Untitled - Saints' Books

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CHAP, x.j The Vocation to the Priesthood. 187
St.
Bernard in speaking to clerics,
is
there any one so
insolent as, without orders and contrary to the will of
the pettiest monarch, to assume the direction of his
1
affairs?" And are not priests, as St. Prosper says, the
administrators of the royal house ? 2
Are they not, accord
ing to St. Ambrose, the leaders and rectors of the flock
of Christ"?
according to St. Chrysostom, the "inter
preters of the divine 4
judgments,"
and according to St.
5
Denis, the vicars of Christ Will "?
any one who knows
all this dare to become the minister of God without a
divine call ?
To think of exercising royal authority is, according to
6
St. Peter Chrysologus, criminal in a subject. To in
trude into the house of a private individual, in order to
dispose of his goods and to manage his business, would
be considered temerity; for even a private individual has
the right of appointing the administrators of his affairs.
And will you, says St. Bernard, without being called or
introduced by God, intrude into his house to take charge
of his interests and to dispose of his goods? 7
The Council of Trent has declared that the Church
regards not as her minister, but as a robber, the man
who audaciously assumes the priesthood without a voca
tion. 4 Such priests may labor and toil, but their labors
Auderetne aliquis vestmm terreni cujuslibet reguii, non praeci
piente aut etiam prohibente eo, occupare ministeria, negotia dispensare
?" Conv. adder, c. 19.
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Dispensatores regiae De domus." Vita cont. 1. 2, c. 2.
Duces et rectores gregis De Christi." Dign. sac. c. 2.
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Interpretes divinorum judiciorum."
Vicar ii Christi." Horn. 17.
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Regnum velle servum, crimen est." Serm. 23.
"Quid istud temeritatis, imo quid insaniffi est? tu irreverenter
irruis, nee vocatus, nee introductus." De Vita cler. c. 5.
Decernit sancta Synodus eos qui ea (ministeria) propria temeri^
tate sibi sumunt, omnes, non Ecclesiae ministros, sed fures et latrones
per ostium non ingressos habendos esse." Sess. 23, cap. 4.