Is not this somewhat dangerous ground for "NOTES AND QUERIES" to venture
upon, bearing in mind "the depths profound" of disputatious polemics by
which it is bounded? As, however, A. B. C. has, to a certain extent, led
you forward, it were well for you to offer a more sufficient direction
to the intricacies of the way, than can be found in the only
half-informed "Replies" which have hitherto been given to his inquiry.
This is the more necessary, as we now are accustomed to turn to you for
the resolution of many of our doubts; and, under these circumstances, it
were better that you spake not at all, than that your language be
incomplete or uncertain. But the present question, from the very nature
of the case, is involved in some difficulty; and, to set about the proof
of individual instances of the non-celibate _as a rule_ of the bishops
of the primitive Church, or to discuss probabilities, which have already
formed the subject of much [Greek: paradiatribe], would fill more of
your pages than you would be ready to devote to such a purpose. It would
best then subserve the intentions of your publication, upon such a
matter as the present, to direct the attention of your correspondents to
accredited sources of information, and leave them to work out the
results for themselves. Voluminous are these authorities, but it will be
found that the following contain the entire subject in dispute, as
presented by the combatants on both sides; namely, _The Defense of the
Apologie_, edit. fol. 1571, pp. 194-231, 540-545.; Wharton's _Treatise
of the Celibacy of the Clergy_, in Gibson's _Preservative against
Popery_, fol. 1738, vol. i. pp. 278-339.; and Preby. Payne's _Texts
Examin'd_, &c., in _the same_, pp. 340-359. Previously, however, to
commencing the study of these authorities, I would recommend a perusal
of the statement made by Messrs. Berington and Kirk, on the celibacy of
the clergy, in _The Faith of Catholics_, &c., edit. 1830, p. 384.