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 A SERMON, 
 
 EZEKIEL XXXIV. 6. 
 
 My flock was scattered upon all the face, of the earth, and none 
 did search or seek after them. 
 
 The general argument of the chapter from which the 
 text is taken may be briefly stated. When this pro- 
 phecy was delivered (about 590 years before the coming 
 of our Lord), Jerusalem had been ruined, the Holy 
 Land laid waste, and the chosen people, God's Flock, 
 scattered or destroyed. The Lord is here represented as 
 exercising his free grace, compassionating the stricken 
 and oppressed, rebuking the negligence and rapacity 
 of the rulers, promising that he himself will search and 
 seek for the scattered ones, "as a shepherd seeketh 
 out his flock;" and pointing to the coming of the Mes- 
 siah, that "plant of renown," under whose glorious 
 reign the bands of their yoke shall be broken, resto- 
 ration to peace secured, and "showers of blessings be 
 their portion." The verse selected refers to the flock 
 as God's flock, to its being scattered, and to the neg- 
 lect of duty by those whose office it was to search 
 and seek after the sheep.
 
 The Bible is replete with such illustrations: for to 
 a pastoral people like the Jews of old, no images were 
 more striking than those drawn in vivid freshness from 
 their every-day life. The Sacred Record; in the very 
 dawn of history, speaks of Abel as "a keeper of sheep," 
 while the Psalms and prophecies abound with figures 
 and allegories, in which God's people are spoken of 
 as "the sheep of his hand;" and our Blessed Lord not 
 only calls Himself the Shepherd of the sheep, but says 
 to Peter, "Feed my sheep." Still, though this is an 
 illustration running through the whole of the Inspired 
 Volume, it is not one that appeals with the same force 
 to a modern as to an ancient audience, to an English 
 as to a Jewish congregation. Our high-pressure age, 
 our science and literature, our commerce and fine arts, 
 our civilization and refinement, prompt a fastidious taste 
 to crave for more highly-seasoned food, and to turn 
 with contempt from the simple imagery of the Hebrew 
 prophets. But with us, I know it is not so. We feel 
 it good to let the mind go back to those early days, 
 and dwell for a time where the shepherds of Israel 
 "fed their flocks:" and to meditate on those sacred 
 scenes from which "shepherds returned, glorifying God." 
 More especially should such associations be interesting 
 to the Clergy, who can never forget that tender and 
 beautiful passage from St John's Gospel, so full of pas- 
 toral allusions, read in their hearing on the most solemn 
 occasion of a Minister's career. 
 
 Familiar then, as such passages must be to all of 
 us, I need not minutely pursue a parallel which is suf- 
 ficiently obvious. The Good Shepherd — the Shepherd 
 
 _ Uiur. "
 
 that giveth his life for the flock — is our Blessed Lord 
 and Saviour, Jesus Christ : " the image of the invisible 
 God, the first-born of every creature;" "perfect God and 
 perfect man ; equal to the Father as touching his God- 
 head, but inferior to the Father as touching his man- 
 hood." Under this good Shepherd, this "head, even 
 Christ," are the subordinate shepherds, the Clergy, to 
 whom the Lord commits various flocks of his people on 
 earth, charging us through his Church, to be "mes- 
 sengers, watchmen, and stewards of the Lord ; to teach 
 and to premonish; to feed and provide for the Lord's 
 family; to seek for Christ's sheep that are dispersed 
 abroad." Our Church requires due preparation, tests 
 our qualifications, shows us our responsibilities, exhorts 
 us to earnest prayer, to assiduous study of the Holy 
 Scriptures, to a life of piety, purity and self-denial. She 
 expects from us activity without restlessness ; tact with- 
 out cunning; earnestness without fanaticism, and cau- 
 tion without cowardice. She demands from us readiness 
 to endure hardness as good soldiers of Christ Jesus; 
 to fight manfully under his banner; but she implores 
 us, in the words and spirit of St Paul, to "avoid foolish 
 and unlearned questions ;" for " the servant of the Lord 
 must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, in meek- 
 ness instructing those that oppose themselves." 
 
 The Fold is the Church of Christ, so called in the 
 Bible and in our Ordination Service. The Church of 
 England is no novelty, no schismatic body, no Protes- 
 tant sect, one of many. She existed as a true branch 
 of the Church Catholic long before the rise of the errors, 
 the superstitions and the usurpations of Rome. She is
 
 a Church, not self-originating, not deriving her autho- 
 rity from the people, but tracing her descent, as she 
 does her doctrines, to the Great Head, to Christ him- 
 self; a Church which, freed from much of human error, 
 the encrustations of ages, comes forth in pristine purity, 
 willing to stand or fall by the Bible and the voice of 
 primitive Christianity; a Church which never enslaves 
 the conscience of her children, and which strictly pro- 
 hibits her clergy from teaching anything to the people 
 as essential to salvation which cannot be proved by 
 Holy Writ 
 
 The Sheep are the individual members of this fold, 
 all who have been baptized into the Church of Christ ; 
 "the body of Christ and members in particular," in 
 the words of St Paul; or, as the 19th xVrticle says, "The 
 visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful 
 men, in the which the pure word of God is preached, 
 and the sacraments be duly administered ;" a definition 
 which, rightly interpreted, refutes many prevalent errors, 
 especially that one which makes Clergy and Church equi- 
 valent terms, to the implied exclusion of the laity ; as 
 if St Peter had never written, " Ye also are built up a 
 spiritual house." And again, the Article just quoted, 
 when speaking of the "visible Church" as "a congrega- 
 tion of faithful men," must not be interpreted as main- 
 taining, that mere outward communion with the Church 
 is equivalent to a man's being a true living mem- 
 ber of the Body of Christ — the use of the Avord "visible," 
 plainly implying that there is a Church invisible — not 
 only in heaven, but also on earth. For, though by 
 baptism, we are grafted into the body of Christ's Church,
 
 7 
 
 the very prayer that "we may lead the rest of our 
 lives according to this beginning," and the whole tone 
 of our services distinctly show that a fall is possible. 
 Our Church has never taught that baptism and salva- 
 tion are synonymous words, that is, that all the bap- 
 tized are saved: nor has she declared the baptized 
 "regenerated," in the modern and perverted use of 
 that word, but in its primitive and genuine signification. 
 The visible flock, then, in this world may and must 
 contain the good and the bad. It is God alone who 
 can finally separate the sheep from the goats. Our 
 duty as shepherds is to feed all that profess to be of 
 the Church; to teach the people committed to our 
 care and charge; to win others to the true fold, and 
 to lead them in peace to the good pasture of the Lord. 
 
 And what is that pasture? The Word of God, the 
 Holy Scripture, which contains all things necessary,"given 
 by inspiration of God, and profitable for doctrine, for 
 reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." 
 Pre-eminently is the Church of England a Scriptural 
 Church, for not only does she in theory assert the su- 
 preme authority of the " Scriptures, which are able to 
 make us wise unto salvation, through faith in Christ 
 Jesus ;" but in her practice she prescribes large portions 
 to be read daily in her public service, while her prayers 
 and praises are all in the spirit, and nearly all in the 
 very words of the Oracles of God. But deeply as she 
 values and venerates the Bible, she does not, as some 
 do, depreciate the Institution of the Church. She be- 
 lieves both to be of God; both intended by Him for 
 his people's good, or both would not have been given.
 
 8 
 
 The great doctrines of the Gospel — the Incarnation, the 
 Atonement, and all that flow from these, must be faith- 
 fully and unreservedly declared ; there must be no de- 
 ceitful handling of the word of God, no wresting, no 
 private interpretation, no explaining away of passages 
 that speak unpalatable truths, no undermining the foun- 
 dations of all our hopes by the secret sapping of ration- 
 alism, or "philosophy falsely so called," no pandering 
 to that spurious liberalism, which, confounding liberty 
 with licentiousness, calls evil good, and good evil; no 
 listening to the voice of the stranger or traitor, who, 
 on the specious plea of adding beauty and dignity to 
 the worship of God, ransacks foreign lands and me- 
 diaeval centuries, bringing back an eclectic system of 
 forms and ceremonies, decorations and vestments, which 
 make the representation more prominent than the 
 reality represented, which delude the weak, amuse the 
 frivolous, irritate the rebellious, gratify the scorner, 
 and grieve the soberminded. The times in which we 
 live call loudly on the shepherds "to take heed to 
 themselves, as well as to the flock of which the Holy 
 Ghost hath made them overseers;" for we know but 
 too well that "grievous wolves are entering in, not 
 sparing the flock." 
 
 But, while these remarks are of general application 
 to the relation between the Christian shepherd and the 
 sheep of Christ, we would solicit your attention to a 
 special view of the subject in reference to those who 
 are really as well as figuratively dispersed — our fellow- 
 countrymen and our fellow-Churchmen " scattered upon 
 all the face of the earth." We speak not of those whose
 
 blessed lot it is to find in another hemisphere other 
 folds of the same great fold as well-ordered as our 
 own; but we refer to such, as not being under the 
 colonial Episcopate, are to be found in many detached 
 groups, in scores, or even hundreds, in foreign lands, 
 where literally "none do search or seek after them." 
 
 We need not here digress to speculate on the origin 
 of dioceses and parishes. We all know the blessings 
 of our Church system — blessings, the purity of whose 
 brightness is rather made conspicuous than diminish- 
 ed by minute spots that occasionally mark its sur- 
 face. Every English parish has its parish Church, 
 with at least, its Sunday services. There the child is 
 made a member of Christ — there the rite of confirma- 
 tion is administered — there we are partakers of the Holy 
 Communion — there the Church's benediction is pro- 
 nounced on the wedded pair — thither the corpse is borne 
 before being "laid into the earth." Every English 
 parish has its parish-priest, "to minister the doctrine, 
 the sacraments, and the discipline of Christ ; to drive 
 away erroneous and strange doctrines ; to use both 
 public and private monitions and exhortations, as well 
 to the sick as to the whole ; to make himself and his 
 family wholesome examples and patterns to the flock 
 of Christ, and to set forward quietness, peace and love 
 among all Christian people, especially amongst those 
 committed to his charge." 
 
 But, what a contrast to all this is the state of those 
 to whom I have alluded ! Where is the parish Church ? 
 where is the parish-priest? Commerce carries off her 
 thousands, either as sea-faring men, or as merchants
 
 10 
 
 settling in foreign parts. War drains away its recruits 
 from many an English village. Emigration pours forth 
 the children of our native land in multitudes every 
 year ; the love of travel, the desire of knowledge, the 
 search after health, and many other causes have 
 scattered and are scattering the sheep of the English 
 fold "upon all the face of the earth." 
 
 Now, were we to apply to this state of things the 
 strong words of the prophecy without due limitation, 
 we might justly be accused of overstating the case. We 
 therefore most willingly concede the unspeakable ad- 
 vantages of our Colonial Bishoprics, and that in many 
 of them there is an approximation to a parochial 
 system. We do not forget the great Religious Societies, 
 and the efforts they have made to send Clergymen, 
 Bibles and Prayer-books abroad. We do not fail to 
 recognize the recent attempts, in many cases successful, 
 to provide Chaplains for our emigrants and seamen, 
 not only in British but in foreign ports. Nor do we 
 wish to undervalue the truly Christian exertions of 
 those good men, who remember the soldier fighting his 
 country's battles, and who provide him with the word 
 of God, with Clergymen and with Scripture Readers. 
 Granting then, all this, and we do so with thankfulness, 
 that so much is being done ; still it is not to be denied, 
 that the supply is, after all, most lamentably deficient. 
 From personal knowledge in a foreign port, I can testify 
 that our sailors neglect themselves, and are sadly neg- 
 lected by the Church. Of the four hundred thousand 
 Englishmen connected with the sea, it is believed 
 that not one in ten has a Bible or a Prayer-book.
 
 11 
 
 Chaplains are unknown in merchant- ships, however 
 large ; are rarely found (save as passengers) in emigrant 
 vessels ; and only in the navy on board men-of-war of 
 the largest class. In many foreign ports, frequented 
 not only by English sailors, but inhabited by English 
 settlers — the sound of a pure Gospel is unheard. No 
 clergyman near, no prayers, no preaching, no baptism, 
 (except by laymen or a Romish priest), no visitation of 
 the sick, no Holy Communion, "None doth search or 
 seek after them." I would, in proof, point to Spain, 
 a country in which for centuries we have had an 
 embassy and numerous British residents ; and yet at 
 this moment hundreds, perhaps thousands, in that land 
 are without any Clergyman of their own Church 1 . 
 
 What must be the consequences ? The prophet tells 
 us. "The fold must become meat to all the beasts 
 of the field." Some fall into utter indifferentism, care- 
 less of every religious observance. Others imbibe the 
 sentiments of the thinking and educated, the so-called 
 "enlightened" classes in Spain, who seek relief from 
 popular credulity in private scepticism. Others again, 
 defying in a foreign land that public opinion which 
 would have restrained them at home, rush into every 
 excess, and outstrip even indigenous immorality by their 
 daring licentiousness. While others, horrified by the 
 conduct of their countrymen, find, or fancy they find, 
 that peace and comfort in Rome, which their own 
 
 1 For many years there was no English clergyman settled as chaplain 
 in any part of Spain ! Ahout ten years ago, through the exertions of the 
 British Consul, a chaplain was placed at Malaga. Only last month one 
 was appointed at Madrid, and another at Bilbao.
 
 12 
 
 Church has failed to send them. True it is, that all 
 have not bowed the knee to Baal. There are some 
 bright spots I know of, where perhaps at this very 
 hour the faithful brethren are gathered together in the 
 name of Christ, secretly like the disciples of old, in an 
 upper chamber, for prayer and praise. 
 
 Let me now briefly enquire what are the causes, 
 what the remedies of this sad state of things. The 
 cause is the apathy in regard to religion, which, even 
 in England, keeps half our people from public worship ; 
 and, in a foreign land, our rough miners, labourers and 
 sailors, untrained in Christian principles, and suspicious 
 of our motives, are little likely to take the initiative in 
 obtaining the advantage of a Christian ministry. Even 
 the middle and higher classes, from whom we might 
 expect better things, do not always adequately represent 
 our Church : and by some, our national character, as 
 a religious people, is most seriously compromised. In 
 many towns the British Consul is the only chaplain, 
 a room in his house the only Church ; the reading of 
 prayers the only service; and in most instances, not 
 even that, for the consuls are either Roman Catholics, 
 or for some other reason will not officiate. 
 
 Another cause is the indifference of the Church at 
 home, partly from ignorance of the facts, and partly 
 from the opinion that the conversion of the heathen 
 to the fold is a more imperative duty than the pre- 
 servation of our own countrymen in the fold of Christ. 
 
 A third cause may be found in the intolerance of 
 the Romish priesthood, acting through the civil power, 
 and imposing restrictions which amount almost to pro-
 
 13 
 
 hibition ; such as, that no public worship other than the 
 Roman Catholic shall be permitted, and that not more 
 than twenty persons shall be allowed to assemble for 
 Divine service, even in a Consulate or private house; 
 an intolerance which is intensified by the well-meant 
 but mistaken efforts of pious people to interfere with 
 the religion of the country, in which, after all, let 
 it not be forgotten, we are but guests. An injudi- 
 ciousness which reaches its climax, when persons are 
 found maintaining that the duty of an English Chaplain 
 resident in a Roman Catholic country consists quite as 
 much in converting the natives, as in ministering to his 
 own countrymen — a fatal combination, injurious to both 
 causes, and, in a recent instance, producing a most pain- 
 ful result. 
 
 Here, then, surely is a case in which the Church 
 of England is deeply concerned, in which her respon- 
 sibility is great. "I will require my flock at their 
 hand." The evil is evident; what are the remedies? 
 One is the immediate employment of missionaries, 
 acting under episcopal sanction, to visit all the towns 
 with British settlers, officiate as frequently as possible, 
 and encourage the people to unite for the purpose of 
 obtaining resident clergymen. Combined with this, or 
 rather preceding it, a more decided action of the 
 venerable Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, 
 not merely a ptassive encouragement (as at present) but 
 an active promotion of missions to our own people, one 
 of its original and prominent objects. An amendment, 
 too, of the Foreign Chaplaincy Act is much required, as 
 the present regulations under it admit British subjects
 
 14 
 
 of all creeds on a mere money qualification, to vote in 
 the election and dismissal of the chaplains, independ- 
 ently of the Bishop ; an arrangement which deters many 
 clergymen from accepting consular chaplaincies. Further, 
 it has been suggested, that the sums at present lavished 
 on attempts to proselytise, would be much better em- 
 ployed in providing clergymen for our own people, who, 
 abandoned by the Church of England, seek refuge in 
 Rome. And finally, the cessation of all violent attacks on 
 Romish error, trusting rather to the silent eloquence 
 of the principles and practices of our Church, when duly 
 represented; and believing that the exhibition of her 
 true character will be of inestimable service to many 
 darkened but enquiring minds. To such the knowledge 
 of the fact, that it is possible to shake off human error 
 and yet remain a member of the Catholic Church— I 
 mean of course in the true sense of that word— would be 
 a boon of which we have but little conception ; for many 
 Spaniards are made to believe that the word Protestant 
 is but another term for Atheist; and that there is no 
 resting-place between Superstition and Infidelity. Show 
 the intelligent classes of Roman Catholic countries, that 
 there is a pure branch of the Church, at once Catholic 
 and Protestant — Catholic, in maintaining the great posi- 
 tive truths of our most holy faith— and Protestant, in 
 opposing the admixture of human follies ; — show them 
 this, and more good will be done, and in a better way, 
 than by all the expensive and irritating machinery at 
 present in operation. And at this blessed season, while 
 we remember the Advent of our Lord, let us hope and 
 pray that our Church, if not in her collective capacity,
 
 15 
 
 at least through her societies and individual members, 
 will take means to wipe away this reproach. Let her 
 hold out the right hand of fellowship to those of our 
 countrymen, who, scattered in foreign parts without 
 the means of grace, wonder why the "Priest and the 
 Levite" of their own Church of England "pass by on 
 the other side," and cry, but hitherto in vain, "come 
 over and help us ;" or are silent in indifference and 
 despair. Let us no longer neglect those lonely outposts 
 of our Church, holding out bravely for " the truth, as 
 it is in Jesus," struggling against famine within and 
 the foe without : but let us tell them their prayers have 
 been heard, that help is coming, that the day of their 
 deliverance is at hand, that "they shall be no more a 
 prey," but "they shall dwell safely, and none shall make 
 them afraid." They shall then know the realization of 
 the consolatory promise: — "As a shepherd seeketh out 
 his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are 
 scattered : so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver 
 them out of all places where they have been scattered 
 in the cloudy and dark day. Thus they shall know, that 
 I the Lord their God am with them, and that they are 
 my people, saith the Lord God." 
 
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