Page:Delineation of Roman Catholicism.djvu/471

 C__,. X�.] eRrass. 465 In he course of the debates, Seripand, general of the Augustfries, spoke largely on the alleged ncroachments of the regulars. He re- marked that the liberty of preach/ng had been enjoyed by them for three hundred years; and that if the bishops designed to restore the primitive state of the church, and undertake personally the work of public instruction, their resolve was to be recommended: but it would not be of so easy execution as they imagined. He contended that modern prelates required very different qualifications from those which vere necessary in the early ages of Christianity; that now they must understand the civil and canon law, and be versed in politics, and the business of courts and the arts of government; that these studies and engagements equally unfitted them for the patient investigation of the- ological truth, and for the duties of the Christian ministry; that, on the other hand, the regulars were unencumbered with worldly matters, arid wholly devoted to divinity. Amid these ire'ring sentiments a decree was framed; but it was 8o difficult to give general satisfaction, that it was many times altered and amended. Thus they had recourse to e.ueenc in the place of the standards of Scripture and reason. Accordingly, the legates succeeded in forming a plan in which the contending parties acquiesced. The regulars were to IM prohibited from preaching in churches not belong- ing to their order without a bishop's license; in their own churches the license of their superiors would suffice, by having the bleesing of the bishop, who might proceed again8t them for preaching heresy or for disorderly conduct. But this privilege was clogged rith a clauee, that the bishops exercised their power r delegt.e f t& hOl gee. Thus the pope gave with one hand what he took away w/th the other, and ttstened the chains of bondage while he seemed to bestow free- dom.* The truth 0� the matter is, that preaching the gepel forms a very small portion of the duties performed by the clergy of the Church of Rome. The greater part of their sermon8 are on unscriptural doctrines and observances; and the proofs for their support are not from Scrip- ture, but from tradition, ecclesiast/cal laws, apocryphal Scripture, and the writings of the degenerate fathers. Those sermons, which are on professed Scriptural topics, abound with foolish paraphrases and chil ish or puerile disthJctions. Add to this that many of their clerlr preach none, especially their prelates. And where preach/ng makes any considerable peri of their religious exercises, they are urged to this course by the industry and example of their Protestant neighbouts. There are, however, examples of fine preachers among them, such as Massilion and Bourdaloue; but they are very few, and fall infinitely short of what is to be found among Protestants, both in number and character. (3.) They contend that the power of order, or of erdathing mhfisters, ent/rely belongs to bishops, and quote, among other passages of Scrip- rare, Acta xiv, 23, where it is stated that Barnabas and Paul ordained elders in every city. To this we adduce the following reply, to show that the power of erdathing or appointing to the m/nistry was not solely vested in the apostles; that they did not exercise this power independ- VOL. I.--30
 * See Cramp, Pl. 69-72, and the authorities quoted.

�