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scriptures well. From this he runs out into a very noble "panegyric upon St. Paul, in whom a pattern was set to "all bishops. His fifth book sets out the labour of preach"ing, the tentations to vanity in it, the censures that were 66 apt to be made if there was either too much or too little "art or eloquence in sermons. To this he adds the great exactness that a bishop should use in preserving his reputation, yet without vanity, observing a due temper "between despising the censures of the multitude, and "the servile courting of applauses. In his sermons he 66 ought above all things to study to edify, but not to flat"ter his hearers, or to use vain arts to raise esteem or ad"miration from them: since a bishop, whose mind was "not purged from this disease, must go through many "tossings, and be much disquieted: and upon that he runs ❝out so fully upon the tentations to desire applause for "eloquence, and a readiness in speaking, that it plainly 66 appears that he felt that to be his own weak side. The "sixth book is chiefly employed to shew how much a "harder thing it was to govern the church, than to live in 66 a desert under the severest mortifications."

:

go,

I will go no further in this abstract; I hope I have drawn out enough to give a curiosity to such as have not yet read those excellent books, to do it over and over again for to any that has a true relish, they can never be too often read: every reading will afford a fresh pleasure, and new matter of instruction and meditation. But I in the last place, to offer St. Jerome's sense in this matter. I shall not bring together what lies scattered through his works upon this argument, nor shall I quote what he writ in his youth upon it; when the natural flame of his temper, joined with the heat of youth, might make him carry his thoughts further than what human nature could bear: but I shall only give an abstract of that which he writ to Nepotion on this head, in his old age, as he says himself, a good part of that epistle being a reflection upon the different sense that old age gives of these things, from that which he felt during the ardour of youth.

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He begins with the title clerk, which signifying a lot or portion, "imports either that the clergy are God's portion, or that God is theirs, and that therefore they ought to possess God, and be possessed of him. He that has this "portion must be satisfied with it, and pretend to nothing "but having food and raiment, be therewith content, and 66 as men carried their crosses naked, so to be ready to 66 carry his. He must not seek the advantages of this

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"world in Christ's warfare. Some clerks grew richer un❝der Christ, who made himself poor, than ever they could "have been if they had continued in the service of the 66 god of this world; so that the church groaned under the "wealth of those who were beggars before they forsook "the world. Let the strangers and the poor be fed at your tables, says he, and in these you entertain Christ "himself. When you see a trafficking clerk, who from being poor grows rich, and from being mean becomes 66 great, fly from him as from a plague. The conversation "of such men corrupted good minds; they sought after "wealth, and loved company, the public places of conver"sation, fairs, and market-places; whereas a true clerk "loves silence and retirement. Then he gives him a strong "caution against conversing with women, and in parti❝cular against all those mean compliances which some of "those clerks used towards rich women, by which they 66 got not only presents during their lives, but legacies by "their wills. That abuse had grown to such an intolerable "excess, that a law was made, excluding priests from hav❝ing any benefit by testaments. They were the only per66 sons that were put under that incapacity. Heathen priests were not included in the law, yet he does not "complain of the law, but of those who had given just oc"casion for making it. The laws of Christ had been con"temned, so it was necessary to restrain them by human "laws. It was the glory of a bishop to provide for the "poor, but it was the reproach of a priest to study the "enriching of himself. He reckons up many instances of "the base and abject flattery of some clerks, to gain upon "rich and dying persons, and to get their estates. Next "he exhorts him to the constant and diligent study of the "scriptures; but to be sure to do nothing that should "contradict his discourses, or give occasion to his hearers "to answer him thus, Why do not you do as you say? "Then he speaks of the union that ought to be between "the bishop and his clergy: the affection on the one side, " and the obedience on the other. In preaching he must "not study to draw applauses, but groans, from his hearTheir tears was the best sort of commendation of a sermon, in which great care was to be taken to avoid "the methods of the stage, or of common declamations. "Great use was to be made of the scriptures. The mys"teries of our faith and the sacraments of our religion "ought to be well explained: grimaces and solemn looks "are often made use of to give weight and authority to

❝ers.

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"that which has none in itself. He charges him to use a 66 plain simplicity in his habit, neither shewing too much 66 nicety on the one hand, that savours of luxury, nor such 66 a neglect on the other, as might savour of affectation. "He recommends particularly the care of the poor to him. "Then he speaks of clergymen's mutually preferring one "another; considering that there are different members "in one body, and that every one has his own function "and peculiar talent: and that therefore no man ought to " overvalue his own, or undervalue his neighbour's. A plain clerk ought not to value himself upon his simpli66 city and ignorance, nor ought a learned and eloquent man to measure his holiness by his rhetoric; for indeed, ❝ of the two, a holy simplicity is much more valuable than "unsanctified eloquence. He speaks against the affecta“tion of magnificence and riches in the worship of God, as things more becoming the pomp of the Jewish reli"gion, than the humility of the spiritual doctrine of Christ. "He falls next upon the high and sumptuous way of liv"ing of some priests, which they pretended was necessary "to procure them the respect that was due to them, and "to give them interest and credit: but the world, at least "the better part of it, would always value a priest more "for his holiness than for his wealth. He charges him "strictly to avoid all the excesses of wine, and, in opposi❝tion to that, to fast much, but without superstition, or a "nicety in the choice of such things as he was to live on "in the time of fasting. Some shewed a trifling super"stition in those matters, as well as vanity and affectation "that was indeed scandalous. Plain and simple fasting "was despised, as not singular nor pompous enough for "their pride. For it seems by what follows, that the "clergy was then corrupted with the same disorders, with "which our Saviour had reproached the Pharisees, while "they did not study inward purity, so much as outward "appearances; nor the pleasing of God, so much as the "praise of men. But here he stops short, for it seems he "went too near the describing some eminent man in that "age. From that he turns to the government of a priest's 66 tongue: he ought neither to detract from any one him"self, nor to encourage such as did the very hearkening "to slander was very unbecoming. They ought to visit "their people, but not to report in one place what they "observed in another; in that they ought to be both dis❝creet and secret. Hippocrates adjured those that came "to study from him, to be secret, grave, and prudent in

"their whole behaviour; but how much more did this be66 come those, to whom the care of souls was trusted! He "advises him to visit his people rather in their afflictions, "than in their prosperity; not to go too often to their 66 feasts, which must needs lessen him that does it too "much. He, in the last place, speaks very severely of "those who applied the wealth of the church to their own " private uses. It was theft to defraud a friend, but it 66 was sacrilege to rob the church. It was a crime that "exceeded the cruelty of highwaymen, to receive that "which belonged indeed to the poor, and to withdraw "any part of it to one's private occasions. He concludes "with this excuse, That he had named no person; he had "not writ to reproach others, but to give them warning. "And therefore, since he had treated of the vices of the "clergy in general terms, if any was offended with him " for it, he thereby plainly confessed that he himself was "guilty."

CHAP. V.

An account of some canons in divers ages of the church, relating to the duties and labours of the clergy.

I WILL go no further in gathering quotations, to shew

the sense that the fathers had in these matters; these are both so full and so express, that I can find none more plain and more forcible. I shall to these add some of the canons that have been made both in the best and in the worst ages of the church, obliging bishops and other clerks to residence, and to be contented with one cure. In that at Sardica that met in the year 347, consisting of above three hundred and fifty bishops, two canons were made (the 11th and 12th) against "bishops who, without any urgent "necessity or pressing business, should be absent from "their church above three weeks, and thereby grieve the "flock that was committed to their care:" and even this provision was made, because bishops had estates lying out of their dioceses; therefore they were allowed to go and look after them, for three weeks; "in which time they 66 were to perform the divine function in the churches to "which those estates belonged."

Many provisions were also made against such as went to court, unless they were called by the emperors, or went by a deputation from the church upon a public account.

There is not any one thing more frequently provided against, than that any of the clergy should leave their church, and go to any other church, or live any where else without the bishop's leave and consent: nor is there any thing clearer from all the canons of the first ages, than that they considered the clergy of every church as a body of men dedicated to its service; that lived upon the oblations of the faithful, and that was to labour in the several parts of the ecclesiastical ministry, as they should be ordered by the bishop.

In the fourth general council at Chalcedon, pluralities do first appear: for they are mentioned and condemned in the 10th canon, which runs thus: "No clerk shall at the "same time belong to two churches; to wit, to that in "which he was first ordained, and that to which, as being "the greater, he has gone, out of a desire of vainglory; "for such as do so ought to be sent back to that church "in which they were at first ordained, and to serve there "only: but if any has been translated from one church "to another, he shall receive nothing out of his former "church, nor out of any chapel or almshouse belonging "to it: and such as shall transgress this definition of this 66 general council, are condemned by it to be degraded.” I go next to a worse scene of the church, to see what provisions were made in this matter about the eighth century, both in the east and in the west: the worse that those ages and councils were, it makes the argument the stronger; since even bad men in bad times could not justify or suffer such an abuse.

In the year 787, the second council of Nice was held, that settled the worship of images. The 15th canon of it runs thus: "No clerk shall from henceforth be reckoned "in two churches," (for every church had a catalogue of its clergy, by which the dividends were made,) "for this "is the character of trafficking, and covetousness, and "wholly estranged from the ecclesiastical custom. We "have heard from our Saviour's own words, that no man "can serve two masters; for he will either hate the one, "and love the other; or cleave to the one, and despise the "other: Let every one therefore, according to the apo"stle's words, continue in the vocation in which he is "called, and serve in one church: for those things which "filthy lucre has brought into church-matters are contrary "to God. There is a variety of employments, for acquir"ing the necessary supplies of this life: let every one that "pleases make use of these, for furnishing himself: for the