Conformity of the ecclesiastical discipline of the Reformed churches of France with that of the primitive Christians written by M. La Rocque ... ; render'd into English by Jos. Walker.

XIV.

Ministers, with their Families, shall actually reside in their Churches, or Parishes, under pain of being depos'd from their Office.

CONFORMITY.

In the first Ages, Pastors were so full of zeal for the Glory of God, and so industrious for the Edification of their Flock, that 'twas superfluous to exhort them to Re∣sidence, seeing they had no other thoughts but to do it in the places assigned to their care, and where the Fami∣lies lived which were committed to their conduct; nei∣ther do we find in those times any Canons which enjoyn them to this Residence, because they themselves of their own free will were inclin'd to do it; and that 'twas not heard of that a Pastor did not dwell in the midst of the Flock to whom he owed his care and pre∣sence. * 1.1 St. Cyprian complained of certain Bishops which incumbring themselves with secular affairs, abandoned their Churches, and the care of that holy administrati∣on whereof they were to render an account to our Sa∣viour: And in his 56 Epistle to those of Thibari, he shew∣eth, that in the present conjuncture, he could not safely leave his Church, and the People God had committed to his Charge.

St. Ambrose sufficiently testifies that he was really persuaded of the necessity of Residence, when he wrote to the Emperor Theodosius, that if the dread he had of the Tyrant Eugenius had oblig'd him to quit Millan for a little time, yet he returned thither as soon as the storm was past over; * 1.2 I hastned, saith he, to return as soon as ever I heard that him whose presence I thought I was bound to shun, was gone: for I forsook not the Church of Millan, which the Providence of God committed to my care; but I desir'd not to see him that made himself guilty of Sacriledg. He speaks of Eugenius, who usurped the Empire after having cruelly put to death the Emperor Valentinian the

younger. This holy Doctor elsewhere represents the damages occasioned to the Church by the absence of its Pastor, especially when he observes the People omit fre∣quenting the Holy Exercises, and not only the People, but also the Clergy themselves become more remiss in things of Piety and Religion. St. Austin declares plainly in the 138 and 227 Epistles, that he never forsook his Church but upon indispensible necessity.

In a request presented by some Friers to the Emperors Theodosius the Younger, and Valentinian the Third, a∣gainst Nestorius, they accuse him amongst other things, That for the executing his outrages, he employed foreign Clerks which he made come from other parts, that is to say, other Clergy besides his own: * 1.3 Altho according to the Ecclesiastical Canons, say they, they are not permitted to live in another Diocess, or in another Church, but only in those places and Cities where they received Ordination by the Impo∣sition of hands, there to reside peaceably.

It is not easie to affirm with certainty, if the Ca∣nons whereof they speak were reduced into writing, or rather if they were not customs and uses setled in the Churches by long practice; for this term of Canon or Rule, has sometimes this signification in the writings of the Ancients; and what induces me to think so, is, That till the Fifth Century, when this request was presented, it was not very needful to make Canons to oblige Pastors to reside in their Churches, if it be not that one may ap∣ply to this Residence the Canons which prohibit the Translation of Bishops from one place to another, where∣of we shall treat hereafter.

I know very well, that the Council of Sardis had in the year 347, made some Decrees which in some fort regarded Residence; but besides that these Canons were not much known in the East, they were not properly

made for establishing of Residence, nor precisely to ob∣lige Bishops thereunto, but only to inform them in pre∣supposing it as an indispensible Obligation, in what occa∣sions, and for what time they were permitted lawfully to be absent from their Churches; in effect, in the eighth Canon, the Fathers of Sardis allow Bishops may go to Court if the Emperor send for them, or if the protecti∣on and defence of the Poor, of Widows, and Orphans oblige them to it: It is true, that in the ninth and tenth Canons they restrain the permission granted in the for∣mer, and do not permit Bishops to go themselves to Court, but when they are called by the Prince; never∣theless they agree they may send one of their Deacons to obtain some favour in behalf of distressed persons; but they consent to it upon prudent and judicious reasons, and which are to be lookt upon as necessary precautions against the ambition of Bishops, to whom the same Coun∣cil positively forbid, * 1.4 To be absent from their Churches a∣bove three Weeks, unless some pressing necessity constrain them to it.

When under the second Branch of our Kings, the Prince cast his eye on any Bishop to make him his Arch-Chaplain, he was forced to demand leave of the Synod and Pope, * 1.5 the Bishops of Rome having already got great power in France; I say he was forced in some sort to de∣sire their leave to get him away from his Church, to have him near his person, because every body was then per∣swaded that Pastors were bound in Conscience to make their Residence in the midst of their Flocks.

I believe Plurality of Livings, as is spoken at this time, has given a mortal blow to the case of Residency, and has by this means introduced ignorance into the Church, and together with Ignorance, Superstition, which is the Daughter of Ignorance; this wicked custom was a long

while unknown amongst Christians, seeing the first Ca∣non which formally condemns it, is, if my memory fail not, the fifth of the sixteen Council of Toledo, assembled the year of our Lord 693. I confess that the tenth of the Council of Galcedon forbids Clerks to inrole themselves in two Churches at once; but that of Toledo is formal on the matter I examin, That there be not granted to one Priest several Churches, because he cannot do service in all, nor help the People in the Priestly Functions. Since that time, this sort of prohibitions have been frequent in the West, as may be easily made appear, were this the place to do it; it shall suffice to alledg at present, the demand which Charles the Ninth caused to be made by his Am∣bassadors at the Council of Trent, That but one Bene∣fice be conferr'd on one person, in taking away as to what regards Plurality, the difference of Benefices, Compa∣tibles, or Incompatibles, because this distinction which is new, and unknown to ancient Decrees, has also occa∣sion'd great Evils to the Catholick Church, and that Re∣gular Benefices be given to Regulars, and Secular ones to Seculars, and that for those which at present enjoy two or more, either that they hold only that which they shall make choice of in a little time, or that they suffer the punishments inflicted by the ancient Canons.

However it be, zeal being grown cold, and Pastors abating in the care they formerly took in the Edification and Salvation of those committed to their charge, there was an absolute necessity of making Laws to enjoyn Residence; whereas formerly, they did it of their own free-will and inclination, to discharge their Consciences of the Duties of their calling. Pope Eugenius the Second, seeing in the Ninth Century they dispensed themselves from dwelling with their flock, * 1.6 made a Decree in a Synod held at Rome, having this Title, That Bishops do

not live out of their Diocesses; the Canon is conceiv'd in these terms, Bishops should keep always at their Churches, to labour with Piety for their edification, because the absence of the Bishop many times becomes the misfortune of the People: And in the following Canon he will have Cloisters built near the Churches for the Dwellings of inferior Clerks, to the end they may give attendance to the study of Ec∣clesiastical Discipline. The Council of Meaux Anno 845, * 1.7 made another Ordinance much like it, That Priests be not suffer'd to lodg abroad where they list, but that they keep always at their Churches, by reason of Divine Myste∣ries, and to yield to Litanies the services they owe to them; and that they have not liberty to dwell elsewhere.

After abuses had in this regard crept into the Church, it cannot be doubted but many Settlements were made to restore things to the ancient Model, and to shew the necessity and importance of it, because in truth the Ob∣ligation of Residency is greater than most people are aware of, seeing that Pastors are obliged wholly to their Flocks, and all the parts of their Ministry is destin'd for them: Nevertheless whatever Decrees have been made to establish the ancient Discipline, it could not be prevented, but in these latter ages an extream negligence has succeeded in the practice of so holy and sacred a cu∣stom; therefore in the days of our forefathers, the que∣stion of Non-residence was debated with much heat in the Council of Trent, * 1.8 insomuch that the Spanish Prelates were so stiff, that they declared it was Jure Divino, of Divine Institution; which alarm'd the Legates, and gave a furious shock also to the Court of Rome; for 'twas foreseen if this Article should pass, a part of the Pope's Authority should be retrenched, the Plurality of Bene∣fices, which has occasioned so great mischief in the Church, should be abolished, and the Cardinals should

be depriv'd of that which supported the splendor of their Purple Robes, in depriving them of Benefices for Non-residence; but means were found to allay these heats, and to compose matters to the satisfaction of the Bishop of Rome, and his Court: However this same Council in the 24th. Session, and in the Decree of Re∣formation, seems to have prescribed some remedy to the evil which arises by Non-residence, but it did it in such a manner, as it left the door open to the abuse, which far from diminishing, has increased more and more.

But that there may not be any contest on occasion of our Discipline, enjoyning Ministers and their Families, to make actual residence in their Churches, that is, with their Wives and Children, as if the Ancient Bi∣shops were never Married, and as though they never lived in their Churches with their Families; it's necessa∣ry to justify our Practise by some Examples: The first shall be that of the venerable old Cheremon, Bishop of Nile in Egypt; for Eusebius mentions in the 42d Chapter of the 6th Book of his Ecclesiastical History, That when the Persecution of Decius raged, he retired into a Mountain with his Wife, who never forsook him: And in the 9th Chapter of the 8th Book, he makes mention of Phileas Bishop of Thmuis in Thebaide, who suffer'd Martyrdom under Dioclesian, although the Judge which condemn'd him, did what he could possible to make him renounce Jesus Christ, in exhorting him especially to have pity of his Wife and Children. Spyridion, Bishop of Trimythunte in the Isle of Cyprus, in the days of the Emperor Constantine, liv'd in his Church with his Wife and Children, as is witnessed by Zozomen; * 1.9 It's only needful to Read the 22d Chapter of the 5th Book of Socrates his Ecclesiastical History, to see sundry Examples of Bishops that were Married and liv'd with

their Wives. It cannot be doubted but Synesius did so, seeing he accepted not the Bishoprick of Ptolemais but on those terms, as he himself tells us in his Hundred and fifth Letter: And 'tis very likely the greatest num∣ber of the Eastern Bishops lived in their Churches with their Wives and Children until the end of the 7th Cen∣tury; That the 6th Council appointed that they should put away their Wives, and that they should no longer cohabit with them, Can. 12. which they were ever permitted to do before this Decree, according to the remark of the Frier Blastares in Syntagm. Alphab. Litt. G. Cap. 16, & 17. Besides that, in this same Canon the Fathers acknowledg'd, that there were several Bishops in Lybia, in Africa, and elsewhere, that lived with their Wives; which agreed very well with the 5th Ca∣non, called the Apostles, which forbids Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, under pain of Suspension, and even of De∣posing, to separate from their Wives, under pretext of Religion.

Notes

• * 1.1

  De Lapsis.
• * 1.2

  Lib. 7. Ep. 58. To. 5. p. 322. P••r. 1632.
• * 1.3

  Tom. 2. Conc. pag. 222.
• * 1.4

  Can. 14, 15.
• * 1.5

  Con. Fran. cap. 55. Tom. 2. Conc. Gall. p. 217.
• * 1.6

  Coll. Rom. p. 2. c. 6, 7: p. 23, 24.
• * 1.7

  Tom. 3. Conc. Gal. c. 36 p. 42.
• * 1.8

  Hist. du Conc. lib. 6. p. 592. ad 600. & p. 621. ad 616. avec le livre 2. p. 309, 310, 311. •• Troys 1627.
• * 1.9

  L. 5. c. 11.