"of

of Dagon was left to him." The application of the fate of Dagon to the destiny of sinners, furnishes Massillon with admirable elucidations, which he would never have thought of without this allusion.t

The Abbé Boismont, whose success has been so brilliant in the career of Christian Eloquence, and principally in the species of funeral Oration, has made a very ingenious use of a passage of sacred writ, in his Eulogium of Louis XV.

He begins with recalling all the misfortunes of France, from the beginning of this century, until the wise and prosperous Ministry of Cardinal de Fleury; and, in describing the changes which took place at this period in Administration, all the branches of which had been disgraced by abuses of long standing, he rises to the tone of Bossuet: "Louis said to Cardinal de Fleury, as "formerly the Lord God to the Prophet Ezekiel, "Breathe upon these slain that they may live.‡

* Sam. v. 4; Kings, v. 5. Porro Dagon solus truncus remanserat in loco suo. VULG.

† Some of our English sermons are enriched with such successful scriptural allusions, and applications of scripture language, as, at least, equal any thing quoted by M. Maury from Massillon and Boismont. In some of Sterne's works, this talent is conspicuous. See the note and quotation from Mr. Knox, end of § lvi.

Ezekiel xxxvii. 7, 9.

"The spirit of life suddenly enters into the dry "and withered bones. A gentle but powerful

“motion is communicated to all the members of "this vast wasted body; all the parts reunite, "and adapt themselves to each other: and the "bones come together, bone to its bone."

In this funeral Oration there are many admirable traits, equally sublime, and pictures of the finest Eloquence, worthy of the Orator, who had deservedly obtained universal applause, in his celebration of the Queen and the Dauphin.

SECTION LI.

OF THE FATHERS OF THE CHURCH.

CHRISTIAN Orators! Ye are the Ministers

of the Word of GOD; ye ought, therefore, to draw the substance of your discourses from the sacred books, and to speak the language of the invisible Preacher whom ye represent. If it be true that your lips are the depositaries of science, how will ye be instructive, if ye be not yourselves instructed? Ye will at best preach a morality merely human; ye will never, when discoursing on divine truths, impart to your style the energy of apt expression, if, to the study of the sacred volumes, ye do not join the reading of tradition.

Fenelon, in his Dialogues concerning Eloquence,' hath characterized, with equal precision and taste, the Fathers of the Greek and Latin Church; and the opinion of the Archbishop of Cambray ought to be law.*

We reckon among the Fathers many very learned writers in profane antiquity, such as CLEMENT of Alexandria, ORIGIN, EUSIBIUS. of Casarea, JEROM, and AUGUSTINE.

I am aware, that in their writings, the purity of style doth not always correspond with the extent of erudition, especially if we compare them with Cicero and Demosthenes. But according to the judicious observation of the Abbé de

* See in the English translation of FENELON's Dialogues, on this point, p. 128, 130, and 142.

See also M. ROLLIN's sentiments on this head, and his recommendation to the study of the Fathers, in his Belles Lettres, vol. ii. c. 3, §4, p. 354.

Dr. BLAIR makes the following judicious remark respecting those authors denominated Fathers of the Church.'

Among the Latin Fathers, Lactantius and Minutius Felix are the most remarkable for purity of style; and, in a later age, the famous St. Augustine possesses a consider⚫able share of sprightliness and strength. But none of the "Fathers afford any just models of Eloquence. Their lan'guage, as soon as we descend to the third or fourth century, becomes harsh; and they are, in general, infected with the taste of that age, a love of swoln and strained 'thoughts, and the play of words.' BLAIR, vol. ii. p. 36. W

Fleury when it is intended to appreciate the merits of the Fathers of the Church, we must not forget the time when, nor the country where, they lived; nor to contrast them with their most celebrated contemporaries, AMBROSE with SYMMACHUS; BASIL, with LIBANIUS; and then we perceive how much superior they have been to their age.'

1

It is not, however, requisite that a Preacher should read all tradition. For this, his life would scarcely suffice. But, by making a selection of two or three Fathers of the Church, the most consonant to his genius; by confining himself, moreover, to their rhetorical writings, he will find in them ideas sufficiently striking to embellish and give weight to his sermons.

St. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM is principally deserving of having the choice of a Christian Orator fixed upon him. His diction is pure and splendid; his eloquence is tender and persuasive; and he abounds so much in sublime descriptions, or ingenious ideas, that we find passages to quote in every page of his writings.

Pope CLEMENT XI. who, during his Pontificate, preached yearly at Rome on Easter and Christmas days, and the feast of St. Peter, had the

* Second Discourse.

art of making an admirable use of Chrysostom's writings. His homilies are an excellent assemblage of the most striking thoughts and pathetic sentiments of the Fathers of the Church.*

* As to the style of sermons, it offends against all rules, ‹ if it be not pathetic, nervous and sublime. The path hath ⚫ been pointed out by St. Chrysostom. He who was always 'with God, always fed by the milk of the word, and per'fectly acquainted with the human heart, speaks, thunders, shakes, and leaves to sinners no other answer but cries ' and remorse"

Pope GANGANELLI's Letters, vol. iii. p. 82.

Abp. Fenelon thus characterizes Chrysostom.-' His style is copious, but he did not study false ornaments. All his discourse tends to persuasion: he placed every thing with judgment, and was well acquainted with the holy scriptures, and the manners of men. He entered in

to their hearts; and rendered things familiarly sensible to them. He had sublime and solid notions; and is some⚫ times very affecting. Upon the whole, we must own he ' is a great Orator.' Dialogues concerning Eloquence, dial. iii. p. 143, 144.

'Among the Greek Fathers,' says Dr. BLAIR, 'the most 'distinguished by far, for his oratorial merit, is St. Chrysostom. His language is pure; his style highly figured. He is copious, smooth, and sometimes pathetic. But he re'tains, at the same time, much of that character, which has 'been always attributed to the Asiatic Eloquence, diffuse' ́ ́ and redundant to a great degree, and often overwrought ⚫ and tumid. He may be read however, with advantage, for 'the Eloquence of the pulpit, as being freer of false orna'ments than the Latin Fathers.' BLAIR's Lectures, vol. ii. p. 37.