Works of Joseph Hall, Book 1 · Section 9 – Section 12

Works of Joseph Hall · Book 1 · Section 9 – Section 12

p. 729SECT. IX.

NOw to follow my Aduerſary in particulars: Whereas all the world ſees, that the vnlawfulneſſe of their vow depends vponupon the inability of performance, he, like a true Artiſt, begins firſt with the vnlawfulneſſe. It is well,Refut. p. 29. that all theſe ſheets of Paper which he hath ſpent in this point, may ſerue for ſome neceſſary vſe; this which he hath put them to, is fooliſhly ſuperfluous.

If the vow of Chaſtity be vnlawfull (he ſaith) it muſt be either in reſpect of the vow, Refut. p. 30.or the matter vowed; Not the firſt, becauſe vowes in generall are lawfull; which he will proue out of Scriptures and Fathers. Idle head! Who euer denied it, but the exploded Lampetians? His owne Cardinall could hauehave taught him,Bell. l. 2. de Monachis c. 15. Ad negotia huius vitae expeditiu… peragenda, aut ad vitanda peccata, aut ad alios bonos ſines. Refut. p. 32, 33, 34. vſque ad 42. Refut. p. 43. vſque ad 48. & pag. 34. vſque ad finem Parag. 1. Refut. p. 45. that Luther and Caluin approue the vowing of things commanded, firſt; and then of things not commanded too, to the auoyding of Sinne, or other good purpoſes. Not the ſecond, which he will proue by many arguments; ſome of them from the Fathers, extolling virginity, and comparing it with the ſtate of Angels, and preferring it before mariage. And who euer thought otherwiſe, except Iouinian? and perhaps not he. And at laſt, after ſome ſeuere examples of penance inioyned to fornicating vow-breakers, by Chryſoſtome and Baſil; to incontinencie and rape, by the ciuill Lawes (as if theſe concerned vsus ſo much as themſelues) hee deſcends to this challenge; Let M^r. Hall (if he be able) produce vsus ſome proofe, although but one claſsical authority of any one ancient writer, where he hath euer perſwaded ſuch as hauehave ſolemnly vowed chaſtity, to vſe Mariage as a meanes to ouercome temptations, and he ſhall hauehave ſome excuſe for calling it a filthy vow; and his heroicall Luther for terming it a diabolicall thing: So he I take him at his word; onelyonly let him not fly forth vponupon the ſhift of ſolemnity, which their Scholler lately hatched; That were to ſeeke gray hayres in infancy; Firſt, I bring forth that famous place of Saint Cyprian, in his Epiſtle written both in his owne name, and his fellow-Biſhops, to Pomponius, concerning ſome vowed Virgins which were found in bed with men, whereof one was a Deacon; of which Virgins he with his Brethren paſſe this ſentence,kkEpiſt. l. 1. Epiſt. 11. Pudicè & caſtè ſine vlla fabula perſeuerent. Melius eſt vt nubant, quàm in ignem delicijs fuis cadunt. Quod ſi ſe ex fide Chriſto dicauerunt, &c. If they (ſaith he) hauehave faithfully dedicated themſelues vntounto Chriſt, let them without all deceit perſeuere in the courſe of Chaſtitie, and ſo couragiouſly and conſtantly expect the reward of their Virginity; Si autem perſeuerare nolunt, vel non poſſunt, &c. But if either they will not, or cannot perſeuere, it is better that they marry, then by their wantonneſſe fall into the fire; Let them giuegive no ſcandall to their Brethren and Siſters. What could Luther or Caluin write more directly? So that Eraſmus notes in the Margine, Etiam virginibus ſacris permittit nubere; Here Cyprian permits euen holy Virgins to marry. llLib. 2. de Monach. c. 34.Bellarmines ſhift hereof is ridiculous, That Cyprian, by occaſion of ſome virgins, which after their vow behaued themſelues diſhoneſtly, aduiſed others, that if they had not a firme purpoſe of perſeuering, they ſhould not vow, but marry; whom we remit to the checke of his owne Pamelius, yea, of his conſcience; Indeed, what is this but to mocke both the Author, and the Reader? For doth Cyprian at all varie the perſons of whom hee ſpeakes? Doth he not ſpeake plainly of Virgins deuoted to Chriſt? And what perſeuering could there be, but in that which they had vndertaken? And what had they vndertaken, but a dedication of themſelues to Chriſt? What is this, Reader, but willingly to try his Oares againſt the ſtreame of truth?

To the ſame purpoſe is that noted ſentence of Hierome, mmHieronimus impendio ſemper virginitati fauens, & obid nuptijs, iniquior Eraſmus.though otherwiſe none p. 730of the beſt friends to mariage) who ſpeaking of Virgins, aſcribed by their vow into the celeſtiall Family, addes, Quibus apertè dicendum, &c. Whom we muſt openly charge that either they would marry, if they cannot containe, or, that they would containe, if they will not mary. See the Scholia of Eraſmus vponupon the place.We know the eluſion of this place alſo; That Hierome ſpeaks of virgins in purpoſe, not in vow; But whoſe name, I beſeech you, was defamed by their lewdneſſe? or, what was the heauenly and Angelicall Family, whoſe glory was blemiſhed herewith? Was it of any other then profeſſed Virgins? Or could the act of a purpoſed Virgin onelyonly, ſhame Virgins profeſſed? To the ſame purpoſe is the aduice ofnnBaſil. l. de virg. Baſil, andooEpiphan. Hereſ. 61. Melius eſt vnum peccatum habere quā plura. foreign. ibid. Epiphan. I would hauehave the yonger Widowes to marry. Refut. p. 51. He maried his daughter, being a Virgin dedicated to Chriſt Epiphanius.

Adde to theſe an elder then they all, Tertullian, and with him all thoſe Fathers, which interpret Saint Pauls [volo iuniores nubere] of vowed widowes; All which muſt needs hold, that our Apoſtle allowes mariage for the lawfull remedy of vnable Votaries.

Let not this malicious Maſſe-Prieſt then turne vsus ouer to his Tyberianus, or Iouinian, for the firſt founders of our opinion, and practice, which wee receiued from no other then that diuine Arch-hereticke, that ſate at the feet of Gamaliel; from no other, then the holily-hereticall Fathers and Martyrs of the Church: As for thoſe two miſ-alledged Authors, to whom he aſcribes vsus, his skill doth palpably faile him in both; For Tyberianus, he being ſuſpected of Priſcillianiſme, wrote affectly againſt that hereſie, at laſt foulely fell to that, which he diſclaimed; whereon it was that Hierome ſayes, Canis ad vomitum, not vponupon the mariage of his daughter. And for that particular fact, it is no leſſe miſtaken. Hierome ſayes onelyonly, Filiam virginem Chriſto deuotam, matrimonio copulauit; but Sophronius (who it ſeems well knew the ſtory) turnes itppCoegit vt nuberet. Ʋide Eraſm. Schol. in Hier. Catalog. Scriptor. Eccle. So Syagria in Greg. Epiſt. marito violenter ſociata. foreign;) compeld his daughter (a conſecrated Virgin) to marry. A foule fact, which wee deteſt no leſſe, then the contrary practice of thoſe Romaniſts, who compell their daughters (which would marry) to be conſecrated Virgins. It is then no leſſe falſe that Tyberian gaue beginning to vsus, then it is true that Tyburne hath giuen a iuſt end to ſome of them. For Iouinian, what is he to vsus? when neither our practice was his, nor his opinion ours. Not our practice; for he liued and dyed a ſingle Monke. Not his opinion; How can we be ſaid to admit mariage to an equall ſhare of merit with virginity, when we deny merit in either? Againe, that Eunuchiſme (not in it ſelfe, but) for the Kingdome of Heauen, is better then it we doubt not; But whenqqQuamuis vniuerſaliter dicatur homini melius eſſe continentiam ſeruare quàm matrimonio vti, tamen alicui hoc melius eſt. Tho. l. 4. Contr. Gent. theſe two are reduced to their ſubiects; their value is according to their vſe. Chryſoſtome could ſayrrforeign Chryſ. ad Hebr. foreign. foreign, &c. Vſe mariage with meet moderation, and thou ſhalt bee the firſt in the Kingdome; And Gregory Nazianzen (beſides that he ſaith of his Siſter Gorgonia) when hee commends the children of Baſil the elder,ssGreg. Naz Orat. In laudem Baſilij Or. 22. Hier. l. 2. in Iouin. Refut. p. 52. tels vsus, ſome of them ſo vſed their mariage, that it was no hindrance to them, quo minus ad pacem virtutis gloriam aſpirarent; that they might not aſpire to an equall glory of vertue with the Virgins; and made theſe two rather different kinds of life, then manners of liuing. Saint Chryſoſtome then, and Nazianzen, ſhall vſher vsus into the Schole of Iouinian. And if Iouinian were Formoſus Monachus, craſſus, nitidus, &c. A faire, fat, ſpruce Monke (as he ſaith;) Me thinks he ſhould rather hauehave hoped to match him in their Sybariticall Cloyſters, where they abound with meat, and drinke, and eaſe, then in our laborious Clergy. It is happy for vsus, and for that reuerend Archbiſhop Marcus Ant. de Dominis, that this rayler can obiect nothing to him but an harmeleſſe load of corpulency. It moues their ſpleene enough, that this learned Prelate hath honoured our Iland with a Dalmatian Pall; Their cauſe feeles that he can (notwithſtanding) paſſe into the Pulpit: What ſpeake they of this? when,The reſidue of this Paragraph is ſpent in the Canon and Ciuill Lawes againſt vow-breakers. Quid ad Rhombum? Refut. p. 54, 55, 56. to their ſorrow, they ſee he could paſſe ouer the Alpes to leaue Rome. This Beagle, and his balling Beyerlinck, and the kennell of Sorbon, may bay at him, but not one of their Bandogs dare faſten. But why doe I ſuffer this babbler to lead mee out of my way? What is all this ſleeueleſſe diſcourſe to a man that neuer ſaid, neuer thought eueryevery vow of this kinde vnlawfull, nor eueryevery breach of ſuch vow ſinneleſſe? When he takes me with this Tenet, let him load me with authorities; Till then, his now-friuolous papers my ſerue for an honeſt vſe.

p. 731SECT. X.Ref. p. 57, 58, 59.

NO leſſe wiſe and proper is that other diſcourſe of Impoſſibility: For, to make ſhort worke; That no man can containe (though it bee giuen him) I neuer ſaid; That any man may containe (though it be not giuen him) either he will not ſay, or if he do, he hath Chriſt for his Aduerſary. Why doe we blot Paper? How the performance of this Vow is not poſſible onelyonly for all, butppMaius miraculum eſt de propria carne fomitem eradicare luxuriae, quàm expellere immundos ſpiritus de corporibus alienis, Ioan. Brow. ſum. Praed. c. Caſt. facill alſo, (which he contendeth) the iſſue proues too well, and the World bluſhes to ſee it. Let it not be too much burden to his patience, that I ſaid, Some of their ſhauelings cannot hold; He knowes what their Gloſſe vponupon Gratian ſaid of old (though now they hauehave pulled out the tongue for blabbing)qqDiſtinct. 81. Maximianus. Communiter dicitur, &c. It is commonly ſaid, that a Clerke ought not to be depoſed for ſimple fornication, Cùm pauci ſine illo vitio inueniantur; Since there are but a few found without that vice. This they hauehave wiped out of the Booke, but the Margarita Decreti (as happy is) holds it ſtill: And their honeſtrrConſult. Art. 23 And Bellarm. Qui continent quos notum eſt non eſſe multos, de Mona. l. 2. c. 3 Caſſander, yet more plainly, Vix centeſimum inuenias, you ſhall ſcarce finde one of an hundred free: And, if need were, I could tell him out of oldssBro. ſum. praed. voce Luxuria. Z…lantiſſimus Praedicator. Tit. Concion. Cauda ſalax ſacrificulorū in pro nerbium abijt. Refut. p. 61. Bromiard, what the voyce of a Ghoſt ſaid to a Prieſt of theirs, but I will not; only thus he ſhut vp; That there came dayly ſuch ſtore of Prieſts to Hell for their Luxury, in plaine Engliſh, Lechery, that hee had not thought there had beene any left vponupon earth. And to theſe I could adde the ierkes of their zealous Preacher, Frier Menot, who fetches the threefold ſhame of their Clergy out of the Aue Mary; The ſecond whereof (though the firſt in miſchiefe) is, In Mulieribus. But what ſhould I fill Carts with ſuch ſtuffe, as I eaſily might, when the ſalacity of the Romiſh Clergie, is growne to be the Prouerbe, and ſcorne of the World? Let not my Refuter ſcare vsus with the threat of recriminations, we know that in all Profeſſions, there may be found lewdneſſe enough. But, when all is done, we ſhall iuſtifie that which worthy B. Iewel ſaid long agoe, Scortum apud nos modeſtiùs viuit, quàm apud vos Penelope; Our Strumpet is their Penelope. What needed hee therefore to vpbraid vsus with that frumpe of Eraſmus (Quae malùm eſt iſta tanta ſalacitas, &c.) when he knowes how eaſily we can ouer-pay him in this Coyne? Was it not Eraſmus, whoſe word it was (which Maſter Doctor Collet Deane of Paules, was wont to hauehave familiarly in his mouth)ttEraſm. Apolog. pro declam. Matri. Ibid Eraſ. Engliſhed thus. And I would they were gelded indeed, which hide their vicious courſes with the glorius name of Eunuchiſme; more freely following their filthy luſts, vnderunder the ſhadow of chaſtity. Neither will my modeſty ſuffer me to report, into what ſhamefull courſes they fall many times, which reſiſt nature, &c Ex vita Sacerdotum palam dedecoroſa, palàm contemnitur eorum doctrina, & inde perit fructus verbi Dei. Quod ſi ijs qui non continēt concederetur matrimonium, & ipſi viuerent quietius, & populo cū authoritate praedicarent verbū Dei, ad Chriſt. Epiſ. Baſil. Refut. p. 60. Refut. p. 74. Nunc is eſt rerum ac temporum ſtatus, vt nuſquam reperias minus inquinatam morum integritatem, quàm inter coniugatos? Now ſuch is the ſtate of the times, that you ſhall neuer finde leſſe corruption of manners and life, then amongſt the maried. Was it not Eraſmus that ſaid, Atque vtinam verè caſtrati ſint, quicunque ſuis vitijs magnificum caſtrationis praetexunt titulum, ſub vmbra caſtitatis turpiùs libidinantes, &c. Neque enim mei pudoris eſſe puto cōmemorare, in quae dedecora ſaepe prolabantur qui naturae repugnant, &c. This is enough to let my Detector ſee, we need not die in his debt for Eraſmus.

SECT. XI.

BVt it is no arguing from the Act to the poſſibilty. Theſe did not containe, but they might. What? whether it were giuen them or no? So ſeemes mine Aduerſary to hold, whiles he cenſures Luther, for ſaying, that this is Gods gift; and that here wee can onelyonly take, and not giuegive. Yea, but if they had asked, it would hauehave beene giuen them. Aske, and it ſhall be giuen: ſo ſaies my Refuter, out of Origen, none of the beſt Interpreters; ſo his Maſters the Ieſuits; Sufficit promiſsio generalis, ſaith**Bell. l. 2. de Mon. c. 31. Bellar. By this Rule, if the Cardinall ſhould but pray for the Popedome, the three Crownes muſt come tumbling vponupon his Head; and if C. E. ſhould but pray for a red Hat, it would hauehave Mercuriall wings, and come flying to Doway; I would he had but prayed for Wit, he had then perhaps beene ſilent: Not conſidering, that Virginity, and Honour, and degrees of Wit (though excellent in their kinds) yet are ſuch things, as without which we may inioy God, and goe to Heauen, and therefore that perhaps God ſees it beſt for vsus to aske them, and goe without. What can be more plaine then that of**Hiero aduerſ. Iouin. l. 1. Hierome, If p. 732all might be Virgins, Chriſt would neuer hauehave ſaid, Qui poteſt capere, capiat; Neither would the Apoſtle ſo timorouſly hauehave perſwaded to Virginity; Could he euer ſuppoſe that Virginitie might bee had without prayers? and yet he ſayes, If all might be Virgins, &c.

Who would not hauehave thought, that this one Text of our Sauiour, ſhould hauehave ſtopt all mouthes? His Diſciples had ſaid; If thus, it is good not to marry: He replyes; All men cannot receiue this Word, ſaue they to whom it is giuen; and concludes, He that is able to receiue it, let him receiue it. Yet here, ſee the forehead of a Ieſuite: Maldonate vponupon the place dares ſay thus:**Mald. in Mat. 19.11. Omnes ferē, &c.Matt 19:11 That he ſaith, all men doe not receiue this Word, all Interpreters (almoſt) doe ſo expound it, as if the ſenſe were; All men cannot performe this which you ſay, that is, Want a wife, becauſe all hauehave not the gift of Chaſtity, but onelyonly thoſe to whom it is giuen; for which he cites onelyonly Origen, Gregory, Nazianzene, Ambroſe, concealing the reſt of his, Almoſt all; yet after in the ſame Page (forgetting himſelfe) ſolus D. Auguſtinus, &c. OnelyOnly Saint Auſtin vſes (ſaith he) to teach, that this gift of Continency is not giuen to all,I cannot bee perſwaded to follow them. but to ſome onelyonly. It is happy yet that herein we are granted to erre with Saint Auſtin; and yet ere long, we take in Origen, Nazianzene, Ambroſe, Hierome, and at laſt; ouertake, Ferè omnes; ſo as we need not feare ſolitarineſſe in this errour. But what ſayes the Ieſuite to this good company? Adduci non poſſum, vt ſequar; No maruell. Marke, how well the Ieſuites follow Ieſus himſelfe: Ieſus ſayes, All men cannot receiue this. The Ieſuits ſay,**Omnes continere poſſe ſi veli…, Bellar. l. 2. de Mont. c. 31. All men may receiue it. Ieſus ſayes, It muſt be giuen from God. The Ieſuits ſay,aaEt Donum Dei eſſe, & tamen in poteſtate, & arbitrio hominis poſitum. ibid. Qui poteſt habeat ſecum aurum hoc Virginitatis; Qui minus nuptiarum argentum excipiat, Chryſoſt. in 1. Tim. 4.1 Tim 4 It is ſo the gift of God, that it is in the power of Man. How can wee looke to eſcape their Oppoſition, when they dare thus contradict our Sauiour? For me, I ſhall be ſtill in this Hereſie, That all their Prieſts, and Moncks, and Nuns cannot containe: And hisbb…nauen. in Opuſ. de proceſſu Relig. p. 120. Sumptuoſa Turris eſt, & verbum grande quod non omnes capere poſſunt, Bern. de Contempt. Mun. Nam ſi generale eſſet, quod poteſt vnus & omnes poſſunt, Primaſ. Refut. p. 60, 61. Bonauenture ſhall beare me out, who teaches me, that to the third degree of Chaſtity (requiri priuilegium ſingulare) there is a ſingular priuiledge required; for that it ſeemes to be aboue the pitch of naturall poſſibilitie, to liue in the Fleſh, and not to feele the faults of Fleſh.

SECT. XII.

AS for his holy Siſters at Bruxels, the touch of whom hath ſo much enfired his ghoſtly zeale; I intended no quarrell to them in particular; They may bee as honeſt, as their Champion is malicious. What I ſaid, was out of the ſuppoſition of the common frailty; And if he hauehave beene ſo much in their boſome, as to know they neuer repented them, it is well knowne that others hauehave; whoſe Song hath beene in the hearing of thoſe I know: What ſhall I doe, ſhall I die, and neuer maried be? Like vntounto thoſe Veſtals, Foelices nuptae, moriar niſi nubere dulce eſt.

As for the miſchiefe following hence, the viſible monuments of ſo many murthered Infants (if not in Gregories Ponds) in the very place where I now liue, andccVid. Hiſtor. Radulphi Bourn Auguſtadenſis Eccle. Abbatis, qui teſtatur ſe vidiſſe, in quada… piſcina in Monialium Abbatia, qua Prouixes dicebatur, multa paru…lorum oſſa, ipſa que corpora integra ibi reperiebantur Antiq. Brit. Reue…. Clem. 5. Pa…, ex Adam. Marim. elſewhere, conuinces it too much. ButddRefut. p. 61. my example (ywis) ſhall cleere his Veſtalls of Bruxels, and all other Votaries. Maſter Hall was abſent (ſome three Moneths) in France; Fleſh is fraile, Temptations frequent (adde to theſe his body ſickly, and well neere to death) yet both then, and before his mariage, he would take it in great ſcorne (as well he might) to bee ſuſpected for diſhoneſt. True, and might defie Men and Deuils in that Challenge. What of this? It followes then: If Maſter Hall could for ſo long together liue a chaſte life, why no more? Why not alwayes? Demonſtratiuely concluded: As if a man ſhould ſay, C. E. doth ſpeake ſome wiſe words, how can hee at any time write thus fooliſhly? A Chriſtian hath ſometime grace to auoyd a Temptation, why not alwayes? Why doth he not keepe himſelfe euer from ſinning? A good Swimmer may hold his breath vnderunder the water for ſome portion of a Minute, why not for an houre? why not for more? A deuour Papiſt may faſt after his Breake-faſt, till his Dinner in the afternoone, therefore why not a Weeke? why not a MonethMonth? why not ſo long as Eue the Maid of Meurs?

p. 733The Spirit of God (if at leaſt he may bee allowed for the Author of Continencie) breatheth where and when he liſteth, and that God which makes Mariages in Heauen, either auerts the heart from theſe thoughts, or inclines it at his pleaſure. Shortly, The great Doctor of the Gentiles had neuer learned this Diuinity of Doway, whoſe charge is,ee1. Cor. 7.5.1 Cor 7:5 Defraud not one another, except with conſent for a ſeaſon, that yee may giuegive your ſelues to Faſting and Prayer: And againe, Come together, that Satan tempt you not through your incontinency. He onelyonly wanted my Monitor, to jogge him on the Elbow, as here: What needs all this fleſhlineſſe (if they can ſafely containe) whiles they giuegive themſelues to extraordinarie deuotion, Why not more? Why not alwayes? It is pitie,Refut. p 65. that no man would aduiſe the Apoſtle, how great a gap this Doctrine of his opens to all laſciuiouſneſſe. Let me but hauehave leaue to put Saint Pauls Name in ſtead of mine, into this challenge of my Refuter, and thus he argues.

If S. Paul ſay that foreign, for awhile they are able to liue chaſte, but not for any long while; I aske againe, How long that while ſhall endure? Refut. p. 65.and what warrant they hauehave therein for not falling? ſeeing it may ſo fall out, that in the while appointed, they may bee more tempted then they ſhall bee againe in all their liues after: How ſawcy would this Sophiſtrie be? how ſhameleſſe? The words are his; onelyonly the Name is changed; what the elect Veſſell would anſwer in ſuch a caſe for himſelfe, let C. E. ſuppoſe returned by mee.