ARTICLE V.

S. JOHANNIS CHRYSOSTOMI DE SACERDOTIO Libri VI. Græcè & Latinè. Quibus Differtationes quafdam præmifit contra Librum falsò infcriptum, Ecclefia Chriftiane Jura vindicata, Notafque adjecit JOANNES HUGHES, A. M. Collegii Jefu Cantab. Socius. Editio altera priore illâ Emendatior & Auctior. Acceffit S. GR. NAZIANZENI ejufdem Sedis Archi-Epifcopi, de Eodem argumento confcripta, ORATIO APOLOGETICA. Opera S. THIRLBY, A. B. ejufdem Collegij Alumni. Cantabrigiæ, Typis Academicis, Impenfis Edm. Jeffery, Bibliopola Cantabr. M DCC XII.

That is,

The VI. Books of S. JOHN CHRYSO STOME Concerning the CHRISTIAN PRIESTHOOD in Greek and Latin. To which are prefixed fome Differtations against a Book falfly entitled, The Rights of the Christian Church afferted. By JOHN HUGHES, A. M. Fellow of JefusCollege in Cambridge. With feveral

Notes

Notes of the fame Author. The Second Edition, more Correct and Larger than the firft. To which is added, An APOLOGE TICAL ORATION of S. GREGORY NAZIANZEN, Archbishop of the fame See, relating to the fame Subject. By S. THIRLBY, A. B. of the fame College. Cambridge, 1712. in Octavo. Pagg. 159. and 455.

T. CHRYSOSTOME's Treatife concerning the Chriftian Priesthood, is written by Way of Dialogue between himself and his Friend Bafil; but Chryfoftome is the chief Interlocutor. That Father and Bafil, having contracted an intimate Friendship from their younger Years, refolved to live together, and to follow the fame Courfe of Life. Whilft they enter tained thofe Thoughts, there went a Report that both of them were to be promoted to the Epifcopal Dignity. This unexpected News made Chryfoftome very uneafy: He was afraid, on the one fide, of being forced to accept a Bishoprick; and on the other, he was fenfible that he wanted the neceffary Qualifications to discharge the Duties of fuch a high Station. Bafil came to him, and told him, he would either conceal himself, or yield to the Defire of the People, as he fhould be directed by his Example. Chryfoftome perceiving that his Friend had a mind to be made a Bi fhop, and being unwilling to deprive the Church of an excellent Paftor, did not think fit to give him a pofitive Answer. He faid, he would confider of it; and exprefs'd himself in fuch a manner, that Bafil could hardly guess he was of a different Mind from him. In the mean time Chryfoftome retired into a Solitude. I must observe, that it was an ufual thing in those Times to run away from a Bishoprick: The Readers will find several Inftances of it in one of Mr. Thirlby's Notes upon the Apologetick Oration of St. GreVol. IV. C

gorg

gory Nazianzen. On the Day appointed for the Ordination, Bafil was carry'd to a Church, and tamely fubmitted to the Yoke, (dixera (uyov,) not doubting but that his Friend would do the fame.

Bafil having found out Chryfoftome, complained of his unfair Dealing, and told him, that every Body said, he had refused a Bifhoprick out of Vanity; that their Friends and Relations declared they would have found a Way to bring him into the Net, if they had been acquainted with his Defign; that others were forry they had laid afide fome Men of great Merit, to pitch upon Two raw Youths, (ueegxia is @gany,) who could not fo much as dream of being promoted to fo great a Dignity.

Chryfoftome undertakes to make an Apology for himfelf. He owns that he has deceived his Friend; but he adds, that he has done it with a good Intention, and for the Good of the Church. He obferves that Stratagems are Lawful in War; that Phyficians are allowed to deceive their Patients; that St. Paul caused Timothy to be circumcifed, tho' he told the Galatians that Chrift availed nothing to those that received the Circumcifion, &c. In the next Place, St. Chryfoftome fhews, that nothing can be more Glorious than to have the Government of Chrift's Church; from whence he infers that Bafil cannot justly complain of having been deceived. Afterwards he makes feveral judicious and folid Obfervations upon the Manner of Re claiming Sinners; whereby it appears that he had a great Knowledge of Humane Nature. That Excellent Father was an Enemy to Perfecution, as one may fee from the following Words, which I fhall infert in Latin, for the Sake of thofe who do not understand Greek." Si vero à recto Chriftianæ fidei tramite a

66

berraverit quis; hic paftori magnum certè opus "incumbit, magnum negotium, magna tolerantia. "Neque enim vis illi inferenda, neque terrore ille cogendus. Verum fuadendus tantum, ut de integro ad veritatem redeat, unde initio delapfus eft". I am fo well pleafed with this Paffage that I cannot forbear fetting down the Original Words. See the

Margin *. The Fathers are always against Perfecution, when they write in cold Blood.

St. Chryfoftome goes on with his Apology, and alledges feveral Reafons to fhew that he is unjustly accused of Pride and Vain-glory. The Defign of that Father is to fet off the Excellence of the Chriftian Priesthood, and to make it appear how difficult it is to difcharge the Duties of Epifcopacy; from whence he concludes, that he ought rather ro be commended for Refufing to be made a Bishop, being fenfible that he is not fufficiently qualified for fuch a Dignity.

The Chriftian Priesthood, fays he, is a Heavenly Miniftry, tho' it be performed on Earth; and therefore no lefs Purity is required in a Prieft, than if he was in Heaven among the Heavenly Powers. "When you see the Lord facrificed, and lying upon "the Altar; when you fee the Prieft ftanding by the Sacrifice, and offering up Prayers, and all those that are present sprinkled with that most precious Blood; "do you think you are upon Earth, and converfant among Men? Are you not tranfported into Heaven? "And, putting off all worldly Thoughts, don't you "fee with a pure Mind what is done in the Hea

66

venly Places? What a wonderful Thing is this!

How great is the Goodness of God! He who fits "above with his Father, is at that very time hand"led by every Body, and delivers himself to those "who are willing to receive him. Every Body fees "this with the Eyes of Faith. " &c. The Learned Editor makes an Excellent Note upon this Paffage, and fhews that St. Chryfoftome did not believe Tranfubftantiation, nor a Corporeal Prefence of Christ in

C 2

the

* Ει ἢ τῆς ευθείας άνθρωπΘ- υποπλανηθείη πίςεως, πολλῆς δὲ τῷ ποιμνι τῆς πραγματείας, της καρτερίας, τῆς ὑπομονῆς Οὐ γὰ ἑλκῦσαι προς βίαν τζιν, ἐδὲ αναγκάσαι φόβω, πείσαντα ή δεν πάλιν πρὸς τὴν ἀλή θειαν ἀγαγεῖν ὅθεν ἐξέπεσε τὴν ἀρχήν. Pag. 52. See the Note upon this Paffage. See alfo a fine Paffage of another Father (St. Auguftin) against Perfecution, in the third Volume, Article LXXXVII.

the Sacrament, but only a Spiritual one; which is the Doctrine of many Proteftant Churches. I add, that this Paffage is fomewhat Rhetorical; and therefore too great a Stress ought not to be laid upon it. If it be faid, that St. Chryfoftome calls the Eucharift a dreadful Mystery: I Anfwer, That moft Proteftants look upon it as a Great, Supernatural, and Incomprehenfible Mystery; which is much the fame thing. And I dare affirm that the Paffage of St. Chryfoftome, notwithstanding all its Rhetorick, is more intelligible than a Canon of a National Synod of the Reformed Churches of France, relating to the fame Subject, which I have inferted in my Account of the Synods of those Churches. Thus it frequently happens, that the Fathers are blamed without a good Reafon for it. A Dreadful Myftery, in the Language of thofe Ancient Writers, fignifies a Great and Venerable Mystery:

St. Chryfoftome highly extols the Dignity of the Chriftian Priesthood, fo far as to fay that Priefts are more to be dreaded than Kings and Princes; which seems to be a Rhetorical Flight. He fhews how difficult it is for a Bifhop to discharge the Duties incumbent upon him; and what he fays upon that subject, difcovers his great Judgment and Eloquence. That excellent Man gives a lively Description of the Vices and Paffions of feveral Bifhops; and then obferves, that fome out of Complaifance for Women, did many things not proper to be mentioned. "Tho' Women

66

(Jays be) are excluded from the Holy Miniftry by "the Law of God, yet they break into it with great "Violence; and because they can do nothing by them"felves, they do every thing by others; and have "fo great a Power, that they bring in, or expel as "many Bishops as they think fit, and, as the Pro"verb fays, Turn every thing topsy-turvy." St. Chryfofrome adds, That he does not pretend to charge all the Bishops with the Faults mentioned by him: He acknowledges that the Prelates, who were free from thofe Vices, exceeded the Number of those that were guilty of them.

Our