and he
added, that the ruin of the church was greatly owing to the secular
lives of the clergy.

To this Dr. Beaumont replied, that in different states of the church
different duties were required of her ministers. And if (as experience
proved) in a state of persecution, the head of the flock was first
called to suffer, it followed that in prosperous times those who
occupied that station should also be admitted to an upper seat at "the
shearer's feast." Wealth, power, and splendour, are not of necessity
sinful. They did indeed often afford temptations to offend, and so did
poverty; a low servile condition, a life of austerity and mortification,
nay, even religious observances, for the Pharisee sinned in an act of
worship, by boasting himself to be righteous, and despising others. "It
must ever be," said he, "while the Christian priesthood is filled by men
subject to infirmity, that in prosperous times the ministry will, in
numerous instances, be formed of worldly-minded persons, who follow
their Lord for the bread he distributes, and care little for the bread
of life. Such persons being active, ambitious, practised in those habits
which bring their possessors into notice, endowed with much worldly
wisdom, and perhaps supported by powerful interest, must, according to
the ordinary course of things, climb to eminent stations, and by the
publicity of their conduct give occasion to scandal. But no sooner does
the church appear in danger, than these mock supporters desert her;
either changing their party for that which, they think, will eventually
predominate, or seeking personal security in concealment. But then the
true servants of God appear in view; they who, meek and humble, pious
and learned, claim only the distinction of defending or suffering for a
calling which they embraced with a view of fulfilling its duties, not of
engrossing its rewards. All this results, not from the discipline of our
church, but from human nature; and which-ever of your sects finally
gains the ascendancy, the worldly-minded man will find in it the same
expedients to help him to obtain the secular objects at which he
aspires."

"As to your charge, Mr. Barton, that the lives of our clergy gave
occasion to the downfall of our church, you cannot prove it, unless,
invested with the attribute of omniscience, you can look into the hearts
of men, and estimate the comparative worth of two numerous communities.
The claims of our church to apostolical