A Christian duty composed by B. Bernard Francis.

DISCOURS L. Of Holy Orders (Book 50)

HItherto we have treated of Sacraments which were insti∣tuted to sanctify men in particular: now we speak of the Sacrament of Order, instituted for the General good, publick Order, Government, and Ministery of the Ch∣urch. And becaus Dissenters deny it to be a Sacrament, we will shew in the first place that 'tis a true one; Secondly we will con∣sider, what this sacred Signe does signify: and in the third pla∣ce the Documents we ought to draw from thence, for the glory of God, the Salvation of our Souls, and the guidance of our lives.

1. A Sacrament is an exteriour and sensible signe, by which grace of the holy Ghost is given him that receives it worthily. Now the Apostle S. Paul, and after him the general Councell of Cal∣cedon say expressly, that grace of the holy Ghost is conferr'd in Ordination by imposition of hands. Neglect not the grace that is in * 1.1 thee: which is given thee by Prophecie, with imposition of the hands of Priesthood. I admonish thee that thou resussitate the grace of God, which is in thee by the imposition of my hands.

Hence the Councells and ancient Fathers have always acknowled∣ged Ordination for a true and proper Sacrament; and therefore in the general Councell of Florence this is numbred with them, both Grecians and Latins approving it. I might Fill pages with Ci∣tations of the holy Fathers: But this of great S, Austine will suffi∣ce: He in his second book against the Epistle of Parmenean pro∣ves against the Donatists, that the Sacrament of Order cannot be lost, becaus Baptisme cannot: Let them Explicate, says He, how

the Sacrament of the the Baptized cannot be lost, and the Sacrament of the Orderer may be? For if both of them be Sacraments, of which nobody doubts, why cannot that be lost, if this may be? Here he calls Orders a Sacrament: He shews it to be a proper and true one by comparing it whith Baptisme; He assures us that nobody doub∣ted of this Verity: and if S. Austin may be credited, not only all the Writers of his time, but also all the Faithfull did believe the same.

2. This external and sacred signe expresses two singular favours which Ecclesiasticks receive from God in their consecration. The first is the highest dignity in the World. For to a Priest is given Power over the natural Body of IESUS CHRIST: to consecta∣te, and offer, and distribute it; and over his myistical Body, which is the Church, to remit sins, administer Sacraments and to do the sacred functions of the characters imprinted in him; A Power so much more excellent, eminent, and higher than other Dignities, as the Spirit than the Body: Heaven than Earth: Divine things than humane: and as Eternal than temporal.

S. Paul says 'tis certaine by the consent of all the world, * 1.2 that he who hath right to give his Benediction to ano∣ther, is more noble and high than he, sine ulla contradictione quod minus est a meliore benedicitur. But a Priest gives his Benediction to Princes, Kings, and Emperours: his Dignity then is more high.

S. Chrysostome exhorting Priests to refuse Absolution and Com∣munion * 1.3 to all that are unworthy, though they be Princes or Kings says to them: you ought to do it, and you can do it; you ought to do it; otherwise, IESUS CHRIST will exact of you an account of his Blood, and will punish you most terribly; You can do it, for your Power is greater than that of Princes of this world.

If you suspect the Testimony of this Saint becaus he was a Pre∣late of the Church: hear the Prince of the world. The Emperor Basil in an oration he made to his people, in the eighth general * 1.4 Councell: It belongs not to us Laymen to medle with the things of the Church, it belongs to Priests, and Prelats who have power to sanctify us, to open heaven to us, and shut it against us, to bind us, or els to to absol∣ve

us. Our condition is to be fed as sheep, to be sanctifyd, conducted, and unbound.

You will not thinke the words of these Great men strange, or that they exagerate the Greatness of Priestly Power: if you consider that it surpasses the spiritual Power as well as the temporal; di∣vine as well as humane. For popes who excell in Authority and Grandeure, if considered not as as Priests, are less in Power than these. For the Power of Priests extends upon the natural Body of IESUS CHRIST, and that of Popes upon his mystical Body only, which is his Church: and therefore as much as his natural Body exceeds his mystical, so much the Priestly Power surmounts the Papal. S. John Baptist, who surpassed all men: who was the greatest that had risen among the sons of women for his sanctity: Yet was less in Power than the least Priest of the Church: He shewed with his fingar IESUS CHRIST: But Priests produce Him in their hands, and give Him for nourishment to others; He only diposed the people to penance: and Priests absolve them from their sins. The Angells, who though they can do great things upon creatures of the world, they cannot put Christ at their Will upon the Altar: but are content to adore, love and ad∣mire Him there; And Priests by vertue of their character have this Power: and can offer Him in an unbloody Sacrifice for the sal∣vation of the Living and the Dead.

3. This Power of Priests being so great, God out of his good∣ness adds in their ordination another favour to it; He whose workes are perfect, giving power, gives likewise those things th∣at are requisite for the legitimate and convenient use of it. He replenishes Priests with abundant grace to make them worthy of their Character, to exercise well the functions of it, and to ren∣det them capable to sanctify the faithfull. Noli negligere gratiam, quae data est tibi per impositionem manuum Presbiterij. Idoneos nos fecit Ministros.

4. These particular favours which IESUS does to Priests, admo∣nish us of the Honour we are oblig'd to render them. Honour God with all thy soul, and honour Priests, says Ecclesiasticus. And S. Paul, Priests that do well their duty, deserve double honor. 'Tis by them says S. Hierome, that we are converted and made Christians: by

them we are received into the Church: by them we are delivered from our sins: we reenter into the grace and favour of God: by them we receive his blessings, enjoy the precious Body of IESUS, and offer to God the dreadfull sacrifice: by them in fine the Sacraments are administred, and the imperial heaven is opened to us. We must not neglect them who are the Judges of Kings in the process of eter∣nity: them who the Prophet Malachy says, are the Angells of our Lord. * 1.5 Them, whom God himself calls Gods: becaus they are his Vice-Roys, Officers of his Crown, His Ministers of state: Secretaries of his com∣mandements: Iudges of his people: Embassadors of his Majesty: Mediators between God and men: who announce the will of God to men, and who present the desires of men to God. We res∣pect Embassadors, also those of barbarous and infidell Kings, with much more reason those which the king of Kings does send to us, sayd S. Chrysostome.

5. To create in our hearts a great respect to Priests: Some al∣leadg the example of wise Salomon, who sayd to Abiather the Priest: you are guilty of death: but I will not condemne you: becaus you have carried the Arke. Or the Example of Constantine the Great: who in the Councel of Nice would not sit down, but after all the Bishops, and upon a little seat below them all. And when one presented to him papers of complaints against some Pri∣ests: he burnt them without reading them, and being angry with the persone that gave them to him, sayd, it belongs to Priests to judg Emperours, and not to Emperours, to judg and condemn Priests: and should I see a Priest commit a sin, I would cover him with my Royal cloak, for fear that any one should see him.

Other propose the example of S. Antony. This great Saint! this Patriarke of so many thousands of Anchorets that lived like Angells! This great Antony, of whose amity Emperours made so great account: This Antony whome wild beasts obeyed; at whose Name Devills trembled: whose life converted so many Souls to God; This great S. Antony, I say, honoured so much Priests, that if he met the least of them, he fell upon his knees, and rose not up, till he had received his benediction.

Or of the Seraphicall Father S. Francis, who sayd, that if he should meet an Angel, and a Priest: he would rather kiss the hands of the

Priest, than of the Angel.

Or of S. Catherine of Sienna, who kissed the wayes and paths in which Priests had past.

6. Is it not pity to see now that some Christians neglect them, or contemne them, under pretence that some of them are vicious? If it be so: does it pertain to them to speak of their vices? are they judges of their Judges? are they wiser than Salomon: grea∣ter than Constantine: more devout than S. Antony: more fervent than S. Francis: more innocent than S. Catherine: and more zealous of the honor of God, than God himself? Who sayd by his Prophet, Touch not my annointed. * 1.6

7. Let us take heed Venerable Priests and honourable Fathers that we be not the cause, or at least the occasion of this teme∣rity: that by our indevotions and immodesties, by our irreverence in the Chruch, and our conversations with the world, we be not the cause of the little respect now given to our character and vocation. How is the gold darkned and the best coulour changed, says the Prophet Hieremie? Whats becom of that splendour, that luster, * 1.7 and glory which heretofore shin'd in Clergiemen? of that honor, respect, reverence, and filial fear which they had for Ptiests in the primitive Church? How is all this so decayed and obscured? Tis becaus, then they saw not Priests, but at the Altar, in the Con∣fessional, or in the pulpit; and now they are seen in Taverns, in playhouses, and in worldly companies.

IESUS says to us, you are the light of the world; we must shine so then, that men may see our good workes: and may be moved to glorify our Father which is in heaven. But if our light be darkness: if we falsify by our actions Christs Doctrine and maxims: this ill example of one of us will ruine more the piety of the Faithfull, than many other by their doc∣trine and good examples will be able to repair.

You are the salt of the earth; salt is drawn out of water: but if it be reunited to it: it disolves, and loses the propriety it had to prevent corruption; a Priest is seperated from the people by his consecration: if he rejoyn himself to them by a worldly conversation: he loses the authority which he had to pre∣serve them from the corruption of sin.

We are judges of others: we must not be criminall; God will examin us more axactly, judg us more severely, and pu∣nish us more rigorously.

SAVIOR IESUS high Priest and Pastor of our sols, permit not that we give you caus to do it: permit not, that it may be truly sayd, as the people so the Priest; you are our inheritance, our Lot, and our Portion: permit not that our inheritance per∣tain to others more than to us. Make that our mouthes be not em∣ployed but to resound your praises: that our comportment and our manners do express and represent your actions: that our hearts be not enflam'd, but in your love. Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1. Tim. 4. 14. 2. Tim. 1. 6. Concil: calced an. 451. Act. 1 5. can 2
• * 1.2

  Heb. 7. 4.
• * 1.3

  S. Chry. Hom. 3. in Matt. Hom. ad 60. pop. An∣tioch.
• * 1.4

  Baron. An: 869. nn. 55.
• * 1.5

  Malac, 2. 7. Exod. 22. 28.
• * 1.6

  Psal. 104. 15.
• * 1.7

  Thren. 4.