owne arguments or else both contradict himselfe taxe his Holinesse as hauing not yet sufficiently prouided for the Churches of England and Scotland because the Institution of Christ the practise of the Church the decrees of Canons the sayings of ancieÌ„t Fathers the doctrine of all Catholicks concerning the necessity of hauing some Bishops in Gods Church coÌ„cerne Ordinary Pastors Prelats in the proper sence about mentioned not Delegates in an extraordinary manner And therefore as I said M. Doctour must defend himselfe against his owne argumeÌ„ts But least I may seeme to wrong so learned a maÌ„ I desire the reader not to giue me credit till in the following seuerall Questions he finde by particulars the truth of what I haue deliuered in generall THE SECOND QVESTION Whether without a Bishop here can be a particular Church 1 M. Doctor in diuers parts of his treatise doth teach that without a Bishop there can be no particular Church in his 14. chapter where he endeauoureth to prooue that a particular courtry may not refuse Bishops by reason of persecution one of his maine argumeÌ„ts is nuÌ„ 9. because without a Bishop there can be no particular Church thence deduceth that Catholicks of England al the while they had no Bishop were no particular Church shall no longer be a particular Church then they shall haue a Bishop but shal be a flocke with out a Pastour â—â—army without a General a ship without a Pylot a speritualkingdoÌ„ without asperitualking a family without a Goodman of the house 2 This assertion he prooueth out of S. Cyprian who sayth Cypr. epâ—â— 69. ad 〈◊〉 that the Church is Sacerdoâ—i plebs adunata et Pastori suo grex 〈◊〉 arâ—us the Churches the people vritâ—d to the Preâ—â—â— Bishop and the flocke adhering â—â—to its Pâ—â—â—our In the sime place M Doâ—toâ—â— a lioy 〈◊〉 this reason that as the â—hâ—le Church hath me supreâ—me Bishop to gouerne it so â—â—â—ry particular Church must haue its Bishop 〈◊〉 Bishops else it should not he a particular Church and so the whole and vnâ—â—â— saâ—â— Church should not as Christ hath instituted he a Hierarchie composed of diuers particular Churches 3. Three thing I will endeauour to performe First that the alleadged wordes of S. Cyprian vpon which M. Doctour doth so maynely and extreamely often insist make nothing against vs but rather are for vs against himselfe and with all that his application of them may seeme iniurious to English Catholickes Secondly I will de nonstrate that England without a Bishop may hath bene a particular Church and that the contrary assertion must both wrong the Sea Apostolicke and can subsist vpon no better ground then by hereticks is wont to be obiected against the sayd holy Sea Thirdly I will shew that although we should freely grant what M. Doctour assumeth that without a Bishop we cannot be a â—â—rticular Church â—et it could not proue hiâ—â—â—ent 〈◊〉 particular country may not rosuse Bishâ—ps by reason of persecution 4 For the first it might be answered in a word that S. â—â—prâ—m doth not define the Church to be the people vnited and the flocke adbering to a particular Priest and Pastour but onely inâ—iffiâ—itely to the Priest and Pastour which is verified as long as we haue for our Bishop Pastour the Pope of Rome Besides S. CypriaÌ„ speaks of Ordinary Pastors with power ouer both places persons Catholicks hereâ—icksâ—permanently and not onely ad bâ—neplacitum therefore by a Delegate 〈◊〉 Cyprians definition is not fulfdd but still we must acknowledg the Pope for our immediate and particular Ordinary 5 But for the â—â—â—e vnderstanding of S. Cyprians meaning we are to know that the foresayd epistle was written to one Florinus or Florentius surnamed Pupianus who as Pamelius obserueth in his notes vpon that epistle was a NouatiaÌ„ heretick and with too much credulity and temerity had giuen credit to certayne faâ—sly reported crimes against S. CypriaÌ„ for which he esteemed that the Saint ought to haue beene forsâ—ken by the people of his Diocesse as if he had not beene true Bishop Against this false seditious imputation S. Cyprian prooueth not that a Church wanting a Bishop is no particular Church but that a Church haâ—iâ—g its true and lawfull Bishop as S. Câ—prian was yet deuiding it selfe and falling in schisme with him is indeed â—oe Church at all but a schismaticall congiegatioÌ„ That this is so S. Cyprians owne words demnostrate for hauing alleadged out of Scripture Nos credimus Ioan. 6. et cognouimus quia tu es filius Dei vini addeth Loquitur â—llic Petrus supra quem adificatafuit Ecclesia Ecclesia nomine doceÌ„s et ofterdes quia et si contumax ac superba obedire nolemiuÌ„ multâ—udo discedat EcclesiatameÌ„ à Christo non recedit et illi simt Ecclesia plâ—bs â—acerdoti adunata et Pastori sui grex adhaerens vnde scire debes Episcopum in Ecclesia esse EcclesiaÌ„ in Episcopo si qui cum Episcopo non sit in Ecclesia non esse frustra sibi blandiri eos qui pacem cum Sacordotibus Dei non habentes obrepunt latemer apud quosdam communicaâ—e se credunt quando Ecclesia quae Catholica vna est scissa non sit nequo diuisa sed sit vrique connexa et cohareâ—tium sibi inudeem Sacerdotum glutino copulaâ—a We beleâ—ue and know Ioan. 6. that thou art the sonnâ— of the liung God These words are spoken by Peter vpon whom the Church was builded teaching vs in behalfe of the Church that although the stubborne and proude multitude of disobedient persons do go away yet the Church doth not depart from Christ and they are the Church the people vaited to the Priest and the flocke adhering to its Pastour Wherefore thou must know that the Bishop is in the Church and the Church in the Bishop and that if any be not with the Bishop he is not in the Church marke and they do in vaine flatter themselues who hauing not peace with the Priests of God creepe in and beleeue that secretly they are in Communion with some where as the Church which is Catholicke and one cannot be rent nor deuided but must be conioyned and vnited with the tye of priests succeeding one to another 6 Behould S. Cyprian neuer thinking of the necessity that euery particular Church hath of a Bishop if it neane to be a particular Church but affirming that theirue Church doth not depart from Christ that he who is not with the bishop is not in the Church that in vaine they flater theÌ„selues who haue not peace with the true priests of God but are in secret communion with some schismaticall or hereticall factions whereas the Church which is Catholick and one can not be rent nor deuided And what is all this to prooue that no particular Church can be such without a Bishop no more then if one should say King Henry the 8. and his
were auerted froÌ„ the Sacrifices of God as S. Thomas auoucheth S. Thom. 2.2 q. 184. â—7 8 Religion to be the most perfect of all Sacrifices an Holocaust 7 This treacise cannot â—e pleasing to the Holy Sea Apostolick froÌ„ whence it had bin good maÌ„ners for vs to learne what is by Christs iâ—stitution necessary for Gods Church ingeneral expedieÌ„t in particular coÌ„cerning our hauing a Bishop in EnglaÌ„d But to tel euery maÌ„ womaÌ„ in a laÌ„guage vnderstood only by those who ought to obey and which could not serue for information of those who were to be our Vmpiers that it is a deuine commandement to haue a Bishop in England is but to lead men into temptation of disobedience in case his Holinesse should euer put in prctaise the contrary and of condemning the iudgments and facts of so many learned and holy Popes who for diuers yeares deemed it nether necessary nor expedient togrant vs a Bishop 8 The greater and better part of English Catholicks wil be nothing well contented with this booke wherein they are plainely enough taxed of want of Charity and Obedience in not being so vnited subordinate to my Lord of Calcedon as it seemes M. Doctour thinkes they should They are also in effect coÌ„demned of mortal sinne by refusing so longe time a Bishop against the law of God for being occasioÌ„ on their partes that our country wanted the Sacrament of Confirmation which according to M. Doctour is so necessary in time of persecution that neither any country Chap 14â— â— nor any one of the country for feare of persecutioÌ„ can oppose against the comming in of a Bispop though thereby only the Sacrament of confirmation should be wanting auouching moreouer al those who haue not had the Sactament of Confirmation not to be perfect Christians which is a saying by him more then once repeated but how true it is I hope the reader wil be able to iudge by what shal be said in the folloâ—wing questions as also how litle probability his other reasons carry for euincing the necessity of a Bishop in England 9 Neither can my Lord of Chalcedon much like this booke wherein the reader will finde some passages by me noted whereby my Lord his Ordmariship is quite demolished and other authority by him pretended either extenuated or made odious dreadfull to Catholicks 10 It cannot be pleasing to Almighty God to treate of holy things vpon particular designe and humane respects For I know not how deuotion is lessened euen towards sacred things when they are commended by exaggeration and for some priuate end as in this treatise M. Doctour doth extoll Episcopall dignity aboue Religious state vrge the necessity of Confirmation prayse the Secular Clergy and enforce the obligation of hauing a Bishop much more then according to true deuinity he could and more then I feare he would haue done if all mortall men were as free from emulation as the Saints in heauen And as he hath written of the Hierarchie so perhaps we shall in tyâ—e see some printed treatise of the Saâ—rament of Confirmation and the generall ambiguous speaches of some antient Fathers or the particular opinions of some few deuines misapplyed for the necessity of that Sacrament or in proofe that it cannot be administred but by a Bishop or some such like subject busines 11 As for the manner helâ— by M Doctour in proouing his Tenets I feare it will not correspond to that opinion which hath bene conceiued of his learning and in truth excepting those points which all Catholicks beleeue there is no one thing in his whole booke which will put a man to study for the answere 12 Against all good Logicke and as it may seeme against prâ—dence he prooueth his conclusion by principlâ—s more harsh and incredible then the conclusion it selfe For example to prooue the necessity of a Biâ—hop in Engâ—and he serueth himselfe of these straÌ„ge vntoward propositioÌ„s That it is de iure diuiâ—â— a deuine Law for euery such pâ—rticular Church as England is to haue a Bâ—â—hop That without a Bishop England cannot be a paâ—ticular Church That vnlesse euery â—â—rticular Church haue is Bishop or Bishops the whole and Vniuersall Câ—urch should not as Christ hath instituted be a Hierarchie coÌ„posed of diuers particular Churches That without a Bishop we cannot haue Confirmation which whosoeuer wants is not as M. Doctour sayth a perfect Christian All which principles are worse then the conclusion and are by vs demonstrated to haue no ground at all 13 He still doth not aright compare Religious with Secular Priests alwayes reduplicating Religious as Religious but neuer â—ecular as Secular For example he saith that Religious as Religious haue not authority to preach gouerne the Church or the like but neuer telleth vs whether Secular as Secular can do it as certainly they cannot till authority be granted theÌ„ which being graÌ„ted also to Religious they may performe the same actions no lesse then Seculars as in due place shal be declared In other points likewise he speaketh not so distinctly as a schollar would expect 14 But the thing at which I most woÌ„der in a maÌ„ of his learning is that those Fathers schoole Deuines which he produceth for witnesses of his doctrine are indeed against himselfe Sâ—â— quest â— 3 â— as the reader wil see in his allegatioÌ„ of S. Cyprian S. ClemeÌ„t Sotus BaÌ„nes etâ— 15 Lastly I desire the reader to be still carefully obseruing throughout his whole treatise that whereas he maketh profession to abstaine from the mayne question betwixt my Lord of Chalcedon and others and further affirmeth in his fiftenth chapter num 10. that my Lord can challenge no Bishopricke no not so much as the poorest parish in England And whereas likewise my Lord of Chlacedon by his Breife of Delegation was to haue no power in England or Scotland till his arriuall in those Kingdomes and then onely ouer Catholicks and as long as his Holinesse should thinke good all which are manifest arguments that he is not Ordinary as other Bishops in Catholicke countries are who although they should neuer set foote in their owne Diocesses yet they haue true Ordinary power ouer both Catholickes and Hereticks within such diocesses and are Ordinaries both personarum et loci of persons and place both in fore interno externâ— and that not onely ad bene placitum but permanently as alwayes in the Church of God some Ecclesiasticall princes must be Notwithstanding I say all this yet the arguments by which M. Doctour would prooue the necessty of a Bishop in England either prooâ—e nothing at all or else more then he himselfe inâ—endeth or my Lord of Chalcedon challâ—geth namely that he must haue authority â—lso ouer heretickes that he may lay claime to some or all the Diocesses in England as well as to that of Chalcedon that he must not be onely ad beneplacetum c. and â—o M. Doctour must be forced either to arswere his
of a Religious man without his Superiours leaue is vnlawfull and inualide But a Bishop elected may freely without any leaue enter into Religion becauâ—â— by his election â—ll he be confiâ—med in his Bishoprick there is contracted noe spirituall mariage bâ—â—wixt him and his Church and in this there is the same reason of a Bishop only Delegate in respect of that countrey for which he hath no more then a Breue of Delegation and ad beneplacitum because a Bishops spirituall mariage is only with that Church of which he hath his Tytle for Mariages are not ad beneplacitum but require permanency yea a Bishop both elected and confirmed if without leaue he Professe in Religion the act is valid and that it is not also lawfull proceedes not from the nature or any intrinsecall and inseparable perfection of Episcopall dignity but only from the Churches prohibition as likewise the inseparable Mariage betwixt the Bishop and his Church ariseth only from Ecclesiasticall command according to the truer opinion of Deuines for we dayly see renunciations of Bishopricks and translations of Bishops from one Diocesse to another vpon ordinary occasions which could neyther be lawfull nor valid if the mariage betwixt the Bishop and his Church were de iure diuino a deuine precept For in deuine precepts the Pope cannot validly dispense without some particular cause and yet if the Pope once giue leaue for a Bishop to renounce his Bishopricke the renunciation is valid although we should suppose no cause at all And finally to giue a Bishop leaue to become Religious there is required no other cause beside the priuate good of the Bishops soule supposing his Church be otherwise prouided of a sufficient Pastour All which considerations are manifest arguments that somewhat may be found in a Religious state wanting in the state of a Bishop although still it is true that the state of a Bishop is higher If any demannd wherein this particular perfection of a Religious state consists My answere is that for full satisfaction to this question I wish the Reader could once peruse that golden booke of Hieronymus Platus de bono Status Religiosi where he shall finde this argumeÌ„t so copiously solidly and eloquently handled that he will neuer repent himselfe of hauing red so pleasant and profitable a volume In briefe I say that it may seeme to consist in multitude facility continuation perfection of perpetuall acts of vertue and effectuall meanes speedily to get securely to conserue and plentifully to increase perfection which if we speake properly as it is intended to be gotten by a staâ—e of perfection consisteth not in charity howsoeuer but eyther in multitude and perfection of Acts of charity with as much continuation and litle interruption as our mortall life will giue leaue or els in an Habit with particular reference to the sayd frequency and continuation of such Acts as Suâ—rez doth well explicate this matter Suarez de Rel. tom 3. l. c. 4. And cleare it is that for attaining of such a perfection as we haue described vpon earth there is no state Suarez loc cit c. 19. n. 22. like to that of a Religious life wherein sayth the same learned Deuine a man both auoydes the dauÌ„gers to which Bishops are exposed and by multitude of holy works may recompense the want of some perfect actions proper to Episcopall state 8 To all which we must add that these aduantages are found in Religious state in a particulari excellent manner namely in a kinde of life proper to the time of Grace by obseruance of the three Euangelicall Counsells Pouerty Chastity Obedience which S. Tho. 1.2 q. 104. a. 4. in corp as 〈◊〉 Thomas teacheth are proper to the New law And truly abstracting from all other respects the Counsells of Pouerty and Chastity haue I knowe not what prerogatiue by being in a manner consecrated by the Practise and as I may say deïfied in the Person of him who for our sake and to giue example of all vertue vouchsafed to assume our nature And in this particular there appeares a maine difference betwixt a Religious man and a Bishop who is not at all bound to pouerty and to chastity he is obliged only as other Priests by a vow annexed to holy Orders which yet proceedes but from the Churches Ordination in so much as a Bishop not in holy Orders Elected may lawfully marry and some also hold that a Bishop confirmed may doe the same but of this I doe not dispute yet if he marry it is valid For my parte I had rather want whatsoeuer perfection wherein a Bishop may surpasse a Religious man then be in a state not requiring of its nature and essence Chastity as the state of a Bishop doth not whereas the state of a Religious man doth necessarily and essentially imply that Angel-like perfection Besides if by occasion of sollicitous exact endeauour to obserue the only vow of Chastity with great purity and perfection all vertuous Priests by experience finde how many other vertues must be practised and come annexed with that one what shall we say of the triple knot of Chastity Pouerty and Obedience How many vertues must in it be necessarily tied togeather 9 With these commodities proper to Religious state are to be ioined two other most important considerations of security and Immobility wherin a Religious state exceedeth that of a Bishop Security from euill and Immobility in good are great points of happynes and participations of the Saints felicity in Heauen And in the busines of our saluation euery small addition to true and not presumptuous Hope ought to be greatly esteemed For as Philosophers say that a lesse knowledge of more perfect obiects for example of God or Angels is to be preferred before a greater knowledge of inferiour things as of the elements or mixt bodies so in maters that concerne Eternity a state more secure lesse subiect to change is in that to be preferred before a state higher but not so secure or immoueable It was a worthy saying of a great Preacher that men in election of Episcopall state are apt to haue their eyes vpon certayne considerations which would quickly vanish if they made another reckoning and duly pondered for how many soules they are accountable and perhaps they would finde that euen in a rich Bishopricke they pawne their owne soule for so great a number of other mens that for each one they receaue in payement not a shilling by the yeare and inferiour pastours scarce two pence for each soule comitted to their chardge A dreadfull reckoning It was likewise a wise and witty conceipt of another great man that in this world meÌ„ are most esteemed for Gratiis gratis datis that is for such guifts of God as haue reference to our neighbour as learning power of working miracles c. and I may adde highnes of degree and the like But in the next life he shal be most regarded who is most
into Religion Quia meliorem vitam seâ—ui cupiunt 〈…〉 Because they desire to embrace a better 〈◊〉 de of life saith the Toleran Councell And Gregory the Great lib. 10. epist 39. exhotteth that by all meanes such a spirit be nourished saying Quibus valetis adhortationibus Pastorali admonitione suâ—â—endite vt feruor huius desiderit in eo noâ—â—epeâ— eat By the best exhortation you are aâ—â—â— inflame him a secular Cleargy man desirous to enter into Religion that the feruour of such a desire may not in him wax cold Yea S. Thomas 2.2 q. 189. art 7. proueth out of the Canon law 19. q. 2. â— Due sunt leges that a secular Curate may enter into Religion although his Bishop should exprestely be against it Etiam contradicente Episcopo eat liber nostra authoritate Although the Bishop oppose himselfe let him frâ—elâ—eâ—ter your Authority sayth the Pope Now as M. Doctour in his 11. Chapter n. 15. proueth out of S. Thomas S. Th 22 q. 184. a. 7. that the state of a Bishop is a state of greâ—ter perfection then that of a Religiouâ— man because otherwise it were not lawfull for him to be made a Bishop because that were retrò aspicere to looke backe So we may say that seing secular Pastours may enter into Religion it must be an argument that Religious state is more perfect for the very same reason least otherwise they should be conuinced retrò aspicere to looke back Which reason will wax more strong on our side if we call to mind that a Religious man cannot yield consensent to his election to be a Bishop without his own superiours leaue whereas a secular Curate may lawfully enter into Religion euen agaynst the will of his Bishop This whole resolution of Saint Thomas is much confirmed by an other doctrine deliuered by him in the same 184 question art 6. That only Bishops not inferiour Prelates are in a State of perfection wheras in the next precedent Article he bad purposely taught that Religious men are in suâ—h a State 15 To these determinations of S. Thomas I will aâ—de nothing saue only that Religious state is of Deuine institution as certaineâ—y Archdeacons Deanes Vicars c. are not and Suarez in the same place Suarez to 4. in 3. p. disp 25. n. 17. which M. Doctour cited to prooue that Bishops are of Deume Ordinance is of opinion that the Diuision of Parishes with Institution of Parish Priests euen in generall is not de iure diuino of Deuine iustitution because sayth he the Church might deuide more Bishopricks and assigne to each one a lesse territory ordayning that the Bishop himselfe should be immediate Pastour in his whole Diocesse which he might gouerne by Vicars and Chaplins which although were not perhaps vniuersally expedient yet it is not directly and clearly against the law of God S. Thomas also sayth of all inferiour Pastours that in respect of the Bishop S. Th. 2.2 q. 184. a 6. ad 2. they are sicut Baliui ad Regem in his answere ad â— he teacheth that they haue not principall care of soules but some particular administration by Commission from the Bishop But howsoeuer this matter be at least it is not so certaine that the Institution of Parish Priests is de iure Dirino a Deuine institution as it is that Religious state was instituted by our Sauiour Christ 16 And this shall suffice for the comparison of Religious men with Curats if their callings be considered in themselues Which comparison is alwais to be vnderstood betwixt Religious men such Secular Priests as are Ordinary Pastours or Curats For in England where all Priests both Regular Secular attend to the help of soules only by particular Mission Priuiledge and Delegation there is no doubt but Religious men are to be preferred seeing both in Order of Priesthood Iurisdiction or Office they are equall and still the state of Religious as Relâ—gious is more noble theÌ„ that of Secular as Secular which no Catholike can deny 17 For the second comparison whether Religious or secular are more fit to help soules by preaching and other such Ecclesiasticall functions let vs heare Saint Thomas teaching that Religious men are made more fit for the performance of such functions of Preaching S. Th. 2.2 q. 187. a. 1. teaching c. by reason of the exercise of sanctity which they haue vndertaken adding Stulium est dicere quod per hoc quòd aliquis in sanctitate promouetur efficiatur minus idoneus ad spiritualia officia exercenda Et ideo stult a est quorundam opinto dicentium quòd ipse status Religionis impedimentum affert talia exequendi It is a foolery to say that by being improued in sanctity as man is made lesse fit for the performance of Ecclesiasticall functions And therefore the opinion of some who say that the very state of Religion brings an impediment to such functions is a foolish opinion Quorum errorem saith the same Saint Bonifactus Papa exeludit dicens vt habetur 16. q. 1. Sunt nonnulls nullo dogmate fulti andacissimè quidem zelo magis amaritudinis quà m dilectionis inflammati asserentes Monachos qui mundo mortui sunt Deo vinunt Sacerdot alis officii potenti â indignos Sed omninò labuntur Quod oftendit primò quidem quia non soâ—â—r â—riatur Regulae subdit enim neque enim Beatus Benedictus Monachorum Praeceptor Almificus huiuscemodirei aliquo modofuit interdictor Et similiter nec in aliis regulis hoc prohibetur Secundò improbat praedictum errorem ex ideoneitate Monachorum cum in fine Capâ—tuli subdit Quanto quisque est excellentior tanto in illis scilicet spiritualibus operâ—bus potentior Whose errour Pope Boniface doth reiect saying There are some supported by no verity who inflammed with zeale of bitternes rather then of charity do most boldly affirme that Monks who are dâ—ad to the world and liue to God are not worthy of the power of Priestly office But they are altogeather deceyued Which he prooueth First because it is not agaynst the Rule For â—e addeth S. Bennet the Father of Monks did not any way in his Rule forbid it And likewise it is not forbid in other Rules Secondly he disproueth the foresayd errour by the fitnes of Monks for such functions saying By how much a man is more excellent by so much he is more powerfull in those spirituall functions Behold the doctrine of the greatest Prelate and one of the greatest Schollers vpon earth a Pope and a most learned Saint To those vulgar obiections Vita Monachorum c. The life of Monks signifies subiection not an office of teaching or gouerning others Monachus non Doctoris c. The profession of a Morke is not teaching but weeping the like S. Thomas in the same place ad 3. answeres that such sayings only signify that Monks precisely by being Monks doe not acquire authority to preach