Works of Joseph Hall, Book 1 · Section 14 – Section 16
SECT. XIV.
Refut p. 66.WHiles his Fellow, or Maſter, Maldonate, talkes of confuting Auſtin in this very point, by Auſtin himſelfe, this man will confute vsus by him; whom he no otherwiſe cites for himſelf, then his Anceſtor Pelagius cites Lactantius, Hilary, Ambroſe, Hierome, and Auſtin in this caſe. The thing (ſaith he) is in our power, and though it require the aſsiſtance of Gods grace, which ſtill preuenteth our will, yet that hinders not, but that we may (if we liſt) liue chaſte all the dayes of our life, as wee may vponupon the ſame termes beleeue in God, and louelove him. What impudency is this, to make him the Patrone of the power of our Free-will to God, whom all the World knowes to hauehave beene Malleus Pelagianorum? and who in ſo many Volumes damnes this conceit to the Pit of Hell; euermore ſo eſtabliſhing the naturall facultie and vſe of the will againſt Stoicall neceſſitie, as that he abandons any power of the act, or exerciſe of it vntounto good (without grace) againſt humane preſumption. When hee ſpeakes of this, here is not a cold and feeble preuention, but an effectuall in operation, yea a powerfull creation.
Since my Refuter then will needs bee paralleling our abilitie of containing, and of beleeuing, let him heare that holy Father ſay,iAug. de Nat. & Grat. 25. Non ſolum Deus poſſe noſtrum, &c. God doth not onelyonly giuegive, and helpe our power to good, but workes in vsus both our will and working of good. And elſewhere;kCont. du…s Epiſt. Pelag. Hee is drawne to Chriſt, to whom it is giuen to beleeue in Chriſt: Power is therefore giuen vntounto them to bee made the ſonnes of God, which beleeue in him, when this is giuen them to beleeue in him. And ſo farre is he from ſaying with my Detector and his Bellarmine, that who liſts may beleeue when he liſts, that he reaſons thus: Quid mihi oſtendis, &c? lAug. l. 4. cont. Iul c 6. Qui igitur faciou…s hom…nes, ipſe ad obedientiam pietatis humanas liberat voluntates: ſed quare iſtos homines o…es facit, & iſtos non facit, apud quèm non eſt acceptio perſonarum? Reſpondet Apoſt. O homo!what doſt thou tell me of thy Free-will; which can neuer be free to do good, except thou be a Sheepe of God? He therefore that makes men to be his ſheepe, frees the wills of men to the obedience of Piety: But why doth he make theſe men ſheepe, and thoſe not, ſince with him is no reſpect of perſons? The Apostle anſwers, O homo! &c. Thus he. Either therefore let him neuer cite S. Auſtin againſt vsus in this point, or elſe wee muſt bee forced to countercite him once more then vvee meant.mIbid. Refut. p. 69. Planè poſſumus dicere frontem haereticorum non eſſe frontem: And if there could be any more on that holy Fathers ſcore, Father Maldonate hath paid it for vsus. To conclude therefore for him; Arbitrium humanae voluntatis nequaquam deſtruimus: Wee know no man doth well againſt his will; God was not to make Virgins by force; and the ſame goodneſſe that giues Chaſtitie to the maried, continues Virginity to the ſingle: What of all this? Therefore (ſaith he) it is as well in the power of all ſingle perſons to bee alwayes continent, as of the maried to keepe coniugall Chaſtitie: An illation and concluſion worthy of my Refuters Logike and Diuinity; As if he argued thus for himſelfe; The ſame God that diſpoſes of Orders, diſpoſes of the Popedome: therefore I may as well looke to weare three Crownes, as one ſhauen. Or the ſame God giues both Life, and Grace, and Glory. Therefore all thoſe that liue the naturall life, may alſo liue the ſpirituall, and glorious. Who ſees not the reaſon of theſe vnlike? Coniugall honeſty is abſolutely commanded of God to all maried perſons; perpetuation of Virginitie (hee grants) was neuer commanded: the breach of coniugall honeſtie, is of it ſelfe a ſinne to all; Mariage is not ſo. Againſt the one therefore, we may abſolutely pray innChriſti erit ſi fides aderit, quae impetrat à iuuente quod iuſſerit, Aug. de adult. con. l. 2. c. 19. Refut. p. 71. 72, 73. faith, againſt the other but with condition; God hath promiſed to deliuer vsus from our ſins, not from our Mariage.
As for Saint Ambroſe, we eaſily grant him large in the praiſe of Virginitie: But no one word of al his cited authorities toucheth our Aſſertion: The helps of the Church, the ſeruice of Angels, the merit of the Prayers of our Sauiour, wee yeeld to bee good meanes of continence, where it is intended; but that it is meant to all commers, wee deny; Let the ſucceſſe ſpeake.
Neither doe we taxe the Vow for any improbitie in it ſelfe, but for the incapacitie of the perſons: The Vow were good, if the men were not either euill, or vnfit. And hereoRefut. p. 71. by the way; whereas C. E. like a maſterly Monitor wiſhes Maſter Hall to reade the diuine workes of Ambroſe, concerning this ſubiect; Maſter Hall is bold (in requirall) to tell C. E. that he knowes not Ambroſe; and to teach him (ſince he hath not learn'd it of other Maſters) that the Booke which he ſo oft, and ſo ſolemnely cites for Ambroſes, pCited foure times by C. E. vponupon weighty occaſions. Refut. p. 34. 43. 48. 50.Ad Virginem lapſam, is a noted Counterfeit, a true Nouation; which his graue ignorance might hauehave heard from his Bellarmine and Poſſeuine.
And how much better is that other Tract which heeqP. 41. Refut. Vide Cenſur. Rob. Coci. p. 129. cites from Ambroſe, Epiſt. 82. wherein mention is made of * Venice; which was not extant till Ambroſe was not? And the Commentarie of Ambroſe, vponupon 1. Tim. 3. whence he fetches his forceableſtrP. 94. Refut. Teſtimony for forced Continency; ſlit in the Noſe, and bored in the Eare long-ſince byſCenſur. Coci. p 133. Salmeron, Baronius, Bellarmine, and Francis Lucas. Of the ſame ſtampe (that the Reader may here ſee once for all how he is gulled by this falſe Prieſt with foyſted Authorites) is his Auguſtine, De bono Viduatis, tRefut. p. 20. 49. 68.thrice by him here quoted, not without great triumph; branded by Eraſmus, Hoſius, Lindanus: as likewiſeuRefut. p. 40. his Auguſtine, de Eccleſ. dogmat. confeſſed counterfeit by Bellarmine, & his friends of Louain: andxRefut. p. 80. the Sermons de Tempore; caſhier'd by Eraſmus, Mart. Lypſius, the Louanians: Whereto let vsus adde the book of great Athanaſius, de Virginitate, yRefut. p. 35.produced in great ſtate by C. E. not without great wrong and ſhame fathered vponupon that Saint, as (if Eraſmus and Nannius did not ſhew) the ridiculous precepts therein contained would ſpeake enough. To follow all were endleſſe: Of this kind, laſtly, is his Cyprian de Diſciplin. & bono Pudicitiae, not more magnificentlyzRefut. p. 36. brought forth by C. E. then fairely eiected by Eraſmus, & Eſpencaeus. Theſe are the glorious Teſtimonies which grace the ſwelling Pages of mine Aduerſarie; Theſe are the pious frauds wherewith honeſt Readers are ſhamefully coozened. It ſhall ſuffice thus in a word to hauehave thanked my Reuerend Monitor for his ſage aduice, and to aduiſe my Reader to know whom he truſts.
Vid. ſupra. Refut. p. 74, 75. Refut p. 78. Pag. 79.For Origen, we hauehave already anſwered; My Detector could not hauehave choſen a better man for the proof of the facility of this Worke, then him, who (according to the broad Tralation of his rude Rhemiſts) gelded himſelfe, and made himſelfe no man for it. That all graces are deriued to vsus from the Fountaine, or rather the full Ocean of Chriſts Merits and Mercies (which he ſhewes from S. Hierome) we willingly teach againſt them; ſo farre are we from being iniurious to the Paſsion of our Deare Redeemer; But if he will therefore inferre, that eueryevery man may be a perpetuall Virgin, he may as well hope that therefore eueryevery Scribbler may write all true. Our Sauiour himſelfe, which ſaid, I will draw all men vntounto me, yet ſaid, All men cannot receiue this; not I cannot giuegive it, but they cannot take it.
As for that practice which he cites from S. Auſtin, of forcing men both into Orders, and Continency, it ſhewes rather the Fact then the Equity; what was done in a particular Church, rather then what ſhould be; The Refuter himſelfe renounceth it in the precedent Page; (For the Church forceth none thereunto) neither is it any other then a direct reſtraint of that, which the Councell of Nice determined to bee left free.
Laſtly, that there may appeare to be no leſſe impoſsibility of honeſt Truth in ſome men, then true Chaſtity, he cites one place for all, out of S. Auſtin, *Lib. 2. c. 19. de Adulter. Coniug. vid. ſup.Let not the burden of Continency affright vsus, it will be light if it be of Chriſt, it will be of Chriſt if there be Faith, that obtaines of him which commands, the thing which hee doth command. See Reader, with what fidelity; and by this eſteeme the reſt; S. Auſtin ſpeakes there of perſons diuorced each from other, whom neceſsity (as he ſuppoſes the caſe) cals to Continency; the Detector cites him for the power of voluntary votaries; The very place confutes him. It will be Chriſts yoke (ſaith Auſtin) if there be faith that obtaines of him which commands, the thing which he doth command: There can be no Faith where is no command. Now C. E. will grant there is nooNeque enim ſicut non ma…haueris, non occides, ita dici poteſt, non n…bes Aug. de Virg. Sanct. l. ſing. c. 30. Refut. p. 80. vſque ad 87. command of ſingle life to all; Therefore all cannot aske it in Faith, therefore all cannot thinke it the Yoke of Chriſt, all cannot beare it.
SECT. XV.
NOw at laſt (like ſome ſorie Squip, that after a little hiſsing and ſparkling, ends in an vnſauoury cracke) my Refuter, after all theſe Flouriſhes of their poſsibilitie, ſhuts vp in a ſcurrilous Declamation againſt our Miniſterie; granting it indeed impoſſible, amongſt vsus, to liue chaſte; and telling his Reader that wee bluſh not to blaze in Pulpits, and printed Bookes, this brutiſh Paradox, that Chaſtitie is a vertue impoſsible to all, becauſe ſo it is to ſuch laſciuiouspIllud dixerim tantum abfuiſſe, vt iſta coacta caſtitas illam coniugalem vicerit, &c. (ſaith Polydor. Virg.) This I may ſay, that it is ſo farre off, that this compelled Chaſtitie excelled the Coniugall Ch…ſtitie, that no crime of any offence could bring more hatred to the ſtate of Prieſthood, or more diſgrace to Religion, or more ſorrow to all good men, then the blemiſh of the vnchaſte life of Prieſts, &c. Polyd. l. 5. c. 4. Libertines, ſenſuall and ſinfull people, as Heretikes are: and here are ſordes, dedecora ſcabies libidinum: the brutiſh ſpirit of Hereſie, fleſhly and ſenſuall. Impure mouth! How well doth it become the ſonne of that Babylonian Strumpet, to call the Spouſe of Chriſt Harlot! How well doth it become lips drencht in the Cup of thoſe Fornications, to vtter blaſphemous Slanders (Spumam Cerberi) againſt Innocence? By how much more brutiſh that paradox is, ſo much more deuilliſh is the vniuſt imputation of it to vsus; Which of vsus euer blazed it? Which of vsus doth hate it leſſe, then the lye that charges it vponupon vsus? How many Reuerend Fathers hauehave wee in the higheſt Chaires of our Church; how many aged Diuines in our Vniuerſities, how many graue Prebendaries in our Cathedrall Churches, how many worthy Miniſters in their rurall ſtations, that ſhine with this vertue in the eyes of the World? If therefore the proper place of Chaſtitie be the Church of God, (as this Cauiller pleads) it is ours in right,qHier. l. 2. in Oſe. Quicunque amare pudicitiam ſe ſimulant, vt Manichaeus, Marcion, Arrius, Tatianus, & inflauratores veteris haereſeos, venenato ore mella promittunt, caeterùm iuxta Apoſtolum quae ſecretò agunt, turpe eſt dicere. Minut. Fal. Octau. theirs in pretence: And ſo much more noble is this in ours, for that in ours it isrInuiolati corporis virginitate fruuntuur potius, quàm gloriantur. free; in them,ſTalis caſtitas quia non eſt ſpontanea, non habet magnam retributionem. Bran. Carthuſ. O myſteria, O mores, vbi neceſsitas imponitur caſtitati, authoritas datur libidi…i! Itaque nec caſta eſt qua metu cogitur, nec, &c. Illa pudica qua theſe tenetur. Ambroſ. l. 1. de Virg. forced; Infida cuſtos caſtitatis neceſsitas, as that Father ſaid; Neque opus paſſeri fugere ad montem: In them, as Chryſoſtome ſaid long ſince foreign; The grace of Virginitie is loſt: foreign: The world make ſport with ſuch Maiden-head. For the reſt; The God of Heauen iudge betwixt vsus and our enemies; To him we appeale how vvee deſire to ſerue him in chaſte Wedlocke, whom they diſhonour with vncleane and falſe Virginitie.
Not to put my Detector in mind how honorably he now ſpeakes of mariage, how dares he talke of our fleſhlineſſe, and their chaſtity? as if hee had to doe with a world, that were both deafe and blind. Do not their owne Records fly in their faces: and tell him there are but a few of them honeſt? Did not their owntConcil. Delect. Cardin. Paul. 3. Exhib. Alius. buſi… turbat populum Chriſtianum in Monialibus, &c. Ʋbi in plariſque monaſteriis fiunt publica ſacrilegia cum maximo omnium ſcandalo. ſelect Cardinals complaine, that the moſt of their Nunneries were iuſtly ſcandalized with ſacrilegious incontinencies?
Do not ouruMat. Paris Hiſt. Angl. Hen 3. p. …085. Et qu…d indignum eſt ſcribi, ad dom…s religioſarum veniens facit exprimi mammillas earundem, vt ſic phyſice, &c. Hiſtories tell vsus, that in the raigne of Henry the third, Robert Groſthead the famous Biſhop of Lincolne, in his Viſitation, was faine to explore the virginity of their Nuns, by nipping off their dugs, indignum ſcribi, as Matth. Paris? Doe not thexIn ha… etiam vrbe meretrices, &c. Concil. del. Card. Prius eſt quàm mechari continentiam, ducere criminoſam, de ſingul. cler. Refut. 88. forenamed Cardinals find it a common greeuance, that their Curtezans rode in ſtate thorow Rome it ſelfe, attended euen at noone day with the retinue of their Cardinals, and with their Clergy-men? Doth he finde the Church of England to maintaine Stewes? and to raiſe rents from profeſſed filthineſſe? Can hee deny the vnnaturall beaſtlineſſe that raignes in his Italy? But what doe I ſtirre this puddle? Let mee heare no more brags of their chaſtitie, no more exprobrations of our laſciuiouſneſſe.
SECT. XVI.
AS if my Refuter had vowed to write no true word, he challenges me for tranſlating Iſidores Turpe votum, a filthy Vow: I turne to my Epiſtle, and finde it not engliſhed by me at all. His own conſcience, belike, ſo conſtrues it; or if ſome former Impreſsion of mine (which I beleeue not) had ſo turned it, here is neither ignorance, nor vnfaithfulneſſe. Whereſoeuer is ſinne, there is filthineſſe: And if a lawfull vow bee properly de meliore bono, can there not therefore be an vnlawfull vow? What was that of Iepthaes, or that of S. Pauls forty Conſpirators? But the word there (ſaith he) ſignifies a promiſe; As if eueryevery vow were not a promiſe; and if Iſidore takes votum, for promiſſum, yDiſt. 28. Greg. Petro. Diac. l. 1. Ep. 42.Gregorie takes (by his conſtruction) promiſſum, for votum, in this very caſe we hauehave in hand.
This vow of theirs therefore is metonymically filthy, becauſe it makes them ſuch. In one word, (that he may raue no more of Epicures, Turks, Pagans,) Their vow is in profeſsion glorious, filthy in effect. And now for a concluſion of this point, I muſt out of all theſe groſſe and ignorant paſſages of his (though vnproperly, yet) truely vow to the world, that a truer Bayard did neuer ſtumble forth in the Preſſe.