bee substituted to the place of others and so the Clergy of Millan would infallibly grow to be reformed both in Country and City by the substitution I say of of good Priests who might lead holy liues and that all the younger Priests moulding themselues by those others might thus put themselues vpon the way of Ecclesiasticall perfection obtayned by secular Priests who shortly would people Lombardie with excellent men for the Church That Religious men not being come in but to succour the Church when it was in decay and seemed to hang towards ruine there would now bee not great neede of them but for singing their Office in the Quier and to make mentall Prayer 8. That good secular Priests were the men who would vphold the dignity of Bishops and who liue not but by them nor take any thing to heart but their Commaundâ—ments and who would euer be at their feete and euer neere at hand to bee imployed by them in all kinde of labour without contrâ—diction 9. That for the greater assurancâ— and stability hereof they would take an Oath nay they would maâ— a particuler vowe betweene thâ— hands of the sayd Lord Cardinall whereby they would irreuocably oblige themselues to him and would make themselues as his Creatures This is that in grosse which I haue learned both in Millan as also out of the life of the Saint afore-said touching that which they alleadged to him And now he who imbraced all sorts of people for the seruice oâ— God was much pleased by the lustre of these faire and winning propositions And as for the men hee receiued them after a paternall manner and gaue them the Church of the holy Sepulcher and obtained the yearly reuenew of a thousand crownes for them of Pope Gregorie the thirteenth and by occasion of offering themselues to him hee gaue them the name of Oblati which continueth with them till this day and in truth they haue done God good seruice in the Diocesse of the holy Cardinall Now as for saying whether afterward they grew vp to frame a bodie or whether they haue chosen a Generall or no or what Hierarchy they haue I must clearely auow mine owne ignorance For in truth I know not how the case stands and I am so little curious that I haue not taken care to informe my selfe It is true that I haue bin told many times but I put not this eyther into my booke of receites or of expences as a thing which concernes me not But I beseech God to conserue and enrich them with all the benedictions both of heauen and earth for the seruice of the Church and the good of soules 9. This was then the occasion of that change which arriued at Millan wherein my Lords you may be pleased to obserue that it grew vpon the desire of the Religious men and at their instant 〈◊〉 that Saint Charles discharged them of that too great imployment for these are the expresse words of the Historie Besides that the holy Cardinall did neuer giue ouer euen till the end of his life to serue himselfe of Religious men and to imploy them vppon the conduct of his soule and you may well beleeue of so great a Cardinall that since hee trusted his conscience and his heart in the hands of Religious men hee might also well trust the rest his flocke and whatsoeuer was in his Diocesse which was the honour of Diocesses 10. To tell you now which of the two is better eyther to haue serued Saint Charles in the establishment of his Arch-bishopricke and to breake through difficulties or to haue helped to conserue that which was established alreadie would be but odious and without fruite In like manner to debate whether this bee not sitter at one time then in another would proue to make a discourse apt to breed iealousie and to discouer a high way couered with thornes To know moreouer whether the Oblati doe better seruice to Bishops then Religious men yea or no for the loue of God do not ingage me vppon this taske When you goe to Millan you maâ— take the paynes to informe and instruct your selues herein As for mee I know in a manner what might be said but I also know withall that I will not say it That which I wil be bold to say is this that I doe infinitely commend the large heart of Saint Charles and his affections of a father He euer loued both the one and the other euer imploied both the one the other and as his life doth witnesse he better loued to be a Father to all then partiall to any And seeing that hee had all in his power he would not commit himselfe wholy to any nor put himselfe into parallel with other folkes and to the end that all might be good children to him hee was a louing Father to all His life doth further relate that he had often in his mouth that word of the wiseman Discurre festina suscita Cap. â—7 animam tuam ne dederis somnum occulis tuis nec dormicent palpebrae suae In fine he awaked all the world he imployed all the seruants of God and hee neuer thought himselfe to haue men enough to cultiuate his Diocesse whereof he so much procured the aduancement 11. True but yet he wished for some things to be in regular persons and there were many little things which pleas'd him not Alas is there any kind of people wherof a maÌ„ is not weary at â—ngth since a man groweth weary eâ—en of himselfe and many times he â—ares not for that after noone which he passionatly desireth before In fine the minde of man is so made But now my Lords tel me if it please you doe you beleeue that there hath been nothing done by those others which might haue beene wished otherwise and which displeased Saint Charles and his successors Are they perhaps impeccable or are they men dropped downe from Heauen and confirmed in grace If a man will not serue himselfe but onely of such as make no faults infallibly hee must serue himselfe of none but hee must as Saint Paule sayth goe out of the World and seeke them beyond these parts of the earth which are inhabited by men Euery man is a man and extreamely a man and subject to many tokens of humanity and 〈◊〉 inhumanity too Hee is the most excellent amongst them who committeth the fewest faults A good oldâ— Religious man of the Mendicants sayd thus at Millan When those other good men shall haue serued St. Charles as long as wee and shall haue sweate blood and water so many yeares the world wil then be able to judge who shall haue done better seruice And is it therefore fit that for some little fault all former seruices should be forgotten Some one man will haue committed some light indiscretion and a hundred others of the same Order wil haue performed a thousand good seruices and must the mis-fortune be so great as to impute the fault of that one to
for-sooth they make a mortall sinne that they exalt themselues aboue Bishops that they forsake the care of Parishes and draw all to themselues that they abuse their Priviledges and become insolent and too independant vppon their Ordinaries that they despise Ecclesiasticall Parsons and Curats whom they vndermine that they follow not the Maximes of the Country and the Priviledges of the Gallian Church that they fill the best Chayres of the Kingdome and in fine that they make themselues petty Kings Having thus made up this Picture and given such a colouring to it as is used by the great Bassaw who ordinarily makes all his full of night and deepe shadowes and darkenesse having I say framed the face of this businesse after this manner they put men then into an Alarum they cry out and Preach yea and excommunicate in many places they print Bookes and they doe wonders What say they is it fit that men band themselues thus against Bishops is it fit to put the Church in Scisme that poore Religious men should be so full of obstinacy and ambition that without punishment they should bring confusion unto that order which hath beene established by our Predecessours and a World of such discourses as these which are received and beleeved as Oracles and indubitable truths I wil therfore say with Tertullian to such as shall haue figured or rather dis-figured us in this fashion before the eyes of my Lords the Prelates that first they should in earnest striue to know whether that be true or no whether or no we adore this Orient Sun and this interest of our owne and whether our designes and pretences aime at that For otherwaies it is to frame an ougly thing at pleasure and it is like setting up a Quintaine or some man of wood so to learne to make thrusts of the Launce and of language at it when yet in the meane time all this is done with disadvantage to the service and glory of God Wee men should first seeke to know whether indeede it bee the Arke of truth or else the Chest or Coffer of our owne interest which wee adore and then afterward they might cry out at ease and without danger of errour My Lords in such a businesse as this a man may eyther seeke the sole Glorie of GOD and the good of soules which are bathed in the blood of Iesus Christ who is the true Bishop and Pastor of our soules or else hee may follow a passion being over-cast and gilt with a shewe of zeale and set foorth with the apparant ornaments of vertue or else in fine hee may giue himselfe way to bee perswaded to certayne things which hee takes indeede to be very true though yet in very truth they be not so Of you my Lords I beleeue that it is the first consideration which puts you on or at the most that it is the first and the third you having perhaps given beleefe to so many discourses where with men may haue desired to flatter you and perhaps to worke and make deepe impressions upon your minds But yet withall I beseech you suffer me to tell you that which generally is in the beleefe of men namely that many who are not Bishops haue suffered themselues to be transported into the second errour and haue taken passion interest and jealousie for direct inspirations but verily I am in feare least God should say Non mittebam Prophetas Ier. 22. ipsi currebant non loquebar ad eos ipsi prophetabant Now therefore to discerne who is inspired by God and who is put on by an Episcopall and Apostolicall spirit and who on the other side is posessed by passion I know not how it may be done more Divinely then by the mouth of God and by the mouth of three of the greatest personages who haue ever beene in this World and who all three were Pastors according to the verie heart and gust of God The first is Moses that father of the people of God and as it were their Bishop under whom Iosua was placed It hapned therefore that one Eldad and Medad who being a part from the multitude of the Iewes and some will say perhaps that this is a figure of Religious men beganne to prophecy amongst the people that is to say to instruct and Preach to them This newes was quickely carried by a young man to Iosua who being inflamed with a zeale which was not altogether so very pure ranne with speede to Moses and being desirous to use double diligence in giuing proofe of his fidelity said somewhat which pleased not Moses in any sort who was a man all full of the Spirit of God But let us heare his Wordes Statim Iosue filius Nun minister Mosi electus è pluribus Domine mi Moses prohibe illos At ille quid inquit aemularis pro me quis tribuat mihi vt omnis populus Num. 11. 29 Prophetet det eis dominus Spiritum suum What is that which this holy man means to say this Idea of the Pastors of the people of God I had rather make it be spoken by the mouth of a Pope which was more worth then gold But first you may obserue in passing by that insteed of Prohibe illos the Caldean version sayth Mitte eos in carcerem for this declareth yet better the boyling heart of Ioshua and the excesse of his too hote zeale But now let us heare what the Pope saith Pia Pastorum mens Lib. 22 mor. cap. 24. saith St. Gregory quia non propriam gloriam sed authoris quaerit ab omnibus vult adjuuari quod agit fidelis namque Predicator optat si fieri valeat vt veritatem quam solus loqui non sufficit ora cunctorum sonent Vnde cum Iosue duobus in castris remanentibus atque prophetantibus vellet obsistere recté per Mòsen dicitur Quid aemularis pro me c. Prophetare quippe omnes voluit qui bonum quod habuit alijs non inuidit Will you therefore see this ill zeale and how Moses speaketh of this emulation Here it is Domine mi prohibe illos And will you see the true Spirit of God and the pure zeale of his service and of the good of soules Behold also here it is Quiâ— mihi tribuat ut omnes c. The second instance is more eminent and it is Iesus Christ who is speaking and we must adore his Words Thus stood the case As he was going to Capernaâ—um Markc 9. the Apostles busied themselues about debating who was to be the greatest man amongst them Deere Lord what a kinde of discourse was this for the Apostles to make But being ariued at their lodging Christ our Lord demaunded of them what discourse they had held uppon the way to which they all helde their peace and were infallibly ashamed of their having so impertinently debated about the poynt of precedence And our deare Lord instructed them sweetly and taught them that true greatnesse is
a bolt of thunâ—er made this answere Minimè â—uidem ego spiritum blasphemiae habere â—e arbitror c. Et quoniam vt video â—ondum quieuit indign â—tio vestra qua â—orsiâ—an adversus Ecclesiae conculcatoâ—es justius incanduisset etiam nobis diâ—o Schismaticos vos aut fomitem esse â—candali nec dixi nec scripsi nec creâ—idi dico securus In the meane time I beleeue that the occasionâ— which this most reverend Bishoâ— tooke was from this that thâ— Churches of Paris of Râ—imes oâ— Chaalons and of Bourges were noâ— so perfect and that the Councell oâ— King Lewis the 8th did seeme to carrâ— that King to consent that Saint Bernard might assist those Churches anâ— the Prelates now this holy Abbotâ— being full of the spirit of Charitieâ— wrote thus to my Lord of Soessomâ— who was of the Councell Miruâ— valdé si contra vestrum consilium hâ—â— fiunt mirum magis malum si vestro consilio fiunt etenim consulere talia manifeste Schisma fabricare estâ— Deo resistere Ecclesiam ancillare novam in servitutem redigere ecclesiasticam libertatem Now the enemies of Saint Bernard did blow up this discourse and cast into the mind of the good Bishop so many shadows and false rumors that in fine hee broke out and called S. Bernard a blasphemer and a man possessed with the maligne spirit of blasphemy before those clouds could be well dispersed This caused much scandall in France and God was greatly offended thereby but in the end all was accommodated and men came to see clearely that it was but a craft of Lucifer who desired to make those two Angels fight with one another and to make the Hierarchies heere on earth revolt as hee had made those of Heaven rebell before 3. It hath often arrived in the Church that sometimes good Prelates should heate and band themselues against the Regulars and ever with very good pretexts but time patience truth and God haue cleared all and turned the storme into calme Sometimes the Iacobins haue thoght they should haue bin swallowed up somtimes the Cordeliers sometimes the other mendicant Religious sometimes the Iesuites and sometimes the Order it selfe of Saint Benet as beeing too powerfull and having for too long a time disposed of the Keies of St. Peter But yet certainly it would be good to see the plat-forme of this mighty building and to know uppon what this great complaint is grounded which is the spring and force of other complaints for is it perhaps that Religious men haue a desire to carry away the Miters and Crosiers of my Lords the Bishops Is it because they debate about hauing the upper end of the board and to be seated in the places of most honour Is it that they Preach whether they will or no or in their Dioceses and that they make themselues little Monarches in the Empire of others Doth any one of them heare Confessions without their consent or at least of their Vicars generall according to the Councell of Trent Is it perhaps that they haue more credit and beleefe amongst the people more auditors at their Sermons and after a sort more power in apparance then many others Deere God what is the matter and how shall men be able to behaue themselues If these Religious be vulgar persons men dispise them If there bee never so little in them which is more eminent men enter into jealousies and say There is no remedy but these men must be humbled In fine what is that which they doe whereby indeede the great power of the Prelates of the Church is abased Is it that they haue too many Priviledges and too great authority to absolue sinnes Is it that they take Confessions within fifteene dayes of Easter and Minister the Communion excepting onely vpon Easter day which the Canons and the Councells haue excepted Is it that men visite not the Blessed Sacrament in their Churches and that men enter not upon taking conziance of their Regularity Is it that they are not entirely and without exception dependant upon my Lords the Bishops in all and every thing that can be thought of Is it that they doe insolently abuse the favours and Priviledges which the See Apostolike hath given them or else is it because they doe not forsake the use of their Priviledges vppon the least word of their Bishop even when he growes stiffe without reason against such a power as is established by God I doe even draw my wits dry to say all that which I can bring to memory for the finding of the motherroote from which all these thornes grow and sprout and these sharpe nestes which pricke so many hearts at this day and teare the union of the Church making division amongst the Children of God and which is worst both parties conceiue themselues to haue reason perhaps whosoever bee deceived hee is deceived without any fault of his but â—et in fine he is deceiued 4. During the warres betweene France and the Dukes of Burgundie there chanced a certaine thing which may well serue my turne The men of Lewis the 11. going foorth one morning before day to make some discovery in the Country saw an incredible number of reedes growing out of a marrish ground They firmely beleeved that it was some troupes of light horse who had a minde to make some enterprize upon the Kings Armie Others thought that they were Lanciers who came to make a roade for some surprise There were never men more afraid They all at full gallop retired themselues into the grosse of their Army they put the Campe into Alarme and thrust feare into the most valiant hearâ—es of the French Army expecting instantly some shrewd skirmish As soone aâ— the twy-light stroke through thâ— night and beganne to open the day and that the morning Starre had already disclosed a little light meâ— saw that this was nothing but emptyâ— Canes and Reedes which waved aâ— the discretion of the wind so as thaâ— horrible feare was instantly changed into a publike laughter and fell by way of confusion upon those childisâ— scoutes for having made so foolisâ— and so frivolous a report They who loue not Religious men and who goe tossing up and downe to discover some little passage some doubtfull Canon of some Provinciall Synod and indeede some I knoâ— not what beeing all wrapped up eyther in the night of passion or of proper interest doe represent the Orders of Religious men as of Armies all â—camped and resolved to assault â—nd subdue the authority of my â—ords the Prelates They tell them â—ales without ceasing and make most â—range reports they cast so many â—eares into their mindes and paint â—ut the businesse so hideously they alâ—eadge so many cases hapned and not â—apned too they tickle them so deâ—ightfully about the delicate point of their authority and the power of the Crosier that they shake even such as are most immoveable Who would not beleeve men so learned and who make profession of
so much zeale and â—iety and who haue done nothing but cry out aboue these thirty yeares But yet in truth if wee shall behold the beame of that rising Sunne of truth and looke on them a little neere at hand it wil be found that these armed men be but reedes and people voyd of all that interest and ambition which is layd to their charge and who of all things are thinking least of contending with that lawfull authoritie which God hath given to my Lords the Bishops and to the Pastors of the Church 5. Let us beginne in the name of God to see and weigh this truth which is of so much importance Iâ— the Religious doe nothing without reason without right without auow without authority nay I will say more without being obliged in conscience is there any man of common sence who can blame them for it For if they attempt any thing beyond this there is indeede no excuse nor any cloake which can cover them they must be reduced into tearmes of reason But is it not fit that every man defend his right and that every one enjoy what is his owne and which is justly acquired by him There are now so many ages since Regulars are in possession of their priviledges and shall they suffer them â—o bee lost and abolished by a morâ—ings worke Priviledges well giuen â—ery authenticall granted by so maâ—y and so holy Popes admitted by â—o many holy Prelates through out â—e Christian world authorised by â—ur Kings recorded or permitted by so â—any Soveraigne Courts of justice â—btayned by the sweate of so many â—rowes by the effusion of so much â—lood by meanes of so long so â—reat so holy labours of so many and â—o worthy personages the very Suns â—f their several ages must all this I say â—ee suffered to perish by a mornings â—orke And al this upon what reason 〈◊〉 will not name it but I rather choose â—o beseech you to weigh it well in the â—ght of God and in the scales of the â—anctuarie 6. But there is much more then â—his which is that the holy Canons â—orbid in tearmes expresse worthy to â—e well observed and shew that Regulars cannot commit this unwoâ—thinesse without hurting their coâ—science and that which greatly iâ—ports without doing much wronâ— both to the Pope and to the Churcâ— Let us heare the Canon and thâ— Pope Cum et si sponte volueris de â—re L. 1. Dec. Greg. tit 43 de arbitris c. 5. tamen nequiveris sine licentia Roâ— Pont. renuneiare Priuilegijs vel Indâ— gentijs libertatis quae Monasterium â—lud indicant ad jus proprietatâ— Romanae Ecclesiae pertinere Such 〈◊〉 are the houses of the Order of Saiâ— Francis and the other Mendicanâ— Pope Gregory speaking to an Abboâ— who desired to forgoe all his Privâ—ledges at the instance of the Bishoâ— who prest him much makes hiâ— know his fault and tels him that hâ— was doing that which is aboue 〈◊〉 power and contrary to his conscâ—ence and contrary to the authoriâ— of the See Apostolike and againâ— the sacred and setled stile of thâ— Church The Lawes of the Church â—â—sse much further then this for â—â—ey declare that if Regulars should â—â—nounce all their Priviledges all that â—â—ould stand for nothing and bee of â—o value Nay yet further they are â—ommaunded under paine of excomâ—unication not to alienate any â—ing of their temporals and much â—sle of their spirituals So that it is â—ot now the Religious whom men â—ppose but the Pope the See Apoâ—olike the Church and they oppose â—ntiquitie Let us heare the wordes â—nnocent the third to the Arch-biâ—hop C. si diligenti de forâ— competenti of Piso Asseruisti te usque ad â—aec tempora tenuisse quod licitum sit â—erico renunciare saltem in tempora â—bus causis juri suo c. immemor conâ—â—itutionis quae cavetur pacto privatoâ—um juri publico minime derogari Cum â—gitur hoc jus in Milevitensi Carâ—haginensi Concilijs sit specialiter promulgatum nè Clerici Clericos relicto suo Pontifice ad judicia publica pâ—trahunt alioqui causam perdant â— communione habeantur extranei â— manifeste patet quod non solum inviâ—sed etiam voluntarij pacisci non posunt ut saecularia judicia subeant cuâ— non sit beneficium hoc personale cuiâ— nunciare valeat sed potiús toti Colâ—gio Ecclesiastico publicé sit indultuâ— cui privatorum pactio derogare non pâ—test Quod habet locum à fortiori 〈◊〉 Reg. 99. â—om 1. 9. 36. act 1. Regularibus saith Emanuel Rodericuâ— quia clerici habent liberam volunâ—tem Regulares verò non habent vellâ— nec nolle ideo non potest praejudicare â—rum consensus in judicem non suuâ— All this Article deserues to bee reaâ— as also the Article 2. of the questioâ— 27. where hee bringeth many prohâ—bitions to alienate the goods 〈◊〉 Churches and Monasteries eueâ— under the paine of Excommunicatâ—on That of Paul the second in the extravagant Ambitiosae is expressâ— It is a thing worthy of remarke â—hich a great Prelate sayd one day in â—n assembly of Prelates that this afâ—aire went full to iustle vpon the â—ope and that the bottome of the â—usinesse tended but to some perniâ—ious diuision and schisme I would name him for honors sake â—ere it not that he is still liuing and â—hat perhaps he would not wish to be â—ited vpon this occasion If the Popes who haue giuen â—hem these Privileges shall take them â—way againe there is no more to be â—one but to bow downe the head to â—bey with humility and to be conâ—ent But that the Regulars should â—egrade themselues that they should â—ffend the See Apostolickâ— that they â—hould doe wrong to millions of â—ules that they should renounce the â—uours imparted to them by Kings â—his counsaile cannot be fitly giuen â—hem especially when a man considers to what this businesse tendeâ—â— and the motiues whereby God seetâ— that men are drawne and the intereâ— which the Church hath herein anâ— the saluation of soules and in finâ— that they are excommunicated 〈◊〉 they do it of themselues 7. But this goeth yet further foâ— they who call in question the force 〈◊〉 Priviledges granted by Popes groâ— to shake whole Kingdomes Chapters Commonalties and they ouerturne the peace of the Church Anâ— in fine for what cause and for whâ—â— is the question Alas he who founâ— into the bottome of this businessâ— cannot chuse but haue his hart tranâ—perst But you will say it is not the Prâ—viledge which we question but râ—ther the misuse and intollerable â—buse which growes thereby I am not such a Sot as that I w … defend and Canonize an abuse or y … deny that some abuse may slide in â—or that some indiscreet persons may â—ot be found The world was neuer â—ithout such nor euer will be vnâ—esse God worke a miracle But be â—ou pleased to let the abuses and â—ust complaints
Ita dum mihi bellum infers ea qua â—illius sunt deijcis And a little after Vides nè aâ—nimum ab omni gloriae studio purum â—antum abest inquit ut eorum quae Domini sunt quicquam vsurpemus ac â—obis arrogemus ut etiam no sipsos propâ—er eum subijciamus THE FOVRTH REASON That Religious men forsake the Parishes and so doe wrong to the Pastors and Parsons and Curates of Churches and consequently to Bishops 1. ALL those former streames and torrents haue flowed out of this source and all â—hose claps of thunder and beames of lightning haue broken out of this Cloud For if the truth may be spoken they are some of the Pastors and Parsons and Curates who haue thundered so â—ong and so loud that at length they haue light upon some of my Lords the Bishops They haue brought upon the board before them the abasement of Ecclesiasticall powers the diminution of the authority of Ordinaries they haue cited certayne little Canons of Provinciall Conncels they haue founded forth with a loud voyce this word of Proprius Sacerdos they haue made 〈◊〉 mighty Emphasis uppon this other word agnoscere vultum pecoris suiâ— they presse hard upon the successioâ— to the 72. Disciples whom theâ— represent they deplore the solitude of their Parishes and of their high Maisters and they impure it to Religious men who draw all to themselues they represent to the World how miserably the Hierarchy of the Church is defeated and they alleadge a world of other inconveniences without saying any one word touchâ—ng their owne interest And according to this wee must firmely forsooth beleeue that it is not that which puts them on but the interest of God and the good of their flocke And I am glad it is so for if I were â—ncountred by their interest and that 〈◊〉 were to fight against that in good â—arnest I would lay my weapons downe for that as is delivered by a man of a gallant wit of these dayes in a booke which is currant in Paris there is not a passage in Saint Auâ—ustine nor an argument how strong â—ever it may be which is strong eâ—ough against fiue hundred Crownes â—f good revenew by the yeare 2. Supposing therefore that it is â—t the interest of God and the â—ood of the Church and the salâ—ation of soules which thrusts â—em on I will hope my Lords that I shall the more easily make you see that there is nothing to bee feared heerein of this kinde I will not deny but that the comparison betweene them and the Disciples is fit and that very holy personages haue very happily made it good I will say moreover that if it please you wee will yet do more then they demaund and wee will if it please you and them accord also that they are the second Apostles whom God sent after the first Saint Paul Saint Barnâ—bas and Saint Martiall and those others who were named Apostles by Iesus Christ Wee will also accord to thâ— which others say that they are thâ— Arch-angels of this Hierarchy and you the Seraphins I will hold 〈◊〉 selfe to this As much honour 〈◊〉 pleaseth you yea and more then yâ— desire for alas wee can never giâ— too much But yet when men wiâ— presse so hard upon that of the comparison of the 72. Disciples I assure you my Lords that the good Saint Vincentius doth apply it so naturally to Religious men of his Order that you will esteeme it to square better with them then with you or at least as well 3. 1. Misit eos binos binos First this agreeth better to Religious men who goe not but by two and two then to others who are ever alone and no man hath or ought to haue any more then his cure 2. Misit eos praedicare Is not this the sacred Profession of the Fryers Luke 10. Preachers whom the See Apostolike hath qualified with this honourable name of Predicatores verbi Dei 3. In omnem Ciuitatem locum See how this fits with Religious men who haue the whole World for their Cloyster and not for them who are tyed to one Parish 4. Nolite portare sacculum neque peram neque pecuniam in zonis c. This makes clearely for Religious men but as for Pastors and Parsons and Curates in truth it can hardly be applied to them 5. Neque baculum neque calceamenta c. This is as cleare as the Sunne 6. Curale infirmos c. It is working miracles whereof hee speakes and then let us never speake more of this 7. Ego mitto vos sicut oues in mediae luporum You may well beleeue that men seeke not greatly after such Benefices as these and yet in the meane time this is the highest ambition of holy Religious men who many times are rather Martyres then Confessors In fine you see that the comparison is so naturall that a man may say it is euen made of purpose for religious men But there is nothing more easie then for good witts to finde out comparisons so naturall and so likely that more cannot bee desired So that indeede to relye greatly upon this course either way is to build upon a foundation not very solid And at the very most as S. Thomas saith they shal be the first Disciples Opusc 15. c. 4. and the religious shal be the second for defacto Christ our Lord did send men at severall times the second after the first 4. But it is yet worse that men should put you upon an impossibility and verily with ground little enough by alleadging that passage which men chaunt out so much Diligentèr Pro. 27. agnosce vultum pecoris tui tuosqué greges considera For they conclude uppon this that resolutely things must so be done that every one may confesse himselfe at least once in the yeare at his Parish and that religious men must not take the Confessions of any within the fifteene daies of Easter Giue your selues I beseech you my Lords the patience to consider and weigh that well with all simplicity and candour which I am about to say to you and without the infusion of any little drop of gall or passion for that this word of Pastor of sheep of Face of Know must needs be vnderstood of confession in a literal sence this certainly cannot be said Salomon had no thought thereof There was not in that time either Confession or halfe Confession And as for making a Prophecie thereof that conceite would haue no garbe in it especially concerning a thing impossible or at least unprofitable as I shall make you touch with your hands The true literall sence of the place is this The wise man speaketh indeede of sheepe and it is as much as if hee had sayd Although thou be very rich yet haue thou care of little things such as sheepe are Non enim sayth hee habebis jugiter potestatem Rup Gloss Greg. Iansen For perhaps though thou bee rich to day
facit per alium per seipsum facere potest 16. Blasphemiae vicinum est dicere quod Episcopus non potest vsum clauium exercere in quemlibet suae Diaecesis sicut Christus posset 17. Potest institui Religio ad subveniendum pauperibus in necessitatibus corporis ergo multo magis potest institui ad subueniendum animabus per Praedicationes Confessiones 18. Quod potest inferior potest etiam Superior quod ergo potest Curatus potest Episcopus potest Papa Cui vt ait Cyrillus omnes iure diuino caput inclinant 19. Alij gubernationes alij opitulationes inquit Apost 1. Cor. 12. Opitulationes Opusc 14. c. 23. sunt ij qui ferunt opem maioribus vt Titus Apostolo Archidiaconi Episcopo c. Hoc autem non destruit Hierarchiam 20. Alter alterius membra vnum corpus in Christo Rom. 12. Manifestum Opusc 15. c. 3. est quod Ecclesiasticae vnitati derogat quicunque Religiosis impedit ne docere possint c. 21. Qui Romanae Ecclesiae Privilegium ab ipso summo omnium Ecclesiarum capite traditum auferre conatur Ibid. c. 3. hic proculdubio in haeresim labitur vt dicitur in Decretis Dist 22. Cap. Omnes à Sancto Ambrosio qui ait se in omnibus sequi Magistram sanctam L. 3. de sacram c. 1. Romanam Ecclesiam It is Pope Nicholas the second who speaketh against them of the Church of Millan for entring into competition with Rome and would needes march hand in hand with the Romane Church which Saint Thomas applieth also to the point in question 22. Ab Apostolis 7. Diaconi instituti fuerunt qui erant in statu perfectionis Opusc 14. c. 23. nam relictis omnibus secuti erant Christum Ab horum exemplo omnes Religiones deriuatae sunt Quemadmodum ergo Apostolu Episcopi discipulis Parochi sic Diaconis Religiosi successerunt 23. Behold here is a part of the Propositions which Saint Thomas defended at Paris in publike manner and with such amazement of all the Vniuersity that there was not found a man so bold as to dare once stirre this stone The Preface of his Booke carrieth these very wordes in the front Praedictus Doctor post diuinitùs obtentam victoriam Pariseos rediens omnes dicti operis Articulos public◠solemnitèr repetens disputauit firmavitque That which goeth immediatly before these words and the sentence of the Pope is a thing which I will not cite here but let him see it who will I will say nothing here which may offend or which may sauour of recrimination or which by any ill odour of strong passion may poyson this discourse which is dedicated to pure and free but yet strong truth I coniure you my Lords to weigh well these foure words Publice Solemniter disputauit Firmauit So that all Paris had the contentment to see this great person sustaine all the assaults of the whole world and hee was so happy and so puissant that he made truth tryumph and did with a little stone beate downe that huge Colossus which men had erected to the ende that falling vpon him it might driue both himselfe and all his Order into dust 30. That which Gulielmus de sancto Amore had enterprised at Paris with so ill successe a certaine Richardus Armaeanus the Primate of Ireland after he had played rex in England did also enterprise in Auignon in the yeare 1356. vnder Innocent the sixth before the Pope himselfe and the Cardinals and presented them with a booke made aduantageously in the behalfe of Parsons and Vicars yea and also of Bishops against Regulars wherein he deliuered the same things which had beene offered before by Gulielmus de sancto Amore for in this businesse there is neuer any thing but repetitions and noyse enough without any fruite at all and ordinarily the matter ends in some disastrous death I will not tell you here how this poore 〈◊〉 died but I will only put you in mind that the book was held worthy to dye with him and that many who haue banded themselues against the seruants of God haue either sooner or later had regret and sorrow in their hearts or else some other thing which was worse The face of death makes the face of businesse chaunge very much 31. The wisest men haue euer iudged that they haue no good bargaine who make themselues opposites to the seruants of God especially in those things which are established by his diuine Maiesty or his Grand Vicar and there bee a thousand and a thousand Histories to shew this as lamentable and feareful as they are authenticall Men vse sometimes to dispute in Diuinity whether the Pope may erre in the Canonization of Saints as also about the approbation of Religious Orders For my part I will not enter at this time into that question but I will not feare to say that when God hath any such desire and that he sendeth some to this effect if any man then make opposition God doth certainly find himselfe offended therby and is wont to resent it and therfore Saint Paule saith aloud Itaquè qui haec spernit non hominem spernit 1. Thes 4. sed Deum c. Now after points of faith and some others of the most important of the Church I knowe fewe thinges whereof there is more formall cleere and authenticall proofe then of the point which here I defend For twenty Popes three Generall Councels so many Prouinciall Synodes in France so many Cardinals Primates Arch-bishops Bishops Canons expresse Texts fifty Buls Sentences of Parliaments Iudgement of eminent Doctors in great number consent of some Parsons and Vicars euen of Paris doctors of the Sorbonne Saints Miracles Reasons Arguments possession beyond the memory of man Texts of the Gospell particular vocations of God who hath expresly sent vs more then sixe Religious Orders all entire the authority of so many Emperours Kings Potentates soueraigne Courts of Iustice heauen and earth such a number of ages and the voice of the world Is not I say all this sufficient to fortifie this truth against those poore reasons which they alledge and which in very deede in the sight of God and of disinteressed men are not of such moment as to warrant that account and noyse which some make thereof There was a time when a sentence was giuen against Saint Bernard and that from the highest Tribunall in the Church of God The Saint seeing himselfe ouer loaden by so mighty an authority here on earth had recourse to heauen and sayd Tuum Domine Iesu Tribunall appello tuo me iudicio servo tibi committo causam Epist 1. meam Tu vides qui tua video qui quaerunt sua It que arbiter meus esto Domine Iesu de valtu tuo tudicium meum prodeat oculi tui videant aequitatem O Iesu bone quam multa facta sunt prounius animulae perditione c.
In fine men removed both Heaven and earth at Cluny at Rome in France at Clairivaux but at length the holy Abbot wonne the cause and God payed him that which hee had lost and tooke part in the businesse with his servant and it was a miracle which hee wrought writing this Epistle and hee sayd boldly to his Secretary Scribe Scribe quia opus Dei est It is for God it is on the behalfe of God It is by the expresse Commandement of God it is for the saving of a soule redeemed by his blood it is for interest it is for the conseruation of an Order which he hath established by meanes of a servant of his Saint Bennet who was our Founder and therefore saith hee write boldly feare nothing my good brother neyther the hayle nor the floud nor the tempest for resolutely God wil be Maister 32. I will not my Lords appeale to any body from you but to your selues and howsoever it is sayd that a man must neuer be both Iudge and party yet I avow to you with all candour that I confide so much in your goodnesse your zeale towards the pure honour of God of the Church and of France and I adde yet further in the goodnesse of our cause which hath beene combated so often and through the mercy of God hath neuer beene Conquered that for my part I desire no other Iudges but your selues In truth it seemes to me that you and wee in this difference are as anciently the two Angels in Daniel were who had both a good intention and aymed at nothing but at the glory of God and fought not but for the salvation of soules and therefore God sent an Angell who is called of great Counsell who accommodated all and made it evidently appeare who was in the right and who in the wrong And I will hope and beleeue so well of his eternall and paternall providence as that hee will doe the like in our case and wil make you most evidently discerne his holy will Sicut ergo fuerit voluntas in Coelo sic fiâ—t c. I tell you therefore yet once againe that I will not appeale from you to any but your selues but I will imitate that good Abbot and good St. Bern. Ep. 213. French-man as good as ever was in the World You may bee pleased to remember that Pope Innocent the second had employed him extraordinarily to appease the Schisme and hee did all that which a Saint was able to doe who had his hands full of miracles and was ever able to worke them But what did the innocent Abbot gaine by this A thousand jealousies rose up against him a thousand slanders were darted against the white of his poore heart the Pope himselfe in a Letter calling him Rebell and Traytor against the See Apostolicke Who would ever haue beleeved this Yet in fine so it was The holy man opening the Popes Letter to him was as if hee had opened a Cloud full of fire with a bolt of thunder in the midst and with a blow as if it had pierced his heart But yet calling his spirits to himselfe and adoring the admirable but secret providences of God hee wrote in these tearmes to the Pope Quis mihi faciet iustitiam de vobis Si haberem Ep. 213. iudicem ad queÌ„ vos trahere possem iam nunc ostenderë vobis vt parturiens loquor quid meremini Extat quideÌ„ tribunal Christi sed absit ut ad illud appellem vos qui illic si vobis necessarium mihi possibile esset vellem magis totis viribus insistere respondere pro vobis Itaquoe recurro ad eum cui in praesenti datuÌ„ est judicare de vniuersis hoc est ad vos vos apello ad vos vos indicate inter me vos In quo quaeso puer vester tam male meruit de vestra paterninate vt eum inurere insignire placeret Nota nomine Proditoris Nunquid non me vestrum VicariuÌ„ dignatio vestra constituit in reconciliatione Petri Pisani c. This vertuous Abbot firmely thought that hee should haue met with thankes for hauing euen defeated himselfe with labour to appease this Schisme and in place thereof hee found himselfe qualified with the name of Traytor and a perfidious man who had as it were betraied both the Pope and the Church All his choller was such as that hee had none at all and his appealing as for a wrong was not to appeale at all but to remit it to the providence of God to make the truth appeare and to make his innocency subsist which was evidently afterward as you know 33. I beseech you most humbly to consider well that notwithstanding men haue desired so many and so many times to stirre up this businesse in France in Italy in Germany in England and in Avignon there hath indeede beene made a great deale of confused noyse but the Authors thereof haue never gathered any other fruite then a great deale of paine and things haue still remayned in the same state they were in before In fine all that which ordinarily men got in those times was to bâ— able to obserue in whom there was a little passion and in whom there was none There was never God be thanked lesse reason to bee affraid then now since now wee see France to bee filled with so many worthy Prelates and so zealous of vertue and of the salvation of soules as you are I beseech God to multiply these great fauours towards you and ever to giue you hearts which may be truely Apostolicall and all full of caelestiall fire and giue grace to us that wee may well and worthily serue the Church under your fauours and by imitation of you And I pray God that wee may never bee reproached for that for which St. Paul reproacheth 1 Cor. 3. the Church of Corinth Cum sic inter vos zeluâ— contentio nonne carnales estis secunduÌ„ hominem ambulatis Cum enim quis dicat ego quidem sum Pauli alius autem ego Apollo nonne homines estis Quid igitur est Apollo Quid vero Paulus Ministri ejus cui credidistis vnicuiâ— sicut dominus dedit Ego plantaui There is for you my Lords and for the Pastors and Vicars Apollo regauit behold this is for priviledged Persons whom God hath sent to succour them Deus autem incrementuÌ„ dedit Itaque neque qui plantat est aliquid neque qui rigat sed qui incremenâ—uÌ„ dat Deus Qui autem plantat qui rigat vnum sunt unusquisque autem propriam mercedem accipiet secunduÌ„ suum laborem Dei enim sumus adjutores c. I pray God I say that the first part of this Discourse all which is so Divine may never bee verified uppon us but that the second passage may bee verified which certainely is a most rich one and able to make the Gallican Church to become a terrestiall Paradice and