Page images
PDF
EPUB

pline; her legitimate authority; the unbroken succession and right ordination of her ministry; the excellence of her constitutions and formularies :-yet if there be a failure in activity and zeal on the part of the Clergy, the establishment must sink beneath them. But it will never cease to be respected and maintained, while it is useful; nor will it be otherwise than useful, eminently and conspicuously useful, even in a civil point of view, while the Clergy give full effect to its ordinances and means of edification, by their devotedness to the holy cause, which the Church is but an instrument to uphold and promote.

Notwithstanding all the obloquy which has been heaped upon us by the enemies of religion and social order notwithstanding all the efforts of those uncandid adversaries, who exaggerate our failings and ridicule our virtues; who scruple at no falsehood, and reject no fiction, however gross and improbable, if it be likely to injure the Church through the Clergy; still there exists, I am persuaded, in the people at large, a principle of respect and attachment to the ancient and venerable institutions of the country, a great readiness to do justice to the appointed ministers of religion, if they will but do justice to themselves. Environed as we are by dangers of no ordinary kind, it will depend upon ourselves, under Divine Providence to repel them. There is in the Church itself, as there is in the Gospel, of which it is a depositary and interpreter, an ample provision for the various changes and emergencies of Christian society. There is in the community at large, a feeling of veneration and regard towards a religious establishment, whose solemnities and consolations have been for ages interwoven with almost all the relations and details of civil and of social life; a feeling, which, if the Clergy take advantage of it, may be exalted into an attachment of the firmest and the noblest kind. No affection is more pure, none more to be relied upon, than that which the pious Christian feels towards the faithful pastor, who "watches for his soul, as he that must give account." The regard excited by the piety and zeal of individual ministers, is reflected upon the Church itself; when its rites and ordinances come thus recommended, not only to the understanding by their intrinsic excellence, but to the heart and affections by the virtues and graces of those by whom they are administered.

If this be true, and every man's observation and experience, if not his conscience, must have convinced him that so it is,-surely each individual of our order ought seriously to consider, in how great a degree his own example may be influential upon the character of the ministry, the well-being of the Church, and the credit of religion itself. As he has much to encourage him in the prospect of being eminently useful by promoting the present holiness and eternal welfare of his brethren, so he has much to awaken his apprehensions, and to rouse him to activity, in contemplating the extent and variety of those mischiefs, which must be caused by a failure in the execution of his trust.' pp. 11-13.

The points to which his Lordship calls the attention of his clergy, are, the importance of observing, in dress, manners,

a

amusements, and pursuits, a strict regard to clerical decorum; devout and serious, yet simple manner of reading the Liturgy; a plain, unaffected, earnest enforcement and ⚫ particular application of Gospel truths and duties.'

[ocr errors]

Let it be seen that your hearts are engaged in the great work which you have in hand, the salvation of souls; and you will infallibly touch the hearts of those who hear you. An indifferent voice and mode of delivery, whether in the pulpit or the desk, will soon be overlooked by the congregation, if the manner of their teacher be such as to make it visible, that he is deeply interested in their eternal welfare; and if his doctrine, his exhortations, his encouragements be all built upon one foundation," Jesus Christ, and him crucified." With regard to those natural impediments which are sometimes pleaded in excuse for a deficiency in this particular, I would remind you, that no one can tell how much may be done in the way of improvement, till he has tried all the various aids of advice, and practice, and careful study, with prayer for the assistance of God's Holy Spirit.' pp. 18, 19.

The Bishop adds, in a note, that he will not knowingly ' ordain a person who is disqualified by any such impediment for the clear and edifying performance of Divine service.'— Further, his Lordship adverts to the slovenly preparation for Confirmation which is notoriously deemed sufficient; and he insists on the peremptory and particular directions of the Rubric and Canons in this respect. The superintendence of National and Sunday Schools is next enforced as an important duty. His Lordship then proceeds to lay down his opinions on the subject of an undeviating conformity to the laws and ritual, rubrics and canons of the Established Church, without exception or variation, no, not so much as a word.'

'It has always appeared to me, that the safest rule for one in office is, strictly to observe the laws which define and prescribe his duties; a rule which is no less applicable to the parochial clergy, who are to obey the laws ecclesiastical, than to their diocesan bishops, who are at once to obey and enforce them. It is by this maxim that I intend, with the blessing of God, to guide myself in the exercise of that authority which is entrusted to me; and such a course of proceeding will have this great advantage, that none of you need be taken by surprise; since it is incumbent upon you, as well as on me, to make yourselves acquainted with the laws relating to the duties of your calling. The Rubrics and Canons of the Church you are bound carefully to study, and strictly to comply with; especially the former; from which, as the law permits no deviation without the sanction of the Ordinary, (and rarely even with it,) so I consider it to be my duty earnestly to recommend a conscientious and scrupulous compliance with those rules, which you have solemnly pledged yourselves to observe. And here permit me to remind you, that the

private opinion of individual clergymen, as to the expediency of deviating, in any particular case, from the precise line of ministerial duty marked out for them by the Church, ought never to interfere with the obligation, which binds them to an exact compliance with all her rules and formularies. If particular ministers were at liberty to follow their own judgment, in administering the ordinances of religion ; and to make such changes in its ritual, or discipline, as might appear to them to be conducive to the ends of piety; the result would be interminable confusion and discord; decency and order would be at best precarious ; and the very object of an established Church would be defeated, were its congregations thus to be left to the uncertainty of private opinion and caprice.

• A strict and punctual conformity to the Liturgy and Articles of our Church, is a duty to which we have bound ourselves by a solemn promise, and which, while we continue in its ministry, we must scrupulously fulfil. Conformity to the Liturgy implies, of course, an exact observance of the Rubrics. We are no more at liberty to vary the mode of performing any part of public worship, than we are, to preach doctrines at variance with the Articles of Religion. If there be any direction for the public service of the Church, with which a clergyman cannot conscientiously comply, he is at liberty to withdraw from her ministry ; but not to violate the solemn compact which he has made with her. It is true, that you are bound to promote, to the utmost of your power, the honour of God, and the growth of your Saviour's kingdom : but in your ministerial capacity you have engaged to do this in a certain way, and according to certain prescribed rules. Our zeal for the interests of Christ's universal Church is to be shewn by the punctual discharge of our duties, as ministers of one particular branch of it. “It should never be forgotten by ministers," says an able and sagacious writer, " that they are subject to higher authority; that they are to execute law, not to make it.

They are to embrace every opportunity of doing good, within the limits prescribed to them: without those limits they can do no good. For no accidental advantage can stand in competition with the main end of all government, the support and establishment of settled rules.",

The gross absurdity contained in this last sentence, a certain Dr. Balguy has the credit of originating; but we confess we are not a little surprised that his Lordship should be guilty of the indiscretion of uttering it. The main end of all Govern' ment the support and establishment of settled rules! We should have thought that the main end of Government was, to promote the welfare of the community by protecting the persons and interests of its subjects; and that the wisdom of any settled rules must be tried by their adaptation to those ends. This support of rules for their own sakes, because they are settled, this demand of implicit, servile, blind conformity to rules good or bad,

-rules which limit and restrain useful ex

:

pp. 21-24.

6

a

ertion,-merely because they were enacted by the absolute monarchs and misguided prelates of other days,-can it be that such a principle should find an advocate in the nineteenth century in Bishop Blomfield ? Is this the boasted discipline of the Church ? Then, blessed be God, that • this funda• mental principle of our ecclesiastical polity'-a yoke which neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear,-is not that to which we are compelled to bow.

Still, this is ecclesiastical discipline; and, in speaking thus of the system, we impute no blanie to the Bishop of Chester. Some of the practices against which he points his censure, are clearly abuses which ought to be discountenanced. After proceeding to reprehend the practice of administering private baptism without necessity, and of even using the service for public baptism in private houses, as well as that of churching women in private houses, his Lordship thus distinguishes between a conformity to the Rúbrics and an observance of the Canons.

• Our obligation to observe the Canons is of a different nature, and admits of more than one kind of dispensation which is not applicable to the Rubrics. These, it must be remembered, are made binding by statute as well as canon law; and except where a power of dispensation is expressly reserved to the Ordinary, are as obligatory upon him as upon the officiating clergyman.'

This distinction between statute and canon law is a very portant one, and we are glad to see it insisted upon by so high an authority. But here a nice question suggests itself, -What is the kind of obligation under which the clergy are laid in reference to that which is not binding by statute law? What is the nature or degree of that observance which the Canons demand? His Lordship is aware that to enforce an entire con. formity to the Canons would be impracticable. But on what

. ground does the dispensing power rest, and in whom is it vested? If all the canons are not to be observed, if some of them have become a dead letter, how can any others be obligatory? Canonical obedience would seem to be, in this view, a very indeterminate and uncertain duty; and the existence of ecclesiastical laws thus obsolete and powerless, the unrepealed edicts of the Church, yet forming no part of the statutes of the realm, is an anomaly which might as well be removed. Happily and unhappily, however, the legislative power of the Church as a body corporate is defunct, and its rulers are committed to the maintenance of a monkish code which it has not been deemed fit or safe to incorporate with the laws of England.

im

2

But even with regard to the Rubrics,-considering that they were drawn up by fallible men, why should they be allowed to form an exception to the general principle of British legislation, which secures the watchful superintendence and occasional revision of the laws by the guardians of our liberty, the representatives of the people? Civil liberty, it has admirably been said, requires no more than this; that the laws should rule, and the people be a party to those laws. It is needless to remark, that this is not the principle of ecclesiastical legislation. Ecclesiastical liberty within the Church, there is none. The elective or representative principle is jealously excluded from every part of the system. The government of the church is a pure despotism; not, indeed, in its administration, for it is tempered by the mild spirit of the times, and by the personal character of the prelates in whose hands it is vested; but still, this is its character. And the moment it is put in effective operation, under the name of discipline, it is felt to be so. Passive, unintelligent conformity, in fact military obedience, is the condition which it exacts from all its officers, with regard to thought, word, and deed. No-not a word,' is the stern language of its interdict restraining from the most conscientious or needful departure from the prescribed ritual. In the mean time, to inquire whether the formula be unexceptionable, the rubric perfectly wise, the uniformity required indispensable, would be regarded as rebellion against the powers that be. The clergy have nominally the power, in common with all other subjects, to petition the Parliament for the repeal of any laws by which they may deem themselves aggrieved; but with regard to the rules and regulations by which they are tonguetied, fettered, and manacled in the discharge of their ecclesiastical duties, no provision is made for any legislative revision to which they, by their representatives, can be parties. The curse of unchangeableness is on the system, which is venerable, indeed, for it is older than civil liberty, though much younger than Christianity.

The remaining topics of the Charge are, the residence of the clergy; the due care and repair of the churches and glebebouses; the requirement, in future, of a three months' notice on the part of the candidate for ordination; the caution to be observed in signing testimonials; the irregularity of giving sham titles,-which his Lordship announces his determination to put a stop to; the propriety of establishing a general fund for the whole body of the clergy, after the manner of a mutual benefit society; and the duty of supporting, above all other societies for religious purposes, that for promoting the Enlargement of Churches and Chapels. His Lordship does not spe

« PreviousContinue »