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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 
 

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