things that are before ', we (hall Jl ill prefs forward. There are many things abouc which Laws and Canons cannot be made, and upon which,Cenfures cannot be laid, that yet will become very Vifible, and will moft effectual- ly Difgrace our Perlbns,and Defeat our Labours. A Courfe of Levity, of Covetouihefs, of Paffion and Haughtinefs, will grow both as Notorious and as Scandalous as fome Criminal Actions ; and will beget a worfe Im predion of us.than fome (ingle Acts on which Cenfure may fall. No- thing corrupts the Mind more than an ill Habit continued in and purfued. We mud live fo, that thofe among whom we Labour, may fee in us a humble and a meek Temper, a charitable and bountiful Difpofition, a con- tempt of the World, with a patient Submiflion to the Will of God, and a holy and heavenly Converfarion. How much foever a good Man ought to avoid all vain Affectations, or the (hews of Sanctity ; yethis good works '& toitt(hine before men. They will Shine the more, the more he ftudies to hide and cover them : They will make his Face to Shine, and create him more Refpeft than he will be willing to admit of: They put to filence the ignorance of foolifh men, if they do not quire overcome and convince 15 ' them. There is a Beauty in true Holinefs that will befeen into at laft , tho' for a while it may be fufpedied and doubted. It has a Charm that will at leaft foften even an Enemy, if it does nor quite Conquer him. When all that we do, is fuch that ic ought to be Imitated, then all that we fay, will be well Received and duly Weighed. We ought to Ike much Retired from the World in Me- ditation and Study. Our very Retirement from all tri- fling Convcifation, as it fhuts.out from us many Diffracti- ons at tin Triennial Vifitation> 1704. ons and Temptations, lb it will beget Reijpeft : It has an appearance of Seriouihefs; but this if not well employed will grow Uneaiy, or fink us into Sloth and Dulnefs. The bed Exercife in our Retirement, is that which we fpecially promile among our other Ordination- Vows, That we will be 1 Diligent in Prayers : This is that which will raife our Souls towards God, and give us a true Relifh of Divine Matters, wich a Delight in them : This will bring us to love cur Employment, and every thing relating to it. When Dnine Matters poflefs our Minds, then all our Studies and Exercifes about them will be not onlyea- ly but pleafont to us. It is by the frequent returns of Prayer, and more particularly of Days or half Days fpent in Prayer, that we draw down a Bleffing upon us and our Labours ; and if we did let about them, and;about our Compofitions, and every other part of our Duty, joining and mixing with them Earneft Prayers for Direction and Affiftance, and for a Bleffmg upon them, we might expect a better Account of them ; we our felves fhould perform every thing with more Spirit and Life, and we mould fee the Succefs of it in more eminent Inftances: We fhould have more of an Undtion in all our Labours, and fhould fee a much better Effect of them, than we can expect, if we fet about them only in a dry and philofophical Man- ner, which may produce Difcourfes that are True and Strong, but without Flame or Life. Another Article of our Ordination- Vow, is, That we will be Diligent in reading the Holy Scriptures, and in the Studies that help to the knowledge of the fame ; fetting afide the Study of the World and the Flefh. There is a Twofold Study of the Scriptures : Qnc is Critical, to underftand the true Meaning of them, to comprehend the main de- fign of Revealed Religion, and the difference of the Two B 2 Dif- o 'I be Bijbof of ^'arumj' Charge Difpenfations ; but more particularly to know the New Teftament : This we ought to read in the Original, and read whole Books together, that we may obferve the Scope and Coherence of a whole Epiftle ; by which we (hall form a clearer Notion of it, than we can do if we read them only in Parcels. The New Teftament and the Book of Pfalms, are the parts of Scripture we ought to begin our Studies upon : The one is the Text of our Faith j and the other is a Colle&ion of Devout Compofitions, that will ever furniih us with the warmeft Strains, and the liv.eiieft Expreftions. And for the New Teftament, you have the bell help to underftand it throughly, given lace- Yit.wbithy. \y by one of our own Body, that the World has yet feen. On thefe Studies you ought to dwell continu- ally, till you have arrived at a clear and diftind Under- ftanding of the New Teftament ,- and then you may carry- on your Studies to all the other Parts of Scripture. The Study of Controverfy will be eafy, if once you Underftand the Scriptures well. The Corruption of the prefent Age carrying many to queftion the firft Principles of Religion, and the Authority of Revelation, makes it indilpenfibly neceiTary for you, to Study well the Foun- dations of all Religion : The Being of a God, a Future State, and the Morality of our Actions, as the ground- work of all ; andnexc to that, the Authority of the Scri- ptures, and the certain Evidence of the Infpiration of thofe who delivered P.evealed Religion to the World. It is one of the wicked Diverfions of Prophane Men, to Attack fuch of the Clergy as they think have not ftudied thofe Matters enough ; and to expofe them by fome extra>- vagant and impious Tefts, which they hand about, to make the World laugh at us, or rather at Religion ; when they find we cannot Defend it, and drive them out of thefe Strong- at His I rienniai VifitetHMy \ 9 Strong-Holds of Satan, as we ought to do Next to th ought lb far to look into the Myftcrious pans of" Re- gion, as to be able to Stop the Mouths of Adverfaries, and to facisfy thofe that are more Modcft, but yet not ea- fy in their Doubting ; we ought to ieparate the Niceties of the Schools, and the Giriofities of tome prefuming Men, from the Dodhines of Faith, and what is revealed concerning them in the Scriptures. We ought to under- hand well all the Points of Controversy with the Church of Rome : They have th?tl Millenaries every where at Work j and how much ibever we may think our felves iafc from them, we ought (till to remember theft; are our • mod formidable Enemies, who defign the Ruirr of cur Church and Reformation ; and the lefs we either know them, or are aware of them, we are the more in Danger from them : We ought to be well furniflied when we en- counter them, for they are all well trained in Points of Controverfy ; elpecially in that great one that draws all the reft after it, The Authority of the Church, and an Impli- cite Faith and Obedience to it. We ought likewifc to underftand well the Confiitution of our own Church, and the Colours upon which any have feparated from it : We mull acquaint our felves with the mod plauAble and ftrongeft Arguments that are _ made ufe of by thofe who divide from us ; that we may be able to ijatisfle luch honeft and weak Minds, as are entangled with them. And we ought to fet about this with great Softnefs and Tendernefs ; in meeknefs inflrutt- 7 . tug even thofe that oppofe themfelves. Strong Reafons, 2?. mildly managed, with a Spirit of Love, are the proper Methods of bringing back thofe who have (hayed from us. A Scornful Treatment, full of Vehemence and B!u- firing, with a falfe Reprefentation, and a feeble Confu- tation so J be Bifbop cf SarumV Charge ration of the Opinions of Diflenters, full only of Noife and Malice ; may incrcafe their Numbers, and heighten their Prejudices, but will not work either on their Rea- fons", or their Affections. Thefe are the chief Studies which Clergymen ought to purfue : But befide the Critical Study of the Scrip- ture , there is another fore of Study of it, that is like- wife very neceflary ; which is much eafier, for it is on- . ly the Labour of the Memory : And this, efpecially to young People, will be no hard Work ; and it will make every thing elfe eafy to them. And it is, the Filling their Memory with many Paflages and Parts of Scrip- ture ; fuch Paflages where the Senfe is clear, and the Weight of them is fenfible, will furnifh a Man with a great Variety of Noble Enpreflions : This will be of great ufe in thofe Duties of our Function which muft be done on the fudden ; fuch as, Vifiting the Sick, Com- forting the Afflicted , Reproving Offenders, Satisfying Scruples, Anfwering Objections, and Preparing Perfons for the Holy Sacrament. In thefe Cafes, a Man cannot look into Notes, or turn Leaves ; but he muft be ready to bring them forth out of the good Treafure of his heart, as the Occafion mail require. And he who is well fur- niihed this way, will find the Compofing of Sermons an eafie Work ; proper Thoughts and right Words will rea- dily come in the way of one that is full of the Scrip- ture. And, upon a long Obfervation, I mufl tell you, this is that which gives the Diflenters their greateft Strength : For tho they are very defective in the Critical Study of the Scriptures, for if they underftood them right they would not divide from us, yet their Difcour- fes are full of them ; and this makes great TmpreiTion on the People , chiefly when they obferve the Defective- nefs at His 1 riennial Vifitation, 5704. 31 nets of thofe who ought to be bcttet acquainted, and more converfant in thofe Holy Writings. Two or Three Verfes go: by heart a day, and often repeated over and over again, would in a few Years time lay if] a great Stock this way ; which would make the Work of our whole Lives very eafy to us. After thefc Studies are looked into, every Thing that is Study, thatraifts or en- tertains the Mind, may have its Ufe; both to make Re- tirement more eafie to our felves, and our Converfation more acceptable and ufeful to others. The Employments of the Clergy in the Difcharge of their Cures, are various. We ought firft to Officiate with that Gravity and Solemnity, that may beft create a Re- verence and Attention to the Worlhip of God ; not by a Theatrical AffeSation, but by bringing our own Minds to a Seriouihefs in the performing of it ; for that will in- fenfibly modulate the Voice into due Accents, and a right Pronunciation. In Baptifm, we ought not to com- ply with the Vanity of thofe, who defire us to baptize • in their Houfes, as a Mark of Diftindtion : But we • ought to confider Diftance and a hard Seafon, chiefly where Danger may be apprehended to the Child ; for in thofe Cafes, Mercy is better than Sacrifice. We ought to • infufe in our People a right Apprehenfion of the Necef- fity of receiving the other Sacrament; and, at leaft, once a Year, give them a full Inftruftion concerning if. In our Sermons, we ought to put our felves in the room of the unlearned ; and confider what they are capable of: The End of Preaching, is firft to open fome Piece of Inftru&ion fo clearly to the People, that they may rightly apprehend it ; and then to put it home to their Confciences in the mod moving Manner we can think on. They cannot reach long Periods, and laboured In- ferences.: ia The Bifiop of SarumV Charge ferences : railed Epithets, and a correct Stile, are noc undeiftood by them : We mud bring things to a Level with their Understandings, in plain Terms, and ftmple Expreflions ; for what may (bine in Print, will be very dark to an illiterate Auditory. But, to make thefe our Solemn Labours more effe&ual, we mud carry our felves towards our People like thofe who love them, and have a tender Care and Concern for them. This will . make all that we can fay to them be the more hearkened to , and be the better received. We muft labour a- mong them in private, from houfe to houfe, in feafon, i Tim. 4. an ^ ouc °f f ea f° n 5 vve mu ft fjve our felves to thefe things, je 5 - be wholly in them, and continue in them; for, in fo doing, we (ball both (ave our felves, and them that hear us : We 20. A£b muft remember, that we ought to feed the Church of Go d, a3. which he has purchafed with his own blood. If the Honour of God and Religion, if the End for which Chrift hath died and roie again, and if the Saving our own Souls as well as the Souls of others, are of any Weight with , p e t c us J tnen we ma ^ ta ^ e heed to our felves, and to our Do- 1, i,f clrine, and to the Flock over which the Holy Qhofi hath made us Overfeers, that we may feed it, not by conflraint, bnt wil- lingly ; not for fit hy lucre, but of a ready mind) neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock ; and when the chief Shepherd fhall appear, we fha/I re- ceive a Crown of glory which fade ih not away. Thefe Duties are at all times incumbent on us : But there are fome more Critical Seafons, in which the Con- currence of Signal Providences feem to call us to mind them with more than ordinary Care and £eal. God has bleft us with a. QJUEEN on the Throne, fo Exemplary for Piety, and all Chriftian Virtues, that we muft own it a .peculiar Happinefs to have fuch a Sovereign over us. So at His Triennial Vifitation> 1704. So bright an Example, and fo great an Encouragement as She gives all Her People, and the particular Regard She has to the Clergy, fhould make us all afhamed, if we do not follow fuch a Noble Head and Leader. Princes that in the main are good, are great Bleflings ; and we ought to cover any Faults that appear in them. Conftantine and Thecdofws had their dark Sides ; which their Eminent Vir:ues, and Zeal for Religion, make us willing to forget, or toexcule. But it is the Felicity of cur Times, to have a Sovereign that mines in fo many good Qualities, without the leaft Mixture of any bad ones. This appears now more confpi- cuous fince She is placed in fuch a Light ; but it was the fame in all the former Parts of Her Life , when She had no other Advantage, but that of Her High Birth ; So that we have all reafon to hope it will continue fo to the end ; which God grant may be long delayed. She has a Right Senfe of the true Interefts of the Church ; and has often recom- mended Moderation to all Her People, as the beft Securiey to the Church. She is deeply fenfible of the great Unhap- pinefs we lye under, by the Mean Provifion that is made for many of the C!ergy. God fecms to have referved a Noble Benefaction to Her ; which, how it came to be fo long hid from our Princes, and not to be thought on at the Reftora- tion, when the Funds were clear, and the Nation was in a full Difpofition to have made up every thing to the Crown, that ihould have been parted with on fo Religious an Ac- count , we cannot account for, unlefs it be, tb2t God re» ferved it to be one of the Glories of a Reign that is hither- to the Brighteft of any in Hiflory. Under Her Majefty, we owe great Acknowledgments to my Lord ' Treafurer, for his Care in this Particular ; who has as true an Underftanding of all that relates to the Church, and as great a Zeal for it, as any of thofe who are more immediately concerned in it* C While i 4 I he Bifljop of Sarum x Charge While, then, we fee fuch a Profpecl of being delivered from that which was one of the jufteit Reproaches of our Refor- mation, and has been theOccafion of fo much Mifchief a- mong us ,• Let us with all humble Thankfulnefs acknow- ledge God's Goodnefs to us, in putting fo great a Defign in the Queens Heart, and for the Progrels already made in it ; and let us behave our felves fo, that the Nation may think we are in fuch fort Worthy of fo great a BleiTing ; that they who only can do it, may be incited in a proper Seafon, to clear the Funds. To this great BlciTlng of fuch zQueen on the Throne, we cannct but obferve another at home ; That there is a happy Difpoficion to Piety and Devotion fprung up among us, particularly among the younger Sort ; which gives us ground to hope, that the next Age mall be better than this is. In the Great City, there is another Appearance at daily Prayers, and at Sacraments, than was known formerly* The Thing is very vifible, and begins to fpread over the Nation. There is a Noble Zeal in many to have Sin repref- fed : They are encouraging one another in all the Ads of Piety and Virtue ; and there is great Care taken, in look- ing after the Education of Poor Children, in keeping them at Schools, and Clothing them, and in Binding them out \ that cannot be enough commended. Funds are made for Printing and Difperfing good Books over the Nation, with many other greater Charities that do daily encreafe. This is a Blefling fo very particular, fprung up among us, as it were, by an immediate Hand of Heaven, that we have rea- fon to look on it as a Signal Token to us for good. I am confident, it is not necelfary to perfuade you to iecond, or rather,to promote thefe happy Beginnings of good Things. A Want of Zeal in advancing all things of this kind, would have fo ill an Appearance, and bring fuch a Reproach on our* at tits Irienmal Vifnation, 1704. 15 cor felves, and on the Church, that I cannot think fo ill of any of the Clergy, as to imagine they ftiould be cold, much leis backward in Things of this kind. We ought to rejoice in them, *md to affift and encourage all who offer thcmielvcs willingly to ib Noble a Work ; and to cultivate, improve, and propagate thcic Beginnings all we can. This ought to raiie a higher Spirit of Devotion and Charity in us , while we lee the Laity of their own accord lb aclivc and fo for* ward in ir. And, cs at home we fee many things to fet us on to more than ordinary Zeal, fo the State of Affairs a- broad has extraordinary Characters in it: God has raifed the Glory of this Nation in this Reign, more particularly this Year, beyond what has ever hapned to us fmce we were a Nation i Thofe very Families, and Powers, that haveoft- ner than once defigned the Ruin of our Nation, and our Re- ligion, do now fly to us for their Prefervation ; and God has wrought fo great a Deliverance for them by our Graci- ous QJUEEN, and Her Ever- Renowned General^ that no Age can Ihew any thing like it. Now all the World looks to us, as to the Nation, by whofe means Peace and Liberty are to be fecured to ail the Nations round about us. It is certain, all Europe was at no time in fuch a Conflagration as it is at prefent : While we, who are the Head of the Alli- ance, feel our felves as in a profound Peace, and an over- flowing Plenty, even while all about us are wafted by a long and devouring War. What this may produce we may not prefume to determine ; but it is certain God has now cxilted us to a high pitch of Honour. The Proteftant Churches make Application to us for Protection and Favour ; and fome of them are making great (leps towards a nearer Conjunction with our Church,boch in VVorfhip and Constitution ; and are recommending to all about them a more entire Union with us. This is al- C x ready 1 6 1 be Bijhop of bar urn V Charge ready far advanced in fome Churches j and there is a great- er Difpofition to it than has appeared at any time finceour firft Reformation. In fuch aConjun&ure ofAffairs both atHome and Abroad, fliall we be wanting to our felves, and to our Duty, fo far as to fit (till, and be flack and negligent, while God feems to call us to more Zeal and Activity > Or lhall we fall into Quarrellings among our felves ? Shall we raife a new Flame, and not only revive oldDifputes, but engage in new ones, and thus difturbour Quiet and Harmony at Home, and begin new Contentions that were not known in former Times,and will fcarce be believed in thofe that are to come? Upon this Occafion I muft fpeak fully of the beginnings and progrels of a -Flame that has been kindled in this Church j Tares have been fown, and have grown up fatal- ly among us , of which we may fafely fay , an enemy has v done this. An Enemy indeed both to QJJ E E N and * Country, and to Church and State. I muft fetch the firftRife of all from K. Jdw«'sReign:Thea thofe of the Church, who faw the Papifts drawing in the Dillenters to concur with them in their Defignsagainft the Church, applied themfelves to the then Prince of Orange, defiring him to make ufe of hislntereftinthem for divert- ing them from that ; And in thofe Letters which are yet ex- tant, Aflurances were given, That the Church was then in fuch a Temper, fo well convinced of former Errors, that if ever (he got out of that Diftrefs , all thofe Diffe- rences would be certainly made up ; and to make this Af- furance more Publick, the Archbifhop and Bifhops in that Petition for which they were Imprifoned and Tried, de- clared, That they were ready to come to a Temper in thofe Matters, both in Parliament and Convocation. Upon this ii was that theJPrioce of Orange promifed in his Declara- tion,. at His Triennial Vifttation> 1704. ly tion , to ufc his Endeavours to heal all thofe Divifions. In order to the performing this, He, by a fpecial Commit- fion, appointed all thofe Bifliops who owned his Authority, He being then fet on the Throne, together with a great many of the Clergy, to draw out the Grounds upon which, the Diflenters had feparated from us, and to offer Expedi- ents in order ,to the Healing our Breaches. We had before us all the Books and Papers that they had at any time offered, fetting forth their Demands ; together with ma- ny Advices and Propofitions which had been made at fevc- ral times, by fome of the beft and moft Learned of our Di- vines; of which the late moft Learned Bifhop oiWorcefler had a great Collection : So we prepared a Scheme to be laid before the Convocation ; but did not think that we our felves, much lefs that any other Peifon, was any way li- mited, or bound to comply with what we refolved to pro- pofe : On the contrary, we faid, if we faw better Reafon, we would change our minds. Yet this, which was only a- Council created by the King, to prepare Matters, was com- plained of, as an Impofing on the Convocation, and as a Li- miting of it ; and tho' a Royal Licenfe was Tent them, yet a- previous Refolution was taken, To admit of no Alterati- ons. When we faw That, we refolved to be quiet, and leave that Matter to better Times : But then the Enemies of the Civil Government began to work on thejealoufies and Fears of many well-minded Men ; and the Preferving the Church, was given out as the Word, by thofe who meant France or Sr. Germainsby it ; and under this fatal Delufion many are apt to be mif-Iedtothisday. When the Bilhopsfaw fo many of the Clergy poflefTed, with thofe Fears, it was not thought neceflary to bring a Convocation together in fome Years. We know how ma- ny of the Clergy had groaned long under the Charge and- Trouble.- *8 The Bijhop of SarumV Charge Trouble of a Shew of a Convocation, in which nothing was to be clone ; and therefore in Favour to them, they were not brought in, fmce they chcmfelves, when a Royal Licerife was offered them, had refolved to make no ufe of ic. Upon this a hidious Outcry was raifed, as if no more Convocations were to be held, and lb the Church was to be ftript cf her Authority. A Convocation was opened to filence that Clamour, and then new Claims were put in, and Infilled on, that were never preten- ded to in any Part of the Chriftian Church, nor praftiled in this Church. I (hall not repeat what I opened copious- ly in my lad Vifitation, in which I acquainted you fully with all this Matter; I mall only tell you what has Oc- curred fince. The Original Book of the Convocation that fate after the Restoration, is happily found ; and by it, it appears that we have not Innovated in any one Particular, but that the whole Difpute with us is one inrire Innovation. The prefent Lower Houfedid defire, That the Archbifhop and Bilhops would offer an Expedient for putting an end to the Difpute that the Lower Houfe in the former Convocation had began, about intermediate SefTions. To this the Arch- bi(hop offered ail that was in his Power to offer ; That the gV might meet in Committees in intermediate Days, as oft and as many as they pleafcd ; and that whensoever Bufi- nefs mould be brought regularly before them, they ihould have full and convenient Time given them, to prepare and debate Matters. More than this, the ArchbiHicp couJd not offer j he Continues or Prorogues the Convocation by aletledform of a Schedule, which is fo Ancient, that no- thing but the Legifhrure can alter it : He will not, and he cannot alter it. By that Schedule all things are continued in the State in which they are at that time, to the day to which they are Prorogued; fo no Seflion can come between ; fcr at His i rwmial Vijitation, 1704. iq for by thac chc State of Matters may be changed • fince a Voce may be put on any Bufinefs in a Seflion,and that chan- ges the State of the Matter. And indeed the Confttrution of our Church, as it is derived from the Primitive Pateern,ma- king the Presbyters the Bifhops Council, whenfoever they come to feparate themfelves from the Bifliops, and pre- tend to take the Government into their own hands, with- out (laying till the Biihops propole Matters to them for their Advice, our Church is no longer Epifcopal but be- comes Presbyterian. The Majority of the Lower Houfe that were prefent, did not Acquiefce in this, but by another Addrefs defired the Archbifhop and Bifliops to refer the Matter to the Queen, and to fuch Perfons as Her Maje- fty fhould appoint to fettle it. There are none of all the Q\J E E N's Subje&s that have a more entire Confidence in Her Juftice and Goodneis than we have ; we can freely fubmit every thing that is in our own Power, to Her Plea- fure. But thofe Powers that by the Laws of the Church, and of this Nation in particular, are Vefted in us, are Trufts that we cannot fubmit nor refer to any Arbitration. The Archbilhopand BUhops could not llibmit a Right that wasfo manifeftly lodged in them. So the Lower Houfe made a feparate Addrefs to the QJU E E N, defiring Her to Examine and Settle this Difference : Her Majefty has not yet made any Anfwcr ; fo the Lower Houfe prepared a Reprefentation, fetting forth many Abufes which they have found in ibme part or other of the Church. This has been face Printed with a Preface that lays great Load on us. We have met with fo much hard Ufage, that we arc now accuftomed to it, tho' we hadnoreafon toexpeclr it from the hands from which it comes. We hope we may Challenge the World, and fay with St. Paul, Te are wit- xcJJ'es, and God alfo, how we have behaved our [elves amongfi you, so The Bifhop of SarumV Charge you. We have our Defects and Infirmities, many Errors and OmilTions, for which we Humble our ielves before God : But we hope we have this Teflimony in all your Conferences, as well as in our own, That we let our felves to do our Duty in Ordination and Confirmation, in Vifit- ing our Diocefles , in Inftructing our People, and Aflifting our Clergy, by all the moft particular ways we can think of,* and all this we do at leaft as much as thofe that have gone before us. So that we have not given any juft Occafion to that great Difcharge of Slander and Defa- mation, that has bsen let loofe upon us fo long, and with fo little regard either to Truth or Decency. If we are hated and calumniated for our Fidelity andZeal to the QUE E N, and HerTitle j to our Church andReligion,and to our Com- mon Liberty and Country , we are willing to bear this,and a much heavier Load, on fo good an Account. They that revile us with fo bold and fo black a Malice, fliall anfwer to God for all their hard and ungodly Speeches and Doings. To that God we commit our Perfons, and our Caufe, and humbly fubmit to his Will and Pleafure in all things. The Reprefentarion that I am now to read to you, was no fmaliSurprize to theArchbifliops and Biihops.They did expect, in an Addrefs of this kind, made by the Clergy, to have had things propofed to them, which they had i'ower to Correct; luch as, the Retraining Pluralities, the Obli- ging the Clergy to Refidence, to the Difcharge of their Du- ty in CatechifingChildren,in having Prayers on Week-days, and in Adminiftring the Sacrament more frequently ; and to the doing the other Parts of their Duty. It feems, they found no other Defects among themfelves,bur fuch as might be fome way charged on us. As for moft of all the Things in this Paper, we know little relating to them, and had heard of no iuch Complaints. And as to fome things, That of at His Triennial Vifnation> 1704. of Privare Baptifm in particular, it did not feem cafy to overcome a Cuftom that we have always difcouraged , but did not fee how we could matter fo Univerfal a Practice, as ^prevailed in that Matter. Howfoevcr, my Lord Archbi- (hop, befides a large Speech that he made, defired every one of us to take out a Copy of this Reprefentation ; and to communicate it to our Chancellors, Archdeacons, and our Clergy ; and to bring up with us next Winter, an Ac- count both of the Truth of the Fads let forth in ir, and of proper Remedies to fuch as we fliould find to be true. I can yet hear of nothing in my Dioceie, that is let forth in this Paper, except one Particular, in a contefted Jurifdi&ion ; which I did not know before ; and which, I hope, I have put in a way to be fettled. The Ways by which things can come to our knowledge,areFirft,Prefentments. I do not find any of thefe was ever prefented ; and even when a Prefer- ment is made, if Evidence is not fent in, the Caufe comes prcfently to an end, after the Party is brought into Court. A Second Way is , in Caufes of Inftance : When a Profe- cution is brought at the Inftance of a Party. I am fure, none of thefe Matters here fet forth have been before me in this Method. The Third is, Common Fame ; upon which we can profecutee* Officio. Now, as to all thefe Particulars, tho' I am often in every Corner of my Diocefe, and you know,I make it my Bufmefs to be well informed in all things relating to the Church ; yet fdo appeal to you all, if any of you did ever inform me, that any of thefe things were reported to be done in your Neighbourhood. Yet, after all, I defire you will hearken to the Paper it felf, which I am now to read to you ; that fo you may inform me, if you know any thing relating to any of the Particulars that are fet forth in it. D Here i be 3if]jop of Sarum f Charge Mere the Paper was Ready and fomewhai was /aid upon every Article in it : But no Information was brought to me in my Eight Vifitations , of any of the Matters [et forth in it, excepting that of a contefled Jurifdiftion, and another Particular that was then in Suit in the Tem- poral Courts. And now you fee what Things are charged on us, and with whac a Spirit the whole Paper is penn'd : Buc if any- thing can be broughc out of it that may any way help to mend Matters in the Church, we (hall the more eafily bear the Hardfhip that is put on us by it. You owe to our Functions, and we hope to our Labours among you, lb much Charity, not to fay Refpecl, as not to hearken to every Report, nor believe every thing that is fet about ta our Prejudice ; efpecially fince you may all know on whatDefign this is driven, by many who arc not fo much Our Enemies, as the Queen's and the Nations. I mall in the next place ftudy to iatisfy you as to one Particular, that I hear (licks with many : You do not rightly underfiand divers of the Grounds on which fo many of the Bifhops did not, as I prefume, think fir to Vote for the Bill againft Occafional Conformity, which leems to fomc to be necefTary to fecure the Eltablifhed Church. Jn this I will endeavour to fatisfy you all I can. We who have feen rhe Progrefs of Affairs ever fince the Year 1 661, have plainly feen it was by the means of Oc- cafional Conformity, that the Nation was brought over from their Prejudices, by degrees, to the Communion of the Church: We remember when the Churches of Lon* don wene very thin* that are now full to the Doors : Few came then to Prayers ; mod dropt in after the Preacher was in the.Pulrnx. We favv their Prejudices wear off by do?- at His Triennial t'ifoation, 1704. 2$ degrees, and thele very Perfons become zealous and de- vout in the Service of God, who perhaps would never have come to it, if they had been told atfirft, that if they once came to it, they muft not go and worfhip God any where elle. If this had not always its full effect upon fuch Occaiional Conformifts,to bring them over by degrees to an Intire and Conftant Conformity ; yet generally it had its effed upon their Families and Pofterity. So that the putting luch a Bar upon thole that come into our Commu- nion, looks like the building up a Wall of Partition, or the making a deep Gulf between us, that none may pafs over from them to us. It is not eafy to find where the great Danger is, that ibme imagine the Church is in. The QJJ E E N is zealous for us : All the Nobility and Gen* try are with us. There were but Three Families of Note in Wiltjbire, that encouraged the Meetings, and went to them, when I came firft among you : The Pofterity of Two of thefe are now wholly ours. I do not find but one in all the confiderable Boroughs of this Diocefe, that goes to their Meetings ; fo I am juftified in what I laid in ano- ther Place. It is true, I hear of late of Four more in one of the fmaller Boroughs ; one (hould think this is no for- midable Number, in a County that has fo great aRepre- fentative in Parliament. I fpeak it freely, but with great Grief, I can fee no Danger the Church is in } but what may arife from the Heat and Indifcretion of Some who pretend Zeal to it, but are mif-led by thofe who are not of our Church, and yet have got the Credit to Inflame thofe who are of it, and drive them into a Violence that is like to raife a Flame that may confume us. This leads me to another Reafon that had great Weighc with many. They faw that all the Papifts, and all the Jacobites of England were violently fet on carrying the Bill : And tho many promoted it, no doubt, out of a fin- D 2 fere / be Bijhop of barumV Charge cere Zeal for the Prefervation of the Church, yet when we faw Thole who we are fure have no Zeal but to fee us Ruin'd, engage with fo much Eagernefs in promoting it ; and that one of the Spitefulleft Writers of the Age, who' has fopublickly declared in Favour of another Pre- tender to the Crown, has Publiihed fo many Virulent Li- bels upon this Subject, in which he hasbarefae'dly (hew- ed both his Principles and Defigns, we were, I confefs, alarm'd at this : We did believe fomething lay hid and in ■referve under it, that we could not fee into : And there- fore having obferved a Zeal about this, that was far great- er than the Matter it felf feemed to defer ve ; we could not think it reafonable to comply with Perlbns, who have taken too much pains to convince the World of their 111 Defigns. A Third Reafon, was from the prefent State of Affairs both at home and abroad. We found the Nation was much calmed by the Toleration ; we law the Church had gained Strength by it. The Diflenters did not get but lofe, both in Numbers, and in the Zeal which a hotter Profecution had raifed. They were content with the Toleration ; they were hearty to the Government, and lived peaceably by us; and we can appeal to you all, how quiet all thofe Matters lay for Ten Years ; and what a Flame fome Incendiaries have raifed among us about them within thefe laft Five Years. We have not been wanting in our Duty, by Preaching, Printing, and private Conferences, to bring Men into a conftant Communion with the Church ; and in this our Labours have not been without Succefs : The more fuc- cefsful on this Account,becaufe we have followed St. Paul's Rule, of tnftrulYing thofe that oppofe themjelves inmeeknefs j andbecaufe they law that as we did them no harm, fowe meant them none. We have fhewed the fame Temper to the Schifmaticks of the other fide; I mean the Jacohites t tho' they do not deferve it fo well^ for they are Reftlefs, whereas lefs, reas J at His Triennial Vijitation> 1704. 25 whereas the others are not ib ,• and they are Enemies to the Q^U E E N and Her Government ,• whereas the others (hew all Duty and Refpect to both s And perhaps this is their chief Crime in ibme Peoples Opinion. It is abfurd to any Man, to pretend to much Zeal for the Uni- ty of the Church, when at the fame time they ieem to Efteem and Refped thofe that Divide from it,in Favour of a pretended Popiih Prince fupported by France. This I am fure is Hypocrify. As for Affairs Abroad , it is need- Jels to fay much to you of the prefent Conjuncture, and of what Importance it is to all the Affairs of Europe , as well as to our own Security at Home, that we ihould continue an United People ; that the Publick Coun- cils ' mould be Clogg'd with nothing buc what relates to Common Safety ; and that the Government may noc be entangled with Diftradtions at Home, but may be free to attend wholly to Foreign Affairs. Thefe were fome of the Grounds on which we went in that Matter : In which I thought I owed you the Satisfaction of laying them ouc to you; as you on the other hand owe your Superiors, that Charity, at leaft, as not to Cenfure their Proceed- ings before you arc rightly Informed about them , much Iefs to look on them as the Underminers and Betrayers of the Church ; which with much virulent Stuff of the like Nature, has been very Indecently thrown out upon us, by thofe from whom we had Reafon to look for other Things. But fo long as we have quiet in our own Coniciences, and dare make our Appeals to God, who knows all Things, we can well bear the Calumnies of thofe, who hate us for our Loyalty to the Queen, and for our Fidelity to our Oaths. I mud add one Particular relating to my felf ; which I J^ZiZlz unwillingly do, becaufe the making an Apology looks only at ,*• as if Ineeded it: But I am forced to it by a Solemn De- ^JITo^ nunciation of Herefy j in which I am compared to one of tkwefces* sh§> 2 6 The Bijhop of Sarum V Charge the wotft Hereticks that ever was in the Church, l J aulus Samofatenus ,Bi(hop of Antioch ; by one who has not thought fie to name himfelf by any other Character, but that he is one of my Clergy ; for he compares himfelf to Malcbion, a Presbyter of Antioch, Who detected the Herefy of his Biftiop Paulas. I hope I (hall fpeak of this Matter with the Temper that becomes me, how much foevcr I may have been Provoked. It is Reported of Malchion, That he in a Conference in the prefence of Notaries, discovered ?au- lus s Frauds and Errors. I wifh this Presbyter would fol- low that Method. I offer him a Conference in the pre- fence of my Lord Archbifliop, and of fuch as he (hall call for ; together with fuch Perfons as the Presbyter mall bring along with him,in order to the giving him full Satisfaction : And if he is not Satisfied with this, but will proceed in a Legal way, before him who is my proper Judge, I will take care that he (hall be troubled with no Delays, nor be uneafy under the Cofts of the Suit. If this Method had been begun with, it had been more like the Gofpel \ it might have had better Effects, and prevented fome Inde- cencies, which I am very ready topafs over, and to forget. I am far from thinking that a Bifhop who delivers unfound Doctrine, fliould be covered by his Character, or be pri- vileged from Cenfure. The Faith and Fcrm of found Words is a Depofitum and Truft, chiefly committed to him. But it had been n ore decent to have begun with private Suggeftions, had there been Caufe for them ; and then if neither Retractation nor Cenfure had followed on it, a Presbyter was more at his Liberty to have proceeded fo openly : But I hope he is Convinced he was too fudden in beginning where he ought to have ended. There are only Two Particulars in his Book that I think fit now to take Notice of • One is, That he finds fuch £ault with my having faid, not in the Book that he An- fwers, lwers, : _ at His I'rknnt.ii l/ijitation, 1704. fwers, but in a former one, Thac the Jews Worfliipped the Cloud of Glory ; upon which he makes an Exclama- tion, Good God! As if the Age and Church was Defiled with fuch Corrupc Dodtrine. A Learned Divine that re- plied upon one that had Quarrelled with that Expreilion, had yielded, That it was not Correct ; but that it (hould have been expreiTed, That the Jeivs Worshipped towards the Cloud of Glory. One would have expecied that this might have given Satisfa lion ; and that there was nooc- cafion given for iuch a Tragical Strain. It is a common Ex- prellion, that we Bow/o the Altar, tho' flri&ly fpeaking,it is towards thcAltar.But fmcethatExpreflion was foundFauir with,and the yielding it up was not thought enough ; I will only fay this in Judication of it, That I have the greateft Authority in the World with me tojuftify that ExpreiCon s The Jews directed their Worlhip towards the Ark ; and yet both the Greek and the Latin Bible, the Bibles chiefly in ufe for a long time in the Chriftian Church, have ic thus : •Gfgpfitom'Tt tzS i-rrzirthly tm -rzoZv wnf. And the. Latin is , Adorate fcabe Hum pedum ejm. I hope here is a luf- ficient Authority to excufe,if not tojuftify that fcxpreffion, The other Particular much Infilled on, is, Thac in a Book intended only for IT o&rinal Inftrudcion, I had waved the making a Hiftorical Digreflicn , concerning Aefic- r'rns , Whether he had wrong done him or not j fmcefome Writers have undertaken to Jollify him. Certainly the reft, of Cyrils Conduct does not incline us to think very fa- vourably of all he did : And the proceedings againft Nc- Jtoriustt Epkefus were Summary, not to lay Hafty. If he only excepted to the Word Bhtw^ , no wonder if while the World was coming out of Heathenifm , luch a a Term might Teem to have an ill found ; as certainly it gave the rile to the Superftition and Idolatry thac follow- ed onic to the.B, Virgin. Ic would have an odd Sound The Bifhop of SarumV Charge, &c. to fay, That our Mothers bore our Souls. But as to the Doctrine, that the Two Natures were United in one Per- fon, that is fo fully AfTerted and Explained, that the avoid- ing to enter on the difculTion of a Matter of Fad, did not afford ajuftOccafionforfopublickand fo fevereaCenfure. Whatever the matter of Fad may be , the Definition of the Council of Ephefiu was Sound and True, That there was fuch an Union of the Two Natures in Chrift, as Con- (lituted one Perfdn ; fitly refembled to the Union of the Soul and Body, which Conftitute one Man: And this I folemnly declare, I did always, and do ftill firmly Believe. This I thought fit to fay for my own Juftification, for no Man, at lead no Bifhop, ought to be Silent ,when the foundnefs of his Faith and Do&rine is called in queftion, and when he is compared to one of the word of Hereticks. I leave it to the Perfon concerned, to reflect on his own Be- haviour ; and to confider how much further he will proceed in this Matter. I hope you are all fenfible of the Occafion - given me for this neceflary Defence of my felf ; and that you are fully fatisfied with what I have Said and Offered. And now, my Dear Brethren, let me exhort you by the Bowels of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that you may lay afide all Wrath, Strife, Clamour, Evil Surmifings, with the per- verfeDifputingsofMenofCorruptMinds,and that you may . live in Love and Peace,feeking after thofe things that make for Peace, and by which we may Edify one another. And the God of love and peace he amongyou. Amen. Printed for Ri. Chifwell. AColleftion of feveral Trs&s, Sermons, and Difcourfes ; Written in the Years 16*77, to 1704. la Three Volumes i,io. By Gilbert Burnet, D D. now the Right Rev d . Lord Bifhop of Samm. A Coile&ion of His Sermons by themfelves. In One Volume +to. Will be jhtrtlj Puilifb'd, A Commentary on the i wo Cooks of Kingt, By th; Right Rev d .Dr. Symn Patrick, Lord Bifhop of Ely, tyo, A SERMON Prcach'd ac Salisbury, and Some Other Places, I N T H E Cjtenma! Htfitattoti OF THAT DIOCESE, Anno Dom. 1704. By the R«gh£ Reverend Father in God, G I LB E ^7\TorJ "'l&'hop of 5 A%UM. LONDON: Printed for JRf.. Ct)iCtDCll , at the Rofe and Crown in St. Paul's Church- Yard. M DCCIV. : , PHIL. II. % 2 . If there he therefore any consolation in Cbrifl, if any comfort of love, if any ftUon>jhif> of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies i Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be lify-minded, having the fame love, being of one ac- cord, and of one mind. THcre is a particular Vehemence of Stile in thefe Words, which ftiews the Im- portance of what is here Prefled , and St. Taufs Earneftnefs in it. He was now a Prifoner 5 but the Can of all the Churches lay ftiil upon him : He was fending about his Fel- low-Labourers to Vifit thofethat had been Planted by him , and to Water them : He writ Epiftles by them, which make a very confiderable part of the Text of our Faich. In order to the leading you in to a diftinct View of thofe Times, and of the Defign of thefe Words, I mud fet before you the State the Churches were in, by reafon of a Controverfy that was then raifed, and was mana- ged with great Heat by many of the Jews, who E i were ?i 3 1 J be Bijhop of SarumV Sermon were fo far Converted to Chriftianiry, as co be- lieve thatjefus was the promifed Meffias 5 bur they could not fubmit to the laying afide the Mo/aim Precepts 5 which they believed, as the Jew.s ftill do, were to be for ever Binding : Nor could they belt the calling the Gentiles to ecjual Privileges with the Jews 5 allowing thefe no other Advantage, but thaf the Go/pei was to be firfl offered to them, and upon their Rejecting ir, to the Gentiles next. In OppofoiOn to this, the Apoftles did indeed, while they were among the Jews, become Jews : They complied wiih their Rites, reckoning that as long as the Deftrudtion of their City and their Temple were Refpited, fo long there was a Rem- nant ftill to be gathered in : And that no Invin- cible Prejudices might be laid, to be Scandals and Stumbling-Blocks in their way, they themfelves as Born Jews, did obferve thofe Rites. But they ij. Aa$ decreed, nor to lay this Joke on the Gentiles, it being a Burthen too heavy for them to bear. It render 'd it impo/Tibie to them to become Chriftians, if they had been bound to offer Sacrifices, and to obferve the Feftivkies ax Jerufalem : This was contrary to what our Saviour himfelf had faid to the Woman of Samaria, That the hour was come, in which net- 4 joKai. ther at the mountain of Samaria , nor yet atjerufalem, they were to worjhip the Father $ but that the true orjhipp worn \ at His Triennial Vifitation, 1704. 33 worfnppers were to wotjhip the Father in Spirit and in Truth. Upon this Detention, great Heats arofe. The Point in it felf was of great Confecjuence 5 it laid a Bar in the way of the Convert! ^nor the Gen- tiles, and fo obstructed the Progrefs of Christianity. St. Taul In (trucked the Galatians, That this Free- dom from that Yoke, was a part of that liberty to 5 Gjf# , t which Chrifl had made them free ; and in a very de- a,, » 4 * tcrmimng Stile he Sells them, That if they wen cirawiciJed,Chrift jhould profit them nothing : And by that, they became debtors to the whole law 5 and Chrijl would become of no effefi to them 5 but that they were fallen from grace, or a State of Favour. Thus we fee of what Importance this Matter was in it felf, and in its Conlequences. As this wasagreat Point, fo certainly it was (tarted very unfeafonably in the flrft Beginnings of Christianity : It might have gi- ven great Prejudices againft it. The Unbelieving Jews were, no doubt, hardened in their Infidelity, when rhey faw fuch Contends among thofe who re- ceived Jefus as the True Meflias. The Sharpnefs with which it was managed, might furnifh the Enemies of this Faith, with an Objection to it, That how much Love foever Chriftians pretend- ed to, yet there were among them debates, eriVyings., a rjot. 1%. wraths j jlrifes, backbitings , whifperings , f wettings, a °" tumults. This might bring up an ill report on this Rcli- 54 The Bijhop of SarumV Sermon Religion , and it being then in its Infancy, noc yet known to the World, it might have obitruct- ed the Progrefs that was otherwife to be expe&ed to it. This was alio maintained in Oppcfition to the greateft Authority that ever was in the Church. Infpiration and Infallibility, how unjuftly foev'er pretended to fince that time, were certainly in the Apoftles : They had met, and confidered the Matter: Their Decifion had a Title fet at the Head of it, It feemed good to the Holy Gbofl and to uf : To which, tho other Councils have falfly pretended, yet they had a Right to put it in the Front of the Rules (ct by them. Thtjudai^ers maintained their Opinions in a direct Oppofition to the Authority that was lodged with the Apo- ftles, and to the Miracles and other extraordinary Gifts by which that was proved : So that the Apo- ftles might have condemned them, as Men that obftinately refilled the Holy Ghoft. The Tempers of the Men, the Methods they took, and the Spi- rit in which they A&ed, did not a little aggravate the Matter. They detracted from the Apoftles 5 they ftud;ed to leften their Authority, and even to defame their Perfons. Their Malice workt againft St. Vaul with a particular Fury 3 fo that he was of- aCor 11. ten in perils from thok falje 'Brethren. Now, that he was- the frifoner- of the Lord, when it might have at His Triennial Vifitation, 1 704. 95 have been expected that their Companions would have been more tender, and their Refpect to him heighten'd by the Chains he was in , they ftudied rather to add Affliftion to his 'Bonds. They went on, Preaching Chrift, Convincing the World that f Ph ii ry , he was the True Mejfias$ and in that, and for l6 l7x8 - that, St. Taul rejoiced : He refolved ft ill to rejoice at it 3 tho' they did it, eVen out of enVy and ftrtfe $ not fine erely, but of contention 5 yet that did noc al- ter his Mind : Notwithstanding, eVery way, whether in pretence or in truth, Jo Chrift was preached, he re- joiced. Thofe Men were of fuch 111 Tempers, that he calls them dogs, and evil workers 5 and he phi! 2 fpeaks of that Circumcifion which they preiTed, in a particular Strain of Contempt, calling it the Rom Concifion 3 in Oppofition to the true Circumcifion 29- of the Heart in the Spirit. Take then all together,The Importance of the Controverfy , the Time in which it was ftarted, the Authority by which it was judged, and the Spirit with which it was managed 5 and, I hope, all will be foon convinced, That none of the Matters that divide us, can in any Refpect, much lefs in all Refpe&s, be compared to that Difpute related to in this Epiftle. In the next Place, it may be fit to fee, What the Apoftle pronounced on the Whole Matter : What 3 6 The Bijhop of SarumV iermon What Poikions he lays down, and what Directi- ons he gives in ic. Thefe we have very clearly and copioufly in his Epiftle to the Romans, which 14 Rom. began early to be diflra&ed by thole doubtful dijpu- tations. He pronounces in general, That the l\jng- dom of God, or the Difpenfation of the Mi'/fas, did not confift in meat and drink? This relates to One of the Branches of the Mofaical Law, con- cerning Meats Clean and Unclean, which occur- red mod frequently in Human Life, and therefore is named inftead of all the Reft : But it was ^igh- teoujnefs it led Men to, an Univerfal Probity of Life and Manners $ Teace , an Amicable and Charitable Difpofition 5 and Joy in the Holy Gbofl, an Inward and Devout Difpofition, that nude Men rejoice in all their Afflictions and Sufferings. rt.v. He adds, that be, who in thefe things jerVed Lbnfl, was acceptable to God } and approved of men : Which plainly fhews, that thefe are the Things that did recommend a Man to God, whatever his Opini- ons as to other Matters might be. St. Taul carries the Matter further, and aiferts, That in contrary Pra&icss, tho'one was certainly in the Right, and the other in the Wrong, yet both might be Offering up an acceptable Piece of Service to God. One man believed be might eat all things : Another was fo care- ful of eating Nothing that was Unclean, that he did eat 1 at His Triennial Visitation , 1704, 37 cat only herbs. One man ejieefried one day more thanano- y. v. thcr 5 their New Moons and Feftivitics : Another ejlecme-d c\cry day alike. The one had a true Free- dom of Mind 3 whereas the other was yet entan- gled withSuperftition and Scrupulosity. Yet if both thefe did, with a fincere Mind, toliow what he thought was moil acceptable to God, with a de- vout Mind, he did it to the Lord. He that regarded <s. v . a-day religiouily, believing lie- was ftiil bound by the -'Mojtiicai Precepts, regarded it to the Lord: And he that thought that Diftinction of Days was now at an end, in that Freedom of Spirit to which the Gofpei had brought him 3 did in that likewife ferve God. He that regarded not the Day, to the Lord he did not regard it. He that did eat freely of all that was [ct before him, did rejoice in the Li- berty with which Chrift had made him free, and bleffed God for all his Gifts : Whereas he that took care to eat none of the Forbidden Meats, did it out of the Obedience that he thought he owed the Law of Mojes, that was given by God 3 and blef- fed God for that Difpenfation. , To thefe General Pofitions, St. Taul adds Two Rules, by which all Men ought to oovern'them- felves : The One is, Let every man he fully perfuaded v , 2V ; in his own mind. Every Man ought to bring himfelf to clear and diftmcl: Notions and Principles, and F to 3 8 The Bifiop of Sarum V Sermon to be well a flu red of thefe : Haft thou Fait!?, or a Perfuafion, have it to thy felf before God : So that a Man may be able to appeal to God, that he is endeavouring to walk before him, aud to ferve him in Singlenefs of Heart, free from a diftracting Scrupulofity, or a diverfity of a&ihg $ not con- demning by one fort of Behaviour, that which he alloweth by another. The Second Rule is, That t. Men do not judge others, who muft ft and or fall to ,v " their own Mafter. We ought not to judge our bro- -. v. ther, or jet him at nought 5 for we fball all ft and be- fore the judgment'feat of Chrift, and then every one of us fball give an account of him felf to God. This is brought further more fpecially to Two Sorts of Perfons : The One were the Men of Clearer, the other, the Men of Narrower Thoughts. The former may be apt to defpife the other 5 as they on v. their part may be apt to cenfure thefe as Libertines : In oppoiition to which, a Charge is given againn: both. There is a further Caution enjoined, That no Man mould lay a Stumbling-Block in the way vary, of another, by which he might be any way brought to a Snare, or to (tumble 3 that is, in Things in which Men are fully at Liberty, to do, or not, as they pleafe, they are to do nothing that may draw another to act againfthisConfcience : Nor are they v. to grkVe another, by any thing that they may do, at Htf Triennial Vijltation, 1704. 30 or not do 3 for in chat Cafe, thev, by To doing, ivalked not charitably. The Concluding Rule is, Let ' y v ' us therefore follow after the things that triage for peace 3 and things, iphercwith one may edtjie another. Thefe are lafting Rules, which may eafify be applied to all the Queftions that may in any Age be raifed in the Church. For tho' thofe Controverfies were foon at an end, by the Deftructien of Jerufalem^ with which an end was put to that Regard that was till then had for the Mofaical Precepts 5 yet they are lafting Decifions, that, if duly attended to, would govern us happily with relation to all Things of a like, and much more to Things of an inferior Na- ture : For if thefe were the Maxims by which the Chtiftians of thofe days were to govern themfeives, in Matters of fuch great Moment ; certainly the Inference will be clear, that they ought to be appli- ed to all Matters of a Lower Order, or Nature. All this Introduction, being the Stating the Rules that St. <Paul fets in this Matter, is no Digreflion from the Text, nor from my prefent Purpofe. In the Text we have, I. The Duties here prefied. II. The Motives, by which they are preiTed. F 2 The 4 o The Bifhof of Sarum'x Sermon The Duties are, \ft> To bring themfelves to iiavi$,& an Agreement in their Minds 5 to be like minded, 7im<T and to be of one mind-, to teach the fame Doctrine, and perfectly to think the fame Things. idly, Becaufe this cannot always be done, it not being always in a Man's own power to alter his Thoughts, or to carry them over to other Men's Thoughts 5 yet they (hould have the fame LoVe, which fhould not be broken or interrupted by that a^4o^o;. Diverfity of Opinion $ and be as a Body of Men all acted by One Common Soul. Thefe are the Duties here recommended. The Mc:ives to them are, ijl, If there is any Confolation , or Exhortation in Cbrifty or in the Chriftian Religion 5 if either the Authority of its Precepts, or the Happy Offers made to us in it , have that Force, which they ought to have on our Minds. idly, If there is any Comfort of LoVe ; that is, Either if we have a juft Senfe of thofe Joys to which the Love of God gives us a Right 5 or,, if we relifh the true Comfort, and happy Cairo, that Love and Charity bring with ic idly, If any Fellowjhip of the Spirit. If either then they had a Share in thofe Extraordinary Gifts that. flowed from one Spirit 5 or if we ftiliare un- der the Ordinary Influences of the Divine Spirit. 4f%, at His Triennial Vifitation, 1704. 41 4tbly, If any (Bowels and Mercies. If they had Common Humanity , Pity, and Compa/fion 5. and a Regard either to the Body to which they belonged, or to one another. The Fifth is, From the Regard they had to St. Taul in his Sufferings, if they would give him a Compleat Joy, by their happy Agreement, and mutual Love. When all thefe Things are duly Confidered, then we fliali fee thro' the whole Scope, and all the Parts of the Text. The Firft Duty prefTed, is,. That they would bring themfelves to an Agreement , and to be of the fame Mind. The Church is the Body of Cbrift, and that mud be o?ie, as Chrift the head is one, We are called to one body, to be a United Society. This 3- Co1 J ? will be both our Strength, and our Glory. This will make us build up, and fortifie one another ; and provoke one another to loVe, and to good words : Which is a Conference on our holding fail: the profejfion of our Faith : And left all. this fbould be neglected, or interrupted, therefore a fpecial Cau- tion is added, That we mould not forf a ke the af- femhling of our felves together. It is certain, our Obligation to Unity is great, and admits but of One Exception : We ought to maintain this Uni- ty with the. Body in which we are, unlefs they have: to. Heb. 23,24, aj. v. 43 The Bijhop of SarumV Sermon have fo departed from the Rules Chrift has given, ' that we cannot continue in it without Sin. If any Thing is made fuch a Part of Worfhip and Do- ctrine, which we thin|<: fo unlawful, that we can- not join with the Body, without doing that which we think a Sin 5 we cannot be bound to go into it, or to act againft our Confciences : Which is the Senfe that we have of the Laws of God, and of our Duty arifing out of them. But either our Obligation to maintain Unity is only Difcretional, that is, none at all 5 or it does bind us to do eve- ry Thing that is neceftary to maintain it, that does not appear to us to be Sinful : And therefore, in fuch a Cafe, every Man ought to deal plainly with himfelf 3 and ask himfelf, as in the prefence of that God who knows all Things, and that will judge him for that, as well as for every other Thing 3 Whether he withdraws from the Unity, becaufe he is convinced he {houlc! fin if he adhe- red to it, or if he does it out of any other Princi- ple 5 being led to it by Education, Cuftom, or any other Confideration ? U his Confcience tefti* fies to him, that he walks fincerely, he may de- pend upon it, that either his Error, if it mould prove to be one, fliall be forgiven him 3 or that he {hall be better enlightened, and delivered out of the Error, and the Snare he is then in. St. Taul was a Blafphe- at His Triennial Vifitation, i 704. 43 Blafphemer and a Perfrcutor, yet he obtained Mer- cy; for he was led by an Ho neft, tho'a Blind Zeal 3 without Knowledge, as well as without Charity, it is impoflible that a good Mind, which zealoufly purfues what feems to be moft acceptable to God, fhould be left to perifh in Error. No Man can re- flect on the Obligation to Unity, we being called into One Body $ and Chrifl having prayed fo ear- neftly to his Father, that his Followers might be one, and be kept andmade per feB m one^ and not fee, that i 7 .joi : , nothing lefs than our Duty to God, in not Sinning againfl: him, can juftifie our Withdrawing our felves from the Body where we are. It is true, a Man's Thoughts are not fo directly in his own Power, that he can change or alter them at Pleafure : But firft he muffc fee that his Thoughts do really determine him • and that it is not a Compliance with former Practices, Interefts, or Paflions, that guides him 5 but that he is really pofTeiTed with Apprehenfions, from which he cannot yet free himfelf, that fuch Things required of him, to maintain the Unity, are Sins. He muft fee that he judges them to be fuch, not becaufe he has been told it, or has heard it often faid ; but that he fees fuch Reafons in theScriptures ? or in the Nature of Things, which he cannotanfwer to himfelf , that make him conclude, thofe enjoin- ed Practices are Unlawful. Upon all this, a Man ought 44 The Bifhop of SarumV Sermon ought to Examine himfelf often, and folemnly, as in the pretence of God, In the nextplace,he ought to look well into thofe Prejudices and Reafons that have formerly entan- gled him. For Inftance,hehas perhaps thought,rhat fince in the Church of ^ome they kneel and adore the Hofl after Confecration, our Kneeling in Re- ceiving the Sacrament, is a Compiyance with that Idolatrous Practice. Now if we did not kneel, till after the Confecration, this would have lome Force in it : But iince we kneel all thro' the whole Action, before as well as after the Confecration, and are all the while in Prayer to God, and by confequence in the Pofture of Prayer, according to the Firft and Beft Ages, that always received the Sacrament in the Po- fture of Prayer 5 it is plain, that Kneeling, among us,does not import any Adoration of the Elements 5 againfl which, both Church and State, have made a mofl Exprefs and Full Declaration. Thus this Prejudice, with which perhaps many have been car- ried away, when Examined, will foon be found to have no force in it at all. That againfl: the Crofsin Baptifm, is as weak 5 That becaufe Papifts ufe the Crofs as a Sort of a Charm, and fancy there is a Di- vine Virtue accompanying it 3 therefore wc,by ufing it, comply with that Superftition, and fortifie it. They at His Triennial Vifftation, 1704. 53 belong. 'But if ye haVe bitter Envying (the Word is Zeal) and Strife in your Hearts, Glory not i and Lie not againft the Truth ; fuch Men are apt to Value themfelves upon their Zeal, tho their own Con- fciences tell them they have no Concern for the Truth, or for gaining any to it. There may be a Policy, and much Dexterity and Skill in Manage- ing this 10, that there may be a Wifdom |in it : but thaiWifdom de/cendetb not from aboVeJ?ut is Earthly ,Sen- Jual andVeVilifh $ it carries thofe three Characters of its Original • the Devil, the World, and the Flefli, which we Renounce in our Baptifm : The Con- ferences of thefe Arts follow next. For where En- Vying (Zeal) and Strife is, there is Coufujion and e- Very Evil Workj Much Noife and Vehemence, Tumults'and Diforders accompany this Zeal. Such Men give themfelves, and their Partners, in fury, thofe Liberties, or are apt to make fuch Excufes for them, that every Evil Work, efpecially thofe that may ferve to Advance their Caufe,will be Con- nived at, if not Encouraged. But now let us Confider the Beautiful Reverfe of all this, in the Characters given ofc True and Heavenly Wifdom: The Wifdom that is from AhoVe y is firfi Ture. It Be- gins firfl at the Purifying a Man's Heart and his Life, without which, all Pretences to Religion are Infignificarit and Hypocritical things, it is then H Peaceable, 5 4. Tbe Bifif of Sar um s Sermon 1 peaceable, Gentle, and Eafy. to be Entreated 3 full of Mercy and good Fruits, without (partiality, and without Hypocrify ; and the Fruit of (p^ghteoufnefs is Sown in (peace, of them that ma \e Peace. Thefe are Cha- racters, that how little ioever they abound in the World, yet are the certain Indications of a Mind Teaioned with Divine Wifdom. This is the id Branch of the Duty here recom- mended- it looks fo Fair, that it'may feema Super- fluous thing to ufe great Motives, and any Vehe- mence of ExprelTion, to Perfwade us to the Pra- ctice of it, either in the one, or in the other Branch of it 3 yet frnce St. (paid enforces it with io many Words, of fuch great Weight, it may be of good ufc to Conilder the Importance of every one of thefe Motives here urged. The 1 ft is, If there be any Confolation in Cbrift, the Word may Signify either Exhortation, or Confolati- on • in both fenfes it Fumifhes a ftrong Argument. If there is any Exhortation in Chrift? If his Doctrine has that Credit or Authority over us, thatwefub- mit to his Yoke, then we miift Confider how In- difpenfably he has Obliged us to thefe Duties. When he Charges us to Learn of him, he pro- pofes himfelf to us as our Pattern, in that he was meek. w& Lowly in Heart, If our Minds were thus Temper'd, it would be Eafy to us, both to Bear, and A at His Triennial 'Vifitation, 1704. 55 and to Forbear : When He was near the End of his Miniftry on Earth, he Delivered this as the raw Commandment ,thathe gave hisDifciples^nd in another Place he calls it his Commandment jzs being his in an ef- - f ' h "- : pecial manner • and that was, that his Difciples ?,/•,, 3 fliould Love one another, as he had Loved them • *?• and he made this,the DiftinguifhingMark by which they fliould be known ; if they had LoVe one to another. There is iuch a Peculiar Stile in thefe Words,and in thofe Charges, that if we have any regard to his Authority, that laid them on his Followers, we fhall Expttis it, in bringing our felves to be of the fame Mind, and to ha\>e the jame LoVe one to another. If alfo we have any fenfe of the great and flrong Conjolatwn that we have in Chrifl, the Pardon of Sin, and the Hope of Glory, and Confider that all the return he Asks of us, is, that we Love one a- nother, as he LoVed us, thefe Duties will be much minded by us. Upon the Senfe of the Ten Thoufand Talents that are forgiven us, it is a ^ fmall return to forgive fo Poor a Matter, as *we> *n£ Hundred Pence,the little Injuries that may be done us. We are all to be Eternally together in a Blefled Society above, where there is an Everlaft- ing and Uninterrupted Harmony of Love and Peace, Purchafed for us by him, who came to 7tiake Peace, as he is the Prince of Peace 3 fo Peace on H 2 Earth $6 Ibc Bifljrf of Sarum'j Sermon Earth was a part of the Angelick Hymn Sung at his Birth: He alfo left his Teace to his Church, when he was near Leaving this World. If thefe things afford us any real joy, and if they do not, what can ? Then in return to fuch mighty Blef- fings, and to fo Solemn a Charge, we fhall Study to be like minded, and to have the fame LoVe, as having one common Soul, or as being one Body, under the Influence of one common Head. The 2d Motive is, If there is any Comfort ofLoVe, which may either fignify, if we Feel the Comfort of being Beloved of God, or if we Feel the Com- fort and Happinefs of a Loving Temper, and of a Charitable difpofition- in both Senfes this affords very Perfwading Confederations to thefe Duties. A Man who has been under juft and Deep Appre- henfions of the Guilt of Sin, and of the Terrors ^ God, who Confiders the Wrath of God, as the moft infupportable of all things, and who fees how he has Provoked and deferved it $ a Man that has felt the prefTure of thefe Sharp Thoughts on his Mind, when thofe Clear up, and are Succeded by that joy, which a juft aiTurance of the Love of God muft needs raife, muft be fo overcome un- der the fenfe of fuch undeferved goodriefe, that iri a Rapture of Thanksgiving, he will 'fay with the Ffalmift, Thou artmy Lord^ my goodneffExtendeth not Fpb.s.^.2. at His Triennial Vifitation, 1 704, 5.7 not to thee : 'But to the Saints that are in the Earth, and to the Excellent , in whom is all viy Delight. He fees that God is Love, and this Transforms him in- to that Divine Nature: He is LoVe, he dwells in Loire, for he dwells in God, and God dwells in him : t f b.» 4 . That Love conftrains him to forbear, and to for- give: lie walks in jCoVe as God has LdVed him: And fince our Saviour has given us a Warrant to lay claim to that Love and to forgivenefs 5 the firft Aft of that Love, as we forgive others, and has Barred ourAccefsto it 5 but as we do frame our Hearts to forgive them, he Studies to be perfect in this as his Heavenly Father isPer/ecl. The lecond fenfe of thefe Words, is alfo a very forcible Pcr- fwafion to Love : A Man that has felt the true Happinefs, and Inward Solace, that he Lives m when his Soul is poffefled with Love, and has at any time felt what it is to be under the Power of Wrath, and Strife of bitter Zeal, and of the Par- tialities, the Jealoufies, and Animoficies of a Parcv, feels, a very ftrong Conviction within himfclf, that the one is of God : , and leads to God 5 and that the other is not fo,he is Calm and Gentle^ull of Inter- naLand Univerfal Love, fitted for Devotion,and for every good Work. While he is under the Power of LoYehe.hasa Serenity in his Mind, that fliines out in a Clearnefs of Countenance and Behaviour: His words ?8 Jk Bijbop ofS&vums Sermon Words areSoft,becaufe hisThoughts are Quiet 5 and there is a winning Charm in his whole Deportment. He feels he is made perfect, by being in this State of Enlarged and Unbounded Goodnefs to all Man- kind, more particularly to all Chriftians: He w iflies well to all Men : He thinks as well as he can of all Men: He fpeaks well of allMen r andw.ifhes it were in his power to do much good, and he docs to all Men on all Occafions, a.'L the good he can. He feels the Happinefs of this State to be fo like Heaven, and fuch an approach to it, that he Studies to maintain and encreafe this Temper with- in himfelf all he can. He reflects ..on the Sournefs of Thought, the Uneafinefs of Mind, the Work- ing of Projects, the fear cf Difappointments, the Sharpnefs of Language, the Bitternefs of Cenfure, and the fwellings of Envy and. Hatred, that Haunt the Men of Faction, that firfl Difquiet their own Minds, and then render them as uneafy to all others as they are to themfelves. The feeing this in others, and the rcmembring what every one has felt, who has let his Mind at any time ferment that way 5 make the Solaces of Love, fo much the more fen- fible, as they refcue him from fo black a State, that has too many of the Characters of the Habitations of Darknefs and Mifery in it, and Tranflates him into Regions of Light and Love. The at His Triennial Vijitation, 1704. 59 The 3d Motive is, If there is any followi/hip of the Spirit, this may either relate to thofe Extraordinary Gifts that were neceiTary in the beginnings of Gnri- ffcianity,for giving Authoriy to a new Doctrine 5 or it may relate to the more lading Aiiiftances of die Divine Spirit, which belong fo particularly to this new Difpenlation. All thefe both Ordinary and i x- traordinary flowing from one Spirit, it was like to bring Grange Imputations on Men fo qualified, if it had appeared that they were acted with the fame bitter Spirit that was in the World. Their Enemies would probably Difparage all their Pretentions to Infpiration, or Spiritual Gifts, if they law not under thefe,Union and Love prevailing among them. For tho' their Infpiration was only fuch a Conduct, that in their Doctrine they were held to deliver theTruth, as theyhad received it of the Lord 3 and the Miracles they Wrought were only done to Atteft and Con- firm that Doctrine, after all which, thev Acted as Free and Rational Agents, nor being under fuch an Immediate Conduct, as to reftrain their Liberty, fo that they were Capable of doing Amifs, tho' not of Preaching another Gofpel. Therefore any ill Behaviour of theirs, did not deftroy their Autho- rity, yet certainly it derogated much from it, fo that in order to the fhewing the World, that they were all Partakers of one, and the felf fame Spirit, it 6 o T be Bijbop of Sarum'j Ser mon it was highly neceflary for them to maintain Uni- ty and Love. And fince in fucceeding Ages, in which it was not neceflary that thofeGifts fhould be continued in the Church, yet all Chriftians have a Right to hope for a Meafure of God's Holy Spi- rit, to Aflifl: and Direcl: them in all things 5 and this .12 Spirit is one, and the Character of this Spirit is Love as the appearance he once made was in the Form of a Dove, fetting forth the Mildnefs and Gentlenefs of thofe, who are A&ed and Conducted by it, there is no way to Demonftrate to the World fo certainly, that we are led by this Spirit as by our 5 3 '■' being conformable to him 5 to whom the Father ^gaVenotthe Spirit by Meafure. It will appear that we have our Meafure of this Spirit, if we do bring 22 forth the Fruits of the Spirit, which are LoVe, Joy, (peace, long Suffering, Gentlenefs, Goodnefs, Faith, Meektiefs, and Temperance : Whereas on the other . 3 j. Hand, if there is among us Envying or Zeal, Strife and Vivifions, are We not Carnal, and Wdk^ as Men ? By this therefore it muft appear that we are filled with the Spirit, when we are like minded one to- wards another according to Chrift Jefus $ Or in Imita- 1 5 . tion of him : That Jo we may with one Mind, and one Mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift. The at His TrienntalVifitation, 1704. 45 They ufe the Crofs before Baptifm, as an Exor- cifme to drive away the Evil Spirit $ and this flip- pofes a Divine Power accompaning a Humane Infti- tution, which makes it to be of the Nature of a Sacrament $ whereas we ufe it after Baptifm, not as having any Vertue tied to it, but meerly as a De- claration of the Faith we Profefs ; fo that it is only away of fpeaking, by a gefture or Action, and has nothing afcribed to it that is in any fort Sacra- mental : and llnce the Primitive Chriftians Gloried fo much in the ufe of the Crofs, it is hard to fee what Evil there fhould be, in the continuing the ufe of it in the firft Initiation to Chriftianity. Thus if Men could be brought to examine theirPrejudices withdue attention, they might be more eafily freed from them, than when they furTer themfelves to be poffefled too eafily by them,efpecially if they would give their minds this innocent Biafs, if it may be fo called, to wifh that they could join in Com- munion with the Church. Certainly there is a jufl: force in thofe general Confiderations of our Obligations to "Unity, both as it Promotes, as it Fortifies the whole Defigne of Religion, and re- commends it to all the World, to difpofe us fo far towards it, as to make us wifh we could, with a good Confcience, become Members of it. If this were gained, that would have a very happy In- G flue nee 4 6 7bc Bijiop of Sittitris Sermon fluence on us, to make us fee things truer, and to judge better of them. To this alt People ought to add as diligent an SEr duiry into the whole Matter, in as Difpaflio- nate a manner as they are capable of making: And that by Reading and Weighing the many plain Books of Inftruction that are Written on thefe Subjects, and by going to Perfons who un- derftand the Controverfy well, and laying their Objections and Doubtings before them, hearing what they fay upon it, laying that up in their Memories, and reflecting ferioufly upon it when they Commune with their own Hearts; and above all, joining earned Prayers with it to God, for Light and Direction, that the Eyes of their Underftanding may be opened, and enlight- ned, to difcern and follow the Truth. If a Man Practices thefe things honefHy, fo that his Confer- ence tells him, he is acting a fincere part in it, then he is fafe : For he has a gracious God, who will not fuflfer him to Perifli in or for that Error, in which he does not perfift with a Vicious and De- praved, a Contentious and Self-conceited Mind. So far I have confidered the firft Duty of being like minded and of one mind. The Second Duty is, that we fliould have, as it were, the fa?ne Soul, and the/WLo")'f.This is morein aMan's ownPower.Our Underftandings at His Triennial Vifitation, 1704. 47 Underftandingsarenot To entirely at our Difpofal : For they are more Stubborn $ we muft think of things according as they appear to us: So that we are not at all times the Matters of our Thoughts, we cannot lay them down or alter them at plea- fure - y but ouiWills and Affections are more Flex- ible and more at Command. When we confider Humane Nature, how weak it is, and howfmall a Progrefs ic can make $ if it is unhappily ill direct- ed at full letting out, how few are capable of thinking ieverely^ and of Separating Matters from fome Colours that are put on them, we fhall from hence fee great caufe to Pity thofe, who are mi- ftaken, and to bear with them: And it will be a Noble Victory, well becoming a Chriftian, if we can Conquer them with a Spirit of Love: This is the doing a great act of Charity .The more Dan- gerous the Errour is, the Charity is the greater. We ought to look well to our own Thought of thofe who are under mi(takes$ for thefe will have a great Influence on our Behaviour towards them 5 ifwedefpife them too much, we fhall not be able to Work our felves up to that tender regard that we ought to bear them 5 nor fliall we think them Worthy of our Pains : As on the other hand this will certainly fet them at a greater diftance from us. Since this wiU make us appear Proud G 2 and 4-8 The Bifbop of Sar am'; Sermon and Infolent, which will harden them in their Pre- judices- we muft carry our felves towards them, as thofe who have a fellow-feeling of the Infirmi- ties of Humane Nature, and that can make jufl: al- lowances for it. Werauft make our Judgments of People, chiefly by what they are in the Main. When we fee in them clear Characters of Sincerity and Probity, we ought to judge well of them: And to think the better, at leafl the lefs Severely of their Miflakes, for the good that we Difcern in them, and not think the Worfe of that which is good in them, becaufe of the Mixture of fome Errors with it. As if becaufe of that,it were not Sincere, but Hypocri- tical. This being often one of the unhappy effects of Parties. We onghtto raife theValue of what is good in all Men, and Leflen the Value of what is Mi- ftaken in them, as much as is reafonable, that we may fee which is the mofl Valuable, and ought to Preponderate in our Thoughts, for this will dif- pofe us to apply our felves to the inftructing of them, with the more Care and Affection. We ought likewife to underfland well the (Irength of thofe Opinions that we deal with, and know the utmoft Force of the Arguments that may be brought for them 3 for if we make an unfair Reprefentation ©f them, this will make us be fufpe&ed, either as atHislrienntalVifitation, 1704. 49 noc knowing the Matter thoroughly, or as not dealing honeftly in it: But when we let People fee that we have confidered their Arguments well, and State them with all the Strength that can be put in them, then we,by that, prepare them to have a due regard to all that we may (ay in a Point, which they perceive we underftand a right,and in which we give them no reafon to think that we intend to impefe on them. There is an appearance of fair dealing, that is fometimes io fenfible, that by it People are well prepared to think well of every thing that \s (aid to them, when it is introduced with that Ad- vantage. We ought not to be Irritated or grow uneafy, if: the things that we propofe, have not an immediate Effect: We muft give them time to Work, and bear long with weak Minds; in imitation of our Bleffed Saviour. We mud not be too eafy to believe ill of thofc who differ from us: Nor be too ram in reporting it to others. There is too much Lying in one part, and too much Credulity in another part of Man- kind, as to all thofe matters : And in this all fides are too Vifibly faulty. When things are reported, that thofe concerned know to be falfe, it Heightens iheir other Prejud ices 5 and makes them look on ic as a part of the Crofs of Chrift ; that they are Evil fpoken 50 The hijhop of Saturn's Sermon fpoken of falflely for that, in which they may think they are ferving him, and fo they will reckon it is for his names fake'- And if they have devout Minds, this will endear their Opinions the more to them : When they fee fuch a Contradiction to St. Taufs Character of Charity, that it thinkftb no Evil but be- lieveth all things foey will look on a readinefs to be- lieve or report things to their \?te\\i&\ct y as rather a re- joicing in Iniquity^ and not a rejoicing in the Truth. We muft in our whole Deportment fhew, that we love thofe who differ from us 5 that we wifh them no Harm, and do noc deiire, or Delight in any thing that tends to their Hurt or Ruine: We muft not feem to feek occafions againft them, to envy them, the Quiet they live in, or to deiire to have them in our Power and at Mercy. We muft not think them unworthy of our care, becaufe the Law has put them out of our reach/o that we can- not fubdue them. This comes too near the Character of thofe Shep- herds that did feed themfehes hut did not feed the flock,: That did Eat the fat and Cloath themfehes with Wool, and failed them that were fed •- but did not feed the Flacky of whom the following words may afford much matter for Meditation. The difeafed haVeye not Strengthened ; neither hay e ye healed that which was Sic^ neither have ye bound up that which was broken-^ neitherhaVe ye brought a- ■E K ci.U. at His Triennial Vifitation, 1704. 51 gain that which was driven away, neither haVeye fought that which was loft, hut with force and cruelty have ye ruled them.Thc reverie of which, is the Character given by St.flW of tie Servant of the Lord, that he mttfl not Maw ■■?. Strive (Quarrel or Fight) but he Gentle to all Men, apt to teach, Tatient, in Meekjiefs injlrutling thofe that oppofe tbemfelves, ij per adventure God will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of Truth : and that they may Recover themfelvcs out of the Snare of iheQe- V/7, who are taken Captive by him at his will. As thefe are the bed Characters, fo they are the like- lied to Prevail,and to Conquer all -, and aConqucft gained by Love is worth our Pains, and will an- iwer them j where as the Victories,got by Force,or other meaner Methods, are little to be gloried in, and as little to be depended on. But above all other things, if we intend the Good and edification of thofe whom we feck to reclaim by our Labours, we mud Study by an ex- act and exemplary Deportment to give them fuch an Impreffion of us, that they may fee we are in earned 3 promoting the Honour of God, and the Good of Mankind. A lively Zeal and good Morals look well, when joyned together: The aoodnefs of the One, will excufe even the excefles of the Other, at lead to a good Degree 3 whereas a hot Temper and a flaming Zeal, when put on the 52 The Eijbop of SarumV Sermon to Hide, or to Compenfate for fome great Irregu- larities, will have no good Effect. Such Men will only pafs for Incendiaries, who have no concern t7/Vn.4.'2.for other Men's Souls, when they fhew fo little for their own. A faithful Teacher that would Com- mand and Teach with all Authority, mud be an Exam- pie to the (Believers , in Word, in ConVerfation, in Chart- tim.i.iiJy, in Spirit, in Faith and in Turify, He mufl fly youthful Lifts, and follow fyghteoujnefs, Faith, Cha- rity, and Peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure Heart: And avoid foolft? and unlearned Que [lions, knowing that they render Strife. There is a Bitter Zeal as well as a Sincere and Charitable one 5 Jofephus tells us what a Firey and Savage Spirit acted in the Zealots among the Jews at this very time 5 fome Tincture of that ap- peared,even among theCon verted Jews^chkfty thofe of the Judaifing Seel, which is fet forth with much i?i*.i 9 Brightness, and in a lively oppoiuionby St. James. xo them Thofe Men of Zeal pretended to Wifdom, there, fore he Addreifes himfelf to them: Who is a Wife ^ v ~' y '"Man, and endued with Knowledge amongfi you let him fhew out of a good Conner fat ion, his works with Meeknefs of Wifdom. This is the firft. and chief Evidence by which we muft Hope to Convince the World : Bitter Zealots will decline this, and take to another Method, to whom the next Words belong: at tin Triennial Vifnation, 1704. 6% The \th Motive is, If there are any 'Bowels and. Mercies 5 if we have common Humanity; if we do either confider the Concerns of the Publick, that fufFer by our Divifions 3 or if we apprehend rightly the Danger that they are in who are mif-led, and are fenfible of the Inconvenience that may accrue to our felves by the (hare that we may come to have in the Mifchief that arifes from them 5 Com- mon Humanity will raife Tender Paflions upon fuch a View. We fee how much the great Inte- reft of our Religion , our Church and Nation, fufFer by thefe Contentions. Thofe of the Church of ^pme underftand their own Intereft well, and they find their Account in promoting thefe Con- tentions. They have had a very Political Ma- nagement, with relation to them, from the firfl beginnings of them : They have caft us into ma- ny Convulfions, both into the Fire, and into the Water, making us too hot where we fhould be cooler, and cold where we fihould be warm; No- thing but our Divifions among our felves, has ftopt the entire Reduction of the Nation from Popery, and kept all things among us in fuch a low and feeble ft ate : This has retarded the carry- ing on the Reformation to thofe things which are yet wanting 5 while we have been watching one another, and fo jealous of one another, that the I, bed; 62 The Bijbop of Sarum r ~ermon bed Defigns have lien neglected, while we have been more animated with the Heat of Parties, than with a true Zeal for thofe great Ends for which Chrift both died and rofe again. And now, once more, God has raifed the Glory of the Nation be- yond even our Hopes 5 fo that all the World looks to our Glorious Queen, and to this Natk>n, for Peace and Liberty. Nothing is fo. like -co retard,or even to defeat thefe Bright Appearances, of a Hap- pinefs that may prove as univerfal as • la/ling , as our fierce Contentions among our felves: Where are our Bowels and Mercies to our own Church and Countrey ? and indeed to all the Churches and Nations round about us? if thefe cannot prevail on us to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Teace, and, above all things, to put on Cha- rity, which is the Bond of Terfetiion ? it we have tender companion to our Neighbours and Brethren, we (hall avoid every thing that may either fea*n- dalize, grieve, or tempt them. We will make whatTryals we can upon our felves, to bring our felves to be of One Mind with the Body to which we belong, and at leaflto ftudy to loVe one another with a pure heart, fervently : By this we may hope berth to gain and to build up one another in, our mofl Holy Faith. Nor can thefe Di(Tentions,wkh this Alienation of Mind that rifes out of them, continue at H;s Triennial Vifitation> 1704. 69 continue and grow among us, without our being all in clanger by them 3 no: only by that Fret or Thought, and Vexation of Spirit that they may be apt to raife in our Minds, but by the Fatal Ef- fects thefe may have : For if we go on biting and devouring one another, we may in conclufion be con- fumed one of another. The Factions and Animofi- s G a i. tfi ties that were raifed among the Jews in the rime that thefe Epiftles were writ, were not only Symptoms of a very ill State, but the Real Procurers, in a great meafure, of all that Mifery and Denotation that came upon them. We are now in fuch a ftate, that humanly fpeaking, nothing can hurc us,but thofe Factions and Heats that are among us 5 but no State can be happy and fixed where Incendi- aries are at work, and where Mens Minds are fa- tally prepared for the ill Defigns their Enemies may have upon them. If then we have any Tender- nefs and Bowels for our Church and Nation, for our felves, as well as for others, let us fpeak^ the fame thing y that there be no VlYifions among us, but 10, " that we may be perfectly joined together in the fame Mndy and in the fame Judgment. The laft Motive is taken from the Joy that this would give St. Paul 3 and it is made a part of the Injunction, Fulfil ye my Joy. The Churches ex- prelTed a juft regard to St. Paul in his Sufferings $ I x. thefe- 64 T^e Bijhop of SarumV Sermon 4.PW1.14, thofe of (philippi had fent a Supply to him by Epa- phroditm : But tho' he received this with due ac- knowledgment, yet the chief, and the moft valu- able ExpreflTion of their Refpect to him, was, when *.FhiU7. their Conner falion wm fuch as became the Go/pel of Chrifty and that they flood jledfafl in one Spirit, with one Mind. This was that which could only give a Mind like our Apoflles, a full and compleat Joy : For what pleafure foever Angry and Ill-natur'd Men may have in the Progrefs of Contention, and in their Succefs in it, yet to a Good Mind even thefe Succedes are like Victories in a Civil War, where the Whole furfers in the LolTes of both fides. Thelofs of Charity, and the lofs of Souls, are fuch fenfible things to every Faithful Pallor, that ftudies to follow the Example St. <Paul hath fet us, that none of the Triumphs of a Party can balance the Grief which he mud: feel, who looks full of Pity and Sorrow on all thofe Brawlings and Quarrels. If the Angels in Heaven rejoice at the Converfion of one Sinner that repenteth, how much greater would their Joy be in fuch Numbers as are now ftraving like Sheep without a Shepherd, or that are become asWolves and Beads of Prey, deftroying one another, in their being brought into one Fold,and made to love one another ? Thefe Breaches threaten Ruin, and open a Way to our Enemies to break in 55 Pf-tf.«. at His Triennial Vifitation, 1704. 65 in upon us : They give Sad Thoughts to thofewho mourn over them, and have many Dreadful Ap- prehenfions of the 111 Effects that they draw after them : Thefe give fuch Good Souls Melancholy Thoughts, and Sorrowful Days and Nighcs,when they find that though they are tor Peace, yet if they do but fpeak of it, thofe who hate it make ready uo.pf. 7. for War. Thefe things give Atlli&ing Thoughts to the Sons of Peace, and make them oken in their Secret Mournings fay, that lhad wings lilie a DoVe, then would I fly away and be at reft, I would b often my Efcape from the Windy Storm and Tcmpeft. They ftudy to maintain that Quiet in their own Minds, of which they fee very little round about them in the World 3 for they {^Violence and Strife in the Ci- ty. It gives fome relief to hope there is a time coming on, and perhaps near at hand, according to what the moft Learned Enquirers into thole Matters do believe, in which our moft Holy Faith will fubdue the whole World, and Univerfal Love will prevail over all thofe Heats that have fo long diftradted Chriftendom 3 not by any one Party's conquering the reft, but by a Great and General Effufion or a Spirit of Holinefs, Love and Peace3 by which all, except the Obftinate Corrupters of this Holy Religion, fhall fubmit to its Yoke, and be animated by the fame Mind that was inChrift Jefus, 66 The Bifhop of SarumV Sermon, &c. Jefus. And it muft be acknowledged, that the Signs of the Times, and the prefent Situation of Affairs, look very favourably to that Opinion* But if we fliall never fee fuch Happy Days on Earth, we know there is Harmony, and Union, Peace and Love in the Jerufalem that is above 5 therefore we ought to be daily looking thither, hading for the Coming of the Lord Jefus 5 faying often within our felves, Come Lord. Jefus, e^en fo> come quickly. FINIS. A Sermon Preached at the Funeral of the Honourable Robert Boyle ; at St. Martins in the Fields, Jan. 7. 1695. 3y the Right Reverend Father in God, Gilbert Lord Bifhop of Swam. The Second Edition. Printed for Ri. CbifwelL 4 :*'