Southwark, June 2.
_Written Sermons_ (Vol. iii., p. 478.).--If M. C. L. asks, when and why
written sermons took the place of extemporaneous discourses, I believe
it may be said that written sermons were first in vogue. Certainly, the
inability of most men to preach "without book," would be sufficient to
ensure their early introduction. According to Bingham (see _Ant. of the
Christian Church_, book xiv. chap. 4.), Origen was the first who
preached extemporaneously, and not until after he was sixty years old.
The great divines of the time of the English Reformation preached both
written and oral sermons: many of these, especially of the former, are
included in their printed works. The same remark also applies to the
early Fathers of the Church. The use of the homilies, which were drawn
up for the ignorant clergy at the Reformation, at once gave a sanction
to the practice of _writing_ sermons. The story of the preacher turning
over his hour-glass at Paul's Cross, and starting afresh, must of course
refer to an _unwritten_ discourse. Sermons, being explications of
scripture, used to follow the reading of the psalms and lessons: now,
for the same reason, they come after the epistle and gospel. In olden
time, the bishop was the only preacher, going from church to church, as
now-a-days[2], with the same sermon or charge; and he addressed the
people from the altar steps: afterwards the priest, as his deputy,
preached in the pulpit, but the deacons were not allowed to preach at
all.
[Footnote 2: One of the highest dignitaries in our Church recently
declined to print a sermon, as requested; because, he frankly
said, he should want to preach it again.]