Psal. xxx. BOOK cited, the stubborn rebuked, the weak conscience comII. forted, and to all those that sin of malicious wickedness, the wrath of God is threatened. By preaching also due obedience to Christian princes and magistrates is planted in the hearts of subjects, for obedience proceedeth of conscience; conscience is grounded upon the word of God; the word of God worketh his effect by preaching. So as generally where preaching wanteth, obedience faileth. Preaching subjects. London. No prince ever had more lively experience hereof than makes loyal your Majesty hath had in your time, and may have daily. If your Majesty come to the city of London never so often, what gratulation, what joy, what concourse of people is there to be seen? Yea, what acclamations and prayers to God for your long life, and other manifest significations of inward and unfeigned love, joined with most humble and hearty obedience, are there to be heard? Whereof cometh this, Madam, but of the continual preaching of God's word in that city? whereby that people hath been plentifully instructed in their duty towards God and your Majesty? On the contrary, what bred the rebellion in the north? Was it not Papistry and ignorance of God's word, through want of often preaching? And in the time of that rebellion, were not all men, of all states, that made profession of the Gospel, most ready to offer their lives for your defence? Insomuch that one poor parish in Yorkshire, which by continual preaching had been better instructed than the rest, (Halifax I mean,) was ready to bring three or four thousand hable men into the field to serve you against the said rebels. How can your Majesty have a more lively tryal and experience of the contrary effects of much preaching, and of little or no preaching? The one working most faithful obedience, and the other most unnatural disobedience and rebellion. Halifax. But it is thought of some, that many are admitted to preach, and few be hable to do it well. That unable preachers be removed is very requisite, if ability and sufficiency may be rightly weighed and judged: and therein I trust as much is, and shall be done, as can be; for both I, for II. preachers be mine own part, (let it be spoken without any ostentation,) BOOK am very careful in allowing such preachers only, as be hable and sufficient to be preachers, both for their know- The Archbishop careledg in the Scriptures, and also for testimony of their good ful what life and conversation. And besides that, I have given very allowed. great charge to the rest of my brethren, the Bishops of this province, to do the like. We admit no man to the office, that either professeth Papistry or Puritanism. Generally 78 the Graduats of the University are only admitted to be preachers, unless it be some few which have excellent gifts of knowledg in the Scriptures, joyned with good utterance and godly perswasion. I myself procured above forty learned preachers and Graduates within less than six years to be placed within the dioces of York, besides those I found there; and there I have left them. The fruits of whose travel in preaching, your Majesty is like to reap daily, by most assured, dutiful obedience of your subjects in those parts. But indeed this age judgeth very hardly, and nothing indifferently of the abilitie of preachers of our time; judging few or none in their opinion to be hable. Which hard judgment groweth upon divers evil dispositions of men. St. Paul doth commend the preaching of Christ crucified, absque eminentiâ sermonis, i. e. “without excellency of 1 Cor. i. "speech." But in our time many have so delicate ears, that no preaching can satisfie them, unless it be sawced with much finess and exornation of speech: which the same Apostle utterly condemneth, and giveth this reason, Nè evacueter crux Christi, i. e. "Lest the cross of Christ be "made of none effect." Some there be also that are mislikers of the godly reformation in religion now established; wishing indeed that there were no preachers at all; and so by depraving the Ministers impugne religion, non aperto marte, sed cuniculis, i. e. "not "by open opposition, but by secret undermining." Much like to the Popish Bishops in your father's time, who would have had the English translation of the Bible called in, as II. BOOK evil translated; and the new translating thereof to have been committed to themselves; which they never intended to perform. Eph. iv. 1 Tim iv. Psal. cxix. Ambr. in A number there is, (and that is exceeding great,) whereof some are altogether worldly minded, and only bent covetously to gather worldly goods and possessions; serving Mammon, and not God. And another great sum have given over themselves to all carnal, vain, dissolute, and lascivious 2 Tim. iii. life, voluptatis amatores, magis quam Dei, i. e. “lovers "of pleasure rather than God:" et qui semetipsos dediderunt ad patrandum omnem immunditiam cum aviditate; Psal. cxix. i. e. " and who have given over themselves to commit all "uncleanness with greediness:" and because the preaching of God's word, which to all Christian consciences is sweet and delectable, is to them (having cauteriatas conscientias, i. e. " consciences seared") bitter and grievous. For, as St. Ambrose saith, Quomodo possunt verba Dei dulcia esse in faucibus tuis, in quibus est amaritudo nequitia? i. e. "How can the word of God be sweet in his mouth, "in which is the bitterness of sin?" Therefore they wish also, that there were no preachers at all. But because they dare not directly condemn the office of preaching, so expressly commanded by God's word, (for that were open blasphemy,) they turn themselves altogether; and with the same meaning as the other do, to take exceptions against the persons of them that be admitted to preach. 79 But God forbid, Madam, that you should open your ears to any of these wicked perswasions; or any way go about to diminish the preaching of Christ's Gospel: for Prov. xxix. that would ruinate altogether at the length. Quum defecerit prophetia, dissipabitur populus, i. e. " When pro"phesie shall fail, the people shall perish," saith Salomon. Reading the Now where it is thought, that the reading of the godly and preach-Homilies, set forth by publique authority, may suffice, I continue of the same mind I was when I attended last upon your Majesty. The reading of the Homilies hath his commoditie; but is nothing comparable to the office of Homilies ing com pared. II. ations, not 'preaching. The godly preacher is termed in the Gospel, BOOK fidelis servus et prudens, qui novit famulitio Domini cibum demensum dare in tempore ; i. 66 e. a faithful servant, Matth. xxiv. "who knoweth how to give his Lord's family their appor❝tioned food in season." Who can apply his speech according to the diversity of times, places, and hearers; which cannot be done in homilies: exhortations, reprehensions, and persuasions, are uttered with more affection, to the moving of the hearers, in sermons than in homilies. Besides, homilies were devised by the godly Bishops in your brother's time, only to supply necessity, for want of preachers; and are by the statute not to be preferred, but to give place to sermons, whensoever they may be had; and were never thought in themselves alone to contain sufficient instruction for the Church of England. For it was then Approprifound, as it is found now, that this Church of England without sahath been by appropriations, and that not without sacri- crilege. lege, spoiled of the livings, which at the first were appointed to the office of preaching and teaching. Which appropriations were first annexed to abbies; and after came to the Crown; and now are dispersed to private men's possessions, without hope to reduce the same to the original institution. So as at this day, in mine opinion, where one Church is able to yield sufficient living for a learned preacher, there are at the least seven churches unable to do the same and in many parishes of your realm, where there be seven or eight hundred souls, (the more is the pity,) there are not eight pounds a year reserved for a Minister. In such parishes, it is not possible to place able preachers, for want of convenient stipend. If every flock might have a preaching Pastor, which is rather to be wished than hoped for, then were reading of homilies altogether unnecessary. But to supply that want of preaching of God's word, which is the food of the soul, growing upon the necessities aforementioned, both in your brother's time, and in your time, certain godly homilies have been devised, that the people should not be altogether destitute of instruction: for it is an old and true proverb, Better half a loaf than no bread. BOOK Pars. Con exercises. Now for the second point, which is concerning the learned exercise and conference amongst the Ministers of Secunda the Church; I have consulted with divers of my brethren, cerning the the Bishops, by letters; who think the same as I do, viz. a thing profitable to the Church, and therefore expedient to be continued. And I trust your Majesty will think the like, when your Highness shall be informed of the manner 80 and order thereof; what authority it hath of the Scriptures; what commodity it bringeth with it; and what incommodities will follow, if it be clear taken away. An account of the exercises. The authors of this exercise are the Bishops of the dioces where the same is used; who both by the law of God, and by the Canons and Constitutions of the Church now in force, have authority to appoint exercises to their inferior Ministers, for encrease of learning and knowledge in the Scriptures, as to them seemeth most expedient: for that pertaineth ad disciplinam Clericalem, i. e. "to the dis"cipline of Ministers." The times appointed for the assembly is once a month, or once in twelve or fifteen days, at the discretion of the Ordinary. The time of the exercise is two hours the place, the church of the town appointed for the assembly. The matter intreated of is as followeth. Some text of Scripture, before appointed to be spoken of, is interpreted in this order: First, The occasion of the place is shewed. Secondly, The end. Thirdly, The proper sense of the place. Fourthly, The propriety of the words: and those that be learned in the tongues shewing the diversities of interpretations. Fifthly, Where the like phrases are used in the Scriptures. Sixthly, Places in the Scriptures seeming to repunge, are reconciled. Seventhly, The arguments of the text are opened. Eighthly, It is also declared, what vertues and what vices are there touched; and to which of the commaundments they pertain. Ninthly, How the text hath been wrested by the adversaries, yf occasion so require. Tenthly, and last of all, What doctrin of faith or manners the text doth contain. The conclusion is, with the prayer for your Majesty, and all estates, as is appointed by the Book of Common Prayer, and a Psalm. |