II - His solicitude for instructing his clergy at ordinations, and in his Synods.

Summary

The duty and glory of the episcopal office, consisting in the due regulation of inferior pastors, the judicious Bishop of Lincoln turned his principal attention that way, being fully persuaded that a reformation in the heads of any society is the only natural and effectual way to reform the members and subjects of it. For this end, after regulating his own family, by a body of rules in number seventeen, he was exceeding diligent in holding his diocesan synods, or meetings of his clergy, so strongly recommended by the ancient canons and practice of the purest ages. And practised in these latter times with such admirable success by the great St Charles Boromeo. We have still several sermons which Bishop Grossetete preached to his clergy in these assemblies wherein he presses the virtues and duties of pastors in the most solid and most Christian manner. Of this number Browne hath published six in the appendix to the Fasciculus, with a seventh delivered at an ordination. As nothing is a more proper specimen of this Prelate's zeal, doctrine and spirit, nor more edifying to the Reader, we shall have to beg leave to lay a few extracts of them before him and leave him to form thereof what judgement he thinks proper.

^The first of these sermons is upon this text of the Book of Wisdom, ‘A wise king is the Support of his People’ (Sap. 6:26). After a short exordium, wherein he presses that pastors are kings in a superior sense, and exhorts them not to degenerate from so high a dignity, he thus divides his subject matter according to the three several offices of a good king. The first of which is to defend their subjects by arms against the assaults of spirits, of different vices, and of evil men.^ The second is to improve their subjects’ manners. The third is to restrain them by wise and salutary laws. The last office requires them to defend their subjects against the Devil by prayers and the Sacraments. Against vice by inculcating the terror of future judgement and the fear of Hell fire. And against evil men, either by the word of God, or by the Church censures etc after which the Bishop thus concludes this first part.