notions on the other. And we have need, that every one, who is able to qualify himself well, should affift in defending his part of the common caufe. For there are too many unanfwered books abroad in the world, and more appearing daily, written against Christianity and morals, and the doctrines of our church. Nor have we of the clergy, for fome time past, borne fo large a share, comparatively with persons of other communions, in vindicating what we teach, as might be expected from us. I hope you are not often obliged, in this Diocese, to encounter unbelievers from the pulpit; and you will certainly not chufe to alarm your people, by refuting, in form, objections to which they are ftrangers; though it may be useful to obviate them briefly, and if poffible without naming them. But as, probably enough, some of you will, at one time or another, in company meet with fuch perfons, or hear of their talk, I would give you a few directions in relation to them.

prema.

If any of them are virtuous in their conduct, and backward to offend in discourse, they should not be unseasonably provoked, but treated with refpect. If any of them build their unbelief on ferious argument, which plainly very few do, they fhould be directed to the books, or the learned men, that are beft fitted to answer them; and the less able should prepare for combat with them, but not engage too far in it turely. If they cannot at prefent be convinced of the falsehood of their tenets, they fhould be shown however, in a gentle manner, the pernicious effects of promulging them. But if they will obftinately perfift to facrifice every thing valuable amongst men to their own vices, or their own vanity, we muft openly withstand them, and warn others against them. Yet even this ought to be done without paffion or bitterness, otherwife all the blame will be laid on us; efpecially without perfonal incivilities, even to the worft of them, elfe they will become ftill worfe than they were. But then we must never affift the very beft of them in gaining influence and growing dangerous; nor bring our own fincerity into question by intimacies with them, which they will ufually reprefent, and fometimes believe, to proceed from our inwardly thinking as they do. Much lefs fhould we ever condescend to the fhocking meanness of paying court for private ends, either to them, or to wicked wretches of any kind, though not infidels; but

connect

connect ourselves with worthy perfons; engage their fupport, and excite their endeavours to reprefs profaneness and immorality.

It is peculiarly unhappy, that while we are employed on one fide in defending the gospel, we are accused on another of corrupting it. I have not now in my view either the Church of Rome, or the Proteftants who broke off from us a century ago. The methods of dealing with both have been long fince prescribed, and I repeat them not; but intreat your attention to the movements of each, especially the former, if you have any of them in your parishes. But I mean to speak of perfons risen up in our own times, and profeffing the ftricteft piety: who vehemently charge us with departing from the doctrines, and flighting the precepts of our religion; but have indeed themselves advanced unjuftifiable notions, as neceffary truths; giving good people groundless fears, and bad ones groundless hopes; disturbed the understandings of fome, impaired the circumstances of others; prejudiced multitudes against their proper minifters, and prevented their edification by them; produced firft diforders in our churches, then partial or total separations from them; and fet up unauthorized teachers in their affemblies. Where these irregularities will end, God only knows; but it behoves us to be very careful, that they make no progrefs through our fault.

gain the credit of Surely we should

Now, it would not only be injurious, but profane, to brand, with an opprobrious name, Chriftians remarkably ferious, merely for being fuch; and equally imprudent to disclaim them as not belonging to us, to let a fect them, and labour to drive them into it. take, even were they wavering, or actually gone from us, the most respectful and perfuafive means of recalling fuch, and fixing them with us. Nay, fuppofing any perfons irrecoverably gone, we should not be hafty to condemn, even in our thoughts, either them or their party, as enthusiasts or hypocrites: whatsoever they are, it maketh no matter to us*. And much lefs ought we to fay of either worfe than we are fure they deserve. When we are undoubtedly well informed of any extravagant things, which they have afferted or done, it may be useful to speak strongly of them; but not with anger

A a 2

Gal. ii. 6.

and

and exaggeration; which will only give them a handle to cenfure our uncharitableness, and confute us; but with deep concern, that when so few perfons express any zeal for the gofpel, fo many of thofe, who do run into extremes, that hurt its interefts. Nor will ridicule become our character, or ferve our caufe better than invective. It may please those very highly, who are in no danger of being profelyted by them. But what shall we get by that? Perfons negligent of religion will at the fame time be confirmed in their negligence; and think, that all they need to avoid is being righteous overmuch*. Tender minds will be grieved and wounded by fuch ill-placed levity; and crafty declaimers will rail at us with fuccefs, as fcofferst, denying the power of godliness But if we let fall any light expreffions, that can be wrested into a seeming difrefpect to any fcripture doctrine or phrafe, we fhall give our adverfaries unfpeakable advantages; and they have shown, that they will use them without mercy or equity. Therefore we muft guard every word that we utter, against misreprefentations be fure to exprefs, in public and private, our firm belief of whatever evangelical truths border upon their mistakes; and certainly be as vigilant over our behaviour, as our teaching; encourage no violence, no rudeness towards them; but recommend ourfelves to them by our mildness, our seriousness, our diligence; honour those who are truly devout and virtuous amongst them, much more on that account, than we blame them for being injudicious, and hard to please; and be full as ready to acknowledge the good they have done, as to complain of the harm; yet beware, and counfel others to beware, of being drawn, by esteem of their piety, into relishing their fingularities, and patronizing their schism.

:

Acting thus, we fhall not only cut off occafion from those who defire occafion to speak evil of us, and be able to remonstrate with authority and effect against their exceffes and wildneffes; but, which is the chief point, we fhall become better minifters of Chrift for their harfh treatment of us. And we

fhould always labour, that every thing may have this influ ence upon us think with ourselves, if others go too far, whether we do not fall fhort; afk our confciences, whether the fmall fuccefs of our endeavours be, in truth, as it ought, a heavy

* Eccl. vii. 16. † 2 Pet. iii. 3.

2 Tim. ii. 15. || 2 Cor. xi. 12.

heavy grief to us; whether we have carefully fearched out, and try inceffantly to overcome the difficulties that lie in our way to making them better. These things, if we are in earneft, we shall chiefly have at heart; and if we are not in earneft, we are of all men the moft guilty, and the most miserable*.

In giving you my advice thus largely and freely on these several heads, I no more fuppofe you culpable in relation to any of them, than you do your parishioners, when you exhort them to any particular duties, or warn them against particular fins. On the contrary, to use the apoftle's words, I am perfuaded of you, brethren, that ye are full of goodness, replenished with all knowledge, able alfo to admonish one another. Neverthelefs, if I may prefume to adopt, with due abatements, the subsequent words alfo, I have spoken fomewhat boldly unto you part, as putting you in mind, because of the grace which is given me of God, that I should be the minifter of Jefus Christ to you t, as you are to your refpective congregations. And let us all pray for ourselves and each other daily, that we may fo feed the flock of God which is among us, and be enfamples to it, that when the chief Shepherd shall appear, we may receive a crown of glory, that fadeth not away‡.

I Cor. XV. 19.

Rom, xv. 14-16. Į 1 Pet. v. 2,-4°

in

A CHARGE

A

CHARGE

DELIVERED TO THE

CLERGY OF THE DIOCESE

CANTERBURY,

In the Year 1766,

REVEREND Brethren,

AVING diftributed amongst you, above three years a

HAVING

go, when fickness prevented me from vifiting you in perfon, a printed difcourfe, in which I exhorted you, as St Paul did Timothy, to take heed unto yourselves; I proceed now to add, as he did, and to your doctrine*.

To inftruct perfons in religion is the leading part of a clergyman's duty. And though he will do it in a very useful degree by the example of a Chriftian behaviour on all occafions; yet he will do it more especially in the peculiar difcharge of his office. When he is only to use the forms prescribed him, he may, by using them with due reverence and propriety, greatly promote both knowledge and pious difpofitions in his hearers. Therefore we ought to watch diligently over ourselves in this refpect; and then it will be `eafier