present alleged inundation of for a long time together, go near infidelity may not possibly be as-the place where the flock was! cribable to the want of a full per- That, I think, we may venture to formance of those duties. assert.

We have seen, that the new laws dispensed with the important duty of remaining unmarried; that they did not require the parson to keep the church in repair and to divide his income with the poor and the stranger; but, though the new laws allowed of pluralities

Well, then, let us now see how the law, even the new and relaxed law, was, as to this matter, observed by the parsons of our Protestant Church; and, this brings us to my third and concluding topic.

III. Whether the present inunand non-residence to a very great dation of infidelity may not posextent, still they did enjoin resi-sibly be ascribable to the want of dence, except in certain cases a full performance of duties on the expressly "by law established;" part of the parsons. Now, on and, they provided, that, if a par- the ground just stated, I shall son should be absent from his liv-suppose it taken for granted, that, ing for a certain length of time, he if the parson do not live where should be liable, on information the flock lives, he can be of no being laid against him, to pay a use to it, either in inculcating the penalty of so much a month for faith, or in checking the progress the time of his absence. This of infidelity; and, besides this, was, to a certain extent, an obli- when the flock see him set his gation to reside at any rate. If duties, his obligations, his solemn a man had one living, he was to engagements, and the commands reside upon it; and if more than and denunciations of God; when one, he was to reside upon one of the flock sees the pastor set all them. No very great hardship, these at open defiance, is there one would think, for the "shep-not good reason to fear, that the herd" to be where the " flock flock will begin to go astray, to was. We will say nothing at all wander from the faith, to doubt here about the manner of taking greatly of the truth of the thing care of the flock, but, we may, I altogether; in short, to become think, insist, that the flock could unbelievers, or infidels; and in not have much benefit from the the fashionable language of the shepherd, if the shepherd did not, day, blasphemers?

The Prophet Zechariah, in the " rebuke, exhort with all longsufwords of a part of my text, has," fering and doctrine." The Aposmanifestly, such a result in his tle tells the teachers to teach eye when he cries, "Woe on the publicly "from house to house; shepherd that leaveth his flock."" to show themselves in all things And the Prophet Ezekiel, in the" patterns of good works; to be other parts of my text, clearly" examples in word, in conversameans to impress the same thing" tion, in charity, in faith, in puon the minds of the priests. What,"rity; to warn every man, to indeed, can be more just, than that" teach every man in wisdom, woe should fall upon those, who" that they may present every "eat the fat and clothe them-" man perfect in Jesus Christ." "selves with the wool," but who The teachers of the Gospel are feed not the flock! Who strengthen called Ambassadors, Stewards, not the diseased, who heal not the Shepherds, Watchmen, Guides, sick, who bring back not those Lights, Examples. But, how that have been driven away, who are they to be any of these, if seek not the lost, but who "rule they seldom or never see any of "the flock with force and with those, whom they have pledged "cruelty?" Must not the flock be themselves to teach? scattered, in such a case? Must Jesus Christ says, "Go ye they not wander? And, as to the shepherds, "Thus saith the Lord "God; behold, I am against the "shepherds; and I will require" unto the end of the world." And "my flock at their hand, and the Apostle Paul, amongst his cause them to cease feeding the numerous urgent and solemn ex"flock; neither shall the shep- hortations says, in Acrs, Ch. 20. "herds feed themselves any more: v. 27, " I take you to record this "for I will deliver my flock from " day, that I am pure from the "their mouth, that they may not "blood of all men; for I have "be meat for them." "shunned not to declare unto you Nor are Christ and his Apostles "the counsel of God. Take silent upon this great subject."heed, therefore, unto yourselves, Paul, in writing to TIMOTHY says:" and to all the flock over which "Preach the word; be instant in" the Holy Ghost hath made you 56 season, out of season; reprove, "" overseers, to feed the Church

into

"all the world and preach the

Gospel unto every creature; and, "lo! I am with you always, even

Y

But, there is, besides the injunc tions of Scripture, a positive promise, which the parsons make to God, at the time of their ordina

"of God, which he hath purchased the way in which the greater part "with his own blood." And he of them spend their time; about exhorts, too, that the teachers the worldly affairs in which they should do their duty for religion are most frequently busied; about sake, and not for the sake of gain. the part which many of them take A Bishop is not to be "greedy in political matters, and especially of filthy lucre, nor covetous."-in elections: I confine myself, TIM. Ch. 3. V. 3. And the same solely to my text; and 1 say, that in TITUS, Ch. 1.V.7, And PETER, he who takes charge of a flock, in Epist. I. Ch. 5. V. 2. has this and does not remain with that exhortation, which ought to be flock, subjects himself to the woes written on the heart of every Chris-there denounced against the untian teacher. "Feed the flock of faithful shepherd. "God which is among you, tak"ing the oversight thereof, not by "constraint, but willingly; not "for filthy lucre, but of a ready "mind. Neither as being lords tion. "They profess, that they "over God's heritage, but being "are inwardly moved by the Holy examples to the flock. And, "Ghost to take upon them this "when the chief Shepherd shall" office and administration, to serve appear, ye shall receive a crown "God for the promoting of his "of glory that fadeth not away." What, then! Can, we, with all" people. They declare also at this before us, believe, that a "their ordination that they are parson does his duty, if he do not" determined with the scriptures even reside in the same place with" to instruct the people that shall his flock? And, when we see a "be committed to their charge; man taking the income of two or "they promise that they will give three livings, and seldom, or never" their faithful diligence always go near either of them, are we 66 so to minister the doctrine and still to look upon him as a follower" sacraments and the discipline of of the Apostles, and intitled to "Christ, as the Lord hath comthe respect and reverence that is due to their memories and names? I will say not a single word about "the commandment of God; that the morals of our parsons; about " they will teach the people com

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"glory and the edifying of his

"

manded, and as this realm hath "received the same according to

"mitted to their cure and charge lemnly promised to do them? "with all diligence to keep and How are they to promote God's

"observe the same, that they will "be ready with all faithful dili

แ

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glory and edify his people; how are they to instruct the people gence to banish and drive away committed to their charge; how "all erroneous and strange doc- are they to explain the word to "trines contrary to God's word; the people of their cure; how are "and to use public and private they to be ready with faithful « admonitions and exhortations, diligence to banish and drive away as well to the sick as to the all erroneous and strange doctrine whole, within their cures, as contrary to God's word, and esneed shall require and occasion pecially from amongst them that "be given; that they will be dili- are committed to their charge: "gent in prayers and in the reading how are they to fulfil any of these "of the Holy Scriptures, and in solemn promises, if they absent "such studies as help to the know-themselves from the very spot "ledge of the same, laying aside where the people committed to "the study of the world and the their charge reside? And, if, "flesh; that they will be diligent having already one living, they "to frame and fashion themselves grasp at another or two, how do "and their families according to they obey the injunction of the "the doctrine of Christ, that they Apostle, to avoid filthy lucre; how "may be wholesome examples and do they obey Christ, who bids spectacles to the flock of Christ; them freely give; how do they "and that they will maintain and fulfil their own promise, made at "set forwards quietness, peace the altar and with such awful so"and love among all Christians, lemnity, to lay aside the study of the world; and how do they show

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"but specially among them that

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are or shall be committed to their themselves followers of the Aposcharge." And they most so- tle, who bids them "be subject lemnly ratify and confirm these "one to another and be clothed declarations and promise by re-with humility, seeing that God ceiving the holy communion. "resisteth the proud and giveth

Now, how are they to do these" grace to the humble?"

That this possessing of two, or

things, or, indeed, any part of these things, unless they be at the more, benefices by one parson is places where they have so so- common in England and Ireland

is notorious; though the full ex- cause there the great body of the tent of it we are unable, without people have, in spite of all that great labour, exactly to ascertain. has been done to make them And, as to non-residence, as to change, still adhered to the faith absence from the flocks, what do and worship of their and our we need more than this; that, in " pious ancestors," who, in dedica1799, a gentleman laid informa-ting tithes to the Catholic Church, tions, according to law, against did, as the Society tells us, " dedigreat numbers of parsons for ab- cate them to God." In that now sence from their flocks, and, of unhappy country, the tithes are course, sued for the penalties in gathered, in numerous cases, for which he was to share. Now, the benefit of a clergy that are would not one naturally suppose, not only non-resident, but that that the clergy in general would protest against the faith and worhave been glad of this? The fact, ship of a very great part of those however, is, that they obtained a from whom the tithes are taken! law to be passed first to suspend, Was this the intention of "our then to quash, these legal proceed- pious ancestors?" Was it the ings; and, finally, an act was intention even of the acts of Henry passed, which set aside, as to its the Eighth? most important provisions, that very To conclude (for, surely, more act of Henry the Eighth, by which, than enough has been said,) as we in great measure, this Establish- see that the parsons so solemnly ment was founded! Since that act, promise, at their ordination, to who is there that has thought it" be ready with faithful diligence worth his while to say anything "to banish and drive away all at all upon the subject? And "erroneous and strange doctrine," yet this" Society for promoting and as it is a fact so notorious, Christian Knowledge" would have that a very great part of them do as look upon tithes, in their pre-not reside at all either amongst, sent shape, amount, and applica- or near, the people committed to tion, to have been, " by our pious ancestors, dedicated to God!"

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their charge, is it not a rational and fair conclusion, that, if the land be inundated by infidelity, this sorrowful effect may possibly

In Ireland the case is, if possible, still worse, and it is in that country the cause of still greater be ascribable to a want of full scandal as well as irritation, be- performance of the duties of the