painful and injurious conflicts. The habit of praying in secret for each other, carefully, minutely, is the most suitable means of extinguishing the flames of jealousy and resentment: this is the first duty that we owe to one another.1

1 I here transcribe without comment, some rules given by Claus Harms. There is certainly something in them that may be worth our remembering, and even those which appear the most miscroscopic may supply important suggestions.

66

Meide den Bekannten von früherer Zeit."-Shun acquaintances of former times.

"Trit nicht in das Verhältniss des Du und Du."-Avoid undue familiarity.

66

Lass dir nicht zu viele Verbindlichkeiten auflegen."-Do not contract too many obligations.

66

Fange nicht mit zu heisser Freundschaft an.' ."-Do not begin with too ardent demonstrations of attachment.

"Verschaffe dir die klarste Kenntniss von allen Beikommenheiten."Make yourself accurately acquainted with all subordinate facts. "Binnen Jahr und Tag nimm keine erhebliche Veränderung vor."Be not hasty in introducing important changes.

Gehe nicht auf Verdunkelung deines Collegen aus."-Do not aim at eclipsing your colleague.

Schlaue dich nicht zu seiner Gegenpartei."-Identify yourself with no party that is opposed to him.

"Nimm Weib, Kinder und Gesind in Acht."-Look well to your wife, children, and servants.

"Scheue die Billets."-Beware of notes.

"Lieber als Hammer sei du Ambos."-Be the anvil rather than the hammer.

HARMS, Pastoraltheologie, vol. iii. p. 168.-The originality of the phraseology of the original often adds weight to these maxims of Claus Harms. M. Vinet quotes them in the German; we have thought it right to give a translation, although it is impossible to represent fully the force and vigour of the original.-ED.

CHAPTER IV.

THE PASTOR IN HIS RELATIONS TO AUTHORITIES.1

FIRST of all there is ecclesiastical authority, of which the pastor forms a part. His duty is diligently to assist at the assemblies of his order, to take an active part in their deliberations, and to exert all his influence in rendering them serious. He ought carefully to avoid treating the small questions which abound in these assemblies with that fulness, gravity, and vivacity, which are only appropriate to important cases. In conferences which are composed of ecclesiastics we are in danger of forming a habit of treating all subjects with gravity, and of insisting strongly on verbal distinctions. The esprit de corps is more natural at these assemblies than at any others, and the clerical professional sentiment, strange to say, finds so much the more abundant nutriment as the matters treated of are less immediately and seriously religious. We must learn, especially if we are comparatively young, how to make opportune concessions, and believe that the maintenance of peace is very often of far greater value than all the advantages which might result from the triumph of our own opinions.

Mutual discipline is a delicate point. As a principle it is recognised in all ecclesiastical constitutions, but I have never yet met with an assembly in which it is seriously practised. If rightly understood, its province extends from counsels and admonitions to the most positive and severe penal measures. But, in most ecclesiastical bodies, it is only enforced in cases of such extreme and mournful character, that we may affirm they can yield little moral result. I know not how far it may 1 See BENGEL's Thoughts, § 44.

depend on the jurés1 to raise the excellent institution of church visits above its present level; but I believe that everything should habitually be done that can be done to promote mutual frankness, both by the pastor who visits each several church, and by the respective pastors of these churches. Moreover, we are all bound to be inspectors of one another; and it is our duty to admonish one another in a humble and charitable spirit, as to what may be respectively useful to us, and that which very often, to our great disadvantage, is unknown to ourselves, though it is observed by all the world besides.

In our relations with civil or municipal authority, with the state or the community, we should never forget that we are something more than functionaries of the republic, and that we are in no degree responsible to the magistrate for that which concerns the most essential aim of our ministry, the teaching of truth. But we should be careful not to assert our irresponsibility by haughtiness, and we should avoid with equal care the unbecoming manners which so many ministers assume, who affect a dissatisfied, critical, and censorious demeanour in their relations to civil authority. It is very undesirable that the people should learn from us what so many persons learn from them, á priori disapprobation, antecedent presumption of blame as attaching to everything that constitutes power. Servility is not more unworthy of our character than this ridiculous antagonism. Moreover, our relations with political authorities are in no respects political relations. We are, in a certain sense, responsible to the state, but we are not officers of the state, and state business does not concern us. In times of political ferment or revolution our only mission is to tranquillize the minds of men, by exhibiting before them those great verities which, although they do not annihilate worldly interests, do yet subordinate all our movements to the great concerns of the soul and of eternity. I do not intend to assert that the pastor should

1 The jurés in the Established Church of the Canton de Vaud are inspectors appointed by the classes (or pastoral assemblies), for the supervision of a certain number of parishes; their duty is to visit the parishes periodically.-ED.

affect to ignore the preferences, dangers, fears, hopes, of his country; but the strifes of opinion do not concern him; he has to take no part but that of obedience to law as long as law exists, and, in all cases, his side is that of his country and of national independence. The occasions are very rare when citizens may be addressed as citizens from the pulpit, and when their actual duties, in this relation, can be enforced upon them.

We may advise ecclesiastics, generally,—and especially those who have the care of souls, to take no part in political or municipal bodies. We have treated of this question elsewhere.

In the administrative part of his functions, the pastor ought to leave nothing to be desired on the score of exactitude and of punctuality. The less taste he feels for those details, for which, in fact, a man occupying his position, is not bound to have much taste, the more careful should he be neither to delay nor to neglect anything; and it is his duty to study with assiduity, both in their letter and in their spirit, all those institutions, laws, and regulations which are at all related to the duties of his office. A pastor who desires to be useful, even in a spiritual point of view alone, ought to have an accurate knowledge and an intimate understanding of his country, of his people, and of all that, even in respect to material relations, has any important connection with the state of society, and of the several classes which compose society.

A few remarks to be added on the laws, the execution of which belongs to the pastor, and on the tact and attention which he ought to bring to the discharge of this duty.

BENGEL'S THOUGHTS

ON

THE EXERCISE OF THE MINISTRY.

TAKEN FROM HIS LIFE BY BURK.

Pamphlet Published by M. VINET in 1842.

1. A pastor ought to be divinely sure of his office, that is, of his vocation to the ministry of reconciliation, as well as of the truths which he preaches; he must be able to produce the certificate of his spiritual birth; he must be firmly resolved to advance the glory of God; to live for Christ and to serve him, to gain heaven for himself and for many others with him.

2. A pastor should give himself entirely to his work; should throw himself bravely into the midst of the conflict, and not allow himself to be discouraged by anything that may arise. In order to this he must remember

a. That the third Sunday after Trinity has never passed without having given occasion for joy in heaven for one sinner gained by the preaching of the gospel; and that this single grain of wheat, even after long waiting, is a great joy to him who gathers it.

b. That crosses and failures aid us in self-knowledge, make us humble before God, and willing to ask with the greater earnestness for the witness of the Spirit, which can silence and subdue all doubts.