Works of Joseph Hall, Book 1 · Section 13
SECT. XIII.
THe Refuter hath borrowed ſome Weapons of his Maſter Bellarmine, and knowes not how to weare them. It would moue any mans diſdaine, to ſee, how abſurdly thoſe poore Arguments are blundred together; We muſt diſtinguiſh them as we may.
Firſt, Saint Paul condemnes the yong Widowes mentioned;Refut. p. 63. therefore hee ouerthrowes this impoſsibilitie of containing. I anſwer: Saint Paul aduiſes the yong. Widowes to marry, and admits none into the Church-booke, vnderunder threeſcore yeares: therefore he eſtabliſhes in ſome, this impoſsibilitie.
Secondly, Saint Paul aduiſes Timothy to liue chaſte. Reader,Refut. p. 63. 46. tell him the word is (foreign) which their owne vulgar, 1. Tit. 8. turnes, Sober; and in 2. Tit. 5. Prudent; But, to grant him his owne Phraſe: Can my Detector deſcry no difference betwixt Chaſte and Single? Did he and his Fellowes neuer heare of a coniugall Chaſtitie? So they hauehave ſtill wont to ſpeake, as if Chaſtitie were onelyonly oppoſite to Mariage, as if no ſingle life could be vnchaſte. His Eſpencaeus might hauehave taught him that Verſe in Virgil, Caſta pudicitiam ſeruat domus: and hee might hauehave heard of that Roman law of Veſtals, Caſtae ex caſtis, purae ex puris ſunto; yea his Eraſmus might hauehave taught him yet further,fEraſ. Apol. pro declam. Matr. Secundus gradus Virginitatis eſt Matrimonii caſta dilectio. Opus Imperf. in Matth. Refut. p. 64. Ab his duabus Columnis crede mihi difficile duellor. Ibid. ex Bernardo. C. E. Refut. p. 64. E diuerſo nihil prohibet in coniugio Virginitati locum eſſe; that euen in Mariage there may be Virginitie.
Thirdly, the Fathers exhort to Virginity; eſpecially S. Ambroſe and Saint Auſtin. Let him tell this to them that know it not, to them that diſlike true chaſtity in Virgins, not to them that condemne vnchaſtneſſe in a pretended Virginity.
To what Vertue do not the Fathers exhort? yet neuer ſuppoſing them to be within our lure. Laſtly, where is the ſhame of my Refuter, that cites Auſtin as the Man on whom he depends for his vniuerſall poſsibility of Continency: when his own Maldonate profeſſes, that S. Auſtin is the onelyonly enemy to this Doctrine?
Fourthly, Where there is impoſsibility or neceſsity, there is no ſinne, no counſell; as no man ſinnes in not making new Starres, in not doing Miracles. A ſtale ſhift, that oft ſounded in the eares of Auſtin and Proſper from their Pelagians; The naturall man in this deprauedneſſe of eſtate cannot but offend God, therefore he ſinnes not in ſinning: Counſell giuen ſhewes what we ſhould do, not what we can.gAug. l de Nat. & Grat c. 43. Iubendo admonet, &c. ſaith Austin; In commanding, he admoniſheth vsus both to doe what wee can, and to aske that which wee cannot doe. In Continencie then our indeuour is required for the attaining of that which God will giuegive vsus; God neuer imployed vsus in making of Starres; Though my Refuter is eueryevery day ſet on greater Worke, then making of him that made Starres. Laſtly, it is true, there is no ſinne in marying, there may bee ſinne (after a vow) in not vſing all lawfull meanes of Chaſtitie: The Fathers therefore ſuppoſing ahPoſt multam deliberationem & conſiderationem, &c. Baſil. Refut. p. 65. pre-required aſſurance of the gift, and calling of God in thoſe, whom mature deliberation, and long proofe had couered with the vayle of Virginitie, doe iuſtly both call for their continuance, and cenſure their lapſes.
Fiftly, vponupon this ground the Father cannot blame his Childe for incontinence; To containe, implyes impoſsibilitie. Aske him wherefore ſerues Mariage? Yea, but to prouide an Husband or a Wife, is not a worke of an houres warning; in the meane time what ſhall they doe? Sure, the man thinkes of thoſe hot Regions of his Religion, where they are ſo ſharpe ſet, that they muſt hauehave Stewes allowed of one Sexe at leaſt; Elſe what ſtrange violence is this that he conceiues? As our Iunius anſwered his Bellarmine, in the like, Hic homo ſibi videtur agere de equis admiſſarijs ruentibus in venerem, & de hippomanc, non de hominibus ratione praeditis; he ſpeakes as if hee had to doe with Stallions, not with Men, not with Chriſtians, amongſt whom is to bee ſuppoſed a decent order, and due regard of ſeaſonableneſſe, and expediency: A doughty Argument,Marg. of the Refut. p. 65. wherewith Maſter Hall is ſore preſſed. (They may containe till they marry, and therefore they may euer containe and not marry.) How eaſie is it for mee to take vp this loade, and lay it vponupon my Sauiour, which ſaid, All men cannot receiue it; and vponupon his great Apoſtle of the Gentiles,1 Cor. 7.7. who hath taught vsus an (foreign) a proper gift, which God hath beſtowed on ſome, not on others, and ſuppoſes a neceſsitie, that may be of giuing a Virgin in Mariage?
Refut. p. 65.Sixtly, The Husband and Wife are ſeparated vponupon diſcord, or diſeaſe: What ſhall they doe? To liue continent, with this man is impoſsible. I anſwer; If onelyonly their will ſunders them, that muſt yeeld to neceſsitie; Diſſention may not abridge them of the neceſſarie remedy of ſinne. If neceſsitie; that finds reliefe in their prayers; If they call on him, who calls them to continencie by this Hand of his, hee will heare them, and inable them to perſiſt. And why not then in the neceſsitie of our Vowes? This is a neceſsitie of our owne making; that is of his; Hee hath bound himſelfe to keepe his owne promiſes, not ours.