A Censure of Simony, Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
Of the cutting off, or curing of Simonie.
ALthough, when the Article of Simonie (among other enormities) came to bee considered of in the Councell of Trent, for reformation, it was cautelously proposed,Hist. Concil▪ Trid. l. 6. that the abuse occurring in the collation of Benefices should not be mentioned, as being an infirmitie, not to be cured with any remedie, but death: Yet sith this M…rbus Roman…-Catholicu…, is not yet growne so epidemicall, or inueterate in the maine branches of the true Catholicke Church, but that there is some hope left of staying the further spreading, and of allaying the fury of it: My conclusion shall bee an humble supplication to the Almightie (to whom nothing is impossible) through the mediation of the great Shepheard, to perswade and moue his Vice-gerent, our gracious King, and the most honourable and high Court of Parliament now assembled: That for as much as Simonie is the very Masse of all mischiefe and misdemeanure both in Church and Common-wealth: It would therefore please his Royall Maiestie, and this Noble Assembly, to adde some more cords to the whip of former Lawes, and to make, and take order, that it bee more surely and seuerely inflicted vponupon the transgressors in this kind.
True it is, that we Ministers, for our parts, need not desire any other Lawes, for the restraint of Simonie, then the Oath it selfe; which alone is sufficient, if there were no other reason, to make vsus decline all the wayes of Simonie. For how many thousands doth this Oath alone preuaile with? Loth we are in the most opposite sense, to become a spectacle to the world, and to Angels, and to men. Wee will chuse rather with the Apostles of Christ,1. Cor▪ 4.9. to become spectacles for our pouertie, and contempt, which our very Calling suffereth of the vngratefull world.Ezra 8.22. Therefore, as Ezra the Priest was ashamed to require of the King a Guard for his safe conduct, hauing professed to the King, and promised to himselfe, that God would guard and defend them that seeke him in goodnesse: So I confesse (and that in the name of all my reuerend Brethren.) I cannot, but bee ashamed to request of my Soueraigne any other stronger guard to keepe off this dangerous way-laying enemy, from assaulting Gods Ezraes, his Priests and Ministers▪ as they are going towards Hierusalem, to the repairing of the Temple, to the reedifying of the ruines of Gods Church, in these last loosest times, seeing we, of all other, professe our selues precedents of Vertue, patters and patrons of the practise of Pietie, of faith towards God, of pure conscience amongst men, and whom not direfull Oathes, inuented by mans wit should constraine, but the liuely Oracles of Gods Word should sweetly and graciously moue, to come with pure hearts, and cleane hands to beare, yea to bee the holy vessels of the Lord in his Sanctuary. But forasmuch as many doe take their first degree of Simonie, before their commencement in the Vniuersitie, and perhaps before they hauehave taken Orders in the Church, as some prettie pregnant Pedant, that hath learned to distinguish, per se, aut per alium, to contract by precontract, but ignorant of the nature of such bargaines, fals vnwittingly into the snare: and seeing also, that if there were no sellers, there would bee no buyers at all: therefore for the preuention of much Simonie, either betweene the Patron and his Schoole-master, or between the Patron & his neighbor, too prouident for his sonnes preferment: it were to bee wished that the Oath of Simonie might be ministred to the Patron presenting, that so the wicket being stopt vp, the path in time would be so ouergrowne, as men would bee diuerted from euer seeking to enter at the bro…d gates. Though if some wily Chapman can with his Logicke, or rather selfe-deceiuing sophistry find out euasions, euen beyond Hercules pillars, Directly and Indirectly, beyond which there cannot bee plus vltrae: will not the Merchant▪ trow wee, by some tricke or quillet in Law, as easily waft himselfe out of that narrow mouthed strait? Notwithstanding (I say) it were to bee wished, that as well the Presenter; as the Presente…, might take the Oath. Howsoeuer I would to God that a seuere penaltie might bee indifferently imposed vponupon both the Simoniacall parties, and that the Patron peccant might not onelyonly bee dispossessed of all present title of presentation, but for …uer af…er depriued, and disabled of being capable of any presentatiue power. And this stands with good reason and equitie, seeing the sinne of the Seller (except the condition of his person may somewhat extenuate it, in comparison of the buyer, if he be sacred) is not inferiour to that of the buyer.Can. 1. p▪ 2. q. 1. Quos. For as Gelasiu… saith, Dantem parit…r & accipientem damnatio Simoni… i…u…lui…: The giuer, together with the receiuer is in…olued in the same damnation of Simon. And the buyer (we know) the Relatiue peccant, is by ancient Canons depriued and dispossessed of all spirituall promotion, and Ministeriall function, both for the present and the future. And if either shall be found periured, let them vndergoe the penaltie of Periury. Paulus Ven…tus p. 2. to restraine the sinne of Simonie saith: Cum detestabile Scelu… Simoniac… prauitatis tam Diuinorum, quàm Sacrorum Canonum authoritas abhorreat at que damnet: nos considerantes, quod plures poenarum grauitas, quam Dei Timor arc…re solet à voluntate peccandi, ac sum…is defid…rijs affectantes, vt horum p… steferum vitium non ex vsusolum, sed etiam mentibus hominum, saltem propter poenarum metum pe…itus euellatur, &c. Seeing the authoritie, as well of diuine, as sacred Canons, doth abhor and condemne the detestable sinne of Simoniacall prauitie: wee considering that the greatnesse of punishments, is commonly of more force to restraine most men from pr…nenesse vntounto sinne, then the feare of God; and earnestly desiring, that the pestiferous vice of these men, at least for the feare of penalties, may bee altogether rooted out, not onelyonly from the vse, but also from the mindes of men, &c. Hee includes and inuolues all, of what degree or …ignitie soeuer, whether Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall, giuegive…s or receiuers, principalls or accessaries, in the same penaltie of Simonie, and that is, suspension from the execution of their pla… and function, and excommunication, not to bee absolued, but by the *Noting the hainousnesse of this sinne, which none but the Pope can absolue; as also what a deare excommunication that must needs proue, the absolution whereof cannot be redeemed, but at the Popes own Holinesse hands. For all reserued cases, are his Holinesse proper fees; as Bishops Palles, and Saints canonizations, &c.Pope himselfe, except in the very point of death. Extrau. qo…. li. 3. de Sim. ca. 2.
And here let mee craue leaue to relate a passage in the Councell of Trent concerning this purpose: which whether it may bee thought a good rule and law to vsus, for the better pre…ention of Simonie, I referre to grauer iudgements. The Church of Rome being desperately and deadly sicke with infinite enormious diseases, especially of her Clergie, in whom that of Simony might challenge the precedencie: This Councell pretending, but neuer in…ending (as the sequell proueth) a reformation; after much adoe, and long debatemen… about the Care of such an inueterate and epidemicall disease; at length the Romish Doctors, hauing beaten their braines about it, set downe their Recipe, as an Antidote against Simonie: at length I say, after sore trauell, posting to Rome, and againe, this Catholicke Mother, brings for…h a faire and well featured Child to see to, which if it had not proued abortiue in the birth, might hauehave liued to hauehave wrought wonders in the coniuring downe of the spirit of Simonie, which Simon the Sorcerer first coniured vp. Wherefore finding this Infant lying all along dead, and exposed in the eighteenth Chapter, of the twentie foure Session of that Councell: Let mee, not with Gehezies staffe, but with Elizeus his spirit, proue if any life may be fetcht againe out of it. Thus it lieth: Expedit maximè animaerum saluti à dignis at que idoneis Parochis gubernari: id vt diligentius, ac rectius perficiatur, statuit Sancta Synodu…, &c. (Loe, what a faire and well-fauoured face is here:) It is most behoouefull, for the saluation of soules, to bee gouerned by worthy and fit Pastors: which that it may the more diligently and duely be effected, the holy Synod doth decree, that vponupon the vacuation of any Benefice, the Bishop should presently, vponupon the notice of it, take order for a fit Incumbent Rector; for which purpose, the Bishop and the Patron within ten dayes, or such a time limited by the Bishop, shall nominate some fit Clerkes to gouerne the Church, before the Examiners that are to be deputed and appointed. Yea, let it also bee free for others, who shall k…ow any to be fit for that function, to bring their names, that a diligent inquiry may thereupon be… made of eueryevery ones age, manners, and sufficiencie. And if it seeme good to the Bishop, or Prouinciall Synod, let them also bee called by publike Edict, as many as are willing to bee examined. And to the end, a fit choice may bee made, let there be appointed at eueryevery yeeres Diocesan Synod of the Bishop, or his Deputie, at the Visitation, sixe Examiners approued of the whole Synod: that at the Vacancy of any Church in the Diocesse, the Bishop may choose three of those Examiners, which he will, to ioyne with him in the Examination of a fit succeeding Incumbent. And these examiners, being men of qualitie, shall sweare by the holy Euangelist; that setting aside all humane affection, they shall faithfully execute their Office. And let them take heed, that vponupon the occasion of their Examination, neither afore, nor after, they finger any fee: least otherwise, as well they the receiuers, as their giuers, incurre the sinne of Simonie, from which they cannot be absolued; vnlesse they forgoe all their Benefices, vponupon what condition soeuer formerly obtained, and become incapable of any afterwards. And at eueryevery Prouinciall Synod, they may bee called to account, and if they be found faultie, to bee punished, as the Synod shall appoint. N…w vponupon eueryevery such foresaid Examination, those whom the Examiners approue of most for their sufficiencie, shall be commended to the Bishop; and of those, let the Bishop choose him, whom hee shall iudge most fit, and vponupon him, and none else, shall the Patron conferre the Benefice. All other formes of institution, let them be holden for surreptitious, notwithstanding any exemption or priuiledge heretofore to the cantrary whatsoeuer, or to whomsoeuer.
Thus this Councell. And although, I confesse, this Chapter (as also the whole Councell, containing the whole Mystery of iniquitie) is very perplexedly compiled, as if the Councell meant no such matter, though so speciously pretended (as the judicious Reader may easily discerne, when hee reads the Chapter it selfe, being full of reseruations and equiuocations) yet the reading of this Riddle may open a way to stop and stay this fretting Gangrene: the Pearles gathered out of this mud, may serue to hold our Simoniacall Merchant from dealing in other merchandize; A sword framed out of this Forge, may cut off the head of Simonie; and a line drawne from the windings of this Circle, may regulate and confine all irregular and Simoniacall persons.
Yet after all these wayes, which haply may proue either irksome to him, that hath not gone them before, as for the Patron to be put to the; Oathor wearisome, to make them passable; there is a shorter cut (I confesse) to a more speedy reformation, but that it is very hard to hit vponupon. It cannot better be described, then by setting downe an example or two of those that hauehave gone this way. And heere wee hauehave a noble Precedent in the Emperor, Henry the Fourth. It is recorded by the late reuerend Bishop of Winchester, in his Booke of Christian subiection, and Antichristian rebellion, the third part, and taken out of Lambertus Scafn. in Anno 1075. that this Henry the Fourth, in the vacancie of the Abby of Fuld, being sollicited very ambitiously by sundry Monkes and Friars, competitors for the place, on the sudden, as led by a diuine spirit, chose one Ruzelin, a good honest poore Monke, that dreamt of no such matter. The like also this Emperour did vponupon the vacancie of the Abby of Loressan.
For conclusion, it were to bee wished, that, for the more carefull cure of this cursed cankered sinne, all, not onelyonly profest Recusants, but Church-Papists, such as will come to the Chu…ch but once a monethmonth at most, may bee by Act actually and potentially depriued & dispossessed of all presentatiue power whatsoeuer, in disposing of any Church-liuing: And that for the better discouery, eueryevery Patron presenting, shall presently take oath, not onelyonly of Allegeance, but of Supremacie, this being the Lidius Lapis, or touchstone to discerne a true Christian, from a counterfeit Catholike, and a good Patron, from a craftie Romish Latron. For can the flocke bee in safetie, when the dog is of the wolfes prouiding? And will not such a wolfe, bee sure to prouide such a dog, as the Holy Ghost speaketh of by his Prophet (Esa. 56.10, 11.) either some dumbe dog, or lazie and sleepy mungrell, or ranging spaniell, or rauenous hound? Such as are muzzled, either ignorant, and cannot; or can, and will not; or would, but dare not barke at sinne and sinners? Or whose mangie manners are enough to infect his whole flocke? or whose rangeing Non-residence, giues the wolfe leaue to prey the more securely? or whose rapatious and rauenous auarice deuoureth no lesse, then doth the wolfe? or in one word, all of these, of necessitie some grand Simoniacke, so deepely drenched and bemudded with Simonie, that he is for euer after (so vnspongiable is this pitchy sinne) both a laughing stocke to the wolfe, and a stumbling blocke to his owne flocke. For a Simonist he must needs bee, and that some vnlettered Capito, whom Popish Patrons amongst vsus preferre to their Benefices, accounting such money well got, which they bestow in tam pios vsus, vponupon such pious vses, as the maintenance of their Masse-Priests. So that by this meanes the wolfe must bee maintained by the Simoniacall Pastor.