MOTIVES AND REASONS For Dissevering from the Church of Rome And her DOCTRINE By Chr. Musgrave after he had lived a Carthusian MONK for Twenty Years Wherein after the Declaration of his Conversion he openeth divers Absurdities practised in that Church being not Matters of Report but such things whereof he was an Eye and Ear Witness LONDON Printed for John Harefinch in Mountague-Court in Little-Britain 1688. Licensed March 28 th 1687. To the Most Reverend FATHER in GOD HIS GRACE The Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Primate and Metropolitan of all England MOst Reverend and Gracious Father in God Notwithstanding that in a Publick Audience I have renounced the Church of Rome and her Doctrine and declared my self most willing to imbrace all and every Article of the Church of England because I could not at that time so fully open and lay down the Motives and Grounds of my Conversion as I intended I promised to explain my self more amply not only to that Audience but also unto the whole World by putting my Motives forth in Print Having therefore in some sort discharged my Promise by collecting though not all yet the chiefest of my Motives and fore-seeing not only what sharp Censures but also what great Opposition these my poor Endeavours must sustain and considering that a weak Body hath need of a strong support presuming upon your Grace's favour I thought it most convenient to dedicate these my first Fruits unto the High-Priest Not only to the end that this small Treatise might with more security present it self both to Foes and Friends under your Grace's Protection but also that the oblation of this small Mite might satisfie for some part of the great Obligation and Duty I owe unto your Grace and moreover be a Testimony of my most humble Affection and dearest Respect Thus most humbly desiring your Grace's gracious and favourable Countenance and beseeching the Lord of Heaven long to protect and preserve your Grace in all Health and Happiness to his Honour and the Comfort of his Church I rest Your Grace's most humble Servant Christopher Musgrave THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. COntaining the manner of his Conversion CHAP. II. Containing the first Motive of dislike of the Church of Rome and her Doctrine CHAP. III. Concerning the Oppression of Inferiour Religious Men by Superiour amongst Carthusians CHAP. IV. Containing the dislike taken from the Point of Transubstantiation CHAP. V. Concerning abuses committed in Auricular Confession CHAP. VI. Concerning divers other Points as of Prayer for the Souls in Purgatory of Purgatory it self Tradition and such like MOTIVES and REASONS For Dissevering from the CHURCH of ROME And her DOCTRINE CHAP. I. Containing the manner of his Conversion WE read in the ninth of Saint John's Gospel that when Christ by his Omnipotency had open'd the Eyes of a Man that was born blind not only his Neighbours and the Vulgar sort but also the Pharisees themselves were very desirous to know in what manner or by what means Christ did open the blind mans Eyes And therefore they asked him that was restored to his sight How were thine Eyes opened And again in the 26 verse How opened he thine Eyes It being indeed a most strange and admirable thing yea a Miracle the like whereof was never heard since the beginning of the World that any Man opened the Eyes of one that was born blind The man who was restored to his sight answered and said that a man called Jesus made Clay and anointed his Eyes and bad him go to the Pool of Syloam and wash and he went and washed and received his sight This was a very strange Miracle and worthy not only of admiration but also of all thanksgiving love and adoration being indeed a most evident argument and testimony both of our Saviours Love and Omnipotency But far more admirable far more worthy of Thanks Love and Adoration are the Love and Power which Christ manifesteth in opening the Eyes of our Souls and illuminating them with the light of his grace he being sent as the Prophet Zachary doth testifie To give Light to them that sit in darkness to wit of sin and error And therefore whensoever it pleaseth him out of his great mercy and goodness to illuminate the eyes of a mans Soul who hath a long time been blinded with superstitious Errors and bring him unto the true Light and Understanding of his Word all such as have known and been acquainted with such a man may not only admire congratulate and praise God for such a mans Conversion but also may justly demand of him the manner and means of his spiritual illumination And because a mans Friends and Neighbours may be of the vulgar and unlearned sort for their better satisfaction they may refer such a man unto the examination of the Pharisees whereby the Clergy and most learned may be understood that they also may inquire and know how and by what means the Eyes of his Soul were opened And therefore since it hath pleased Almighty God of his infinite Love and by the powerful operation of his grace after a long time spent in blind Superstition at length to dissipate the dark Cloud of Error wherewith the Eyes of my Soul were darkned with the bright-shining Beams of his Grace to give satisfaction to all true Protestants which I doubt not do congratulate with me and give God thanks for my Conversion and moreover to defend my self from the Calumniations of Papists whose envy is so great that they deem me rather perverted then converted and to obscure the powerful operation of Gods Grace impute my leaving of them and their Doctrine unto want of Wit or a touch of Frensie or unto desire and hope of Preferment I will sincerely and briefly set down the means and manner of my Conversion Thus I answer to such as out of love desire to know how and in what manner the Eyes of my Soul were opened and also unto such as think and say out of envy that the Eyes of my Soul are rather obscured then any way illuminated That a man called Jesus made Clay and anointed mine Eyes and said unto me Go unto the Pool of Syloam and wash and thou shalt see and I went and washed and do see And because men may ask of me what Jesus did unto me I must confess how that after the liking and affection which through the weakness of my Understanding and Judgment at that time I did take towards the Church of Rome and her Doctrine and also that particular Affection and liking unto the Order of Carthusians wherein I put my self first to probation and afterwards tyed my self by profession After some years spent with as great Zeal and Industry as I could being always desirous according to my little Understanding and penury of time to search and find out the Grounds and Reasons of all Ceremonies and Observations it being a thing not permitted in a mans Noviship lest perhaps coming to understand things aright he
should alter his mind and if it were permitted yet the obligation a Novice hath to learn the Ceremonies and Observations of the Order which are both many and very difficult will not afford a Novice to do any thing else but only to dedicate himself wholly to the practice of them which to do well will require three or four years Labour and Industry Being freed from that Inconvenience and stealing time even from that little time which was limited for rest to wit the space of six hours in a Night I betook my self to earnest consideration of every thing wishing and desiring that it might please Almighty God to shew me the means and way how to attain unto such knowledge And he that is always most ready to help such as fly unto him for Aid to wit Jesus who according to the Interpretation of his Name is the true Shepherd and Saviour of our Souls vouchsafed to make Clay and anoint mine Eyes by laying a great number of serious Observations before the Eyes of my Soul wherewithal my Eyes were not a little dazeled at the first until it pleased the same Jesus by the Inspiration of his Spirit to bid me go to Syloam indeed a two-fold Syloam one of the Holy Scripture and the other of Ancient Fathers and there to wash my Eyes and undoubtedly I should by practice of them be restored to my sight and understand aright those doubts and difficulties wherewithal I was perplexed and be able to discern Light from Darkness and Truth from Falshood And betaking my self to the reading of the Scriptures and ancient Fathers and comparing the State of the Primitive Church with the present State and Government of the Church of England and of the Church of Rome I soon perceived how far the Church of Rome had plunged her self into that noisome puddle of Superstition and was quite faln from her wonted Purity and as I may term it Innocency and now polluted with a multitude of Deformities which have sprung from out the roots of Ambition Avarice and Hypocrisie On the other part I considered how that our Church of England howbeit for many years past our sins having deserved that scourge it had adhered unto the Church of Rome had now not only shaken off the Yoke of Superstition but also lymphed her self of all those Deformities which any way did stain her ancient Beauty and was restored to her former Purity and Splendor of the Primitive Church Mine Eyes being opened I saw an infinite number of Absurdities and how far I my self had been deceived and into what great danger both of Soul and Body I had cast my self by undertaking that course of Life wherein great Piety is pretended and prescribed but great Dissimulation and Hypocrisie practised as I shall briefly with Examples whereof I have been an eye Witness justifie CHAP. II. Containing the first Motive of dislike of the Church of Rome and her Doctrine THE first thing that moved me to search and look into the Errors of the Church of Rome was the consideration of the great Insufficiency and want of Learning in many Persons of the Order of Carthusians there being indeed in most Monasteries of that Order divers admitted not only to that Order but also unto the dignity of Priesthood which can hardly read much less understand their Mass but to speak or write Latine altogether unable I could nominate divers both English-men and Strangers of this stamp whose Names for their honours sake I conceal But wondring with my self what should cause Superiors of that Order to admit such insufficient men and asking familiarly of some grave and wise men what might be the reason they gave me a twofold reason The first that Carthusians living a solitary and retired course of Life and not going abroad to Preach and converse amongst Seculars had not need of any great Learning But I answered that they were bound both by the Canons of the Church and also by their Statutes to admit none but such as were sufficienter docti sufficiently learned The second Answer was that it was the policy of many Priors in that Order to admit simple and unlearned Men to be Monks to that end that the Priors themselves might keep their places of Superiority the longer and with more security whilst there were no Persons sufficiently qualified for to supply such Places This gave me a great distaste for howbeit I my self was too too presumptuous in taking the Dignity of Priesthood upon me nevertheless I could never endure that Men more unfit than my self should be admitted howbeit divers by shifts and sleights were admitted which are not only in respect of their ignorance burdensom both to themselves and others but also according to that saying that Learning hath no greater enemy than Ignorance So no men are more envioâ—… more full of spite more malicious and more troublesome than such blind Buzzards which cannot give the definition of a Priest nor construe three lines of their Mass. CHAP. III. Concerning the Oppression of Inferiour Religious Men by Superiours amongst Carthusians ANother dislike that I did take both of the Order of Carthusians and of the Church of Rome did arise from the ordinary Oppression of poor honest-hearted and zealously-minded Men howbeit not according to knowledge I mean of such as out of a true desire to observe regular Discipline being also bound by their Statutes thereunto did at any time inform against the dissolute and debaucht living of their Superiours such Men as in respect of their true fervour and earnest desire to keep their Order and Statutes deserved both Love and Commendations amongst Men of their own Profession were sure to find all bitterness and persecution vsque ad internecionem And howbeit their complaints were clariora Luce meridiana clearer than the Sun notwithstanding Supâ—â—â—ours of that Order one to support another would make them more obscure than Darkness it self and so devise all means possible to oppress their Inferiours And hereof I will put down one or two Examples Johannes de Sancto Huberto sometime Vicar of the Carthusian Monastery of Martins Busse in Flanders being most certainly informed of many irreligious actions of his Prior and amongst other matters that his Prior had got a Maid with Child he being Vicar thought himself bound in Conscience as he was indeed to inform against his Prior unto the Superiours of that Order and being desirous to have the Advice of Father Brullot who had sometime been the Proctor of Martins Busse and was dwelling at Lyre did write unto him and his Letter being intercepted and opened by the Prior of Martins Busse who perceived that his Vicar intended to prosecute that business against him the Prior sent for the Visitors of that Province to complain against his Vicar how that he had defamed him by writing such a Letter unto Father Brullot The matter came to scanning and Joannes de Sancto Huberto did produce two Priests of the same Monastery that gave witness against the
Confession did first begin to creep in put it down in his Church and all the Bishops of the East did the like in theirs as being not only a Novelty but also in their Judgments so far from being a sovereign Medicine for Sin as some men hold it that it was found rather to be a Nurse of sin Churches being converted into Stews Confession playing the Pander unto the Priest and his Penitents there to parle and consult I mean under Confession how to effect and practise their carnal Affections and Designs which indeed was the chiefest thing that moved Bishop Nectarius to thrust it out of Constanâ—inople to prevent such wickedness as by a woful experience of a Gentlewoman that was ravished he â—und to be practised And I can speak upon my own knowledge thus much That I have not noted any thing that hath opened a wider gate or way unto sin than Auricular Confession My Reason is this First that many care not what they do or say think it sufficient be they never so great swearers slanderers or blasphemers or whatsoever actual sins they commit to go once a year to Confession and moreover most Villanies and Conspiracies which are either intended or practised against either Princes or Countries some whereof I could specifie in particular if so it might be well taken are for the most part opened and consulted upon in Confession for Men not daring to open such things out of Confession and being desirous to have advice and direction in them propound such businesses in Confession and then under pretence of confessing their sins they maliciously consult how to effect and practise their sinful purposes And besides that experience which I my self have had of these things in that time that I heard Confessions but only amongst a handful of primest râ—ligious Men so reputed amongst whom in their daily Confessions I found continual plotting and practising of Inferiours against their Superiours and such as were in any office and of Superiours against their Inferiours how to quit and rid themselves of such religious Men as they found to be zealous Biel in his Canon lect 77. saith of his time that it was an usual thing for Men and Women to turn their Confessions into Babblings and Curiosities mingling profane talk concerning vile things Now besides these absurdities and notwithstanding that there is no warrant of Scripture for it neither was any use of it in the Primitive Church there be divers and those very Learned that hold it not necessary at all And amongst others Michael Bonon in his Exposition upon the 29 th Psalm saith that seeing Justification is the infusion of Grace whereupon sin is remitted it followeth that Confession is not necessary either for the obtaining of Pardon for our sins or for our Justification for according to the true order of things Confession in time followeth Contrition and therefore seeing Contrition it self is not without Justification the said Justification may be had without Confession of this mind is Cajetan Tom. 3. q. 8. art 4. saying That a man truly contrite and sorrowful for his sins standeth clean in the Judgment of God and is a formed member of the Church Militant And Peter Lumbard in his fourth Book Distinct. 18. and divers others with him hold that the Priest hath no power to forgive sin or to work any spiritual effect by vertue of the Keys which is the Tenent of our Church of England which not disallowing Confession upon just occasion notwithstanding holdeth that the Priest cannot give the penitent any spiritual Grace neither absolve him otherwise then declare the penitent upon his true Contrition to be absolved through the Mercies and Merits of Jesus Christ. This Consideration of the little necessity men have of auricular Confession and likewise of the great Abuses and Absurdities committed under Confession was a great motive to withdraw my Affection from the Church of Rome CHAP. VI. Concerning divers other Points as of Prayer for the Souls in Purgatory of Purgatory it self Tradition and such like MAny other Motives to dislike the Doctrine of the Church of Rome did offer themselves unto the Eyes of my Soul the which I will only briefly set down without any long Discourse lest I should offend the Reader with Prolixity Another Motive did arise from the absurdity of that Tenent of the Church of Rome which teacheth and commandeth to pray for the Souls in Purgatory having no warrant of Scripture for it neither being able to prove by Scripture or by Tradition that there is any Purgatory at all for Baronius in the first Volume of his late written History going about to patronize Prayer for the Souls in Purgatory out of the second Book of Maccabees chap. 12. vers 43. which is Apocrypha he inferreth to prove Purgatory saying that since the Church hath admitted Prayer for the Dead there must of necessity be a Purgatory otherwise it were to no end to pray for the Dead But to warrant this Doctrine either of Purgatory or Prayer for the Dead he hath only this to say Pie creditur traditum esse ab Apostolis that is it is a charitable belief that the Church hath this Doctrine by Tradition from the Apostles And after that I began to reflect upon Tradition especially finding in the fourth Session of the first Councel of Trent chap. 1. that the Church of Rome doth equalize Tradition with Holy Scripture and that Baronius in his late written History is not ashamed to prefer it before Scripture saying Videas quanti ponderis sit ipsa Traditio ut ex ipsa Novi Testamenti scripta omnia Authoritatem acceperint Consider saith he of what force and authority Tradition is seeing that the New Testament is authorized by it And it followeth Traditio fundamentum Scripturarum in eoque istas excellunt quod illae nisi Traditione firmentur non subsistant hae vero etiam sine scriptis suam obtineant firmitatem that is the ground or foundation of Scripture is Tradition and herein doth excell it because Scripture cannot stand without Tradition but Tradition can stand without Scripture Looking upon the Opinion of Ancient Fathers touching this point I found that Basil the Great an Ancient Greek Author writeth to this effect It is necessary and consonant to Reason that every man learn that which is needful out of Scripture both for the fulness of Godliness and lest they be inured to humane Tradition Where out of this one mans Opinion a man may sufficiently gather that Tradition in the Primitive Church was of small Reputation but rather suspected as an Invention to subvert true Religion for when as the Church of Rome began to vary from the Doctrine of the Primitive Church and to bring in these Points of Purgatory Prayer for the Dead Auricular Confession Pardons Plenary Indulgences Praying to Saints Hallowing of Beads Medals Crosses Agnus Deis and such like Fooleries which are meer humane subtil Inventions arising from the avarice and
ambition of the Clergy which by these means glean the common People and pick their Pockets under pretended Piety whilst they make them pay so much for every Pardon so much for Masses that are said or sung for the Dead give this or that to the Church for to have an Annual or Anniversary Mass for themselves and their Friends and intice men to buy hallowed Medals Crosses Agnus Deis and such like perswading them that laying such hallowed things upon an Altar where Mass is said or sung they shall deliver a Soul out of Purgatory Having no warrant of Scripture for any such thing but only their Tradition depriving indeed the Laity of the use of Scripture yea and from reading of any Books whatsoever that do not agree with their Doctrine and Discipline impose upon them the Yoke of Tradition and by this means keep them not only in blindness of Conscience but also in slavish Obedience it being as they teach Anathema for any man to contradict or reject whatsoever the Church shall impose or injoyn under the Title of Tradition it being indeed the chiefest and strongest Pillar they have to support their Positions insomuch that Andradius speaking of Tradition saith Quam Traditionum Authoritatem si tollas nutare jam vacillare videbuntur that is many points of the Romish Faith would reel if they were not supported by Tradition The due Consideration of this point bred a great distaste in my Soul and no less dislike I took of Romish Doctrine and Discipline when I began to consider the great Ambition of that Church which is so far gone from the Humility of the Primitive Church that whereas in former times the Bishops of Rome lived in great Humility Patience and Poverty attending unto that one thing which is most Necessary and before the time of Constantine the Great and many years after were so far from assuming any secular Authority upon them that without the Emperours favour and assent no man was admitted to be Bishop of Rome now are so far gone from the path of Humility that they sit upon the Pinnacle of Arrogancy assuming more Authority by many degrees both spiritually and temporally then ever Christ gave unto his Apostles or unto Peter whose Successors they challenge themselves to be insomuch that as before no man could be Bishop of Rome without the Consent of the Emperour so now no man can be Emperour but by the assent of the Pope otherwise he shall be excommunicate yea and the Pope is now of that Authority or at the least taketh so much Authority upon him that he maketh no scruple to depose Emperours and Kings and to dispence with Subjects for withdrawing their Allegiance from their true and natural Princes which are any way opposite unto the Church of Rome These things are sufficiently known both by Ancient and Modern Histories which mention both Ancient and Modern Examples to this effect Again reflecting upon the bad behaviour and living of Romish Priests it did breed a great distaste in my Conscience to consider how Priests which as they hold have vowed Chastity lye wallowing in the sordid puddle of Lust. And if any man shall think or imagine that I speak out of spleen and not of sincerity I could refer him for proof hereof unto the very Place a great and populous City of theirs wherein he is not accounted a Noble and Worthy Gentleman that is not descended from a Priest either secular or religious the most part of that City being descended from Priests such is the Incontinency of that Place And not only there but also in all other places it is a common practice of Church-men under the pretence of keeping spiritual Daughters to keep damned and common Courtezans or else make little or no scruple at all to frequent dishonest Houses as a little before my coming away from Macline a Priest at Brussels did verifie by going in the Night-time to a dishonest House and missing the Door went unto a wrong House where knocking at the Door the good Wife came to open it and seeing the Priest told him that he was deceived and that that House was not a House of that quality he took it to be The Priest for anger drew his Knife upon the Woman which had a Child in her Arms the Woman crying out her Husband came in and reprehended the Priest whereupon the Priest cut him with his Knife quite over the Belly and hurt both the Woman and the Child Many such Examples might be produced both of seculars and religious Priests and Nuns The due consideration of these things and of many more of which I cannot now intend to discourse as also the daily reading of the Scriptures and Ancient Fathers together with the assistance of Gods Grace restored me to sight again which through my own Folly I had lost And when I clearly perceived how far I had done amiss not only by assenting unto the Church of Rome but also by betaking my self unto such a course of Life as that was I was wonderfully sorry and much afflicted in Conscience most willing if Opportunity had served to have given over all and retired my self unto my Mother Church only the Consideration of my Profession did somewhat daunt me thinking that I should be accounted an Apostata until it pleased the Lord to send me this Resolution that an undiscreet Vow is better broken then kept especially when it tendeth to the endangering of a mans Soul. And because some may ask of me wherefore I did not consider these things at the first in the time of my Probation I must answer as I did in the beginning That in the time of a mans Noviceship he is so much imployed in learning the Ceremonies and Observations of that Order that he hath no time vacant to look after other matters and besides he is not permitted to read any Books but such as the Prior and his Master shall appoint which commonly are Books fit only to nuzzle a man in blind Devotion not to instruct him in Matters of Religion Having therefore lived a long time in great Perplexity and not finding any comfort or rest of Conscience in that Sea of Disquiet and Perturbation I resolved with Noe's Dove to return unto my Mother Church the which by Gods good Assistance I have obtained unto the great comfort of my Soul and do with all my Heart imbrace all and every Article of the Church of England being most ready according to my Ability to impend all the Power and Strength both of my Soul and Body yea and my dearest Blood for the Assertion and Promotion of them desiring and wishing no greater Blessing at Gods Hands but that I may be found worthy and able though in the meanest degree to do God and my Sovereign Service in the Ministry FINIS John 9.10 John 9.32 Luke 1. The policy of Superiours to keep their Places Mat. 26.29 Mark. 14.25 Dialog in mutat Dialog inconfusus Historia Tripar lib. 9. cap. 35. Socra li. 5. cap. 9. Zozom lib. 7. cap. 16. Niceph. lib. 12. cap. 28. Pag. 256. edit Venit 1603. 1 Vol. Annal. An. 53. Regul Contrac 95. Orthodox explicat lib. 2.