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PRINTED FOR RIVINGTONS, LONDON ; DEIGHTON, CAMBRIDGE; THOMPSON, BEDFORD; COBB, HERTFORD. 1841. BEDFORD: FREDERIC THOMPSON, PRINTER, HIGH STREET. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND THE LORD BISHOP OF ELY, AND TO THE CLERGY ASSEMBLED AT HIS LORDSHIP's VISITATION AT BEDFORD, JUNE THE 25th, 1841, (by whose desire this sermon IS PUBLISHED.) IT IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED, BY HIS lordship's AND THEIR OBEDIENT SERVANT, THE AUTHOR. N. B. The whole of the Proceeds of the Sale will be given to the Building Fund of Triniiy Church, Bedford. i SERMON, ■&€. fc«^^»^n^^**^»^»^fc^N^I^»^>^«»'«i«"^>*' le 'Y Jer. XLV. — 4. 5. The Lordsaith thus : Behold^ that which I have huilt, I will break down, and' that which I have planted^ I will pluck up, even this whole land. And seekest thou great things for thyself P Seek them not : for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith (he Lord. Wi E are told by a celebrated moderH Commen- tator,* that Baruch, the Scribe, to whom this instructive reproof was addressed, was a young man of distinguished learning and talents, who probably expected to rise into fame and eminence by his character and abilities. Though well af- fected to the service of God, and the cause of Kehgion, he had not, as yet, " counted the cost '' of devoting himself unreservedly to the discharge of his ministerial duties : the prospect of entfire desolation to that country in which he hoped to * Scott. 6 enjoy wealth and honour, of degradation to that Church in which he expected to become an orna- ment and a leader, proved a heavy trial to his sanguine temperament and worldly ambition. He had "sought great things for himself;" and he scarcely knew how to bear the disappointment of all his cherished anticipations on earth, and to embrace the severe, self-denying principle of the Prophets recommended by St. James as "an example of suffering affliction, and patience." And undoubtedly this is the last lesson imprinted on our renewed nature by the united operation of Divine Grace, and chastisement ; — the last in time ; but among the first in essential truth and import- ance to all who profess themselves followers of a Master, the condition of whose service is the daily cross, and the enmity of the world ; — and if essen- tial to all his disciples, essential kut Uoxv^ to us, my brethren of the Ministry, who have solemnly undertaken to afford " an example of the believers, " in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in *« faith, in purity."* I 4 We cannot but remember the cutting rebuke which St. Peter received from our Lord, when his spirit revolted against the humiliation of the Cross ; * 1 T":-. nor the reproof addressed to the two Apostles who thought to sit on each side of the Messiah in the pomp and dignity of a temporal Kingdom. I'hese things " are written for our admonition/' to teach us that, as our Master's " Kingdom is not of this "world," we must look beyond it for our reward ; and '* not be offended in IJim,'Mf they who *' have " called the Master of the house Beelzebub,'' should despise and oppress " them of his house- " hold/' 4 I Vr That this readiness to " endure hardness, as good " soldiers of Jesus Christ,"^' is neither an easy, nor an ordinary attainment, we have the testimony of a more spiritual, if not more enlightened age than the present. " Habet Jesus multos amatores " regni sui ca^lestis, sed paucos bajulatores suae cru- " cis : multos habet de3ideratores consolationis, sed '* paucos tribulationis ; plures invenit socios mensae, " sed paucos abstinentia; ; omnes cupiunt cum eo gaudere, pauci volunt pro eo aliquid sustinere ; multi Jesum sequuntur usque ad fractionem panis, " sed pauci usque ad bibendum cahcem passionis : " multi miracula ejus venerantur, pauci ignominiam " crucis sequuntur.' '-j- And the same clinging to the world deterred for a time the most eloquent of • II. Tim. II. 3. t Thomas d Kempis de Imit. Christi. Cap. xi. s. 1 (C (( a the Fathers from entering upon the profession, of which he became afterwards so brilliant an ornament, htcaartjpln, Ttap^lpevovrci kcli mpl rav h t>} But however difficult to man's infirmity, it is indispensable to our becoming disciples of the Gospel, and three-fold indispensable to our efficiency as its Ministers, that we be disentangled from the affairs of this life.— Our first act, after resolving to be candidates for the sacred office, must be to cru- cify worldly ambition, and to be satisfied with poverty and obscurity for the sake of our work ; we must learn " in whatever state we are, there- ** with to be content ; to know both how to be " abased, and how to abound : every where, and " in all things we must be instructed both to be " full and to be hungry, both to abound and to " suffer needn't Neither the expectation of pre- ferment, nor the love of literary leisure, nor the attractions of rural life, ought to have any share in deciding our choice of a profession, in which a vigorous discharge of duty is ineompatible with ease, and our due influence as " the salt of the " earth " with self-indulgent habits. These are sentiments approved by all, and more familiar, doubtless, and better digested, with many * Chrysost. de Sacerdot. i. 1. f Phil. iv. 12. ., «•». > 9 here present, than with him who is appointed to address you : but are tliere not, in the existing symptoms of the world, circumstances which recal such considerations, with irresistible force, to every sober mind 1 Is it possible to behold a " company of Preachers,'' in our Church, ui this day, without a natural feeling not unlike that which prompted the tears of Xerxes ? A body of men graced, for the most part, by gentle birth, and liberal educa- tion; adorned by elegant, and by profound learning; and confessedly useful, inofFensive, and virtuous in their lives ;- -and surely without wealth to provoke envy ; — Such a body, amid a Christian community, and in an age of veheinent moral and religious professions, in no obscure nor remote danger of degradation and violent spoliation, of seeing the sanctuary laid desolate, and the patrimony of the Lord seized for secular purposes, ex' bits one of those strange aaamolies in the history of mankind which must involve us in the charge of " hypocrisy," if, whilst we can discern the face of the earth and of the sky, we cannot view in it a sign of the times. That there is a wider diffusion of vital Religion, a more devoted attachment to the Apostolic Church, and a better understanding of its constitution and authority, than there was in times when the Esta- blishment appeared secure from danger, may serve to convince us that " the thing is of the Lord," and 10 that neitlier our safety, nor our perii depend upon the will of man ; but these favourable symptoms ought not to Wind us to the imminent dangers which beset us on every side,— the storm of pohti- cal faction driving our Ark between the rock whereon Idolatry sits enthroned, watching the wreck of souls, and that whirlpool where the cease- less agitation of ever-varying opinions tends downwards to the bottomless abyss. The tide flows on with a force which we cannot resist, and we must leave the result to Him who is " able to save and to destroy." But, whether it is the secrt t counsel of the Husbandman who planted this vine, to rescue '♦ the branch which he made so " strong for himself," or whether " the wild boar " out of the wood shall root it up, and the wild *' beasts of the field devour it,"*-our individual peace and tranquillity manifestly depend upon our taking that view of all the changes and chances of this mortal life, so impressively precented to Baruch when Jerusalem was soon to be " trodden under- foot of the Gentiles ; '^ and our preparation for either result of the doubtful strife will be mairly assisted by keepmg a stedfast eye upon those budding mdications which announce the approach of change, and by comparing them, step by step, with " the ♦ Psalm. Ixxx. 13. \ 11 " sure word of prophecy." — I would beg my bre- thren not to mistake me for one of those who convert Prophecy into a chronological history of the future, and predict " the times and the seasons " which the Father hath put in his own power.'' It is in mercy that our ignoranc^ is suffered to hope, Sit casca futuri \, Mens hominum fati, liceat sperare timenti ;* But although '* secret things belong to the Lord " our God," and that presumption is justly con- founded which erects a Babel of interpretation reaching to Heaven, and pretending to view distant ages,— our Master has warned us that, o^x the eve of important developements, the Urim and Thum- mim of Prophecy will stand out in glowing relief, and instruct the faithful to seek for timely shelter, or to " put on the whole armour of God," and gird themselves for battle. Let us look stedfastly on our danger ; not distrusting our Master's power, if he sees fit, to " rebuke the wind, and to say to the " sea. Peace, be still, so that there may be yaXrjvti fi€ya\Y) ;" not shrinking from the apprehension that we may be called to make those sacrifices, for His Name's sake, which He will reward " an hundred * Lucan. Phars. 1. 12 •' fold in this world, and in the world to come •' with everlasting life." As long as " the powers that be '' are tampering only with the temporal property and privileges of the Church, (although we may reasonably object, and temperately remonstrate, and fervently pray against the injustice of permitting our avowed ene- mies to take a leading part in legislating for us,) we must submit "for conscience' sake,'' and " suffer " the loss of all,*' rather than leave our flocks, and flee like hirelings who *' care not for the sheep." But if ever a period should arrive when the Apos- tolical Constitution and Discipline of the Church is to be desecrated by that interference which " thinks to change times and laws ;*' if the maxims of expediency should alter the Religious doctrines professed by the State, and dictate the National Faith ; if '* the abominatioa that maketh desolate" should forcibly enter the sanctuary ; — the mighty voice of conscience will then be heard crying in penetralibus, " Let us go hence !" — We must, in that case, be ready to forego all the comforts and advantages of an established Clergy, and devote ourselves to the work of the Ministry, among the "seven thousand in Israel," who, in some seques- tered Pella, through all discouragements, will 4 'ndrnmsf IS •-f steadily refuse to worship " the Prince of this *♦ world."* In the uncertainty of what form that evil spirit may assume, it would be idle to conjure up imagi- nary trials of our constancy, which, in every shape, must be met upon the same broad and intelligible ground,— that, on one hand, " we resist not evil,' as long as it assails nothing more valuable than our endowments ; on the other, that we suffer no un- hallowed hand to touch the Ark of the Covenant, no secular power to interfere with our Canonical obedience, nor with the Articles of our Faith. Yet, in denouncing all such attempts, and " re- " sisting even unto blood striving against sin," we will not forget that the valour of a Christian Ministry is passive fortitude displayed " magis " patiendo quam faciendo, magis ferendo quam «*feriendo;" the atchievements of the Church TreTTOi/^oT l(rn fxaWov ^ iehpuKora ;t " the SWOrd of " the Spirit is the word of God ;" the warfare of the Gospel is a conflict of principles ; we contend not for the things of the world, and consequently • Semper aliqua htereditas erit Filii Dei in gcnere humano. Melancthon, (vol. iv. p. 154.) t Md, Col. 14 we use not the weapons of the world ; we will employ neither intrigue nor agitation ; we will ap- peal to no passions, bribe no interests, enlist no vanities in our cause ; we will " not strive, nor cry ; * neither shall any man hear our voice in the " streets.'* , But though we are " no brawlers " in public meetings convened for political purposes ; neither are we to be wanting on any fair opportunity, " in " meekness to instruct those that oppose them- " selves :"— much of the danger in our present position has arisen from the ignorance which pre- vails of our claims, and of our true character ; of the principles we profess, and of the spiritual au- thority which we ought to exercise : and if, from the fear of giving offence to doubtful adherents, we have shrunk from a manly maintenance of our true ground, we have surely received sufficient warnings that such suppressions may estrange our best friends, and mislead our honest though ill-in- formed supporters, but will never conciliate our opponents, nor produce in them any other senti- ments than contempt for our weakness, and exult- ation in the prospect of our fall. Renouncing therefore ** great things for our- ** selves," and prepared cheerfully to encounter 16 trials in the cause of Truth, there are certain lead- ing points which we will never abandon, and in defence of which we shall be thankful if we are ** counted worthy to suffer." If I venture briefly to notice two or three among these great principles, it is not that I am entitled nor qualified to instruct those who now hear me, but, because I would afford to them that encouragement which my own spirit experiences in the expression of opinions and reso- lutions common to us all. 1. The first post, which must be defended at all hazards, is the Government of the Church by the three orders of Bishops, Priests and Deacons. It would be superfluous to detain such a Congre- gation as the present with proofs that this constitu- tion possesses a Divine sanction ; or to multiply quotations from the Fathers, familiar to you all, which establish the unquestionable certainty of its Apostolical origin. Nor is it necessary, on such an occasion, to shew the fallacy of all those inter- pretations which tend to level the distinction be- tween Bishops and Presbyters ; and the ignorance of that criticism which has affected to call in ques- tion either the authenticity, or the genuineness of all the remains which we possess of the early Chris- tian writei's. " Quod universa tenet Ecclesia, nee consiliis institutum, sed semper retentum est, nou u 16 nisi authoritate Apostolic^ traditum verissime creditur.* But this is a language, however vernacular with us, the very rudiments of which have become strange to the great body of the laity ; and surely, next after the vital doctrines of Christian faith and holiness, there is nothing more essentially import- ant to be instilled into their minds by the public teachers of Religion. They have been misled by a specious but unsound distinction between essen- tial and non-essential doctrines ; — as if any doctrine revealed to man by the Word of God could be other- wise than essential, or any opinion not so revealed could be called a doctrine of Religion at all !•— It rests with us to disentangle this sophistry, and to disabuse the public mind, by stating the Truth, as we ourselves hold it, without disguise or reserve. It has been objected to this bold and honest course that, in adopting it, we run the hazard of driving away many of those general hearers, who, to use their own favourite language, *' have no ob- " jection to the Church, but are willing to go any " where to hear what is good."— Be it so. « The disciple is not above his Master :" our Lord gave offence by the open avowal of his pretensions, so that many of his followers " went away, and walked ♦ Augustin. Contrd Donat. iv. 24. 17 *' 110 more with hina." We will not keep the faith- ful members of our flock in ignorance of import- ant principles, nor " shun to declare unto them the " whole counsel of God," only lest we should sufl'er in the estimation of the world by the thinning of our congregations. a')(^api(JTOv vfiwv amepfx oaoi trjfirjyopov^ ^tjXovre Tt/xa?.^ 2. Another ground from which we cannot recede is the exposure of the enormous evil, and the exceeding sinfulness of Heresy and Schism. The evil indeed is so glaring as to be observed and admitted even by those whose whole efforts are directed to countenance its increase : they perceive, all that is visible to eyes constituted as theirs are, — the mischiefs that float upon the surface of the tur- bid torrent ; that our eflbrts, as a nation, in the cause of Religion are paralyzed by our divisions ; that nothing is done, or can be done, by the country, to augment the means of public instruction in propor- tion to the growth of the population, nor to dis- charge that parental duty which the Mother owes to her colonial children ;— that no steps can be taken to promote education upon any sound system, since the only terms on which agreement can be obtained involve the sacrifice of that vital principle * Eur. Hec. 18 which alone can sanctify knowledge, or render its general attainment consistent with the peace and safety of society. Every measure, however essen- tial to the promotion of Christianity, meets with determined opposition from professed Christians, if it tends, at the same time, to increase the influence of the established Church. These evils most men see, and lament, although they are not agreed where to impute the blame;— but to the sinfulness of Schism, there is a strange apathy : it seems to be forgotten that the Scriptures denounce it as " a carnal sin,*' and rank it in the black catalogue with murder and adultery: the warnings of the Fathers are disregarded who declare that it cannot be expiated by the blood of martyr- dom, (not meaning to attribute to martyrdom any atoning efficacy, but) that no degree of sincerity, though evinced by "giving our bodies to be burned," can excuse it :^it is not seen, but by a searching and spiritual eye, how heresy makes void the means of grace ; defeats every attempt to enforce order, and to restore the primitive discipline of the Church ; loosens the holy bands of concord and union among the members, and, by inevitable consequence, sepa- rates them from the Head, and deprives the body of that ** increase unto the edifying of itself in love,"* * Gai. iv. 16. 1» without which every limb *' is cast forth as a branch, " and is withered. " " If any man love not his brother whom he hath ** seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen ?'' Religious dissension is of all others the most fatal to brotherly love, (the odium Theologi- cum is proverbial,) and its twin affection, the love of God, perishes with it. Religion becomes a mere system of Creed and Law, without spirit and with- out life ; and it ceases, therefore, to be the Gospel of Jesus Christ. " The excellence of the Church,* observes Cle- « ment, like the principle of every substance, is in " unity, surpassing all other things, and having no- *' thing similar or equal to itself. In this ancient " Church alone is the true knowledge to be found ; " because in it was preserved the Apostolic right '* division of doctrine." 3. I will only mention one point more which, however difficult may be our position, we can never safely abandon ; — I mean the legitimate authority of the CI«Tgy in their own congregations, as far as it is net^-^ary to the v '^charge of our unquestionable * Bp. Kaye's Clement, p. 4C0. 20 duties. In the Protfstant Church we do not desire to " have dominion over the faith of our flocks, but " to become helpers of their joy ;"'yet we cannot forget that it is //*rir duty *' to obey those who have *' the spiritual rule over them, who have preached *' to them the word of God ;" that, without such a legitimate submission on their part, it is impossible that " all thingscan be done decently and in order;'* impossible that we can effectually rebuke profane- ness, and reprove sin, and strengthen the hands of timid piety, and train up the young in the ways of righteousness. Authority is indispensable to give effect to our Ministry ; but it is an authority tempered by meekness, exercised with gentleness, adorned with humility ; — it exacts no servile pros- trations ; shrinks from no intercourse, even " with *' publicans and sinners," which may promote the interests of Religion ; desires no worldly distinction, but " condescends to men of low estate.^' The adoption of this course, otherwise unattain- able, will be rendered easy and natural to us if we " have the mind of Christ,'* (" facilis labor est ei " qui sit Dei veritatis que sectator,")^ — of that great pattern of ministerial perfection who has expressly styled us fellow-labourers and shepherds, that we * Lactant, Epitome. r 21 may not regard his example as too exalted for our imitation, or his spirit too holy for our participation. He sought no " great things for himself/' but lived, and died, and offered himself in sacrifice, with but one object in all his conduct, but one longing in his heart, — the glory of God by the salvation of sinners ; and in proportion as we are enabled to bring all selfish views and wishes, all hopes of temporal enjoyment, or aggrandisement, into severe subjec- tion to the same over-ruling desire, we shall deserve the confidence of our people, and exercise over them a just and wholesome influence. Or, if the example of the eternal Son of God were too dazzling for our contemplation, we might derive the same lesson from those of his eminent human servants. Moses must have been shrewdly tempted to " desire great things for himself," when the Al- mighty, in his just wrath, proposed to destroy his rebellious people in a moment, and to make, in their room, a great nation of the faithful Law-giver. But though the offer came from the Most High Himself, the love of his people extinguished in Moses every spark of selfish ambition ; and he cried out with touching self-devotedness, " Oh this people have « sinned a great sin • • • -yet, now, if thou wilt forgive " their sin ;— and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of " the book which thou hast written !"*— a prayer which cannot fail to remind us of the aflfectionate * Exod. xxxii. 32. Numb. xiv. 11—9. 22 ejaculation of St. Paul, ** I could wish that mygelf " were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my •* kinsmen according to the flesh !"• That holy motive, the love of men's souls, end especially of those souls committed to our own charge, will supersede in our hearts every unreason- able or anxious desi re of ** great things for ourselves," even in times of comparative security, when the world affects a specious alliance with the Church of our Master ; — but when Babylon threatens, and «* the Philistines are upon us, " nothing but this one paramount affection can enable us to look with com- posure " upon those things which are coming on the ** earth." Occupied with our work ; anxious to fulfil all righteousness, but leaving the result in the hands of Omnipotence; *» desiring great things" indeed, but "not of this worW ,'* " seeking peace " with all men, ' yet "contenc^iif. • ,estly f .^ ihe " faith once delivered to the saints ; ' humbling our- selves to " wash the disciples' feet," yet ready to answer before " Rulers and Kings for our Lord's name ;" courting privacy, and loving retirement, yet p* ?mpt to " witness a good confession " before the vorld ; \ e may regard, with a tranquil eye, the louring of the horizon, and hear, without shudder- ing, the roll of approaching thunder : If the storm passes away, we can thankfully rejoice in our deli- * Romans, iz. 3. verance ; if it burats upon the world in ruin and desolation, we can '« look up, and lift up our headf ; ** for our redemption draweth ni)4h."* Now, &c. * Quanquam omnia minantur in^iitum, tamen scitote, Ecclesiam cures esie Deo, et t. )u interituram. Melanr^hon (Vol. iv. p. 154.) r. TUOMPION, PRINTER} BEOrORD.