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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93388	A treatise of the best kinde of confessors by which preists [sic] in England may see how they may be, and lay Catholiks see how they may chuse the best kinde of confessors / composed by the most reverend father in God, Richard, bishop of Chalcedon, pastor of the Catholike in England.	Smith, Richard, 1566-1655.	1651 (1651)	Wing S4159; ESTC R43753	38,066	146

what kinde of Confessors are the best that both they may become the best kinde of Confessors and theise vse the best Thirdly because Diuines III. a S. Thom. 2. 2. q. 187. art 8. vsually compare the states of Curats and regulars without offence of anye of which comparison thus writeth Suarez tom 3. de relig lib. 1. c. 18. It is blameless if it be wisely and modestly handled and it be Comparison o' Confessors bess offensiue then the comparison of Curats and Regulars considered that the comparison is made not between their persons or descrts but between their sta●es and conditions or as S. Thomas speaketh the comparison is made for the kinde of the worke not for the charitie of the worker as Christ Luke ●● preferreth the contemplatiue life before the actiue And yet this comparison of Curats and Regulars is not made for the greater good of a third as we compare the sayd different Confessors for the greater good of the Penitents but meerly to shew which of their states is in it self better and perfecter If therefor this comparison of different kindes of Confessors be handled discreetly and modestly as it shall be of me it will be more blameles then that of Curats and Regulars Fourthly because IV. all sorts of Priests in Countryes that are not Catholik as England is not or in Countryes Where there is great scarcitye of Priests as in the Indyes are capable of both these functions of Confessors and some Regulars a S. Thom. 2. 2 q. 184. art 7. are euen in Catholik Countryes and where there is no scarcitie of Priests Confessors with charge of souls as others are withont such charge And if Regular Priests in England will vndertake the burden they may haue pastorall charge of their Penitents souls as well as others Fiftly because no man carefull of his health would be offended to haue shewed vnto him what kinde of Surgeon or Physitian to witt a Gallenist or Paracelsian is better for him and why should any Penitent carefull of the good of his soule take it ill that the like should be shewed to him of his spirituall Physitian who is his Confessor If therefor any take it ill that it be shewed what kinde of Confessor is the best for the glorie of God and good of souls he sheweth therereby that he is not desirous of the greater glory of God and greater spirituall profitt of souls of which I hope no good Priest or Catholik in England is guiltie Lastly because I being Pastor of the Catholiks in England as P. Vrban VIII in his Breue to me An. 1626. in expres termes calleth me ought to shew them al the best means I can for the good of their soules and in doing so none can be iustly offended for I doe but may dutie and what I am bound to doe And also though vnworthie I am one of those of whome our Sauiour said who heareth you heareth me who despiseth you despiseth me THIRD CHAPTER That it much importeth both Priests and Lay Catholiks to know which is the best kinde of Confessors 1. THat it greatly importeth Priests for to know which is the best kinde of Confessors is euident First because thereby they may know what kinde of Confessors are most pleasing to God doe merit more to themselues and do also more good to their Penitents Secondly because Priests are dispēsers of the mysteries of God and it importeth them to know who are the best dispensers of such great matters Thirdly because Confessors are spirituall Physitians of their Penitents and it much importeth Physitians both for themselues and for their Patients to be the most able to cure their Patients 2. That it also greatly importeth Penitents to know who are the best kinde of Confessors is likewise euident First because as is sayd Confessors are their spirituall Phisitians who must cure their spirituall diseases Secondly because the Church counseleth her children to chuse the best kinde of Confessor they can De Paenitent D. 1. c. 88. and d. 6. c. 1. where Nauarre in C. Placuit sayth The meaning of the Canon is to counsel that by what way soeuer a Penitent can iustly he should seek the best Priests See him there § Quod autem Thirdly because as is a foresayd the Church professeth that one of the best meanes she hath to keep men from vice and to driue them to vertue is Confession and surely the best meanes to the best Confession is the best kinde of Confessor as t●e best meanes to be cured is to gett the best Physitian FORTH CHAPTER That a Confessor who hath Pastorall charge of the souls of Penitents is better then one who hath no such charge proued by their different Institutors THe first proof that à Confessor who hath pastorall charge of souls is caeteris paribus better then one who hath no such charge I will take from their different Institutors For Christ himselfe immediatly instituted Confessors with pastorall charge of souls as is euident out of S. Iohn chapt 20. v. 23. where he sayth to his Apostles and in them to their successors Take the Holy Ghost whose sinns you shall remitt they are remitted and whose you shall retaine they are retained Now the Apostles were and their successors are Confessors with pastorall charge of souls But that Christ immediatly instituted Confessors without charge of souls we neither finde in scripture nor in Tradition but theise were instituted by the Church as S. Thomas teacheth in these words 22. q. 188. art 4. It was requisit that beside the ordinary Prelats others should be assumed to such offices Where he doth not say that Confessors without charge of souls were necessary but onely requisit nor that they were immediatly instituted by Christ as ordinary Prelats are but assumed to witt by the Church Secondly because Christ instituted no ●ther Confessors but the Apostles and the 72. Disciples but both theise doubtles had charge of soules And surely that kinde of Cōfessor is of himself and caeteris paribus better who is immediatly instituted by God and with whome God will more concurre then that kinde of Confessor who is not so instituted For it cannot be doubted but that he will more concurre with such kinde of Confessors as himself immediatly instituted thē with such as are instituted by others FIFTH CHAPTER That a Confessor with charge of soules is better then one without such charge proued by the different ends of their Institution THat a Confessor with charge of soules is of himself and caeteris paribus better then one without such charge I proue by the different ends for which they were instituted For Confessors with charge of souls were instituted for themselues as necessary officiers for the remission of mens sinns as is euident by Christs words cited in the former chapter For Christ hauing instituted the Sacrament of Pennance he must needes institute purposely officers for the administring thereof as were the Apostles and their Successors But Confessors

instituted or commanded to be instituded all that is necessarye to the good gouerment of the Church and saluation of souls For Gods workes are perfect and euen in naturall things he giueth all that is necessarye to their well being Secondly because Christ besides the Apostles instituted 72. Disciples Luc. 10. and gaue them authoritye to preach as he did to the Apostles and because authoritye to preach without authoritie to administer necessarie sacraments att least as the sacrament of Pennance is were imperfect therefor ether himself gaue or appointed his Apostles to giue them authoritye to administer that sacrament And as S. Thomas sayeth 3. q. 67. art 2. Christ gaue to the Apostles the office of baptizing but to be exercised by others and Bishops and Curats succeed the Apostles and 72. Discipl●s by whom rather then by the 72. Disciples Besides Sotus lib. 10. de Iure q. 3. art 1. sayeth Byshops and Parish Priests succed the Apostles and 72. Disciples Can. in nouo d. 6. And Bellarmin lib. ●● de Clericis c. 14. All Fathers constantly teach that Bishops succeed the Apostles and Priests the 72. Disciples And if any Priests succeed the 72. Disciples surely Parish Priests such as haue charge of souls Thirdly because the Apostles Ephes 4. sayth that Christ gaue separatly to his Church Apostles Prophets Euangelists Pastors where by Pastors he vnderstandeth such as are not Byshops for Byshops he vnderstandeth vnder the name of Apostles to whome they succeed And though some by Pastors vnderstand Byshops yett they include allso such Priests as vnder Bishops haue charge of souls as is to be seen in Estius vpon that place And the same Apostle Acts 20. calling to him the presbyters or elders of the Church of Ephese sayeth indifferently to them all that the holye Ghost had putt them to gouerne the Church of God where that by Presbyters he includeth not onely Byshops but allso such Priests as haue care of souls appeareth both because the word Presbyter was in the Apostles time common to all such as is euident and there is no conuincing reason to proue that the Apostle there restrained the common vse of that word as allso because S. Thomas 2. 2. q. 184. art 6. sayeth that S. Paul there comprehendit vtrosque and the same sayth Bellarmin l. 1. de Pontif. c. 8. And Stapleton vpon that place Paul here afsirmeth that the Presbyters of Ephesus were made ouerseers of God flock because the ofsice of ouerseers belongeth as much to a Parish Priest as to a Bishop of manye cittyes Moreouer here is sayd that there were manye Presbyters in the Church of Ephesus and yett there neuer were manye * Cornelius in Eusebio l. 6. S Chrysost in Socrate l. 6 c. 12 Bishops in one Church Wherefore here vnder that name were allso included some Presbyters who were no Bishops I add allso that S. Thomas 2. 2. q. 184. art 6. expoundeth those wordes opitulationes gubernationes 1. Corinth 12. of Arch. deacons and Curats which Estius vpon that place sayth is the common exposition of the Latins Fourthly l proue the immediate diuine institution of such Priests as haue charge of souls out of the Councel of Trent sess 23. Can. 6. If anye shall say that in the church there is not a Hierarchie instituted by Gods appointement which consisteth of Bishops Priests and ministers be he anathema And Estius in 1. Corinth 12. v. 27. sayeth The Ecclesiasticall Hierarchie properly consisteth of Bishops Priests and Deacons And seeing Hierarchie consisteth formally in power to gouerne or in Principalitye as is euident by the word itself the Councel must needs meane that by Gods institution some Priests who are not Byshops are gouernors in his Church And if anye surely such as haue charge of souls Fiftly I proue it out of the profession of the Church in the consecration of Priests where thus she professeth when God had appointed Byshops to gouerne people he chose men of inferior order and of second degree for to help their societye and worke And she addeth that the like was done in the wilderness by giuing 70. elders to Moyses and in the Synagog by instituting Priests and after that addeth allso By this prouidence to the Apostles of thy Sonne thou hast adioyned preachers of fayth as companions by whome they haue filled the world with happye preachings Wherefore o Lord we beseech thee add to our weakness theise helpers who by how much we are the frayler by so much the more we need them Let them be prouidēt cooperators of oure order lett shine in them the forme of all iustice that being to giue good account of the dispensation committed to them they may obtain the reward of euerlasting happiness In which words the Church professeth that such Priests as are to giue account of the dispensation committed to them as those are who haue charge of soules are by Gods institution cooperators of Byshops as the 70. elders were to Moyses and Priests in the Synagog were to the high Priest I add allso that the iurisdiction of Byshops and of Priests is different iure druino For thus Bellarmin lib. 1. de Clericis c. 14. The Catholick Church acknowledgeth and teacheth that Episcopacye is greater iure diuino then Priest hood both in order and iurisdiction which supposeth that Priestly iurisdiction is instituted iure diuino and in whome if not in Curats And the same Bellarmin praefat lib. de Clericis sayeth The Church is distinguished by Christ into three orders among which he putteth Curats So that Curats are by Christs order in the Church 3. Secondly I proue that Curats of their prime institution minister all priestly sacraments but others not a Curate is a more noble officer and minister of the sacrament of Pennance then an other who hath not charge of souls because he is instituted not onely to minister the sacrament of Pennance but allso all other sacraments which Priests can minister whereas such as haue no charge of souls be instituted onely to minister the sacrament of Pennance and the Eucharist as is to be seen in Catholick Countryes and if they haue leaue to minister other Sacraments that is onely in heathen and heretick countryes and for want of Curats But he is a more noble minister of the sacrament of Pennance who of his prime institution is to minister all sacraments which Priests can minister then such as of their prime institution can minister onely two sacraments 4. Thirdly because Curats Curats haue true iurisdiction ouer their flock not others and such as haue charge of souls haue not onely power and authoritye to minister sacraments but allso to rule and gouerne people as Pastors doe sheep and therefor Curats are termed by S. Thomas as we shall see hereafter lesser Princes and inferior Prelats of the Church ad are a parte of the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchie or Principalitie and Bellarmin l. 1. de Pōtif c. 8. sayth we grant that it agreeth to Bishops and