YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

THE LIBRARY ASSOCIATES

Gift of
WILMARTH S. LEWIS

St. CHRTSOSTOM

O F T H E

PRIESTHOOD.

I N

SIX BOOKS.

Tranflated from the Greek,
By the Rev. JOHN BUNCE, M. A.
Late Redtor of Ching ford and Pitfey, in EJfex.

LONDON:
Printed by Samuel Richardson, in
Salijbury-Court.

M. D C C. L I X.

INTRODUCTION.

1 C^T. ChryfoftGiris Books of the
4 k3 Priefthood have been ever
* reckoned among the beft Pieces
4 of Antiquity. The Occafion of
4 writing them was this :
4 He had lived many Years in
4 great Friendship with Bajil * ; at
4 laft, they having both dedicated
4 themfelves to facred Studies, the
4 Clergy of Antioch had refolved to
4 lay hold on them, and to ufe that
4 holy Violence, which was, in thole
4 Times, often done to the beft
* Who this Bafil was, is uncertain : He
is fuppofed by Socrates to have been the
great St. Bafil of Ccefarea ; by Photius and
others, the Bafil that was Bifhop of Se-
leucia : But, perhaps, it was neither the
one nor the other; the firft being almoft
impoffible, the other highly improbable :
And therefore he muft have been fome
third Perfon. Dr. Cave, in his Life of St. Chryfojtam.
a 2 4 Men,

iv INTRODUCTION.
4 Men, and to force them to enter
4 into Orders. Which when Bafil
4 told Chryfoftom, he concealed his
4 own Intentions, but preffed Bafil
4 to fubmit to it ; who from that,
4 believing that his Friend was of
4 the fame Mind, did not go out of
4 the Way, and fo was laid hold
4 on : But Chryfojlom had hid him-
4 felf. Bajil.) feeing he could not
4 be found, did all that was poflible
4 to excufe himfelf: But that not
* being accepted of, he was or-
4 dained. Next time that he met
4 his Friend, he expoftulated fe-
4 verely with him, for having for-
* faken him upon that Occafion.
4 This gave Occafion to the fol-
4 lowing Books, which are purfued
4 by way of Dialogue.'
Bifhop Burnet's, Paftoral Care, p. $], 58,
A N

A N
ABSTRACT O F T H E
LIFE O F
St. CHRTSOSTOM.
ST. Chryfoftom was Bifhop of
Conftantinople in the Reign of
the Emperors Arcadius and Hono-
rius. He obtained the Name of
X(jV(To<ro[ji,o(; (Golden-tongued)^ on ac
count of his Eloquence. He was a
Native of Antioch, defcended from
noble Parents, Secundus and An-
thufa. He was taught Rhetoric by
Libanius, Philofbphy by Andraga-
thius. He applied himfelf to the
Study of Divinity under Diodorus
a 3 and

vi Life of St. Chrysostom.
and Baflius. He was firft a Reader
in the Church of Antioch ; was after
wards ordained a Prieft ; and, on the
Death of NeSlarius, was promoted
to the See of Conflantinople, in the
Year of our Lord 401. He was
naturally of an impetuous Tem
per, and ' free of Speech ; which
expofed him to many Inconveni-
encies. Having declaimed, with
great Vehemence, againft the Em-
prefs Eudocia, he was banifhed by
Command of the Emperor ; but the
People riling up in Arms, obliged
the Emperor to recall him foon after.
He was a fecond time expelled, and
banifhed into Armenia, where he
died, in the Year of our Lord 411.

THE

THE
CONTENTS O F
St. CHRTSOSTOM's
SIX BOOKS
O F T H E
PRIESTHOOD. BOOK! the FIRST.
**J HIS contains only the prepara*
tory Di/courfesy according to the
ufual Method of Dialogue*
BOOK the SECOND.
In this he gives the CharaEier of a
good Bifhop ; and defcribes the
Accomplifldments neceffary to make.
a Manfuch. He complains, that
thofe who had the Power of ad-
a 4 vancing

viii The CONTENTS.
vancing Perfons to the Epifcopal
Order, fhowed more regard to
Rank, Alliance, and Wealth, and
to a Skill in profane Learning,
than to true Worth, and an
earnefl Zeal for the Service of the
Church,
BOOK the THIRD.
The Importance and Dignity of the
Epifcopal Office. The manifold
Dangers to which Perfons of an
ambitious, envious, or fretful
Temper, will be expofed, when they
have attained it.
BOOK the FOURTH.
He here runs through a Variety of
Arts and Profejfions, a?id Jhows
how much Skill and Induftry is
neceffary to excell in each of them ;
from

The CONTENTS, ix
from whence he concludes, that
much more is required for That
which is the mojl important of all.
At the End of this Book, he launches
out into a jufl Encomium of St.
Paul, whom he propofes as a Pat
tern to all Bifhops.
BOOK the FIFTH.
He difplays the Temptations to Va
nity, to which a Bifhop will be
liable', the Cenfures that are apt
to be made, if there is too much,
or too little Art in his Difcourfes ;
the great Care he ought to take, to
preferve his CharaEier pure from
all Stain, yet without Precifenefs
and AffeElation. In his Sermons
he fhouldjludy to edify, and not to
gain Applaufe from his Hearers.
BOOK

x The CONTENTS.
BOOK the SIXTH.
The Humour of retiring into Deferts,
a?td leading, in an abflemious man
ner, the Life of a Hermit, being
too prevalent in that Age, he here
fhows, how much more difficult the
Tafk is, to govern the Church of
Chrijl difcreetly, than to fuffer
even the fever efl Mortifications.

LIST

LIST O F
SUBSCRIBERS.

A.
/^Apt. Abbot, of Lord Loudon'j Regiment.
Rev. Mr. John Adey, V. of Goudherft.
Rev. Mr. Airfon, V. of St. Alphage, Canterbury.
Mr. Thomas Alkin, of Canterbury. 10 Books.
Rev. Mr. Allet, V. of Teynham.
Mrs. Andrews, of London.
Rev. Mr. Apfley, R. of Ripple.' 2 Books.
Mr. Thomas Apfley, of Afhford.
Mifs Apfley, of Lewes, Sufiex.
Rev. Mr. Edw. Armftrong, of Sandwich.
Rev. Mr. Arnold, V. of Selling.
Mr. Lathan Arnold, of London.
Rev. Mr. Arrowfmith, 0/"Crutched-Friars, Lond.
John Auften, of Broadford, Efq; 8 Books.
Rev. Mr. Auften, Fellow of St. John'j College,
Oxford.
Rev. Mr. Thomas Auften, of Rochefter.
Mr. Robert Auften, c/Newchurch.
Rev. Dr. Ayerft, Prebendary of Canterbury.
B.
Right Rev. the Lord Bifhop of Briftol.
I  [•  ' Back, M.D. ^fTenterden. Mr,

xii List of Subscribers.
Mr. Wm. Balderftone, Attorney, at Canterbury .:
Mrs. Barrett, of Lee.
Rev. Mr. Barrett, of Afhford.
Mr. John Smith Barling, Attorney, at Feverf-
ham.
Rev. Mr. Barnet, Fellow of Queen'* College",
Oxford.
Rev. Dr. Barton, Canon of Chrift Church, Ox
ford.
Rev. Mr. Thomas Barton, R. of Narbleton,
Sufiex.
Mr. John Barton, of London, Merchant.
Dr. Bartholomew, of Town-Mailing.
Rev. Mr. Bates, R. c/Warehorn.
Mr. Richard Batchelor, o/Northiam, Sufiex.
Copt. Batwell, of Lord Loudon'* Regiment.
Rev. Mr. Edw. Beadon, Fellow! of St. John'.?
Mr. Richard Beadon, B. A. J College, Camb.
Mr. John Beale, Surgeon, at Wye.
Rev. Mr. Beard, R. o/Poynins.
Rev . Mr. Beauvoir, Majler of the King's School,
Canterbury.
Rev. Mr. Bell, Fellow of Magdalen College,
Cambridge.
Mifs Benge, of Canterbury.
Rev. Dr. Berdmore, Fellow of St. John'* College,
Oxford.
Thomas Beft, ofChilfton, Efq; 2 Books.
William Bifhop, Efq; 7 °f Sedlefcomb,
Rev. Mr. John Bifhop, R. J Sufiex.
Rev. Mr. Samuel Bifhop, Fellow of St. John'j
College, Oxford.
Rev. Mr. Ralph Bifhop, V. of Hoo.
Rev. Dr. Bland, Prebendary of Durham.
Rev. Mr. Blacket, R. of Charlewood, Surrey."' Mr.

List of Subscribers, xiii
Mr. Noah Blifon, of London, Merchant.
Mrs. Bodenham, of Bewdley.
Mr. Bolaine, Surgeon, at Canterbury.
Charles Booth, Efq;
Mrs. Elizabeth Booth, of Horfmanden.
Mr. Thomas Boreman, of Margate.
Mr. John Bourne, "> ,„ r tt
Mrs. Bourne, J * '
Thomas Bowdler, of Afhley, Wilts, Efq-,
Rev. Mr. Bowen, V. of Godftone, Surrey.
Rev. Mr. Bower, V. of Balbro', Derbyfhire,1
Mrs. Bowes, o/Bury, Suffolk.
Rev. Mr. Bowles, R. of Ditton.
Mr. William Boys, Surgeon, of Sandwich,'
Mr. John Bradly, Jurate, of Sandwich.
Thomas Berney Bramfton, of Skreens, Efiex,
m
Mrs. Brandon, ? en * u
Mrs. Mary Brandon, {'/Canterbury.
Mr. John Brenchley, 0/ Maidftone.
Rev. Mr. Nicholas Brett, of Spring-GroveJ
Mrs. Eliz. Brett.
Mrs. Bridger, of Canterbury. 2 Books.
John Bridges, of Wootton, Efq;
Mrs. Bridges.
James Brockman, o/Beachborough, Efq; 10 Books.
Mrs. Mary Brockman.
Mifs Carolina Brockman.
Philip Broke, of Nacton, Suffolk, Efq;
Rev. Mr. John Broke, R. of Hintlefham in
Suffolk.
Rev. Dr. Brooke, Fellow of St. John'j College,
Cambridge.
Jofeph Brooke, Efq; Recorder of Rochefter.'
1 2 Books,
Francis

xiv List of Subscribers.
Francis Brooke, Efq; 7 , Town.MalHng.
Mrs. Brooke* S
Rev. Mr. William Bunce, R. of St. Peter'*,
Sandwich. 2 Books.
Mr. Wheler Bunce, B. A. of St. John'* College,
Cambridge.
William Burk, Efq; Bailiff of Romney Marfh.
Mrs. Burrell, of Brightling, Suffex.
Mifs Burrows.
Mifs Amy Burrows.
Rev. Dr. Burton, Chancellor of the Diocefe of
Oxford.
Rev. Mr. Jofeph Butler, of Aylesford.
Rev. Mr. Buttonfhaw, R. of Addington.
Rev. Mr. Byrch, 0/ Conduit-Street. 2 Books.

His Grace the Lord Archbifhop of Canterbury. 4 Books.
Lady Cotton, o/Stretton in Bedfordfhire.
Henry Campion, of Danny, Efq; 2 Books.
Rev. Mr. Carleton, V. of Rye, Sufiex.
Rev. Dr. Carter, \ , n ,
Mrs. Eliz. Carter, \°J UC*L
William Carter, M.D. of Canterbury. 2 Books.
Mr. Geo. Carter, of Wye.
Mrs. Carter, of Canterbury.
Mr. William Carter, <?/Bewd!ey.
John Carver, Efq; Fellow-Commoner of St. John'*
College, Cambridge.
Rev. Mr. Cafberd, Leclurer of St. George'*,
Southwark.
Mr. Peter Cazalet, Merchant.
Rev. Mr, Chalmers, R. of Barefrifton, Kent.
Abraham

List of Subscribers, xv
Abraham Chambers, Efq; of London. 2 Books.
Mr. Robert Chambers, of Lincoln College, Ox*
ford.
Mrs. Champneys, of Vintners.
Mr. Benjamin Chandler, of Canterbury.
Rev. Dr. Chapman, Archdeacon of Sudbury.
Rev. Mr. Daniel Chudleigh.
Mifs Chudleigh, of London.
Rev. Mr. Cobb, R. of Upper-Hardrefs.'
Mr. Robert Cole, o/Lewifham.
&?£&}*""*«¦ Robert Colebrooke, Efq; of Chilham Caftle.
Mr. Richard Coleman, of Dymchurch.
Rev. Mr. Collet, of Appledore.
Rev. Mr. Conant, R. of Haftingleigh.
Rev. Mr. J. Conant, of Lincoln College, Oxford.
Mrs. Corbett, of Charlton.
Rev. Mr. William Courthop, of Brenchley.
George Courthop, of Uckfield, Efq;
Alex. Courthope, of Sprivers, Efq; 8 Books.
Mr. Jofeph Crane, cfBewdley.
Mr. Nicholas Crifp, of London.
Rev. Mr. Cuffe, R. of Killmacow, near Wa-
terford.
Rev. Dr. Curteis, Prebendary of Canterbury.
Mr. Jer. Curteis, of Tenterdcn. D.
Hon. Mrs, Dawney.'
Sir Narborough D'Aeth, Bart.
Sir Edward Dering, Bart.
Rev. Mr. D'Aeth, R. c/KnowIton.
Mr. William Dan, of Wye.
Mr.

xvi List of Subscribers.
Mr. William Daniel, of Lincoln College, Oxford.
Mrs. Darell, of St. Stephen'*, near Canterbury.
Rev. Dr. Davis, Prebendary of Canterbury.
Mr. John Deacle, of Lincoln College, Oxford.
Rev. Mr. Dean, of St. John'* College, Cam
bridge.
William Deedes, of St. Stephens, Efq; 21 Books,
Mrs. Deedes, o/Hythe.
Mrs Deffray, of New Romney.
Rev. Mr. De Langle, V. o/Tenterden.n
Rev. Mr. William Delve.
Mrs. Denew, of Canterbury.
Rev, Dr. Denne, Archdeacon of Rochefter.' 2 Books.
Mr. Tohn Dilnot,7 re j • u
\* rvi '><?/ Sandwich. D z,
Mrs. Dilnot, J J 4 Books.
Mifs Difcipline, o/Bury, Suffolk.
Rev. Mr. Difney, V. o/Cranbrook.
Rev. Mr. Difney, Fellow of St. John'* College,
Oxford,
Mrs. Dixon, of Canterbury.
William Dockfey, of Woodnefborough, Efq;
Rev. Mr. Dodd, Lecturer of Weft Ham, Eflex.
2 Books.
Rev. Mr. Douglas.
Rev. Mr. Drake, Fellow of St. John'* College,
Oxford.
Mifs Martha Drake.
Rev. Mr. Silas Drayton, V. of Poftling.
Arnold Duncombe, <?/Stocks,Hertford(hire,.E/§r;
William Duncombe, Efq;
Rev. Mr. Duncombe, R. of St. Andrew'*, Can
terbury.
Mrs. Eliz. Duncombe, of Berkhamfted, Hert
fordshire. 7 Richard

List of Subscribers, xvii
Richard Still Dyke, Efq;") ,.,, „ _ „
Mr*. Dyke, j'/Burwalh, Suffex.
E.
Mr. Robert Eafte, of Woodchurch.
Rev. Mr. Edwards, Fellow of Jefus College,
Oxford.
Rev. Mr. Tho. Edwards, Minijier of St. Mary'*
in Dover.
Rev. Mr. R. S. Edwards, of Burwafh.
Mrs. Egerton, of Wotton.
John Eld, Efq;
Dr. Elmftone, of Rye, Sufiex.
Mr. Robert Erefkine.

Right Hon. Lord Feverfham. % Books*
Right Rev. the Lord Bifhop c/Fern$,
Sir William Fagg, Bart.
Sir John Filmer, Bart.
Sir Samuel Fludyer, Knt.
Mr. John Fagg, Attorney, at Ramfgate.
Mr. Sampfon Farbrace, Attorney, at Dover,
Mr. Wm. Farnell, of Brooklapd.
Rev. Mr. FauiTet, c/Petham.
Rev. Dr. Fawcett.
Rev. Mr. Fawkes, V. of Orpington.
Mr. Fenner, of Canterbury. . ,
Mr. Sol. Ferrier, Jurate, of Sandwich,
William Fitz-Thomas, Efq;
Rev. Mr. Fofter, Fellow of St. John'j College,
Cambridge.
Rev. Mr. Fowfe, of Warhorne. b Mr,

xviii List of Subscribers.
Mr. James Fowtrell, ProBor^ at Canterbury.
Rev. Mr. Frarnptoh, Fellow of St. John'* Col
lege, Cambridge.
Rev. Mr. Thomas Frank.
Rev. Mr. Francklyn, o/Acryfe.
Mr. Peter Franklyri, 0/Maidftone.
Mr, Thomas Francklyn, of Wye.
Rev. Mr. Fremoult, R. of Wotton. 2 Bboksl
Mr. George Frend, of Canterbury.
Thomas Frewen, Efq; of Brickwall in Sufiex.
Thomas Frewen, M. D. of Rye in Sufiex.
Rev. Dr. Freind, Canon of Chrift Church, Ox
ford.
Mifs Sarah Bennett Friend, of Deal.
Rev. Dr. Fry, Prefident of St. John'* College,
Oxford.
John Fuller, o/Heathfield, Sufiex, Efq;
Mr. Thomas Fuller, 0/ Sandwich, Merchant.
Rev. Mr. Hen. Fuller, R. of Northftoneham,
Hants. G.
Mrs. Gambier, of Great Bettifhanger.
Mr. Richard Garret, of Sandwich.
Rev. Dr. Geekie, Prebendary of Canterbury.
Mr. John Geer, of Hythe.
Mr. Edward George, of Reculver.
Rev. Mr. Giraud, V. of Weftwell.
Mrs. Godfchall, of Wefton-Houfe, Surrey.
Rev. Mr. Goodwin, 0/Lydd.
Rev. Mr. John Goftling, R. of Brook.
Mrs. Gott, of Egerton.
Mrs. Gott, of Street in Sufiex.
Mifs Grattwicke, of Danny.
Mr. John Gray, of New Romney. Rev.

List of Subscribers, xix
Rev. Mr. Greenall, V. 0/Walderfhare,
Rev. Mr. Greene, of Norwich.
Mrs. Prifcilla Greene, of the College- Yard, Ro»
chefter.
Rev. Mr. Greenhill, of Afhford.
Rev, Dr. Griffith, Prebendary of Canterbury. 7 Books.
Rev. Mr. Midlemore Griffith, R. of Whifton in
Derbyfliire.
Rev. Mr. John Griffith, R. of Hanfworth in
Yorklhire.
JofhuaGrigby,y«#/cr, Efq; of Bury, Suffolk,
Francis Grofe, of Canterbury, Efq;
Mr. Hen. Gypps, 0/Hythe. 4 Books.
Mr. George Gypps, of Canterbury. 2 Books,
H.
Sir Edward Hales, Bart. 12 Books,
Sir William Hardrefs, Bart. 2 Books,
Sir John Honeywood, Bart.
Rev. Mr. Wm. Haley, R. o/Brightling, Sufiex,
Rev. Mr. Benj,. Hallifax, Fellow of Lincoln Coh
lege, Oxford.
Mrs. Hammond.
M^s. Hardy, of BroadrStreet, London.
John Harvey, Efq; of Dane-Court. 2 Books.
Rev. Mr. Haf vy, V. of Eaftry.
Rev. Mr. Rd. Harvey, of Benet College, Cambr,
Mr. Hatch, of Canterbury.
John Hawkins, Efq.; of Nafh in Kent,
Rev. Mr. Hawking R. of Kingfnorth.
Mr. Gervas Hayward, Jurate, 1
Mr. Thomas Hayward, Jurate, >of Sandwich,
Mrs. Hajward, j
b .2 Rev*

xx List of Subscribers.
Rev. Dr. Head, Prebendary and Archdeacon of
Canterbury.
Mrs. Heaton, of London. 2 Books.
jR<?t?. Mr. Hewett, 22. 0/ Bucclefham, Suffolk.
Mr. William He wett, of Margate.
Mz/* Highmore. 2 Books.
Rev. Mr. Hodfhon, of St. Peter'* College, Cam
bridge.
Thomas Hoile, o/Deal, Efq;
Mrs. Frances Holcombe, of Canterbury.
Rev. Mr. Holdfworth, R. of Hinxhill.
Rev. Mr. Hollingbery, of the Charter-houfe.
Mr. Thomas Holmes, of London.
Mr. Thomas Holnefs, 0/Littlebourne.
Rev. Mr. Odiarne Hooper, 0/Heilftiam, Sufiex.
Rev . Mr. Thomas Hooper, <?/Beckley, Sufiex.
Rev. Mr. Thomas Howard, of Bewdley.
Rev Mr. Howdell.
Rev. Mr. William Howdell.
Rev. Mr. Hubbock, of Dorchefter, Dorfet.
Rev. Mr. Hudfon, R. <?/Sandhurft.
Mr. Thomas Hudfon, of Wye.
Wm. Weftern Huggefien, Efq; of Provender. 3 Books.
Mrs. Catherine Hunt, 7 r o j • i_
Mr. Jer. Hunt, j'/ Sandwich.
Rev. Mr. Hufband, of Rochefter. 2 Books.
Thomas Hufley, of Afhford, Efq;
Mr. Tho. Hutchinfon, of Smeaton, Yorkfhire,

J.

List of Subscribers, xxi;
J.
Rev. Mt. Jacob, of Eaft Mailing.
Rev. Mr. James, R. of Deal.
Lieut. Jarvis, of Deal.
Samuel Jebb, M.D. of Stratford, Effex.
Rev. Mr. Richard Jones, of Woodchurch.
Samuel Johnfon, M. D. ") 2 Books.
Rev. Mr. Johnfon, I
Mrs. Johnfon, > of Canterbury.
Majler Johnfon, 1
Mifs Johnfon, J
Mr. Henry Jordan, Attorney, at Folkftone.
Mrs. Anne Jorden, of Burwafh, Sufiex.
Mr. Thomas Joy, of St. John'* College, Cam-^
bridge. K.
Matthew Kenrick, Efq; 2 Books.
Mrs. Mary Ketcherell, of Sandwich.
Rev. Mr. Richard King, of London. 2 Books.
Rev. Mr. Robert Kirke, Fellow of Lincoln Col
lege, Oxford.
Mifs Peggy Kite, of Sandwich.
Mrs. Knapp, of Southend.
Rev. Dr. Knatchbull, Prebendary of Durham. 3 Books.
Thomas Knight, <?/"Godmerfham, Efq;
Mr. James Knight, of Fairfield.
Thomas Knowler, Efq; of St. Thomas's Hill.

L,

xxii List of Subscribers, L.
Right Rev. the Lord Bifhop of Limerick.
Rev. Mr. Lamb, of Ridley.
Mr. Thomas Lamb,? f-n % Books.
Mr. James Lamb, y-' ' '
Mr. William Lammin, of Wye.
David Lance, Efq; Mayor 0/ Sandwich.
Robert Langdon, Efq; Mayor <?/New Romney.
James Langford-Nibbs, of Antigua, Efq;
Rev. Mr. Langhorne, Minijier of Folkftone.
Rev. Mr. Edmund Latter, R. of Bidborough.
Mr. David Lauder, of London.
Rev. Mr. Lawry, Prebendary o/Rochefter.
Mr. John Le Grand, of Canterbury.
Rev. Mr. Leigh, R. of Merfton.
Rev. Mr. Egerton Leigh, Minijier of Minfter
in Shepey.
Rev. Mr. Lernoult, V. of Denchworth, Berks.
Jofeph Lieutaud, Efq; 2 Books.
Rev. Mr. Lloyd.
Rev. Mr. Lobb, Fellow of St. Peter'* College,
Cambridge.
Rev. Mr. Charles Lock, of Linton.
Mr. William Loftie, Surgeon, at Canterbury.
Rev. Mr. Loftie, Chaplain to the Cold-Stream
Regiment of Guards.
Mrs. Loftie, of Canterbury.
Rev. Mr. Longley, Minijier of Afh. 4 Books.
Mrs. Mary Longley, of Chatham.
William Lowndes, of Aftwood-Bury, Bucks,
m
Library c/Chrift Church, Canterbury.
Library of the Church of Rochefter.
Mr.

List of Subscribers, xxiii
Mr. George Ludewig, of Deal
Rev. Mr. Lunn, ,i?. of Denton.
Mrs. Lufhington, of Canterbury.
Thomas LuxCord, of Aldenbourn, Sufiex, Efq;
Mrs. Luxford.
Rev. Dr. Lynch, Dean of Canterbury.
Mrs. Lynch.
George Lynch, M. D. of Canterbury.
Rev. Dr. Ly ttelton, Dean of Exeter.
M.
Hon. Mrs. Marfham. .
Johnfon Macaree, of Canterbury, Efq;
Mr. Machin, of London. 6 BoeksJ
Mr. William M'Clennan.
Rev. Mr. Marfh, V. of Feverfham.
Rev. Mr. Marfh, V. of St. Margaret'*, near
Dover.
Mr. Turner Marfhall, of Merfham.
Mrs. Mafters, of Brook.
Mrs. Matfon, of Wingham. 6 Booksl
Mr. Thomas Matfon, of Word.
Mr. William Maundy, of Sandwich.
Capt. William Meath.
Mrs. Mendes.
Rev. Dr. Merrick, LetJurer of St. Anne'*, AVeft-
minfter.
Capt. Wm. Meulh, of Col. Hodgfon'* Regiment.
Mrs. Meynell.
Edward Milles, of Canterbury, Efq;
Mr. William Minet, of London, Merchant. 4 Books.
Rev. Mr. Minnet, R. of Eythorne.
Rev. Mr. Monins, R. o/Ringwold.
b 4 Rev.

xxiv List of Subscribers.
Rev. Mr. Monteith, of Hothfield.
Rev. Mr. Moor, of Stone.
Rev. Mr. Morgan, Prebendary of Winchefter.
Thomas Morland, of Courtlodge, Efq;
Rev. Mr. Ch. Mortimer, Fellow of Lincoln
College, Oxford.
William Mofeley, Efq; o/Farnham.
Mrs. Moyer, of Low-Layton, Efiex. 8 Books.
Mr. Francis Moyfe, Attorney at Law, ^Town-
Mailing.
Mr. John Munk, of Appledore. N.
Rev. Mr. Thomas Nairn, of Battle in Sufiex.
Rev. Mr. Nairn, Minijier of Wingham.
Mrs. Nairn, of Sandwich.
Rev. Mr. Natt.
Rev. Mr. Neild, of Ivechurch.
Mrs. Nelfon, of Sandwich. 2 Books.
Mr. Nevil, Surgeon, of Wingham.
Rev. Dr. Newcombe, Dean of Rochefter, and
Majler of St. John'* College, Cambridge. 2 Books.
Rev. Dr. Newton, Prebendary of Weftminfter.
Rev. J- Nichols, B. D.l Fellows of St. John'*
Rev. Dr. Nicholfon, 3 College, Oxford.
Rev. Mr. John Norcrofs, R. of Hothfield.
Rev. Mr. Wm. North, V. o/Dallington, Sufiex.
Lieut. Nourfe, of the Navy.

O.

Lady Oxenden.
Mrs. Oxenden, of Broom.

Cornelius

List of S u b s c r i b e R s . xxtf
Cornelius O Keiffe, Efq;
Mr. Jofeph Oldham, of Bewdley.
Mr. Richard Oliver, Jurate, of Sandwich.
Rev. Mr. Oram, Chaplain to the Lord Bijhop of
Ely. P.
Right Rev. the Lord Bifhop of Peterborough.
Lady Palmer.
Mifs Palmer.
Mrs. Palmer, of Ripple.
Rev. Mr. Pack, of Little Welnetham in Suffolk.
Rev. Mr. Parfeft, Fellow of Oriel College, Ox
ford.
Rev. Mr. Ed. Parker, R. of Cheriton.
Mrs. Parker, of Canterbury.
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L-ist of Subscribers, xxvii
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List of Subscribers, xxix
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List of Subscribers, xxxi
The Book-Society of Wye.
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Y.

Sir George Yonge, Bart.
Lady Yonge.

THE

THE worthy and generous Be
nefactors are, with all Re-
fpecl:, defired to accept the grateful
Acknowledgements of the Widow,
for whofe Benefit this Subfcription
hath been carried on, together with
the Thanks of the Editor, who is
greatly obliged to them for the very
kind Regard fhown to his Father's
Memory, and to his Sifter's Misfor
tunes. He humbly hopes, that the fame
Benevolence which inclined them fo
far to favour this Tranflation, will
cover the Defects of it, and, with
the like Indulgence, pafs over any
Miftakes or Omiflions in the Lift,
which his beft Care could not alto
gether prevent,

St.

St. CHRTSOSrOM O F T H E
PRIESTHOOD.

BOOK! the FIRST*
V
CHAPTER I.
AMONG the many Friends
I formerly had^ who were
true and fincere ; who
both Well underftood the
Laws of Friendfhip, and exactly ob*
ferved them ; there was one parti
cularly who bore me fo fingular an
Efteem and Affection, that he ex
celled the reft of my Friends in the
Degree of his Love towards me, as
B much

2 St. Chrysost o'm
much as they did my common and
ordinary Acquaintance, ,
This Friend was perpetually with
me ; for, as we were brought up in
the fame Studies, and under the
fame Mafters, fo our Inclinations, our
Applications and Defires, were the
fame. Nor did this Agreeablenefs
of Difpofition in us continue only
while we were Fellow-Students, but
afterwards, when we came out into
the World, and were to chufe what
Courfe of Life we would follow,
even then there ftill appeared the
fame Similitude of Difpofition, the
fame Harmony and Union as be
fore. Nor did it a little contribute to
render this Union of our Wills firm
and conftant, that there was no great
Difference between us in point of
worldly Circumftances , and that

neither

of the Priesthood* 3
neither of us had any Reafon; to-
overlook the other on the Account,
of a large Eftate. For, as for my
own Part, my Riches were far from
being a Burden to me ; and as for
hint) his Affairs were at a very low
Ebb: Neverthelefs, in this alfo we
were alike, that our Minds were
fuited to the Mediocrity of our
Fortunes. Befides, our Birth was
equally good ; fo that all things
concurred to unite our Affections.
But as foOn as we attained the
Age, when it was expected that we
fhould enter upon that happy State,
a monaftic Life, and apply ourfelves
to the Study of true Phiiofophy, the
Balance of our Inclinations hung no
longer in an equal Foifej but my
Friend's Scale, being free from all
Incumbrances j mounted upwards,
whereas mine, being oppreffed with
B 2 worldly

4 St. Ch r y s o s t o m
worldly Defires and youthful Ima--
ginationsj funk downwards with the
Weight. Our Friendfhip, however, con
tinued firm as before, only we did
not converfe fo frequently : For,
indeed, it was not proper for thofe
Perfons to correfpond familiarly to
gether, who were attached to Stu
dies of fb different a Nature. But,.
when once I began to exalt my
Head a little above the Waves of
this World, and thought of difen-
gaging myfelf from fecular Con
cerns, he received me with open
Arms : But neither fo could wfe
maintain our former Equality ; for
he had gained much Advantage over
me, on two Accounts, having given
himfelf up to the Studies of heavenly
Wifdom much fooner than myfelf,,
and that too with a much more
eager

^f the Priesthood. 5
eager Application, and exalted De-
iire. But, though" he had thus the Start
of me, yet fu'ch was his Goodnefs,
and fb true a Value had he for my
Friendfhip, that, withdrawing him
felf from the Converfation of his
other Friends, he gave up his Time
wholly to me : Still profecuting his
former Defign of perfuading me to
retire from the World, which, as I
faid before, he had not been able,
as yet, to effect, through the In
dolence and Indifpofition of my
Temper. Nor, indeed, was it pof-
fible for me, who was fb conftantly
engaged at the Bar, at the Theatre,
and other public XHverfions, to have
much of his Converfation,- who lived
always at home, and was wholly
engrofled by his Books. JIaving
been thus hindered hitherto, he had
B 3 no

6 St. Chrysostom
no fboner an Opportunity to renew
his Solicitations of my entering into
the fame Method of Life with him
felf/ than he gave Birth to that De-
fire which had been fo long con
ceived in his Mind. For he never
left me, no, not a Minute in a Day,
"but-kept conftantly1 plymg me w^tn
' mdft ^refling Arguments, that, for-
fakingT'our Houfes, we mould retire
" together to fome fequeftered Place.
<"- InJ mort, he prevailed upon me :
And nothing now remained, but
to execute our Defign. The only
" thing which was likely to hinder
me from gratifying my Friend, or
rather myfelf, in this Affair, was the
repeated Tnftances of my Mother ;
' who no fboner perceived my Inten
tion, than, taking me by the Hand,
<' fhe led me into her Chamber : And,
fitting down by the Side of that Bed
where

of the P-R-I esthood. 7
where fhe firft brought me into the
World, fhe burft into Tears, and,
with Words which moved my Com
panion even more than her Tears,
fhe complained to me in this Man
ner. C H A P. II.

'HT^HE good Will of God, my

" X Son, would not permit
" me long to enjoy your excellent
" Father. My Grief for his Death
" immediately fucceeded the Pains
of your Birth, leaving you an
Orphan as foon as you were born,
" and bringing on me, at once, a
" moft unfeafonable State of Wi-
" dowhood, together with thofe
" many -Hardships and^ Ihconve-
<( niences which commonly attend
" it: Of which none can have a
B 4 " juft

u <<
a

(C
a
a

$ St. ChRYS PS T OM
juft Apprehenfion, but they who
are fo unhappy as to feel them,
For what Words can exprefs the
Diffractions and Perplexities,
" which fall like a Tempeft, and
beat like fo many Waves, on .the
Head of a poor Woman, who
having but lately left her Father's
" Houfe, and come raw and un-
" experienced into the World, us,'
*-' at once, attacked with an infup-
<$ portable Sorrow, and oppreffed,
<c on all Sides, with fuch Cares and
", Troubles, as are far fuperior to
<? her Years and Sex ! Thus, to
" correct the Idlenefs of Servants,
1 ? to watch their Abufes and Em-
" bezzlements ; to guard againft
" the treacherous Pefigns of Rela-
" tions; afid to bear with Patience
" the Violence and Inhumanity of
{< the Tax-gatherers, ; Thefe, I iky*
" are

of the Priesthood. 9
are Evils which are not. to he
encountered, but by an active and
manly Spirit.
" When a Father dies, and leaves
an Orphan behind him, though
it be a Daughter, which is com
monly brought up with lefs Fear
and Expence, yet, even there, no
light Burden is incumbent on the
Mother. But, if it be a Son that
is thus leftj herrMind is every
Day filled with a thoufand Cares
and Fears for him, befides the
great Coft and Charge which fhe
muft of JSteceftity be at, if fhe
will give him a liberal and gen>*
teel Education.
" Yet none of all thefe Inconve
niences have induced me to en
gage in a fecond Marriage, or
have tempted me to bring an
other Hufband to your Father's " Bed:

io St. Chr ys ps TOM
c< Bed : But I have patiently con-
" tinued in this State of Trouble
" and Perplexity, nor have I fhrunk
u in any refpect from what I may
"juftly call the Iron Furnace of
u Widowhood. That I was thus
<c enabled to perfevere, is owing,
*' firft, to the Divine Affiftance :
" And,: fecondly, I muft confefs,
*' it was no fmall Confolation to*
me, -in the-midft of my Misfor
tunes, that I could, in your Face,
c> every Day behold the lively Pic-
11 tureofyour deceafed Father. On
t£ which very Account, while you
K were a Child, and not able to
fpeak, at an Age when Parents
commonly take moft Delight in
their Children, I received great
Pleafure and Comfort from you.
Nor can you accufe me, that,
though I have eourageoufly en-
" dured

ccCC

cc (C (C
cc cc

cc
cc

of the Priesthood. ii
dured my State of Widowhood,.
yet, to fupport myfelf in it, I
" have diminished what your Fa-
" ther left : A Cafe which I have
il often known to befall unhappy
Orphans. On the contrary, I
have preferved your Fortune
whole and entire, not ferupling,
as Occafion required, any Ex-
<£ pences which were neceilary to
gain you Efteem and Reputation
among your Acquaintance : All
i£ which were defrayed out of my
" own Purfe, from my own proper
" Fortune, which I derived from
H my Father.
And think not, my Son, that
I repeat this to reproach you.
InTo : My only View is, in Return
for all this, to requeft this Favour
of you, that you will not involve
<c me in a fecond Widowhood, nor
" rekindle

cc cc cc cc

cc

cc
cc
cc cccc

12 St. Chr Y SOS TOM
" rekindle thofe Sorrows which
<c have been, for fome Time, ex-
Ci tinct. Have Patience a little till
". my Deceafe, which, perhaps, even
t£ now may not be far off. For
V though young Perfons may rea-
Si fbnably hope to live many Years,
*i and arrive at a good old Age ;
if _yet I, who am advanced in Years,
" can have nothing but Death be-
Tore my Eyes. When, therefore,
> you have covered me with Earth,
and mixed my Afh,es with your
" dear Father's, then undertake
tc long Journey % or go abroad, if
you pleafe ; there will then be
none to ob^ruct your Defigns :
But, as long as my Life con-
(i tinues, do not forfake me ; left
*' you vainly, and without Caufe,
¦" offend God,ijby bringing her,
" who hath never done you the
" leaft

cccc
cc

cc
cccc

' of the Priesthood. i$
" leaft Injury, into fo great Miferies
" and Misfortunes.
" Nor would I have you fufpedt
" that I defign, by this, to draw
" upon you worldly Troubles, and
" to throw the Care of my Affairs
" upon you. If I attempt this, I
" am content that you fhould have
" no Regard to the Laws of Nature
" or Education, or any thing elfe,
** but fhun me, as an Enemy that
" lays Snares and Traps for you.
" But, on the other hand, if I do
" every thing to contribute to the
" Eafe and Tranquillity of your.
" Life, though nothing elfe fhould,
" yet this, furely, will oblige you
" to continue with me. For aflure
" yourfelf, among all your Friends,
<c as there is none who will indulge
" you in fo great a Liberty, fb nei-
" ther is there any that can be more
" folli-

r4 St. ChrysostoM
" follicitous for your Reputation
" than myfelf." ,
CHAP. III.
THIS, and much more, did
my Mother remonftrate to
me: Which when I related to my
generous Friend, he was fo far from
being moved therewith, that he re
newed his former Sollicitations, and
made more preffing Inftances than
before. While Matters were thus circum-
ftanced, he continually intreating
me, and I as conftantly refilling, on
a hidden there was a Report fpread,
which gave us no fmall Uneafinefs ;
namely, that we were both of us
defigned, ere long, to be promoted
to the Dignity of the Epifcopal
Order. 7 When

Qf the Priesthood. 15
When I firft heard this, I was
ftruck with Fear and Surprize :
With Fear, left I fhould be dragged
to the Election againft my Will ;
and with Surprize, that the Fathers
fhould think of us for this facred
Office : Efpecially, when I confi-
dered myfelf, and could not find
that I had any thing in me worthy
of this Honour.
On the Spreading of this Ru
mour, my Friend directly came to
me ; and, taking me afide as one
unacquainted with the Matter, told
me all that he had heard ; and
begged of me, that we might not
follow different Counfels, but that
our Refolutions and Proceedings •
might appear to be uniform in this
Affair, as they had hitherto been in
others : That, for his own Part, he
was ready to follow my Example, which

f6 St. Chrysos toM
which way fbever I mould think
beft to difpofe of myfelf, whether
to fly from the Election, or to fub-
mit to it.
; Perceiving, therefore, his Readi-
nefs, and thinking that I mould be
very injurious to the Church, if, for*
the fake of my own Inability, I
fhould defraud the Flock of Chrift
of fb excellent a Perfon, who was,
in all Refpects, fb fit to prefide over
it; I thought it not proper to de
clare my Mind in this Matter, but
fuffered myfelf to do what I had
never done before, viz. to conceal
my own Sentiments from my Friend :
Telling him, therefore, that I would
confider of this fome other Time
(for that the Thing would not be
urged upon us inftantly) ; and that,
whenever it was, he need not doubt
but we fhould be unanimous, and
take

nf the Priesthood. 17
rake the fame Steps, I perfuaded
him, for the prefent, to think no
more of the Matter.
Not long after, when the Time
was at hand that we fhould be or-
•daihed, I hid rhyfelf. He knowing
nothing of it, was taken, and led
to the Bifhop's, as upon fome other
-Account, where he received the
:Y6ke of Chrift : Not doubting, front
whit I had promifed, but that I
would certainly follow his Example;
or rather thinking, that in this he fol
lowed mine. For fome that were ore-
fent feeing him angry, and ill-pleafed
"at his being thus furprized, deceived
him, by faying, how abfurd a thing
it was, that I, who in all Mens
Eyes feemed the moft untraceable of
the two, fhould fo quietly refign
myfelf to the Judgment of the Bi
fhop ; but that he, who was always
C known

i$ St. Chji ys ostom
known to excejl in Prudence and
Good-nature, fhould, upon this -Oc
cafion, behave himfelf in a fierce and
haughty Manner, flying back, con-
tradi<#ing? and refufing to comply.
This had ks Effect, and he fubr
mitted. But when he underftood that I
hap! fled, and concealed myfelf, he
refted not till he had found me
put 5 ana", fitfing down by me, with
Shame and Sorrow in his Looks, he,
feemed paflionately eager to Jwe
fpokenj bujt the inward Oppreflaon
and Anxiety which he laboured un
der flopped his Speech. The Vefie-
mence of his Concern choaked his
Words to fuch a Degree, that, when
he opened his Lips, he had no Power
to utter himfelf, through the violent
Perplexity and Perturbation of his
Mind. Seeing him thus full of Tears and

tf the PRIE-STHOOD. I9
and Trouble, and well knowing from
what Caufe all this Concern pro
ceeded, I could not contain that Ex
cels of fleafure which I felt within
myfelf, t>ut burft out intoj a r loud
Laughter ; and, catching him faft by
hk ^rlght Hand, I oonftrained him to
kits me; at the fame Time glorifying
Qo&j that he had crowned my Con
trivance with all that Succefs which
I fead 'fo much defired it might- have.
But wfeen he faw me thus jbyfufcahd
pleafarit, and perceived the&by tha*
J had plainly deceived him in^ this
Matter, he changed Colour, and wak
very angry, o
€ H A P. IV.
^OWEVER:, 'recovering ' him*
felf a little from thofe Dif-
ofders; Although paith he) you have
C 2 hq

.20 St. Chr Y SOS TOM
no Regard for me, nor any Value
for my Credit (for what Reafon, I
cannot imagine), yet, methinks, you
, fhould take more Care of your own
'Reputation. For, to be plain with
you, your late Behaviour r -hath
opened all Mens: Mouths againft
you, who fcruple- not to fay,: that
you fled from this facred" Office only
out of a prou4' and vain-glorious
Humour : Nor have I met with one
Man r that fb much as attempts to
clear you of this Charge. For my
own Part, I cannot walk the Streets,
but I am prefently attacked on all
Sidesj and blamed on your Ac
count every Day. My own Friends,
where-ever they, meet me, accufe
me with being acceffory to your
Mifmanagement, and a great Part
of your Condemnation falls on me.
For, fay they, you could not' be
ignorant

of the Priesthood. 21
ignorant of his Intentions, it being
notorious that he always opened his
Heart to you : And, therefore* you
ought not thus to have diffembled
the Matter with us, but to have ac
quainted us with his Defigns, which,
if you had done, we fhould, no doubt,
have circumvented him, by fome
Stratagem or other. Now, what
Reply could I make to this ? To
confefs that I was a Stranger to your
Defigns, was to reprefent our Friend-
fhip as a mere Piece of Hypocrify ;
which I was afhamed to do. For
although fo it is, as now too plainly
appears from your late Behaviour,
and as you yourfelf cannot deny ;
yet I thought, that whatever Faults
there might be between us, it would
be much more for our Credit to hide
them, than to expofe them to the
World, efpecially to thofe who are
C 3 but

22 5-T. CHR YSO'STOfti-
but indifferently affected towards us*.
Unwilling, therefore, t& own the
Truth, and to let them- know^ hf)W
Matters ftand between ; us, I am
forced to hold my Tongue,, to caft
ddwn my Eyes with Confufion, and
to fhun, when I am able,, the meet
ing with my Acquaintance.. Nay,
fhould I, by owning the Truth, en
deavour to excufe myfelf from the
Crime of being aeeeftbry to your
Mifmanagement ; yet this would be
a- vain Attempt^ it would- be what
they wpuld look upon as mere Fic
tion, and nothing elfe. For it is
impoffible eyer to make them be
lieve^ that Bafl was one of thofe
from whom you concealed any of
your Intentions : Though> as- to the
thing itfelf,, fince I perceive it is
a Pleafure to you that fo it fhould
be* I am content, and fhall not dif-
pute

of the Pr iesthood. 23
pure the Matter with you. But trn>
is not all : There are large Portions
of Shame yet behind, which we mufb
fee loaded with. Some accufe you
of Irifolerice, others, of Vain-glory:
But they who are moft fevere in
their Cenfures, lay them both to
our Charge, and augment the whole
by that gtfeat Indignity and Affront
which (fay they) we have offered to
thofe who have vouchfafed thus1 to
honour us ; adding, moreover, thaf
the Difgrace they have fuffered from
us, had it been much greater, was
but what they juftly deferved, who
could pafs by fo many Perfons of
fuch Excellence and Worth, and
ehufe a couple of raw Youths, who
were but of Yefterday, and who had
not yet diferigaged themfelves from
worldly Cares (however, for the pre-
fent,\ they contracted the Brow, put
C 4 on

24 St. Ch r ysost om
on Black, and diffembled a Gravity
of Perfon and Behaviour), .and, pro
mote them, at once, to fuch an
eminent Dignity, as they themfelves
could never have had the Vanity to
afpire to ; no, not fo much as in a
Dream : And thus, fay they, Men
of Years and Gravity, who, from
their Youth up, have exercifed thenn
felves in all the Study and Hardships
of Religion, are ftill in the Place of
Inferiors ; while they, who have the
Rule over them, are mere Boys, that
have no Regard to thofe Laws by
which their Adminiftratjon is to be
regulated. This, and a great deal more, is,
by one or other, every Day objected
againft us : To all which, I am at
a Lofs what to reply. Here, there
fore, I muft call in your Afliftance :
For I cannot eafily perfuade myfelfj that

of the P R I E ST HOOD. 25
that your Flight was an inconfider4Je
Action, or that you would rafhjiy,,
and without Caufe, have incurred
the Difpleafure of fo many venerable
Perfons :-. And, as I do believe, that
what you did Was the Effect of much
Thought and Premeditation, fo, I
affure myfelf, that your Reafons for
it are ftrong and conclufive.
Tell me, therefore, what is it that
we can offer in our juft Vindication
againft thofe who thus accufe us?
For, as for my own priyate Injuries,
how I have been deluded and tre
panned by you, without the leaft
Regard had to our former Friend-
fhip, I call you to no Account for
them. Though it muft by no means
be diffembled, that whereas I, with
all the Opennefs imaginable, did, in
a manner, put my very Soul into
your Hands } youj on the contrary, behaved

2& S¥, &h £ y's 6st6U
behaved1 towards me with all fhe
Subtlety aiidund^haridi Dealing that
Ong JlMtnf could- have ufed towards1
another. If y6# knew the Counfel
which I Mowed to be good and
ufeful, you yourfelfj one Woulcf
think, fhould not have fhurmed the
Advantage of it ; and, < if you knew
it to be hurtful and pernicious, finely
you ought! not to have fuffered that
Friend, who was fuperior to N all
Other? in your Affection, to have
feflen' into it, Ye£ this you did,
aTS$ m1 this you was the chief Jnftru-
merit : Though, to fey the Truth,
there was"* little Oecafai to ufe fo
iiwch- Artince a^id Craft towards
drie who always" f|>oke and acted/
fcicerely, and without Difguife.
-l However; as: I faid before,- 1? do>
fiot now call yon to an( Account for
thefe things ; neither do I reproach
IVjVf.;. i ^ y0U

cf the Priesthood. 2?
you with that folitary State into
whrckiyou have thrown me, qby
patting: an End to thofe friend^
Meetings; and Conversations'* from
which I ufed to receive fuch
Pleafute and Advantage. All thefe
things I pafs over lightly,, and witk
Silence ; not becaufe your Offence
againft me is flight in itfelf, but be
caufe this was the Rule which I
fixed to myfelf, from the very firft?
Moment that I courted your Friend
ship, that, however at any Time you-
mould grieve me by any Unkind-
nefs, I would never bring you under
a Neceffity of apologizing for your
felfj though, moft certainly, the In
jury you have done me is by no
means a trifling one, as you your-
felf know ; efpeciaily,, if you call to
mind how I am, at once* deprived
©f all that Felicity which we both
promifed

28 ST. G.H RTSOSTOM'
promifed ourfelves in this our Friend-
fhip,. and which others ufed to pre-
fage concerning it. We promifed
ourfelves, that our mutual Love
would be a mutual Advantage and
Safety to. us; and others faid, that
it would beino'lefs ufeful to the
World. Now, though I had no
Thoughts that our Union would be
of much Ufe to others, yet I flat
tered myfelf,. that it would be of lin
gular Advantage to ourfelves, fince
it would render us more inacceffible
and firm againft the Attempts of
our Enemies : And ' this, you may
remember, was an Argument which
I frequently inculcated to you.
r>; I bid you confider, that the Times
were difficult, vand the Adverfaries
many : That true Charity was, in a
manner, extinct.;: and Envy, that
Plague of Mankind, had'fucceeded
i/,a; ' ' >n in

of the Priesthood. 29
in its Place. My Friend, faid I,
we pafs through the midft of Snares,
and walk, as it.were,: on the Battle
ments of a Tower. If we make a
falfe Step, or if any thing amifs be
falls us,. there are enough ready, in
all Places, to rejoice land*infult at
it: But where are- there any that
will Iky our Sufferings to heart, _or
companionate, our Calamities ? Take
heed^ therefore^ laid I, left, by any
unhappy Means, this our Friendfhip
be diflblved, and we become a Jeft>
and a Derifion,, to the Worlds nay,
bring on ourfelves fuch real Evils, -as
are much worfe than all the Con
tempt r, that can be poured upon
us. Remember the; Words of -the
Wife Man, A Brother, holpen. by a
Brother ¦, is as a fortified City, and
as a Kingdom flrengthened with Bars
and Gates* Let us be careful, there fore,

3<p jS T.. C a 31 Y s o s T .O.M
fore* Jhaf this our Amity; be not di£-
.fbkfled, dot the Bands of j out Fdjend-
ihlip/hroken afunder.
This, and much more to the fame
^u'rpofe, did I often .repeat to you-:
jiqrlliad I 'the leafl SuiGpicion that
tyout Affections towards me -were at
ail tainted ; Jkit, out of the Abun
dance of my Los^e, I oSered good
Advice, whece I had no Reafbn :to
thinly it was at all wanted : Mar was
I in fihe leaft aware, that, in thus
CounfeUing you, 1 adminiftred Phy-
fie to a fick Perfbn : Though (un
happy that 1 am) not any thing that
I could offer hath been fheeefsful,
*nor could all my Precaution be of
any Service to me. So far from that,
that, eafting away from you,-at once,
all my Admonitions, and never fuf-
fermg them fo much as to enter into
your Mind, you have driven me out, as

xf the P R I E S T H o o d. 31
as a Ship without Ballaft, into the
wide Ocean, without any Concern
how I fhall there fuftain the Incle
mency of thofe Waves, which will,
on all Sides, beat fp furipu% upon
me. For if, at any Time, I fall into an.
unhappy NecefTity pf buffering Ca
lumny, or Derifion, or any other
Injury or M©le$ation (as it is very
;fure ; fuch things as thefe will often
hefaU me), to whom fhall I now
h#ve Recourfe ? To whom fhall J
communicate my Griefs? Who is
there that will be ready to help me^
to repell and keep off my Enemies,
to comfort me in the midft of my
Trouble, and to prepare my Mind,
by wife Counfels, to bear with Pa
tience the Follies of others ? There
is not fo much as one to whom I
can apply for Afliftance, in thefe
Diffi-

T;£2 'St. Ch r y s os t o m
Difficulties, now fince have with
drawn yourfelf at fuch a Diftance
rrom me.
By this Time, furely, you under-
ftand how great a Misfortune you
have brought upon me ; or do you
not yet perceive- (though too late),
*how fatal a Wound you have given
to my Happinefs? But, not to in-
fift • any longer on thefe ' Complaints
of - my own "(for iris impoffible to
undo what isdonej or to^ -extricate
-myfelf from "Difficulties which arc
ihfuperabk), tell me what I am to
fay to others that acctafe you, -' and
what Anfwers-I miift make to their
'Reproaches?

CHAP.

af the Priesthood* 3$
CH A P.r V. J v
Chrysostom.
BE bf good Cheer ; for I am
prepared not only to anfwer
all that is alleged againft me by
others, but I will alfo endeavour as
well as I am able, to give you an
Account even of thofe things for
which you require none; I mean,
thofe of which you yourfelf accufe
me : And from hence, if you pleafe,
Lwill begin ; for I fhould act a Very
ahfurd and unreafbnable Part, fhould
I be follicitous about the Cenfures
of others, and do every thing I could
to flop their Clamours, and, at the
fame Time, not endeavour to clear
myfelf to my beft Friend, one who
hath mown more Concern for my
- Credit than his own, and who hath
D ufed

J4 St. Chryso% tom
ufed me in fo handfome and gene
rous a Manner, as hot to ISxpoftulate
fliarply with me concerning thofe
Injuries which he thinks I have done
ntm. I fay> rh-duld I not efMeavouT,
in the firft Place, the 'Satisfaction Of
fuch a "Friend, the -Negligence which
I fhould, in this Matter, be guilty
of towards him, would be greater
than tfca't Love and Gate which he
hath ex'preffed towards me.
Since, therefore, from hence Tam
to "begin my Apology, give me Leave
to afk this Queftion, In'_ what have
I injured you ? Was it "that I de
ceived you, and concealed my Own
Defigns from you ? But in this I
ferved two good Purpofes at once,
by confulting the "Good of myTfiefid,
and the Benefit of thofe to whom I
betrayed him. If

of the jPriesthqo-D. 3.5
If you object, that, neverthekfs,.
I betrayed you ; that I freely own t
And, if it "be true, that all fort of
Deceit is finful, and that it may in
no Cafe be made ufe of, not even.
for public Good and Benefit, I will
be content to fuffer whatever Funi£b«
ment you pleafe : Or rather, -becaufp
I know the Tendernefs of your Na
ture towards me, I would pafs the
fame Sentence of Condemnation go.
myfelf, as the Judges would in
open Court on a Perfon convicted
of fraudulent Practices. But if the
•thing itfelf -be not always hurtful,
but good or bad, according to the
intentions of him that makes ufe of
it, ceafe then to blame me, that J
have deceived you, or elfe prove,
that I have done it with an ill De
fign. For, indeed, if that be want
ing, if there be no evil Mind or
D 2 wicked

$6 St. Chrysostom
wicked Purpofe, the Deceiver is, in
the Opinion of all fair Judges, fo far
from Blame, that he deferves Com
mendation and Applaufe : And fo
confiderable is the Advantage of a
well-timed Deceit, done with a right
Purpofe, and a good Defign, that
many have been Sufferers for ne
glecting to ufe it.
Nay, if you look back on the fa
mous Generals that have flourifhed,
from the Beginning of the World
to this Time, I am well allured,
that you will find the greater Part of
their fuccefsful Actions to have been
chiefly owing to Stratagem and De
ceit ; and the wife Contrivers of them
have met with more Applaufe than
thofe who, by mere Dint of Arms,
have vanquifhed their Enemies in
the open Field : For thefe obtain
their Victories at fuch a prodigious Expence,

of the Priesthood. %j
Expence, both of Men and Money,
that they are, on the whole, but of
fmall Advantage to them; and the
Victors are in little better Condition
than the Vanquifhed, having their
Forces greatly diminifhed, and their
Treafure no lefs exhaufted. Neither,
indeed, have they the fole Glory of
the Action : No inconfiderable Part
of it redounds to them, whofe Cou
rage was not conquered, though
their Bodies were, and who, if they
could have fought without falling in
the Field, would ftill have continued
to have given Proofs of an undaunted
Valour : Whereas he that gains a
Victory by Stratagem and Conduct,
expofes his Enemy, at once, to De-
ftruction and Derifion. For though,
where a Battle is gained by mere
Strength, the Vanquifhed have their
Share of Glory as well as the Victors,
D 3 yet

3S St. C h r y s o s t o m
yet it is quite otherwife where a
Victory is obtained by Policy alone :
For, in that Cafe, the Glory of the
Action refts entirely on his Side who
conquers ; befides that he carries
home with him a moft perfect and
unmixed Pleafure for a Victory ob
tained without Lofs of Blood.
For, in warlike Attempts, it is
not with the Wifdom of the Mind,
as it is with Riches or Numbers of
Men : Thefe, the more they are
made ufe of, the more they are di-
minifhed : Whereas, on the con
trary, this, the oftener you have Re
courfe to it, the more it brightens,
and increafes on your Hands.
Nor is this Sort of Deceit ufeful
only in War, and in public Affairs ;
but in Peace alfo, and in one's own
private Concerns, it is often of great
Advantage, and that too amongft the

of the Priesthood. 39
t^e neareft Relations. The Hufban4
often finds it neceifary toy/ards his
Wife)t a^4 the V/ife. tpwards her
Hufbarid; the Father towards, his
Son; one Friend towards another;
nay, even Children, fometimes, to
wards their Parents. Thus, Saul's,
Daughter * could by np other means
deliver her Hufband out of her Fa
ther's Hands, than by Fraud and Cir -¦'
cumvention : And, in like Mariner, at
another Time her Brother f defiring
tp preferve the fame Perfpn faie from
thofe Dangers to which he was ex-
pofed, had Recourfe to the like Arts
of Stratagem and Deceit, as his
Sifter had done before.
Basil.
Nothing of ail this is applicable
to me : For I am not an Enemy ;
I am no Adverfary to you, nor have
* 1 Sam. xix. j2. ~j~ Ibid. xx. 8.
D 4 I done j

4.0 St. Chry s os t o m
I done, or attempted to do, you any
Injury ; but (quite the reverfe of all
this) I have committed myfelf en^
tirely to your Conduct, and done
nothing without your Advice, which
I have followed upon all Occafions,
CHAP. VI.
Chrysostom.
TRUE, O thou admirable and
beft of Men! and, for this
Reafon, I prevented you, by faying
before, that it was lawful to ufe
Deceit, not only in War, and againft
an Enemy, but in Peace al fo, and
towards one's Friends,
Nay, this very thing is, in fome
Cafes, ufeful not only to the De
ceiver, but to the Deceived. If you
doubt the Truth of this, go but to
& Phyfician, and all: him in what
Man-

of the Priesthood. 41
Manner he fometimes cures his Pa
tients; and he will tell you, that
his Art is not always of itfelf fuf-
ficient, but he is often obliged to
mix Deceit with his Medicines. For
when the Cafe is fuch, that, either
by the Untractablenefs of the Pa
tient, or the Obftinacy of his Dif-
temper, the Prefcriptions of the
Phyfician can have no Effect, there
he muft, ofNeceflity, have Recourfe
to Artifice and Contrivance, and act
his Part, as Players do on the Stage,
under a Difg;uife : And here, if
you pleafe, I will give you a merry
Inftance or one of thofe many Arti
fices which I have heard practifed
by thofe Sons of Art,
It happened that a certain Man
fell ill of a Fever, which raged very
violently, and without Intermiflion,
The fick Perfon loathed all things that

42 S Tt C. KR Y s o S t p M
that were proper to abate his EHf-
temper, but had a longing Defire
for a good Draught of Wine, and
begged earneftly of every one that
came into the Room, to gratify this
his pernicious Appetite ; which, had
it been done, would have inflamed
his Fever to fuch a Degree, as would
have made the poor Fellow quite
diffracted. Here, therefore, where
there was no Room for Skill to exert
itfelf, they were forced to have Re
courfe to Fraud and Contrivance,
by the Help oi which, the Phyfician
effected what he could not compafs
by his Art : For, getting an earthen
Pan, juft come hot out of the Fur
nace, he dipped it all over in Wine ;
and ordering the Room to be dark
ened, that the lick Man might not
difcover the Deceit, he poured out
the Wine, filled it with Water, and

gave

of the Priesthood. 43
gave it to his Patient to drink.
The fick Man, deceived by the
ftrong Smell of the Wine into which
the Pan had been dipped, ftayed not
curioufly to examine what it was
which the Doctor gave him, but,
being perfuaded by his Noftrils, that
it really was what he imagined, and
being hindered, by the Want of
Light, from difcovering the Cheat,
and being alio eagerly defirous to
quench his Thirft, he drank it off
with the utmoft Greedinefs. Upon
which his excefiive Thirft was al
layed, his Fever abated, and the
Man » recovered. So great are the
Power and Advantage of Deceit,
which as you have already feen in
this one Example, fo it were end-
lefs to produce Inftances of the like
Nature. Nor

44 St. Chry sos tom
. Nor are thefe Frauds in ufe only
among Phyficians of the Body ; but,
if you examine the Matter never fo
little, you will find them practifed
by* thofe alfo that have -the Cure of
§ouIs. ¦j; Thus the bleffed ApoftleSt. Paul*y
by holy Artifice, allured thofe many
thoufands of Jews which believed.
Thus alfo he, who circumcifed 27-
mothy -f, threatens the Galatians %y
that if they were circumcifed, Chrift
fhould profit them nothing : And
he || who counted the Righteoufneis
which was by the Law as Lofs
after his Reception of the Faith
in Chrift, did, neverthelefs, many
Times, and m many Cafes, fubmit
to the Law.

* ASis xxi. 26. -j~ Ibid. xvi. 3.
And

+ Gal. v. 2. || Phil. 111.

©/"^Priesthood. 45
0 And truly great is the Power of
Deceit, provided it be not done with
a treacherous Mind: Though, inT
deed, it ought not then to be termed
Deceit, but Management rather,
and Wifdom, and good ContriT
vance, by which Men work thefnr
felves out of the greateft Difnculr
ties, and correct and amend the
Errors of the Mind. • ,
' For neither can I call Phineas * a
Murderer, , though, with one Stroke,
he flew two Perfons : No, nor EIp-
jah f> though he caufed the Death pf
an hundred Soldiers, and their Capr-
tains, and was the Author of that
Torrent of Blood; which flowed
at the^Slaughter of Baal\ Priefts %.
Should we grant this, and judge of
Mens Actions in their own naked
* Num. xxv. 7. >}- a Kings i. 10.
£ 1 Kings xviii. 40. Ap-

46 S T . C H R Y S 6 S T O U
Appearance, without any Regard to
the Will and Defign of the Actors,
how can we excufe Abraham '* from
Parricide ; or what can we offer in
Vindication of "two of his Defeend-
ants, Jacob and Mofes'^ the former
df -which fupplanted his Brother of
the Rights of Primogeniture -f- ; and
'the latter enriched the Ifraelites with
the Spoils of the Egyptians "J t
But, far he from us the Auda-
cioufnefs to pronounce fo hardly of
thofe holy Men, whom we not only
free from all Blame in thefe Matters,
but we reverence and admire them
for the fame, for which we alfo find
them praifed and commended by
God himfelf.
To conclude; he juftly deferves
the Name of a Deceiver, who ufes
* Gi?».-xxii. -j- Ibid, xxvii.
\ Exod. xi.
falfe

of the Priesthood* 47
falfe Practices with a mifchievous
Defign ; not he, whofe Mind is ho-
neft, and whofe Intention is right:
For thus to have deceived a Man, is
often neceffary, and conduces greatly
to his Advantage; whereas he who
walks ftrait on, and will in no
tlafe whatever deviate, or ufe any
Artifice towards his Friend, be it
never fo honeft, often heeomes the
Author of great Evil's and Inconve
niences to him.

'The End of the '.First Book,

B O Ol

48 St. Chr Y S PS TOM

BOOK the SECOND,

CHAPTER I.
THAT it is lawful, on a
good Defign, to have Re
courfe to the Prevalence of
Deceit ; or, to fpeak more properly,
to make ufe of a certain admirable
Management, it would be eafy to
enforce, by many Examples : But,
fince what hath been already faid is
fufficient to prove this, it will be
needlefs ,to enlarge farther on this
Subject. I expect, therefore, that
you fhould now mow whether or no
this Fraud, which I have ufed to
wards you, hath not been for your
Advantage. c Basil.

of the Priesthood. 49
Basil.
And what is. that Advantage
which- 1 rea|> from this Management
or -Wifctom of yours, or whatever
elfe you pleafe to call it ? that I may
at laft be made fenfible that I have
not been ilb-ufed by you.
]r' CfH'A"?. It
ChrysostoM.
IT is fuch an Advantage, that I
could not have! wrought a greater
for you. I have put you into a Con
dition of doing that which Chrift
declares to be the higheft Inftance
of our Love to him : For, fpeaking
to Peter , the chief of the Apoftles,
and afking him *, Lovefl thou Me '?
When that Apoftle affirmed that he
* John xxi. 15. E did.

50 St. Chr ysps t om
did, our Lord replies, If thou loveft
: me, feed my S^eep.
The Mafter he-re ^ueftaons his
Difeiple, If he loved -him : Cer
tainly not beoaufe he was ignorant of
Peters good Difpofition towards him
(that is by no means1 to be frippofed
of him, who enters into the very
Secrets of the Heart), but, without
Doubt, to teach us, that the due
Care and Management of his Flock
Was a thing of the higheft Concern
to him* From whence it follows,
that great and u-nfpeakable will be
their Reward, who labour diligently
for the Welfare of thofe things
which are, of all others, moft dear
to Chrift. This we may learn from
ourfelves : For, when we fee, at any
Time, any one doing good Offices
to our Domeftics, or taking Care of
our Cattle, we look upon it as a
Token

of the Priesthood. 51
/Token and Argument of their Love
to us : And, if we ourfelves are thus
affected towards fuch Perfons as ex-
prefs their Care and Good- will to
thofe things of ours, the beft of which
may be bought and fold for Money;
with how great a Reward, may we
fuppofe, Chrift will recompenfe them
who feed his Flock, which he pur-
chafed, not with Money, nor with
any ordinary Price, but by the
fhedding of his own moft precious
Blood ?
For this Caufe, when Peter re
plied, Thou knowefl) Lord, that I
love thee ; and appealed to our Lord
himfelf for the Truth of it, our Sa
viour flopped not there, but en
joined him to prove it by a certain
Sign : Not that he intended thereby
to manifeft how much Peter loved
him (for that his Love to his Lord
E 2 was

^2 St. Chr y s os T o M
was great, we are well affured by
many Inftances) ; but, by this, he
would teach both Peter himfelf, and
all of us, how great an Affection he
had for his Church, that fo our Care
alfo, and Concern for it, fhould be
the greater.
And, indeed, why was it that
God fpared not his only begotte?i
Son, but delivered him up for us * P
Was it not that he might reconcile
us to himfelf, and make us a pecu
liar People f P Or, why did Chrift
fned his Blood for us? Was it not
that he might purchafe, and take
into his PofTefiion, thofe Sheep whom
he committed to the Care of Peter,
.and his Succeflbrs? Juftly, there
fore, doth our Lord fay %, Who
then is a faithful and wife Servant,
;. * Rom.vm. 32. -\- Tit.il 14.
% Matt. xxiv. 45.
•v ••• whom

of the Priesthood. 53
whom his Lord will make Ruler
over his HoufholdP Which Words,
though they are a Queftion, yet
they do not contain in them any
manner of Doubt in the Perfpn who
fpoke them ; but, as before, when
he afked Peter if he loved him, he
put not that Queftion out of any Dif-
truft or Ignorance of that Apoftle's
Good-will towards him, but to teach
us wherein the Excellence of our
Love to him confifted ; fo here when,
he faith, Who then is a- faithful
and wife Servant, he fpeaks it not
as being ignorant himfelf, but to fet
before us at once, both how rare a
thing it is to find fo faithful and
wife a Servant, and alfo the Dignity
and Excellence of fus Function, to
which our bleffed Saviour hath pro-
pofed fo great a Reward ; He fhall
E 3 make

. ->

54 St. Chrysostom
make him Ruler (faith he) over all
his Goods *.
Confider this ferioufly, and, I
am perfuaded, you will no longer
difpute the Matter with me, or
doubt whether you have not been
very advantageoufly deceived by
me, by whofe means you are made
a Ruhr over God's Houfoold, and
put into a Capacity of doing thofe
things, by the Exercife of which
our Lord told Peter, he might excell
the reft of the Apoffles : And, there
fore, when he had afked him-f , Peter,
love ft thcu Me mere tha?i thefe P he
fubjoined, Feed my Sheep. He might
have faid, if he had pleafed, " If
u thou loveft me, exercife thyfelf
" with fever e Failings, with lying
il on the bare Ground, and with
" rigorous Watchings. Be a Patron
* Matt. xxiv. 47. -j- John xxi. 15-.
" to

of the Fries thood. 55
" to the Injured, a Father to the
" Fatherlefs, and an Hufband to
" the Widow." But now, pafling
by all- thefe things, he faith, Feed my
Shiep l;-» For thofe: Severities which I
juft now mentioned, may be exerci&d
by many of the Laity % as well Women
as Men ; but when a Bifhop is to be
fet over the Church, and to have
the Care of Souls committed to him*
fb great and excellent is the Func
tion, that not only thofe of the weaker
Sex are quite excluded y but, indeed^
a great Number of ours alfo muft dif-
claim all Pretentions to it,
CHAP. HI.
IN this Choice, Regard is to be
had to the Excellences of the
Man : And he that fc elected ought
to furpafs others in., the Virtues and
E 4. Endows

^6 St. Chx y.so s t o&n
Endowments of his^Mind^ asrnuehy
or more, than Saul did the,, reft
pf ii'the Hebrew^ in the Siz;e of
his Body * : For, truly, an Emi
nence of Staturey or a more exalted
Height of Body, r is not here, re
quired. But as,, in point of Under-
Handing, there ds a very great Dif
ference betweenrbrute Beafts and
reafonable Creatures, by fo -much,
or iir- a greater. Degree, would I
have- the Paftor excell his Flock ;
even as his Danger alio is infinitely
greater, for thofe Whom he hath in
Charge, if they fhould mifcarry
through his Fault. For that Shep
herd whodofes any of the Sheep, ei
ther by the Wolf, by Thieves, of the
Rot, or through any other Acci
dent, may poffibly obtain Pardon for
his 'Negligence from the Mafter of
* 1 Sam. x. 23. the

of the Priesthood. 57
the Flock ; or, if he fuffers Punifh-
ment for it, that Punifhment, per
haps, may only affect, his Purfe, and
reach no farther than a pecuniary
Fine : But he that hath Mens
Souls, the rational Flock of Chrift,
entrufted to his Care, mult be, an-
fwerable, for the , Lofs of any of
them ; not at the Expence of a Sum
of Money, but at the Peril of his
own Soul : Befides, that he hath a
much more difficult Tafk, to watch
and ftruggle for their Prefervation,
than he that hath the Care of na
tural Sheep. For, truly, he hath
not to deal with Wolves or Thieves,
nor is he concerned how to keep off
the Rot from his Flock. What
then is his Warfare ? and what Ene
mies hath he to encounter ? St. Paul
will tell you *, We wreflle not againft
* Eph. vi. 12,. Flefh

58 St. Chr y sos tom
Flefih and Blood, but againft Prin
cipalities, againft Powers, againft the
Rulers of the Darknefs of this World,
againft fpiritual Wickednefs in high
Places. You fee here, what a Mul
titude of Enemies we have to deal
with, what deep-ranked and fierce
Troops, fufficiently armed at all
Points, not by Art, but Nature.
Would you fee another Army,
which ftands ready to invade the
Flock of Chrift, without Mercy or
Compaffion ? This alfo the fame
View will fhow you : For he who
(poke to us of the above-mentioned
Adverfaries, hath, in like manner,
defcribed thefe to us, in the follow
ing Words ; The Works of the Flefh
are manifeft, which are thefe ; Adul
tery, Fornication, Uncleannefs, Laf-
civioufnefs, Idolatry, Witchcraft,
Hatred, Variance, Emulations, Wrath)

of the Priesthood. • 59
Wrath, Strife, Backbitings, Whif-
perings, Swellings, Tumults *, with
many more : For, indeed, he hath
not reckoned them all ur>; but, by
thofe which he hath here mentioned,
he gives us to underftand what Sort
of Enemies the reft are.
Befides, the . Enemies of the
Flock, when they fee the Shepherd
flying from them, leave off their
Engagement with him, and are con
tented with worrying and devouring
the Sheep. But the fpiritual Adver-
faries of Chrift's Flock, though they
have gotten the Sheep into their
Power, are not fatisfied with de
vouring them, but grow fb much
the more fierce and infolent, never
ceafing till they overcome the Shep
herd, or are overcome by him.
* GaLv, 19. 2 Car. xii. 20. Add

6q St. Ch r y g o s t o m
Add to this, that the Difeafes.of
peafts are manifeft, whether it be
the iRot, the Murrain, an acci-
dental Hurt, for any thing - elfe
which pains and di(brderst the Crea
ture ; and the Appearance of the
Diftemper renders it fo much the
more eafy to cure.
f- 7 There is another thing alfo which
greatly contributes to their fpeedy
Recovery ; and that is, that the
Shepherd hath fu 11 : Power over his
Sheep, to make them fubmit to
thofe r' Remedies which are proper
for them. ' If the Searing-iron or the
Ineifipn-knife is/- to- be applied, he
can bind them fall} for the Opera
tion. r Jf it be neceflary to change
their Food, or to hinder them from
Drink," he can fhut them up, and
keep them confined as long as he
pleafes. In a Word, he can, very
eafily,

bf the Priesthood. v6t
eafily, make them fubmit to all
AppHcations which he fhall judge
conducive to the Health and Sound-
nefs of his Flock.
"'• But, with the fpiritual Difeafes pf
the Soul, it is quite otherwife. For,
in the firft Place, it is hard to dis
cover them : For the things of a
Man, no Man knoweth, faVe the.
Spirit of Man which is in him *.
And how fhall any prefcribe to a
fick Soul, the Nature of whofe Dif
temper he is not acquainted with?
Nay, fo far from that, that he is
often ignorant whether it be fick,
or no.
But how difficult foever it be to
find out the Difeafes of the Soul,
yet it is harder to cure them, when
they are found out. For the Cafe
here is widely different from that of
* i Cor. ii. ii. the

62 St. Chr YSOS TOM
the Shepherd and his Sheep: For
there he hath the Liberty to bind
the difeafed Creature, to keep it
from Food, to burn, or cut, as fhall
feem moft proper to him. But here,
the receiving of fuitable Medicines
is not in the Power of him that ad-
minifters them, but .of him that
needs them, as we may learn from
that moft admirable Writer St. Paul,
who, fpeaking to the Corinthians^
fays, Not for that we have Domi
nion over your Faith, but are Helpers
of your Joy *. For, of all People
in the World, Chriftians muft not
pretend to correct the,Errors of Sin
ners by external Force. Temporal
Magiftrates, indeed, make ufe of"
their Authority towards Malefactors,
and prevent them, by Compulfion,
from perfifting in the fame evil
* 2 Cor. i. 24. Courfe :

of the Priesthood. 63
Courfe: But, here, Men are not to
be conftrained by Violence, but to
be perfuaded by Reafon. For, truly,
we have no fuch Power given us by
the (divine) Laws to reftrain Sinners
by Force ; nor, if we had, have we
a proper Subject on which to ufe it:
Neither, indeed, doth God himfelf
reward thofe that refrain from finning
by Compulfion, but thofe that re
frain by Choice.
Andj for this Caufe, there is need
of much Art to perfuade thofe Mai,
whofe Souls are diftempered by Sin,
not only to fubmit themfelves vo
luntarily, and of their own Accord*
to the Advice and Directions of their
fpiritual Phyficians, but to be thank
ful alfo to them for the fame. For
if the Sinner, who is bound (fuppofe
by Excommunication), flies back,
and behaves himfelf contumacioufly (as

64 St. Chrysostom
(as he may do, if he pleafes), he
makes his Malady fo much the
worfe : Or, if he defpifes thofe grave
Reproofs, which, like an Incifion-
knife, ought to cut him to the
Quick, that Contempt wounds his
Soul afrefh: And fo the very At
tempt to cure fuch a Sinner, be
comes an Occafion of rendering his
Difeafe lefs curable than before.
Nor is there any fuch thing as ufing
Force in this Cafe, or curing fuch a
Perfon whether he will or no. What,
therefore, can here be done ? If you
handle that Wound tenderly, which
fhould be thoroughly lanced, and
cut deep, you leave as much of the
diftempered Part behind, as you cut
away. On the other fide, if, with
an unrelenting Hand, you make a
due Incifion, the Patient often, not
knowing how to bear the exceffive Pa'%

of the PriesthPqd* 6$
Pain., throws away, in a Fit of
Defpair, both the Medicines and the
Bandage, and breaks through the
Hands of his Surgeon with the ut>
moft Precipitation, like a mad Bul
lock, that hath broken his Yoke,
and torn his Harnefs to Pieces.
I could give you many Inftances
of this Nature, of Men that have
launched out into the utmoft Wicked^
nefs, rather than undergo that Pe
nance which their Sins had deferved :
And, for this Caufe, we muft not
rigidly exact of Sinners a Punifh-
ment equal to the Heinoufnefs of
their Offences ; but we muft con-
fider their Temper i and try it by
Degrees ; left, inftead of mending
the Matter, we make it worfe ; left
We tear the Rent wider than it was
before ; and left, while we ftudy to
correct and reform the Sinner* we
F drive

66 St. Chi ysostoM
drive him, by our Severity, to a
greater and more deadly Fall.
As for thofe who are foft and difi-
folute, and too much attached to
the Delicacies of Life, who, more
over, are elated on account of their .
Birth or Dignity, if you touch them
gently, and by little and little en
deavour to correct their Follies, you
may, though not altogether, yet in
fome Degree refeue them from thofe
Vices to which they are addicted :
Whereas j if you think to do this at
Price, byra fevere Animadverfion,
you will hinder and prevent even
that lefter Correction. For the Soul
of Man, when once it hath broke
through the Bounds of Modefty,
falls into a Sort of ftupid Infenfibi-
lity, fo as hot to be prevailed on by
Promifes or Threats, nor be moved
by the greateft Kindnefs, but be
comes

of the Priesthood. 67
comes even worfe than that City
which the Prophet reproaching faid,
Thou haft a Whore s Forehead, thou
¦refufeft to be ajhamed *.
A Paftor, therefore, hath need of
great Prudence, and much Circum-
fpection, to obferve and difcover the
Temper and Difpofition of thofe for
whom he is concerned : For as, on
the one hand, fome are driven ' to
defpair of their Salvation, becaufe
they cannot bear the bitter Draughts
of a fevere Penance ; fo, on the
other hand, there are fome that, by
reafon of too mild Ufage, fall into
downright Negligence and Con
tempt, become mere Profligates,
and perfift in finning with an high
Hand. It concerns a Bifhop to
overlook none of thefe thiugs ;
but, after an accurate Search and

* Jer. 111, 3.

F 2 due

68 St. Chrysostoa!
due Examination into all Circurn^
fiances1, to make fuitable and proper
Applications, that fo his Labour may
not be in vain.
Nor hath he lefs to do in reducing
and re-uniting to the Church thofe df
her Members which have fallen into
Schifm ; and, in this, the Difficul
ties which he is obliged to encounter
are incomparably beyond thofe of
the rural Shepherd : For he hath his
Flock at Command ; they follow
him wherefoever he leadeth them ',
and, if any of them turn afide out
of the right Way ; or, if leaving
good Paftures, they run to feed upon
barren and dangerous Cliffs, he need
but whiffle louder than ordinary ;
and this, without any more Difficulty j
is fuffidient to bring back the ftras-
gling1 Sheep to theTeft of the Flock.
But, when any one goes aftray from the

of the 'Priesthood? 69
the Soundnefs of the. Faith, tkefpi^
ritual Shepherd hath no frr\£ill Tail?
upon his Hands, ,\-fuch as requires
much Patience and Forbearance :
For, in this Cafe, worldly Force
and Terror muft not bg ufed, &>¦
reduce fuch a Wanderer; he muft
not be brought back, by Violence
and Compulfion, to embrace . the
Truth, from which he is fallen, but
by Arguments and Perfuafions. •
A Bifhop, therefore, ought to be
a Man of Courage and Conftancy,
that he faint not, nor give out ; that
he defpair not of recovering, at laft,
thofe that are gone aftray ; and that
he often think and fay thus to him
felf, " Perhaps, it may pleafe God
to give them Repentance, tp the
acknowled ging of the Trutli ; and
that they may recover themfelves
f4 out of the Snare of the Devil."
F 3 For

*}o St. Chr YSOS TOM
For which Caufe, our Lord, fpeak-
ing to his Difciples, faith, Who then
is a faithful and wife Servant f
For, furely, he that takes Care only
of his own Soul, is, in that Refpect,
of no Ufe to any but himfelf;
whereas the happy Confequences of
the pafloral Care redound, in gene
ral, to the whole Flock. And thus,
he that gives Alms to the Poor, orj
by any other Means, helps thofe that
ftand in need of it, doth Good to
his Neighbours as well as himfelf:
Only here he falls fhort of the ex
cellent Effects of a Bifhop's Office,
by how much the Body is infinitely
lefs excellent than the Soul : And,
for this Reafon, our Lord hath de
clared, that a due Care and Concern
for the Flock of Chrift, is the beft
Mark of our Love to him. CHAP.

of the Pries tho pd» yi
CH A P. IVr-
"- " . Basil. 7 :>
WHAT, then, have you your-;
felf no Love for Chrift ? .:
Chrysostom, "
Yes; I both love him at prefent,
and fhall not ceafe to do it ; but I
was afraid; left I fhould offend him
whom I thus love. Basil.
Why, what Sort of a dark Riddle
is- this ? Chrift hath commanded
him that loves him, to feed his
Sheep ; and yet you give this for a
Reafon why you wpuld not feed
them, becaufe you love him who.
hath fo commanded. Chrysostom,
No, my Friend ; there is nothing
pf a Riddle in this, but the Matter
V ^ is

72 S T . C H' R Y- S OS T O M
is very plain and clear. If, indeed,
I had fled sfrom this facred Office,
though I. had been fufficiently en
dowed with thofe excellent Abilities
which Chrift requires for the Admi-
niftration of it, I muft then have
allowed your Objectionto have been
good and valid : But, when I was
fo well acquainted with myl own In-
fufficiency for fo high a BunctkjH,
there can be no Room to queftion
my Confiftency, or. to doubt whe
ther I didrnot act in this Bufinefs as
I 'ought to, do. Forp tiuljr, L was
afraid, \ left, receiving, the Flocki :df
Chrift; fafe and found, and fuffering
it afterwards to mifcarry through my
(UnHdJfulnefs, I fhould kindle God's
Wrath againft/^ me, for bringing
Ruin upon thofe Souls, which Jie
hath &> tenderly loved^ as to 'give
himfelf for their Salvation.; Basil.

of the Priesthood. 73
Basil.
I can hardly think you ferious in
what you fay. I am fure, if you
are, thofe very Reafons which you
now pretend to offer for my Con
folation, are fo far from anfwering
that End, that,v on the contrary,
they convince me what juft Caufe I
have to mourn and lament my Con
dition, with much Perplexity and
Trouble of Mind : In the firft Place,
becaufe I find that I have been de
ceived and betrayed by you : But
abundantly more in the fecond
Place ; becaufe, from thofe very
Reafons which you have now of
fered for your own Vindication in
this Matter, I come to have a full
Knowledge and Apprehenfion of that
Depth of Misfortunes into which I
am plunged. For, if the true Rea
fon } of your withdrawing yourfelf
i from

74 S T. C H R Y S O S T O M
from the Epifcopal Office was, be~
caufe you knew yourfelf incapable
and infufficient to bear the Weight
of fb facred a Function, how much
more ought I to have been fet afrde,
though I had ever fb earneftly de^
fired it ; efpecially when, in this
Affair, I committed myfelf entirely
to your Direction; in which, it is
true, you confulted your own Wel
fare, but neglected mine : And, had
you only neglected it, it had been
happy for me ; but, as if that were
nothing, you, by your Artifices, was
the chief Inftrument of betraying
me into the Power of thofe who
lay in wait for me.
And think not to efeape, by fay
ing that you was led into an Error
by common Report, which gave you
an Opinion of fomething excellent
and extraordinary in my Character. For,

of the Priesthood. 75
For, in the firft Place, I muft
difelaim all Pretenfions to that:
And, in the next Place, however
that might be, the Truth ought
certainly to be preferred to common
Report. If, indeed, you yourfelf had
never had experimental Knowledge
of me in this Refpect, you would
have had a fpecious Pretence to have
formed your Opinion of my Cha
racter from common Fame : But,
fince my neareft Relations had not
a more intimate Acquaintance with
me, nor knew my Heart half fo
well as yourfelf, there is no Room
for any fuch Excufe ; nor will it be
poffible for you to perfuade thofe
that hear you, but that my being
drawn into this dangerous Station,
was done defignedly, and on pur
pofe, by you. How-

76 St. Ch r ysos t om
However, I will no farther infift
on this, being refolved (as I faid be
fore) not to oblige you to a Vindi
cation of yourfelf on this Head,
Only tell me what Defence I fhall
make againft thofe whofe Cenfures
fall heavy upon us both.
Chryso.stcm.
No ; this muft by no means be :
For, though you * fhould never fo
often excufe me from this . Tafk,
yet I am refolved to ftand clear in
your Opinion, before I defcend to
clear myfelf to the reft pf the
World. You fay, that if, not knowing
you, I had brought you into the
State you are now in, my Ignorance
would have been my Excufe, and
taken from me all Blame in this,
Matter : But, my doing this, when,
at the fame Time, I had a perfect
Know-

of the Priesthood. 77
Knowledge of you, this, you fay, is
fo criminal a Part, that there is no
Room for me to make any juft
Apology for it.
Now, I muft declare, that, in
this, I am entirely of another Mind.
If you afk me, Why ? My Anfwer
is, That this is a Cafe which re
quires much Examination : And
whoever recommends another as a
Perfon fit for the facred Office,
ought by no means to fatisfy himfelf
with common Report concerning
fuch a one's Sufficiency, but to make
particular Search and Enquiry into
the Abilities of the Man.
For, when St. Paul *, fpeaking
of fuch a one, faith, That he muft
have a good Report from them which
are without, he doth not by thefe
Words exclude a more accurate
* 1 Tim. iii. 7.
4 Scrutiny

78 St. Chr y sos tom
Scrutiny and Probation; nor doth
he require this as the principal Sign
of that Perfon's Fitnefs for fuch an
Office : But, having mentioned many
other Qualifications firft of all, he,
at laft, adds this alfo : Hereby mow
ing us, that, in fuch Elections, this,
of itfelf, is not enough, but that,
together with the other Requifites,
this alfo fhould be included. For,
indeed, common Report may often
be miftaken, and ill-grounded ; but
there is no Room to apprehend any
Danger from thence, if, befides this,
there is diligent Enquiry and due
Examination made : And for this
Caufe he mentions the Teftimonial
in the laft Place. Nor doth he only
fay, That he muft have a good Re
port, but he adds, from them which
are without ; defigning hereby to
teach us, that the Life and Abili ties

of the Priesthood. 79
ties of fuch a Perfon muft be nar
rowly enquired into, before any Re
gard is paid to the common Opinion
concerning him.
Since, therefore, this was my
Cafe ; fince, as you yourfelf con-
fefs, I was better acquainted, and
had a more perfect Knowledge of
you, than your neareft Relations, I
deferve, at leaft, to be free from
Blame in this Matter which you ac
cufe me of. Basil.
By no means : Nor would this
Evafion avail you, fhould I infift
upon it. For, do you not remem
ber, have you not heard from my
own Mouth, and have you not been
fufficiently convinced by my Actions,
of the Meannefs and Degeneracy of
my Soul ? Nay, have not you your
felf made it Matter of Scoff, and Re
proach

8o St. Chr y s os Toivf
proach to me; that I had no Courage,
fto Spirit at all, but foon funk under
the lighteft Troubles ?
Chrysostom.
I have frequently heard you fay
fo ; nor do I deny it ; and, if I ever
laughed at you for it, I was cer
tainly not in earneft. Biitj how
ever that Matter was (which, at pre -
fent, I fhall not difpute with you),
give me, in Return to your Ob
jection, an equal Liberty of putting
you in mind of fome certain Excel
lences which belong to you ; which,
if you fhall pretend to difown, by
accufing me of Falfhood, I fhall
deal very plainly with you, and
fhow you, that you do this not for
Truth's, but Modefty's Sake. Nor
will I make ufe of any other Tefti-
mony, for the Proof of what I am
now

of the Priesthood* 81
flow going to fay, than your own
Words and Actions.
Let me afk you, therefore, in the
firft Place, t Dp ^you not know- the
Power and Force of Love? Chrift
hath taught us how great it is, when,
taking no Notice of thofe wonderful
Miracles which -the Apoftles were
about to work, he faith *, By this
all Men fhall know that ye are my
Difciples, if ye have Love one to
another. St. Paul -f- calls Love
the fulfilling of the Law ; and a£-
fures us, that where this is want
ing, other Gifts are of no Signi
ficance. . A
Now, this molt choice Virtue,
this Mark of the Difciples of Chrift,
this higheft and moft excellent of
all Gifts, I know to be implanted
in your generous Soul, where it
* John xiii. 35., -f- Rom.x'm. 10.
G thrives,

82 St. Chr Y s o S T 0M
thrives, and brings forth the richeft
Fruit, in great Abundance.
Basil.
That I have no fmall Concern
for this Virtue, and that I make it
my conftant Endeavour to obferve
this Command, I freely own. But
how deficient I am therein, and
how vaftly fhort I fall of the due
Performance of it, you yourfelf
might bear me witneis, if you Would
fpeak that which is true, rather than
that which is fmooth and complai-
faht. CHAP. V.
Chrysostom.
IT is neceffary, therefore, to apply
myfelf to the Proofs of my Afc
firmation, and, by them, to convince
you, as I faid I would, that your
Modefty

bf the V~r i e S t ho pd. 83
Qxiefty hinders you from owning
the Truth; - ?Andj in order to this,
I will mention a Fact which hap
pened very latelyj left,: if I fhould
tell an old Stbry^ it fhould be fu-
fpected, that I darkened and dif-
guifed the Matter, by fetching it
from a long Diftance of Time :
Though i indeed, Truth itfelf will
hot fuffer hie to deceive* even in
thofe things "which are fpoken to
Oblige and obtain Favour.
Not long ago one of Our intimate
Friends was, by a falfe Accufation,
Very near lofing his Life* Upon
this, you, without any Intreaties of
the Diftreffedj or of any other Per-
fon, Voluntarily interppfed, thruft
yourfelf ihto the midft of Danger,
and brought off your Friend, at
your own Hazard* G 2, This

84 St. Chry sos tom
This was the Fact. Now for your
Words, from which alfo I am to
convince you. And thus I do it.
When fome difapproved of this your
Readinefs to interpofe in behalf of
the. Injured, others again praifed and
admired it, you retorted quick upon
thofe that blamed you for it, What
fhould IdoP Or how can I better
fhow, that I have learned the Duty
of Charity, than by hazarding my
own Life to refeue and preferve the
Life of my Friend?
Which Words are, indeed, dif
ferent, but the Senfe is the fame
with what our Saviour faid to his
Difciples *, when he fixed the
Bounds of perfect Charity ; Greater
Love hath no Man than this, that
a Man lay down his Life for his
Friends. * John xv. 13. Since,

of the Priesthood. 8$
Since, therefore, it is not poflible
to find greater Love among Men
than this, it is plain, both from your
Words and Actions on this Occafion,
that you are arrived to the utmoft
Limits of this Duty, and that you
have attained the higheft. and moft
perfect Degree of Chriftian Charity.
For this Caufe I betrayed you into
the facred Order ; and contrived
'thofe Artifices,, which were the
Means of it. And are you not yet
perfuaded of my Innocence in this
cMatter ? Yet I did it not with an
-evfchMind, or with any Defign to
bring you into Danger. Or, are
you not rather convinced, that the
true Reafon of my doing it, was,
becaufe I well knew of what great
Ufe and Advantage it would be on
all Accounts ? G 3 - Basil.

86 St. Chr r sos t om
Basil.
Do you fuppofe, then, that the
Power of Charity is fufficient to pre
vail with Men, to correct and amend
the Errors of their Lives ?
Chrysos-tom-.
It will do it in a great rnea-
fure ; it will wonderfully contribute
thereto. But, in the next Place, if you
pleafe, I will go pn to give fome
Inftances pf youA Prudence, for
which I am now prepared to fpeak,
and fhall make it appear to you,
that That exceeds even your Cha
rity. -
\He blujhed at this, and replied, ,]
Basil. «-
As for what concerns myfelf, I
defire it may be dropped. You
know? from the very firft, J never
accufed you on my own Account: But,

of the Pries thooD. 87
But, if you have any proper Jufti-
fication to offer for yourfelf, againft
the Objections of the reft of the
World, I fhall gladly hear what you
have to fay. Leaving, therefore,
this vain Conteft between ourfelves,
tell me how I fhall apologize for
you, as well to the Perfons them-
felves, who have honoured me with
this facred Function, as to others,
who are concerned at the Affront
you have put upon them, by with*
drawing yourfelf from it.
C HA P. VI.
Chryjsq-stom. v-"
THIS is what I am now haften-
ing to. For, having fettled
Accounts with you, I fhall the more
eafily apply myfelf to that other Part
pf my Apology. Say, therefore,
G 4 what

$8 St. Chr y s os t om
what is my Accufation ? What &
that they charge me with ?
BaSIL.^''
They complain, that they were
ill-ufed by us, in that we fhunned
and fled from the Honour which
they intended us.
Chrysostom.
In Anfwer to this, I fay, firft,
That we ought not to fcruple the
affronting of Men, when we cannot
"honour them, without being obliged
to affront God. Nor, indeed, is it
fafe for the Perfons that are thus
offended, but of very dangerous
Confequence, to fuffer themfelyes to
be angry pn fuch an Account. For
I think it become's thofe that are
dedicated to God, and { who ..have
their Eyes fixed on him alone,- to
be fo pioufly difpofed, i as hot -to
think it an Injury, though they
fhould

of the Priesthood". 89
fhould -i (in this Manner) .be difho-
noured a -thoufand "Times. 'And
from hence, alfo, it is plain,' that I
had hot fo much. as a Thought of
affronting thofe excellent Perfons. .:
And/ truly, if an infolent Hur-
mour'of Pride or Vain-glory, had
been the Motive" by which I had
been influenced (according to thofe
.Objection's which, you fay, are fre
quently made againft ine), I. might
juftly be looked upon as mofLbafe
and injurious, in ¦ defpifing Men> of
fuch admirable Virtue and high Sta
tion, < whpr befides^.had fo:well de^-
ferved at my Hands. For," if to
injure thofe that have done us no
Wrong, . is worthy/ of Punifhment ;
how highly ought we to honour and
efteem - thofe, < who, . merely out of
Ktheir own Goodnefs and Benevo
lence, chufe to advance us to Hp-
ir 3 nour

go St. Chrysostom
nour and Preferment ? For that they
did this in Return for any good Of
fices which I had at any Time done
them, in a greater or lefs : Degree,
no one hath any Ground to affirm.
And how great Puhilhment doth he
deferve, that returns Evil for Good ?
But if nothing, of this ever entered
into my Mind^lput if I declined
that heavy Burden, the Priefthood,
on a quite different Confideration,
though they do not, perhaps, ap
prove of what I have done, yet, at
leaft, they might pardon it, and not
blame me for having Regard tp my
own Soul. C H A P. VII.
N^ AY, fo far was I from defign-
i ing to affront the Electors,
that, I infift upon it, I have con-
fulted

of the P-r i est ro o d? jO,t
fulted their Honour., JbydiisioyCEe-
fufal,-as I ihall foon make plain to
you, how, ftrange fpeyer it may, at
firft -Sightvappear: For, had I f\h-.
mitted totthe Election, r.there would
have been Room for -all Men,, but
efpecially for thofe that delight in
Evil-fpeakingj to have fufpected and
faid many tjiings, froth of the Perfon
who received, and, the Perfons who
^conferred, the holy Dignity : Such
as, that they had Regard only to
Riches, or the Goodnefs iof a Man's
iBirth; fpr that J, by nay- Flatteries,
had. infinuated j myfelf ^ intP their
?good Graces,- and thereby obtained
r, this facred, ; Office : , For* lwill not
fuppofe thern to fay, that they were
bribed and corrupted with Money;
though, poffibly, fome inight .have
fufpected even that alfo. Chrift

p;2 ST~ C HI Y :s. 0*S T OM
¦ l Chrift 'called cFifhermen*, Tent-
makers f, and' Publicans %,* to have
:the: Rule over his flock : Whereas
-thefe Meri (fay they) abhor and reject
.mean Perfons, that maintain* them-
Telves by their daily Labour ; -but,
if they meet with a Mart that is verfed
in" profane Literature, i tend lives at
:Eafe^ him they admire,^ and admit
< to the facred -Office*: "And thus,
'. great Numfc>eri of thofe who fpare hb
^Pains to be of Service to the 'Church,
are \i overlooked -rand neglected ;
, while ¦:¦ he, u who < never tailed " ! of
thefe Labours, y but hath fpent his
! Time ; in a -vain - Sort < of Learning,
3 -which T, hath ho : Reference -to Mens
•.Souls, is, on -a hidden, exalted over
, their Heads, ; and 'promoted ' to ' the
honourable Station of a Bifhop.' ¦
*^Matt. iv.'Tp. -f Acts xviii. 3.
% Luke v. zj. This,

of the Priesthood. 93
This, and much more to the fame
Purpofe, might they have faid, had
I accepted of that Honour ; whereas
now, by my Refufal, Lhave cut off
all Pretence and Occafion of Evil-
fpeaking. They have no Room now
to accufe ^either me of Flattery, or
them of Corruption ; unlefs they will
act the Part of Madmen, and are con
tent to be looked upon as fuch. For,
is it confiftent with good Senfe to
fuppofe, that he, who flatters ^and
bribes to obtain a Poft of Honour,
would relinquifh it to another, at
the very Juncture when he might be
in veiled with it himfelf? This
would be juft as if a Man fhould
take a great deal of Pains to till his
Ground, to make it produce Abun
dance of Corn and Wine, and, after
prodigious Labour and Expence
about it, juft at the Time when he
fhould

94 St. Chr y s o s tom
fhould reap the Fruits of it, fhould
unaccountably throw it all up to be
enjoyed by another; . i; i /.¦ .; ,
x^yl doubt not but you fee plainly $
by this cTime, that,, had I accepted
of the .proffered Dignity, I fhould
have given Occafion. to jthenv that
delight in Calumny,, l to have re
ported,, how falfly foever, that thg
Electors were byaffedinthetr Choice^
But now, there is no Room for any
fuch Accufation : I have effectually
ftopped their Mouths, -fo that they
cannot >fo much as open their Lips
on this Account.
You have heard how lavifh Men
Would have been of their Cenfures
at firft upon the Election ; but you
are not to think that Evil Would
have ftopped there : For, When once
I had entered upon the Performance
of that facred Adminiftration, hew
Accufa-

0/*/^ Priesthood. 95
Accufations would have ftarted every
Day, from which my Electors would
never have been able to have de
fended themfelves, let me have be
haved myfelf ever fo unblarneably ;
though I doubt not but, for want of
more Years and Experience,1! fhould
neceffarily have1" made manyifalfe
Steps: But as nowjl have freed
them from thefe Reflections, fo then
I fhould have expofed them to in
numerable Reproaches.
For what is there which they
would not have laid on 'this Oeca~
lion? That they had committed
things of fuch a wonderful and high
Nature to foolifh . Boys ; that the
Flock of God was depraved and cor
rupted ; and that Chriftianity itfelf
was made a mere Game, and ren
dered ridiculous to the World. But

96 St.'Ohr ysostdm
But now, by my Management*
the Mouth of all Wickednefs fhall
be ftopped. For, if any one fhould
object thefe things againfV you, he
would foon be convinced, by your
Behaviour, that Wifdom is not al
ways to be judged of by Mens Years:
That as an old Man is not to be
admitted to the minifterial Office
merely on account of his grey Hairs,
fo neither is a young Man to be re
jected and refufed merely for Want
of them; except he be, indeed, a
Novice, one lately planted and in^-
ftructed in the Chriftian Faith. And,
truly, there is a wide Difference be*
tween thefe two.
The End of the Second Book.

BOOK

(f the Priesthood; g'f

BOOK the THIRR

CHAPTER I.
S for the Slight which I arri
faid to have put upon thofe
who would have honoured
me with the facred Office ; as if
I had had a Defign to affront them
by withdrawing myfelf from it ; I
have fpoken to thefe things, and
told you what I have to fay for my
felf: It remains that I fhow you^
in the next Place, that I did riot do
this, as fome object; out of a proud
Spirit. And this I am now to make
clear to you.
Suppofe, then, that the Command
of an Army, or the Government of a
H King-

08 St. Chr vsostom
Kingdom, had been offered me :
Had I acted in that Manner, as I
have done in this (/. e. had I refufed
and fled from it), would any one
have fufpected or accufed me of
Pride in fo doing ? Nay, would
they not rather have thought me a
Fool, or mad ? And when the holy
Priefthood is offered me, :' which is
as much- higher than a Kingdom,
as the Spirit is more, excellent than
the Flefh, wiH any ©foe lly, that I
overlooked it through Difckin.and
Contempt ? I think I need hot in-*
fift on the Abfrirdity of .this,- nor
fhow how ineonfifteht with good
Senfe it is,, that they,. who refufei^re-
ferments of a lefs Degree, : mould
be cenfured as Madmen, while they,
who do the fame thinp- in Honours
of a much more excellent Nature,
mould, neverthelefs, be taxed,, not
with

of the Priesthood. 99
with Madnefs, but with Infolence
and Pride; This is as if you fhould
fayj that he who refufes to be an
Herdfman, doth not do it becaufe
he thinks himfelf above that Com
mand, but becaufe he is plainly
diffracted^ and out of his Wits :
Whereas he that refufes to be Mo
narch of the whole World, or Cap
tain-General of all the Armies in it,
doth it, not becaufe he is out of his
Senfes; but becaufe he is puffed up
with Pride.
But thefe things are by no means
cohfiftent. Nor, indeed, do the
Cenfures of thofe who thus judge
fall harder on me, than on them-
felves : For, truly, the very Suppo
sition, that it is poffible for Men to
defpife the Dignity of the Prieft
hood, is an Argument againft thofe
very Perfons who make ufe of it,
H 2 that

igo St. Chr vsostom
that they have a low Notion of that
facred Office : For, did they not
look upon it as a mean thing, and
of little Efteem or Confideration,
they would not have been fo forward
to fufpect, that I had fhunned it
through Pride and Contempt.
And why hath no one ever yet
-had Impudence enough to fufpect
the fame thing concerning the Dig
nity of Angels ; and affert, that
Flefh and Blood might obtain the
Honour of the angelical Nature,
were it not for their Pride and Con
tempt of it ? The Reafon is, be
caufe we have high Thoughts and
Apprehenfions of thofe heavenly
Orders, infomuch, that we are per-
fuaded it is not poflible for Man to
-conceive a higher created Dignity
ithan that. So that, upon the Whole,
they who reproach me with Pride, and

of the Priesthood. ioi
and a Contempt of the facred Func
tion, do much more juftly deferve
that Accufation : For, moft cer
tainly, they had never fufpected any
fuch thing of others, had, they not
firft of all had mean and defpicable
Notions of it themfelves.
C H.A P. II.
NEITHER are they lefs in-
confiftent in their Objections,
who accufe me, in this Matter, of
Ambition and Vain-glory. Nor, in
deed, do I fee how they could have
brought a more effectual Argument
to clear me of this Accufation, than
this, by which they would pretend
to fix it on me : For, had I been
influenced by fuch a Spirit, furely
I fhould rather have accepted of the
Priefthood, than have fhunned and
H 3 fled

jo2 St. Chr ysost dm
fled from it. And the Reafon is
obvious; becaufe I fhpuld thereby
have been advanced tp a very ho'-
nourable and high Station. For what
pould have been more honourable^
than for one of my unpractifed Years^
who had fo lately retired from fecular
Affairs, to obtain, on a hidden, fuch
a general Regard and Efteem, as to
be preferred before others, who had
fpent their whole Lives in Studies of
a fpiritual Nature ? For me, I fay,
to have carried the Election againft:
fuch Perfons, and to have had a fu-
perior Number of Votes on my Side,
this, as it would have raifed in all
Men an Opinion of fome great and
admirable Qualities in me, fo it
would have rendered me venerable
and confpicuous in their Eyes :
Whereas now, there are hardly any
of the Church, except a few parti cular

of the Priesthood. 103
cular Perfons, to whom I am known
fo much as by Name. Nor are there
many who know that I refufed that
Dignity, nor have all of them a per
fect Certainty of it ; but fome, it is
likely, think I was not elected at
all, or that I loft the Election
through Infufficiency ; but not in
the leaft that I fled from it of my
own Accord. Basil.
But they, that know the Truth
of the Matter, will ftand amazed at
you. CHAP. III.
Chrysostom.
~^HESE, it feems, are the Per
fons who, you fay, accufe
me of Pride and Vain-glory in this
Matter, H 4 But,

f 04 St. Ghrysostqm
But, here,, give me Leave to afk.
From which of the 'two is it that
I am to hope for Praife ? From the
Multitude ? but they neither know
me, nor what I have done. From
a few Perfons ? but then, alfo, the
Matter falls out wrong ; for the
Reafon of your coming hither to
talk with me on this Subject, was,
that you might be informed how
you fhould apologize for me againft
their Accufations.
But why fhould I enter into a
nice Difquifition of this ? For let it
be granted, that the thing was no
torious to all, yet that would be no
Reafon why they fhould condemn
me of Pride and Vain-glory. Have
but a little Patience, and you fhall
fee the Truth of what I fay, in a
clear Light: And, befides, I fhall
fhow you, that not only they that
dare

of the Priesthood. 105
dare to judge fo rafhly of me (if any
fuch there are, which yet I am loth
to believe), but they alfo who fufpect
the fame of others, are thereby liable
to no fmall Peril.
CHAP. IV.
FOR, truly, the Priefthood,
though it be adminiftered upon
Earth, is, neverthelefs, to be placed
in the Rank of heavenly Functions,
and that with the greateft Reafon :
Becaufe no mortal Man, no Angel,
or Archangel, or any other created
Power, but the Holy Ghoft himfelf,
hath eftablifhed this facred Order,
and hath given Men Reafon to be
lieve, that, even whilft they are in
the Flefh, they perform the Mini-
ftration of Angels. He, therefore,
that celebrates the holy Myfteries, ought

io6 St. Chr ys os t om
ought to be pure, as though he
were even now ftanding in Hea
ven, in the midft of thofe celeftial
Powers. Venerable and tremendous were
the Mofaic Inftitutions, before the
Times of Grace ; fuch as, the little
Pells, the Pomegranates, the Stones
on the Breaft-plate and on the
Ephod, the Mitre, the Bonnet, the
Robe, the golden Plate, the Holy
of Holies, and mat awful Silence
which ovenpread the facred Place *.
But, if we enquire into the Mini-
ftrations under the Gofpel, we fhall
find thofe venerable and tremendous
Inftitutions to be as nothing, in
eomparifon of thefe : So true is that
which the holy Apoftle -f hath faid
of the Law, That even that which
was made glorious had no Glory, in
* Exod- xxviii, "f- 2 Cor. jii. 10. this

of the Priesthood, 107
this RefpeSl, by reafon of the Glory
that excetteth.
For, when you fee our Lord fa-
crificed, and lying jn open View;
when you fee the Prieft ftanding by
the Sacrifice, and repeating over it
the Prayer of Confecration ; when
you fee the Communicants tinged
and reddened, as it were,' with that
precious Blood ; can you yet imagine
yourfelf to ftand upon Earth, and
to be amongft Men? Or, will you
not rather be, in a manner, caught
up into Heaven, and, forgetting that
you are cloathed with a Body of
Flefh, contemplate celeftial Things,
with a naked Soul, and a pure
Mind ? O Miracle of Wonders I
O the Goodnefs of God to Men !
He that fitteth with the Father, j
high over all, is, at that Time, \
touched by the Hands of Men, and I
gives

io8 St. Chrysostom
gives himfelf to thofe, who are wil
ling to embrace and receive him ;
and this they all then plainly fee by
the Eyes of Faith. And now give
me Leave to afk, Do thefe look like
things fit to be defpifed ? Or, are
they fuch mean Adminiftrations, that
any one fhall think himfelf above
them ? If it be poffible to fuppofe
this, I wili, by another Miracle,
farther fhow you the Excellence of
this facred Performance.
Imagine, then, that you fee
Eli as * furrounded on all Sides with
a vaft Multitude, the Sacrifice lying
ready on the twelve Stones, the
People obferving a profound Silence,
and the Prophet alone offering up
his Prayers ; and, immediately after,
a Flame of Fire falling from Hea
ven, and confuming the Sacrifice,
$ i Kings xviii, Thefe

of the Priesthood. 109
Thefe things are, indeed, grand and
wonderful. But now turn away your Eyes>
and fix them on the Confecration of
our facred Myfteries, where you will
not only fee things wonderful, but
things that furpafs all Admiration :
For here the Prieft brings hot Fire
from Heaven, but the Holy Spirit ;
and he offers a long Supplication,
not that a Torch let down from
above may confume the Gifts, lying
in open View ; but that Grace,
defcending on the Sacrifice, may
thereby inflame the Souls of all that
are prefent, and make them brighter
than Silver purified in the Fire. And
is it poffible that any one, except,
•indeed, he be out of his Senfes,
fhould defpife this moft tremendous
Myftery ? Or, are you ignorant that
the Soul of Man could never bear this

ltd St. Chr YsosTb'fti
this Fire of the Sacrifice; but would
be entirely confumed thereby, were
it not mightily fuftained by the Grace
of God? C H A P. V.
FOR, let a Man but coilfidet,'
how great a thing it is for a
Mortal, cloathed with Flefh and
Blood, to be able to draw hear td
that bleffed and immortal Nature^
and he will foon be convinced with
how great Honour the Grace of the
Holy Spirit hath dignified the Prieft-
hood ; by means of which, everi
thefe things are performed, arid other
Functions little inferior td thenij
which concern our Dignity and Sal
vation. The Difpenfation of heavenly things
is committed to thofe that dwell on
7 Earth,

•of the Priesthood, tit
Earth, and make their Abode in
this World ; and they have thereby
received a Power which God hath
not thought fit to entruft even to An
gels or Archangels : For it was not
to them that he faid *, Whatfoever
ye fhall bind on Earthy fhall be bound
in Heaven J and whatfoever ye fhall
loofe on Earth, fhall be loofed in
Heaven. Temporal Princes, indeed, have
a Power of binding Men ; but that
Power reaches no farther than the
Body: But this Bond enchains the
very Soul ; it reaches from Earth to
Heaven ; infomuch, that what the
Priefts do below, is ratified by God
above, and the Lord confirms the
Sentence of his Servants. And what
elfe is this, but a deputing to thern
all heavenly Power ? For, faith he f,
* Matt, xviii. 18. *j* John xx. 23.
Whofe-

'it 2 St. ChrysostpiiI
¦Whofefoever Sins ye remit^ they dr£
remitted unto them ; and whofefoever"
Sins ye retain, they are retained),
What greater Authority is there than
this? The Father hath committed
all Judgment unto the Son, and the
Son hath committed it to the Hands
of his Priefts. He hath preferred
them to this high Dignity, as though
they were already palled into Hea
ven, as though they were raifed above
human Nature, and fet free from
thofe Paffions and Affections which
attend upon it.
If a King fhould iriveft any one
of his Subjects with a Power of im-
prifoning whom he pleafed, and of
releafing theni again ; would not a
Man thus honoured be looked upon
by all w:'>.h the higheft Efteem ?
And fhall he, who hath received
from God a Power as much beyond this

of the Pries thoPd. il^
this as Heaven is higher than the
Earth, and the Soul more excellent
than the Body ; fhall fuch a one, I
fay, be thought to have received fo
fmall and worthlefs a Gift, as to be
able himfelf to overlook and defpife
it? Far be from us the Madnefs of
fuch .a Thought ! For it muft be
looked upon as downright Madnefs,
to defpife fo great a Power, without
which we cannot obtain Salvation,
nor the good Promifes of God.
For, if it be' true, that except ii
Man be bom of Water, and of the
Spirit, he cannot enter into the King
dom of God * .• If it be true, that
except we eat the Flefh of out Lord,
and drink his Blood, -f, we are Caff.
out from eternal Lifef And laftly,
if thefe holy Miniftrations ard per
formed by no other Hands but thofe
* John iii. g. -f Ibid. vi. 5-3,
I con*

114 St. Chr y sos t om
confecrated ones of the Prieft, how
can it be, that, without their Means,
Men fhould efcape the Flames of
Hell, or obtain thofe Rewards Which
are referved in Heaven?
For thefe are they, thefe, I fay,
are the Perfons to whom our fpi
ritual Birth is committed, and that
Regeneration, which is effected by
Baptifrn. By their Means it is, that
we put on Chrift, are united to the
Son of God, and made Members of
that bleffed Head : And, for this
Reafon, as they ought to be more
venerable in our Eyes than Kings
and Princes, fo we fhould honour
them with a greater Refpect than we
pay even to our natural Parents :
For they have begotten us of Blood,
and of the Will of the Flefh ; but
thefe are Authors to us of a divine
Birth, of that bleffed Regeneration, of

of the Priesthood. ir^
of true Liberty, and the Adoption
of Grace. CHAP, VL
THE Jewijh Priefts * had
Power to cleanfe the Le-
profy of the Body ; or rather not to
cleanfe it at all, but only to pro
nounce when the Lepers were clean :
And yet you cannot be ignorant
what great Struggles and Conten
tions there were for that Dignity.
But Chriftian Priefts have received
Power, not to cleanfe the Leprofy
of the Body, but the Uncleannefs of
the Soul ; not only to judge when
we are clean, but, indeed, to put
away our Uncleannefs from us : So
that they who defpife them, are
much wickeder, and worthy of
* Lev. xiii. 3* I 2 greater

n6 St. Chrysostom
greater Puniihment, than Dathan
and his ¦Affociates * : For thefe
having the Priefthood in Admira
tion, as was plain from their am
bitious Attempts, endeavoured to
ufurp a Dignity which did not be
long to them : But the others,
though the Excellency and Honour
of the Priefthood be increafed, pre-
fume, in a quite contrary Way, to
commit a much greater Sin : For to
afpire to an undue Honour, is not
fo great a Crime, as to hold it in
Contempt ; and there is as much
Difference between this Sin and that,
as between Admiration and Con
tempt. Who, therefore, can have
fo wretched a Soul, as to defpife fo
excellent a thing? I think, I may
fay, no Man can be fo wicked, but
he who is agitated by the Furies.-
* Numb. xvi. But

of the Priesthood. 117
But to return frpm ' this Digref-
fion. God hath given his Priefts a
greater Power, not only of punifb-
ing, but of doing Good, than he
hath given to our Parents by Ma
ture, between whom and his Priefts
there is as much Difference, as be
tween this Life and that which is to
come. Our Parents begot us into
this prefent Life ; but they beget us
into Life eternal. The former can
not deliver us from the Death of the
Body, no, nor repell any approach
ing Difeafe : But the latter have
often faved fick Souls, which Were
going to Deftruction; and this not
by Doctrine and Inftruction alone,
but alfo by the Help of their Prayers,
For not only when they regenerate
us by Baptifrn, but afterwards top
they have a Power of remitting Sins.
I 3 U

118 St. Chrysostom
Is any ftck among you P fays the
Apoftle *, let him call for the
Elders of the Church, and let them,
pray over him, aitoi?iting him with
Oyl, in the Name of the Lord : And
the Prayer of Faith (hall fave the
ftck, and the Lord ftjall raife him
up ; and if he have committed. Sins,
they fhall be forgiven him.
Befides, our natural Parents, if
any of their Children offend the fu-
preme Powers, cannot help them :
But thofe of the facerdotal Order,
though they cannot reconcile Kings
and Princes to us, yet they often
propitiate God, when he is angry
with us.
Will any one, after all this, offer
to arraign me of Pride and Ar
rogance in this Matter ? I think
not: For, furely, what I have faid
*__ James v. 1 4. will

of the Priesthood. 119
will fill the Minds of thofe that hear
it with fuch a religious Awe, that
they will no longer accufe thofe of
Arrogance, who fly from this facred
Office, but thofe who, without any
Call, thruft themfelves forward, and
ambitioufly endeavour to poffefs
themfelves of it. For if they who
are entrufted with the Magiftracy of
Cities, unlefs they are Men of Wif-
dom and Conduct, bring Ruin and
Confufion, both upon the Places
they govern and upon themfelves
too ; how much greater Need have
they of good perfonal Abilities, and
of Affiftance from above, to preferve
themfelves free from Fault, whofe
Lot and Office it is to beautify and
adorn the Bride of Chrift ?

\ 4 CHAP,

I2p §T. Chr ys,os t pm
CHAP. VII.
NO one hath loved Chrift more,.
or manifefted a greater Af
fection fpr him, than St. Paul-, nor
hath any one been vouchfafed larger
JVleafures of Divine Grace, than that
holy Man : And yet, notwithstand
ing all thefe Privileges, he was in
{lie utmoft Fear and Concern,, when
Jip confidered his own high Office,
and what a Change was committed
to him, / fear (faith he *), left by
any means, as the Serpent beguiled
Eve through his Subtlety, fo your
Minds ftjould be corrupted from the
Simplicity that is in Chrift : And, in
another Place "t, / "was with you in
Fear, and in much Trembling. Thefe
are the Words of him who was
, * 2 Cor. xi. 3. ., "f* I Cor. ii. 3.
cau,

of the Priesthood. 121
caught up into the third Heaven * ;
of him to whom God communicated
unfpeakable Myfteries ; of him who
died daily ; and laftly, of him who
refufed to ufe that Power which was
given him by Chrift, left thereby
he fhould be an Offence to thofe
that believed.
• But now, let us confider if he,
who was fo tranfeendently good as
even to go beyond what Chrift had
enjoined, not feeking his own Ad
vantage, but the Benefit of his
Flock ; I fay, if fo excellent a Per
fon as St. Paul was under fuch Fear
and Terror, when he reflected on
the Greatnefs of his Function, what
fhall we do, who generally purfue
our own Profit, and are fo far from
exceeding the Commands of Chrift,
that, for the moft part, we tranf-
^ 2 Cor. xii., grefs

122 St. Chr YSOS TOM
grefs them. Who is weak (faith this
holy Apoftle *), and I dm not weak P
Who is offended, and I burn not P
Such an one a Prieft ought to be ;
or rather, not fuch an one only :
For thefe are fmall things, they are
nothing to v?nat I am going to fay.
Would you know what that is ?
Hear him fpeaking himfelf. i" could
wifh (faith he -f ) that myfelf were ac-
curfed from Chrift, for my Brethren,
my Kinfmen according to the Flefh.
Now, if one that can utter fuch
Words, and hath his Heart enlarged
and carried out with fuch a Wifh as
this, if fuch an excellent Perfon
fhould fly from the facerdotal Charge,
he would be worthy of Blame : But,
pn the other hand, if he is as great a
Stranger to this Virtue as I am, moft
certainly he is to be condemned, not
* 2 Cor. xi. 29. -j- Rom. ix. 3.
when,

of the Priesthood- 123
when he refufes this Function, but
when he accepts of it : For fo in an
Election to fome high military Poft,
if they who difpofe of it, fhould offer
to fome mean Artificer the Charge
and Management of the Army, fure
none would commend the Wretch,
if he fhould readily accept it, and
not do every thing in his Power to
refufe and avoid it.
If, indeed, merely to be called a
Paftor, and to undertake the Office
at all Hazards, were fufficient, and
there were no Danger in fo doing;
if this, I fay, were the Cafe, let
who will accufe me of Vain-glory
in refufing it : But if, on the con
trary, the Adminiftration of this
high Function requires much human
Wifdom, and no lefs a Portion of
Divine Grace ; if Uprightnefs of
Manners, and Purity of Life, is
4 needful

.124 St. Chr Y SO S T OM
needful hereunto, and a larger Share
of Virtue than Men are commonly
endued with; if this is plainly the
Cafe, pardon me if I was unwilling
to plunge myfelf into Deftruction.
For thus, if the Mafter of a Ship of
great Burden, full of Men, and rich
Lading, fhould command me to
pilot the Veffel crofs a dangerous
Sea, I would pofitively refufe it :
And if any one fhould afk me,
Why ? my Anfwer wpuld be, Left
I fhould fink her, V
C H A P. VIII.
BU T now, if, in the Judgment
of all Mankind, they are free
from Blame, who ufe much Caution
and Circumfpection where their
worldly Wealth, or their temporal
Life, only is in Danger, how hard is

of the Priesthood. 125
is it to accufe, and find Fault with,
thofe who do the fame thing in
Matters of a much higher Nature,
in which, if they fhould mifcarry,
they fall not into the deep Ocean,
but into the bottomlefs Abyfs ; they
fuffer not that Death which feparates
the Soul from the Body, but that.
which fends both Soul and Body
into everlafting Punifhment. And
can you be angry, that I would not
rafhly precipitate myfelf into fuch
apparent Ruin ? I beg you, I be-
feech you, that you would not :
For, indeed, I am not a Stranger
to my own Soul ; I well know how
weak and infirm it is ; and I know
alfo the Greatnefs of that Office,
how full of Difficulty it is, and that
thofe Storms, which make the Sea
rage and foam, are nothing in com-.
parifon

±26 St. Chrysostom
parifon of thofe which beat uporl
the- Soul of a Bifhop.
CHAP. IX.
FOR here, in the firft Place, that
moft formidable Rock, the Rock
of Vain-glory, prefents itfelf; much
more dangerous than thofe which
the Poets feigned to be the Refi-
dence of the Sirens : For thofe,
many have avoided, and failed fafely
by; but this is fo dangerous, that
I myfelf can hardly keep clear of it;
and can hardly avoid being fwallowed
Up in that Gulph, though I am not
driven into it by any Neceflity.
How much more, had I been
promoted to this high Dignity ?
which very thing would have beeri
a fort of tying my Hands behind
me, and a delivering me up to be
every

of the Priesthood. 127
every Day Worried and torn by thofe
wild Beafts,- which inhabit that
Rock. Would you know what they
are ? Anger, Defpondency, Envy,
Contention, Calumnies, Accufa-
tions, Lying, Hypocrify, Snares, ill
Wilhes againft thofe that have done
us no Wrong; a being pleafed at
the Indecencies which others are
guilty of, in the Courfe of their
Miniftration ; and a being grieved
when they perform the holy Offices
well : An immoderate Love of
Praife ; a Defire of Honour, which
exceedingly captivates the Heart of
Man : Smooth Doctrines ; bafe Flat
teries; unfeemly Fawnings ; a Con
tempt of the Poor ; a fervile Obfe-
quioufnefs to the Rich ; a bellowing
of Honours inconfiderately, to the
Hurt both of the Givers and Re
ceivers : A flavifh Fear, fit only for
the

128 St. Chryso'sto'm
the worft of Wretches ; a Want of
Freedom of Speech ; much Humi
lity in Appearance, but in Reality
none at all : A great Backwardnefs
to reprove and rebuke, unlefs it be
thofe that are poor, arid of the
meaner Sort, and there they (viz.
Bifhops) are commonly immoderate;
and beyond all Reafon ; but towards
thofe Sinners that are Men of Power
and high Station, they are dumb,
and not able to open their Lips.
Thefe, and a;, ny more of the
fame Sort, are the wild Beaftsr which
the Rock of Vain-glory nourifhes,
by which whoever is once feized, is
neceffarily drawn into fo abfolute a
Slavery, that, for the fake of gratis
fying certain Women, he finds him
felf obliged, many Times, to do thofe
things which are not fit fo much as
to be named : For the Ladies of this
Age,

of the Pries thooDj 129
Age, though the divine Law hath
forbid them to meddle with the
public Adminiftration of holy Ser
vices, do yet violently intrude them
felves into them ; and what they
Cannot do by themfelves, and in
their own Perfons, they do by the
Procurement of others ; nay, they
take upon them to fuch a Degree,
as to advance whom they pleafe to
the epifcopal Dignity, and remove
whom they pleafe from it ; and, in
fhort, according to the old Proverb,
turn all things upfide-down. And
thus -Men, that are in their own
Rank inferior, rule thofe that are
fuperior ; and would to God it were
Men only ! but this is alfo done by
thofe to whom it is not permitted
to teach * : But why do I fay to
teach? when it is notorious, that
* 1 Tim. ii. 12.

130 St. Chrysostqm
St. Paul * hath forbid them everi to
fpeak in the Church, And yet I .my
felf have heard it faid, that bleffed
Apoftle hath given them fo great a
Liberty, as to rebuke even Bifhops
themfelves, and that too with fharper
and more bitter Words than an angry
Mafter would ufe towards his perverfe
Servant. But let not any one think
that this is a general Fault, and tjiat
all Bifhops are guilty of this Mifbe-
haviour : God be thanked, there are
many that have efcaped thefe Snares,.
and that too in greater Numbers than
thofe that have fallen into them.
CHAP. X.
NO R,- indeed, can I lay the
Blame of all thefe Evils on
the Priefthood itfelf : I fhould act a
* \ Cor. xiv. 34. very

bf the Priesthood. 131
Very mad, Part; if I fhould- do fo;
Shall we blame the SWord, for thofe
Murders which are committed? of
the Vine, for Drunkennefs ? or
Strength; for thofe Violences which
are offered;? or Courage, for the
Rafhnefs of fome Mens Conduct ?
No : But they are to be blamed
Who abufe thofe Gifts of God; and
all that are in their right Senfes will
certainly think them that do fo$
worthy not only of Blarney but of
Punifhment. Nay,; the Priefthood hath abun-»
dantly more Reafon to expoftulate
warmly with us, who do fo ill per
form its facred Functions} Nor, in
deed, is that holy Office to be ac
counted the Caufe of thofe Evils,*
which I have already mentioned,
but we ourfelves1; 1 who have done
our Part too much to defile and
" $£ 2 profane

132 St. Ch r y sostom
profane it, by committing the Ad-
miniftration of it promifcuoufly to
all Sorts of Men, who readily take
upon them that holy Function, never
confidering their own Abilities, or
having any Regard to the Weight
and Dignity of what they under
take : And fo, when they proceed
to the Execution of it, being .loft
and bewildered in the Darknels of
their own Ignorance, they become
the Caufe of infinite Misfortunes to
the People that are committed to
their Care. And, I affure you, this
very thing had like to have been ,.
my own Cafe, if .God, in great
Mercy to his Church, and to my
Soul, had not fpeedily referred me
from fo imminent a Danger.
And here I would afk, From
whence, think you, do thofe mani
fold Diforders arife, which we fo
1 frequently

of the Priesthood. 133
frequently fee in the Church ? I will
be bold to fay, that they flow from
no other Fountain than this, viz.
that there is no due Care taken in
chufing proper Perfons to be Bifhops
and Governors of the Flock; but
People are put into that high Charge
lightly, and inconfiderately. The
Head," moft certainly, ought to be
found and good ; how elfe fhall it
be able to difperfe thofe noxious Va
pours, which afcend thither from
other Parts of the Body ? If it can
not do this, if that principal Part
be weak and infirm, and not of
Strength fufficient to repell thofe un-
wholefome Fumes, the Confequence
muft be, that the Head itfelf will
every Day grow weaker and worfe,
and, together with itfelf, deftroy
alfo the reft of the Body. And that
there might not, at this Time, be
K 3 an

J34 St. C.HR yspstpm
an Jnftance of this in me, it
pleafed God to continue me in that
inferior Rank and Order, which he
at ijirft allotted me.
For, indeed, my Friend, there
are many other Excellences, befides
|:hofe which have been already men
tioned, which a Bifhop ought to be
endued with, and which J myfelf
am deftitute of; this efpecially, that
he ought to have no Defire for that
high Station. For whoever afpires
to this Dignity with Paffion and
Vehemence, will not flop there,
when he hath attained it, but his
Ambition will increafe with his PreT
ferment; and, being thus ftrpngly
carried away with the Violence
thereof, he will fcruple nothing,
plough never fo vile and bafe, no,
nor large pecuniary Expences, to
eftablifh himfelf in the Honour he
hatl|

of the Priesthood. 135
hath obtained. Nay, fo wrathfully
have fome Men contended for the
epifcopal Chair, that they have filled
the very Churches with Blood and
Slaughter, and the Cities with Ruin
and Defolation. But this I fhall not
now infift on, left what I fay fhould
feem to fome Perfons incredible, and
beyond Belief.
In the mean Time, I am per-
fuaded, that Men ought to have fo
profound a Reverence and Regard
for the Weight of this high Function,
as to refufe it at firft, and draw back
from it ; and if it happens that
they are elected to it afterwards,
and, after their Election, are fo un
happy as to fall into the Commif-
fion of any fuch Sin as deferves
Deprivation, they fhould not wait
for that . Sentence from Men, but
voluntarily, and of their own
K 4 Accord,

136 St. Ch r y s o s tom
Accord, diveft themfelves of that
Dignity. For thus may fuch an
Offender reafonably hope to obtain
Mercy at the Hand of God :
Whereas he that retains it beyond
what is meet, not only renders him
felf unworthy of Pardon, but alfo
farther irritates the divine Difplea-
fure, by adding to his firft Offence
a fecond of a more heinous Nature.
But fuch Conftancy of Mind is
very rarely, if ever, to be met with ;
and, in Truth, to affect and afpire
ambitioufly to this Honour, is a
very peftilent and pernicious Dif
eafe : Nor doth this Afiertion clafh
at all with the Doctrine of St. Paul,
when he faith *, If a Man defire
the Office of a Bifhop, he defireth a
good Work : For I do not fpeak of
the epifcopal Office, but of the
* 1 Tim. iii. 1 , Ppwer

of the Priesthood. 137
Power and Authority ; and it is the
Defire'of this that I affirm to be fo
dangerous. CHAP. XI.
THIS Defire, I fay, ought
carefully to be rooted out of
the Soul ; nor fhould a Man fuffer
it to faften upon him at firft ; that
fo he may be perfectly at Liberty to
perform all the Duties of his Place
with Freedom and Boldnefs. For
he that is not ambitious of being
exalted to that Height of Power,
will no more be afraid of being de-
pofed from it ; and he that is free
from the Fear of that, will execute
all the Parts of his Office with fuch
a Liberty as becomes a Chriftian :
Whereas they that live under the
Fear and Dread of being turned out of

138 St. Chrysostom
of their Dignity, 'do really undergo
a moft difagreeable Servitude, at
tended with many Evils, and often
find themfelves under an unhappy
Neceffity of offending both God and
Man. The Soul, therefore, ought by
no means to be thus affected: But
as we fee valiant Soldiers fight cou-
ragiouily, and fall bravely in the
Field of Battle ; fo ought they that
undertake this facred Adminiftra-
tion to be firmly refolved and pre
pared, not only to perform the fe-
veral Parts of their Office, but to
quit it alfo, if Need be, as becomes
Chriftians ; remembering, that to
be depofed for doing one's Duty, is
an honourable Circumftance, and is
attended with a Reward in no-wife
inferior to the Dignity itfelf. And,
whenever any Perfon is a Sufferer in
3 this

©/"^Priesthood. 139
this Manner, and upon this Account,
becaufe he will not fubmit to any
thing unbecoming and unworthy of
his epifcopal Character, he thereby
brings upon his Depofers a double
Punifhment ; but to himfelf he
procures a double Reward : For,
Bleffed are ye, faitji pur Lord *, when
Men fhall revile you, and perfecute
you, and fhall fay all manner of Evil
againft you, fttlfely, for my Sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for
great is your Reward in Heaven,
This Bleffing certainly belongs to
them that are deprived by their Col-
legues, through Envy, or to gain
the Favpur of others, upon fome
private Pique, or any other unjuft
Motive; for, as, for thofe that are
Sufferers in this Manner from their
pnemies, I think there is no Need
$ Matt. v. 1 j. to

14.0 St. Chrysostom
to fhow what Gainers they are by
it, nor how greatly the Wickednefs
of others contributes to their 'Ad
vantage. Upon the Whole, then, Men
ought to look well about them on
all Sides, and fearch diligently, that
no Spark of this ambitious Defire lie
fmothered up fecretly in the Soul :
For it is an amiable thing, if even
thofe who, from the firft, try to
purge their Hearts from this Difeafe,
mall be able to avoid it, after they
are advanced to this Dignity : But
if any one, before he is thus ad
vanced, nourifhes within his Breaft
this fierce and outrageous Beaft, it
is not poffible to fay into what a
Depth of Deftruction fuch a one
precipitates himfelf, after he hath
obtained what he afpired to. Nor
may I conceal my own Weaknefs in
this

of the Priest,hood. 141
thisRefpect; for, indeed, this Dif
temper of the Mind is what lam too.
much afflicted with myfelf. And
think not that, by a pretended Mo-
defty, I would belye myfelf, to raife
your Opinion of me, when I affirm,
that I am too fubject to this perni
cious Defire ; and that this very
thing, among feveral others, terri
fied me, and made me refolve to fly
from the epifcopar Order. For; as
in Cafes of perfonal Fohdnefs, trie
nearer we are to thofe we love;ofo
much the ftronger and more vehe
ment our Pailion is; but when we
are at a Diftance,' the Ardour of our
Defire abates, and grows cool \ by
Degrees ; juft thus ^ it fares With
thofe that : are fond of this facred
Dignity: Set them' but near it, and
, their Defires rage, and become in
tolerable; whereas, if once, they find
them-

142 St. Chr y s o s t om
themfelves, out of Hopes of it, theii
Expectation, and their Defire, vanifH
together. This, therefore, is a good
Excufe for my Behaviour in this Af
fair, and a fufficient Reafon, if I had
ho other, to keep me at a Diftance
from this honourable Office;
' CHAP, XII.
fE SIDES what I have already
faid, I will now lay before yoii
another thing, which is no lefs an
Impediment to me in this Matter;
If youafk^ What that is ? I anfwerjf
It is this }- A Bifhop muft be fober+
and of good Behaviour ; he muft alfo
he vigilant %, and have his Eyes al
ways about him; as one who lives
not fpr himfelf only, but for all the
People. But now, I, on the con-.
* i Tim. iii. a;- trary,

of the Priesthood. 14$
trary, am fluggifh and remifs, and*
fcarce able to work out my own< Sal
vation. And this you yourfelf can
not but confefs, though, through the
Greatnefs of your Friendfhip towards
me, you endeavour to hide my
Faults. Nor need you mention the bodily
Exercifes of Fafting and Watching,
of lying upon the cold" Ground,, and
other corporal Severities : For you
cannot be ignorant how very fhort I
fall of thefe things ; which though
I performed never fo exactly, yet,
even then, they would not be of
Service to me, towards the happy
Adminiftration of this high Office*
while this Indolence, like a dead
Weight, lay upon me. Thefe bodily
Aufterities, it is true, may be of
no fmall Ufe to a Man, that is cloy-
ftered up in his Cell, and hath none to

144 St. Chr ysos TPAi
to take Care of, but himfelf alone ;
but, to one that muft divide himfelf
among fuch a Multitude, and ap
propriate his particular Cares to every
particular Perfon under his Charge,
thefe things will be of little Ad
vantage; they will contribute little
to the Proficiency of his Flock, un
lefs he have withal a well tempered-
and active Spirit.
C H A -P. XHI.
NO R let it be Matter of Won
der to you, if, together with
this Firmnefs and Patience) I require
yet a farther Proof of Fortitude in a
Bifhop. For, truly, to contemn
good Fare, and eafy Lodging, is no
fuch difficult Tafk : We fee many
do it, efpecially thofe of the ruftic
Sort, that are brought up, from their
Youth,

©/"/^Priesthood. 145
Youth, to a hardy Way of Living ;
and, befides this, how many more
are there,, who, either by their na
tural Conftitution, or by long Ufe
and Cuftom, render thofe Severities
eafy and familiar to them. But, to
bear Injury and Wrong, infolent
Words and biting Scoffs, thrown
out from our Inferiors, fometimes
' lightly, and in Jeft, at other Times
purpofely, and in Earneft ; to be
loaded with groundlefs Complaints
and unjuft Accufations, as well by
thofe of the firft Rank, as by thofe
of the meaner and bafer Sort ; to
bear thefe Tryals, I fay, with Tem
per, is not in the Power of many;
but it is an Excellence, which only
a very few can arrive at. Nay, one
may fee many Inftances of Perfons
who have Refolution enough to un
dergo bodily Hardfhips, who, when
L they

146 St. Chry'sostom
they come to experience thefe latter
Sort of Tryals, can preferve no to
lerable Decency, but, as if their
Senfes were loft, they become fiercer
'and more furious than any wild
Beaft : And fuch as thefe ought by
-no means to be admitted to the
epifcopal Office.
It is not neceffary for the ¥/elfare
of the Church, that a Bifhop fhould
be eminent for his Abftinence, or
other bodily Mortifications ; nor, if
he is not, will it be of any DifTervice
to it. But intemperate Paffion, and
extravagant Anger, in a Perfon of
that facred Character, are attended
with the worft Confequences, both
to himfelf, and to all about him.
Befides, God hath threatened no
Punifhment to thofe who neglect
the former; but to them that- are
guilty of the latter, that is, to them

who

of the Priesthood. 147
who are angry without a Caufe *,
Hell, and the Flames of it, are me
naced and denounced. As, there
fore, the vain-glorious Man, by being
promoted to a Poft of Honour, hath
fo much the more Fuel added to his
Fire; juft fo it fares with a Man,
who (having no Power to bridle his
Paffion while he lived by himfelf,
and was converfant with very few),
when he comes out into the World,
and hath the Management of a great
Multitude committed to him, like a
wild Beaft provoked and baited on
all Sides, grows outrageous ; and fo
becomes the Author of much Dif-
quiet to himfelf, and of many In
conveniences to his People.
* Matt. v. 22.
L 2 CHAP,

148 St. Chrysostom

CHAP. XIV.
FOR nothing fo clouds and di-
fturbs the Clearnefs and Per-
fpicuity of the Mind, as inordinate
and exceflive Tranfports of Anger,
by which even wife Men have been
deftroyed : For, when that Paffion is
predominant, the Eye of the Under-
ftanding is like one fighting in the
Dark, not able to diftinguifh between
Friends and Foes, between Men of
Quality and the bafer Sort ; but ufes
all alike : And fo obftinately is the
Man bent upon purfuing the Heat of
his Paffion, that, though he fuffer
never fo much for it himfelf, he will
chearfully undergo it, rather than
not gratify his prefent evil Pleafure :
For, indeed, there is a certain Sort
of Pleafure in the Ragings of Anger, which,

of the Priesthood. 149
which, where it hath the Afcendant,
tyrannizes, and puts the whole Frame
of the Soul into the utmoft Diforder,
beyond the Power of any other Paf
fion. For this often drives Men to
Acts of Arrogance and groundlefs
Hatreds ; it is continually finding
out imaginary Affronts, and caufes
Men both to fpeak and to do many
things of an offenfive Nature. And
thus the Soul is hurried away by the
irrefiftible Force of this Paffion ; and
not having where to fix itfelf, knows
not how to withftand the Violence
and Impetuofity of it.
Basil,
I can bear this Diffimulation of
yours no longer : For who is there
that knows not how far you are from
being attached to this Vice ?
L 3 Chry-

15b St. Chr y s os t6m
r.' I Chrysostpm.
And why, fheri,J Jny good Friend,
woyld you bring m'e near' this Fire,
and rpufe that wild Beaft, wfrMfi,'
at prefent, lies dormant within me ?
or,- can you be ignorant, that, if I
have hitherto efeaped this Vice, it
hath "not been through ahy natural
Excellence of myl,'6wn, but becaufe
j courted a folitary Life ?
For, indeed, it is well, if a Per
fon, who is of a warm Temper,
can avojd thofe Tumours of Soul,
though he live, as' it were, by him
felf, and converfe 'only with two or
three, particular Friends : But it will
be much, more difficult to do it, if
once he falls into : that Depth of
Cares and Diftractions which I men
tioned juft now; and, when. this.
happens, he not only runs himfelf
upon the Precipice of Deftriiction,, but

of the Priesthood. 151
but he involves many others in the
fame Ruin, by exafperating their
Minds, and rendering them lefs in
clined to the good-natured Offices of
Flumanity and Moderation.
For it is natural for thofe of the
meaner Sort, to- obferve the Manners
and Behaviour of their Superiors, and
to imitate and copy after them, as
from an Original. How then fhall
he pretend to fupprefs thofe Swel
lings and Inflammations in others,
who is fo liable to them himfelf?
or what Subjects will be difpofed to
practife Meeknefs and Moderation
towards one another, when they fee
their Prince given up to, Anger and
Paffion ? And, befides, there is no
Poffibility of cpncealing the Vices of
a Bifhop : The very Slips and Frail
ties of a Perfon of fo confpicuous a
L 4 Cha-

152 St. Chr ysos t om
Character, will appear and be mani-
feft in full View.
The Weaknefs and Unfkilfulnefs
of a Combatant may be undifco-
vered, while he ftays at home, and
hath no Antagonift to engage with ;
but when he comes out into the
Field, it is impoffible to conceal his
Impotence : It will prefently appear
what he is. Thus the Retirement of
thofe that lead a private and inactive
Life is, as it were, a Veil to cover their
Defects ; but when once they come
forth into the World, and are forced
to throw afide that Veil, the in
ward Paflions and Difpofitions of
their Mind become, in a manner,
naked, and expofed to public View,
by their outward Actions and Dif-
o:ders. As, therefore, a right or
dering of th®ir Lives would be of
fingular

of the Priesthood. 153
fingular Ufe to others, by ftirring
them up to imitate fo good an
Example ; fo, on the other hand,
their Vices render thofe, who ob-
ferve them, fo' much the more in-
difpofed to the Practice of Virtue,
and more fluggifh and unapt for the
Performance of things excellent and
praife-worthy. The Soul of a Bifhop, therefore,
ought, by all means, to fhine out
fo beautiful and illuftrious with the
Beams of Virtue and Goodnefs, as
at once to delight the Eye and affect
the Heart of the Spectators : For the
Vices of private Perfons, committed
fecretly, and (as it were) in the
Dark, bring Ruin only upon the
Actors themfelves ; whereas the
Vices of thofe, that are Men of
Eminence and high Station, bring
univerfal Detriment to all; making thofe

1^4 St. Chrys os tom
thofe that are negligent of a good
Life; much more fo ; and provoking
thofe that have a Concern for their
Souls, to fpiritual Pride, and to an
over- weaning Opinion of themfelves.
Moreover, the Mifcarriages of the
vulgar Sort, though they are public,
give no mortal Wound to Religion ;
but if they fin, who are exalted
to this high Station, not only
they themfelves are confpicuous to
all, but the Errors which they are
guilty of, though fmall in Compa-
rifon, appear of a larger Size to the
Eye of the World : And the Reafon
of this is, becaufe the World com
monly forms its Judgment, in Cafes
of this Nature, not from the Hei
noufnefs of the Sin itfelf which is,
committed, but from the Dignity of
the Perfon, who commits it. A

of the Priesthood. 155
A Bifhop, therefore, ought to be
armed on all Sides with Vigilance
and Sobriety, as with a Coat of
Mail, and to look" carefully about
him, left the Enemy, fpyihg'any
Advantage, any Place naked and un
guarded, fhould fix there a deadly-
Wound : For, indeed, a Perfon of
that facred Character is furrounded,-
on all Sides, by thofe that are pre
pared to wound and fupplant him ;
not only open and avowed Enemies,
but even by thofe who profefs a
Friendfhip for him.
For this Reafon, they that are
chofen to be Bifhops, ought to have
Souls as invulnerable, as, by the
Gift of God, the Bodies of thofe
Saints were, which were caft into the
burning fiery Furnace * .• For the
Fuel of that Fire, which feeds upon
* Dan. iii. thefr

156 St. Chrysostom
their Souls, is not Wood, Pitch, and
Tow, or other fuch Combuftibles,
but fomething of a more pernicious
and deftructive Nature : Nor, in
deed, is the Fire itfelf a material
and fenfible Fire, but that moft de
vouring one of Envy, encircling the
Soul, flaming forth on all Sides, and
penetrating more exquifitely into
their Lives, than, the Babylonifh Fire
did into the Bodies of thofe holy
Men ; in which, if it find never fo
little Stubble (never fo few Vices), it
immediately catches hold of it, and
not only fets the vitiated and rotten
Part in a Flame, but leaves the reft
of the Building, though brighter than
the Sun before, all over darkened,
and fullied with Smoke. For, as
lonp- as the Life and Actions of a
Bifhop are uniform, and of a-piece,
he is Proof againft all the Afiaults of

of the Priesthood. 157
of his Enemies ; but, when once he
makes a falfe Step (which muft
fometimes happen, as he is but a
Man, and confequently fubject to
human Frailties), all his former Vir
tues will not be able to fecure him
from the evil Tongues of his Ac-
cufers; but this fingle Mifearriage
will caft a Cloud over the reft of
his Excellences. Nor will the Ge
nerality of Men judge favourably of
a Bifhop, or confider him as a Man
cloathed with the fame Nature as
themfelves ; but cenfure him as if
he were an Angel, exalted above
human Infirmities. Thus the Sub
jects of a Tyrant, as long as he is
eftablifhed in his Power, fear and
flatter him, becaufe they are not
able to dethrone him; but, when
once his Affairs are unprofperous,
thev, who, juft before, were his
obfe-

I58 St.-ChR YSOSTOM
obfequious'i Friends, c laying afide ail
their pretended Refpect, become
his .litter Enemies, and, marking
his Weaknefs, depofe, his .Perfon,
and diflolve his Government ; juft
thus it often fares with a Bifhop :
They, who but a little while ago,
when he was in full Power, paid
him all Reverence and Efteem, if
once they have the flighteft Occafion
.againft .him, ufe all the Arts they
can to deprive him of his Office, by
depofing him, not as a Tyrant only,
but as fomething worfe : And as a
Tyrant hath the greateft Dread and
Apprehenfion of his own Guards;
fo a Bifhop fears thofe chiefly of the
.iaeerdotal Order, which are neareft
to him : For thefe are moft apt to
covet his Dignity, and thefe are beft
. acquainted with his Faults and Fail
ings; for, being near his Perfon, if
any

of the Priesthood. 159
any fuch thing happens, they firft
of all perceive it; and fo it is in
their Power, with the greateft Eafe,
to mifreprefent him, and to be
credited; to undermine and fup-
plant him, whom they thus calum
niate, by aggravating and magnify
ing his Faults. And thus the Saying
of the Apoftle * is quite inverted;
If one Member fuffer, the other Mem
bers will rejoice ; and if one Member
be honoured, the other Members fuf
fer : Unlefs, indeed, by his fingular
Piety and Virtue, he is able to keep
his Ground, and ftand firm againft
all the Attacks of his Enemies.
And now, my Friend, give me
Leave to afk, Would you have been
willing to thruft me into fo dan
gerous an Employment ? or, can you
think my Soul endued with Forti-
* 1 Cor. xii. 26. tude

160 St. Chr ysos tom
tude fufficient for Tryals of fo various'
and different a Nature ? If you
think it is, tell me who hath thus
informed you ? If, indeed, God
hath, by any divine Revelation,
made it known to you, do but de-
monftrate the Truth of it, and I
will believe you ; but if not, if in
this Matter you depend upon human
Opinion only, ceafe any longer to
be thus impofed upon : For, as to
my own Virtues and Abilities, I
myfelf am certainly the beft Judge,
and ought to be believed before
others : For what Man knoweth the
things of a Man, fave the Spirit of
a Man which is in him * P
And, truly, by this Time, I think,
it muft fufnciently appear, how much
I fhould have expofed both myfelf
and my Electors, had I fubmitted to
* i Cor, ii. 1 1.
5 the

of the Priesthood. 161
the Choice, and taken this facred
Office upon me, from which I
muft afterwards have retired with
Difcredit, and returned very dif-
advantageoufly to my private Sta
tion. If this is not clear from what
I have faid already, yet it may be
farther proved from hence, that
not Envy only, but that which is
worfe than Envy, I mean an am
bitious Defire of obtaining that
facred Dignity, oftentimes arms a
great many Perfons againft him,
who is in Poffeffion of it : And, as
Children, that have a covetous Eye
upon their Father's Eftate, think it
long till he dies, and leaves it to
them ; fo fome of thefe, when they
fee a Bifhop likely to enjoy his Ho
nour a great while, becaufe it is not
lawful to kill him, they haften, by
all the Arts they can, to depofe him ;
M all

162 St. Chrysostom
all defiring to be chofen in his Room,
and every one of them expecting, that
the Dignity fhould fall to his Share.
CHAP. XV.
SHALL I lay before you an
other Conflict, which a Bifhop
muft ftruggle through, attended with
a thoufand Dangers ? Go then, and
. caft your Eye upon the public So
lemnities, efpecially thofe at which
ecclefiaftical Preferments are ufually
conferred, and there you will fee a
Bifhop's good Name loaded with
as many"Accufations as there are
Electors, who are, for the moft part,
divided irito many different Factions,
-Nay, you fhall fee the utmoft Diffen-
• tion among the the College of Prefr
'byters themfelves, who can neither
agree with one another, nor with him
8 who

of the Priesthood. 163
who is elected Bifhop, but ftand apart
'everyone by himfelf, one being for
this Man, another for that. The
Caufe of which Difagreement arifes
from hence, that, in thofe Elections,
they do not all fix their Eyes on that
one and the fame thing, on which
alone they ought to fix them, I
mean, the Virtues and Excellences
of the Mind, but Men are preferred
on other Confiderations : One Man,
becaufe he is of a noble Extraction ;
another, becaufe he is wealthy, and
will not need to be maintained out
of the Revenues of the Church ; a
third is voted for, becaufe he is a
Convert, and is come over from our
Enemies ; a fourth, becaufe he is an
Acquaintance, and a familiar Friend ;
one is to be preferred, becaufe he is
a Relation ; another, becaufe he
hath a fmooth Tongue, and can
4 • - Ma flatter

164 St. Ch r y sostom '
flatter well : But, all this while, no
one confiders the Sufficiency of the
Perfon , for whom he votes, nor
makes any Tryal of the Qualifica
tions of his Soul.
Now, I am fo far from thinking
thefe Caufes fufficient for the Appro
bation of a Bifhop, that, if any Per
fon was propofed, whofe Life was
known to be good (which is, indeed,
a principal Circumftance, and what
ought to weigh very much in this
Cafe), I fhould not dare, even upon
this Account, to chufe him imme
diately, unlefs, befides the Clear-
nefs of his Life, he had alfo a large
Share of Prudence and Difcretion.
For, indeed, I myfelf have known
many who have been cloiftered in
a Monaftery, and there exercifed
themfelves with Mortifications, who,
as long as they lived thus retired, and

of the Priesthood. 165
and took Care of what concerned
their own Souls only, were accept
able to God, and made every Day
no inconfiderable Proficiency in
the Knowledge of the true Chri-
ftian Philofophy ; which very Per
fons, when once they came out into
the World, and were obliged to
rectify the Errors of a rude Multi
tude, fome, from the very firft, have
given out, -as unequal to fo great a
Work; others,- freing conftrained tp
abide it, have caft away their for
mer Exactnefs of Life, by which
they have been great, Lofers them
felves, without bringing any Ad«
vantage thereby to others, ... .
Nay, fuppofe a Man fhould fpend
his whole Life in the. loweft Order
of the Miniftry, and grow old in the
Service of the Church, though I
fhould reverence fuch a one for his
v<\ M 3 Age5

v -

166 St. Chr y sos tom
Age, yet would I not therefore raife
him to the epifcopal Throne ; be
caufe he might, however advanced
in Years, be altogether unfit for that
high Charge. Nor do I fpeak this
out of any Diffefpect to grey Hairs,
or as if I would exclude all monafti-
cal Perfons from this fpiritual Com
mand (for I muft own that fuch Men
have been fometimes feen to make
a fhining Figure in j the epifcopal
Chair)-, but I do it to fhow; that if
neither Piety, nor Length of Years,
can of themfelves qualify Perfons for
the worthy difcharging the Office
of a Bifhop, much lefs can any of
thofe Reafons which I mentioned.
juft now.
Nay, many are chofen to this high
Dignity upon more abfurd Pretences
than thefe ; Some, left they fhould
go over to a contrary Party ; others, fpf

of /^Priesthood/' 167
for the fake of their malicious and
wicked 3 Temper, * left, being ne- '
glected and paffed by, they fhould,
in Revenge, create great Mifchiefs, >
and many Evils, in the Church.
, But can "any thing be more unjuft
than this ? that Men, full of all Per-
verfenefs and Wickednefs, fhould be-
honoured on the Account of that,
for which they ought to be punifhed;
and afeend to the epifcopal Dignity ¦
for the Sake of thofe Vices, for
which they deferve to be excommu
nicated, and expelled the Church.
- When things of fuch a tremen
dous and holy Nature are given up
by us, to be thus outraged by vfle
and wicked Men, tell me, • "fhall we
yet feek for the Caufe of God's In
dignation againft us? And is it hot
the ready Way to fill the Church
with Heats and Tumults, for Tome
:.:-.m M 4 Men

168 St. Ch^rysostom:
Men to be advanced to Dignities
which belong not to them, and for
others to have the . Adminiftration
of thofe holy Offices committed to
them, which are far beyond their
Capacity and Abilities? Formerly
I remember I was wont to expofe
the Princes of this World, who, in
filling their Polls of Honour, had
no Regard to the Virtues and Ex
cellences of the Mind, but preferred
Men, becaufe they were rich, or ad
vanced in Years, or of noble Dig
nity : But fince I have heard, that
this unreafonable Practice is intro
duced even into the Church, I ceafe
any longer to think fo feverely of
the other. For what Wonder is it,
if worldly Men, who defire to be
popular, and will do any thing for
Money, fall into thofe Errors, which
even they, that pretend to be free
from

of the Priesthood.- 169'
from thefe Vices, are, upon the
whole, no lefs fiibject to ; and they
too, Men that are concerned for
things of a holy and heavenly Na- ;
ture, for which, neverthelefs, they
have no greater Regard, than for a
few fordid Acres ; but chufe vile
Perfons to prefide over thofe facred
Adminiffrations, and to have the
Charge of Mens Souls; things, for'
the Sake of which the only begotten -
Son of God was contented to diveft-
himfelf of his Glory, to be made
Man, to take up07i him the Form of
a Servant, to befpit upon, and buf
feted * ; nay, to fuffer a moft igno
minious Death in the Flefh.
Nor do they flop here, but go
on to commit even greater Abfurdi-
ties than thefe : For they not only
admit Men to the epifcopal Dignity,
-* Phil, ii. f,
whp

iyq> St. Chr ys os tom
who are utterly unworthy of it ;
but thofe who are worthy of it,;
they reject. And thus, as if it was
jiotenough to undermine the Church
on one Side, or as if the Grimes,
which I mentioned before, were not
fufficient to Jdndle the Divine Dif-;
pleafure, they farther exafperate it,
by adding others of a no lefs heinous.
Nature : For, indeed, I think it as
heinous, to reject thofe from the
epifcopal Office that are fit for it,
as to chufe thofe into it that are not ;
by both which, the Flock of Chrift
is equally deprived of that Confola
tion and Refrefhment, which it
ftands in need of, and which it
ought tp have.
Do not thefe Impieties deferve
ten thoufand Thunderbolts ? Are
t}iey not worthy of a worfe and-
more terrible Hell, than even that
which

of the Priesthood. 171
which God hath threatened ? And
yet he bears with all thefe enormous
Provocations, having no Pleafure in
the Death of the Wicked, but that,
he fhould turn from his Ways, and
live *. O immenfe Goodnefs ! O
aftoniffiing Mercy, never to be fuf-
ficiently admired by us ! Chriftians
themfelves deftroy the Flock of
Chrift worfe than Heathens and In
fidels ; and yet he ceafes not to be
good and gracious, and calls us to
Repentance. Glory be to thee, O
Lord ; Glory be to thee ! How un
fathomable is thy Goodnefs ! How
inexhauftible the Treafures of thy
Patience ! Perfons of a mean and
obfcure Character, who, through
the means of thy holy Name, are
exalted on high, and become ho
nourable and confpicuous, abufe
* Ezek. xxxiti. 11, that

1 7.2 St. Chr ys os t om
that very Dignity, to the Difhonour
of him who raifed them to it ;
daring, with a moft confummate
Impudence, to commit Outrages on
holy things; cafting out; and re
jecting from ecclefiaftical Prefer
ments, Men of Probity and Con
ference, that Men of diffolute and
licentious Manners may purfue their
wicked Courfes without Controul,
and live themfelves as they pleafe, in
all poffible Eafe and Security;
If you enquire into the Caufes of
this Evil, you will find them pretty
near of kin to thofe which I men
tioned before, and that Envy is
the Root and Parent of them.
The Pretences, however, are dif
ferent. One Man muft be rejected,
becaufe he is young; another, be
caufe he is too honeft to flatter ; a
third, becaufe he hath offended fome par-

of the Priesthood. 173
particular Perfon ; a fourth, left fuch
a one fhould take it ill, if his Friend,
whom he hath recommended, fhould
be refufed, and this Man chofen :
This Man, becaufe he is generous
and good-natured ; that, becaufe he
is a fharp Reprover, and terrible to
Sinners ; and another, for fome other
Caufe: For they never want Pre
tences, when they have Occafion to
make ufe of them. Nay, when they
can find nothing elfe to allege againft
a Man, even his Wealth is made an
Objection ; and, moreover, that he
ought not to be preferred to that
Dignity at once, but leifurely, and
by Degrees : With many other fuch
Pretences, which they can find out
as they pleafe.
And now I would gladly afk,
What muft a Bifhop do, who hath
fo many contrary Winds blowing at
once

174 St. Chrysostom
once upon him ? How can he ftand
firm againft the Violence of fo many
Waves, or repell the Force of all
thefe Shocks ? If, in the Manage
ment of this Affair, he refolves to
act on juft and reafonable Grounds,
all thefe Men become at once Ene
mies to him, and to thofe whom he
admits ; doing every thing they can
to crofs and oppofe him; exciting
Cries and Tumults every Day againft
him, and cafting out a thoufand
Scoffs on thofe whom he chufes, till
they either get thefe ejected, or in
troduce their own Candidates. So
that the Cafe of a Bifhop, in this
Refpect, is very like that of the
Captain of a Ship, who hath Pirates
aboard him, that are perpetually
practifing againft himfelf, the Ma
riners, and the reft of the Crew. But,

of the Priesthood. 175
But, on the other hand, if he
prefers the pleafing of them to
his own Salvation, by admitting
thofe to the facred Order, whom he
ought, by all means, to reject, then
will he have God for his Enemy,
inftead of them ; than which, no
thing can be more pernicious and
deftructive : And befides, the Dif
ficulty of his dealing with them will
be increafed, while, by their mu
tually helping each other, and by
his Complyance, and yielding to
them, they make their Party fo
much the ftronoer. For, as when
violent Winds blow contrary one
to the other, the Sea, which was
fmooth and quiet before, rages oti
a hidden, and runs mountain-high,
to the great Peril of all that fail upon
it ; juft fo the Peace of the Church
is confounded and difturbed, by the
Admif-

176 St. Chr YSOSTOM
Admiffion of wicked Men to the
Government of it.
CHAP. XVI.
HERE, therefore, flop a while,
and confider what Sort of a
Man he ought to be, who muft op-
pofe himfelf to fo great a Tempeft,
who muft regulate, and put in order,
fo many things, which obftruct and
hinder the pubhc Good. He muft
be venerable without Pride; awful,
and yet courteous ; fit to command,
and yet full of Condefcenfion. He
muft be a Man of Integrity, and
yet obfequious ; humble, but not
fervile; refolute, but not morofe;
that he may be able to withftand all
thefe Attempts, and, with much
Authority, admit to the facred Or
der that Perfon who is fit for it,
though

of the P R I E S T H O O D. I 7 7
though all fhould oppofe it; and,
with the fame Authority, reject
him that is unfit, though all fhould
cpnfpire to bring him in : To keep
his Eye fixed fteadily on the Intereft
and Advantage of the Church ; and
to do nothing through Prejudice or
Affection. >
,- Tell me how; do I not feem,
after all this, juftly to have refufed
the Adminiftration of this Function?
If not, I have many things more yet
to offer; let me only befpeak your
Patience for a Friend, that loves you
-cordially, and defires chiefly to ftand
clear in your Thoughts. Nor will
what J have to urge be ufeful only
•by way of Apology in my own Cafe,
but it may be of farther Service ; it
may contribute in no fmall Degree
to the Well-performance of the
Function itfelf. For it is neceilary
N for

178 St. Chr ys ps t om
for him who defigns to enter upofl
this Courfe of Life, firft to examine
and confider all things well, before
he takes in hand thofe facred Mini-
ftrations. If you afk, What Ad
vantage he will reap from thence?
I- anfwer, This, at leaft, if none
other, that whenever, at any Time,
any of thefe Difficulties befall him,
he may not be a Stranger to them;
but be prepared, and well inftructed
how to encounter them wifely.
And now, which fhall I ^ firft
treat of, the Management of the
poor Widows *, or the Superinten-
dency of the religious Virgins, or
thofe Difficulties which arife to a
Bifhop from judicial Proceedings ?
For, indeed, a particular Care at
tends every one of thefe Duties, and
a Fear fuperior to that.-
* 1 Tim, v. 16. To

of the Priesthood. 179
To begin, then, with that which
feems eafier and lighter than the reft,
I mean, the Management -of the
poor Widows : This appears, at firft
View, to bring little other - Care
along with it, than that of laying
out the Church'sc Money ; but, in
Truth, it is quite otherwife. For,
as often as any are to be chofen into
that Society, much Diligence is ne-
ceflary, to make Enquiry into the
Characters of them ; the chufing of
fuch Perfons, without due Care,
having been the Caufe of infinite
,Mifchiefs : For by fuch Perfons
Families have been corrupted, Mar
riages diffolved, and they have often
given themfelves up to Stealing, and
other diforderly and fhameful Prac
tices. Now, that fuch 'as thefe fhould
be maintained by the Church's
N 2 Money,

180 St. Chr y s os t om
Money, befides that it deferves to
be punifhed by God, and con
demned by Man, tends alfo to dif-
courage and flop the Hands of well-
difpofed Perfons. For who would
be pleafed to fee thofe Benefactions,
which were defigned for the Ho
nour of Chrift, confumed in main
taining People, who are a conftant
Reproach and Difhonour fo his holy
Name ? There ought, therefore, to
be diligent Enquiry made, not only
to keep off all fuch as I have men
tioned already, but others alfo, who,
being able to maintain themfelves,
ought not to devour the things
which were defigned for the Suf-
tenance of thofe who are not able.
Nor is this the only Inftance where
Circumfpection is requifite: After
the beft Search and Examination,
there is ftill no lefs Care neceffary, that

of the Priesthood. 181
that the Fountain of Charity flow
freely to them, and that their Al
lowances be not wanting, nor fall
fhort : For, indeed, involuntary Po
verty is an infatiable Evil, thanklefs,
and full of Murmur ; and there is
Need of no fmall Share of Prudence
and Diligence to flop their Mouths,
and take away from them all Occa
fion of Complaint.
Now, there are many who think,
that if a Man be but generous, he is,
forthwith qualified for this Province;
but I cannot think that this Great-
nefs of Mind is of itfelf fufficient :
Though, I muft own, a Perfon in
that Office ought efpecially to be
endued with this Excellence (for
without it he would be a Deftroyer,
rather than a Ruler, and a Wolf,
inftead of a Shepherd) : But, befides
this, there is another Virtue requifite,
N 3 I mean,.

182 St. Chr y sos tom
I mean, Patience, that Caufe of much
Good to Man ; which is, as it were,
a Port, in which the Soul is kept fafe
from Storms and Tempefts. For,
indeed, that Oafs of Women* either
on account of their Poverty, their
Years, or their natural Inclination
(to fpeak the moft favourably), af-
fume an immoderate Liberty of
being importunately glamorous, and
of complaining without Caufe ;
Thofe things, which fhould be the
Subject of their Gratitude, they make
Matter of Lamentation ; and inftead
of being thankful for what they have,
they find Fault with it,
All thefe things a Bifhop muft
bear manfully, and not be provoked,
either by their unfeafonable Imperr
tinence, or their unreafonable Que-
ruloufnefs. And, truly, the unhappy
Condition of thofe poor Creatures ought

of the Priesthood. 183
ought rather to move his Pity than
his Anger. It would be cruel and
'inhuman, in the laft Degree, to in-
fult their Calamity, and to increafe
the Miferies of their Poverty, by
adding thereto Scorn and Reproach.
For this Reafon, confidering the
Covetoufnefs and Pride of Mankind,
and the Nature and Force of Po
verty, how apt it is to overwhelm
the moft generous Soul, and to
tempt Perfons to make importunate
Requefts, even to a Degree of Im
pudence, to the end, that, by fuch
reftlefs Sollicitations, he, who ought
to relieve the Poor, fhould not be
exafperated, and made an Enemy,
a very wife Man inftructs him to
be good-natured, and eafy of Ac-
cefs to fuch Petitioners, faying *>
J^et it not grieve thee to bow down
* Ecclus iv. 8.
N 4 thine

184 St. Chrysostom
thine Ear to the Poor, and give him
a friendly Anfwer with Meeknefs.
And fb, paffing from the Impor
tunate (and a modeft Suppliant can
offend no one), he applies himfelf
to him who is able to bear his
Infirmities, and exhorts him, be
fore he gives an Alms, to raife
the poor Man's Spirits with kind
Looks, and good Words *. For
though a Man doth not with-hold
his Alms, yet if he is injurious
with his Tongue, loading the Poor
with many Reproaches, and fhow-
ing himfelf highly enraged againft
them, he is fo far from leffening the
Grievance of their Poverty by what
he gives them, that he aggravates
their Mifery, by the Bitternefs of his
Language. * Ecclus xviii. 15. And,

of the Priesthood. 185
And, no doubt, it is a double
Misfortune to fuch unhappy Perfons,
firft, that they are conftrained to be
clamorous and preffing, through the
pinching Neceffity of Hunger ; and
next, that being driven to thefe
Straits, they are reproached for
it : For while, to prevent ftarving,
they are forced to beg, and in beg
ging are obliged to put on a bold
Face, and, for fo doing, are con-
tumelioufly ufed, how can it be,
but that a various and difmal Scene
of Sadnefs and Defpondency muft
overwhelm the Soul?
He, therefore, that hath the Care
of the Poor, ought to have a good
Share of Patience towards them ;
not only not to add Sorrow to Sor
row, by any Peevifhnefs of his own ;
but alfo, by his courteous Behaviour,
to foften and alleviate thofe Troubles which

1S6 St. Chr y s os tom
which encumber them from other
Hands : For as he that receiveth an
Alms lofes all Senfe of the Benefit of
it, when it comes to him foured
with Taunts and Reproaches ; fo
when a feafonable Relief is attended
with Words of Confolation, the
Heart of the poor Man is highly re
joiced; and the kind Way of be
llowing fuch a Charity makes the
Charity itfelf doubly welcome. Nor
do I fay thefe things of myfelf, but
from the Authority of that wife
Man, whofe Words I juft now
quoted ; My Son, faith he *, blemifli
not thy good Deeds, neither ufe un
comfortable Words, when thou giveft
any thing. Shall not the Dew aft
fwage the Heat P So is a Word
better than a Gift. Lo ! is not a
* Ecclus xviii. 15, 16, 17.
Word

of the Priesthood. 187
Word, better than a Gift P but both
are with a gracious Man.
And, as it is requifite, that he
who hath the Government of the
Poor fhould be gentle and patient,
fo it is no lefs neceflary that he be a
wife Manager alfo, and a good Oeco-
nomift ; the Want of which would
be as detrimental to their Affairs, as
the Want of the other. An Inftance
of which we had not long ago, in
one who, being entrufted with the
Adminiftration of this Office, amaffed
a confiderable Sum ; which, it is true,
he did not fquander upon himfelf;
nor did he apply it, except a very
little, to the Ufe of the Poor ; but
hid it in the Earth, till troublefome
Times coming on, he delivered it
all up into the Hands of the Ene
mies. There is need of much Pru
dence, therefore, and Forefight, that the

188 St. Chr y sos tom
the Collections for the Poor neither
exceed nor fall fhort, but that all
Contributions be fpeedily diftributed
as Occafion requires, and that the
Treafures of the Church be laid up
in the charitable Difpofitions of the
People. The Entertaining of Strangers,
and the taking Care of the Sick, is
another Article which requires great
Expence, and no lefs Diligence and
Prudence from thofe whofe Province
it is. The Sums of Money laid out
on this Occafion . are by no means
inferior, nay often much greater,
than thofe already mentioned : And,
for this Caufe, the Perfon, whofe
Bufinefs it is to furnifh thofe Sup
plies, muft do it with much Wari-
nefs and Circumfpection, that, by
his good Management, he may en
courage Perfons of Subftance to con
tribute

of the Priesthood. 189
tribute the more chearfully thereto j
left otherwife, while he fpares no
Coft for the Refrefhment of the
Sick, he may offend thofe who are
at the Charge of it. This alfo, I
mean the Attendance on thofe that
are fick, is a Circumftance which
requires a good Share of Patience
and Application : For Perfons in
that Condition are commonly very
difficult, and hard to be pleafed ;
and, unlefs they are attended with
much Care and Diligence, every
fmall Neglect will give them great
Perplexity and Vexation.
i - ¦. c,
CHAP. XVIL
NEXT, as for what relates to
the Government of the Vir
gins, the Fear and Concern for them
are as much greater than thofe for
the

tt)0 St<Chrysostom'
the Widows, as the Gift which they
poffefs is more precious, and theif
State and Society more honourable :
And efpecially, becaufe it is not
Jong fince 'many diforderly and vi
cious Women were found to have
intermixed in the Company of thofe
confecrated Perfons, to the great
Grief of all good Men : And as it
is by no means, the fame things
whether it be a Woman of good
Birth who tranfgreffes, or her Maid-
fervant, no lefs Difference is there
fretween the Faults of a Virgin and
a Widow : For, as for this latter
Sort, if they are given to idle Talk,
to reproachful Words, or to Flat
tery ; if they are impudent, Gad^
ders abroad, and fond of mowing
themfelves at all public Places ; it is
not to be wondered at, nor is it greatly
regarded : But the holy Virgin, who
:. . 3 hath

of the Priesthood, igt
hath raifed her Thoughts to things
of a higher and more excellent Na
ture ; fhe that follows earneftly after
that Wifdom which is from above ;
fhe that hath engaged herfelf to lead
the Life of Angels here on Earth,
and, in the midft of Flefh and
Blood, to imitate the Sanctity of
thofe incorporeal Beings, fhe, I fay,
ought by no means to indulge her
felf in any of thefe things. Parti
cularly, fhe fhould avoid all fre
quent and unneceffary rambling
abroad, all vain and foolifh Dif-
courfe, and the very Names of Flat
tery or Reviling fhould not be fo
much as known to her. And, for
this Caufe, there fhould be the
ftricter Watch, and a greater Guard,
kept over fuch Perfons. For that
wicked Spirit, who is a profeffed
Enemy to their Holinefs, is always at

igi St. Chr ys os T 6m
at hand, laying Snares for therri^
into, which if any of them fall, he
is forthwith ready to devour them.-
Men alfo are, on all Sides, watching
to betray their Innocence ; and,
what is yet more, they have the
Exorbitances of their oWn corrupt
Nature to deal With. So that the
holy Virgin hath a double Enemy to
arm herfelf againft, him who attacks
her from without, and him who
tempts her from within.
Fie, therefore, that hath the
Care of thefe Virgins, cannot but
be in conftant Fear, Danger, and
Trouble, left, by fome Misfortune
(which God forbid), any of his
Pupils fhould mifearry. For, if the
Father waketh for the Daughter,
¦when no o?te knoweth^ and the Care
for her taketh away Sleep : If he is
in Concern for her, left fhe fhould Pafs

of the Priesthood. 193
pafs away the Flower of her Age;
or left being barren, fhe fhould be
hated of her Hufband * : How muft
he be concerned, who, though he
hath none of thefe things to fear,
... hath, neverthelefs, others of a much
more weighty and important Na
ture ? For, in this Cafe, not the
. Contempt of the Hufband is to be
dreaded, but the Contempt of Chrift
..himfelf; nor doth Unfruitfulnefs
here terminate in Reproaches, but
in the Ruin and Deftruction of the
Soul. For thus our Saviour de
clares -f-, Every Tree which bringeth
not forth good Fruit is hewn down,
and caft into the Fire.
Nay more, if any one of thefe
incurs the Difpleafure of Chrift, her
heavenly Spoufe, fhe will not be at
Liberty to take a Bill of Divorce,
; * Ecclus xlii. 9. •f Matt. iii. 10.
O and

194 St. Chr ysostom
and go her way ; but the Confe-
quence of that Hatred will be infi
nitely worfe, even the fufferihg of
everbftjhg Punifhment.
Befides, the natural Father hath
many Advantages of keeping his
Daughter within Bounds : Her Mo
ther, her Nurfe, the Multitude of
Servants, and the Security of the
Houfe, do all contribute to render
this no difficult Matter for him :
Neither is fhe permitted to refort
often to the Markets; nor, when
flie doth, is fhe under any Neceffity
of expofing herfelf there to the public
View, fince, if fhe defires to be con
cealed, fhe can go out in the Dufk of
the Evening, which will hide her in its
Shade almoft as well as the Walls of
her Houfe : Befides, fhe is not liable
to Law-fuits, aiid confequently under no

iff the Priesthood. 195
ho Obligation of prefenting herfelf
in open Court : Moreover, fhe is
free from the Care of providing for
a Family, and from the Attacks of
injurious Perfons ; fo that nothing
of this Kind lays any Conftraint upon
her of appearing in public. In a\l
Cafes, her Father is her Guard and
Protestor ; and fhe hath only this
One Care incumbent on her, not to
fay or do any thing unworthy of
or unbecoming the Character of a
Virgin* But now, in the Cafe of the holy
Virgins, and their fpiritual Father,
there are many things which render.
it very difficult, if not impoffible,
for him to keep a ftrict Watch over
them. For he cannot have them at
home with him, under hisown Eye;
fuch a Cphabitation would neither
be decent .nor fafe; .And, though
Q % there

196 St. Chrysostom
there were no real Hurt in it, but
they did, on both Sides, preferve
their Sanctity untouched, yet would
they be accountable for the Scandal
they gavej no lefs than if they had
been actually faulty towards one an
other. Such a Cohabitation, there
fore, being impracticable, it muft
of Confequence be fo much the
harder for a Bifhop, to find out and
obferve the feveral Inclinations and
Difpofitions of thofe Virgins, to
correct the Diforders of fome, to
exercife and improve the Virtues of
others, and to difeover the Haunts
of thofe that are addicted to ramble
abroad. There is efpecially one
Circumftance which hinders a Bi
fhop from examining nicely into
the Behaviour of fuch Perfons ; and
that is, where the Virgin is poor,
and at her own Difpofal. For there fhe

of the Priesthood. 197
fhe is under a Neceffity of providing
for herfelf; from whence arife many
Occafions and Pretences, if fhe is fo
difpofed, of rambling abroad : And
he that will oblige fuch a. one to live
always retired, muft firft remove all
thofe Pretences, by furnifhing her
with a Competency of all Necef-
faries, and a Servant to attend her
on all Occafions : Farther, fhe muft
be reftrained from Funerals and
Night- watchings ; for, at fuch holy
Solemnities, the Enemy is at hand,
and that fubtle Serpent knows how
to take Occafion, even from the
Exercife of good Duties, to infinuate
his Poifon. A Virgin, therefore,
fhould be, as it were, immured and
environed .on all Sides, and very
rarely go from home, and then only
pn the moft urgent and indifpenfible
Occafions, O3 If

i9§ St. Chr y sos tom
If any one object here, What hath
a Bifhop to do With thefe things?
let fuch ah Objector know, that the
Care of thefe holy Virgins Behaviour
is incumbent on him, and their Slips
jand Mifconduct will reflect on him.
For which Reafon, it is certainly
much better for a Bifhop to perform
this Miniftration himfelf, in his own
Perfon, and fo to ftand clear from that
Blame which he muft otherwife
neceffarily incur for the Faults of
Others, than, by leaving the Per
formance thereof to other Hands,
to be under fearful Apprehenfions of
giving an Account for their Mifcar
riages alfo. Befides, he that exe
cutes this Function himfelf, will
pafs through all Difficulties with the
greater Eafe ; whereas he who is
obliged to make ufe of others in
this Matter, befides the Trouble of
per-

of the Priesthood. 199
perfuading them to this Miniftration,
meets alfo with much Perplexity and
Vexation from thofe who will not
fail to oppofe and contradict his De
terminations ; which the Reft that
he obtains from the Non-perform
ance of his Office in his own Perfon,
will by no means countervail. In
fhort, it is impoffible for me to re
count all thofe Cares which attend
a Bifhop, in his Government of thofe
holy Virgins; fince even the En
rollment of them into the facred Ca
talogue, is a Work of no inconfider
able Fatigue to him, whofe proper
Office and Bufinefs it is,
CHAP. XVIIL
UDICIAL Caufes are another
thing which occafion great
Mium to a Bifhop, to whofe De-
O 4 cifion

200 St. Chr ysostom
cifion they are referred ; in deciding i
which, he often meets with more:
Bufinefs, and greater Perplexity,
than even temporal Judges. To
find' out on wThich Side the Right
lies, is hard ; but to give an un-
byaffed Sentence when it is found
out, is harder ftill. Nor is this a
Matter of Labour and Difficulty.
alone, but it is attended with much-
Danger alfo, as appears from the
Behaviour of fome weak Perfons,
who being in Trouble, and not
having any to undertake their Caufe,
have immediately made Shipwreck
of their Faith. For it is the Way
of fome People, when they are in
jured, to bear as ftrong Refentment
againft thofe who do not take their
Part, as againft the Perfons them
felves who do them wrong : Nor
will they make any Allowances for
the

of the Priesthood. 201
the Perplexity of Bufinefs, for the
Iniquity of the Times, for the Me
diocrity of the epifcopal Power in
thefe Matters, nor for any other
thing whatfoever ; but are impla
cable Judges in their own .Cafe,
thinking their Deliverance from
thofe Evils which they feel a fuffi
cient Apology and Excufe. And
he who is not able to procure this
for them, though he have ever fo
many Reafons to urge in his own
Behalf, will be fure not to efcape
the Severity of their Lafh.
And here, fince I have mentioned
this Subject of Patronage, I will
proceed to fhow you another
thing, which often becomes the Oc
cafion of much Blame, and many
Complaints, to a Bifhop. For, un
lefs he is every Day more conftant
in vifiting his People, than thofe
whofe

202 S.T. CHR Y S O S TOM
whofe only Employment is walking
about, even from hence will arife
unfpeakable Offence: For not the
Sick only expect to be attended by
him, but thofe alfo that are well;
and this not out of any religious
Principle, but merely for State, and
to have Refpect fhown them. And
if, at any Time, it happens that,
for the common Good and Intereft
of the Church, he is more frequent
than ufual in his Vifits to fome one
of the wealthier and greater Sort,
prefently he is accufed of Flattery
and artful Addrefs, i-
But why do I fpeak of thefe Cafes
of Patronage and Vifiting ? fince,
even from bare Salutations and com
mon Civilities, fuch Imputations are
thrown on a Bifhop, as are enough
to overwhelm his Mind, and fink
him with Defpondency. Nay, even his.

o

of the Priesthood, 20
his very Looks will be cenfured,
and his moft inoffenfive Actions,
which are done innocently, and
without Defign, are nicely fcanned
and examined into : His Voice, and
the Manner of his Speech ; his Look,
and the Air of his Countenance ;
nay, his very Smiles, and the De
grees of his Mirth. How profufely,
they cry, he laughed with fuch a
One 1 how kindly he looked upon him,
find fpoke to him with all the Frank-
nefs imaginable ; but me he flighted
and negleSled. And fo, in a Room
full of Company, unlefs he be par
ticularly careful to obferve every
fingle Perfon, and falute him di-
ftindly, it is by many refented, and
deemed an Affront.
And who but a Man of a very
fteady and undaunted Spirit is fuffi
cient to maintain his Ground againft fo

204 St. Chrysostom
fo many Obfervers, and not to be
at all accufed by them, or being
accufed, to ftand clear of the Ac
cufation ? A Bifhop, indeed, ought
to have no Accufers ; but, if that is
not poffible, the next thing defire-
able is to be able to wipe off thofe
Calumnies which are caft upon him :
But, if it be a difficult thing to do
this alfo, fince fome Men take a
fingular Pleafure in railing vile Re-
prefentations out of nothing, the
only thing that remains to be
done in fuch a Cafe, is to bear
up manfully, and with a good
Courage, as it were in Cpntempt
and Defiance of fuch Accufations.
For, truly, he that knows himfelf
to be juftly accufed of any Crime,
may, for that very Caufe, the more
eafily bear with his Accufer: For,
'having- at the fame Time a more
fevere

of the Priesthood. 205
fevere Accufer within himfelf, I
mean, his own Confcience ; and
being firft of all taxed and con-
demned by that inward and moft
troublefome Witnefs, he the more
patiently endures the Blame pf thofe
without, as the gentler and much
more tolerable of the two.
But when an innocent Perfon is
wrongfully accufed, he is fo.much
the fooner tranfported with Anger,
and is fo much the more apt to fall
into Defpondency, unlefs he have
firft of all armed himfelf againft
thefe things, and is prepared to bear
with Patience the Folly of others :
For, indeed, it is hardly poffible,
I muft repeat it, it is hardly poffible
for a Man, who is calumniated and
falfely accufed, not to be moved
thereat, and exprefs fome Refent ment

206 St. Chr ys os T oM
ment at fuch unjuft and unreafon-
able Ufage.
After all that hath been already
faid, to what Purpofe fhould I yet
farther add that Grief and Trouble
of Mind which a Bifhop muft un
dergo, when he is obliged to cut
off any Offender from the Com
munion of the Church ; the Effect
of which, it were to be wifhed went
no farther than Grief, but it too
often terminates in Destruction, and
that no light one neither : For it is
to be feared, left fuch a Sinner, being
fometimes punifhed in this Manner,
beyond what is requifite, fhould fall
into the Condition mentioned by St.
Paul*, and be fwallowed up with
overmuch Sorrow. Great Care fhould
be taken, therefore, in this Matter,
* 2 Cor. ii. 7* left

of the Priesthood. 207
left that, which was defigned for the
Sinner's Recovery and Advantage,
become to him ah Occafion of falling
into a deeper and more deplorable
Condemnation. No lefs Care fhould be taken, on
the other hand, that the Wounds of
the Soul be not fearched, "J without
Agoing to the Bottom of them ; for
the fpiritual Surgeon, who manages
the Soul in this Manner," muft cer
tainly partake of the Wrath due to
thofe Sins, - iwfrich break out Upon
the Soul of the Sinner, after fuch -ah
imperfect Cure.; -
And how fore muft his Puoifn-
" ment be, ' who muft be anfwerable
- not only for the Sins which he is
'* guilty of c himfelf, but for thofe alfo
; which other's commit ? (For, if we
juftly dread to give an Account for
our

208 St. Chrysostom
our own Sins, as being unable, iri fb
doing, to efcape the Pains of Hell,
what muft he expect, who muft ren
der an Account for. fuch Multitudes
befides himfelf? According to the
i Doctrine pf St. Paul*, or rather of
Chrift fpeaking in him; Obey them
¦that have the Rule over you, and
fubmit yourfelves ; for 'they watch
for your Souls, as they that muft
give Account. Say now, doth the
c Terror of this Threatening; appear
rincpnfiderable ? Certainly, it is be-
zyond Expreffion. :-
Confider all thefe things, and
they are! undoubtedly fufficient to
-convince even the moft unbelieving
, and perverfe Spirit, that, in fhun-
ning the epifcopal Order, I neither
:. gratified my Pride . or Vain-glory ;
-*, Heb. xiii. 17. but

efthe P rt e s t h oo d. 209
but was induced to fly from it merely
by the Apprehenfions of my own
Inability, and the great Weight and
Burden of the Office itfelf.

The End of the Third Book.

P BOOK

2to St. Ghrxio s t o M

-BOOK the FOURTH.

CHAPTER I.
*
MY Friend having heard this,
after a little Paufe, thus
replied. Basil..
If, indeed, you had ambitioufly
affected this facred Dignity, there had
been fome Foundation for this Fear :
For he that, by aiming at it, con-
feffes himfelf capable of fo weighty
an Adminiftration, if he prove
deficient therein, after it is com
mitted to his Charge, hath no room
to plead Inexperience in his Excufe.
By his affirming the Office, he
cuts hirnfelf off frg>m this Pretence :
Nor

of the Priesthood. 211
Nor can he, who comes to it vo
luntarily, and with an alpiring
Mind, fay in his own Behalf, " I have
" finned in this Matter much againft
" my Will : I have loft fuch a Soul
" altogether againft n:y own Incli-
" nations." For, in this Cafe, he
that fhall one Day judge fuch a one,
will fay to him, " Why then, when
" you was confcious to yourfelf of
" your own Inexperience, and that
" you had not fufficient Abilities
" for the unblameable Adminiftra
tion of this Function, did you
thus prefume to undertake what
u was fo far above your Power ?
Who obliged you to it ? Did you
fhun, and fly from it, and was you
drawn back again by Force?" But
nothing of this Nature can be ob
jected to you ; you will have nothing
P 2 "of

ii

cca a

212 St. Chr Y S OS TOM
of this Kind to condemn yourfelf
for ; fince it is notorious to all, that
you have, in no Degree, follicited
this Honour, but it was offered you
by the Judgment and Determination
of others. So that every thing which
excludes thofe prefumptuous Af-
fumers of that high Office from all
Excufe ahd Pardon, might have
ferved to furnifh you abundantly
with both.
I fmiled a little at this, and,
fhaking my Head at the plain Sim
plicity of the Man, replied thus.
Chrysostom.
I could wifh, indeed, that it we're
as you fay, O thou beft of Men !
though not on my own Account, or
that I might have an Opportunity
of accepting that Office which Ifo
lately fled from : For, if it were fo,
that I was to expect no Punifhment, though

of the P-R IESTHOOD. 213
though I was carelefs and unfkilful
in my Management of Chrift's Flock,
yet it would be worfe to me than all
Punifhment, to confider how far
my Adminiftration of that excellent
Office fell fhort, and, indeed, was
utterly unworthy of the Dignity of
him who committed it to my Care.
For what Reafon, then, do you
think that I could wifh you was not
miftaken in your Opinion of this
Matter ? Truly for the Sake of thofe
miferable and unhappy Perfons (for
fuch I muft call them), who have
no Skill or Underft anding N for the
due Difcharge of this high Office
(though you pretend never fb often
that they were forced to it, and
therefore, that their Errors herein
are Sins of Ignorance), I fay, I could
wifh it for their Sakes, that fo they
might, by this means, efcape that
P 3 un-

214 St. Chr Y SOS T OM
unquenchable Fire, that utter Dark-
nefs, the never-dying Worm, the
being cut in funder, and the having
their Portion with Hypocrites and
Unbelievers. But what fhall I fay ? It is not
fo; it is by no means fo. And of
this, if you pleafe, I will give you
a plain Proof, from the Cafe of a
Kingdom, for which, however, God
never expreffed that Regard, which
he hath for the Priefthood.
Saul, for Inftance, that Son of
Kifh *, was not ftudioufly ambitious
of being a King. He was in Pur-
fuit of his loft Affes ; and for thofe
only it was, that he came to en
quire ; though Samuel, indeed, gave
him Tidings of the Kingdom. But
neither even then did he haften to
obtain that high Dignity, though
* i San:, ix. pro-

of the Priesthood. 215
promifed it by the Mouth of a Pro
phet ; but he fhunned and declined
it, faying, Who am IP and what is
my Father s Houfe P
But now, give me Leave to afk :
When Saul afterwards abufed that
Power, with which he was invefted
by God, are thofe Words of his fuf
ficient to fkreen him from the Wrath
of God, by whom he had been fo
highly exalted? Or, when Samuel
reproved him for his Male-admini-
ftration, had he any Room, by way
of Excufe, thus to reply to him :
What would you have ? Did I
affect the Kingdom ? . Was I
eagerly defirous of the regal
Power ? No : It was my Defire
to have kept myfelf in a private
" Station. I had led a quiet and
" inactive Life, had you not dragged
" me out to this Dignity : In which
P 4 "humble

<c a a
a
a

ii ii
iiii

216 St. Chry so s t om
t£ humble State had I continued,'
" I fhould eafily have avoided all
" thefe Mifdemeanors. HadT ftill
" been one of the obfeure Multi-
" tude, I had not been fent on this
Expedition; nor had God com
mitted to my Management the
War againft the Amalekites; which
had I not engaged in, I had never
" committed fuch an Offence?"
But all thefe Pleas would have
been infufficient for his Excufe :
Nay, not only infufficient, but dan
gerous ; inafmuch as they would
have tended the more to excite
God's Wrath againft him. For, in
deed, he ' that is advanced to any
Office beyond his Merit, inftead of
making the Greatnefs of his Dignity.
an Excufe for: his Errors therein,
ought to make God's efpecial Fa
vour towards him an Occafion of
*3 greater

of the Priesthood. 217
. , greater Improvement in Virtue :
Whereas he that, from the Excel
lence of his Dignity, thinks himfelf
fo much the more at Liberty to fin,
what does he thereby, but charge
the Divine Benevolence as the Caufe
of his Wickednefs ? A Practice very
common with thofe wno give them
felves up to an ungodly and fenfual
Life. But we, for our Part, ought
by no means to be thus difpofed,
nor to fall into the fame Madnefs
with fuch Perfons, but endeavour,
at all Times, to have a due Govern
ment over thofe things, which pro
ceed from ourfelves, that we neither
fpeak nor think difhonourably of
God. For (to leave the Cafe of a King
dom, and proceed to that of the
Priefthood, which is the more imme
diate Subject of our prefent Difcourfe) neither

218 St. Chr YS OS T OM
neither did Eli afpire to that high
Office. Yet what Advantage was
it to him, when he finned, in the
ill Execution thereof? But why do
I fay afpire ? when, it is plain, he
could not have avoided it, if he
would : He was under a legal Ne
ceffity to accept it. For he was of
the Tribe - of Levi, and was, for
that Reafon, obliged to undertake
that high Office, which defcended
to him from his Anceftors. And,
neverthelefs, we find how feverely
he was punifhed for the infolent
Diforders of his Sons. Nay, even
Aaron himfelf, the firft High-Prieft
of the fews, concerning whom God
{poke fo many things to Mofes ; be
caufe, in the Bufinefs of the golden
Calf, he alone could not withftand
the Madnefs of fo great a Multi
tude, was very near perifhing by
the

of the Priesthood. 219
the Wrath of God *, had not his
Brother interpofed in his Behalf.
And here, fince we have men
tioned Mofes, it will not be impro
per to confirm the Truth of my
Pofition, even from what happened
to this great Man. For this excel
lent Perfon was fo far from afpiring
to the Government of the yews, that,
when it was offered him, though
God commanded him to accept of
it -j-, he refufed ; infomuch, that
God was angry with him. And
afterwards, when he had undertaken
it, he would gladly have died, to
have been difcharged from it : If
thou deal thus with me (faith he J),
kill me, I pray thee, out of hand.
But what then ? When he tranf-
greffed afterwards, at the Waters of
* Exod. xxxii, 10. -j- Ibid. iv. 73 .
£ Numb. xi. 1 f.
Strife,

2;2Q St. Chry so s t p m
Strife *^were thefe his repeated De
nials fufficient to apologize for him,
or prevail with God to pardon his
Q/jfence ? If fo, why did he fall
fhort of the promifed Land ? Cer
tainly for no other Reafon but this :
This was the Caufe why that ad
mirable Man miffed of that Happi-
nefs which others enjoyed; and, after
having endured fo many Fatigues
and Afflictions; after that unfpeak-
able Wandering in the Wildernefs;
after fo many Battles fought, and
yictories obtained ; he died at laft
without the promifed Land, for
which he had undergone fo many
Tryals ; like a Pilot who, after
having rode out many Storms at Sea,
lives not to enjoy the Tranquillity
of the Port.
* Numb. xx. 12. From

of the CP R IESTHODD. 2 21
From hence, then, you fee plainly,
that not only they who afpire to this
Dignity, are deftitute ofrall/Excufe
for the Errots they commit an fhe
Male -adminiftration thereof, but
even they alfo, who come to it by
the Appointment of others. For,
truly, if thofe Perfons, that have
been chofen to this - high Office by
God himfelf, though they have never
fo often refufed it, have, neverthtf-
lefsJbeen feverely punifhed for their
Mifcarriages : And, if nothing W#s
fufficient to excufe either Aaron or
Eli, no, nor even that bleffed Man,
that prophetic and admirable Per-
•fon, Mofes, who was meek above all
the Men which were upon the Face
of the Earth *, and who fpake unto
"God as a Man fpeaketh unto his
^Friend f ; how much lefs fhall we,
* Numb. xii. 3. -j- Exod.-xxxiii. n.
who

222 St. Chr Y S OS TOM
who fall fo infinitely fhort of the
Excellences of- that holy Man, be
admitted to apologize for our Errors,
by the Plea of not having afpired to
that Dignity; and more efpecially,
becaufe many of .the Ordinations
now-a-days do not proceed from the
Difpofition of the Divine Grace, but
from the mere Defignation of Men.
jfudas was chofen by God him
felf. He elected him into the facred
.College, and committed to him, as
he did to the reft, the Dignity of
the apoftolic Office. Nay, he en
trufted him with fomething more :
He was our Saviour's Almoner, and
had the Difpofal of his Money *.
But what then ? When afterwards
he abufed both thefe Trufts, betray
ing him whom he was commiffioned
to preach, and mifapplying the
* fohn xii. 6.
5 Money,

©/"/^Priesthood. 223
Money, which he fhould have laid
out well, did he, therefore, efcape
with Impunity ? No ; fo far from
this, that he thereby wrought for
himfelf a much forer and more
grievous Punifhment ; and that too
very defervedly. .' For, furely, it
would very ill become us to make
thofe Honours and Preferments, to
which God exalts us, Occafions of
abufing and offending him : They
fhould rather be fo many Obliga
tions upon us, to endeavour the
more to pleafe him. And he who
thinks he fhall efcape unpunifhed
for his Sins, becaufe he is exalted to
an higher Station than others, acts
juft fuch a Part as an unbelieving
few would do, who, hearing our
Saviour fay *, If I had not come and
fpoken unto them, they had not had
* John xv. 22. 24. Sin;

224 St. Chrys os t oM
Sin ; and again, If I had not done
among them the Works which none
other Man did, they had not had
Sin; fhould reproach the Saviour
and Benefactor of Mankind, by re
plying, " Why then did you come,
" and fpeak to us? Why did you
" do thefe Works ? "Was it, that
" our Punifhment fhould be fb
" much the greater?"
The Man who fhould argue thus,
might juftly be deemed mad. For
'certainly a Phyfician attends, not to
give the Patient over, but to recover
fern ; not to neglect his Cafe, but
completely to cure him. But then,
if you that are fick wilfully with
draw yourfelf from the Hands of
your Phyfician, you are to expect a
heavier Condemnation : For as you •
would have been healed of your for
mer Maladies, had you fubmitted to
his

of the Priesthood* 22 j
his Prefcriptiohs ; fo if, when yoil
fee your Phyfician before your Eyesj
you fhun and avoid him, it will not
be poffible for you to get rid of
them. And thus not being able to
be delivered from your Sins (for
they are the Maladies here meant)$
you are fure to fuffer Punifh
ment, not for them only, but alfo
becaufe you rendered vain, as far
as you were able, his good En
deavours for you. From whence it
follows, that Men are to expect
much greater and more fevere Pu
nifhment from God, after they have
been dignified by him, than before ;•
it being but juft, that he who is not
made good by Benefits and kind
Ufage, fhould receive a much fharpef
Animadverfion; Since, then, this Excufe will by
ho means ferve ; as it is fo far frorri
faving

226 St. Chr YSOSTOM
faving thofe that take Shelter therein,
that it only expofes them fo much
the more, we muft feek for Refuge
fome other Way. Basil.
That is what I beg earneftly to
be informed of; for, at prefent, you
have fo terrified me by what you
have faid, that I am fcarce Mafter
of myfelf. CHAP. II.
Chrysostom.
DO hot be fo immoderately de
jected. There is a Security
even for fuch as I am, for thofe who
are infufficient, and that is, not to
undertake fo difficult an Office at
all : And there is a Security for fuch
as you, who are fufficient ; and that
is, not to fix your Hopes of Safety (in

of the Priesthood. 237
(in the Courfe of your Miniftry) on
any other thing next to God's Grace,
but only this, to do nothing un
worthy either of fo excellent a Gift,
or of God the Giver of it : For,
moft certainly, they do highly de
ferve to be punifhed, wjjp, after
they have obtained this Dignity by
their own earneft Application, either
through Indolence, Wickednefs, or
Ignorance, behave unworthily in
the Difeharge of it. Not that I
would irifer from hence, that they,
who are honoured with it, without
feeking for it, are therefore the more
pardonable for the Errors they com
mit in the Execution of it ; for, it
is very fure, that even they are de-
ftitute of all Excufe. For, in my
Judgment, though a Man be in-
treated and importuned ever fo
much, he ought not to regard that
Oj* in

228 St. Chr Y SOS TOM
in this Matter, but, firft of all, to
fearch diligently into himfelf, and
not to yield to the moft prefling Im
portunities, till he hath well weighed
and considered his own Abilities.
.Will a Man undertake to build, who
is no Architect ? or will any one
attempt the Cure of fick Perfons.,
who hath no manner of Skill or
Knowledge in Phyfic ? or, though
fuch a one fhould be much impor
tuned, would he not poiitively per-
fift in his Refufal, and not be
afhamed to own his Ignorance ?
And fhall not he much rather dili
gently confider and examine him
felf, to whom the Care of fo many
Souls is to be entrufted? or, fhall
he prefume, . though ignorant and
unfkilful, to execute this facred
Function, becaufe one Man, per
haps, commands him, another con-
7 ftrains

of the Pries t hood. 229
ftrains him, or left he fhould offend
and difoblige a third? But is not
this the ready Way to caft both him
felf and them too headlong into De-
ftruction ? He might poffibly have
faved himfelf, had he continued as he
was (that is, in his private Station) ;
but now he draws others along with
him into Ruin: For from whence
is there Room to hope for Safety,
or to expect Pardon ? In fuch a
Cafe as this, who will deprecate our
Punifhment, or intreat for us ? Will
they that importuned and even
forced us to accept of this holy
Office ? But who then will fave
them at that Time ? For they them
felves will moft certainly ftand in
need of an Interceffor, that they
may efcape the Flames of Hell.
Nor do I fpeak this to terrify and
affright you ; I only reprefent the
Qjj Matter

230 St. Chr YSOSTOM
Matter as in Truth it is ; and, to
convince you that I do fo, hear
what St. Paul faith to Timothy *, his
own beloved Son and Difciple ; Lay
Hands fuddenly on no Man, neither
be Partaker cf other Mens Sins.
Think well of this, and you will
foon fee from how great a Portion,
both of Guilt and Punifhment, I
have, to the utmoft of my Power,
freed thofe Perfons who would have
ehofen me to this excellent Office.
For, as it is not enough for thofe
that are confecrated thereto, to fay
In their Excufe, " I came not to
*( this Dignity at my own Option,
*? nor could I fhun what I was ig-
** norant of:" So neither will it be
a fufficient Plea for the Electors to
fay, that they knew not him whom.
they ordained.
* 1 Tim. y. 2;. Nay,

of the Priesthood. 231
Nay, their Ignorance, in this
Cafe, will enhance their Crime ;
and fo that which they would make
an Apology for themfelves, ferves
only to increafe their Condemnation.
And, indeed, what an abfurd thing
is it, that Men will not buy a Slave,
till they have firft fhown him to a
Phyfician, till they have Perfons to
warrant the Sale, till they have en
quired his Character from the Neigh
bours ; no, nor even then will they
venture on him, till they have had
him fome Time upon Tryal : And
yet they, who chufe Men to this
high Service, often do it at all Ha
zards, and as it happens ; giving
their Teftimonial without any Exa
mination, to court the Favour, or
avoid the Difpleafure, of others.
And who, then, can deprecate our
Punifhment, when they, who fhould
Qj. do

232 St. Chr ysostom
do this for us, ftand in no lefs neec(
pf Interceflbrs themfelves.
The Bifhop, therefore, who is
about tp ordain any one, ought to
make diligent Examination, and to
weigh the Matter well : And fo
ought he more efpecially to do, who
is himfelf to be ordained. For
though they that chufe fuch a one
fhall partake of the Punifhment due
to him for the ill Difeharge of his
Office, yet he muft not think thereby
to efcape himfelf, but, in Truth,
fhall be more grievoufly punifhed
than . they ; unlefs, indeed, they
chofe him purely for fome worldly
End, contrary to the Senfe and Dic
tates of their own Conference. For,
if they fhall be found to have acted
thus ; if, knowing a Man to be un
worthy, they fhall, neverthelefs, for
fome

of the Priesthood. 233
fome finifter Reafon, admit him,
their Punifhment fhall be equal,
nay, perhaps, fuperior to theirs, who
are thuschofen. For he that puts
it into the Power of any Man to
corrupt the Church, who, before,
had it in his Will to do it, is cer
tainly anfwerable for the Outrages
which he commits. But if, in all
thefe Refpects, he is blamelefs, and
fhall pretend, that he was impofed
upon by common Fame, and the
Report of others, yet fhall he not
altogether efcape with Impunity,
though, in fuch a Cafe, his Punifh
ment fhall be lighter than that of
the Perfon fo ordained. Would you
know the Reafon of this ? The
Cafe is plain : The Electors may,
poffibly, be led to the Choice of
fuch a Perfon by a falfe Opinion
pf his Merits ; but he that is thus
chofen

234 St. Chr ysostom
chofen cannot have this Plea ; he
cannot fay that he was ignorant of
himfelf, as others were. As, there
fore, in fuch a Cafe as this, he is
liable to a forer Punifhment than
thofe that chufe him, fo he ought
more carefully to try and examine
himfelf; and if, in the Ignorance
and Simplicity of their Hearts, they
fhould have fixed upon him, he ought
to put a Stop to their erroneous Opi
nion of him, by opening himfelf to
them ; that fo, convincing them of
his Unworthinefs, he may efcape the
Burden of fo high an Office.
For what is the Reafon that in
the Concerns of this Life, fuch
as the Arts of War, of Merchan
dize, or Hufbandry ; neither the
Ploughman will undertake to pilot
a Ship, nor the Soldier to till the
Ground, nor the Mariner to conduct an

of the Priesthood. 235
an Army, though you threaten their
Refufal ever fo feverely? Is it not
plainly this ; becaufe they forefee
the dangerous Confequences which,
in fuch Cafes, would attend their
Unfkilfulnefs ? But what ! fhall we
in tfiefe leffer things, where the Da
mage is fo fmall in Comparifon, ufe
fo great Caution, and boldly refift
all Compulfion ; and yet, in the
Bufinefs of the Priefthood, where
eternal Punifhment attends Mens
Unfkilfulnefs, fhall we rafhly run
into fo great Danger, and then pre
tend to fhelter ourfelves under the
preffing Intreaties of others ? Cer
tainly this will never pafs with him
that judgeth us. For no doubt but
Men ought to ufe greater Caution in
things fpiritual, than in things tem
poral ; and yet, here, they are com
monly feen to ufe lefs: For, give me

236 St. Chry^ostom
me Leave to afk ; Suppofe, upon an
Opinion of fuch a one's being a
good Architect, we fend for him to
undertake a Piece of Work, and he,
in Obedience to us, undertakes it,
though he be none ; if, when he
comes to difpofe of thofe Materials
that are ready for the Building, he
confounds the Wood and Stone, and
erects fuch a Fabric as will fall in
a little Time, will it be fufficient for
his Excufe to fay, That he came not
to this Undertaking of his own ac
cord, but was drawn to it by the
Importunity of others? It is cer
tain it will not, nor is there any
Reafon it fhould ; becaufe it was his
Part to have fhunned thofe Perfons,
and have fled from them.
But what! fhall he who makes
away with fuch vile Materials as
Wood and Stone, not be able to
avoid

of the Priesthood. 237
avoid Phnifhment; and fhall that
fpiritual Builder, who is negligent
of his Charge, and lofes thofe Souls
committed to him, think to efcape,
by fkreening himfelf under the pref-
fing Intreaties of other's ? How al
together abfurd is this ? Not to
mention, that no Man can be com
pelled to this againft his Will. But,
however, fuppofing this, that great
Compulfion, and many artful Stra
tagems were practifed, to draw a
Man into this Snare, do we think-
that that would fecure him from
Punifhment ? For God's Sake, let
us not thus groflly deceive ourfelves,
nor pretend Ignorance of that which
even Children cannot but know.
For, in Truth, when we come to
give an Account at the laft Day,
this pretended Ignorance will ftand
us in no ftead. But

238 St. ChR y s 6 s t om
But fuch a one, perhaps, will fay;
that he did not ambitioufly affect or
feek after this high Office, being
confcious to himfelf of his own In*-
fufficiency. Well, and good : But
then, it behoved him, with the fame
Difpofition of Mind, to have refufed
thofe that called him to it. Or,
perhaps, he was unable and infuffi
cient only while this Dignity was
unoffered, but as foon as it was once
offered him, he became at once ca
pable and fufficient in an Inftant.
Idle and ridiculous Pretence ! and
fuch as deferves the greateft Punifh
ment. For which Reafon, our Lord
advifes him * that would build a
Tower, not to lay his Foundation,
till he hath firft confidered his own
Ability ; left haply after he hath laid
the Foundation, and is not able to
.* Lake xiv. 1 8, 29. finijh

of the Priesthood. 239
finifh it, all that behold it, begin to
mock him. In that Cafe, indeed,
the Damage would not be extraor
dinary, it being no very great In
felicity to be laughed at; but, in
the Cafe before us, the Punifhment
is unquenchable Fire, the never-dying
Worm, Gnafhing of Teeth, utter
Darknefs, the being cut afunder, and
the having our Pvrtion with Hypo
crites and Unbelievers *.
My Accufers will confider none
of thefe things : If they did, they
could not but ceafe to blame a Per
fon who was thus unwilling to ruin
himfelf. For, truly, the thing under
our prefent Confideration is by no
means trifling ; it is not concerning
the Stewardfhip of Corn or Beafts,
or any other fuch things, but con
cerning the very Body of Jefus
* Ifaiab lxvi. 24. Matt. xxv. 30. Chrift :

240 S T. C H R Y S 0 S T 0 M
Chrift : For, according to St. Paul^,
the Church of Chrift is his Body ; and
he to whom the Care of it is com
mitted, ought to ufe his utmoft En
deavours to preferve that Body in a
good State and Habit, and in its
natural Beauty, and to be always
watchful, left any Spot or Wrinkle,
or any other Blemifh, fhould fully
the Clearnefs and Comelinefs of it*
For what is this, but, according to
the beft of his Power, to render that
Body worthy of that bleffed and in
corruptible Head, which prefides
over it. For, truly, if, in refpect
of our natural Body, they that de
fire to have a robuft and found
Conftitution, muft make ufe of Phy-
ficians and Wreftlers, an exact Diet,
conftant Exercife, and obferve many
other Rules, the leaft Neglect of
* Col. I 18. which

of the PriesthPod. 241
which may poffibly be of ill Con-
fequence. How will they, that have
the Care of Chrift' s Body, by which
they are to engage in a Warfare, not
with Bodies like ours, but with in-
vifible Powers, be able to preferve
it found and whole, unlefs, being
aided by a fupernatural Skill, they
underftand all the Arts of Healing
proper for the Soul?
CHAP. III.

f"T"*0 all this I need not add
1 what, no doubt, you well
know that that Body which I am
now fpeaking of, is liable to a
greater Variety of Difeafes, and
much more dangerous Afiaults, than
our own natural Flefh ; and that as
the Members thereof are more eafily
corrupted, fo they are much harder
R to

242 St. Chrysostom
to be recovered. For they that have
the Cure of thefe our natural Bodies,
have many Advantages, great Di-
verfity of Medicines, no lefs a Variety
of Inftruments, and a Diet, proper
and fuitable for the Patient; even
the fole Temperament of the Air
is fometimes fufficient to reftore
Health ; nay, a feafonable Slumber
hath, at other Times, had the fame
happy Effect, and faved the Phy
fician all farther Labour.
But, in the fpiritual Cure of the
Body of Chrift, none of thefe Ad
vantages are to be met with. There
is but one Method, there is but one
Way, of recovering us after our evil
Deeds ; and that is, by the Doctrine
of the Divine Word. That is the
Inftrument; that, the Diet; that, the
beft Temperament of Air ; that fup-
plies the Place of Phyfic. If there be
Need

of the Pri.esthoo n. 243
Need of fearing, that is the beftCau-
ftic : That is the beft Incifion-knife,
if there be Need of Amputation.
This is what we muft make ufe of
in all thefe Cafes; and if this doth
not effectually work a Cure, npthing
will.. For, by this, the Soul is raifed
up from a drooping and languifhing
State ; by this,, when it is blown up
with Vanity, thofe Swellings and
Tumors are repreffed ; by this, we
cut off from it all Superfluities, and
fupply all Defects : And, in a Word,
this is the Inftrument by which we
perform all Other Operations which
are requifite for the Welfare and
Health of the Soul.
It is true, indeed, in refpect of
our Morals, that the good Life of
another Perfon may provoke us to
Emulation ; and it is poffible for us
to arrive at a moft excellent Way of
R 2 Living,

244 St. Chr y sos t om
Living, by the Influence of our
Neighbour's Example. But when
the Soul is infected with fpurious
and heretical Opinions, there is then
great 'Neceffity for the Application
of this Divine V/ord of Doctrine;
and that, to keep our own People
clear of that Infection, as well as to
oppofe and encounter the Enemy.
Nay, if a Mari were armed with the
Sword of the Spirit, and with the
Shield of Faith *, fo as to be able to
work Miracles, and, by thofe Mi
racles, to 'flop the Mouths of fhame-
lefs and impudent Gainfayers, fuch
a Perfon (one would think) fhould
have the lefs Need of the Affiftance
of the Word : And yet, even here,
this is fo far from being ufelefs in its
Nature, that it is, indeed, very ne-
ceflary. *' Eph. vi. 16, 17. The

of the Priesthood. 245
The bleffed Apoftle St. Paul made
ufe of it himfelf, though he was
every- where fo admired for the
Miracles which he wrought : And
another of that facred College ex
horts us to apply ourfelves to this
Faculty, faying *, Be ready always
to give an Anfwer to every Man that
afketh you a Reafon of the Hope that
is in you. Nor was it for any other
Caufe, that the whole Body of the
Apoftles committed to Stephen, and
the reft of the Deacons, the Care
of the poor Widows, but that they
might give themfelves 'continually to
the Miniftry of the Word f. To
this we ought equally to apply
ourfelves, unlefs, indeed, we think
ourfelves endued with a Power of
working Miracles : But if, in Re
ality, there is not the leait Sign of
* 1 Pet. in. iy. -'f Affs m. 4.
R 3 any

246 St. Chr y s os t oh
any fuch Power remaining among
us, and if many Adverfaries dp
cpnftantly arife pn all Sides of us,
what remains but a Neceffity of
arming ourfelves with this facred
Armour, that we be not wounded
by the Darts of the Enemies, and
that they may not efcape the Reaeh
oi ours. CHAP. IV.
E ought, therefore, to give
all Diligence, that the Word
pf Chrift dwell in us richly *. For
the Warfare which we are engaged
in is not of one Sort only, but va
rious, and confifts pf a great Multi
plicity of Enemies, who do neither
ufe all of them the fame Weapons,
neither do they attack us all the
* Col. iii. 16.
fame

¦of the Priesthood. 247
fame Way. It behoves him, there
fore, who is to receive all thefe dif
ferent Attacks, to underftand all
their Arts of War. He muft, at
once, be»fkilful at the Bow, and at
the Sling ; he muft 'know how to act
the Part of a fuperior and inferior
Officer ; of a common Centinel, or a
Commander ; on Foot, or on Horfe-
back ; in a Fight by Sea, or a Siege
hy Land. For it is not here as in
common Battles, in which, if every
one maintains that fingle Poft which
is affigned him, it is fufficient to
repell the Enemy : But he that de
fires to come off a Conqueror in this
fpiritual Warfare, muft underftand
all the Stratagems and Contrivances
thereof; or elfe the Devil, where-
eyer he fpies any one Place un
guarded and neglected, will there
throw in his Forces to deftroy the
R 4 Flock

248 St. Chrysostom
Flock of Chrift : But this he cannot
do, where he perceives the Shepherd
coming againft him, well inftrucled
and fully apprifed of all his Snares
and Deceits. For this Caufe, we
ought to be well guarded in all
Parts : For our Cafe is not unlike
that of a City, which, as long as it
is encompaffed on all Sides by a
ftrong Wall, continues fafe, and
laughs at her Befiegers ; but if
once a fmall Breach be made in it,
though but of the Bignefs of a Gate,
the Remainder of the Wall, let it
ftand never fo firm, will be of little
Ufe or Service to it. q Juft thus it
fares with the City of God ; fo long
as the Wifdom and Vigilance of the
Pallor encompaffes her on all Sides,
as with a Wall, all hoftile Attempts
of an- Enemy will end in his own
Shame and Difgrace, while the In
habitants

of the Priesthood. 249
habitants remain fafe and unmolefted
within ; but if once any fingle Part
of it be demolifhed, though the reft
ftand never fo faff, yet, through that
Breach, Ruin and Devaftation will
enter upon the Whole.
Thus, to what Purpofe doth a
Man argue fuccefsfully againft the
Gentiles, if, at the fame Time, he
becomes a Prey to the JewsP or,
what Advantage is it for him to be
a powerful Difputer againft them
both, if the Manichees are too power
ful for him ? or, fuppofing him too
hard for them alfo, what fhall he be
the better for it, if the Fatalifts and
Deftinarians break in upon him, and
make Ravage and Havock of the
Flock ? But, not to enumerate all
the feveral Herefies which the Devil
hath introduced, it will be fufficient
to fay, that, unlefs a Paftor is fin-
3 gularly

250 St. 'Chr Y S OS T O M
gularly well fkilled in refuting them
all, any one- of them will fiet open a
Door for the Wolf to enter, and de
vour many of the Sheep of Chrift.
Befides, we may obferve, that, in
martial Engagements, the Victory is
commonly obtained, and the Defeat
given, by thofe Soldiers that ftand
their Ground, and fight .bravely.
•But in thefe fpiritual Combats, it is
quite otherwife : For, here, it often
times falls out, that while fome. are
contending, others, that fit ftill, and
take no Pains, enjoy the Victory.
This is the Cafe of any raw and un
experienced Difputant, who, like a
Soldier that hath his own Weapons
turned upon him, becomes ridi
culous both to Friends and Foes,
Shall I make this plain to you, by
an Example ? The Inflance, then,
that c I will give you is this. They who

©/^Priesthood. 251
who receive the wdld Doctrines of
Valentinus and Marcion, reject out
of the Catalogue of the Divine Writ
ings, the Law which was given by
God to Mofes. On the other hand,
the Jews fo highly honour it, that
they contend for the Obfervance of
all therein commanded, though the
Time for thofe things being now ex
pired, fuch an Obfervance would be
contrary to the Will of God. But
now the Church, avoiding both thefe
Extremes, takes the middle Way ;
teaching, that though we are not
any longer to fubmit our Necks to
that Yoke, yet that the Law itfelf
ought not to be evil-fpoken of; and
though the Obligation thereto is
now at an End, yet we praife it for
its Ufefulnefs formerly, while it re
mained in force. He, therefore,
that is to engage with thefe two
Enemies,

252 St. Chrysost o m
Enemies, ought, by all means, to
underftand this Medium : For if,
being defirous to. fhow the Jews how
unfeafonably they are now attached
to the old Law, we fall upon it un
mercifully, and declaim againft it
immoderately, we fhould give no
little Handle of Obloquy to thofe
Heretics to rail againft it. On the
other Side, if, to flop their Mouths,
we extoll it beyond Meafure, and
run into large Encomiums upon it,
as a thing neceffary even now, then
we give as great a Handle to the
Jews, as we had before given to the
Heretics. Again, they who embrace the
mad Notions of Sabellius, or Arius,
do both of them fall from the Sound-
nefs of the Faith, for want of ob-
ferving a due Mean. Both thofe
Heretics, indeed, are called Chri
ftians ;

©/"/^Priesthood. 253
ftians ; but, if you enquire into
their Doctrines, you will find the
one not much better than the Jews,
and little differing from them, ex
cept in Name ; and the others
very much refembling the Herefy
of Paul of Samofata ; and both of
them exceedingly deviating from
the Truth.
Great, therefore, is the ' Danger
in this Refpect. The Truth lies in
a ftrait and narrow Way, between
two fteep Precipices; and there is
Reafon to fear, left, whilft we fight
fuccefsfully againft the one Sort of
Fleretics, we ourfelves be wounded by
the other. For if we affert the Unity
of the Godhead, immediately Sabel-
lius draws that Expreffion to his own
impious Senfe. On the other hand,
if we make a Diftinction, and fay,
that the Father is one, the Son an
other,

254 &t. ChrYs'osto -\I
other, and the Holy Ghoft another^
Arms is ready to wreft that Diftinc-
tion of Perfons into a Difference of
Subftance. And it equally concerns
us to avoid the impious Confufioh
of the one, and the mad Diverfity
of the other, by confeffing the God
head of the Father, Son, and Holy
Ghoft, to be all one, and by adding
thereunto a Trinity of Perfons : For
thus fhall we fortify ourfelves againft
both their Affaults;
Befides thefe, I might here reckon
up to you feveral other Adverfaries,
againft which except we fkirmifh
with Courage and Diligence, we
fhall be obliged to leave the Field
with Wounds and Difgrace.

CHAP.

of the Priesthood. 255
C H A P. V.
OR muft I pafs by the tri
fling Difputes of our own
People, winch, as they are not lefs
violent than thofe Attacks which
We receive from without/ fo they
create no lefs Trouble to a Paftor.
For forne, out of an idle Curiofity,
are vainly defirous, at any Rate,
to pry into thofe , things, which
it is neither poffible for them to
know, nor of any Advantage to
them, if they did. Others, again,
demand an Account of God's Judg
ments, and would fain found the
Depth of that: Abyfs, which is un
fathomable: For,, as the Scripture
teacheth us *, Thy Judgments are a
great Deep. We meet with very
* Pfal. xxxvi. 6. few

256 St. Chr Ys os T oM
few that are inquifitive into the
Soundnefs of their Faith, Or the Up-
rightnefs of their Practice ; but great
Numbers are bufy in fearching cu-
rioufly into thofe things wrhich they
will never be able to find out; the
very Search after which ferves only
to provoke God's Indignation. And
no Wonder : For if we endeavour to
pry into the Knowledge of thofe
things which God would hide
from our Eyes, we fhall not only
labour in vain (as,j indeed, how
fhould it be otherwife, when we run
counter to the Divine Will ? ) but
our very Search will be of dangerous
Confequence to us. And though
this is the Cafe, yet if, in this Cafe,
a Bifhop interpofe his Authority,
and put a Stop to thofe bold In
truders into the Divine Secrets, he
will

of the Priesthood". 257
Will certainly incur the Cenfure
either of Pride or Ignorance.
Here, therefore, he hath Need of
much Wifdom, as well to bring his
People off from all fuch unreafonable
Queftions, as to avoid the before-
mentioned Cenfures himfelf. And,
to effect this, nothing can more
contribute than the Art of fpeaking
well, of which whatever Pallor is
deftitute, the Souls which are under
his Care (thofe I mean of the Weaker
and more curious Sort) are in a Con
dition not much better than a Ship
perpetually tolled to and fro, and
beaten with Storms and Tempefts:
And, for this Reafon, it behoves a
Bifhop to do his utmoft Endeavour
to obtain this moft ufeful Faculty.

S CHAE

2 C& 8 T. G H R Y- SOS T 0 U

*-

CHA P. VI.
Basil.
iUT what then do you think of
St. Paul P He did not make
it his Study to obtain this Art ; nei
ther did he at all diffemble his
Want of Eloquence, but expreffly
confeffes *, that he was rude and
unfkilful in Speech ; and that too,
when he was writing to the Co
rinthians, who highly valued them
felves on account of this Faculty,
and indeed excelled in it.
Chrysostom.
This is that very thing which
hath ruined many, by rendering
them more negligent and remits in
their Application to the Study of the
true Doctrine. For, not being able
* 2 Con xi. 6. to

of the Priesthood. 259
to reach the Depth pf St. Paul's
Meahing, hor underftand the Senfe
of thofe Words, they have, as it
were, nodded away their whole
Lives in Indolence and Sloth, affect
ing not fuch an Ignorance as St.
Paul fpeaks of, but fuch a one as
he was the fartheft from of all Men
living. But let this reft for the
prefent. In the mean Time, fuppofing that
Apoftle to have been as incapable
in this.Refpect, as they themfelves
Would reprefent him, yet what is
that to the Men of this Age ? For,
truly, he was endued with a much
more powerful and excellent Faculty
than the Art of Oratory; which was,
that his bare Prefence, even though
he was fifent all the while, was
terrible to evil Spirits, Nay, the
greateft Affemblies noW, with all
S 2 their

260 St. Chr ysostom
their Prayers and Tears, are not able
to perform thofe things which were
effected only by the Handkerchief of
that Apoftle. He raifed the Dead
by his Prayers *, and wrought fuch
other Miracles, that the Heathen
Spectators took him for a God -f .
Nay, before he departed this Life,
he was thought worthy to be caught
up to the third Heaven, and there
to hear fuch Words, as it was not
lawful for human Ears to be ac
quainted with %< But the Men of
this prefent Age (not to fay any
thing harfh or grievous of them j
for, indeed, I do not fpeak this as
infulting over them, but with Won
der at them), how is it that they do
not tremble, to compare themfelves
with fo excellent a Perfon ? For,
* ABsxx. 9. f Ibid. xiv. ii.
1 2 Cor. xii. 2. 4. not

of the Priesthood, 261
not to infift any longer on his Mi
racles, if we carry our Thoughts to
the Life of this bleffed Saint, and
take a View of his angelical fon-
verfation, we fhall ftill find him
triumphant no lefs in this Refpect,
than before on the account of his
Miracles. And, indeed, who can recount
the Excellences of this holy Man ?
his Zeal, his Meeknefs, his continual
Dangers, his affiduous Cares, and
inceffant Anxiety for the Churches ;
his tender Compaffion for weak
Brethren ; his innumerable Afflic
tions, his various Perfecutions, and
his daily Deaths ? What Part of the
Uniyerfe is there, either by Land or
Sea, that is a Stranger to the La
bours of this righteous Perfon ?
Even defert Places have known him,
and hofpitably received him in the
S 3 midft

262 St. Chr y sos tom
midft of Danger. What Sort of en-
fnaring Stratagems are there, which
were not practifed upon him ? In
Refpect of all which, he might be
juftly faid to pafs through a whole
Courfe of Victory. In a Word, he
was indefatigable in his Encounters,
and never gave out, till he came off
Conqueror. But how am I, ere I was aware,
become even injurious to this great
Man, by the Meannefs of my De-
fcription! For, indeed, his Merits
furpafs all Defcription, and parti
cularly mine, as far as I myfelf am
furpaffed by thofe that are Mailers
of Eloquence. However (fince I per-
fuade myfelf that that holy Apoftle
will judge of my Performance in this
Matter, not according, to the Succefs,
but the Defign), I cannot even yet
leave off, without giving you one
Inftance

of the Priesthood. 263
Inftance more ;- Which is as much
beyond any thing yet mentioned, as
he himfelf was beyond all other
Men. Would you know what that
is ? Why, after fo many Worthy
Exploits / which he had done, and
fuch a large Share of Glory and
Victory which he had obtained, he
wifhed that he might be thruft into
Hell, and be delivered over to its
everlafting^ Pains, on Condition that
he might thereby fave the Jews,
arid bring them . over to Chrift * ;
many of whom were, neverthelefs,
the very Perfons who had fo fre
quently ftoned him, and done what
they could to kill him. Who, ever
loved our Saviour at fo great a Rate t
if, indeed, that is to be called Love,
and not rather fome other thing, of
a nobler and more exalted Nature,
% Rom. ix. 3. S 4 And:

264- St. Chrysostom
And fhall we yet pretend to com
pare: ourfelves with this admirable
Saint, after fo great Grace imparted
to him from above, and fo great
Virtue practifed by him here below ?
This would be the higheft Degree
of Boldnefs and Prefumption.
But I proceed to the Objection
itfelf, and fhall now endeavour to
fhow you, that this Apoflle was not
in Reality fo ignorant as he pre
tended. Now, they do not only reckon
that Man ignorant, who is inexpert
in the Flourifhes of profane Oratory,
but him alfo who knows not how
to contend fkilfully for the Defence
of the right Faith. And in this they
judge not amifs. But St. Paul did
not fay that he was ignorant in both
thefe Refpects, but in one only :
And, to confirm this, he is careful

to

of the Priesthood. 265
to make a Diftinction, faying *,
Though I be rude in Speech, yet not
in Knowledge.And, truly, if any one fhould
pretend, that the Smoothnefs of Ifo-
crates, the Gravity of Demofthenes,
the Majefty of Thucydides, and the
Sublimity of Plato, were neceffary
for a Bifhop, I fhould not need
to produce any ftronger Evidence
againft it, than this of St. Paul.
But I pafs by all thofe things ; I
make no Account of thofe curious
Ornaments of profane Eloquence ;
nor am I at all concerned for the
Nicety of every Phrafe or Sentence.
And, indeed, let the Diction be as
plain and unadorned as you pleafe ;
let a Man's Compofition be as fimple
and inartificial as he will; only, let
fiim not be raw in Knowledge, nor
i * 2 Cor. xi. 6. unfkilful

266 St.'Chrys OS TOM
unfkiJfiil in Refpect of Doctrines, in
difcerning Truth from Error; nei
ther let him feek to fhelter his own
Idlenefi, under a vain Pretence, by
robbing that bfeffed Apoftle of that
which was his higheft Encomium,
and the very Summit of all his:
Praife. ' ^ C H A P. VII.
* . ¦ .'. >
FOR how was it, I would, affc^
that he: confounded the Jews
which dwelt at Damafcus *, when
he had not as yet begun to work
Miracles? By what Means was he •
too hard for the Grecians f P And
what was the Caufe for which he
was fent to Tarfiis | ? Was it not,
becaufe he had vanquifhed them by
*- Atis'xx. 22. -f~ Ibid. ix. 25?.
£ Ibid. ix. 30. the

of the P R I E S T HO OJ). 2b J.
the Force of his Arguments (for as
yet, I obferved before, he had
wrought no Miracles at all), and
had driven them" to fuch Extremi
ties, that, not being- able to bear
the Foil, they refolved to murder
him. Neither is there Room to ob
ject, that it was the Glory of thofe
mighty Works which he wrought
that rendered him wonderful in the
Eyes of the People, and that they
who difputed with him were over
powered by the prodigious Opinion
Men had of him on that Account;
for, hitherto, he conquered by Dint
of Argument only. How elfe was
it, that he contended fo earneftly,
and difputed at Antioch fo warmly,
againft thofe that were for following
the Jewifih Ceremonies ? And Dio-
nyf.us the Areopagite *, an Inha-
* A5ls xvii. 34. bitant

268 St. Chrysostom
bitant of that moft fuperftitious City
Athens., by what Means was he, with
his Wife, perfuaded to adhere to this
hply Apoftle ? Was it not by the
Efficacy of that Sermon which he
there made ? Or, -when Eutychus *
fell down put of the Window, what
was the Occafion of that Accident ?
Was it not his long Attendance, even
until Midnight, to St. Paul's Preach
ing ? How do we find him employed
at Theffalonica, at Corinth, at Ephe-
fus, and at Rome itfelf? Did he not,
in all thofe Places, fpend whole Days
and Nights in expounding to his
Auditors the holy Scriptures, in their
Order? To what Purpofe fhould I
mention his Encounters with the
Stoics and Epicureans -j-? For, in-
deeed, fhould I defcend to every
* Adis xx. 9. -j- Ibid. xvii. 18. Par-

of the Pries Tho od. 269
Particular, I muft extend my Dif-
courfe to an unreafonable Length,
It appears, then, that, both before
his Miracles and afterwards, St. Paul
made ufe of much Eloquence. With
what Face, therefore, will any one
dare to pronounce him ignorant or
unfkilful, whofe Sermons and Dif-
putations were fo exceedingly . ad
mired by all that heard them ? Let
any one tell me, what was the Rea
fon why the People of Lycaonia took
him for Mercury * ,* For that Paid
and Barnabas were thought to be
Gods, was owing to their Miracles ;
but that St. Paul, particularly, was
taken for Mercury, was not owing
to them, but to his excellent Faculty
of fpeaking. In what elfe did this bleffed Saint
excell the reft of the Apoftles ; . and
* AcJs xiv. 1 a. how

2 76 St. GhIYsS 6's t 0 m
how comes he more efpecially to be
in the Mouths of all Meli- through
out the whole World? How is it
that he is admired beyond all the
refi, not by us only, but by Jews
and Gentiles alfo ? Is it hot for the
Excellence of his Epiftles, bf which
he became ufeful not onty to the
Chriftiahs of that Age, but to all
Others from that Time to this; and
"will continue to be fo to all that fhall
fee hereafter, even unto the Coming
of Chrift? So that he will not ceafe
to be of fingular Benefit to Mankind;
as long as Mankind itfelf fhall re
main upon the Earth. For, indeed,
his rnoft excellent Writings are, aS it
Were, a ftrong Fortification, erected
for the Defence of all the Churches
in the World, as he himfelf, like a
brave Warrior, doth, as it were;
ftand in the Midft, bringing into
Captivity

oftheVvii est hood. 271
Captivity every Thought to the Obe^
dience of Chrift; cafting down Ima
ginations, tind every high thing which
exalteth itfelf againft the Knowledge
of God *. And all this he doth by
thofe admirable Epiftfes of his, which
are fo replete with Divine Wifdom.
Nor are thofe Writings fuffi
cient only in refpect of Doctrine,
for the Subversion of falfe ones, and
the Defence of thofe that are true;
but, in refpect of our Morals alfo,
they are. of excellent Ufe for the re
gulating of our Lives : For by thefe
the Governors of the Church do, as
it were, form and fafhion that dhafte
Virgin which St. Paul f himfelf
had efpoufed to Cbr ft, '^ and drefs her
out with all fpiritual Beauty. By
the fame Means they keep from1 her
all noxious Diftempers, and preferve
* z Cor. x. 5. '-f- Ibid, xi, 2. her

272 St. Chr ys Os t o'm
her found and in good Health. Such
and fo powerful are thofe Mediciries
which are left us by him, whom
they would reprefent as ah ignorant
and unfkilful Man, the Experience
of which they are well acquainted
with, who have them in conftant
Ufe. And from all this it is mani-
feft, that St. Paul had given himfelf
up to thefe Sort of Studies, with
much Diligence and Application.
CHAP. VIII.
BU T farther : Hear what a
Charge he gives to his Di£
ciple Timothy * ; Give Attendance
to. Readings to Exhortation, to Doc~
trine. And, to encourage him, he
fhows him the Ufefulnefs of this 5
For, in doing this, thou fhalt both
* 1 Tim. iv. 13,
4 favg

of the Priesthood. 373
fave thyfelf and thofe that hear thee **
And again he faith f, The Servant
of the Lord muft not ftrive, but be.
gentle unto all Men, apt to teach,
patient. And proceeding, he adds %,
But continue thou in the things which
thou haft lear7ted, and haft been af-
fured of, knowing of whom thou haft
learned them : And that from a
Child thou haft known the holy Scrips
tures, which are able to make thee wife
unto Salvation. All Scripture, faith
the fame holy Man [|, is given by
Infpiratioft of God, and is profitable
for Do&rine, for Reproof, for Cor-*
reSlion, for Inft?~uBion in Right eouf-
nefs ; that the Ma?t of God may be
perfeEl. Hear what he adds farther, in his
Directions to Titus, concerning the
* I Tim. iv. 16. -j- 2 Tim. ii. 24.
^ Ibid. iii. 14, 1 5-. J| Ibid.nl. 16, 17.
T con-

274 St. Chry s os tom'
conftituting of a Bifhop : A Bifhop
muft hold f aft the faithful Word, as
he hath been taught, that he may be
able, by found DoSlrine, both to exhort
and to convince the Gainfayers *. But
how fhall any one that is ignorant
or unfkilful, as thefe Men pretend,
be able to convince fuch Perfons, or
to flop their Mouths ? Or what Need
is there to give Attendance to Read
ing, or to ftudy the holy Scriptures,
if fuch a State of Ignorance is to be
embraced by us ? Thefe, therefore,
are mere Shifts and Pretences, under
which Men would hide their own
Idlenefs and Sloth.
But you will fay, perhaps, that thefe
things are given in Charge to thofe
of the facred Order. And are not
they the very Perfons we have been
fpeaking of all this while ? Not but
* Tit. i. p. that

of the Priesthood. 275
that the fame Apoftle requires the
fame thing of the Laity alfo, as is
plain from another Paflage; where
he faith *, Let the Word of Chrift
dwell in you richly, in all Wifdom*
And again -f, Let your Speech be.
alway with Grace, feafoned with
Salt, that ye may know how ye ought
to anfwer every Man. And it is
given in Charge to all in general,
that they be ready to % render an
Account of their Faith. And fo
alfo, writing to the Theffalonians,
he faith ||, Edify one another^ even.
as alfo ye do.
But, when he fpeaks of the facred
Order, he faith §, Let the Elders
that rule well be counted worthy of
double Honour, efpecially they who
* Col. iii. 1 (J. -f Ibid. iv. 6.
J I Pet. iii. 15. j| i Thejf.v. 11.
§ x Tim. v. ly. T 2 labour

2.76 S X. P H & Y S O S TJ(P M
labour in .the Word , and 'Do&rine-.
For tliis,J truly, is ^ the Perfection
of Doctrine, when the Minifters
of Chrift,^. both by thofe things
which they do, and by thofe which
they, teach, .bring their Difciples to,
that happy.State -of Life-which our4
Lord hath. preferibed.A For, Example
alone is not fufficient to -inftruct
others : Nor do I fay this of myfelf;
it is our. Saviour's own * E^oetrine :
Whofoever, faith he *.-,_¦ J fhall do, and
fhall teach ¦ Menfo) thf fame fhall be
called great. Now, if toff 0 had been
the fame as to teach, that laft Word
would have1 been fuperfluous ; and it
had been enough for our Lord to.
have faid, Whofoever fhall do only \x
^ut now, by .diftinguifhing them,,
he fhows plainly, that Pra&ice is
one thing, and Doctrine another,
• ,-¦ 4 * • -¦ *?¦
* Matt. v. 15. ,.T; .7 ? 1 z
X and

of the Priesthood. 277
and that each of them wants the
other's Affiftance, in order to per
fect Edification^ Hear alfo what
that chofen Veffel of Chrift faith to
the Prefbyters at Ephefus * ; There
fore watch, and remember^' thai, by
the -Space of three Tears, I ceafed
not to warn every one Night and
Day with Tears. But what Need
was there for his Tears, or for the
Admonitions of his Doctrine, when
the Life of. that holy Apoftle was fo
illuftrious and exemplary ? I an
fwer, his holy Life might be a great
Inducement to Men to keep God's
Commands ; but I dare not fay that
that alone was fufficient for every
thine elfe.

* ABs xx. 3 1 ,

T 3 CHAP.

278 St. Chr Y S OS T 0M
CHAP. IX.
FO R when a Difpute arifes con
cerning Matters of Doctrine,
and all argue from the fame Scrip
tures, what Force or Power can the
moft virtuous Life have to determine
the Controverfy ? Of what Ad
vantage will the greateft Aufterities
be in this Cafe, when, after all the
moft painful Exercifes of Virtue, a
Perfon may, through much Unfkil
fulnefs, fall into Herefy, and fo be
cut off from the Body of the
Church ; as hath been the Cafe of
many, within the Reach of my own
Memory ? Of what Service, for In-
ftance, will fuch a Man's Patience
be to him ? Juft as much as a found
Faith will be to a wicked Liver. For

of the Priesthood. 279
For thefe Reafons, it highly
concerns him, whofe Office it is
to teach others, by no means to
be unfkilful in thefe* Sort of Dif-
putations. For though he himfelf
flood fafe, and were unhurt by the
Gainfayers, yet the fimple Multitude
that are under his Direction, when
they fee their Leader confuted, and
have nothing to reply, will be apt
to lay the Blame not on his Infuf-
ficiency, but on the Doctrines them
felves, as though they were weak,
and not able to bear the Teft. And
thus, through the Unfkilfulnefs of
one Man, great Numbers may be
brought to extreme Ruin.
' For though they do not entirely
go over to the Adverfary, yet they
are, by this Means, brought to doubt
of and miftruft thofe Doctrines
T 4 which

280 St. Chr y s p s tom
which before they firmly believed;
and thofe Perfons, whom they be
fore adhered to, unfhaken in the
Faith, they cannot any longer rely
upon, with the fame Confidence and
Firmnefs of Mind : For, their Leader
being vanquifhed, fo great a Storm
beats upon their Souls, that they are
in Danger of being caft away.
» In the mean Time, how great
Perdition, and what a fore Punifh
ment, refts on the miferable Head
pf fuch a Leader, for every Soul that
is thus loft, I need not tell you ;
it is what you know perfectly well.
And fhall it be imputed to Pride
or to Vain-glory in me, that I was
tender of bringing fo many Souls to
Ruin ; and, confequently, pf en
hancing my own Punifhment in the
pther World ? Who will offer to
fay

of th Priesthood. 28*
fay this ? Surely, no one ; unlefs
he is difpofed to find Fault where
there is none, and to play the Critic;
in other Mens Calamities,

The End of the Fourth Book,

BOOK

282 St. Chrysos to

m

BOOK the FIFTH.

CHAPTER I.
HOW great Skill is requifite
for a Bifhop, in contending
earneftly for the Truth, I
have fufficiently declared. There is
one thing more remaining to be
mentioned, which is the Caufe of
ten thoufand Dangers to him :
Though, indeed, the thing itfelf is
not fo blame-worthy in this Refpect,
as the Perfons who know not how
to make a good Ufe of it : Which
is manifeft from hence, that where-
ever that Skill is not wanting, it is
a moft excellent Means of Salvation,
and procures many high Advantages, whea

of the Priesthood. 283
when adminiftred by wife and good
Men. Would you know what this
is? In fhort, it is Preaching; it is
that great Labour which is employed
in public Sermons.
For, in the firft Place, the
greater Part of Auditors will not
difpofe themfelves to hearken to the
Preachers as to Perfons from whom
they fhould learn ; but, difdaining
the Rank of Difciples, they take
upon them to act the Part of thofe
rather that are Spectators at the
public Games ; and as there the
Multitude is feparated into Parties,
and fome join themfelves to one,
and fome to another; fo here alfo
they are divided, fome run after one
Preacher, and fome after another,
according as they are carried away
by Favour or Difaffection. Nor

284 .St. Chrysostom
~j;_ Nor is this 'the only Misfortune:
There is another attends this Matter,
not at all inferior to it. For if a
Preacher makes ufe of any Part of
another Man's Works in his Sermon,
the borrowing of fo many Words
will be deemed a greater Difgrace
to him, than if he had flolen fo much
Money ; nay, fometimes the bare
Sufpicion of fuch a thing will do it,
though the Man be innocent.
But why do I mention the Op
probrium of other Mens Works,
when a Preacher is not allowed,
without great Variety, to ufe his
own ? For many People hear Ser
mons now-a-days, juft as they go
to Plays and Concerts, not for Edi
fication, but Diverfion ; and that
Eloquence which I fo declaimed
againft juft now, is as much ex
pected in the Pulpit as at the Bar. A

of the Priesthood. 285
A Man, * therefore, fhould have a
good Prefence. of Mind, far beyond
what I can pretend to, to reftrain this
diforderly and unprofitable Pleafure
of the Multitude, and to bring them
to a more ufeful Way of Hearing;.
that they may follow and obey his
Doctrines, and he not be tolled about
and difquieted by their Humours
and -Fancies. But this is not to be
effected, but only by thefe two
things, a Contempt of Praife, and
the Art of Preaching well.
i.
CHAP. II.
ONE of thefe, without the
other, will not do : For if a
Preacher can overlook the Applaufe
of his Auditors, and is not able, at
the fame Time,' to entertain them
with found Doctrine, feafoned with' the

286 St. Chr ysos tom
the Salt of 'Grace *, his Greatnefs of
Mind will be of no Service to him,
but he will fall into a general Dif-
efteem : So, on the other hand, if
he preaches ever fo well, yet if he
is overcome by a vain Defire of Ap
plaufe, he brings no lefs Inconve
niences to himfelf and his Hearers ;
becaufe, on this Account, he en
deavours to form his Difcourfes more
to obtain their Favour and Praife,
than to do them Good.
And thus, as he who neither de
fires the Praife of his Hearers, nor
knows how to manage a Difcourfe,
can neither pleafe their Ears, nor
profit their Souls ; juft fo it fares
with that Preacher, who, carried
away with a Defire of Applaufe,
though he knows how to preach
fuch Doctrines as fhall be for the
* Col. iv. 6. Edifi-

of the Priesthood. 287
Edification of his Hearers, yet,
through an immoderate Thirft after
their Praife, preaches only fuch Doc
trines as fhall pleafe their Tafte.
CHAP. III.
AB 1 s h o p, therefore, that will
act up to his Character, muft
be powerful in both thefe Reflects,
left the Want of the one fhould ren
der the other ineffectual. For if,
when he afcends the Pulpit, and
fharply inveighs againft the Vices of
wicked Men, he fhould faulter and;
hefitate in his Difcourfe, and, for
Want of Fluency of Speech, be
confounded, and put out of Coun-*
tenance, thofe good things which
he had fpoken before do, by this
Misfortune, immediately lofe their
Effect : For they who are thus re
proved

2,88 St. Chr y sos toM
proved by him, being galled at his
juft Reflections, and not being able
to reply, gladly lay hold of this
Accident, under which to veil their
own Infamy, by expofing him as a
Man of no Parts or Learning.
A Preacher, therefore, not unlike
a fkilful Charioteer, ought to drive
fteadily between thefe two Excel
lences, that he may be able to ufe
either of them, as Occafion fhall
require: And when, in both thefe
Relpects, he fhall be irreproachable
himfelf, he will then be able, with
the greater Authority, to cenfure or
remitt the Sins of thofe under his
Care, which otherwife he would
find it difficult to do. Nor ought
this Greatnefs of Mind to-be limited
only to a Contempt of ¦ Praife, but
it fhould be extended farther alfo, left

of the Priesthood. 289
left the Advantage which he gains
thereby be imperfect.
CHAP. IV.
WOULD you know what elfe
he ought to contemn ? I
will tell you ; the Envy and Malice
of the World. : As he muft not
greatly fear, fo he fhould not too
negligently overlook unreafonable
Calumnies and groundlefs Accufa-
tions (for fuch, a Bifhop will be fure
to meet with), but he muft endea
vour, though they fhould be falfe,
and raifed by the Vulgar, to quaffi
and filence them as foon as poffible.
For nothing fo much magnifies a
good or ill Report, as the diforderly
Multitude, who being accuftomed
to hear and fpeak at random, repeat
U what-

290 St. Chrysost om
/whatever they are told, without Re
gard to Truth.
We muft by no Means, therefore,
defpife the Multitude in fuch a Cafe,
but endeavour to nip all evil Sufpi-
cions in the Bud, and calmly to per-
fuade our Accufers, be they ever
fo unreafonable. In a Word, we
ought to omit notlhng that may be
of Service to difcountenance any ill
Opinion of us. But if, after all,
our Accufers will not hearken to
Reafon, nothing remains but to
defpife their Calumnies. For he
that fuffers himfelf to be too much
afflicted at fuch Accidents, will
never be able to- do any thing ex
cellent or praife-worthy ; becaufe
nothing more debilitates and- over
whelms the Faculties of the Mind,
than Defpondency and continual
\*ares» As

of th& Priesthood. 2c)t
As a Father, therefore, v/ho is"
hot dejected at the little Injuries and
feeble Blows of his young Children]
hor thinks himfelf the better for
their Smiles and Applaufe ; fo ought
a Bifhop to be affected towards his
People ; neither to be elated by their
Praifes, nor to be caft down when
they are as immoderate iri their Ac-
Cufatiohs. But this, my good Friend/
is hard; if not impoffible : For I
queftion whether' any Man can for
bear being delighted, when he hears
himfelf praifed ; and he that is
pleafed with it, Will be tempted to
defire it ; and he that defires it,
will be uneafy and grieved when he
miffes of it. For, as they that take
a Pleafure in Riches, if they fall, at
any Time, into Poverty, will be
much afflicted at it; and as they
that have been accuftomed to live
U 2 deli-

292 St. Ch r ysost om
delicately, will by no means be eafy
under hard Fare; fo they that are
fond of Encomiums will pine away
with Grief, not only when they are
unjuftly afperfed, but alfo when
they fail of being praifed ; efpe
cially, if they have been ufed to re
ceive Applaufe themfelves, or hear ,
it given to others in their Prefence.
He that afcends the Pulpit with
thefe Longings and Defires after
Praife, to what Uneafinefs is he
liable ? He can no more be free
from Cares and Vexations, than the
Sea from Waves.
CHAP. V.
FOR though he be ever fo
good a Preacher (an Excel
lence that not many arrive at), yet
dns will not render his Labour the

of the Priesthood. 293
the lefs : For, fince the Art of fpeak-
ing well is not fo much the Work
of Nature, as of Learning and Appli
cation, when, by this Means, a Man
hath attained a Perfection in it, it
will, neverthelefs, forfake him, un
lefs he keep it cultivated with daily
Study and Exercife. -From whence
it follows, that the:Learned have a
greater Labour incumbent on them
than the Unlearned f- For the Lofs
which will attend their Negligence
will be much greater than that of
the Illiterate, in proportion to the
greater Value of the Treafure which
they are poffeffed of: For the for
mer will not be blamed, if they pro
duce nothing extraordinary in their
Sermons, for it is not expected from
them; but the latter, unlefs they
ftill keep towering above their own
Fame, by producing things ftill more
U 3 ani

294 St. Chr ysqstom
and more excellent, fall into much
Obloquy*' and Difgrace. Add to
this, -that the former, if they perr
farnx moderately well* will meet
with much Applaufe ; whereas the
latter, unlefs their Difcourfes are pe
culiarly excellent, both fall fhort of
Praife, and meet with many that.
are ready0to carp and find Faulty
5or the Auditors, who do'9 as it.
were£ frj: as Judges, at a Sermon, ¦.
are^pt toTconfider not fo much the
things that are fpoken, as the Cha--
racier of the Preacher. So that the
i. - -
rriore any one excels jothers pin
Preaching, the more^ Pains and Di
ligence m lift, -he.. take to maintain-
that Character: For that which is .a
carnmon.Excufe in oth^r- Cafes,- that
np one can dp all 'things, will not
be allowed him here; •but, unlefs"
his- Sermons altogether, come : up tp:
the

of the Priesthood. 295
the high Opinion which they have
conceived of him, he will' be ex
pofed to public Scorn.
Nor let him fail to confider how
far a Dejection of Spirit, or fome
inward Anxiety and Sollicitude of
Mind, or perhaps Anger, may
obfcure " the Clearnefs of a Man's
Thoughts, and fuffer not his Com-
pofitions to flow pure and undi-
fturbed ; and, particularly, that he,
being but a Man, cannot at all
Times, and in all things, acquit
himfelf with Succefs, but haply may
fometimes mifcarry, by finking be
neath himfelf. None of thefe things,
as I faid before, are allowed for,
but they criticife his Faults as fe
verely, as though they expected he
fhould be an Angel. Not but that,
in other Cafes alfo, it is too much
the Nature of Men to overlook the
U 4 good

296 St. Chr ysostom
good Performances of their Neigh- (
bours, though many in Number;
but if he make any falfe Steps,
though by mere Accident, and after
a long Diftance of Time, they are
foon perceived, eagerly laid hold on,
and always remembered : And fo a
fmall and inconfiderable Slip hath
often eclipfed the Glory of Perfons^
v/ho were eminent before,
CHAP. VI.
t | ^HUS you fee plainly, my
_|_ dear Friend, that he who is
an excellent Preacher Hands in Need
of much more Diligence, and Pa
tience too, than thofe of a meaner
Character, whom I mentioned be
fore; For fuch a one will be con
tinually attacked by many, who are
argiy that they have nothing to lay to

of the Pries Thood. 297
to his Charge, but that he is gene
rally approved; and he muft learn
to bear their bitter Envy with an
undaunted Mind.
For when Men have, without
any Reafon, contracted this wicked
Temper, being unable any longer
to conceal it, they give themfelves
the cruel Liberty to revile, accufe,
and calumniate, both in public and
private; and he who grieves, and is
exafperated, as often as this happens,
will confume his Soul in Trouble and
Vexation. Nor are fuch Men fatisfied'
with wreaking their Revenge upon
him by themfelves alone, but they
encourage others to do the fame ;
and fometimes they will fingle out
a Perfon of mean Abilities, whom
they will extol and admire beyond
all Meafure ; fome through the Mad
nefs of Envy, others through Ig
norance

298 St. Chr YSOS TOM
norance and Envy too ; not fo much
with a Defire of rendering him ad
mirable, who is not fo of himfelf,
as that, by this Means, they may'
leffen the Reputation of the other.
Nor is this the only Contention
which this Champion is liable to ;
for he muft fometimes encounter the
unfkilful Ignorance of a whole Mul
titude. For, fince an Audience
rarely confifts of learned Men, but
the greater Part of the Affembly are
generally illiterate ; and thofe among
them that are of a better Under-
flanding, yet fall as much fhort of
thofe that are able to judge of Ser
mons, as the lower Rank of Hearers
do of them ; and fince, amongft a
great Number, there may be, per
haps, but one or two that are ca
pable of doing this, it will from
thence neceffarily follow, that the
moft

of the Priesthood. 299
moft accomplifhed Preacher may
not only have the leaft t Applaufe,
but fometimes none at all,
Againft fuch unequal Judgment
a Man muft arm his Mind ; he muft
be prepared to pardon thofe that,
through Ignorance, are guilty of it,
and to grieve for others/who. do it
through Envy, as Perfons truly mi-
ferabfe. and; unhappy ; and to reft
fatisfiedj.in the mean Time, ,that the,
real Excellence^ of his Preaching is
not dimmiihedj , either by the Ig
norance of .the one, or the Malice of
the other. For thus a good Painter,
who is a cpmplete, Artift,'Jf an un
fkilful Spectator finds Fault with any
Piece which he knows to be drawn
with all. Accuracy arid Exactnefs,
will not entertain the worfe Opinion
' of the Performance, for the other's
Want of Judgment; nor, if it be.
meanly

300 St. Chr y s 6 s t om
meanly done, will he think the,
better of it, for any Praife and Ad
miration which the IghOrant may
bellow upon it.
C HA P. VII.
LET him, therefore, that is
an excellent Artift, be the
proper Judge of his own Perform
ances in things belonging to his Art ;
and let them be accounted either
good in their Kind, or the reverfe,
according as the Mind of him that
formed them fhall give Sentence ;
and let him never regard the er
roneous and unfkilful Judgment of
others. No more, in like Manner, fhould
he, who hath undertaken the Office
of Preaching, fet his Mind upon
the Praifes of the Multitude, nor be
dejected

of the Priesthood. 301
dejected if he fails of them ; but let
him frame his Difcourfes fo, as to
pleafe God (indeed, neither the
Praife or Applaufe of Men, but that
alone, ought to be the fole Rule and
End of this moft excellent Office).
If he is applauded by his Hearers,
let him not reject their Praife ; if he
is not, let him not feek after it, or
grieve for the Want of it. For, moft
certainly, the Confeioufnefs of his
having formed his Compofitions in
fuch a Manner, and of fuch Doc
trines as are pleafing to God, will
be a fufficient Comfort to him, and
an abundant Compenfation for all
his Labours. •

CHAP.

^02 St. -Chr y s 6s Ttfitf
CHAP, VJII.
ON the other hand, if a Preacher
fuffers himfelf to be led away
by an immoderate Defire of Praife,
it will render both his Labours and
his Abilities ineffectual : For, by this
Means, his Mind, being unable to
digeft the fenfelefs Condemnations
of the Multitude, becomes difpirited,
and gives over all Application to
that facred Work. Above all things,;
therefore, he ought to know how
to defpife Applaufe ; and, indeed,
without this, the greateft Skill id
the Art of Treadling will not be
fufficient to preferve that Talent;
Nay, if we carefully examine into
the Matter, we fhall find that the
Man who is deftitute of this Excel
lence, will ftand in as much Need of

of the Priesthood. 303
of a Contempt of Praife, as he that
deferves it much better. For fuch
a one who is led captive by a
greedy Defire of Applaufe, muft,
for the obtaining of it, neceffarily
fall into many Indecorums : For,
being unable to equal thofe that are
celebrated Preachers, he will be
ready to form ill Defigns againft
them, to envy them, to find Fault
without a Caufe, and to be guilty
of many other Indecencies towards
them. Indeed, there is' nothing
which fuch a one will flick aty
though at the Peril of his own Soul,
fo that he may rob them of their
Fame, to cover therewith the Mean
nefs of his own Abilities. Nor is
this all : For, when he fees that his
own Labours fail of Succefs, his
Mind will "be,, as it were, over
whelmed with Indolence and In
activity.

304 St. Ch r ysos tom
activity. For a Man, whofe Heart
is fet upon Praife, if, after all the
Pains he takes, he falls fhort of it,
will, of courfe, fink and defpond,
and become negligent and fupine.
For thus a Hufbandman, who hath
beftowed much Time on a poor
Piece of Land, foon grows weary of
his Labour, unlefs he is naturally
very induftrious, or apprehenfive of
a Famine. But if they that are Men of great
Abilities in the Pulpit require fuch
conftant Exercife for the Preferva-
tion of that Talent, 'he that hath
made no Collection of proper Ma
terials, but is forced, in the midft
of his Sermon, to ftand ftill and me
ditate, how great Difficulties muft
fuch a one encounter ! What Pains
muft he take, that, after all, he
may be able to obtain a little Ap-
7 plaufe !

of the Priesthood. 305
plaufe ! And if a Bifhop, fees one of
his own Clergy, of an inferior Order,
excelling him iri this Refpect, and
carrying away the Palm; from him,
I10W godlike a Soul ought fuch a
one to be endued with, not to be
tranfported with EnVy, or to fink
into Defpondency ? For furely, for
one of a fuperior Dignity to be out
done by his Inferior, and to bear the
Difgrace with Magnanimity, is the
Part not of an ordinary and common
Spirit, not of fuch a one as mine is,
but of an invincible and invulnerable
Frame. If, indeed, the Perfon who
thus excells, behaves himfelf with
Modefty and Moderation, the Mif-
.forfune is fo much the more toler
able ; but if he is confident, and
proud, and vain-glorious, if he in-
fults you to your Face, and laughs
at you behind your Back, and de-
X grades

306 St. Chr ysostPm
grades the authoritative Acts of your
Office, arrogating all things to him
felf, this will render your Life fo
bitter and unpleafant, that you will
every Day wifh to die, And nothing
fupports a Man more in that Info
lence, than his Fluency in Preach
ing, the Attachment of the Multi
tude who flock from all Parts to hear
him, and the Love of thofe that are
under his Miniftry.
I fhall not fuppofe you ignorant,
after all this, that an immoderate
Love of Eloquence hath captivated
the Minds of Chriftians, and that
they who excell therein, receive the
greateft Honour, not only among
Heathens, but even among thofe
that are of the Houfhold of Faith.
And how fhall a Man bear the Dif
grace, that, whilft he is preaching,
the difgufted Auditory fhall feem
uneafy.

of the PfeiEsTHdODi $§f
tiheafy, and impatiently long for his
Silence, as a.Refrefhment from La
bour; and when the other afcendsi
the Pulpit, friall never think him
tedious, but grieve when he : draws
to a Conclufion, and be almoft angry*
when he leaves off.
Thefe things may ^pofSbly^ fof
Want of Experience, feem Trifles
to you, and eafy to be defpifed j
but, let me tell you, they are enough
to extinguifh the greateft Alacrity*
and enervate the ftrongeft Refolu-
tion : Unlefs, indeed, a Man cari
raife himfelf above all human Paf*
lions, and become like thofe incor
poreal Spirits, that are liable neither
to Envy nor Vain-glory, nor any
fuch Diftempers of the Mind.
And, indeed, if there be any Man
who is able to fubdue this cruel
Beaft, which is fo difficult to be
X 2 taken,

308 St. Chr y s ps T om
taken, and fo hard to be tamed, (I
mean, ther Defire of popular Ap
plaufe), and cut off its many Heads,
or rather not fuffer them] to fprout
at all; he may, with Eafe, repell
thefe many violent Affaults, and en
joy himfelf as in a quiet Haven :
But he that cannot get rid of this
Monfter, will draw himfelf into va
rious Difputes, conftant Trouble,
Defpondence of Mind, and a Mul
titude of other Paflions. And to
what Purpofe fhould I recount the
other Difficulties, which no Man
can defcribe or know, but he that
has experienced them ?
The End of the Fifth Book.

BOOK

of the P R.IE STHO.Q D. 3©9

BOOK the SIXTH.

C H APT E R I.
YOU have heard the common
State of -things in tmV Life :
But as tp'ithe Life to come,
how fhall we be able to give ah Ac
count for every one committed to
our Charge ? For the Lofs of a Soul
will not terminate in Shame and Dif-
grace, but it will be attended alfo
with everlafting Punifhment. Nor can
I help repeating thofe Words of the
Apoftle *, though I have mentioned
themonce already, Obey the7n that have
the Rule over you, and fubmit your
felves ; for they watch for your Souls,
* Heb. xm. ij.
X 3 as

310 St, Chrysos tom
as they that muft give Account. And
I muft add, that the Terror of this
Threatening is a continual Trouble
to my Mind.
For if he that offends one of
tlipfe that believe in" thrift, had
better have a Mill-ftone hanged about
bis Neck, and be ' drowned in the
Peptk-of the pV* : And if they
that wound the Confidences of the
Brethren, ftp againft Chrift f him
felf? What, do we fuppofe, fhall be
the Cafe pf them, and how great
their Punifhment, who are the Caufe
pf Perditipn not to one, or two, or
three, but to great Multitudes of
Souls ? For the Plea of Unfkilful
nefs or Ignorance, of Violence or
Compulfion, will by no means be
admitted here. An ordinary Perfon
jnay? perhaps, have Recourfe to
5 Matt, xviii. (J. +i Cor. viii. 12.
thefe

of the Priesthood. 311
thefe Excufes, in refpect of his own
private Sins : But a Bifhpp, who
muft account for others, will not be
allowed thus to plead. Would you
know the Reafon of this? .v It is
plain ; becaufe fie himfelf is orr
dained to rectify the Ignorance of
others, and to forewarn ^len of the
Affaults of the Devil coming upon
them. How; then can fuch a one
pretend Ignorance, .or ofay, "I
"'heard not: the Sound : of the
" Trumpet; and forefaw not this
"_. fpiritual Conflict." . For he is ap
pointed for this very Purpofe, as
Exekiel faith *, that he may blow
the ^Trumpet I and warn the People
of the Evil at hand. And, fortius
Caufe, his Punifhment is- unavoid
able, even though but one Soul
perifh, For if the Watchman fee '
* M%eh xxxiii. 3 . •
;, • t X 4 i>?e

312 St.-Chr Y SOS T OM
the Sword come,^ and' blow not the
Trumpet, and the People be not
warned, ¦ if the Sword come and take
any Perfon, he is taken away in his
Iniquity, but his Blood will I require
at the Watchman s Hand *, « -
C H A P.- II.

:n.

CEASE, rtherefore, to impor
tune me to run fb great a
Hazard: For I ani not nowfpeak-
jng of conducting an Army, or of
governing; a Kingdom,' but of an
Office that' requires the Virtues of
an Angel. And, indeed, the Soul
pf a Bifhop ought to be purer than
the Sun-beams, . that the holy Spirit
pf God may not forfake it ; and that
Jie may be able to fay -f , / live, yet
pot I, but Chrift that liveth in me< ,
% Eizeft. xxxiii. 6. -j- Gal. ii. 20, For

of the Priesthood. 313
For if the Hermits, that live re
tired from Hurry and Concourfe,
and always enjoy the Calm of Life,
as in a peaceful Haven, dare not
rely upon the Safety of that Courfe
of Life, but do, as it were, fet a
Guard upon themfelves on all Sides,
and neither fpdak nor a&, but With
the greateft Circumfpection, that
with Bofdnefs and a fincere Purity
(fo far, at leaft, as the State of hu
man Nature Will admit), they may
: be r able to -draw near to God : How
muft one in holy Orders ufe all his
Endeavours, to the utmoft of his
Power, to refeue his Soul from- De
filement, and to preferve his fpi-
- ritual Beauty unfoiled ? For, indeed,
a much greater Degree of Purity is
requifite for him, than for them.
But, as he ought to be purer
than they, fo is he liable to greater
Tempta-

314 St. Chr ys ps tom
Temptations of being . otherwife,
unlefs, by continual Sobriety and
much Refblutioh, he labours to ren
der his Soul, as it were, impregnable.
For , the Beauties, of a fine Face, a
Softnefs of Behaviour, a delicate
Step, a lifping Voice, an artificial
.Complexion, the nice ordering of
-the Hair, the Coftjinefs and Va
riety of Drefs, fet off with Jewels,
-and fcented with the richeft Perr-
fumes ; thefe, and many other ftu-
died Arts which the Ladies ufe,
are fufficient to diforder . the Soul,
unlefs, by a fevere Continence, it
is, in a manner,5 become infenfible
to all fuch things. Indeed, it is
no Wonder that fuch Temptations
difturb the: Soul of Man ; but
then, on the other hand, that the
Pevil fhould be able to wound us
by Darts of a quite contrary Natures is

of the Priesthood. 315
is yery furprjzing, and fcarce to be
believed. CHAP. Ill,
AND yet fo it hath happened,
that fome Perfons who have
efeaped thefe Snares, have been
taken r by others exceedingly dif
ferent: For a negligent Air, dis
ordered Locks, a fordid Drefs,
plain Speech and Behaviour, an un
affected Gait, unadorned Language,
hard Living, the; being defpifed,
friendlefs, and forfaken, firft move
Pity in the Eyes of the Spectator,
and next draw him on to utter
Ruin. And many Perfons who
have efeaped the Temptations of
Gold, and Perfumes, and rich Ap
parel, and fuch others as I juft
mentioned, have eafily fallen into, and

316 St. Chry.so.stom
and been ruined by thefe which >
widely differ from them.
Since, then, fuch is the Cafe,
that, both by Poverty and by Riches,
by Elegance of Drefs and by a Ne
glect of it, by affected Behaviour
and Simplicity of Manners, and, in
fhort, by all thefe things which I
have mentioned, a War is kindled,
and, as it were, blown up in the
Soul of the Spectator, and Artifices
of Deceit furround him on every
Side, how can he have Time fo
much as to take Breath, who is thus
encompaffed with Snares ! What Se
curity can he have, I fay not, that
he be not taken by the Power of
them (for that is not very difficult),
but to preferve his Mind undifturbed
and pure from evil Thoughts !
Nor fhall I here infift upon Ho
nours and Dignities, which are the
Caufes

of the P r i e s t h o o d. 317
Caufes of infinite Evils to a Bifhop.
Thofe which are conferred by the
Intereft of Women, enfeeble the
Power of Continence, and often
overthrow it quite, unlefs a Man be
very vigilant againft fuch Snares :
And thofe which are conferred by
Men, ought to be received with
Moderation and Greatnefs of Soul,
otherwife they will produce two
very different Diforders ; viz. fervile
Flattery and fenfelefs Pride : For to
his Patrons he muft be obfequious;
and, by thofe Honours and Digni
ties which they confer, he will be
puffed up againft his Inferiors, and
fo fall headlong into the Gulph of
Pride. But thefe things I only hint at :
The pernicious Confequences of
them, no one can perfectly know,
but by Experience. 8 Nor

318 St. Chrysostpm
Nor are thefe all the Dangers that'
are to be encountered : There are
others much more alarming, that
a Man, who is converfant in the
World, muft of Neceffity meet
with; whereas he that embraces a
retired Life, enjoys a Freedom from
all thofe things ; or if, at any Time,
a diforderly Thought forms any Re-
prefentation like this in his Mind,
yet the Imagination is weak, and
fuch as may foon be extinguifhed ;
becaufe there is no Fuel without, to
feed the Flame within : For a Reclufe
hath none to fear for but himfelf $
or if he hath, they are but few ; and
if there is a Number that he hath
the Care of, yet fure they are much
fewer than thofe in our Churches,
and the Care for them is certainly
much lighter, not only on that Ac^
count

of th& Priesthood. 319
count, but alfo becaufe they are dif-
eneumbered with worldly. Affairs :
They have neither Wives not Chil
dren, nor any thing of that Sort, to
be follicitous for: And this makes
them very obfequious to him that
hath the Rule over them, who, by
their living together under his Eye,
can be the more watchful to difr
cover, and the more diligent to cor
rect, their Faults; it being no in
confiderable $tep to Proficiency in
Virtue, to be under the conftant
Obfervance of our Teachers.
CHAP. IV,
BUT now, the much greater
Part of thofe that are fub-
ject to a Bifhop, are fuch as are
encumbered with the Cares of this
Life; which thing alone renders them

320 St. Chr ys os toM
them more backward to all fpiritual
Exercifes; and this makes it, in a
manner, neceffary for him to fow
the Seed of the Word every Day,
that, by the Frequency of Preach
ing, the Doctrine of the Gofpel may
be retained by the Hearers. For
an Affluence of Riches, the Promife
of Power, and Sloth, the Daughter
of Luxury, with many other things,
choak the Seeds of the Word, which
are fown by the Preacher : Nay, fo
thick do the Thorns fometimes
fpring up, as not to fuffer the Seed
to fall even upon the Surface of the
Soil. In others, again, exceffive Af
fliction, painful Poverty, conftant
Troubles, and many other things, the
reverfe. of what I mentioned before,
take off the Mind from an Application to

of the Priesthood. 321
to divine things. Nor can a Bifhop
know the.greateft Part of thofe Sins
which his People commit : How
fhould he, when he knows not
their Perfons ? So difficult is the
Cafe of a Bifhop in refpect of his
People. But if we confider him in refpect
of his holy Miniftrations before God,
we fhall find this which I have al
ready been fpeaking of, to be even
as nothing, in Comparifon of thofe :,
So much greater and more exact
Clare do thofe Performances re
quire. For what fort of a Man ought he
to be, who, as an Ambaffador, in
tercedes with God, I do not fay for
a whole City, but for the \whole
World : That he would be merciful
to the Sins of all, not only of the
Y Living,

322 St. Chrysostom
Living, but of the Dead * : A Re-
queft, for which I cannot think the
holy
* Arnobim fpeaks of this Cuftom, as
prevailing in Africa, at the Beginning of
the fourth Century : Summus oratur Deus,
pax cmiclis et venia pojlulatur adhuc vitam
dejentibus, et ?-efolutis corporum viBione.
tc The great God is addrelTed, and Peace
" and Pardon are begged for all, whether
" alive or dead."
At the Time of Chryfoftom, viz. towards
the End of the fourth, or the Beginning of
the fifth Century, thefe Prayers were prac-
tifed in the Greek Church, as appears from
this Paflage, and came to be of more gene
ral Ufe.
They were offered up for thofe, who, in
their feparate State, are fuppofed to enjoy a
great Share of Light, Eafe,and Refremment,
but ftill wait till the fecond Coming of
Chrift, at the Day of Judgment, for the
Completion of their Happinefs. With re-
Ipect to the Dead, they were Euchariftical
Oblations to God for their righteous. End -,
and were therefore ufed for Patriarchs,
Prophets, and Apojlks ; And, with refpect to

"fif the Priesthood. 323
jfioly Confidence either of Mofes or
Elias fufficient. For, as though he
had
.to the Living, they ferved to refrefh their
Belief in a future State, and to animate their
Conftancy, by a Commemoration of thofe
glorious Examples. In this Senfe, it will
not be thought ftrange that St.^ Chryfojlom
Eere fays, that, in the Euchariftieal Obla
tions, the Bifhop prayed to God to be pro
pitious to the Sins both of the Dead and
Living ; or, in the Language of St. Paul,
That both may find Mercy in that Day.
Mr. Hollier.
That the primitive Church, 'from the
very fecond Century, made Prayers for the
Dead, we do not deny; but that thefe
Prayers were to deliver them out of Pur*
gatpry, we fuppofe will not be avowed ; it
being certain, that they were made for the
bejl Men, for the holy Apoftles, the Mar
tyrs, and Confeffors of the Church, nay,
for the Bleffed Virgin herfelf; all which, at
the fame Time, they thought in Happinefs,
and v who, the Papifis themfelves tell us,
never touched at Purgatory. If any one
will put up his particular- Requefls for the
Y s Dead,

3 24 -S t. Chrysostom
had the whole World committed to
his Charge, and was a common
Father of all, he draws near to
God, with humble Supplications,
that all Wars may every-where be
extinguifhed, and all Tumults be
quelled ', that God would fend Peace
and Plenty; and that he would grant
to all Men a fpeedy Deliverance from
all impending Evils, both public and
Dead, for any of thofe Ends for which the
primitive Chriflians did, we fhall not con
demn him. Only let not That be made an
'Article of our Faith, which we can never
be aflured of, and which, when it was moft
practifed, was received only as a private
Opinion, and in a Senfe far different from
what is now afTerted ; and, for the reft, we
fhall not refufe to confent to any Liberty,
whereby Peace may be obtained, and our
free Juftification by Faith in Chrift not in
jured. Expofition of the DoSlrine of the
Church of England, in Anfwer to Monf. de
Meaux, Lond. 1686. private.

of the Priesthood. 325
private. And he that is to perform
this high Office, ought, in all things,
to excel! thofe for whom he inter
cedes, as much as Rulers fhould their
Subjects. But when he invokes the Holy
Ghoft, and is performing the moft
tremendous Sacrifice, and makes his
neareft Approaches to the common
Lord of all, what Place of Honour
fhall we affign him ! How great
Purity and Holinefs is requifite for
fuch a Perfon ! Do but confider
what Hands thofe ought to be which
minifter thefe Myfteries, and what
the. Tongue which utters the facred
Words, and how pure the Soul
which receives fo excellent a Spirit !
For, at that Time, the holy Angels
are prefent with the Bifhop ; and
the whole Sanctuary, and every
Place around the Altar, is filled with
Y 3 heavenly

326 .St. Chr ysosto'm-
heavenly Powers, in Honour of him}
who lieth there, as we may reafon-
ably believe, from the Nature of the
Myfteries then > celebrated.
I remember I was once told by
one, who had it himfelf from a
venerable old Man, who was ac-
cuftomed to fee Revelations, that
he had fuch a Vifion as this, at the
Time of this holy Celebration, and
faw before his Eyes, as well as mor
tal Eyes could bear it, a hidden Ap
pearance of a Multitude of Angels,
cloathed in white Robes, encom-
paffing the Altar, and bowing down
their Heads, as Soldiers doing
Homage to their Prince. And I
believe it. Another like Inftance I
had from one, who was himfelf an
!Eye and. Ear-witnefs, who told me,
that when he miniftred to dying

of the Priesthood. 327
Men, if they had been Partakers of
this Sacrament with a pure Con-
fcience, the Angels attended, at the
Moment of their Departure, and,
for the Sake of the holy Myfteries
which they had received, guarded
and conducted them fafely out of
this Life.
And would you not trerable,
then, to engage me in fo facred a
Miniftration, and to introduce into
the facerdotal Dignity one whofe
Soul is fo fordidly drefled, that, per
haps, Chrift hath excluded it from
the reft of the Guefts *. For the
Soul of a confecrated Perfon ought
to fhine out as illuftrious as if it
were to enlighten the whole World :
But mine is fo greatly darkened by
an evil Confcience, that I am always
in Fear, and know not how to look
* Matt. xxii. 13. V 4 hp

328 St. Chry s os tom
Vip to my Lord with Confidence and
Affiirance. Priefts are the Salt of
the Earth * ; but fuch is my Folly
and Unfkilfulnefs in all things, that
no one would eafily think it toler
able., but you, whofe Affection for
me is fo tranfcendent. For, indeed,
the facred Order requires Perfons
not only to be pure and worthy of
fo high a Miniflration, but to have
alfo a large Share of Wifdom and
Experience, even fo as to under
ftand the Affairs of the World, not
lefs than thofe that are perpetually
attached to them, and yet to be as
free from all Attachment to them,
as thofe that live in Deferts or
Mountains. For, fince there is a
Neceffity incumbent on fuch a one
to converfe with Perfons that have
Wives and Children, and Servants;
J Matt. v. 13, * with

of the Priesthood. 329
with Perfons, again, of Fortune and
Diftinction, that have the Admini
ftration of public Affairs, and are in
Offices of Authority, he ought to be
a Man of various Addrefs ; I fay, of
various Addrefs ; not crafty, or a Flat
terer, Or an Hypocrite, but an open
and free Speaker, yet one that knows
how to fubmit himfelf, where the
Reafon of the thing requires it, and
to be either gentle or fharp upon Oc
cafion : For all Perfons are not to be
managed after the fame Manner ; as
a Phyfician doth not prefcribe the
fame Courfe to all his Patients ; nor
the Mafter of a Ship oppofe the fame
Method againft different Winds :
And, truly, this Ship (I mean the
Priefthood) is beat upon by con
tinual Storms, both from without
and from within ; fo that there is
Need of much Condefcenfion and
accurate

330 St. Chr ysostom
accurate Diligence. And how dif
ferent foever the Methods of Beha
viour are, they all point to the fame
End, viz. to the Glory of God, and
the Edification of the Church.
CHAP. V.
GREAT is the Exercife, and
much the Labour of a Re-
clufe ; but, if we compare the Fa
tigues of that Order of Men with
thofe of the Paftoral Duty, we fhall
find as much Difference between
the one and the other, as there
is / between the Bufinefs of a King
and a private Perfon. For there,
though the Labour be much, yet it
lies in common between the Body
and the Soul ; or rather, the greater
Part of it confifts in Exercifes of the
Body, which, unlefs it be hale and
robuft,

of the Priesthood. 331
robuft, though the Will be ever fo
good, yet can it not proceed unto
Action: (For long Fafts, lying on
the Ground, watching in the Night,
the Difufe of Baths, and other
Mortifications, which they practife
to afflict the Body, muft all fall of
courfe, where, through Infirmity,
it is not able to undergo fuch Dif-
cipline.) But here, Purity of Soul
is the thing chiefly required : Nor
is a good Habit of Body neceffary
to fet off the Virtues of the Mind :
For what doth a vigorous Confti
tution of Body contribute towards
our being not felf- willed, not
foon angry, nor heady ; but vi
gilant, fober, and of good Beha-
v viour, and adorned with other fuch
Virtues, by which St. Paul * hath
defcribed to us the Character of a
* 1 Tim. iii. com-

332 St. Chr ysos tom
complete Bifhop. One cannot fay
the fame of thofe Exercifes which
are expected from the monaftic
Life. CHAP. VL
BUT, as thofe that exhibit me
chanical Performances have
Occafion for Variety of Wheels,
Cords, Wires, Wedges, &*c. as the
Inftruments of their Art ; while the
Skill of the Philofopher, recondite
in his Mind, needs no fuch external
Helps; juft fo it is in the Cafe be
fore us. A Monk fhould have a
good Habit of Body, and Places pro
per for his Courfe of Life : He fhould
not be too far diftant from human
Converfation, and yet fo far as to
enjoy the Quiet of Solitude, and, at
the fame Time, a very good Tem
perament

©/"^^Priesthood. 333
perament of Air : For nothing is fo
intolerable to thofe that afflict them
felves with Faffing, as a bad Air.
Befides, they are obliged to conftant
Labour,^ for the Sake of Food and
Raiment ; fince they think them
felves obliged to do every thing with
their own Hands. But a Bifhop hath
no Need to take fuch Pains; but he is^
without Scruple, promifcuoufly con-
verfent with all things that are not
hurtful, having, in the mean Time,
all his Excellency repofited in the
Treafures of his Soul. But if any
one admires a monaftic Life, and
thinks it a great thing to be able to
fhun the Converfation of the Multi
tude, I fhall not deny that it is, in
deed, a Proof of fuch a Man's Pa
tience, but not a fufficient Argu
ment of that Fortitude of Soul which is

334 St. Chr ysostom
is requifite for the epifcopal Office :
For to fit at the Helm of a Ship,
when it is in Harbour, can be no
Proof of a Man's Skilfulnefs to fleer;
but if he can carry her fafe through
the midft of a ftormy Sea, this will
be Proof fufficient, and no one will
deny that fuch a one is an able Sea
man. CHAR VII.
THERE is no Reafon, there
fore, fo exceedingly to ad
mire the Virtue of a Reclufe, or to
think it fo extraordinary a thing for
him, while he lives alone, to pre-
ferve himfelf free from the Difordets
of Paffion, and from many and great
Offences ; for he hath no Provoca
tions to the one, nor Temptations
to the other. But if he that lives in

of the Priesthood. 335
in a Crowd, and is obliged to bear
the Sins of many, can, in the midft
of fuch a Storm, keep his Soul fleady
and firm, as in a Calm, fuch a one
ought to be extolled and applauded
beyond others, having given fuffi
cient Proof of his Fortitude and
Virtue. Wonder not, therefore, at me, if
I, who fhun the Forum, and all
Places of public Refort, have not
many Accufers, Wonder not at it
any more, than you would do, that
while I am afleep, I do not fin ; or
that while I wreftle not, I am not
thrown down; or that while I do not
fight, lam not conquered. Who, I
befeech you, can be my Accufer ?
Who can difeover or declare the
Follies I commit ? Can the Roof
under which I fit, or the Chamber
in which I ftudy ? No ; they cannot, they

336 St. Chr ysos tom
they have not the Power of Speech*
Or my Mother, to whom I am moft:
intimately known, will fhe, do you
think, difclofe the .Vices I am guilty
of? But our Interefts have never
interfered, nor has any Quarrel hap
pened between us : And, if this
fhould happen, yet I do not think
that there is any Mother fo void of
natural Affection, or that hath fo
little Love for the Son, whom fhe
hath brought forth with Pain, and
educated with Care, as, without any
Neceffity, to fpeak Evil of him,
and accufe him to the World. But,
heverthelefs, if any one would make
diligent Examination into my Soul,
he would find there many Follies
and Corruptions ; nor would you;
yourfelf be able to deny it, in fpite
of all thofe Encomiums with which you
9

7<? Priesthood; 337
you beyond others have been ac-^
cuftomed to load me.
And that I do not fay this to de
tract from the paftoral Office, you
will eafily judge, if you reeollect what
you have heard me fay, when we have
been difcourfihg On this Subject, as we
frequeritly have, how that if I might
have my Choice, whether I would
defire to be emihent in the Govern
ment of the Church, or in a mo-
naftic Life, I would prefer the for
mer a thoufand Degrees before the
the latter. Nor have I been want
ing, at any Time, to give thofe their
juft Praifes who difeharge that Of
fice well ; nor can any one reafon™
gtbly fuppofe, that, were I fufficient
for it, I would fhun what I myfelf
fo highly applaud. But what can I
do ? I, who am fubject to this In
activity and Slothfulnefs of Spirit,
Z than

338 St. Chrysostom
than which, nothing renders a Man
more unfit for this facred Miniftra-
tion ; though, indeed, fome look
upon it as Aufterity in me, and the
Effects of an admirable Difcipline ;
whereas it rather ferves as a fort of
Veil, to hide my many Infirmities.
For he that is ufed to enjoy fo great
a 'Freedom, and to lead an inactive
Life, though he be naturally of a
Genius fit for Bufinefs, yet, when
Action is required of him, his utter
Unfkilfulnefs therein will much
perplex him, and his Inactivity will
be no fmall Impediment to his na
tural Abilities. But when, to this
Inactivity of Life there is alfo joined
a Slownefs of Underftanding (which
I take to be, in a good meafure, my
own Cafe), fuch a one, if he under
takes this high Adminiftration, will
rot be much better than a mere
Statue,

of the Priesthood. 339
Statue. For this is the Caufe that
fo very few, who have been ad
vanced from the monaftie Order,
make any Figure ih the Church,
When they come to be Bifhops ; but
the greater Part of them fall into
Reproach and Infirmity* and are
forced to undergo many things that
are grievous and unpleafing. And
that with good Reafon: For when
the Way of Life is fo very different,
he that is ever fo Well exercifed- in
the one differs nothing from one
utterly unfkilled, when he comes to
the other.
He that enters into this Lift,
ought efpecially to defpife Glory,
to be fuperior to Anger, and to
be endued with great Difcretion.
Whereas he that affects a monaftie
Life, is not liable to be exercifed in
any of thefe Refpects. For as, on
Z 2 the

340 St. Ch r ysostom
the one hand, he hath few Provo
cations to put him upon the Study
of Patience, fo, on the other, he
hath no Sycophants and Admirers,
whofe Praifes he fhould learn to
rejedl ; and as for that Prudence
which is requifite in Church Affairs,
he is quite a Stranger to it.
When this fort of Men, there
fore, come to be exercifed with the
Pra&ice of thofe-things, to the Study
of which they have never applied
themfelves, they are wholly at a
Lofs, not knowing which Way to
turn themfelves, nor what to do;
and, confequently, inftead of making
a Proficiency in Virtue, lofe thofe Ex
cellences they brought with them.

CHAP.

of the Priesthood. 341
CHAP. VIII.
Basil.
HAT, then, fhall we com
mit the Care of the Church
to the Hands of thofe that live in
the Hurry of the World ; that are
full of earthly Cares ; that are luxu
rious and delicate, crafty, deceitful,
and contentious ?
Chrysostom.
Not fb faff, my good Friend ;
Men of fuch Characters ought not
fo much as to be thought of, when
Perfons are elected to the facred
Office of Bifhops. But if any one
is found that can be converfant in
the midft of the World, and yet re
tain his Purity of Soul, his Evennefs
of Temper, his Sanctity, Conftancy,
Sobriety, and thofe other good Pro-
Z 3 perties

342 St, Chrysostom
perties which diftinguifh the Monks;
and that to a Degree fuperior to them,
fuch a one is, by all means, to be
chpfen, and that too, before them.
For fhould one of that Order, by
means of his Solitude, conceal the
Vices to which he is addicted, in
fuch a Manner, that they fhall not
appear ; yet, whenever he comes
abroad into the World, thofe. Vices
•will difcover themfelves ; and : all
he will get by his Promotion will
be, that he will become more ri
diculous, and be expofed to the
greater Danger; into which I myfelf
was very- near falling, if the good
Providence of God had not pre
vented it,
And, indeed, it is impoffible fuch,
Indifpolitions of Soul -fhould be con
cealed, when the Man is expofed to
open

of the Priesthood. 343
open View, and to the Obfervation
of, all. For as Fire difeovers the
Drofs in Metals, fo this Teft of the
Priefthood. lays open the Souls of
Men : If a Man be wrathful, mean-
fpirited, ambitious, arrogant, or fub-
jedt to any other Diftemper of Mind,
it difeovers thofe Diftempers ; and
not only difeovers them, but. often
renders them more ftubborn and ob-
ftinate than they were before. For
as bodily Wounds, when fretted, are
thereby rendered much more drffi-
cult to be healed ; fo the Difeafes of
the Soul, being flirred and exafpe-
rated, become naturally more fierce,
and precipitate thofe that are acted
by them into farther Sins. Thus
fome, before they are aware, are
elated to vain-glorious Defires, to
Pride and Avarice : Others, again,
Z 4 fink

$44 St. Chrysos tom
fink into Luxury, (Remifihefs and
Indolence ; and fo, by Degrees, into
greater Crimes, which are the natur
ral Confequence of thefe.
Indeed, there are many Circum-r
fiances attending the Station of a
Bifhop, which tend to enervate the
Vigour of his Mind, and interrupt
him in his Journey towards Heaven.
Amrngft thefe, his Converfation
with Women is not the leaft : For,
truly, he, to whom the Care of the
•Flock is committed, muft not em
ploy his Labour only for the Men,
and neglect the other Sex, for whofe
Welfare a greater Degree of Care is
requiiite, becaufe of their natural
"Weaknefs and Propenfity to fall ;
but he muft beftow, if not a greater,
yet, at leaft, an equal Degree of his
Attention on them. They muft be
vifited vv hen they are fick ; when. they

of the Priesthood. 345
they grieve, they are to be qotsx-
forted; thofe of them that are faulty,
muft be reproved ; and thofe that
are diftrefTed, muft be affifted : And
in the Miniftration of thefe feveral
Offices, the Evil One will find
many OpDortunities of Advantage>
unlefs he put the ftricteft Guard
imaginable upon himfelf. For the
Eye of a beautiful Woman, whether
fhe be loofe or modeft, ftrikes
warmly upon the Soul, and puts it
into much Diforder. Smooth Flat
teries foften it, and Honours enflave
it : And fo, fervent Charity (the
Bond of all Virtues) may become ac
cidentally the Caufe of infinite Evils,
Moreover, inceffant Cares blunt the
Edge of the Underftanding, and
make that which was volatile and
livery^ heavier than Lead itfelf: And
ptorms of Anger, now and then
break-

346 Sr. Chrysostom
breaking out, darken, like Smoke,
the Faculties of the Soul.
CHAP. IX.
IN a Word, who is able to re
count the various Troubles, the
Contumelies, Infults, and Accufa-
tidns, he will be liable to, both
from Superiors and Inferiors, from
Perfons of Senfe, and Perfons void
of it ? Indeed, thofe of the latter
fort, who are deftitute of a right
Judgment, are naturally very que
rulous, and will not ^afily admit. of
any Apology. ¦¦¦ Nor muft a Bifhop,
who will behave himfelf Well, defpife
thefe, but clear himfelf to all, with
much Meeknefs and Condefcenfion ;
rather pardoning their unreafonable
Accufations, than refenting, and be
ing angry at them. For

pf the Priesthood. 347
For if the bleffed Apoftle was in
fome Concern, left he fhould be fu
fpected of Theft by the Difciples, and
for that Reafort took others along with
him, at the Diftribution of the public
Money, that no Man (as he fays him
felf *) fhould blame us in this Abun
dance which is miniftred by us ; how
much more Reafon is there, that we
fhould do every thing in our Power
to remove all evil Sufpicions from
us, though they be falfe and ground
less in themfelves, and very diftant
from our Character ? For, furely,
we fhall hardly think ourfelves fo
clear of any Sin, as St. Paul was
of Theft : And yet he, though at
the greateft Diftance from any fuch
wickedlmputation, did not, however,
difregard the Sufpicions of the Mul
titude, though they would have been
* 2 Cor, viii, 2.0, very

348 St. Chrys os tom
very unreafonable and frantic : For
what lefs than Madnefs would it
have been, to have fufpected any
fuch thing of fo excellent a Perfon ?
Never thelefs (I fay) though fuch
Surmifes would have been altoge^
ther unjuft, and fuch as no one in
his right Senfes could have enter
tained, yet this holy Man was care
ful to remove far from him all Oc
cafions thereof. He did not con
temn the Madnefs of the People ;
nor did he fey to himfelf, " How
fhould it enter into any one's
Head, to fufpect fuch things of
" Me, whom all reverence and ad<-
(i mire, for the Miracles I work,
cc and for the Uprightnefs of my
" Converfation ? " No: On the
contrary, he was apprehenfive of
fome fuch evil Sufpicion, which,
there tore, he chofe to pluck up by
the

of the Priesthood. 349
the Roots, or rather would not
fuffer it to take root at all. And
why fo ? He himfelf tells us *, we
provide things honeft (faith he), not
only in the Sight of the Lord, but
alfo in the Sight of Men.
Now, furely, it concerns us to
take not only an equal, but a greater
Care to nip all evil Reports of us in
the Bud ; and alfo, to look before
hand at a Diftance, and cut off all
Occafions from whence they might
poffibly arife, not flaying till they
are actually forged, and in every
Man's Mouth : For, when once it
comes to fuch a Length, it will not
be eafy to extinguifh them, but very
difficult, if not altogether impof
fible ; neither can it be done without
great Detriment, and after many
have been Sufferers thereby.
* Rom. x'n. 17. z Cor. viii. 21. But

350 St. Chr y s os t oM
But why fhould I continue this
vain Purfuit ? It is as impoffible to
enumerate all the Difficulties of the
Epifcopal Charge, as to meafure
the Depths of the Sea. For though
a Man could purify himfelf from all
Paffions (which yet it is impoffible
to do), nevertfielefs, he muft en
counter innumerable Evils, in order
to correct and amend the Faults of
others t To all this, if you add his
own private Infirmities, you will
foon fee what a Weight of Labours
and Cares is neceffarily incumbent
upon him, whofe Duty it is to cor
rect his own Sins, and the Sins of
others*

CHAR

of phe Priesthood. .351
* C H A P. X.
BASli,.
WHAT, then, do you think
to be abfolutely free from
thofe Labours and Cares in your
State of Solitude ?
¦ Chrysostom.
No : I fhall have my Share of
them even now, How can he hope
to be exempted from Cares and
Troubles, who is himfelf but a
Man, and lives' in a World fo full
of Trouble ? Yet, furely, when a
Perfon is but an indifferent Swim
mer, there is great Difference, • in
point of Danger, between plunging'
into the Sea, and crofting a fmall
River. There is no lefs Difpro-
portion between thefe two forts of
Cares : For, in the Condition I
am

352 St. Chr ys os t oii
am now in, if I can be ufeful
to others, it is what I wifh, and
pray for ; but, if I cannot help for
ward the Salvation of others, yet, if I
Can fave myfelf from the Storm and
Tempeft, .1 fhall be fatisfied there-*
with. Basil.
And do you, then, think this i.
great thing? or, can you perfuade
yourfelf, that you fhall be faved if
you Contribute nothing to the Salva
tion of others? ChrysosTom.
You obferve rightly. I do not
think that he will be faved, who
take no Pains for the Salvation of
his Neighbour: Neither will it be
of any Service to filch a miferable
Perfon, that he hath not leffened
his fingle Talent * ; on the con-
* Matt. xxv. 24,
3 trary,

o/V/fe Pries tho(5d. 353
trary, it will be his Ruin that he
did not improve, and double it.
Neverthelefs, "this I am perfuaded
of, that my Punifhment will be lefs,
if I am accufed at the laft Day for
not' having faved others, than if,!
after having received the Epifcopal
Dignity, I ain accufed for growing"
more' profligate myfelf, lofing the
Souls of others, and my1 own too.
For, as things ftand at prefent, I
prefiime, my Punifhment will b&
proportioned to the Greatnefs of my
own Offences : But if I rnifearry
after I have received that high Of
fice, I judge that it will be much
enhanced, according as I have given
Scandal to great Numbers, and of-"
ferided God, who had fo highly
Exalted me. Aa CHAP.

354 St. Chrysostom
CHAP. XL
FOR this very Caufe, God ac-
cufing the Ifraelites, fhows
that, they were worthy of the forer
Punifhment ; becaufe they had finned
againft hini, after many Inftances of
his Divine Favour, by which he had
particularly honoured them : Tou
(faith he *), you only have I known,
of all the Families of the Earth :
Therefore I will punijh you for your
Iniquities. And, in another Place *f-,
/ took of your Sons for Prophets,
and of your young Men for Naza-
rites. And, before the Times of
the Prophets, he demonftrates, from
the Sacrifices, that the Tranfgref-
fions of a confecrated Perfon deferve.
a much greater Punifhment than the
. * Amos iii, 2. -j- Ibid. ii. 1,1.
Offences

of the Priesthood. $$$
Offences of a private one, in that
he commands * as great a Sacrifice
to be offered for the Sins of the
Prieft, as for the Sins of the whole
Congregation. Teaching us hereby,
that the fpiritual Wounds of a con
fecrated Perfon require a much
greater Remedy than thofe of others ;
nay, as much as will fuffice for the
whole People befides. Now, they
would not require a greater Remedy,
if they were not greater themfelves.
But how are they greater ? Not in
their own Nature ; but they receive
their Aggravation from the facred
Character of him that labours under
them. But why do I fpeak of the Priefts
themfelves, when even their Daugh->
ters f (to whom no Part of the
facred Miniftration ever belonged)
* Lev. iv. 3. 14. -f- Ibid. xxi. p.
Aa 2, air

356 ST. C'HRYSOSTQM
are doomed to a feverer Punifhment
for their Offences than others, merely
on account of their Fathers Dignity ?
Suppofe the Offence to have been
Fornication ; the Crime was the
fame in the Daughters of a Layman,
as in the Daughters of a Prieft; and
yet the Punifhment was far more
grievous upon the latter than the
former *. An abundant Proof, that
God will punifh the Sins of a Supe
rior much more than the Sins of an
Inferior. For, no doubt, he who
punifhes the Daughter fo much the
more for the Father's fake, will pu
nifh him yet more grievoufly, who
is the Caufe of the Enhancement
of her Sufferings : And that Very
juftly ; becaufe the ill Confequences
of his Sins do not reft on himfelf
only, but he thereby wounds the
j*- Dtut. xxii. ¦ ¦> > •
"¦ ¦ *•¦• Souls

of the Priesthood. 357
Souls of the Infirm, whofe Eyes are
fixed on his Behaviour. And this
is what Ezekiel * intended to fhowj
when he diftinguifhed the Judgment
of the Sheep, and of the Goats, one
from another. CHAP. XII.
WHAT think you now? Is
not my Fear well grounded ?
And farther, befides what I have
already faid, though I am obliged
to undergo much Labour, and conT
tend earneftly, left I be overwhelmed
with the Paffions of my own Soul,
I yet fuftain the Fatigue, and fhun
not the Tryal. My Mind is, to this
Hour, taken in the Snares of Vain~
glory, from which, however, I often
recollect myfelf. I fee the captive
* Ezek, xxxiv. 1 7.
A a 3 State

358 St. Chr YSOSTOM
State of my Soul, and rebuke my
felf for it. Even now I am liable
to many unreafonable Defires which
fall upon me ; though the Flame
they kindle within me be but lan
guid and remifs ; becaufe my Eyes
are debarred from receiving any Ob
jects from without, to add Fuel to
the Fire within. It is true, I neither
revile, nor am reviled : And how
fhould I, when there are none pre
fent with me but the fpeechlefs
Walls? And yet I cannot wholly
efcape the Emotions of Anger,
though there be no one at hand to
exafperate and provoke me. For
frequently the Remembrance of un
reafonable Men, and the Deeds
which they have done, coming into
my Mind, make my Heart fwell,
though it be but for a Moment:
J?br.I foon fuppiefs the Flame, and
com-

of the Priesthood. 359
compofe myfelf, by confidering how
foolifh and unhappy a Temper it is
to overlook one's own Faults, and
be bufily inquifitive into thofe of
our Neighbour.
But were I once to come out into
the World, and be loft in infinite
Perplexities, I fhould no longer en
joy- the Benefit of thefe Reflections,
thefe private Admonitions of my
own Thoughts. But, as Perfons that
are carried away by the Violence of
a Torrent, or any other Force, fee
before their Eyes the Ruin they are
falling into, without being able to
confider which Way to help them
felves ; fo fhould I, on receiving
Provocations, fall into a Tumult of
Paffion, I fhould perceive my own
Punifhment increafing every Day ;
but, to be Mafter of myfelf, as I am
at prefent, and. to rebuke the Mad-
Aa 4 nefs

St. Chry sos tom
pefs of my own Paflions, raging og
all Sides of me, this is what in thofe
Circumftances I fhould not be fuf-
ficient for. For I well know the
Weaknefs and Narrownefs of my
own Soul ; how eafily it is papti-
vated, not by Paffions only in ge
neral, but particularly by that which
is the worft of them, I mean Envy ;
that it knows no Moderation, either
in bearing Injuries pr Ffonqurs, be
ing exceffively elated with the one,
and as exceffively depreffed by the
other. For as thofe wild Beafts that
are well fed, eafily overcome their
Antagonifts that are weak and un-
fkilful ; but if you ftarve them, fo
as to lay their Fury afleep, and abate
their Strength, it will be poffible for
one not over- valiant to cope with
them ; thus it fares with the Paf
lions of a Man's Soul ; he th&t keeps, them

of, the Priesthood. £&j[
them low and weak, will have t|ierji
in Subjection to right Reafon ; jaut
he that nourifhes them by InduLr
genee, will make Work for himfelf
by rendering them fo much the more
difficult to encounter, and fo for
midable, that they will caufe him
to pafs; the Remainder of his Life
both in Servitude and Fear.
But what is the Food by which
thefe wild Beafts, our Paffions, are
indulged ? Vanity is fed by Praife
and Honour; Pride, by Power an4
Authority ; Envy, by the Fame of
others ; Avarice, hy Riches ; In
continence, by high Feeding and Fe
male Cohverfation. And fo of the
reft : Each Paffion has its peculiar
Nutriment. All thefe, like fo many
Wild Beafts, would afljault me, if I
was to venture out into the World ;
they would tear my Soul in Pieces ;
they

362 St. Chr ysos tom
they would terrify me in a greater
degree, and render my State of War
fare much more difficult than it is
now : Whereas, while I fit ftill in
my private Station, I fhall be able,
though not without great Pains, by
the Afllftance of Divine Grace, to
keep them in Subjection ; fo far, at
leaft, that, though they bark, they
will not hurt me.
For thefe Reafons, I keep myfelf
clofe in my Cell, retired from Com
pany and Converfation. I am looked
upon as morofe, and many Com
plaints are made againft me ; which,
indeed, I wifh that I could remove,
and grieve that I cannot. For, it
is no eafy matter for me to enter
into public Converfe, without ha-'
zarding my prefent Security. For
which Caufe, my Requeft is, that
you would rather pity than cenfure a Per-

of the Priesthood. 363
a Perfon eneompaffed with fo great
Difficulties ; though, as yet, I have
not been fo happy as to prevail with
you. But it is now Time that I fhould
impart to you the only thing yet
undifeovered, which, though per
haps it may feem incredible to fome,
yet I fhall not be afhamed to own
it : For though I may feem felfi-
condemned, and guilty of many
Sins, yet, fince God, who will judge
me, perfectly knows them all, what
Advantage would it be to me to
conceal them from Men ? Know,
then, that, from the firft Day that
you gave me Reafon to fufpect the
Danger I was in of being chofen to
the facred Order, fo great a Concern
feized my Spirits, and fo deep a Me
lancholy overfpread my Soul, that I
have

j;64s St. Chrysostorj
have/ been more than once almoft
teady to expire under it.
For, confidering with myfelf the
Glory of Chrift's Spoufe, her Holi*
nefs, her fpiritual Beauty, her Wif
dom, her excellent Difeipline, and
calling to mind, at the fame Time,
my own great «Blemifhes, I ceafed
not to lament her Cafe, and my
own ; and, in the midft of my
Trouble aqd Anxiety, could not
help expoftulating thus with myfelf.
« From whence could this De-
*& fignation proceed ? What great
" Crime hath the Church of God
" committed ? With what heinous
" Offence hath fhe provoked her
v Lord, that fhe fhould fuffer fo
t£ great Difgrace, that a Perfon, the
" moft undeferving, fhould be made
*-< a Ruler in Her ? " Mqfing of
this often within myfelf, and being not

cf the PriesthooQ. 365
not able- to beat the Thoughts of fo
abfurd a thing,, flay like one. thh-a*
derftruck, r fcarce able 1 to fee, hear*
or fpeak. Whenc I recovered bj
degrees from.this State of Aftohifhr
meht (for it now and then left me),
a Flood of Tears, fweceededv; arid
great Dejection, of Spirit : And*
when Tears ceafedy Terror, agaitt
feized me .as before^ ^ In fo great] a
Tdmpeft was I tofied at that> Time%
when -you: thought that I enjoyedla
perfect: Calm. ,^t -j^^
-Shall -I nava try/ fo reprefeht td
you: the ^Bufferings of my: Soul?
That, .perhaps, may move- you to
pardon me, and not blame me any
longer. But: how; or with: what
Words^ fhall F attempt this? For
it. is. impoffible you fhould Jiave a
perfect Idea of it, unlefs your could
fee into, its fecrefc Receffes. . But,
:.:::• fince

366 -St. Chrysostom
fince this is not to be done, I will
endeavour, as well as I can, to give
you an imperfect Allufion, by which
you may form to yourfelf fome to
lerable Notion of my Trouble.
Let us fuppofe, then, the Daughter
of a univerfal Monarch, who, for her
exquifite Beauty, furpaffes her whole
Sex ; who, in the admirable Virtues
of her Mind, excells all that ever
were, or ever will be ; and, for her
Manners and Behaviour, exceeds the
very Rules of Philofophy itfelf; the
tranfcendent Lovelinefs of whofe
Features and fparkling Eye, even
obfcures the other Perfections of her
Perfon. Let us farther fuppofe, that a
Hufband, fuitable to this incom
parable Lady, has been diligently
fought for, and is at length found ;
that, in Ardour of Paffion, he ex
ceeds

of the Priesthood. 367
ceeds whatever hath been faid of the
moft extravagant Lover. Suppofe.
him, in the Heat of this high Fever.
of Love, to hear, that this, amiable)
Object of his Affection Was deftinedb
to be given in Marriage to a pitiful
Object ; one by Birth, mean ; in.
Body, a Cripple ; in Soul, a Profli
gate : How great muft be his Afto-.
nifhment and Indignation !
By this Time, I perfuade myfelf, :
you apprehend a fmall Part of my!
Grief; fo that I fhall not need to.
carry this Reprefentation farther.;
It is fufficient, I fuppofe, to difeover
to you the Sorrow and Dejection of
my Soul, for which alone it was in
tended. But, that I may point out to you.
the Terror of my Mind, I will pre
fent you with another Image. Set:

368 St. OtfR? so's Tdi&f
Sefy thehy before the E)?es of your
hfcxgitt&iow av fohriftfeiMe ArmyJ, by
Sea- ahd: Jband. Let ffie Waves be
cohered wJ&a Multitudes of Veftels ;
afed" t:he: Plains arid Mouftyins1 with*
Troops of Horfe and Foot. Fancy'
that yotr fee the Splendor of Shields'
and Helmets', whofe burnifhed Brafs
reflects an illuftrious Blaze from the"
Sun-beams. Let the Rattling of
Sjfcear^ and the Neighing- of Horfes,
ftai-ke1 the Heavens with their Noife.
Let neither Sea riof Land appear,
and' nothing, be feen but Arms and?
the* Face of War.
Oppbfite" to thefe, let the Enemy'
ftand in Battle- Array ; Meh fierce
and cruel : And let the Time of the:
Engagement be at hand.
- Theto imagine that you fee- a
Country Youth,- one brought up to
nothing but the Shepherd's Crook
5 and

of the Priesthood*
and Pipe, fnatched on a fudden out
of the Field, and accoutred with
fhining Armour. Fancy that you
fee him carried through the Armyj
and let every thing there be pre*
fented to his View. Let him be
fhown the; feveral Companies, and
their Leaders; the Bowmen^; the
Slingers, the Tribunes i 2caA 'Centu
rions, the lieavy armed Foot, and
light Horfe; the Archers, the Gal*
-leys, and their .Commanders,;, the
Soldiers on board -ready to fight \
together with all; the formidable' Ap*
faratus of naval Force,
On the other hand, let them
fhow him the adverfe Army, drawn
up in Order of Battle. Let him fee
their terrible Countenances ; the"
Various and vaft Collection of their
-Arrris; the Precipices, Cavities, and
-Mbufttainsv difficult of Accefs. Let
B b him

370 St. Chr y sos tom
him fee their Arts of Delufion ;
Horfes flying, and armed Men car
ried through the Air, by the Power
of Enchantment. Show him alfo
the Calamities of War : Clouds of
Javelins ; Arrows falling like Hail ;
thick Darknefs and hidden Night
occafioned by the Multitude of thofe
Weapons, by which the Sun himfelf
feems to fuffer an Eclipfe ; Duft
blinding the Eyes; Blood running
in Streams ; the Groans of Men dy
ing and wounded; the Rejoicings
•of the Conquerors ; Heaps of dead
Bodies ; Chariot-wheels dipt in
Blood; Horfes, with their Riders,
falling headlong over Heaps of the
Slain ; the Field of Battle fire wed with
a dreadful Mixture of human Gore,
Javelins, and Darts; the Hoofs of
Horfes and Heads of Men lying to
gether ; here a Man's Arm, there a
Chariot-

of the Priesthood. 371
Chariot-wheel ; in one Place an Ami,
in another a Breaft transfixed ; Brains
flicking to the Sword, and Spears
broken fhort, with human Eyes torn
from their Sockets on the Points of
them. Let him be prefented alfo with
the Miferies of a Sea Fight ; the Vef-
fels themfelves, fome burning in the
midft of the Water, others finking
with their Crew ; the Roaring of
the Sea ; the tumultuous Din of the
Seamen ; the Clamour of the Ma
rines ; the Froth of the Waves,
mixed with Blood, and dafhing over
into the Hold; the Dead lying in
Heaps upon the Deck ; fome fink
ing, others fwimming ; fome caft
by the Force of the Tide upon the
Strand, others in Shoals overwhelmed
with Waves, and, as it were, ob-
flructing the Paflage of the Ships.
Bb2 To

372 St. Chr ysostom
To thefe difmal Scenes of War,
add the Miferies of Captivity, a
Slavery worfe than Death itfelf, if
he fhould be vanquifhed. And,
after he hath had ' a clear View of
all thefe things, bid him mount on
Horfeback, and take upon him the
Command of the whole Army.
Do you think that fo raw a Youth
would be equal to fo great a Charge ?
or would he not rather be ready to
give up the Ghoft, at the very Pro-
fpect of thefe things ?
CHAP. XIII.
THINK not that, by this
Defcription, I exceed the
Truth ; nor fuppofe, that becaufe
we are at prefent fhut up in * the
Body, as in a Prifon, and fo can-
hot fee any thing of the irivifible
4 World,

of the Priesthood. 373
World, that, therefore, I make the
thing greater than it really is. For,
undoubtedly, could you difcern the
Legions of the Prince of Darknefs,
and the furious Onfets of the Devil,
you would fee a Warfare much
greater, and more terrible, than that
which I have now reprefented. It
is true, indeed, you there have not
Arms of Brafs and Iron ; you have
not Horfes, and Chariots, and
Wheels ; you have not Fire and
Darts, nor other vifible Inftruments
of War ; But you have other fort
of Weapons, of a much more dread
ful Nature. Thefe Adverfaries need
not Breaft-plates, Shields, Swords,
or Spears : No ; the very Sight of
that curfed Hoft is of itfelf enough
-to diflblve the Soul, unlefs it be very
valiant indeed ; and unlefs its own
fortitude be fuppprted alfo by a
B.b % lively

374 St. Chry s os t om
lively Senfe of the Divine Provi
dence and Protection.
And, truly, were it poffible for
us, either putting off this Body of
^lefh, or remaining in it, to fee
clearly, and without Fear, all the
Forces of that evil Spirit drawn up,
and the War which he wages againft
us, you would behold not Rivers of
Blood, nor dead Bodies, but fo many
Ruins of loft Souls, and Wounds fo
terrible, that all that Defcription of
War which I juft now gave you,
would feem but a ludicrous thing, a
mere Sport and Paftime of Children,
in Comparifon to it : Such Multi
tudes are they, that are every Day
caft down by the Enemy.
There is as great a Disproportion
alfo between the Wounds received
in the one and in the other fort of
Fight, and the Death which follows both

of the Priesthood. 375
both the one and the other, as there
is between the Soul and Body. For,
in this fpiritual Warfare, when a Soul
is wounded, and falls, it doth not
lie like a dead Corpfe, bereaved of
Senfe, but it is, from that Time,
tormented by the Remorfe of an
evil Confeience; and, after its De
parture out of this Life, it is, at the
Time of its Judgment, delivered
over to eternal Punifhment.
Moreover, if the Soul of any Sin
ner is infenfible, and feels not the
Wounds which it receives from the
Devil, fo much the worfe, and more
dangerous its Cafe : For he that feels
not the firft Wound, will eafily re
ceive a fecond, and a third. And
when that impure Spirit finds a Soul
that is fupine and carelefs of its for
mer Wounds, he ceafes not, till the
lj.b.4. Sinnex's

St. Chrysostom
Sinner's laft Breath, to aifault fi?C4
a one. .
Confider alfo the Manner of his
Attacks, and, on Enquiry, you wilt
find, that they are much more va
rious and terrible, than thofe of any
temporal Enemy, For who ever
-heard of fucfi Arts and Stratagems
of Fraud and Deceit, as are pracfifed
by that evil Spirit ? (Indeed they are
his Mafterpiece, and in them lies his
-principal Strength) or is it poffible
;that any one fhould bear fo unfpeak-
able a Malice againft his Enemies,
as that wicked one doth to the. whole
Race of Mankind ?
Confider alfo the Vehemence and
|£agernefs with which he fights
againft us, and you will, find it ri
diculous to compare any temporal
Conflict thereto. The Fiercenefs
and Cruelty of the worft fort of
wild

of the Priesthood. 377
wild Beafts bear no Proportion to
the Madnefs of Satan, in Gompa-
rifon of whom, they are perfectly
tame and mild : So great is the Fury
which he breathes forth in his Af-
faults againft our Souls.
There is a great Difference in this
matter alfo, in refpect of Time : For
the Wars of mortal Men with one
another are of fhort Continuance,
and even in them there are Truces
and CefTations : For, the Approach
of Night, the Seafon of refrefhing
Nature, and of retting from that
dreadful Labour, and many other
things, give a Refpite to the Soldier,
that he may put off his Armour,
and breathe a little, and refrefh him
felf with Meat and Drink, thereby
to recover his former Strength ; but,
in our fpiritual Warfare with that
wicked one, there is no Time to
difarm,

378 St. Chr YSOS TOM
difarm, or to take Reft; for him,
I mean, that defires to remain al
ways unwounded : For here, one
of thofe two things will neceflarily
happen ; either that, being difarmed,
he fall before the Enemy, and be
loft ; or elfe that he continue lying
on his Arms, and be conftantly on
his Guard, in a warlike Pofture.
For this is what the Adverfary doth
himfelf: He, with all his Hoft,
Hands always waiting for our in
dolent Hours ; and employs abun
dantly more Diligence for our Ruin,
than we ourfelves do for our Salva
tion. Laftly, there is a great Difference
alfo in another Refpedl, which, to
thofe that are not conftantly upon
the Watch, is the Caufe of infinite
Evils ; and that is this, that our
Enemy is invifible to us, and that he

of the Prie sthood. 379
he affails us by Surprize, and un
awares. And could you now have defired
that I fhould have taken upon me to
lead forth the Soldiers of Ghrift ? or,
had I done fo, would it not rather
have been to lead them for the Service
of the Devil ? For if he, whofe
Office it is to fet in order and in-
ftruct others, is altogether weak and
unfkilful himfelf, and fo, through
his Incapacity, thofe committed to
his Charge be betrayed to their own
Ruin, fuch a Leader conducts his
Men rather to the Devil, than to
Chrift. But, what do you figh for ? Why
do you weep? For I think, after
this Reprefentation, my prefent
State appears much more to be re
joiced at and congratulated, than
lamented and deplored. Basil.

3^0 St.Chjlysosto^
,, ' . . Basii,.'
So doth not mine ; but to be la
mented with tfjie deepeft Sorrow :
Efpecially now, that I fee, at laft,
though T not without much diffi
culty, into what an Abyfs of Evils
your Management hath plunged
me. J came hither, to learn what
Excufe I fhould make for yoii to
thofe that accufe you ; but you
fend me back again, full of quite
other Cares : For I am no longer in
Pain what Anfwer to make in your
Behalf; but how tp apologize to,
God for myfelf, and for my own
Sins. But I beg of you, I conjure
you, if you have any manner of Re
gard for my Welfare, if there be any
Confolation in Chrift, if any Com
fort of hove *, if any Bowels and
* Phil. a. i.
, ¦;•¦: Mercies

oj the Priesthood." 38*
Mercies' (for you kribvv that I had
hot been bfought into this Danger,
but by your Means), reach out your
helping Hand, rectify and guide me
with your excellent Counfel and
Example; hor leave me even for a
Moment, but affift hie "with your
Company arid Converfation niore
than' ever. Chr y sos tom \_ finding ].
And what is it, in which I can
be helpful to you in Matters of fuch
Importance ? . But, fince this is your
Defire, be of good Cheer, my dear
Friehd, and allure .yourfelf, that
whatever Leifure you have from
thofe fpiritual Cares, I will not fail
to affift you with my Confolation
and Advice ;" nor will I be wanting
in any thing that is in my Power to
do for you. At

382 St. Chrysostom
At this he burft into Tears more
than before ; and, rifing up to go,
I embraced him cordially ; and,
waiting on him to the Door, I ex
horted him to bear with Courage
what had befallen him.
For I make no doubt, faid I,
but, by the Performance of this fa
cred Miniftration, you will obtain
fo great an Intereft with Chrift, who
hath thus called you, and fet you
over his Flock, that, at the laft Day,
you will be able to refeue even me
alfo from the midft of my Danger,
and take me with you into your
everlafting Tabernacle.

The END.

ERR A'T U M.
Page 32> lit Line, for now fince, read,
now you.

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