but a common fhare of prudence: we fhall, in fpite of enemies, through his mercy, who hath promised to be with us alway (0), not fail of being upheld. The religious will efteem us very highly in love for our work's fake (P): the wife in their generation (q), though not religious, will perceive our importance: the vicious and deftitute of principle will be awed by us: and the feed of the word, however trampled under foot by fome, will fpring up and bear fruit in the hearts of many. Let us think then feriously, what depends on us, what it requires of us, and give our felves wholly to it (r). God hath placed us in a station of difficulty and labour, at prefent alfo of reproach and contempt from great numbers of men. But ftill, if we only learn to value our function justly, and love it fincerely, we shall be unspeakably happier in discharging the duties of it, than we poffibly can be in any thing else. The things, in which the world places happiness, are very trifles. We may plainly fee them to be fuch now, if we will: and we shall fee in a little time, whether we will or not, that the only real point of moment is, to have approved ourfelves good and faithful fervants (s) to our great Mafter. Let us all therefore bear in mind continually, how matters will appear to us then: and heartily pray and earnestly endeavour, fo to pass through things temporal, that we finally lofe not the things eternal. Grant this, O heavenly Father, for Jefus Chrift's fake, our Lord (t).

A

CHARGE

DISTRIBUTED TO THE

CLERGY of the DIOCESE

OF

CANTERBURY,

In the YEAR 1762,

The ARCHBISHOP being hindered by Illness from visiting them in Perfon.

I

Reverend Brethren,

T having pleafed God that I fhould live to come amongst you a fecond time, I think it my duty to proceed with the fame kind ** of exhortations, which I gave you at firft. For though many fubjects of inftruction might be proper, there is a peculiar propriety in thofe, which relate more immediately to your conduct: and though I might very justly give you, in general, praise instead of advice, yet they who deferve the most of the former, will be most defirous of the latter, knowing how much need of it the best of us have. And I hope the freedoms which I fhall take with you in this refpect, will the rather be pardoned, as I both permit and intreat you to use the fame with me, when VOL. VI.

F

occafion

occafion requires it; being fincerely difpofed, if I know myself, to set you an example of docility..

I began with your obligation to refidence; and the appointment of curates, either to fupply your abfence when you could not refide, or to affift you when the work was too heavy for you. And then I entered a little into the common duties of incumbents and curates, in which I shall now make some further progrefs: more folicitous about the importance of directions, than the accuracy of method; and ufing no other apology, if I should happen to repeat what I have given you in charge already, than that of the Apoftle: To fay the fame things, to me is not grievous, and for you it is fafe (a).

The fame Apoftle's admonition to Timothy is, Take heed unto thyself, and to thy doctrine (b). The main point is what he begins with, the care of our temper and behaviour. For without that, our preaching will feldom be fuch as it ought, and scarce ever bring forth its proper fruits. Now a Chriftian temper confifts of various parts: but the first impreffion, which a genuine faith in the Gofpel makes on the foul, and the ruling principle, which it fixes there is a deep fenfe of love to God and our fellow-creatures, producing an earneft defire, that we and they may be for ever happy in his prefence. Whoever therefore is deftitute of this feeling, ought not, though free from grofs vices, to become a Clergyman: and without obtaining it from the Giver of all good things by fervent prayer, no-man is qualified to fill the place of one. For notwithtanding that he may preferve fome form of godliness, without which he would be mischievous and fhocking in the highest degree: yet not having the reality and power thereof (c), he muft profefs, and feemingly attempt, to make others what he is far from being himself. Confequently his endeavours out of the pulpit will be infrequent, reluctant, faint: and in it they will at beft be unnatural and ungraceful, whatever pains he may take in his compofitions, or whatever vehemence he may affect in his delivery. Hence he will be diffatisfied within, detected and difefteemed by the judicious part of his hearers, and of little ufe to the reit, if he is not even hurtful by mifleading them. Or whatever his cafe may be amongst men, his inward want of the piety, which he outwardly pretends to, muft render him uncommonly guilty in the fight of God. Heaven forbid, that I should have need to enlarge on fuch a character in this audience.

But have we not most of us caufe to apprehend, that our religiousprinciples, though fincere, are not fufficiently exerted; and therefore produce not the fruit, which they might? Do we not rather take it for granted, that we approve ourfelves to be duly in earneft, than find on impartial examination, that we do? No man fhould rafhly fay or furmife this of another; but every oné fhould fearch home into it for himfelf. And we fhould attentively read the Scriptures, and the treatifes written by wife and good men concerning the duties of God's minifters: to fee if we are fuch as they defcribe, and ftir up ourselves to become fuch as we ought.

Good inclinations, thus excited, will not fail, through the affiftance

of

(a) Phil. iii. 1.

(b) 1 Tim, iv. 16.

(c) 2 Tim. iii. 5.

of Divine grace, of directing us into a fuitable conduct. And were a man, who confeffedly means well, to overdo a little fometimes, the righthefs of his intention would plead his excufe very ftrongly. However we fhould carefully avoid extremes, even on the better fide: not give uncommanded demonftrations of our Chriftian zeal, when they will probably ferve no good purpofe, and be deemed oftentation, or turned into ridicule, or provoke ill humour; but reftrain, according as times and places and company may require, the fentiments which elfe we could be glad to utter. Only we must do this in fuch a manner, as not to tempt the most rigid profeffor of religion to imagine, or the most profligate enemy of it to fuggeft, that we have little or none: but fhew our concern for it on every fit occafion, with full as much diligence, as we decline unfit ones. And here, I conceive, it is, that we of the Clergy are chiefly apt to fail. We do not always appear in the common intercourfes of life, fufficiently penetrated with the importance of our function, or fufficiently affiduous to promote the ends of our miffion.

:

Too poffibly a great part of our people may like the lukewarm amongst us the better for refembling themselves, and giving them no uneafinefs on comparifon, but feeming to authorize their indifference. But then, fuch of us can do them no good. Our example can teach them nothing beyond a little decent regularity, in which they will fancy they need not quite come up to us neither. Our fermons, and reading of prayers, they will confider only as matters of form and finding in us hardly any thing at other times of what we exprefs at thefe, they will prefume, that our inward regard to it is not very great, and that they are not bound to have more. Therefore if they are pleased with us, if they esteem us, while we continue to be of this turn, it must be for fomething foreign from our office, something of a middle, or it may be a blameable nature, not as teachers of the Gospel: a character which they take us to lay afide as much as we well can. And fo the better they think of us, the more lightly they will think of our miniftry; till at length they join with those avowed Infidels. who boldly affirm, though often against their own confciences, that we believe not what we preach, elfe it would have more influence upon us.

Then, at the fame time, the right difpofitions of well inclined perfons will languish and decay, for want of that countenance and affistance in ferious piety, which they fhould receive from their paftors. For if the tokens of our piety be confined to the church, they will be of little fervice either out of it, or in it. Or if fome good people fuffer no harm themselves from our defects, they will fee with great forrow, that others do: all of them will be much readier to think the clerical order in general careless and light, if thofe are fo, of whom they fee moft; their ears will be open to the invectives, which artful or heated men are daily pouring forth against us: they will eafily be led to undervalue and mifconftrue the best inftructions of thofe, with whom they are difgufted; and run after any teachers, who have the powerful recommendation, for it will always, and no wonder, be a very powerful one, of feeming more in earneft. The irregularities and divifions which have prevailed fo lamentably in our church of late, are greatly owing to an opinion, that we are ufually indifferent about vital inward religion. It is true, the → spreaders

F 2

fpreaders of this imputation, which hath been monftrously exaggerated, will have much to answer for: but fo fhall we alfo, unless we take the only way to filence it, by cutting off hereafter all occafion for it.

Now the firft neceffary ftep to feem good is to be fo; for mere pretence will be seen through: and the next is, to let your light shine before men (d), in the faithful and laborious exercife of your function. Living amongst your parishioners, or as near them as may be: inquiring frequently and perfonally concerning the welfare and behaviour of thofe, with whom you cannot be statedly prefent; reverent and judicious reading of the prayers and leffons in your churches, inftructive and affecting fermons delivered with difcreet warmth, readiness to take extraordinary pains for the occafional affiftance of your brethren, diligence in forming the youth to a fenfe of their Chriftian duty, in bringing your people to the holy communion, and where it can be, to week-day prayers: all these things will tend very much both to your usefulness and your credit. Relieving or obtaining relief for fuch as are diftreffed in their circumftances hearing your people willingly and patiently, though perhaps low in rank or weak in understanding, when they would confult you upon any difficulty, and anfwering them with confideration and tendernefs: difpofing them to be vifited when fick, praying by them with fervency, exhorting and comforting them with fidelity, compaffion and prudence; and reminding them ftrongly, yet mildly, after their recovery, of their good thoughts and pnrpofes during their illness; will be further proofs, very beneficial and very engaging ones, of your seriousness: which however you must complete by going through every other office of religion with dignity. I will fpecify two.

One is that of baptifm: which, efpecially when adminiftered in private houses without neceffity, is too often treated, even during the administration, rather as an idle ceremony than a Chriftian facrament: or however that be, is commonly close followed by very unfuitable, if not otherwife alfo indecent levity and jollity. Now in thefe circumstances it is highly requifite, that the minifter fhould by a due mixture of gravi ty and judgment fupport the folemnity of the ordinance; and either prevent improprieties in the fequel, or if it be doubtful whether he can, excufe himself, with a civil intimation of the unfitnefs of them, from being prefent. The other inftance is, that of faying grace over our daily food: which many, if not moft, of the laity have, with a profaneness more than Heathenifh, laid afide: and I am forry to add, that fome of the clergy hurry it over fo irreverently, in a mutter or a whisper, fcarce, if at all, intelligible, that one might queftion, whether they had not better lay it afide too, which yet God forbid, than make it thus infignificant; and expofe to contempt an act of devotion, and themfelves along with it, as doing what they are afhamed of.

Indeed far from authorizing any flights of this fort by our example, and as it were our confent, we must through our whole conversation fteadily and refolutely, though with mildnefs and modefty, always keep up the honour of religion and our order, which is infeparable from our own never speak a word, or ufe a gefture, which can with the least colour be interpreted, as if we had small regard to our profeffion, or exercifed

(d) Matt. v. 16.