The Monks Hood Pulled Off, Frontispiece – Preface
Behold they come to you in sheeps clothing
touch me not for I am holier then thou
Hauing a forme of godlisneſs
Printed for James Collins▪1671
THE MONK'S HOOD PULL'D OFF; OR, THE CAPƲCIN FRYAR DESCRIBED.
In Two Parts.
Tranſlated out of French.
LONDON, Printed for James Collins, at the Sign of the Kings Arms in Ludgate ſtreet. MDCLXXI.
To the Right Honourable Anthony Lord Aſhley, Baron St Giles, Chancellour of his Majeſties Receipt of Exchequer, one of the Commiſſioners for the Treaſury, and one of the Lords of his Majeſties moſt Honourable Privy Council, &c.
My Lord,
I Know it is the common errand of all Dedications, to beg Protection, but I'le be ſingular; for the truth is, I might juſtly be reputed very unmannerly, if I ſhould preſume to entitle your Lordſhip to the Patronage of a controverſie, without your conſent (though, withal, I dare affirm your Lordſhip, would not be aſhamed to own the Proteſtant Intereſt upon any juſt occaſion) All my buſineſs is to intreat your Lordſhip to accept this ſmall Piece, as a Teſtimony of my real gratitude for your many Favours. And becauſe God hath given me an opportunity of publiſhing my thankfulneſs; I muſt let the world know how great my obligation is, (which I hope I may do, without any offence, either to your Lordſhip, or the Papiſts) to which purpoſe, I ſuppoſe, it will be enough to ſay, that your Lordſhip never denyed me your favour, when I begg'd it, and that it hath been freely conferred without the leaſt inducement on my part; which circumſtance renders it truely noble, and conſequently ſuteable to your Lordſhips quality. Now to obtain your Lordſhips acceptance of this poor Preſent, I ſhall uſe no other motive or argument, than to aſſure your Lordſhip, that it is tendred with an unfeigned reſpect and good will; and that though it be but a trifle (its deſign being only to give your Lordſhip an hours Divertiſement) yet it is all the return I am able to make your Lordſhip, for the many Talents I owe you. But you know (My Lord) our Saviour tells us that the poor Widow that caſt two Mites into the Treaſury, caſt in more then all the rich men, becauſe they caſt in of their abundance; but ſhe of her penury, caſt in all her Living. And by the ſame rule, having preſented your Lordſhip with all I have, there was never (for ought I know) ſo great a a Preſent made you, as theſe two Mites, humbly caſt into your Lordſhips Treaſury, by (My Lord)
Your Lordſhips Moſt obliged, and therefore moſt Devoted Servant.
THE TRANSLATOR TO THE READER.
ANNO 1665. The former of theſe two ſmall Tracts (compoſed by the Great Du Moulin of France) was made Engliſh, and Publiſhed; and the other Written by Mr. Clovet, once a famous Capucin) coming ſince accidentally to my hands, and finding it deſigned as a ſuppliment to compleat the deſcription of the Capucin, immediately reſolved to Engliſh it likewiſe, and now Preſent them both to your view. You will not I ſuppoſe think this publication unſeaſonable, if you conſider the growth of Popery in England, which is ſo great, that it is now become the Mode to turn Papiſt. Of the dangerous cenſequences whereof, how ſenſible his Majeſty, and his two Houſes of Parliament are, we may gueſs, by the late addreſs for putting a ſtop to this growth, and his Majeſties Gracious Proclamation to that end. What the Principles of the Romaniſts are in reference to heretical (that is Proteſtant) Princes and Governours, and what their Practices have been, I need not mention, they are ſufficiently known to the world. But becauſe they talk much of their Loyalty to King Charls the Firſt, of ever Bleſſed Memory; during our unnatural inteſtine War (which I think is, the only inſtance they can alledge) they muſt give me leave to ſay, that it was not their Principles that made them Loyal. I am ſure their Holy Father and their Church teach them otherwiſe, and aThe Earl of Derby, in his vindication of the Church of England, againſt Papiſts and Quakers.an eminent Peer of this Realm, thinks he hath demonſtrated the neceſſity, or intereſt made them, choſe the Kings Party; and if ſo, they have great cauſe to boaſt of their Loyalty. As for the Articles of their Faith made at Trent, if you will take the pains to examine them by the rule of God's Word, perhaps you will find that they have as much reaſon to brag of their Creed as of their Loyalty. As for the Papal Government, though it be termed Eccleſiaſtical, yet (the Court having ſwallowed the Church) you will find it meerly, or chiefly Political. Laſtly, if you examine their worthy Diſcipline and Ceremonies, compared with the Lives and Hereſies of their Popes and Clergy, you will, I ſuppoſe, without much difficulty conclude, that they have as little cauſe to be proud of their Popes Government, Diſcipline, Worſhip, Church and Churchmen, as of their Creed or Loyalty. As for their Monks, you will know what they are, when you have peruſed this little Book; So that I ſhall only adde, that if Piety conſiſts in wild, impertinent, abſurd, and ridiculous actions, they are the greateſt Saints that ever lived upon earth, and in the next rank Mountebanks, Morrice-Dancers, Jack-Puddings, Bedlams, and ſuch like deſerve to be placed. In a word, whether the terms of Rebel, Traytor, Heretick and Phanatick, which the Romaniſts do ſo confidently and liberally beſtow on all ſorts of people that are not of their own gang; may not with as much juſtice be retorted on themſelves, even by the moſt extravagant Sectary; is left to the deciſion of every intelligent impartial Reader.
The Authors Preface.
SOme new Gueſts being come to this Town, who are rare examples of modeſty, and ſincerity, common civility requires that we ſhould preſent them with ſomething, which may prove uſeful and ſerviceable to them. Now I cannot think of a fitter Preſent, for perſons of a ſublime profeſſion, and extraordinary ſanctity, then to preſent them with a deſcription of their Original, and the continuation, and progreſs of their vertues. For although Father Joſeph in his book againſt my Three Sermons, calls me Fool, Cheat, and an Impoſtor, yet the Rule of Charity requires us to render good for evil. Beſides, we muſt not judge of perſons by one ſingle action: neither muſt we under pretence, that this Reverend Father hath his fits of paſſions, conceal his vertues; eſpecially, that Capucin-like goodneſs of his, when in his Sermon at the Gallows, to comfort a Whore who was to be executed; he calls her ſiſter; and why might he not call whores his ſiſters, ſeeing venerable Francis, the Patron of the Capucins, called the Magpies, Graſhoppers, and Swallows his ſiſters? With the like Prudence he exhorts this poor condemned perſon, whoſe name was Margaret, to recommend her Soul to St. Margaret, which is a Saint that never was in the world, and is placed in Heaven without having ever been upon Earth. After which proofs of his rare wit, he condemns us all to Hell, to keep him company. Wherefore he will not be offended, I ſuppoſe, if an acknowledgment of ſo charitable an office, I addreſs to him this ſmall Treatiſe, wherein he will ſee the Original of his Order, and the illuſtrious actions of the Capucins, whoſe perfections the Apoſtles could not attain unto. The Reader will here find very pleaſant extravagances and Follies more then enough to make a Saint of (the word Saint having changed its ſignification in this bleſſed age:) For now adays if a man would attain unto a Seraphique, and ſupereminent ſanctity, he muſt firſt be out of his wits.
The enſuing Narrative would afford ſufficient ſubject for laughter, did it not afford much more ſubject for ſorrow and compaſſion. For a man cannot ſee without great grief, the Chriſtian Religion quite disfigured, and poor people fed with empty ſhews in ſtead of true and holy doctrines.
The God of mercy take pity on ſo many poor people ſo groſly abuſed; and ſtir up his zeal, and wonted compaſſions to deliver ſo many Souls enſnared by a counterfeit holineſs: to whom the Holy Scriptures are a book altogether unknown, and ſealed with more then ſeven ſeals.
My deſign in this Treatiſe is not to offend theſe Fathers, but to inſtruct them, and to ſhew them how far diſtant they are from true holineſs, alſo to demonſtrate to them, that in aſpiring to a degree of glory above Abraham, Moſes, and other ſuch petty Saints, who never did works of ſupererogation, they take the courſe to come behind the meaneſt: and that ſome crimes are more tolerable then their ſanctity. The Lord open their eyes, that they may ſee it is a dangerous thing to mock him, and that they have to do with a terrible Judge, who cannot be deceived, who ſearcheth the heart, and from whom nothing is hid.