AN

ESSA Y

ON THE

FATES OF CLERGYMEN.

T

HERE is no talent so useful towards rifing in the world, or which puts men more out of the reach of fortune, than that quality generally poffeffed by the dulleft fort of men, and in common fpeech called difcretion; a fpecies of lower prudence, by the affiftance of which people of the meaneft intellectuals, without any other qualification, pass through the world in great tranquility, and with univerfal good treatment, neither giving nor taking offence. Courts are feldom unprovided of perfons under this character, on, whom, if they happen to be of great quality, moft employments even the greatest naturally fall, when competitors will not agree; and in fuch promotions no-body rejoices or grieves. The truth of this I could prove by feveral in

This Effay was printed in the Intelligencer N° 5. and N° 7.

ftances

ftances within my own memory; for I say nothing of present times.

And indeed, as regularity and forms are of great use in carrying on the business of the world, fo it is very convenient, that perfons endued with this kind of difcretion fhould have that fhare, which is proper to their talents in the conduct of affairs, but by no means meddle in matters, which require genius, learning, ftrong comprehenfion, quickness of conception, magnanimity, generofity, fagacity, or any other fuperior gift of human minds. Becaufe this fort of difcretion is ufually attended with a strong defire of money, and few fcruples about the way of obtaining it, with servile flattery and fubmiffion, with a want of all publick spirit or principle, with a perpetual wrong judgment, when the owners come into power and high place, how to difpofe of favour and preferment, having no measure for merit and virtue in others, but those very steps, by which themselves ascended; nor the leaft intention of doing good or hurt to the publick, farther than either one or t'other is likely to be fubfervient to their

Own

own fecurity or intereft. Thus being void of all friendship and enmity, they never complain or find fault with the times, and indeed never have reafon to do fo.

Men of eminent parts and abilities, as well as virtues, do fometimes rife in the court, fometimes in the law, and fometimes even in the church. Such were the Lord Bacon, the Earl of Strafford, Archbishop Laud in the reign of King Charles I. and others in our own times, whom I fhall not name; but thefe, and many more, under different princes, and in different kingdoms, were disgraced or banished, or Suffered death, merely in envy to their virtues and fuperior genius, which emboldened them in great exigencies and diftreffes of state (wanting a reasonable infufion of this aldermanly discretion) to attempt the service of their prince and country out of the common forms.

This evil fortune, which generally attends extraordinary men in the management of great affairs, hath been imputed to divers causes, that need not be here set down, when fo obvious an one occurs; if what a certain writer obferves be true,

that

that when a great genius appears in the world, the dunces are all in confederacy ágainst him. And if this be his fate, when he employs his talents wholly in his closet, without interfering with any man's ambition or avarice; what must he expect, when he ventures out to feek for preferment in a court, but univerfal oppofition, when he is mounting the ladder, and every hand ready to turn him off when he is at the top? and in this point fortune generally acts directly contrary to nature; for in nature we find, that bodies full of life and spirit mount eafily, and are hard to fall, whereas heavy bodies are hard to rife, and come down with greater velocity, in proportion to their weight; but we find fortune every day acting just the reverse of this.

This talent of difcretion, as I have defcribed it in its feveral adjuncts and circumstances, is no where fo ferviceable as to the clergy, to whose preferment nothing is fo fatal as the character of wit, politenefs in reading or manners, or that kind

See the author's thoughts on various fubjects, at the end of this volume.

of

of behaviour, which we contract by having too much conversed with persons of high station and eminency; thefe qualifications being reckoned by the vulgar of all ranks to be marks of levity, which is the last crime the world will pardon in a clergyman: to this I may add a free manner of fpeaking in mixt company, and too frequent an appearance in places of much refort, which are equally noxious to fpiritual promotion.

I have known indeed a few exceptions to fome parts of these obfervations. I have feen fome of the dullest men alive aiming at wit, and others with as little pretenfions affecting politeness in manners and difcourfe; but never being able to perfuade the world of their guilt, they grew into confiderable ftations upon the firm affurance, which all people had of their difcretion, because they were a fize too low too deceive the world to their own. disadvantage. But this I confefs is a trial too dangerous often to engage in.

There is a known ftory of a clergyman, who was recommended for a preferment by fome great men at court to an archbishop.