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pations, thereby to be enabled both to live reputably themselves, and to contribute to the Neceffities of others. To this Purpose * Epiphanius, as our Author tells us, makes it a general Obfervation, that many of the Pricfts of God, imitating their holy Father-in Chrift, St. Paul, worked with their own Hands, in fuch honeft Trades, as were no Difhonour to their Dignity, nor inconfiftent with their conftant Attendance upon their ecclefiaftical Duties; by which means they had both what was neceffary for their own Subfiftence, and to give to others that stood in need of their Relief.

WHERE the End was Charity then, or a competent Provifion for themselves, it was not thought unlawful (whatever it is now) for the primitive Clergy to intermix in fecular Employments: But where the End was for filthy Lucre, and the Perfons thus employing themselves fufficiently rich, and provided for already, the thing was justly accounted fcandalous, fo as to deferve many publick Laws, and many fevere Cenfures and Invectives against it.

THE Man that is to be detefted then, and avoided as a Plague, muft be the great and opulent Ecclefiaftick, when he turns Trafficker, or Stock-Jobber, as we may well enough render that Paffage of St. Jerom, † Negotiatorem Cleri cum quafi peftem fuge; and Shame light on him, that ever apologises for any fuch: But for a poor Clergyman to endeavour at any thing in a fecular Way, that may be a means to augment the very small Pittance that his Profeffion brings in, deferves, in my Opinion, a different Conftruction; and whatever it may be in the Letter,

* Epiphan. Hær. 80. Maffalian; 116.

Hier. Ep. 2. ad Nepot.

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cannot be contrary to the Intention of our Laws, which ought to be interpreted with the fame Limitations, and Diftinction of Cafes, that the Laws of all antient Churches were.

2. ANOTHER Inftance of Misfortune oppofite to this, fuch as our Neceffities fubject us to, but fuch as we cannot fo eafily pity or excuse, is the fordid Humour of creeping and cringing to wealthy Tables; where, either we must become perpetual Parasites and Flatterers, or expect to be receiv'd with Coldness or Superiority: for it is not every Man that can entertain with the Air of a Guest, or do good Offices with the Mien of one that receives them.

FOR my part, my Lord, I can hardly think that Clergyman has read over, with proper Obfervation, that remarkable beginning of the 28th Chapter of Solomon's Proverbs, who can be allur'd with the Smell of a Kitchen, or make himself a Slave to the greatest Peer of the Realm, much lefs to a* mean Mechanick newly-commens'd Gentleman, and, by way of Commutation for antient Frauds, pretending to be hofpitable, for all the Delicacies of Eating and Drinking, that Nature can afford. The Antidote is ftrong, if he would but take it: When thou fitteft at Meat xxviii. 13. with a Ruler, confider diligently what it is before thee, and be not defirous of his Dainties, for they are deceitful Meat. (This for the best Nobleman's Table that we frequent.) But then, V. 6, 7, 8. for your little mungrel fort of Gentry, Eat not thou the Bread of him that hath an evil Eye, neither defire thou his dainty Meats; for as be

Prov.

*Tu tibi liber homo, & regis conviva videris,
Captum te nidore fuæ putat ille culinæ ;

Nec male conjectat : Quis enim tam nudus, ut illum
Bis ferat?

Juv. Sat. 5.

thinketh

thinketh in his Heart, fo is be: Eat and drink, faith he to thee, but his Heart is not with thee; the Morfel that thou haft eaten fhalt thou vomit up, and lose thy fweet Words; for the Bread of Prov. xx. Deceit may be fweet to a Man, (as he has it in 17. another Place) but afterwards his Mouth fhall be filled with Gravel. A fufficient Difcouragement, one would think, to pall the Stomach of the keeneft Epicure, and to deter Clergymen efpecially, from hunting about fo greedily after rich Mens Tables; where, befides the Uneafinefs of the Obligation for a Dinner, enough to make them vomit up the Morfel they have eaten, as the Wiseman terms it; they must expect to have a Restraint laid upon their Tongues, for every thing but Adulation, and their Mouths filled with Gravel, as it were, when they pretend to fpeak any thing befitting their Profeffion: Where tho' they fwear not at all themselves, nor lead the Forlorn in Vice and Profaneness, * as one expreffes it, yet they muft by no means pretend to controul thofe that do, or damp any Frolick, be it ever fo mad and extravagant, for fear of forfeiting all future Expectances, as well as incurring the prefent Penalty of being turn'd out of Company, as pragmatical Invaders of the Freedom of Converfation.

SOME there are indeed (and of these we can never speak too honourably) that receive us with an open and generous Heart, as the Minif- Gal. iv. 14. ters of Chrift, or even as the Angels of God; but the Number of these is fo fmall, in comparison to those who make their Invitations Snares, and their Entertainments a Foundation for Superiority over us, that the best Rule is

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go as feldom as may be, and never but when called, for fear of being brought under Bondage to any one, and of being reputed Squanderers of Time, and Lovers of Pleafure, more than Lovers of God.

To reduce the other Inftances to as few Words as may be, (for I take no Pleasure, my Lord, in inlarging upon this melancholy Subject) how much our Poverty fubjects us to the Humour of all kinds of Men; how naturally it leads us into the Paths of Idlenefs and Sloth i how easily it betrays us into Methods of fopiating Sorrow, that are not fo temperate; how frequently it engages us in the Arts of getting Money, that are not fo warrantable; and how daily it compels us to Shifts and Evafions, that are not fo honourable; what clandeftine Marriages, to the utter Ruin of many worthy Families; what fraudulent Intrufions into other Peoples Cures; fcandalous Derelictions of our proper Functions, and bafe Apoftacies from the Service of the Church, to turn Leaders and Teachers in feparate Congregations, have been the Effects of fuch incompetent Allowances; the Clamours and Accufations of fuch, as too infidiously watch our Haltings, have reach'd the very Garret from whence I write, I must leave the whole Matter however to the Candour and kind Conftruction of fuch as confider human Nature as it is, and us as Men fubject to the like Aas xiv. Paffions and Infirmities with themselves: Defiring them to caft the Veil of Charity upon what appears to be our Faults, and to grant us their

IS.

* Facile contemnitur clericus, qui fæpe vocatus ad prandium, ire non recufat, nunquam petentes, raro accipiamus yocati. HIER, ad Nepot.

Pity

Pity and Commiferation, for what they fee is our Misfortune.

3. THUS, my Lord, we have obferved with what Difficulties and Temptations our poor Divine is befet, both in the Adminiftration of his Office, and the Conduct of his private Life. Let us now follow him into his Study, and confider him in the Capacity of a Scholar, and a Man acquainted with Divinity.

Into his Study did I fay? For once we must be allowed to call fo that little Hole in the Garret, with a Stool and a Table, and a Shelf furnifh'd with fuch valuable Pieces, as Wit's Commonwealth, the Pearl of Eloquence, Spencer's Similitudes, or Things New and Old, rare Helps all, for Matter and Senfe; old Burgerfdicius, for Method and Ranging; fome German Syftem, for a general View; here and there a Claffick, for the use of interlarding; a few ftitch'd Sermons, by way of Imitation, and an old Genoa Bible, with an ufeful Concordance at the End on't, to crown and complete all. And now, what may not a Man do that is thus furnish'd and equipp'd? What an eloquent and inftructive Preacher, what an able Defender of Truth, what a vast Destroyer of Herefies, what a skilful Interpreter of hard Places, what a nice Refolver of Cafes of Confcience, as well as prudent Conductor of other Mens Souls muft he make, with fuch never-failing Auxiliaries ftanding by him, if he has but the Skill to play them off to the beft Advantage!

A well-furnish'd House *, fays the Italian Proverb, makes a notable Dame; and fo we may fay of a well-appointed Study, that it makes an eminent Divine: And doubtlefs we must a

* Camara adorna fa Donna favia.

і

fcribe

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