George Herbert on ministerial visits

I was often told when training for ministry that an ideal pattern for each day would be sermon prep and admin in the mornings and visiting in the afternoons. So 9am-1pm in the study and 2-5pm in the car, on the bike, and in people’s homes. It doesn’t always work, and since nowadays the people most often at home alone to be visited in the afternoons are women, it isn’t always appropriate. But in Herbert’s day it was perhaps different, and afternoon visitation was part of his vision for an ideal pastor.

His advice for such occasions was, as always, to try and use the opportunity for encouraging godliness. He employed both carrot and stick approaches, being both generous benefactor where necessary and someone (shall we say) who pointed out areas for improvement. This wouldn’t always go down well, either then or now. But we undoubtedly have to work harder to establish a relational basis for any such conversations, whereas previous generations of minister might have enjoyed a certain access and permission to speak by virtue of office.

I like the note at the end about visiting even the most lowly and smelly places. If people for whom Christ died are there, how can those who live in nice vicarages refuse to “lower ourselves” for their sake? The privileged and extremely well-educated Herbert again punching through the class divides which have always afflicted English society, for the sake of the gospel.

CHAPTER 14
The Parson in Circuit.
The country parson upon the afternoons in the weekdays takes occasion sometimes to visit in person, now one quarter of his parish, now another. For there he shall find his flock most naturally as they are, wallowing in the midst of their affairs: whereas on Sundays it is easy for them to compose themselves to order, which they put on as their holy-day clothes, and come to church in frame, but commonly the next day put off both.

When he comes to any house, first he blesses it, and then as he finds the persons of the house employed, so he forms his discourse. Those that he finds religiously employed, he both commends them much, and furthers them when he is gone in their employment; as if he finds them reading, he furnishes them with good books; if curing poor people, he supplies them with receipts, and instructs them further in that skill, showing them how acceptable such works are to God, and wishing them ever to do the cures with their own hands, and not to put them over to servants.

Those that he finds busy in the works of their calling, he commends them also: for it is a good and just thing for everyone to do their own business. But then he admonishes them of two things: first, that they dive not too deep into worldly affairs, plunging themselves over head and ears into carking and caring; but that they so labour, as neither to labour anxiously, nor distrustfully, nor profanely. Then they labour anxiously, when they overdo it, to the loss of their quiet, and health: then distrustfully, when they doubt Gods providence, thinking that their own labour is the cause of their thriving, as if it were in their own hands to thrive, or not to thrive. Then they labour profanely, when they set themselves to work like brute beasts, never raising their thoughts to God, nor sanctifying their labour with daily prayer; when on the Lord’s day they do unnecessary servile work, or in time of divine service on other holy days, except in the cases of extreme poverty, and in the seasons of seed-time and harvest.

Secondly, he advises them so to labour for wealth and maintenance, as that they make not that the end of their labour, but that they may have wherewithal to serve God the better, and to do good deeds.

After these discourses, if they be poor and needy, whom he thus finds labouring, he gives them somewhat, and opens not only his mouth, but his purse to their relief, that so they go on more cheerfully in their vocation, and himself be ever the more welcome to them. Those that the parson finds idle or ill employed, he chides not at first, for that were neither civil, nor profitable; but always in the close, before he departs from them.

Yet in this he distinguishes: for if he be a plain countryman, he reproves him plainly; for they are not sensible of fineness. If they be of higher quality, they commonly are quick and sensible, and very tender of reproof. And therefore he lays his discourse so, that he comes to the point very leisurely and oftentimes, as Nathan did, in the person of another, making them to reprove themselves. However, one way or other, he ever reproves them, that he may keep himself pure, and not be entangled in others sins.

Neither in this does he forbear, though there be company by. For as when the offence is particular and against me, I am to follow our Saviour’s rule, and to take my brother aside, and reprove him; so when the offence is public and against God, I am then to follow the Apostles rule (1 Timothy 5:20) and to rebuke openly that which is done openly.

Besides these occasional discourses, the parson questions what order is kept in the house, as about prayers morning and evening on their knees, reading of Scripture, catechizing, singing of Psalms at their work, and on holy days; who can read, who not; and sometimes he hears the children read himself, and blesses them, encouraging also the servants to learn to read, and offering to have them taught on holy-days by his servants. If the parson were ashamed of particularizing in these things, he were not fit to be a parson: but he holds the rule, that “Nothing is little in God’s service.” If it once have the honour of that Name, it grows great instantly.

Wherefore neither disdains he to enter into the poorest cottage, though he even creep into it, and though it smell never so loathsomely. For both God is there also, and those for whom God died: and so much the rather does he so, as his access to the poor is more comfortable, than to the rich; and in regard of himself, it is more humiliation. These are the parson’s general aims in his circuit; but with these he mingles other discourses for conversation’s sake, and to make his higher purposes slip the more easily.