Christs Counsel to His Church, Title page – Dedication
Chriſts Counſel TO HIS CHURCH.
IN TWO SERMONS Preached at the Two Laſt Faſts, ONE APRIL xi. MDCLXXIX.
THE OTHER DECEMBER xxii. MDCLXXX.
By SYMON PATRICK, D. D. DEAN of PETERBƲRGH, and Chaplain in Ordinary to His MAJESTY.
LONDON, Printed by J. Macock, for R. Royſton, Bookſeller to His Moſt Sacred Majeſty. 1681.
TO THE Right Honourable WILLIAM EARL of BEDFORD, Knight of the Moſt Noble Order of the GARTER, &c.
My very good LORD and PATRON.
MY LORD,
BEing deſired by ſome in my Pariſh to print the Sermon I preached on the laſt Faſt-day, I found it neceſſary to prefix to it the Sermon I preacht the Faſt before; becauſe this depends on that: and have preſumed to prefix Your Lordſhips Name to both; becauſe it is by Your Favour and Patronage, that I preached either the one or the other in that Place.
The matter of them is ſuitable to the occaſion: For in the Firſt I have chiefly preſſed the General Remedy of all the evils under which we labour; in the Second one Particular Remedy; and in both expoſed the wickedneſs of Popery. But I have ſhown withal, that all we ſay againſt it, will not keep it out: unleſs we will ſo duly prize our own Religion, as to live according to it. Which being in the general allowed, even by thoſe who continue to live quite contrary, I ſee no reaſon why any Body ſhould quarrel with what I have ſaid, about one particular Duty of our Religion: unleſs they think that we have nothing to anſwer for, upon the account of our contempt of Chriſts Miniſters, and of that Order which He hath appointed in His Church; which ſeems to me ſuch a dangerous ſin, that I could not think I diſcharged a good Conſcience, if at ſuch a time and ſuch an occaſion, I took no notice of it.
Wherein I do not plead our own Cauſe, as ſome are wont to object to ſuch Diſcourſes, but the Cauſe of Chriſt and of His Religion: which now lyes a bleeding, and we fear a dying, by the wounds we give it our ſelves, through the ſubtile Contrivance of our Romiſh Adverſaries. Whoſe Plots have been many and horrid; but their firſt and greateſt ſtrength (as appears by the directions given to their Emiſſaries) lay in this, To bring the whole Miniſtry of the Church of England into contempt; and to divide the People from their eſtabliſhed Paſtors, into a great many little Bodies, under no Government but what they themſelves pleaſed. And it is apparent, that by the ſame Popiſh artifice, this poyſonous conceit is induſtriouſly infuſed into the peoples mind; that we are looking towards Rome, if we do but tell them, that they ought not to form opinions as they think good, but guide themſelves in their judgment by our direction.
But I hope the better ſort are not ignorant, by this time, of their devices: and that though there be ſome in the Miniſtry who are not ſo fit as they ſhould be, to direct and guide their Flocks; yet they will conſider, that the men who moſt complain of it are ſuch, as will be guided by none at all; no not by thoſe whoſe ability and honeſty cannot be ſuſpected. And it is a very great Truth alſo, that their intemperate Speeches againſt the Clergy, is the thing that hath frighted the weaker ſort of them into ſuch an apprehenſion of danger from thoſe men; as hath made them guilty of the follies which have done great injury to us all.
This, My Lord, is the grief of all good Men among us, who conſider the ſtate we are in; and deſine the ſafety, or have any love for the honour, of our Religion. For we ſeem now to be in ſuch a condition as Gregory Nyſſen deſcribes in his days: when things were come to ſuch a paſs, that the people neither underſtood themſelves, from their own inward ſenſe, what was fit for them, nor would believe thoſe that rightly informed them. No, ſaith he*Tom. 2. p. 745. foreign., We are exceeding angry at our Teachers, and very hardly bear their admonitions: their counſels are a grievance; duplicate page duplicate page and their inſtruction in good things, we nauſeate, as ſick men do the medicines which their Phyſicians exhibite to them. If a reproof be given, we take it heavily; if we hear a rougher word, we fall into a rage; if we be thruſt out of the Church, we blaſpheme. This is not the diſpoſition of Learners, nor the obedience of Diſciples: but the ambitious contention of ſeditious and rebellious people. For a Scholar, who deſires to learn any common Art or Science, ought to be like a little Child: much more ought he to be like a ſucking Infant, who would be inſtructed in Chriſtian piety; becauſe our Lord hath honoured that Age, as apt to receive impreſſions, with his commendation.
Now no Child riſes up againſt the Characters and the Lineaments, that his Maſter makes for him in Wax; nor deviſes new Elements, by a frantick Licence innovating about making Letters; but exerciſes his hand after his Maſters Copy, and both in word and deed imitates what his Director delivers to him, &c. But a Chriſtian doth not thus; though he hath heard, That except ye be converted and become like little Children, ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: but when the Prieſt ſeverely corrects his errour, openly contradicts; and mutters between his teeth; and going round the Streets, and the places of publick concourſe, rails and reviles; and (as it follows a little after) ſits judging even me the Biſhop in the Chair of the Scorner.
Now what can the end of ſuch things be, but utter confuſion? Which neceſſarily follows, when the unity that ought to be between the Paſtors and people is quite diſſolved; or the people (ſome upon one account, ſome upon another) loſe all their reſpect for them, and love to them for their works ſake.
There hath been much ſpeech, Your Lordſhip knows, of a Prophecy (as it is called) of Biſhop Uſher, late Primate of Armagh; which hath very much ſtartled many, and made them fear dreadful things: Though the certainty of it hath not been ſo publickly atteſted, as that which I have been bold to ſet down in the firſt of theſe Sermons. Where Your Lordſhip will find ſomething that looks like a ſad Prediction; which an excellent Divine and holy Man of this Church publiſhed long ago, in a Book of his upon the Creed. Which I wiſh were diligently heeded and laid to heart: becauſe it directs to the way, whereby the threatning may be avoided; pointing to the very ſin that deſerves the Judgment he denounces. Which if it be ſlighted, when we are told of it; it will be one of the worſt ſigns that can be, his Prognoſtication will prove true and be fulfilled.
But they who are appointed to ſtand on the Watch-Tower, and give notice of danger, have delivered their own Souls; when they have faithfully declared the mind of Chriſt in this matter. Which was the greateſt motive I had both to preach and to print theſe Sermons; which I am ſure will be acceptable to Your Lordſhip: not only becauſe you have a due reſpect to Gods Miniſters; but becauſe I preſent them as a token of my gratitude, and of the honour I have for Your Lordſhip, being
My LORD, Your moſt humble Servant, S. PATRICK.