Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub

a resident minister conducting himself in the manner I have above described; watching over his people with unremitted care; grounding them early in the rudiments of sound religion; guarding them carefully against the false glosses and dangerous delusions of illiterate and unauthorized teachers; bringing them to a constant attendance on divine worship in their parish churches; and manifesting the same zeal, activity, and earnestness to retain his people in the Church of England, which he sees others exert to seduce them from it. Into parishes so constituted, the self-commissioned preacher seldom, if ever, enters; or, if he does, he rarely gains any permanent footing, any settled establishment in them. He is in most cases forced to give way to the superior weight and influence of a regular, a learned, an exemplary, and a diligent

diligent pastor. the most effectual way, of counteracting the progress of schism and fanaticism. There are numbers, I am persuaded, here present, who can, from their own experience, and their own laudable exertions, bear testimony to the truth of this position; and whenever this remedy is universally applied, (as I hope and trust it gradually will) I do not hesitate to predict that the evil complained of will be considerably lessened, in some instances entirely subdued.

This then is the true,

466

Indeed, it would, I think, be degrading to the honour and dignity of our antient and venerable Establishment, to suppose, that a Church founded on the Gospel of Christ; cemented with the blood of its martyrs; constructed by some of the wisest, most learned, most pious, most eminent men of that or

almost

almost any other period; a Church, which has stood the test of ages, and the shock of persecution; which is the great bulwark of Protestantism in Europe, the admiration of foreign nations, and the glory of our own; it would, I say, be paying but an ill compliment to such an Establishment to suppose, that a Church so constituted, and at the same time supported and protected by the State, can be shaken, or in any material degree injured, by the invectives or misrepresentations of any adversaries that we have to contend with. No, my Brethren, let us think better of ourselves; let us be true to ourselves; let us make the best use of the vast advantages we possess; let us exert ourselves in our several stations with diligence, with vigour, with energy and with perseverance, and we have nothing to fear."

In addition to these admirable observations, which I would to God were universally felt and followed, he exhorted his clergy to encourage amongst their people, peculiarly at such a time, a spirit of loyalty, obedience and subordination; and, with that view, recommended to them in the strongest terms the adoption in their respective parishes of those excellent institutions, Sunday Schools; or, if these should be disapproved, or thought impracticable, the propriety at least in some way or other of educating the lower classes of the people, and instructing them in the principles of the Christian Faith. The conclusion of this Charge, the last he ever delivered, is very affecting. "I have now stated to you," he says, "what appeared to me most worthy of your attention, and most necessary at the present moment. And as, at my advanced period

N

period of life, I dare scarcely indulge the hope of being permitted to meet you again in this place, I was anxious to take this opportunity of collecting into one view, and pressing upon your most serious consideration, every thing that presented itself to my mind, as most conducive to your real credit and welfare, to the best interests of the Church of England, and to the general diffusion of sound morality and genuine piety and religion throughout the great mass of the people of this land. What I have here offered to your thoughts, I do in my best judgment, after the most mature consideration and the experience of a long life, most conscientiously believe to be well calculated for those important purposes; and I entreat you to receive it as the advice of one, who can now have no other possible view in this world but that of discharging the various duties incumbent

« FöregåendeFortsätt »