THe Countrey Parson is in Gods stead to his Parish, and dischargeth God what he can of his promises. Wherefore there is nothing done either wel or ill, whereof he is not the rewarder, or punisher. If he chance to finde any reading in anothers Bible, he provides him one of his own. If he finde another giving a poor man a penny, he gives him a tester for it, if the giver be fit to receive it; or if he be of a condition above such gifts, he sends him a good book, or easeth him in his Tithes, telling him when he hath forgotten it, This I do, because at such, and such a time you were charitable. This is in some sort a discharging of God; as concerning this life, who hath promised, that Godlinesse shall be gainfull: but in the other God is his own immediate paymaster, rewarding all good deeds to their full proportion. The Parsons punishing of sin and vice, is rather by withdrawing his bounty and courtesie from the parties offending, or by private, or publick reproof, as the case requires, then by causing them to be presented, or otherwise complained of. And yet as the malice of the person, or hainousness of the crime may be, he is carefull to see condign punishment inflicted, and with truly godly zeal, without hatred to the person, hungreth and thirsteth after righteous punishment of unrighteousnesse. Thus both in rewarding vertue, and in punishing vice, the Parson endeavoureth to be in Gods stead, knowing that Countrey people are drawne, or led by sense, more then by faith, by present rewards, or punishments, more then by future.

I ran into a parishioner with her 4 year old grandson a few days ago. she told me that when she told him “There’s Brother Scott” that he replied, “Where’s God?”. I chuckled but felt the uncomfortable weight of representing God. As protestants in our insistence on the priesthood of all believers, and as modern or post-modern people with the suspicion (or paranoia) of any form of authority, we overlook the aspect of ministry as ‘being in God’s stead’. Older parishioners certainly make the distinction between sign and signified better than the four year old boy I saw the other day, but I think there is a sense of representation we have among people that is easy for us to forget. When we inadequate signs are reminded of this it is humbling and a powerful reminder of the burden of our task.
I’m not sure about Herbert’s emphasis of the representation of God as primarily rewarding and punishing. But there is certainly value in remembering that ministers actions and reactions are to represent the God we serve. If we are called as ambassadors of a Kingdom of Grace, Truth and Peace then we should be gracious, honest and hospitable.

(Image Church of Our Lady of Sinj by load.error)