A Humble Advice to Bishops and Governors of the Church

I May perchance, incur the Cenſure of Preſumption, for obtruding my Advice upon the Fathers and Governours of the Church; but, it may be, I have had occaſion to ſee more of the Danger of that Malady which I am to repreſent unto them, and to hear more of the Reproach they ſuffer upon that account, than is obvious to their p. 198 Notice; and therefore, if zeal excite me to offer what in my humble Opinion is convenient for their curing the one, and wiping off the other, I truſt I ſhall thereby incur no imputation of Arrogancy at their Hands; at leaſt, they will look upon it but as a defect of good Manners.

Right Reverend Fathers, The very Title of your Office, proclaims the Church to be under your overſight; and if you ſhould not take care to ſtop the Conduits of Corruption whereby ſhe may be infected, it were an overſight in the worſt ſence. And there is no corruption whereof the Conduit hath more need to be ſtrictly block’d up, than that of Simony; which, if ſuffered to ſpread, produceth moſt deplorable Effects, in drawing p. 199 upon the Church the reproach of her Enemies, the contempt of her Children, and many inward Diſeaſes, to the hazard of many Souls. Ah! How hath the climbing up of ſome, by pecuniary Paſſages into the Church, opened the mouths of Adverſaries, to reproach us as Thieves and Robbers, who enter not in by the Door, nor have any Call from God; and as Hirelings, who ſerve for bought Benefices? Ah! What a Scandal doth it breed to many Chriſtians? And, how doth it render the Holy Calling contemptible generally amongſt the Vulgar, and even amongſt thoſe who otherwiſe have thoughts of Veneration for it, when they ſee it proſtitute to Merchandiſe, and made a Matter of buying and ſelling? I am ſure, amongſt all the Cauſes of the contempt p. 200 of the Clergy, there is nothing that expoſeth them more to contempt, than this, to ſee them turn ſo ignominious Pedlers, as to make Merchandiſe of Spiritual Commodities. And what evil Conſequences may their Miniſtery produce, who enter upon it by ſuch means, may be eaſily conjectured, if it be conſidered, that it holds no leſs true in the Church than in the Common-wealth, that Imperium qui malis artibus acquiſivit, vix unquam bonis artibus exercuit: He that comes to Power by evil means, ſcarce doth he ever exerciſe the ſame Honeſtly; but makes as ſmall Conſcience in his Adminiſtration, as he made in his Acquiſition.

So that the Souls of People are in no ſmall danger of being obnoxious to all theſe Evils which may befall them, by the corrupt Miniſtery p. 201 of thoſe whoſe Diſpoſition leads them, when they are in, to ſerve the ſame Maſter by whoſe help they entred. Now you, Dear Fathers, are they, to whoſe care it belongs to remedy theſe Evils: It is your Paſtoral Rod that muſt drive Simon Magus to the Doors, and ſhut them againſt him; that ſo the Church may enjoy a pure Miniſtery, the Flock may be delivered from Danger, the Paſtors from Reproach and Contempt, and you your ſelves from thoſe Scandals which the Adverſaries of your Government are ready to caſt upon you, as Connivers at all Corruption. And, what to this effect is requiſite to be done, in confidence of your charitable Indulgence, I humbly give my Opinion and Thoughts.

Firſt, Much deliberation and circumſpection is requiſite, in the granting of Licenſe to Young Men to ſtep out to Preach the Goſpel. For, ſince the Apoſtle hath given warning,¹⁸² to lay hands ſuddenly on no Man; this being the firſt ſtep in order to Impoſition of Hands, and an Act which puts them in ſome capacity for Ordination, is not to be done ſuddenly either: For, we find by experience, that aſſoon as Youths are Licenſed to ſtep up in a Pulpit, it is, for the moſt part, their next work, immediately to lay themſelves out for a Charge in the Miniſtery: And, if they be either of covetous, or ambitious Inclinations, they cannot have patience to wait upon the occaſion of a fair Call, but being ſparr’d forward by the hot Deſires either of Lucre, or Preferment; if they find out a p. 203 covetous Patron, they preſently join with him in a Simoniacal Bargain. And there being ſuch a multitude of theſe Young Preachers, they ſo throng one another, that commonly the more modeſt, and more worthy, are thruſt beſide the Door, by thoſe, who, reſolving to make up what is wanting in their Worth, by the diligence of their Endeavours, do more actively beſtir themſelves, and fet their Friends awork, by all imaginable means of Money and Bribery, to attain their end. For preventing whereof, it may with good reaſon be ſuppoſed, that Licenſe for Preaching ſhould be granted to none, but upon ſerious and mature deliberation, and after a circumſpect and diligent Search and Enquiry into their Qualifications, not only of Literature, but of their Inclinations and Diſpoſitions, p. 204 of their Humility, Sobriety, Prudence, and Piety in their Converſation. And then, there would be no ſuch multitude, nor ſuch juſtling for Places.

1. 182. 1 Tim. 5.22. [moved in the edition]

Secondly, Another Mean for the remedying of this Evil, is, to revive ſomewhat of the ancient Diſcipline of the Church againſt it, and to inflict upon thoſe whom you ſhall find guilty of this Sin of Simony, either in cenatu, aut effectu, in Endeavour, or in Deed, Cenſures proportionable to their Guilt. This Rod of Eccleſiaſtical Cenſure, is that Scourge which your Lord and Maſter hath put into your hands, whoſe Example ſhould ſtir up your Zeal, therewith to drive the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple. Your Severity againſt the Guilty, will not only prove p. 205 an awful curb to reſtrain others from venturing upon that Sin; but will alſo create an abhorrency of it, in thoſe who before harboured lighter Sentiments thereof; and will proclaim your own Innocency, and holy Fervour, for purging of the Church, to the Silencing of thoſe who reproach you. But, if you prove luke-warm in this Affair, then conſider what Gregory the Great ſays, (as I have told before,)¹⁸³ Participem ſe reddit alienae Simoniae, quiſquis contra Simoniacam Haereſin, pro officii ſui loco, vehementer non exarſerit: He rendreth himſelf partaker of another Man’s Simony, whoſoever, according to his Place and Calling, is not vehemently zealous againſt it.

1. 183. A pud Gratian. Cauſ. 1 Qu. 1. Can. Quiſquis per pecuniam. [moved in the edition]

Or, if you do not inflict a Cenſure proportionable to the Crime, you not only thereby draw upon your p. 206 ſelves a ſuſpicion, that you have not a juſt ſenſe of the hainouſneſs thereof, but you alſo encourage others to adventure upon it with the greater confidence: For, ubi leves poenae, ibi gravia ſcelera; great Vices ſpread the more when they are lightly puniſhed. I ſhall not ſay, how the Church of old would have cenſured thoſe whom they had found, though but by their Endeavours, guilty of this Sin, in declaring them altogether incapable of the Prieſthood; but I’m ſure, for ſuch Tranſgreſſours, there ſhould be appointed ſome conſiderable time of Penance, for their own Humiliation, and for Terrour to others, e’er ever again they be rendred capable of that Sacred Office.

Thirdly, When any Man addreſſeth himſelf to you clothed p. 207 with a Preſentation, it were fit you ſhould ſeek to be informed, by what means he came by it; and if you find any probable ground for ſuſpicion of Simony, that you ſuſpend your procedure till it be cleared: And ſo much the rather, if he be a Perſon betwixt whoſe Parts and the Charge to which he is Preſented, there is a great Diſproportion: For, that may give juſt ground of jealouſie, that all is not ſound. For, though it be the Patron’s Right to give him a Title, yet it is yours to look to the Purity of his Entry, and to be judges of his fitneſs for the Charge; wherein, if you find not ſatisfaction, you ſhould be lother to lay your Hands upon his Head, than to lay them upon Thorns.

I know, that in ſuch Caſes, you may readily have in your p. 208 proſpect many Inconveniencies, and dangerous Conſequences, which this may draw upon you, flowing from the diſpleaſure of Patrons, or of ſuch great Perſons as may be intereſſed; at whoſe Hands you may fear much trouble which they may breed you, together with the loſs of their Favour, and the worſt Effects which their paſſionate Reſentments can threaten. But, may I not beſeech you to turn away your Eyes from what may follow upon your Doing, and to fix them upon what is your Duty to do? For, he who reckoneth the Sequels before his Duty, will make his Conſcience truckle to his Fears. And as Cyprian ſays,¹⁸⁴ Actum eſt de Epiſcopatus vigore, & de Eccleſiae gubernandae ſublimi ac Divina poteſtate, — ſi ad hoc ventum eſt, ut perditerum minas, atque p. 209 inſidias pertimiſcamus: There’s an end of Epiſcopal Authority, and the Sublime and Divine Power of Governing the Church, if it be come to this paſs, that we fear the Threats of evil Men, and the Snares they may lay for us.

1. 184. Epiſt. 55. Ad Cornel. [moved in the edition]

But, I hope, the fears of theſe things from Men, will neither move you, to ſhrink from your Duty, nor to comply with them in Sin; ſince you know, that your Lord and Maſter hath ſo often warned you,¹⁸⁵ not to fear Men; and, that you will find much more comfort and quiet in your Conſcience, when to pleaſe God, you diſpleaſe Man; than, when by gratifying of Man, you diſpleaſe God. And, there is nothing will diſcourage Simoniacal Deſigns more, than when Men ſee you careful p. 210 to countermine them, and boldly to oppoſe them.

1. 185. Jer. 1.8. Ezek. 2.6. Matth. 10.28, &c. [moved in the edition]

Fourthly, It were moſt neceſſary, that you ſhould revive ſomewhat of the ancient Diſcipline, againſt Simoniacal Patrons. You know, the ancient Canons did ſmite with Anathema, Lay-Perſons, who tranſacted in ſuch execrable Bargains. And truly, there is nothing could give Simony a more mortal Wound, than to bring under your Cenſures the Sellers, as well as the Buyers of Spiritual Offices, and to exerciſe the Spiritual Weapons of the Church equally againſt both.

But Finally, I ſhould wiſh, That your zeal, and care to ſtrengthen your own Hands, for the purging of this Sin out of the Church, would move p. 211 you by an unanimous and joint Addreſs to our Sovereign, to Petition his Majeſty, to give Strength to your Endeavours by his Authority, in making ſuch Laws, as might not only oblige Patrons, as well as the Perſons preſented, to purge themſelves of Simony before their Preſentations be accepted; but as might alſo make them lyable to ſuch civil Sanctions (if found guilty,) as have ſometimes been impoſed by the Laws of other Religious and Pious Princes. And I am confident, ſuch an Addreſs would not only be acceptable, But would have a good effect.

But now I ſhall ſay no more; and if any will condemn me for having ſaid too much, I hope he will juſtifie me, for whom I can never ſay enough; p. 212 and who knows, that all I have ſaid, hath been from a ſincere Heart, and zealous Deſign for the Purity of his Church, and Glory of his Bleſſed Name; whoſe Glory I deſire my be the end of all my Labours.

FINIS.