A modest address to the clergy of the Church of England. By a clergyman. 1757
Clergyman
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W r rr — — „ — 7 * S bk rr „„ Atlt.. — EE — „„„ AC. at ond 1 a *— 22 Mop Rs ADDRESS, Ee. Fa Time, when general Ad- dreſſes are deafening the royal Ear, that a national enquiry may be made into national Miſconduct; at a Time when Uproar and Disorder grow big and violent, and the Hearts of many wax faint for the tottering condition of our Religion and Constitution; at such a Time as this when the papal Banner is displayed in Triumph, and the Enemies of our Peace are advancing with haughty Steps; let me Addresses myself to you, my Brethren and Companions of the Altar, you who are the bulwark of our Religion, you who are intruéted with the eternal Intereſts of Men, that you awake at this critical Juncture from your Spiritual Lethargy, that you be no longer allured by the blandishments of Senſe, devoted to Grandeur and Ambition, -but that Reformation and national Piety may revive and flourish again through your Endeavours and good Examples; that the Arm of Providence may interpose at this Time to snatch this unthankful Nation from such imminent and deadly Danger. For be it from me to defame or discredit the sacred and most excellent Order of Men, the Ministers of Jesus Christ: I am one, my brethren, who had the honour to be early instructed into the Service of the same great Master; and I hope it will not be offensive to any of you, if it be done with seriousness and candour, to enquire at this critical juncture, when national depravity overtops all bounds and measures, how far the visible neglect of pastoral duty has been instrumental in letting in such a torrent of immorality as must, and sink this Nation: Nor do I presume to lay this heavy charge upon the Consciences of the Clergy in general; no, my 7 228 I speak it with trust, a 'I am without a speedy prevention, overwhelm, without a speedy prevention, overwhelm, and overwhelm me with the most painful and laudable endeavors of many, the truly pious and charitable labours of others, in turning the sense of the Gospel, have, I doubt not, been highly serviceable in averting the judgments of God, and have been, as it were, a grateful sacrifice, to stop that lingering. Ring vengeance which has so often threatened the Ruin and Destruction of this Kingdom; yet it is to be greatly feared too, that the inconsiderateness of some among us, the inactivity and dislike of others to do good in their ministerial Offices have been deadly to the Cause of Virtue, and have poisoned the whole and salutary precepts of the Christian Institution. Moe are blessed with the purest Religion that was ever vouchsafed to the Sons of Men, a Religion that is decent and reasonable in all its Parts, and if our Hearts and Minds were but half as firm and pure, what Prosperity and Happiness might we not expect? If Zealand Union for the love of God and our Religion could but once take For if we who were hired at such great price, the promise of unspeakable happiness should be found at the last great day, to have done no work in the proportion to the degrees of our diligence and industry here, in serving. It shall be my in the midst of our short work, to inquire from what evil springs do arise. It strains of bitterness, what reasons or causes can be affixed for such a general decay of piety, such a visible apathy from moral goodness, and I shall be profitable means, by which, united to the divine assistance, we heal our civil diseases and bind up our bodies. + WM dy * pete \ "3 bo Ls { L Is 1 4 Rn Ys * 0 Ei ak 1g 2 Mg" - . x ES OO OA OE I os pos 48} up the Wounds of Religion: : And if i in the Proſecution of theſe Enquiries any of you, my Brethren, ſhould be offend= td; let it be remembred, that no Spite or Bitterneſs is defign'd* againſt the Per- fons: of any; but it is time for Men to ſpeak out, it is time ts put a ſtop to: this national Infeetion, and therefore, For the ſake of Sion I 201, not Hold my Peace, for ow s ſake T will not ade. Þ Nie... 9951! SLOT There are ine: b, to God. it was not ſo common) ho inveſt- ed with the character of Miniſters, Ambaſſadors for Chriſt, and co-workers with him,” who forgetting. the Buſineſs of their Calling, and the Example of their Maſter,” whoſe conſtant Employ- ment it was to do good to the Souls of Men, do ſhamefully deſert his Service and are Enemies of the Croſs of Chriſt, Men of diſſolute Lives and Converſa- tions, lovers of Phaſure more than lovers _ of God, who like the Shepherds of V rael, the Prophet Ezekiel mentions, do feed themſelves: But wwo'to the Shepherds of Iſrael that do feed the Mſelves; ; ſhould not the Shepherds feed the Flock 2 The diſ- eaſed | (9) eaſed have ye not firengthened, neither bave ye bealed that which was fick, neither had ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye ſought that which was leſt, but with Force and Cruelty have ye ruled them; wherefore 1 am againſt the Shepherds, faith the Lord. And it is no wonder God should be displeased with those, by whose love and irregular Lives, supreme Negligence and cruel Treatment, the Souls of those committed to their charge are permitted to live in ignorance and sin, and to be lost and perished for ever; but whoever thou art, instructed with so great a Commission, consider thyself and others: it should be thy constant and daily Exercise to administer to the Wants of Men; begin then this necessary Work, For the Night may suddenly come upon thee, so soon thou mayst not be permitted to Work. What if some of those idle and unprofitable Hours which are spent in a round of Visits, or it may be in the immoderate pursuit of field Amusements, were to be more charitably employed in a way the doubting and unsettle Temper; whoever teaches by the Example of his great Work of the Ministry? Think not thou hast allotted enough of thy Time for serious Duties; because thou hast a thousand Opportunities every Day to do Good: Instruct the Ignorant by good and reasonable Admonition, reclaim the Stubborn and Disobedient by gentle and kind Reproof, visit the Sick and drooping Spirit; comfort and exhilarate the Superstition and Bigotry of Rome; then would the Protestant Religion, once the Admiration of the World and scourge of Rome, now faded and changed from its primitive Lustre by the prevalence of Atheism and the Inscolencies of Popery, lift up its Head again, and surmount every Opposition: The precepts and good instructions of the truly virtuous are extremely persuasive, and own good Life, does certainly teach to the best Purposes, but whoever he is who lives a vicious and profligate Life, though he had the Tongue of Angels and understood all Mysteries and had all Knowledge, yet never could he be of service to promote Religion: No Man would ever receive the Counsel he offers, when he is convinced by his irregular Behavior that he himself does not regard it: Our Wickedness is arrived at its full maturity, all Orders and Ranks of Men have caught the Contagion, this is thy Triumph, O Immorality! no wonder then Men are lewd and factious, contentious and disturbers of the public Tranquillity, no wonder Men are false and treacherous, base and cowardly, corrupt and insolent, when the Fear of God is cast behind them, and Men are become abominable in their doings. Upon you, ye Magistrates of the Realm, ye who are the Ministers of God too for the public Safety, our Continuance as a Nation greatly depends, exert then at this critical juncture your utmost Power to stand up against the Workers of Iniquity, contribute by your Zeal and good Examples to the maintenance of the true Religion and the suppreshing of Vice and Immorality. But as no Order or Set of Men is so peculiarly adapted for this necessary and useful Work of Reformation, no Men who have such powerful Means and Opportunities to be serviceable for this great End, as my Brethren of the holy Function; to you I shall address myself again, and shall point out some visible Neglects in the imperfect Discharge of your ministerial Duties, which I fear have been highly injurious to the Credit and Reputation of the reformed Religion. It must hurt the Peace of every other Christian to see the deplorable absence of public Worrhip: God has appointed but one Day in seven for the exercise of religious Duties, and an Hour or two is the most of our Time required for this necessary Performance; yet as if it was but a small Thing to dishonour God, How hardly are some persuaded to consecrate even this pittance of Time for the Service of God and their own Happiness? Amazing! That Creatures who every Day experience so many singular Blessings from Providence, should be guilty of such foul Ingratitude; the very Heathens themselves will rise up in Judgment against us, and be our Accusers: For no Nation or Age of the World did ever yet behold such complicated Scenes of Wickedness and folly as are in some Places exhibited upon the Christian Sabbath. Ligion they will afterwards grow and indifferent about it as they grow up to Manhood; they are then too wise for Instruction, and too awkward to begin to learn; so that the want of early Tuition is the foundation of their future Misery: They cannot then be persuaded to partake of the blessed Sacrament, because they are ignorant, they pretend, of its Nature and Design, the God has made the neglect of this positive Duty as incompatible with Salvation as the neglect of any one Commandment; thus ignorant of their Christian Duties for want of early Instruction they become an easy Prey to Seducers, or take Shelter in Infidelity, causing every Ordinance of God, and living as without God in the World. That this is the ſad Condition of Numbers, too much Experience convin- ces; and one would think the Miniſters of the Goſpel were born of Rocks and equalled the Brutes in Cruelty, if they can behold with indifference ſuch Myri- ads ſinking in Miſery and not ſtretch gut their Hands to fave them: I do not 3 Po 7 5 (16) | fay the Clergy can force Men to be Good and Virtuous; this we know is al- together impracticable, but then much might be done by frequent Inſtruction, by Perſuaſion, and by good Examples; If our Light was to ſhine before Men that they might ſee our good Works, it is cha- ritably to be preſumed they would ſtrive to imitate ; but if 4/inded through ; the deceitfulneſs of Sin, they are permit- ted to wander in the wide Paths of Er- ror and Ignorance, no wonder they are loſt and bewildered—Give me: leave to put a Caſe to any of you, my Brethren; _ -Suppoſe ſome powerful Patron was to ſollicit your Vote and Intereſt with your Pariſhioners to ſupport his Election, and was to back the Petition with a Promiſe of a hearty Living, which of you in this Caſe would be remiſs and negligent? Would ye not cloſely apply to every Voter? And ſuppoſe ſome unrea- ſonable Excuſes were urged by ſome for their not complying; I doubt not but ye would uſe your utmoſt Rhetoric and try every plauſible Argument to re- move ſuch idle Excuſes: Now if the | fame . i7) ſame Ee were uſed to bring Men to the public Worſhip of God, and to be Partakers of the holy Commu- nion, I doubt not but they would have a powerful Influence upon the Minds of many; for I cannot ſuppoſe Men to be ſo obſtinately bent upon future Mi- ſery as to prefer” i it to a ſtate of Op pineſs. | And ripblſas* it ſhould coft us a little Labour and Trouble to do this it would ſoon be over, but the Comforts arifing from ſuch laudable Endeavours will remain with us for the reſt of our Lives ; nor ſhall we loſe our Reward at the great Day, when thoſe who have converted many t0 Righteouſneſs will ſhine as the Stars in Heaven. What if ſome _ uſeful Books, which are to be purchaſed. At an easy Price, were to be distributed as Occasion serves to the Poor and Indigent? And some of our vacant Hours (for many we must own we have) set apart and allotted to explain and expound them: And if Men will not be "Wo F" N 7 N N a . 7 2 9 ES 8 8 * IB Ow Rr PAS * * * ws. 6 * 22 2 A 2 * 1 * _ 2 a n 4 * b „„“7 EI _. \ — Ls ©, 8 a rap 1 - 7 N — . n W : 8 ” s — : 8 R = N * »& — *. '. : 1 2 3 i 0 " a : * — (8) 3 after such hearty Endeavours as these to be punctual at their Devotions, we must have recourse, as the Canon directs, to the civil Power, and this perhaps might be very Infrequent in bringing Men to the Obedience of the Gospel: Were we to take up that noble Resolution of the Royal Passion, so behave ourselves wisely in a perfect way, and to walk in our houses with a perfect heart, this would be a means to revive again, what is almost expiring in this profligate Age, family Religion; and it would highly redound To the honor of the established Clergy, to be more exemplary to their Families in serving God, and unblameable in their Conversations. We may be displeased, if we will, at the Abilities of Men in Power, and may fret at the misconduct of those who were employed to fight our Battles; the unprosperous Successes of our Arms, united to our civil Dissensions, may reasonably disturb, our Peace, and make us uneasy; but if we will seriously inquire into the Causes and Nature of Things, we shall find that a want of Religion and moral Virtue are the true and principal Causes of our present Disorders: for if our Lives and Properties, our Liberties, and what more valuable yet, our excellent Religion, are to be defended by a set of Men, who, instead of being more religious than others, as they are more eminently exposed to Danger, are nevertheless more profligate and abandoned, little I fear is to be expected from our Fleets and Armies; for it is confirmed to us from the Experience of Solomon, that the Wicked will flee when no Man purifies, but the Righteous is bold as a Lion. The wise Man does not assert from this Place, that every wicked Man is a Coward, or that every good and religious Man is as bold as a Lion; his Meaning is plain and obvious. That wickedness Naturally, it tends to dishearten and make men Cowards, but Righteousness exists to Valour; and the Truth of this is evident. No evident, for the Wicked must be more than a Soldier who dares to defy the God of Armies; or can hazard his life with indifference, when he knows if he falls in Battle he is lost and undone for ever. But this is not the case of the Righteous; he is firm and unshaken in the midst of Danger, secure in his own Integrity; the instruments of War that are dealing Death around him turn his Thoughts upon God and his Protection; if he lives he is comforted by the Applause of an Honest Conscience, and if he falls he is happy forever: so that we see Wickedness and Immorality naturally tend to make Men Cowards, and not only deprives them of the Divine Protection, but disqualifies them also for the Service of their Country. A small Acquaintance with History, particularly that of the Jewish Nation, will sufficiently teach us, that the Prosperity or Misery of a Nation depends upon national Behaviour; when the Jews were constant and hearty in the worship of the true God, and served him in Truth and Sincerity, they miraculously prevailed and proscribed; but when they broke off from the service of God, and became idolatrous and deadly wicked, no Nation ever experienced more fatal Calamities: and how long it will please God to defend us, who are more than Jews in Iniquity, from the Hands of our Enemies, we cannot tell; but except some immediate stop be put to that prodigious Impiety which everywhere prevails, we may soon bid a lasting Farewell to every thing that is dear and valuable. We have yet Time. and Opportunity, my Brethren, to consider and amend our Lives, and by reforming ourselves to promote the Reformation of others: If we have hitherto neglected the Work of the Ministry, let us now make amends by exerting a double Diligence. If we will not defend our Religion with as much Warmth and Zeal as the Enemies of our Peace exert to undermine and ruin it, it will be one day irrecoverably lost and taken from us: Be ye therefore in earnest in Season, out of Season, reprove, rebuke, exhort; stand fast in one Spirit, with one Mind, in Love and Unity striving together for the Faith of the Gospel. Let us seriously consider the Importance of our Office, and the valuable Treasure committed to our Charge; they are the Sheep of Christ whom he bought by his Death, and for whom he was contented to be betrayed and crucified. Let us therefore take care of the flock, not by constraint but willing by, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready Mind, and when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a Crown that fadeth not away. It is time for us to call upon those who are instructed to our care, to beg of God in this time of Danger to go forth with our Fleets and Armies; it is time for us to awaken everyone who is restless and negligent, as the Mariner did Jonah in that dreadful Storm, saying, what meanest thou, O Sleeper? Ariz, call upon thy God. If so be God will think upon us, that we perish not. Thus if we will turn unto God by a general Repentance, God may be intreated to spare us, and to continue us still a free and happy People; but if we will still do wickedly, we shall be consumed, both we and our King. 