Works of Joseph Hall, Section 5
SECTION V. The impuration or corruption of the Roman Church; and their impoſsibilitie of Reconciliation, ariſing from that wilfull Fable of the Popes infallibilitie.
BVt, to leaue this firſt head of our Aduerſaries indiſpoſition to peace: Say that the Papiſts could be content to hearken to an agreement (which I can neuer hope to ſee, whiles Rome is it ſelfe) ſay they ſhould ſeeke it, yet (as things now ſtand) whiles they wil not, and we may not ſtirre one inch from our ſtation of iudgement, God forbids, the Truth debarres our Reconciliation: wee dare not (whatſoeuer ſome kind-hearted Mediators may perſwade vsus) eyther diuide Chriſt, or betray him with a kiſſe. The Truth is on high: they may well aſcend to vsus, as Leo ſayd of old; but for vsus, to deſcend to them, is neither ſafe, nor honeſt: Firſt of all, how too plaine is it,Epiſt ad Euph. Pell. cit. lib. 3. de Laicis. that the Romane Church is palpably declined from that ancient puritie of Religion which ſhe once profeſſed: It is not more certaine, and ſenſible, that the Citie of Rome is deſcended from her ſeuen Hils, to the Martian Plaines, that lye below them; or,Euſeb. Hiſt. l. 3. c. 25. that the ſpightfull Heathens of old (as Euſebius reports) turned the Sacred Monument of the Tombe of Chriſt, into the Temple of their Venus:An. 1170. Ex lec. com. Henr. Token. Illiric. Prophrythmic. Vita S. Brig. Praefixa Reuela. What a cloud of witneſſes hauehave we of this noted decay of that Church? yea, witneſſes of their owne. To beginne with the other Sex. Hildegardis a Numne, and a famous Propheteſſe of her time, accuſes the Apoſtolicall Order, of the vtter extinguiſhing of Religion, amongſt them. Matilda, or Ma…d, who liued in the ſame Age, cenſures them for common Apoſtaſie from the Chriſtian faith; and both of them, by ſome extraordinary Reuelation, cleerely and directly propheſied of this Religious and Holy reſtauration of the Church, which our dayes ſee accompliſhed.
Saint Brigit, the Foundreſſe of the Order of Saint Sauiour, which was*Anno 1370. Reuel. l. 1. c. 41. cruciare, uno crucifigere electorum anim. &c. Reuel. extrau. c. 8 Groſſe teſte in Manuſc. Anno 1250. Io. Treuiſa tranſlated into Engliſh. Habetur initio Polychron. Kanulph. in Manuſcript. Anno 900. Artic. in Concil. Conſtant editu 1535. Anno 1350. lib. Vade mecum. Lib. Aduerſ. Ement. donat. Conſtant. Aeneas Syl. de geſt. Concil. Anno 1416. Ad Pium. 2. lib. Reform. Cur. Rō. Anno 1400. Auentin. Annal. …. 7. Oſiand. Confut. Theſ. Coſter. canonized by Pope Vrban, ſticks not to teach openly in her Writings, that the Pope doth torment, yea, crucifie the ſoules of the Elect; and boldly foretels, that all his Followers, and Abettors, and whole Clergie ſhall be cut off, and that his Sea ſhall ſinke downe into the bottome of Hell; and this ſhee doth ſo tartly and vehemently, that the Romaniſts of thoſe times threatned, and indeuoured to burne her aliue: Robert (our Biſhop of Lincolne, to whom the greatneſſe of his Head gaue an homely, but famous name, whom Illyricus miſ-nameth) Rupertus) a worthy and peereleſſe man in his age, durſt, before the Popes owne fare, openly accuſe the Paſtors of his time to be the Spoylers of the Earth, the Diſperſers and Deuourers of Gods flocke, the vtter waſters of the Holy Vineyard of God. That Carthuſian of Coleyne, which is ſaid to hauehave gathered that Booke of the Bundle of times, complaines that Truth was then periſhed from the ſonnes of men. Petrus de Aliaco, a Cardinall, confeſſes that the ancient Diuines built vp the Church, but the then-preſent Seducers deſtroyed it; And vntounto theſe agree Iohn de Rupeſciſſa, a Monke; Picus Earle of Mirandula, Trithemius the Abbot, Laurence Valla; And thoſe worthie Lights of the Councell of Baſil, the Cardinall of Arles, and Thomas de Corſellis: But Nicholas Clemangis the Archdeacon of Bayeux ſpeakes nothing but ſtones and bullets; who in a whole Volume, hath freely painted out the corrupt eſtate of the Church; neither did Dominicus Biſhop of Brixia ſpeake any whit more ſparingly, who euen in thoſe times durſt ſet before his Booke, this Title, The Reformation of Rome; To ſay nothing of Ioachim, of Peter of Ferrara the Lawyer, of the three Theodericks, of Lyra, Petrarch, Gerſon, Euerard, the Biſhop of Salisburg, Eraſmus, Caſſander, Eſpenſ…us, the Iury of Cardinalls ſelected by Paul the Third, (amongſt which, Gaſpar Cotarenus, Iames Sadolet, and our Cardinall Poole were (as they might of eminent note) Aluarus Pelagius, *Io. Mirandula. Marſil. Fecin. & Cōineus report him to hauehave bin a Prophet. Epenc. in Tit. Oſtand. Papa non Papa.SAVANAROLA of Florence, and whomſoeuer thoſe times yeelded at once both learned and good. Euen Pope ADRIAN himſelf, the Sixt of that Name, whiles he inſtructs his Legate in his meſſage, cenſures the Church, and ingenuouſly complaines; that all was gone to wracke, and ruine: What ſhall we then ſay to this? Can any man be ſo partiall, as to thinke, that ſo many Saints of both Sexes, Prophets, Propheteſſes, Monkes, Doctors, Cardinals, Popes, ſhould (as Ierome ſpeakes of the Luciferian Heretikes) meerely deuiſe theſe ſlanders, to the diſgrace of their holy mother? If any man can be ſo mad, he is well worthy to be euer deceiued. Indeed, Rome was once an holy Citie:Mat. 4.5. foreign. G…r hadammim. Ezek. 21.2. foreign. Theocrit. edyſſ. …n. Hier. de vita Pauli. Ruff. l. 1. c. 20. Dum contentionis vitio nimis aguntur, &c. Hier. aduerſ. Luciferianos. but now (as no leſſe famous the other way) ſhe is become a City of bloud; This Grape is growne a dry Raiſin; Neyther did that good Heremite, ANTONY, ſo iuſtly ſay of his Alexandria, as wee may now of Rome, Woe to thee thou Strumpetly Citie, into which the Deuils out of all the reſt of the World hauehave aſſembled themſelues. Certainely, therefore, ſo ſhamefull and generall a deformitie could not but bee diſcerned, by our latter Papiſts; and (to auoyd all ſhifts) wee hauehave gently and louingly laid our finger vponupon theſe ſpots: But, in the meane time, how haynouſly hauehave they taken it? and (as Ruffinus ſpeakes of Apollinaris the Heretike) whiles they are tranſported with the vicious humor of contention, and will bee croſſing eueryevery thing, that is ſpoken, out of the vaine oſtentation of a ſtrong wit, they hauehave improoued their idle brabbles to Hereſies: HIEROME ſayd wittily, They vſe to winke, and deny, which beleeue not that to bee done, which they would not hauehave done. It is therefore a moſt lamentable and fearefull caſe, that a Church which of her owne fauourites is iuſtly accuſed of many and dangerous errors, ſhould blocke vp againſt her ſelfe, the way whereby ſhee ſhould returne into the Truth;Fr. à Victoria Relect quarta de Poteſtate Papae & Concilij. Propoſ. duodecima Sect. vltima. Deuentum eſt ad hunc talem ſtatum vbi nec mala noſtra nec remedia pati poſſumus. Iudicij impeccantiam. Senec. Ep. 28. and (as FRANCIS a Victoria honeſtly complaines) ſhould neyther indure her owne euils, nor their remedies. For whiles ſhee ſtands vponupon it, that ſhee cannot erre, and ſtubbornely challenges vntounto her Chaire a certaine Impeccancie of Iudgement (that wee may borrow a word from TERTVLLIAN) what hope can now remaine of recouering the Truth? How are we now, too ſawcie, that dare mutter ought againſt her? The firſt hope of health muſt needs bee fetcht from the ſenſe, and acknowledgement of the diſeaſe: That of the Epicure is common and true, The beginning of recouery, is the knowledge of the fault; Thou muſt find thy ſelfe amiſſe, ſaith Seneca, ere thou canſt amend thy ſelfe. Rome brags that ſhee cannot bee ſicke: What doe we now talke of medicines for her? Theſe Doctrinall Principles (as our Stapleton cals them) are they, from which a certaine fatall neceſſity of erring muſt needs follow. For to what purpoſe is all this we doe? If vponupon the ſentence of this Romiſh Oracle (for in the cloſet, or the Priſon rather,Epiſt. ad Pammach. de error. Io. Hieroſol. An …u ſolus Eccleſia? of his Breſt (as Ierome obiected to Iohn of Ieruſalem) the Church is included) all things do ſo depend, that whatſoeuer he ſhall determine, muſt be receiued, without all contradiction, and his decree can by no inferiour meanes be repealed, in vaine doe we wrangle for truth; in vain hauehave all thoſe former Synods both met, and defined; in vaine doe we either teach, or learne ought of any other Maſter: Is it poſſible, ſhe ſhould euer be drawne to remorſe for her error, which eagerly defends that ſhe cannot erre? Either therefore let our Papiſts ſuffer this vaine opinion of Infallibilitie, to bee puld vp by the very roots, out of their breſts; or elſe there can be no hope, ſo much as of a conſultation of Peace; And doe wee thinke that our Maſters beyond the Alpes will euer abide themſelues ſtripped of this darling, which they hauehave made ſo daintie of, all this while? Why doe wee not aſwell demand Saint Peters Throne, and his Reuenues, and together with his Patrimony, all the bodie of Religion? For, what one Title is there of the now Roman faith, that hangs not on this ſtring? Let them giuegive vsus this, and Rome falls alone, and lyes ſhamefully in the duſt; Let them denie it vsus, and ſhee ſhall be ſtill that great Harlot, ſtill an enemie to Peace, ſtill hatefull to Heauen: But ſo farre are their moderne Doctors from an ingenuous reiection of this Infallibility, that no Age euer knew ſo well how to flatter a Pope: For not onelyonly hauehave ſome yeelded this vntounto him,Lib. 4. Hier. Eccl. ſi maturè procedat. Ecl. l. 4. de Pontif. Rom. c. 2. G. Valencia. Anlyſ. fidei. l. 8. de vi & vſu auctorit. Rom. Pontificis in fide. Quaeſt. ſexta. Reſpondeo, ſiue Pontifex in definiendo ſtudium adhibeat, ſiue nō adhibeat, modo tamen controuerſiam defi…at, infallibiter certè definiet, at que adeore ipſa vt… tur authoritate ſibi à Chriſto conceſſa, &c. Xiphilim. Epit. Dionyſ. Tiberio. foreign, &c. Quar. Plat. de vitis Pontif. Clem. 6. Iul. 2. Ben. 9. Greg. 6. Sylueſt. 3. Mart. 2. Sylueſt. 2. Io. 23. & 23. Luth. aduerſ. falſo nomin. Epiſc. without a Councell, as Alber, Pighius, Gretſer, Bellarmine, and all Ieſuites whereſoeuer; but ſome others, (as Gregory of Valentia) hauehave faſtned this vponupon him, without any care or ſtudy required on his part. Oh happy Chaire of Peter, firme, eternall, full of prodigious vertue! which if we might imagine a woodden one, I ſhould ſure thinke were made of Iriſh Oake; there is no Spider of errour can touch it, but preſently dyes: Behold, the Tables, written with Gods owne hand, were ſoone broken and gone; but the barres of thy frame can feele no Age, cannot incurre the danger of any miſcarriage.
Sure (I thinke) VIRIVS RVFVS is aliue againe, which becauſe hee ſate in the ſame ſeat wherein IVLIVS CaeSAR had ſate, and maried CICEROE'S wife, had wont to vaunt of both, as if hee ſhould ſure bee CaeSAR, for his ſeat; or for his wife, CICERO. Belike, all the vertue of it is from PETER: it is well that his other Succeſſors conferred nothing towards it, leſt perhaps ALEXANDER the Sixt ſhould hauehave turned the ſucceeding Popes into Letchours, CLEMENT into ſacrilegious Church robbers, IVLIVS into Swaggerers, BENEDICT, GREGORY, SILVESTER, into Symoniſts; PASCALIS into Periurers; Pope IOANE of Mentz into women, Martin and that other SILVESTER into Magicians, the two Iohns into Deuils incarnate.
Now on the other part, can any man bee ſo fooliſh to hope that our Church will euer bee ſo mad, as thus baſely to bolſter vp the great Bridge-maker of Tybur? As though wee could bee ignorant how Chriſt neuer either performed, or promiſed them any ſuch priuiledge? For, where is it written (as Luther ieſted well) vnleſſe perhaps at Rome, in Saint Peters vponupon ſome Chimnie with a Cole? Chriſt ſaid indeed, Thou art PITER▪ but, Thou art Paul the Fift, he neuer ſaid: Hee ſaid, I hauehave prayed for thee, that thy faith faile not▪ ſo he ſaid too, Goe behinde me, Satan, thou ſauoureſt not the things of God. Now let this Oracle of the Chaire, teach vsus how hee can at once make himſelfe ſtill heyre of the promiſe, and yet ſhift off the cenſure at pleaſure: Yea, (to treat in the ſteps of the Times) as though wee could not know that the following Ages knew not of this; not Policr…tes and Irenaeus, which reſiſted Victor the Pope; not Cyprian, which oppoſed Stephen, not the Fathers of Calcedon, which would not yeeld to Leo, not the Eaſterne Biſhops, which would not yeeld to Iulius, nor the Fathers of Conſtantinople, which refuſed to yeeld to Vigilius and Honorius: yea, and of the latter Diuines, thoſe which hauehave had either ſenſe of ſ…ame, as Iohn Gerſon, Chancellor of Paris,Bell. reckons vp moſt of theſe, …. 4. de Pont. Alij à Cano. loc. com. lib. 6. cap. 8. Alphonſ. de Caſtro, lib. 1. contra Haereſ. cap. 4. Turrecremata, Almain, Alphonſus de Caſtro, Pope Adrian the Sixt; Archbiſhop Catharinus, Cardinall Caietan, Franciſcus à Victoria; and who not of the beſt ranke of their Doctors, hauehave not feared openly to deny, and diſclaime this fancie; and Alphonſus ſhall giuegive a reaſon thereof for all. There are many vnlearned Popes (ſaith hee) that know not ſo much as the rules of Grammer, how then ſhould they bee able to interpret the holy Scriptures? As though wee knew not which of their Popes fauored Arrius, which, Montanus; which Neſtorius, which, Alac…s, which the Monothelites, which, the Sadduces, and which were in league with Deuils; which of them hauehave defined contrary to their fellowes, and which contrary to God; and (that I may vſe Ierome's words) how …lly a Pilot hath ofttimes … the leaking Veſſell of the Church▪ A… though eueryevery … and Ti…ke…, now a dayes, could not point their finger to the long …ea… roule of Popes, and ſay, Such and ſuch were the Monſters of men, ſuch (as PLATINA, LYKA, GEN…RARD confeſſe) were Apo…acticall,Portenta hominum. Plat. in vit. Ec…ed. 4. & Chriſt. …. Gene…. 4. Sect. 10. Ly…a in …at. 16. and Apoſtaticall miſcreants; … their life … beene long the Table-…lke of the World, as BERNARD ſpeakes▪ There can therefore beene p…e poſſibly, vnleſſe they will bee content to bee head-leſſe, or wee can bee content to bee the ſlaues of Rome: Imagine, they could bee ſo ingenuous, as to confeſſe that the ſame Serpent which inſinuated himſelfe of old … P…iſe, might perhaps creepe cloſely into PETER'S Chaire, yet there would bee no leſſe Controuerſie, defacto, than of the poſſibility of errour.
Beſides, there are other Popiſh opinions of the ſame ſtampe, but more pragmaticall, which are not more pernicious to the Church, than to common-weales: as thoſe of the power of both Swords, of the depoſition of Princes, diſpoſing of Kingdomes, abſoluing of Subiects, fruſtration of Oathes (ſufficiently canuaſed of late, both by the Venetian Diuines, and French, and ours,) which are ſo palpably oppoſite to the libertie of Chriſtian Gouernment, that thoſe Princes, and Peeple, which can ſtoope to ſuch a yoke, are well worthy of their ſeruitude: and can they hope that the great Commanders of the World will come to this bent? (we all, as the Comick Poet ſaid truly, had rather be free, than ſerue; but much more Princes) or, on the contrary, can wee hope, that the Tyrants of the Church will be content to leaue this hold? What a fopperie were this? For, both thoſe Princes are growne more wiſe, and theſe Tyrants more arrogant; and (as Ruffinus ſpeakes of George, Ruff. l. 1. c. 23. Procaciter vt raptum Epiſcopatum gerunt, &c.the Arrian Gallant) they inſolently gouerne an vſurped Biſhopricke, as if they thought they had the managing of a proud Empire, and not of a Religious Prieſthood.