A new history of ecclesiastical writers containing an account of the authors of the several books of the Old and New Testament, of the lives and writings of the primitive fathers, an abridgement and catalogue of their works ... also a compendious history of the councils, with chronological tables of the whole / written in French by Lewis Ellies du Pin.

Of the Dignity and Qualifications of the Ministers of Jesus Christ.

WE have already set down S. Chrysostom's Opinion concerning the Dignity and Excellency of the Priesthood, when we mentioned his Books upon that Subject, and the Homilies con∣cerning the History of Uzziah. We also joyned to that some places of the same Treatise, con∣cerning the Qualifications of a Bishop, and the Weight of his Office. But to those one may add, what he says to the same purpose, in the 1st. Homily upon the Epist. to Titus, and in the 3d. upon the Acts; where he openly declares his Opinion, that few Bishops were saved. Upon the same Subject one may consult the 1st. Homily upon the Epistle to the Corinthians, the 4th. upon that to the Philippians, and the 3d. upon the Acts. He enjoyns Christians in several places to be very respectfull towards the Priests; as in the Homilies upon the Song of Hannah, in the 22d. upon S. Matthew, in the 86th. upon S. John, and in the 2d. upon the 1st. Epist. to Timothy. His Observation in this Last is, That we should not hear those Pastours that are fallen into Here∣sy; but, on the contrary, we ought to avoid them, and separate from them: But not from wick∣ed

Priests, whose Character is to be honoured; because, notwithstanding their Wickedness, they truly offer the holy Sacrifice, and validly administer the Sacraments.