Pet. 10. in order to many diuine ordinances in regard they doe not shew plainly clearly and euidently all the mysterious precepts of Christian faith that require necessary obseruance wherefore it is an extream weakness to infer from the light of the written a negation of light in the vnwritten word of God as to instruction in iustice and saluation and indeed down from the begining of the Church christian religion hath in all times * Trid sess 4. cap. 1. declarat veritatem disciplinä Ecclesiae contineri in libris scriptis sine scripto traditionibus qua ex ipsius Christi ore ab Apostolic acceptae aut ab ipsis Apostolis Spiritu sancto dictāte quasi per manus traditae ad nos vsque peruenerūt huiusmodi traditionū contemptoros anathemati subiecit Sectarij vero communiter reijciuns eruditiones apostolicas affirmantes omnia qua sine dispendio sulutis possunt ignorari apertè contineri in scripturis been directed and gouerned by both of the said lights that is by the written and vnwritten word as by laws and customs which kind of gouerment is common alike to euery common wealth instituted aright That this double light (c) According to S. Irenaens p. 3. con haer c. 3. 4. Tertull. l. de coro militum cap. 3. S. Basil l. ad Amphilochium de Spiritu sancto cap. 29. S. Austin Epis ad Janua there is full parity between traditions ad scriptures warrantable authority being common alike to the one and the other Wherefore S. Chrys hom 4. in 2. ad Thess saith Est traditio nihil quaras amplius T' is tradition seeke no further of written and vnwritten Traditions is of necessary and perpetuall vse in the Church appeareth by the second Epistie to the Thesalonians where S. Paul enioyneth the keeping of both saying stand fast keepe the Traditions which you haue been taught either by word or our Epistle All the doctrines necessary to saluation which the Apostles receiued either from the mouth of Iesus-Christ or by inspiration of the holy Ghost they deliuered to the faithfull of those dayes partly in written and partly in vnwritten traditions which down from the primatiue Church to the present times haue passed as from hand to hand in a continuall line of priestly succession Moreouer it appeareth clearly by the second Chapter of S. Iohns canonicall Epistle that the Apostles thought it not expedient to set forth in writing all matters of christian religion necessary to saluation for he expresly saith although I had many things to write vnto you yet would I not write with paper and inck for I trust to come vnto you and speak mouth to mouth that your ioy may bee full which he repeateth in the end of his third canonicall Epistle saying I haue many things to write but I will not with ynck and pen write vnto thee and doubtless as Christ when he said to his Disciples Io. 16. I haue yet many things to say vnto you but ye cannot beare them now meant of many mysteries of faith distinct from those he had already taught them so S. Iohns meaning was that he had other doctrines of christian faith or manners to deliuer by word of mouth then those he had written with ynck and pen and truly the particles That your ioy may be full doe import as much being meant of spirituall ioy such as faithfull christians commonly receiue when they are instructed in things pertaining to iustice and saluation and it is not in reason probable that S. Iohn should vnderstand temperall ioy in order to wordly aduantages the intent of his Epistle being to stir vp a Mother and her son vnto a vertuous life in Iesus-Christ neither is it as to reason credible that so many things which S. Iohn purposely omitted to write were set down in writing either by himself afterward or by the other Apostles afore there being no scripture testimony wheron to ground those coniectures inuented meerly by the aduersaries of vnwritten traditions Besids it is plainly euident that sundry vnwritten doctrines of christian religion which are not contained expresly in any part of the new or old Testament are of necessary credence For example we must belieue with diuine faith the receiued catalogue or canon of both Testaments to be the true and vncorrupted word of God For otherwise those holy writings would haue nothing of weight with vs as theron to relie our saluation notwithstanding not any part of either Testament expresseth the receiued catalogue or canon for example we must belieue that the true sense of the written letter is a necessary and essentiall requisit to faith because in the sense that giueth life and not in the letter that bringeth death the true word of God consists but the true sense of the written letter that is to say how (d) The Caluinists in a publick disputation with the Antytrinitarians in the presence of Iohn the second elected king of Hungary engag'd to proue by scripture the mystery of the B. Trinity but failing in their engagement the king of a Caluinist became an Anti-trinitarian the written letter ought to be taken whether in a proper or figuratiue signification is not known but by the interpretation and tradition of the Church Again we must belieue that in one God there is a Trinity of diuine persons which be really distinct one from an other and no more yet not any writing of the Apostles or Euangelists (e) According to S. Chrys hom 4. operum imperf as in Heauen so in scripture God lies hid vnseen Wherefore as all men behold this corporall Heauen and not God that dwels within it so though many read the holy scriptures neuertheless they perceiue not the God of truth that lies hid in the inward seuse thereof expresly assertes a reall distinction or excludeth expresly a quaternity of persons and truly though S. Iohn saith in his canonicall Epistle cap. 4. that there be three which beare testimony in Heauen the Father the word and the holy Ghost neuertheless he doth not say expresly * Simplex affirmatio ternarij in aliquo non excludit vel negat ibi esse aliquod quartum cū in quaternario includatur ternarium qui asserit esse tres vbi sun◠quatuor non falsum dicit three only or that these three are really distinct one from an other for he addeth these three are one in so much that the great Sabellian heretick Praxeas taught that God was but one sole person that carried three distinct names in order to three seuerall effects naming him Father in as much as he createth all things son because be was borne of the Virgin Mary inuested with human nature and holy Ghost in regard he sanctifieth all creatures Wherfore if the Apostles had not deliuer'd to the faithfull of those days by word of mouth a reall distinction in God as to personality and a reall identity as to nature and substance and the Church
prinat spirit is condemned for example in the old law Numb 12. God was angry with Mary Moyses Sister and Aaron because they had detracted from Moyses she saying hath our lord spoken only by Moyses hath be not spoken also by vs and Ierem. 23. Heare not the words * S. Hieron ait falsos illos prophetas referre baereticos qui sequuntur spirituÌ„ suuÌ„ quia nequaquam inquit diuino instinctu sed proprio corde vaticinantur of the Prophets that prophesie vnto you and deceiue you they speak the visions of their own hearts and not out of the mouth of our lord and Ezech. 13. God saith thus woe vnto the foolish prophets that follow their own spirit yet say the lord saith it albeit I haue not spoken likewise in the new law this priuat spirit is condemned for in the primary age of the Church (f) Eusebius l. 3. hist Eccles cap. 12. attests that Cherintus besides his other prophane nouelties fained subtil delusions as reuealed vnto him by the ministery of Angels and according to the same Eusebius l. 5. cap. 15. Montanus and Maximilla were carried away with delusions of the like nature for among the reasons why they were cut of from the Church of God one was because they pretended vnto speciall reuelations and the Church declared that it was a thing contrary to the custom and practice down from the Apostles till those times that any particular person should presume to haue a priuat spirit reuealing vnto him matters pertaning to christian faith Cherintus was counted an Heretick for pretending vnto priuat reuelations in the spreading of sundry absurd doctrines and in as much as he asserted that Iesus-Christ was not come in the flesh Saint Ioan. Apostle Epis 1. cap. 4. writeth to the faithfull against him thus Dearly beloued belieue not euery spirit but trie the spirits whether they are of God for many false prophets are gon out into this world hereby you shall know the spirit of God euery spirit which confesseth that Iesus-Christ is come in the flesh is of God and euery spirit that confesseth not that Iesus-Christ is come in the flesh is not of God Yet althought the Apostle vsed that analogie in order to this true article of faith Iesus-Christ is come in the flesh as a certain signe to shew the falshood of Cherintus assertion neuertheless he did not mean to establish it for a generall rule to distinguish euery good from euery ill spirit or euery true from euery false doctrine for the Pelagians and sundry ancient sectaries are counted Hereticks both by Lutherans and Caluinists albeit they acknowleged the mistery of the Incarnation But the generall rule for the trying of spirits Saint Iohn clearly expresseth a very little after in his same Epistle saying Wee Apostles are of God he that knoweth God heareth vs he that is not of god heareth vs not hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of errour In regard his first particular rule was not sufficient enough to discerne between euery true and false doctrine that is to say between all true and false Teachers therfore he addeth this generall rule viz. To heare or not to heare vs Apostles Gouernours of the Church alluding to Christs own words set down I uc 10. He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Saint Iohn spoke in the person of all the Apostles and their successors in Church Gouerment with whom is deposited christian doctrine receiued from the mouth of Christ and truly it is very probable that no one of the other Apostles was aliue when Saint Iohn writ his Epistle yet what Christ promised Mat. 28. behold I am with you alwayes untill the end of the world remained then in him and euen now in the Prelats of the Church that succeed the Apostles in the administration therof wherby it is cleare that the office of supream Iudge of coÌ„trouersies in debate concerning faith and religion is proper to ecclesiasticall authoritie only howeuer in as much as no man can come vnto Christ except the Father which hath sent him draw him Ioa. 6. inward grace of the holy Ghost is necessarily required to belieue in and loue God aright vnto the obseruation of his ordinances and law of which is meant the prophesies Ierem. 31. I will put my law saith our lord in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people Isa 50. and all thy children shall be taught of our lord to witt by inward grace which excludeth not outward Teachers for faith is by heareing and hearing importeth outward Teachers Moyses and the Prophets of those daies taught the people in as much as they declared vnto them outwardly the lawes of God affording nothing of inward help to the seeking of them but Christ truly God cloathed with human flesh taught by himselfe in our new law both outwardly preaching the doctrine of faith and inwardly instilling into the hearts of his people inward grace for the embracing of it and afterward before his ascention into heauen appointed outward visible Teachers and promised withall his own inward inuisible concurrence with them to the end of the world Wherfore doubtless the alledged scripturs will show only the maiority of Christ compared to Moyses and the Prophets in order to teaching matters of faith and religion together (g) According to holy scripture Io. 1. the law was giuen by Moyses but grace and truth came by Iesus-Christ The old law pointed at sin onely and made it known but the new law furnishes grace to fulfill it and purge out of our souls the leauen of sin with the plenteous measure of grace especially annexed to the new law in respect wherof it is stiled the law of grace neither is this necessity of outward Teachers excluded by the saying of Saint Paul 1. Cor. 2. he that is spirituall discerneth all things and he himselfe is iudged of noe man Ioa. 1. Eps cap. 2. ye need not that any man teach you but as his vnction teacheth you all things and it is true and is notlying and Saint Ioa. 1. Eps cap. 5. he that belieueth in the son of God hath the testimony of God in himselfe for as to the first text Saint Paul spoke of the spirituall man only that is to say of such beliuers as were perfect and knowing of christian doctrine and therby apt to discern false opinions and conceiue the high mysteries of faith declared by word of mouth or writing which is not to exclude outward Teachers and that this is the true meaning appeareth by the Apostle himselfe because he says in the very same Chapter set down We speak wisdom among them that are perfect and we speake wisdom in a mystery wherby he seâ—teth the spirituall maÌ„ against the naturall man that is versed only in the wisdom of the world or in the knowledge of naturall things and in the third Chapter of the same Epistle
priuant quod non credunt Euangelio experturi scilicet in supplicijs eius potestatem cuius misericordiam in donis cōtempserunt they depriue themselues of a great good or benefit and shall sind in punishments the power of him whose mercy in gifts they haue contemned Ill runners of the second Class are wicked Christians who willfully deuesting themselues of sanctifying grace receiued in or after baptism become seruants to sin which doth so * Psal 37. sicut onus graue grauatae sunt super me scilicet iniquitates meae Prouerb 5. iniquitates suae capiunt impiū funibus peccatorum cōstringitur ouerburden and with cords bind them that as Asses ouerloaden they cannot goe or fleas tyed in chaines they cannot leap so they cannot run * Haebr 12. Adulteri fornicatores c. nō possidebunt regnum Dei such are voluptuous luxurious wanton drunken and all vnjust Christians who will neuer obtaine the inheritance of Heauen not because they cannot (g) Oecumenius in cap. 2 1. ad Timoth. saith that-seeing it is the will of God to bring all men to the knowledge of his trueth why is not his will done he answereth that therefore it is not done because all men will not doe his will and God forceth or necessitateth no man to doe his will but because they will not take of their loads and deliuer themselues out of their cords (h) The Apostle Rom. 2. saith Dost not knovv O sinner that the bountifullnes of God leadeth thee to repentance but thou after thine hard and impenitent heart heapest vp as a treasure vnta thy selfe vvrath against the day of vvrath and of the reuelation of the just judgment of God where by the diuine bountifullnes is meant diuine grace which the sinfull Iews through their hardnes of heart resisted which is in their power to do through teares of true repentance whereto the diuine bountifullnes leadeth euery sinner By help of teares occasioned through diuine grace holy Dauid S. Peter and S. Paul and S. Mary Magdelen cast of the heauy loades and troublesom fetters which sin had caused and thereby restored to their liberty run happily vnto obtaining the prize which is eternall glory In the great day (i) According to the holy Euangelist S. Mathew cap. 25. Christ shall say in the day of generall Judgment Come yee blessed of my Father possess the inheritance of the kingdom prepared for you from the fundation of the vvorld c. from this sacred text euidently appeares that the kingdom of Heauen is ordain'd for such as shall do good works of mercy namely giuing meat to the hungred drink to the thirsted cloathing to the naked c. in consequence of which God electeth those to glory whose good works he had foreseen of generall accounts when the great king of Heauen and earth shall distribute rewards * Mat. 16. tunc reddet vnicuique secundum opera eius according to the works of each one the good runners will be put on his right hand and among the sheep intituled the blessed of his Father for hauing giuen meat to the hungry drink to the thirsty clothes to the naked assistance to the sick and almes to the imprisoned which are the works of mercy contrary wise the ill runners wanting such merits and that through their own fault will be put on the left hand of the king among the goates and condemned to the euerlasting fire of hell and * Aug. non est indignū Deo dicere ijs ite in ignem eternū qui misericordiam eius contempserunt it is not an action vnworthy a king infinitly iust to say to such as haue contemned his mercy Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the deuill and his Angells CHAR. XXJ. OF REPROBATION THE CONTENTS There is no positiue Act in the diuine will to reprobate that is to exclude any one from the kingdom of Heauen and to adjudge to euerlasting pains of hell without a foreknowledge of euil works God deserteth noe man before himselfe be deserted nor does he refuse to giue euen his plenteous grace that leadeth effectually vnto iustification of life if his call thereto be not rejected REprobation is a definitiue or absolute sentence of Gods iustice vnto excluding from his glory and punishing with euerlasting fire such as shall depart out of this life in mortall sin committed * Definita est reprobatio in ordine ad adultos by an act of their own will This double paine one of separation from God called Poena damni the other of sensible torment named Poena sensus is expressed in the sentence it selfe Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the deuill and his Angells Matt. 25. Where departure doth import separation from God and euerlasting fire sensible punishment but Gods knowledg of himselfe as iust reuenger doth not precede his foreknowledg of man as vniust offender for though God can deliuer without merits Gratis whom soeuer he pleaseth out of the lump of perdition that is out of originall and actuall sinns because he is infinitly good yet he doth not condemne any vnto euerlasting pains for noe fault because he is infinitly iust whereby is plainly euident that there (a) According to the Euaugelist S. Matthew c. 23. God on his part would Gather his children together as the henne gathereth her chickins vnder her vvings and they vvill not that is God on his part is vnvvilling to depart from them though on their parts they vvill depart from him Isai 54. is noe positiue act in his diuine will to exclude from Heauen and adiudg to Hell without preuision of ill works proceeding from human free will besides it would contradict Gods generall condition will so often inculcated in holy scripture to saue all reasonable creatures which obserue his lawes and ordinances if he had an absolute priuate will to damne some without respect to transgression of the same lawes and ordinances again that proceeding might argue in God either forgetfullnes of his generall will or mutability in changing or illusion in inculcating it which to conceiue of God were both blasphemy and sacraledg for thereby he would be deuested of his goodnes and be also beleiued to necessitate man to ill leauing him without free will or to work as birds build their nests in the summer by naturall instinct and consequently to extinguish in him his own image and likenes Liberum arbitrium free will being an essentiall part thereof Neither can God be said according to truth and equity to harden any man whom pertiacy and obstinacy through perseuerance in wickedness hath not hardened before that is (b) According to S. Austin l. de nat gra c. 26. God neuer deserts any man that desertes not him first To desert or forsake God is to resist and cast away the inward helps of his mercy namely holy illuminations and inspirations which lead to iustification of life God doth
for a sinfull Brother and truly this kinde of forgiuing and loosing is common alike to all such as deuoutly and charitably recite that petition of our Lord's prayer Forgiue us our trespasses as we forgiue the trespasses against vs as witnesseth S. Augus trac 58. vpon S. Iohn and doubtless by the mentioned word 's of the Apostle viêªt videlicet Ye ought rather to forgiue and comfort him and whome yee forgiue any thing c. is meant of this generall manner of forgiuing and loosing which is common alike to all the faithfull of the Church but to demonstrate that he himself laid claime to a higher and better kinde of forgiuing and loosing he professeth that he exercised his forgiueness and power of loosing in the person or room of Christ Wherby again appear's that the Apostle did not forgiue this adulterer the rest of the paine enioyned him in order to the rigour of Church-discipline only that is to the intent only that it should aduantage him in the ecclesiasticall Court but also in order to the diuine Court of Iustice that it might benefit him before God and this is so manifest a truth that no sectary can say the contrary without contradicting the Apostles own words viêªt videlicet I forgaue it in the person of Christ that is in the room of Christ and as his Minister to whom Christ had committed his power of loosing and binding vpon earth and indeed S. Paul should haue extreamly preiudiced the said miserable adulterer which were great impiety to think if his forgiuenesse should haue had no weight * S. Cypria Epis 14. agens de relaxatione poenarum impositarum peccatoribus ait illam fieri per intercessionem martyrum vel aliorum fidelium quorum satisfactionibus suffragijs adiuuantur in delictis apud Dominum id est in foro Dei with the diuine Court and been of no value before God for according to that supposall he should haue pardoned a pain of this life in respect wherof the adulterer should haue suffered a far greater in the next because the punishment a man endureth vpon earth is a thousand times lesser then the torment 's of Purgatory and therby S. Paul would haue brought his penitent Corinthian out of the frying pan into the fyer That is out of the prison of the ecclesiasticall Court into the prison of the diuine Court Conformably vnto this catholick doctrine Bishops in the primitiue Church enjoyned sinners penances to satisfye God and to compence the iniury done to him through their sin 's (k) According to Tertullian l. ad martyres and S. Cyprian Epis 10.11.12.13.14 sundry Christians that through frailty fell from the Church in tyme of grieuous persecution were wont to recur vnto the Martyrs and Confessours that their penances might be remitted vnto them and these ancient Fathers did not mean penances or pains enioynd and due only in the Churches Court but due also in the Court of God wherfore S. Cyprian Epis 14. faith expresly that they receiued help and deliuerance from their pains apud Dominum that is in the diuine Court in consequence whereof Indulgences remit penances or pains at the Tribunall of God as due there and not as due onely in order to the Churches Canons as wanton schollars of these dayes vnaduisedly teach for otherwise according to S. Thomas q. 25. a. 1. Indulgences would be more vnprofitable then profitable reseruing the penitent to more grieuous pains in Purgatory Besides according to the holy scriptures whatsoeuer priest 's shall binde on earth shall be bound in Heauen and whatsoeuer they shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen in consequence of which God has a Court in Heauen that remits the guilt and paine of sinne accordingly as they be remitted in the Churches Court and indeed if there were no remitting of pains in the Court of Heauen there would be no need at all of the Churches spirituall Treasure consisting of the aboundant satisfactions of Christ and the blessed Saincts and yet that there is this spirituall Treasure is an article of Christian faith for as such a Treasure could not be necessary vnto remission of pains in a ciuil Court so it could not be necessary vnto remission in an ecclesiasticall Court The ground on which the Digbean diuines build their opinion is a damned heresy namely that God does not forgiue us our sinnes as to the guilt thereof except her pardon the pain also as is plainely clear according to the definition of the Council of Trent sess 6. can 30. and this practice was both in order to such as had publickly sinned in reference to which canonicall pain 's were instituted only as also in order to such as had sinned in secret as doe demonstrate Burchard in the 13th book of decretalls and sundry others which haue made a full collection of the canonicall pains Furthermore no man can say without running into manifest errour that the Apostles forgiuenesse or indulgence in order to the penitent Corinthian was but an absolution of excommunication or of his sinne giuen in the Sacrament of penance for first a deliuerance from an ecclesiasticall censure of excommunication is neuer named by scriptures or Fathers a condonation forgiueness or indulgence Again by the Apostles words appeareth that he forgaue part only of the punishment enioyned which cannot be meant of an absolution either from excommunication or sin 's in the Sacrament of penance where there is no sharing out by partes Yet notwithstanding all this the vsage of indulgences was not neer so frequent in the primitiue times as in the subsequent ages because primary Christians carrying the fresh memory of their crucifyed Redeemer and thereby much enflamed with loue towards his sufferings allwayes bore about his dying mortification that his life also might be made manifest in their mortall flesh 2. Cor. 4. so that then there was strict discipline and great penances enioyned sinners For example rigorous fasting much praying and other painfull afflictions * In 1. Concil Nicae cui intersuerunt 318. Patres indicitur poena vndecim annorum Item in Concil Ancyrano iniungitur poena septenij ijs qui bis vel ter Idolis sacrificauerant Porro vulgatum est vnicuique peccato mort ali poenitentiam septem annorum iniungendam esse iuxta Canones pro quo tam en nullus Textus reperiri potest Et contrarium tenet S. Tho. in 4. l. sent dis 20. sanè Gratianus qui allegatur pro contraria sententia non dicit Ecclesiam septemnem poenitentiam in singula peccata statuisse sed tantum pro grauissimis iniungi solitam fuisse deinde dicit illam poenit entiam non taxatam fuisse pro foro interiori sed exteriori constat illos Canones ad forum exteriùs pertinere as by the ancientest Councils appeareth Neuerthelesse such was their feruour of spirit and extream zeale in complyance to Christ's sufferings that they fullfilled them willingly and chearfully few sought after pardons vnto
argue a precept obliging all to marry For those words cannot carry a command since they were vttered to men and beast alike which are not capable of a precept howeuer if God therby had commanded marriage it cannot be meant in order to all men joynt and seperate for thence it plainly followeth that Abel (n) In the law of Moses Iosue Elias Elisaeus and Ieremy renown'd for sanctity of life were neuer marryed according to S. Hierom and S. Ambrose Besides 2. Machabae express mention is made of reclus'd Virgin 's in the Temple And it matters not that the sacred Text. Deut. 7. saith that there shall be neither male nor female barren among you For neither the one nor th other was counted barren because of being vnmarried but in regard in marriage they wanted children which kind of barreness was counted in those dayes as a reproach or malediction because God had promised plenty of children to married people that obseru'd his commandement's Iosue Daniel S. Iohn Baptist S. Iohn Euangelist and sundry others which led their life 's in all chastity did transgress a diuine law and consequently sinned mortally which were a blasphemy to say of such godly Persons Again from the words of the Apostle 1. Cor. 7. for to auoide fornication let euery man haue his wife and let euery woman haue her own husband they as weakly infer marriage to be enioyned euery man and euery woman for the Text is meant of such as are married already and so the Apostle doth interpret his meaning saying in the same Chapter Art thou bonnd to a wife seeke not to be loosed Art thou loosed from a wife seeke not a wise be that giueth his Virgin to marriage doth well and be that giueth her not to marriage doth better wherfore the alleadged words be vttered in respect of the marryed the Apostle signifying therby that although it were good for a man not to touch a woman or for a woman not to touch a man but to abide euen as he did a chast Virgin neuerthelesse he asserteth it lawfull for euery married man to vse his wife and for euery married woman to vse her husband that therby fornications and other vncleanesses may be auoided In like manner they abuse the scripture 1. Timoth. 3. and Titus 3. that say a Bishop must be a husband of one wife arguing thence an Apostolicall precept obliging a Bishop to take a wife for it plainly appeares by the Apostles own practice and sundry Council's and the ancientest Fathers-testimonies that S. Paul did not mean that a Bishop after his ordination might marry or if married afore might lawfully perform the act of Matrimony because there is not one example in all antiquity that shews permission giuen (o) According to the custom of the primitiue Church no married man could be ordain'd vnless he had promised afore his ordination continency with his wifes consent as seuerall Councils haue declar'd and Iouinian the Heretick ingenuously confesseth this truth according to S. Hierom. l. 1. adversus Iouinia Thou confesseth saith this great Doctour to Jouinian that he cannot be à Bishop that beget's children in his Diocese othervvise if he be perceiu'd he shall not be counted as a Husband but he condenm'd as an adulterer to the married to be ordained Bishops or Priests vnless first they had made a promise of continency together with their wiues consent thereto and their promise to liue in all continency likewise wherfore the true meaning of the Apostles words is that a man which hath been married more then once ought not to be ordained a Bishop and so of necessity he meant both in regard the place cannot be vnderstood in reference to Polygamie which signifies marriage of one single man with many women together polygamy being inconsistent with Christian religion as also because the (p) According to the ancient Fathers namely S. Hilary in Psal 117. Epiphan haer 5. 8. S. Hierom l. 1. con Iouian S. Austin l. de gra lib. arb cap. 4. S. Paul was neuer married Howeuer Clement Alexandri and onely he asserted a contrary opinion conceiuing that he was able to proue from holy scripture that S. Paul had been married but Theodoret Oecumenius count's it folly to inâ—er from holy scripture S. Pauls marriage Apostle Timothy and Titus were Bishops vnmarried as doth witness all antiquity but S. Paul with great reason permitted such as were but once married to be ordained Bishops because among the people of Creet where he was the chief Church-gouernour it was a difficult business to finde Virgins the * Secundum Baronium in Annal Eccles ad an Christi 58. leges Cretensium cogebant vt quilibet à puero vxorem duceret lawes of that Country commanding euery man and woman to marry as note h Baronius in his Ecclesiasticall Annals Moreouer in fauour of Priest's marriage they doe alledge S. Paul's word's that say Thess 13. Marriage is honourable in all and the bed vnpolluted inferring from thence an obligation vpon euery man to marry which inference doth carry a manifest weakness for it is certaine that the marriage of adulterers and adulteresses is dishonourable and infamous besides marriage contracted between Brother and sister is not honourable wherfore the true meaning of the Apostle is that marriage ought to be honourable among ass that is to say the married ought so to haue marriage in honour as to know how to possess his vessel in honour and holinesse and not in the iust of concupiscence as the Gentils which knew not God 1. Thessal 4. and though marriage in it self be honourable and a great Sacrament neuertheless that doth not hinder the Church to constitute a law obliging the ordained to refrain from marriage since she forceth none to receiue ordination and to prohibit marriage in order to ecclesia â—icks is not to condemne it altogether as vnlawfull and diabolicall as did Simon Magus Saturnius and those other Marcionist's which are meant by the Prophecy of S. Paul 1. Timoth. 4. In the latter times some shall depart from the faith forbidding to marry Furthermore the afore mentioned sectaries to proue the lawfullnesse of their own Priests marriages doe produce S. Paul himself for a President saying that this great Apostle was married and led about his wife by the name of sister 1. Cor. 9. haue we not power to leade about a woman a sister and by the name of a faithfull companion Philip vltimo I beseech thee my faithfull companion wherby doth appeare their extream peruersness or blindness contradicting the consenting testimonies of the ancientest Fathers which assert this Apostles virginity as he himself doth also 1. Cor. 7. therfore I say vnto the vnmarried and vnto the widdowes it is good for them if they abide euen as I doe wherfore doubtless 1. Cor. 9. he doth not mean by a woman a sister a wife but some other deuout Christian woman that after the manner of Iewry did furnish him with necessaries
is a holy thing and ought to be obseru'd and perform'd in holines which doctrine is conform to the Apostles instructions 1. Cor. 7. He that giueth his Virgin in marriage doth vvell And Hebrae 13. Marriage honorable in all that is in all those which are indeed lawfully married In consequence of which the act of generation in persons married aright is both lawfull and honorable but in such as are not lawfully marryed together it is damnable 1. Timoth. 5. For example in Brothers and sister's and in Virgins that haue vow'd to God perpetual chastity consummation of marriage through carnall copulation though it be lawfull honest and laudable hauing a lawfull honest and laudable end which is the generation and education of children for the propagation and conseruation of mankinde neuertheless it addeth no essentiall perfection vnto marriage being extrinsecall therunto only Howeuer God in the begining made and determinated but (e) T' is set down Gen. 1. God created them male and female in the singular number and Gen. 2. they shall be two in one flesh wherfore S. Innocent cap. Gaudemus dediuortijs faith that one rib onely was converted into one and not into many women one man and one woman to contract marriage as t' is said afore forming of one rib one woman only wherby t' is plain that Polygamy which is a plurality of wiues in order to one man can challenge no institution from the begining and indeed such plurality setting aside extraordinary means for supplying of naturall imperfections is destructiue at least of the secondary end of marriage which is a sweet sociable liuing together of man and wife as appeareth by the example of Sara and Agar Gen. 16. of Anna and Phenenna 1. Reg. Again it is not consonant as to the law of nature that a man hauing once giuen the power of his body to one woman by marriage should afterward giue it to an other yet in as much as Polygamy in order to many wiues is not absolutely prohibited by any naturall ordinance and is consistent with the principall end of marriage which is procreation and education of children God can and hath de facto dispensed in it for both Sara and Agar were rightfull wiues of Abraham the Patriarch as likewise Anna and Phenenna of Alcana and Lia and Rachel of Iacob being the scripture praiseth these men for their great sanctity of life without reproaching vnto them plurality of wiues (f) Doubtless persons renown'd for sanctity of life would neuer haue married many wiues vnless God had inspir'd them and the ancient Fathers S. Hierom. Ep. 83. ad Ocia and S. Austin l. 22. con Faus affirme that God dispensed with the Patriarchs and Iews in the plurality of wiues But this Indulgence began onely in the dayes of Noe who taught it his posterity for neither Adam nor any other married many wiues before the generall deluge except Lameth Gen. 4. who therfore was counted an adulterer and is reproch'd for that same act by Pope Nicholas in an Epistle written to king Lotherius And albeit according to holy scripture all the wiues of one singleman except the first be sometymes nam'd Concubins neuerthelesse t' is not meant therby that the others were not true and lawfull but that they were secundary wiues which were also true and lawfull wiues And doubtless God inspired these holy men to doe so that therby maÌ„kinde might be sooner propagated and the diuine blessings promised to the children of Israel fullfilled wherof one was increase and multiplication of children As God after the generall deluge appointed the flesh of beasts to be meate for Noah and his posterity without any restriction at all Gen. 5. and afterward restrained that appointment or concession limitting it in order to the flesh of such beasts as by the law of Moyses were counted clean and vnpolluted and lastly â—nulling that restriction reduced the eating of flesh to the first concession so in the begining God instituted Monogamy that is to say marriage between one man and one woman only afterward he granted Polygamy that is power to take many wiues and lastly reuoked the concession of many wiues and reduced marriage * Matth. 15. ab initio non fuit sic id est ab initio non fuit Poligamia to it's first institution as also raised it which afore was a ciuil contract only to the dignity of a Sacrament (g) The Council of Constance sess 15. declar's marriage between persons baptiz'd and fit to contract a Sacrament of the new law taken in the proper sense Likewise the Council of Florence In the Decree of Pope Eugenius and Trent sess 24. cap. vnico can 1. Besid's the Apostle Eph. 5. nameth marriage a great Sacrament that is the marriage of those which are baptiz'd for of such only he speak's in the Chapter set down saying For yee were once darknes but novv light in our lord that is through baptism for according to holy scriptures and ancient Fathers baptiz'd and lightned importe the same thing for now marriage contracted by persons that are baptised and enabled to contract is a * Sentiunt communiter Theologi quodlibet matrimoniuÌ„ validè contractum inter duas personas baptizatas esse propriè Sacramentum nec duae personae baptizatae validè contrahentes possunt facere vt illud non sit validum vbi obserua quod pecunia quae datur in matrimonio non datur pro matrimonio sed pro eius oneribus nempe pro nutritione familiae educations filiorum id genus alijs Jdeoque inde non committitur simonia Sacrament of the new law taken in the proper sense being cloathed with all requisits necessary ther to for first it is an outward sensible ceremony in as much as it is a contract expressed in outward words or other sensible signs secondly it doth effectually sanctifie such as receiue it aright through a speciall grace that is conferred on the married to loue each other mutuall after the imitation of that reciprocall loue and charity which is between Christ and his Church in respect wherof the Apostle Eph. 5. calleth the marriage of the faithfull baptised Magnum Sacramentum a great Sacrament but I speake sayes he in order to Christ and the Church exhorting withall husband's to loue their wiues euen as Christ loued the church which is his wife that was taken and formed out of his own side hanging vpon the cross a mystery S. Aug. often inculcates as Eue Adams wife was made of his rib and consequently bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh wherby is plainly manifest that the marriage of Christians lies iust claime to diuine institution also since there is no outward sensible signe or ceremony that effectually produceth sanctifying grace in the new law which is not instituted by Christ according to that of S. Iohn cap. 1. Grace and truth came by Iesus-Christ by the premises appeares that the marriages of vnbaptised persons (b)