all. It is not for us to judge him; and, in general, we would not condemn him; we must suppose that he has renounced the ministry proper, for which these occupations are far from preparing him. But how can a pastor intermeddle with politics without destroying his success, and even his respectability as a minister?

I do not speak precisely of the presence of pastors in as semblies representing the nation: That does not constitute a political career; but, in general, they are, when there, hardly in their place. It would not, perhaps, be just to exclude them; but they would do well voluntarily to exclude themselves. There is too great a distance between the political and the pastoral life: Pastors do not acquire, from the exercise of their functions, the kind of spirit which these assemblies demand, nor reciprocally: We should expect to see them preaching there: As to religious questions, which should never be discussed there, there is no need of the presence of ministers in order that they may be well treated: The stains of political discussion are too easily seen on the pastoral robeministers can not avoid hearing things there which their profession at the same time urges and forbids them to answer. There is another way, and there are other channels, through which religion may infuse itself into politics.

Politics, in promoting religion, has forced religion to promote politics; but both, in this course, have been corrupted, and the second more than the first. Burnet, who knew how to speak on this subject, has some remarks on the injury which religion does itself by mixing itself with politics (a thing inevitable, I affirm, in the union of Church and State), which I will cite here: "Politics and parties eat out among us not only study and learning, but the only thing which is still more valuable than study and learning; I mean, religious sentiment, and a sincere zeal to obtain results for which the Son

* It is not even seen that the deliberations of ecclesiastical bodies are profitable to them.

of God was willing to live and die, and to which those who are engaged in his service have promised to consecrate their lives and their labors." In short, let us not condemn beforehand all extension of the ministry, nor undertake to define its limit; we think that, at the exigency of the times, it is susceptible of an indefinite extension; but these times have their signs, which it is necessary to attend to and to understand.*

+ Is the ministry, as it is now understood and practiced, restricted within the limits of the primitive ministry?

CHAPTER II.

DOMESTIC LIFE OF THE MINISTER.

1. General Reflections - Marriage and Celibacy - The Pastor's Wife.

THE Gospel is not silent on this subject : "A bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife, sober, prudent, grave, hospitable, apt to teach; one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all decorum; for if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God? Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things."-1 Tim., iii., 2, 4, 5, 11. "For this cause left I thee, that thou shouldst ordain pastors; if any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of riot, or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to dishonest gain; but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, wise, just, holy, temperate."-Tit., i., 5-8.

These passages suppose the minister to be married, and to be a father of a family; but they do not strictly prescribe marriage to a pastor. If it be said that this is necessary to his being in all things "an example of the believers,"* we reply that it is not necessary to be in this particular state in order to be an example to those who are in it. This supposition would be absurd, and contrary to the spirit of the Gospel, which does not confine us within these literal rules;

"Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."-1 Tim., iv., 12. "In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works."—Tit., ii., 7.

of which we have a proof, for example, in the forms under which the four evangelists relate the same fact. We every where meet in the Gospel with the same large and liberal character. Our Lord is none the less a model to us in all things, although he sustained only the general relations of humanity. In short, St. Paul, the author of all the passages which we have now cited, was himself an unmarried man.

St. Paul, who has claimed the right of marriage for all, has no less honored celibacy, recommending it not merely as convenient in times when the Church was in peril, but as a means of more perfect devotion to God.-1 Cor., vii., 32, 35. He does but reproduce the thought of Christ himself.-Matt., xix., 10-12. In giving these counsels of perfection, the universal realization of which would be incompatible with the existence of society, he falls into no contradiction with himself, since, if this should be so realized, the society of earth would simply become the society of heaven. Celibacy, in the spirit in which Jesus Christ practiced it, would not injure the world; and this is the only point about which there is a question; the words of Jesus Christ give us well enough to understand that such a celibacy would never be more than a rare exception.

St. Paul, and his Master before him, in the passages we have now cited, had in view no particular class in the Church; but still a counsel of perfection to the Church must have special regard to pastors.

When a minister shall find himself disposed to celibacy by a special impulse of the spirit, let him not fear to be, on that account, less useful to the Church; for marriage might not render him more useful, perhaps it would less, than a pure and devoted celibacy. And perhaps it is to be regretted, if not that there are so few unmarried ministers, at least that there are not more who feel in themselves a disposition for this state. There are times and situations in which an unmarried minister could render to the Church services which

a married one could not render so well. Men who have accomplished very great things out of the religious sphere have lived in celibacy, or in a state of marriage but little different from celibacy. Voluntary celibacy, moreover, does not put a minister into an estate of hostility to society.

But the celibacy of the pastor is good only as a positive and special call, under the general call of a pastor. If it be not a thirst for purity and for devotion which has counseled or imposed it, it is, even with the greatest decorum of manners, rather evil than good. I should fear that it would induce habits little regular and little consistent with the dignity of the pastor. I should fear its purity would be suspected, for in such a state a very high degree of sanctity is necessary to exclude every unfavorable idea. It is very true that there is, in the idea of a strictly honorable celibacy, something pure and angelic, but it is indispensable that our celibacy should have this reputation.

*

As a general rule, when celibacy is not a sacrifice to the kingdom of God, marriage is preferable. It is certain that if the ministry do not gain from the celibacy of the pastor, it loses. For in this case there is no more of devotion, and it may render less useful that which one has. Taking men as they are, the married pastor is more useful, all other things being equal, than the unmarried. In a well-chosen marriage, in a family life, there is first the advantage of a model presented to the parish and to the world; and then the pastor may have useful co-operation, if his wife be truly what she ought to be.t

* The ennui of an absolute solitude will naturally lead a pastor to seek diversions and relaxations abroad, when he can not find them at home. Long and frequent visits, loungings, &c.

+ Harms goes too far, not in making marriage the rule and celibacy the exception, for we do the same, but in making marriage a matter of absolute necessity and obligation in respect to the pastor, so that the pastor is not completely a pastor if he be not married (111, 182).