Works of Joseph Hall, Book 1 · Section 7
SECT. VII.
Impoſſible. Vnlawlull. Refut. p. 23, 24.IF it had not beene for two poore words of mine (both yet miſſe-vnderſtood) I wonder how C.E. could hauehave diſcouered to the world his dexterity, in ſeruing out his oft ſodden Cole-worts; the refuſe of his Bellarmine, and Coccius. aFrom pag. 26. vſque ad 90.Threeſcore and foure Pages, or more, hath he brauely ſpent in the Vindication of Virginity, which neuer honeſt and wiſe man oppoſed. Let their ſha…elings (I ſaid) ſpeake for themſelues, vponupon whom their vnlawfull Vow hath forced a wilfull and impoſsible neceſsity. The man is angry that I medled with his crowne; but if his haire had not beene longer then his wit, this deepe offence had neuer beene; For, if hee had taken my words, Cum grano ſalis, in the ſenſe which they will only well beare: (Let ſuch of their ſhauelings, as vponupon whom an vnlawfull Vow hath forced an impoſsibile neceſsity, ſpeake for themſelues) (none other need ſpeaking for) he had found the ſentence ſo particular, that it might hauehave ſpared him both much ſpleene and worke; ſince, neither was it in my heart euer to affirme the obſeruation of this Vow impoſſible to any man, neither will he (I hope) hold that it is kept by all: It is not in the power of the Razor, together with the haires, to cut off inordinate affections; ſome vow, which cannot containe: VponUpon this ſuppoſition onelyonly, I called this neceſſitie impoſſible, and this Vow vnlawfull; I cannot therefore but pity my paſſionate Detector, that hee hath ſet himſelfe all on a froth, in running this Wild-Gooſe chaſe alone, following nothing but his owne fancy, whiles hee purſues a certaine Chimericall Monſter, that holds Continence vtterly and vniuerſally impoſſible. And that he may the better repent him of this witleſſe waſte, and preuent the ſpoile of good Paper hereafter, let him know at once (which perhaps hath not hitherto beene allowed him) what we hold concerning this Point. We doe therefore from our hearts honor true Virginity, as the moſt excellent eſtate of life, which is incident to fraile Humanity; Gerſon hath taught vsus not to call it a Vertue, but it is Couſin German to a Vertue; Neither doe we thinke that the Earth affords any thing more glorious, then Eunuchiſme for the Kingdome of Heauen; which is therefore commended by our Sauiour, not as a thing meerely arbitrarie, by way of aduice, but of charge to the able. Qui poteſt capere, capiat; In this we can gladly ſubſcribe to Saint CHRYSOSTOME, Bonum eſt Virginitas, &c. Virginity is good, I yeeld it; and better then Mariage, I confeſſe it. Secondly, eueryevery man therefore (not Eccleſiaſtiques onelyonly) ſhould labour, and ſtriue to aſpire vntounto this eſtate, as the better, vſing all holy meanes both to attaine, and to continue it: Neither doe we thinke it any other then blameable, that yong Perſons (not ſo much as aduiſing with their owne abilities) without all indeuour and ambition of ſo worthy a condition, leape raſhly into the bands of Wedlocke. Thirdly, though eueryevery man muſt reach for it, yet eueryevery man cannot catch it; ſince it hath pleaſed God to reſerue this as a peculiar gift for ſome perſons, not intending it as a common fauour to all Suiters. Fourthly, thoſe then, which are vponupon good triall conſcious to themſelues of Gods call to this eſtate, and his gift inabling them vntounto it, may lawfully make profeſſion thereof to the glory of the Giuer, and (if need be) may vow (God continuing the ſame grace vntounto them) an holy perpetuation therof to their end; the obſeruation whereof, if they through their owne neglect ſhall let fall, they cannot be excuſed frombQui ſtatuit fi…mus in cora… ſuo non habens neceſſitatem, poteſtatem …abe…sſ…ae vo…un tota, & vouerit continentiam Deo, deb team vſque ad finem totâ mentu …o…icitudine cuſtodire, Aug. de fid. ad Petr. Solutio voti mala, Coniugium iamen bonum. ſinne, or freed from cenſure: But thoſe, which after all ſerious indeuours, find nothing but weakneſſe and vncertainties in this behalfe, ſhall ſinne, if they abſolutely vow; ſhall not ſinne, if they marry, in what condition of life ſoeuer; nor ſinne in marying, howeuer their mariage may hauehave faulty circumſtances.
Now my Detector by this time in our aſſertions ſees his owne folly; if againſt this he can except ought, he knowes where to find an aduerſary: In the meane time, hee needed not to take it ſo highly, that in the Romiſh vſe of vowes, I made mention of vnlawfulneſſe, of impoſsibility; vnlawfulneſſe in the making, impoſſibilitie in keeping; I am ready to maintaine both, in reſpect of the indiſpoſition, yea incapacitie of the Votaries.