tion is made. It is in the council of Chalcedon.1 | pence to the emperor for depriving him of Ambrose "Qui semel in clero deputati sunt, aut monachorum his prefect, if episcopal promotion had made him vitam expetiverunt, statuimus neque ad militiam, incapable of serving his prince in any great negoneque ad dignitatem aliquam venire mundanam." ciation? It was a remarkable passage in Ignatius, That is the inhibition; but the canon subjoins a τὸν ουν ἐπίσκοπον—ὡς αὐτὸν τὸν Κύριον δεῖ προσtemper ; " Aut hoc tentantes et non agentes pani- | βλέπειν, τῷ Κυρὶῷ προεστῶτα· ὁρατικὸν δὲ ἄνδρα καὶ tentiam quo minus redeant ad hoc quod propter ὀξὺν τοῖς ἔργοις βασιλεῦσι δεῖ παρεστάναι, καὶ μὴ Deum primitus elegerunt, anathematizari ;"" • they | παρεστάναι ἀνθρώποις νωθροῖς." "As our Lord is must not turn soldiers, or enter upon any worldly to be observed, so also must we observe the bishop, dignity to make them leave their function, which, because he assists and serves the Lord. And wise for the honour of God, they have first chosen :" for men, and of great understanding, must serve kings, then, it seems, he that took on him military honours, for he must not be served with men of small parts." or secular prefectures, or consular dignity, could not Here either Ignatius commends bishops to the serofficiate in holy orders, but must renounce them to vice of kings, or else propounds them as the fittest assume the other: it was in obstruction of this men in the world to do them service. For, if only abuse, that the canon directed its prohibition, viz. men of great abilities are fit to serve kings, surely as in this sense clearly, that a clerk must not so take great abilities are required to enable a man for the on him secular offices, as to make him "redire in service of God in so peculiar manner of approximasæculum," having put his hand to the plough, to tion. He, then, that is fit to be a bishop, is most look back, to change his profession, or to relinquish certainly fit for the service of his king. This is the the church, and make her become a widow. The sense of Ignatius's discourse. case of St. Matthew and St. Peter distinguish and clear this business. "Ecce reliquimus omnia," was the profession of their clerical office. St. Matthew could not return to his trade of publican at all, for that would have taken him from his apostolate. But St. Peter might, and did return to his nets, for all his "reliqui omnia." Plainly telling us, that a secular calling, a continued fixed attendance on a business of the world, is an impediment to the clerical office and ministration, but not a temporary employment or secession.

5. The canons of the church do as much forbid the cares of household, as the cares of public employment to bishops. So the fourth council of Carthage decrees. Ut episcopus nullam rei familiaris curam ad se revocet, sed lectioni, et orationi, et verbi Dei prædicationi tantummodò vacet." m Now if this canon be confronted with that saying of St. Paul, "He that provides not for them of his own household, is worse than an infidel," it will easily inform us of the church's intention. For they must provide, saith St. Paul, but yet so provide, as not to hinder their employment, or else they transgress the canon of the council; but this caveat may be as well entered, and observed in things political as economical.

Thus far we have seen what the church hath done in pursuance of her own interest; and that was, that she might with sanctity, and without distraction, tend her grand employment; but yet many cases did occur in which she did canonically permit an alienation of employment, and revocation of some persons from an assiduity of ecclesiastical attendance, as in the case of the seven set over the widows, and of St. Peter, and St. Paul, and all the apostles, and the canon of Chalcedon.

Now, let us see how the commonwealth also pursued her interest; and, because she found bishops men of religion and great trust, and confident abilities, there was no reason that the commonwealth should be disserved in the promotion of able men to a bishop's throne. Who would have made recom1 Part. Act. 15. Can. 7,

m Can. 20.

For, consider; Christianity might be suspected for a design; and, if the church should choose the best and most pregnant understandings for her employment, and then these men become incapable of aiding the republic, the promotion of these men would be an injury to those princes, whose affairs would need support. The interest of the subjects also is considerable. For we find by experience, that no authority is so full of regiment, and will so finely force obedience, as that which is seated in the conscience; and, therefore, Numa Pompilius made his laws, and imposed them with a face of religious solemnity. For the people are stronger than any one governor, and were they not awed by religion, would quickly "miscere sacra profanis," jumble heaven and earth into a miscellany; and, therefore, not only in the sanction of laws, but in the execution of them, the "Antistites Religionis" are the most competent instruments; and this was not only in all religions that ever were, and in ours, ever till now, but even now we should quickly find it, were but our bishops in that veneration and esteem that by the law of God they ought, and that actually they were in the calenture of primitive devotion, and that the doctors of religion were ever even amongst the most barbarous and untaught pagans.

Upon the confidence of these advantages, both the emperors themselves, when they first became christian, allowed appeals from secular tribunals to the bishop's consistory, even in causes of secular interest, and the people would choose to have their difficulties there ended, whence they expected the issues of justice and religion; I say, this was done as soon as ever the emperors were christian. Before this time, bishops and priests, to be sure, could not be employed in state affairs, they were odious for their christianity; and then, no wonder if the church forbade secular employment in meaner offices, the attendance on which could by no means make recompence for the least avocation of them from their church employment. So that it was not only the avocation, but the sordidness of the employment, Epist. ad Ephes.

n

• Sozom. lib. i. cap. 9.

that was prohibited the clergy in the constitutions | church might not be ambitious or indagative of such of Holy Church. But as soon as ever their employ-employment. 3. The church's interest, abstractment might be such as to make compensation for a edly considered, was not promoted by such employtemporary secession, neither church nor state did ment; but where there was no greater way of comthen prohibit it; and that was as soon as ever the pensation, was interrupted and depressed. 4. The princes were christian, for then immediately the church, though in some cases she was allowed to bishops were employed in honorary negociations. make secession, yet might not relinquish her own It was evident in the case of St. Ambrose; for the charge to intervene in another's aid. 5. The church church of Milan had him for their bishop, and the did by no means suffer her clerks to undertake any emperor had him one of his prefects, and the people low secular employment, much more did she forbid their judge in causes of secular cognizance. For all sordid ends and covetous designs. 6. The when he was chosen bishop, the emperor, who was bishop or his clerks might ever do any action of present at the election, cried out, "Gratias tibi ago, piety, though of secular burden. Clerks were never Domine, quoniam huic viro ego quidem commisi cor- forbidden to read grammar or philosophy to youth, pora; tu autem animas, et meam electionem osten- to be masters of schools or hospitals; they might disti tuæ justitiæ convenire." P So that he was reconcile their neighbours that were fallen out bishop and governor of Milan at the same time; about a personal trespass or real action; and yet, and therefore, by reason of both these offices, St. since now-a-days a clergyman's employment and Austin was forced to attend a good while before he capacity is bounded within his pulpit or readingcould find him at leisure. "Non enim quærere ab desk, or his study of divinity at most, these that I eo poteram quod volebat sicut volebam, secludenti- have reckoned are as verily secular as any thing, bus me ab ejus aure atque ore catervis negotioso- and yet no law of christendom ever prohibited any rum hominum, quorum infirmitatibus serviebat." q of these, or any of the like nature, to the clergy; And it was his own condition too, when he came to nor any thing that is ingenuous, that is fit for a sit in the chair of Hippo, "Non permittor at quod scholar, that requires either fineness of parts, or volo vacare, ante meridiem; post meridiem, occupa- great learning, or overruling authority, or exemplary tionibus hominum teneor." And again; Et homi- piety. 7. Clergymen might do any thing that was nes quidem causas suas sæculares apud nos finire imposed on them by their superiors. 8. The cupientes, quando eis necessarii fuerimus, sic nos bishops and priests were men of great ability and sanctos, et Dei servos appellant, ut negotia terræ surest confidence for determinations of justice, in suæ peragant. Aliquando et agamus negotium sa- which religion was ever the strongest binder. And lutis nostræ et salutis ipsorum, non de auro, non de therefore the princes and people sometimes forced argento, non de fundis, et pecoribus, pro quibus re- the bishops from their own interest to serve the bus quotidiè submisso capite salutamur, ut dissensi- commonwealth, and in it they served themselves ones hominum terminemus." s "It was almost the directly, and by consequence too; the church had business of every day to him, to judge causes con- not only a sustentation from the secular arm, but an cerning gold and silver, cattle and glebe, and all ap- addition of honour and secular advantages; and all purtenances of this life." This St. Austin would this warranted by precedent of Scripture, and the not have done, if it had not been lawful, so we are practice of the primitive church, and particularly of to suppose in charity; but yet this we are sure of, men whom all succeeding ages have put into the St. Austin thought it not only lawful, but a part of calendar of saints. So that it would be considered, his duty; "quibus nos molestiis idem affixit apos- that all this while it is the king's interest and the tolus:" and that by the authority, not of himself, people's that is pleaded, when we assert a capacity but of him that spake within him, even the Holy to the bishops to undertake charges of public trust. Ghost. So he. It is no addition to the calling of bishops. It serves the king, it assists the republic; and, in such a plethory and almost a surfeit of clergymen, as this age is supplied with, it can be no disservice to the church, whose daily offices may be plentifully sup plied by vicars; and for the temporary avocation of some few, abundant recompence is made to the church, which is not at all injured by becoming an occasion of endearing the church to those whose aid she is.

Thus also it was usual for princes, in the primitive church, to send bishops their ambassadors. Constans, the emperor, sent two bishops chosen out of the council of Sardis, together with Salianus the great master of his army, to Constantius. St. Chrysostom was sent ambassador to Gainas." Maruthus, the bishop of Mesopotamia, was sent ambassador from the emperor to Isdigerdes, the king of Persia.x St. Ambrose, from Valentinian the younger, to the tyrant Maximus. Dorotheus was a bishop and a There is an admirable epistle written by Petrus chamberlain to the emperor. Many more exam- Blesensis," in the name of the archbishop of Canples there are of the concurrence of the episcopal terbury, to Pope Alexander III., in the defence of office, and a secular dignity or employment. Now the bishops of Ely, Winchester, and Norwich, that then consider the church did not, might not, chal-attended the court upon service of the king. "Non lenge any secular honour or employment, by virtue of her ecclesiastical dignity precisely. 2. The

est novum," saith he, " quòd regum consiliis inter-
sint episcopi. Sicut enim honestate, et sapientiâ
x Ibid. lib. x. cap. 6.
Ambros. lib. v. c. 33.
b Epist. 81.

" Tripart. Hist. lib. iv. cap. 25.
y Ibid. lib. xi. c. 8.
Euseb. lib. viii. c. 1.

Epist.

|

C

cæteros antecedunt, sic expeditiores et efficaciores in | promunt;" saith St. Ambrose; and, therefore, cerreipublicæ administratione censentur. Quia, sicut tainly the fairest reason in the world that they be scriptum est, minùs salubriter disponitur regnum, employed. But if personal defailance be thought quod non regitur consilio sapientum.' In quo reasonable to disemploy the whole calling, then notatur, eos consiliis regum debere assistere, qui neither clergy nor laity should ever serve a prince. sciant et velint, et possint patientibus compati, paci And now we are easily driven into an understandterræ ac populi saluti prospicere, erudire ad justi- ing of that saying of St. Paul," No man that wartiam reges, imminentibus occursare periculis, vitæ que reth, entangleth himself with the affairs of this life."d maturioris exemplis informare subditos et quâdam For although this be spoken of all christian people, auctoritate potestativâ præsumptionem malignan- and concerns the laity in their proportion, as much tium cohibere:" "It is no new thing for bishops to as the clergy, yet, nor one nor the other is interbe counsellors to princes," saith he; their wisdom dicted any thing that is not a direct hinderance to and piety, that enables them for a bishop, proclaims their own precise duty of christianity. And such them fit instruments to promote the public tranquil- things must be pared away from the fringes of the lity of the commonwealth. They know how to laity, as well as the long robe of the clergy. But if comply with oppressed people, to advance designs we should consider how little we have now left for of peace and public security: it is their office to the employment of a bishop, I am afraid a bishop instruct the king to righteousness, by their sanctity would scarce seem to be a necessary function, so far to be a rule to the court, and to diffuse their exem- would it be from being hindered by the collateral plary piety over the body of the kingdom, to mix intervening of a lay judicature. I need not instance influences of religion with designs of state, to make in any particulars; for if the judging matters and them have as much of the dove as of the serpent, questions of religion be not left alone to them, they and, by the advantage of their religious authority, to may well be put into a temporal employment, to restrain the malignity of accursed people, in whom preserve them from suspicion of doing nothing. any image of a God or of religion is remaining." He proceeds in the discourse, and brings the examples of Samuel, Isaiah, Elisha, Jehoiada, Zacharias, who were priests and prophets respectively, and yet employed in princes' courts and councils of kings; and adds this: "Unum noveritis, quia nisi familiares, et consiliarii regis essent episcopi, supra dorsum ecclesiæ hodie fabricarent peccatores, et immaniter ac intolerabiliter opprimeret clerum præsumptio laicalis." That is most true: if the church had not the advantage of additional honorary employments, "the ploughers would plough upon the church's back, and make long furrows." The whole epistle is worth transcribing, but I shall content myself with this summary of the advantages, which are acquired both to policy and religion by the employment of bishops in princes' courts: "Istis mediantibus, mansuescit circa simplices judiciarius rigor, admittitur clamor pauperum, ecclesiarum dignitas erigitur, relevatur pauperum indigentia, firmatur in clero libertas, pax in populis, in monasteriis quies, justitia liberè exercetur, superbia opprimitur, augetur laicorum devotio, religio fovetur, diriguntur judicia," &c. "When pious bishops are employed in princes' councils, then the rigour of the laws is abated, equity introduced, the cry of the poor is heard, their necessities are made known, the liberties of the church are conserved, the peace of kingdoms laboured for, pride is depressed, religion increaseth, the devotion of the laity multiplies, and tribunals are made just, and incorrupt, and merciful." Thus far Petrus Blesensis. These are the effects, which though perhaps they do not always fall out, yet these things may in expectation of

I have now done with this; only entreating this to be considered: Is not the king "fons utriusque jurisdictionis ?" In all the senses of common law, and external compulsory, he is. But if so, then why may not the king as well make clergy-judges, as lay-delegates? For, to be sure, if there be an incapacity in the clergy of meddling with secular affairs, there is the same at least in the laity of meddling with church affairs. For if the clergy be above the affairs of the world, then the laity are under the affairs of the church; or else, if the clergy be incapable of lay-business because it is of a different and disparate nature from the church, does not the same argument exclude the laity from intervening in church affairs? For the church differs no more from the commonwealth, than the commonwealth differs from the church. And now, after all this, suppose a king should command a bishop to go on embassy to a foreign prince, to be a commissioner in a treaty of pacification, if the bishop refuse, did he do the duty of a subject? If yea, I wonder what subjection that is which a bishop owes to his prince, when he shall not be bound to obey him in any thing but the saying and doing of his office, to which he is obliged, whether the prince commands him yea or no. But if no, then the bishop was tied to go, and then the calling makes him no way incapable of such employment, for no man can be bound to do a sin.

SECTION L.

and put others in Substitution.

reason be looked for from the clergy; their princi- And therefore were enforced to delegate the Power, ples and calling promise all this. "Et quia in ecclesiâ magis lex est, ubi Dominus legis timetur, meliùs dicit apud Dei ministros agere causam. Faciliùs enim Dei timore sententiam legis veram

e In 1 Cor. vi.

BUT then did not this employment, when the occasions were great and extraordinary, force the d 2 Tim. ii. 4.

bishops to a temporary absence? And what remedy | his power to the presbyters, in his voyage to his I was there for that? For the church is not to be martyrdom: "Presbyteri, pascite gregem qui inter left destitute, that is agreed on by all the canons. vos est, donec Deus designaverit eum, qui principaThey must not be like the Sicilian bishops whom tum in vobis habiturus est:" "Ye presbyters, do Petrus Blesensis complains of, that attended the you feed the flock till God shall design you a court, and never visited their churches, or took care bishop." d Till then, therefore, it was but a deleeither of the cure of souls, or of the church pos- gate power; it could not else have expired in the sessions. What then must be done? The bishops, presence of a superior. To this purpose is that of in such cases, may give delegation of their power the Laodicean council: "Non oportet presbyteros and offices to others, though now-a-days they are ante ingressum episcopi ingredi, et sedere in tribucomplained of for their care: I say, for their care; nalibus, nisi fortè aut ægrotet episcopus, aut in for if they may intervene in secular affairs, they peregrinis eum esse constiterit:"" Presbyters must may sometimes be absent, and then they must dele- not sit in consistory without the bishop, unless the gate their power, or leave the church without a bishop be sick or absent." So that it seems, what curate. But for this matter the account need not be the bishop does when he is in his church, that may long. For since I have proved that the whole be committed to others in his absence. And to this diocess is in "cura episcopali," and for all of it he is purpose St. Cyprian sent a plain commission to his responsive to God Almighty, and yet that instant presbyters: "Fretus ergo dilectione et religione necessity and the public act of christendom hath vestrâ, his literis hortor et mando, ut vos, vice meâ, ratified it, that bishops have delegated to presbyters fungamini circa gerenda, ea, quæ administratio reso many parts of the bishop's charge, as there are ligiosa deposcit:" "I entreat and command you, parishes in his diocess, avoɛvría, which is pretended that you do my office in the administration of the for delegation of episcopal charge, is no less than affairs of the church." And another time he put the act of all christendom. For it is evident, at Herculanus and Caldonius, two of his suffragans, first, presbyters had no distinct cure at all, but were, together with Rogatianus and Numidicus, two in common, assistant to the bishop, and were his priests, in substitution for the excommunicating emissaries for the gaining souls in city or suburbs: Fœlicissimus and four more, "cùm ego vos pro me but when the bishops divided parishes, and fixed the vicarios miserim."s So it was just in the case of presbyters upon a cure, so many parishes as they Hierocles, bishop of Alexandria, and Melitius his distinguished, so many delegations they made; and surrogate, in Epiphanius; "Videbatur autem et these we all believe to be good both in law and Melitius præminere, &c. ut qui secundum locum conscience for the bishop per omnes divinos habebat post Petrum in archiepiscopatu, velut adjuordines propriæ hierarchiæ exercet mysteria," saith vandi ejus gratiâ sub ipso existens, et sub ipso St. Denis; he does not do the offices of his order ecclesiastica curans:" "He did church offices under by himself only, but by others also, for all the in- and for Hierocles." h And I could never find any ferior orders do so operate, as by them he does his canon or personal declamatory clause, in any counproper offices. cil or primitive father, against a bishop's giving more or less of his jurisdiction by way of delegation.

66

But besides this grand act of the bishops first, and then of all christendom in consent, we have fair precedent in St. Paul; for he made delegation of a power to the church of Corinth to excommunicate the incestuous person. It was a plain delegation, for he commanded them to do it, and gave them his own spirit," that is, "his own authority;" and indeed, without it, I scarce find how the delinquent should have been delivered over to Satan in the sense of the apostolic church; that is, "to be buffeted," for that was a miraculous appendix of power apostolic.

66

" b

When St. Paul sent for Timothy from Ephesus, he sent Tychicus to be his vicar. "Do thy diligence to come unto me shortly, for Demas hath forsaken me, &c. and Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus." Here was an express delegation of the power of jurisdiction to Tychicus, who for the time was curate to St. Timothy. Epaphroditus for a while attended on St. Paul, although he was then bishop of Philippi; and either St. Paul or Epaphroditus appointed one in substitution, or the church was relinquished, for he was most certainly nonresident.c

Thus also we find that St. Ignatius did delegate

Hitherto also may be referred, that when the goods of all the church, which then were of a perplexed and busy dispensation, were all in the bishop's hand, as part of the episcopal function, yet that part of the bishop's office, the bishop, by order of the council of Chalcedon, might delegate to a steward, provided he were a clergyman. And upon this intimation and decree of Chalcedon, the fathers in the council of Seville forbade any laymen to be stewards for the church: "Elegimus ut unusquisque nostrum, secundum Chalcedonensium patrum decreta, ex proprio clero œconomum sibi constituat.”i But the reason extends the canon further: "Indecorum est enim laicum vicarium esse episcopi, et sæculares in ecclesiâ judicare." Vicars of bishops the canon allows, only forbids laymen to be vicars. "In uno enim eodemque officio non decet dispar professio, quod etiam in divinâ lege prohibetur," &c. "In one and the same office, the law of God forbids to join men of disparate capacities." Then this would be considered. For the canon pretends Scripture, precepts of fathers, and tradition of antiquity, for its sanction.