The Faithful Shepherd

To the Courteous Reader.

HErein is shewn the Original and dignity of Bishops and the singular union between Regal, and Episcopal right and Authority: drawn from Constantine, after the Church begun to have a little vigor against the persecuting Arians. And because the works of this famous Author should be had in Endless remembrance by all Protestants, as he is and ever will be, to the terror of all Papists. And if any shall demand why I the Reprinter should take upon me to publish this famous Sermon: my answer is as ready as true, (because; for the sincere love that I bear unto the truth; and the Endless true love that I owe unto my Deceased spiritual Father, who begat me in 1624. out of blind Popery from dumb'd and dead Idols; and brought me into the clear light, to serve the true and living God) that he may have glory by it, and every Reader the benefit of it: I have thought no time so seasonable, nor none of all the Authors works so suitable as this small volume is, that all those who never knew his person, much less were conversant with him, or never read him in his large field of his manifold unparalleled works, may herein have a most sweet taste of his worth, which may make them desirous to know him more in his larger works: so this small piece is to inform the ignorant, to reform the obstinate, to conform the moderate: and to confirm all to communicate in the Church of God. That all Christians may so do, is the hearty desires and daily prayers, of the meanest of the Sons of the Church.

THE FAITHFULL SHEPHEARD.

A Sermon Preached at the Consecration of three Bishops, the Lord's Elect of Oxford, Bristol, and Chester, in his Graces Chapel at Lambeth, May 9. 1619.

A Rchilocus sharpening his quill, and dipping it in gall against Licambes; that his satirical invectives might be more poignant, putteth the pen in Archilocrus his fathers hand, and by an elegant prosopopeia maketh him upbraid his son with those errors and vices, which it was not fit that any but his father should in such sort rip up. And Tully being to read a lecture of gravity and modesty to Clodia, which became not his years or condition, raiseth up, as it were, from the grave, her old grandfather Appius Caecus, and out of his mouth delivereth a sage and fatherly admonition to her. In like manner (Right Reverend) receiving the charge from you to give the charge unto you at this present, and being over-ruled by authority to speak something of the eminent authority and sacred dignity into which ye are now to be invested; I have brought upon this holy stage the first of your rank, and auncientest of your Apostolical order, to admonish you with authority both of your general calling, as Pastors set over Christ's flock; and your special, as Bishops set over the Pastors themselves: That in the former words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 feed; this in the latter, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , bishoping, or taking the over-sight of them. Both they are to perform,

• 1 Not by constraint.
• 2 Not for lucre.
• 3 Not with pride.

1 Not by constraint: constraint standeth not with the dignity of the Apostles successors.

2. Not for filthy lucre: filthy lucre sorts not with God's Priests.

3 Not in, or with Lord-like pride: Lord-like pride complyeth not with the humility of Christ's Ministers.

As Tully the aged wrote to Cato the ancient, of old age; so in the words of my text Peter the Elder writeth to Elders, of the calling, life and reward of Elders in the Church of God.

• 1 Their function is feeding, and overlooking Christ's flock, enjoined, ver. 2.
• 2 Their life is to be a pattern of all virtue, drawn ver. 3.
• 3 Their reward is a Crown of glory, set before them ver. 4.

• 1 Their function sacred, answerable to their calling, which is divine.
• 2 Their life exemplary, answerable to their function, which is sacred.
• 3 Their reward, exceeding great, answerable to the eminency of the one, and excellency of the other.

May it please you therefore to observe out of the words,

• 1 For your instruction, what your function is.
• 2 For correction, what your life should be.
• 3 For comfort, what your reward shall be.

As the costly ornaments of Aaron were fastened to the Ephod with golden chains of writhen works, so all the parts and points of the Apostles exhortation are artificially joined and tied together with excellent coherence, as it were with chains of gold. This chain thus I draw through them all.

1 There are some of the Ministry fitter to be fed and led like sheep, than to feed or lead like shepherds; they are hunger-starved themselves, having no better provision than the Apostles had in the wildernenesse after Christ's miraculous feast, a few baskets full of broken meat. Saint Bernard admireth at their Charity, saying, they by whom the streams of heavenly doctrine flow to us, are of such superabundant charity, that they desire to empty themselves before they are half full, nay many before they have any drop of saving knowledge, and divine learning, most ready to deliver that which they never received, and teach what they never learned. Such a one was that Bithynian whom Lactantius taketh up for taking upon him to cure dim and dark eyes, when himself was stark blind. I find nothing whereunto I may fitter resemble them, than to squibs or small fire-works, which as soon as they take fire, never leave popping and shooting, and making a hideous noise, till all the powder be spent: so these having rammed a little stuff together, and being kindled with blind zeal, never leave shooting and spitting fire in the pulpit, as long as their poor provision lasteth. These men howsoever they are liable to many other exceptions, yet all men will free them from the imputation which Felix laid upon Saint Paul much learning hath made thee mad. And as secure are they from the danger of the killing letter, as the Poet in his witty Epigram playeth upon an ignorant Priest in time of Popery.

Thou hast taken good care that the killing letter shall not hurt thee, for thou knowest never a letter in the book. The measures of the Sanctuary contained twice as much as the common measures, the shekel of the Sanctuary weighed down two other shekels; to show us that the gifts of a Pastor ought to carry a double proportion to those of his flock, else he had need to be fed himself; and is not qualified for this duty required in my text, in the first place, Feed

2 Of those that are able to feed, some feed themselves, not their flock; like Varus, taxed by Velleius Paterculus, who came poor into a rich Province, but went rich out of the poor Province; making a very gainful exchange, by leaving them the poverty he brought with him, and taking with him the wealth he found there. Feed ye not yourselves but the Flock.

3 Of those that feed the Flock, some feed not God's Flock but Satan's heard; teaching in Conventicles of Heretics, or Schismatics. Wasps have their hives as well as Bees, and Pirates have their Pilots as well as honest Merchants: be not ye like them; feed not the droves of Satan or Antichrist, but the Flock of God.

4 Of those that feed the Flock of God, some feed not the Flock which is among them, they are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Bishops in other men's Dioceses; they thrust their sickle into another's harvest, and discharge without a charge: they may rightly say with the Spouse in the Canticles, They have made me (or rather I have made myself) a keeper of vineyards, but mine own vineyard I have not kept. If the frogs Seryphus could speak they would claim kindred of these men; for as those frogs in the Island where they are bred are dumb, and make no noise at all, but carried to any other Country, fall on singing or croaking, and never give over: so these are silent and quiet in their own cures, but when they are out of them none can be quiet for them: they who can scarce afford a Sermon in a month at their own home, making nothing of lecturing every day in the week abroad.

5 Of those that feed the flock of God which is among them, that is, preach painfully and powerfully, some are not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Overlookers; they that take the over-sight of their flock, they have not an eye to their life and manners, they never use the rein, or rather curb of ecclesiastical discipline; forgetting that in the Ark of God, together with the Table of the Testimony, and the Pot of Manna, the Rod of Aaron that budded was laid up: and that where David compareth God to a shepherd, he maketh mention both of his rod and staff.

6 Of those that feed the flock of God that is amongst them, and take the over-sight thereof, that is, both rule well, and labor in the word, some deserve not the double honor, because they do it by constraint, not wilingly, like those Calves, and Bullocks, and Rams, that were pulled and hailed to the Altars of the heathen gods, wherewith Pliny observeth that the Paynim deities were never pleased, nor gave good success to them which offered such sacrifice unto them. Nature itself giveth a prerogative to that honey which drops out of the comb, before that which is forced or squized out; and to that oil which sweats out of the Myrrh trees, issuing from thence of its own accord, before that which runneth after pricking or incision. The noblest palate wine is made of that liquor of the grape which spinneth out upon the smallest touch, without any violent pressure.

7 Of those that take the over-sight of the flock, not by canstraint but willingly, some do it not freely, or of a ready mind, but for filthy lucre. The Echo taught by Erasmus, rings this in the ears of the Laity, and they hear it brief, Quid venatur sacerdos? 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . And Platina giveth a touch thereof in the life of Pope Goodface the third; the first question is, after a man is chosen Pope, what is the Bishopric of Rome worth? Filthy lucre carrieth such an ill savor with it, the precious ointment of Aaron cannot take away the smell thereof: Covetousness is a spot in any coat, but a stain in the linen Ephod: what so unfit? what so incongruous? nay what so opprobrious and scandalous, as for those who in scripture are styled Angels, and should like Angels, by continual meditations, and divine contemplations behold the face of God in heaven, to turn earth-worms, and lie and feed upon very muck? How dare they deliver the holy Sacrament with those hands that have received bribes? or are defiled with the price of Blood? or are foul with telling their use-money? Holiness (which of all other most befitteth our sacred calling) in the Greek implieth a contradiction to earthliness: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which we render holy, is all one in that language as unearthly. If a glass be soyled with dust, or besmeared with dirt, it reflecteth no image at all: in like manner if the mind be soyled with the dust of earthliness, the image of God cannot appear in it; the fancy of such a man will represent no spiritual form, conceive no divine or heavenly imaginations. If we seek our own and not the things that are Jesus Christ's, the Goods not the good of our flock, we lose the first letter of our name in the Prophet Ezekiel, and of speculatores become peculatores, and are not to be termed praedicatores but praedatores. But I will not make this blot bigger by unskilfully going about to take it out.

8 Of those that feed, and take the over-sight of God's flock that is among them, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, some carry themselves, like Lord's over the flock, not as ensamples to their flock, they go in & out before them in a lordly gate, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , in swelling pride, not in exemplary humillty, seeking rather to over-rule them with terror and violence, then rule over them with the spirit of meekness. These though they are put up in the highest form, yet have not learned the first lesson in the school of Christianity, to be meek and lowly in heart: neither understand they that divine graces, which are the plants of Paradise, are like to the tree in the Poet that bear golden boughs.

whose root was just so much beneath the earth as the top was in height above it. The higher God's Saint grow upwards to perfection, the deeper they take root downward in humility, considering that they have nothing of their own, but sin; and what a foolish and impious sin of pride is it, to be proud of sin? He that presumes on his own strength, saith holy Augustine, is conquered before he fight. To repose trust in ourselves, saith Bernard, is not of faith, but perfidiousness, neither breeds it true confidence, but diffidence. To be proud of knowledge, is to be blind with light: to be proud of virtue is to poison himself with the Antidote: and to be proud of authority, is to make his rise his downfall, and his ladder his ruin. It is the dark soil that giveth the Diamond its brightest luster: it is the humble and low, and obscure conceit of our own worth that giveth luster and grace to all our virtues and perfections, if we have any; Moses glory was the greater because his face shined, and he knew not of it.

Thus have I numbered unto you the several links of the Apostles golden chain of instructions for Pastors, now let us gather them together in a narrow room.

1 Be not such as need to be fed but are able and willing to feed.

2 Feed not yourselves but the flock.

3 Feed not the flock or droves of Antichrist, but the flock of God.

4 Feed the flock of God, not out of your charge, or without you, but the flock of God which is among you.

5 Content not yourselves with feeding them only with the word and Sacrament, but overlook them also, have an eye to their manners.

6 Do this not constrainedly, but willingly.

7 Not out of private respects, but freely.

8 Not proudly but humbly, not to show your authority over the flock, but to set before them an ensample in your selves of humility, meekness, temperance, patience, and all other virtues.

Thus feed the flock of God that is among you, thus rule those whom you feed, thus carry yourselves towards those whom you rule, thus give good ensample in your carriage; and when the chief Shepherd and Bishop of your souls Christ Jesus shall appear, you shall receive instead of a Crosier a Scepter, of a Miter a Crown, of a Diocese upon earth a Kingdom in heaven.

You see I have a large and plentiful field before me, yet I purpose at this time to follow the example of the Apostles, who as they passed through the corn field, plucked only an ear or two, and rubbed them in their hands.

To rub the first ear, that you may see what grain it yieldeth. To feed, saith Bellarmine, signifieth to rule with princely authority, to sway the scepter as a spiritual Prince over Christ's flock; and to this purpose he alledgeth that text in the Apocalypse, 2. 27. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 he shall feed (or rule) them with a rod of iron, hard feeding for Christ's sheep; he had need to have an Ostrich 's stomach that can digest this interpretation here. Feed, not over-ruling ver. 3. that is, over-rule them, not feeding: this is as natural an interpretation of this Scripture, as the gloss upon the word statuimus in the Canon law, id est, abrogamus, or statuimus quod non; we enact, that is, we abrogate; we command, that is, we forbid; we appoint this, that is, we appoint that this shall not be. If this be a right interpretation of this place, and the other parallel to it in Saint John, then St. Bernard was in the wrong, for he infers the clean contrary from it; and which is most considerable, in a book of consideration dedicated to the Pope himself: Peter could not give thee that which he had not, what he had, that he gave thee, care over the Churches: but did he not also give thee dominion? hear what himself saith, not as being Lord's over God's heritage, but being made examples to the flock: least any man should think that this was spoken only in humility, and not in truth, it is the voice of the Lord in the Gospel, Kings of the Nations bear rule over them, but it shall not be so with you; it is plain that Lord-like dominion is forbidden to the Apostles: go too therefore now, and assume to thyself if thou dare, either the office of an Apostle, if thou be a Lord, or Lord-like dominion if thou be an Apostle. Howbeit I deny not that the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 here used, sometimes signifieth to rule with Princely authority, and Lord-like command, both in Scriptures and profane Writers: as Homer styleth King Agamemnon 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the Shepherd of the people: so God himself calleth Cyrus his Shepherd; and which is very observable, Cyrus as if he had taken notice of this name imposed by God upon him before his birth, was wont usually to say, That a good Prince was like a good Shepherd, who can by no other means grow rich, than by making his flock to thrive under him; the prosperity of the subject is not only the honor but the wealth also of the Prince. All this maketh nothing for the Popes triple Crown, to which he layeth claim by virtue of Christ's threefold pasce, or feed (John. 21. 15, 16, 17.) for neither doth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 originally, or properly, nor usually signify to reign as a King, especially when oves meae, or grex domini, my sheep, or the flock of God is construed with it; nor can it be so taken here, or John. 21. as the light of texts set together reflecting one upon the other will clear the point. For that which Christ enjoineth Peter, John. 21. that Peter here enjoineth all Elders: the words of the charge are the same, Feed my sheep, there; Feed the flock of God, here. But Saint Peter enjoineth not all Elders in these words to rule with sovereign authority as Kings over the whole flock, or as Lord's over their own peculiar: for this he expressly forbiddeth, ver. 3. therefore to usurp authority over the whole Church, or to domineer over any part thereof, is not to feed according to Christ's charge to Saint Peter, or Saint Peters to all Elders. What is it then? if you have reference to the Etomology 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to feed, as the word imports in the original, is to reside upon our cure, or abide with our flock, where the spouse is commanded to seek Christ, go thy way forth to the footsteps of the flock. And indeed where should the Sentinel be but upon his watch tower? Where the Pilot but at the stern? where the intelligence but at his orbe? where the Sun but within his ecliptick line? where the candle but in the canble-stick? where the diamond but in the ring? where the shepherd but among his flock? whom he is to feed, for whom he is to provide, of whom he is to take the over-sight, to whom he ought to be an example; which he cannot be if he never be in their sight. But because this observation is grounded only upon the Etymology, I will lay no more stress upon it. The proper and full signification of the word is, pastorum agere, to play the good shepherd, or exercise the function of a Pastor, which consisteth in three things especially.

• 1 Docendo quid facere debeant.
• 2 Orando ut facere possint.
• 3 Increpando si non faciant.

• 1 In teaching those of his flock what they ought to do.
• 2 In praying that they may do it.
• 3 In reproving if they do it not.

All which may be reduced to a threefold feeding.

• 1 With the Word, Ier. 3.
• 2 With the Sacraments, Apoc. 2. & John. 6.
• 3 With the Rod, Micah 7. 14.

To feed with the Word and Sacrament is the common duty of all Pastors, but to feed with the rod is reserved to Bishops: they are Seraphims, holding the spiritul sword of excommunication in their hands, to guard the tree of life: whose special office, and eminent degree in the Church is implied in the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , which the vulgar latin rendereth providentes, but Saint Augustine more agreeable to the Etymology, supervidentes, super-visors, or super-intendents. Yet this is but a general notation of the name; every Bishop is a super-visour or over-seer, but every super-visour is not a Bishop. The Lacedaemonian Magistrates were called Epori, which is an equivalent style to Episcopy: and Constantine the great spake as truly as piously to his Bishops; Ye reverend Fathers are Bishops of them that are within the Church, but I of them that are out of the Church: where your pastoral staff is too short, I will piece it out and lengthen it with my scepter. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the most proper and restrained signification is to exercise Episcopal Authority (or perform the office of a Bishop) which consisteth, in two things:

• 1 In ordaining.
• 2 Ordering.

• 1 Giving orders.
• 2 Keeping order.

Saint Paul giveth Titus both in charge: for this cause I left thee in Crete, to ordain Elders in every Church, there is the first, to wit, ordination; and to set in order things that are wanting, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to correct things out of order, there is the second viz. ordering or reformation. Timothy likewise the first Consecrated Bishop of Ephesus is put in mind of these branches of his Episcopal function: of the first, Lay hands suddenly on no man: of the second, Against an Elder receive not an accusation but under two or three witnesses; Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear. Be not partaker of any man's sins, to wit, by not censuring or punishing them. These two offices to be most necessary in the Church, every man's reason and common experience will inform us. For how shall we have Ministers at all without Ordination? and how shall we have good Ministers or people without visitation? Now for Presbyters or Ministers, who are equal in degree to exercise authority one over the other, and lay hands upon themselves, and so to become their own ghostly Fathers, is to make order itself a confusion. Therefore God in the law put a difference between the Priests and Levites: and Christ in the Gospel between the Apostles and Disciples; and the Apostles after Christ's death between Bishops and Elders. Which the primitive Church kept so religiously, that to oppose it in practice was accounted no less them sacrilege; in doctrine, flat heresy. The first that I find ever to have gone about to break down the partition wall between Bishops and Presbyters, was Arius, a man like this name, was light and aery, easily carried away with the wind of ambition. For as Apiphanius writeth, standing for a Bishopric, and missing it, he invented this heresy to comfort himself; and because he could not raise up himself to the high rank of Bishops, he sought to pull them down to his lower rank of Elders. What difference, saith he, is there between a Bishop and Priest? none at all, their order, and honor, and dignity, is one and the self-same. But for this his saucy malepartnesse he felt the smart of the Crosier staff, and for ranking Bishops among Presbyters or Elders, he was himself ranked among heretics. God who made greater and lesser lights in the firmament, and set Angels in ranks one above another, hath erected an Hierarchy upon earth: which as he hath ever yet, so I hope he still will to the end of the world establish and support and propagate it, as it hath wonderfully supported and propagated the Church. The bounds thereof extended by the preaching, and kept by the Government of Bishops; the Heretics and Schismatics in all ages suppressed by Councils and Synods of Bishops; the Rubrics of Ecclesiastical Kalendars coloured with the blood of so many martyred Bishops, are sufficient evidence thereof. And as the Church soon after her first plantation exceedingly prospered under the shade of James Bishop of Jerusalem, Titus of Crete, Timothy of Ephesus, Mark of Alexandria, Ignatius of Antioch, Antipas of Pargamus, Polycarp of Smyrna, and divers others ordained by the Apostles, or their immediate successors; and in succeeding ages received her best sap and nourishment from the Greek and Latin Fathers, who for the most part were Bishops: so Beza himself acknowledgeth it to have been the singular happiness of the Church of England, which he prayeth may be perpetual, that this reverend and sacred order hath yielded not only famous Martyrs, but also most excellent Doctors and Pastors, As the Poet blazing the virtues of the Emperor then reigning, said,

Brutus and Camillus and Cato, the greatest sticklers for the liberty of the Commonwealth, if they were now alive would turn Royalists: so we may truly affirm that the greatest enemies of Episcopal Jurisdiction, could not but approve of such Bishops as now sit at the stern in our Church. And what if all are not such? must the whole order suffer for their sake? lay not upon all the fault of some. If one or other bud of Aaron's rod, the Bishopric of Rome and the dependants thereon, are turned into serpents, shall the whole rod be cast out of the Ark, and Jonah 's gourd put in the place thereof? I mean the new sprung up mushrome, the Government of lay Elders; Elders whereof no Elder age of the Church ever took notice, and younger cannot tell yet how to Christian them: because they are a kind of epicoens, of both genders, plant-animals, partly Animals, partly plants▪ like a sort of Nuns at Brussels, partly regular, partly secular; in the morning wearing the cowles and habit of Recluses, in the afternoon the feathers and other attire of Gallants. For they are Clergy-laickes, and Lay-clerks: of their clergy they are, for they together with their Ministers ordain Ministers, and inflict Ecclesiastical censures; and yet laicks they are, for they may not preach nor baptize. Churchmen they are, for they bear rule in the Church; yet Churchmen they are not, for they may receive no maintenance from the Church. They are the Elders that rule well, and labor, not in the word, for such they will have intimated by St. Paul, yet the honor which their own Interpreters there expound honorable maintenance, is not due unto them. Spare me Men, Fathers, and Brethren, if I spare not them who go about to bereave us of our spiritual Fathers, qui saeviunt in plagas & vulnera ecclesiae, who seek to ruin the ruins, and spoil the very spoils of Ecclesiastical dignity and distinction left among us. To place such Bats as these, rather mice than birds, must Christ's Apostles and their successors be displaced, and all ranks of Ecclesiastical order confounded: is there any justice in this, to break all Crosier staves, and tread all Miters underfoot, and tear all Rochets in pieces. for the usurpation and tyranny of one Bishop the Pope of Rome? By this reason take away the Reverend order of the Apostles for Judas sake, take away the sacred order of Prophets for Balaam's sake, take away the sovereign order of Princes for Julian's sake, take away the glorious orbs of stars for the stars sake called wormwood in the Apocalypse, nay take away the highest regiment of Angels for Lucifers sake, & the rest of his faction, sometime in the highest order in heaven, but now reserved in chains of darkness till the great day.

This may suffice to be spoken of, and for your calling: two words of the two duty; implied in the words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , feed and take the over-sight. You are Pastors and Bishops, make good your titles, feed as Pastors, take the over-sight of your Diocese as Bishops. The three orders in the Church, Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, resemble the three faculties of the soul, the vegetative, sensitive, and reasonable. For as the sensitive faculty includeth the vegetative, & aliquid amplius and somewhat more, to wit, sense; and the reasonable implieth the sensitive, & aliquid amplius and somewhat more, to wit, reason; for a Priest implieth a Deacon, & aliquid amplius; and a Bishop implieth a Priest, & aliquid amplius. Ye are (my Lord's) both Bishops and Priests, and as you are invested into a double honor, so you have a double charge: as Bishops you are to rule well; as Priests to labor in the word; as Priests you are to preach, as Bishops to ordain Priests, and countenance Preachers: as Priests you are to smite simony and sacrilege, schism and heresy, impurity and impiety, gladio oris, with the sword of your mouth; as Bishops, ore gladii, with the mouth, that is, the edge of the sword, the sword of ecclesiastical censures which Christ hath put into your hand: bear not this sword in vain, be not partakers of the sins of any of the Clergy, or bribes of the laity; use this your sword for, not against the Church.

Hold not too strict a hand over your too much oppressed Clergy; let it not be said of the clergy of your Diocese, as it was said of the Roman soldiers under Severus, that they were more afraid of their Captain then of the enemy. For as St. Paul speaketh to the Corinthians, if I make you sad who shall comfort you? so I may say to you, if you dishearten poor Ministers who shall comfort them, or stand for them? the laity? no, they take two much of the nature of the stone, from whence they have their name given them, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : if a faithful Minister of Jesus Christ, if a diligent preacher, that spends all his Oil and Week, his body and soul to give them light, sue but for his dues, especially if he mutter but a word against their great Diana, their sacrilegious customs, which oft deprive the Ministers of the Gospel of nine parts of the Tenth, and leave them but decimam decimae, the tenth of the tenth: they will all fall upon him, and unless your power and authority relieve him, grind him to powder. They use their godly Preachers, whom the world cannot parallel, as the Hawk in Hesiod dealt with the melodious Nightingale, they plum them and devour them, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , although they be the sweetest singers of Israel. Many of them after they have spent their strength in preaching in season and out of season, catechizing and lecturing on the Lord's day, and on the week days, may truly say as Synesius sometimes complained that they carried nothing away from their parishes or cures, but bonam conscientiam & malam valetudinem, a good conscience, and an ill crazed body.

No more of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , taking the over-sight: but a word of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , feed, lest whilst I exhort you to feed, I detain you from better feeding, viz. upon the blessed Sacrament now set before you. As in Churches and Noblemen’s Halls, where there hang great Candlesticks with many branches, the lights are first let down to be tinded, and when they are fully lighted, then they are drawn up by degrees to give light to the whole room: so our Church first sendeth her sweet wax lights, made and formed in private schools, down to the Universities to be tinded, and when they are fully enlightened with knowledge, then draweth them up by degrees, first to pastoral charges, then to dignities, Deanaries, and Bishoprics; not that then they should be put out, but to the end that as they are set higher they should give more light. You are, Right Reverend, the silver Trumpet of Zion, whom God lifteth up on high that you may sound the louder and shriller, as bells are hung higher in the steeple, that they may be heard further. Let it be never said of you as it was of Saul, that when he came to the high places he made an end of prophesying. The more God hath honored you, the more you ought to honor him; the higher Christ hath preferred you, the more you ought to love him, and show this your love by your treble diligence in feeding his sheep. To which end these words, Peter lovest thou me? feed my sheep, &c. are by the order of our Church appointed to be read for the Gospel at your consecration. I grant you feed many ways: you feed when you appoint pastors to feed, you feed when you instruct them how to feed, you feed when you censure them for not feeding their flocks, or not feeding them with wholesome food, you feed in a Synod when you make good Canons, you feed in your visitations when you encourage good Ministers, and reform abuses in the Church; lastly, you feed at your tables when you keep good hospitality. And after all these manners the Apostle; and ancient Fathers fed; yet they thought themselves in danger of a vae, or curse if they fed not by preaching the Gospel in their own persons. Woe be to me, saith St. Paul, if I preach not the Gospel. Saint Gregory was a Bishop himself, and that of a very large and troublesome Diocese (for he was Pope of Rome) yet he deeply chargeth Bishops with this duity, thus inferring upon Christ's words to Peter, lovest thou me? feed, &c. If care and diligence in a pastoral charge be an argument, and certain evidence of the love we bear to Christ, whosoever furnished with gift, and abilities thereunto, refuseth to feed Christ's flock, is to be taken pro convicto, that he bears no good affection to the chief Pastor and Bishop of our souls. If the love of Christ constrained us not to stir up the grace of God in us, which we have received by imposition of hands, and even like lambes to spend ourselves to give light to our flocks, yet methinks the excellency of this function should inflame us thereunto. Where can we fix our thoughts with more delight and contentment than upon heaven and heavenly objects? how can we put our tougues to a better use than to declare the word of life? to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom? to sound out our makers praises? how can our hands be better employed than about the seals of grace? Hear Saint Chrysostom open his golden mouth, and weigh his words in the scales of the sanctuary; Seest thou not, saith he, how thine eyes water whilst thou stayest in the smoke, but are cleared and refreshed if thou go out into the open air, or walkest a turn in a pleasant garden? so the eye of our mind is cleared, and our spiritual senses much revived by walking in the garden of holy Scriptures, and smelling to the flowers of Paradise; but if we run about in the smoke, that is, busy our selves about earthly affairs, we shall shed many a tear, and be in danger of quite loosing our sight.

I will conclude, and briefly represent all the principal points of the Apostles exhortation to your view in one type of the law. In the Ark of the covenant there was the rod of Aaron that budded, and about it a Crown of gold. By the rod of Aaron you easily apprehend the Priests office or pastoral charge: the buds of this rod, or parts of this charge are two, feeding and overseeing; which ought to be performed not by constraint, but willingly, as the buds were not drawn out of Aaron's rod, but put forth of their own accord. And herein we are not to respect our own good, but the good of our flock: we must do nothing for filthy lucre, but of a free mind to benefit others, as the rod of Aaron bare not blossoms or fruit to, or for itself, but to, and for others. By the fruits of Aaron's rod you may understand the good life of a faithful Pastor, who is to be an example to his flock; this fruit inclineth him to true humility opposite to Lord-like pride, as the fruit of a tree weigheth the branches down to the earth. Lastly, by the Crown above the rod, and round about the Ark, is represented the reward of a faithful Shepherd and vigilant Bishop▪ You have the emblem of your office, the word or Motto shall be Germinet virga Aaronis, Let the rod of Aaron blossom in your mouth by preaching the word, and bud in your hands by the exercise of Ecclesiastical discipline, and bear fruit in your lives by being ensamptes to your flock, and the crown above the rod, and about the Ark shall be yours, as it is promised ver. 4. And when the chief shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away;