BENJAMIN HOADLY

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[Benjamin Hoadly, D.D., was born at Westerham, Kent, in the year 1676. His father, a schoolmaster, prepared him for College. In 1691 he went to Catherine Hall, Cambridge. In 1697 he was elected a Fellow of his College, and in 1698 took orders. His first step in the Church was the lectureship of St. Mildred in the Poultry, which he held for ten years. He does not appear to have been a popular preacher, for he speaks of preaching it down to £30 a year. From 1704 to 1710 he was Rector of St. Peter's Poor in Broad Street. The sermons he here delivered tending to the advancement of Natural and Revealed Religion, and to the justification of the noblest principles of civil liberty," his son and biographer tells us, "produced a vote of the House of Commons in his favour, too honourable to be omitted." To this was added in 1710 the Rectory of Streatham in Surrey. In 1715 he was appointed king's chaplain, and in the same year was designated to the bishopric of Bangor, retaining his rectories. In 1717 he preached before the king his celebrated sermon on the "Nature of Christ's kingdom," which caused great offence, and ultimately gave rise to the celebrated Bangorian controversy. The Lower House of Convocation drew up a representation about it. In this he was accused of impugning the authority of the Church, or in other words, denying Apostolic succession. But before it could be brought into the Upper House "the whole assembly was prorogued by special order from the king, nor were they permitted to sit till the resentment entirely subsided." In 1720 Hoadly resigned his London living, and was translated to the See of Hereford. He is said never to have gone near his Welsh Bishopric during the six years he held it. Three years later he became Bishop of Salisbury, resigning Streatham, "his most beloved retirement.' Finally, in 1734, he was given the See of Winchester, which he held until his death in 1761, at the age of 85.

He was a singularly modest man, writing his own epitaph to prevent overpraise from too zealous friends. His liberal views and conciliatory policy brought "the non-conformists to a very low ebb, for want of the opposition and persecution they were too used to experience, many of their dissenting ministers desiring to receive their reordination from his own hands."]

BISHOP HOADLY'S writings may be divided under the two headings political and theological. There was, however, no hard and fast line in his mind between things temporal and things spiritual. The general principles of religion were ever before him, whether in his pulpit utterances or in his letters to the papers,

In politics he was a strong anti-Jacobite, believing that freedom in religion was alone secure under a Protestant sovereign. His sermon, preached before the Lord Mayor in 1705, against the doctrine of non-resistance, gave rise to some excitement and controversy.

Besides his sermons, charges, and letters to the papers, he carried on a lengthy but, on his part, temperate controversy with Dr. Atterbury, Bishop of Rochester, and others. He wrote also a defence of Hooker's Judgment concerning the institution and nature of civil government, in which he argued the rights of subjects to defend themselves against evil princes and governors. His writings, however solid and lengthy, come more under the description of occasional papers than of permanent works. And yet they deserve to be remembered not only for the tone and matter of their contents, but also for the purity of their style.

His works are indeed models of discretion, moderation and good taste. He has none of the broad humour of his contemporaries and predecessors, but often a tinge of delicate irony and satire, notably in his dedication to Pope Clement XI., relieves the solidity of the discourses.

His sermons are well-constructed and lucid. There is in them no tedious splitting of texts nor minute casuistry. He expounds the general principles of religion forcibly and earnestly, without dwelling on doctrinal minutiæ. They are clear, vigorous, and brief. Without being rhetorical or brilliant they are pleasant reading; calm, well-sustained and logical. He attacks the Church of Rome with severity, but without asperity, recognising her as the acme of the ecclesiasticism against which he was constantly at war.

In controversy he is temperate, controlled, and dignified. He never stoops to petty personalities, but holds to the point at issue without flinching. Bishop Hoadly is not a star of the first magnitude. His writings are not among the classics of English literature. He does not rank with Hooker, Jeremy Taylor, and Baxter. Nevertheless he deserves an honourable place among English men of letters. Possibly had he been a high churchman like Warburton he would have enjoyed his literary deserts and more. As it is, he suffers, like others of his school of theological thought, and finds himself passed over for inferior writers who better adapted themselves to the dominant views.

A. I. FITZROY.

THE SIMPLICITY OF CHRISTIANITY SPOILT BY

ADDITIONS

MUCH of this unhappiness hath proceeded from men's not being contented with the simplicity of Christianity, as it is to be found in the Gospels: from their making new creeds; their adding new Articles of Faith to those laid down in the New Testament; and laying new impositions upon the rest of Christians, unknown to Christ and his Apostles. This I may safely affirm, that had Christians been always content with a mutual agreement in the fundamental doctrines of their religion, as they lie in the gospel itself; and the indispensable obligation of the practice of all the duties commanded in it; much of this fatal consequence of it might have been hindered; and very much of the scandal redounding from it, have been prevented. But there hath ever been an itch, in some or other of power and authority, to alter the terms of love and concord settled by Christ; by framing some new character, and some fresh note of distinction, among Christians and this hath ever begot opposition; and controversies managed (on all sides) with aggravations and provocations; and this hath brought forth variances, and passion, and hatred, in the breasts of those who are sure to be condemned by their own law, for want of love and charity. And it ever so happens, (as it hath been manifested by constant experience,) that more violence, which hath now for many ages passed for zeal; that more violence, I say, is shewn for these additions, and for these lesser, and undetermined matters in which the difference lies, than for the most fundamental points of faith, or the most necessary points of practice. In the practical duties, especially, men seem easy enough and would fain have it thought, that the vilest and most enormous crimes are more tolerable in themselves; and more inoffensive and harmless to public society; than a difference in the least of their additions.

Another consideration near akin to this, is, that this unhappiness amongst Christians hath chiefly proceeded from men's mistaking the nature, and main design, of Christianity. Did men but understand and consider that it was not the great design of the Christian religion to make all the world of one opinion, in things of little moment; but that it was revealed from heaven, chiefly to restore the worship of the one supreme God, in spirit and in truth; and to teach men to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this world; they could not act the part they so often do. Did men but consider, that the great branch of Christian duty is love, and goodnature, and humanity; and the distinguishing mark of a Christian, an universal charity; they could not but own that Jesus Christ came to plant and propagate these in the world. And then, they would abhor the thoughts of making any thing in His institution an engine of strife, and malice, and inhumanity. Then, they would not think all things lawful against those that differ from them; nor themselves obliged to crush, and ruin them. Then, the contentions between men of various minds would not be, who should have the power of oppressing their brethren: but the contest would be, who should love most; and who should give the most expressive demonstrations of an unconfined good-nature, and an unbounded charity. But these are but dreams, and wishes!

It would sound something strange to say that the chief design of Christianity is too plain to be understood, and too evident to be seen and yet it is true, that the very plainness of this makes it the less attended to. Such a love there is in men to something not so easy to be understood; nor of such importance: and such a readiness to find out other designs of Christianity more agreeable to their own worldly projects!

Can any of all the fiery zealots in the world shew us any design more worthy of the Son of God's desending from heaven, than the planting of love in the world? more beneficial to the whole race of mankind; more for the ease and internal quiet of our own breasts; or a better preparative for the calm and serene joys of heaven for the fruition of that God Who is love, and of the company of those blessed spirits, who are the witnesses, and ministers, of His love? Can they shew us any design more plainly revealed in the gospel; or any one duty there laid upon us, to which this must at any time give place? If they cannot, then nothing can ever release us from our obligation to love, and

charity; or ever excuse the least degree of hatred, and malice, and violence; much less, of barbarity and cruelty. Nay, how can it possibly be thought by any Christians, that a religion which lays such stress upon peace, and love; which dwells so eternally upon them; which was founded in love, and so manifestly designed for the propagating and establishing good-nature in the world: how then can it be imagined, that there is anything in this religion, that can give them occasion to hate, or disturb, or persecute, any of their brethren? unless they can think, that itself is so framed as to destroy its own design; to oppose its own main end and purpose; and to dissolve the obligation of its own precepts. These things are inconsistent, and too absurd to be fastened upon Jesus Christ, by any who believe Him sent of God. And would men seriously attend to the design of the gospel, they could not fix such absurdities upon it: religion would be free from the scandal of being the occasion of hatred, and disturbance and persecution, amongst men; and the world would be free from the trouble and plague of them; society would be happy; and God would be glorified in the universal practice of love and peace.

Since the guilt of those who have an hand in making anything in religion subservient to the purposes of dissension, hatred, and persecution, is so great: Let us take care not to be of the number of those who do this, in the least degree imaginable. There hath been enough already done to verify this prediction of our Lord's, that He came not to send peace, but a sword. He will thank us, if we will at length leave off to prove the truth of it by our example. Enough of persecution, and violence, and hatred, hath been founded on religion. Designing men have cheated the world long enough and long enough hath the gospel lain under the scandal of the vices of others; and of encouraging those passions which it came to tame. It is time now for Christians to consider that their business is peace; and their religion love and that Christianity is sufficiently qualified to make them taste of happiness even here below, if they do not themselves hinder it. Let us remember this: and think, if we can be too careful to do our parts towards the retrieving the good name of religion; and the restoring it to its primitive and original design.

(From A Sermon on the Divisions and Cruelties of which the Christian Religion has been made the Occasion.)