Who are Men of the Cloth?
Today, when we hear the term “men of the cloth,” it almost always refers to members of the clergy, who can be distinguished by the special clothing they wear all the time, or merely during the performance of church services. Actually, the origin of “men of the cloth,” was not specific to priests. Anyone who wore a uniform while working, like a chef’s coat, or a servant’s livery were men of the cloth through the 16th century. Special clothing worn only for a job meant a worker was a man of the cloth and bore no especial reference to clergymen. In the 17th century, language changed, as it frequently does, to make the term men of the cloth apply exclusively to members of the clergy. No longer was a servant or a page with a uniform a man of the cloth. Further, the priesthood in general may be called “the cloth,” and those serving in it, the men of the cloth. Some also reference the collar as an essential part of the men of the cloth uniform. In fact, several ministers who were also poets w
