Works of Joseph Hall, Version 2 – Part 1
WHICH, FOR MY COVNTRYMENS SAKE, I hauehave thus Engliſhed.
I Would faine know who it was that firſt ordained, that Chriſtian Prieſts might not marry, God, or Man? For, if it were God, ſurely, his determination is to bee held and obſerued with all veneration and reuerence; But, if it were Man, and not God; and this Tradition came out of the heart of Man, not out of the Mouth of God, then neither is ſaluation got by it, if it be obſerued, nor loſt, if it be not obſerued: For it doth not belong to Man either to ſaue or deſtroy any man for his merits, but it is proper only vntounto God. That God hath ordained this, it it neither found written in the Old Teſtament, nor in the Goſpell, nor in the Epiſtles of the Apoſtles, in all which is ſet down whatſoeuer God hath inioyned vntounto men. It is therefore a Tradition of Man, and not an inſtitution of God, nor of his Apoſtles: As the Apoſtle inſtituted (rather) that a Biſhop ſhould be the Husband of one Wife; which he would neuer hauehave appointed, if it had beene adulterie for a Biſhop to hauehave at once a Wife, and a Church, as it were two Wiues, like as ſome affirme: Now, that which hath not authority from the holy Scriptures, is with the ſame facility contemned, that it is ſpoken: For, the holy Church is not the Wife, not the Spouſe of the Prieſt, but of Chriſt, as S. Iohn ſaith, He that hath the Bride, he is the Bridegroome. Of this Bridegroome, I ſay, is the Church the Spouſe; and yet it is lawfull euen for this Spouſe in part to marry, by Apoſtolique Tradition; For the Apoſtle ſpeakes thus to the Corinthians, becauſe of fornications, let eueryevery man hauehave his owne Wife. And I would that all men were as I am, but eueryevery man hath his proper gift of God, one thus, another otherwiſe. For, all men hauehave not one gift, namely, of Virginity and Continency, but ſome are virgins and containe; others containe not; to whom he granteth mariage, leſt Sathan tempt them through their incontinency, and they ſhould miſcary in the ruine of their vncleanneſſe. So alſo of Prieſts, ſome are continent, others are incontinent; and thoſe which are continent, hauehave receiued the gift of their continence from God, without whoſe Gift and Grace, they cannot be continent. But thoſe which are incontinent, hauehave not receiued this gift of grace, but, whether by the intemperance of their humour, or the weakneſſe of their mind, run out into fleſhly deſires; which they would in no wiſe doe, if they had receiued from God the Grace and Vertue of Continence. For they alſo which are deliuered by the Grace of God from the body of this death, feele another Law in their members rebelling againſt the Law of their minde, and captiuating them to the Law of ſin, and compelling them to doe that which they would not. This Law therefore, holding them captiue, and this Concupiſcence of the fleſh prouoking them, they are compelled either to fornicate, or mary: whereof whether is the better, we are taught by the authority of the Apoſtle, who tels vsus, it is better to marry then to burne. Surely, that which is the better, is to be choſen and held; now it is better to marry, becauſe it is worſe to burne; and becauſe it is better to marry then to burne, it is conuenient for thoſe which containe not, to marry, not to burne. For mariage is good, as Auguſt ſpeaks in his booke (ſuper Geneſin ad Literam) in it is commended the good of nature, whereby the prauity of incontinence is ruled, and the fruitfulneſſe of Nature graced; For the weakneſſe of either Sexe, declining towards the ruine of filthineſſe, is well relieued by honeſty of mariage, ſo as the ſame thing, which may be the office of the found, is alſo the remedie vntounto the ſicke: Neither yet, becauſe incontinence is euill, is therefore Mariage (euen that wherewith the Incontinent are ioyned) to be reputed not good; yea rather, not for that euill, is the good faulty, but for this good, is that euill pardonable, ſince that good which mariage hath, yea which mariage is, can neuer be ſin. Now, this good is three fold, the Fidelity, the Fruit, the Sacrament of that eſtate; In the Fidelity, is regarded: That beſides this bond of Mariage, there be not carnall ſociety with any other. In the Fruit of it. That it be louingly raiſed and religiouſly bred. In the Sacrament of it, That the mariage be not ſeparated, and that the diſmiſſed party of either Sexe, be not ioyned to any other, no not for iſſues ſake. This is as it were the Rule of Mariage, whereby the fruitfulneſſe of Nature is graced, or the prauity of Incontinence ruled. And this Rule of Mariage, and this three-fold good, the eternall Truth hath appointed in the order of his Decree, and that eternall Law of his, againſt which whatſoeuer is done, ſpoken, or willed, is ſinne; which Auguſtine in his booke againſt Fauſtus the Manichee witneſſeth, ſaying, Sin is either Deed, Word, or deſire againſt the Law Eternall. This Eternall Law is the diuine Will or Decree, forbidding the diſturbance, and commanding the preſeruation of due naturall order; whatſoeuer therefore commands naturall Order to be diſturbed, forbids it to be conſerued; prohibits men to vſe Mariage; and to attaine to the threefold good thereof, Fidelitie, Iſſue, Sacrament; and commands them to breake that Rule of Eternall Truth, whereby the fruitfulneſſe of Nature is graced, or the prauity of Incontinency is ruled, commands men to abhorre thoſe things whereby naturall Order is held and maintained. This Commandement, I ſay, forbids naturall Order to bee obſerued, commands it to bee diſturbed, and therefore is againſt the Law of God, and by conſequence, is ſinne: For, they ſinne that ordaine ſuch a command by which naturall Order is deſtroyed.
Theſe men doe not (it ſeemes) beleeue, that of the children of Prieſts, God takes for the building of his City aboue, and for the reſtoring of the number of Angels: For, if they did beleeue it, they would neuer ordaine ſuch a Mandare, becauſe they ſhould wittingly and ouer raſhly, goe about to effect, that the ſupernall City ſhould neuer be perfited, and the number of Angels neuer repayred. For if the ſupernall City be to be perfited euen of the ſonnes of Prieſts, and if the number of Angels be of them to be repayred, thoſe that indeuour to procure that they ſhould not be, doe (what in them lies) deſtroy the ſupernall City, and labour that the number of Angels may not be perfited, then which, what can be more peruerſely done? For this is done againſt the will and predeſtination of him which hath done thoſe things, which ſhall be; for he hath done in his predeſtination thoſe things which ſhall be in effect; whoſoeuer therefore goes about to procure that God may not in effect doe thoſe things, which he hath done in his predeſtination, goes about to make void the very predeſtination of God. If then God hauehave already in his predeſtination decreed, that the ſons of Prieſts ſhall once be in effect, he that goes about to procure that they may not be in effect, endeuours to deſtroy the work of God, becauſe he hath already done it in predeſtination; and ſo ſtriues to ouerthrow Gods predeſtination, and to gain-ſtand that will of God which is eternall: For God would from eternity, and before all worlds, create all men in the world, in that certaine order wherein he pre-conceiued, and predeſtinated, to create them; He doth nothing diſorderly, he createth nothing in the world which he hath not fore-ordained, by diſpoſing it in the predeſtination of his mind that went before all worlds. Whatſoeuer therefore is by him created in this world, doth neceſſarily follow the predeſtination of his mind, prediſpoſing and preordaining all things; becauſe it is impoſſible that ſhould not be done, which God from eternity hath willed and fore-ordained to be done; It is therefore neceſſary that all men ſhould be created in that very Order, wherein he willed, and from eternity fore-ordained; Or elſe, all men are not created as God would hauehave them, nor as he fore-ordained them; But becauſe this is inconuenient, it muſt needs bee that they are created as hee willed from eternity, and fore-thought, and fore-ordained; becauſe he hath done all things that he would, and neuer did any thing which he willed nor from euerlaſting, and hath fore-conceiued in his certaine and vnchangcable Decree. For neither can his will be fruſtrated, nor his fore-thought deceiued, nor his fore-ordinations altered; Which, ſince it is ſo; needs muſt it be; that as Laicks, ſo Prieſts alſo, of whom men are created, ſhould yeeld their ſeruice to the diuine will and preordination to the creating of them. For parents are not the authors of the creation of their children, but the ſeruants; who if they ſhould not yeeld their ſeruice, they ſhould (if it were poſſible) make void the fore-thought of God, and reſiſt his ordination; which if they ſhould wittingly doe, they ſhould offend the more, if ignorantly, the leſſe; not onelyonly againſt God the Father, but alſo againſt the heauenly Ieruſalem, the Mother of all Saints, becauſe (what in them were) they ſhould not ſuffer thoſe to be created of whom it is to be builded, and thoſe things to be prepared, whereby that Celeſtiall Country is beſtowed. But from this offence their impotence frees them, becauſe they cannot reſiſt the will of God, and croſſe his preordination. For the will and predeſtination of God is that eternall Law, in which the courſe of all things is decreed, and the patterne wherein the forme of all ages is ſet forth, which can by no meanes be defaced; Not to yeeld our ſeruice then hereunto, is euill, becauſe to yeeld it, is good, and eſpecially if it be done with a good intent, which is then done, when as Parents meet together in a deſire of propagation of iſſue, not in an appetite of exerciſing their luſt. Of propagation, I ſay, that both the preſent Church may be multiplyed, and the celeſtiall City built, and the number of the Elect made vp, none of which could be done without ſuch coniugal meeting. For if the firſt Parents of the Saints had continued all either continent or virgins, no Saint had beene borne of them in the world, none of them had beene crowned with glory and honour in heauen, none of them aſcribed into the number of Angels. But ſince it is an ineſtimable good, that Saints are borne in the world, that they are crowned with glory and honour in heauen, and that they are aſcribed into the number of Angels; thereupon the fruitfulneſſe of Parents is more bleſſed, and their meeting holier. So then it is better for them to hauehave begotten ſuch children, then not to hauehave begotten them, and to hauehave brought forth ſuch fruit of mariage, then to hauehave beene continent, or Virgins, without fruit. Although it is good for ſome to be continent, or virgins▪ namely, for them whom God eternally willed and preordained to be ſo created in the world, that they ſhould remaine either in Continence or Virginity: For as he hath eternally willed and fore-ordained that ſome ſhould be ſo created in the world, as that they ſhould yeeld the fruit of mariage, and beget children, ſo alſo hath he willed, and from eternity fore-ordained, ſome to be ſo created, that they ſhould continue in Continencie or Virginity: And as thoſe other yeeld their ſeruice to the will and preordination of God in the creation of children; ſo theſe alſo ſerue the will and preordination of God in conſeruing their continence, and virginity; and hereupon is both the fruitfulneſſe of the one, and the Virginity of the other good, and laudable; which if it did not yeeld ſeruice… the will and preordination of God, would be neither good nor laudable: For whatſoeuer is contrary to the wil and preordination of God, is neither good nor laudable. If therefore God willed and predeſtinated ſome to be Virgins, others to yeeld the fruit of mariage (for if all were virgins, no Saint that now is, or ſhall bee borne, ſhould either bee now or hereafter borne in the world, neither ſhould thoſe virgins be at all, becauſe they ſhould not be borne; for of the fruitfulneſſe of the one ariſes the others virginity) therefore is fruitfulneſſe a great good, from which holy virginity hath proceeded: now that there ſhould be ſome virgins, and others that ſhould beare the fruits of mariage, the word which God ſoweth in their hearts, teacheth vsus. For in the hearts of ſome he ſoweth the word of good fruitfulneſſe, yeelding the encreaſe of mariage, and in the hearts of others he ſowes the word of virginity; Thoſe then in whom hee ſowes the the word of virginity, they deſire to keepe virginity, but thoſe in whom hee ſowes the word of mariage, they deſire to yeeld the fruit of mariage.
WHERETO I WILL ADDE FOR Concluſion the wiſe and ingenuous iudgement of Eraſmus Roterodamus; The rather, becauſe it pleaſed my Refuter to lay this worthy Author in our diſh. Jn his Epiſtle to Chriſtopher Biſhop of Baſil,Habetur Tomo nono Op. Eraſ. pag. 982. concerning humane Conſtitutions, Thus he writes.
Nam in totum quae ſunt humani iuris, quemadmodum, in morbis remedia, &c.FOr thoſe things which are altogether of humane conſtitution, muſt (like to remedies in diſeaſes) be attempered to the preſent eſtate of matters and times.
Thoſe things which were once religiouſly inſtituted, afterwards according to occaſion, and the changed quality of manners and times, may be with more Religion and Piety abrogated; which yet is not to bee done by the temerity of the people, but by the authority of Gouernors; that tumult may be auoyded; and that the publicke cuſtome may be ſo altred, that concord may not be broken: the very ſame is perhaps to be thought concerning the Mariage of Prieſts of old, as there was great paucity of Prieſts, ſo great Pietie alſo; They, that they might more freely attend thoſe holy Seruices, made themſelues chaſte of their owne accord. And ſo much were thoſe Ancients affected to Chaſtitie, that they would hardly permit Mariage vntounto that Chriſtian, whom his Baptiſme found ſingle, but a ſecond Mariage yet more hardly: And now that which ſeemed plauſible in Biſhops and Prieſts, was tranſlated to Deacons, and at laſt to ſub-Deacons: which voluntarily receiued cuſtome was confirmed by the authority of Popes. In the meane time, the member of Prieſts increaſed, and their Pietie decreaſed.Inter hos quanta raritas eorum qui caſtè viuunt? How many ſwarmes of Prieſts are maintained in Monaſteries and Colledges? and amongst them how few are there that liue chaſtly? I ſpeake of them which doe publikely keepe Concubines in their houſes, in ſtead of their Wiues.Nec enim attingo nunc ſecretiorum libidinum myſt… ria, &c. I doe not now meddle with the myſteries of their more ſecret luſts; I onelyonly ſpeake of thoſe things which are moſt notoriouſly knowne to the World: And yet, when we know theſe things, how eaſie are we to admit men into holy Orders, and how difficult in releaſing this conſtitution of ſingle life? when as contrarily S. Paul teaches, that hands muſt not be raſhly laid vponupon any; and more then once hath preſcribed what manner of men Prieſts and Deacons ought to be, but of their ſingle life, neither Chriſt, nor his Apoſtles, hath euer giuen any Law in the holy Scriptures. Long ſince hath the Church abrogated the nightly Vigils at the Tombes of Martyrs, which yet had been receiued by the publike cuſtome of Chriſtians, and that for diuers Ages; Thoſe Faſts which were wont to continue till the euening, it hath transferred to noon; and many other things hath it changed according to the occaſions ariſing:Cur hic humanā conſtitutionem vrgemus tam obſtinatè, praeſertim cùm tot cauſa ſuadeant mutationem? Primùm enim magna pars Sacerdotum viuit cum malâ famâ; parumque requieta conſcientia tractat illa ſacroſancta myſteria, &c. And why then doe we ſo obſtinately vrge this humane conſtitution, eſpecially when ſo many cauſes perſwade vsus to an alteration? For firſt a great part of our Prieſts liues with an ill name; and with an vnquiet conſcience handleth thoſe holy Myſteries; And then the fruit of their labours (for the moſt part) is vtterly loſt, becauſe their doctrine is contemned of their people by reaſon of their ſhamefull life. Whereas, if Mariage might be yeelded to thoſe which doe not containe, both they would liue more quietly, and ſhould preach Gods Word to the people with authority, and might honeſtly bring vp their children, neither ſhould the one of them bee a mutuall ſhame to other, &c.
FINIS.