The Novelty of Popery Opposed to the Antiquity of True Christianity, Book 1 · Chapter 38 – Chapter 39
CHAP. 38. Of the wayes whereby Cardinals and other Prelates come to their Charges.
AS defluxions will flow from the head upon the body, ſo the corruption and Simony which hath infected the Papal See is fallen from the Popes to the whole body of the Clergy. Every one knoweth what traffick is made of Benefices; how Biſhopricks and Abbeys are ſwapt, giving money to boot, to make even bargains; and what ſolicitations are made in the Courts of Kings, and in that of Rome, to come by them. We have ſeen already in the precedent chapter, how John the X. gave the Archbiſhoprick of Rhemes to a child of five years of age, which Baronius condemneth, although he knew that it is an ordinary thing in theſe days. Younger Brothers of great houſes have Benefices and Biſhopricks beſtowed upon them in their Cradle. Hardly are they come out of the womb when they enter into the Epiſcopal Dignity.
I have known Biſhops that could not read their Maſs. An unlettered Prince is poſſeſt of an Archbiſhoprick, in which he placeth a Coadjutor, who contents himſelf with the third or fourth part of the revenue; the reſt is for the Prince that hath obtained the gift of the ſame.
The famous Thuanus, in the ſixth Book of his hiſtory, in the year 1550. relates an action of Jules the III. when he was newly made Pope, which is worthy of memory.(a)Cum antiquae conſuetudinis ſit ut novus Pontifex galerum cui velit ſuum largiatur, eum juveni cuidam cui Innocentio nomen, donavit, quique quod in familia ſimiae curam gereret, Simiae etiam poſt adeptam dignitatem nomen retinuit, &c. The cuſtom (ſaith he) being that the new Pope giveth his Cardinals Hat to whom he pleaſeth, he beſtowed his upon a youth called Innocent; who becauſe his Office in the houſe was to keep an Ape, retained the name of Ape after he had attained his Cardinals dignity; and to him the Pope gave alſo his on ſirname and coat of arms. Whereupon when the Cardinals expoſtulated with him for raiſing an unworthy perſon to ſuch a high Dignity, he anſwered them pleaſantly enough, And you, what perfection did ye find in me to make me Head of the Chriſtian Common-wealth? With that anſwer he ſtopt their mouth.
Every one knoweth that the Embaſſie of M. du Perron to Clement the VIII. to deſire him to receive King Henry the IV. into the boſom of the Church, ſerved in part to promote him to the Cardinalſhip. That recompenſe he had for proſtituting the dignity of the King his Maſter, having caſt himſelf at the Popes feet, and received by the Penitencer, blows with a wand both upon the back and the belly; as repreſenting the Kings perſon, upon whom the Pope inflicted penance, admitting his Majeſty to receive it by proxie. But the chief, yea the only cauſe that moved the Pope to receive the King, was that the party of the League was going to wrack in France, and that the Towns returned to the Kings obedience. Nevertheleſs all paſt as if Clement had been moved by divine Inſpiration to receive the King. But unto M. du Perron to recompenſe him for blemiſhing the dignity of the King his Maſter with ſuch a baſe ſubmiſſion, the Pope gave ſome bags full of Medals, little Croſſes, and bleſſed Beads, to ſcatter them among the people, to which Beads and Croſſes he gave that vertue, that whoſoever ſhould kiſs them, and ſay certain Prayers, ſhould get an hundred years of pardon. Which liberality brought to the King and to the Kingdom of France a great meaſure of Conſolation. I remember that my ſelf at Fontainbleaú did upbraid M. du Perron with this, in the preſence of the late Kings(b)That Lady was Catherine de Bourbon, Dutcheſs of Bar, ſiſter to Henry the IV. of France. Of that Princeſs this Author was Chaplain, and God made uſe of him to keep her to the laſt breath in the Proteſtant profeſſion, oppoſing continually this du Perron, who in her life, and in her death, was her perpetual tempter to make her turn Papiſt. ſiſter, he being then Biſhop of Eureux. His anſwer was, that the Pope did like Jeſus Chriſt, who ſent thoſe he healed to the Pool of Siloam, although he could have healed them without that.
If I would ſtir this ſink further, I could bring forth perſons who have got the Cardinals Hat for a recompenſe(c)Here the Author doth tax du Perron, who was known to be pandar to Henry the IV. Whereupon a Paſquil went about when du Perron was made Cardinal, that if du Perron was made Cardinal for his good ſervices, there was hope that La Varenne (the Kings chief Pandar) ſhould once be made Pope. of unchaſt and diſhoneſt ſervices done to great men. The very form uſed to get that dignity, which is to imploy the favour of Kings to obtain it for perſons incapable, is an accuſation. That Hat the Pope ſends packt up. Such Hats doubtleſs were ſent by Saint Peter to thoſe that he would advance to honor!
(d)Liber. 1. Sacr. Ceremon. ſect. 10. cap. 8.At Rome in the Church of Saint Agnes, ſome white Lambs are kept, with whoſe wooll white cloth is made, and with that cloth little white cloaks, which are laid over St. Peters Tomb. None can exerciſe an Archbiſhops function, but he muſt firſt buy one of theſe cloaks, and there is ſuch a cloak for which forty or fifty thouſand Ducats muſt be payed. By that gate they enter into the Archieſpiſcopal Dignity: Behold the Vocation, behold the Succeſſion that is ſo much cryed up. Note, that if an Archbiſhop die one day after he hath paid for that Cloak, his Succeſſor muſt buy another; ſo that mortality among Prelates is exceedingly lucrative to his Holineſs.
See the firſt Book of Sacred Ceremonies, Sect. 8.This alſo is to be obſerved of the charge of Cardinals, that aſſoon as a Biſhop is made Cardinal, he is preſently diſcharged of the care of that Church which was committed to him: For he ceaſeth to be Paſtor of a flock, and becomes a Prince of the Papal Hierarchy, and capable to receive Benefices of all ſorts. After that, with what conſcience can theſe Gentlemen open their mouthes to ſpeak of their Vocation?
What ſhall I ſay of the titular and imaginary Biſhops? to whom a Church is aſſigned, which is not in being, and a Flock forged in the air. The Pope will create a Biſhop of Dardania, or Damaſcus, or Alepo, where there are no Chriſtians. As if the Miniſters of Amſterdam, or Sedan, would create a Miniſter of Fez, or Cairo, or Maroco. But theſe Biſhops take a long term, to think whether they ought to viſit their Churches; and they have need of time to learn to ſpeak Arabick or Turk; then it is not good to venture overmuch. Wherefore they make no haſte to go. In the interim that title gets them a place, and the priviledge to enjoy ſome Benifices, while they look for a better Biſhoprick. Thus a Cardinal living in France, is Prieſt of a Pariſh in Rome, which Pariſh he hath never ſeen, and makes no account ever to ſee it.
CHAP. 39. Of the perpetual Duration, which M. du Perron calleth Indefectibility.
PErpetual duration is alſo put among the marks of the true Church. Which mark being admitted, ſerveth for a proof that the Roman Church is not the true Church, ſince her Doctrine is new, and was not in the Apoſtles time.
Between Duration and Antiquity there is this difference, that antiquity regards only the time paſt, but duration regards alſo the time to come. Which is enough to prove, that although the true Church muſt alwayes endure, yet that duration is not a mark to know her by: For the marks of a thing are things actual and preſent. But perpetual duration is not yet, but is expected and hoped for: For that which is not yet, cannot be an evidence of a thing that is. Our hopes and deſires cannot be marks of the true Church: For to that hope one may oppoſe a contrary hope, and ſay that the Roman Church is not the true Church, becauſe we hope that ſhe ſhall not laſt alwayes, but ſhall be cut off, of which ſhe is threatned by St. Paul, Rom. 11.22.
Since then one cannot certainly pronounce of any particular Church, and by conſequent not of the Roman, that ſhe ſhall endure unto the end, becauſe no particular Church hath any promiſe of God of a perpetual duration, and that one ſhall never be able to affirm with certainty, that the Roman or the Greek Church are of perpetual duration, but when the world is at an end; therefore that diſpute about the perpetual duration muſt be put off till the day of judgement.
As for that duration which is already paſt, it cannot be a proper mark of the true Church, ſince it is common alſo unto Paganiſm and Judaiſm; which have been in the world before Chriſtianity. The Greek and Syrian Churches continue ſtill, and have begun before the Roman. And the Roman Church which is now queſtioning the Churches which ſhe hath endeavoured to extermine about their duration, could not yet give an account of hers, nor ſhew that ſhe hath been in the Apoſtles time, nor in five hundred years after Chriſt produce one man that profeſt a Religion in any wiſe neer that which ſhe now profeſſeth.
That I may not ſtand long upon an unneceſſary thing, we are agreed that the Church muſt laſt alwayes, and that there will be alwayes ſome faithful Chriſtians in the world. But that which is properly attributed to the Church, is not alwayes a mark to know the Church by. And it followeth not that a thing, which laſteth alwayes, muſt alwayes be viſible to every one. But the marks of the Church muſt be ſenſible and perceived by every one.