peace he will condefcend to grant them, agreeable to that majestic expreffion of St. Paul, We are Embaffadors for Chrift? Now, from whom fhould an Embaflador receive his inftructions, or the words he is commanded to deliver to thofe he is to treat with, but from the mafter who fent him? It was this made St. Paul exhort the Ephefians to offer up prayers up prayers continually for him; in order, fays he, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the Gospel,... that therein I may Speak boldly. And the fame Apostle declares in another place, that all things are of God, who hath reconciled us unto himself by Jefus Chrift, and hath given to us the miniftry of reconciliation. d a When can preachers fay truly to their hearers, b Now then we are Embajadors for Chrift, as though God did befeech you by us....We speak before God in Christ, or rather, it is Jefus Chrift fpeaks in us, unlefs when the truths they declare, and the proofs by which they fupport them, are drawn from the facred Writings; and are warranted from God's word? Thefe are likewife infinitely fruitful, whether we defire to inculcate the tenets, or to explain myfteries; or would unfold the principles of morality, or cenfure vices: All fcripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for inftruction and righteousness. It must be confeffed, that the truths which are declared to Chriftians, are much ftronger, and make a much greater impreffion, when they are thus invefted with the divine authority; because every man, at the fame time that he has an idea of the Deity, has naturally a veneration for Him. Befides, these truths take much deeper root in the mind, when they are joined with fome paffages of fcripture, the fenfe and energy y 2 Cor. v. 20: z Ephef. vi. 19, 20. a 2 Cor. v. 15. b 2 Cor. v. 20. • Ibid. xii. 19. 2. Tim. iii. 16. of of which have been fhewn. The hearer may have the text explained before his eyes, which makes him much more attentive; at least he has it at home, and by reading it, he eafily recalls whatever was faid to explain it. But a bare citation, often very fhort, and of which the auditor has feldom notice, paffes away with great rapidity, leaves no trace behind it, and is loft and confounded in the reft of the discourse. We cannot expect much fruit from inftructions, when they are founded merely on human reasons. "One might follow, fays the archbishop of Cam"bray in his Dialogues on Eloquence, where he lays "down excellent rules for preaching; one might "follow many preachers twenty years and not be "inftructed in religion in the manner we ought. I "have often obferved, fays he elsewhere, that there "is no art or fcience but is taught from principles, "and methodically; whilft only religion is not taught "after that method. A little, dry catechifm, which "they do not underftand, is given them in their in"fant years to learn by heart; after which, they have no other inftructions but what they can gather "from loofe, indigefted fermons. I wish that Chriftians were taught the firft elements of their religion, and were inftructed with order and method " to the highest myfteries. This was the practice "of the earlier ages of the Church. Minifters ufed . to begin by catechifms, after which they taught "the Gofpel regularly by homilies, whereby Chriftians "became perfectly acquainted with the whole word " of God." In this manner paftors taught anciently their flock; and the chief preparation they judged neceffary for this important duty, which they looked upon with great terror, was the ftudy of the facred writings. I fhall content myself with citing here, the teftimony and example of St. Auftin. Valerius his bifhop had ordained him priest, almost in spight of himself, in the view chiefly of making him exercife the miniftry of preaching; preaching; and indeed, he a little after obliged him to it. Who can exprefs the fears, the inquietudes and alarms with which St. Austin was feized at the fight of this function? And yet many look upon it as a fport, though this great man trembled at the fight of it, But what was wanting in him, either with regard to genius, or the knowledge neceffary in a preacher? And this his bishop reprefented to him. f He himfelf owns, that he was well enough acquainted with all thofe things which relate to religion; but then he imagined, that he was not fufficiently able to diftribute those truths to others, fo as to conduce to their falvation; and this made him request so earnestly, that some time at leaft might be allowed him, in order to prepare himself for it, by the ftudy of the holy fcriptures, by prayer and by tears. But if," fays he, in his beautiful petition to his bifhop," after having "learned from experience the qualifications required "in a man, who is entrusted with the difpenfation of the facraments and of the word of God; you will "not allow me time to acquire what I am fenfible is "wanting in myself, you would then have me perish? "Valerius, my dear father, where is your love and c charity?.... For what answer fhall I be able to "make to the Lord when he will judge me? Shall I "tell him, that after I had once accepted of ecclefiaftical employments, it was not poffible for me to inform myfelf in thofe things which were neceffary. to enable me to difcharge them as I ought? All that St. Auftin thought on this fubject, the feveral fathers of the Church, who were charged with the miniftry of preaching, have thought and practifed in the fame manner: St. Bafil, St. Gregory Nazianzen, St. Chryfoftom did thus, and pointed out the fame courfe to their fucceffors. This ftudy therefore is neceffary to all, and may be of vaft ufe. There are a great number of clergymen who, though of H f Epift. 21. ad Valer. fmall fmall abilities in other refpects, are however to in-. ftruct children, the common people or peafants, whom the bare ftudy of the holy fcriptures, and efpecially of the New Teftament, will enable to acquit fuccefsfully of their duty; and in whom this ftudy, if carefully followed, will fupply what they may want with regard to learning and eloquence. St. Auftin advifes, that the poorer they find themfelves, the more they ought to borrow the riches of the fcripture; that they fhould take from these an authority they could never have had for themfelves, by enforcing their own words with their teftimony; and that they fhould find in its greatness and ftrength, the means to grow in ftrength of mind, and to juftify themselves by thofe divine aids. 2. The Study of the Fathers. But in order to difcharge the more worthily, fo fublime and important a miniftry, we must join to the ftudy of the facred Writings, that of the doctors of the Church, who are the true interpreters of it, and whom Chrift, the fole fovereign of men, condef cended to affociate in that honourable quality, by enlightning them particularly with his word. 3 The eloquence of the pulpit has an advantage over that of the bar, which is not fufficiently valued, nor, in my opinion, fufficiently practifed. In the latter, the orator draws almost every thing he is to fay from his own understanding. He may make ufe of fome thoughts, and some turns, borrowed from the ancients; but then he is not allowed to copy them: and though he were allowed this, his fubject would feldom admit of it. But it is otherwife with a preacher; for what fubject foever he may treat, a fpacious field is open to him in the Greek and Latin fathers, where he is fure & Quanto fe pauperiorem cernit in fuis, tanto eum oportet in iftis effe ditionem: ut quod dixerit fuis verbis, probet ex illis: & qui pro priis verbis minor erat, magnorum teftimonio quodammodo crefcat. De do&tr.chrift, 1. 4. c. 52. to to find all the moft juft and folid particulars which can be faid on the fame head; not only principles: and their confequences; truths and the proofs of them; the rules and their application, but even very often the thoughts and turns; infomuch that an orator of no great abilities is on a fudden enriched by the wealth of others, which becomes in fome measure his own by the ufe he makes of it. And fo far from its being. a crime in him to adorn himself thus in these precious fpoils; he ought, on the contrary, to be cenfured, in cafe he prefumed to prefer his own thoughts. to thofe of fuch great men, who, by a peculiar privilege, were deftined to inftruct all ages and nations Iafter their death. ' I do not preténd, in fpeaking thus, to confine the labour of preachers to extracting the most beautiful paffages from the fathers, and to deliver them fo detached to their hearers. However, though they fhould do this, their flock would not be thereby lefs inftructed; nor would their cafe be very hard, fhould they ftill have St. Ambrofe, St. Auftin and St. Chryfoftom for their paftors. I have heard a clergyman in Paris, who was very much followed and admired, though moft of his fermons were borrowed from Mr. Tourneux and Mr. Nicole. And indeed, what need the people care whence what they hear is borrowed, provided it be excellent and well adapted to their inftruction? But a preacher is allowed to lend, or rather to join his eloquence to that of thofe great men, by borrowing from them the fubftance of his proofs and arguments; and expreffing them after his manner, without following them fervilely. If he undertakes, for inftance, to fhew why God permits juft men to be afflicted in this life, St. Chryfoftom, in his first homily to the people of Antioch, fupplies him with ten or twelve different reafons, all fupported by texts of Scripture; and adds a great number in other difcourfes. St. Auftin has alfo fome wonderful paffages on this fubject, which he treated often, becaufe this inftruction |