exhibited in possession of this authority, does not fear to be deposed from it, and not fearing
this will be able to do everything with the freedom which becomes Christian men: whereas
they who fear and tremble lest they should be deposed undergo a bitter servitude, filled with
all kinds of evils, and are often compelled to offend against both God and man. Now the
soul ought not to be affected in this way; but as in warfare we see those soldiers who are
noble-spirited fight willingly and fall bravely, so they who have attained to this stewardship
should be contented to be consecrated to the dignity or removed from it, as becomes
Christian men, knowing that deposition of this kind brings its reward no less than the dis-
charge of the office. For when any one suffers anything of this kind, in order to avoid sub-
mitting to something which is unbecoming or unworthy of this dignity, he procures punish-
ment for those who wrongfully depose him, and a greater reward for himself. “Blessed,”
says our Lord, “are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner
of evil against you falsely for my sake; rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward
in Heaven.”108 And this, indeed, is the case when any one is expelled by those of his own
rank either on account of envy, with a view to the favor of others, or through hatred, or
from any other wrong motive: but when it is the lot of any one to experience this treatment
at the hand of opponents, I do not think a word is needed to prove what great gain they
confer upon him by their wickedness.
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It behoves us, then, to be on the watch on all sides, and to make a careful search lest any
spark of this desire should be secretly smouldering somewhere. For it is much to be wished
that those who are originally free from this passion, should also be able to avoid it when
they have lighted upon this office. But if any one, before he obtains the honor, cherishes in
himself this terrible and savage monster, it is impossible to say into what a furnace he will
fling himself after he has attained it. Now I possessed this desire in a high degree (and do
not suppose that I would ever tell you what was untrue in self-disparagement): and this,
combined with other reasons, alarmed me not a little, and induced me to take flight. For
just as lovers of the human person, as long as they are permitted to be near the objects of
their affection, suffer more severe torment from their passion, but when they remove as far
as possible from these objects of desire, they drive away the frenzy: even so when those who
desire this dignity are near it, the evil becomes intolerable: but when they cease to hope for
it, the desire is extinguished together with the expectation.
12. This single motive then is no slight one: and even taken by itself it would have sufficed
to deter me from this dignity: but, as it is, another must be added not less than the former.
And what is this? A priest ought to be sober minded, and penetrating in discernment, and
possessed of innumerable eyes in every direction, as one who lives not for himself alone but
for so great a multitude. But that I am sluggish and slack, and scarcely able to bring about
108 Matt. v. 1.
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Book III