tribulations, partly by a mere cavil, because our Lord had told his difciples, that it should be given them in the fame hour what they should fay. Gregory informs him, that the fcriptures were given us, that we, through patience and comfort of them, might have hope. How he answers the cavil, it is not neceffary to say. "But we cannot be like you," Natalis had faid. The bishop of Rome was not to be feduced by fuch evasive flattery. "The enco miums you bestow on me," faid he, "feem to be spoken in derifion, because I cannot in truth find them realized in my experience." We fee in all this, on one fide, a zealous paftor labouring to revive a fense and spirit of godliness in his brethren; on the other, a flothful and falfe-hearted ministry, poorly excufing itself by feigned apologies, from doing the Lord's work, with vigour and fincerity. After having given a beautiful description of charity in writing to Dominicus bishop of Carthage*, he fhews how deeply his foul was penetrated with the importance of the paftoral office. In their views of this, many of the antient Fathers, whom we deride for their fuperftitions, do far excel the generality of paftors in our times. Let him who has entered on this office with merely fecular views read, and, if he can, blush and weep, after he has confidered, that no age fince the Apostles' days has ever feen one more intently and fincerely laborious than Gregory. Weighty indeed is the office of a Paftor. He must be an example to the flock, and after this he must learn to keep himself humble. He must ever be intent on the miniftry of the word, remembering who hath said, OCCUPY TILL I COME. This we then truly execute, when by life and doctrine we gain the fouls of our neighbours, ftrengthen the weak by fetting before them the joys of * B. II. 39. of the heavenly kingdom, and-bend the proud by founding aloud the punishments of hell, when we fpare none against truth, and when given up to heavenly friendships, we fear not human enmity. I tremble at my own infirmity. How can I sustain the laft judgment, feeing fo very little fruit of my labours. Dearest brother, I implore your prayers for me. By the union of charity, we have a common interest. To Boniface, bishop of Rhegium, he gives an handsome reproof for boafting of the good deeds he had done. He owned that he rejoiced to hear of his works of mercy. But he was forry to find, that he himself had fpoken of them to many perfons. He warns him to take care that he did not mar the whole by oftentation. "What are we, duft and ashes, that we should covet the praise of men. Him you should feek to please, whofe coming we expect, and whofe retributions will know no end *. " Evangelus, a deacon of the church of Sypontum, had complained to Gregory, that his daughter had been defloured by Felix, the grandfon of the bifhop of the fame name. The bishop of Rome, not without fome animadverfion on the bishop's careless education of his grandfon, ordered, on fuppofition of the truth of the fact, that Felix should be obliged to marry the young woman, or, in cafe of refufal, be fcourged and confined in a monastery, excommunicated, and remain in a ftate of penance, and not be fuffered to go abroad till farther orders were received from Gregory. It feemed proper to mention this antient precedent of the practice of fpiritual courts. Doubtlefs, they were, in their ori. gin, courts of cenfure on immoralities not so easily cognizable in courts of common law. The neceffities of fociety, and the depravity of human nature, feem feem to require the existence of fuch tribunals. The Roman office of cenfor was of the fame kind. Nor would mankind be difpofed to depreciate them, were they naturally as fincere in their regard for the honour of God and for moral decorum, as they are for the preservation of property. The abuses of these courts among ourfelves are well known. But why perfons of rank and property in our country do not labour to regulate them, or rather, do not endeavour to inftitute a cenforship of morals that shall be practicable and effectual,-why they indiscriminately condemn the whole principle, while they permit lewdness to be practifed without any reftraint,-are questions not hard to be determined. In the mean time, every lover of equity and decency fhould prefer a fpiritual court, armed with fome power for the fuppreffion of vice, before the licentiousness, which, under the name of liberty, threatens among ourselves to deftroy all the barriers which our ancestors erected against vice and immorality. Severe as Gregory's conduct may now feem, it was wholefome no doubt, and fociety felt the good confe quences. In writing to Prifcus, a patrician of the East, he justly describes the mixed ftate of human affairs, and the duties of Chriftian faith and humility. The thought is common to moralists in all ages; but Gregory ennobled it with fome real principles of Christianity. Gregory correfponded alfo with Theodolinda, the queen of the Lombards: fhe was the widow of their king Autharit, a zealous Arian. After his death, the married Agilulfus, a Lombard, whom the nation received as king. Being orthodox herself, fhe brought over her husband, and the whole nation, at length, to the fame perfuafion. Gregory congratulated her on the happy prospect of the progress 6 progrefs of Chriftianity among the Lombards. What degree of real piety was in all this, does not appear the temporal benefit of Gregory's labours was, however, evident in the establishment of peace for fome time between the Lombards and the Roman empire *. Anaftafius, bishop of Antioch, feems ever to have been a fpecial favourite of Gregory. He had been ejected from his See by the injuftice of Juftin, the fucceffor of Juftinian, and had lived in exile a number of years. He was at length, however, reftored to his See, and Gregory wrote a letter to him on the occafion, full of pious and tender fentiments. In this letter, he endeavours to folace the mind of the prelate with the fame fcriptural views and promises, with which his own had been refreshed under a variety of afflictions. The hope of glory hereafter to be revealed, it is evident, was the spring of joy to his own foul, and enabled him to bear calamities with patience. In another letter to him he writes, "You ought to keep in mind, as you do, what is written: In the laft days perilous times fhall come.' -And though in old age you fuffer much, remember him, who told St. Peter, that when he was old, another fhould gird him. Yet, in faying this, I recollect, that from youth you have laboured in many adverfities. Numbers rejoice at our forrows, as you write; but we know who hath faid, "Ye fhall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; and ye fhall be forrowful, but your forrow shall be turned into joy.' We feel the performance of the former part, let us expect the latter part also. You fay, that fome who ought to relieve, add burdens to you; I know they are those who come in sheep's clothing, • B. XII. Ep. 7. clothing, but who inwardly are ravening wolves. We are not disturbed on account of their ambition in arrogating all honour to themselves, because wẹ truft in the Almighty, whofe law and rule is, that those who covet what belongs to others, are fooner on that account deprived of their own. For we know who hath faid, "He that exalteth himself, fhall be abafed,' and, 'a haughty spirit before a fall.' In these days, as I find, new heretical wars arife, which would reduce to nothing the prophets, the gospels, and all the fathers together. But while Anaftafius lives, we truft in the grace of our Protector; their fwords will break in pieces, ftriking against a rock. The Church, in the mean time, by the fubtilty of heretics, is fharpened in her doctrine, and learns the truth more accurately. The heart of God approaches to us, and, by temptations we are brought to feel him more sensibly. What I fuffer from the fwords of barbarians and from the perverseness of judges, I fpare to relate, that I may not increase the forrow of him whom I wish to confole. But I weigh those words, This is your hour, and the power of darkness.' The power of light then shall have its day afterwards; because the elect are the light of the world, and it is written, the upright fhall have dominion over them in the morning' hence, all we fuffer in the hour and power of darkness is not to be regretted. You wish, if it were poffible, that we might converse without pen and ink, and it is a painful circumftance that we are almost as diftant from one another as Eaft and Weft. But truly we, whom grace hath not feparated, are made one. Why wish you for the wings of a dove, which you have already? The wings are the love of God and our neighbour. By them the church flies through the earth: if you had not these wings you would not have come to me |