The Novelty of Popery Opposed to the Antiquity of True Christianity, Book 7 · Controversy 4 · Chapter 10
CHAP. 10. Of the diſorders happened by the Celibat: Alſo of the Charthuſians, and of St. Francis and his rule.
CArdinal du Perron (a)Ch. 9. of the third Obſervation pag. 690.ſeeing that he could not deny the great diſorders and the unchaſte life of moſt of them that live in celibat, ſaith that the celibat is no cauſe of thoſe diſorders: That in Auſtins time the chaſtity of Clarks was exemplary, even of thoſe that had been conſtrained to be Clarks, and that the cauſe of that diſorder muſt be attributed to the luſt and corruption of men. He propounds the Carthuſians and Capuchins as examples of chaſtity; and ſaith that the moſt predigious examples of luſt are found in married perſons: Not only in ſuch as Nero and Heliogabalus, but even in David, who had ten or twelve wives, and in Solomon, who had three hundred: Which hindred not David from defiling his bed with murther and adultery, nor Solomon from proſtituting himſelf to(b)The Cardinal hath not read Scripture well, for Solomon had 700. wives and 300. Concubines. ſeven hundred concubines.
One ſyllable only of Gods word is better then all that artificial diſcourſe, which is directly contary to the Apoſtle, who ſaith(c)1 Cor. 7. Ibid. To avoid fornication let every man have his wife and every woman her own husband, plainly teaching that marriage ſerveth to avoid fornication, whereas M. du Perron ſaith that married men are moſt given to luſt. St. Paul ſaith, If they contain not, let them marry: but M. du Perron oppoſeth him, ſaying that married perſons are the moſt incontinent.
It is true, that as there are perſons that keep their health in a contagious air, and ſome that are ſick in a pure air; And ſome that are warm in Winter, though they come not near the fire, and ſome that are cold in Summer becauſe of the ill diſpoſition of their bodies: Likewiſe ſome live chaſtly in celibat, ſome live unchaſtly in matrimony, breaking all obſtacles with their unbridled luſt, and being ſick in the midſt of remedies. But thence it follows not, that it is more eaſie to live chaſtly unmarried, or that the Apoſtle was miſtaken when he taught that marriage is the right remedy againſt fornication. OnelyOnly it may be thence inferred: that he that liveth unchaſtely in matrimony, would do worſe in that kind if he were not married, and that vices are ſo ſtrong in ſome men, that they cannot be overcome by any remedy.
In vain he alleadgeth the Carthuſians for examples of chaſtity. For to keep a man priſoner all his life and then praiſe his chaſtity, it is as if one put out a mans eyes, and then commended him for never looking upon women. Then continence is to be commended, when one hath the means to pleaſe his incontinence. Yet whoſoever hath read the books of Caſſian, knoweth that Monks ſuffer great inflammations of luſt, and are diſquieted with ſtrange deſires in their ſolitarineſs. St. Benedicts life, the Author of the order of the Benedictins, of whom the Carthuſians are a branch, ſaith that he would tumble his naked body upon a ſharp thornbuſh to allay his unchaſt heat: It had been better done for him to marry, and to follow the Apoſtles counſel.
As for the Capuchins whom the Cardinal propoundeth as examples of chaſtity, the world ſpeaks of them diverſly, and they are not free from blame no more then others. Beſides, it is no wonder if their habit frights women. And ſuch women may be found, who being but too free otherwiſe would make conſcience to pollute the habit of St. Francis, which many will put on when they dye, becauſe it is held worth a ſecond Baptiſm. M. du Perron ſaith that the Capuchins are reſtituted to their antient Diſcipline, that is, that they keep the whole rule of St. Francis. Of which rule it will not be amiſs to produce ſome clauſes to know whether there be much perfection in the obſervation of them. That rule preſcribes that(d)Nullo modo licebit iis de iſta religione exire, juxta mandatum Domini Papae, quia ſecundum Evangelium ſanctum nemo mittens manum ad aratrum & reſpiciens retro aptus eſt regno Dei. None after the year of probation have leave to come out of that religion according to the command of the Lord Pope, becauſe according to the holy Goſpel none that puts his hand to the plough and looketh behind is fitted for the kingdom of God. And a little after,(e)Qui neceſſitate coguntur, poſſunt portare calceamenta, & fratres omnes vilibus veſtimentis induantur, & poſſunt ea repetiare de ſaccis & aliis peciis cum benedictione Dei. They that are forced with neceſſity may wear ſhoes. And let all the brethren be clothed with vile garments, which they may piece with ſacks and other pieces, with the bleſſing of God. The ſame rule commands the Lay Monks of the Order of St. Francis (f)Laici dicant 24. Pater noſter pro matutinis.to ſay twenty four Paternoſters at Mattens, beſides the other Paters of the reſt of the day, which amount to forty ſeven, ſo that they make ſeventy one Paters every day. To faſt from All-Saints day to Chriſtmas. To receive no money neither by themſelves, nor by interpoſed perſons. To have no proper goods, but to beg alms confidently; For (ſaith the rule) their deep poverty makes them heirs of the kingdom of heaven. (g)Cum brevitate Sermones: quia verbum abbreviatum fecit Dominus ſuper terram.That they be ſhort in their Sermons, becauſe the Lord hath ſhortened the word upon earth. (h)Non curent neſcientes literas, literas diſcere.That the brethren that cannot read, take no care to learn to read, but that they deſire above all things to have the Spirit of the Lord.
Whether the Capuchins keep that whole rule, and whether theſe precepts to which Monks are bound by an oath without any mention of Holy Scripture or of the word of God (which in that rule is alleadged in deriſion) and whether ſuch works ought to be reckoned among the works of ſuperarrogation more perfect and more excellent then the Law of God, I leave it to the conſideration of all that have ſome freedom of judgement, and ſome knowledge in the word of God. For the cloſe of that rule, that goodly Saint ſpeaks thus,(i)Nulli hominum omnium liceat hanc paginam infringere, vel & auſu temerario contradicere. Si quis autem hoc attentare praeſumpſerit, indignationem omnipotentis Dei & beatorum Petri & Pauli Apoſtolorum ſe noverit incurſurum. Let it not be lawfull for any man to tranſgreſs this page, or to contradict it by an audacious raſhneſs. And if any preſume to attempt it, let him know that he ſhall incur the indignation of Almighty God, and of the bleſſed Apoſtles Peter and Paul. It was not enough to incur Gods indignation, unleſs he had added that of Peter and Paul: and why not alſo that of John and James? And what certainty have we, that for breaking the rule of brother Francis, that is, for touching money with his hands, or for wearing ſhoes without neceſſity, or for ſaying fewer then twenty four Paters at Mattens, or for poſſeſſing ſome proper goods, a poor Monk muſt incur Gods indignation? and that by obſerving theſe things, not commanded by God, but invented by men, he ſhall obtain a degree of glory in heaven, above thoſe that have done no more, but to fulfill the Law of God? Here indeed one may doubt, which muſt be moſt wondered at, either the blindneſs of men, or the audaciouſneſs of theſe Authors of rules, or the patience of God? I refer this to the judgement of the Capuchins, who affirm that they wear a garment of three pieces in memory of the Trinity. In which garment they make holes purpoſely to ſet pieces to it, although the garment be new, whether they feel much vertue in that habit, and that(k)Thomas 2a 2ae qu. ult. Art. 3. Idem in 4. Sentent. Diſt. 4. Qu. 3. Art. 3. In vitis Patrum dicitur, quod quidam vidit eandem gratiam deſcendentem ſuper eum qui habitum religionis aſſumit, & ſuper eum qui baptizatur. Bellarm. l. de Monac. cap. 6. Denique Emanuel Sa verbo Religio §. 10. & 17. Bern. lib. de praecepto & diſp. it ſerveth them inſtead of a ſecond Baptiſm.
The life of St. Francis Patron of the Capuchins is ſuch, that it ſeems that they that writ it intended to defame him, or to abuſe him. I leave a thouſand ridiculous paſſages, as that he would be wallowing naked in the ſnow to beat down his libidinous heat. That he preached unto Birds and Crickets, calling them Brothers and Siſters. That he took up the lice fallen from his garment, and ſet them upon his garment again. That to obey Pope Honorius he wallowed in the mire among hoggs. But there are three things in his life, which ſeem to me very worthy of obſervation. 1.(l)Legenda Jacobi de Voragine, Nocte quadam Daemones ad eum venientes eum graviſſime verberaverunt. That he was cruelly beaten by Devils. 2. That being one day full of joy, and being asked what was the ſubject of his joy, he anſwered,(m)Ideo me exultare noveritis, quia adhuc ſanctus per totum ſaeculum adorabor. Know ye that I rejoyce, becauſe being Saint, I ſhall be adored over all the world. 3. This is obſervable above the reſt, that one time having a great longing to hear ill words, he commanded a Monk to rate him with injurious words. The Monk not daring to diſobey him, told him,(n)Praecipiebat alicui fratri ut verba vilificantia ſuis auribus conculcando proferret. Cum que frater ille licèt invitus eum ruſticum & mercenarium impium & inutilem diceret, exhilaratus dicebat, Benedicat tibi Dominus quia tu veriſſima loqueris. Thou art a clown, a mercenary man, an ungodly, and an idle fellow. To whom St. Francis anſwered, The Lord bleſs thee, for thou ſpeakeſt moſt true. That was a ſincere confeſſion. But in my opinion all theſe paſſages are little reſembling the life of the Apoſtles.
To ſhut up this queſtion of the celibat, it is eaſie to diſcern by what ſpirit they that lay that yoke upon the Clergy are acted. For the Popes that made that Law, are the ſame that licenſe Bawdy-houſes, even at Rome, and neer the See of his holineſs. Then the celibat of Clarks and Monks conduceth very much to the preſervation and augmentation of the patrimony of the Church. And the Decrees of the Roman Church, as alſo the gloſſes adjoined unto them, are interlarded with diſhoneſt and jearing clauſes, which ſhew that thoſe very men that preach ſingle life delight in bawdery, and laugh at their own rules. Such is the Canon Is qui, in the thirty fourth Diſtinction, which hath this inſcription,(o)Qui non habet uxorem, loco illius concubinam debet habere. He that hath no wife, inſtead of her muſt have a concubine. And the Canon Dilectiſſimis in Cauſe 12. Qu. 1. which approveth Plato's opinion, and calleth him,(p)Quidam Graecorum ſapientiſſimus haec ita ſciens eſſe communia, debere ait amicorum eſſe communia omnia; In omnibus autem ſunt ſine dubio & conjuges. The wiſeſt of the Grecians, who ſaid that all things ought to be common among friends. Now (ſaith the Canon) in that word, all things, no doubt but wives alſo are comprehended. Of the ſame ſtuff is the Gloſs of the Canon Abſit, in Cauſe 11. Qu. 3. which ſaith, that(q)Si ergo Clericus amplectatur mulierem, interpretatur, quod benedicendi cauſa hoc faciat. if a Clark embrace a woman, it muſt be interpreted, that he doth it to give her his bleſſing. And the gloſs of the Canon Vidua, Diſtinction 34. giveth the definition of a whore, namely, that it is quae admiſerit plures quam 23. mille homines, ſhe that proſtituted her ſelf to more then three and twenty thouſand men.
Out of the ſame ſpring proceed the interrogations of the 19. book of the Decrees of Burchard, and of the book of Confeſſions of Benedicti, and the Canons of the Roman Penitential, publiſht by Auſtin Biſhop of Tarragona, and the horrible ſpeculations of the Jeſuite Sanchez about matrimony, and all the foul ſtuff of the Caſuiſts, who under a colour of ſearching the conſciences, or impoſing penances according to the circumſtances of ſins, or deſcribing the nature of ſins to diſſwade men from it, teach in effect ſo much ribaldry, and ſo many abominations, that all the Pagan Authors now extant that have ſtretcht their wits upon laſciviouſneſs, are modeſt in compariſon of them. And I believe that the Devil himſelf might be their Diſciple. Any one may ſee that theſe men took great delight in ſuch meditations. Is not this a jolly Decretal of Pope Alexander the third, As for adulteries and other leſſer crimes, the Biſhop can diſpenſe from them after the penance ended? Where note, that he ſpeaks of the diſpenſation which may be given to Clarks. And this Decretal of Clement the third.(ſ)Decretal. l. 4. de ſponſalibus & matrimoniis, Cap. Inter. Statuimus ut omnibus qui publicas mulieres de lupanari extraxerint & duxerint in uxores, quod agunt, in remiſſionem proficiat peccatorum. We decree that to them that take publick whores out of the Bawdy-houſe, and marry them, that action ſhall be profitable for the remiſſion of their ſins? (r)Decretal. lib. 2. Tit. 1. de Judiciis Cap. At ſi Clerici. De adulteriis vero & aliis criminibus quae ſunt minora, poteſt Epiſcopus diſpenſare poſt peractam poenitentiam.Note that word We decree, for a decree of that nature can be made by none but God who is offended, and to whom it belongs to pardon. Truly that Decree ſhews a way to get the remiſſion of ſins at an eaſie rate.