himself what repair is needful out of the profits of their benefices: and what proportion of them fhall be applied to this purpose, is left to his difcretion (f): but the injunctions of H. 8. Ed. 6. and Q. Eliz. directed a fifth (g). And a further conftitution of Othobon, published in the year 1268, exprefsly orders, that such a fequeftration be made in the cafe of houfes fallen down, as well as decayed (b). And the Ref. Leg. Eccl. had provided in the fame manner for the fame thing (i), in conformity with evident reafon. Indeed, where no house hath been for a long time, compelling the incumbent to rebuild one may feem hard. But is it not harder ftill, that his parishioners and fucceffors fhould never more enjoy an advantage, intended to be a perpetual one? At least, whatever he may think of his legal obligation, he should confider, whether he is not in confcience obliged to devote fome fitting share of his income to this ufe. Surely, if he doth not think it a ftrict duty, he must think it, unless there be fome peculiar reafon to the contrary, an excellently good action. And fuppofing that what he can lay by, will amount only to a tolerable beginning: yet others may, and probably will, sooner or later, add to it, and complete the work. : But whatever care you ought to take, and I ought to fee that you take, in relation to your houses: there is ftill a much greater, for the fame reasons and more, due from you, who are rectors, in relation to your chancels and I am yet more exprefsly authorized, by Statute-law as well as Canon, to fuperintend this matter. Chancels are the moft facred part of the church: and the whole church ought to be preserved in a condition, worthy of that Being, whose it is; and fit to infpire his worshippers with reverence. The light of Nature taught the Heathens to adorn their temples (k). God himself provided, by exprefs and mis nute directions, for the beauty of his fanctuary amongst the Jews: the ancient Chriftians imitated thefe precedents, as foon as ever the danger of perfecution ceased (1): and if the following ages carried their notions of magnificence and ornament in religious edifices too far, as undoubtedly they did, in heaping up treasures there, which had much better have been diftributed to the poor, than kept to provoke the envy and avarice of the great: yet in this country, for feveral generations paft, the contrary extreme hath prevailed to fo fhameful a degree, as muft needs give Papifts an exceeding great difguft to Proteftantifm; and Infidels no fmall contempt of Chriftians, as either defpifing inwardly the religion they profefs, or being too fordid to pay it the common outward marks of respect. Now what hope can we have of bringing our people back, unless we fet them the example? What can we fay to our parishioners about their churches, or to lay-impropriators about their chancels; or, fay what (f) See Gibson's Codex, T. 32. c. 3. p. 789, &c. we (g) See Wilkins, vol. 4. p. 5. The Ref. Leg. Eccl. Tit. de Dilapidationibus, c. z. p. 77. directs only a 7th. (b) Gibson's Codex, Tit. 32 c. 3. p. 789. (i) Tit. de Dilap. c. z. p. 77. (k) Hor. Od. 15. lib. 2. and Sat. 2. lib. 2. v. 103, 104, 105. (1) See Bingham. we will, how can it be expected they should mind us, if we are blameable ourselves on the fame head? In refpect of their duty in this point, and fome concern, (indeed not a little) which you have with it, I intend to speak at large, if God fpare my life and health to another vifitation, But at present I confine myself to what is more immediately and intirely the province of the Clergy. Anciently the repair of the whole church was incumbent on the rector as of common right (m). I believe it continues to be so still in other nations: but the custom of ours hath releaf. ed us from the largest part of the burthen: for which reafon we ought to bear the remainder very chearfully; and exceed what in ftrictness might be demanded of us. Plainnefs of appearance, though carried almoft to the borders of neglect, in relation to our own perfons and abodes, may be a judicious and inftructive mark of fimplicity and humility. But it will be much more fo, if, at the fame time, we are liberal in providing for the honour of facred things. And if, instead of that, we take juft the contrary part; dwell, as the Prophet expreffes himself, in ceiled baufes, and let the house of God lie wafte (n); fuffer the principal part of it, and that with which we are intrufted, to be in a worfe condition, than any common room we live in; think nothing too good for ourfelves, and every thing good enough for him and his fervice; it is an exceeding bad fign; and must have a most undefirable effect on all who obferve it. I believe indeed that the chancels, which belong to incumbents, will be generally found in the best condition of any. Yet fome even of thefe, I fear, have fcarce been kept in neceflary prefent repair, and others by no means duly cleared from annoyances, which muft gradually bring them to decay: water undermining and rotting the foundations, earth heaped up against the outfide, weeds and fhrubs growing upon them, or trees too near them. Where fufficient attention is paid to these things; too frequently the floors are meanly paved, or the walls dirty or patched, or the windows ill glazed, and it may be in part ftopt up, or the roof not ceiled: or they are damp, offenfive and unwholefome, for want of a due circulation of air. Now it is indifpenfably requifite to preserve them not only ftanding and fafe, but clean, neat, decent, agreeable: and it is highly fit to go further, and fuperadd, not a light and trivial finery, but fuch degrees of proper dignity and grandeur, as we are able, confiftently with other real obligations. Perhaps they may have been long, or perhaps always, as mean as they are at prefent. But the meanness which in ages of lefs elegance might give no offence, may justly give more than a little now. And why should not the church of God, as well as every thing else about us, partake of the improvements of later times? In feveral of your chancels, I doubt not, every thing which I have been recommending is done. In others you have refolved to do it: and if any have not rightly confidered the matter before, they must be fenfible, that it was my duty to admonish them, and is theirs to regard the admonition. For, as to the excufes, which may be pleaded under this (m) See Conft. Otbob. Tit. 17, and John de Athon, Verb. Cancellos. (n) Hag. i. 4. head head of chancels, they have been obviated, under the former of parfonage-houses. It only remains now, that I fpeak briefly to the third point, our obligations in regard to the temporalities of our benefices, when we have a near view of quitting them: whether by death, which may be near us at any time, and must be fo in old age; or any other way. Some, because they were not to continue incumbents long, have fet themselves to confult their own interefts, by neglect of all expenfive duties, by committing wafte, by allowing others to commit it. A manner of proceeding, in all cafes unjust: when they are removing to a better income, peculiarly dishonourable: when they fee their latter end approach, fhockingly wicked; unless the decay of their faculties furnish some excuse. for them. Rejecting therefore all fuch practices with just abomination, we are bound in thefe circumftances, to confider feriously, what our past faults and omiffions, relating to this article, have been: to undo, as far as we can, what we have done amifs to do immediately what we ought to have done fooner: to make the amends we are able, if any harm hath happened by the delay; and indeed, fome amends for the chance there was, that harm might have happened. But, how rightly foever we may have acted hitherto, there will still be duties, peculiar to the time, which 1 am now fuppofing: that we fecure to our fucceffors whatever books, deeds, and papers, relating to our benefices, came down to us from our predeceflors; whatever evidences our own incumbency hath furnifhed; in a word, whatever notices may be of importance, concerning the rights, or the value, of the living, we enjoy. But particularly, if we have been fo inconfiderate, as to make any long agreement, which a fucceeding minifter may be in danger of mistaking, or others may be tempted to fet up, for an established prefcription; as may eafily happen if it was done many years ago: we ought to leave them the most authentic proofs of the real state and truth of the cafe. Some have through indolence omitted these things. Others have defignedly kept in their own power, or left in that of their executors, all fuch means of information; that their fucceffors, in order to receive them, may be bound to behave reasonably and kindly, as they are pleafed to term it; that is, may be under a neceffity of fubmitting to whatever unreasonable things fhall be demanded of them; in refpect of dilapidations, or any other point. This, you cannot but fee, would be making an unfaithful ufe of thofe lights, which have been intrufted with you by others, and an oppreffive one of thofe which you have added yourselves. Or fuppofing that only equitable requests are made to a fucceffor, and that he refules them: ftill it is not a Chriftian part, to prevent this injury by threatning, and much less to revenge it by doing, what in all likelihood would be a far greater injury; and may extend its bad effects, beyond the perfon, who hath given the provocation, to all that fall fill his place hereafter, though perfectly innocent; and to every one that might have fhared in the advantage of their enjoying a more plentiful income. Nor is it fufficient, that you difapprove fuch conduct, unless you make a due provifion, that your representatives when you are gone fhall not be guilty of it. You may have a better opinion of them in this refpect, than they they deferve, at leaft, there can be no harm in taking a little more care of fuch a matter, than might be abfolutely neceffary. One powerful motive to be careful in all the points, which I have been mentioning, is, that few things will contribute more to your maintaining while you live, and leaving when you die, the character of men of probity and honour, amongst your neighbours in general, and your brethren of the Clergy in particular, than your diligent and difinterefted attention to act worthily and kindly in relation to your fucceffors, though probably you know them not, or however have no perfonal connection with them. Nor will many things throw a blacker or more lasting stain upon perfons, than a low cunning, or a felfish indifference, in these af fairs. But indeed confcience, as well as reputation, is deeply concerned in the matter, as I doubt not, but you are all fenfible. Nor furely will any one else imagine, either that my exhortations to you, any more yours to your hearers, imply you to be guilty of, or efpecially inclined to any of the faults, against which they are levelled or that, by fpeaking thus long of your worldly affairs, I feem to think them of weight equal, or comparable, to your fpiritual functions. But the best of us have need to be admonifhed of all our duties, be they duties of higher rank or lower, each in their turns. Temporal things are not to be neglected and thofe leaft of all, which are fet apart for the fervice of things eternal. But then we must be watchful over them, in order to employ them, as they were meant to be employed: and if we preferve and tranfmit them ever so faithfully, but use them unfaithfully; ftudying only or chiefly to enrich or advance ourfelves, or gratify our fenfual appetites, or love of diverfions, or of elegant appearance, by means of thofe revenues, which were given us for ends widely different: (partly to make a comfortable and moderate, not a fuperfluous and invidious provifion for ourselves and ours, and partly to ferve the purposes of religion and charity) we offend God, fin against our brethren, and provoke men to take from us what they are too ready to fay we do no good with: as indeed little would be done, were fuch a conduct general. It is true, and the laity ought to confider it a great deal more than they do, that we have very few of us much, if any thing, to fpare. But they who have, fhould let their light shine before men, and be seen to lay it out in pious ufes prudently chofen: and the pooreft fhould occafionally give what alms they can'; and make amends for their inability on this head, by a double diligence in useful inftruction, pious example, and obliging behaviour, to the meaneft of their people. Without a remarkable degree of fuch care, we shall have few or no friends: and notwithstanding it, we fhall have many enemies. This is hard treatment: but angry complaints will only make it worfe; and the moft reafonable expoftulations not much better, unless we first confider, wherein we are faulty or defective, and amend it; wherein we are unjustly blamed or fufpected, and clear ourselves; then patiently perfevere in well-doing, in all things approving ourselves as the minifters of God, by pureness, by knowledge, by long-fuffering, by kindness, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, through honour and dishonour, through evil report and good report (o). Other means, if they Ꭰ 3 (0) 2 Cor. vi. 4, 6, 7, 8. could could fupport us, cannot enable us to answer the end of our inftitution. But by these we may still hope, not only to confute, but, which must ever be our chief aim, if poffible, to convert, at least to mollify our adverfaries; and fo recommend ourselves to more impartial perfons, that they may receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to fave their fouls (p). Or fhould we, after all, in refpect of ever fo many, labour in vain, and spend our firength for naught, yet our judgment is with the Lord, and our work with our God (q). (p) James i. 21. (9) Ifa. xlix. 4. A CHARGE |