SECT. 11.-Of their Care to guard against Suspicion of Evil. 2dly. As they were thus taught to be inoffensive both in word and deed, and thereby secure a good name and reputation among men, which was necessary for the due exercise of their function; so, because it was possible their credit might be impaired, not only by the commission of real evil, but by the very appearance and suspicion of it, the laws of the Church upon this account were very exact in requiring them to set a guard upon their whole deportment, and avoid all suspicious actions, that might give the least umbrage or handle to an adversary to reproach them. It was not enough in this case, that a man kept a good conscience in the sight of God, but he must provide or forecast for honest things in the sight of men. And this was the

more difficult, because men are apt to be querulous against the clergy, as St. Chrysostom observes, some through weakness and imprudence, others through malice, easily raising complaints and accusations without any just ground, and difficultly hearkening to any reasons or apologies, that they can offer in their own defence. But the more querulous and suspicious men are, the more watchful it becomes the clergy to be against unjust surmises, that they may cut off occasion from them that desire occasion to accuse or reproach them. To this end they are to use the utmost diligence and precaution to guard against the ill opinions of men, by avoiding all actions that are of a doubtful or suspicious nature. "For," says St. Chrysostom,1" if the holy Apostle St. Paul was afraid, lest he should have been suspected of theft by the Corinthians; and upon that account took others into the administration of their charity with himself, that no one might have the least pretence to blame him; how much more careful should we be to cut off all occasions of sinister opinions and suspicions, however false or unreasonable they may be, or disagreeeble to our character? For none of us can be so far removed from any sin, as St. Paul was from theft; yet he did not think fit to contemn the suspicions of the vulgar; he did not trust to

Chrys. de Sacerd. lib. vi. c. 9.

the reputation, which both his miracles and the integrity of his life had generally gained him: but on the contrary he imagined such suspicions and jealousies might arise in the hearts of some men, and therefore he took care to prevent them; not suffering them to arise at all, but timely foreseeing, and prudently forestalling them; providing, as he says, for honest things not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of men. The same care and much greater should we take, not only to dissipate and destroy the ill opinions men may have entertained of us, but to foresee afar off from what causes they may spring, and to cut off before hand the very occasions and pretences from whence they may grow. Which is much easier to be done, than to extinguish them when they are risen, which will then be very difficult, perhaps impossible; besides that their being raised will give great scandal and offence, and wound the consciences of many." Thus that holy father argues upon this point, according to his wonted manner, nervously and strenuously, to show the clergy their obligations to use their utmost prudence to foresee and prevent scandal, by avoiding all actions of a doubtful and suspicious nature. St. Jerom1 gives his clerk the same instructions, to guard against suspicions, and take care beforehand to minister no probable grounds for raising any feigned stories concerning him. If his office required him to visit the widows or virgins of the Church, he should never go to them alone, but always take some other persons of known probity and gravity with him, from whose company he would receive no defamation.

SECT. 12.-Laws relating to this Matter.

Nor was this only the private direction of St. Jerom, but a public rule of the Church. For in the third council of Carthage this canon was enacted, "that neither bishop nor presbyter, nor any other clerk should visit the widows

Hieron. Ep. 2. ad Nepot. Caveto omnes suspiciones: et quicquid probabilitèr fingi potest, ne fingatur, ante devita, &c. 2 Con. Carth. iii. c. 25. Nec Episcopi, aut Presbyteri, soli habeant accessum ad hujusmodi fœminas, nisi aut Clerici præsentes sint, aut graves aliqui Christiani.

and virgins alone, but in the company and presence of some other of the clergy, or some grave Christians." And in the first council of Carthage,' and the council of Epone, there are canons to the same purpose.

SECT. 13.—An Account of the Agapetæ, and EvvɛioaкToi, and the Laws of the Church made against them.

The great council of Nice made another order upon the same grounds, to prevent all sinister opinions, "that none of the unmarried clergy, bishop, presbyter, deacon, or any other should have any woman, that was a stranger, and not one of their kindred, to dwell with them; save only a mother, a sister, or an aunt, or some such persons, with whom they might live without suspicion.' They, who hence conclude, that the clergy were forbidden to cohabit with their wives, which they had married before ordination, are sufficiently exposed by Gothofred, as ignorant of the true import of the original word, Zuvɛioakros, which never denotes a wife, but always a stranger, in opposition to those of one's kindred. And it is evident, the canon was made not upon the account of the married clergy, but the unmarried, to prevent suspicion and evil reports, that might easily arise from their familiar conversation with women, that were not of their kindred or near relations. We may be satisfied of this from a law of Honorius and Theodosius Junior, which was made in pursuance of the Nicene canon, and is still extant in both the Codes," where first having forbidden the clergy to cohabit with any strange women, who by some were taken in under the title and appellation

1 Con. Carth. i. c. 3.

2 Con. Epaunens. c. 20.

8 Con. Nicen.

c. 3. Μὴ εξεῖναι συνέισακτον εχειν, πλὴν εἰ μὴ ἄρα, μητέρα, ἢ ἀδελφὴν, ἢ θείαν, &c. Gothofred. Not. in. Cod. Theodos. lib. xvi. tit. 2. de Episc. leg. 44. Cod. Th. lib. xvi. tit. 2. de Episc. leg. 44. It. Cod. Just. lib. i. tit. 3. leg. 19. Eum qui probabilem seculo disciplinam agit, decolari consortio sororiæ appellationis non decet. Quicunque igitur cujuscunque gradûs sacerdotio fulciuntur, vel clericatûs honore censentur, extranearum sibi mulierum interdicta consortia cognoscant; hâc eis tantùm facultate concessâ, ut matres, filias, atque germanas intra domorum suarum sepia contineant. In his enim nihil sævi criminis existimari fœdus naturale permittit. Illas etiam non relinqui castitatis hortatur affectio quæ ante sacerdotium maritorum legitimum meruere conjugium. Neque enim Clericis incompetenter adjunctæ sunt, quæ dignos sacerdotio viros suâ conversatione fecerunt.

of sisters; and having named what persons they might lawfully entertain in their houses, viz. mothers, daughters, and sisters, because natural consanguinity would prevent all suspicion of these; lest not excepting of wives might seem to exclude them also, a particular clause is added concerning them, "that such, as were married before their husbands were ordained, should not be relinquished upon pretence of chastity, but rather be retained upon that account; it being but reasonable that they should be joined to their husbands, who by their conversation made their husbands worthy of the priesthood." The Evvsioakro then, or strangers, who in these laws are forbidden to cohabit with the clergy, are not their lawful wives, but others, who were taken in under the name of sisters, as that law of Honorius, and other ancient writers' intimate they were called by those that entertained them. St. Jerom and Epiphanius tell us, they were also known by the name of Agapetæ, 'Ayawnraì, that is, beloved. So that all these several names signify but that one sort of persons, most commonly called strangers, Extraneæ, and Zuvɛloakrot, whose conversation was suspicious, and therefore so often prohibited by the laws of the Church. They were commonly some of the virgins belonging to the Church, whom they, that entertained them, pretended only to love as sisters with a chaste love. But their manner of conversing was sometimes so very scandalous, that it justly gave great offence to all sober and modest persons; and had not the Church always interposed with her severest censures, it must have made her liable to as great reproach. For it appears from the complaints of St. Cyprian, St. Jerom, and others, that the practice of some was very intolerable. For they not only dwelt together in the same house, but lodged in the same room, and sometimes in the same bed; and yet would be thought innocent, and called

1 Vid. Con. Ancyr. c. 19. Hieron. Ep. 22. ad Eustoch. p. 138. Epiphan. Hær. 63. Origen. n. 2. * Cypr. Ep. 6. al. 14. Ep.7. al. 13. Ep.62. al. 4. Hieron. Ep. 22. ad Eustoch. de Virgin. Servand. Unde in Ecclesias Agapetarum pestis introiit? Unde sine nuptiis aliud nomen uxorum? Immò unde novum concubinarum genus? Plus inferam: Unde meretrices univiræ ? Quæ eâdem domo, uno cubiculo, sæpe uno tenentur et lectulo; et suspiciosos nos vocant, si aliquid existimamus.

others uncharitable and suspicious, that entertained any hard thoughts of them. But the Church did not regard vain words, but treated them as they justly deserved, as persons that used a scandalous and indecent liberty, and who were the very pests and plagues of the Church. Cyprian' commends Pomponius for excommunicating a deacon, who had been found guilty in this kind. And the council of Antioch alleged this among other reasons for their deposing Paulus Samosatensis from his bishopric. In the following ages, besides the councils of Nice and Ancyra already mentioned, we meet with many other canons made upon this account, as in the second council of Arles, the first, third, and fourth, councils of Carthage, the council of Eliberis, and Lerida, and many others prohibiting the clergy to entertain any women, who were strangers, and not of their near relations, under pain of deprivation. The intent of all which canons was to oblige the clergy, not only to live innocently in the sight of God, but also unblameably, and without suspicion, and censure in the sight of men. It being more especially necessary for men of their function to maintain not only a good conscience, but a good name; the one for their own sake, the other for the sake of their neighbours:" that men might neither be tempted to blaspheme the ways of God, by suspecting the actions of holy men to be impure, when they were not so; nor be induced to imitate such practices, as they at least imagined to be evil; either of which would turn to the destruction of their souls. So that it was cruelty and inhumanity, as St. Austin concludes, for a man, in such circumstances to neglect and disregard his own reputation.

SECT. 14.-Malevolent and unavoidable Suspicions to be contemned. But it might happen, that a man, after the utmost human caution and prudence that could be used, might not be able to avoid the malevolent suspicions of ill-disposed men: for

2

'Cypr. Ep. 62. al. 4. ad. Pompon. Epist. Synod. ap. Euseb. lib vii. c. 30. 3 Con. Arelat. ii. c. 3. Con. Carth. i. c. 3. et 4. Carth iii. c. 17. Carth. iv. c. 46. • Con. Ilerdens. c. 15. c. xxii. tom. 4. Nobis necessaria est vita nostra,

7 Aug. de Bono Viduitat.

aliis fama nostra, &c.

5 Con. Eliber. c. 27.