صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

of that diocese, or ordinary, of the peculiar jurifdiction from whence he comes, of his good life, ability, and conformity to the ecclefiaftical laws of the Church of England.

IX. That you do not allow any minister to serve more than one church or chapel, in one day, except that chapel be a member of the parish-church, or united thereunto; and unless the said church, or chapel, where fuch minister shall ferve in two places, be not able, in your judgment, to main

tain a curate.

X. That in the inftrument of licenfe granted to any curate, you appoint him, what fhall appear to you, upon due confideration of the duty to be performed by him, the value of the benefice, and the other circumftances of the cafe, a fufficient falary, according to the power vefted in you by the laws of the church, and the particular direction of the act of parliament for the better maintenance of curates.

XI. That you take care, as much as is poffible, that whofoever is admitted to ferve any cure, do refide in the parish where he is to ferve; especially in livings that are able to fupport a refident curate: And where that cannot be done, that he do at least refide fo near to the place, that he may conveniently perform all the duties both in the church and parish.

XII. That you be very cautious in accepting refignations; and endeavour with the utmost care, by every legal method, to guard against corrupt and fimoniacal presentations to benefices.

XIII. That you require your clergy to wear their proper habits, preferving always an evident and decent diftinction from the laity in their apparel; and to fhew in their whole behaviour, that ferioufnefs, gravity, and prudence which becomes their function; abftaining from all unsuitable company and diverfions.

Thefe directions I defire you would, with all convenient fpeed, communicate to the clergy of your diocefe, affuring them, that it is your fixed refolution to make them the rule of your own practice. In the mean time, commending you to the Divine Blessing, I remain,

My Lord,
Your truly affectionate brother,
THO. CANT.

Lambeth, May 8, 1759.

Mifcellanies.

LETTERS to a YOUNG GENTLEMAN, &c.

[ocr errors]

LETTER VI.

OF PREACHING.

HERE is no part of the clerical office, my dear brother, more ufeful and important, and none more arduous and difficult, than that of preaching. A wifer inftitution cannot be imagined, than the weekly inftruction of the people from the pulpit, in all the great truths which concern their falvation: nor can the best effects fail to flow from this excellent inftitution, if those, who are concerned, fulfil it with due propriety. If right topics be handled, if they be handled with all perfpicuity, and inforced with all becoming energy and, ferioufnefs; it is impoffible, but Chriftian knowledge must be diffused, and Chriftian practice much improved.

:

Julian, than whom the religion of Jefus furely never had a more fubtile or fenfible adverfary, was clearly con vinced of the vaft importance of preaching, of inftructing the people by plain and fpirited difcourfes addreffed to them and therefore, the better to re-establish paganism, he wifely adopted the Chriftian method, and appointed philofophers, preachers of paganism, to countermine, by their difcourfes on the ordinary topics of virtue and morality, the acknowledged efficacy of the Chriftian preaching. This was a master-piece of policy in the apoftate; and like the reft of his devices, well adapted to fubvert the Chriftian religion-if the gates of hell could ever have prevailed against it.

As preaching is confeffedly of fo high utility, it may feem ftrange, that fo little attention is paid to the inftructing our candidates for holy orders, in this diftinguished branch of their duty. Muft it not be deemed a deficiency in our academic education, that young gentlemen, defigned for the 3 G church

VOL. XIV.

Chm. Mag. June, 1808.

church, are so much neglected with refpect to the science of theology, the compofition and delivery of fermons ? And is it not to be imputed to this caufe, that we have so few good preachers?when I fay good, I mean only fuch as may be heard with tolerable edification and pleafure. For I am too well aware, how many qualifications, natural and acquired, are neceffary to conftitute a great, a complete preacher, to expect that every clergyman fhould excel. It should however be the ftudy of every clergyman to excel; and there is no doubt, but affiduity and attention will conquer many difficulties, and make a man an useful if not an eloquent inftructor. And as fo much advantage to others, as well as so much credit to a man's felf, arises from a perfect difcharge of this duty; I wonder our young clergymen are not more folicitous to exert themselves, as well in compofing as in delivering their fermons. What an indignity do they offer to their facred character, and what a contempt do they bring upon themfelves, who think it fufficient to fupply themfelves with a certain quota of manufcript fermons, (warranted original!)* which, as the fabbath recurs, they read, as the fchool-boy reads his book-and behold their business is done! What, doth Chriftianity then afford no animating motives for felf-exertion! and is there no joy in contributing to the eternal felicity of fellow creatures! -Could the zeal for his country infpire a Demofthenes with fuch a flame of oratory; and fhall the zeal for immortality have no influence on the hearts of Chriftian preachers! Yes, doubtlefs it has :-on one heart however, my dear brother, let me hope, that it will have a particular influence: would to God my friendly exhortations might serve not only to awaken that zeal, but to direct it properly; that it might enliven, and invigorate all your difcourfes from the pulpi!

Now before I fpeak of the delivery of thefe, fuffer me to fay few things refpecting the compofition. And here I hall throw my thoughts together, under the following beads ft. The fubject matter of your difcourfes.-2d. The providing that matter.-3d. The order or method of arranging it.—4th. The ftyle.

:

For

This is the common puff of advertisers, But beware of counterfeits is a good caution for young divines, as well as others, least for sermons of respectable clergymen they buy the meagre and hackney performances of scribbling writers, hired and employed to write these warranted originals.

[ocr errors]

For the fubject of your difcourfes, take care that it is evangelical. Confider that you are ordained a teacher of the Gospel of Jefus Chrift; that from his Gospel you derive your authority; and that upon his Gofpel depend the hopes-the everlafting hopes, as well of yourself as of all your congregation. You will therefore never be ashamed of that glorious Gofpel, which is the powerful inftrument in the hand of God to bring about the falvation of mankind: and from which fuch affecting and interefting arguments may be drawn to awaken and to comfort your hearers, as no other system can fupply.

There is a report gone abroad, and one which the modern fectaries are very busy to improve, that the clergy at prefent are too apt to dwell upon fubjects of mere morality, without regard to thofe great sources of it, which the Chrif tian fyftem fupplies. Harangues are heard, (it is faid, I know not how truely) either merely metaphyfical, or merely moral, fuch as a Seneca or Cicero, in their unenlightened state might have preached.-If this be true, it may well be faid of the English clergy, that they are ftrangely fallen, and that they greatly err: fince the example of their many eminent predeceffors would certainly inftruct them better; and fince morality, not drawn from Chriftian principles, can never produce any falutary effects. There is fomething fo equivocal in the words moral and morality, efpecially as they are used by some people; that it requires care accurately to diftinguish. To fay a man is a moral preacher, with fome implies excellence, with others the groffeft deficiency, and a total aberration from Chriftianity. Both are, in fome degree, right: to preach morality, that is, to inculcate and enforce the practice of all moral virtues, of all we owe to our neighbour and ourselves, is certainly right, and every minifter's duty: but to preach this only, or to preach this, not upon Chriftian principles, in a merely abstract argumentative way, is indifputably very defective. The most excellent fyftem of morality in the world, is the Chriftian; but how different is this from every human fyftem! how different in its authority, fource, fanction, and extent! Indeed Jefus Chrift hath not only fhewn, in precepts, all which his followers are to be, and to do; but hath exemplified, by his life and actions, the whole round of Chriftian morals. And therefore from him Chriftian preachers are to derive their arguments and ftrength. We preach Chrift and him crucified, ought to be their motto.-But

having

having more to fay upon this fubject, I fhall beg leave to

poftpone it to my next.

And am, in the mean time,

faithfully yours,

J. G.

INDECENCY AT THE FOUNDLING.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S

SIR,

THE

MAGAZINE.

I am informed, is accused of

HE Rev. Mr. D. a great offence at the Foundling Hofpital. On Sunday, May 29, he preached there a long, a loyal, and an orthodox fermon. In it he very naturally referred to the late agitation of the Queftion about Catholic Emancipation, which he and others difapproved. He called it the late "audacious attempt to introduce the fubject." Now as the fubject had been decided before, and as the king's confcience is not of yielding materials, I do not know that the expreffion was too ftrong; but this fermon gave great offence, and fome leading members of the charity formed themselves into a junto, and paffed a vote of cenfure on the preacher, and his doctrine. Now, I would afk, was there any thing immoral in the difcourfe? was there any thing fchifmatical? was there any thing contrary to the analogy of faith? If there had been, I conceive the committee would have been juftified in reprefenting it to the bifhop; and let the bishop have proceeded against the clergyman; but here a number of laymen, without any authority, by a felf-created power, prefume to cenfure a clergyman, and for what? For doing what he confcientiously thought it his duty to do on that day? Did we not in the prayer appointed for that day, deplore the evils of the GREAT REBELLION? To the ears of fome, this would found as very illiberal and improper language; fome, perhaps, whofe ancestors were enriched by the confufion of thofe times. That was a period when the church was cruelly depreffed, and the meeting house was

triumphant ;

« السابقةمتابعة »