A manual for the parish priest, being a few hints on the pastoral care, to the younger clergy of the Church of England; from an elder brother

Front matter

A

MANUAL

FOR TUB

Introduction

only in a religious, but in a political point of view the wellbeing of a state depends greatly upon the due discharge of the sacerdotal office. If the priest be inattentive to his duty, the religion of the people will grow cool or corrupt, their moral conduct wili become depraved, and the civil, as well as the ecclesiastical polity, will be in danger. " The priest," eays Hooker, " is a pillar of that B Common*

Commonwealth, wherein he faithfully serveth God."

Political writers therefore we find frequently urging the necessity of providing for an ecclesiastical establishment in every well ordered government, and of enacting laws to insure the proper performance of ecclesiastical duty.

In this kingdom provision is made, both for inforcing, and rewarding, the exertions of the clergy ; and at different times those set apart for the sacred office have been roused to a consideration of the responsible situation in which they are placed, by writers of their own body ; some of the superior rank in the hierarchy have published their directions tioas and admonitions to the lower orders, and several of inferior degree have urged their brethren, upon considerations of the highest importance, to discharge their trust with fidelity.

Never was the attention of the clergy to every part of their duty, publick and private, more requisite than at the present time. Education is become so general amongst every class of the people in this nation, and the taste for pulpit composition in the middle ranks, so much more refined than it formerly was, that there are few congregations in which a very unskilful mode of reading the services of the Church, or a want of tolerable correctness in the lan- B 2 guage and arrangement of a sermon, would pass unobserved : And the spirit of proselytism rages to such a degree amongst some bodies of dissenters, and those, the wildest and most dangerous, that the constant unremitted private labour of the pastor, is not more than sufficient to prevent even the well-inclined part of his flock being seduced from the doctrine and discipline of the Church.

These considerations induced me to employ a few leisure hours, in throwing together the following hints upon the discharge of the pastoral office. I was convinced the employment would be of advantage to myself, that it would

give give me clearer and more correct ideas of my duty, and 1 likewise had some hope, the memoranda I should collect for my own use, might be of service, at least tc* the younger part of my brethren.

I was not ignorant, nor was I unmindful, that many excellent works had been written upon the subject ; I had not forgotten my own obligation to those of a Burnet, a Patrick, a Hort, and Seeker ; and to several more modern charges and treatises upoi> the sacred office. But considering, that it was long since any collective body of pastoral advice had appeared ii print, and that some change in the ecclesiastical B 3 circuracircumstances of the kingdom had taken place, I conceived I might be able to give a few hints on parochial matters, which were not to be found in former works of the same description ; at all events, I trusted a new publication would awaken attention to a subject of the highest importance to our Church and nation.

I intend to comprise my hints in two chapters, one on the publick, the other on the private labours of the parochial clergy. Proposing to touch but lightly on the manners and habits of the parish priest, I shall not appropriate a chapter to these heads, but shall give a little general advice upon the subject in this place.

The

The clergy are a distinct body of men, set apart for the service of the Church ; it is therefore highly proper that they should be distinguished by some outward mark. The external garb of the priest, not only induces the respect of the people towards him, but it assists in awakening his own attention to the sacred commission he bears. The Almighty himself appointed particular habits for the priests of the Jewish, and a similar custom has been adopted by the Christian Church. Let then every one who has taken upon him the priestly office, conform in this as well as in every other matter, to the rules and ordinances of the Church. Let him 11 4 put put on grave and decent apparel. The stile must be regulated by the situation in which he is placed j but whatever mode of dress may be suitable to his cure, it should be of such a description, as will not offend the eyes of those who ought to have the greatest respect for their minister.

That the clergy are men, and that some relaxation from labour is ne- .cessary to them, as well as to the rest .of mankind, no one will deny; and whatever interest, or pleasure, a parish priest may take in the functions of his office, still there must be times and seasons for withdrawing himself from his common occupation. The bow will not bear .to be always bent : sacred study

may may be his greatest amusement, and parochial visits may afford him sufficient bodily exercise, but some employment foreign to his general business, will be requisite to induce a different train of ideas, and, by relaxing his mind for a time, make it vigorous and active on the return to its usual occupations.

Amusement then is certainly allowable to the clergy; of course strictly innocent in the most extended sense of the term : and it should not only be innocent, but characteristic. — Of what particular amusements the relaxations of a clergyman should consist, I will not here inquire ; all I wish to say upon the subject, is, that they £ J should should be of a description, which will neither lessen him in the eyes of his flock, nor occupy that time and thought which ought to be appropriated to more serious and momentous concerns.

And these amusements, innocent, and clerical, and allowable as they may be in their nature, it will be understood, from what I have said, are to be recreations only : they must be taken with moderation, and not pursued with a degree of ardor, which will endanger our becoming attached to them ; or even make them appear in the eyes of our parishioners, to be the business of our lives.

I have, so long as my attention fcas been turned to the subject,

considered considered an intermixture of the clergy amongst every rank of society, of the greatest advantage to the religion and morals of the nation. The bishops associate with the peers, the subordinate clergy are in the habit of familiar intercourse with the middle ranks, and the parochial ministers, through the constant communication it is in their power to keep up with their parishioners, may always have an influence over the manners, and morals of the lower order.

An intermixture of the clergy with the laity I am persuaded is of the greatest consequence to the well ordering of society. Their presence, like that of females, gives a east of propriety to social meet- B 6 ings ;

ings ; and though, they may sometimes be constrained to witness an over-stepping the bounds of strict temperance, or decorum, yet they will in general perceive that respect paid to their order, which declares, what would be the consequence, if they were secluded by custom or inclination from the familiar intercourse, that now takes place between themselves and the laity.

Far from necessary therefore is it for the parish priest to decline that social communication with his neighbours, which may be of reciprocal advantage. Society will relax and unbend his mind after study and the labours of his office. — lie may, at the tables of

his his lay neighbours, gain information in many branches of useful knowledge, and an insight into men and manners. And he may be an instrument, perhaps an unconscious instrument, of keeping mirth within the bounds of decency and decorum. But to do this he must be cautious in the selection of his companions ; if he shews a partiality to, and keeps up an intimacy with men of known profligate habits; if he is continually joining their parties, and instead of restraining, approves their intemperance and ribaldry, he is so far from being of service, that he is of the greatest detriment to the cause of morality and jeligioi) ; he makes the Christian

ministry ministry give a sanction to those deeds, which the Christian religion declares will exclude all who practise them from any benefit in the atonement of Christ; he disgusts the sober part of his parish, renders his ministerial labours ineffectual, and perhaps drives some of his flock from the bosom of the Church.

It is not the part of the Christian minister, with pharisaical pride to refuse all communication with every one he may think not possessed of that genuine piety he could wish ; to say, as it were, " Stand by, for I ain holier than thou ;" but he should carefully avoid a familiar intercourse with men, whose habits and manners

render

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render them, in the eye of the world, unfit companions for those who have dedicated themselves to the service of the Christian Church.

This will not bring the society of the parochial minister within too narrow a compass. Not a neighbourhood, I believe, is to be found which will not afford a sufficient number of proper associates for the clergy, and where the tables of the higher ranks of the laity are not open to every rank of ecclesiastics, whose conduct deserves the notice of the wise and good. Let me then urge my younger brethren, for the sake of the Christian Church, for the sake of the flocks particularly committed mittect to their charge, for the sake of their own eternal welfare, to be cautious into what society they enter when they are just setting out in life. They may, and they will, if they conduct themselves properly, gain admittance into that society which is suited to their character, which will make them respected by their parishioners, and useftil in their profession. If they form habits of intimacy with the intemperate and dissolute, they will exclude themselves from the friendship of the thinking and religious part of the neighbourhood ; and instead of rendering their hours of relaxation subservient to the cause of religion and virtue, they will by

the the sanction of their presence, lead their companions farther into sin and misery, and have a dreadful account to settle when their stewardship is inspected by that Master, whose service they have neglected, whose commands they have disobeyed, upon whose religion they have brought a scandal, and the work of whose enemy they have been performing and advancing.

The parochial minister should not only be attentive to his external deportment, to his dress, bis amusements, and his society, but he should be careful to form habits which are useful and becoming the clerical character.

I would recommend in the first

place place regularity in his proceedings, to have, as far as circumstances will admit, fixed times and seasons for all his occupations, whether of business or relaxation. There can be no proper husbandry of that most precious of the talents intrusted to man, time, without, rule and order. I have somewhere met with the following aphorism of the thrifty in worldly affairs, " Take care of the pence, the pounds will take care of themselves;" intimating that large expenditures will not be unnoticed, whilst smaller sums, without care and attention, will pass away unobserved. May we not parody this maxim very usefully on the present subject, and say, Take care

of of the minutes, the days will take care of themselves. Indolent indeed must be that man who can suffer even one day to pass with* out an allotted employment ; but many there are I believe whose time is generally and perhaps usefully engaged, that allow small portions of the day to glide away unoccupied, which might be profitably and pleasantly employed. Have times and seasons, not only for study, but for the different descriptions of study ; there are some hours when the mind is more alert and better fitted for close application, and others more adapted to lighter reading ; and always have a book at hand to fill up the straggling minutes. Much

information information may be gained in the course of the year from books, which a parochial minister cannot afford to make a part of his studies, and at times which would other* wise be lost to every good purpose.

There is a habit I strongly re* commend my younger brethren to attain early in life ; that is the habit of solitude ; to be able, comfortably to pass a series of days without society. It will be understood, from what I have before said, that I by no means advise a seclusion from the world ; far otherwise ; all I recommend to a young divine, is that he should so interest himself in his home employments, that he shall feel no vacuity tjttity when, at times, they form his only engagements. The contrary habit tends to dissipate all serious thought. If when the mind grows a little weary, relief is immediately to be sought .in company, and not in a change of home occupations, the inclination to those occupations will gradually diminish, and the labour as well as the study of the parochial minister, will dwindle down to the lowest possible proportion. This habit likewise leads to the most fatal consequences. The situation of most young men renders it highly improbable they can constantly find proper society.; if therefore society is deemed indispensable, whither can such men but where the dereliction of

their their duty must hurry themselves, and their sanction and example hurry their companions, into certain destruction. Let me advise the young ecclesiastic, to encourage if he has, and endeavour to attain if he has not, a propensity to reading ; by habit he will acquire a fondness for his books, and this habit will preserve him from the danger I have just pointed out, and it will be a source of profit and pleasure to him during his whole life.

The last hint I shall give to my younger brethren upon the subject of habit, but by no means the least important, is, to adopt the practice of self-examination. It

was was the advice of Pythagoras t* his pupils :

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Never to suffer their eyes to sleep nor their eyelids to slumber, before they had thrice reflected upon the actions of the past day.

Self-examination is a wholesome and useful exercise to every one. But to those who have dedicated themselves to the service of the Church, it is a highly important, if not a necessary duty, frequently to take a review of their conduct; "to call their ways to remembrance."

Con-

Consideration is the grand desideratum in the conduct of hu« man life, and it ever has been. — =** O that they were wise," says the Almighty of the children of Israel, through his servant Moses, <c O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end/' Few are ignorant of what they ought to do ; but many are inattentive. Day after day closes upon great numbers, without one gleam of thought breaking in upon their minds, whether its occupation has been useful, or unprofitable, or hurtful; whether their time has been employed to the glory of God, and the good of their fellow creatures, or has been wasted

in in idle or sinful dissipation ; or what account they shall be able to give of its transactions at the great and general audit.

Whoever rigidly adheres to the practice of self-examination, will not, I think, deviate far from the way wherein he should walk. Conscience by this means kept always awake, and at her post, whenever indolence or the indulgence of personal gratification is tempting him to waste, or misapply, a day which should be devoted to useful employment, conscience will whisperan admonition in his ear; but should this prove ineffectual, when the internal monitor is placed in the seat of authority, and is called, at the close of the day to give judgc ment ment upon its transactions, then her voice will be heard ; and the sensations attendant upon her disapprobation, will be too uneasy to induce a repetition of that con* duct, which occasioned them.

I do therefore earnestly recommend the custom of the heathen moralist, to the Christian pastor. Let him, ere he composes himself to rest at night, or before he goes forth from his chamber in the morning, recall the actions of the past day ; try them by the rule of his duty, and pass an impartial judgment upon them. — " Passion will cease,'* says Seneca, "or become cool, when it knows it is every day to be called to account"

or

OF THE

PUBLIC DUTIES

or THS

PAROCHIAL CLERGY.

THESE consist in reading the service of the Church — preaching — and catechising the children.

In reading the service of the Church, too much attention can- Dot be paid by the parochial minister. The people are in general disposed to make light of the prayers ; and to consider the adc 2 vantage vantage they are to receive from public worship, is to be derived chiefly from the sermon. This idea is much strengthened when the liturgy is read in a careless or unskilful manner ; and no idea can be more erroneous.

It is most proper, indeed it is necessary, that the Christian pastor, set to watch for the souls of a parish, should explain the word of God to his flock, and enforce upon them the precepts of Scripture. But far, very far is the discourse<of the preacher from superseding, or ranking higher than, the service of the Church. The order of Prayer prescribed by the Church of England, is itself a body of divinity. In it, all the doctrines, all the leading ing principles, and all the precepts of our religion are: summed up. The attentive hearer may in that learn his duty, and perform every part of public devotion.

Highly mistaken then are those, who rest their chief dependence, and pay the greatest or the only attention to the sermon. And this mistaken notion takes away from those who adopt it, a safeguard provided by our Church, and exposes them to great danger, especially in these days, when the Christian world is so split and divided. The hearer, who attends properly to the liturgy, will be guarded by a store of sound doctrine, of primitive Christian principles ; and should the sermon not c 3 be so

be in unison with the prayers, he will be able to correct the sallies of the preacher, and preserve himself from doubt or error ; whilst he who pays little or no attention to the service of the Church, will be tossed about by every wind of doctrine.

Let me then advise my younger brethren, to be particularly careful in the performance of this branch of their duty. Various endowments are requisite to form a good and a pleasing speaker; such as strength in the voice, correctness in the ear, and melodiousness in the tone ; and these endowments are not bestowed upon all men : all men therefore cannot read, and speak, equally well. But where these gifts of nature are denied,

much much may be done by caie and attention. Let the reader understand what he is speaking, and be attentive to what he is doing, and however harsh may be his tone, and inharmonious his voice, the service will not fail to have a good effect upon his congregation. The most material defects I have observed in reading the prayers of the Church, have been a failure in the reader, of comprehending the service, and of attending to the solemn duty he was performing. Wherever I could perceive that the minister understood what he was reading, and had his mind impressed with the subject, there the excellent .Liturgy of our Church appeared to have a good effect y c 4 but but with every assistance nature could afford, when the speaker, from his stops and emphases, discovered that he comprehended little of what came from his lips, and was unfeeling to every part of the service, there I have noticed all to be cold and lifeless : when the minister was unmoved, the congregation appeared to be without devotion.

" I do assure you," says Archbishop Hort, " there is no little skill required to read the public prayers as they ought to be read." Whatever skill may be required in reading the service of the Church, I am persuaded is within the ability of most men. I must repeat, that if the reader is thoroughly acquainted qimnted with the sense and drift of what he is reading, and his mind is impressed with the solemn duty he is performing, though he may speak ungracefully, he will not speak ineffectually.

lij when the minister is leading the congregation in the General Confession, his thoughts are turned to the weakness of human nature, the imperfection of man's best endeavours, and that through

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the merits and intercession of the Redeemer, upon confession of past sins, and resolution of amendment, we can alone hope for pardon and forgiveness ; if he has these impressions upon his own mind, and a right apprehension of the excellent language in which these c 5 sentisentiments are conveyed, he can-? not fail of bringing the mind of an attentive hearer, to that humble and penitent frame suited to this part of our public devotion.

If the priest feels the high and solemn office with which he is invested, the goodness of God in granting pardon to repentant sinners, and the gracious promise of divine assistance to enable us to perform our part of the Christian Covenant, he will, I think, speak the Absolution with a dignity becoming his sacred embassy, tempered however with a humility befitting the frail condition of an earthly messenger even of the Almighty Himself.

different portions of Scripture ture in the Psalms, the Lessons, and the Epistles and Gospels, will be read with propriety, and will keep up the attention of the congregation, if the reader will take the pains to make himself well acquainted with the design and language of the sacred writers. If he fully comprehends, and feels himself, the prophetic effusions and pious resolutions of the royal Psalmist, the discourses of our blessed Lord, the interesting narratives of the Evangelists, and the forcible argumentative reasoning of St. Paul and the other inspired penmen of the Epistles, if he will so study these writings as to understand, and be attentive when he reads them, it is not the want of c 6 strength strength or melody in the voice that will prevent their effect upon the hearers.

Let the same attention be given to the Collects and Prayers, and the effect will be the same.

The Litany 1 am persuaded must make an impression upon a congregation, when the minister himself is impressed with the excellent and forcible language of the petitions. When his own mind feels the necessity of begging our Lord and Saviour, " not to remember our offences, nor to take vengeance of our sins,*' " but to spare those whom he has redeemed with His most precious blood," his lips will not utter the supplication in a careless or ineffectual manner.

Nor

Nor will the solemn and energetic petition which concludes the deprecatory portion of the Litany, fail to be impressive upon the people, when the priest himself is sensible, how much he stands in need of divine aid under all the circumstances and in all the stages of his mortal career, in prosperity as well as adversity, and particularly that he will require the support and deliverance of his Lord and Saviour, " in the hour of death, and in the day of judgment."

The beautiful and comprehensive form of General Thanksgiving, cannot surely be spoken with impropriety by any minister, who thoroughly understands,

and and feels the language and sentiments of that admirable composition.

Let me then once more press upon the younger clergy, the advantage, indeed the necessity, of reading the service of the Church with the greatest attention and devotion. The young divine who is endowed by nature with talents for speaking, must not suppose his own exertions are unnecessary ; and those on whom these gifts are not bestowed with so liberal a hand, must use care and diligence to improve the few talents, with which they are intrusted. A parochial minister therefore should consider, that under whichever of the above descriptions he may

rank, rank, study and attention is equally requisite. The want of these will not be compensated by a good voice, and a melodious tone ; and by study and attention, a less pleasing delivery may be made effectual to the most beneficial purposes. Let the minister folly comprehend the language and sentiments of the service of our Church, and be intent upon the solemn office he is performing, and whatever may be his natural talent for speaking, he will, I am persuaded, read with that correctness in stop and emphasis, that distinct and deliberate, yet not tedious delivery, and that proper tone from a creature to the Creator, which will communicate to his congregation tion a becoming frame and disposition of mind.

The next branch of the parochial minister's duty is preaching, and if properly performed, it is a most useful part of his public labours. In his discourses from the pulpit, the servant of Christ is to explain the doctrines, and enforce the precepts of his divine Master. The different seasons appointed by the Church, for commemorating the different remarkable events in the life of our blessed Lord, afford him opportunity of calling the attention of his congregation to the leading doctrines of our religion.

The four weeks set apart for considering the ADVENT of the Redeemer, he may well employ in

the the manner pointed out by the Church ; in, preparing the minds of his flock, to make a proper use of the approaching celebration of ihejirsf coming of Christ, by turning their reflections to His second coming to judge the world.

Following the order of the Collects he may begin with urging them to pray for the grace of God, and to use their own exertions, " that they may cast away the works of darkness and put upon them the armour of light," in full assurance that their Redeemer will sit in judgment upon them; that the same Jesus, who with unbounded humility came down from Heaven, to visit and bring salvation to mankind, will in the last

day, day, come again in power and great glory, to reward every one according to his deeds ; that they who have worked the works of darkness here, will have their portion with the devil and his angels hereafter ; but all who have walked as children of light, will <;rise to the life immortal."

He may on the next Sunday direct the attention of his congregation to the Holy Scriptures ; not to the mere perusal of them, but shewing the necessity of applying the mind, " to mark and inwardly digest them," he may impress upon his flock that by patient application they will receive such inward comforts from God's Holy Word, as will lead them on from

strength

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strength to strength, and give them the best hope of man, the blessed hope of everlasting life.

On the third Sunday in Advent, the Church awakens the attention of her members to the duty, and the proposed effects, of the Christian ministry. The pastor may on this day explain the nature of the ministerial office, and urge upon his flock the necessity of their cooperation in the highly important work to which he is called ; that the minister and steward of Christ, may open to the people the great mystery of godliness; he may prepare and make ready the way, but unless they will add to this preparation, and to the assistance God gives them through the Holy

Spirit,

Spirit, their earnest endeavours to keep their disobedient hearts in the way of God's laws, and in the work of his commandments, when He who liveth and reigneth with the Father and the Holy Ghost shall appear at the end of the world, they will not be found acceptable in his sight.

Still looking to the same object, the impressing upon Christians the design and end of Christ's coming into the worldj namely, to cause mankind to be holy here, that they may be happy hereafter, the mininister may, like the Church, conclude Advent with instructing his parishioners from the pulpit, to beg the help of God in working out that salvation, the merits and sufferings ferings of the Redeemer have procured for them ; that through His help they may so run as to obtain the prize, an inheritance in Christ's kingdom in heaven. He may explain to his flock, that they can do nothing of themselves, but they can do every thing through Christ who strengthens them. They must, and will, be sore let and hindered by the spiritual enemy in their mortal career, but greater is He that is for, than he that is against them ; and that if they use earnest prayer, and their own endeavours, the bountiful grace and mercy of God will make them conquerors, through the satisfaction of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and our Lord and Saviour.