expresse Canons that all Christians should communicate at least once a yeare the same at Easter at the hands of their owne Pastor this is called the Paschall Communion at which time as by the precept of holy Church all that are come to the yeares of discretion doe participate the blessed body blood of our Saviour in the holy Eucharist so commonly doth every one according to their devotion ability make their offering which offering the good people in this Countrey commonly lay downe upon the Altar it is indeed the chiefe maintenance that the Pastor hath for all the yeare after But thinke you this poore groat can escape the Friars gripe No for now the holy weeke approaching the Friar Limitour beftirs himselfe the weeke commonly before after Easter hee visits all the Parishes of his limits he either addresses himselfe unto the Oratory of the Parish Priest or else himself makes a Randeâ—â—us in some principall part of the Parish where he sayes Masse heares confessions receives all he can procure to make the Paschal Communion with him having all the yeare before prepared and perswaded the people that by reason of their Indults priviledges from Rome they shall as well satisfie the precept of the Church in communicating with him as at the hands of the I'astor Neither dare the Parish Priest contest with him for the Friar is not unprovided of his friends who will make good all his pretentions so as if the Priest give but the least opposition hee shall not onely not prevayle but he shall have the frowne of the best of his Parish happily all the yeare after And thus the groat lost by the Priest is found by the Friar where was it all this while but upon the Altar close by the Candlestick This is that good assistance this the help which the Parish Priest at Easter gets by the Friars industry who having found the groat returnes home there rejoyeeth with his fellowes who in other Parishes have done the like service putting the surplus of their gettings into the hands of their syndieus or Treasurer of which every Convent hath one and I pray God such Treasures be reserved for good purposes CAP. II. The Authors Apology and a defence of his Writings BVT now I wot well what our Mendicants with all their faction both in privat publick speeches will thunder out against me Is it well done for a Catholick man to discover the faults of Church men A Priest of his brethren Were it not better that these enormityes were covered with Constantius his purple robe themto be ascan dall a by-word unto so many Atheists misbelieving Sectaryes as these times doe yeeld â—o Did not the Prophet David when he heard of the overthrow of Saul lonathar their slaughter upon the mountaines of Gilbon cry out with great lamentation Nolite enunciare in Gath neque annuncietia in compitis Ascalon 〈◊〉 fortè latentu filin Philistin nâ— exultenâ—iliâ— incircumci sorum O pisblish it not in Gath nor preach it in the streetes of Ascalon left peradventure the daughters of the Philistins doerejoyce and the daughters of the incircumcised triumph To all which what else they can say against these my proceedings I answer with S. Gragary Melius ast ut scandalum orâ—â—tur quam â—t veritas relinquatur Better it is that scandall should arise then that truth should be forsaken And is it possible say I to refixe error not to name it to reprove vice not to tell what colour it is of Have I done otherwise in these my proceedings then the Prophets of God who opposed themselves unto such Prophets as for a piece of bread would prophesie pleasing things in the cares of the people Or then the Apostles of our Saviour who both by word writing did confound the false Apostles who entred in among them to corrupt the truth to adulterat the Gospell of the Kingdome And hath not this beene the practice of the Pastors of Gods Church in all times Did not S. Athanasius S. Hilary S. Aug. most bitterly inveigh against the Arian Heretiques S. Hierom against lovintan Vigilantius S. Beruard against Abaylardus Nay not against false teachers onely but against vitious corrupt livers also have the aforesaid Fathers lanced out into the depth of most sharp reprehensions not sparing the vices either of Church or Laymen of their dayes And why should I in a like cause bee fearefull to imitate so great examples to rebuke such false Prophets as sacrifize not unto the Creator his providence but unto their own fishing-nets lines hookes the fancyes inventions of their own braines To oppose such as call themselves Apostles are not but are found lyars And why should I more feare the face and frownes of a Friar then S. Antony of Padna a principall Preacher among the Friar Minor or S. Bondventure some time generall of their order then S. Francis himselso in stitutor of the same Order Of whom the first hath these words Heu quant â— scissura c. Alas how great divisions how great schismes how great dissentions are there in Religion truly where these be there is nothing but contention in the Chapter-house dissolutenesse in the Quire murmuration in the Oloyster wantonnossein the Dormitary So Antony de Padua in his Sermon upon Sexagesima Sunday S. Bonaventure Cùmsecundùm patres laudantur wonachi in casollis c. When as according to the Fathers The Monkes are praised to have dwelt in cotts poore habitations What is the matter now that you build high stately houses sumptuous Monasteryes you purchase large spacious Courts When as being poore beggars you ought to be contemners of all worldly things So S. Bonaventure q. 6. S. Francis was so farre out of love with his owne Friars as seeing them in his owne dayes no lesse a bound in wickednesse then in number he left off to be thein generall Minister gave them over as his words are to the devills to be their tormentors both in this world in the other for the prevatication of that rule hee instituted the transgression of the vowes of their profession All which much more to the same purpose shall you read in the 1. Tome of the Chronicle of the Friar Minors the laft Chap. What shall 1 say of Iohannes Lanspergius the Carthusian Monk who in a certain Sermon which he preached unto the Congregation of Friars relating the miserable conditioÌ„ of Regulars he utrereth such things as are hardly to be beloeved that a Catholick man would publish I will report his words as they lye and they be these Perijt religio perijt reguluris bonâ—s parumque abest hodie apud nonnullos ut monachum non recenseant inter Christiants Religion is perished Regular honour is perished many are not farre from accounting a Monke searce among Christian men So Lanspergius not many lines after
faste of Dame Luissa shall be able to fetch it our And because that Dives can not obtayne of Abraham that one should come from the dead signifie unto his brethren what entertainment these habit scapular wearers sinde in the next world Our Friars doe the lesse regard what Moses the Prophets what the Apostles Fathers and Generall Councells teach for not being convicted of their â—â—rours by experimentall knowledge of the dead they lesse reck on of any other proofe demonstration or argument which not withstanding wee will not spare further to urge against them or whatsoever else may conferr to the demolition of this so despâ—rat an error possessing the last act of mans life and making the same most tragicall For as it is truly said Quod in bello non bis peceatur A man shall never offend the second time in warre and why because by câ—â—ath the second error is prevented So with much more reason yea with ruth and compassion may it be said of a Christian dying in miâ— beliefe of a matter of such consequence as concernes his eternall woe or welfare non bis peceatur He cannot twise offend An error concluded in death 1â— singular is solitary and unaccompanyed no reparation by repentance to bee hoped for the doore of life being also the doore of mercy which once shut is never more to be opened Marvaile not good Reader that I labour in confronting so horrid a doctrin for if by all my endeavours I draw but one soule by the eares out of this sinke and pit of error it shall well become my profession the disciple of him who sought the stray sheep and finding it brought it home into the fould upon his shoulders or at least I shall avovde that censure of S. Bernard saying Cadit asinno invenit qui sublevet sadit anima non est qui man um apponat The asse falls into the ditch and there is one ready to pull him out the soule falls and there is none to put to his helping hand Bernard super Cantica The absurdity then of this doctrine of the habit and scapular befides what hitherto hath beene said may in this also appeare That if they performe what they promise and what their revelations doe import That is certitude and assurance in this life of glory salvation in the next they surpasse in esticacy all the Sacraments of the Church what soever have been or dayned by divine authority and practised by Christians since the Primitive times untill the second comming of Christ For the Sacraments of the New Testament by our Saviours institution doe onâ—ly conferre grace predent iustification having all their vertue eâ—ticacy from the merit of his passion ex opere operato non ponenti obicem onely as instrumentall causes conferred on such partakers of them as thorough their indisposition either of misbellefe or complacencie in sin doe put no impediment or barre unto their spirituall and supernaturall operation They who desire to see the proofes of this doctrine from Scriptures from Councells the Greeke and Latine Fathers the Schoolemen I remit them among many others unto the second tome of Tho-Waldensis or William Lindanus his Panopliâ— or The. Stapleton his Doctrinalia or Cardinall Bellarmine de sacramentis lib. 2. cap. 3.5 c. Now then say I albeit this be very much that our Saviour hath done for us in the Institution of the Sacramonts yet far more hath S. Francis Sirnon Stoc done for us by the habit scapular because he who this day is cleansed from his sins justified by the vertue divine operation of the Sacraments may after again fall into the like or more grievous sinnes for the fame be damned as of the contrary he who at this time abuseth the Sacraments by reason of the indispositions above mentioned may afterwards be penitent for the same and by the comfort and helpe of them attaine his salvation as may clearely appeare by the Apostles doctrine and admonition unto the Corinthians as touching the use and abuse of the Eucharist 1. Cor. 11. Now I say that by our Friars doctrine the habit the scapular are farre more effectuall unto salvation then any one of the 7. Sacraments or all of them put together can be For whether the habit the scapular worke in the nature of the Sacraments by couferring the first or second grace ex opere operato they doe over and besides conferre the grace of perseverance the perfection of all grace which is glory And this neither the baptizâ—d nor the conformed nor the houselled nor the ordered nor the penitent nor the marryed nor the annointed can promise unto themselves by which it is manifest that in these mens doctrines the Babis the scapular infinitely excell all the vertue of the Sacraments and so accordingly to be held estermed as indeed in many mens eyes and opinions at this day they are But now happily these patrons of the habit scapular pressed or rather oppressed with the weight of these arguments and being ashamed to ascribe the divine workâ— of the Sacraments unto shadowes of no greater authority or antiquiâ—y then the visions of S. Francis S. Simon Stoâ— will happily tell us by way of a qualification of these their absurd assertions That the habit the scapular doe indeed resemble the Sacraments But how onely so far forth as they are signes of future beatitude in the next world without having any vertue or efficacy of effecting what they doe signifie For whereas the 7. Sacraments of the Catholicke Church are indeed signes yet not base naked but withall operative that is as secondary instrumentall causes working that grace which they signifie and signifying that grace which they worke The habit the scapular will these men say are signes of another kind onely foreshewing signifying beforehaÌ„d that happines glory which shal befal al such as shal be fouÌ„d in the houre of death invested with them albeit they no way concurre to the production of the aforesaid glory either by supernatural physicall or morall influx And of this kind of signes we have examples in the Scriptures not a few Such was the Raine bow Genes 9. placed by Almighty God in the clouds after the Flood for a signe unto Noah and all mankind that he would never more destroy the world by water albeit the Rain-bow was no cause of any such effect at all Such was the Fleece of Gideon both wett and dry Iudg. 6. a signe unto him from God that the Madianites Amalekites should be conquered by his hand Such was the Sun 4. Reg. 20. going back ten degrees in the diall of King Ezâ—chias a signe given unto him by the Prophet Elias that he should recover of his infirmity And to omit many other signes like unto these of which the Scriptures are plentifull such was that signe of victor that appeared unto Constantin the Great being to encounter
the desunct somerev ealed to be in glory some in Purgatory others damned As whosoever will peruse that large vo umt of S. Brigids revelations or Casarius or Speculum exemplorum or Capgravins or the Chronicle of S. Francis or any of our later legendary collectors will witnesse with me But setting all these aside which for mine own part as I doe not wholly reject depriving them of all credit authority So neither is my faith so strong as to admit into my Creed very much of what I read of that kind Considering that if the belly hath in all times bin a great Master of Art according to that of the Poet Venter magister artis ingenijque largitor The belly is a Master of Art a supplyer of Invention So above all other in the schoole of our Monkes Mendicants hath the same bin not onely a Master of Art but even Doctor Cathedrations A Doctor of the Chayre pablishing both by voyce writing whatsoever might be serviceable unto the Genius of the place Omitting then all Visions Revelations Apparitions I heare our Saviour saying that there is Spiritus blasphemia there is a sin against the Holy Ghost which shall never be forgiven I heare the voyce of the same truth saying Iohn 3. Such as believe not are judged already I heare the beloved Disciple saying 1. Iohn 5. Est peccatum ad mortem there is a sin unto death for which I say that none doe pray I heare S. Aug. saying De Civitate Deilib 21. cap. 24. If there be any that persist till death in impenitency of heart doth the Church now pray for them that is for the soules of them that are departed I heare also Concilium Braccarense primum cap. 34. forbidding to pray for such as dye in desperation or misbeliefe or kill themselves Tell me then you who pretend to be observantes and the most strict imitators of S. Francis what shall we say of such of your order as have bin mnrdered in flagranti delicte you know my meaning Of so many as have bin executed for Iudaisme by sentence of the Inquisition especially in Spaine Portugall of which sort in Lisboa there was a Friar Minor in the yeare 1610. who was burned in his habit upon a stage dying obstinate in his infidelity till the last breath cryed loude often in a lamentable dying voyce Deus Deus mens ad te de luce vigilo O God O my God from the light doe I wake unto thee What say you to others of your Order who preventing the course of nature have murdered themselves Have you forgotten or can you ever forget that wofull spectacle which hapned in the person of Thomas Barnwel a Franciscan Friar who upon S. Iohn day in Christmasse in the yeare 1630 hanged himselfe in the Orchard of Temple Og scarse two miles distant from the city of Dublin upon the bough of an apple-tree not onely in the habit of his order but using for that execrable service the cord of his habit with which he girt his loyns What voyce is there then so wicked or pen so prophane as to publish these men the like to have dved happily No rather may they say Quid profuit nobis habitus aut scapulare What hath the habit or the scapular prosited us or wherein have they helped us for save that in our life-time they were beneficiall unto cur bellyes the confidence that we had in them after death hath deprived both our bodyes of Christian buriall our soules of the prayers suffrages of the Church and of all faithfull people Now then to conclude this Chap. with are capirulation of such argunents as have bin alledged in the precedent discourse against the doctrine of certaintie of salvation by Habits Scapulars the Luissian fast First then gentle reader thou hast scene the same refuted à priore from authority of the Church Scriptures Councells Fathers Secondly à posteriore thou hast beheld the absurdity falsity thereof layd open before thee ad oculum by very sense experience in all such kindes sorts varietyes of death as by Christians in all times have bin held miserable unhappy ignominious of all which Friars in their Habits have bin sensible sufferers And therefore that doctrine of theirs must needes remaine voyde of all truth That whosoever dyes in their habit shall never be prevented with an unhappy death And yet these be our Apostles Missionaryes sent from Rome to convert Nations and to reduce them to the Catholick faith Such Apostles Preachers as doubtlesse shall never turne any unlesse it be fooles into mad men Truly Friar Missionaryes if these be the signes of your Apostleship this the Gospell you preach sooner shall you catch a Hare with a Tabor then convert a Protestant into a Roman Catholicke If among the savage Indyes you preach these doctrines I know not what credulity you may purchase but if in these parts you seeke to gaine soules to bring such as are astray into the right way doubt lesse it must be by other doctrines then Habits and Scapulars Non obtusa adoo gestamus corda Britanni We Britans live not in so grosse anayre though much unto the North but that we can discerne of colours who preacheth Christ who themselves and if the former had bin till this day as well applyed as the latter happily that lapis scandali that rock of offence at which so many have stumbled had bin before this time removed You Mendicants enter heere among us with specious glorious titles of Legantine Missionary power You tell us you are sent to labour in the Vineyard to worke in the harvest but what sayes the Protestant when he sees all you labour is but to eat the grapes to cull out the best sheaves when they finde all your preaching turned into begging or at least there unto tending Mary say they These be those who preach themselves and not Christ Iesus And say they not truly You tell us you are sent from Rome to assist the Priests and the Pastours ingoverning and feeding of their flocks but verily in all parts of this Kingdome it is well understood what slockes you looke after O how well it becomes the Francisean the Dominican after they have shamed the poore people on a Sunday morning out of their meanes the weeke after to gadd thorough the Parishes to gather in their muttons and hearde them together Compulerantque greges Coridon Thirsis in unum and after to expose them to sale one with another at 12. pence the head in every Barony of this Kingdome Gentlemen expecting when the Friars sheep passe by or where they keepe the market hoping what they got so easily they will not rate too highly And as dextrous as they be in bringing home the strayed sheep so no lesse diligent are they in seeking the lost groat It is a laudable custome of the Church commanded by