Christ which in those books are not affirmed of S. Francis as for example to be truly borne of a Virgin mother to be the eternall Sonne of God conceaued without sinne the promised Messias of the Iewes the onely Christ proued himselfe to be God I hope no Protestant but doth both see and detest it And as for the taming of wild beasts and their obeying and honouring Gods Seruants as if they were endued with reason the liues of Saints both of the old and new Testament are full of exaÌ„ples as Balaams (g) Num. 22. Asse Elias his (h) 1. Reg. 3. â— 17. Crow Daniels (i) Daniel c. 14. Lions and in the new the two Lions that made S. Paul the first Hermit his graue in their language seeming to bewayle his death (k) HieroÌ„ in eius vita And the like story to this of the wolfe tamed by S. Francis you may read of another wolfe in Seuerus Sulpitius a most ancient (l) He liued anno 400. Dial. 1. c. 8. Tua haec viâ—tus Christe tua suÌ„t haec Châ—iste miracula Etenim quae in tuo nomine operantur serui tui tua sunt Et in hoc ingemiscimê° quòd MaiestateÌ„ tuaÌ„ seâ—â—â— senti unt homines non verentur Father which story he concludeth in another manner then M. Crashaw thus exclayming vnto Christ This is thy power oâ— Sauiour these thy wonders for the myracles which thy seruants worke in thy name be thine but this we lament that men dâ— not feare thy Maiesty which euen wild beasts do feele Thus this Saint did giue honour to Christ that could tame wolues wild beasts and make them subiect to his seruants which myracle M. Crashaw taketh in great snuffe we should vrge him and his fellowes to the like and no wonder though he feare seeing one wolfe will deuour another though he pretend this excuse because Christ Iesus their Captaine forsooth neuer did such a wonder But if you pose them with written wonders he and his Hugonots know how to do them at their fingers ends And if I might pose them I should only require that he and his good fellowes of England meet with their Brethren Hugonots of France midway betwixt Douer and Calis walking vpon the waters as Christ and S. Peter did which when they haue done we may promise neuer to bid them more to goe tame wolues seeing they so snuffe we should vrge them with S. Francis his myracles nor do any other wonder after that which alone might suffice to send them to their true Captaine rid Christendome of a great deale of trouble The tenth and eleauenth wounds or slaunders concerning Indulgences graunted by the Pope to Churches and Graynes THIS lying without booke or proofe M. Crashaw doth likewise obserue in his two next wounds à pag 105. ad p. 114. against Pardons and Indulgences graunted vnto Churches Grains which he beginneth with a most palpable vntruth That two or three hundred yeares agoe Indulgences did grow to such height of rotten ripenesse that all men of vnderstanding euen of the Popes owne brood were ashamed of them and that many of the wiser euen in that misty tyme did see and laugh at the nakednesse of Popery in that point Where to omit the putred tearmes of rotten-ripenes and misty tymes which are fit phrases for a Bachelour of his brood the substance of his saying is such that the Minister may seeme to dreame that he is speaking to posts not vnto men of learning among whome are none but know The doctrine of Indulgences hath byn more fully handled with in these last 400. years then euer before that Catholike Deuines within the last 400. or 300. yeares haue written more copiously clearly fully and resolutely of this matter then any before as he that will discouer the Bachelours bouldnes in talking he knowes not what may see the Deuines vpon the 4. Sentent distinct 20. the Canonists vpon the Decretalls tit de Poenitentijs remissionibus besides many others that haue written large and peculiar Treatises of this subiect so far they were from being ashamed therof And I much wonder that such shamefull fooleries could creep into print and that Ministers do not blush at their Bachelours bould ignorance herein 8. But before we come to proue the sacred and venerable antiquity of this practise we must cleere our doctrine of Pardons from the grosse slaunder wherwith our Bachelour seeketh to apparell Popery standing he saith naked in this point and as shamelesse in her impiety as the VVhore in her sinne the same modesty and charity mouing him now to cloath her with lyes and slaunders which in the eight wound forced him to discouer her skirts to wit to make her odious hatefull The slaunder is That we teach that Beades or Buckles of brasse hallowed by the Pope haue such vertue of Pardon and Indulgence annexed vnto them that Christs owne bloud can haue no more (n) pag. 108. and that for a toy or trifle a man hath graunted him many thousand yeares of Pardon and is absolued from the guilt both of sinne and payne and made cleare and free as he was the houre he was (o) p. 105. baptized Which vggly raggs of horrible blasphemy we doe detest teaching concerning Indulgences the points of doctrine that follow 9. First that whereas the least drop of Christs precious bould might suffice to redeeme a thousand worlds no grayne nor holy place can haue power or vertue annexed vnto it to remit the guilt of the least sinne no not of a veniall sinne as Catholike Deuines teach (p) Vide Bellar toÌ„ 3. l. 1. de Indulg c. 7. conclus 1. Per indulgentias non absoluimur nec soluimur à reatu cul pae vllius id est nec laethalis nec venialis Et quideÌ„ de culpa laethali nulla dubitatio esse potest and as for mortall sinnes committed after baptisme for those before baptisme are remitted by that Sacrament no such synnes can be forgiuen but by confessing the same with sorrow and contrition of hart to a Priest that hath authority to absolue which to be our doctrine no child in our Church that is come to yeares of discretion but doth know Secondly that though the guilt of sinne be remitted by the Sacrament of pennance through the merits of Christs precious bloud yet there doth often remayne an obligation of temporall punishment to be payd by satisfactory workes in this life or if we neglect them by Purgatory fyer of the next Thirdly that these PeÌ„nances may be eyther voluntarily assumed by ourselues or imposed by the Church vpon vs wherein she may vse some pardon requiring lesse then the grieuousnes of our sinnes deserue forgiuing the rest by the power of those keyes which Christ left her to bynd and loose on earth not only temporall satisfactions but euen sinne also in the Sacrament of PeÌ„nance Fourthly that the cause of this pardon must not be a toy or
thy sinnes with the water of life she nursed thee with the milk of Christian doctrine she adorned thee with the attyres of all vertues that although all the glory of the Kings Daughter be within (u) Omnis gloria filiae Regis ab intus in fimbrijs aureis Ps 44. v. 14. yet also the very hemmes of thy garment trayling on the ground were of gold I meane Monuments of piety planted vpon the ground Churches Monasteryes Colledges Hospitalls and such like some particles wherof left by thy late Deformers still remaine wonders of ancient piety spectacles of magnificent liberality and are at this day the greatest ornaments of thy land This Church first taught thee a Christian Language turned thy barbarous tongue into the sweet sound of Alleluia banished from thy lips the vncouth names of Paynim Gods put into thy mouth the sauing name of Iesus She fed thee at her owne table with grace which from her Sacraments floweth she gaue thee celestiall educatiō teaching thee to conuerse with God and Angells She by her wordes inspyred into thy hart contempt of the world heroycall thoughts worthy of thy noble birth which made so many of thy Kings (x) Sigebert Elfride Coenrede Offa Inas Ceololfe others Queenes (y) Queen Alfrede Ethelburg wife to K. Inas Etheldred Sexburge c. Princely Children forsake the fading flowers of worldly glory This benefit the chiefe of all others to which compared the rest are nothing hast thou receiued from that Church whom some of thine a degenerous ofspring of so noble a Stock would perswade thee to pursue with sword fire for maintayning that very faith which from Paganisme she conuerted thee vnto A benefit so cleare that without apparent impudency none can deny it so great that whilst thou hast any Christianity in thee thou wilt euer esteeme it (z) Quod nos magno beneficio affecit Gregorius id sēper gratissima memoria recolemus VVhitak lib. 5. cont Duraeum pag. 394. and it is great want of iudgment in any of thy children that desire to retaine the name of Christians to make a shew to contemne it 25. Now if the Roman Church Religiō can bring men vnto God as by this Conuersion of our Countrey it proued to say nothing of so many barbarous Nations that are daily conuerted from Paganisme to Christ by the Ministery of our men Protestants hauing so much busines at (a) Nobisdomi in propinquo satis superque est Beza vbi supra And what busines this is Tertullian told long age Negotium est Haereticis non Ethnicos conuertendi sed nostros peruertendi de prascript c. 42. home that they haue not leasure to attend to it it followeth out of M. Crashaws owne Principles that the Romā Church is not to be forsaken seeing the Church that doth beget men vnto Christ can make them perfect in Christ she that began can effectually finish Gods worke in any man finally the Church that can bring men to God to grace to faith can bring them likewise to saluation and glory And seeing it is most certaine we confesse it Protestants also in the Nicen Creed that the Church is (*) Neque enim multae Sponsae Christi Cyprian epist 75. one that it is Catholike to wit the same euery where ouer the world it is cleare that they which are not one and the same Church with the Roman where God grace faith saluation and glory is found are without true faith out of Gods grace and can neuer attayne to saluation which cannot be had but in the one and Catholicke Church The Paschall Lamb must be eaten in one house quia saith S. Augustine in vna Catholica Ecclesia vera hostia redemptionis immolatur (b) Ser. 10. de tempore because in the one Catholick Church the true Sacrifice of redemption is offered And if you desire to know where this one Church is more particulerly heare the same Father in another place The (†) Munus beatae vitae non nisi intra Ecclesiam reperitur quae supra petrā fundata est quae ligandi soluendi claues accepit l. 4. de lapsis cont Donatist c. 1. gift of blessed life saith he is not found but within that Church which is founded vpon the rock which receyued of Christ the keyes to loose and bynd This Church is one which doth hold and possesse the whole power of her spouse and Lord. Thus S. Augustine 26. VVherfore they do deceaue men who make them belieue that they will bring them from the chamber of their mother because she is an Adultresse in conclaue Patris into the conclaue or closet of the Father not knowing or not vnderstanding or not being willing to belieue the saying of S. Cyprian Adulterari non potest Sponsa Christi the Spouse of Christ cannot be an Adultresse she is vndefiled she is chast she keepeth with inuiolable chastity the sanctity of one chamber (c) Incorrupta est pudica vnam domum nouit vnius cubiculi sanctitatē casto pudore custodit ep 73. And what vndutifull children are these that accuse their mother of adultery (d) An vt dogmata Caluiniana defendas coniugis Christi matris suae viscera instinctu nefario non erroris sed furotis infamas August contra Iulian. l. 3. c. 17. without any proofe of the tyme when or the place where or the person with whōe she committed the same She is the Schismaticke saith M. Crashaw for separating her self from Christ The Roman Church saith another is indeed our mother in whom and by whom God did beget vs and brought vs forth the heyres of his Kingdome but because she is a whore and adultresse we contest or beare witnes against her (e) Romana Ecclesia est mater nostra in qua per quam Deus nos regenerauit c. Sed quia Meretrix Adultera est meritò cōtra eam contestamur Sarauia de diuers gradibus Minist p. 57. But can these witnesses tell the tyme when she went from her first faith When she played this foule part No truly Some (*) See the Protestāts Apology tract 1. sect 9. subd 25 say straight after the Apostles others in Constantynes tyme others in S. Gregoryes dayes others some two hundred yeares after Doe they know with whome Some say it was Pope Hildebrand or Gregory the 7. others Boniface the third others S. Leo the great (f) Beza confess general c. 7 sect 12. others S. Siluester (g) Napier vpon the reuelatiōs pag. 43. some think that Antichrist was borne in the Apostles tyme glaūcing at S. Peter as though he were the man (h) Powel l. 1. de Antichristo 34. n. 10. And be these thinke you cōuenientia testimonia agreeing testimonyes Did the testimonies of the false witnesses against Christ more iarre then these doe against his Spouse If the very Iewes in their extremity of malice durst not for
that tyme of her confessed purity to release and pardon pennances and satisfactions non solùm grauioribus sed etiam leuioribus (a) epist ad Decen c. 7. commissis not only for greater but also lesser offences And (b) Burch l. 19. l. 8. can 18. Burchardus an ancient writer (c) Ann. 1020. doth likewise shew that in the Church pennances were appointed euen for many common and ordinary sinnes as idle or rash oathes were punished some with 15. some with 40. dayes mayming with the pennance of a whole yeare wounding with the fasting of fourty dayes fornication with pennance of ten dayes and so other vulgar and ordinary sinnes 13. By which you may see that if this doctrine and practise of the ancient Church be true and sound how many thousand yeares of pardon M. Crashaw doth need for so many thousand slaunders vntruthes and blasphemyes against God and his Church he hath vttered in his sermons since he began to preach How many thousands would one sermon set him on the skore This only slaunder which here he vttereth without proofe or shame that a litle peece of white waxe or crucifixe of a litle mettall it may be brasse or copper such as the Iesuits of late sent into England by thousands at once as good inough to serue the English Catholicks a litle medall or a litle bead or buckle or other matter of no more value these toyes and trinkets I say saith he they can sell by this meanes and eueryday doe vtter at a higher rate then the Ieweller can his pearle or dyamond And I somwhat meruaile that among these toyes trinkets medals and mettals beades and buckles brasse and copper he doth not also reckon lead of which mettall the Gentlemen of the Temple know that he can make good gayne whome for shoo-buckles of brasse or latchets of leather one may trust for the matter is not great but for a pearle and diamond so precious as is the soule and in the affayre that concernes the eternall woe or weale thereof to belieue him were extreme rashnes and folly seing by this vntruth they may easely see he hath care neyther of conscience or credit For any may easely know that all Catholicke Casuists and Doctors teach it to be Symony and a damnable sinne to sell any holy thing at a dearer rate because it is holy (d) Si cariùs vendantur ratione consecrationis aut benedictionis quaÌ„ antea valebant ratione suae materiae vel artis Simonia committitur haec est coÌ„munis Theologorum SuÌ„mistarum assertio Suarez de Relig l. 4. c. 14. n. 3. so that if the account of his lyes vtterd in the former wordes were exactly cast I make no doubt but the totall summe would amount to millions How many thousand yeares of fasting and other pennance would the primitiue Church haue thought due to expiate so vast an vntruth which did appoint so long space of pennance for lesser sinnes And yet doth he meruaile that men may need the Church graunt Indulgences of a thousand yeares which thousand yeares are vnderstood of Canonicall pennance anciently vsed in the Church (e) Indulgentia tot dieruÌ„ vel annorum c. significat remissioneÌ„ paeniteÌ„tiae quae perageÌ„da fuisset tot diebus vel annis secunduÌ„ veterem Ecclesiae rituÌ„ Bellarm. l. 1. de Indulg c. 9. which still men are bound to practise though the Church doe not vrge the publicke vse thereof But the sharpnes of the punishment as sometimes in Purgatory or the feruour of pennance which some vse in this life may satisfy the length of tyme so that many thousand yeares sometymes may be satisfyed with the feruent pennance or sharp Purgatory paynes of one yeare or day (f) In hac vita paenitentia multorum annoruÌ„ potest vna hora persolui si paeniteÌ„tes teÌ„poris diuturnitatem vehemeÌ„tia charitatis coÌ„peÌ„sent In Purgatorio quoque acerbitatis vehementia faciat vt debituÌ„ viginti millium annorum annis 300. vel 400. expiari queat Bel. larm l. 1. de Indul. c. 9. which truth supposed it is easy to answer the ignorant cauills which the Bachelour maketh at the graunting of so many yeares pardon because saith he Purgatory shall end with the world and the world not last so many thousand yeares which we confesse to be true and further add that many thousand yeares of Canonicall pennance may be purged by the sharp payne of Purgatory in one day or houre 14. It is cleare therfore that the ancient Church did practise both imposing of pennances for sinnes and releasing of these pennances by pardon which Protestants cannot deny but their answere is that those pennances which by Indulgence the Church did remit were only appoynted for orders sake as signes of harty repentance to terrify by that seuerity the faithfull to satisfy the Church her discipline not God his wrath But will this deuise serue their turnes to obscure the cleare truth No. The testimonies of Fathers are playne that those pennances were necessary to satisfy the iustice of God (g) Per paenueÌ„tiaÌ„ Deo satisfacere Tertullian l. de paenitent that by these satisfactions sinnes were redeemed (h) Satisfactionibê° lamentationibus iustis peccata redimuntur Cyprian lib. 1. epist 3. God pacifyed (i) Dominus nostra satisfactione placandus Idem serm de laâ—sis his iustice satisfied (k) Tum debet Sacerdos peccata dimittere cùm viderit congruam satisfactionem Innocent 1. epist 1. c. 7. and his mercy obtayned so that Kemnitius a pryme Protestant chosen among thousands to enter in the field against the whole Councell of Trent doth make this publick confession of this truth I know well saith he that the Fathers do too largely extend the Canonicall disciplyne of pennance that Tertullian saith that sinnes are expiated by satisfactions Cyprian that by them sinnes are redeemed washed healed and the iudge appeased Augustine that God is pacifyed by satisfactions for our former sinnes (l) KeÌ„nit in Exam. sess 25. CoÌ„cil Trid. c. Thus Kemnitius writeth And the like confession doth naked truth force Caluin vnto another chosen Champion of the new Ghospell to encounter the Tridentine Councell I do see indeed saith he many of the ancient Fathers I will speake plainly in a manner all whose books remaine haue erred in this point or spoken too crabbedly or (m) See Caluins Institutions translated into English l 3 c. 4. n. 38. harshly Thus you see the Protestants are compelled to graunt two points of Popery to haue bene the vniforme doctrine of the ancient Fathers and Church First that pennances fastings almes-giuing and the like were necessary and required by the primitiue Christianity to satisfy God not the Church only Secondly that Bishops of the primitiue Church did vse to pardon these very pennances and satisfactions euen which were necessary to appease Gods wrath which is the doctrine of Pardons and Indulgences which we maintaine 13. Who will not laugh at
Christians as the Pope indeed is and hath euer beene so esteemed by the famous Christianity in all ages Now heare the third reason VVe hyred him not saith he to wit Agrippa to belye the Pope we thanke him for nothing but the truth That Protestants hyred not this Necromant to belye the Pope he doth not proue but barely say it leauing vs as doubtfull as we were before besides bewraying that such practises of hyring lying writers and witnesses do passe through their thoughts which so great malice as this Bachelour doth shew against the Pope may mooue vs to feare and suspect that many doe intertayne hyring others to doe that they practise themselues which may be the cause that so many lying Bookes and Pamphlets fly abroad euen in some Catholicke CouÌ„treys And thus much about Agrippa 12. The second Author is Oleaster a Spanish Doctor and Inquisitor pag. 155. who is not he saith subiect to exception as Agrippa was whom he bringeth in complayning that filthy gaynes are taken by some Ministers of the Church (x) Oleaster in cap. 23. Deuteron But doth he speake of the Pope or of rent and reuenewes taken from stewes Neither of the one nor of the other but of such presents and gifts which such women did voluntarily offer vnto the Church which God forbiddeth to be taken (y) Deuts 23. v. 18. and yet some Priests did accept therof as he complaynes But what is this to the Pope If some Priests did take the gifts of such women how doth it follow that the Pope doth exact of them so many thousandes a yeare Where also you may note by the way his fraud who to make Oleasters wordes sound somewhat to his purpose which truly cited haue not the least connexion with it changeth the sentence putting in wordes of his owne and leauing out the wordes of the Author both in Latyn and English For wheras Oleaster saith Noluit ab his munera acceptari God would not haue the presents and gifts of harlots accepted he leaueth these wordes quite out and putteth these of his owne in their roome Vetat ne merces meretricum ei offeratur God forbids to bring into his house the hyre of the whore which is not Oleasters sentence but is put in wholy by the Bachelour to obscure and darken the meaning of his complaynts as though they were against the Pope for taking a rent of the Whorish trade who complayneth as hath beene said against some inferiour Ministers for taking voluntary gifts of such women 13. The third Author is (z) In candelabro aureo tit de confess num 60. Alphonsus Viualdus pag. 136. whom he bringeth next after Nauar as the second maintayner of the stewes because he saith that such women are not comprehended in the yearly excommunication which Bishops pronounce against such as doe not confesse and communicate at Easter Doe you not perceyue how for want of direct proofe this Minister is fayne to goe about the bush to get some of our Authors that may seeme to fauour his foolish slaunder And I am sory I cannot come to the sight of this Authour whom it is apparant the Bachelour doth abuse by iumbling togeather thinges that haue no cohereÌ„ce togeather as the reasons which he makes Viualdus bring for this opinion that such women are not excommunicate do shew The first because the Romish Church doth neuer publish nor denounce them The second because none thereupon doth refuse their company which are idle reasons to proue that intent seing many are excommunicated by our Church who are not denounced by name whose company men are not bound to auoyd And when I pray you doe these men that obiect want of seuerity vnto vs excommunicate such women and denounce them by name Who did euer heare that after excommunication any man refused their company out of feare to incurre their Bishops censure What practise hath their Church of publick pennance without which none of these women can be admitted to the Sacraments of our Church Doe not such women goe from their houses in London which are but too much knowne to the Church and communion without any other pennance and preparation besides an act of sole faith by which made as holy and pure in (a) Sumus pares matri Dei aequè sancti sicut illa Ser. de Natiuit Mariae Luthers Doctrine as the B. Virgin they returne sanctified to their wonted haunt which they sanctify by such workes as are sutable with sole faith And yet Ministers great Preachers forsooth of pennance stout maintayners of Church discipline doughty and deadly enemyes of Whores if once a yeare they put one in a white sheete haue forheads which doe not blush to obiect want of seuerity against such sinnes in the discipline of the Catholick Church because all Bishops doe not yearly denounce them excommunicate by name for not receauing at Easter which is done as Viualdus saith out of contempt of such shameles and impudent women whom the Church iudgeth vnworthy and too base to lay her censures vpon (b) Meretrices non suÌ„t dignae lâ—queis legum For though other synnes are more heynous and hurtfull yet none more base contemptible then this by which contempt it is thought they may more efficaciously be reclaimed then be her censures 14. The fourth is Iacobus de Graffijs (c) Iacobus de Graffijs tom 1. l. 1. c. 9. art 8. 9. a learned Casuist whom not only he accuseth as a fauourer of the stewes as falsly and impudently as he did Nauar but also chargeth him that to make vp the measure of his iniquity he doth teach that the law doth so far forth tolerate fornication and stewes that it takes order to compell the whores to refuse no man if he offer her her pay The wordes saith he are too bad to be repeated in English (*) Quid tacendo amplius criminaris Vere cundiam simulas vt Lector te putet parcere qui mentiens nec animae tuae pepercisti Hierom Apol 3. in Ruffin c. 6. Here indeed is a peece of Protestant modesty that is of shameles impudency to which perchance all other of their impudent prancks may stoope For he repeateth whatsoeuer may be obscene in that sentence with more impure wordes then the Author vseth and then maketh a shew to stop out of modesty forsooth as though the words following might not be rehearsed without shame But his Virginall modesty shall giue vs leaue to repeat them that the cause of his suddaine stop and bashfulnes may appeare These be the wordes which for modesty he would not vtter Ita Decius L. Inuitus num 7. c. that is So did Decius hold or so did he declare the ciuill law where he chargeth Iacobus de Graffijs with the opinion of Decius But what more saith Graffijs in that place let vs heare him out and if the Bachelour blush to see his falshood it will be some signe of
grace at the least a signe that he is not altogeather past shame for he that doth not blush in this case must haue I thinke a face of brasse Quam opinionem saith de Graffijs vt erroneam nullo facto probabilem impugnat (d) Couarruu Var. resolut Couarruuias Which opinion as erroneous and in no case probable Couarruuias impugneth with whom he ioyneth other learned Authors reiecting the said opinion of Decius out of whom he bringeth this euident demonstration Graffijs loco â—it conuincing Decius his opinion to be false and erroneous Meretrix non tenetur mortale peccatum cum quolibet committere ergo nec inuita potest ad coitum compelli Bad women are not bound to coÌ„mit mortall sinne with any wherfore they cannot be compelled against their will to any sinfull act These were the wordes and doctrine which the Bachelour out of blashfulnes did omit such Virgins the Protestant Church breedeth which blush not to charge and reuile Authors for teaching that which they leaue reiected by graue authority vnder sharpest censure and confuted with euident reason Let the Reader iudg which is the gracelesse child impudent as his mother Iacobus de Graffijs or VVilliam Crashaw and thereby ghesse if by the children a coniecture may be made of the mother which Church Protestant or Catholick deserue the title of harlot so frequent in his mouth Where also yow must note that Decius doth not speake of any law made by the Church of Rome pag. 138. as the Bachelour lyeth saying that the Romish Church tyeth whores by a law to refuse no man but according to the ciuill law by which in Decius his opinion he that should offer violence to a woman that doth publickly professe that trade is not punishable by the ciuill law for no question but in conscience before God he doth sinne most grieuously though therein (e) l. 3. var. resolut c. 14. Extraordinaria poena omnino puniendê° erit Couarruuias proueth that euen by the ciuill law such offenders are to be punished though not ordinaria poena which is appointed for rauishers of Virgins honest women yet poena extraordinaria at the arbitrement of the Iudg as Bartolus teacheth and Couarruuias (g) Vbisubra Neapolitana constitutio poena mortis puniendos esse statuit addeth that in some places namely in Naples such violence euen vnto publick women is punished as felony with losse of life 15. Now followeth Cardinall Tolet to whom he saith the stewes were much bound for teaching that such women are not bound to restore the price of their hyre how much soeuer it be after it be once giuen because that action is not against iustice whereupon he addeth that the Church of Rome byndeth men by a law to pay such women their hyre pag. 138. But neuer expect to find the doctrine of our Authors truly related or their wordes faithfully cited pag. 139. and translated by this Bachlour nor any thing but foolish lyes inferred out of them howsoeuer he protest to the contrary In this litle sentence of Tolet first these wordes quamuis accipiant in excessu though they take money in excesse that is somthing aboue their due he doth falsely translate how much soeuer it be secondly in these wordes si liberè eis donetur (h) Toletus in instruct Sacerdot l. 5 c. 10. edit Lugdun 1606. if it be freely giuen them he leaueth out freely in which word all the force of that doctrine doth consist translating it if it be once giuen they are not bound to restore which is false and expresly against Tolet and the rest of our Casuists who say that when that money is not freely and frankly giuen but extorted by fraud and deceipt (i) Cùm fraude extorquetur pecunia ibid. these women are bound to restore though it were once or twice giuen Thirdly he peruerteth Cardinall Tolets reason which is not because that sinne is not against iustice for sometymes when the man or woman is marryed it is against iustice but because the woman in that sinfull act to wit in taking the money which is freely giuen as a recompence thereof doth no iniustice to the man that doth freely giue it nam volenti non fit iniuria as the Philosopher saith a man cannot be wronged in a thing he is willing vnto Fourthly his inference is a false slaunder that the Roman Church hath a law to tye men to pay the hyre vnto such women For neyther doth Tolet speake of any law of the Church of Rome but declares the law of nature when gifts are valide and when they are to be restored againe nor doth he say that men are bound in iustice to pay such women but such women may retayne or not returne vnto their lewd mates what was once freely and frankely giuen them but neyther can they make any such bargaine nor after the performance thereof exact the hyre as a due without sinne as our (k) Peccat meretrix accipiendo mercedeÌ„ tamquam debitum operae suae fornicariae Nauar in man c. 17. n. 40. Casuists teach namely Nauar whom he doth most traduce as a fauourer of this practise And M. Crashaws eagernes to haue such women bound in iustice to restore may make vs suspect that he doth expect some good summes would returne to his hands home againe were such restitutions made but he should before hand haue remembred that Orators saying Non amo tanti poenitere Neyther doe I thinke Protestant Queanes vse to make such repayments seeing among those of their better sort restitution of any thing though not freely giuen but fraudulently gotten is a rare byrd But these men that loue to haue Babel the subiect of their Sermons must bable something though it make much more against themselues then any man els 16. In the last place comes the Pope himselfe in person to be Patron of the stewes and why thinke you pag. 140 what doth he in their fauour All the Bachelour can inuent against him is that in the Bulla Coenae which he makes to meete with all his enemyes at once he doth not put in Whores Where the Bachelour doth much complayne that the Pope excommunicating Caluinists and Lutherans and such hereticks doth not ioyne all the Whores in the world with them perchance because as he saith when the Pope doth curse any God will blesse them (l) Virginian Sermon pag. 60 more he doth grieue that women whom he loueth so dearely should be without this blessing But such follyes deserue no answere neyther do I thinke that Protestants vse to excommunicate such women in their Bulla Coenae and sure I am that some of their owne friends do complayne that in the very weeke before Easter euen on good Friday after their Lords supper in some places they are more dissolute drunken and vse the company of such women more then at other tymes (m) Quoties nos cum magno dolore vidimus in ipsa magna
Hebdomada laruis indutos discurrere crapula atque libidine in ipsa sacra Parascene ludibūdos diffluere in omni genere obscoenitatis atque lasciuiae Crecanouius de corruptis moribus c. And yet as though they were great louers of chastity and mourners for our misery the Minister doth conclude Seeing man saith he cannot separate whom the Diuell hath ioyned let vs leaue the stewes in Rome and the Pope in his stewes and mourning for their misery let vs proceed 17. But M. Bachelour if you proceed in this sort you will soone proceed Doctour and put the Diuell in danger to loose his Chayre And though you haue played the Purseuant in Rome seeking into the synkes of the citty to fynd some things against vs and euen into priuyes to find some priuy Protestants and members of your Church yet will I not follow your example to play the Constable in London and search into your dunghills at Pickthach and neere vnto Bedlam and in Shorditch which are places but too well knowne and you know much more probable it is that I might find many Ministers your self among others in one of these haūts then you the Pope in any stewes in Rome But I will spare you at this tyme and only wish you to reflect on that which the world knoweth and some of your side doe much wonder at to wit that when any of our Priests can be kept no longer from stewes they runne incontinently vnto your Churches And tell me I pray you if you know or informe your self (n) Atkinsō Rouse Smith others if you know not whether the first Protestant Church these Conuertites visit and doe their deuotion in be not euer commonly a knowne Conuenticle of your women professors Whether such Penitents be not first admitted vnto the profession of your religion in the lap of that louing Congregatiō where they make the first generall confession of their infirmityes with litle shame and much sorrow to haue bene so long chast where they are absolued from their vow of chastity and in pennance are bound to wallow in the sharp thornes of carnall lust in which the swynish beginner of your Church by mariage with Bore the Nunne doth say that S. Bennet being tempted might better haue rubbed his skyn then in materiall (o) Benedictus fise in sētes vrticas cōiugalis vitae coniecisset plus profecisset cutemque Suā longè meliùs perfricuisset in Alcorano p. 318. Vide Sedul prae scrip aduhaeres 20. n. 6. thornes where finally stript naked of all goodnes they begin to put on the sole-faith-suite of your Ghospell And this manner of receyuing Apostaticall Proselites into the body of your Church being so known yet your Puritanicall sanctity can set a face on the matter as though you longed our conuersion from stewes to your chast conuenticles mourning for our misery vpon the bankes of Babylon who feast and banquet and sing Geneua psalmes for ioy vpon the bankes of the Thames in the sunne-shyne of your new light with your louing sisters by your side where we must leaue you and would willingly leaue to speake further of these vncleant matters but being once in the stewes you will not out till your Sermon be ended His fifteenth wound or slaunder That a man may keepe a wife or a whore as he pleaseth by our practise 18. IN this fifteenth wound which followeth as an Appēdix to that of the Stews he chargeth the Church of Rome with allowing Concubines neuer allowed saith he in the old Testament and absolutely condēned in the new He citeth to this purpose the words of the Canon law He that hath not a wife but for a wife a Concubine let him not for that he repelled from the Communion yet so that he be content with one woman eyther a wife or Cōcubine (q) Is qui non habet vxorē sed pro vxore Concubinam à cōmunione non repellatur Decret d. 34. c. 4. But the Canon law that none might be deceaued but such as would wilfully shut their eyes not to see the truth among whome this Bachelour is one both before after this Canon doth declare in what sense the word Concubine is taken in it By Concubine in the following Canon is vnderstood the woman that is marryed without legall instruments but yet is taken with coniugall affection which maketh her wife though in law she be called Concubine (r) Cōcubina hic intelligitur quae cessantibus legalibus instrumentis vnita est coniugali affectu asciscitur hanc coniugem facit affectus concubinam verò lex nominat which acception of the word Concubine is conformable to the Ciuill law and also to holy Scripture which calleth Agar Gen. 25. and Cecura both wiues and Concubynes of Abraham wiues because they were taken by coniugall affection with obligation to lyue together Concubines because they were not solemnly marryed so that their children had no title to their fathers goods by which you see that it is a manifest lye that we make such Concubines lawfull which were not allowed in the old Testamēt The sense then of this Canon is that the man that will not solemnly and publickly marry may be admitted to the Sacraments so that he marry priuately but such as keep women and will neither solemnly nor yet secretly marry are to be altogeather repelled from the holy communion How impudent is the Bachelour that doth exclayme pag. 143. Is not this a holy table of the Romish Sacrament from which he shall not be forbidden that openly keepes a whore in roome of a wife And to shew that he sinneth not out of ignorance but out of set malice against his owne knowledge I know saith he they haue coyned a distinction wherby they would couer this wound and say that a Concubine heere is to be taken for a woman whom a man hath and keepeth with the affection of a Husband only in outward fashion and solemnity she is not a wife nor publickly marryed Thus he 19. Doe you know this M. Bachelour Doe not you then speake against your owne knowledge that we forbid not the Sacrament vnto such as openly keep a whore in roome of a wife The word Cōcubine very ordinarily in all sorts of Authors doth signifie a wife not solemnly marryed Be all women not publickly marryed whores or rather haue not you the forehead of one of these shameles women that dare openly confesse and glory in your shame but what say you against this distinction You call it a distinction of our coyning but that shewes you to be a Bachlour of small reading this distinction being so common in Authors both Ciuilian and Canonists holy Fathers and diuine Scriptures as may be seene in Iustinian Nouella 18. cap. 5. August de bono coniug cap. 5. Gen. 25. You say the best is naught though you should graunt all that we say but you know not what to mislike Perchance you are offended that we
nubere post votū simplex quà m perpetuò cū aliorum scandalo impudicè viuere l. 2. de Mon. c. 34. and that therfore S. Hierome did exhort a Virgin that after such a vow liued scandalously rather to marry not that it is no sinne saith he to marry after a vow as Protestants thinke but because it is a lesse sinne then to lead an incontinent life and both wisdome and reason teach of two euills to choose the lesse Thus Bellarmine who addeth that in some sort it is a greater sinne for a Virgin to marry after a single vow then to commit fornication because by marriage she doth altogeather vnable herselfe to keep her vow which she doth not by fornication wherat our Bachelour rageth saying that it is plaine that Popery voweth against marriage not against adultery or fornication against wiues not against whores which cauilling doth shew that Ministers are resolued not to vnderstand what they meane neuer to keep For Bellarmine teacheth that the vow of continency is broken eyther by fornication or by marriage but in different sort After fornication such as haue vowed and broken their vow may repent and keep their vow of chastity the remnant of their life which after marriage they cannot For though they repent of the breach of their vow yet being marryed they cannot lead a single life hauing giuen away the power of their body by that contract in which respect to marry is more against their promise of fidelity though absolutely the other be the greater sinne Which may be shewed by the example of a woman that hauing betroathed herself to one marryeth another absolutely speaking she sinneth lesse by this marrying then by committing fornication yet if we regard her promise she breakes that more by marrying which makes her vnable to keep her promise though she would to which fornication doth not altogeather vnable her Who can deny this to be true that hath vse of reason Would our Bachelour cauill thereat did not malice against Popery make him a puppy or rather a pig of Luthers sow or of Katherine Bore who to defend that prophane and execrable marriage of his ghostly parents dareth accuse the doctrine of the most ancient Fathers to be hoggish hatefull to make that runnagate Nunne impudēt Strumpet of their Ghospell seeme an honest woman doth charge the Church of God to be a whore with a brasen face licking vp the swinish doctrine of that hatefull Heretike Iouinian (i) Augustin haeres 82. wherwith he drew so many Nunnes out of their Cloisters accusing Catholikes for feeding on the sweet flowers odoriferous hearbes of the Fathers sentences as hath bene proued The seauenteenth and eighteenth slaunders That we permit Priests to haue Concubines at a yearly rent and force such as would liue chast to pay the rent because they may haue Concubines if they will 26. NO where doth this Bachlour shew vs his face more impudently then in his two next woundes obiecting among the generally receaued doctrines and practises of our Church these two First that Priests are allowed to keep Concubines vnder a yearly rent Secondly that such as will liue chast must yet pay a yearly rent because they may keep whores and Concubines if they will What dares not this fellow say Looke into the Canon (k) Decrit Dist 81. 82. law and the Councell of Trent you shall see how this practise is condemned and seuere punishments enacted against them that fall into such crymes (l) Decret de reformat c. 14. sess 25. We know that Bishops are forbidden to tolerate such sinnes vnder pain of being suspended from their office (m) Decret dist 83. c. Si quis Episcopus It is a sin to inuite to say Masse or to affoard necessary ornaments to notorious Concubinary Priests or to be present at their Masse vnder paine of mortall sinne (n) Nauar. in Man c. 25. n. 80. which if any do they receiue a curse insteed of blessing Could the Church of God vse greater diligence to banish and abolish this sinne then she hath done whose Councells make most seuere lawes against them whose Bishops are bound vnder payne of suspension from their office to punish them according to those lawes whose children finally are bound vnder payne of eternall damnation to disgrace them What if a Bishop or two in Germany who are also temporall Princes against the Lawes of the Church did permit Concubynes vnto some Priests must the fault of one or two Bishops be vrged as the doctrine and generall practise of our Church What can be more folish and full of ignorant malice then this cauill And yet doth he not proue substantially that euer any Catholick Bishop did permit any such practise For the centum Grauamina Germanorum which he citeth are insufficient witnesses being as himselfe confesseth Papists but in part that is Protestants in very deed the head whereof was Luther so that against his promise he doth produce his owne Authors against vs. Espencaeus whom likewise he bringeth though disgusted with the court of Rome he gaue much liberty to his pen yet he speaketh only vpon the report of these Protestant Germans not giuing full absolute assent thereunto but saying would to God the Germans had complayned thereof falsly and without (o) Vtinā falsò immeritò extaret inter Grauamina Germanorum Espenc l. 2. c. 7. de cōtinentia cause Which wordes the Bachelour doth translate whereof the German Nation complayned long agoe and vpon too great cause making no difference as you see betweene a doubtfull and an absolute speach When will this Bachelour or child of Babel be healed and leaue this false trick Did not I say in the beginning too truly and vpon too great cause that he citeth no Author whom he doth not corrupt For he vseth the same fraud in the other testimonyes of Espencaeus Epenc loc citato who doubting of the truth of the Germans complaynt that Priests that would liue chast were constrayned to pay rent saith thereof Si credere dignum est if it be a thing that deserues credit which the Bachelour translates it is horrible to belieue but too true Which is quite kym kam as you see which treacherous dealing to vse it so perpetually in euery quotation after such oaths of sincerity is horrible to belieue but too true 27. That some Priests and Monkes liue dissolute liues disagreeing from their profession whereof some of our Authors and Bishops complayne the complaynt hath beene as ancient as the publick profession of Christianity in the world (p) Et nos nouimus tales sed non perijt fraternitas propter eos qui pro fitentur quod non sunt an vnauoidable euill whereof Christ saith Scandalls must needes come (q) Matt. 18. v. 7. neyther ought the examples of some that made shipwracke daunt others from this gaynefull nauigation in the ship of chastity with the gale of the holy Ghost Christ
coguÌ„tur etiam mali bona dicere ep 166. ad Donatist in fine Augustine taught long agoe To the end saith he that none might presume to separate themselues from the vnity of the Church vnder pretence to fly the coÌ„pany of the wicked our heauenly Maister doth make his people secure euen of their bad Pastours least to shun them they should forsake the chaire of sauing doctrine in which euen the wicked are forced to speake the truth For the thinges they speake are not their owne but of God who in the Chayre of vnity hath placed the doctrine of verity Thus S. Augustine shewing that the doctrine of truth cannot be heard out of the Sea of Peter which keepeth the whole Church of God in vnity and peace which we are secure cannot erre that euen the wicked Popes and places haue not power to define any errours 6. Now touching the accusation it selfe I will briefly but cleerly shew fiue thinges against Ministers concerning this point which if they consider well may suffice to stop their rayling mouthes against the life of Catholikes to wit that therin they shew themselues vngratefull vayne impudent malicious and wilfully blind First they are vngratefull vnto the bad life of Catholikes on which Luther built his pleasing and sensuall Ghospell of sole-faith which he could neuer haue done but vpon the corrupted life of Christians among whom had the ancient loue of good works pennance florished he had neuer laid three stones one vpon the other in his building This is not my conceipt nor my hard opinion of his doctrine but that great Architect of Churches doth himselfe confesse the same in expresse termes If saith he the face of the ancient Papacy did now stand (k) In cap. 4. ad Galat. fol. 399. 400. tom 5. edit VVittemberg ann 1562. Si staret illa facies veteris Papatus parùm fortè nostra doctrina de fide contra eum efficeremus presertim cùm iam parùm efficiamus perchance we should not preuaile much against it by our doctrine of faith And more clearly in the same place If Popery had the same sanctity and austerity of life which it had in the tyme of the Fathers Hierome Ambrose Augustine and others what should we be able now to do against it Thus Luther Where you see he doth both confesse that the ancient Fathers most famous for sanctity were Papists the Church in their dayes Popish and that had he preached his Ghospell in their dayes or they liued when he began to preach their sanctity would haue detested the same their learning haue crusht the brat of liberty in the cradle Let the Reader iudge what a Ghospell that is which antiquity would haue resisted sanctity detested the Church of God in her best tymes not so much as haue heard of which finally could neuer haue preuayled but in this last age when dissolution and loue of liberty hath preuayled against the ancient discipline and sanctity of the Church so that by this rayling they defile their owne nest they shake the ground of their Ghospell styr that stinking puddle out of which their Progenitours did issue and shew themselues vnthankefull vnto their Parent and Mother which is the rotten and corrupt life of many Catholikes 6. The second to wit their vanity doth appeare by their ayming at a marke quite opposite to the drift of their Ghospell which is to impugne not the dissolution but deuotion not the sinfulnes but the sanctity not the wickednes but the holines of our Church not our transgressing Gods precepts but our following Christs Counsells This to be their quarrell against vs Luther himselfe their Captaine Generall doth witnesse VVe (l) Non pugnamê° contra Papatum hodie palà m impiuÌ„ sceleratuÌ„ sed contra speciosissimos eius Sanctos qui putant se AngelicaÌ„ vitam agere Luther in c. 4. ad Galat tom 5. fol. 400. fight not saith he against the open wickednes and dissolute life of the Papacy which those that are sound amongst them detest but against her most beautifull Saints which thinke they lead an Angelicall life and that they doe not only keep the commaundements of God but also the Councells of Christ and doe workes of supererogation which they are not bound vnto Thus doth Luther write shewing that his intention is to lay wast the Sanctity of our Church giuing her iust cause to complayne as that womaÌ„ of Thecua (m) 2. Reg. 14. v. 7. Extinguere volum scintillam meam they seeke to extinguish and put out that little sparke of ancient sanctity feruour and charity that as yet remayneth in me To which sanctity Luther was such a deadly foe as he doth professe in the same place he will not spare any most ancient Father or Fathers nor the whole army of them did they now lyue as they once did guilty thereof (n) Fingamus igitur illam religionem disciplinaÌ„ veteris Papatus obseruari illo rigore quo Eremitae quo Hieronymus Augustinus Gregorius c. alij multi obseruarunt c. Let vs suppose or imagine saith he that the piety and disciplyne of the ancient Papacy did now florish and were obserued with the same rigour that the ould Hermits that Hierome Augustine Gergory Bernard Francis Dominick did obserue it yet ought we saith he by the example of S. Paul impugne false Apostles and fight against the Iusticiaryes of the Popish Kingdome and say though you lead a most chast life though you punish and weary your body with frequent pennances though you walke in religion and humility like Angells yet you are slaues of the law and sinne and of the Diuell and to be cast out of the house as children of Agar 7. Thus doth this Saracen inueigh against ancient Fathers the disciplyne and sanctity of the Primityue Church whom he doth slaunder to haue sought saluation by their workes and not by Christ shewing the tooth of his Ghospell to be not against ryot and ribaldry of dissolute drunkards but the pennance and piety of greatest Saynts which being the drift of their sole-faith-religion M. Crashawes long rayling against our sinfull life may seeme from the purpose Yet perchance I may herein be deceaued and he goeth more cunningly about the matter then we imagine For as the Falcon that flyeth at the Herne seemeth often to take a contrary course yet working into the wynd comes before one is aware ouer the Herns head to giue her the deadly stroke so M. Crashaw and other Ministers seeming in their Sermons to take a course against the open dissolution and wickednes of some in our Church as though their desire were to reforme the same they doe so wynd and turne the poore people about that from the hatred of them that are wicked amongst vs they bring them to detest and abhorre euen the sanctity and religious practise of piety in our Church which the Genius of their Iouiall Ghospell cannot endure and at the ouerthrow whereof it doth as