Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 4 · Section 9
#Sect. 9. That the Ceremonies with their ſubſcription, ſhut out good ſheepheardes, ſuffers and foſter byrelings, ignorance, pluralitie, and nonreſidencie.
SEcondly, as the Ceremonies with their ſubſcription hinder the preaching of the Sabboth by ſhutting out good Preachers, Sect. 9.ſo doe they hinder it by opening the doore to hirelings, idle and Idol ſhepheardes, & by ſuffering, yea foſtering of them when they are in. There are founde in an old manuſcript certaine verſes made in KingaPetitio. Lollardorum. ad H. 5. manuſcr. Henrie the 5. his dayes, when he conioyned Fraunce and Englande.
Rex ne curet mundi ſonum
Mundus vocat malum bonum
Dicat Coeli vox de eo
Regna iuncta iunxit Deo.
Tum vos tandem muti canes
Puerorum Christi panes
Quos voratos nunc tenetis
Suffocati euometis.
Tum qui verbo ſunt Sodales
Erunt etiam facto tales
Nunc in Clero hi ſunt oues
Illi à Baſane boues.
Sunt Aſelli, ſunt & apri
Pardi, Vulpes, Lupi, Capri,
Romanoſtram in ruinam
Hic egeſsit hanc ſentinam.
Chriſtus dixit quodam loco
Vos non ſic: nec dixit ioco.
Dixit ſuis; ergo iſti
Cuius ſunt? non certe Chriſti.
This happie purging of the Church now at the inſtant of a more happie coniunction of kingdomes then that of King Henrie the fifth, what one thing hath hindred more then the vnhappy and wretched ceremonies: loth to parte companie from this droue of their owne countrey cattell, for that euer ſince they came foorth of Rome together, they hauehave enterchaunged mutuall helpe for conjoyning Antichristes kingdome. In conſideration hereof we digeſt eaſilie the doome of ſome who demaūd of vsus, why we bend not our ſelues rather againſt the Idol & doumbe miniſterie,bBucer. … re veſtiar. pag. 706. which are the very ſinnowes of Antichriſt, which once if they were cut of, the Geremonies which are but ſhadowes, muſt needes vaniſh of themſelues. For it is not out of the ignorance of Attila his policie,cCarol. Sigon. de occidentall. imperio: lib. 13. Contemnentes leues Romanorū acies Alanos Gothoſ que invadite, his. n. tanquam neruis earum praeſectis totum corpus ad terram collabatur neceſſe eſt, that we do this: but for that we ſee theſe Romane troupes of the cōtrouerſed ceremonies doe ſo gaurd the ſtrong Gariſons of the forſaid miniſtry in which the ſinowes of Antic. lye both on the right hand & on the left, that vnleſſe theſe be firſt quited the place, we cānot driue out the other. Therfore ar they moſt obſtinat enemies to the preaching of the Sabboth, ſith euen the armorie of Rome it ſelfe, yeeldeth weapons ſufficient againſt this vnworthie miniſterie. For what their Canon Lawe it ſelfedDecret. p. 1. diſtinct. 49. ca. 2. caecum animal offert, qui ordinat indoctum in loco docti, magistrum que facit, qui vix diſcipulns eſſe poterat. Claudum offert qui lucra terrena quaerentem locat, vtpote pedem in diuerſa ponentē vnum in diuinis alterum in carnalibus cui potest inferri illud de libro Regum vſquequo claudicatis in duas partes? Languidum offert qui vitioſum habet pro religioſo, qui tardum & pigrum probat. Hath it not an wholeeIbid. diſti. 48. ca. 2. treatiſe againſt the admitting of rawe Diuines that want experience, that want knowledge: and doth it not compare them vntounto greene timber which in the end layeth the whole building in the ground? Againſt pluralities it ſpeaketh thus:fDecret. p. 2 cauſ 19. q. 3. ca. 3. ſed & hoc neceſſario inſtituendum diligimus, vt plures eccleſiae vno preſbytero non committantur, quia ſolus per totas eccleſias officium non valet perſoluere. and whereas there be divers places that are not able to maintaine a Paſtor, it commaundeth that ſuch places be vnited to other pariſhes. Againe,gIbid. cauſ. 13 ca. 1. Eccleſias ſingulas ſingulis preſbyteris dedimus. againe,hIbid. cauſ. 16 q. 1. ca. 38. ſatis incongruum est, ſi cum vnum ex his praeſui magnitudine diligenter quis non poſsit explere, ad vtrunque iudicetur idoneus. Againe, the church is the wife of the miniſter, and therfore in lIbid. cauſ. 21 q. 3. c. 4.vnaquaque eccleſia, vnus praesbyter eſſe debet. if he hauehave more churches then one, it is a polygamie. Laſtly,mDecret. p. 1. diſtinct. 89. cap. 1. Nulli quantumlibet exercitatae perſonae duo ſimul officia committantur: ſingula eccleſiastici iuris officia ſingulis quibuſque perſonis ſingulatim committi iubemus. What their Popes?nGregor li. 1 epiſt. 33 Gregorie denieth the miniſter to be ſent of God, or to be able to beget faith, that is not able to preache. o Damaſus compared Non-Reſidentes that ſet others in their charges, vntounto harlots that put out their childrē to Nurſe, that they may giuegive them ſelues to luſte. Clemens the fourth, having an Nephew that had three prebendes, he tooke away two of them, affirming that he was reſoluedpGenebrad li 4 in …n. 1271. acquieſcere Deo non carni & ſanguini. qIdem in an. 1363.Innocent the ſixt could not abide Non-reſidents, and compelled them to goe home to their charges. Pius ſecundus hath theſe Apothegmes, rPlarin. in Pio ſecundindoctus Epiſcopus aſino comparandus: corpora mali medici: animas imperiti Sacerdotes occidunt. What their Councills?sIo. Molan. Theolog. practic. tractat. 5. cap. 13. Quoniam Eccleſiasticus ordo pervertitur & auaritiae fomentum praebetur, cùm vnus plurium ſinitur occupare officia clericorum, ſalubriter poſt complures ſacroſanctos Canones à Synodo Tridentina cautum fuit, vt vnicum ſingulis ministris beneficium conferatur. What their Cardinalls? The choyſetIoh. Sleid. lib. 12. Cardinalls that were ſelected by Paulus tertius, for reformation, were pictured by Luther with long foxe tayles ſweeping vp and downe the houſe, and rayſing more duſte then ridding: yet euen theſe can freely crye out of the olde grounde; beneficia ſunt incompatibilia, and proteſt a deſolation to the Church, if pluralities were not redreſſed. What their Vniuerſities? when pluralities firſt aroſe,uHipper. de ſacr. ſtud. non deſerend pa. 122. grauiſsimè de ijs diſputatum eſt vt memorat qui hiſtoriam congeſsit inſcriptione faſciculi temporum ciciter annum 1050. ſemper autem optimi quique definierunt nullo modo ferendum, vt quis diuerſarum Eccleſiarum prouentus recipiat. wIo. Criſp. in an. 1056The Vniverſitie of Paris was then of onelyonly account, which did condemne pluralities. WhereasxGenebrad cronolog. in an. 1237 Genebrard addeth, ſi vnum ſufficeret, he addeth it to ſalue the practize of his owne tyme. what their Writers? That greatyPariſienſ. de vitiis p. 4 ca. 21. Pariſienſis hath a great Treatiſe againſt pluralities, and he affirmeth amongſt other things, that he that letteth out his benefice to an other, is like to a man that marieth a wife, and then ſetteth ſome other man to begett iſſue for him.zDominic. Aſot. de iuſtic. & iure li. 10. q. 3. art. 1, 2, 3. Dominicus Aſoto condemneth pluralitie and Nonreſicencie by the lawe of Nature, by the lawe of God, by Councills, and by Fathers. not omitting to cite that ſentence out of Damaſus, that was before alleadged. Claudius aClaud. Eſpehe. in Timoth.Eſpencaeus writeth, that they who ſerue God and his church by others not by them ſelues, ſhall be ſaued alſo by others and not in their owne perſons.
It were too long to ſet downe the ſpeaches of other papiſtes about this poynt: therefore I referre my ſelfe to their ſeuerall treatiſes againſt Non-Reſidencie and Pluralitie eſpecially theſe: Alphonſus de Castro de puniendis haereticis. lib. 3. cap. 3.4.5. Caranza de neceſsitute. Reſidenc. Miniſtrorum. Ruffinus in praxi beneficiortim, Pet. Alciac. de re ſorn…. cap 2. Iacobus de Vitriac. hiſtor. Occident. lib. 2. cap. 30.parte 8. tit. de diſpenſat. ad plura beneficia. Duaren. de ſacr. miniſterijs. lib. 8. cap. 5. It is written ofbGenebrar. lib. 4. in an. 1503. Georgius. Amboeſius, although he were a Cardinal & a Legat of France, yet that he contented him ſelfe vnico Rothomagenſi Sacerdotio abſque vllis Abbotijs, and is thus commended Vir antiqua virtute & fide, nondum conſcientijs ad Sacerdotiorum poligamiam prostitutis. One of the papiſtes Poetes (on the other ſide) taketh this boldnes to him ſelfe againſt the ignorance and idlenes and epicuriſme of the Clergie of his time,cMa…cel. Palingen. lib. 9. proh pudor hos tolerare poteſt Eccleſia porces: dū taxat ventri, veneri, ſomno que vacantes▪ But we liue in the times of whichdAventin. annal Boiorum. praefac. Auentinus (ſpeaking of the negligence, ignorance, and riot of the Clergie) ſuch is the miſerie of theſe times, that wee may not ſpeake that we thinke, nor thinke that we ſpeake. OureHyper. de ſacr. ſtud. nō deſeren. pa. 121. Writers heretofore could call theſe men the uomica & Carcinomata of the church, but now if we commend with Genebrard the conſcience, that brooketh not a polygamie in benefices wee are enimies to the church, if we ſpeake like Palingenius againſt the ryot of Non-Reſidents and Pluralities, we are held enimies to the Law. By this meanes there haſteneth apace vponupon the lande what was long ago fore-prophecied: Some of you (quothfAct and monu. hiſtor cius. p. 1355. Mai. Rogers holy martyr) to his fellowes in Newgate, ſhall liue to ſee the Goſpell againe reſtored in this lande. Commend me to my brethren then, and tell them from me, that if Maſſ-prieſtes and ignorant miniſters be not diſplanted, and the congregations furniſhed with able Paſtors, their ende will be worſe then ours. What? worſe then theirs? then muſt it be more then lamentable.gParſ. in cō uerſion of Engl. pa. 2 ca. 12. ſect. 37. Parſons recording this propheſie, ſaith, Rogers threatned this deſolation, if his and Hoopers plot t were not followed different from that of Crammers and others. From this mouth hauehave our brethren borrowed their exprobration, when they ſay all our ſturring is to hauehave our owne plott; all our difference, becauſe we cannot hauehave what we will: but willing to hauehave the remouall of ſubſcription and of ceremonies. For the remouall of a doumbe mininiſterie, we ſhall (I truſt) when God riſeth to iudgement, feele the leſſe what wee will not, the more that we will this now, according to his holy will.