A Pleasant Purge for a Roman Catholic, Epigram 77 – Epigram 81
On Popes Prohibiting Prieſts from marriage.
PRieſts are the ſeede of Adam, Noah; why
Should they not then have wives to multiply
And ſtore the earth; as well as other men,
AsdGen. 1. 28. c. 9. 1. c. 8. 17. God commands? FromeSee D. Halls Honour of the married Clergie: Iohn Bales Acts of Engliſh Votaries. Adams dayes till ten
Hundred yeares after Chriſt, or more, Prieſts were
Still free to Marry, and did not forbeare
But uſe the marriage bed: why doe Popes now
Prieſts marriagefGratian. Diſtinct 81. Summa Angelica Matrimonium, Sect 4. quite condemne, and diſallow?
Which …oth before, under thegLevit 21. 7. 9 13. 14 15. Ezra 10. 18. to 44. Law, Goſpell,
Was uſed by, allow'd to Prieſts as well
As any others; yea God did preſcribe
Wives, with their qualities, to Levies Tribe.
S. Paul writes, hHeb. 13. 4.Marriage is honourable
In all men; Popes ſay it is iGratian. Diſtinct 27 to 35. 81.deteſtable
In Prieſts; belike Romes Prieſts are beaſts, not men
For if they were, by Pauls rule marriage then
To them were lawfull, honourable, all
Prieſts under his all men, if men, muſt fall.
We read that kMat 8. 14. Mar. 1. 30. 32. 1 Cor 9. 5. Phi. 4. 3. Act. 21. 8. 9.Peter, Philip, James, Paul, were
Al married; why ſhould Prieſts then wives forbeare,
When theſe Apoſtles; yea,lSee Biſhop Halls honour of the married Clergie, and M. Fox Acts and Monuments Vol. 2 p. 399. & 463. &c. Edit Ult. Gratian. Diſtinct. 38. 35. 32. 33. 34. ſome Popes of old
And godly Biſhops did wives wed and hold?
Which they no doubt would not have done, if it
Had beene unlawfull, or for Prieſts unfit.
To put this out of doubt, we finde that Paul
Himſelfe among the qualities which all
Biſhops and Deacons, ought to have, ſaith m1 Tim 3. 2 3. 4. 5. 11. 12. Tit. 1 6.they
The husbands of one wife muſt be; none may
This text controule, found in Popes nGratian Diſtinct. 26.Canon Lawes,
Which to this day retaine this very clauſe;
Prieſts, Biſhops, Deacons then may lawfully
Keepe wives; this clauſe elſe were a nullity,
Vaine, Idle, nay repugnant, and S. Paul
Miſtaken in preſcribing it to all
Biſhops, and Deacons, midſt thoſe qualities
Which ſimply needfull are. If Rome denyes
This meant of Wives enjoyed actually
By Biſhops, Deacons, whilſt ſuch; certainely
S. Paul confutes her by preſcribing there
o1 Tim. 11. Tit. 1. 6.What Wives they ought to abuſe, how they muſt beare
Themſelves, and rule their Children well; elſe they
Gods Church unfitting were to rule and ſway:
All which were needleſſe, vaine; if meant of thoſe
Not yet in Orders as Rome doth it gloſe.
Beſides, Paul ſpeakes of ſuch aspA Biſhop muſt be blameleſſe, the huſband of one wife, vigilant, ſober, of good behaviour; and 1 Tim. 3. 2. 3. 4. Tit. 1. 6. 7. 8. 9. All in the preſent, nor preter perfect tenſe or future. actually
Are Prieſts or Deacons, and not futurely
To be ſo; and this quality, to be
The Husband of one wife, is in degree
And tence the ſame with the pA Biſhop muſt be blameleſſe, the huſband of one wife, vigilant, ſober, of good behaviour; and 1 Tim. 3. 2. 3. 4. Tit. 1. 6. 7. 8. 9. All in the preſent, nor preter perfect tenſe or future.reſt ſpecifi'd
There, which to Prieſts in act muſt be apply'd
In the preſent not Preterperfect Tenſe:
Prieſts marriage then muſt needs be lawfull hence.
In fine, S. Paul avers, thatq1 Tim. 4. 1. 2. 3. marriage
And meates, men to forbid in this laſt age,
[Both which Romes Popes doe] is Apoſtaſie
From faith, meere devills doctrine, and a Lye.
Whence I conclude, that Popes have falne away
From faith, and that Lyes, devills doctrines ſway
And rule them now, ſince they Prieſts marriage,
Free uſe of meates forbid, in this laſt age;
rGratian. Diſtinct. 34.Permitting Prieſts whores,sGratian. Diſt. 26. to 35. not wives; which doe make
Them quite unfit Orders to keepe or take,
Whereas groſſe whoredome and Adultery
From Orders none thruſt out, nor yet put by;
Which ſinnes of Prieſts, ſhouldtSee Caſſandri Conſultatio. Artic. 23. p. 987. &c. cauſe the Roman whore
The Lawfull uſe of marriage to reſtore.
We reade, thevMat. Weſtminſter, Mat. Paris, Holinshed, Speed, and others in the life of H. the 1. An. 1125. Henry Huntingdon, l. 7. p. 32. Hovenden. Annal. pars 1. p. 478. Grafton, p. 40. Polychron. l. 7. c. 16. ſelfe-ſame day the marriage bed
Was firſt to Engliſh Prieſts prohibited,
In Councell, by John Crema, Legat to
The Pope, by whoſe Command he this did doe,
That he himſelfe at night in bed was tooke
By Prieſts, lying with a whore, and ſo forſooke
And fled the Realme with publicke ſhame, whereby
The Prieſts their wives retained quietly
Long after: Were Romes Popes, Prieſts narrowly
Watch't, men them with whores might too oft eſpie;
Yea, its a Common trade now, and no newes
At Rome, for xAgrippa de vanitate Scient. c. 64. Weſſelus, Tract de Indulgentis Papalibus Gravanina Germaniae.Prieſts to baunt the publicke ſtewes,
Which Popes maintaine, and have in Italy
Diſpenc'd with Prieſts to commit Sodomie
In the hot monethes, with boyes and Ganymedes;
That is not good, but ill which ſuch fruits breeds;
Which I forbeare at large to ſpecifie,
Since yNic. de Clemangis de Corrupto Eccleſiaeſtatu Eſpencaeus de Continentia & in Titum. c. 1. 2. Alvares Pela gius de planctu Eccleſiae, Onus Eccleſiae. Bernardi concio in Concilio Rhemenſi. Caſſand… Conſultatio. Artic. 2… p. 987. 988 &c.Romiſh writers, fully them deſcry,
Wiſhing that Popes, Prieſts marriage would reſtore,
The want whereof hath made their Church a whore.
There is no Pia-Mater in Popes braine
Who Prieſts from marriage, 'gainſt Gods Word reſtraine,
And them quite barre from this their Sacrament,
Yet give them free leave, whores, ſtewes to frequent.
On Proteſtants damnation by Papiſts, and the Reaſon of it.
PRoteſtants damned are, ſayzSee the Booke called Charity Miſtaken. Papiſts; Why?
Becauſe they to one Saviour, Chriſt, all fly.
Few or none damn'd are in Romes Church if any,
Sith ſhe beſides Chriſt, Saviours hath full many.
IfaMat. 7. 14. c. 20. 16. c. 22. 14. Luc. 13. 23. 24. few be ſaved, as the Scriptures ſay,
One Saviour is enough to whom to pray;
Who ſeldome us'd in Romes Church, which him wants
Not, may finde leaſure to ſave Proteſtants.
Leſt this prove true, Romes Church may now doe well,
All Saviours, but Chriſt onelyonly, to expell.
On Romes Saviours and Jeſuites.
NO wonder if all Romes flock ſaved be,
They have ten thouſand Saviours more than we;
So many that to keepe them from diſorder,
She marſhalls ſome into a diſtinct Order,
Grac'd with the ſaving name of Jeſuites,
They are ſuch active good, ſweete, ſaving Sprits,
Saviours no doubt to Romes Church, Popes, and Crowne,
Which their plots, wits, pens keepe from tumbling downe.
Tis not their goodneſſe, vertue, grace or merits
That make them Saviours, but their treaſons, wits;
Saviours to Popes; could Kings and States ſay ſo,
They Jeſuites were in Name and Nature too.
But whilſt their Treaſons, plots, 'gainſt theſe them ſhame,
They are not ſuch in truth, deed, but in name:
Nay meere Antipodes to this name, they
It into Judaſites now alter may,
Or Jebuſites, ſince they diſturbe, annoy
Al States, Kings, Churches, & would them deſtroy.
On no Salvation out of the Church of Rome.
ROme ſaithbSee Bellarin, de eccleſia: and Charity Miſtaken. Out of her Church none ſaved be,
And that no Church is Catholicke but ſhe.
It's pride and gaine that make her thus to boaſt,
Since ſhe faith and Salvation both hath loſt.
The Patriarchs, Prophets, holy Jewes of old,
Chriſt, his Apoſtles, were not of Romes fold;
Yet were all ſaved: Greekes, with ſundry more
Since them were, and are ſav'd without the whore
Of Romes precincts; whoſe whoredomes, vices are
Now Catholicke, her faith, grace none, or rare.
She then had neede prevent her owne damnation,
Not others; doubt her owne, not our Salvation.
On Papiſts making Apocrypha Canonicall, and Canonicall Scripture leſſe than Apocryphall, and their blaſphemies againſt it, and Popes power over it.
PApiſts (againſt thecSee Sir Humfrey Lyndes By-way, Sect. 5. 6. & Jean Meſtrezat Traicte de … eſcriture Sancte, a Geneve, 1633. joynt conſent of all
Fathers) Apocrypha, Canonicall
Make, and all Proteſtants revile, condemne,
For not conſenting in this point with them.
Meane time [ô wonder] that which both confeſſe
To be true Scripture Canon, they farre leſſe
Eſteeme, than what is meere Apocryphall,
And deeme no Scripture Text Canonicall;
Stiling Gods ſacred booke,d…indanus l 2. Strom c. 2. Bellarmin de verbo Dei. l. 3. c. 8. 9. Coſteri Enchir. c. 1. Salmeron Prolegom. 1. Stapleton l. 2. De Author. S. Scrip. Vaſquez Tom. 3. part. 3. Diſp…. 216. Andrad…s Defenſ. Conc. l. Tridon. l. 2. Declaration du Per… Baſil. p. 77. 78. 79. P… gghius Hierar. l. 1 c. 1. a leaden ſword,
A noſe of waxe, a dead letter or word,
A leaden Parchment Rule; no Judge, rule, guide
Of faith, by which all doctrines muſt be try'd.
They write, it hath its force, authority,
Senſe, expoſition from the Pope onelyonly,
Who can, may, doth it change, controule, annuall,
Repeale, diſpence againſt it, by his Bull.
If this be true, Rome no Canonicall
Text grants; but makes all meere Apocryphall:
And ſo unchurcheth, yea quite overturnes
Her ſelf, whilſt ſhe againſt Gods Word thus ſpurnes
OneEph. 2. 20. 21. Mat. 16. 18 which all Chriſtian Churches built, muſt fall,
If Scripture ceaſe to be Canonicall.
O Rome recant thy fearefull blaſphemie
Againſt Gods Word, which doth for vengeance cry
Againſt thee; and ſhallfJoh. 21. 48. Rom. 2. 16. Rev. 22. 18. 19. judge thee at the laſt,
And into Hell, without repentance caſt.