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Our Author complains, That feveral unworthy Bifhops were elected at random; which occafioned great Disorders in the Churches; and, that fome Ecclefiafticks, to fatisfy their Ambition, fill'd the House of God with Blood, and deftroyed feveral Towns. The Bishops of those Times were frequently turn'd out; and therefore St. Chryfoftome thinks it highly expedient, that no Clergyman fhould be fond of getting a Bifhoprick, that he may be the more willing to refign that Dignity, when he is promoted to it. I muft obferve, That St. Chryfoftome makes all along feveral excellent Obfervations relating to the Conduct and Behaviour of a good Bishop; but I cannot enlarge upon it.

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It appears from this Treatife, that the Greek Clergy in former Times were as Factious, and made as many Cabals to fupplant one another, as they do now. I have glven elsewhere fome remarkable Inftances of the fcandalous Behaviour of the modern Greeks in that Refpect. See the Word Greeks in the Index. St. Chryfoftome tells us what was practic'd in his own Time. "Envy, (Says he) and Ambition move feveral Clergymen to attack a Bishop: And as fome Childrea are uneafy, when their Parents attain to a great oldAge; in like manner, when a Bifhop enjoys his Bifhoprick a long Time, thofeMen who cannot deprive "him of his Life, endeavour to turn him out, and to fucceed him. If you defire to see another Instance ❝ of the fame Nature, go to thofe Affemblies where "Bishops are elected, and you will fee as many "Accufations raised against a Priet, as there are Men "in the Affembly. All those who have a Right to

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give their Votes, are divided into Factions; nor "can the Presbyters agree about the Election; but "fome vote for one Man, and some for another. The "Reason of it is, That the Virtue and Merit of a "Candidate are not the only Things they have "in View. Some will have a Man to be made a 66 Bishop, because he is of noble Extraction; others, "because he is Rich, and does not want to live upon the Revenues of the Church; others, be "cause he has forfaken their Enemies, and is come $ over

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over to them; others, because he is related to 66 them ; others prefer a Flatterer: None make it "their Bufinefs to elect a Man truly qualified for "the Episcopal Dignity ". The Author adds, That Good Bishops were frequently turned out, to make Room for others. Any one who confiders the State. of the Greek Church at that Time, will not wonder that Good Men should run away, or conceal themselves, to avoid being made Bishops.

The Chriftians of thofe Times expected to be frequently vifited by their Bifhops, out of a Principle of Vanity. If a Bishop gave feveral Vifits to Rich and Powerful Men, tho' he did it for the Good of the Church, he was accounted a Flatterer. All his Actions were narrowly obferved: The Greeks were fo nice as to examine how he spoke, how he look'd, and how much he laugh'd. The Bishop, faid they, laugh'd heartily with fuch a one, and fpoke to him more lovingly than he did to me. When feveral People fat together in the fame Place, if a Bifhop did not look upon them all, they took it as an Affront.

St. Chryfoftome obferves, that the Care of Virgins. and Widows was a heavy Burden upon the Bishops. The Widows were peevifo, craving, talkative, and impudent, and gave no fmall Trouble to a Prelate.

It appears from Two Paffages of our Author, that no Body wrought Miracles in his time: They could not fo much as caft out Devils. If any one (fays he) had the Sword of the Spirit, and the Shield of Faith, to fuch a Degree as to be able to work Miracles, and by that Means ftop the Mouth of an Impudent Adverfary, he would not want to be well skill'd in the Art of Speaking But there is no Trace of any fuch Power among us. The Second Paffage is expreffed in the fe Words: "Paul had a Faculty much more excellent "than that of Speaking: His Prefence was fufficient to fright Devils. But if all the Chriftians of our Time fhould meet together, they could not do fo "much with all their Prayers and Tears as Paul's Hand. "kerchiefs did ". The Roman Catholicks fhould mind thefe Two Pallages.

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Some Clergymen were not ashamed to profefs a great Ignorance, under Pretence that St. Paul fays he did not come with excellency of Speech, or of Wisdom, and determined not to know any thing, fave JESUS CHRIST, and him crucified, and that his Speech and Preaching was not with enticing Words of Man's Wisdom. Chryfoftome owns, that St. Paul had not the Smoothnefs of Ifocrates, the Majefty of Demofthenes, the Gravity of Thucydides, and the Sublimity of Plato; he grants that the Apoftle was not skill'd in Greek Learn ing; but at the fame Time he maintains that this Holy Man had a great Knowledge *, and was able to Preach the Gospel with great Strength of Argument. He makes an admirable Apology for St. Paul, and confutes with a noble Eloquence thofe Ecclefiafticks, who deprived that great Apoftle of his due Glory, to excufe their fhameful Ignorance.

Our judicious Author knew St. Paul's Character much better than Beza, who pretends † that the Apoftle is more Sublime than Plato, more Vehement than Demofthenes, and more Methodical than Ariftotle and Galen. Caftalio made the following Obfervation upon it. Beza (Jays he H) is like thofe Painters, who, out of Refpect to the Holy Virgin, represent "her drefs'd like a Queen, and at the fame Time paint a Manger by her, in which the Child JESUS lies; which is a great Solecifm in painting. How 66 comes

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* 2 Cor. xi. 6. Bnt though I be rude in Speech, yet not in Knowledge.

† Beza, Not. in 2 Cor. xi. 6.

Paulum & glandiquentia Platoni, & vehementia Demoftheni, & methodo Ariftoteli atque Galeno anteponit (Beza). In quo mihi videtur pictores imitari, qui Chrifti Matrem, dum honorare volunt, regio vefticu pingunt, & eidem tamen (ita cogente hiftoria) præfepe, in quo jacet Chriftus infans, appingunt, no bili fane Soloeçifmo. Quid enim mundanis Reginis cum

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comes a Queen to have a Manger by her? Poverty "is the Glory of Mary; but Painters are refolved to " beftow Riches upon her. In like manner, St. Paul "declares that he is rude in Speech, and glories in it; "but Beza will have him to be a very Polite Writer. "I am of a quite different Opinion, &c. See the Marginal Note.

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Caftalio maintains in the fame Page, that St. Paul committed two Solecisms; one in the 11th Verse of the IXth Chapter of the fecond Epiftle to the Corinthins and the other in the IIId Chapter of the Epiftle to the Coloffians. Upon the first Paffage, he says: Eft enim ibi Soloecifmus, à Paulo alioquin non alienus, &c. .

St. Chryfoftome relates a Story, whereby it appears that he was fomewhat credulous. When the Prieft (fays he) performs Divine Service, the Angels are prefent at it, and the whole Sanctuary is fill'd with the Heavenly Powers. One may very well believe it, confidering the Myfteries that are then celebrated. Í heard a certain Perfon fay, That an admirable Old Man, who used to have feveral Revelations, had fuch a Vifion, and faw at that Time all of a fudden a Multitude of Angels, in White Garments, furrounding the Altar, and bending their Heads, like fo many Soldiers ftanding before a King. St. Chryfoftome fays,

præfepibus? Mariæ gloria eft paupertas, & pictores eam divitiis ornant. Sic Pauli gloriatio eft fermonis imperitia, & ifti eum etiam arte comunt. Ego vero longè aliter judico. Videtur enim mihi de Pauli oratione aptiffimè id dici poffe, quod dicit Deus do ligne vitis, Ezech. 13. Ut enim ligno vitis nihil vilius eft, fi fructu careat : Sic oratione Pauli nihil ab omni arte remotius, nihil abjectius, fi ei fpiritum detraxeris. Rurfumque, quemadmodum fructụ vitius nihil fuavius, fic Pauli fpiritu nihil excellentius. Sebaft. Caftellionis Defenfio fuarum Translationum Bibliorum, & maximè Novi Faderis. Bafilea, ex officina Johan. Oporini. 1562, Pag. 203. 'Tis à Book of 237 Pages in

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fays, he believes that Story. Καὶ ἔγωγε πείθομαι. That Father goes on thus: Another Perfon told me, not upon a Hear-fay, (for he was thought worthy of feeing it,) that thofe, who depart this Life, after they have been made Partakers of thofe Myfteries, are carried into Heaven by Angels, because of THAT which they have received, Si cnavo 7d anodèv.

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Among the Dangers (fays St. Chryfoftom) to which the Virtue of a Bishop is daily expofed, that which arifes from his frequent converfing with Women, is none of the least. "Whilft he vifits fick Women, "whilft he comforts thofe that are afflicted, and reproves the Lazy, &c. the Devil may eafily find feve"ral Ways to get in, unless he be very careful to ftand upon his Guard. For the Eyes of Women, whe"ther they be Virtuous or Unchaft, make a quick Impreffion upon the Heart: Their Flatteries are very engaging, &c. Nay, a fervent Charity, which is "the Caufe of all good things, occafions a thousand "Evils to thofe, who know not how to make a right "Ufe of it.

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St. Chryfoftom does ingenuously confefs that he is fubject to feveral Paffions, which render him unworthy of the Epifcopal Dignity. That Father was a Man of great Parts, and his Writings are generally very much efteemed,

He is called un orgueilleux Villain (a proud Rafcal) in the Scaligerana; but I cannot believe that Scaliger was guilty of all the fcandalous Reflexions upon feveral Authors, that are to be found in that Book. I have a better Opinion of his Morality. Whoever has an ill Tongue, cannot be an honeft Man.

Some Men are ftrangely prepoffeft against the Fathers, fo far as to fay that they are more foolish than the Rabbins. Others admire them to fuch a Degree, that they can hardly find any Mistake in their Writings. Thofe Two Extremities ought to be avoided: Otherwife we shall never be able to make a good Use of the Fathers. How many useful Difcoveries might have been made, if their Works had been read without any Prejudice!

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