Untitled - Saints' Books

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238 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
tempt on his preaching, 1 and
on all his spiritual func
tions, says St. Thomas. 2 The Council of Trent ordains
that they only are to be admitted to the priesthood who
are "conspicuous for piety and chasteness of morals, as
that a shining example of good works and a lesson how
:
to live maybe expected from them." But observe,
that good example should be first expected, and after
wards salutary instructions; the Council calls good ex
ample a perpetual kind of preaching. 4 Priests, then,
should preach, first
by example, and afterwards by
words,
life," says St. Augustine, must be a
sermon of salvation to others." 5 And St. John Chrysostom
writes: "Good example gives forth a louder
sound than trumpets, for . . .
people pay more atten
tion to our deeds than to our words." 6 Hence St.
Jerome said to Nepotianus: Let not works confound
your preaching, lest when you speak in the church every
one should tacitly answer, Why, then, do you yourself
7
not practise what you preach
?" St. Bernard has writ
ten: "You will give power to ytmr voice when people
see that you have previously taken the advice yourself
before you have given it to others; for action is more
1 "
Cujus vita despicitur, restat ut ejus prsedicatio contemnatur."
horn. 12.
Evang.
2
Et eadem "
ratione, omnia spiritualia exhibita."
Suppl. q. 36, a.
In
4-
3
Ita pietate ac castis moribus conspicui, ut pneclarum bonorum
operum exemplum et vitae monita ab eis possint expectari." Sess. 23,
de Ref. c. 14.
4 "
Est perpetuum praedicandi genus."
5 "
Quorum vita aliorum debet esse salutis praedicatio." Serm. 291,
E. B. app.
6
Bona " exempla voces edunt omni tuba clariores." In Matt. horn.
1 "
15-
Non confundant opera tua sermonem tuum, ne, cum in ecclesia
loqueris, tacitus quilibet respondeat: Cur ergo haec, quaedicis, ipse non
facis ?"
Ep. ad Nepotian.