truly penitent for his sins, (of a known and public character), although of a carnal nature and in direct opposition to the decalogue, if I find two qualities in him. The one is firmness of mind, which is more than good sense, and may, by the aid of divine grace, be of great service to him, enabling him to resist evil tendencies which remain, and even those temptations which may arise from the exercise of the priesthood. The other is an entire exemption from cupidity, as well with regard to wealth as to honours and praises. For it is often the case that a man has lost innocence by only one single species of mortal sin, produced by a strong inclination, and promoted by the ardent passions of his age; and that one, perhaps transitory, occasion has prevailed over a nature good in other respects, and endowed in body and soul with many natural and acquired good qualities, as well as with many which have been given to him by divine grace. This will sometimes suffice to remove all fear which we might feel in making such a man a priest, when he has approved himself truly penitent, and passed some years without falling again, and in labouring unceasingly to cure his sinful habits. This test will be still more decisive, if, while living in a town, he has retired from intercourse with those men even whom he can but little avoid, as, for instance, some of his relations, and friends, and other persons who can with difficulty be avoided in the midst of towns. There are men who have fallen from innocence, who have more strength and firmness in their soul than many of those who have always preserved it.1

Can doubts cancel a vocation?

We answer, first, that there would be few legitimate vocations if doubt is to cancel them; secondly, that on the same supposition there would even be but few Christians on this supposition; [for, although it is possible to arrive at a state where all is light, there are none but persons of a homely character who

1 SAINT CYRAN's Letter to M. Guillebert on the Priesthood, chap. xvii. God himself has chosen as his ministers men who have grievously sinned, and several eminently holy bishops and pastors mentioned in ecclesiastical history had been worse than dissipated men.—(Augustin, Rancé.)

have never doubted;] thirdly, that the study, the life, and the employments of a minister raise new doubts.

The question for us is, whether we believe,-whether Christianity is for us a reality,-whether we are able to give to ourselves and to others an account of our faith,-and whether we have that experience of the truth, that spiritual certitude, which, without resolving all doubt, is superior to them.

But, it is objected, may a man who is sent to assist doubters be a doubter himself? No, we say, not absolutely. Accordingly, the question does not concern an incredulous or sceptical minister, but a man who is not clear on some points, and must sometimes acknowledge that he is not.

Can certain inclinations cancel a vocation?

The inclinations which we have in view are like the doubts of the soul, [and the difficulty may be resolved by the same principles.]

We do not speak of certain tastes, innocent in themselves, but which cannot be gratified by the individual so long as he is a pastor. They destroy the vocation if the vocation does not✔

destroy them.

We refer to evil inclinations. But if they are evil they are as incompatible with the profession of Christianity as with the work of the ministry. However, as a minister, in abandoning himself to them, would be more guilty, and would do more harm than one who is simply a Christian, the question may be considered, whether it will be necessary that he should begin to conquer them as a man.-Will he say that he could do this still better as a minister? This would be to play a dangerous game, -to double the difficulty in order to surmount it. If the church is an hospital, ministers are not the patients but the physicians. [They ought to enter there in sound health. Doubtless they may do good to themselves in such a position, but there is something repulsive in the calculation. One is in danger of polluting the ministry instead of being purified by it.]

I believe that one important preparation for the ministry is Vaskesis1 or spiritual exercise. [I do not mean by this the arbi

1 Aoxnois. -M. Vinet has adopted this word which the Germans had in

trary spiritual exercises of certain Christians and certain sectaries. It is a system of moral life resting on Christian principle, but carried on under the impression and anticipation of the ministry which is afterwards to be entered upon. Let us imagine ourselves in the most difficult position, and live as if we were there. There will be, however, many differences. What would be privation for one will not be such for another; we cannot therefore enter into details. The object is to gain selfmastery by the assistance of the grace of God: this is the essential point.]

It is very clear that, for all these questions, we are, both in the first and in the last place, referred to ourselves. And, in short, as no man and no body of men can ever know with complete certainty that we are called, so they cannot in all cases declare with certainty that we are not called. In fine, there are times and places in which a man can be sent by no other than himself, and when the man who is wanted is the last person who would be called. Such is the case when a man raises his voice to protest against a prevalent error. The pastoral order is always ready to recommence, and the church at certain times is born of the pastor, as in ordinary times the pastor is born of the church. But, in general, an external vocation, which is not necessary to confer a right, is necessary in fact :—

1. To the minister himself, who, though he alone is qualified to judge his own intentions, is not the sole judge of the rest, and needs for himself a testimony from without, to pronounce on his tact, talent, knowledge. [It is very true that, even when we are called by a church, we may ourselves believe that we are not called. But if no church calls us, when we believe ourselves to be called of God, there is reason to doubt the reality of our vocation. It is the duty of every man, however vehemently he may feel himself impelled to the ministry, to suspend his certainty of his vocation when he finds himself repulsed. At least some delay is necessary before refusing the scientific and eccletroduced before him (Christliche Askese) into theological language. He borrows askesis from the Greek; the same word is seen in ascetic asceticism.-ED.

IMPORTANCE OF THE EXTERNAL VOCATION.

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siastical authority which refuses us.] We are not very intimately acquainted with the task before us, and we ought, up to a certain point, to refer ourselves to a testimony-which may, in this case, be called an authority-as to its nature, its extent, its difficulties, its true characteristics. Those who know the task have a means, which we do not possess, of ascertaining whether we are adapted to it.

2. To the flock. Unless, through particular circumstances, the people are able and have been put in a position to judge of the capacity and worthiness of the minister who presents himself, they will always demand, Whence comest thou? Art thou he that should come? Wherever there is a church it will endeavour to establish some rule, according to which, those who aspire to the pastoral office shall be judged, and an institution to train and select them. This is, indeed, only a moral guarantee, but it is the only one that is possible; and in the Romish Church, which assumes the possession of other guarantees, have they, in essential matters, any other?

For the minister an external vocation, so far as it serves to prove to his own mind the reality of his vocation, is equivalent to a consultation. But this consultation is, and always will be, inadequate and unsatisfactory compared with such a conference as he can have, not with a body of men, but with faithful friends and his brothers in the faith. [A collective authority is incompetent to judge of internal sentiments, of the reality of faith, of the possible admixture of imagination with it. A friend can do this much better; but he must be consulted with the fullest sincerity, without any reserve. Often, when we think we have said all, the most important word remains unuttered.

I should have mentioned, as a means of gaining an assured conviction of a true vocation, exercise, if it were in general possible for an individual to exercise himself sufficiently before he is consecrated to the pastoral office,-exercise of such a kind as to teach him the nature of the duties to which, as a minister, he has devoted himself.—I think that, without attaching too much importance to this plan, it is of advantage to undertake some of the labours of the ministry, within the limits suggested by

prudence and modesty, and under the direction of those of fuller experience. This would impart a seriousness to the student's life, if these works were in themselves of a serious character, and would throw a light, derived from experience, on the theories with which he occupies his mind. [On the same principle, young physicians not only read and listen to lectures, but attend to the sick. Thus also should young ministers act; there is a √clinical ministry as well as a clinical surgery.] The domains of theology and the ministry are too much occupied by theorists who have not been enlightened by practice, and by practicians who pay no regard to theory. [Bengel advises young theologians who have completed their course of study, to go for one year and practise the ministry in the country, and afterwards to spend some time at a new university. Without prescribing this as a general rule, it is certainly an excellent precept.]

Generally, the serious and well-advised young man can, at his entrance upon his theological studies, intelligently decide on his vocation, and, at the end of a year's study, his decision will be either confirmed or cancelled. At this period, therefore, he ought to put the question, or the question ought to be suggested to him. If he has not any vocation, then is the time to recognise the fact. He cannot so thoroughly convince himself whether he has a true vocation; but so far as he believes he can detect it, he may be encouraged to commence his studies. If he afterwards finds that he has been obeying the call of only an imaginary vocation, he must have the courage to retrace his steps, however late the discovery may be made.1

1 What follows is taken from the note-books of M. Vinet's hearers, and is only another form of presenting his thoughts, of which the original expression is given in the text. We have thought it right, and we think it may interest the reader, to preserve both versions:

[The question of a vocation is the grand question, but it does not always arise of itself. To resolve it, it must be well weighed, and that before entering upon the ministry. The student must often,—yea, always interrogate himself, but especially at two epochs,- -one is at the commencement of his special studies, the other is at their close. It is natural for him to entertain this question at the commencement of his studies; but is he at such a time quite prepared to decide the question?