Examination of those Plausible Appearances in the Romish Church, Chapter 38 – Chapter 39
CHAP. XXXVIII. That there is nothing which deserveth to be admired in the life of the Monkes of the Romish Church.
NOw it remaineth, that wee examine their last preiudice. They hauehave amongst them a swarme of religious creatures of both sexes, who preferre povertie before wealth, seuerity of discipline before the tender delicacy of pleasures, humility and contempt of the world, before the greatnesse and pompe of it: who being sequestred from the turmoiles, and tumults of secular affairs liue here on earth, like Angells in heauen. Who deny nature that which she exacteth of them, macerate their flesh and tame it in such an austere manner, that it serveth the soule no longer but for a sheath, or case, Snatched vp already to heauen in affection and contemplation, and not tarrying here belowe, but after the fashion of Angels during their soiournement on earth. Or if their be any thing else which may set it forth more admirably, its all (say they) to be found in the angelicall, and heauenly life of Monkes and Nunnes.
Soe Mounte-bankes extoll the vertue of their drugges, affirming them to be nothing, but Elixers, balmes, & antidotes even against death itselfe. Now the confident boldnesse, the smooth behauiour, and eloquent pratling of the Mountebanque, hath this faculty to make the praises of his druggs pausible and receiuable to the simple, and dimme sighted Vulgar. But experience confuteth them, discouering at last the impudent knauery of these cosening quacksaluers. Soe the Turkes vaunt of their religious folke, of the sanctity, austerity and extraordinary devotion which seemingly shineth in their whole conuersation. Let vsus heare not a Turke, but a.Septem castrem de morib. & r…lig. Turc. c. 14.a Chris…ian, a Monke by profession, who had familia…ly resorted to them, and obserued their fashions, who hath described their superstition, a witnesse, not to be suspected in this point. Some of them (saith he) shew an exceeding great patience, weare noe habit, goe naked, not couering any thing but their priuities: of so great perfectiō that they are impassible, testifying their patience by brand markes made by burning, by scarres made by launcing; some of thē eate, and drinke very seldome, others altogether forbeare both; some are so poore, that it's said, they thinke not at all on earthly matters: others neuer speake, and purposely auoid the company of men, least they should be vrged to speake, one of which sort I saw, not without admiration. Others hauehave the gifts of vision, others of reuelation: some hauehave raptures and supernaturall extasies, or traunces. And by this meanes, there is no man amongst them which acquireth not some spirituall skill and experience, and according to the diuersity of this skill which they professe they are distinguished by their habits, and manner of being. If there be seene any amongst them wearing feathers on their heads, this noteth that they are giuen to meditations and reuelations. If any of them weare a patcht habit, this is a signe of their pouerty. They which were rings in their eares shew by this that they are submissiue in spirit for the frequency of their raptures. If they weare chaines about their neckes and armes, this testifieth the violence and vehemence of their raptures: some of them liue sequestred, others associated: some liue solitary inforrests and desarts, others in citties vsing hospitality. Where may these be paraleld? who can produce any thing outwardly at least, & in shew, so holie and austere amongst the Christian Monkes.
What could they answer here, if the Turkes should goe to outbraue them after this fashion, vsing the same pretence against them, which they vse agianst vsus? will they say, that this sanctitie is but hypocrisie, that this austerity is but savage barbarousnesse? (as indeede it is no better.) But this is our defence against them, when they goe about to oppresse vsus with the preiudice drawne from the consideration of their Monkish holinesse and austeritie. What great matter hauehave you (say wee) in this respect, which those barbarous miscreants the Turkes hauehave not? nay, which is more what hauehave yea wherein you are not by them exceeded? will they answer vsus heere, that they hauehave the Christian faith and Religion? But so wee shall hauehave vnmasked them of this preiudice, so wee shall force them to come to the triall of doctrine. The monkish life shall not iustifie the religion of the Romish Church, but they must goe quite backward, and iustifie the Monkish life by that religion from whence it borroweth its worth and dignity. So wee shall hauehave fetcht backe the disputation to its true point, to the examination of the truth; thrusting aside that by-consideration, which advantageth the cause of the Turkes, as mu…h as it disaduantageth ours.
But let vsus draw a little nearer, to this seeming sanctity and austerity: let vsus looke stedfastly vponupon it, and see whether it were not painting which deluded our view, whil'st wee stood farther off? whether it be not a cunningly contriued outside, adorning an vgly and prodigious inside. First of all, what kind of pouerty may wee imagine this to be, where no man is in trouble or anxiety to procure himselfe, wherewith to cloath himselfe against the cold, couer himselfe against the heat, replenish himselfe against hunger, to refresh himselfe against thirst, to physicke himselfe against sicknesse? may this be tearmed pouerty without mocking both God and man? If this be pouerty, what is abundance? Nay (say they) but these goods are possessed without appropriation: no man hath any thing to himselfe; be it so, doe they therefore enioy thē any whit the lesse. Enioy wee not all the sunne the glorious lamp of the world? enioy wee not light in …ommon, and without diuision? What? are wee therefore poore, destitute of light, or rich, abounding with it? what shall wee say of the aire, and water? are wee in penury of these elements, because wee hauehave not them enclosed vntounto our selues, because wee enioy them in common? Monkish pouerty then is nominall pouerty, but reall abundance.
But their discipline is rigid and seuere! here wee call the world to witnesse, yea wee appeale vntounto thē selues in this point. Wee will not rub vp the ancient reproches of their gluttony, drunkennesse, whoredome, adultery, sodomie. But let the world iudge, let them speake themselues, whether they obserue this austere discipline? whether those ruddie cheekes, those white fleshie hands, those liuely sparkling eyes, that spritefull vigor of the whole body, testifie a rigorous maceratiō & taming of the flesh, or whether that iollie plight be not rather an effect of ease, mirth, good cheere, and a compleat entertainment of nature? Yet (forsooth) we must beleeue, that they (poore hearts) fast extreamely, that they lash themselues vnmercifully, that they lye vponupon the bare, cold, hard ground, that they grate their skinnes with sackcloth. And questionlesse some few of them doe that, which they all professe to doe: But what a great peece of worke is it, if custome at first allaies, at length quite steales away the sense of these miseries. There is an excellent discourse to this purpose, & well worth the observation in the worke which Chrysostome hath left de sacerdotio, Chrys. foreign. edit sauill.that is (in the language of our times) of the office of a Bishop. Where he making a comparison betweene the reall vexations in that office, and these seeming tortures in the monkish life (which wee deny not to hauehave beene in respect, in his time, but many waies differing from this in our time) he telleth vsus, that it is to be seene by experience that there are many who without any paine or discontent, make a shift with very poore fare and very hard lodging; Principally such as being of a kind of rough course nature hauehave alwaies beene brought vp so: but not onelyonly such, in as much as a good able constitution of body, and custome, soften and sweeten the roughnesse and harshnesse of these extremities, euen to those who formerly hauehave beene more daintily brought vp.
Surely, so it is. Those who are of a more tender and crasie constitution, faint vnderunder these austerities, and either lose their liues amongst them, or else retire out of them by a dispensation: those of a stronger, and and more solide, tough complexion, not onelyonly goe through stitch with them, and make them tolerable, but in the end find them not onelyonly easie, but which is more delightsome. It's a matter to bee wondred at, that no man bestowes an admiration vponupon the patience of the galley slaues, which is so great that they sing in the midst of their greuious toyle, so voluntary that they oftimes refuse their libertie, and chuse to tarry in the gallies: whereas to see a lazy fellow well couered, to shew his naked feete vponupon condition of warming them when he listeth, all are amazed, as if this were some extraordinary exploit quiet surpassing humane strength. Wee daily see poore, drudging laborours toile, and sweat, and with painefull sighes keepe time as it were to their worke: wee see them with a greedy, glad appetite deuoure course bread, nourishing thēselues with such victual's as wee would hardly vouch safe to touch: in a word, wee see them in appearance even to kill themselues with irkesome labour; yet no man wonders at it, no man pitties them, because wee all know, that custome hath dulled and blunted in them the sen…e & apprehension of wearisomenesse and paine. What then doe wee wonder at? What extraordinary matter is there to be obserued, in the patience of the Monkes, that they must needes be so much admired? Is it because from their labour, their ariseth no profit or commodity to their neighbour? Whereas by the paines of drudging laborours, and toyling mariners, the life of man is comforted, the society of men is vpheld and maintained? What then? shall wee admire a labour in vaine▪ an vnprofitable, fruitlesse toyle, and disesteeme that, which is not onelyonly profitable but also necessary. But by their austerity, they testifie their patience, very likely; why doe they not till the earth then? why row they not in the galleys? is not there an ample subiect enough for thē to shew their patience, and to doe some seruice to the world beside into the bargaine, were it but in putting themselues into the place of many poore slaues whose naturall infirmities make their seruitude insupportable? Or if that be too much, hauehave they not a fit opportunity to tame the flesh, in the Vineyards of the next neighbours to their Couents, in the fields at haruest time, at the presse in time of vintage, by this meanes both to ease the poore day-laborers, and to make some recompence for those almes which they get so easily by begging? This would be both to subdue the flesh, and profit the world both together. That other discipline so much talked of, may be iustly suspected, because it hath no regard to the profit of another. He who may with the same paines, tame his flesh, and serue his country is vngratefull, and vncharitable, if being able to vndertake this course, he neglecteth it. But the truth is, that they refuse not this kind of exercise, but onelyonly because it is lesse pleasant then their owne.
CHAP. XXXIX. A resolution of certaine doubts, which may be framed concerning some things in the precedent Chapter.
BVt it will be said, that the labour of secular men is not voluntary. Why so? Why is it lesse voluntary then that of the Monkes? Is it because they cannot exempt themselues from it when they list? Why this (I trow) is the Monkes case to. Or is it because they are forced to follow that hard kind of life, whereas the Monkes bound themselues to it with vowes voluntarily made. Surely there is no difference betweene thē yet, in this respect. Despairing discontents, melancholicke dumps, the feare of parents, the hard dealing of kindred, the simplicitie of youth, the desire of avoiding some disgrace, or trouble which is like to come vponupon vsus if we tarry abroad in the world, are vsually the first motiues, and which giuegive the first impressions to them who aspire to the Monkish life. When these considerations hauehave once staggered vsus, and set vsus a wavering, it is an easie matter afterwards to perswade our selues, that that course of life to which we are now addicted (bee it what it will) is the most compendious path to perfection, and the ready way to Paradise. But after that men are once entred into it, and hauehave engaged themselues in it, then some come to discouer the vnhappinesse of their choice, they befoole themselues at leasure, perceiving those places to be but vncouth prisons within, which while they beheld them without, seemed princely palaces. But now it is too late; they are fast enough in the stockes, and fetters, bolts, barres, double gates, the Goaler and Keepers take away all hope of getting out. So the fishes which tosse & tumble within the nets, seeme to play and sport to the others which behold them without. But the desire of being partakes of that sport, hauing once allured them in, they quickly perceiue what is become of them.
But some man will say, if it be so, how commeth it to passe, that we heare none of them complaine, that we perceiue not any of these votaries, by sighs and moanes, to discouer their repentance and dislike of their profession. Surely it is, because no man proclaimeth his owne folly, but every one is most carefull to hide it, especially when it is remedilesse. He who hath beene vnfortunately married, will not discover the inconveniences which he findeth in his marriage, if hee can possibly cover them, because it cannot bee done without some shame and disgrace. Discontents of this kinde, doe not evaporate by exposing them to the winde. To this sort of vnfortunate weights, there remaines no comfort, but only to procure their miseries a reputation of not being. So merchants willingly dissemble their losses, especially those which come from their owne rashnesse and indiscretion. So the Divells who are comforted, if they draw many to hell vse not to tell how hot it is there.