The Practical Divinity of the Papists Discovered to be Destructive, Discourse · Chapter 9 · Section 5 – Section 6
Sect. 5. There needs no other demonſtration of the Irreligion of the Roman Church, and its utter regardleſneſs of God and the ſouls of men, than their doctrine concerning the obſervance of the Lords day, and all other which they pretend to be ſet apart for holy imployment. If any man would underſtand what Religion is left among them, he may ſee it there in ſhort, and needs look no further; ſince there he may be ſatisfied that they have no deſign for the honour of God, or the ſalvation of ſouls. For when they have diſcharged the people from all dutys of Religion, at any other determinate times (k)Vid. ſupra. cap. 1., and reſerved all which they make neceſſary for them, to Holy-days; yet even on theſe days, by their doctrine, nothing is made their duty, to which any regard of God, or of their ſouls, is needful. All that they are obliged to, is only to be preſent at (l)Sola miſſa communiter eſt in praecepto. Cajetan. ſum. v. feſt. p. 304. Miſſa audienda Diebus feſtis ex praecepto, non tamen Contio, non preces fundendae; non exercendus alius actus cultus Divini ex praecepto (excipe diem paſchatis, quo ſumenda eſt Eucharistia) Victorel. addit ad Tol. l. 4. c. 25.Maſs, no other act, or duty of Religion or Worſhip is neceſſary; no internal (m)Aquinas. 2. 2. q. 122. art. 4. Cajeran. Sum. v. feſt. p. 305. Soto. de juſtit. & jur. l. 2. q. 4. art. 4. Navar. c. 13. n. 2. &c. No act of love Bellarm. de cult. Sanct. l. 2. c. 10. Nav. c. 11. n. 7. Soto. ibid. or contrition. Soto. ibid. Sylv. Sum. v. Dominic. n. 8. Canus. relect. de paenit. pars. 4. p. 864. or ſincerely no need to have that Devotion in the heart, which they outwardly make ſhew of. No neceſſity of a good end in their worſhipping. For that they commonly maintain after Aquinas that the end of the command for worſhip, is not under command vid. ſupra.act at all, nor any (n)Not hearing Sermons. Sylv. ſum. v. Dominic. n. 8. Victorel. Supra. Nor other prayers, private Sylv. ibid. Navar. c. 21. n. 6. vid. Suar. de feſt. l. 2. c. 16. n. 4. or publick. Veſperas caetera que Divina officia, Diebus feſtis, non audire, non eſt peccatum mortale, ne que veniale; niſi ratione voti aut juramenti. Graff. l. 2. c. 34. n. 12. Nemo jure communi regulariter tenetur audire de praecepto alia Divina officio, etiam veſperas Navar. c. 21. n. 1. They are not obliged to any prayers, but thoſe in the Maſs; which indeed are not theirs, nor need they concur in them, otherwiſe than by a virtual wiſh, that the Prieſt may be heard, ſatis est vel ex longuiquo miſſanti adeſſe, & ſurgendo, genua flectendo, vel alias actualiter vel virtualiter exoptare, ut ſacerdos, qui pro omnibus loquitur, orat & ſacrificat, a Deo exaudiatur. idem. ibid. n. 8.external, either publick or private, but only the Maſs: And that may be ſo external, that neither God, nor any divine thing, need to be minded in it. For this I have produced evidence enough already, let me only add this; they are wont to ſpeak of a three-fold attending at Maſs (as before was ſhew'd at their divine Service.) One (*)This all the praying of the people (when they have reduced all their Religious acts to this) in Popery. All that the Church makes neceſſary, or leaves poſſible to them in publick, which yet is no praying, otherwiſe, than one while he is at Paris, may be ſaid to be praying at Rome; becauſe he virtually wiſhes ſucceſs to a Prieſt ſaying Maſs there: Or then one in their Purgatory, may be ſaid to be praying at the ſame time in Heaven; becauſe he would have the ſuppoſed interceſſion of the Saints there, to be ſucceſsful.to what is ſaid and done by the Prieſt, as Sacred: A ſecond, to the meaning of what is ſaid or done: And the third, to God and divine things. Now the firſt of theſe, they ſay, (o)Haec ſatis eſt, licet omnium imperfectiſſima. Fill. tr. 5. n. 214. Suarez. Having, premiſed, that he believes, there is no diſſention or difficulty amongſt them concerning attention at the time of Maſs: reckons after Aquinas the 3. ſorts of attention and adds of the firſt. Haec attentio eſt infima omnium, tamen ſufficiens: quia illa ſa…is eſt, ut illa miſſae auditio ſeu praeſentia ſit bumana, moralis, & ex objecto religioſa. Tom. 3. diſp. 88. ſect. 3. This being ſufficient, the Second and Third are more than needs: and yet in the third (this excluded as needleſs), he acknowledges all inward reverence and worſhip is included. Sub hac autom attentione ad Deum omnis interior reverentia & cultus, omnis oratio & petitio includitur, ut eleganter deſcribit Gregorius 10. in c. decet. ibid.is enough, though it be the worſt of all: therefore the ſecond (to regard the meaning of what is ſaid or done); and the third (to mind God or Divine things) is more than needs. So that plainly, all that is required of a Papiſt, by their Doctrine, in order to the honour of God, and the ſalvation of his ſoul, on any of thoſe days, when theſe ought to be moſt minded, is only, being preſent at Maſs, without underſtanding what is ſaid, or done; and without minding God or any thing divine. Such is their worſhip of God, and care of ſouls, in the Church of Rome; this is the ſum of their Religion, when it appears ſet forth to greateſt advantage in its ſolemn exerciſes; he that underſtands it, and can be in love with it, muſt be under the power of ſome other conſideration, than that of God and his ſoul.
Having, ſeen how theſe days are ſanctified, or prophaned rather, by their worſhip, we might view, what obſervance they have in reference to ſervile works. And here they have little, but what may be done without ſin; and indeed, as they order the matter, it may ſeem leſs ſin to follow the works of their callings, than to forbear them, ſince their abſtinence from them, is not, that they may better attend the worſhip of God; (for they think it not needful to worſhip him, unleſs he can be ſaid to be worſhipped when he is not heeded) but that they may be idle, or worſe imployed than in their daily buſineſs. However, whether it be to indulge their eaſe, or ſerve their luſts, or to make ſhew of ſome reſt, (though far enough from a holy reſt) they will have ſome works forborn; but herein they will be regulated by (*)Dicendum conſuetudine fieri poſſe, ut aliquae perſonae licite poſſint in Die feſto aliqua opera ſervilia, vel aliter in feſto prohibita, exercere. Antoninus. Slyveſter. Cajetan. Soto. Tabiena. Armilla. Navar. in Suar. l. 2. de feſt. c. 33. n. 12.cuſtom, not the divine Law. Paludanus (p)Per (Dominicum) intelligitur generaliter omnis Dies feſtus de praecepto, ſecundm Pet. de Balude, quod ſentire videtur …etiam. 1. Jo. Andr. & doctores dicentes aliquos in Diebus feſtis excuſari, niſi miſſam omistant. Et. eſt rationabile; quia conſuetudo legum interpres, ita habet. Sum. v. miſſa. 2. n. 1.and others will have them excuſed, who uſe manual labours on theſe days, if they omit not the Maſs. And Sylveſter ſays, this is reaſonable, becauſe Cuſtom, the interpreter of Laws, will have it ſo. This may ſo far regulate them, that every (q)Unaquae que provincia, aut civitas, obſervare teneturilla, eo modo, & tantum, quae, quomodo, & quantum conſuetudo ipſius praecepit obſervari. Navar. c. 13. n. 5. Si uſus haberet, ut ſolum ſerventur uſ que ad meridiem, vel uſ que ad ſolemnia miſſarum peracta, poſtea poſſent opera ſervilia fieri. idem. ibid.Province and City muſt obſerve thoſe days, and thoſe alone, in that manner, and ſo far only, as cuſtom requires. Yea, it muſt ſo far prevail, that if it were the cuſtom to obſerve theſe days, no longer than till Noon, or only till Maſs were ended, (which may be diſpatched in half an hour, and that before (*)Gabriel cum Scoto dicunt, licitum eſſeincho are miſſam, una hora & quarta partè alterius ante ortum ſolis—Non erit peccatum hora & dimidia ante ortum folis ſacrificare: Imo addit Paludanus & clarius Victoria poſſe licite inchoari miſſam dimidia hora ante crepuſculum, ita ut finis miſſae ſit ſub initium crèpuſculi, plus minuſve. Et hoc eſt in praxi ſervandum Suarez. tom. 3. diſp. 80. ſect. 4. So Maſs may be ended, not only before Sun-riſe, but about break of day, above an hour before the Sun is up.Sun riſe) the reſt may be ſpent in ſervile works. They account it worſe to ſpend theſe days in ſervile labour, than prophane divertiſements (for this, with them, is only a Venial fault, or (*)Bonacin. Tom. 2. diſp. 5. p. 277. n. 25. p. 274. n. 3.none, but that may be a mortal ſin); yet they declare there is no ſin in the worſt, but what cuſtom makes (they are like to make Conſcience of it, when their own wills and practices are their rule. This (as many other by their doctrine, which makes voyd the commands of God at pleaſure), is but a ſin at diſcretion; they may make it none when they pleaſe, and render all days alike, as eaſily as they can bring up a cuſtom (*)Obſervatio Diei Dominicae non eſt de jure Divino, ſed Canonico, ut aiunt communiter Doctores—& conſequenter poſſe conſuetudine, vel humana poteſtate abrogari. Bonacin. Tom. 2. diſp. 5. n. 4. p. 272. Sayrus & alij ibi., ſuch a one, to which nature is forward.
But no wonder, they think not theſe ſacred days violated by working, ſince they teach, they are not prophaned by any acts of wickedneſs. Their Divines (r)Cajetan. Soto. Sylveſter. Victoria. Navar. Covarruvius & alij, quosirefext & ſequitur Suarez. de feſt. l. c. 18. n. 3. inter quos etiam recenſet S. Thom. vid. Bellarm. de cultu ſanct. l. 3. c. 10. Graff. l. 2. c. 33. n. 8.generally agree herein; (s)Non continetur ſub hoc praecepto contritio peccatorum, nec vitatio aliorum peccatorum. Sum. v. feſt. p. 305.Contrition for ſins, and the avoyding of other ſins is not injoyned, ſays Cajetan. The day is not prophaned by Fornication (t)Non quod per fornicationem violetur feſtum. de juſt & jur. l. 2. q. 4. art. 4.ſays Soto; nor by Lying, Murder, or Blaſpheming, ſays Bellarmin (u)Non enim viola…ur tempus ſacrum per quaecun que peccata, ſed ſolum per ea, quae opponuntur ipſi tempori ſacro, qualia ſunt non audire ſacrum, & operari corporaliter. Ibid. l. 3. c. 10. p. 1610. Secunda opinio aſſerit—peccatum etiam mortale in Die feſto commiſſum, non habere ex illa temporis circumſtantia ſpecial…m malitiam, quae in confeſſione neceſſario operienda ſit: illam docent Cajetan, Corduba. Soto Victoria. Almayn. Sylveſter. Armilla. Tabiena. Angl. Navar. Covarruvias. Gutier. pro hac etiam ſententia poteſt referri. D. Thomas. in 4. diſt. 32. art. 5. q. 1. Suarez. l. 2. de feſtis. cap. 18. n. 3. vid. Bonacin. Tom. 2. diſp. 5. p. 274.; nor by any wickedneſs whatſoever, is holy time prophaned, but only by thoſe oppoſite thereto (viz.) not hearing Maſs and bodily labours. So that the days may be ſanctified well enough, according to the holineſs of that Church, if after an irreligious preſence at Maſs for half an hour; (the precept for which may be ſatisfied without minding God, or abſtaining from wickedneſs, while they are at it) the reſt thereof be ſpent in beaſtly Drunkenneſs or Gluttony, in Perjuries, Blaſphemies, or Curſing God or Man; in Murders, Whoring, Sodomy, or Beſtiality, or the moſt enormous debauches. And though they are not bound, as they teach, to be at the pains of one good act of mind, or heart, in ſerving God, at the only time ſet apart for his Service (Scotus is almoſt worried by the Herd of their Divines (x)Scotus ſentire videtur hoc nos praecepto juberi, diebus feſtis bonum habere mentis actum circa Deum. Soto de juſt. & jur. l. 2. q. 4. art. 4. p. 51.for ſeeming to think that a good act of mind towards God was injoyned on theſe days), yet they may ſpend their bodys, and toyl themſelves more in the ſervice of their luſts, without prophaning them, than in ſervile works. The reaſon why they hold, that no exceſs of wickneſs does prophane theſe days, is (y)Nec valet dicere inter iſta ſervilia computari peccatum: quia hoc falſum eſt. Sylv. Sum. v. Dominic. n. 8.—niſi eſſet opus ſervile in feſtis prohibitum, quale non eſt peccatum juxta S. Thomam. in 3. ſent. diſt. 37. art. 5. q. 2. Navar. c. 6. n. 10. probatur a Cajetano & caeteris—quia opus peccati ut ſic non eſt ſervile Suar. ibid n. 6.becauſe wicked acts are not ſervile works. It ſeems, ſlavery to Sathan, and the ſervice of the vileſt luſts is not ſervile, whatſoever Chriſt or the Apoſtle thought thereof, John 8. 34. Rom. 6. 16. that is conſiſtent enough, with the liberty and honour of ſuch Chriſtians as they are. However, hereby it is manifeſt, that their Religious obſervation of all holy times (and ſo all the Religiouſneſs which that Church requires of her Catholicks) is conſiſtent with the lewdeſt acts of ungodlineſs and debauchery.
In fine, God can have no honour from men, nor they ſalvation from him without Religion; this cannot be kept up in the world, without the ſolemn exerciſes of it; theſe cannot, (or will not) be performed without time for that end; therefore hath the Lord appointed time to be ſet apart for theſe purpoſes; the Church of Rome hath reduced all religious Exerciſes at the times appointed by God, or themſelves, to the peoples hearing of Maſs, and there will not have the precept oblige them to any real Religiouſneſs, not ſo much as to a thought of God, or any thing Divine; yea, or the forbearance of wicked thoughts and acts, while they are at Maſs. Thus far is Religion (upon which the intereſt of God and Man ſo much depends) ſunk among them. And it muſt of neceſſity ſink (all but the ſhadow or froth) in any part of the world, where theſe principles prevail. But though they declare them not obliged to ſerve God any better at this, or at any other time, yet they maintain for them as much liberty to ſerve the Devil and their Luſts on theſe Holy times, as any other. Let all concerned, judge of the Roman Religion and Holineſs hereby; if there were nothing elſe, by which the meaſures thereof could be taken, this would ſuffice.
Sect. 6. In the next place, in reference to Hereticks; to go no further (for that is far enough, ſince in their Charity the far greateſt part of Chriſtians are no better) all Relatives are diſcharged of their reſpective dutys injoyned them by the Laws of God or Man. Their Decretall (the Law of their Church which preſumes to over-rule all other Law, Natural, Divine, or Civil) deprives Hereticks immediatly of all (a)Ipſo jure privatos eſſe haereticos omni debito fidelitatis, Dominij, obligationis, & obſequij, quo illis quicun que tenebantur aſtricti—Decretal. Gregor. 9. l. 5. c. ult. de haeret.due fidelity, right, duty, obſervance, which any whoſoever do owe them: (b)Amittunt omnia quae juris civilis ſunt. Graff. l. 2. c. 11. n. 12. privantur j…e Dominij naturalis, oeconomici & civilis vid. Ovandus in 4. diſt. 13. p. 347.They loſe all which they have by civil right. (c)Eorum vaſſalli abſoluti ſunt a debito fidelitatis & totius obſequij—& idem de vaſſallis Dominorum, qui contra haereticos ſunt negligentes. Sylveſt. v. haereſes 1. n. 14. Angelus v. haeret. n. 15.Subjects owe no Allegeance or duty at all to Princes or Magiſtrates. (d)Perdunt patriam poteſtatem, quia non habent filios in poteſtate. Graff. ibid. Fillj haereticorum ipſo facto quo ſententiatum eſt contra eorum parentes de haereſi, efficiuntur ſ…i juris, & effecti intelliguntur a Die commiſſi criminis. Angel. ibid. n. 10. Sylveſt. ibid.Children owe no duty to their Parents; they have (by their Law) no power over them, and this from the firſt day of their Hereſie. (e)Viro debitum reddere non tenetur. Simanca. Inſtit. Cathol. c. 45. n. 27.Wives owe not conjugal duty to their Husbands; and if (f)Uxore… ſcienter cum haereticis contrahentis perdunt ipſo facto dotem. Sylveſt. ibid. Angelus. ibid. n. 11.they knew they were not Papiſts, when contracted, they loſe their Dowry. (g)Et quicun que alij aliqua obligatione adſtricti: ut famuli, liberti, & hujuſmodi. ipſo facto liberantur. Ut dicitur & notatur in c. fi. eo. ti. Angelus. ibid. n. 15. Sylveſt. ibid.Servants are freed from all Fidelity to, and obſervance of their Maſters. (h)Omnes haereticos obligatos ex juramento, fidelitate obſequij, pactione vel promiſſione, liberari, ita habetur c. ultimo de Haeret. Propterea ſi aliquis promiſiſſet haereticis ſolvere ſub paena vel juramento certo Die, non tenetur, ut notat Gloſſa ibid. Ego teneo quod eo ipſo quod eſt manifeſtum in haereſin incidiſſe tales abſoluti ſunt, quantumcun que ſententia non feratur contra eos. Angel. ibid. n. 15. Sylveſt. ibid. n. 14. Armilla. v. haereſ. n. 11. Ovandus in 4. diſt. 13. propoſ. 30. p. 348.Yea, Debtors are freed from paying what they owe to Hereticks, though bound thereto, either by Penalty or Oath. They hereby oblige their Followers to make nothing of ſuch dutys, without the obſervance of which, Man-kind would become worſe than Bruits.
But this may ſeem a ſmaller matter to them; they go higher, and allow any one to kill a Heretick, as though Murder were no ſin; (i)Poſsunt etiam impune occidi. Facit. Gloſſ. ſing. in Capital. faelic, &c. Graff. l. 2. c. 11. n. 12.they may be killed with impunity, ſays de Graffiis, and proves it out of their Church Laws. Pope (k)Non enim eos homicidas arbitramur, quos adverſus excommunicatos, zelo matris Catholicae Eccleſiae ardentes, aliquos eorum trucidaſſe contigerit. Refert ex Ivo & laudat Baronius. an. 1089. n. 11. Omnis haereticus ſive occultus ſive manifeſtus, eſt ipſo jure excommunicatus. Roſel. v. haeret. n. 14. Quoting their Law for it.Ʋrban 2. declared that they are not guilty of Murder, who kill any that are Excommunicate: Now all Hereticks are Excommunicate by the Council of Lateran, under Innocent the third; and the Sentence which lyes dormant there, is rouzed once a year. The Pope in perſon denouncing it in a ſolemn manner, and very gravely with a Peacock-tail on either ſide his head. We in England particularly are under Excommunication to this day; and Cardinal Barbarin thought fit, not long ſince, to give ſpecial notice of it in a Letter to ſome of the Iriſh. They forget not how obnoxious we are, and we may remember, how much we are obliged by them, that any of us are ſuffered to live, when they may kill us without Murder.