In Hungary the Bishops are very Considerable, and some of them great Officers of State.Miræus De Statu Relig. Christ.[280] In Poland they are Senators that is part of the Upper Nobless. In Muscovy the Bishops have an Honourable Station; and the Present Czar is descended from the Patriarchal Line.Fletchers Embassy.[281] I suppose I need say nothing of Italy. In Spain the Sees generally are better endowed than elswhere, and Wealth alwaies draws Consideration.Puffendorf Introduction à l'Histoire.
Heylins Cosgmog.[282] The Bishops hold their Lands by a Military Noble Tenure, and are excused from Personal Attendance. And to come toward an end; They are Earls and Dukes in France, and Soveraign Princes, in Germany.[283] In England the Bishops are Lords of Parliament: And the Law in plain words distinguishes the Upper House into the Spiritual and Temporal Nobility. And several Statutes call the Bishops Nobles by direct Implication.2, Hen. 8. cap. 22.
26, Hen. 8 cap 2.
1. Edw. 6. cap. 12, &c. Preamb.[284] To mention nothing more, their Heraldry is regulated by Garter, and Blazon'd by Stones, which none under the Nobility can pretend to. In this Country of ours, Persons of the First Quality have been in Orders; To give an Instance of some few. Odo Brother to William the Conquerour was Bishop of Baieux, and Earl of Kent. King Stephens Brother was Bishop of Winchester. Nevill Arch-Bishop of York was Brother to the Great Earl of Warwick, and Cardinal Pool was of the Royal Family. To come a little lower, and to our own Times. And here we may reckon not a few Persons of Noble Descent in Holy Orders. Witness the Berklyes, Comptons, Montagues, Crews, and Norths; The Annesleys, Finches, Grayhams &c. And as for the Gentry, there are not many good Families in England, but either have, or have had a Clergy-man in them,
In short; The Priest-hood is the profession of a Gentleman. A Parson notwithstanding the ignorant Pride of some People, is a Name of Credit, and Authority, both in Religion, and Law. The Addition of Clerk is at least equal to that of Gentleman. Were it otherwise the Profession would in many cases be a kind of Punishment. But the Law is far from being so singular as to make Orders a Disadvantage to Degree. No, The Honour of the Family continues, and the Heraldry is every jot as safe in the Church, as 'twas in the State. And yet when the Laity are taken leave of, not Gentleman but Clerk is usually written. This Custom is an argument the Change is not made for the worse, that the Spiritual Distinction is as valuable as the other; And to speak Modestly, that the first Addition is not lost, but Cover'd. Did the Subject require it, this Point might be farther made good. For the stile of a higher Secular Honour is continued as well with Priest-hood as without it. A Church-man who is either Baronet, or Baron, writes himself so, notwithstanding His Clerkship. Indeed we can't well imagine the Clergy degraded from Paternal Honour without a strange Reflection on the Country; without supposing Julian at the Helm, the Laws Antichristian, and Infidelity in the very Constitution. To make the Ministers of Religion less upon the score of their Function, would be a Penalty on the Gospel, and a contempt of the God of Christianity. 'Tis our Saviours reasoning; He that despises you, despises Me, and he that Despises Me, Despises Him that sent me.S. Luke 12.[285]
I hope what I have offer'd on this Subject will not be misunderstood. There is no Vanity in necessary Defence. To wipe off Aspersions, and rescue Things from Mistake, is but bare Justice: Besides, where the Honour of God, and the Publick Interest are concern'd, a Man is bound to speak. To argue from a resembling Instance. He that has the Kings Commission ought to Maintain it. To let it suffer under Rudeness is to betray it. To be tame and silent in such cases, is not Modesty but Meanness, Humility obliges no Man to desert his Trust; To throw up his Privilege, and prove false to his Character. And is our Saviours Authority inferiour to that of Princes? Are the Kingdoms of this World more Glorious than that of the next? And can the Concerns of Time be greater than those of Eternity? If not, the reasoning above mention'd must hold in the Application.
And now by this time I conceive the ill Manners of the Stage may be in some measure apparent; And that the Clergy deserve none of that Coarse Usage which it puts upon them. I confess I know no Profession that has made a more creditable Figure, that has better Customs for their Privileges, and better Reasons to maintain them. And here setting aside the point of Conscience, where lies the Decency of falling foul upon this Order? What Propriety is there in Misrepresentation? In confounding Respects, disguising Features, and painting Things out of all Colour and Complexion? This crossing upon Nature and Reason, is great Ignorance, and out of Rule. And now what Pleasure is there in Misbehaviour and Abuse? Is it such an Entertainment to see Religion worryed by Atheism, and Things the most Solemn and Significant tumbled and tost by Buffoons? A Man may laugh at a Puppy's tearing a Wardrobe, but I think 'twere altogether as discreet to beat him off. Well! but the Clergy mismanage sometimes, and they must be told of their Faults. What then? Are the Poets their Ordinaries? Is the Pulpit under the Discipline of the Stage? And are those fit to correct the Church, that are not fit to come into it? Besides, What makes them fly out upon the Function; and rail by wholesale? Is the Priesthood a crime, and the service of God a disadvantage? I grant Persons and Things are not always suited. A good Post may be ill kept, but then the Censure should keep close to the Fault, and the Office not suffer for the Manager. The Clergy may have their Failings sometimes like others, but what then? The Character is still untarnish'd. The Men may be Little, but the Priests are not so. And therefore like other People, they ought to be treated by their best Distinction.
If 'tis Objected that the Clergy in Plays are commonly Chaplains, And that these Belonging to Persons of Quality they were obliged to represent them servile and submissive. To this I Answer
1st. In my former remark, that the Stage often outrages the whole Order, without regard to any particular Office. But were it not so in the
2d. Place, They quite overlook the Character, and mistake the Business of Chaplains. They are no Servants, neither do they Belong to any Body, but God Almighty. This Point I have fully proved in another, Treatise,Moral Essays.[286] and thither I refer the Reader.
CHAP. IV.
The Stage-Poets make their Principal Persons Vitious, and reward them at the End of the Play.
The Lines of Virtue and Vice are Struck out by Nature in very Legible Distinctions; They tend to a different Point, and in the greater Instances the Space between them is easily perceiv'd. Nothing can be more unlike than the Original Forms of these Qualities: The First has all the sweetness, Charms, and Graces imaginable; The other has the Air of a Post ill Carved into a Monster, and looks both foolish and Frightful together. These are the Native Appearances of good and Evil: And they that endeavour to blot the Distinctions, to rub out the Colours, or change the Marks, are extreamly to blame. 'Tis confessed as long as the Mind is awake, and Conscience goes true, there's no fear of being imposed on. But when Vice is varnish'd over with Pleasure, and comes in the Shape of Convenience, the case grows somewhat dangerous; for then the Fancy may be gain'd, and the Guards corrupted, and Reason suborn'd against it self. And thus a Disguise often passes when the Person would otherwise be stopt. To put Lewdness into a Thriving condition, to give it an Equipage of Quality, and to treat it with Ceremony and Respect, is the way to confound the Understanding, to fortifie the Charm, and to make the Mischief invincible. Innocence is often owing to Fear, and Appetite is kept under by Shame; But when these Restraints are once taken off, when Profit and Liberty lie on the same side, and a Man can Debauch himself into Credit, what can be expected in such a case, but that Pleasure should grow Absolute, and Madness carry all before it? The Stage seem eager to bring Matters to this Issue; They have made a considerable progress, and are still pushing their Point with all the Vigour imaginable. If this be not their Aim why is Lewdness so much consider'd in Character and Success? Why are their Favourites Atheistical, and their fine Gentleman debauched? To what purpose is Vice thus prefer'd, thus ornamented, and caress'd, unless for Imitation? That matter of Fact stands thus, I shall make good by several Instances: To begin then with their Men of Breeding and Figure. Wild-blood sets up for Debauchery, Ridicules Marriage, and Swears by Mahomet.Mock Astrol. p. 3, &c.
Mock Astrol. p. 57, 59.
Spanish Fryar. p. 61.
Country Wife. p. 25.
Old Batch.
Double Dealer. p. 34.
Love for Love p. 90.[287] Bellamy makes sport with the Devil,[288] and Lorenzo is vitious and calls his Father Bawdy Magistrate.[289] Horner is horridly Smutty, and Harcourt false to his Friend who used him kindly.[290] In the Plain Dealer Freeman talks coarsely, cheats the Widdow, debauches her Son, and makes him undutiful. Bellmour is Lewd and Profane,[291] And Mellefont puts Careless in the best way he can to debauch Lady Plyant.[292] These Sparks generally Marry up the Top Ladys, and those that do not, are brought to no Pennance, but go off with the Character of Fine Gentlemen: In Don-Sebastian, Antonio an Atheistical Bully is rewarded with the Lady Moraima, and half the Muffty's Estate. Valentine in Love for Love is (if I may so call him) the Hero of the Play;[293] This Spark the Poet would pass for a Person of Virtue, but he speaks to late. 'Tis true, He was hearty in his Affection to Angelica. Now without question, to be in Love with a fine Lady of 30000 Pounds is a great Virtue! But then abating this single Commendation, Valentine is altogether compounded of Vice.Love for Love. p. 6, 7. 25. 61. 89. 91.[294] He is a prodigal Debauchee, unnatural, and Profane, Obscene, Sawcy, and undutiful, And yet this Libertine is crown'd for the Man of Merit, has his Wishes thrown into his Lap, and makes the Happy Exit. I perceive we should have a rare set of Virtues if these Poets had the making of them! How they hug a Vitious Character, and how profuse are they in their Liberalities to Lewdness? In the Provoked Wife, Constant Swears at Length, solicits Lady Brute, Confesses himself Lewd, and prefers Debauchery to Marriage. He handles the last Sybject very notably and worth the Hearing. There is (says he) a poor sordid Slavery in Marriage, that turns the flowing Tide of Honour, and sinks it to the lowest ebb of Infamy. 'Tis a Corrupted Soil, Ill Nature, Avarice, Sloth, Cowardize, and Dirt, are all its Product.—But then Constancy (alias Whoring) is a Brave, Free, Haughty, Generous, Agent. This is admirable stuff both for the Rhetorick and the Reason!p. 35.[295] The Character Young Fashion in the Relapse is of the same Staunchness, but this the Reader may have in another Place.