Origines Ecclesiasticæ The Antiquities Of The Christian Church. With Two Sermons And Two Letters On The Nature And Necessity Of Absolution, Volume 1
Bingham, Joseph, 1668-1723
16 Cone, Neocaes. c. 8. pi tA yiiporoviav poi - XtuOij, 6<pti\ei AiroXvacu auni v* ihv ik ov ivvarai iXt<rOa i -rt7* iyxeipi<rdii<rrjv aOrtf UTnjptoiav. Digitized by v^.ooQle Chap. II. ANTIQUITIES OP THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 199 of Neoceesarea words it: A man whose wife is evidently convicted of adultery while he is a lay- man, shall not be ordained : but if she commit adul- tery after his ordination, he ought to put her away ; and if he cohabit with her, he may not retain her and his ministry together. The council of Eliberis 17 is still more severe in the case, denying communion to such persons even at their last hour, who retain- ed wives guilty of adultery ; because, says the canon, they who ought to be examples of good conversa- tion to others, do by this means teach others the way to sin. Secondly, The other thing to be ob- served is, that if a bishop neglected to inflict the censures of the church upon any of his clergy, who were guilty of fornication, he made himself liable to be deposed: as Socrates" observes the Arians themselves deposed Macedonius, bishop of Con- stantinople, for this reason among others, that he had admitted a deacon to communion, who had been taken in fornication. Another crime, which brought many Aiaow»mg ia tin* clerks under this kind of ecclesiastical of pf nacutioo censure, was that of lapsing in time of persecution. In which case repentance was al- lowed to restore them to the peace of the church as laymen, if they pleased, but not to officiate or communicate as ecclesiastics any longer. Thus Trophimus was treated in the time of Cornelius and Cyprian ; he was admitted to communicate as a layman," but not to retain his office of priest- hood. And this, Cyprian says," was then the rule at Rome and over all the world, if bishops or any other lapsed in time of persecution, to admit them to do penance in the church, but, withal, to remove them from the function of the clergy and honour of the priesthood : as the African synod, in whose name he writes to the Spanish churches, deter- mined, in the case of Basilides and Martial, two Spanish bishops, who, when they had lapsed, thought to qualify themselves by repentance to retain their bishoprics ; but this, he tells them, was contrary to the rule and practice of the universal church. He repeats this in several other epistles,11 where he has occasion to speak of persons in the same unhappy circumstances with them. We find the same order in the canons of Peter," bishop of Alexandria, and the first council of Arles," where not only such as fell by sacrificing, or open denial of their faith, but 17 Cone. Eliber. e. 65. Si ciyus clerici uxor fuerit mce- chata, et sciat earn raaritus anus moachari, et earn non statim projecerit, nec in fine accipiat communionem : ne ab his qoi exemplum bon© converaationia ease debent, videantur magiateria scelerum precede re. “ Socrat. lib. 2. c. 42. " Cypr. Ep. 52. al. 55. ad Antonian, p. 106. Sic tamen admiasua eat Trophimus, ut laicua communicet— non quasi locum sacerdotis uaurpet. * Id. Ep. 68. al. 67. ad Pleb. Hispan. p. 174 Pruatra tales episcopatum sibi usurpare conantur, &c. also all traditore are included in the number of Iap8er8, that is, all such as either gave up their Bibles, or the holy vessels of the church, or the names of their brethren to the persecutors ; and all such who were of the clergy, are for ever excluded from the exercise and benefit of their order and function. Such was the discipline of the ancient church in reference to those guides, who set their people an ill example by their apostacy in time of persecution : it was not thought fit to trust them to be guides and leaders for the future. Though I do not deny, but that some exceptions may be found to this general rule, either when the discipline of the church was not so strict, or when it was other- wise found more for the benefit of the church to restore lapsers to their honours, than to degrade and remove them wholly from them. For I have noted before, that both lapsers, and heretics, and schismatics, were sometimes more favourably treat- ed, when the church thought she might find her account in showing favour to them. But to proceed with the laws of the church relating to other misdeamean- And and ors: as the life of a clergyman was R*min* a continual attendance upon the altar, and con- stantly to be employed in the exercise of Divine and heavenly things ; so upon that account the ut- most sobriety was required of him, together with a strict care to spend his time aright, and lay it out usefully ; so as might best answer the ends of his calling, and those spiritual employments he was daily to be engaged in. And for this reason drink- ing and gaming, those two great consumers of time, and enemies of all noble undertakings and gener- ous services, were strictly prohibited the clergy un- der the same penalty of deprivation. For so the Apostolical Canons word it,*4 A bishop, presbyter, or deacon, that spends time in drinking or playing at dice, shall either reform, or be deposed. Where we may observe this difference between this and the former laws, that it does not make every single act of these crimes, ipso facto , deprivation, but only con- tinuance therein without reforming. And by Jus- tinian’s law," the penalty for playing at tables is changed from deprivation to a triennial suspension, and intrusion into a monastery for the performance of repentance. Some perhaps will wonder at the severity of these laws, in prohibiting the exercise 21 Cypr. Ep. 55. al. 59. ad Cornel, p. 133. It. Ep. 64. al. 65. ad Epictet. 22 Petr. Alex. Ep. Canon, c. 10. wOt* Si firraurav, oi>K Iti Svvatrrai Xnrovpytiv. 27 Cone. Arelat. 1. c. 13. De bis qoi Scripturas Sanctas tradidisse dicuntur, vel vasa Dominica, vel nomina fratrum suorum, placuit nobis, ut quicunque eorum ex actis publicis fuerit detectus, non verbis nudis, ab ordine cleri amoveatur. 24 Can. Apost. 41. Kv/3otv eryoXa^tav teal fiiOai *, 5 irav- <t6(t8oo, ft KaBatpirrdco. 15 Justin. Novel. 123. c. 10. Digitized by LaOOQle 200 ANTIQUITIES OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Book VI. of tables under such a penalty : but their wonder will cease, when they are told, that it was equally prohibited to the laity under pain of excommunica- tion. For the council of Eliberis" orders, that a Christian playing at dice or tables shall not be ad- mitted to the holy communion, but after a year’s penance and abstinence, and his total amendment And there was good reason for the church to make such a law in those times, because this kind of gaming was prohibited both by the old and new civil law*7 among the Romans, and many other na- tions, of which the reader may find a particular ac- count in our learned Bishop Taylor,* together with the reasons of the prohibition, viz. the evils that commonly attended this sort of play, blasphemies, and swearing, and passion, and lying, and cursing, and covetousness, and fraud, and quarrels, and in- temperance of all sorts, the consumption of time, and ruin of many families; which excesses had made it infamous and scandalous among all nations. So that what was so universally prohibited at that time by the laws of all nations, the church could not but in decency prohibit by her own laws to the laity, and more especially to the clergy, to pre- vent scandal, and obviate those objections, which might otherwise have justly been raised against her. Not that the thing was simply unlawful in itself, when used only as an innocent recreation ; but the many evil appendages that commonly attended the use of it, had made it scandalous, and consequently inexpedient ; and the spending of time upon it did much alter the nature of it, and make it so much the more unlawful. Another crime for which a clergy- And negotiating man was liable to be deposed, was the crim4 usury, which by the ancient canons is frequently condemned as a species of covetousness and cruelty, and upon that score so strictly prohibited to the clergy, who were rather to study to excel in the practice of the con- trary virtues, charity, mercifulness, and contempt of the world and all filthy lucre. The laws con- demning this vice are too many to be here tran- scribed : it will be sufficient to repeat the canon of the council of Nice, which contains the sum, and speaks the sense of all the rest Now the words of * Cone. Eliber. c. 79. Si quia fidelis alea, id eat, tabula luserit, placuit earn abatinere : et ai emendatua cessaverit, potent poat annum communione reconciliari. * Digest lib. 11. Tit. 5. de Aleator. It. Cod. Justin, lib. 3. Tit. 43. de Aleator. * Taylor, Duct. Dubitant lib. 4. c. 1. p. 776. * Cone. Nic. c. 17. * Can. A post. c. 43. 11 Cone. Eliber. c. 20. 9 Cone. Arelat. 1. c. 12. Arelat. 2. c. 14. n Cone. Carthag. 1. c. 13. Carthag. 3. c. 16. * Cone. Laodic. c. 4. * Cone. Trull, c. 10. " Cypr. de Lapsis, p. 124. 9 Sidon. lib. 1. Ep. 8. * Hieron. in Ezek. cap. 18. * that canon are these : Forasmuch* as many clerks, following covetousness and filthy lucre, and foiget- ting the Holy Scriptures, (which speak of the right- eous man as one that hath not given his money upon usury,) have let forth their money upon usury, and taken the usual monthly increase : it seemed good to this great and holy synod, that if any one after this decree shall be found to take usury, or de- mand the principal with half the increase of the whole, or shall invent any other such methods for filthy lucre’s sake, he shall be degraded from his order, and have his name struck out of the roll of the church. The reader will find the same practice censured by those called the Apostolical Canons,* the council of Eliberis,*1 the first and second of Arles,* the first and third of Carthage," the council of Laodicea," and Trullo,* not to mention private writers, Cyprian," Sidonius Apollinarius,*7 St Je- rom," and many others. Nor need this seem strange to any one, that usury should be so generally con- demned in the clergy ; since it is apparent that the practice of it was no less disallowed in the laity : for the first council of Carthage" condemns it in them both, but only makes it a more aggravating crime in the clergy. The council of Eliberis also," that orders clergymen to be degraded for it makes it a high misdemeanor in laymen ; which, if they persisted in the practice of it after admonition, was to be punished with excommunication. We are here therefore in the next place to inquire into the nature of this practice, and the grounds and reasons upon which it was so generally condemned both in clergymen and laymen. As to the nature of the thing, we are to observe, that among the ancient Romans there were several sorts or de- grees of usury. The most common was that which they called centesima : the council of Nice41 calls it Uartxrrai, and the council of Trullo4* uses the same word, which signifies the hundredth part of the principal paid every month, and answers to twelve in the hundred by the year. For the Ro- mans received usury by the month, that is, at the kalends or first day of every month. Whence St. Basil4* calls the months the parents of usury. And St. Ambrose44 says, the Greeks gave usury the name of rdicoc, upon this account, because the 9 Cone. Carth. 1. c. 13. Quod in laicis reprehenditur, id multo magis in clericis oportet preedamnari. 40 Cone. Eliber. c. 20. Si quiz etiam laicus accepisse probatur uauraa — si in ea iniquitate duraverit, ab eccleaia •ciat se esse projiciendum. Vid. Cbrysost. Horn. 56. in Mat. 41 Cone. Nic. c. 17. 43 Cone. Trull, c. 10. Cbrysost Horn. 56. in Mat 9 Basil, in Psalm xiv. t. 3. p. 137. $o/3ttTai row fiijvat ws t 6kuv Trar/pac. 44 Ambr. de Tobia, c. 12. Tokouc Gracci appellavenint uauras, eo quod dolores partus anirnac debituris excitare vi- de an tur. Veniunt kalendse, parit tors centesimam. Veni- unt menses singuli, generantur usurae. Digitized by taOOQle Chap. II. ANTIQUITIES OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 201 kalends bring forth one in the hundred, and every month begets new usury. And hence, as the poet acquaints us,44 it became a proverb among the Ro- mans, to say, A man trembles like a debtor, when the kalends are a coming ; because that was the time of paying interest Now this sort of usury is generally proscribed by the laws of the church, be- cause it was esteemed great oppression. Though the civil law allowed the practice of it : for Con- stantine, anno 325, the same year that the council of Nice was held, published a law, stating the rules and measures of usury, wherein4* the creditor is allowed to take this centesimal usury, or one in the hundred every month, and no more. For it seems the old Roman laws granted a greater liberty be- fore this regulation of Constantine. Afterward a new regulation was made, and it was only allowed in some certain cases, as where the creditor seemed to run some hazard, as appears from the laws of Justinian,47 where he settles the business of interest and usury in his Code. For in trajectitious con- tracts, as the law terms them, that is, when a cre- ditor lent money, suppose at Rome, to receive in- terest for it only upon condition of the debtor’s safe arrival with it at Constantinople ; because in that case the creditor ran a great hazard, he was allowed to receive a centesimal interest upon that account Secondly, Another sort of usury was that which the canons call r/jaoXiat, or sescuplum, the whole and half as much more. St Jerom takes notice4* of this kind of usury, and condemns it For men, he says, were used to exact usury for the loan of corn, wine, oil, millet and other fruits of the ground ; lending ten bushels in winter, on con- dition to receive fifteen in harvest that is, the whole and half as much more. Which sort of usury, being a very grievous extortion and great oppres- sion, is condemned not only in the clergy by the councils of Nice4* and Laodicea,” under the name of rjfuoXuu ; but also in laymen by the law of Jus- tinian,41 which allows nothing above centesimal in- terest to be taken by any person in any case what- soever. Fourthly, All other persons were only allowed to receive half the centesimal interest by the 6ame law of Justinian :M which is the same as six in the hundred. Fifthly, Persons of quality were bound to take no more but a third part of the centesimal which is only four in the hundred. Sixthly, and lastly, Interest upon interest was absolutely forbid- den” by the Roman laws to all persons in any case whatsoever, as is evident from an edict of Justini- an’s, which both mentions and confirms the ancient prohibition of it by the laws of the emperors that were before him. So that several of these kinds of usury being prohibited to the laity in general by the laws of the state, it was no wonder that they should be more severely forbidden to the clergy by the laws of the church. Then for the other sorts of usury, which the state allowed, the church had two reasons for discouraging the prac- tice of them in the clergy. First, Because usury was most commonly exacted of the poor, which the church reckoned an oppression of them, who were rather to be relieved by the charity of lending without usury, as the gospel requires. Secondly, The clergy could not take usury of the rich and trading part of the world, but that must needs en- gage them in secular business and worldly con- cerns, more than the wisdom of the church in those times thought fit to allow. And this I take to be the true state of the case, and the sum of the rea- sons for prohibiting the clergy the practice of usury in the primitive church. Usury was generally a tt Horat. lib. 1. Sat. 3. Oditti et fugis, ut Drusonem de- bitor aris — quum tristes misero venere kalendae. m Cod. Th. lib. 2. Tit. 33. de Usuri», Leg. 1. Pro pecunia ultra singulas centesima* creditor vetatur accipere. m Cod. Just lib. 4. Tit. 32. de Usuris, Leg. 26. In trajecti- tiis autera contractibus, vel specierum fcenori dationibus, usque ad centesimam tantummodo licere stipulari, nec earn excedere, licet veteribus legibus hoc erat coucessum. * Hieron. Com. in Ezek. xviii. p. 537. Solent in agris frumenti et milii, vini et olei, caterarumque specierum usarse exigi. — Verbi gratia, ut hyemis tempore domus decern modios, et in messe recipiamus quindecim, hoc est, amplius partem mediam. • Cone. Nic. c. 17. 10 Cone. Laod. c. 4. M Cod. Just, ubi supra. It Novel. 32, 33, 34. “ Cod. Th. lib. 2. Tit 33. Leg. 1. Quicunque fruges. aridas vel humidas, indigentibus mutuas dederint, usurae nomine tertiam partem superfluam consequantur : Id est ut si summa crediti in duobus modiis fuerit tertium modium amplius consequantur. ** Cod. Just. lib. 4. Tit. 32. de Usuris, Leg. 26. lllos, qui ergasteriis prasunt, vel aliquam licitam negotiationem ge- runt, usque ad bessem centesima, usurarum nomine, in quo- cunque contractu suam stipulationem moderari. 44 Cod. Just. ibid. Cateros omnes homines dimidiam tan- tummodo centesima usurarum nomine posse stipulari. ” Ibid. Jubemus illustribus quidem person is, sive eas pra- cedentibus, minime licere ultra tertiam partem centesima in quocunque contractu stipulari. ” Cod. Just lib. 4. Tit. 32. Leg. 28. Ut nullo modo usura usurarum a debitoribus exigantur, veteribus quidem legibus constitutum fuerat, &c. Digitized by Google 202 ANTIQUITIES OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Book VI. great oppression to the poor, as the ancient writers who speak against it87 commonly complain : or else it was thought to argue, and proceed from, a covet- ous and worldly mind ; which made men forsake their proper employment, and betake themselves to other business, which was beside their calling, and could not then be followed without some reproach and dishonour to it. Therefore Cyprian, speaking of some bishops who were the reproach of his age, in enumerating their miscarriages, joins all these things together j That they who ought to have been examples and encouragers to the rest, had cast off the care of Divine service * to manage secular affairs ; and leaving their sees, and deserting their people, they rambled into other provinces, to catch at busi- ness that would bring them in gain : meanwhile the poor brethren of the church were suffered to starve without relief, whilst their minds were set upon hoarding up silver in abundance, and getting estates by fraudulent arts, and exercising usury to augment their own treasures. When usury was ordinarily attended with such concomitants as these, it was no wonder it should be utterly proscribed by the holy fathers of the church. Besides, St. Chrysostom “ plainly intimates, that in his time all senators and persons of quality were absolutely forbidden to take usury by the laws of the commonwealth. And that consideration probably so much the more inclined the fathers of the church to forbid it to the clergy, lest they should seem to be outdone by men of a secular life ; and it might be objected to them, that the laws of the church in this respect were more remiss than the laws of the state. Indeed the necessities of the poor ffect. 7 * or the hwpiunty of and fatherless, and strangers and wi- the dergy. _ . . ,. dows, m those early times, were so importunate and craving in every church, that their revenues would seldom answer all their demands. The church, as St Austin says,® had very rarely any thing to lay up in bank. And then it did not be- come a bishop to hoard up gold, and turn away the poor empty from him. They had daily 60 many 47 Vide Chrysost. Horn. 56. in Mat. Basil. Horn, in Psal. xiv. p. 136, &c. M Cypr. de Lapsis, p. 123. Episcopi plurimi, quos et hortamento esse oportet caeteris et exemplo, Divina pro- curatione contempta, procurators rerum smcularium fieri, derelicta cathedra, plebe deserta, per alienas provincial oberrantes, negotiations quacstuos® nundinas aucupari, esu- rientibus in ecclesia fratribus non subvenire, habere argen- tum largiter velle, fundos insidiosis fraud i bus rapere, usuris multi pi icantibus feenus augere. ® Chrys. Horn. 56. in Mat. To6« yovv iv d%i&fia<riv 5i rras, *al sit ri)v fitydXtjv TsXovinrat /3ouXV> ijv <n/y*cX»jTov Ka\ov<ri¥t oh ToiovTots KtpSe<riv KaTat<rxvvur$ai. Honorius, an. 397, published a law which implies the same. Cod. Theod. lib. 2. Tit. 33. de Usuris, Leg. 3. though by a following law, an. 405, he allowed senators half the cen- tesimal interest. • Aug. Serm. 49. de Diversis sive de Vita Clericor. t. 10. poor petitioners, so many in distress and want con- tinually applying to thepi, that they were forced to leave some in their sorrows, because they had not wherewith to relieve them all. Now, in this case, where there was need of greater charities than they had funds or abilities to bestow, there could be no room for usury, but with great neglect and un- charitableness to the poor. And therefore, instead of lending upon usury, they were obliged to be ex- emplary in the practice of the contrary virtues, hospitality and charity; which the ancients call lending upon Divine usury, not to receive" one in the hundred, but a hundred for one from the hands of God. It was then one of the glories of a bishop, St Jerom tells us,® to be a provedore for the poor ; but a disgrace to the holy function, to seek only to enrich himself. And therefore he gives this direc- tion to Nepodan, among other good rules which he prescribes him, that his table should be free to the poor and strangers, that with them he might have Christ for his guest St Chrysostom speaks nobly* of his bishop Flavian upon the account of this vir- tue : he says, his house was always open to strangers, and such as were forced to fly for the sake of re- ligion ; where they were received and entertained with that freedom and humanity, that his house might as properly be called, the house of strangers, as the house of Flavian. Yea, it was so much the more his own, for being common to strangers ; for whatever we possess, is so much the more our pro- perty for being communicated to our poor brethren : there being no place where we may so safely lay up our treasure, as in the hands and bellies of the poor. Now, the better to qualify them to ^ a perform this duty, every clergyman was required to lead a frugal life ; that worid‘ is, to avoid profuseness, as well in their own private concerns, as in giving great entertainments to the rich ; which is but a false-named hospitality, and a great usurper upon the rights and revenues of the poor. We may judge of the simplicity of those times by the character which Ammianus Marcellinus,® o. 520. Enthecam nobis habere non licet. Non enim est episcopi servare aurum, et revocare a se mendicant is ma- num. Quotidie tam multi petunt, tam multi gemunt, tam multi nos inopes interpellant ; ut plures tristes relinquamus, quia quod possimus dare omnibus, non habemus. ® Pet. Chrysolog. Serm. 25. p. 269. Usura mundi cen- tum ad unum, Deus unum accipit ad centum. Vid. Chry- sost. Horn. 56. in Mat. xvii. p. 507. ed. Commelin. ® Hieron. Ep. 2. ad Nepotian. Gloria episcopi est pau- peru in opibus providere : ignominia omnium sacerdotum est propriis studere divitiis. • Chrys. Ser. 1. in Gen. t. 2. p. 886. ed. Front. Ducaei. ® Ammian. lib. 27. p. 458. Antistites quosdam provin* ciales tenuitas edendi potandique parcissime. Yilitas ctiam indumentorum, et supercilia humum spectantia, perpetuo numini verisque ejus cultoribus, ut puros commendant et verecundos. Digitized by Google Crap. II. ANTIQUITIES OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 203 the heathen historian, gives of the Italian bishops, as it is probable, from his own observation: he says, their spare diet and frugal way of living, their cheap clothing and grave deportment, did recommend them to God and his true worshippers, as persons of pure and modest souls. This made those country bishops more honourable, in his opinion, than if they had lived in the riches, and state, and splendour of the bishops of Rome. By a canon of the fourth council of Carthage,* all the African bishops were obliged to live after this man- ner ; not to affect rich furniture, or sumptuous en- tertainments, or a splendid way of living, but to seek to advance the dignity and authority of their order by their faith and holy living. Some indeed were for that other sort of hospitality, for enter- taining the rich, and especially the magistrates, on pretence that they might keep an interest in them, and be able to intercede with them for poor crimi- nals when they were condemned. But St Jerom particularly considers and answers this pretence in his instructions to Nepotian. You must avoid, says he,* giving great entertainments to secular men, and especially those that are in great offices. For it is not very reputable to have the lictors and guards of a consul stand waiting at the doors of a priest of Christ, who himself was crucified and poor ; nor that the judge of a province should dine more sumptuously with you than in the palace. If it be pretended, that you do this only to be able to intercede with him for poor criminals, there is no judge but will pay a greater deference and respect to a frugal clergyman than a rich one, and show greater reverence to your sanctity than your riches. Or if he be such a one as will not hear a clergy- man's intercessions but only among his cups, I should freely be without this benefit, and rather beseech Christ for the judge himself, who can more speedily and powerfully help than any judge. St Jerom, in the same place,* advises his clerk not to be over-free in receiving other men's entertainments neither. For the laity, says he, should rather find us to be comforters in their mournings than com- panions in their feasts. That clerk will quickly be contemned, that never refuses any entertain- ments, when he is frequently invited to them. Such were the ordinary rules and directions given by the ancients for regulating the hospitality and frugality of the clergy. But many bishops and others far exceeded these rules in transcendent heights of ab- stinence, and acts of self-denial, freely chosen and imposed upon themselves, that they might have greater plenty and superfluities to bestow upon • Cone. C&rth. 4. c. 15. Ut episcopus rilem supellectilem et mensam ac victum pauperem habeat, et dignitatis suee auctoritatem fide et mentis vitae quae rat. • Hieron. Ep. 2. ad Nepotian. Ibid. Facile contemnitur clericus, qui, saepe vocatus ad others. Gregory Nazianzen* gives us this account of St. Basil, that his riches was to possess nothing; to live content with that little which nature requires ; to despise delicacies and pleasures, and set himself above the slavery of that cruel and sordid tyrant the belly : his most delicious and constant food was bread, and salt, and water; his clothing but one coat and one gown ; his lodging upon the ground ; not for want of better accommodations, for he was metropolitan of Ceesarea, and had considerable re- venues belonging to his church ; but he submitted to this way of living in imitation of his Saviour, who became poor for our sakes, that we through his poverty might be made rich. And therefore both the same author,* and the church historians also* tell us, that when in the time of the Arian per- secution under Valens he was threatened by one of the emperor's agents, that unless he would com- ply, he should have all his goods confiscated ; bis answer was, that no such punishment could reach him, for he was possessed of nothing, unless the emperor wanted his threadbare clothes, or a few books, which was all the substance he was master of. St Jerom gives the like character of Exuperius, bishop of Thoolouse, who made other men’s wants always his own ; and, like the widow of Sarepta, pinched and denied himself to feed the poor, be- stowing all his substance upon the bowels of Christ. Nay, such was his frugality, that he ministered the body of Christ in a basket of osiers, and the blood in a glass cup : but nothing, says our author, 11 could be more rich or glorious than such a poverty as this. It were easy to give a thousand instances of the same nature in the Cyprians, the Austins, the Nazi- anzens, the Paulinuses, and other such like generous spirits of the age they lived in, who contemned the world with greater pleasure than others could ad- mire or enjoy it But as such heights of heroic virtues exceeded the common rule, they are not pro- posed as the strict measures of every man's duty, but only to excite the zeal of the forward and the good. It may be said of this, as our Saviour says of a parallel case, “ All men cannot receive this say- ing, save they to whom it is given ; but he that is able to receive it, let him receive it.” Some indeed would fain turn this prudential advice into a law, and Whrther the cler- attempt to prove that anciently the . r r _ *° P"1 with thei* clergy were under an obligation to ***•*•“ quit their temporal possessions, when they betook themselves to the service of the church. But this is to outface the sun at noon-day. For as there is no just ground for this assertion, so there prandium, ire non recusat. * Naz. Orat. 20. de Laud. Basil, p. 357. • Naz. ibid. p. 349. 70 Sozom. lib. 6. c. 16. Tl Hieron. Ep. 4. ad Rustic. Nihil illo ditius, qui corpus Domini canistro vimineo, sanguinem port at in vitro. Digitized by LaOOQle 204 ANTIQUITIES OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Book VI. are the plainest evidences to the contrary. Among those called the Apostolical Canons," there is one to this purpose : Let the goods of the bishop, if he has any of his own, be kept distinct from those of the church j that when he dies he may have power to dispose of them to whom he pleases, and as he pleases, and not receive damage in his private effects upon pretence that they were the goods of the church. For perhaps he has a wife, or children, or relations, or servants : and it is but just both before God and man, that neither the church should suffer for want of knowing what belonged to the bishop, nor the bishop’s relations be damaged by the church, or come into trouble upon that account, which would be to the scandal and reproach of the de- ceased bishop. Many other canons both of the Greek and Latin church n are to the same effect Nor can it be pretended, that this is to be under- stood only of such estates as they got in the service of the church. For St Ambrose plainly intimates, that the law left the clergy in the full possession of their patrimony, or temporal estates, which they had before. For he brings in some malcontents among the clergy thus complaining: What advantage74 is it to me to be of the clergy, to suffer injuries, and undergo hard labour, as if my own estate would not maintain me ? This implies, that men of estates were then among the clergy. And, indeed, there was but one case, in which any clerk could be compelled to quit his possessions, and that was when his estate was originally tied to the service of the empire, of which I have given a full ac- count before. In all other cases it was matter of free choice, and left to his liberty, whether he would dispose of his estate to any pious use or not Only if he did not, it was expected he should be more generous in his charities, and less burdensome to the church, his needs being supplied another way. Though neither was this forced upon him by any law, but only urged upon reasons of charity leav- ing him judge of his own necessities, and not for- bidding him to have his dividend in the church, if in his own prudence he thought fit to require it Socrates" commends Chrysanthus, a Novatian bi- shop, upon this account, that, having an estate of his own, he never took any thing of the church, save two loaves of the eulogies, or offerings on Sun- n Can. Apott. c. 40. *E<rr» <f>autpA Ti 16 l a tou extoved- xou irpayfiara (tty* Kal I6ia 2x*0 Kal <t>avtP& t6l ku- piatcA, & c. n Cone. Antioch, c. 24. Cone. Agathen. c. 48. Cone. Carth. 3. c. 49. 74 Ambr. Ep. 17. Quid mihi prodest in clero manere, •ubire injurias, labores perpeti, quasi non possit ager meus pascere. n Vide Can. Apost. c. 41. Cone. Antioch, c. 25. 79 Socrat. lib. 7. c. 12. 77 Prosper, de Vit. Contempt lib. 2. c. 12. Noverint esse deformius, possess ores de eleemosynis pauperum pasci. day ; though he does not once intimate, that there was any law to compel him to do so. As neither does Prosper, who speaks most of any other against rich men’s taking their portion in the charities of the church. He reckons it, indeed,” a dishonour- able act and a sin in them, because it was to deprive others of the church’s charity, who stood more in need of it : and he thinks, though a rich clergyman might keep his own estate without sin, because there was no law but the law of perfection to oblige him to renounce it ; yet it must be upon condition that he required none of the maintenance of the church but he only delivers this as his own pri- vate opinion, and does not signify that there was then any such standing law in the church. In Africa they had a peculiar law against covetousness in the time of St Austin, which was, that if any bishop, presbyter, or deacon, or any other clerk, who had no estate when they were ordained, did afterward" purchase lands in their own name, they should be impleaded as guilty of invading the Lord’s revenue, unless upon admonition they conferred the same upon the church. For in those times the church-revenues being small, no one’s dividend was more than a competent maintenance : and therefore it was presumed, that he who could purchase lands in such circumstances, must have been some way injurious to the public revenues of the church. But in the same law it was provided, that if any estate was left them by donation or inheritance, they might dispose of it as they pleased themselves : for the church made no rules, but only gave her advice, in such cases as these ; exhorting her wealthy clergy to greater degrees of liberality, but not demanding their estates to have them at her own disposal. On the other hand, when clergymen, who had no visible estates of their own, and were single men, and had no poor families to provide for, were busily intent upon growing rich out of the revenues of the church ; this was always esteemed a scandalous covetousness, and accordingly prosecuted with sharp invectives by St Jerom80 and others of the ancient writers. So much of the laws of charity, which concerned the ancient clergy. I might here give a character of ^ 10 their meekness, modesty, gravity, hu- mility, and several other virtues, which wUh the,r ton*u~' 78 Ibid. Illi qui tam in firm i sunt, ut possessionibus suis renunciare non possint ; si ea quae accepturi erant, dispense- tori relinquant, nihil habentibus conferenda, sine peccato possident sua. 79 Cone. Carthag. 3. c. 49. Placuit, ut episcopi, presbv- teri, diaconi, vel quicunque clerici, qui nihil habentes ordi- nantur, et tempore episcopatus vel cleriaatus sui, agros vel qusecunque praedia nomine suo comparant, tanquam rerum divinarum invasionis crimine teneantur obnoxii, nisi admo- niti ecclesiee eadem ipsa contulerint. 10 Hieron. Ep. 2. ad Nepotian. Nonnulli sunt ditiores monachi, quam fuerant sseculares : et clerici qui possideant Digitized by LaOOQle Chap. II. ANTIQUITIES OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 205 Nazianzen describes in the person of his own fa- ther: but I shall but take notice of two things more which concerned the conduct of their lives, and those are the laws relating, first, to their words, and secondly, to their fame and reputation. For their words, they who were to teaoh others the most difficult part of human conduct, the government of the tongue, were highly concerned to be examples to the people as well in word as action. And to this purpose the laws were very severe against all manner of licentious discourse in their conversation. The fourth council of Carthage has three canons together upon this head ; one of which forbids scur- rility* and buffoonery, or that foolish talking and jesting with obscenity, which the apostle calls, p*fio\ojia, under the penalty of deprivation. An- other threatens such with excommunication," as use to swear by the name of any creature. And a third canon" menaces the same punishment to such as sing at any public entertainments. St Jerom particularly cautions his clerk against detraction, because of the temptation he may lie under either to commit the sin himself, or give way to it in others, by hearkening to and reporting false sugges- tions after them. Which is much the same thing ; for no slanderer tells his story to one that is not willing to hear him." An arrow, says he, never fixes upon a stone, but often recoils back, and wounds him that shoots it Therefore let the de- tractor learn to be less forward and busy, by your unwillingness to hear his detraction. St. Chrysos- tom" takes notice of this vice, as most incident to inferiors, whom envy and emulation too often prompt to detract from the authority and virtues of their bishop ; especially when they are grown popular, and admired for their own eloquent preaching ; then, if they be of a bold and arrogant and vain-glorious temper, their business is to deride him in private, and detract from his authority, and make them- selves every thing by lessening his just character and power. Upon this hint our author also takes occasion to show, what an extraordinary courage aild spirit, and how divine and even a temper a bishop ought to have, that by such temptations, and a thousand others of the like nature, he be not overwhelmed either with anger or envy on the one hand, or insuperable sorrow and dejection of mind on the other. St. Jerom recommends another virtue of the tongue to his clerk, which is of great use in conversation ; and that is, the keeping of secrets, and knowing when to be silent, especially about the affairs of great men. Your office, says he, requires you to visit the sick, and thereby you become ac- quainted with the families of matrons and their children," and are intrusted with the secrets of noble men. Secondly, As they were thus taught ^ n to be inoffensive both in word and deed, and thereby secure a good name p,clon of*TiL and reputation among men ; which was necessary for the due exercise of their function : so, because it was possible their credit might be impaired not only by the commission of real evil, but by the very appearance and suspicion of it; the laws of the church upon this account were very exact in requiring them to set a guard upon their whole de- portment, and avoid all suspicious actions, that might give the least umbrage or handle to an ad- versary to reproach them. It was not enough in this case, that a man kept a good conscience in the sight of God, but he must provide or forecast for honest things in the sight of men. And this was the more difficult, because men are apt to be que- rulous against the clergy, as St Chrysostom ob- serves, some through weakness and imprudence, others through malice, easily raising complaints and accusations without any just ground, and difficultly hearkening to any reasons or apologies that they can offer in their own defence. But the more que- rulous and suspicious men are, the more watchful it becomes the clergy to be against unjust surmises, that they may cut off occasion from them that de- sire occasion to accuse or reproach them. To this end they are to use the utmost diligence and pre- opes sub Christo paupere, quas sub locuplete et fallace dia- bolo non habuerant : ut suspiret eos ecclesia divites, quos mundus tenuit ante mendicos. 81 Cone. Carth. 4. c. 60. Clericum scurrilem, et verbis tur- pibus joculatorem, ab officio detrahendum. 92 Ibid. c. 61. Clericum per creatures jurantem acerrime objurgandum. Si perstiterit in vitio, excommunicandum. ° Ibid. c. 62. Clericum inter epulas cantantem su pre- dict® sententi© severitate coercendum. 84 Hieron. Ep. 2. ad Nepot Neque vero ilia justa est excusatio, referentibus aliis, injuriam facere non possum. Nemo invito auditori libenter refert, &c. M Chrys. de Sacerd. lib. 5. c. 8. M Hieron. Ep. 2. ad Nepotian. Digitized by LaOOQle 2)6 ANTIQUITIES OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Book VI, caution to guard against the ill opinions of men, by avoiding all actions that are of a doubtful or sus- picious nature. For, says St Chrysostom,*7 if the holy apostle St Paul was afraid lest he should have been suspected of theft by the Corinthians ; and upon that account took others into the administra- tion of their charity with himself, that no one might have the least pretence to blame him ; how much more careful should we be to cut off all occasions of sinister opinions and suspicions, however false or unreasonable they may be, or disagreeable to our character ! For none of us can be so far removed from any sin, as St Paul was from theft : yet he did not think fit to contemn the suspicions of the vulgar : he did not trust to the reputation, which both his miracles and the integrity of his life had generally gained him : but, on the contrary, he ima- gined such suspicions and jealousies might arise* in the hearts of some men, and therefore he took care to prevent them ; not suffering them to arise at all, but timely foreseeing, and prudently forestalling them : providing, as he says, for honest things not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of men. The same care and much greater should we take, not only to dissipate and destroy the ill opi- nions men may have entertained of us, but to foresee afar off from what causes they may spring, and to cut off beforehand the very occasions and pretences from whence they may grow : which is much easier to be done, than to extinguish them when they are risen, which will then be very difficult, perhaps im- possible : besides that their being raised will give great scandal and offence, and wound the consci- ences of many. Thus that holy father argues upon this point, according to his wonted manner, nerv- ously and strenuously, to show the clergy their obligations to use their utmost prudence to foresee and prevent scandal, by avoiding all actions of a doubtful and suspicious nature. St Jerom" gives his clerk the same instructions, to guard against suspicions, and take care beforehand to minister no probable grounds for raising any feigned stories concerning him. I coconut of from whose company he would receive no defa- mation. Nor was this only the private direc- ^ ^ tion of St Jerom, but a public rule of ** the church. For in the third council of Carthage this canon was enacted, that neither bishop,** nor presbyter, nor any other clerk should visit the widows and virgins alone, but in the com- pany and presence of some other of the clergy, or some grave Christians. And in the first council of Carthage*0 and the council of Epone*1 there are canons to the same purpose. The great council of Nice made another order upon the same grounds, / to prevent all sinister opinions, that e*¥*i*a.Krot none of the unmarried clergy, bishop, cWh.Md««*«ii»* presbyter, deacon, or any other,** should have any woman that was a stranger, and not one of their kindred, to dwell with them ; save only a mother, a sister, or an aunt, or some such persons, with whom they might live without suspi- cion. They who hence conclude, that the clergy were forbidden to cohabit with their wives, which they had married before ordination, are sufficiently exposed by Gothofred," as ignorant of the true im- port of the original word, ovwfoacroct which never denotes a wife, but always a stranger, in opposition to those of one’s kindred : and it is evident, the canon was made not upon the account of the mar- ried clergy, but the unmarried, to prevent suspicion and evil reports, that might easily arise from their familiar conversation with women that were not of their kindred or near relations. We may be satis- fied of this from a law of Honorius and Theodosius junior, which was made in pursuance of the Nicene canon, and is still extant in both the Codes, ** where first having forbidden the clergy to cohabit with any strange women, who by some were taken in under the title and appellation of sisters; and having named what persons they might lawfully entertain in their houses, viz. mothers, daughters, and sisters, because natural consanguinity would prevent all suspicion of these : lest the not excepting of wives might seem to exclude them also, a parti- cular clause is added concerning them, that such as were married before their husbands were ordained, 97 Chry*. de Sacerd. lib. 6. c. 9. 