Works of Joseph Hall, Book 1 · Section 3
SECT. III.
THe Theme of my Epiſtle is plainely no other, then our Mariage cenſured, hee anſwers, of Theirs. I would there were ſuch cauſe of familiarity and entireneſſe, that what is ſaid of one, might agree to both: But the world knowes we are two. If I ſay our Clergie is heartily loyall to their King; will he ſtraight take it of theirs? If, that our Clergy is willingly ſubiect to more then the directiue Power of their Soueraigne, will he challenge this to theirs? The very Point which I purpoſely declined, hee followes in hot chaſe. Euen moderate Papiſts (they are the words of my Epiſtle) will grant vsus free, becauſe not bound by Vow, not ſo farre as thoſe old Germanes propoſſe & noſſe: And yet all my Detectors refutation ſtill driues at the ſuppoſition of a Vow. What hauehave we to doe with Votaries? Our Clergie is free, whether as Clergie, or as ours: Firſt, as perſons Eccleſiaſticall (quà tales:) For holy Orders, vvhether as orders, or as holy, are no hinderances of Matrimonie, as Cardinall Cajetan truely, and with him, the vvhole Schoole. That which may bee pretended for Impediment, is either a Vow annexed, or an Eccleſiaſticall Statute.
bOrdinaſacro debitum Continentiae non eſt eſſentialiter annexum. l. om. So…o l. 7. q. 4. de Iure & Inſtit.As for the Vow, it is ſo farre from being eſſentiall to holy Orders, as that it is made bycVide Caietan. Opuſ de Caſtit. Act. Conc. Trid. Alia eſt c. …ſa Monac…i, alia Cleric. Extr. de Vo…, &c Plu…a…fi…endo promittit M…nachus, quàm …e… pie…cto ſa…m ordinem …c… cus. ſome learned Papiſts a difference betwixt the Obligation of their Religious, and their Prieſts, That their Religious are bound by a ſolemne Vow to ſingle life in the very intrinſecall nature of their Profeſſion; their Prieſts onelyonly by a Church Conſtitution, without Vow. And thoſe that goe further with their famous Cardinal, and teach, That it is expreſly forbidden to Biſhops, to ordaine any, without the promiſe of ſingle life, ground this but vponupon an Epiſtle of Pope Gregory dDiſt. 28. Greg. Petr. Diaco. l. 1. ep. 42. Caiet. vbi. ſ…pra Polyd. Virg. &c., a late and weake foundation; and beſides hold, that their Vow is but ſemi-ſolemne, and accidentally incident into this Profeſſion: for ſo much as here is neither a direct Exhibition of the Body to this purpoſe in the Offerer, nor a direct Conſecration to this end in the Admitter, both which make vp the ſolemnity of the vow: vponupon which reaſon, according to them, a Religious Order, becauſe it yeelds ouer the Body vntounto an eſtate repugnant to Matrimony, doth of it ſelfe, in it owne nature, both hinder Mariage, and nullifie it; not ſo the Eccleſiaſticall. To which wee may adde, That according to their owneeMeldena…. ſum q. 15. art. 27. Item Voti ſciennitas ex ſoli conſt…tione Eccleſiae eſt inuenta, Matrimonij vero vinculum ab ipſo Eccleſiae capite rerum omnium conditore, &c. Extra. Item, vinculum voti ſolennis, & ſolutio eius eſt ex ſtatuto Eccleſiae. Antonin. Simplex votum apud Deum non mirtùs obligat quâm ſolenne. Celeſt. extr. qui Clereci, &c. Doctors, Solemnitie and Simplicitie make no difference of the Vow before God, though before the Church. A diſtinction too ſlight, too newly vpſtart, to ouerturne an ancient and well grounded Inſtitution. Neither need wee any better, or other proofe of the inconnexion of this Vow with holy Orders, then that of their owne Dominicus à Soto, fNon eſt de eſſentia Sacerdotis ſeruare caſtitatem quandoquidem. Graeci etiam ab Eccleſia Latin… permittuntur in coniugij foedere perma…ere. Dom. Sot. l. 7. de Iure. q. 4. P. Ʋenetus. Brocard. Lud. Vertomannus Ios. Indus, of the Chriſtians in India and Cathaia, &c. Non ſi quid Turbida Roma eleuet, accedas. Perſ.Non eſt de eſsentia Sacerdotis, &c. It is not of the eſſence of a Prieſt (ſaith he) to keepe ſingle; for that the Grecian Clergie are permitted euen by the Roman Church to continue in the eſtate of Mariage. What can be more cleare? If there were a neceſſary and inſeparable connexion of a vowed Continency, with holy Orders, then would not, neither could the Roman Church acknowledge a true Prieſthood, where it finds coni…gall Society. Their act of allowance to the Greeke Church, implyes a faire independency of theſe two, which ſome of their clamorous Clients plead to hauehave indiuiſibly coupled. So as now all the ſtrength of this neceſſary Celibate is reſolued into the power of a Church ſtatute; and of what Church, but the Roman? All other Churches in the World, as of Armenia, Grecia, Syria, Ethiopia, Ruſsia, the Georgians, &c. allow the coniunction of Miniſterie, and Mariage; and are ſo farre from requiring a Vow of neceſſary Continencie, that they rather erroniouſly prerequire a neceſſity of Mariage in the perſons to be ordained.
It is onelyonly the Church ofgEccleſiae ſtatuto, nec vniuerſalis, ſed Latinae. Eſpenc. l. 1. de Cont. c. 13. Id circo cum ſummus Pontifex poſſit at libitum. &c. Caiet. Opuſ. de Caſtitate. Dubia cauſae. Rome, the great and imperious Miſtreſſe of the World, that impoſes the yoke of this vow vponupon her Vaſſalls. Impoſes it, but ad libitum; ſo as her great Paramour (in whoſe vaſt Boſome that whole Church lyes) may diſpenſe with it as he liſts. Heare that irrefutable diſcourſe of Cardinall Caietan: His words beare weight, and are not vnworthy the eyes of my Reader. Therefore (ſaith hee) ſince the Pope may at his pleaſure looſe the Bond of that Statute, it followes neceſſarily, that if a Prieſt of the Weſterne Church ſhall marry by the Popes leaue, without any reaſonable cauſe, that ſuch Mariage of his is a true Mariage, and the parties maried are true Husband and Wife, and their Iſſue truely legitimate; although in ſo marying, both the parties ſhould ſinne mortally, in doing this act againſt the Vow of Chaſtity, without a reaſonable, or at leaſt a probable cauſe of their ſo licenſing; and conſequently, neither ſhould the Pope himſelfe be excuſed from mortall ſin: But if there be any reaſonable cauſe of diſpenſing with this vow of Chaſtity; then the party thus marying, and diſpenced with, may both ſafely marry, and liue in Mariage. And hereupon it appeares, That ſince a reaſonable cauſe of diſpenſing with this Vow of Chaſtity, may bee not onelyonly the publike Vtility, whether Ciuill or Eccleſiaſticall, but any other greater good then the obſeruing of that Chaſtity; it iuſtly followes, that the Pope not only may, but with a ſafe Conſcience may diſpence with a Prieſt of the Weſterne (or Roman) Church, that he may marry; euen beſides the cauſe of a publike benefit. And therefore the determination of ſome hath beene too preſumptuous in affirming, That abſolutely and without ſuch cauſe the Pope cannot diſpence: whereas (as we hauehave ſhewed) the Pope may doe it without any cauſe, though in ſo doing he ſhould ſinne; and with any reaſonable cauſe, without ſinne: and in both, the Matrimony ſtands firme. Thus he.
Words that neede neither Paraphraſe, nor Inforcement. And howhSedes clementiſſima quae nulli deeſſe conſ…euit, dummodo albi aliquid vel rubei intercedat. Matth. Paris. Alius abuſus eſt in diſpenſationibus cum Conſtitutis in Sacr. Ord. &c. vſuall the practice of this Diſpenſation hath beene (that we may not reſt onelyonly in Speculation) appeares enough by the ingenious complaint of theiriConcil. Select. Card. Si Sacerdotes non maturâ deliberatione ſe aſtrinxerunt, videat Rom. Pont. qui circa haec ſolet diſpenſare quid ſit agendum in particularibus: Mart. Perefius, &c. ſelected Cardinalls, to Paul the third. Who cry downe the abuſe of theſe ouer-frequent Grants, which they would not hauehave yeelded, but vponupon publike and weighty Cauſes; eſpecially (ſay they) in theſe Times, wherein the Lutherans vrge this matter with ſo much vehemence. Neither is it long ſince our kind Apoſtate M. Carier gaue vsus here in England, (from bigger Men then himſelfe) an ouerture of the likelyhood of this liberall Diſpenſation, from his holy Father of Rome, vponupon the conditions of our re-ſubiection. Would we therefore but ſtoope to kiſſe the Carbuncle of that ſacred Toe, our Clergy might as well conſiſt with holy Wedlocke, as the Grecian. Oh, the groſſe mockery of Soules, not more ignorant, then credulous! Will his Holineſſe diſpenſe with vsus for our ſinne? We can be diſpenſed with at home for his diſpenſation. It is their Sorrow, that the World is growne wiſer, and findes Heauen no leſſe neere to Douer-Cliffe, then to the Seuen-hills.
And ere we leaue this point, it is very conſiderable, what may be a reaſonable cauſe of this Diſpenſation: For thoſe verykHis votis afirictus, non poteſt Matrimonium abſ que Diſpenſatine i…ire, quamuis vebementiſſimis carnis ſtimulis vrgeatur, &c. Sanch. l. 7. de Matr. Imped. Disp. 11. Authoritas ſuperioris diſpenſantis expectanda eſt. Communis illa regula Doctorum & nominatim Caietani, nimirum quando ei qui vouit, conflat aliquid eſſe melius praeteritá voti materia, poſſe propriâ authoritate recedere. Sanch. de Matr. l. 7. de Impedim. Diſp. Ieſuites, which hold the power of this Vow ſuch, That the vehementeſt tentations and foyles of the fleſh may not be relieued with an arbitrary Matrimonie, ſince the matter of this Vow is ſo important, and caries ſo much danger in the violation, as that it is not to bee left to the power of a priuate Iudgement (though morally certaine) whether Matrimonie (all things conſidered) be in this particular expedient (for that may bee fit for a man as a ſingular perſon, which is not fit for him as part of the community) yet they grant, that this extreame perplexedneſſe and violence of carnall motions, is a iuſt cauſe of diſpenſation. What need we more? Though ſomelAngel. Matr. 3. Jmped. 5. in fine vera cruz. 1. part. ſpec. art. 15. Caſuiſts be more fauourable, and grant that in ſuch caſes, we may not onelyonly allow, but perſwade Matrimonie to the perplexed Votary: As CardinallmAen. Syl. Epiſt. 307. So Benedict. 12. gaue Diſpenſation to Petrarch. Archdeacon of Parma, to marry his Laura (too neere him in blood, as it is thought) and ex vberiore gratiae, that he ſhould keepe all his Promotions, and receiue yet more, on co…dion, that the ſaid Benedict might hauehave the vſe of Petrarchs ſiſter, Matth. Parker Defenſ. of Pr. Marr. ex Faſciculo Temp. & Platina, & vita Petrarchae, &c. Aeneas Syluius (who was neuer leſſe Pius, then when he was Pius) giues this hearty aduice to his friend Iohn Freünd, a Roman Prieſt, that he ſhould (notwithſtanding his Orders) helpe himſelfe by Mariage; yet the former will ſerue our turne. If therefore thoſe ſuperiours, which hauehave all lawfull and ſpirituall authority ouer vsus, ſhall hauehave thought good, vponupon this reaſonable cauſe, to giuegive a generality of diſpenſation to all ſuch of our Clergie, as ſhall not, after all carefull and ſerious indeuours, find themſelues able to containe; allowing them by theſe lawfull remedies to quench thoſe impure flames: What can any Ieſuit or Deuill except againſt this? This is ſimply the cleere caſe of them whoſe cauſe I maintaine.
And yet further. Put the caſe this had not been; if without the thought of any Romiſh Diſpenſation, thenOccidentalis (non Orientalis) Eccleſia caſtitatis obtulit votum. in Diſt. 31. Eaſterne Church neuer held it needfull to require the Vow of ſingle life in the Miniſters of the Altar, (they know the words of their own Gloſſe) why ſhould not our Church challenge the ſame immunity; for (that from the generall conſideration of Eccleſiaſtiques, as ſuch, we may turne our eies to our Eccleſiaſtiques in ſpeciall) no Church vnderunder heauen kept it ſelfe more free from the bondage of thoſe tyrannous Impoſitions?
TheoƲid. poſtea Epiſt. Girard. Eboracenſ. Arch. ad Anſelm. Huntingd. Fabian. Polidor. Virgil. vid. poſt. lib. 3. Clergie of this Iland, from the beginning; neuer offered any ſuch vow, the Biſhops neuer required it, for more (if any credit be due to Hiſtories) then a thouſand yeeres after Chriſt. The great Champion of Rome, Maſter Harding, was driuen to ſay, They did it by a becke, if not by a Dieu-gard, but could neuer proue it done by either. Neither is it more worth my Readers note, then my Aduerſaries indignation, that the wiſe Prouidence of God ſo pleaſed to contriue it of old, as that from the beginning of the firſt conuerſion of this happy Iſland, it rather conſpired with the Greek Church, then with the Roman; After the Grecian account we kept our Eaſter, inſomuch, as Beda tels vsus, that Pope Iohn the fourth (about the yeere 637.) was faine to require of the Engliſh, that they would keepe their Paſch after the Romane faſhion; a difference (as it was then taken) of no ſmall importance. The ſtory of S. Aidanus and Colmannus, may be herein an abundant witneſſe: And for the Britans, Beda left them in the Cloze, both of his Life and Hiſtory; faſt to Greece, looſe from Rome.
After the Grecian forme we celebrated the Sacrament of Baptiſme. After the Grecian Liberty wee continued the Mariages of perſons Eccleſiaſticall (through ſo many Centuries of yeeres) without the ſcandall, without the contradiction of the Chriſtian World; ſo as now we are but repoſſeſſed of the ancient right of our Forefathers, which the interpoſition of the Romiſh tyranny, for a while, iniuriouſly debarred. Our Aduerſaries hauehave wont to brand vsus for the vncharitable cenſures of our Forefathers, and can they thinke the ſucceſſions of many Generations ſo faithleſſe, that they made ſolemne Vowes, for no other purpoſe, but onelyonly to breake them? It was the queſtion of the rich and precious Iewell of England, to which his Hardie Aduerſary had neuer the face to reply. My Refuters forehead is ſtronger, with a weaker wit; Let him try here the power of his audacitie. And if the Church of this Iland, in the daies of her forced ſeruitude to the Roman See, maintained this liberty (as wee proue in the ſequell) and deriued it to Poſterity, how much more free ſhall it be for vsus to renue and inioy it, after the iuſt excuſſion of that ſeruile yoke?
Let now C. E. goe waſte good houres, and marre cleane Paper in diſprouing the Mariage of Romiſh Votaries; and in the meane time come as neere my Queſtion, as Thames is to Tiber: What is this but to mocke the Reader, and abuſe himſelfe? How much wiſer is he growne in the proceſſe of his diſcourſe, where hee grants our Mariage, and denies our Clergie? from which weake and witleſſe Hold, if we beat him not in the due place, we ſuffer not enough from that rude Hand.