The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-06-05 00:00:00

VISITATION OF TI-tE CLERGY OF THIS DI,;TRIaT
OF THE DIOCESE!. BY THE. RIGHT REV. JOHN
BIRD SUMNER, LORD BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE.

Yesterday, at St. Peter's Church. the Lord Bishop of the
Diocese held a visitation of the clergy of this district of the
diocese. About 1(X) of the clergy of the diocese were present,
embodying the whole of the clergy of the tow 4, and the district
of Preston, Ormskirk, Prescot,• Walton, Kirktia.le, Wavertree,
Wootton, and the surrounding towns. The morning service
was read by the Rev. Rector Campbell. The sermon was
preached by the Rev. Rector Brooks, A.M., and was one marked
by strong good sense, and Christian precepts. We have, from
its excellence, been induced to give, what we believe, a ver-
batim report of it, with the exception of an occasional bestial
inaccuracy, from our.being seated in an unfavourable position
for hearing well.
The Rev. RECTOR took for his text, the Itth chapter of the
Gospel according to St. Matthew, and the 16th verse," Beloved,
I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye there-
fore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."
The great object and design. of Christianity was to prepare
men for eternal life, and happiness in another world. The
kingdom of God, and his righteousnesi comprehended the main
business of religion.. This is what we are instructed to be care-
ful first to see. In comparison with this, all other things are but
of secondary importance. To secure this should be our con-
stant aim, and endeavour; and then, whatever else may be
needful ler us, we may expect as a necessary consequence.
The means which it pleased God to institute fur the attainment
of this 'end, was the establishment of a visible 'church. That
church St. "Paul informs us, is as the pillar and ground of truth:
its divine founder called it " the light of the world ;" in it was
enshrined the gospel of our common salvation; out of its bosom
were to flow those lilting streams which were to be the spiritual
nourishment of.the whole'hutnan race; and. from its orders
were to issue those streams of celestial light whirl were to illu-
mine the darkness of the heathen world, as well us to be the
glory of the hitherto more feeble Israel. This provision then
being made for the security of this sacred deposite, the next
step was the method which should he contrived for its general
diffusion ; and this was to be dune by appointment of a stand-
ing ministry. In This chapter we have recorded by St. Matthew,
an account of the commission given by our Saviour to his
apostles, and of the instructions which, upOn this interesting,
and momentous occasion, he imparted to them in carrying it
into effect. He was well aware of the danger and difficulties to
which this office would expose them. He was sending them to
preach *bids of 'peace, and of gentleness, but he knew how
much they wodlit he perverted by the obstinacy of prejudice,
and by the violence 'of passion. They were to be the bearers
of a m'e'ssage' fratight with kindness, and with mercy; but he
forsaw' that it' Would provoke animosities, and give cause of
offence. 'They were to impart a knowledge calculated to make
men wise Unto salvation; but he knew that temporal interests,
and wordly profeSsions, would reject the profered gift, and turn
it into the source of contention, and of discord. They were to
performing good. will towards men; the reception they were to
meet with would be, hatred, persecution, and death. Such then
being the case, he deemed it necessary that they should be fore-
warned of the obstacles which would be opposed to their success;
that they should be prepared for the treatment which they must
inevitably experience; and that those false notions, which, in
common With the rest of their countrymen, they had imbibed,
as-regarded the character of their masters kingdom, as one of
worldly triumph, of Worldly wonder, and of worldly dominion,
should be t:orrected. In order that the sad and melancholy
scene which he was going to open to their view tnif.thi not have
the effect of discouraging their exertions, he begins by endea-
vouring to inspire them with confidence in himself, and in the
authOrity with which, as the Sou of God, he is'invested. He
bestows upon them the power of working miracles;, he assures
them that they should be supplied with whatever was necessary
for subsistence, and; that without any care on their part ; he
annimates them with the promise of supernatural assistance to
enable them to advance the doctrines.whiO they had under-
taken to promulgate, and to uphold the cause, of truth against
all opposition. He reminds them that he himself had been the
object of bitter prosecution ; that iris actions had been misre-
presented, and his notions maligned; that " the disciple could
not expect to be above his master, nor the servant above his
lord," that it was enough if in its support, they were placed on
the same Heintimates to them, that they, as be had
done, wclte to combat the errors and passions of men; that
they' Weed to establish a worship that was foreign to all re-
.
ceived 'principles, and provides that they were to inculcate the
renunciation of inordinate desires that had never known re-
straint, and of evil habits that had grown rank by long in-
dulgence': that even those whom they might prevail on to receive
the new religion; would he objects of the most determined
cruelty, and hatred, and that the divisions that would be intro-
duced with it would be carried to such au excess, that the
tenderest sympathies of nature would be violated, and the
closest ties Of kindred would afford no protection against the
animosity of enmity and malice. And if such consequences
were to attend the mere profession of it, what were they to ex-
pect who had boldly to stand forward as it advocates, and the
instructors of its doctrines? When all the bad passions of
mankind were thus excited, it was scarcely speaking in a figure
to tell them that " he sent them forth as sheep in the midst of
wolves," as the meekest, and most helpless of animals, exposed
to the fury of the most savage and ferocious; and yet they a*a
not to allow themselves to be spared even uder such apparinfly
hopeless circumstances as these. Why should they tear death ?
the utmost extent of vvhose_ power could only affect their mortal
bodies—that perishable part of them, which accident or disease
might at any moment annihilate. There was au armour with
which they could cloth themselves ; there were weapons with
which they might furnish themselves—the shield of.taith, and
trust, aad confidence in him whose power extended not over the
body only. but the immortal soul—the sword of the spirit, that
spirit which was to work with them, and which would inspire i
them with fortitude, with courage, and with faith. This would i
not only form their own protection, but would enable theM to
work a mighty change in the nature, and the temper of their
adversaries. Still, however, the proper use of this would re-
quire much skill, and discretion. It they would defend them- i
selves with effect, it must be by putting on the combined virtues
of wisdom and of innocence; by so blending them together t
that the meekness of the one should counteract whatever there s
might he of worldly cunning in the other; and the discretion I
or the former prevent the simplicity of the latter from becom- 4
ing the victim of oppression, and of fraud. "Be ye wise as t
serpents, and harmless as doves." Take the wisdom of the m
serpent to guard you against the wisdom of the world, and the 4
artifices of those whom you will find opposed against you; but t
always united with the harmlessness of the dove, that you may I
preserve the genuine spirit, and character of your Redeemer. I
I'he one will not allow you to shrink from any necessary duty I
under any apprehension of personal danger, the other, by the
exercise of a true foresight will prevent' you from incurring an
Unnecessary risk. The one will in all cases restrain you from
sin, the other will tend to mitigate the evil; whilst the one
will admit of no improper compliance, the other will make use
of no indecent provocation; whilst the one will never depart
from what is right from the prospect of temporal advantage,
the other will not court any interest which is incompatible with
innocence. Simplicity will form no groundless jealousy or
suspicion ; wisdom will awaken viligance. The former will I
recommend you to the protection of God; the latter will guard
you against the plotting's of men. Such was the admonition
given to the first preachers of Christianity in the discharge of I
the arduous work committed to their care in establishing the
foundation of a Christian world. They were under peculiar I
circumstances, and it is by no means the part or wisdom I
to make an unshakled, and unqualified application, either f
of their condition or of their duties to the ministers of the 1
gospel 'in the present day. Still, however, there is so much
of general resemblance as to make the same qualifications
necessary, though not always in the stone degree, no with
relation to the same precise objects. Time first preachers, so
far as the Jews were concerned, had to set aside the religion I
which was endeared to them as the religion of their fathers,
which was intimately associated with their privileges as the de-
scendants of Ablation', which regarded as inviolate a wall of 4
partition .between themselves and the rest of the world, which •
it was the professed object of the new dispensation to break
down and to destroy. So with regard to the Gentiles, they had 4
to overturn the superstitions of idolatry, and to introduce a
pure and spiritual worship in the place of one which had found
a sanction for every vice and for every iniquity; to substitute
faith in Christ for the pride of philosophy, and self denial for 1
self indulgence: In the present day. Christianity lies become
firmly established, and is gradually winning her way through
the utmost distant quarters .of the habitable globe. She has no
target all the 'minces of the world set in array against her; on i
the contrary,' according to the predictions of the prophet, kings
have become her nursing fathers, oust -queens her nursing
mothers. The interest site has already made, and the triumphs
she has already achieved, has no longer left it a.question whe-
ther she shall alter speedily time religion of the Jew and the
idolatry of the Gentile. But still the contest must be carried
on against the same principles, though they are placed before •
us front the change of time and circumstances, under a
different aspect. infidelity is still at work ; she does nut in-
deed boldly attempt to struggle for empire; she attempts to
undermine where she cannot openly deny; and by insidiously
circulating her poison under the specious garb of au affected
liberality, seeks to entrap the unwary and to deceive the care-
less. But Christianity has not now to strive only with external
enemies, with internal concord and union, which drew from
her adversaries the proud and the gratifying confession, "see
how these Christians love one another." This has ceased to be
the divine characteristic of her apostles; deadly hatreds and
bitter animosities have divided-the church of Christ itself into
contending parties. The fierceness of ill-tempered zeal • has
been as mischievous in its tendency and as injurious in its effeets
to the canse.of religion as the.cruel persecutions of the heathen
and the Jew, and the words of our Lord- have been applicable
to the present day no less than in the times immediately subse-
quent to the inculcation of his religion, that a tuan's toes are
invariably in his own household." To repel then these united
attacks of infidelity from without, schism loom within, the
church of Christ will require all the aid she can receive from
learning; from industry; and from well directed' zeal. AS the
priest of old stood. between the dead and the living to stay the
plague, so must her ministers.take their stand between religion
and infidelity; between the form of God's words and the unsound-
ness of heretical opinions; and while they exercise that wisdom
-reject every unholy compromise of principle, and every faith-
less sacrifice of truth, insist unite with it that purity of disposi-
tion, that mildness of temper, and that honesty of purpose,
which clearly prove its character to be that which is from above.
And if such be the duty of all who minister in any branch of
the church of Christ, it surely is peculiarly binding upon us who
have the happy privilege of serving at the altars of that which
is established within the kingdom. The principles upon which
our church is founded are the most complete exemplification of
that spirit which our present Saviour recommended to his
apostles: her confessions of faith are strono,.and her opinions
professed with so much forbearance, so much charity and mo-
deration as might reasonably lead to the hope that she would
have disarmed all opposition, and conciliated general affection
and esteem. If this has unhappily not beers the case—if, on
the contrary, she has been made the apparent object of attack
—if she has been assailed on the right hand and on the left, by
men widely differing from each other in religious opinion and
diametrically opposed in doctrine—if her intentions have been
misconstrued, her failings exaggerated and her policy impugn.
ed as sensual and worldly—if her ministers have been charged
with being faithless to their trrust, as dead to the spiritual winos
of those under their care, and as influenced only by the base
ambition of temporal gain, it should not be to us a matter of
' wonder or surprise. We have no right tocalculate for an entire
' exemption from those difficulties with which the first preachers
of the gospel had to contend. if they were called upon to
suffer bonds and imprisonment, and often even death—if they
were troubled on every side—if they were persecuted from city
to city, and if the altered state both of religion and society no
longer renders us subject to the same arguments; yet we have
no reason to believe that ours .must be a state of uninterrupted
repose. The time is not yet come when we are tires pect that
the word willbaye free course; it has still obstacle's, to contend
' with which must prove in ,the highest degree itmitimicat to -its
peace; audit we, its appointed champions, have still fireoinbat
with profaneness and with profligac4., with malice aard -with
envy, with false doctrine and with heresy. with bail faitlrand
with awful superstition, we must look .to be-assailed with the
breath of calumny and the rudest censure; .we must honk so our
actions being sometimes condemned, and. to nor motives being
improperly impugned ; we must picture. to ,bear with the nu-
merited suffering of evil reports, and; iristearl of allowing our-
selves to feet any enmity which time -terms of such treatment
mav he calculated to inspire, we must take our stand upon the
ruck 'if troth rind uphold and protect the high and holy interests