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 -BR 65 .C54- . 
 John Chrysostom, d . 407. 
 Of the priesthood 
 

St. CHRTSOSrOM 
 
 O F T H E 
 
 PRIESTHOOD. 
 
 I N 
 
 SIX BOOKS. 
 
 Tranflated from the Greek, 
 
 By the Rev. JOHN BVNCE, M. A. 
 
 Late Redlor of Ching ford and Pi^fey, in EJfex, 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed by Samuel Richardson, in 
 
 Salijbury 'Court, 
 
 M. D C C. L I X. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ST. Chryfofto7n% Books of the 
 Priefthood have been ever 
 reckoned among the beft Pieces 
 of Antiquity. The Occaiion of 
 writing them M^as this : 
 * He had lived many Years in 
 great Friendfliip with Bajil * ; at 
 lajft, they having both dedicated 
 themfelves to facred Studies, the 
 Clergy of A?ttioch had refolved to 
 lay hold on them, and to ufe that 
 holy Violence, which was, in thofe 
 Times, often done to the beft 
 
 ■* Who this Bajil was, is uncertain : He 
 IS fuppofed by Socrates to have been the 
 great St. Bafil of Ccefarea 3 by Photius and 
 others, the Bqfil that was Bifhop of Se- 
 leucia: But, perhaps, it was neither the 
 one nor the other; the lirft being almoft 
 impoffible, the other highly improbable : 
 And therefore he muft have been fome 
 third Perfon. 
 
 ' Dr. CavCy in his Life of St. Chryfoflcm, 
 
 a 2 ' Men, 
 
iv INTRODUCTIO 
 
 * Men, and to force them to enter 
 into Orders, Which when BaJ^l 
 told Chryfojlom^ he concealed his 
 own Intentions, but preffed Bafd 
 to fubmit to it ; who from that, 
 believing that his Friend was of 
 the fame Mind, did not go out of 
 the Way, and fo was laid hold 
 on : But Chryfqflom had hid him- 
 felf Bajily feeing he could not 
 be found, did all that was pofTible 
 to excufe himfelf : But that not 
 being accepted of, he was or- 
 dained. Next time that he met 
 his Friend, he expoftulated fe-- 
 verely with him, for having for- 
 faken him upon that Occafion. 
 ^ This gave Occafion to the fol- 
 lowing Books, which are purfued 
 by way of Dialogue/ 
 
 Bifliop Burnef^ Paltoral Care, p. sy^ s^' 
 
 A N 
 
AN 
 
 ABSTRACT 
 
 t 
 
 O F T H E 
 
 LIFE 
 
 O F 
 
 St. CHRTSOSTOM. 
 
 ST. Chryfojlofn was Bifhop of 
 Conjiafttinople in the Reign of 
 the Emperors Arcadius and Hono- 
 rius. He obtained the Name of 
 X^ucrorojvcoc (Golden'tongued)y 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^ Philofophy by Andraga- 
 thins. He applied himfelf to the 
 Study of Divinity under Diodorus 
 
 a 3 and 
 
vi 'Li'f^ of St. Chrysostom* 
 
 and Bajilius. He was firft a Reader 
 in the Church o^Antioch ; was after- 
 wards ordained a Prieft ; and, on the 
 Death of NeSiarius^ was promoted 
 to the See of Conjlantinople^ 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 Etidociay he was banilhed by 
 Command of the Emperor ; but the 
 People riiing up in Arms, obliged 
 the Emperor to recall him foon after. 
 He was a fecond time expelled, and 
 banifhed into Arine7tia^ 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. 
 
 fyHIS contains only the prepara^ 
 tory Difcourfes^ according to th^ 
 ufual Method of Dialogue* 
 
 BOOK THE SECOND. 
 
 In this he gives the CharaSler of a 
 good Bifhop ; and defcribes the 
 Accomplifjments necejfary to make 
 a Manfuch. He complains ^ that 
 thofe who had the Power of ad^ 
 
 a 4- vancing 
 
viii The contents. 
 
 vancing Peffons to the Epifcopal 
 Order^ Jhowed more regard to 
 Rank^ Alliance^ and Wealthy and 
 to a Skill in profane Learnings 
 than to true Worthy and an 
 earnejl Zeal for the Service of the 
 Church. 
 
 BOOK THE THIRD- 
 
 27>^ Importance and Dignity of the 
 Epifcopal OJfice. The manifold 
 Da?2gers to which Perfons of an 
 ambitious, envious, or fretful 
 Temper^ will be expofed^ when they 
 have attainted it. 
 
 BOOK THE FOURTH. 
 
 He here runs through a Variety of 
 Arts and Profcjftons^ and Jhows 
 how much Skill and Indufry is 
 neceffary to ex cell 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 lau?tches 
 out into a jujl E?2Comium of St. 
 Paul, whom he propofes as a Pat- 
 tern to all Bijhops. 
 
 BOOK THE FIFTH. 
 
 He difplays the Temptations to Va- 
 nity^ to which a Bifhop will be 
 liable \ the Cenfures that are apt 
 to be 7nade^ if there is too muchy 
 or too little Art i?i his Difcourfes ; 
 the great Care he ought to take^ to 
 preferve his CharaBer pure from 
 all Stai?tj yet without Precifenefs 
 and AffeSiation. In his Sermons 
 he fjoouldjludy to edify^ and7iotto 
 gaifi Applaufe from his Hearers. 
 
 BOOK 
 
X The contents. 
 
 BOOK THE SIXTH. 
 
 The Humour of retiring into DefertSy 
 and leadings i?t an abjiemious man-^ 
 ner^ the Life of a Hermit^ being 
 too prevalent in that Age^ he here 
 fhows^ how much more difficult the 
 Tajk is^ to govern the Church of 
 Chrif difcreetly^ than to fuffer 
 even the fever eji Morttficatio7ts^ 
 
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 ,S/V George Yonge, Bart, 
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 THE 
 
THE worthy and generous Be-- 
 nefadors are, with all Re- 
 aped, 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 fliown 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 Pefeds 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 
 
 6' F THE 
 
 FRIESTHOOD 
 
 -lii 71. 
 
 BOOK TH^ first; 
 
 C H A P T E R L 
 
 MONG the many Friends 
 I formerly had, who were 
 true and {incere ; who 
 both well underftood the 
 Laws of Friendfliip, and exactly ob- 
 ferved them ; there was one parti- 
 cularly who bore me fo lingular an 
 Efteem and Afiedlion, that he ex- 
 celled the reft: of my Friends in the 
 Degree of his Love tov/ards me, as 
 
 B much 
 
2 St. Chrysostom 
 
 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 circumiiances, and that 
 
 neither 
 
of' the Priest hood/ % 
 
 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 
 beinp- a Burden to me ; and as for 
 him^ his Affairs were at a very low 
 Ebb : Nevertheiefs, 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 Affedions. ^ 
 
 But as foon as we attained the 
 Age, when it was expeded that we 
 fhould enter upon that happy State, 
 a monaftic JJfe, and apply ourfelves 
 to the Study of true Philofophy, the 
 Balance of our Inclinations hung no 
 longer in an equal Poife, but my 
 Friend's Scale, being free from all 
 Incumbrances, mounted upwards, 
 whereas mine, being oppreffed with 
 
 B 2 worldly 
 
 y 
 
4 St. Chry^sostom. 
 
 worldly Defircs and youthful Ima- 
 ginations, funk downwards with the 
 Weight. 
 
 Our Friend fliip, however, con- 
 tinued firm as before, only we did 
 not converfe fb frequently : For, 
 indeed, it was not proper for thofe 
 Perfons to ccrrefpond familiarly to- 
 gether, who were attached to Stu- 
 dies of fo different a Nature. But,, 
 whea once I began to exalt my 
 Head, a little above the Waves of 
 this World, and thought of difen- 
 gaging myfelf from lecular Con- 
 cerns, he received me with open 
 Arms : But neither fo could we 
 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 
 
^ /;5^ Priesthood. 5 
 
 eager Application, and exalted De- 
 fire. 
 
 But, though be had thus the Start 
 of me, yet fuch was his Goodnefs, 
 and fo 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 effeft, through the In- 
 dolence and Indifpofition of my 
 Temper. Nor, indeed, was it pof- 
 fible for me, who was fo conftantly 
 engaged at the Bar, at the Theatre, 
 and other public Diverfions, to have 
 much of his Converfation, who lived 
 always at home, and was wholly 
 engroffed by his Books. Having 
 been thus hindered hitherto, he had 
 B 3 no 
 
6 St. Chrysostom 
 
 no fooner an Opportunity to renew 
 his SollicitatioRs of my entering into 
 the fame Method of Life with him- 
 felf, than he gave Birth to that De- 
 -.vfire which had been fo long con- 
 ceived in his Mind. For he never 
 left me, no, not a Minute in a Day, 
 but kept conftantly plying me with 
 moft prefTing Arguments, that, for- 
 fakino; our Houfes, we fhould retire 
 together to fome fequeftered Place. 
 
 In fhort, 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 Inftances of my Mother ; 
 who no fooner 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 Priesthood. 7 
 
 where (he firft brought me into the 
 World, fhe burft into Tears, and, 
 with Words which moved my Com- 
 paffion even more than her Tears, 
 {he complained to me in this Man- 
 ner. 
 
 CHAP. 11. 
 
 THE good Will of God, piy 
 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 Hardfhips and Inconve- 
 niences which commonly attend 
 it : Of which none can have a 
 B 4 '' juft 
 
J8 .St. Chr ysostom 
 
 ^^ jui^ Apprehenfion, but they who 
 *V c^re fb .tinhappy as to feel them. 
 - " ' F*r what Wprd^ can exprefs the 
 ^^ Diftracjioas and Perplexities, 
 ^^ which fall like a Tempeft, and 
 ^' beat Hke 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, is, 
 ^^ ^t.once, attacked with an infup- 
 ^' portable Sorrow, and oppreffed, 
 ^.' on all Sides, with fuch Cares and 
 /* Troubles, as are tar fuperior to 
 ^^ her Years and Sex ! Thus, to 
 ^' corred the Idlenefs of Servants, 
 *^ to watch their Abufes and Em- 
 *^ bezzkments ; to guard againft 
 <^ the treacherous Defigns of Rela- 
 ^^ tions ; and to bear with Patience 
 :f^ the Violence and Inhumanity of 
 ?^ the Tax-ggitherers ; Thefe, I fay, 
 
 *^ are 
 
of the Vkiesthood. 9 
 
 ** are Evils which are not to be 
 '^ encountered, but by an aftive and 
 " manly Spirit. 
 
 " When a Father dies, and leaves 
 " an Orphan behind him, though 
 " it be a Daughter, which is com- 
 " monly brought up v^ith lefs Fear 
 «' and Expence, yet, even there, no 
 ^' light Burden is incumbent on the 
 ^' Mother. But, if it be a Son that 
 " is thus left, her Mind is every 
 " Day filled with a thoufand Cares 
 ^' and Fears for him, befides the 
 <^ great Coft and Charge which fhe 
 ^^ muft of Neceflity 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 Huftand to your Father's 
 
 '' Bed: 
 
Hi 
 
 lo St. Chrysostoat 
 ^^ Bed: But I have patiently con- 
 ^^ tinued in this State of Trouble 
 *^ and Perplexity, nor have I fhrunk 
 in any refpeft from what I may 
 ^' juftly call the Iron Furnace of 
 ^' Widowhood. That I was thus 
 " enabled to perfevere, is owing, 
 *^ firft, to the Divine Affiftance: 
 ^' And, fecondly, I mufi: confefs, 
 " it was no fmall Confolation to 
 me, in the midfl: of my Misfor- 
 tunes, that I could, in your Face 
 '^ every Day behold the lively Pic- 
 *' ture of your deceafed Father. On 
 ^^ which very Account, while you 
 ^^ 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 courageoufly en- 
 
 <^ durcd 
 
 
 cc 
 

 of the Priesthood. ii 
 dured my State of Widowhood, 
 yet, to fupport mylelf in it, I 
 " have diminifhed what your Fa- 
 *^ ther left : A Cafe which I have 
 " often known to befall unhappy 
 " Orphans. On the contrary, I 
 have preferved your Fortune 
 whole and entire, not fcrupling, 
 as Occafion required, any Ex- 
 pences which were neceflary to 
 gain you Efteem and Reputation 
 among your Acquaintance : All 
 which were defrayed out of my 
 own Furfe, from my own proper 
 Fortune, which I derived from 
 my Father. 
 
 " And think not, my Son, that 
 I repeat this to reproach you. 
 ^' No , My only Vievv is, in Return 
 " for all this, to requefl: this Favour 
 " of you, that you will not involve 
 " me in a fecond Widowhood, nor 
 
 8 " rekindle 
 
 (C 
 iC 
 
 cc 
 
 cc 
 
 (C 
 
 cc 
 
 (C 
 
 <c 
 
 (C 
 (C 
 
12 S T. C H R Y S O 3 T O M 
 
 "^^ iekindle thofe Sorrows which 
 ^^ ^have been for fome Time ex- 
 ** tinft. Have Patience a little till 
 ^^ my Deceafcj which, perhaps, even 
 ^* now may not be far off. For 
 ^^ though young Perfons may rea- 
 *^ fonably hope to live many Years, 
 *^ and arrive at a good old Age ; 
 ^' yet I, who am advanced in Years, 
 *' can have nothing but Death be^ 
 <^ 'fore my Eyes, When, therefore, 
 ^^ you have covered me v^ith Earth, 
 ^^ and mixed my Afhes with your 
 ^^ dear Father's, then undertake 
 ^' long Journeys, or go abroad, if 
 *^ you pleafc ; there will then be 
 " none to obftruft your Defigns : 
 ^^ But, as long as my Life con- 
 *^ tinues, do not forfake me ; left 
 ^^ you vainly, and without Caufe, 
 '' offend God, by bringing her, 
 ^' who hath never done you the 
 
 " leaft 
 
of the P R i E s rH oo B. 13 
 " leaft Injiiry, into fo great Miferies 
 " and Misfortunes. ' 
 
 ^' Nor would I have you fufpeft 
 «^ 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 
 ?f no Regard to the Laws of Nature 
 " or Education, or any thing elfe^ 
 <^ but £hun Eie, as an Enemy that 
 " lays Snares and Traps for you. 
 " But, on the other hand, if I do 
 ''f every thing to contribute to the 
 " Eafe and Tranquillity of your 
 '' Life, though nothing elfe fhould, 
 ^« yet this, ftrely^ will oblige you 
 " to continue with me. For aflure 
 «' yourfelf, among all your Friends, 
 " as there is none who will indulge 
 «« you in fo great a Liberty, fo nei- 
 « ther is there any that can be more 
 
 '' folli- 
 
14 St. Chr YsosTOM 
 
 ^' follicitous for your Reputation 
 
 cc 
 
 than myfelf.'* 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 'T^HIS, and much more, did 
 1 my Mother remonftrate to 
 me : Which when I related to my 
 generous Friend, he was fo far from 
 being moved therewith, that he re- 
 renewed his former Sollicitations, and 
 made more preffing Inftances than 
 before. 
 
 While Matters were thus circum- 
 flanced, he continually intreating 
 me and I as conftantly refufing, on 
 a fudden there was a Report fpread, 
 which gave us no fmall Unealinefs ; 
 namely, that we were both of us 
 defigned, ere long, to be promoted 
 to the Dignity of the Epifcopal 
 
 Order. 
 
 When 
 
oj the Priesthood. iq 
 When I firft heard this, I was 
 ftruck with Fear and Surprize : 
 With Fear, left I fliould be dragged 
 to the Eledion againft my Will; 
 and with Surprize, that the Fathers 
 fhould think of us for this facred 
 Office: Efpecially, when I conii- 
 dered myfelf, and could not find 
 that I had any thing in me worthy 
 of this Honour. 
 
 On the fpreading of this Ru- 
 mour, my Friend diredly came lo 
 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 
 foUov/ 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 
 
i6 St. CHRYsostaM 
 which way foever I fhould think 
 bell to difpofe of myfelf, whether 
 to fly from the Eledion, or to fub- 
 tnit to it. 
 
 Perceiving, therefore, his Readi- 
 nefs, and thinking that I fhould be 
 very injurious to the Church, if, for 
 the fake of my own InabiUty, I 
 fhould defraud the Flock of Chrifl 
 of fo excellent a Perfon, who was, 
 in all Refpeds, fo 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 inflantly) ; and that, 
 whenever it was, he need not doubt 
 but we fhould be unanimous, and 
 
 take 
 
tff the pRiESTHooi3. 17 
 
 take the fame Steps, I perfuaded 
 him, for the prefent, to think no 
 more of the Matter. 
 
 Not long after, when the Time 
 v/as at hand that we flioiild be or- 
 dained, I hid myfeif. He knowing 
 nothing of it, was taken, and led 
 to the Bi (hop's, as upon fome other 
 Account, where he received the 
 Yoke of Chrift: Not doubting, from 
 Vvhat 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 pre- 
 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 untraftable of 
 the two, fliould fo quietly reiign 
 myfeif to the Judgmxnt of the Bi- 
 fhop ; but that he, who was always 
 
 C known 
 
i8 St. Chrysostom 
 
 known to excell in Prudence and 
 Good-nature, fhould, upon this Oc- 
 calion, behave himlelf in a fierce and 
 haughty Manner, flying back, con-- 
 tradiding, and refufing to comply. 
 This had its Effed, and he fub- 
 mitted. 
 
 But when he underftood that I 
 had fled, and concealed myfelt, he 
 refted not till he had found me 
 out ; and, fitting down by me, with 
 Shame and Sorrow in his Looks, he 
 feemed paflionately eager to have 
 Ipoken ; but the inward Opprefllon 
 and Anxiety which he laboured un- 
 der fliopped his Speech. The Vehe- 
 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 
 
^/y^^ Priesthood, iq 
 and Trouble, and well knowing from 
 what Caufe all this Concern pro- 
 ceeded, I could not contain that Ex- 
 cefs of Pleafure which I felt within 
 myfelf, but burfl: out into a loud 
 Laughter ; and, catching him fajft by 
 his right Hand, I conflrained him to 
 kifs me ; at the iame Time glorifying 
 God, that he had crowned my Con- 
 trivance with all that Succefs which 
 I had fo much delired it might have. 
 But when he faw me thus joyful and 
 pleafant, and perceived thereby that 
 I had plainly deceived him in this 
 Matter, he changed Colour, and was 
 very angry. 
 
 C H A P. IV. 
 
 OVv^EVER, recovering him- 
 felf a little from thofe Dif- 
 orders ; Although (faith he) you have 
 
 C 2 no 
 
20 S T. C H R Y S O S T O M 
 
 no Regard for me, nor any Value, 
 for my Credit, (for what Reafon, I 
 cannot imagine), yet, m.ethinks, you 
 fliould take more Care of your ov/n 
 Reputation. For, to be plain with 
 you, your late Behaviour hath 
 opened all Mens Mouths againft 
 you, who fcruple not to fay, that 
 you fled from this facred OjEce only 
 out of a proud and vain-glorious 
 Humour : Nor have I met with one 
 Man that fo 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 
 Sides, and blamed on your Ac- 
 count every Day. My own Friends, 
 where-ever they meet me^ accufe 
 me v/ith being acceffory to your 
 Mifrntinagement, 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 hirn, by fome 
 Stratagem or other. Now, w^hat 
 Reply could I make to this ? To 
 confefs that I w^as 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 i«, 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 w^ould 
 be much more for our Credit to hide 
 therp, than to expofc them to the 
 World, efpecially to thofe \\tiO are 
 
 C 3 but 
 
52 St.Chrysostom 
 
 but indifFerendy affeded towards us. 
 Unwilling, therefore, to own the 
 Truth, and to let them know how 
 Matters fland between us, I am 
 forced to hold my Tongue, to call 
 down 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 myjfelf from the 
 Crime of being acceflbry to your 
 Mifmanagement ; yet this would be 
 a vain Attempt, it would be what 
 they would look upon as mere Fic- 
 tion, and nothing elfe. For it is 
 impoffible ever to make them be- 
 lieve, that Bafil was one of thofe 
 from whom you concealed any of 
 your Intentions : Thoiigh, as to the 
 thing itfelf, {ince I perceive it is 
 a Pleafure to you that fo it fhould 
 be, 1 am content, and fhall not dif- 
 
 pute 
 
of the Priesthood. 23 
 
 pute the Matter with you. But this 
 is not all : There are large Portions 
 of Shame yet behind, which we muft 
 be loaded with. Some accufe you 
 of Infolence, 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 great Indignity and Affront 
 which (fay they) we have offered to 
 thofe who have vouchfafed thus to 
 honour us ; adding, moreover, that 
 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 
 chufe a couple of raw Youths, who 
 were but of Yefterday, and who had 
 not yet difengaged themfelves from 
 worldly Cares (however, for the pre- 
 fent, they contracted the Brow, put 
 
 C 4 on 
 
24 St. Ch R YSOSTOM 
 
 on Black, and diffennbled 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 them-, 
 felves in all the Study and Hardfliips 
 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 AdiTiinifcration is to be 
 reflated. 
 
 This, and a great deal more, i?, 
 hy 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 AfFiftance : 
 For I cannot caiily perfuade myfelf> 
 
 that 
 
of the Priesthood. 25 
 
 that your Flight was an inconfiderate 
 Adion, or that you would rafhly, 
 and without Caufe, have incurred 
 the Difpleafure of fo many venerable 
 Perfons: And, as I do believe, that 
 what you did was the EfFed: of much 
 Thought and Premeditation, fo, I 
 ajGlire myfelf, that your Reafons for 
 it are ftrong and conclufive. 
 
 Tell me, therefore, what is it that 
 we can oiFer in our juft Vindication 
 againfl thofe who thus accufe us ? 
 For, as for my own private 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 ; you, on the contrary, 
 
 behaved 
 
26 St.Chrysostom 
 
 behaved towards me with all the 
 Subtlety and underhand Dealing that 
 one Enemy couid have ufed towards 
 another. If you knew the Counfel 
 which I followed to be good and 
 ufeful, you yourfelf, one would 
 think, fhould not have fhunned the 
 Advantage of it ; and, if you knew 
 it to be hurtful and pernicious, furely 
 you ought not to have fuffered that 
 Friend, who was fuperior to all 
 others in your Affedion, to have 
 fallen into it. Yet this you did, 
 and in this you was the chief Inftru- 
 ment : Though, to fay the Truth, 
 there was little Occafion to ufe fo 
 much Artifice and Craft towards 
 one who always fpoke and aded 
 iincerely, and without Difguife. 
 
 However, as I faid before, I do 
 not now call you to an Account for 
 thefe things; neither do I reproach 
 
 3 Y^^ 
 
of the Priesthood. 27 
 
 .you with that folitary State into 
 which you have thrown me, by 
 putting an End to thofe friendly 
 Meetings and Converfations, from 
 which I ufed to receive fuch 
 Pleafure and Advantage. All thefe 
 things I pafs over lightly, and with 
 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- 
 fhip, that, however at any Time you 
 fhould grieve me by any Unkind- 
 nefs, I would never bring you under 
 a Neceffity of apologizing for your- 
 felf ; though, moft certainly, the In- 
 jury you have done me is by no 
 means a trifling one, as you your- 
 felf knov7 ; efpecially, if you call to 
 mind how I am, at once, deprived 
 of all that Felicity which we both 
 
 promifed 
 
28 St. Ch R YSOSTOM 
 
 promifed ourfelves in this our Frieno- 
 fLip, 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 be no 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 fin- 
 gular Advantage to ourfelves, fince 
 it would render us more inacceffible 
 and firm againfi; the Attempts of 
 our Enemies : And this, you may 
 remember, vt^as an Argument which 
 I frequently inculcated to you. 
 
 I bid you connder, that the Times 
 were ditjicult, and the Adverfaries 
 many : That true Charity was, in a 
 manner, extinct ; and Envy, that 
 Plague of Mankind, had fucceeded 
 
 iu 
 
of the Priesthood. 29 
 ill its Place. My Friend, faid I, 
 we pafs through the midft of Snares, 
 and walkj as it were, on the Batde- 
 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 and infult at 
 it : But where are there any that 
 will lay our Sufferings to heart, or 
 compaffionate our Calamities ? Take 
 heed, therefore, faid I, left, by any 
 unhappy Means, this our Friendfhip 
 be diffolved, and we become a Jeft, 
 and a Deriiion, to the World, nay, 
 bring on ourfelves fucli real Evils, as 
 are much worie than all the Con- 
 tempt that can be poured upon 
 us. Remember the Words of the 
 Wife Man, A Brother holpeii by a 
 Brother^ is as a fortified City^ and 
 as a Kingdom fre77gthened with Bars 
 and Gates. Let us be careful, there- 
 fore. 
 
30 St. Ch R Y s o s T OM 
 
 fore, that this our Amity be not dif- 
 folved, nor the Bands of our Friend- 
 fhip broken afunder. 
 • This, and much more to the fame 
 Purpofe, did I often repeat to you : 
 Nor had I the leaft Sufpicion that 
 your Affedions towards me were at 
 all tainted ; but, out of the Abun- 
 dclnce of my Love, I offered good 
 Advice, where I had no Reafon to 
 think it was at all wanted : Nor was 
 I in the leaft aware, that, in thus 
 counfeiling you, I adminiftred Phy- 
 fie to a fick Perfon: Though (un- 
 happy that I am) not any thing that 
 I could offer hath been fuccefsful, 
 nor could all my Precaution be of 
 any Service to me. So far from that, 
 that, calling away from you, at once, 
 all my Admonitions, and never fuf- 
 fering them fo much as to enter into 
 your Mind, you have driven me out, 
 
 as 
 
^/>6^ Priesthood. 31 
 as a Ship without Ballaft, into the 
 wide Ocean, without any Concern 
 how I iliall there fuftain the Incle- 
 mency of thofe Waves, which will, 
 on all Sides, beat (o furioufly upon, 
 me. 
 
 For if, at any Time, I fail into an 
 unhappy Neceffity of fufFering Ca- 
 lumny, or Derifion, or any other 
 Injury or Moleftation (as it is very 
 fure fuch things as thefe will often, 
 befall me), to whom fhall I now 
 have Recourfe ? To whom fhall I 
 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 Alliftance, in thefe 
 
 Diffi- 
 
52 St. Chrysostom 
 
 DifficultieSj now fince have vvith^ 
 drawn yourfeif at fuch a Diftance 
 from 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 Flappinefs ? But, not to in- 
 fifl any longer on thefe Complaints 
 of my own (for it is impoffible to 
 undo what is done, or to extricate 
 myfelf from Difficulties which are 
 infuperable), tell me what I am to 
 fey to others that accufe you, and 
 what Anfwers I muft make to their 
 Reproaches ? 
 
 CHAP. 
 
d/'/zS^ Priesthood* 35 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 Chrysostom* 
 
 BE of 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, 
 I. will begin ; for I fliould ad a very 
 abfurd and unreafonable Fart, ihould 
 I. be foUicitous about the Cenfures 
 of others, and do every thing I could 
 to ftop their Clamours, and, at the 
 fame Time, not endeavour to clear 
 myfelf to my beft Friend, one Vv^ho 
 hath fhown more Concern for my 
 Credit than his own, and v/ho hath 
 
 D ufed 
 
34 St- C h r y s o s t o m 
 
 ufed me in fo handfome and gene- 
 rous a Manner, as not to expoftulate 
 fliarply with me concerning thofe 
 Injuries which he ^inks I have done 
 hirn. Ifay, fhould I not endeavour, 
 in the firft Place, the Satisfaction of 
 fuch a Friend, the NegHgence which 
 I fhould, in this Matter, be guilty 
 of towards him, would be greater 
 than that Love and Gare which he 
 hath expreffed tow^ards me. 
 
 Since, therefore, from hence I am 
 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 my Friend, 
 and the Benefit of thofe to whom I 
 betrayed him. 
 
 If 
 
^/Z'^ Priesthood. ^5 
 If you objed, that, nevertlielefs, 
 I betrayed you ; that I freely own : 
 And, if it be true, that all fort of 
 Deceit is iinful, 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 Punifh- 
 ment you pleafe : Or rather, becaufe 
 I know the Tendernefs of your Na- 
 ture towards me, I would pafs the 
 fame Sentence of Condemnation on 
 myfelf, as the Judges would in 
 open Court on a Perfon convicted 
 of fraudulent Praftices. 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 I 
 have deceived you, or elie prove, 
 that I have done it v/ith an ill De- 
 fign. For, indeed, if that be want- 
 inor, if there be no evil Mind or 
 
 D 2 Wicked 
 
36 St. C h r y s o s t o m 
 
 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 jflouriftied, 
 from the Beginning of the World 
 to this Time, I am well afTured, 
 that you will find the greater Part of 
 their fuccefsful Aftions 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 Vidories at fuch a prodigious 
 
 Expence, 
 
^/i6^ Priesthood. 37 
 Expence, both of Men and Money, 
 that they are, on the whole, but of 
 finall Advantage to them ; and the 
 Victors are in Httle better Condition 
 than the Vanquifhed, having their 
 Forces greatly diminilhed, and their 
 Treafure no lefs exhaufted. Neither, 
 indeed, have they the fole Glory of 
 the Adion : 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 Condudt, 
 expofes his Enemy, at once, to De- 
 ftruction and Derifion. For though, 
 where a Battle is gained by mere 
 Strength, the Vanquifhed have their 
 Sliare of Glory as well as the Vigors, 
 
 D 3 yet 
 
38 St. Ch 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 
 Adion refts entirely on his Side who 
 conquers : belides that he carries 
 home with him a mofl: perfeft and 
 unmixed Pleafdre 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-^ 
 miniflied : Whereas, on the con- 
 trary, this, the of tener you have Re- 
 courfe to it, the miOre it brightens, 
 and increafes on your Hands. 
 
 Nor is this Sort of Deceit ufeful 
 only in War, and in pubHc AfTairs ; 
 but in Peace alfo, and in one's own 
 private Concerns, it is often of great 
 Advantage, and that too amongfc 
 
of the Priesthood. 39 
 the neareft Relations. The Hufband 
 often finds it neceflary towards his 
 Wife, and the Wiie towards her 
 Fluiband; the Father towards his 
 Son; one Friend towards another; 
 nay, even Children, fometimes, to- 
 wards their Parents. Thus, Saul\ 
 Daughter ^^ could by no other means 
 deliver her Hufband out of her Fa- 
 ther's Hands, than by Fraud and Cir- 
 cumvention : And, in like Manner, at 
 another Time her Brother f defiring 
 to preferve the fame Perfon fafe from 
 thofe Dangers to which he w^as ex- 
 pofed, had Recourfe to the like Arts 
 of Stratagem and Deceit, as his 
 Sifler had done before. 
 
 Basil. 
 Nothing of all this is applicable 
 to me : For I am not an Enemy ; 
 I am no Adverfary to you, nor have 
 
 * I Sam. xix. 12. -j- Ibid, xx. 8. 
 
 D 4 I done, 
 
Ao St. Chry S O S 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 Condud, and done 
 nothing without your Advice, which 
 I have followed upon ail Occafions. 
 
 CHAP. VL 
 
 Chrysostgm. 
 
 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 alfo, 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 Tryth of this, go but to 
 a Phyfician, and afk 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 Untradablenefs of the Pa- 
 tient, or the Obftinacy of his Dif- 
 temper, the Prefcriptions of the 
 Phyfician can have no EfFedl, there 
 he muft, of Neceflity, have Recourfe 
 to Artifice and Contrivance, and ad: 
 his Part, as Players do on the Stage, 
 under a Difguife : And here, if 
 you pleafe, I will give you a merry 
 Inftance of one of thofe many Arti- 
 fices which I have heard pradifed 
 by thofe Sons of Art. 
 
 It happened that a certain Man 
 fell ill of a Fever, which raged very 
 violently, and without Intermifiion. 
 The fixk Perfon loathed all things 
 
 that 
 
42 St. Chrysosto m 
 
 that were proper to abate his Dif- 
 temper, but had a longing Delire 
 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 
 k been done, would have inflamed 
 his Fever to fuch a Degree, as would 
 have made the poor Fellow quite 
 diflraded. 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 of which, the Phyfician 
 effeded what he could not compafs 
 by his Art : For, getting an earthen 
 Pan, jufl: 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 v^dth 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, flayed not 
 curioufly to examine v^hat it was 
 which the Dodor gave him, but, 
 being periuaded by his Noftrils, that 
 it really was what he imagined, and 
 being hindered, by the Want of 
 Light, from diicovering the Cheat, 
 and being alfo eagerly defirous to 
 quench his Thirfk, he drank it ofF 
 with the utm.oft Greedinefs. Upon 
 v/hich his exceflive Thirft was al- 
 layed, his Fever abated, and the 
 Man recovered. So great are the 
 Power and Advantage of Deceit, 
 v/hich as you have already itzw in 
 this one Example, fo it were end- 
 lefs to produce Inftances of the like 
 Nature, 
 
 NoiT 
 
44 St. Ch R y s o s 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 pradifed 
 by thofe alfo that have the Cure of 
 Souls. 
 
 Thus the bleffed Apoftle St. Paul''^ 
 by holy Artifice;^ allured thofe many 
 thoulands of Jews which believed* 
 Thus alfo he, who circumcifed "Ti- 
 mothy -f, threatens the Galatians J, 
 that if they were circumcifed, Chrift 
 fhould profit them nothing : And 
 he il who counted the Righteoufneis 
 which was by the Law as Lofs 
 after his Reception of the Faith 
 in Chrift, did, neverthelefs, many 
 Times, and in many Cafes, fubmit 
 to the Law, 
 
 * Acis xxi. 26. - "f- Ibid, xvi. 3. 
 1 Gal, V. 2, jj FhiL iii. 7. 
 
 And 
 
of the Priesthood. 45 
 
 And truly great is the Power of 
 Deceit, provided it be not done with 
 a treacherous Mind: Though, in- 
 deed, it ought not then to be termed 
 Deceit, but Management rather, 
 and Wifdom, and good Contri- 
 \^ance, by which Men work them- 
 felves out of the greateft DifEcul- 
 ties, and correct and amend the 
 Errors of the Mind. 
 
 For neither can I call Phineas * a 
 Murderer, though, with one Stroke, 
 he flew tw^o Perfons : No, nor Eli- 
 jah -f , though he caufed the Death of 
 an hundred Soldiers, and their Cap- 
 tains, and was the Author of that 
 Torrent of Blood which flowed 
 at the Slaughter of Baal\ Priefts J. 
 Should we grant this, and judge of 
 Mens Anions in their ow^n naked 
 
 * Num. XXV. 7. -f- 2 Kings i. 10. 
 
 J I Kings xviii. 40. 
 
46 St. Chrysostom 
 
 Appearance, without any Regard to 
 the Will and Defign of the Adors^ 
 how can we exeufe Abraham ^' from 
 Parricide ; or what can we offer in 
 Vindication of two of his Defcend- 
 ants, yacob and Mofes ; the former 
 of which fupplanted his Brother of 
 the Rip-hts of Primoijeniture + ; and 
 the latter enriched the Ifi^aelites with 
 the Spoils of the Egyptians % f 
 
 But, far be from us the Auda- 
 cioiifnefs to pronounce fo hardly of 
 thofe holy MeUj 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 praifzd and commended by 
 God himfelf. 
 
 To conclude; he juftly deferves 
 the Name of a Deceiver, who ufes 
 
 ■* Gen. xxii. •\ Ibid, xxvii. 
 
 X Exod. xi. 
 
 falfe 
 
of the Priesthood. 47 
 
 falfe Pradices 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 neceflary, and conduces greatly 
 to his Advantage ; whereas he who 
 walks ftrait on, and will in no 
 Cafe whatever deviate, or ufe any 
 Artifice towards his Friend, be it 
 never fo honeft, often becomes the 
 Author of great Evils and Inconve^ 
 niences to him. 
 
 T'he E7id of the First Book, 
 
 BOOK 
 
48 St. Chrysostom 
 
 BOOK THE SECOND, 
 
 CHAPTER L 
 
 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 oi 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 enlaro-e farther on this 
 Subjed:. I expeft, therefore, that 
 you fhould now fhow whether or no 
 this Fraud, v/hich I have ufed to- 
 wards you, hath not been for your 
 Advantage. 
 
 5 Basil, 
 
^ /y5^ Priesthood. 49 
 Basil. 
 And what is that Advantage 
 which I reap froni this Management 
 or Wifdom of yours, or whatever 
 elfe you pleafe to call it ? that I may 
 at laft be made fenfible that I have 
 hot been ill ufed by you. 
 
 CHAP. IL 
 
 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 hio;heft Inftance 
 of our Love to him : For, fpeaking 
 to ^eter^ the chief of the Apoftles, 
 and afking him *, Loveji thou Mef 
 When that Apoftle affirmed that he 
 
 * yohn xxi. 15. 
 
 E did, 
 
50 St. Chrysostom 
 
 did, .ow Lord replies. If thou lovejl 
 
 pie J feed my Sheep. 
 
 The jMafter here queflions his 
 pifciple, If he loved him : Cer- 
 tainly not becaule he was ignorant 
 oF Peter ^ good Difpofition towards 
 him (that is by no means to be fuppoC- 
 ed of him, who enters into the very 
 Secrets of the Hfeaft)^ biit, without 
 Doubt, to teach us, that the due 
 Care and Mana^femeht of his Flock 
 was a thing of the higheft Concern 
 to him. From whence it follows, 
 that great and unfpeakable will be 
 their Reward, who labour diligently 
 for the Welfare of thofe things 
 w^hich are, of all others, mbfl: dear 
 to Chrift. This we may learn from 
 ourfelves: For, when we fee, at any 
 Time, any one doing good Offices 
 to our DomeRics, or taking Care of 
 our Cattle, we look lipon it as a 
 
 loken 
 
df /h Priesthood. rj 
 Token and Argument of their Love 
 to us: And, if we ourfelves are thus 
 affe(3:ed 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 P^/^r re- 
 f)lied, Thu knoweji^ Lordy that I 
 love thee 3 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 
 
52 S T. C H R y S O S T O M 
 
 was, great, we are well afiured by 
 many Inftances) ; biit, by this, he 
 would teach hox\\ Peter himfelf, and 
 all of us, hovv great an Affection he 
 had for his Church, that To our Care 
 alfo, and Concern for it, flioiild be 
 the greater. 
 
 And, indeed, why was it that 
 God /pared 7Wt his 07ily begotten 
 Son^ but delroer'ed him up for us * f 
 Was it not that he might reconcile 
 lis to hinifelf, arid make Xi^a pecu- 
 liar People ^(f Or\ why did Chrifl: 
 fhed his Blood for us ? Was it not 
 that he might purchafe, and take 
 into his Poffeflion, thdfe Sheep whbna 
 he ccmteitted to the Care 'of Peter ^ 
 and his Succeffors ? Juftly, there- 
 fore, doth our "Lord fay |, TFho 
 then is a faithful and wife Servant^ 
 
 ■' * Ro??7. viii. 32. -f- Tit, ii. 14. 
 
 J Mm. xxiv. 45. 
 
 % whom 
 
of the Priesthood. 53 
 whom his Lo?^d will make Rtikr 
 over his HoufJjoldf Which Words, 
 though they are.^a -^Queftion, yet 
 they do not qontain in them arjy 
 manner of Doubt in the Perfon who 
 fpoke them ; but, as before, when 
 he afked Peter if he loved him, he 
 put not that Queftion out of any Dif- 
 trufl: or Ignorance of that Apoftle's 
 Good-will towards him, but to teach 
 us wherein the Excellence of our 
 Love to him confided ; fo here when 
 he faith. Who then is a faithful 
 and wife Servant^ he fpeaks.it not 
 as being ignorant himfelt, 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 his Fundion, to 
 which our bleffed Saviour hath pro- 
 pofed fo great a Reward ; He pjall 
 
 E 3 make 
 
54- St. C^HRYSOSTOM 
 
 7nake htm Ruler (faith he) over all 
 his Goods *• 
 
 Confider this ferioully, and, I 
 am perfuaded, you will no longer 
 difpute the Matier with me, or 
 doubt whether you have not been 
 very advantageoufly deceived by 
 me, by whofe means you are made 
 a Ruler over God's Houjhold^ 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 Apoftles : And, there- 
 fore, when he had afked him f, Peter, 
 loveft thou Me move than ihefe f he 
 fubjomed, Feed my Sheep. He might 
 have faid, if he had pleafed, " If 
 ^^ thou loveft me, exercife thyfelf 
 " with fevere Faftings, with lying 
 '' on the bare Ground, and with 
 <^ rigorous Watchings. Be a Patron 
 
 * Matt, xxiv. 47. f "John xxi. 15 
 
 '' to 
 
of i^&e Pries 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, Feecimy 
 Sheep : For thofe Severities which I 
 ^'juft now mentioned, naay be cxercifed 
 by many of the Laity, as well Women 
 as Men ; but when a Bifliop is to be 
 fet over the Church, and to have 
 the Care of Souls committed to him, 
 fo great and excellent is the Func- 
 tion, that not only thofe of the weaker 
 Sex are quite excluded, but, indeed, 
 a great Num.ber of ours alfo muft dif- 
 claim all Pretenfions to it, 
 
 CHAR III. 
 
 IN this Choice, Regard is to be 
 had to the Excellencies of the 
 Man : And he that is eleded ought 
 to furpafs others in the Virtues and 
 
 E 4 Endow 
 
56 St. Chrysostom* 
 
 Endowments of his Mind, as much^ 
 or more, than Saul did the reft 
 of the' Hebrews in the Size of 
 his Body * : For, truly, an Emi- 
 nence of Stature, or a more exalted 
 Height of Body, is not here re- 
 quired. But as, in point of Under- 
 ftanding, there is a very great Dif- 
 ference between brute Beafts and 
 reafonable Creatures, by fo much, 
 or in a greater Degree, would I 
 have the Paftor excell his Flock; 
 even as his Danger alfo is infinitely 
 greater for thofe w^hom he hath in 
 Charge, if they fhould mifcarry 
 through his Fault. For that Shep- 
 herd who lofes any of the Sheep, ei- 
 ther by the Wolf, by Thieves, of thp 
 Rot, or through^ any other Acci- 
 dent, may pcffibly obtain Pardon for 
 his Nc'^^rgehce from the Mafter of 
 * I Sam, X, 13, 
 
 the 
 
^ />5^ Priesthood. 57 
 the Flock ; or, if he fufFers Punifh- 
 ment for it, that Punifhment, per- 
 haps, may only afFed 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, muft 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 
 pwn 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 ypu*^ We wrejlle not againjl 
 
 * Eplo, vi. 12. 
 
^8 St. Chrysostoi^ 
 fUp^ and Bloody but againjl Prin- 
 cipalities^ againjl Powers^ againjl the 
 Rulers of the Darknefs of this Worlds 
 againfi fpiritual TVichedmefs in high 
 Plrjccs. 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 
 fpoke to us of the above-mentioned 
 Adverfaries, hath, in like manner, 
 defcribed thefe to us, in the follow- 
 ing Words ; The Works of the Fle/h 
 (ire manifeft^ which are thefe • Adul- 
 tery^ hornication^ Uncleannefs^ Laf» 
 civioufnefs^ Idolatry^ Witchcrafty 
 Hatred^ Variance^ EmulationSy 
 
 Wrathy 
 
of the Priesthood, 59 
 
 Wrathy Strife^ BackbitingSy WhiJ- 
 perings^ Swellings y Tumults *, with 
 many more : For, indeed, he hath 
 not reckoned them all up ; 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 fo much 
 the more fierce and infolent, never 
 ceafing till they overcome the Shep- 
 herd, or are overcome by him. 
 
 * Gal. V. 19, 2 Cor. xii. 20. 
 
 Add 
 
6o St. Chr^ysostom 
 
 ' Add to this, that the Difeafes of 
 Beafts are manifeft, whether it be 
 the Rot, the Murrain, an acci- 
 dental Hurt, or any thing elfe 
 which pains and diforders the Crea- 
 ture ; and the Appearance of the 
 Diftemper renders it fo much the 
 more eafy to cure. 
 
 There is another thing alfo which 
 greatly contributes to their fpeedy 
 Recovery ; and that is, that the 
 Shepherd hath full Power over his 
 Sheep, to make them fubmit to 
 thofe Remedies which are proper 
 for them. If the Searing- iron or the 
 Incifion-knife is to be applied, he 
 can bind them faft for the Opera- 
 tion, If it be neceffary to change 
 their Food, or to hinder them from 
 Drink, he can £hut them up, and 
 keep them confined as long as he 
 pleafes. In a Word, he can, very 
 
 eafily 
 
c/" //5^ Priesthood. 6i 
 eafily, make them fubmit to all 
 Applications which he fhall juc^ge 
 conducive to the Health and Sound- 
 nefs of his Flock. 
 
 But, with the fpiritual Difeafes of 
 the Soul, it is quite other wife. For, 
 in the firft Place, it is^ hard to dif- 
 cover them : For the things cf a 
 McMy no Man knoweth^ fave the 
 Spirit of Man which is in him. '^\ 
 And how fhall' any prefcribe to a 
 fickSoul, the Nature of whofe Dif- 
 temper he is not acquainted with ? 
 Nay, fo far from that, that he is 
 often ignorant whether it be lick, 
 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 YSOSTOM 
 
 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. ^aul^ 
 who, fpeaking to the GorinthiOnSy 
 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 corredl the Errors of Sin- 
 ners by external Force. Temporal 
 Magiftrates, indeed, make life of 
 their Authority towards MalefadorSj 
 and prevent them, by Compulfiony 
 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 Subjed: on which to ufe it : 
 Neither, indeed, doth God himfelf 
 reward thofe that refrain from (inning 
 by Compulfion, but thofe that re- 
 frain by Choice. 
 
 ^And, for this Caufe, there is need 
 of much Art to perfuade thofe Men, 
 whofe Souls are diftempered by Sin, 
 not only to fubmit themfelves vo- 
 luntarily, and of their own Accord, 
 to the Advice and Diredlions 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 niay do, if he pleafes), h^ 
 makes his Malady fo much the 
 worfe : Or, if he defpifes thofe grave 
 Reproofs, which, Hke an Incifion- 
 knife, ought to cut him to the 
 Qiiick, 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 v/hether 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, v/ith 
 an unrelenting Hand, you make ^ 
 due Incihon, the Patient often, riot 
 knowing how to bear the exceflive 
 
 Pain, 
 
ef the Priesthood. (^^ 
 
 Pain, throws away, in a Fit of 
 Deipair, both the Medicines and the 
 Bandage, and breaks through the 
 Hands of his Surgeon with the ut- 
 moft Precipitation, Hke a mad Eul- 
 lock, that hath broken his Yoke, 
 and torn hi? Harnefs to Pieces. 
 
 I could give you many Inftances 
 of this Nature, of Men that have 
 launched out into the utmoft VV icked- 
 nefs, rather than undergo that Pe^ 
 nance v/hich their Sins had deferved : 
 And, for this Caufe, we mure not 
 rigidly exadl of Sinners a Punish- 
 ment equal to the Heincufiiefs of 
 their Offences ; but we muft con- 
 lider their Temper, and try it by 
 Degrees ; left, inftead of mending 
 the Matter, v/e make it w^orfc ; left 
 we tear the Rent wider than it was 
 before ; and left, while wx ftudy to 
 corredt and reform the Sinner, we 
 
 F drive 
 
66 St. Chr Y s o s T OM 
 
 drive him, by our Severity, to a 
 greater and more deadly Fall. 
 
 As for thofe who are foft and dif- 
 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 corred their Follies, you 
 may, though not altogether, yet in 
 fome Degree refcue them from thofe 
 Vices to which they are addided : 
 Whereas, if you think to do this at 
 once, by a fevere Animadverfion, 
 you will hinder and prevent even 
 that leiTer Corredion. For the Soul 
 of Man, w^hen once it hath broke 
 through the Bounds of Modefty^ 
 falls into a Sort of ftupid Infenfiibi- 
 lity, fo as not to be prevailed on by^ 
 Promifes or Threats, nor be moved 
 by the greateft Kindnefs, but be- 
 
 " Gomes 
 
^/,^^ Priesthood. 67 
 
 comes even worfe than that City 
 which the Prophet reproaching faid, 
 Thou haft a Whore s Forehead^ thou 
 refufejl to be afoamed ^. 
 
 A Paftor, therefore, hath need of 
 great Prudence, and much Circum- 
 ipedion, 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 ; io^ on the 
 other hand, there are fome that, by 
 reafon of too rnild Ufage, fall into 
 downright Nei^igence and Con- 
 tempt, become mere Profligates, 
 and periift in iinning with an high 
 Hand. It concerns a Bimop to 
 overlook none of thefe things ; 
 but, after an accurate Search and 
 
 j€r. in. 3. 
 
 F 2 due 
 
68 St. Ch R YsosToM 
 
 due Examination into all Circum- 
 ftances, 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 of 
 her Members which have fallen into 
 Schifm ; and, in this, the Difficul- 
 ties which he is obliged to encounter 
 are incomparably beyond thofe Oi 
 the ?i/ral Shepherd : For he hath his 
 Flock at Command ; they follow 
 him vvherefoever he leadeth them; 
 and, if any of them turn afide out 
 of the right Way ; or, if leaving 
 good Paflures, they run to feed upon 
 barren and dangerous Cliffs, lie need 
 but whiftle louder than ordinary ; 
 and this, without any more Difficulty, 
 is fufficient to bring back the ftrag- 
 *gling Sheep to the reft of the Flock. 
 But, when any one goes aftrayfrom 
 
 the 
 
of the Priesthood. 69 
 
 the Soundnefs of the Faith, the^/)/- 
 ritual Shepherd hath no fmall Tafk 
 upon his Hands, fuch as requires 
 much Patience and Forbearance : 
 For, in this Cafe, worldly Force 
 and Terror muf!: not be ufed, to 
 reduce fuch a Wanderer; he muf!: 
 not be brought back by Violence 
 and Compulfion, to embrace the 
 Truth, from which he is fallen, but 
 by Arguments and Perfuafions. 
 
 A Bifliop, 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, to the 
 ^^ acknowledging of the Truth; and 
 ^^ that they may recover themfelves 
 '^ out of the Snare of the Devil." 
 
 F 3 For 
 
yO St. Ch R Y SOS T OM 
 
 For which Caufe, our Lord, {peak- 
 ing to his Difciples, faith. Who ihe?t 
 is a faithful and wife Servant f 
 For, iurely, he that takes Care only 
 
 . of his own Soul, is, in that Refpecl, 
 of no Ufe to any but himfelf; 
 whereas the happy Confequences of 
 the paPioral Care redound, in gene- 
 ral, to the whole Flock. And thus, 
 he that gi\^es Alms to the Poor, or, 
 by any other Means, helps thofe that 
 
 , ftand in need of it, dolh Good to 
 his Neighbours as wxll as himfelf: 
 Only here he falls fhort of the ex-- 
 cellent Effecis of a Bi&op's Office, 
 by how much the Body is infinitely 
 leis excellent than the Soul : And, 
 for this Rcafon, 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 tht Priesthood. 71 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 Basil. 
 HAT, then, have you your-r 
 felf no Love for Chrill: ? 
 Chrysostom. 
 Yes ; I both love him at prefent, 
 and fliall not ceafe to do it ; but I 
 w^as afraid, left I fliould offend him 
 v/hom I thus love. 
 
 Basil. 
 Why, v/hat 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 \\^hy you would not feed 
 them, becaufe you love him who 
 hath fo commanded. 
 
 Chrysostom. 
 No, my Friend ; there is nothing 
 of a Riddle in this, but the Matta' 
 
72 St.Chrysostom 
 
 is very plain and clear. If, indeed, 
 I had fled from this facred Office, 
 though I had been fufficiently en- 
 dowed with thofe excellent Abilities 
 which Chrift requires for the Admi- 
 niitration of it, I muft then have 
 allowed your Obje6tion to have been 
 good and valid : But, when I w^as 
 fo well acquainted with my ov/n In- 
 fufficiency for fo high a Fundion, 
 there can be no Room to queftion 
 my Confiftency, or to doubt whe- 
 ther I did not ad: in this Bufinefs as 
 I oufrht to do. For, truly, I w^as 
 afraid, left, receiving the Flock of 
 Chriil faie ana found, and fufering 
 it ai terv/ards to rnifcarry through my 
 Unfkiifulneis, I Ihouid kindle God's 
 Wiaih againft me, for bringing 
 Pwuin upon thofe Souls, which he 
 hath {o tenderly loved, as to give 
 himieii for their Salvation. 
 
 Basil. 
 
<^//6^ 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, on the contrary, 
 they convince me what jufl: Caufe I 
 have to mourn and lament rny Con- 
 dition, with much Perplexity and 
 Trouble of Mind: In the firil 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 ow^n 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 
 
 from 
 
J4 St. Ch R YSOSTOM 
 
 from the Epifcopal .Office wasj hc^ 
 caufe you knew yourfelf incapable 
 and infufficient to bear the Weight 
 of fo facred a Funftion, how much 
 more ought I to have been fet afide, 
 though I had ever fo earneftly de- 
 lired it ; efpecially when, in this 
 Affair, I committed my felf entirely 
 to your Diredion ; in which, it is 
 true, you confolted your own Wel- 
 fare, but negleSed 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 efcape, by fay- 
 ing that you was led into an Error 
 by common Report, which gave you 
 an Opinion of fomcthing excellent 
 and extraordinary in my Charader. 
 
 For. 
 
of the Priesthood. 75 
 
 For, in th^ firft Place, I muft 
 difclaim all Preteniions to that : 
 And, in the next Place, however 
 that miaht be, the Truth ouo;ht 
 certainly to be preferred to common 
 Report. If, indeed, you yourfelf had 
 never had experimental Knowledge 
 of me in this Refped:, you would 
 have had a fpecious Pretence to have 
 formed your Opinion of my Cha-- 
 racier from common Fame : But, 
 fince my nearefl: Relations had not 
 a more intimate Acquaintance with 
 me, nor knev/ my Heart half fo 
 v/ell as yourfelf, there is no Room 
 for any fuch Excufe ; nor will it be 
 pciTible for you to perfuade thofe 
 that hear you, but that my being 
 drav/n into this dangerous Station, 
 v/as done defignediy, and on pur^ 
 pofe, by you. 
 
 How- 
 
76 St. Chrysostom 
 
 However, I will no farther infift 
 on this, being rcfolved (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 againf!: thofe whofe Cenfures 
 fall heavy upon us both. 
 Chrysostom. 
 
 No ; this muft by no means be : 
 For, though you fliould 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 ot 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 fime Tim.e, I had a perfeft 
 
 Know- 
 
^i'/^^ Priesthood. 77 
 
 Knowledge of you, this, you (ly^ is 
 fo criminal a Part, thp,t there is no 
 Room for me to make any juft 
 Apology for it. 
 
 Now, I mufl 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 Oftice, 
 ought by no means to fatisfy himfelf 
 with commxon Report concerning 
 fuch a one's Sufiiciency, but to make 
 particular Search and Enquiry into 
 the Abilities of the Man. 
 
 For, w^hen St. Paul *, ipeaking 
 of fuch a one, faith, That he imift 
 have a good Report from them which 
 ai^e without^ he doth not by thefe 
 Words exclude a more accurate 
 
 ■* I T^im, ili. 7. 
 
 4 Scrutiny 
 
hS St. Chrysostom 
 
 Scrutiny and Probation; nor doth 
 he reauire this as the principal Sign 
 of that Perfon's Fitnefs for fuch an 
 Office : Butj having mentioned many 
 other Qualifications firft of all, he, 
 at laft, adds this alfo : Hereby {bow- 
 ing us, that, in fuch Eledions, this, 
 of itfelf, is not enough^ but that, 
 together with the other Requifites, 
 this alfo fliould 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 m.entions the Teftimonial 
 in the laft Place. Nor doth he only 
 fay. That i)e mtifi have a good Re- 
 port^ but he adds, from the7n which 
 are without ; defigning hereby to 
 teach us, that the Life and Abili- 
 ties 
 
of the Priesthood. 79 
 
 ties of fuch a Perfon mull be nar- 
 rowly enquired into, before any P^e- 
 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 pejrfeft ^Knowledge of 
 you, than your near-eft jRLclations, 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, iSiould ^ I infift 
 upon it. For, do y<:)u not remem- 
 ber, have you not heard from my 
 own Mouth, and hav« you not been 
 fufficiently convinced by miy Adions, 
 of the Meannefs and Degeneracy of 
 my Soul ? Nay, have not you your^ 
 felf made it Matter of Scoff, and Re- 
 proach 
 
go St. Ch R Y S O S T O M 
 
 proach to me, that I had no Courage^ 
 no Spirit at all, but foon funk under 
 the lightefl: Troubles ? 
 
 Chrysostom. 
 I have frequently heard you lay 
 fo ; nor do I deny it ; and, if I ever 
 laughed at you for it, I was cer- 
 tainly not in earneft. But, how- 
 ever that Matter was (which, at pre-^ 
 fent, I fhall not difpute with you), 
 give me, in Return to your Ob- 
 jedion, 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 FaKhood, I fhall 
 deal very plainly with you, and 
 fliow you, that you do this not for 
 Truth's, but Modefly's Sake. Nor 
 will I make ufe of any other Tefti- 
 mony, for the Proof of what I am 
 
 now 
 
©/* //5^ P R I E S T H O O D. 8 1 
 
 now going to fay, than your own 
 Words and Adlions. 
 
 Let me a(k you, therefore, in the 
 firft Place, Do y6u not know the 
 Power and Fdrce bt Love? Chrift 
 hath taught Us how great it i§, Tvhen, 
 taking no Notice of thofe wonderful 
 Miracles ivhich the Apbftles were 
 about to work, he faith *^ By this 
 ail Men jhall know that ye 'are my 
 DifcipleS'y if ye have Love one to 
 another. -St; Paid -f- calls Love 
 the fulfilling of the Law ; and af- 
 flires us, that where this is want- 
 ing, other Gifts are of no Signi- 
 ficance. 
 
 Now, this moft choice Virtue, 
 this Mark of the Difciples of Chrift, 
 tills' higheft and moft excelient of 
 all Gifts, I know to be implanted 
 in your generous Soul, where it 
 
 * ,John xiii, 3;. ^ Ro?f:, 5:iii. 10. 
 
 Q thrives^ 
 
82 St. Ch R Y S O S T ot4 
 
 thrives, and brings forth the richefl 
 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 witnefs, if you would 
 fpeak that which is true, rather than 
 that which is fmooth and complai-* 
 fant, 
 
 C H A ?. V^ 
 
 Chrysostom. 
 
 IT is neceflary, therefore, to apply 
 myfelf to the Proofs of my Af- 
 firmation, and, by them, to convince 
 you, as I faid I would, that your 
 
 Modefty 
 
vf the Priesthood. 83 
 
 Modefty hinders you from owning 
 the Truth. And, in order to this, 
 I will mention a Fail which hap- 
 pened very lately, left, if I fhould 
 tell an old Story, it fhould be fu- 
 fpefted, that I darkened and dif- 
 guifed the Matter, by fetching it 
 from a loiig Diftance of Time : 
 Though, indeed, Truth itfelf will 
 ftdt fuffer me 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 iofing his Life. Upon 
 this, you, without any Intreaties oi 
 the Diftreffed, or of any other Per- 
 fon, voluntarily interpofed, thruft 
 yourfelf into the midil: of Danger, 
 and brought off your Friend, at 
 your own Hazard* 
 
 G 2 Thi^ 
 
^4 S T. C H R Y 3 O S T O M 
 
 This was the Fad. 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 I do f Or how can I better 
 pow^ that I have lear72ed the Duty 
 of Charity^ tha?t by hazardifig my 
 own Life to refcue afid preferve the 
 Lfe of my Friend P 
 
 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 perfed Charity ; Greater 
 Love hath no Man than this^ that 
 a Man lay down his Life for his 
 Friends. 
 
 ■* ydvi XV. 13* 
 
 Since, 
 
of the Priesthood. 85 
 
 Since, therefore, it is not poiTible 
 to find greater Love among Men 
 than this, it is plain, both from your 
 Words and Adions on this Occafion, 
 that you are arrived to the utmoft 
 Limits of this Duty, and that you 
 have attained the highefl: and moft 
 perfeft Degree of Chriftian Charity. 
 For this Caufe I betrayed you into 
 the facred Order ; and contrived 
 thofe Artifices, which w^ere the 
 Means of it. And are you not yet 
 perfuaded of my Innocence in* this 
 Matter? Yet I did it not with an 
 evil Mind, or with any Defign to 
 bring you into Danger. Or, arc 
 you not rather convinced, that the 
 true Reafon of my doing it, was, 
 becaufe I well knev/ of v/hat great 
 Ufe and Advantage it would be on 
 all Accounts ? 
 
 G 3 Basii.. 
 
86 S r. C H R Y s o s T o m 
 
 Basil. 
 Do you fuppofe, then, that the 
 Power of Charity is fufficient to pre- 
 vail with Men, to correft and amend 
 the Errors of their Lives ? 
 Ckrysostom. 
 It will do it in a great mea- 
 fure y it will wonderfully contribute 
 thereto. 
 
 But, in the next Place, if you 
 pleafe, I v/ill go on to give fome 
 inftances of your 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 thh^ and replied. '\ 
 Basil. 
 As for Vv^hat concerns myfelf, I 
 dcfire it may be dropped. You 
 know, from the very firft, I never 
 accufcd you on my own Account : 
 
 But, 
 
of the Priesthood. 87 
 
 But, if you have any proper Jufti- 
 fication to oiFer for yourfelf, againft 
 the Objedions 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 Funftion, as to others, 
 who are concerned at the Affront 
 you have put upon them, by with- 
 drawing yourfelf from it, 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 Chrysostom, 
 
 THIS is what I am now haften-r 
 ing to. For, haying fettled 
 Accounts with you, I fhall the more 
 eafily apply myfelf to that other Part 
 of my Apology. Say, therefore, 
 
 G 4 what 
 
$8 St. Ckrysostom 
 
 what is my Accufation ? What is 
 
 that thej charge me with ? 
 
 Basil. 
 • They complain, that they were 
 ill-ufed by us, in that we lliunned 
 and fled from the Honour which 
 thev 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 themfelves tq 
 be angry on fiich an Account. For 
 I think it becom.es thofe that are 
 dedicated to God, and who have 
 their Eyes fixed on him alone, to 
 he fo piouily difpofed, as not to 
 think k an Injury, though they 
 
 fhould 
 
^/Z'^ Priesthood. 89 
 
 fhould (in this Manner) be diflio- 
 noured a thoufimd Times. And 
 from hence, alfo, it is plain, that I 
 had not fo much as a Thought of 
 affronting thofe excellent Perfons. 
 
 And, truly, if an infoient Hu- 
 mour of Pride or Vain-glory had 
 been the Motive by which I had 
 been influenced (according to thofe 
 Objections which, you fay, are fre- 
 quently made againfl me), I might 
 juftly be looked upon as moft bafe 
 and injurious, in dcfpifing Men of 
 fuch admirable Virtue and high Sta- 
 tion, who, befides, had fo well de- 
 fer v^ed 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 
 their own Goodnefs and Benevo- 
 lence, , chufe to advance us to Ho- 
 3 nour 
 
go St. Ch R y s o s T OM 
 
 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 Punifhment doth he 
 deferve, that returns Evil for Good ? 
 But if nothing of this ever entered 
 into my Mind; but 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 to my 
 own Soul. 
 
 CHAP. VIL 
 
 NAY, fo far was I from defign- 
 ing to affront the Eleftors, 
 that, I infift upon it, I have con- 
 
 fulted 
 
of the Priesthood, 91 
 fulted their Honour, by this my Re- 
 fufal, as I (hall foon make plain to 
 you, how ftrange foever it may, at 
 lirfl: Sight, appear : For, had I fub- 
 mitted to the Eleftion, there would 
 have been Room for all Men, but 
 efpecially for thofe that dehght in 
 Evil-lpeaking, to have fufpe<9:ed and 
 faid many things, both 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 of a Man's 
 Birth ; or that I, by my Flatteries, 
 had infinuated myfelf into their 
 good Graces, and thereby obtained 
 this facred Office : For I will not 
 fuppofe them to fay, that they were 
 bribed and corrupted with Money ; 
 ^hough, poffibly, fome might have 
 fufpeded even that alfo. 
 
 Chrift 
 
92 St. Chkysosto:,! 
 
 Chrift called Fifliermeii *', Tent- 
 makers f , and Publicans J, to have 
 the Rule over his Flock : Whereas 
 thefe Men (fay they) abhor and rejed: 
 mean Perfons, that maintain theni- 
 felves by their daily Labour ; but, 
 if they m.eet with a Man that is v^erfed 
 in profane Literature, and lives at 
 Eafe, him they admire, and admit 
 to the facred OfRce : And thus, 
 great Numbers of thofe who fpare no 
 Pains to be of Service to the Church, 
 are overlooked and negleded ; 
 while he, who never tafted of 
 thefe Labours, but hath fpent his 
 Time in a vain Sort of Learning, 
 which hath no Reference to Mens 
 Souls, is, on a fudden, exalted over 
 their Heads, and promoted to the 
 lionourable Station of a Bifhop. 
 
 *;A&//. iv. 10. f jss xviii, 3. 
 
 This, 
 
^//S^ Priest-hoo0. 03 
 
 This, and much more to the fame 
 Purpofe, might they have faid, had 
 I accepted of that Honour ; whereas 
 now, by my Refufal, I have cut off 
 ,all Pretence and Occafion of EviU 
 fpeaking. They have no Room now 
 to accufe either me of Flattery, or 
 the7n of Corruption ; unlefs they will 
 ad: 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 relinquiih it to another, at 
 the very Juncture when he might be 
 inverted 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 Expencc 
 about it, juft at the Time when he 
 
 Ihould 
 
^4 St. Ch R Y s o s T o ^i 
 
 jfliould reap the Fruits of it, fliould 
 unaccountably throw it all up to be 
 enjoyed by another; 
 
 I doubt not but you fee plainly^ 
 by .this Time, that, had I accepted 
 of the proffered Dignity^ I fhould 
 have given Occafion to them that 
 delight in Calumny, to have re- 
 ported^ hov^ falfly foever, that the 
 Electors were byaffed in their Choice* 
 But now, there is no Room for any 
 fuch Accufation : I have effectually 
 flopped their Mouths, fo that they 
 cannot fo much as open their Lips 
 on this Account. 
 
 You have h^ard how lavifh Meii 
 tvould have been of their Cerifures 
 at firfl upon the Eledion ; but yoii 
 are hot to think that Evil "would 
 have flopped there ; For, when once 
 I had entered upon the Performance 
 of that facred Adminiftration, new 
 
 Accufa- 
 
^/'//^^ Priesthood. 95 
 Accufations would have ftarted every 
 Day, from which my Eledors would 
 never have been able to have de- 
 fended themfelves, let me have be- 
 haved myfelf ever fo unblameably ; 
 though I doubt not but, for want of 
 more Years and Experience, I fliould 
 neceffarily have made many falfe 
 Steps : But as now I have freed 
 them from thefe Refledlions, fo then 
 I fhould have expofed them to in-^ 
 numerable Reproaches* 
 
 For what is there which they 
 would not have faid on this Occa-*^ 
 lion ? That they had committed 
 things of fuch. a wonderful and high 
 Nature to fooHfh 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 
 
g6 St. ChRY SOS TOM 
 
 But now, by my Managementi 
 the Mouth of all Wickednefs fhall 
 be ftopped. For, if any one fhould 
 objedl thefe things againft you^ he 
 would fbon be convineed, by youf- 
 Behaviour, that Wifdom is hot 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^ 
 lb neither is a young Man to be re- 
 jeded and refufed merely For Want 
 of them; except he be, indeed, a 
 Novice, one lately planted and in- 
 ftruded in the Chriftian Faith. And, 
 truly, there is a wide Difference be-^ 
 tween thefe two. 
 
 The End of the Second Book; 
 
 
 BOOK 
 
iff the pRiEStHooU. ^ 
 
 BOOK THE THIRD 
 
 CHAPTER L 
 
 S for the Slight which I am 
 faid to have put upon thole 
 who woiild have honoured 
 ine with the facred Office ; as if 
 i had had a Defigii to affront them 
 by withdrawing myfelf from it ; I 
 have fpokeii to thefe things, and 
 told you what I have to fay for my- 
 felf It remains that I fliow you, 
 in the next Place, that I did not do 
 this, as fome otDJed, 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- 
 
g8 St. Chrysostom 
 Kingdom, had been offered me t 
 Had I aded in that Manner, as I 
 have done in this (/. e. had I refufed 
 and fled from it), would any one 
 have fufpeded 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, will any one fay, that I 
 overlooked it through Difdain and 
 Contempt ? I think I need not in- 
 fift on the Abfurdity of this, nor 
 fhow how inconflftent with good 
 Senfe it is, that they, who refufe Pre- 
 ferments of a lefs Degree, Ihould 
 be cenfured as Madmen, while they^ 
 who do the fame thing in Honours 
 of a much more excellent Nature, 
 (hould, neverthelefs, be taxed, not 
 
tf the Priesthood, 90 
 
 with Madnefs, but with Infolence 
 and Pride* This is as if you Ihould 
 fay, that he who refufes to be an 
 Herdfrnan, doth not do it becaufe 
 he thinks himfelf above that Com- 
 mand, but becaufe he is plainly 
 diftradedj and cut 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 
 conliftertt. Nor, indeed, do the 
 Cenfures of thofe who thus judge 
 fall harder on me^ than on them^ 
 felves : For, truly^ the very Suppo- 
 fition, that it is poffible for Men to 
 defpife the Dignity of the Priefc- 
 hood, is an Argument againft thofe 
 very Perfons who make ufe of it, 
 
 H 2 that 
 
100 St. CHRYsostdM 
 
 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 fufped, that I had fhunned it 
 through Pride and Contempt. 
 
 And why hath no one ever yet 
 had Impudence enough to fufped 
 the fame thing concerning the Dig- 
 nity of Angels ; and affert, that 
 Fleflb. 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 poiTible for Man to 
 •conceive a higher created Dignity 
 than that. So that, upon the Whole, 
 they who .reproach me with Pride, 
 
 and 
 
af 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 fufpeded any 
 fuch thing of others, had they not 
 firft of all had mean and defoicable 
 Notions of it themfelves. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 NEITHER are they lefs in- 
 confiftent in their Objedions, 
 who accufe me, in this Matter, of 
 Ambition and Vain-glory. Nor, in- 
 deed, do I fee how they could have 
 brought a more efFedlual 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 
 
I02 St. Chrysostom 
 
 fled from it. And the Reafon i^ 
 obvious; becaufe I fliould thereby 
 have been advanced to a very ho- 
 nourable and high Station. For what 
 could have been more honourable^^ 
 than for one of my unpradtifed Years, 
 v/ho had fo lately retired from fecular 
 AfFairsj to obtain, on a fudden, fuch 
 a general Regard and Efteem, as tq 
 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 
 adrnirable 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- 
 fed; Certainty of it ; but fome, it is 
 likely^ think I was not eledled at 
 all, or that I loft the Eledlion 
 through Infuifficiency ; 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, 
 
 f I ^HESE, it feems, are the Per- 
 
 JL fons who, you fay, accule 
 
 Hie of Pride and Vain- glory in this 
 
 Matter. ■ i 
 
 H 4 But, 
 
I04 St. Chrysostom 
 
 But, here, give me Leave to afk, 
 ^rom 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 Subjed, was, 
 that you might be informed how 
 you fhould apologize for me againft 
 their Accufations. 
 
 But why fhould I enter into a 
 pice Djfquifition of this ? For let it 
 \>e granted, that the thing was no- 
 tprious to all, yet that woyld be no 
 Jleafon why they fhould condemn 
 me of Pride and Vain-glory. Have 
 but a little Patience, and you fhall 
 fee the Truth of what I lay, in a 
 clear Light: And, hefides, I fhall 
 ihow you, that not only they that 
 
 dare 
 
of the Priesthood, 1:05 
 
 dare to judge fo raflily of me (if any 
 fuch there are, which yet I am loth 
 to beUeve), but they alfo who fufped 
 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 Fundions, 
 and that with the greateft Reafon : 
 Becaufe no mortal Man, no Angela 
 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 
 
ic6 St. Chrysos TOM 
 
 ought to be pure, as though he 
 Vv-ere even now {landing 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 
 Bells, 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 that awful Silence 
 which overspread the facred Place *. 
 
 But, if we enquire into the Mini- 
 ftrations under the Gofpel, we Ihall 
 find thofe venerable and tremendous 
 Inftitutions to be as nothing, in 
 comparifbn of thefe : So true is that 
 which the holy Ap6ftle f hath faid 
 of the Law, That even that which 
 'was made glorious had no Glory ^ in 
 
 * Exod, xxviii. -f 2 Cor, iii. 10. 
 
 this 
 
<^ /^^ P R I E S T H O O Dr 107 
 
 this RefpeB^ by reafon of the Glory 
 that excelleth. 
 
 For, when you fee our Lord fa- 
 crificed, and lying in 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 
 jiot 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 ! 
 O the Goodnefs of God to Men I 
 He that fitteth with the Father, 
 high over all, is, at that Time, 
 touched by the Hands of Men, and 
 
 gives 
 
io8 St. Ghry SOS TOM 
 
 gives himfelf to thofe, who are wil-> 
 Jing to embrace and receive him j 
 and this they all then plainly fee by 
 the Eyes of Faith. And now give 
 me Leave to aflc, Do thefe look like 
 things lit to be defpifed ? Or, are 
 they fuch mean Adminiftrations, that 
 any one fhall think himfelf above 
 them ? If it be poflible to fuppofe 
 this, I will, hy another Miracle, 
 farther fhow you the Excellence of 
 this facred Performance. 
 
 Imagine, then, that you fee 
 Elias * furrounded on all Sides with 
 a vaft Multitude, the Sacrifice lying 
 ready on the tv/elye 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 
 
t>f the Priesthood. T09 
 
 Thefe things are, indeed, grand and 
 wonderful. 
 
 But now turn away your Eyes, 
 and £x 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 not Fire 
 from Heaven, but the Holy Spirit ; 
 and he offers a long Supplication^ 
 iiot 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 
 arc prefent, and make therp brighter 
 than Silver purified in the Fire. And 
 is it pofiibie that any one, except, 
 indeed, he be out of his Senfes, 
 fhould delpife this moft tremendous 
 Myftery ? Or, are you ignorant that 
 the Soul of Man could never bear 
 ^ this 
 
no St. Chrysostom 
 
 this Fire of the Sacrifice j but woiildi 
 be entirely confumed thereby, were 
 it not mightily fuftained by the Grace 
 of God ? 
 
 C H A R V* 
 
 FOR, let a Man but confidef^ 
 how great a thing it is for a 
 Mortal, cloathed with Flefh and 
 Blood, to be able to draw near to 
 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, evert 
 thefe things are performed^ and other 
 Fundions little inferior to them^ 
 which concern our Dignity and Sal- 
 vatioui 
 
 The Difpenfation of heavenly things 
 is committed to thofe that dwell on 
 
 y Earthj 
 
of the Priesthood, iit 
 
 Earth, and make their Abode in 
 this World ; and they have thereby 
 received a Pov^er which God hath 
 liot thought fit to entruft even to An* 
 gels or Archangels : For it was not 
 to them that he faid *, Whatfoever 
 ye jhall bind on Earthy JJjall be bound 
 in Heaven ; and whatfoever ye Jljall 
 loofe on Earthy jhall 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 ServantSo And what 
 elfe is this, but a deputing to them 
 all heavenly Power ? For, faith he f , 
 
 * Matt, xviii, i8, •j^ Johnxx. 23. . 
 
 f^hofe^ 
 
112 ST.CHkYSOStbWt 
 
 Whofefoei)er Sins ye remits they aH 
 remitted unto them ; and whofefoever 
 Sim ye retain^ they are retained. 
 What greater Authority is there thari 
 this? The Father hath comtnitted 
 all Judgment unto the Son, and the 
 Son hath comriiitted 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 Affedions which 
 attend upon it. 
 
 If a King fhbuld inveft '^x\j one 
 of his Subjeds with a Power of im- 
 prifoning whom he pleafed, ^nd of 
 releafing them again ; would not ^ 
 Man thus honoured be looked upon 
 by all with the higheft Efteem ? 
 And fhall he^ who hath received 
 from God a Power as much beyond 
 
 this 
 
of the Priesthood, 113; 
 
 this as Fleaven is higher than the 
 Earth, and the Soul more excellerif 
 than the Body ; fhall fuch a one, I 
 fay, be thought to have received fo 
 fmall and vvorthlefs a Gift, Ss to be 
 able himfelf to overlook and defpife 
 it ? Far be from us the Madnefs of 
 fuch a Thought ! For it muft bd 
 looked upon as downright Madnefs^ 
 to defpife fo great a Power, tvithout 
 which w^e cannot obtain Salvation, 
 nor the good Fromifes of God. 
 
 For, if it be true, that except a 
 Man be bor^n of TVater^ and of th^ 
 Spirit^ he ca7tnot eitter i?lto the King- 
 dom of God * .• If it be true, that 
 except we eat the Flejh of oiif Lord, 
 a?id drink his Blood -f , we are caft 
 out from eternal Life: And lafLiy, 
 if thefe holy Miniftrations are per- 
 formed by no other Hands but thofe 
 
 '* "John iii. 5. -^ Ibid. vi. 5-3. 
 
 I con- 
 
114 S T. C H R Y S O S t O M 
 
 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 effeded by 
 Baptifm. By their Means it is, that 
 we put on Chrift, are united to the 
 Son of God, and made Members of 
 that blefled Head : And, for this 
 Reafon, as they ought to be more 
 venerable in oilr Eyes than Kings 
 and Princes, lb we fhould honour 
 them with a greater Refpeft than we 
 pay even to our natural Parents : 
 For they have begotten us of Blood, 
 and of the V/ill of the Flefh ; but 
 thefe are Authors to us of a divine 
 Birth, of that bleffed RcQ^eneration^ 
 
 . " of 
 
of f/je 'PpJi^sruooTf. 115 
 of true Libertyj and the Adoption 
 
 ofGr 
 
 ace. 
 
 CHAP. VL 
 
 TH E Jewij^ Priefts ^ Iiacl 
 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 Bodyj but the Uncleannefs of 
 the Soul ; not only to judge when 
 We are clean, butj indeed, to put 
 away our Uncleannefs from us : So 
 that they who defpife them, are 
 much wickeder, and worthy of 
 ^ JuCV. xiii. 3. 
 
 I 2 greater 
 
ii5 St. Chrys o s t o m 
 
 greater Punillinient, than Dathari 
 and his Aiibciates ^ : For thefe 
 having^ die Priciihood in Admira- 
 ticn, as was plain from their am- 
 bitious Attempts, endeavoured to 
 ulurp a Dignit)' which did not be- 
 long to them : Bur die odiers, 
 thougrh the Excellency and Honour 
 of the Prieithood be increaled, pre- 
 fume, in a quire contrary Way, to 
 commit a much greater Sin : For to 
 aipire to an undue Honour, i^ not 
 fo great a Crime, as ro hold it in 
 Contempt ; and there is as m.uch 
 Dirierence between this Sin and that, 
 as between Admirarion and Con- 
 tempt. Who, therefore, can have 
 fo wretched a Soul, as to delpife fo 
 excellent a thing? I think, I may 
 fay, no Man can be fo wicked, but 
 he who is agitated bv the Furies. 
 
 ^ 2\umb, x\ic 
 
cf tie Pf.iesthood. 117 
 
 But to return trom this Dioref- 
 iion. 
 
 God hath given his Priefb a 
 greater Power, not only of punilh- 
 ing, but of doing Good, than he 
 hath given to our Parents by Na- 
 ture, between whom and his Priefts 
 there is as much Difference, as be- 
 tween this Life and that which is to 
 come. Our Parents beg-ot us into 
 this prefent Lite ; but they beget us 
 into Lite eternal. The former can- 
 not dehver us from the Death of the 
 Body, no, nor repell anv approach- 
 ing Difeafe : But the latter have 
 often laved fick Souls, which were 
 soino; to DeftrucHon : and this not 
 by Doctrine and Inftniclion alone, 
 but alfo bv the Help ot their Prayers. 
 For not oniv when they reg-enerate 
 us bv Baptifm, but aftenvards too 
 they have a Power ot remitung Sins. 
 
 1 3 /* 
 
ii8 St. Ch r y s as to m 
 
 Js any Jick among you P fays tlie 
 Apoftle *, /et^ hhn call for the 
 Elders of the Churchy and let them 
 pray over him^ anointmg him 'with 
 Oyl^ in the Name of the Lord : And 
 the Frayer of Faith fhall fave the 
 fck^ and the Lord foall raife him. 
 tip ; a?id if he have committed Si?is-^ 
 ihey fjall he forgive?i him. 
 
 Beildes, our natural Parents, if 
 any of their Children offend the fb-» 
 preme Powers, cannot help them : 
 But thofe of the facerdotal Order, 
 though they cannot reconcile Kings 
 and Princes to us, yet they otten 
 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 M^rtter ? I think 
 not: For, farely. what I have faid 
 
 ■^ James v. 14. 
 
 will 
 
^//5^ 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, ^nd 
 ambitioufly endeavour to pofTels 
 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 preferv^e 
 themfelves free from Fault, whole 
 Lot and Office it is to beautify and 
 adorn the Bride of Chrift ? 
 
 1 4 CHAP, 
 
I2p St. Ch R Y SOS t p M 
 
 CHAP. VIL 
 
 O one hath loved Chrift more, 
 or manifefted a greater Af- 
 fection for him J than St. Paul\ nor 
 Jiath any one been vouchfafed larger 
 Meafures of Divine Grace, than tliat 
 holy Man: And yet, notvvithftand- 
 ing all thefe Privileges, he was in 
 thp utmoft Fear and Concern, when 
 he confidered his own high Office, 
 and v/hat a Charge was committed 
 to him, / fear (faith he *), lejl by 
 any mea?ts^ as the Serpent beguiled 
 Eve through his Subtlety^ fo your 
 Minds pjould be corrupted from the 
 Simplicity that is in Chrijl : And, in 
 another Place \^ I was with you in 
 Fear^ and t?i much "Tre^nbling, Thefe 
 are the Words of him who was 
 * 2 Ccr- xi. 3. -j- I Cor. ii. 3. 
 
 caught 
 
^/'if^^ Priesthood. I2i 
 
 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 tranfcendently good as 
 even to go beyond what Chrift had 
 enjoined, not feeking his own Ad- 
 vantacre, 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 refleded oa 
 the Greatnefs of his Fundion, what 
 fhall we do, who generally purfue 
 our ov/n Profit, and are fo far from 
 exceeding the Commands of Chrift, 
 that, for the moft part, we tranf- 
 
 ^ 2 Cor, 7AU 
 
 grefs 
 
122 St. Chrysostom 
 
 grefs them. Who is weak (faith this 
 holy Apoftle *), and I am i^ot weak ? 
 Who is offended^ and I hum not f 
 Such an one a Pricft ought to be ; 
 or rather,, not fuch an one only : 
 For thefe are fmail things, they are 
 nothing to. what I am going to fay. 
 Would you know what that is ? 
 Hear him fpeaking himfelf, / could 
 
 wijh (faith he f) ^^^^ ^yfeif "^^^^ ^--^ 
 curjed from Chrijl^ for ?ny Brethrenj 
 my Kinfmen according io the FleJJj, 
 Now, if one that can ^tter fuch 
 Words, and hath his Heart enlarged 
 arA carried out with fuch a Wifh as 
 this, if fuch an excellent Perfoa 
 fhould fly from the facerdotal Charw, 
 he would be W' crthy of Blame ; But^ 
 on the other hand, if he is as great a 
 Stranger to this Virtue as I ani, mofl 
 certainly he is to be condemned, not 
 
 ■^ 2 Cor, xi. ap. -f- Rotn, ix. 3. 
 
 when 
 
^/.-6^ Priesthood. 123 
 
 when he refufes this Funftion, but 
 when he accepts of it : For fo in an 
 Eleftion to fome high miHtary Poft, 
 if they who difpofe of it, fhould offer 
 to fome mean Artificer the Charee 
 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 v\7ere no Danger in fo doing; 
 it this, I fay, were the Cafe, let 
 v/ho will accufe me of Vain-glory 
 in refufing it : But if, on the con- 
 trary, the Adminiftration of this 
 high Fun6don requires much human 
 Wifdoni, and no lefs a Portion of 
 Divine Grace ; if Uprightnefs of 
 Manners, and Purity of Life, is 
 
 4 needful 
 
124 S T. G H R Y S O S T O M 
 
 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 DefLrudion. 
 For thus, if the Mafter of a Ship of 
 great Burden, full of Men, and rich 
 Lading, Hiould command me to 
 pilot the Veflel crofs a dangerous 
 Sea, I would pofitively refufe it : 
 And if any one fhould afk me, 
 Why ? my Anfwer would be. Left 
 I fhould fink her. 
 
 C H A P. VIIL 
 
 UT now, if, in the Judgment 
 of all Mankind, they are free 
 from Blame, who ufe much Caution 
 and Circumfpedion where their 
 w^orldly 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 thincr in 
 Matters of a much higher Nature, 
 in which, if they fliould 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 
 w^eak and infirm it is ; and I know 
 alfo the Greatnefs of that Office, 
 how full of Difficulty it is, and tliat 
 thofe Storms, which make the Sea 
 rage and foam, are nothing in com- 
 
 parifon 
 
126 Sx.CHRYSOSTOAi 
 
 parifon of thofe which beat upori 
 the Soul of a Bifliopi 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 FOR here, In the firflr 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 thole, 
 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 
 tip in that Gulph, though I am not 
 driven into it by any Neceffity. 
 How much more, had I been 
 promoted to this high Dignity ? 
 which very thing would have been 
 a fort of tying my Hands behind 
 me, and a delivering me up to be 
 
 every 
 
bf 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, Caluranies, Accufa- 
 tions, Lying, Hypocrify, Snares, ill 
 Wifhes ao-ainft thofe that have doiie 
 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 o( 
 Man : Smooth Doftrines ; bafe Flat^ 
 teries ; unfeemly Fawnings ; a Con- 
 tempt of the Poor ; a fervile Obfe- 
 quioufnefs to the Rich j a beftowing 
 of Honours inconfiderately, to the 
 Hurt both of the Givers and Re- 
 ceiv^ers : A flavifh Fear, fit only for 
 
 the 
 
128 St. Chr Y s OS T oivl 
 
 the worft of Wretches ; a Want of 
 Freedom of Speech ; much Humi- 
 lity in Appearance, but in ReaUty 
 none at all : A great Backvvardnefs 
 to reprove and rebuke, unlefs it be 
 thofe that are poor, and of the 
 meaner Sort, and there they (viz. 
 Bifhops) are commonly immoderate^f 
 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 many more of the 
 fame Sort, are the wild Beafts which 
 the Rock of Vain-glory nourifhes, 
 by which whoever is once leized, is 
 neceffarily drawn into fo abfolute a 
 Slavery, that, for the fake of grati- 
 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, 
 
ef the Pki^^THOob, 129 
 
 Age, though the divine Law hath 
 forbid them to meddle with the 
 pubhc 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 pleafc to 
 the epifcopal Dignity, and remove 
 whom they pleafe from it ; and, in 
 fhort, according to the old Proverb, 
 'tiirn all things upiide-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 
 tliofe to whom it is not permitted 
 to teach ^ : But why do I fay to 
 teach? when it is notorious, that 
 
 ^ I Tim. ii. 12. 
 
 K St> 
 
130 S T, C H R Y S O S T O M 
 
 St. Paul * hath forbid them even to 
 /peak 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 
 themfeh^es, and that too with {harper 
 and more bitter Words than an angry 
 Mailer would ufe towards his perverfe 
 Servant. But let not any one think 
 that this is a general Fault, and that 
 all Bifliops 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 Priedhood itfelf : I fhould ad a 
 
 * 1 Cor. XIV. 34. 
 
 very 
 
hf the Priesthood* 131 
 
 "Tei-y mad Part, if I fliould do {o. 
 Shall we blame the Sword, for thofe 
 Murders which are committed ? or 
 the Vine, for Drunkennefs ? or 
 Strength, for thofe Violences which 
 are offered ? or Courage, for the 
 Rafhnefs of fome Mens Condudt ? 
 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 {o^ 
 worthy not only of Blame, but of 
 Punifhment, 
 
 Nay^ the Priefthood hath abun-i 
 dantly more Reafon to expoftulate 
 iv^armly with us, who do fo ill per- 
 form its facred Functions. Nor, in- 
 deed, is that holv Office to be ac^ 
 counted the Caufe of thofe Evils, 
 which I have already mentioned, 
 but we ourfelves, who have done 
 our Part too much to defile and 
 
 K 2 . profane 
 
132 St. ChR YSOST OM 
 
 profane it, by committing the Ad- 
 miniftration of it promifcuoufly to 
 all Sorts of Men, who readily take 
 upon them that holy FunSion, never 
 confidering their own Abilities, or 
 having any Regard to the Weight 
 and Dignity of what they under- 
 take : And fo, v/hen they proceed 
 to the Execution of it, being loft 
 and bewildered in the Darknefs of 
 their own Ignorance, they become 
 the Caufe of infinite Misfortunes to 
 the People that are committed to 
 their Care. And, I afllire 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 Ipeedily refcued me 
 from fo imminent a Danger. 
 
 And here I would afk, From 
 whence, think you, do thofe mani- 
 fold Diforders arife, which we fo 
 
 frequently 
 
of the Priesthood. 133 
 
 frequently fee in the Church ? I will 
 te bold to fay, that they flow from 
 no other Fountain than this, viz. 
 that there is no due Care taken in 
 ehufing proper Perfons to be Bifhops 
 and Governors of the Flock; but 
 People are put into that high Charge 
 lightly, and inconfiderately. The 
 Head, mofl: 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 
 
?34- St. CURY SPSTQM 
 
 an Inftance of this in me, it hath 
 pleafed God to continue me in that 
 inferior Rank and Order, which he 
 ^t firft allotted me. 
 
 For, indeed, my Friend, there 
 are many other Excellences, befides 
 thofe which have been already men- 
 tioned, which a Biihop ought to be 
 endued with, and which I myfeif 
 am deftitute of ; this efpecially, that 
 he ought to have no Defire for that 
 high Station. For v/hoever afpires 
 to this Dignity with Paffion and 
 Vehemence, will not ttop there, 
 when he hath attained it, but his 
 Ambition will increafe wdth his Pre- 
 ferment; and, being thus ftrongly 
 carried away with the Violence 
 thereof, he will fcruple nothing, 
 though never fo vile and bafe, no, 
 nor large pecuniary Expences, to 
 efl:ablijQi himfelf in the Honour he 
 
 hath 
 
vf the Priesthood. 135 
 
 liath 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 
 arid 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 Funftion, 
 as to refufe it at firft, and drav/ back 
 from it ; and if it happens that 
 they are eledied to it afterwards, 
 and, after their Eledion, arc 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 S T. C H R Y S O S T O M 
 
 Accord, diveft themfelves of that 
 Dignity. For thus may fuch an 
 DfFender 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 affed: and af]3ire 
 ambitiouily to this Honour, is a 
 very peftilent and pernicious Dif- 
 eafe : Nor doth this Affertion clafli 
 at all with the Doelrine of St. Patd^ 
 when he faith ^\ If a Ma?t (hfire 
 the Office cf a Bijhopj he depreth a 
 good Work : For I do not fpeak of 
 the epifcopal Office, but of the 
 
 f I Tim. iii. I. 
 
 fowct 
 
i^f the Priesthood. 137 
 
 Power and Authority ; and it is the 
 Defire of this that I affirm to be fo 
 dangerous. 
 
 CHAP. XL 
 
 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 beino; 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 Chriflian : 
 Whereas they that live under the 
 Fear and Dread of being turned out 
 
 of 
 
1 3 8 S T. C H R Y S O S T O Ml 
 
 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 affefted : But 
 as we fee valiant Soldiers fight cou- 
 ragioully, 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, isi 
 an honourable Circumftance, and is 
 attended vAth a Reward in no- wife 
 inferior to the Dignity itfelf And, 
 wheaever any Pcrfon is a Sufferer in 
 
 3 this 
 
ef the 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, 
 Blejfed areye^ faith our Lord *, when 
 Men jhall revile you^ and perfecute 
 you^ and Jhall fay all 7nan7ter of Evil 
 againft yotCy falfelyy for my Sake. 
 Rejoice^ and he exceeding glad^ for 
 great is your Reward in Heaven. 
 This BlejGlng certainly belongs to 
 them that are deprived by their Col- 
 legues, through Envy, or to gain 
 the Favour of others, upon fome 
 private Pique, or any other unjuft 
 Motive; for, as for thofe that are 
 Sufferers in this Manner from tlieir 
 Enemies, I think there is no Need 
 
 ;^ Matt. V. II. 
 
 to 
 
t^o St. Chr y 5 o s t om 
 
 to £hovv 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 Difeale, 
 fhall be able to avoid it, after they 
 are advanced to this Dignity : But 
 if any one, before he is thus ad- 
 vanced, nouriflies within his Breaft 
 this fierce and outrageous Beaft, it 
 is not pofTible to fay into w^hat a 
 Depth of Deftru(9:ion fuch a one 
 precipitates himfelf, after he hath 
 obtained what he afpired to. Nor 
 may I conceal my own Weaknefs in 
 
 this 
 
of the Priesthood. 141 
 
 this Refped ; for, indeed, this Dif- 
 temper of the Mind is what I am too 
 much afflided 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 fubjeA to this perni- 
 cious Defire j and that this very 
 thing, among feveral others, terri- 
 fied me, and made me refolve to fly 
 from the epifcopal Order, For, as 
 in Cafes of perfonal Fondnefs, the 
 nearer we are to thofe w^e love, fo 
 much the ftronger and more vehe- 
 ment our Paffion is ; but when wc 
 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 j whereas, if once they find 
 
 them- 
 
I42 St. Chr Y S O S T OM 
 
 themfelves out of Hopes of it, their 
 Expedation, 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 
 no other, to keep me at a Diftance 
 from this honourable Offiee. 
 
 CHAP. xir. 
 
 E SIDES what I have already 
 faid, I will now lay before you 
 another thing, which is no lefs an 
 Impediment to me in this Matter. 
 If you afk, What that is ? I anfwer,- 
 It is this ; A BiJJjop mtijl be foberi 
 and of good Behaviour ; he muft alfo 
 he vigilant *, and have his Eyes al- 
 ways about him; as one who live^ 
 not for himfeif only, but for all the 
 People. But now^ I, on the con- 
 
 * I T/V;/. iii. a, 
 
 trary, 
 
^ //^^ P R I E S T H O O D. 1 43 
 
 trary, am iluggifli and remifs, and 
 fcarce able to work out my owti Sal-, 
 vation. And this you yourfelf can- 
 not but confefsj 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 fliort I 
 fall of thefe things ; which though 
 I performed never fo exadlly, yet, 
 even then, they w^ould 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- 
 ilered up in his Cell, and hath none; 
 
 to 
 
i44 ^ '^* C H R Y S O S T d M 
 
 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, iin- 
 lefs he have withal a well tempered 
 and aftive Spirit, 
 
 CHAP. Xlli. 
 
 NOR 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 
 Biftiop. For, truly, to contemn 
 good Fare, and eafy Lodgings is no 
 fuch difficult Taik: We fee many 
 do it, efpecially thofe of the ruftic 
 Sort, that are brought up, from their 
 
 Youth, 
 
of the Priesthood. 145 
 
 Youth, to a hardy Way of Livino- ; 
 and, befides this, how many more 
 are there, who, either by their na- 
 tural Conftitution, or by long Ufe 
 and Cuftom, render thole Severities 
 eafy and familiar to them. But, to 
 bear Injury and Wrong, infolent 
 Words and biting Scoffs, throv/n 
 out from our Inferiors, fometim^es 
 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 the/ 
 
1^.6 St. Chrysostom 
 
 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 Welfare 
 of the Church, that a Bifliop fliould 
 be eminent for his Abftinence, or 
 other bodily Mortifications ; nor, if 
 he is not, will it be of any Diflervice 
 to it. But intemperate Pafiion, and 
 extravagant Ang;er, in a Perfon of 
 that facred Charafter, are attended 
 with the worft Confequences, both 
 to himfelf, and to all about him. 
 Befides, God hath threatened no 
 Punifiiment to thofe who neglect: 
 the former; but to them that are 
 guilty of the latter, that is, to them 
 
 ^iV' 
 
<2/*//5^ Priesthood^ 147 
 
 ijoho 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 Pofl: of Honour, hath 
 fb much the more Fuel added to his 
 Fire; juft fo it fares with a Man, 
 who (having no Power to bridle his 
 Paflion while he lived by himfelf, 
 and was converfant with very few), 
 when he comes out into the V/orld, 
 and hath the Manao-ement of a great 
 Multitude committed to him, like a 
 w^ild Beaft provoked and baited on 
 all Sides, grows outrageous ; and fo 
 becomes the Author oi much Dif- 
 quiet to himfelf, and of many In- 
 conveniences to his People. 
 
 * Matt. V. 22. 
 
 L 2 CHAP. 
 
148 St. Ch R Y S O S T O M 
 
 CHAP. XIV. 
 
 FOR nothing fo clouds and di- 
 fturbs the Clearnefs and Per- 
 fpicuity of the Mind, as inordinate 
 and exceiTive Tranfports of Anger^ 
 by which even wife Men have been 
 deftroyed : For, when that PaiTion is 
 predominant, the Eye of the Under- 
 ftanding is Hke one fighting in the 
 Dark, not able to diftinguifh between 
 Friends and Foes, between Men oi 
 Quality and' the bafer Sort ; but ufes 
 all alike: And fo obfcinately is the 
 Man bent upon purfuing the Heat of 
 his Pafiion, that, though he fuiier 
 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, 
 
 w^hich, 
 
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 
 Afts 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- 
 
%^0 St. Ch R Y S O S T OM 
 
 Chryscstom. 
 And whjy tbxcn, my good Friendj, 
 would you bring me near this Fire, 
 and rcufe that wild Beaft, which, 
 at prefent, lies dormant within me ? 
 or, can you be ignorant, that, if I 
 have hitherto efcaped this Vice, it 
 hath not been through any natural 
 Excellence of my own, but becaufe 
 I courted a folitary Life ? 
 
 For, indeed, it is well, if a Per- 
 fon, v/ho is ' of a warm Temper, 
 can avoid thof^ Tumours of Soul, 
 though he live, as it were, by him- 
 ftlf, and converfe only with tw^o or 
 three particular Friends : But it will 
 be much m.ore difficult to do it, if 
 X)nce he falls into that Depth of 
 Cares and Difcradion? which I men-- 
 tioned juft now ; and, when this 
 happens, he not only runs himfelf 
 upon 'the Precipice of Deftru/flion^j 
 
 but 
 
o/itie Prii^sthood. 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 
 Humanity and Moderation. 
 
 For it is natural for tho/e 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 Subjeds will be difpofed to 
 praftife Meeknefs and Moderation 
 towards one another, when they fee 
 their Prince given up to Anger and 
 PaiTion ? And, befides, there is no 
 Poffibility of concealing the Vices of 
 a Bifhop : The very Slips and Frail- 
 ties of a Perfon of fo confpicuous a 
 
 L 4 Cha- 
 
1^2 St. Chrysostom 
 
 Cliarader, will appear and be mani^ 
 fell 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 
 thoie that lead a private and inactive 
 Life is, as it were, a Veil to cover their 
 Defeds ; but when once they come 
 forth into the World, and are forced 
 to throw afide that Veil, the in- 
 ward PafTions and Difpofitions of 
 their Mind become, in a manner, 
 naked, and expofed to public View, 
 by their outward A6lions and Dif- 
 orders. As, therefore, a right or- 
 dering of their Lives would be of 
 
 finguiar 
 
^//6^ 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 Pradtice of Virtue, 
 ai).d more fluggifh and unapt for the 
 Performance of things excellent and 
 praife-worthy. 
 
 The Soul of a BilTiop, 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 aifFect 
 the Heart of the Spedlators : For the 
 Vices of private Perfons, committed 
 fecretly, and (as it were) in the 
 Dark, bring Ruin only upon the 
 A'cftors themfelves ; whereas the 
 Vices of thofe, that are Men cf 
 Eminence and high Station, biing 
 univerfal Detriment to all j making 
 
 thofc 
 
1^4 St. Chr Y s o s T OM 
 
 thofe that are negligent of a good 
 Life, much more fo ; and provoking 
 thofe that have a Concern for their 
 Souls, to Spiritual 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 ai*e 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, becauie 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 ll)e Tkiestkood. 155 
 
 A Bifliop, therefore, ought to be 
 ^rmed on all Sides with Vigilance 
 and Sobriety, as with a Coat of 
 Mail, and to look carefully about 
 him, left the Enemy, ^ying any 
 Advantage, any Place naked and un- 
 guarded, fhould fix there a deadly 
 Wound : For, indeed, a Perfon of 
 that facred Charader 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 
 FriendlTiip for him, 
 
 For this Reafon, they that are 
 chofen to be Bifliops, ought to have 
 Souls as invulnerable, as, by the 
 Gift of God, the Bodies of thofe 
 Saints were, wliich were cajl into the 
 bii7''77ing fiery FtiT'nace * : For tlie 
 Fuel of that Fire, which feeds upon 
 
 * Dan, iii, 
 
 their 
 
1^6 St. Chr Y s o s T OM 
 
 their Souls, is not Wood, Pitch, and 
 Tow, or other fuch Cornbuftibles, 
 but fomething of a more pernicious 
 and deftruftive Nature : Nor, in- 
 deed, is the Fire itfelf a material 
 and fenfible Fire, but that moft de- 
 vouring one of Envy, encircling the 
 Soul, iiaming forth on all Sides, and 
 penetrating more exquiiitely into 
 their Lives, than the Babylonijh Fire 
 did into the Bodies or thofe holy 
 Men ; in v/hich, 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 Flam.e, but leaves the reft 
 of the building, though brighter than 
 the Sun before, all over darkened, 
 and fullied with Smoke. For, as 
 long as the Life and Adlions of a 
 Bifhop are uniform, and of a-piece, 
 he is Proof againft all the AiTaults 
 
 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 fubjeft 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 fmgle Mifcarriage 
 will caft a Cloud over the reft of 
 his Excellences. Nor will the Ge- 
 nerality of Men judge favourably of 
 a Biiliop, or conlider him as a Man 
 cloathed with the fame Nature as 
 themfelves ; but cenfure him as it 
 he were an Ano;eL exalted above 
 human Infirmities, Thus the Sub- 
 je<9:s 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, 
 they, v/ho, juft before, v/ere his 
 
 cbfc- 
 
1^8 S T, C H R y S O S T O M 
 
 obfequious Friends, laying afide all 
 their pretended Refpe<3:, become 
 his utter Enemies, and, marking 
 his Weaknefs, depofe his Perfon, 
 and diflblve his Government ; juft 
 thus it often fares Math 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 Occaiion 
 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 worfc : And as a 
 Tyrant hath the greateft Dread and 
 Apprehenfion of his own Guards; 
 fo a Bifhop fears thofe chiefly of the 
 facerdotal 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 0716 Member fuffer^ the other Mem- 
 bers will rejoice ; a7td f one Member 
 be honoured^ the other Members fuf- 
 fer : Unlefs, indeed, by his lingular 
 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 m.y Soul endued with Forti- 
 
 ^" 1 Cor. xii. 26. 
 
 tude 
 
l6o St. Ch R Y S OS TOM 
 
 tilde jRifficient for Tryals of lb 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 hioweth the 
 things of a Ma?:^ fave the Sph^it of 
 a Man which is in him ^ f 
 
 And, truly, by this Time, I think, 
 it muft fufficiently appear, how much 
 I fliould have expofed both myfelt 
 and my Eledors, had I fubmitted to 
 
 * I Cor. ii. II. 
 
 q the 
 
cf the Priesthood, i6i 
 
 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 aheady, 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 Bilhop 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 
 
i62 St, Chrysostom 
 
 all defiring to be chofeiitin his Rooni^ 
 and every one of them expefting, that 
 the Dignity fhould fall to his Share,. 
 
 CHAP. XV. 
 
 SHALL I lay before you an- 
 other Conflid:, which a Eifhop 
 muii ftruggrle 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 partj 
 divided into many different Factions. 
 
 • Nay, you (hall fee the utmoft Diflen- 
 tion am.ong the the College of Pref- 
 byters themfclves, who can neither 
 agree with one another, nor with him 
 
 ^ 8 who 
 
hf the Priesthood, i^^ 
 
 who is eleded Bifliop, but ftand apart 
 every one by himfelf, one being for 
 this Man, another for that. The 
 Caufe of which Difagreement arifes 
 from hence, that, ifi thofc Eledions, 
 they do not all fi^t 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 Extradion ; 
 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 oui* 
 Enemies ; a fourth, becaufe he is ail 
 Acquaintance, and a familiar Friend ; 
 one is to be preferred, becaufe he is 
 a Refetion ; another, becaufe he 
 hath a fmooth Tongue, and can 
 ^^^ M 2 flatter 
 
,164. St. Ch R Y SOSTOM 
 
 flatter well : But, all this while, no 
 one confiders the SujEIiciency 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 propoled, 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 ineonfidefable Proficiency in 
 the Knowledge of the true Chri- 
 ftian Philofophy ; which Y^^y- Per^ 
 fans, when once they came out into 
 the World, and were obliged to 
 reftify the Errors of a rude Multi- 
 tude, fome, from the very hrft, have 
 given out, as unequal to fo great a 
 Work ; others, being conftrained to 
 abide it, have caft away their for- 
 mer Exadneis of Life, by which 
 they have been great Lofers them- 
 feives, 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 
 -wt M 3 Age, 
 
i66 St. Chry SOS T ou 
 
 Age, yet would I not therefore raife 
 him to the epifcopal Throne ; be-r 
 caufe he might, however advanced 
 in Years, be altogether unfit for that 
 high Charge. Nor do I fpeak this 
 out of any DifrefpecS: 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 leen to make 
 a fhining Figure in the epifcopal 
 Chair), but I do it to iliow, 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 Pretence^ 
 than thefe : Some, left they fhould 
 go over to a contrary Party ; others, 
 
 fof 
 
of the Priesthood. 167 
 
 foiithe fake of their malicious and 
 wicked Temper, left, beiitg ne- 
 gkded and paffed by, they fhould, 
 int 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- 
 v^^jfenefs and Wickednefs, fhould be 
 honoured oa the Account of that, 
 for which they ought to be puniflied; 
 and afcend 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 yile 
 and wicked Men, tell me, fhall we 
 yet feek for the Caufe of God's In- 
 dignation againft us ? And is it not 
 the re;jdy Way to fill the Church 
 with He^ts and Tumults, for fomq 
 
 10 5 M ^ Men 
 
1 68 St- Chrysostom 
 
 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 AbiUties? Formerly 
 I remember I was wont to expofe 
 the Princes of this World, who, in 
 filling their Pofts 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 fevercly 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 
 
^/^^ Priesthood. 169 
 
 from thefe Vices, are, upon the 
 whole, no lefs.fubjed 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 prelide over thofe facred 
 Adminiftrations, and to have the 
 Charge of Mens Souls ; things, for 
 the Sake of which the only begotten 
 Son of God was contented to divert 
 himfelf of his Glory, to be made 
 Man^ to take upon him the Form of 
 a Servant^ to be fpit 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, 
 
 * ?hil ii. 7. 
 
 who 
 
170 S T. C H R y S O S T O M ^ 
 
 who are utterly unworthy of it j- 
 but thofe who are worthy of it,,/ 
 they rejed. And thus, as if it was 
 not enough to undermine the Churcl^; 
 on one Side, or as if the Crimes^ • 
 which I mentioned before, were not i 
 fufficient to kindle 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 Chrifh 
 is equally deprived of that Confola- 
 tion and Refrefhment, which it 
 Hands in need of, and which it 
 ought to have. 
 
 Do not thefe Impieties deferve 
 ten thoufand Thunderbolts ? Are 
 they not worthy of a worfe and 
 more terrible Hell, than even that 
 
 which 
 
^/;5^ Priesthood. ly^ 
 
 which God hath threatened ? And 
 yet he bears with all thefe enormous 
 Provocations, having no Pleafure in 
 the Death of the Wicked^ but thai 
 he Jhould turn from bis WaySy and 
 live *. O immenfe Goodnefs ! O 
 aftonifhing 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 Charafter, who, through 
 the means of thy holy Name, are 
 exalted on high, and become ho- 
 nourable and conipicuous, abuiiQ 
 
 ,J "E^zek, xxxiiL Ij. 
 
 that 
 
172 St. Ch R Y S O S T OM 
 
 that very Dignity, to the Difhonour 
 of him who railed them to it;' 
 daring, with a moft confummate 
 Impudence, to commit Outrages on 
 holy things; cafting out, and re- 
 jeding from ecclefiaftical Prefer- 
 ments, Men of Probity and Con- 
 fcience, that Men of diflblute 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 rejeded, 
 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 fucli 
 a one fliould 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 Reprov^er, and terrible to 
 Sinners ; and another, for fome other 
 Caufe : For they never want Pre- 
 tences, v/hen 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 
 Objeftion ; 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 
 
f74 St. CHfeYsosTo^ 
 
 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 
 aft 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 ejefted, or in- 
 troduce their own Candidates. So 
 that the Cafe of a Bifhop, in this 
 Refped:, is very like that of the 
 Captain of a Ship, who hath Pirates 
 aboard him, that ate perpetually 
 pradifing againft himfelf, the Ma- 
 riners, and the reft of the Crew. 
 
 But. 
 
of the Priesthood. xft 
 
 But, on the other hand, if he 
 prefers the pleafiing of them to 
 his own Salvation, by admitting 
 thofe to the facred Order, whom he 
 ought, by all means, to rejed:, then 
 will he have God for his Enemy, 
 inftead of them ; than which, no- 
 thing can be more pernicious and 
 <ieflru6i:ive : And befides, the Dif- 
 ficulty of his dealing with them will 
 be increased, while, by their mu^ 
 tually helping each other, and by 
 his Complyance, and yielding tb 
 therii, they make their Party fo 
 much the ftronger. For, as when 
 violent Winds blow contrary one 
 'to the other, the Sea, which was 
 fmooth and quiet before, rages on 
 •a fudden, 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 • 
 
-xy() St* Chr YsosTOM 
 
 Admiffion of wicked Men to the 
 Government of it* 
 
 CHAP* XVL 
 
 HERE, therefore, flop a while, 
 and confider what Sort of a 
 Man he ought to be, who mufl; op- 
 pofe himfelf to fo great a Tempefl;, 
 who muft regulate, and put in order, 
 io many things, which obftru£b and 
 • hinder the public Good. He mufb 
 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 aU 
 thefe Attempts, and, with much 
 Authority, admit to the facred Or- 
 der that Perfon who is fit for it^ 
 
 though 
 
^/f^^ Priesthood. 177 
 
 though all fhould oppofe it; and^ 
 with the fame Authority, rejeft 
 him that is unfit, though all fliould 
 eonfpire 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 
 Affedion. 
 
 Tell me now, 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 
 dear in your Thoughts^ Nor will 
 what I 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 
 Fundion itfelf. For it is neceflary 
 
 N for 
 
lyS Sr.CuKYSOsrou 
 
 for him who defigns to enter uport 
 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 inftruded 
 how to encounter them wifely. 
 
 And now, which fhall I firft 
 treat of, the Management of the 
 poor Widows *, or the Superintend 
 dency of the religious Virgins, or 
 thofe Difficulties which arife to a 
 Bifbop from judicial Proceedings ? 
 For, indeed, a particular Care at- 
 tends every one of thefe Duties, and 
 a Fear fuperior to that.- 
 
 To 
 
of the Priesthood. 179 
 
 To begin, then, with that which, 
 feems eafier and Hghter than the reft, 
 i mean, the Management of the 
 poor Widows : This appears, at firft 
 View, to bring Httle other Care 
 along with it, than that of laying 
 out the Church's Money; but, in 
 Truth, it is quite otherwife. For, 
 as often as any are to be chofen into 
 that Society, much Dihgence is ne- 
 ceffary, to make Enquiry into the 
 Charaders of them ; the chufing of 
 fuch Perfons, without due Care, 
 havdng 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. 
 
 Nov/, that fuch^ as thefe fhould 
 ^e maintained by the Church's 
 
 N 2 Money, 
 
I 80 S T* C H R Y S O S T O M 
 
 Money, befides that it deferves to 
 be puniflied by God, and con-^ 
 demned by Man, tends alfo to dif- 
 courage and ftop the Hands of well- 
 * difpofed Perfons. For who would 
 be pleafed to fee thofe Benefadions, 
 which were deiigned for the Ho- 
 nour of Chrift, confumed in main- 
 taining People, who are a conftant 
 Reproach and Difhonour to 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 
 Circumfpedion is requifite: After 
 the beft Search and Examination, 
 there is flill no lefs Care neceflary, 
 
 that. 
 
^ //J^ P R I E S T H O O D. I 8 I 
 
 that the Fountain of Charity flow 
 freely to them, and that their A1-- 
 lowances be not wanting, nor fall 
 (hort : For, indeed, involuntary Po- 
 rerty 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- 
 iion of Complaint. 
 
 ^.Now, there are many who think, 
 that if a Man be but generous, he is 
 forthwith quaHfied 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 requiiite, 
 
 N 3 I mean^ 
 
i82 St, ChrysostojvI 
 
 I mean, Patiencej 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 Clafs of Women, either 
 on account of their Poverty, their 
 Years, or their natural Inclinatiou 
 (to fpeak the mof!: favourably), af- 
 fume an immoderate Liberty of 
 being importunately clamorous, and 
 of complaining withptit 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 Irriper« 
 tinence, or their unreafonable Que- 
 ruloufnefs. And, truly, the unhappy 
 Condition of thofe poor Creatures 
 
 ought 
 
i?/'//^^ Priesthood, 183 
 
 ought rather to move his Pity thaq 
 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 mofl: 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, fliould not be 
 fxafperated, and made an Enemy, 
 a very wife Man inftruds him to 
 be good-natured, and eafy of Ac- 
 pefs to fuch Petitioners, faying *, 
 Let it not grieve jhee to bow down 
 
 ^ Ecclus iv. 8. 
 
 N 4 ihim 
 
1 84 St. C h r y s o s t g m 
 
 r&ine Ear to- the Poor^ and give him 
 fi friendly Anfwer with Meeknefs. 
 And fo, 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 raiie 
 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 
 v/ith 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. 
 
 ^ ' Ecdus xviii. 15. 
 
 / And* 
 
vf the Priesthood. 185 
 
 And, no doubt, it is a doubly 
 Misfortune to fuch unhappy Perfons, 
 firft, that they are conftrained to be 
 clamorous and preffing, through the 
 pinching NecefTity of Hunger ; and 
 next, that being driven to thefe 
 Straits, they are reproached for 
 it: Fgr 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 Defppndency 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 Peeviflinefs pf his own ; 
 but alfo, by his courteous Behaviour, 
 to fpfteu and alleviate thofe Troubles 
 
 which 
 
1 86 St. Ghrysostom 
 
 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- 
 ftowing fuch a Charity makes the 
 Charity itfelf doubly welcome. Nor 
 dq I fay thefe things of myfelf, but 
 from the Authority of that wife 
 Man, whofe Words I juft now 
 quoted ; My Sony faith he *, Jfkmijb 
 Ttot thy good Deedsy neither ufe un- 
 comfortable Words y whe7t thou giveji 
 any thing. Shall not the Dew of- 
 fwage the Heat f So is a TVord 
 better than a Gift. Lo ! is not a 
 
 "^ Ecclmxv\\u 15, i6, 17. 
 
 * Word 
 
of the Priesthood. 187 
 
 }Vord better than a Gift P hut both 
 (ire 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 neceffary 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 V/ant of the other. An Inftance 
 pf which we had not long ago, in 
 one who, being eijtrufted with the 
 Adminiftration of this Office, amaffed 
 a conliderable Sum ; which, it is true, 
 ,he did not {quander 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- 
 ^enccj therefore, and Forefight, that 
 
 the 
 
• I 8 8 . S T. C H R Y S O S T O M 
 
 the CoUeftions for the Poor neither 
 exceed nor fall fhort, but that all 
 Contributions be fpeedily diftributed 
 as Occafion requires, and that the 
 Treafurcs of the Church be laid up 
 in the charitable Diipofitioris 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 
 Budnefs it is to furnifh thofe Sup- 
 plies, mull do it with much Wari- 
 nefs and Circumfpedion, that, by 
 his good Management, he may en- 
 courage Perfons of Subftance to con- 
 tribute 
 
of the Priesthood. 189 
 
 tribute the more chearfuUy 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 Negled: will give them great 
 Perplexity and Vexation. 
 
 CHAP. XVII. 
 
 NEXT, as for what relates to 
 the Government of the Vir- 
 gins, the Fear and Concern for them 
 Sire as much greater than thofe for 
 
 the 
 
i 90 S T. C H R Y S O S T O M 
 
 the Widows, as the Gift v/hich they 
 poflefs is more precious, and their 
 State and Society more honourable : 
 And efpecially, becaufe it is not 
 long 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 
 between 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 fhowing 
 themfelves at all public'* Places ; it is 
 not to be wondered at, nor is it greatly 
 regarded i But the holy Virgin, who 
 3 . hath 
 
of the Priesthood, tgt 
 
 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 ; 
 (he that hath engaged herfelf to lead 
 the Life of Angels here on Earth, 
 and, in the midffc of Flefh and 
 Blood, to imitate the Sandity 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 unnecefTary rambling 
 abroad, all vain and foolilh Dif- 
 courfe, and the very Names of Flat- 
 tery or P^eviling fhould not be fo 
 much as known to her. And, for 
 this Caufe, there fhould be the 
 flrider Watch, and a greater Guard, 
 kept over fuch Perfons. For that 
 wicked Spirit, who is a profefied 
 Enemy to their Kolinefs, is always 
 
 at 
 
tgi St. Chr YS OS T 6\i 
 
 ait hand, laying Snares for thenlv 
 into which if any of them fall, hd 
 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. 
 
 He, 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 mifcarry. For, if ^h 
 Father ijoaketh for the Daughter^ 
 when no one hioweth^ a?id the Cafe 
 for her taketh away Sleep : If he is 
 in Concern for her^ l^i foe foould 
 
 paf 
 
of the Priesthood/ 193 
 
 pafs away the Flower of her A^e ; 
 or left being barren^ ftje ftjould 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 Deftrudion of the 
 Soul. For thus our Saviour de- 
 clares *f. Every Tree which bringeth 
 7iot forth good Fruit is hew?z down^ 
 and caft into the Fire. 
 
 Nay more, if any one of thefe 
 incurs the Difpleafure of Chrift, her 
 heavenly Spouie, fhe will not be at 
 Liberty to take a Bill of Divorce, 
 
 ^ Ecchii xlii. 9. *\ Matt. iii. 10. 
 
 O and 
 
194 St. Chr y sosTOK^ 
 
 and go her way ; but the Confe-- 
 quence of that Hatred will be infi- 
 nitely worfe, even the fuffering of 
 everlafting Punifhment. 
 
 Befidesj the natural Father hath 
 many Advantages of keeping his 
 Daughter within Bounds : Her Mo- 
 tlier, 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 ilie under any Neceility 
 of expofing herfelf there to the public 
 View, fince, if fhe defires to be con- 
 cealed, fhe can w out in the Dufk of 
 the Evening, which will hide her in its 
 Shade almoft as well as the Walls of 
 her Houfe : Befides, flie is not liable 
 to Law-fuits, and confequently under 
 
 no 
 
^/>^^ Priesthood. toe 
 
 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 all 
 Cafes, her Father is her Guard and 
 Protedor ; and fhe hath only this 
 one Care incumbent on her, not to 
 fay or do any thing unworthy of 
 or unbecoming the Charader of % 
 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 flrid Watch over 
 them. For he cannot have them at 
 home with him, under his own Eye; 
 fuch a Cohabitation would neither 
 be decent nor fafe : And, though 
 
 O ;? there 
 
196 St. Ch R Y SOST OM 
 
 there were no real Hurt in it, but 
 they did, on both Sides, preferve 
 their Sandity untouched, yet would 
 they be accountable for the Scandal 
 they gave, 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 
 corre6l the Diforders of fome, to 
 exercife and improv^e the Virtues of 
 others, and to difcover the Haunts 
 of thofe that are addifted to ramble 
 abroad. There is efpecially one 
 Circumflance which hinders a Bi- 
 ihop 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 
 
cf the Priesthood. 197 
 
 flie is under a Neceflity of providin^r 
 for herfelf ; froni whence arife many 
 Occaiions and Pretences, if fhe is fo 
 difpofed, of rambling abroad : And 
 he that will oblige fuch a one to live 
 always retired, miift 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, 
 jfhould be, as it were, immured and 
 environed on all Sides, and very 
 rarely go from home, and then only 
 on the mofi: urgent and indifpenfible 
 Occaiions. 
 
 03 If 
 
198 St. Chrysostom 
 
 If any one objed here. What hath 
 a Bifhop to do with thefe things ? 
 let fuch an Objedor know, that the 
 Care of thefe holy Virgins Behaviour 
 is incumbent on him, and their SUps 
 and Mifconduft will refled on himt 
 For which Reafon, it is certainly 
 much better for a Bifhop to perform 
 this Miniftration himfelf, in his own 
 Perfon, and fo to fland 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 Fundion 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 
 
 perfiiading th^m to this Miniftration, 
 m-eets 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, XVIII. 
 
 UDICIAL Caufes are another 
 thing which occafion great 
 Odium to a Bifhop, to whofe De- 
 
 O ^ ^ cifion 
 
200 St- Chrysostom 
 
 cifion they are referred ; in deciding 
 which, he often meets with more 
 Bufinefs, and greater Perplexity, 
 than even temporal Judges. To 
 find out on w^hich Side the Right 
 liesy is hard ; but to give an un- 
 byafled Sentence when it is found 
 out, is harder ftill. Nor is this a 
 Matter of Labour and Difficulty 
 alone, but it is attended v/ith 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 Shipv^/reck 
 of their Faith. For it is the Way 
 of fome People, when they are in- 
 jured, to bear as fi:rong Refentment 
 againft thofc who do not take their 
 Part, as ao-ainft the Perfons them- 
 felvcs who do theiti wTong : Nor 
 will they make any Allowances- for 
 
 the 
 
of the Priesthood. 20t 
 
 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 Subjedt of Patronage, I will 
 proceed to fhow you another 
 thing, which often becomes the Oc- 
 calion of much Blame, and many 
 Complaints, to a Bifhop. For, un- 
 lefs he is every Day more conftant 
 in viiiting his People, than thofe 
 
 w^hofe 
 
202 St. Chrysostom 
 
 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; 
 ^d this not out of any religious 
 Principle, but merely for State, and 
 to -have Refped 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 Vilits to fome one 
 of the wealthier and greater Sort, 
 prefently he is accufed of Flattery 
 and artful Addrefs. 
 
 But why do I fpeak of thefe Cafes 
 of Patronage and Yiliting ? fince, 
 evjen from bare Salutations and com- 
 mon Civilities, fuch Imputations are 
 t-hrown on a Biiliop, as are enough 
 to overwhelm his Mind, and fink 
 him with Defpondency. Nay, even 
 
 his 
 
vf thz Priesthoop. 20j. 
 
 his very Looks v/ill be cenfured, 
 and his moft inoffenfive Adion^, 
 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 ! how kindly he looked upon hinZy 
 and /poke to him with all the Frank- 
 nefs imaginable ; but me he flighted 
 and negleSied, And fo, in a Room 
 full of Company, nnlefs he be par- 
 ticularly careful to obferve every 
 fmgle Perfon, and falute him di- 
 ftindly, it is by many refented, and 
 deemed an Aifront, 
 
 And who but a Man of a very 
 fteady and undaunted Spirit is fuffi- 
 cient to maintain his Ground againft 
 
 fo 
 
204 St. C h r r s o s t o m 
 
 {o 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 poiliblc, the next thing delire- 
 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, £nce Tome Men take a 
 lingular 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 Contempt 
 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 
 eaiily bear with his Accufer : For, 
 having at the fame Time a more 
 
 fevere 
 
^//^^ Priesthood. 205 
 fevere Accufer wiihin himfelf, I 
 mean, his own Confcience ; and 
 being firft of all taxed and con- 
 demned by that inward and mofl 
 troublefome Witnefs, he the more 
 patiently endures the Blame of 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 poflible, 
 I muft repeat it, it is hardly poflible 
 for a Man, who is calumniated and 
 falfely accufed, not to be moved 
 thereat, and exprefs fome Refent- 
 
 mcnt 
 
2C6 St. Ch R Y S 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 Oflfender from the Com- 
 munion of the Church ; the Effeft 
 of which, it were to be wifhed went 
 no farther than Grief, but it too 
 often terminates in Deftrudion, 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 l^e fwallowed up with 
 overmuch Sorrow. Great Care fhould 
 be taken, therefore, in this Matter^ 
 
 * 2 Cor, ii. 7« 
 
 left 
 
af the Priesthood. 207 
 
 left that, which was deiigned for the 
 Sinner's Recovery and Advantage, 
 become to him an Occaiion of fallinor 
 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, without 
 going 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, which break out upon 
 the Soul of the Sinner, after fuch an 
 imperfect Cure. 
 
 And how fore muft his Punifh- 
 tnent be, who muft be anfwerable 
 not only for the Sins which he is 
 guilty of himfelf, but for thofe alfo 
 which others commit ? For, if we 
 juftly dread to give an Account for 
 
 our 
 
2o8 St. Chrysostom 
 
 our own Sins, as being unable, in fo 
 doing, to efcape the Pains of Hell, 
 what muft he exped, who muft ren~ 
 der an Account for fuch Multitudes 
 befides himfelf ? According to the 
 Doctrine of St. Paul *, or rather of 
 Chrift ipeaking in him ; Obey them 
 that have the Rule over you^ and 
 fub7ntt yourfelves ; for they watch 
 for your Souls^ as they that muji 
 give Account. Say now, doth the 
 Terror of this Threatening appear 
 inconfiderable ? Certainly, it is be- 
 yond 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 
 
^/'/y^^ Priesthood. 209 
 
 but was induced to fly from it merely 
 by the Apprehenflons of my own 
 Inability, and the great Weight and 
 Burden of the Office itfelf. 
 
 Hoe E?id of the Third Book. 
 
 S O OK 
 
210 St. Chry s OS TOM 
 
 BOOK THE FOURTH. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 MY Friend having heard this, 
 after a little Faufe, thus 
 replied. 
 Basil. 
 If, indeed, you had ambitioufly 
 afFefted this facred Dignity, there had 
 been fome Foundation for this Fear : 
 For he that, by aiming at it, con- 
 felles 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 affuming the Office, he 
 cuts hinifelf off fvQpi this Pretence : 
 
 Nor 
 
of the Priesthood, 211 
 
 Nor can he, who comes to it vo- 
 luntarily, and with an afpiring 
 Mind, fay in his own Behalf, " I have 
 " finned in this Matter much againft 
 " my Will : I have loft fuch a Soul 
 " altogether againft my 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 Fundtion, did you 
 thus prefume to undertake what 
 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- 
 jefted to you ; you w^ill have nothing 
 
 P 2 of 
 
 
 <c 
 cc 
 cc 
 cc 
 cc 
 
212 St.Chrysostom 
 
 of this Kind to condemn yourfclf 
 for ; lince 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 and 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 were 
 as you fay, O thou beft of Men ! 
 though not oh my own Account, or 
 that I might have an Opportunity 
 of accepting that Office which I fo 
 lately fled from : For, if it were fo, 
 that I was to exped: no Punifhment, 
 
 though 
 
of the Priesthood. 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 
 OiEce 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 thoie 
 miferable and unhappy Perfons (for 
 fuch I muft call them), who have 
 no Skill or Underftanding for the 
 due Difcharge of this high Office 
 (though you pretend never fo 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. Chrysostom 
 
 unquenchable Fire, that utter Dark- 
 nefs, the never-dying Worm, the 
 being cut in funder, and the. having 
 their Portion with Hypocrites and 
 Unbehevers. 
 
 But what {hall I fay ? It is not 
 fo ; it is by no means fo. And of 
 this, if you pleafe, I w^ill 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 
 Kifo *, was not ftudioully ambitious 
 of being a King, He was in Pur-- 
 fuit of his loft AfTes ; and for thofe 
 only it w^as, that he came to en-- 
 quire ; though Samuel^ indeed, gave 
 hiai Tidings of the Kingdom. But 
 neither ^ven then did he haften to 
 obtain that high Dignity, though 
 
 '^ 1 Sart\ 1X4 
 
 pro^ 
 
of ^/jcFkIE ST HOOD, 215 
 
 promifed it by the Mouth of a Pro- 
 phet ; but he fhunned and declined 
 it, faying, W^o am IP and what is 
 my Father s Houfef 
 
 But now, give me Leave to aflc : 
 When Saul afterwards abufed that 
 Power, with which he was invefted 
 by God, are thofe Words of his fuf- 
 hcient to flcreen him from the Wrath 
 of God, by whom he had been fo 
 highly exalted? Or, when Sa?nuel 
 reproved him for his Male-admini- 
 ftration, had he any Room, by way 
 of Excufe, thus to reply to him : 
 What would you hav^e ? Did I 
 aiFed the Kingdom ? Was I 
 eagerly defirous of the regal. 
 Pov/er ? No : It was my Defire 
 to have kept myfelf in a private 
 Station. I had led a quiet an^ 
 inadive Life, had you not dragged 
 me out to this Dignity : In which 
 P 4 ^' humble 
 

 2i6 St. Chry s OS TOM 
 
 ^^ humble State had I continued, 
 " I Ihould eafily have avoided all 
 *' thefe Mifdemeanors. Had I fkill 
 " been one of the obfcure Multi- 
 ^^ tude, I had not been fent on this 
 Expedition ; nor had God com- 
 mitted to my Management the 
 War againft xhtAmalekiteSy which 
 had I not engaged in, I had never 
 ^^ committed fuch an Offence?" 
 
 But all thefe Pleas v^ould have 
 been infujfficient for his Excufe : 
 Nay, not only infufficient, but dan- 
 gerous ; inafmuch as they v/ould 
 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 Occalion of 
 
 greater 
 
of the Priesthood. 217 
 
 greater Improvement in Virtue : 
 Whereas he that, from the Excel-- 
 knee of his Dignity, thiifks 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 who 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 diflionourably of 
 God. 
 
 For (to leave the Cafe of a King- 
 dom, and proceed to that of the 
 Priefthood, which is the more imme- 
 diate Subjeft of our prefent Difcourfe) 
 
 neither 
 
2i8 St. Chrysostom 
 
 neither did Eli afpire to that high 
 Office. Yet what Advantage was 
 it to him, when he iinned, 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 Levt^ 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 puniffied for the infolent 
 Diforders of his Sons. Nay, even 
 Aaron himfelf, the firft High-Priefb 
 of the Jews^ concerning whom God 
 fpoke fo many things to Mofes ; be- 
 caufe, in the Bufinefs of the golden 
 Call, 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 MofeSy 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 Jews^ that, 
 when it was offered him, though 
 God commanded him to accept of 
 it -f, 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 ixJith me (faith he :|:), 
 hll me^ I pray thee^ out of hand. 
 
 But what then ? When he tranf- 
 greffed afterwards, at the Waters of 
 
 * TLxod, xxxii. 10. -f* Ibid, iv. 5-3 . 
 
 ;J; Numb, xi. 1 f . 
 
 Strife, 
 
220 St. Ch R Y S OS TOJ 
 
 M, 
 
 Strife % were thefe his repeated De- 
 nials fufficient to apologize for him, 
 or prevail with God to pardon his 
 Offence ? If fo, why did he fall 
 ihort 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- 
 nels which others enjoyed; and 5 after 
 having endured fo many Fatigues 
 and Afflidions ; after that unfpeak- 
 able Wandering- in the Wiidernefs : 
 after fo many Battles fought, and 
 Victories 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 Priesthood. 221 
 
 From hence, then, you fee plainly, 
 
 that not only they who afpire to thi^ 
 
 Dignity, are deftitute of all Excufe 
 
 for the Errors they commit in the 
 
 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, neverthe- 
 
 lefs been feverely punifhed for their 
 
 Mifcarriages : And, if nothing was 
 
 fufficient to exeufe either Aaro7t or 
 
 £//, no, nor even that bleffed Man, 
 
 that prophetic and admirable Per- 
 
 fon, Mofes\y who was meek above all 
 
 the Me?2 which were upon the Face 
 
 of the Earth *, and who fpake unto 
 
 God as a Ma7t fpeaketh unto his 
 
 Friend f ; how much lefs fhall we, 
 
 * Numb. xii. 3. -^ Exod, xxxiii. 11. 
 
 who 
 
222 St. Chrysostom 
 
 who fall fo infinitely fliort 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 
 Dilpofition of the Divine Grace, but 
 from the mere Defignation of Men. 
 
 Judas v^^as chofen by God him- 
 felf. He eleded 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 fbmething more : 
 He was our Saviour's Almoner, and 
 had the Difpofal of his Money *. 
 But w^hat then ? When afterwards 
 he abufed both thefe Trufts, betray- 
 ing him whom he was commiffioned 
 to preach, and mifapplying the 
 
 * "Johji xii. <). 
 
 5 Money, 
 
of the Priesthood. 223 
 
 Money, which he fliould 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 Punifliment ; 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 
 abuiing and offending him : They 
 fhould rather be fo manj^' Obliga- 
 tions upon us, to endeavour the 
 more to pleafe him. And he who 
 thinks he fhall efcape unpunillwed 
 for his Sins, becaufe he is exalted to 
 an higher Station than others, a6ts 
 juft fuch a Part as an unbelieving 
 yew would do, who, hearing our 
 Saviour fay ^y If I had not come and 
 fpokefi unto them^ they had not had 
 
 * ^ohn XV. 22. 24. 
 
 Si7i ; 
 
224 St. ChR Y S OS T OM 
 
 Sin ; and again, If I had not done 
 amon^ them the JVorks which 7tone 
 other Man did^ they had not had 
 Sin ; fliould reproach the Saviour 
 and Benefaftor of Mankind, by re- 
 plying, " Why then did you come, 
 " and fpeak to us? V/hy did you 
 " do thefe Works ? Was it, that 
 *' our Punifhrnent jQiould be fo 
 " much the greater?" 
 
 The Man who fliould argue thus, 
 might juftly be deemed mad. For 
 certainly a Phyfician attends, not to 
 give the Patient over, but to recover 
 him ; not to negled: his Cafe, but 
 completely to cure him. But then, 
 if you that are flck wilfully with- 
 draw yourfelf from the Hands of 
 your Phyfician, you are to expeil a 
 heavier Condemnation : For as you 
 would have been healed of your for- 
 mer Maladies, had you fabmitted to 
 
 m 
 
 his 
 
of the Priesthood* 2^5 
 
 his Prefcriptions } fo if, when you 
 fee your Phyfiician before your Eyes, 
 you fhun and avoid hinij it will not 
 be poilible for you to get rid of 
 theiHi And thus not being able to 
 be delivered from your Sins (for 
 they are the Maladies here meant)| 
 you are fure to fufler Punifli- 
 tnent, not for them only, but alfo 
 becaufe yoii rendered vain, as fat 
 as you were able^ his good En-* 
 deavours for you. From whence it 
 follows, that Men are to expeft 
 much greater and more fevere Pu-» 
 nifhment from God, after they have 
 been dignified by him, than beffore ; 
 it being but juft, that he who is not 
 made good by Benefits and kind 
 Ufage, fhould receive a much {harper 
 Animadverfion. 
 
 Since, then, this Excule will by 
 lio means ferve ; as it is fo far from 
 
 Q^ faving 
 
226 St- Ghry-sqstom 
 
 faving thofe that take Shelter theteiiij 
 that it only expofes them fo much 
 the more, we muft feek for Refuge 
 fome other Way. 
 
 Basil. 
 That is what I beg earneftly ta 
 be informed of; for, at prefent, you 
 have fo terrified me by what you 
 have faid, that 1 am fcarce Mafter 
 of myfelf. 
 
 C HAP. II. 
 
 CHRYSt)ST0M. 
 
 P not be fo immoderately de- 
 leted. There is a Security 
 even .or 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 Sufficient ; and that 
 'is, not to fix your Hopes of* Safety 
 i ' ' -'"' (in 
 
of the Priesthood. 227 
 
 (in the Courfe of your Miniflry) on 
 any other thing Vs^yiX. to God's Grace, 
 but onlv this, to do nothino- ^q- 
 worthy either of fo excellent a Gift, 
 or of God the Giver of it -. For, 
 moft certainly, they do highly de- 
 ferve to be puniflied, who, after 
 they hayd obtained this Dignity by 
 their ow^n earnefc Application, either- 
 through Indolence, Wickednefs, or 
 Ignorance, behave unworthily in 
 the Difcharge of it. Not that I 
 w^culd infer irom 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 ail Excufe. For, in my 
 Judgment, though a Man be in- 
 treated and importuned ever fo 
 vmuch, he ought not to regard that 
 
 0^2 in 
 
228 St* ChRY SOS TOM 
 
 in this Matter, but, firft of all, to 
 fearch diligently into himfelf, and 
 not to yield to the mofl prefling Im- 
 portunities, till he hath well weighed 
 and confidered his own Abilities. 
 Will a Man undertake to build, who 
 is no Archited ? 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 fliould be much impor- 
 tuned, would he not politively 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, fhali 
 he prefume, though ignorant and 
 unfkilful, to execute this facred 
 Funftion, becaufe one Man, per- 
 haps, commands him, another con- 
 y ftrams 
 
ef the Priesthood. 229 
 
 flrains him, or left he fhould offend 
 and difobHge a third? But is not 
 this the ready Way to caft both him- 
 felf and them too headlong into De- 
 ftruilion ? 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 expeft Pardon ? In fuch a 
 Cafe as this, who will deprecate our 
 Puniihment, 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 IntercefTor, that they 
 may* efcape the Flames of Hell. 
 Nor do I fpeak this to terrify and 
 affright you ; I only reprefent the 
 
 0^3 Matter 
 
2XO St. Chrysostom 
 
 Matter as in Truth it is; and, to 
 convince you that I do fo, hear 
 what St. Paul faith to Tt^nothy *, his 
 own beloved Son and Difciple ; hay 
 Ha?:ds fuddcfdy on 7tQ Man^ 72either 
 be Partake?^ of other Mens Sins, 
 Think well of this^ and you will 
 foon fee from how great a Portion, 
 both of Guilt and Punifiiment, I 
 have, to the utiiioft of my Power, 
 freed thofe Perfons who would have 
 chofen me to this excellent Ofiicc. 
 For, as it is not enough for tliofe 
 that arc- confecrated thereto, to fay 
 in their! Excule, -' I came not td 
 ^'' this Dignity at my ovv^n Optipn, 
 ^^ ncr could I (hun what I was ig- 
 *' ncrant of :" So neither will it be 
 a fufficient Plea for the Electors to 
 fay, that they knew not him wiiom 
 they ordained . 
 
 '^. I ' jT/;//. v. 2 2 . 
 
of the Priesthood. 231 
 
 Nay, their Ignorance, in this 
 Cafe, will arhance tlieir Crime.; 
 and 'fa that, which they would make 
 an /Apology for themfelves, ferves 
 only to increafe their Condemnation. 
 Andj indeed, what an absurd -thing 
 i^.it, ^that.Iyli^p-.Ayill not huy a Slave, 
 tii| tnay .}i^y^9,, nrft fhqwn him to a 
 Phy/ician, .till rthey haYc,Perfons to 
 
 warrant th^ Sale, till they have en- 
 
 *;/yrj, jA^it'""/..'- ' * • •• •' -. -' 
 
 quired l\is Charaf3:ier from the Neigh- 
 bours j no, nor even then ^yill they 
 y,^ntui:e,on him, till they jiave had 
 'him. fome^ '^ ime vpon Try al : And 
 yet they, ;■ who -chufe Men to this 
 high^ Service, pijejti do it .^t ..all Ha- 
 za;-dsr,,and as it happens^^,.^ giving 
 thejr Teftinionial without any Exa- 
 mination, to .court the Favour, or 
 avoid the Difpleafure, of others. 
 And v/ho, then, | can deprecate our 
 Punifhment, whentHey, whofliould 
 
 0^4 do 
 
232 6t, Chrysostom 
 
 do this for us, ftand in no kfs need 
 of Interceffors themfelves. 
 
 The Bifhop, therefor?, who is 
 about to ordain any one, ought to 
 make diUgent Examination, and to 
 weio^h the Matter well : And fo 
 ought >^^ more ^fpecially to do, who 
 is himfelf to be ordained. For 
 though they thq.t chule fuch a one 
 ^all partake of the Punifliment due 
 to him for the ill Difeharge of his 
 Office, yet he muft not think thereby 
 to (?fcape himfelf, but, in Truth, 
 {hall be more grievoufly punifhed 
 than they j unlefs, indeed, they 
 chofe him purely for forne worldly 
 End, contrary to the Senfe and Dic-^ 
 tates of their own Confcience. For, 
 if they fhall be found to have aded 
 thus; if, knowing a Man to be un- 
 worthy^ they fhall^ neverthelefs, for 
 
 fomc 
 
of the Priesthood. 233 
 
 feme finifter Reafon, admit him, 
 their Punifhment fhall be equal, 
 nayj perhaps, fuperior to theirs, who 
 are thus chofen. 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 Refpeds, he is blamelefs, and 
 fliall 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 Eledlors may, 
 pofTibly, be led to the Choice oi 
 fuch a Perfon by a falfe Opinion 
 pf his Merits ; but he that is thus 
 
 chofen 
 
2^4- St. Chrys OS t om. 
 
 chofen cannot haye_ this* Piea ; he 
 cannot fay that, he- was ignorant of 
 himfeh^, as otliers were. .As, there- 
 fore/ in fuch.aCafe a?,Jthis, he is 
 liable to a forer , P]a^iilnTlent than 
 thofe that chufe him, fojie 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 tOrtheir erroneous Opi- 
 nion, of him^i^ hiy opening himfelf to 
 them ; that Ip^^ convincing them of 
 his. Unvvorthinefs, ^jie rnay efcape the 
 Burdeii of lo high an Office. . 
 ^ ror^wh^r is the. Rqafpn' that in 
 the ^Concernsr of this Life, fuch 
 as'^.the Arts of War/, of Merchan- 
 dize, or Huioandiy: n,either tlig 
 Plouo-hman will \mdertakc^ to pilot 
 a' Ship, nor the Soldier to till the 
 ■G::bund, nor the Mariner to.condufl: 
 
 ail 
 
of the Priesthood. 235 
 
 an Armyj though you threaten their 
 Refufal ever fo feverely ? Is it not 
 plainly this; becaufe they forefee 
 the dangerous Confequences whiclir, 
 in fuch; Cafes, would attend their 
 Unrkiifulnefs ? But what! fhall yvG 
 \ti thefe iefler things, where the Da-^ 
 mage is fo fmall m. Comparifon, iLife 
 lb great C^Jution, and boldly reiift 
 all Compuliion ; and yet, in the 
 Buliriefa. of the Piiefthood, where 
 eternal Puhiiliment 'attends - Mens 
 Unfkiliulnefs, fhall ' we .raihly run 
 into fo great Danger, and then pre-r 
 tend to jQielter cfuifeives under the 
 preffing Intreaties of others ? - Cer^ 
 tainly this will never pafs with him 
 that judgefh us. For no doubt but 
 Men ought to, ufq PTcater Caution in 
 things ipirkual, than in things tem- 
 poral ; and yet, here, they are com- 
 monly fecn to ufe lefs : For, give 
 
 m? 
 
236 St. Chrysostom 
 
 me Leave to afk ; Suppofe, upon an 
 Opinion of fuch a one's being a 
 good Architeft, we fend for him to 
 undertake a Piece of Work, and he, 
 in Obedience to us, undertakes it, 
 though he be none ; ify when he 
 comes to difpofe of thofe Materials 
 that are ready for the Building, he 
 confounds the Wood and Stone, and 
 ereds 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 Punifliment ; and fliall 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 others ? 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 pradifed, 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 flead. 
 
 But 
 
238 St. Chrysostoh 
 
 But fuch a one, perhaps, will fay, 
 that he did not ambitioufiy affed or 
 feek after this high Oilice, being 
 confcious to himfelf of his own In- 
 fufficiency. Well, and good : But 
 then, it behoved him, with the fame 
 Difpofiition of Mind, to have refufed 
 thofe that called him to it. Orj 
 perhaps, he was unable and infaffi-^ 
 cient only while this Dignity was 
 ^inoiiered, but as foon as it was once 
 offered him, he became at once ca-^ 
 pable and fufncient in an Inftant, 
 Idle and ridiculous Pretence! and 
 fuch as deferves the greatefl; Punifh- 
 ment. For which Reafon, our Lord 
 advifes him * that would build a 
 Tower^ not to lay his Foundation^ 
 till he hath, firft conlidered his own 
 Ability ; leji haply after he hath laid 
 the Foimdatio??^ and is not akle to 
 
 * Liih xiv. aSj 25>. — 
 
 finip 
 
^ //&^ P R I E S T II O O D. 239 
 
 jinip:) it^ all that behold it^ begin to 
 mock him. In that Cafe, indeed, 
 the Damage would not be extraor- 
 dinary, it being no very- p-reat In- 
 felicity to be laughed at; but, in 
 the Cafe before lis, the Punishment 
 is unqueiichable Fire^ the never-dying 
 TVorm^ Gnajhing of Teeth^ titter 
 Darknefs^ the being cut aftmder^ a7td 
 the having our Portion 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 unwillino; to ruin 
 himfelf. For, truly, the thing under 
 our prefent Confideration is by no 
 means trifling* ; it is not concernine 
 the Stewardfhip of Corn or Beafts, 
 or any other fuch things, but con- 
 cerning the very Body of jefus 
 
 * Ifaiah Ixvi. 24- Matt, xxv, 30. 
 
 Chrijl : 
 
240 St, ChR Y S OS TOM 
 
 Chrijl : For, according to St. Pau/% 
 the Church of Chrijl 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 Blemilh, fhould fully 
 the Clearnefs and Comelinefs of it. 
 For what is this, but, according ta 
 the beft of his Power, to render that 
 Body worthy of that blefled and in- 
 corruptible Head, which prefides- 
 over it. For, truly, if, in refpe<St 
 of our natural Body, they that de- 
 fire to have a robuft and found 
 Coiiftitution, muft make ufe of Phy-- 
 ficians and Wreftkrs, an exaft Diet^ 
 conftant Exercife, and obferve many 
 other Rules, the leaft Negled of 
 * 01 i. 18. 
 
 which 
 
of ihe Priesthood, 241 
 
 which may poffibiy 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- 
 vilible 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. m. . 
 
 To all this I need not add 
 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 Affaults, than 
 our own natural Fieih ; and that as 
 the ivlcmbers thereof are more eafily 
 corrupted, fo they are much harder 
 
 R to 
 
£42 St. C h r y s o s t o m 
 
 t, 
 
 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 Effed, and faved the Phy- 
 lician all farther Labour. 
 
 But, in the fpiritual Cure of the 
 Body of Chrifl, 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 
 heft Temperament of Air; that fup~ 
 phes the r lace of Phylic. If there be 
 
 Need 
 
 ^&^ 
 
bf the Priesthood. 243 
 
 Need of fearing, that is the befl Cau- 
 ftic : That is the befl: Incifton-knife, 
 if there be Need of Amputation. 
 This is what we mufl: make ufe of 
 in all thefe Cafes ; and if this doth 
 not effed:ually work a Cure, nothing 
 will. For, by this, the Soul is raifed 
 tip from a drooping and languifliing 
 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 Defeds : 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, m refped: of 
 our Morals, that the good Life of 
 another Perfon may provoke us to 
 Emulation ; and it is poilible for us 
 to arrive at a ntoft excellent V^^ay of 
 
 R 2 Living, 
 
244 St. Chr Y SOS TOM 
 
 Living, bv the Influence of our 
 Neighbour's Example. But when 
 the Soul is infefted with fpurious 
 and heretical Opinions, there is then 
 great NeceiTity for the Application 
 of this Divine Word of Dodrine; 
 and that, to keep our own People 
 clear of that Infedion, as v/ell as to 
 oppofe and encounter the Enemy. 
 Nay, if a Man were armed with the 
 Sword of the Spirit^ a77d with the 
 Shield of Faith *, fo as to be able to 
 work Miracles, and, by thofe Mi- 
 racles, to flop the Mouths of fhame- 
 Icfs and impudent Gainfayers, fuch 
 a Perfon (one would think) fhould 
 have the lefs Need of the Afliftance 
 of the Word : And yet, even here, 
 this is fo far from being ufelefs in its 
 Nature, that it is, indeed, very ne- 
 ceflarv. 
 
 * Epl\ 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 wrouo-ht : And 
 another of that ficred College ex- 
 horts us to apply ourfelves to this 
 Faculty, faying *, Be ready always 
 to give ail Anfwer to every Ma7t that 
 qfketh you a Reafon of the Hope that 
 is in you. Nor v/as it for any other 
 Caufe, that the whole Body of the 
 Apoftles committed to Stephe??^ and 
 the reft of the Deacons, the Care 
 of the poor Widows, but that they 
 might give themfelves coiiiinually to 
 the Mi7tifry of the TVord f*. To 
 this we ought equally to apply 
 ourfelves, unlefs, indeed, w^e think 
 ourfelves endued with a Power of 
 working Miracles : But if, in Re- 
 ality, there is not the leaf!: Sign of 
 
 '^ I Pet/\\\, 15. -f- Aclsv'u 4. 
 
 R 3 any 
 
246 St. Chry s OS T OM 
 
 any fuch Power remaining among 
 us, and if many Adverlaries do 
 conftaatly arife on all Sides of ns^ 
 what remains but a Neceffity of 
 arming ourfclves wdth this facred 
 Armour, that we be not wounded 
 by the Darts of the Enemies, and 
 that they may not efcape the Reach 
 of ours. 
 
 G H A R IV. 
 
 » 
 
 E ought, therefore, to give 
 all DiHgence, that the Word 
 of Chrift dwell in us richly ^. For 
 the Warfare which we are engaged 
 in is not of one Sort only, but va- 
 rious, and confifts of a great Multi-- 
 plicity of Enemies, who do neither 
 ufe ail of them the fam^e 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 aii thefe dif- 
 ferent Attacks, to underPcand all 
 their Arts of V/ar. He muft, at 
 once, be fkilful at the Bow, and at 
 the Siing ; he muft knov^ how-to aft 
 the Part of a fuperior and inferior 
 Officer ; of a common Centinel, or a 
 Commander ; on Foot, or on Horie- 
 back ; in a Fight by Sea, or a Siege 
 by Land. For it is not here as in 
 common Battles, in which, if every 
 one maintains that fingle Pofi: which 
 is affigned him, it is fufficient to 
 repell the Enemy : But he that dc- 
 fires to come off a Conqueror in this 
 fpiritual Warfare, muft underftand 
 all the Strataorems and Contrivances 
 thereof; or elfe the Devil, where- 
 ever he fpies any one Place un- 
 guarded and neglected, will there 
 throw in his Forces to dellroy the 
 
 R 4 Flock 
 
248 St. Ch R Y S O S T O M 
 
 Flock of Chrift : But this he cannot 
 do, where he perceives the Shepherd 
 coming againft him, well inftruded 
 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 encompafled, 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. Juft thus it 
 fares with the City of God ; fo long 
 as the Wifdom and Vigilance of the 
 Pafloj' encompaffes her on all Sides, 
 as with a Wall, all hcftile Attempts 
 of an Enemy will end in his own 
 Shame and Difgrace, while the In- 
 habitants 
 
^/)6^ Priesthood. 24^ 
 
 habitants remain fafe and unmoleftcd 
 within ; but if once any fingle Part 
 of it be demoliihed, though the reft 
 ftand never fo faft, 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 Jews? 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 
 ^ake 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 TOM 
 
 gularly well fkilled in refuting them 
 all, any one of them will fet open a 
 Door foi" the Wolf to enter, and de- 
 vour many of the Sheep of Chrift. 
 
 Befides, we may obferve, rhat, in 
 martial Engagements, the Vidory 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- 
 timxcs falls out, that v/hile fome are 
 contending, others, that fit ftili, 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 Inftance, then, 
 that I will give you is this. They 
 
 who 
 
of the Priesthood. 251 
 
 who receive the wild Docftrines of 
 Valentifiiis and Marcion^ rejed 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 thole things being now ex- 
 pired, fuch an Obfervance would be 
 contrary to the Will of God. But 
 now the Church, avoidino; 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 
 thouQ-h 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. Chrys osTOA^ 
 
 Enemies, ought, by all means, to 
 underftand this Medium : For if, 
 being defirous to fliovv the Jews how 
 unfeafonably they are now attached 
 to the old Law, we fall upon it un- 
 mercifully, and declaim againfl: 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 extoil 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 
 yews^ as we had before given to the 
 Heretics. 
 
 Again, they who embrace the 
 mad Notions of Sabellius^ or ArhiSy 
 do both of them fall from theSound- 
 nefs of the Faith, for want of ob- 
 serving a due Mean. Both thofe 
 Heretics, indeed, are called CZ^r/- 
 
 Jlians ; 
 
of the Priesthood. 25;^ 
 
 jiians ; but, if you enquire into 
 their Dodrines, you will find the 
 one not much better than the yer^Sy 
 and little dilFering from them, ex- 
 cept in Name ; and the others 
 very much refembHng the Herefy 
 of Paul of Samofata ; and both of 
 them exceedingly deviating from 
 the Truth; 
 
 Great, therefore, is the Danger 
 in this Refpedl. The Truth lies in 
 a ftrait and narrow Way, between 
 two fteep Precipices;- and there is 
 Reafon to fear, left, \^ilft we fight 
 fuccefsfuUy againft the one Sort of 
 Heretics, we ourfelves be wounded by 
 the other. For if we aflert the Unity 
 of the Godhead, immediately Sabel- 
 lius draws that Exprefiion to his own 
 impious Senfe. On the other hand, 
 if we make a Diftinftion, and fay, 
 that the Father is one, the Son an- 
 other, 
 
^54 ^^' Chrysostom 
 
 other, and the Holy Ghoft anothef ,' 
 Arius is ready to wreft that Diftinc- 
 tion of Perfons into a Difference of 
 Subftance. And it equally concerns 
 us to avoid the impious Confuiiori 
 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 ikirmifh 
 with Courage and Diligence, we 
 fhall be obliged to leave the Field 
 with Wounds and Difgrace^ 
 
 CH AK 
 
of ^he Vriesthood. 255 
 
 CHAR V. 
 
 NOR muft I pafs by the tri- 
 fling Difputes of our own 
 People, which, as they are not lefs 
 violent than thofe Attacks which 
 we TQcdvc from without, fo they 
 create no lels Trouble to a Paftor. 
 For fome, out of an idle Curioflty, 
 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 Scriptur? 
 teacheth us *, TIry Judgments are q 
 great Deep. We meet with verjf 
 
 5 PA- xxxvi. (5. 
 
 few 
 
256 St. Chry s o s T oM 
 
 few that are inquifitive into the 
 Soundnefs of their Faith, or the Up- 
 rightnefs of their Pradice ; but great 
 Numbers are bufy in fearching cu- 
 rioufly into thofe things which they 
 will never be able to find out j 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, indeed, how 
 fhould it be otherwife, when wq 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, 
 B. Bifliop interpofe his Authority, 
 lind put a Stop to thofe bold In- 
 tcuders into the Divine Secrets, he 
 
 will 
 
Priesthood. 257 
 
 will certainly incur the Cenfure 
 either of Pride or Ignorance. 
 
 Here, therefore, he"^hath Need of 
 much Wifdonij as. well to bring his 
 ^People off from all fuch unreafonabje 
 jQueftions, as to avoid the beforl- 
 mentioned Cenfures himfelf. And, 
 tcr e^ed'this, nothing: c^n mo|^ 
 •COAtubyte^than the Art of fpeakir^g 
 :wd[L\ of which :w:hatever P-aftor is 
 ddiit;ute5 thq Souls which are under 
 
 r_-^>''vj»^ j.-.ji^j,/ .„j.j* t ' •"' ■" ' - i 
 
 Jm C^re (thofe 1 lyiean.of the; weaker 
 ^^djinore.cufious Sort) are in a Con- 
 ditipn not: much -better than a Ship 
 pWpetually: • tpffed ' to and fro, and 
 beaten with Storms and Tempefts : 
 And^ for • this. Reafon^ it behoves a 
 ^fl^op.to do his. utmoft Endeavour 
 
 tp^btain this moft ufeful Faculty • 
 
 '^ ^? ■ -» 
 
 •«4P 
 
 S C H AT. 
 
 n 
 
^58 St. G H R V s d-s¥ b l^ 
 
 X 
 
 €% A P. ¥i. 
 
 Basil* 
 
 BUT what then da jou think of 
 St. Patilf He did not make 
 it his Sttrdy to obtdih this Art ; nei- 
 ther did he ^at all diflemble his 
 Want of Elotjuetice, but exj>reffljr 
 confelles *, that he was rude and 
 unfkilful in speech ; and that too, 
 when he wks Writing to the Gir- 
 rinthianSy who highly valued them- 
 felves on account of this Fdctllty, 
 and indeed excelled itl^it. 
 Chrysostdm. ' 
 
 This is that very thirig which 
 hath ruined many, ' by tendering 
 them more negligent and remifs in 
 their Application to the Study of the 
 true Dodrine. For, not being able 
 
 * 2 Cof\ xi. 6, 
 
of the Priest-hood. 259 
 
 to reach tlie Depth of St. Paul\ 
 Meaning, nor underftand the Senfe 
 of thofe Words, they have, as it 
 v/ere, 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 farthefl: 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 Refpe<a:, as they themfelves 
 would reprefent him, yet w^hat is 
 that to the Men of this Age ? For, 
 truly, he was endued with a much 
 hiore powerful and excellent Faculty 
 than the Art of Oratory ; which was, 
 that his bare Prefence, even though 
 he was filent all the while, was 
 terrible to evil Spirits* ^^.y, the 
 greateft Affemblies now, with all 
 
 82 their 
 
260 S T- C H R Y S O S T M 
 
 their Prayers and Tears, are not able 
 to perform thofe things which were 
 effeded only by the Flandkerchiei of 
 that Apoftle. He raifed the Dead 
 by his Prayers % and wrought fuch 
 other Miracles, that the Heathen 
 Spe6lators took him for a God -f*. 
 N^y, before he departed this Life, 
 he^vas thought worthy to be caught 
 tip to the third Heaven^ and there 
 to hear fuch Words ^ as it w^as 7tot 
 lawful for human Ears to be ac- 
 quainted with J. But the Men of 
 this prefent Age (not to fay any 
 thing harfli or grievous of them ; 
 for, indeed, I do not Ipeak this as 
 infulting over them, but \vith Won- 
 der at them), how is it that they do 
 not tremble, to compare themfelves 
 with fo excellent a Perfon ? For* 
 
 * ABsxx. 9. f 3/d,xlv. II. 
 
 not 
 
^//5^ Priesthood. 26.1 
 
 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 Con- 
 verfation, we fhall ftill find him 
 triumphant no lefs iu this Refped:, 
 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 afliduous 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 
 Univerfe is there, either by Land or 
 Sea, that is a Stranger to the La- 
 bours of this righteous Perfon ? 
 Even defert Places have known hira, 
 and hofpitably received him in the 
 
 S3 midx^, 
 
262 St. C^ry sostom 
 
 midft of DangerV'What Sort of ^n-- 
 fnaring Stratagems are there, which 
 vfere not praaifed upon him t In 
 Refpeft of all which, he might be 
 juftly faid to pafs through a whole 
 Coiirfe of Viftory^; "Iri a Word, he 
 was indefatigable in his Encounters, 
 and never gave out, till he came off 
 Conqueror. 
 
 But how am I,, ere I v/as aware, 
 'become even injurious to this great 
 Man, by the Meannefs of my De- 
 fcription ! For, indeed, his Merits 
 furpafs air Defcription, ' and parti- 
 cularly mine, as far as I myfelf am 
 furpaffed by thofe that are Mafters 
 of Eloquence. However (fince Iper- 
 fuade myfelf that that holy Apoffle 
 will judge of my Performance in this 
 Matter, not according to the Succels, 
 but the Dciign), I cannot even yet 
 leave ofF, without giving you one 
 ^- '"- ' ' Inftance 
 
Inft^nce mare ; which is as muck 
 beyond any thing yet mentioned, as 
 he. hijnfelf 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 
 Vidlory which he had obtained, he 
 wifbed that he might be thruft into 
 Hell, and be delivered oyer to its 
 ^verlafting Pains, on Condition that 
 he might thereby fave the yews^ 
 and bring th^m over to Chrift ^ ; 
 many of wboni were, neverthelefs, 
 the very Perfons who had fo fre- 
 quently floned him, and done what 
 they could to kill him. Who ever 
 loved our Saviour at fo great a Rate ? 
 if, indeed, that is to be called Love, 
 ^nd not rather fome other thing, of 
 a nobler ^nd more qxalted Nature^ 
 
 ' f Rom, ix. J, 
 
 S 4 And 
 
264 St. C h r y~s o s 1 6 m 
 
 And fliall we ~ yet pf etend to- cdm-^ 
 para ourfelves; .with this admirable 
 Saint, after fo . great Grace ^ imparted 
 to him from: above, and fo great 
 Virtue pradlifed by him here below I 
 This would be the higheft Degree 
 of Boldnefs and Prefumption. 
 
 But I proceed to the Objedion 
 itfelf, and. fhall now endeavour to 
 fhow you,, that this Apoftle 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 v/ho knov/s 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 Reipects, but : in one only : 
 And, to confirm this, he is careful. 
 
 tj ^ 
 
^//^^ Priesthood, 265 
 
 to make a Diftindion, faying % 
 l^hotigh I be rude m Speech^ yet not^ 
 in Knowledge. 
 
 And, truly, if any one fliould 
 pretend, that the Smoothnefs of Ifo- 
 crates^ the Gravity of DemoJiheneSy 
 the Majefty of Thucydides^ and the 
 SubHmity of Plato^ v/ere neceflary 
 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 Didion be as 
 plain and unadorned as you pleafe ; 
 let a Man's Compoiition be as limple 
 and inartificial as he will; only, let 
 him not be raw in Knowledge, nor 
 
 * 2 Cor. xi. 6. 
 
 unfkiliul 
 
^66 St, Chry sosTOM 
 
 ijnfkilful in Refped of Dodrines, in 
 difcerning Truth from Error; nei- 
 ther let him feek to l}ielter his own 
 Idlenefs, under a vain Pretence, by 
 robbing that blefled Apoftle of that 
 which was his higheft Encomium, 
 and the very Summit 'p)f all his 
 
 Praife* 
 
 C HAP. VIL 
 
 FOR how was it, I would allc, 
 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 ^ %^^ An4 
 what was the Caufe for which he 
 was fent to Tarfus J ? Wa§ it not, 
 becaufe he had vanquifhed them by 
 
 * Acfs ix. 2 2. -f- Ibid, ix. 2^. 
 
 j Ikid, ix, 30» 
 
 the 
 
of the Priesthood. 267 
 
 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 refolyed to murder 
 him. ' Neither is there Room to ob- 
 jeft, that it was the Glory of thole 
 mighty Works which he wrought 
 that rendered him wonderful in the 
 Eyes of the People, and that they 
 who difputed with him v/ere 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 
 ifj'that he contended fo earneftly, 
 and difputed at Antioch fo warmly, 
 againft thofe that were for following 
 the y^wifrj Ceremonies ? And Dio-- 
 nyfius the ylreopagite *, an Inha- 
 * Avfs xvii. 34. 
 
 bitant 
 
268 St. CkrysostoJv^ 
 
 bitant of that moft fupeiftitious City 
 Athens^ by what Means was he, with 
 his .Wife, perfuadcd to adhere to this 
 holy Apoftle ? Was it not by the 
 Efiicacy of that Sermon which he 
 there made ? Or, vvhen Eutychmf^ 
 fell down out of the Window, what 
 was the Occafion of that Accident ? 
 Was it not his long Attendance, even 
 until Midnight^ to St. Paul\ Preach- 
 ing ? Flow do we find him employed 
 at lljclfalG77-icaj at Corinth^ at Ephe- 
 fus^ and at Rome itfelf ? Did he not, 
 in all thofe Places, fpend w^hole Days 
 and Nights in expounding to his 
 Auditors the holy Scriptures, in their 
 Order ? To what Purpofe fboiild I 
 mention his Encounters with the 
 Stoics and Epicureans y? For, in- 
 dcjced, fhould i defccnd to every 
 
 * Acis lo:. 9. -^ liid^Tm. 18. 
 
 Par- 
 
^/y6^ Priesthood. 269 
 
 Particular, I muft extend my Dif- 
 courfe to an unreafonable Lenp-th. 
 
 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 oi Lycaonia took 
 him for Mercu?y ^ : For that Paul 
 and Barnabas were thought to be 
 •Gods, was owing to their Miracles ; 
 but that St. Paul^ particularly, was 
 taken fof Mercury^ was not owing 
 to them, but to his excellent Faculty 
 of fpeaking. 
 
 In w^hat elfe did this bleffed Saint 
 excell the reft of the Apoftles ; and 
 
 * Avis xiv. 12. 
 
 how 
 
270 St. Ch r y*s o s t o m 
 
 how comes he more efpecialJy to be 
 in the Mouths of all Men through4^ 
 out the whole World? How is it 
 that he is admired beyond all the 
 reft> not by us only, but by yewt 
 and GeittiUs alfo ? Is it not for the 
 Excellence of his Epiftles, by which 
 he became ufeful not only to the 
 Chriftians of that Age^ but to all 
 others from that Time to this, and 
 ivill continue to be fo to all that fhall 
 be hereafter, even unto the Coming 
 of Chrift ? So that he will not ceafe 
 to be of jdiigular ^Benefit toMankind^ 
 as long as Mankind itfelf fhall re- 
 main upon the Earth. For, indeed, 
 his moft excellent Writings are^ ks it 
 were, a ftrong Fortification, eredted 
 for the Defence of all the Churched 
 in the World, as he him„felf,' like a 
 brave Warrior, doth, as it were,- 
 ftand in the Midft^^ biingiiig into 
 
 Captivity 
 
^//^^ Priesthood. 271 
 
 Captivity every Thought to the Obe--- 
 dience of Chriji ; cafiing down lina-- 
 ginationSy and avery high thing which 
 exalt eth it/elf againjl the Knowledge 
 of God *. And all this he doth by 
 thofe admirable Epiftles oi his, which 
 are fo replete with Divine Wifdom. 
 
 Nor are thofe Writings fuffi* 
 cient only in reipedt of Doctrine^ 
 for the Subverfion of falfe onesj and 
 the Defence of thofe that are true} 
 but, in refped: 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 fafliion that chafie 
 Virginy which St; Paul f himfelf 
 had efpotifed to ChriJl^ and drefs her 
 cut with all fpiritual Beauty. By 
 the fame Means they keep from her 
 all noxious Diftempers, and preferve 
 
 ^ z Cor. X. 5» vf Ibid, xi. 2. 
 
 her 
 
h^y'i St. Chr Y s OS t oM 
 
 her found and in good Health. Si^cB 
 and fo powerful are thofe Medicines 
 xvhich are left us by him, v/hooi 
 they would reprefent as an ignorant 
 and unfkilful Man, the Experience 
 of which they are v/ell 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, VIIL 
 
 _:..l 
 
 
 BUT farther: 'Hear what'i 
 Charge he gives to his Dif^ 
 ciple "Timothy ^' ; Give Attendance 
 to Readi?tg^ to Exhortation^ to Doc-r 
 trine. And, to encourage him, he 
 fhows him the Ufefulnefs of this; 
 For^ in doing this\ thou JJjalt both 
 * I Tim. iv. 13, 
 
 4 fave 
 
<^/^^ Priest HOOD4 273 
 
 fcwe thy f elf and thofe that hear thee *'* 
 
 And again he faith f, The Serva?it 
 
 of the Lord muft not flrive^ but be 
 
 gentle unto all Men^ apt to teachj^ 
 
 patient, And proceeding, he adds :|:, 
 
 But contmue thou i7i the things 'which 
 
 thou haft learned^ and haft bee7z af- 
 
 fured of htouoing jf whom thou hafi 
 
 learned them : And that frG?7t a 
 
 Child thou haft hiown the holy Scrip-- 
 
 tures^ which are able to make thee wife 
 
 tmto Salvation. All Scripture^ faith 
 
 the lame -holy Man j|, is given by 
 
 hifpiratio?! of Godj arid is p7^vf table 
 
 for Docirine^ for Reproofs for Cor- 
 
 reEiio?!^ for Inftru8tio7i i7i Righteouf-- 
 
 n-efs ; that the Ma7i of God 7nay be 
 
 perfeB. 
 
 Hear what he adds farther, in his 
 Direftions to Titus, concerning; the 
 
 * iTJjn, iv. 16. -f* 2 Tim, ii. 24, 
 
 X Ibid, ill. 14, 15-- [| Ibid, iii. i6, 17. 
 
 T con- 
 
2''4 ^^' Chrysostom 
 conftituting of a Biiliop : ^ Bi/Jjop 
 micfi hold fafi the faithful Word^ as 
 he hath been taught^ that he may he 
 able^ by fotmd DoBrine^ both to exhoj^t 
 and to convince the Gai7ifayers *. But 
 how fliall any one that is ignorant 
 or unfkilful, as thefe Men pretend, 
 be able fo convince fuch Perfons, or 
 to flop their Mouths ? Or what Need 
 is there to give Attendance to Read- 
 ings 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 wx have been 
 fpcaking of all this wliile ? Not but 
 
 * T/V. J. 5). 
 
 that 
 
of the Priesthood. 275 
 
 that the fame Apoftle requires the 
 fame thing of the Laity alfo, as is 
 pkin from another PaiTage; where 
 he faith *, Let the TVord of Chriji 
 dwell 771 you richly^ in all JVfdo7n. 
 And again f , Let your Speech be 
 olway with Grace^ feafoned with- 
 Salt^ that ye t?iay know how ye ou^ht 
 to a?ifwer every Man. And it is 
 given in Charge to all in general, 
 that diey be ready to % render an 
 Account of their Faith. And fo 
 alfo, writing to the TheJfalGma72s^ 
 he faith (j, Ldify 07ie a7iother^ even 
 as alfo ye do. 
 
 But, when he fpeaks of the facred 
 Order, he faith §, Let the Elders 
 that 7''uh well be CGtmted woj^thy of 
 double Honour^ efpecially they who 
 
 * CoL ili. 16. -f- Ihid. iv. <5. 
 
 % I P^^ ili. 15. II I Thc/f.w II, 
 
 § I Tim, V. 27. 
 
 ■ T 2 labour 
 
076 St. Ch R Y SOS T OM 
 
 labour in the TVord and DoBrine\^ 
 For thisj truly, is the Perfedion 
 of Dodlrine, 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 our 
 Lord hath prefcribed. For, Example 
 alone is not fufficient to inftrud; 
 others : Nor do I fay this of myfelf ; 
 it is our. Saviour's own Do6lrine : 
 JVhGfoeve7\ faith he ^, Jhall do^ a?td 
 jhall teach Men Jo ^ the fame pj all be 
 called great. Now, if to do had been 
 the fame as to ieach^ that laft Word 
 would have been fuperfluous ; and it 
 had been enough for our Lord tO' 
 have faid, Whofoever pall do only : 
 But now, by diftinguifhing them, 
 he fliows plainly, that Pradice is 
 one thing, and Dodlrine another, 
 * Matt. V. 15. 
 
 < and 
 
of the Priesthood. 277 
 
 and that each of them wants the 
 other's Affiftance, in order to per- 
 fea Edification'^ Hear alfo what 
 that chofen Veflel of Chrift faith to 
 the Prefby ters at Rphefus * ; There- 
 fo?^e watch^ and remember^ that^ by 
 the Space of three Tears^ I ceafed 
 not to war7i every 07ie Night and 
 Day with Tears. But what Need 
 was there for his Tears, or for the 
 Admonitions of his Dodrine, when 
 the Life of that holy Apoftie was fo 
 illuflrious 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 
 thing elfe. 
 
 ^ A^s XX, 31, 
 
 T 3 CHAP. 
 
'ynS St. ChR Y S G S T OM 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 OR when a Difpute arifes con- 
 cerning Matters of DoctrinCj 
 and all argue from the fame Scrip- 
 tures, what Force or Power can the 
 moft virtuous Lif^ have to determine 
 the Controverfy ? Of what Ad-- 
 vantage will the greateft Aufterities 
 be in this Cafej v^hen, after all the 
 mofc painful Exercifes of Virtue, a 
 Perfon inay, through much Uuikil- 
 fulnefs, fall into Herefy, and fo be 
 cut Oil 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 
 
^//6^ 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 
 ftood fafe, and were unhurt by the 
 Gainfayers, yet the fimple Multitude 
 that are under his Diredion, when 
 they fee their Leader confuted ^ and 
 liave nothing to reply^ will be apt 
 to lay the Blame not on his Infuf- 
 ficiency, but on the Dodrines them- 
 felves, as though they were w^ak, 
 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 miftrufi: thofe Doctrines 
 
 T 4 which 
 
2 8o St. Ch R Y S O S T OM 
 
 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 
 of fuch a Leader, for every Soul that 
 is thus loft, I need not tell you ; 
 it is what you know perfedtly well. 
 . And Ihall it be imputed to Pride 
 or to Vain-glory in me, that I wa^ 
 tender of bringing fo many Souls to 
 ' Ruin ; and, confequently, of en-- 
 hancing my own Punifliment in the 
 Qthi:r World ? Who will offer to 
 
 fay 
 
^^;6^ Priesthood* 281 
 
 ky this ? Surely, no one ; unlefs 
 he is difpofed to find Fault where 
 there is none, and to play the Critic 
 jn other Mens Calamities, 
 
 e End of the Fourth Bqoic? 
 
 BOOK 
 
282 St. Chrysostoai 
 
 BOOK THE FIFTH, 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 *^OW great Skill is requifitc 
 for a Bifhcp, in contending 
 earneftly for the Truth, I 
 have fufficiently declared. There is 
 one thing more remaining to be 
 mentioned, which *is the Cavife of 
 ten thoufand Dangers to him : 
 Though, indeed, the thing itfelf is 
 not fo blame- worthy in this Refped, 
 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, 
 
 whcQ 
 
of the Priesthood. 283 
 
 when adminiftred by wife and good 
 Men. Would you know what this 
 is ? In fliort, it is Preaching ; it is 
 that great Labour which is employed 
 in pubHc 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 le^rn; but, difdaining 
 the Rank of Dlfciples, they take 
 upon them to ad: the Part of thofe 
 rather that are Spedlators 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 alio 
 they are divided, fome run after one 
 Preacher, and fome after another, 
 according as they are carried away 
 by Flavour or Difaffedion, 
 
 Nor 
 
284 St. Chry s o s T OM 
 
 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 ftolen fo much 
 Money j 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 
 
<^/)5^ Priesthood. 285 
 
 A Man, therefore, fliould 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 
 Dodrines, and he not be tofled about 
 and difquieted by their Humours 
 and Fancies. But this is not to be 
 effefted, but only by thefe two 
 things, a Contempt of Praife, and 
 the Art of Preaching well. 
 
 CHAP. IL 
 
 ONE of thefe, without xkt 
 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 thenx 
 with found Doftrine, feafo?ted wkh 
 
 the 
 
286 St. Chrysostom 
 
 //je 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 Delire of Ap- 
 plaufe, he brings no lefs Inconve- 
 niences to himfelf and his Hearers ; 
 becaufe, on this Account, he en- 
 deavours to form his Diicourfes more 
 to obtain their Favour and Praife, 
 than to do them Good. 
 
 And thus, as he who neither de- 
 lires 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 Dodlrines as fcall be for the 
 
 * CoL iv. 6, 
 
 Edifi- 
 
of the Priesthood. 2'87 
 
 Edification of his Hearers, yet, 
 through an immoderate Thirft after 
 their Praife, preaches only fuch Doc- 
 trines as fhall pleafe their Tafte, 
 
 C H A P. III. 
 
 A Bis HOP, therefore, that v/ill 
 aft up to his Charader, muft 
 be powerful in both thefe RefpecSs, 
 left the Want of the one fhouid ren-- 
 der the other inefFeftual. For if, 
 when he afcends the Pulpit, and 
 iharply inveighs againft the Vices of. 
 wicked Men, he fhould faulter and 
 helitate in his Diicourfe, and, for 
 Want of Fluency of Speech, be 
 confounded, and put out of Coun- 
 tenance, thofe good things which 
 he had fpoken beiore do, by this 
 Misfortune, immediately lofe their 
 Effect : For they who are thus re- 
 proved 
 
288 St. ChrvsostoU 
 
 proved by him, being galled at his 
 juft Refledionsj and not being abk 
 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 Occaiion fhall 
 require: And when, in both thefe 
 Refpeds, he fhall be irreproachable 
 himfeif, he will then be able, with 
 the greater Authority, to cenfurc 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 ihould be extended farther alio, 
 
 left 
 
^/;6^ PRIEStHOOD. 289 
 
 left the Advantage which he p-ain^ 
 thereby be imperfed. 
 
 ,'SirD' Q H'^A P. IV. 
 
 -\ 
 
 WOULt) you know what elfc 
 he ought to Goiitemn ? I 
 will tell you ; the Envy and' Malice 
 of the World; As he muft not 
 greatly fear, fohe fhould not too 
 negligently overtook : unreafonabfe 
 Calumnies aild ^fourfdlefs i^ccufa- 
 tioris (for fuck^^a Bifliop^ill' be fure 
 to meet with)^ but -he* miiftendea- 
 vour, though they fhduld be falfe, 
 -and raifed by the Vulgar, to quafh 
 -and filence thdm a^ foon'as pdflible. 
 For nothing ib- much ritagnifies a 
 -good or ill Report; as the diforderly 
 Multitude, who being accuftomed 
 to hear and fpeaJ^ at random, repeat 
 
 U what- 
 
290 St. Chry sosTOM 
 
 ^whatever they are told, without Re- 
 orard 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 nothing 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 
 aiBided 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 
 Cares» 
 
of the PRiESTHooE). 291 
 
 ' "Ara Father, therefore, who is 
 hot dejected at the Httle Injuries and 
 feeble Blows of his young Children^ 
 fioT"' thinks himfelf the better for 
 their Smiles and Applaufe ; fo our^ht 
 a Bifliop to be affeded tow^ards his 
 People ; neither to be elated by their 
 Praifes, nor to be caft down when 
 they are as immoderate in their Ac- 
 €:ufations. Eut^hisj my good Friend^ 
 is hard, if norimpoffible : For \ 
 queftion w^hether any Mart can for- 
 bear being delighted^ when he hears 
 himfelf praifed ; and"' life that" i^ 
 pleafed with it, will be tempted tc^ 
 defire it ; and he that defires it; 
 will be uneafy and grieved when he 
 rniffesofit. For, as they thaF taSei 
 a'Plealure in Riches, if they fell, at 
 any Time^ into Poverty, will be 
 much afBidted at it ; and as they 
 that have been accuftomed to live 
 
 U 2 deli- 
 
i292 St. Chrysostom 
 
 delicately, will by no means be eafy 
 under hard Fare; To they that ar6 
 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 hfear 
 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 th« 
 Sea from Waves. 
 
 C H A P. V. 
 
 FOR though he be ever Co 
 good a Preacher (an Excel- 
 lence that not many arrive at), yet 
 this will not render his Labour 
 
 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 Perfedion in it, it 
 will, neverthelefs, forfake him, un- 
 lefs he keep it cultivated with daily 
 Study and Exercife. From whence 
 it follow^s, that the Learned have a 
 greater Labour incumbent on them 
 than the Unlearned ; For the Lofs 
 which will attend their Negligence 
 v/ill be much greater than that of 
 the Illiterate, in proportion to the 
 greater Value of the Treafure which 
 they are poflefled 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, unlcfs they 
 ftill keep tov/ering above their own 
 Fame, by producing things fciil more 
 
 U 3 ani 
 
204 Sf.CHRYSOSTOM 
 
 and more excellent, fall into much 
 Obloquy and Difgrace. Add to 
 this, that the former, if they per- 
 form moderately well, will meet 
 with- much Applaufe ; whereas the . 
 latter, unlefs their Difcourfes are pe- 
 culiarly excellent, both fail fhort of 
 Praife, and meet with many that 
 are ready to carp and find Fault. 
 For the. Auditors, who do, as it 
 were, fit as Judges at 3, Sermon, 
 are apt to coniider not fo much the 
 things that are fpoken, as the Cha- 
 racier of the Preacher. So that the 
 more any . one excels others in 
 Preaching, the miore Fains and Di-?. 
 lip-encc muft hc: take to inaintaiq: 
 that Character: For thtit.whkh is a 
 common Excufe in otfe^r:jCafes, that, 
 no one can do alt things, will nqt: 
 be allowed him heie ;f hyt,., unlefs„ 
 hi^ Sermons, aitogetiicn .t:oi]ae..^up ,tQ 
 
 ihU 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 Dejedion of Spirit, or fome 
 inward Anxiety and SolHcitude 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 mlfcarry, 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 thotigh they expcded 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 
 
2^6 St. C h R' y s o s t o m 
 
 good Performances of their Neigh- 
 bours, though many in Number; 
 but if he make any fah^e Steps, 
 thpogh by miere Accident, and after 
 a long Diilance 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, 
 who were eminent before. 
 
 C PI A P. VL 
 
 t I "^HUS you fee plainly, my 
 3l dear Friend, that h.e who is 
 an excellent Preacher itands in Need 
 of much more Dilio:ence, and Pa^ 
 tience top, than tjiofe of a meaner 
 Charader, whom . \ ^jnentioned be- 
 fore: For fuch ^ onp ,wili be coht 
 tinually attacked by many 3^ y/ho are 
 
(5/"/i^ Prjesthood. 297 
 
 to. his Charge, but that he is o-ene- 
 rally approved; and he muft learn 
 to bear their bitter Envy with an 
 undaunted Mind. 
 
 For when Men have, without 
 any Reafon, con traded 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 fatisiied 
 with wreaking their Revenge upon 
 him by themfelves alone, but they 
 encourage others to do the Irane ; 
 and fometimes they will fingle out 
 a Perfon of mean Abilities, whom 
 they v/ill extol and admire beyond 
 ;all Meafare ; fome through the Mad- 
 nefs of Envv, others through lo;- 
 
 norance 
 
^q8 St. Chry s OS TOM 
 
 ii6rance and Envj 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 
 unlkilful Ignorance of a whole Mul- 
 titude. For, fince an Audience 
 rarely conliils of learned Men, but 
 the greater Part of the AfTembly are 
 generally illiterate ; and thofe among 
 them that are of a better Under- 
 ftanding, 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 iince, amongft a 
 great Number, there may be, per- 
 haps, but one or two that are ca- 
 pable of doing this, it will from 
 thence neceifarily follow, that the 
 
 moil 
 
of the Prlesthood. 299 
 
 moft - accompliflied Preacher may 
 not only have the lead -Applaufe, 
 but fometimes none at all, 
 
 Againft fuch unequal Judgment 
 a Man muft arm his Mind ; he muft 
 be prepared to pardon thofc that, 
 through Ignorance, are guilty of it, 
 and to grieve for others who do it 
 through Envy, as Perfons truly mi^ 
 ferable and unhappy; and to reft 
 fatisfied, in the mean Time, that the 
 real Excellence of his Preaching is 
 not diminifhed, either by the Ig- 
 jiorance of the one, or the Malice of 
 the other. For thus a good Painter, 
 who is a complete Artift, if an un- 
 fkilful Spc<3:ator finds Fault with any 
 Piece which he knows to be dr-awn 
 with all Accuracy and Exadnefs, 
 w^ill not entertain the worfe Opinion 
 of the 'Performance, for the other's 
 Want of Judgment; nor, if it be 
 
 meanly 
 
^00 St. Chr Y S O S T OM 
 
 in.eanly done, will he think the 
 better of it, for any Praife and Ad- 
 miration which the Ignorant may 
 
 bellow upon it. 
 
 C H A P. VIL 
 
 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 fhali give Sentence ; 
 and let him never regard the er- 
 roneous and unfkilful Judgment of 
 others. 
 
 No mxore, in like Manner, fhould 
 he, who hath undertaken the Onice 
 of Preaching, fet his Mind upon 
 the Praifes of the Multitude, nor be 
 
 dejeclcd 
 
of the Priesthood. 301 
 
 dejeded 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 rejeft their Praile ; if he 
 is not, let him not feek after it, or 
 grieve for the Want of it. For, moil 
 certainly, the Confcioufnefs of his 
 having formed his Compoiitions in 
 fuch a Manner, and of fuch Doc- 
 trines as are plealing to God, will 
 be a fufficient Comfort to him, and 
 an abundant Compenfation for all 
 his Labours. 
 
 CHAP. 
 
302 St. Chry s OS TOM 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 N the other hand, if aPreachef 
 fuffers himfelf to be led away 
 by an immoderate Defiire of Praife, 
 it will render both his Labours and 
 his Abilities ineffedual: For, by this 
 Means, his Mind, hdtig unable to 
 digeft the fenfelefs Condemnations 
 of the Multitude, becomes difpiritedi 
 and gives over s^lF Application to 
 that facred Work. Above all things,* 
 therefore, he ought to know hovV 
 to defpife Applaufe';" and,' irideedy 
 without this, the greateft Skill in 
 the ' 'Art -of ^Preaching will not be 
 fufnclcnt to preferve that Talent* 
 Nav, if v/e carefully examine into 
 the Matter, we fliall find that the 
 Man who is deftitute of this Excels 
 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, necejGTarily 
 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 ftick at, 
 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 liis 
 own Labours fail of Succefs, Jiis 
 Mind will be, as it were, over- 
 whelmed with Indolence and In- 
 
 acli\'ity. 
 
304 St. ChR YSOSTOM 
 
 a£livity. For a Man, whofe Heart 
 is fet upon Praife, it, after all the 
 Pains he takes, he falls fliort of it, 
 will, of courfe, link and de](pond, 
 and become negligent and fupine. 
 For thus a Huibandman, who hath 
 beftowxd 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 Talenty he that hatli 
 made no Colledion of proper Ma- 
 terials, but is forced j in thfe midft 
 of his Sermon, to ftand ftill' and me- 
 ditate, how great Difliculties mufi: 
 fuch a one encounter ! What Pains 
 muft he take, that, after all^ ^ he 
 may be able to obtain a little Ap- 
 7 piaufe 1 
 
of the Priesthood. 305 
 
 plaufe ! And if a Bifhop fees one of 
 his own Clergy, of an inierior Order, 
 excelling him in this Refped, and 
 carrying away the Palm from him, 
 how 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 q{ a fuperior Dignity to be out- 
 done by his Inierior, and to bear the 
 Difgrace with Magnanimity, is the 
 Part not of an ordinary and common 
 Spirit, not or fdch a one as mine is, 
 but Oi an invincible and invulnerable 
 Frame* It, indeed, the Perfon who 
 thus excells, behaves himfelf with 
 Mode ft V and Moderation, the Mif- 
 fortune is fo much the more toler- 
 able ; but if he is confident, and 
 proudj and vain-glorious, il he in- 
 fults you to your Face, and laughs 
 at you ' behind your Back, and de- 
 
 X grades 
 
3o6 St. Chr YsosTOM 
 
 grades the authoritative Ads 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-r 
 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 Dis- 
 grace, that, whilft he is preaching, 
 the difgufted Auditory fhall feem 
 ^ uneafy, 
 
of the PitiESTtioorJ* ^07 
 
 tiiieafy, and impatiently long for hi^ 
 Silence, as a Refrefhment from La^ 
 hour; and when the other afcends 
 the Pulpit, Ihall never think himt 
 tedious, but grieve when he draws 
 to a Conclufion, and be almoft angry 
 when he leaves off 
 
 Thefe things may poffitbly, far 
 Want of Experience, feem Triifles 
 to you, and eafy to be defpifed ; 
 but, let me tell you, they are enough 
 to extinguifh the greateft Alacrity, 
 and enervate the ftrongeft Refclu- 
 tion : Unlefs, indeed, a Man can 
 raife himfelf above all human PaA 
 fions, 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, 
 
3o8 St. Ch R Y s OS T oM 
 
 taken, and fo hard to be tamed, (I 
 mean, the 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 Aflaults, and en- 
 joy himfelf as in a quiet Haven : 
 But he that cannot get rid of this 
 Mdnfter, will draw himfelf into va- 
 rious Difputes, conftant Trouble, 
 Defpondence of Mind, and a Mul- 
 titude of other Paffions. And to 
 what Purpofe fhould I recount the 
 other Difficulties, which no Man 
 can defcribe or know, but he that 
 has experienced them ? 
 
 Hoe End of the Fifth Book. 
 
 BOOK 
 
o/"/^^ Priesthood. 309 
 
 BOOK THE SIXTH. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Y 
 
 O U have heard the common 
 State of things in this Life ; 
 But as to the Life to come^ 
 how (liall we be able to give an 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 
 witheverlaftingPunifliment, Korean 
 I help repeating thofe Words of the 
 Apoftle ^5 though I have mentioned 
 them once already. Obey them that have 
 the Rule over you ^ and fub /nit your- 
 [elves ; for they watch for your Souls ^ 
 
 ^ Heb. xiii. ij' 
 
 X 3 as 
 
3IO STtCliKYSOSTOM 
 
 as they that mufi 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 
 thofe that believe in Chrift, had 
 better have a Mill-ftone hanged about 
 his Nech^ and be drowned in the 
 Depth of the Sea * ; And if they 
 that 'wound the Confciences of the 
 Brethren^ fm againft Cbrifi f him- 
 felf ; What, do we fuppofe, fliall be 
 the Cafe of them, ^nd how great 
 their Punifhment, whp are the Caufe 
 of Perdition not to one, or two, or 
 three, but to great Multitudes of 
 Souls ? For the Flea of Unikilful- 
 nefs or Ignorance, of Violence or 
 Compulfion, will by no means be 
 admitted here. An ordinary Perfon 
 may, perhaps, have Recourfe to 
 
 ^ Idatt. ^viii» 6, -f- i Cor, viii. \%, 
 
 thef^ 
 
of the Priesthood. 311 
 
 thefe Excufes, in refpeft of his own 
 private Sins : But a Biftiop, who 
 muft account for others, will not be 
 allowed thus to plead. Would you 
 know the Reafon of this ? It i^ 
 plain ; becaufe he himfelf is or- 
 dained to reftify the Ignorance of 
 others, and to forewarn Men of the 
 Aflaults of the Devil coming upon 
 them. How then can fuch a one 
 pretend Ignorance, or fay, "I 
 ^^ heard not the Sound of the 
 ^^ Trumpet, and forefaw not this 
 " fpiritual Conflid." For he is ap- 
 pointed for this very Purpofe, as 
 Ezekiel faith *, that he may blow 
 the Trumpet^ a?id want the People 
 of the Evil at hand. And, for this 
 Caufe, his Puniihment is unavoid- 
 able-, even though but one Soul 
 periih. For if the Watchman fee 
 
 ^ Ezek, xxxiii. 3. 
 
 X 4 ^h^ 
 
312 St. Chr y SOS t o m 
 
 the Sword come^ - and blow not the 
 trumpet y and the People be not 
 warned^ if the Sword come and take 
 any Perfon^ he is taken away in his 
 Iniquity y but his Blood will I require 
 at the Watchman s Hand *. 
 
 CHAP. IL 
 
 CEASE, therefore, to impor- 
 tune me to run fo great a 
 Hazard : For I am not now fpeak- 
 ing of concluding an Army, or of 
 governing a Kingdom, but of an 
 Office that requires the Virtues of 
 an Angel. And, indeed, the Soul 
 of a Biihop ought to be purer than 
 the Sun- beams, -that the holy Spirit 
 of God may not forfake it 5 and that 
 he may be able to fay f, / live^ yet 
 not /, but Chrijl that liveth in 7ne, 
 '^ E^'.ek. xxxiii. 6. -f Gal ii. 20. 
 
 For 
 
of the Prilstiiood. .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 fpeak nor adl, but with 
 the greateft Circumfpedion, that 
 with Boldnefs and a (incere Purity 
 (fo far, at leaf!:, as the State of hu- 
 man Nature will admit), they may 
 be- able to draw near to God : How 
 m.uft one in holy Orders ufe all his 
 Endeavours, to the utmoft of his 
 Power, to refcue 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 Y S O S TOM 
 
 Temptations of being otherwife, 
 unlcfsy by continual Sobriety and t 
 much Refblution, he labours to ren- 
 der his Soulj 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 Coftlinefs and Va- 1 
 riety of Drefs, fet off with Jewels, 
 and fcented with the richeft Per- 
 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, become infenfible^ 
 to all fuch things. Indeed, it k ^^ 
 no Wonder that fuch Temptations ^ 
 difturb the Soul of Man; but 4 
 then, on the other handi that the 
 Devil fiiould be able to wound us 
 by Darts of a quite contrary Nature, 
 
 is 
 
of the Priesthood. 315 
 
 is very furprizing, and fcarce to be 
 believed. 
 
 CHAP. Ill, 
 
 AND yet fo it hath happened, 
 that Ibme Perfons who have 
 efcaped thefe Snares, have been 
 taken by others exceedingly dif- 
 ferent : For a neghgent Air, dif- 
 ordered Locks, a fordid Drefs, 
 plain Speech and Behaviour, an un- 
 affefted Gait, unadorned Language, 
 hard Living, the being defpifed, 
 friendlefs, and forlaken, firft move 
 Pity in the Eyes of the Spectator, 
 ^nd next draw him on to utter 
 Ruin. And many Perfons who 
 have efcaped the Temptations of 
 Gold, and PerRimes, and rich Ap- 
 parel, and fuch others as I juft 
 mentioned, have eafily fallen into, 
 
 and 
 
2i6 St. Chryso-stom 
 
 ^nd 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- 
 gled of it, by aff^(fed Behaviour 
 and SimpHcity 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 Spedator, and Artifices 
 of Deceit furround him on every 
 Side, how can he have Time fo 
 much as to take Breath, who is thus 
 encompafled 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 prefer ve his Mind undifturbed 
 and pure from evil Thoughts ! 
 
 Nor fliall I here infifl: upon FIo^ 
 nours and Dignities, which are the 
 
 Caufes 
 
^ /i*^ P R I E S T H O O D. 317 
 
 Caufes of infinite Evils to a Bifhop. 
 Thofe which are conferred by the 
 Jntereft of. Women, enfeeble the 
 Tower of Continer|ce3,^ .and pften 
 overthrow it quite, unlefs.a Man be 
 very vigilant ao:ainft fuch Snares : 
 And thofe which are contei-red by 
 Men, ought to be received -with 
 Moderation and Grcatnefs of Soul, 
 (pjthe^'wife they ^ will produce tvvp 
 f\^ery different Difbrders ; ylz. fcryile 
 Flattery and fenfelcfs 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 orJy hint at : 
 The pernicious Confequences of 
 them, no one can perfedly know, 
 but by Experience. 
 
 8 Nor 
 
3i8 St* Chry^S^^tom 
 
 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 j 
 becaufe there is no Fuel without, to 
 feed the Flame within : For a Reclule 
 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 Churchesj, 
 and the Care for them is certainly 
 much lighter, not only on that Ac- 
 count 
 
of the Priesthood. 319 
 
 count, but alfo becaufe they are dif- 
 eneumbered with worldly AfFairs : 
 They have neither Wives nor Chil- 
 dren, nor any thing of that Sort, to 
 be follicitous for : And this makes 
 them very oblequious to him that 
 hath the Rule over them, who, by 
 their living together under his Eye, 
 can be the more v/atchful to dif- 
 cover, and the more diligent to cor- 
 reft, their Faults; it being no in- 
 confiderable Step 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- 
 jed to a Bifhop, are fuch as are 
 encumbered with the Cares of this 
 Life; which thing alone renders 
 
 them 
 
3 20 S T. C H R Y S O S 'f O M 
 
 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 Dodrine 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 evTn upon the Surface of the 
 Soil. 
 
 In others, again, exceflive Af~ 
 fliftion, painful Poverty, conftant 
 Troubles, and m.any 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 
 fliould he, w^hen he knows not 
 their Perlbns ? So difficult is the 
 Cafe o{ a Biiliop in relpedt of his 
 People. 
 
 But if we confider him in relped: 
 of his holy Miniftrations before God, 
 we fhall find this which I have al- 
 ready been Ipeaking of, to be even 
 ' as nothing, in Comparifon of thofe i 
 So much greater and more exad: 
 Care do thofe Performances re- 
 quire* 
 
 For what fort of a Man ought he 
 to bcj who, as an Ambaflador, in- 
 tercedes v^ith 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 ^ 
 
 jLiving, but of the Dead ^ : A Re- 
 queft, for which I cannot think the 
 
 holy 
 
 "* Armlim fpeaks of this Cuftom, as 
 prevailing in Africa^ at the Beginning of 
 the fourth Century : Stimmus oratur Deus, 
 pax cundlis et venia pojlidatiir adhuc vitam 
 dejentibuSy et rejhhitis corporum vidlione. 
 «< The great God is addreffed, and Peace 
 '^ and Pardon are begged for all, whether 
 *^ alive or dead!' 
 
 At the Time of Chryfojlom^ 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 Pafiage, 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 Refrefliment, 
 but ftill wait till the fecond Coming of 
 Chrift, at the Day of Judgment, for tha 
 Completion of their Happinefs. With re- 
 fpeft to the Deady they were Euchariftical 
 Oblations to God for their righteous End ; 
 and were therefore nfed for Patriarchsy 
 Prophets^ and Apofiles : And, with reipedt 
 
 to 
 
tfthe pRtESTHOOD, 3:23 
 
 lioly Confidence either of Mofes or 
 Elias fufficient. For, as though he 
 
 had 
 
 to the Livings they ferved to refrefli their 
 Belief in 2. future State, and to animate their 
 Conftancy, by a Commemoration of thofe 
 glorious Examples. In this Seaic, it will 
 not be thought ftrange that St. Chryfofloin 
 here fays, that, in the Euchariftical Obla- 
 tions, the Bifhop prayed to God to be pro- 
 pitious to the Sins both of the Dead and 
 Lhing 5 or, in the Language of St. Faul^ 
 That both may find Mercy in that Day. 
 
 Mr. HOLLIER. 
 
 That the primitive Church, from the 
 very fecond Century, made Prayers for the 
 Deady we do not deny^ but that thefe 
 Prayers were to deliver them out of Pur- 
 gatory, we fuppofe will not be avowed ; it 
 being certain, that they were made for the 
 beji Men, for the holy Apojlles, the Mar- 
 tyrs, and Coiifejfyrs of the Church, nay, 
 for the Blejfed Virgin herfelf ; all which, at 
 the fame Time, they thought in Happinefs, 
 and who, the Papijis themfelves tell us, 
 never touched at Purgatory, If any one 
 will put up his particular Requefts for the 
 
 y z Dead, 
 
3 24 S T. C H R Y S O S T O M 
 
 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 
 extinguifiied, and all Tumults be 
 Guelled ; 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. 
 
 DtW, for any of thofe Ends for which the 
 primitive Chnjiiam did, v/e fhall not con- 
 demn him. Only let not That be made an 
 JirUcle of oitr Faith ^ which we can never 
 be affured of, and which, when it was moft 
 pradlifed, was received only as a private 
 
 ■ OpijiioHy and in a Senfe far different from 
 what is now afferted 5 and, for the reft, we 
 jfhall not refufe to confent to any Liberty, 
 whereby Peace may be obtained, and our 
 free Jaflification by Faith in Chrift not in- 
 jured. JLxpoJition of the Docirine of the 
 
 ■ Church of England, i?i Anfwer to Monf de 
 -Jvleaux, Lond. i6S6. 
 
 private^ 
 
O/* /^^ Pr I E S T H O O D. 325 
 
 private. And he that is to perform 
 this high Office, ought, in all things, 
 to. excell thofe for whom he inter- 
 cedes, as much as Rulers fhould their 
 Subje(3:s. 
 
 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 ficred 
 Words, and how pure the Soul 
 which receives fo excellent a Spirit ! 
 For, at that Time, the holy Angels 
 are prefent with the Bidiop ; and 
 the whole Sanduary, and every 
 place around the Altar, is filled with 
 
 Y 3 heavejily 
 
326 St. Ch R YSOSTOM 
 
 heavenly Powers, in Honour of him, 
 who heth there, as we may reafon- 
 ably believe, from the Nature of the 
 Myfleries 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 Viiion as this, at the 
 Time of this holy Celebration, and 
 faw before his Eyes, as well as mor- 
 tal Eyes could bear it, a fudden Ap- 
 pearance of a Multitude of Angels, 
 cloathed in white Robes, encom- 
 pafiing 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-v/itnefs, who told me^ 
 that when he miniftred to dying 
 
 Mep, 
 
^/>5^ 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 conduced them fafely out of 
 this Life. 
 
 And would you not tremble, 
 then, to engage me in fo facred a 
 Miniflration, and to introduce into 
 the facerdotal Dignity one whofe 
 Soul is fo fordidly dreffed, that, per- 
 haps, Chrift hath excluded it from 
 the reft of the Guefts *. For the 
 Soul of a confecrat;^d 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 alway.9 
 in Fear, and know not how to look 
 
 * I\iaU. xxii. 13. 
 
 Y4 ' lip 
 
328 St.Chrysostom 
 
 tip to my Lord with Confidence and 
 Aflurance. Priefls are the Salt of 
 the Earth * ; but fuch is my Folly 
 and Unfldlfulnefs in all things, that 
 no one would eafily think it toler- 
 able, but you, whofe Affeftion for 
 me is fo tranfcendent. For, indeed, 
 the facred Order requires Perfons 
 not only to be pure and worthy of 
 fo high a Miniftrq^tion, but to have 
 alfo a large Share of Wifdom and 
 Experience, even fo as to under- 
 ftand the i\ffairs 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 thole that live in Deferts or 
 Mountains. For, fince there is a 
 Neceility incumbent on fuch a one 
 to convcrfe with Perfons that have 
 Wives and Children, and Servants; 
 
 '^ Matt.v. 12 
 
 with 
 
of the Priesthood. 329 
 
 with Perfons, again, of Fortune and 
 Diftindion, that have the Admini- 
 ftration of pubHc 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 Phyfiician 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. Chrysostom 
 
 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 fliall 
 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 
 robuftj though the Will be ever fo 
 good, yet can it not proceed unto 
 Aftion: (For long Fafts, lying on 
 the Ground, watching in the Night, 
 the Difufe of Baths, and other 
 Mortifications, which they pradlife 
 to afflid 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- 
 viour, and adorned with other fuch 
 Virtues, by which St. Paul ^ hath 
 defcribed to us the Charader of a 
 
 * I Tim. iii« 
 
 com- 
 
332 St. Chr Ysos TOM 
 
 complete Bifliop. One cannot fay 
 the fame of thofe Exercifes which 
 are expeded from the monaftic 
 Life. 
 
 CHAR VI. 
 
 UT5 as thofe that exhibit me- 
 chanical Performances have 
 Occafion for Variety of Wheels, 
 Cords, Wires, Wedges, &^c. as the 
 Inftrum.ents 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 SoHtude, and, at 
 the fame Time, a very good Tem- 
 perament 
 
«|/*//5^ Priesthood. 333 
 
 perament of Air : For nothino- is fo 
 intolerable to thofe that afflia them- 
 felves with Fading, as a bad Air. 
 Befides, they are obliged to conftant 
 Labour, for the Sake of Food and 
 Raiment ; lince they think them- 
 felves obliged to do every thing with 
 their own Hands. But a Bifliop hath 
 no Need to take fuch Pains ; but he is, 
 without Scruple, promifcuoufly con- 
 verfant 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 
 lone 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, irt- 
 i^ieed, 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 requilite for the epifcopal Office t 
 For to fit at the Helm of a Ship, 
 when it is in Harbour, can be no 
 Proof of a Man's Skilfulnefs to fteer; 
 but if he can carry her fafe through 
 the midfl: of a ftormy Sea, this will 
 be Proof fufficient, and no one will 
 deny that fuch a one is an able Sea- 
 man. 
 
 CHAP. VIL 
 
 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 Diforders 
 of Paflion, and from many and great 
 Oflences ; for he hath no Provoca- 
 tions to the one, nor Temptations 
 to the other. But if he that lives 
 
 in 
 
tf the Priesthood, 335 
 
 in a Crowd, and is obliged to bear 
 the Sins of many, can, in the midfl 
 of fuch a Storm, keep his Soul fteady 
 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 aileep, I do not fin; or 
 that while I wreftle not, I am not 
 thrown down; or that while I do not 
 fight, I am not conquered. Who, I 
 befeech you, can be my Accufer ? 
 Who can difcover or declare the 
 Follies I commit ? Can the Roof 
 under which I fit, or the Chamber 
 in which I lludy ? No; they cannot, 
 
 they 
 
336 St. Chrvsostom 
 
 they have not the Power of Speech. 
 Or my Mother, to whom I am moft 
 intimately known, will Ihe, 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 
 Ihould happen, yet I do not think 
 that there is any Mother fo void of 
 natural Affedion, or that hath fo 
 little Love for the Son, whom flie 
 hath brought forth witli Pain, and 
 educated with Care, as, without any 
 Neceffity, to fpeak Evil of him, 
 and accufe him to the World. But, 
 neverthelefs, 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 Ipite 
 of all thofe Encomiums with which 
 
 you 
 
hf the Priesthood. 337 
 
 you beyond others have been ac- 
 cufiomed to lold me. 
 
 And thkt I do ilot fay this to de- 
 trad from the paftoral Office, you 
 will eafily judge, if yoil recoiled: what^ 
 you have heard me fay, when we have 
 been difcourfing on this Subject, as we 
 frequently have, how that if I rriight 
 have my Choice, whether I would 
 defire to be eminent 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 arty Time, to give thofe their 
 jiift Praifes who difcharge that Of- 
 fice well ; nor can any one reafon- 
 ably fuppofe, that, were I fufficient 
 for it, I would {hurt what I myfelf 
 fo highly applaud. But what can I 
 do ? I, who am fubjedl to this In- 
 adivity and Slothfulnefs of Spirit, 
 
 Z than 
 
338 St. Chrysostom 
 
 than which, nothing renders a Man 
 more unfit for this facred Miniftra- 
 tion^ though, indeed, fom€ look 
 upon it as Aufterity in me, and the 
 Effeds 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 inadive 
 Life, though he be naturally of a 
 Genius fit for Bufinefs, yet, when 
 AAion is required of him, his utter 
 Unfkilfulnefs therein will much 
 perplex him, and his Inadivity will 
 
 be no fmall Impediment to his na-- 
 
 J. 
 
 tyral Abilities. But when, to this 
 Inadivity 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 
 r.ot 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 monaflic Order, 
 make any Figure in 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 Difcretiono 
 Whereas he that affeds a monaftic 
 Life, is not Hable to be exercifed m 
 any of thefe Refpeds. For as, on 
 
 Z 2 the 
 
^^6 St. Chu 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 
 reject ; 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 
 Pradice of thofe things, to the Study 
 of which they have never appUed 
 themfelves, they are wholly at a 
 Lofs, not knowing which Way to 
 turn themfelves, nor what to do; 
 and, confequently, inftead of making 
 1 Proficiency in Virtue, lofe thofe Ex- 
 cellences they brought with them* 
 
 CHAP. 
 
of the Priesthood. 341 
 
 CHAP. VIIL 
 
 Basil. 
 
 WHAT, then, £hall we com- 
 mit the Care of the Church 
 to the Hands of thofe that Hve in 
 the Hurry of the World ; that are 
 full of earthly Cares ; that are luxu^ 
 rlous and delicate, cralty, deceitful^ 
 and contentious? 
 
 Chrysostom. 
 Not fo faft, my good Friend ; 
 Men of fuch Charadlers ouo;ht not 
 fo much as to be thought of, when 
 Perfons are eleded to the facrecj 
 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 Sandiit^, Conftancy, 
 Sobriety, and thofe other gO- i Pro- 
 
 Z 3 pcrties 
 
342 St. Chr Y ^os T OM 
 
 perties which diftinguifh the Monks; 
 and that to a Degree fuperior to them, 
 fuch a one isj by all means, to be 
 chofen, and that too, before them. 
 For fiicuid one of that Order, by 
 means of his Solitude, conceal the 
 Vices to which he is addicted, ia 
 inch 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 failing, if the good 
 Providence of God had not pre- 
 vented it, 
 
 Aiidj indeed, it is impoilible fuch 
 IndifpoHtions of Soul fhould be con- 
 cealcdj when the Man is expofed to 
 
 oi 
 
o/'//^^ Priesthood. 343 
 
 open View, and to the Obfervation 
 of all. For as Fire difcovers 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-^ 
 jed: to any other Diftemper of Mind, 
 it difcovers thofe Diftempers ; and 
 not only difcovers them, but often 
 renders them more ftubborn and ob- 
 jftinate than they v/ere before. For 
 as bodily Wounds, when fretted, are 
 thereby rendered much more diffi-^ 
 cult to be healed ; fo the Difeafes of 
 the Soul, being ftirred and exalpe- 
 rated, become naturally more fierce, 
 and precipitate thofe that are afted 
 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 
 
344 3t. Chrysostom 
 
 |ink into Luxury, Remiflhefs and 
 Indolence ; and foj by Degrees, into 
 greater Crimes, which are the natu- 
 tal Confequence of thefe. 
 . Indeed, there are many Circum- 
 fiances attending the Station qf a 
 Bifhop, which tend to enervate the 
 Vigour of his Mind, and interrupt 
 him in his Journey towards Heaven, 
 Amiongft^ thefe. his Converfation 
 with Women is not the leaft : For, 
 tjuly, he, to whom the Gare of the 
 Flock is committed, muft not em~ 
 ploy his Labour only for the Men, 
 ^nd negled: the other Sex, for whole. 
 Welfare a greater Degree of Care i^ 
 reqiuiite^ becaufe of their natural 
 lf¥eaknefs and Propenfity to fall ; 
 but he muft heftow, if not a greater^ 
 yet, at leaft, an equal Degree of hia 
 Attention on them. They mufc he 
 vifiied v/hen th^y are lick ; when 
 
 they 
 
of the Priesthood, 345 
 
 they grieve, they are to be com- 
 forted; thofe of them that are faulty,* 
 mufl: be reproved; and thofe that 
 are diftreffed, muft be affifted : And 
 in the Miniftration of thefe fcveral 
 GfSces, the Evil One will find 
 many Opportunities of Advantage, 
 unlefs he put the ftrideft Guard 
 imaginable upon himfelf. For the 
 Eye of a beautiful Woman, w^hether 
 ffie be looie or modeft, ftrikes 
 warmly upon the Soul, and puts it 
 into much Diforder. Smooth Flat- 
 teries foften it, and Honours enilave 
 it : And fo, fervent Charity (the 
 Bond of all Virtues) may become ac- 
 cidentally the Caufe of infinite Evils. 
 Moreover, incefiTant Cares blunt the 
 Edge of the Underftanding, and 
 make that which was volatile and 
 lively, heavier than Lead itielf : And 
 Storms of Anger, now and then 
 
 break- 
 
346 St, 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- 
 tions, he will be Hable to, both 
 from Superiors and Inferiors, from 
 Perlbns oi 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 ealily admit of 
 any Apoicg)\ Nor muft a Bifhop, 
 who will behave himfelf well, defpife 
 thefe, but clear himfelf to all, with 
 much Meeknefs and Condefcenfion ; 
 rather pardoning their unrealbnable 
 Accufaticms, than refenting, and be- 
 ing angry at them. 
 
 For 
 
of the Priesthood, 347 
 
 For if the bleffed Apoftle was in 
 fome Concern, left he fhould be fu^ 
 fpeded of Theft by the Difciples, and 
 for thatReafon took others alongwith 
 him, at the Diftribution of the public 
 Money, that no Ma72 (as he fays him- 
 felf *) jhould bla7ne us in this Abun^ 
 dance which is 7ninijired 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- 
 lefs 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 o;reateft Diftance from any fuch 
 wicked Imputation, did not, however, 
 difregard the Sufpicions of the Mul- 
 titude, though they would have beea 
 
 * z Cer. viii, ao. 
 
 very 
 
348 St. CHRYsasTOM 
 
 very unreafonable and frantic: For 
 what lefs than Madnefs would it 
 have been, to have fufpedled any 
 fuch thing of fo excellent-a Perfon ? 
 Neverthelefs (I fay) though fueh 
 Surmifes would have been altoge- 
 ther unj^uft, and fuch as no one in 
 his rigrht Senfes could have enter- 
 tained, yet this holy Man was care- 
 ful to- remt)ve far from him all Oc- 
 caliohs thereof. He did "not con- 
 temn the Madnefs of the People ; 
 nor did he fay to himfelf, "How 
 ^^ fhould it enter into any one's 
 *^ Head, to fufpecfl fuch things of 
 ^^ Me, whom all reverence and ad- 
 *^ mire, for the Miracles I work, 
 ^.^ and for the Uprightnefs of my^ 
 " Converfation ? " No: On the 
 contrary, he was apprehenfive of 
 fome fuch evil Sufpieion, which,' 
 therefore, 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 honejl (faith he), not 
 only in the Sight of the Lord^ but 
 alfo i7i 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 
 Occaiions from whence they might 
 pofTibly arife, not flaying till they 
 are adually 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 SuiTerers thereby. 
 
 * Rom,x\\, 17. zCor.ym, 11, 
 
 But 
 
350 St. C h r y s o s t g m 
 
 But why £hould I continue this 
 vain Purfuit? It is as impolTible to 
 enumerate all the Difficulties of the 
 ^pifcopal Charge, as to meafure 
 the Depths of the Sea. For though 
 a Man could purify himlelf from all 
 Paffions (which yet it is impoffible 
 to do), neverthelefs, he muft en- 
 counter innumerable Evils, in order 
 to corred and amend the Faults of 
 others. 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- 
 redt his own Sins, and the Sins of 
 others* 
 
 CHAP, 
 
of the Priesthood. 351 
 
 w 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 
 Basil. 
 HAT, then, do you think 
 to be abfolutely free from 
 thofe Labours and Cares in your 
 State of SoHtude ? 
 
 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 
 Ma7t^ 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 croffmg a fmall 
 River. There is no lefs Difpro- 
 portion between thefe two forts of 
 Cares : For, in the Condition I 
 
 am 
 
352 St. Chrysostom 
 
 am now in, if I can be ufeful 
 to others, it is what I 'wifli, and 
 pray for ; but, if I cannot help for-> 
 ward the Salvation of others, yet, if I 
 cian fave myfelf from the Storm arid 
 Tempeft, I fhall be fatisfied there- 
 with. 
 
 Basil. 
 
 And do you, then, think this a 
 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 Neiphbour: Neither will it be 
 of any Service to fuch a miferable 
 Perfon, that he hath not leffened 
 his fingle Talent * ; on the con-^ 
 
 * Matt. XXV. 24, 
 
 2 trary, 
 
trary, it will be his Ruin that he 
 did not improv;e3 and double it. 
 Neverthelefsj this I am perfuaded 
 of, that my Piiiiifhment will be le|^, 
 if I.am.accufedlat.tiie laft Day % 
 iint'l having fami others, than tf^ 
 fefeer Tiavih^ rea^ived the Epifcopal 
 tjignityj :T am accuf^d for growing: 
 Indre profligate mj^ii^iy loling the 
 Soiils: of others,, and- vny own toa 
 j?or^ as things ftand at prefent, .1 
 prefonie,. mjV'Piii^i^^^^^^?^^^ wU^ be 
 progoa:^Qaed to thf Greatnefs of my 
 jpwir;.Dfencea:r rBut. if I mifcarry 
 ^t^r.l :B.av-e r^^iKed that high Of- 
 iioejl judge that- it will be mucii 
 i^hac^^dj acgotding as I h^ve givea 
 jSeandal to great Numbers, and of^ 
 iei^^d God, vvliO bad fo; highly 
 
 ^^^n5£.. ^:.:? 
 
 
 
 A a CHA.P. 
 
354 St. C h r y so^ t o m 
 
 ^^^^^^CH AR XL 
 
 $■ 
 
 ^OR this very Caufe, God ac- 
 cufing the Ifraelites^ ihows 
 that they were worthy of the forer 
 Punifhnlent; becaufe they had finned 
 againft him, after many Inftances oF 
 his Divine Favour, by which he had 
 particularly honoured them : 21?^ 
 (faith he *), youmlyhavel known^ 
 of all the Families of the Earth": 
 ^Therefore I will punifb you for your 
 iniquities. And, in another Place ^^ 
 / took of your Sons for -Proph^t^y 
 and of your young Men for Naza-^ 
 rites. And, before the Times of 
 ffie Prophets, lie dfeta®kfl^ from 
 the Sacrifices, that the Tranfgref* 
 fions of a confecrated Perfbn deferve 
 'a^much greater Punifhment thah the 
 
 * Amoi iii. 2# 'fUid. ii>ii. 
 
of the Priesthood, ^c^^ 
 
 Offences 6i a private one, in that 
 he Gommands * as great a Sacrifice 
 to be offered for the Sins of the 
 Prieftj 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 lacred 
 -Charader of him that labours under 
 
 them . : : T "5 rf -t ^-rH^ri ' h rr A* 
 
 j-;-But_whydo I fpeak of thePriefts 
 xhemfelves, when even their Daugh*- 
 ters t- (to whom no Part of the 
 ^fi^cred Mifiijfe^i^io^^ belonged) 
 
 f Lev:iv.,5. 14. + -S;W. xxi. p. 
 
 Aa s ^re 
 
 
55^ St.^ C h r¥s OS t o m 
 
 li-ie ^dobn^'i:o'a'#rfer6r Pximfliment 
 
 Tor their Offences than othersymerely 
 
 bn account of their Fathers Dignity t 
 
 ^ppofe the Offence to have ^^een 
 
 f^drnication ; the Crime was chfc 
 
 'fime inthe Daughters of a Layman, 
 
 ias in the Daughters of a Prieft ; and 
 
 yet tlife PunilhmelitV'\^^ far mdfe 
 
 *grieVous - upon the latter - th^n the 
 
 former *. An abundant Proof, that 
 
 God wiirpunifljt the Sins of a Supe^ 
 
 rior much more than the Sins of an 
 
 Inferior. For/ ho doubt, he who 
 
 ^urtiffies 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 
 
 "df ''her^ Sufferings : ' J\nd that very 
 
 juft}y5r* becaufe the ill Confequences 
 
 "tif his &ins d^-ndt ¥eft^ ^^^ himfelf 
 
 ^fyp-lim ^ thereby' Wciunds? the 
 
 r^*-"^ Souls 
 
 1^ •• -«. , 
 
of the PuiESTHoaD. 357 
 
 Souls ojf the Infirm, whofc Eyes are 
 fixed' pn his Behaviour. And this 
 is what Ezekiel * intende4 to fhow, 
 when he diftinguifhed the Judgment 
 of the Sheep, and of the Goats, one 
 from another. 
 
 C H A P. XIL 
 
 i^I.fT .. 
 
 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 con- 
 tend earneftly, left I be overwhelmed 
 with the Paffions of my own Soul, 
 I yet fuftaixa the Fatigue, and fhun 
 not the Try ah My Mind is, to this 
 Ilour, taken in the Snares of Vain- 
 glory, from which, however, I often 
 ^recoiled myfclf I fee the captive 
 
 ^^ £zeL xxxiv. 17. , . 
 ;^' Aa 3 State 
 
358 St. Chrysostom 
 
 State of my Soul, and rebuke my* 
 felf for it. Even hdw I am liable 
 to many unreafonable Defires wliich 
 fall upon me; though the Flame 
 they kindle within me be -but kife 
 guid and remifs j becaufe my Eyes 
 are debarred from receiving any Gb- 
 jeds from without, ' t^ add Fuel to 
 the Fire within. It istruef Frieither 
 revile, nor am reviled : And how 
 fhould I, when there are none pre- 
 fent with me but the ^eechlefs 
 Walls? And yet I cannot wholly 
 efcape the Emotions of Anger, 
 though there be pp p)pSe ^ hand to 
 cxafperate and provoke nie. For 
 frequently the Remembrance of un- 
 reafonable Men, andv thi " l!>eeds 
 "which they have doiid, "^ coming ihto 
 iny Mind, make my Heart iwell, 
 though it be but for a Moment: 
 For I foon fuppi cfs^^thfe Flame, aiicj 
 
 com^ 
 
fompofe myfelf, by confidering hovir 
 foolifli and unhappy a Temper it is 
 ip^fivedook one's own Faults, and 
 be bufily inquifltive 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 Refledtions, 
 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- 
 felvesj-^fo fhould I, on receiving 
 Provocations, fall into a Tumult of 
 
 .PafTion, I fhould perceive my own 
 Punifhment increafing every Day ; 
 but,, to be Mafter of myfelf, as I am 
 
 ta,t prisfent, and. to rebuke the Mad- 
 
 Aa4 ' " nefs 
 
St. C k*r y sq^ r o M 
 
 xiefs of my ow^ PafSonSj raging drt 
 all Sides" of me, this is what in thofe 
 Circumftances I ihould -not be fuf- 
 fieient for. For I- well know t^a 
 Weaknefs and Narrownef^^ of- my' 
 own SquJ; how eafily it is ca^ti^ 
 vated, not by Pafuons only in ge-r 
 neralj but partieularly by that whicl| 
 i$ the worfl of them, I ifiean Envy j 
 that it knows no Moderation^ either 
 in bearing Injuries or Honours, be- 
 irig exceffively elated with the one, 
 and as exceflively deprelled by the 
 other, For as thofe wild Beafts that 
 are well fed, eafily pyercome theii* 
 Antagonifts that are weak and un-r 
 fkiiful J but if you flarve them, fo 
 as to lay their Fury afleep, and abate 
 ^heir Strength, it,wiii/^e poflible fo| 
 one not over-vaMant to tope with 
 them ; thus it fares -with the;Pat- 
 fioas of 4 Majn's Soul v fee ^Ijc^.t keeps 
 V - theirs 
 
pfiU P R I E s t HO 6 1>^ ^qSi 
 
 fiiem low and weHk, will Mve theift 
 in Subjection to right Reafon; \yysx^ 
 lie that nouriflies them by Indul- 
 gence,^ will jnake WOTk- for hisufetf, 
 by rendering them fo ni^eh the more 
 difficult to encounter, and fo for- 
 midable, that they will caufe him 
 to pafs the Remainder of his Lift 
 both in Servit^ide and Feari 
 t But what is the Food by which 
 thefe wild Beai[ls, our Paffions, arc 
 indulged ? Vanity is fed by Praife 
 and Honour ; Pride, by Power and 
 Authority; Envy, by the Fame of 
 pthers ; Avarice, by Riches ; In- 
 continence, by high Feeding and Fe- 
 male Converlation. And fo of the 
 reft : Each Paffion has its peculiar 
 Nutriment, AH thefe, like fo many 
 wild Beafts, would aflault me, if I 
 was to venture out into the World ; 
 tbey woulc^ ^^^^ iny Sgul in Pieces ; 
 
 they 
 
g^ ^T. C H R y S O S T O M 
 
 ■tjiey would terrify me in a greater 
 degree, and render my State of Warr 
 fare much more diiKcult than it is 
 now : Whereas, while I fit flill in 
 jB^. private Station, I fhall be able, 
 though i>ot without great Pains, by 
 the Aflii^^nce of Divine Grace ^ to 
 keep them in Subjedion ; fo far, at 
 leaft, that, though they bark, they 
 will not hurt me, 
 
 v^ For thefe Reafons, Ikeepmyfelf 
 clofe in my Cell, retiredirom Com- 
 pany and Converfation. I am looked 
 upon as morofe, and many Com- 
 plaints are made againft me ; Avhich, 
 indeed, I wiifh that I could remove, 
 and grieve that I cannot, For, it 
 is no eafy matter for mevtei-ent^r 
 into public Converle, without ha-^] 
 zarding my prefent Security. For 
 which Caufe, my .Requeft i$,: that 
 YQU would rather pity than cenfure 
 
 a Per- 
 
^/"/^^ Priesthood. 363 
 
 a Perfon encompaffed with fo great; 
 Difficulties ; though, as yet, I have 
 not been fo happy as to prevail with 
 you, 
 
 1 But it is now Time that I fhould 
 impart to you the only thing yet 
 undifcovered, which, though per- 
 haps it may feem incredible to fome, 
 yet I fhall not be afliamed to own 
 it : For though I may feem felf- 
 ^condemned, and guilty of many 
 Sins, yet, fince God, who will judge 
 me, perfedly knows them all, what 
 Advantage would it be to me to 
 conceal them from Men ? Know, 
 then, that, from the firft Day that 
 yoy gave me Reafon to fufped: the 
 "Danger I was in of being chofen to 
 the facred Order, fo great a Concern 
 feized my Spirits, and fo deep a Me- 
 Igncholy Qvgrlpread my Soul, that I 
 
j64 S "^^ C H R y s G s T o M: 
 
 have been more than onca almoll 
 ready to expire under it. 
 
 Fbry confidering with myfelf the 
 Glory of Chrift's Spoufe, her Holi- 
 neft;, her fpiritual Beauty, her Wif~ 
 domy/'her excellent Difcipline, and 
 calling td'mind, at the fame Time, 
 my own great Blemiflies, I ceafed 
 iiot to lament her Cafe, and my 
 own ; andj in the midfl of my 
 Trouble and Anxiety, could not 
 help expoftulating thus with myfelf. 
 ^^ From whence could this De- 
 ^^ fignation proceed? What great 
 ^' Crime hath the Church of God 
 ^' committed ? V/ith what heinous 
 ^^ Offence hath fhe provoked her 
 %Lord, that fhe fhould fuffer fo 
 ^^ great Difgrace, that a Perfon, the 
 *^ moftundeferving, fhould be made 
 ^a'^ Ruler in Her?!' Mufing of 
 this often within myfelf, and being 
 
 not 
 
of the P R I E S T H O D . .3^ 
 
 hot a^ble te^bear the g^^houghts of .^ 
 stbfurii a ^tiling, I lay like one thunr 
 derfkruck, fcarce able to fee, heaij^ 
 or fpeak.VjWhen I recovered. ^hy 
 degrees' f 1:0m this (State of Afl:6i:\i{hj. 
 txient (for it now and then left me), 
 a ^ Flobd ) f of Tears iuqceeded, , aiid 
 .'great ' D^jeSion; - ; ;of Spirit : ' * An4, 
 when. Tears ceafed, ..Terror ^gaia 
 feized iBe :as before. Jin ib great ra 
 Tempeft ;was J toffecj at that Tjuan.^ 
 when you:; thought! that I. enjoyed ^ 
 •perfe(3: Calm, ; , ; i 
 
 ofihallid now try. to reprefent to 
 you the. •Sufferings* of my Soul.:? 
 That, perhaps, may move you to 
 pardon me, and not blame me any 
 longer. But how, or with what 
 Worda, fhall I attempt this? For 
 ;it is impoflible you fhould have a 
 perfed Idea of it, unlefs you could 
 fee into its fecr^t -Receffes. But,* 
 
 fince 
 
St. Chrysostom 
 
 lincethis is not to be done, 1 wilt 
 i^i*deavoiir, as well as I can, to give 
 fbn an imperfed Allufion, by which 
 y6u niay form to yourfelf fome to* 
 Arable Notion of my Trouble. ,dO 
 4r Let us flippofe, then, the Daughter 
 of a univerfal Monarch, who, for her 
 cxquifite Beauty, furpafles her whok 
 Sex ; who, in the admirable Virtues 
 of her Mind, excells all that ever 
 were, or ever will be ; and, for her 
 planners and Behaviour, exceeds the 
 very Rules of Philofophy itfelf; the 
 tranfcendent Lovelinefs of whofe 
 Features and fparkling Eye,;, evejti 
 obfcures the other Perfedions of her 
 Perlbn^ n ^ '^ lo^ Us^ '^m 
 
 Let us farther fuppofe, that a 
 Huftand, fuitable to this incom- 
 parable Lady, has been diligently 
 fought for, and is at length found.; 
 that, in Ardour of Paffion, he ex- 
 ceeds 
 
ceeds Vhatever hath been faid of the 
 moft extravagant Lover. Suppofi 
 hinij in the Heat of this high Fever 
 of Love, - to hear, that this amiable 
 Objed of hi$ Affedion was deftitied 
 to be given in Marriage to a pitiful 
 Obje(^ ; one by Birth, mean ; in 
 Body, a Cripple ; inSotil, a Profli- 
 gate : How great inufl: be his Afto- 
 niihment and Indignation ! 
 fi By this^ Time, I perfuade myfelf, 
 you apprehend a fmall Part of my 
 Grief; fo that I fhall not need to 
 tarry this Reprefentation farther. 
 It is fuiEcient, I fuppole, to difcover 
 to you the Sorrow and Dejedion of 
 my Soul, for which alone it was in-^ 
 tended. ,3}oqqiA i^^i^^ ^^^ 
 
 -^ But, that I may' point out to you 
 the Terror of my Mind, I will pre- 
 fent you with another Image, ' ■ ' vj^^l 
 
 •^^ 
 
jBl^gjift^tioa lai^Qtmidabh.Axmy^chy 
 Sea ,®id I^fidl rLcittha .Waves- ba 
 ^(&^er#d with -Miiltifeiad^sr of .VjeiSla^ 
 ^4 i J&e Plains md MmMun^.w^ 
 'I'ioogs/pf Horfe and FpQt* nPancy 
 thatjou 'fee^the Spleiidor of -Shields 
 atid H^ljnj^ts^ 3yho^: buriiiilied EraS 
 reflpfSs an illuftrious Blaze frpra^the 
 Sun-beanis* Let the Rattling of 
 §|)e3irs,. and the Jskighing qf Hoi^fes, 
 ftrike the -Heavens with their Noife* 
 ly€t J , ^either Sea nor Landi appear, 
 a|id: Qothing be j[een but Ji^rms aa4 
 the Eaee of War. .bivf " 
 
 "^j'.) Qpp^fi^^ ^P thefej kt thfe Enemy 
 fiand in 3at^?- Array ;: JJdf li ^fiero? 
 and cruel : And let the Tioie^pf ths 
 Engagement be-^at hand* ,^ ; 
 
 Then imagine that you. fee J| 
 
 Country Youth^^pne broygbt iiptO 
 
 nothing but the Shepherd's Crook 
 
 5 and 
 
of theT?Kin^TKoox>. 369 
 
 and Pipe, ^ fnatched on a fudden out 
 of the Field, and accoutred with 
 fhining Armour. Fancy that you 
 fee him carried through the Army, 
 and let every thing there be pre- 
 sented to his View. Let him be 
 fhown the feveral Companies, and 
 their Leaders ; the Bowmen, the 
 Slingers, the Tribunes^ and Ce?ttu- 
 rions^ the heavy armed Foot, and 
 light Horfe ; the Archers, the Gal- 
 leys, and their Commanders ; the 
 Soldiers on board ready to nght ; 
 together with all the formidable-^- 
 paratus of naval Force. 
 
 On the other, hand, let thenl 
 {how him the adverfe Army, drawn 
 «p in Order of ^attl^. Let him fee 
 their terrible Countenances'; the 
 various and vaft Collection of their 
 Arms ; the Precipices, Cavities, and 
 Mountains, difficult of Accefs. Let 
 
 B b him 
 
370 St. Chrysostom 
 
 him fee their Arts of Delufion ; 
 Horfes flying, and armed Men car- 
 iried through the Air, by the Power 
 (Bf Enchantment. Show him alfb 
 th(d Calamities of War : Clouds of 
 Javelins ; Arrows falling like Hail j 
 thick Darknefs and fudden Night 
 bccafioned by the Multitude of thofe 
 Weapons, by which the Sun himfelf 
 feems to fuffer an Eclipfe j Duft 
 blinding the Eyes; Blood running 
 in Streams ; the Groans of Men dy- 
 ing and wounded; the Rejoicings 
 bf the Conquerors; Heaps of dead 
 Bodies ; Chariot-wheels dipt in 
 Blood; Horfes, with their Riders, 
 tailing headlong over Heaps of the 
 Slain ; the Field cf Battle ftrewed with 
 a dreadful Mixt ire of human Gore, 
 Javelins, and Darts; the Hoofs of 
 Ht)rfes and Heads of Men lying to- 
 gether ; here a Man's Arm, there a 
 
 Chariot^ 
 
y^/>5^ Priesthood. 371 
 
 Ghariot-wheel ; in one Place an Arm, 
 in another a Breaft transfixed ; Brains 
 fticking to the Sw-ord, and Spears 
 broken fliort, with human Eyes torn 
 from their Sockets on the Points of 
 them. 
 
 Let him be prefented alfb \yith 
 the Miferies of a Sea Fight ; the Vef- 
 fels themfelvesj fome burning in the 
 fnidft of the Water^ others linking 
 with their Crew ; the Roaring of 
 the Sea ; the tumultuous Din of the 
 Seamen ; the Clamour of the Ma- 
 rines ; the Froth of the Wavesi 
 mixed with Blood, and dafhing over 
 into the Hold; the Dead lying in 
 Heaps updn the Deck ; ](ome fmk- 
 iiig, 'others fwimming ; fome caft 
 by the Force of the 'Tide upon the 
 Strand, others in Shoals overwhelmjed 
 with Waves, and, as it were, ob- 
 ftrufting the PaiTage of the Ships. 
 
 Bb 2 To 
 
37? St. Chr YsosTOM 
 
 To thefe difinal Scenes of War, 
 add the Miferies of Captivity, a 
 Slavery worfe than Death itfelf, if 
 he Ihould 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- 
 fped of thefe things ? 
 
 CHAP. XIIL 
 
 THINK not that, by this 
 Defcription, I exceed the 
 Truth; nor fappofe, that becaufe 
 ^e are at prefent fhut up in the 
 Body, as/in- a Prifon, and fo can- 
 not fee any thing of the inviUble 
 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 vilible 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: Noj the very Sight of 
 that curfed Hoft is of itfelf enough 
 to diffolve the Soul, unlefs it be very 
 valiant indeed; and unlefs its own 
 Fortitude be fupported alfo by a, 
 
 Bb 3^ |ivelr 
 
3 74 ^ Z^* C H R Y S. O S T O M 
 
 lively Senfe,.p£4;he,; Divide Provi- 
 depxce and Protedion. -^ ^^.^ 
 
 And, tmly-y were it poffiblq for 
 lis, either putting pC t^his. Body of 
 Fleih, or remaining sin , it, to fe$ 
 clearly, and without Fear, all the 
 JForcgs of that evil Spirit dra,wij,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 5ouls, and Wounds fo 
 terrible, that all that Defcription of 
 War which I juft np\y gave you^ 
 would feeni but a ludicrous thing, j. 
 mere Sport and. Paftime of Children, 
 in Comparifon to it : Such Multi- 
 tudes %jhj5y,:^l^-fr5,^g^ Day 
 caft down by the Enemy- 
 
 There is as great a pifproportion 
 alfo between the -Wound3^ received 
 in the one and in the other fort of 
 Fight, and the Death which follows 
 
 both 
 
of the Priesthood. 37^ 
 
 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 Corple, bereaved of 
 Senfe, but it is, from that Time, 
 tormented by the Remorfe of an 
 evil Confcience; 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 infeniible, 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 
 
 B b 4^' ' Sinner s 
 
576 St. C h r y's o s t m 
 
 Sinner's laft Breathj to affauk {licii 
 a one. 
 
 Confyer alfo the Manaer of his 
 "Attacks, and, on Enquiry, you will 
 find, that they are ^nkich more va- 
 rious and terrible, than thofe of any 
 tempord Enemy. ' Fpr who ever 
 heard of fuch A^ts ^nd Stratagems 
 of Fraud and Deceit,, as are pradifed 
 by that' evil Spirit ? (Indeed they are 
 his Mafkerpiece, and iti them lies his 
 principal Strength) or is it pofSble 
 that any one fhould bear fo unfpeaki- 
 able a Malice- againft his Enemies, 
 as that wicked one doth to the-wholie 
 Race of Mankind ? - - - - - '^' • 
 
 Gonfider alfo the Ventifieft^fe hnd 
 Eagernefs with 'which he fights 
 ^^rgainft us^ iand yott' ^ill find - k 'ri- 
 diculous \to eomplf^ Miyi temporal 
 Gonflid" theretov^' -^^The Fiercenefs 
 ah(j Gruelty of- the worft fort of 
 
 wild 
 
of the Priesthood. 377 
 wilcl Beafts bear no Proportion to 
 the Madnefs of Satan^ in Compa- 
 rifon of whoiiij they are perfedly 
 tame and tnild : 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 refpeft of Time : For 
 the Wars of mortal Men with one 
 another are of fhort Continuance^ 
 and even- in them there are Truces 
 and Ceffations : For, the Approach 
 of Night, the Seafon- of refrefhing 
 Nature, and of refting 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- 
 iAi with Meat -and Drink, thereby 
 lo recover his former Strength ; but, 
 in our fpiritUal Warfare with that 
 wicked one, there is no Time to 
 
 diflirm, 
 
37 8 S T. C H R Y s (/s 4 O M 
 
 difarm, or ta take Reft ; for him ^ 
 I mean, that \4elires to remairl al- 
 ways unwounded : ^For here, one 
 of tbofe two things will neceflarily 
 happen ; either tha,t, being 4iiarmedj 
 he fall before the Enemy, and be 
 loft ; or elfe that he continue lying 
 on bis Arms, and be conftantly on 
 hh Gyard, in a warlike Pofture. 
 I^or this is w:hat the Adverfary doth 
 himfelf:. He, with # hjs Hoft, 
 ftands always waiting for b^iSii in- 
 dolent Hpur§ y and employs abun-r 
 (lantly jtjiore Diligence for our Ruin, 
 than we purfelv^s dq fpr P^^ Salva- 
 tion. 
 
 /u^aftly, there is a great Pi^rencQ 
 alfo in another RefpecS:, which, to, 
 thofe that are not conftantly upon 
 the Watch, is the Gaufe of iafinite 
 Evils ; and that is this, that out; 
 En^my is invilibl^ to tis, aiid that 
 
 ■jioAa" 
 
of the Priesthood. 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 Spldiers of Chrift ? or, 
 had I done fo, would it not rather 
 have been to lead them for the Service 
 of the Devil? For if he, whofc 
 Office it is to fet in prder arid xn^ 
 ftrud others, is altogether weak and 
 unfkilful himfclf, 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 Reprelentation, my prefent 
 State appears much more to be re- 
 joiced at and congratulated, than 
 lamented and deplored. .. \ 
 
 Basil. 
 
380 St. Chrysost ou 
 
 Basil, 
 
 So doth not mine ; but to be la- 
 mented with the deepeft Sotrow : 
 Efpecially now, that I fee, at laft, 
 though not without much Diffi- 
 Gulty, into what an Abyfs of Evils 
 your Management hath plunged 
 me. 
 
 i came hither, to learii what 
 Excufe I Ihould make for you to 
 thofe that accufe you j -but you 
 fend me back again, full (>f quite 
 other Cares: For I am no longer in 
 Pain what Anfwet to make in your 
 Behalf; .but how to apologize to 
 God for myfelf, and for my own 
 Sins. But I beg of yoy, I conjure 
 you, if you have any manner of Rcr* 
 gard for my Welfare, if- there be any. 
 Confelatio7i m Ghriji^ if any Com-- 
 fort of Lovely if any Bowels and. 
 
 * Phil ii. X, 
 
 
 Mercies. 
 
af the Priesthood. 381 
 
 ikf^m^j" (for you know that I had 
 not been brought into this Dano-er, 
 but by your Means), reach out your 
 helping Hand, reftify and guide me 
 with your excellent Counfei and 
 Example ; nor leave me even for a 
 Moment, but aflift me with your 
 Company and Converfation more 
 than ever. 
 
 Chrysostom \_fmiling'\. 
 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 
 Friend, and aflure 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. ChR Y S OS TOM 
 
 At this he burft into Tears more 
 than before; and, riling 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 lafl: Day, 
 you will be able to refcue even me 
 alfo from the midft of my Danger, 
 and take ixie with you into your 
 everlajimg Taberyiacle. 
 
 The END. 
 
-X3 I 
 
 ci aob Of 
 
 ERRATUM. 
 
 f^g« 32, ift Line, for now fm:e, read, 
 ^ > _ now w/^. 
 
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