adherents in Schisme deuiding themselues from their lawfull Pastours were no true Church ergo English Catholicks liuing in perfect obedience to the Vicar of Christ cannot be truely a Church which in effect is as doughty an argument as this The soule and boâ—y seperated can make no true maâ—â—ergo if they be coÌ„icyâ—ed they cannot make a true man for as the coniunction of the soule with the body giues life to the body so the life of the Church consisteth in obedience to true lawfull Pastours to whom English Catholicks being still subordmate they did and do most perfectly fulfill the definition of a Church giuen by S. Cyprian which therefore maketh nothing against but for vs that it is rather against M. Doctour himselfe may be euinced out of an argument of his chap. 12. num 4. where hauing cited the sayd authority of S. Cyprian that the Church is the people vnited to the Bishop he argueth thus seeing there cannot be a people vnited to the Bishop without a Bishop it follâ—weth that there cannot be a Church without Bishops Now according to the cleare sence of S. Cyprians words namely that a people which is in disobedience schisme against their lawfull Bishops cannot be a true Church I may vse the very same forme of argument thus Whosoeuer are not in schisme with any lawfull Bishop do fulfill the definition of a Church giuen by S. Cyprian but those who haue no Bishop are not in schisme with any lawfull Bishop ergo those who haue no Bishop do fulfill the definition of a Church giuen by S. Cyprian This argument is directly against M. Doctour yet is more truely deduced out of S. Cyprians words then what he did â—â—ferie I know the Church must alwayes for other respects haue Bishops and therefore what I haue here sayd is onely ad hominem to M. Doctours manner of disputing and onely if we respect S. Cyprians words according to the true meaning purpose and occasion as by him they were vttered 7 That his application of S. Cyprians definition is iniurious to English Catholicks is manâ—fest by euery word of the Saint who affirmeth that they who are not vnited to the Bishop in that sense in which he speaketh are not in the Church that they haue not peace with the Priests of God that they are in secret communion with schismâ—ticks that they are opposite to that Catholicke Church which is one and not rent nor deuedâ—dâ— which gentle Epithetons or rather most â—oâ—le aspertions to cast vpon the most â—eâ—lo is Catholicks of England who for their vnion with the Sea Apostolicke constancy in profession of their Faith ioyfâ—ll suffering losse of goods liberty and life haue bene a spectâ—cle grations in the sight of God and his Angels and admirâ—ble to the eyes of men to apply I say such Epithetons to those glorious Confessours Martyrs our English Catholicks cannot be done without great iniury and yet by M. Doctour the sayd definition of S. Cyprian is to them more then once applyed And truely I should not be able to wonder enough how a learned man could lay the foundation of so strange a doctrine vpon a ground so weake so much mistaken for the true vnderstaÌ„ding wherof was required no greater I bour then looking on the booke nor deeper learning then vnderstanding latine vnlesse I did consider that such a doctrine could haue but such a foundation But I will vrge this point no further Onely M. Doctour may gather froÌ„ what hath bene said that the true explicatioÌ„ reasoÌ„ of those wordes in S. Cyprian alleadged by him in his 12 chap. num 4 vnde seire debes EpiscopuÌ„ in Ecclesia esse et Ecclesiam in Episcopo where vpon thou must know that the Bishop is in the Church and the Church in the Bishop which words wee also euen now cited is not that which M. Doctour giueth because the Church cannot be without a Bishop nor a Bishop without a Church but that supposing a Church haue a true Bishop they must not be deuided one from another and therfore S. Cyprian immediatly after the said wordes addeth Qui cum Episcopo non est in Ealesia non est He that is not with the Bishop is not in the Church And yet I hope English Catholicks while they waÌ„ted a Bishop were in the Church other wise they had not bene capable of falcation But by this we may see how groundedly M. Doctour doth speake and still confirmeth what I sayd of the iâ—â—ury done to English Catholicks by applying to them the definition of S. Cyprian 8 The second point wich I vndertooke to make good namely that England may be a particular Church without a Bishop is easily prooued For the Pope in defect of particular Bishops is the particular Bishop Ordinary Diocesan of such Churches as Philosophers doe teach that almighty God the supreme and vmucâ—sall cause of all effects concurreth not only as immediate but also as a Particular Agent or Cause to the producing of effects when second particular causes doe faile For seeing the Pope hath plenitudinem potestatis fulnesse eminency of power he may and is to performe whatsoeuer belongeth to inferiour Pastours when necessity so requireth which is a doctrine so receaued by all Canomsts and deuines that I suppose M. Doctour will not gaâ—nesay it Seing then EnglaÌ„d for many yeares was destitute of Bishops the Pope himselfe was our particular Bishop and to say that while we wanted 〈◊〉 Bishop we were a flocke without a Pastour an Army without a Generall a ship without a Pylot c. as M. Doctour avoucheth seemeth iniurious to the Vicar of Christ as if he wanted either power or good will to be our particular Bishop and Pastour And indeed to singular hath bene the care of Popes ouer our distressed EnglaÌ„d that in fact they euer shewed themselues to be our particular Bishops and may truly say to our Church as Almighty God said to his elected people Quid est quod debui vltrà facere vineae meae non feci Isa 5. v. 4 what ought I to haue done to my vinyard more then I haue done We erected Seminaries we sent learned Priests both Secular and Regular we indued them with aâ—ple faculties as iudges we composed difrerences as maisters we resolued doubts as Fathers wee wrote letters of Comfor of Exhortation of Admonition as Bishops we prounded all spirituall helpes requisite for the times in nothing belonging â—o particular Pastours we haue bene wâ—nting Quid debuimus vltra facâ—â—e et non fecimus what more could we haue done then we haue performed for the good of our beloued English Catholicks The Church of S. Ihon Lateran or the particular Diocesses of Rome is I trow a paâ—ticular Chuâ—ch a perfect oâ—e yet it hath noe other Bishop for Ordinary besids the Pope Leo the 9. Famous for sanctity and miâ—â—cles being before his Popedoâ— Bâ—shop of Tul for his affection to that Church did still remaine particular
doctrine of S. Thomas and others S. Th. 2.2 q. 189. a â— ad 2. that Religious profession like to Baptisme or Martyrdome remits the whole payne due to our sinnes the very externall act of leauing all things hath a particular effect which the internall act should not haue without it To say nothing of the Laurea or accidentall Glory of perpetuall Virginity or of that prerogatiue of Iudicature promised by our Sauiour to such as for his sake leaue al. Sedebitis c. you shall sit vpon twelue seates iudging the twelue Tribes of Israel Matth. 1â— That also which M. Doctour saith that the actuall leauing of all things is no perfection but an instrument of perfection vnles it be ioyned with the loue of God in which consistteh perfection needeth some explication For if he vnderstand that the actuall leauing of all things conduceth not to perfection vnlesse it proceed from formall acts of Charity the doctrine is not true because not only acts of the loue of God but also of other vertues being performed in state of grace and with other requisite conditions doe meritoriously increase grace and charity If his meaning be that the actuall leauing of all things is but an instrument of perfection vnlesse it be ioyned with the loue of God that is vnlesse a man be in state of grace it is not meritorious of perfection which consisteth in charity he sayth no more of this leauing all theÌ„ he might haue said of the acts of Faith and Hope and all other whatsoeuer good works euen acts of Charity it selfe for example perfect contrition of which none are meritorious of Grace vnles the doer of them be in Gods fauour and yet it ought not to be denied but that as other acts of vertue so the leauing of all things may dispose a man for returning to Gods grace and in that sense be an instrument or meanes to get perfection Moreouer it is not cleare what M. Doctour meanes in saying that the actuall leauing of all things is but an instrument of perfection vnles it be ioyned with the loue of God For when it is ioyned with the loue of God is it more theÌ„ an instrument of perfection If it be then perfection consists not only in the loue of God but also in other vertues and so Pouerty Chastity and Obedience shal be more then instruments of perfection If the actuall leauing all things euen when it is ioyned with the loue of God be noe more then an instrument of perfection and not perfection it selfe what then ment he by that exception Vnlesse saying that actuall leauing all is but an instrumeÌ„t of perfectioÌ„ Vnlesse it be ioyned with the loue of God for these words seeme to signifie that if it be ioyned with the loue of God it is more then an instrumeÌ„t according to that Rules Exceptio firmat contrariam regulam 26 Howesoeuer men may flatter themselues with a Preparation of minde yet it is not an easie thing to possesse riches for example and not to affect and be possessed by them Seneca said well Qui non facit cum potest nunquam voluit He who does not a thing when he may giues to vnderstand that he neuer had a serious will to do it If men do not loue what they enioy why finde they so great renitency to depiiue themselues thereof O howe fewe keepe riches freedom of their will and the like meerely out of election and iudgment that so to do redouâ—â—â—s to the greater glory of our Creatourâ— We think our affections are at freedom when vpon triall we find it otherwise like a bird that thinks not it is in the net till it make offer to fly or as our soule and body neuer feele their mutuall loue till by approaching death they are vpon their parting That wonder of wit and miracle of sanctity blessed saint Augustin percerued not how much his affection was tyed to his most religious mothers life till he beheld her depriued of life and himselfe of her company Qâ—oniam saith he deseâ—ebar tam magâ—o eius solatio 8. Aug. Cos â—9 c. 12. sauciabatur anima mea quasi dilaniabatur vita quae vna facta erat examea illius Because I was depriued of so great a comfort my soule was wounded and my life as it were torne in peeces which till then had bene composed of hers and mine And that which pierced his soule was ex consuetudine simul viuendi dulcissima charissima repentè dirupta vulnus recens a greene wouÌ„d made by the suddaine breaking off of that custom which I had to liue in her most sweete and most deare conuersation That young man in the Ghospel felt not how much his heart was vpon his wealth till by our Sauiour he was told of actuall leauing all although before that time in preparation of minde he had left all because he had keept the commandements vade vâ—nde omnia quae habes da pauneribus veni sequere me said our blessed Sauiour Matth. 19 Go sell all thou hast and giue it to the poore and then come follow me For vpon those words he fell into a fit of melancholy rather chose to be rich theÌ„ perfect athough persuaded to such a state by the words of the Word Incarnate Let vs beare S. Augustin speaking of that same young man to this very purpose Nescio saith he quomodo cum superflua terrena diliguntur S. Aug. epist 34. ad Paulin et Therasiam arctnis adepta quam concupita coÌ„string unt Nam vnde tristis ille disâ—essit qui consilium vitae aâ—ternae coâ—sequenâ—ae quaerebat à Domino cùm aâ—dister vendeÌ„da esse omnia sua si vellet esse perfectus nisi quia maguas vt Euangeliâ—â—â— loquitur habebat diuitias Aliud est eâ—â—n nolle incorporare quae â—esunt aliud ram incorporata diuellere Iâ—la velut cibi repudiantur haec velut membra praeciduntur I knowe not how when superfluous and earthly thinges are loued they more straightly tye vs if once they be possessed then when they are onely desired and much more may I say then when they are neither possessed nor desired but voluntarity contemned for why did he who asked our Sauiours aduise howe he might be saued go away with a sad heart vpon the hearing that if he resolued to be perfect he must sell all but because as the Ghopell witnesseth he was in possession of great riches For it is one thing to haue a resolution not to incorporate to vs those things we haue not and an other to teare awaie things already incorporated Those we refuse as we refuse meates but these are cut off like parts of our body The reason of this daily experience is because the passion of loue being agreable and sympathising with ones naturall inclination is of great power to sway our soule but not so easie to be felt and discerned except by its effect namely soâ—row when we finde ourselues
c. but not that by being Monks they haue any thing repugnant to the performance of such actions And secular Priests and Bishops not only as secular but also as Priests or Bishops haue no power lawfully to performe such actions till it be granted them by lawfull Superiours 18 And conformable to this Doctrine hath also bene the practise of Gods Church which thought it selfe best furnished wheÌ„ Prelacy Religious state were ioyned together For as Baronius witnesseth Negari non potest Baron Ann. 328. n. 25. fuisse MonachismuÌ„ Seminarium in Ecclefia Dei sanctissimoruÌ„ Episcoporum It cannot be denied but that Monasticall Institute hath bene in the Church of God a Seminary of most holy Bishops the same most famous Author in the same place num 23. hauing related how that Conquerour of the Arians S. Athanasius chose Monks for Bishops of diuers Churches giueth this reason for it Quòd forâ—ssimos hos fore sciret aduersus ingrueÌ„tem Ary haeresim in pugnatores et quasi munitissimas turres contra Miletianos Schismaticos Because he was sure that they Monkes would prooue stoutest against the approaching Arian haeresie and as it were most strong Forts against the Miletian Schismaticks It is therfore very strang and full of partiality what M. D. auoucheth in his 8. Chap. num 12. that the titles of Patriarhes Archbishops Priests and Pastours are not titles of Orders of Religious as they are Religious but only of the secular Cleargy Doth the name of Bishop Priests c. signify only a secular Bishop or Priest I alwaies conceiued that there had bene both Regular and Secular Priests till now I heare a new doctrine that the title of Priest is a title of the Secular Cleargy The names of Bishop and Priests are I grant names of the Clergy but that they are names of the Secular Cleargy I doe not vnderstand If I would make comparisons I could say that Religious men as Religious although they haue not so much as primaâ—â— tousuram which is but a disposition to Orders yea euen before they be Religious and are but in their Nouiship or way to a Religious life yet they enioy the Priuiledge Canonis Fori as if in act they were Cleargy men which is not granted to Secular persons as Secular But my meaning is not to say al that with great truth might be spokeÌ„ of a Religious state in comparision of the Secular Cleargy therfore I wil go foreward to note what I finde in M. Doctours 9. Chapter n. 19. That the assumption of Regulars to the Cleargy is extraorainary and n. 13. that Regulars were admitted and sent to preach to the Gentils yet that office doth not appertaine to them â—ure ordinarto by the ordinary lawe but by Priniledg and extraordinarily I wish M. Doctour would explicat what he meanes by extraordinary or ordinary lawe Is there any Lawe forbidding Religious men to be made Priests or to receaue authority to preach if once they be Priests or will be saie that Secular Priests only by being Priests may lawfully preach without any other CommissioÌ„ I am sure neither he nor any Catholicke can say so Wherein then consists this difference of Ordinary and extrordinary betwixt Secular Religious It is well knowne that in some countries none but Religious men can be made Bishops and in our cuntry the Monkes of S. Benets most holy Order were so much of the Cleargy that a mere comparatiue or conditionall mention of like Right in these dayes made such impression in some that there was to that particular framed an answere with title of a Paralel 19 As for conuersion of Infidels it is manifest with how prosperous successe Religious men haue in these our daies do still employ themselues in that laborious good worke more then the secular Cleargy And although some misapply the old saying that Monkes out of their Monasteries are like fish out of the water yet they may be pleased to remember that if those fishes had neuer bene out of the water English men might haue bene in an euerlasting fire For such fishes are also Fishers of soules as our Sauiour stiled his Apostles and fishermen make no profession to liue onely in the water Yet Religious men cannot but acknowledge it for a singular benefit that for repayring the vigour of their soules they may vpon occasion retire themselues to their Religious houses and so returne to the helpe of others with lesse danger to theÌ„selues Moreouer that those Fishers who conuerted England were of the very same Order of S. Bennet Apostolatus Benedictinorum in Angliâ— which now is soe much impugned hath bene prooued in a learned Treatise by better arguments then M. Doctour will easily answere if he chance to be of a contrary opinion 20 And indeed there is great reasoÌ„ why Religious persons in regard of their state should be fit for the conuersion of soules because by sâ—nctity of life they are more vnited to him whose instruments mens endeauours are in that great worke and he who with profit and security will shine to others must first burne within himselfe Our Sauiour Christ hauing called a certaine person to be his follower Luc. 9â— and he demanding â—espit only for the burying of his father was bid to leaue the dead and that he should goe and preach the Ghosple Tu â—utem vade eâ— annuÌ„tia regnum Det whereby our Blessed Lord gaue men to vnderstand that a good disposition to be an excellant preacher is a resolute and actuall leauing all S. Ambrose in this point is round â— â—â—â—rosâ—â—s 10. in Luc. and cleare Ille sayth he confirmare iubetuâ— fratres suos qui dixit Omnia reliquimus et secuti sumus te The charge of strengthening his brethren is committed to him who sayd Behold we haue left all and followed thee Which are the very wordes from which Catholicks prooue the three Euangelicall Counsels of Pouerty Chastity and Obedience vowed by Religious men 21 M. Doctour in his 9. chap. n. 16. sayth That Popes sent Regulars to conuert Countries because Bishops Priests were busied in gouerning their subiects and so could not be spared But this reason is insufficient For besides Pastours who haue subiects to be gouerned there are numbers of the Secular cleargy free from any such charge yea all Pastours except such Bishops as are maried to some particular Church may easily leaue their charge employ theÌ„selues vpon the conuersion of Infidels And I know M. Doctour will not approoue his owne reason when he shall finde it to be so very like to that of Beza cited by Breâ—lay in his liues of Luther c. chap. 7. Non magnopâ—râ— saith Beza nobis de legatione ad vemotissimas aliquas gentes laboraÌ„dum cum nobis domi et in propinquo sit satis superque quod nos posteros nostros exerceat Has igitur potius taÌ„ longinquas peregrinationes locustis illis lesu nomeÌ„ ementieÌ„tibê° relinquamus We are not much