I. Upon the account of their Relation to the Deity.
The Holy Order is appropriated to the Divine Worship: And a Priest has the peculiar Honour to Belong to nothing less then God Almighty. Now the Credit of the Service always rises in proportion to the Quality and Greatness of the Master. And for this Reason 'tis more Honourable to serve a Prince, than a private Person. To apply this. Christian Priests are the Principal Ministers of Gods Kingdom. They Represent his Person, Publish his Laws, Pass his Pardons, and Preside in his Worship. To expose a Priest much more to burlesque his Function, is an Affront to the Diety. All indignities done to Ambassadors, are interpreted upon their Masters, and reveng'd as such. To outrage the Ministers of Religion, is in effect to deny the Being, or Providence of God; And to treat the Bible like a Romance. As much as to say the Stories of an other World are nothing but a little Priest-craft, and therefore I am resolv'd to Lash the Profession. But to droll upon the Institutions of God; To make his Ministers cheap, and his Authority contemptible; To do this is little less than open defyance. Tis a sort of Challenge to awaken his Vengeance, to exert his Omnipotence; and do Right to his Honour. If the Profession of a Courtier was unfashionable, a Princes Commission thought a Scandal, and the Magistracy laught at for their Business; the Monarch had need look to himself in time; He may conclude his Person is despis'd, his Authority but a Jest, and the People ready either to change their Master, or set up for themselves. Government and Religion, no less than Trade Subsist upon Reputation. 'Tis true God can't be Deposed, neither does his Happiness depend upon Homage; But since he does not Govern by Omnipotence, since he leaves Men to their Liberty, Acknowledgment must sink, and Obedience decline, in proportion to the Lessenings of Authority. How provoking an Indignity of this kind must be, is easy to imagine.
II. The Functions and Authorities of Religion have a great Influence on Society. The Interest of this Life lies very much in the Belief of another. So that if our Hopes were bounded with Sight, and Sense, if Eternity was out of the Case, General Advantage, and Publick Reason, and Secular Policy, would oblige us to be just to the Priesthood. For Priests, and Religion always stand and fall together; Now Religion is the Basis of Government, and Man is a wretched Companion without it. When Conscience takes its Leave, Good Faith, and Good Nature goes with it. Atheism is all Self, Mean and Mercenary. The Atheist has no Hereafter, and therefore will be sure to make the most of this World. Interest, and Pleasure, are the Gods he Worships, and to these he'll Sacrifice every Thing else.
III. The Priest-hood ought to be fairly treated, because it has prescription for this Privilege. This is so evident a Truth, that there is hardly any Age or Country, but affords sufficient Proof. A just Discourse upon this Subject would be a large Book, but I shall just skim it over and pass on. and
1st. For the Jews. Josephus tells us the Line of Aaron made some of the best Pedigrees, and that the Priests were reckon'd among the Principal Nobility.De Bell. Judaic.[267]
By the Old Testament we are inform'd that the High-Priest was the Second Person in the Kingdom.Deut. 17. 9. 20. 2. Chron. 19. 8.[268] The Body of that Order had Civil Jurisdiction. And the Priests continued Part of the Magistracy in the time of our Saviour. Jehoiada the High-Priest was thought an Alliance big enough for the Royal Family.Math. 27. Act. 4.
Vid. seldon de Synedr.[269] He Married the Kings Daughter; His Interest and Authority was so great that he broke the Usurpation under Athalia; and was at the Head of the Restauration. And lastly the Assamonean Race were both Kings and Priests.Joseph.[270]
To Proceed. The Ægyptian Monarchy was one of the most antient and best polish'd upon Record. Here Arts and Sciences, the Improvment of Reason, and the Splendor of Life had its first Rise. Hither 'twas that Plato and most of the Celebrated Philosophers travel'd for their Learning. Now in this Kingdom the Priests made no vulgar Figure. These with the Military Men were the Body of the Nobility, and Gentry. Besides the Business of Religion, the Priests were the Publick Annalists and kept the Records of History, and Government. They were many of them bred in Courts, formed the Education of their Princes, and assisted at their Councils.Diod. Sic.[271] When Joseph was Viceroy of Ægypt, and in all the height of his Pomp, and Power, the King Married him to the Daughter of Potipherah Priest of On. The Text says Pharaoh gave him her to Wife.Gen. 41.[272] This shows the Match was deliberate Choice, and Royal Favour, no stooping of Quality, or Condescensions of Love, on Joseph's Side.
To pass on. The Persian Magi, and the Druids, of Gaul were of a Religious Profession, and consign'd to the Service of the Gods. Now all these were at the upper End of the Government, and had a great share of Regard and Authority.Porph. de Abstin. Lib. 4.
Cæsar de Bell. Gall. Lib. 6[273] The Body of the Indians as Diodorus Siculus reports is divided into Seven parts. The first is the Clan of the Bramines, the Priests, and Philosophers of that Country. 'This Division is the least in Number, but the first in Degree. Their Privileges are extraordinary. They are exempted from Taxes, and Live Independent of Authority. They are called to the Sacrifices, and take care of Funerals; They are look'd on as the Favourites of the Gods, and thought skillful in the Doctrins of an other Life: And upon these accounts are largely consider'd in Presents, and Acknowledgment. The Priestesses of Argos were so Considerable, that Time is dated from them, and they stand for a Reign in Chronology.Lib. 6.[274] The Brave Romans are commended by Polybius for their Devotion to the Gods; Indeed they gave great Proof of their being in earnest; For when thier Cheif Magistrates, their Consuls themselves, met any of the Vestals, they held down their Fasces, and stoop'd their Sword and Mace to Religion.Ser. in Controv.[275]
The Priest-hood was for sometime confin'd to the Patrician Order, that is to the Upper Nobility. And afterwards the Emperours were generally High-Priests themselves. The Romans in distress endeavour'd to make Friends with Coriolanus whom they had banish'd before. To this purpose they furnish'd out several Solemn Embasayes. Now the Regulation of the Ceremony, and the Remarks of the Historian;Dion. Halic.[276] plainly discover that the Body of the Priests were thought not inferior to any other. One Testimony from Tully and I have done. 'Tis in his Harangue to the College of the Priests.Pro Dom. ad Pontif.[277] Cum multa divinitus, Pontifices, a majoribus nostris inventa atque instituta sunt; tum nihil preclarius quam quòd vos eosdem et Religionibus Deorum immortalium, & summe Rei publicæ præesse voluerunt. &c. i. e. Amongst the many laudable Instances of our Ancestors Prudence, and Capacity, I know nothing better contrived then their placing your Order at the Helm, and setting the same Persons at the Head both of Religion, and Government. Thus we see what Rank the Priest-hood held among the Jews, and how Nature taught the Heathen to regard it. And is it not now possess'd of as fair pretences as formerly? Is Christianity any disadvantage to the Holy Office. And does the Dignity of a Religion lessen the Publick Administrations in't? The Priests of the most High God and of Idolatry, can't be compared without Injury. To argue for the Preference is a Reflection upon the Creed. 'Tis true the Jewish Priest-hood was instituted by God: But every Thing Divine is not of Equal Consideration. Realities are more valuable than Types; And as the Apostle argues, the Order of Melchizedeck is greater than that of Aaron.Hebr. 7.[278] The Author, (I mean the immediate one,) the Authorities, the Business, and the End, of the Christian Priest-hood, are more Noble than those of the Jewish. For is not Christ greater than Moses, Heaven better than the Land of Canaan, and the Eucharist to be prefer'd to all the Sacrifices, and Expiations of the Law? Thus the Right, and the Reason of Things stands. And as for Fact, the Christian World have not been backward in their Acknowledgments. Ever since the first Conversion of Princes, the Priest-hood has had no small share of Temporal Advantage. The Codes, Novels, and Church History, are Sufficient Evidence what Sense Constantine and his Successors had of these Matters. But I shall not detain the Reader in remote Instances.
To proceed then to Times and Countries more generally known. The People of France are branched into three Divisions, of these the Clergy, are the First. And in consequence of this Privilege, at the Assembly of the States, they are first admitted to Harangue before the King.Davila Filmers Freeholders Grand Inq.[279]