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Documents on the Defense of Great Britain
Letters addressed from the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop
of Rochester to their respective Clergy
"To the
Reverend the Clergy of the Diocese and the peculiars of the See of Canterbury.
April 29.
"Reverend Brother,
"In the present situation of the country, expecting, without undue
alarm, but not without just anxiety, the appearance of a desperate and
malignant enemy on our coasts; there is, perhaps, no circumstance, singly
taken, on which more may depend, with regard to the interests of religion,
the credit of our order, and the public safety, that the discretion
with which the conduct of the clergy ought to be distinguished in these
moments of general and necessary exertion; when all good men are called
upon to come forward and to repel the attempts of an enemy, breathing
revenge against this kingdom in general; revenge, not for the wrongs
on our part done, but for wrongs on their part by us resisted, and fraught,
with particular malice, against our holy religion and its ministers.
Under this persuasion, I have thought it my duty to call a meeting of
the bishops, in order to consider in what way the parochial clergy may
most effectually promote the common cause without neglecting the proper
duties of our holy calling, of which we never must lose sight, and least
of all in times of public danger."
"The meeting consisted of the two archbishops and eleven bishops,
the occasion being thought too pressing to wait the arrival of others
from the remote dioceses. The two resolutions which I now transmit
to you were agreed upon unanimously. In them we warn you not to abandon
the proper business of your profession, in order to take up the soldier's
occupation, in which your actual service can be but very limited, and
at last may not be wanted. We assure ourselves you will, in all circumstances,
naturally wish to make your exertions in those services of which you
feel yourselves the most capable; and those will generally be such as
will the least interfere with your sacred functions. But, if the danger
should be realized, and the enemy set his foot upon our shores, our
hand, with that of every man, must, in every way, be against those who
come for purposes of rapine and desolation, the avowed champions of
anarchy and irreligion, defying the living God. We are the servants
of God; and God's servants in God's cause must take an equal share with
their fellow subjects, in such an emergency, against the blasphemers
of his holy name. But one service in particular, amongst many others,
for which the country, amidst the din of arms, will naturally look to
the wisdom and piety of the clergy, will be, that by your persuasion,
your example, you will be the instruments of maintaining internal harmony
and subordination, in a crisis when harmony and subordination, even
with the best general disposition of the people, are most difficult
to be maintained."
"I commend you to God's high and holy protection, with good hope
and confidence of your discretion and zeal in this time of trial."
"I am, your affectionate brother,
"J. Cantaur."
"April 28. At the meeting of the two archbishops and eleven
bishops, on this day the following resolutions were passed unanimously:
"'Resolved That it would not conduce, in any considerable degree,
to the defence and safety of the kingdom, and would interfere with
the proper duties of the profession, if the clergy were to accept
commissions in the army, be enrolled in any military corps, or be
trained to the use of arms.
"'Resolved farther, That, in the case of actual invasion, or
dangerous insurrection, it will be the duty of every clergyman to
give his assistance in repelling both, in any way that the urgency
of the case may require.'"
"Westminster, May 1.
"Rev. Brother,
"I have observed with much satisfaction, the zeal which is displayed
by the clergy of my diocese, in common with our brethren in all parts
of the kingdom, to take an active part in defence of the country,
against an enemy who threatens to come with a prodigious army, to
depose our king, to plunder our property, to enslave our persons,
and to overturn our altars; instigated, in addition to common motives
of ambition and revenge, which have ordinarily inflamed the animosities
of contending nations, by that desperate malignity against the faith
he has abandoned, which in all ages, has marked the horrible character
of the vile apostate. The readiness of the clergy, to unite in the
defence of objects so dear to all, against such a foe, is highly laudable,
and consistent with that character of rational piety, which hath ever
distinguished the true sons of the church of England."
"It is, however, to be remembered, that the offices of religion
never are of more importance than in times of public danger; when
our people most need the consolations of religion and the advice of
their pastors; and when our prayers for God's merciful protection
of our country should be offered up with unremitting assiduity and
redoubled ardour. It becomes, therefore, a question of considerable
importance, in what manner the parochial clergy may, with propriety,
co-operate with the preparations, at this time carried on, for the
reception of the enemy. It is certain, that no class of men in the
community is more deeply interested in the common cause, and upon
that account, they may be expected to take a principal share, either
of toil or danger; yet they must not abandon the regular exercise
of their sacred function, unless they should be driven from their
stations (which God avert!) by hostile force; and there are various
ways, in which, without interruption of their ordinary duties, the
clergy may render the most essential service to their country."
"Our venerable primate, the lord archbishop of Canterbury, with
that vigilant attention to the interests of religion and of the established
church, which hath ever been conspicuous in his conduct, no less than
it belongs to his station, conceiving that the clergy of the whole
kingdom, in this difficult and momentous crisis, might expect and
need the counsel of their diocesans, hath thought good to assemble
the bishops to take the matter into their serious consideration.
The meeting held the 28th ult. was numerous; and, upon
the most mature deliberation, we agreed unanimously in two resolutions,
which I transmit to you verbatim."
"These two resolutions contain, as is conceived, the best general
principles for the regulation of the conduct of the parochial clergy,
in the present stage, and in the probable progress of the public danger.
On the one hand, the disorders and scandals that would arise, if the
clergy in general were to accept military commissions, or to submit
to be drilled in the ranks, are too numerous and too obvious to be
mentioned. On the other hand, in the case of actual invasion or treasonable
insurrection, it will be a duty of indispensable obligation upon every
clergyman to give his utmost assistance, in the resistance and annoyance
of the foreign invader, or domestic traitor, in that particular way,
in which, from local or other circumstances, his services may be the
most effectual. Upon this point I mean to speak out my mind very
plainly, and I desire to be clearly and fully understood."
"Wars and fighting unquestionably have their origin in the bad
passions of men*. Nevertheless, the world being what it is, it must
needs be that wars and fightings, with other offenses, come. War,
therefore, in the general, is to be reckoned among the sinful practices
of mankind; but, in every individual instance, the guilt lies principally
at the aggressor's door,—'Woe him by whom the offence cometh;' and
it is little else than a calumny upon the Christian religion to pretend,
as some have pretended, that defensive war is either contrary to the
general spirit of the morality of the Gospel, or forbidden by any
particular precept, or discouraged by the example of the first Christians.
The notorious fact is, that they scrupled not to serve in the armies
of their Heathen sovereigns. It would be still more injurious to
the Gospel to maintain, that foreign attack, or domestic treason,
are of the sort of ill usage which Christians, either laity or clergy,
are commanded not to oppose by force. It is true, that, even under
the urgency of that extreme necessity of invasion or insurrection,
there will be many ways in which a clergyman may be useful, besides
that of actual military service: in directing, for instance, and superintending
the removal of the women and children, and of the old and infirm,
to places of safety; in advising the method and pointing the route
of driving off the live-stock; in overseeing the destruction of such
things as cannot be removed, and would be serviceable to the enemy
if they were left to fall into their hands; and in many other very
important, though indirect and collateral, operations of defence,
which it is impossible to enumerate. Many of these services are of
a kind to be better performed by a clergyman, than by another person,
who, from the ordinary habits of his life, may be likely to be more
useful, than the clergyman would be, in the field. Whenever this
moment of jeopardy and peril shall arrive, every clergyman must judge
for himself, in what way he may be most useful, according to the circumstances
in which he may be placed. Of different ways of being useful, actual
fight will often be the last that he will choose: not from any superstitious
apprehension, that to mingle in the combat would, in such circumstances,
and at such a season, derogate from his character; much less from
a dastardly concern for his own personal safety; but because battle
is the particular service, for which, of consequence, he would be
of the least qualified, and, in which, of consequence, he would be
of the least use. When the case shall be otherwise, as often no doubt
it will, he must not, with a safe conscience he cannot, decline his
share in the common danger. But the particular rules of his conduct
he must take from the occasion itself, when it arrives. It is impossible
beforehand to lay down any other that this most general rule: that
his country, in that crisis, will have a right to his best services,
in any and in every way, even if the best service to be performed
by him should be (as in many instances it will happen) to level the
musquet, or trail the pike. Nor let him fear, that the sanctity of
his character shall contract aught of stain, even in the mortal strife
against the enemies of his king and his God. Gird yourselves, therefore,
without scruple for the battle, in this holy cause, when the occasion
shall call, nothing doubting, but that the God, whom we serve, and
our enemies defy, will teach the hands of his servants to war, and
their fingers to fight. Offering our earnest prayers to God, to give
us all grace, in the hour of trial, which seems to be coming upon
the Christian world, to hold fast the profession of our faith, without
wavering, and to do and suffer valiantly whatever we may be ordained
to do and suffer for his sake; we remain, your loving brother,"
"Samuel Roffens."
"*St. James, iv. 1."
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