that fome method or other must be used to inftruct

the people.

III. DUTY OF A PREACHER.

To affect and move the paffions of his auditors, by the strength of his difcourfe.

HOUGH we ought to fet a high value on a difcourfe, which is not only very perfpicuous, but graceful and eloquent; it must however be owned, that the great, the furprizing effects of eloquence are not produced either from that of a fimple and mediate, or of an embellished and florid kind, but from the fublime and pathetic. By the two former, the orator pleases and inftructs; and he may be fatisfied with producing these two effects, when he speaks of fpeculative truths which require only our belief, and confent; and regard the understanding, rather than the heart and the affections, if we may admit any fuch in religion. But it is not fo when practical truths are propofed, which are to be put in execution. And indeed to what purpose would it be, fhould the auditor be convinced of what he hears, and applaud the eloquence of the speaker, if he did not love, embrace and practice the maxims preached to him? in cafe the orator does not arrive at this third degree, he goes but half way; for he ought to pleafe and inftruct, only with the view of affecting. It is in this St. Auftin, after Tully, makes the complete victory of eloquence to confift. Every difcourfe that leaves the auditor calm does not move and agitate him, and alfo deject, overthrow, and vanquish his obftinate refiftance; how beautiful foever fuch a piece may appear, it is not truly eloquent. The bufinefs is, to infpire him with horror for his fins, and with a dread of God's judgments; to remove the delufive charm which blinds him, and to force open his eyes; to make him hate what he loved, and love what he hated;

to

to root out from his heart his strong darling, ardent paffions, of which he is no longer mafter, and which have gained an abfolute afcendant over him; in a word, to urge to force him from himfelf; from his defires, his joys, and every thing that conftitutes his felicity.

I am fenfible that nothing but the all-powerful grace of Chrift Jefus can affect a heart in this manner, and create fuch wonderful changes in it. To think otherwife, and to expect in fome measure this effect from the efficacy of words, the graces of fpeech, the foli dity of arguments, or the ftrength of expreffions, would be, to fpeak with St. Paul, to annihilate the crofs of Chrift, and diveft him of the honour of con verting the world, to afcribe it to human wisdom.

For this reafon St. Austin would have the Chriftian orator rely much more on prayer than on his abilities; and before he speaks to them, would have him address the Creator, who only can infpire him with what he ought to fpeak, and the manner in which it is to be spoken. "But as we employ the natural remedies which phyfick prescribes; though we are fenfible that all their effect is owing to God, who is pleafed to make them fubfervient to our recovery, but without fubjecting his power to theirs, in like manner, the Chriftian orator may, and ought to employ all the methods, all the affistance which rhetoric can supply, but without putting his confidence in it; and in full

f Mifit me Chriftus evangelizare, non in fapientia verbi, ut non evacuetur crux Chrifti. 1 Cor. i. 17.

Nofter ifte eloquens.... hæc fe poffe, pietate magis orationum, quàm oratorum facultate, non dubitet, ut orando pro fe, ac pro il lis quos eft allocuturus fit orator, antequam dictor.... Et quis facit ut quod oportet, quemadmodum oportet, dicatur à nobis, nifi IN CUJUS MANU SUNT ET NOS ET SERMONES NOSTRI?...

"Sicut enim corporis medica menta, quæ hominibus ab hominibus adhibentur, non nifi eis pro-" funt, quibus Deus operatur falutem, qui & fine illis mederi poteft, cùm fine ipfo illa non poffint, & ta men adhibentur.... ita & adjumenta doctrinæ tunc profunt animæ adhibita per hominem, cùm Deus operatur ut profint, qui potuit evangelium dare homini etiam non ab hominibus, neque per hominem. S. Aug. de doct. chr. 1. iv. c. 15 & 16.

perfuafion,

perfuafion, that it will be to no purpose for him to fpeak to the ears, if God does not fpeak to the hearts.

Now it is the fublime and pathetic ftile; great and lively images; ftrong and vehement paffions, which force our affent and captivate the heart. w Inftruction and arguments have enlightned and convinced the mind; the graces of speech have won it, and by their feducing charms, have prepared the way to the heart. The next thing is, to enter and take poffeffion of it; but this is what only the grand, the powerful eloquence can effect. The reader may turn back to what was faid on this fubject in the article of the fublime. I fhall now give some extracts from the fathers, which will be more inftructive than any reflections I can make on this fubject.

EXTRACT from St. AUSTIN.

HIS ILLUSTRIOUS SAINT employed the precepts of this triumphant eloquence on an im portant occafion, which he himself has related. It was at Hippo, when he was but a private prieft, and at the time that Valerius the bifhop made him preach in his ftead. The feftival of St. Leontius bifhop of Hippo being nigh, the people murmured at their being denied to celebrate it with the ufual rejoicings, that is, to affemble in the churches at feafts which degenerated into drunkenness and debauchery. St. Austin knowing that the people murmured, began on wednesday, the eve of the Afcenfion, to preach to them on that subject, upon occasion of the Gospel of

W

w Oportet igitur eloquentem ecclefiafticum, quando fuadet ali quid quod agendum eft, non folùm docere ut inftruat, & delectare ut teneat, verùm etiam fle&tere ut vincat. Ipfe quippe jam remanet ad confenfionem flectendus VOL. II.

eloquentiæ granditate, in quo id non egit ufque ad ejus confeffionem demonftrata veritas adjun&a etiam fuavitate dictionis. Ibid.. cap. 13.

* S. Auguft. Epift. xxix. ad Alypium.

the day in which these words were read: Y Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither caft ye your pearls before fwine.

As there were but few auditors at this difcourse, and that a great many among thefe were gainfayers, he fpoke again on the fame fubject on the morrow, being Afcenfion day, to a more numerous affembly, in which the Gofpel of the buyers and fellers who were drove out of the temple was read. He himfelf read it over again, and fhewed, how much more folicitous Chrift would have been, to banifh diffolute feafts from the temple, than a traffick innocent in it felf. He also read feveral other paffages of fcripture against drunkenness. He heightned his difcourfe with groans, and the moft lively marks of the deep forrow, in which his love for his brethren had plunged him and after interrupting it by fome prayers which he caused to be repeated, he again began to fpeak with the utmoft vehemence; fetting before their eyes the general dan-"": ger to which the common people were expofed, as well as the priests, who are to render an account of their fouls to the great paftor. "I conjure you, "fays he, by his humiliations, his fufferings, his

crown of thorns, his cross and his blood, at least "have pity on us, and confider the love and charity "of the venerable Valerius, who out of tenderness "for you, entrufted me with the formidable miniftry,

to declare the word of God unto you. He has "often told you how overjoyed he was at my com༦ ing hither but his view in this was, that I might "be the minifter of your falvation, and not of your "damnation." St. Auftin added, that he hoped this would never come to pass; and that in cafe they would not fubmit to the authority of the Divine Word he had preached to them, they would yield to the chaftifements, which he did not doubt God would inflict upon them in this world, to prevent their be

Matth. vii. 6.

1

ing damned in the other. He spoke this in fo affecting a manner, that he drew tears from his congrega tion, and could not refrain from weeping himself. "It was not, fays he, my weeping over them that "drew tears from their eyes; but whilft I was fpeak "ing, their tears prevented mine. I must confefs that I was then melted. After we had wept toge "ther, I began to have ftrong hopes of their amend

>

The morrow which was the feaft-day, he was informed that fome murmured, and cried, What's "doing now? Were not those who permitted this "cuftom hitherto, Chriftians?" a St. Auftin not khowing how to ftagger them, was in great perplexity. He had refolved to read to thefe obftinate peo→ ple that paffage in Ezekiel, where it is faid, that the centinel is difcharged when he has given warn ing of the danger; and afterwards to fhake his gar-v ments over the people and to return home. HoweGod fpared him this affliction, and the mur murers were no longer able to refift fo lively and eloquent a charity.

ver,

There is no doubt, but that the folidity and beau- » ty of the difcourfe, was of fervice in preparing the ' way, and affecting the minds of his hearers; but a circumftance which overthrew thofe murmurers, and gained St. Auftin a complete victory, was his blending the fublime and pathetic, with that foftnefs and tenderness we have mentioned elsewhere. The two d others may procure acclamations; but the fublime and pathetic, bear down, as it were, every thing with their weight; and instead of applaufes force tears from the hearers.