The Capucin Treated, Chapter 12 – Chapter 14
CHAp. XII. Some obſervations upon this Vow.
Divers things are remarkable in this vow, which being rightly underſtood, we ſhall finde that many abuſes, yea impieties are therein covered with the cloak of religion.
In the firſt place, this vow is made to God the Father, to the Virgin Mary, to Saints, and to the Superior of the Convent, without making any mention at all of Jeſus Chriſt.
In the Second place, he who makes this …ow to Saints departed, preſuppoſeth that …hoſe Saints do ſee him, and that they know …he intention of his heart. This is contrary …o the Holy Scripture, which ſaith, that the dead have no more a portion for ever in any …hing that is done under the Sun. Eccleſ. 9.6. And that God onelyonly knows the hearts of the Children of men. 2 Chron. 6.30.
This vow is repugnant to all the examples contained in the Holy Scriptures, wherein there is no vow made to creatures, but to God onelyonly; as God himſelf commands in Pſal. 50.14. Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the moſt High. Here ſacrifices, and vows are linked together, as things equally due unto God. But the Church of Rome holds that we muſt offer ſacrifices to God onelyonly. Ergo.
But that in the holy Scripture not one example is to be found of vows made to Saints, Bellarmine freely confeſſeth in his book De cultu Sanctorum, Chapter 9. in theſe words; When the Holy Scriptures were written, the cuſtome of making vows to Saints was not begun. The ſame Jeſuit in the ſame chapter ſaith that a vow is an action of religion due to God onelyonly, even as ſwearing, and ſacrificing are, as appears by the holy Scriptures. Theſe are his own words. Thomas Aquin… the Prince of School-men,Thomas 2.2. qu…ſt. 28. art. 5. ſaith the ſan… A vow (ſaith he) is to be made to God o… ly, but a promiſe may be made to a m… And in the ſame place, A Vow is an act… of Religion, or Divine Worſhip. Whe… fore Cardinal Cajetan, in his notes up this place of Thomas, to defend vows m… to Saints, ſaith, that the Saints are Gods, a… that vows are made to them, ut ſunt Dij … participationem, as they are Gods by parti… pation. The ſame ſaith Bellarmine in … afore-mentioned chapter. A Vow belo… not to the Saints but onelyonly as they are Gods … participation. But we are certaine that t… Saints who raigne with Chriſt are ſuch. E… go &c. According to what Pope Gregor… 2. ſaith in his Epiſtle to the Emperour Le… (viz.) that all the Kingdomes of the We… owne St. Peter for a God upon Earth.
But theſe Doctors conſider not, that if … vow be a worſhip of Latria, and due … God onelyonly, and that if we make vows … Saints becauſe they are Gods by participation it follows that we give to Saints the worſhip of Latria by participation.
Alſo they conſider not, that by the ſam… reaoſn it may be ſaid, that the Superior, o… Guardian, who receives this vow, is God to… by participation. For when the Fryar Minor …ath ſaid, I vow unto God, and to the Vir…in, and to the Saints, he adds, and to you …ny Father, vowing to the Guardian in the …me termes in which he vows to the Saints, …nd to God. This needs not ſeem ſtrange; …or in the Church of Rome, the Prieſts …re called Gods and Creators of their Creator, having a Divine power, yea, a power over Jeſus Chriſt. Mr. Beſte, a famous Preacher, in his book of the Prieſtly-Office, chap. 3. ſaith, The Prieſt-hood and the Deity have I know not what of common, and are almoſt of an equal grandeur, for they have the ſame power. Item. Seeing that the Prieſt-hood is equal to the Deity, and that all Prieſts are Gods, therefore it far exceeds the Kingly Office, and Prieſts are much more than Kings. And a little after he ſaith, that God obeys the Prieſts as often as they pronounce the words of conſecration. A Sorboniſt named Petrus Aurelius, hath lately written a book with the approbation, and by the authority of the Colledge of Sorbon, which refutes a treatiſe of the Jeſuits entituled Spongia; and in the 75 page this Aurelius ſaith, Data eſt Sacerdotibus poteſtas Chriſtum, hoc eſt Deum ipſum producendi, that is, A power is given to Prieſts to produce Chriſt, that is to ſay God himſelf. He adds, that the power o… the Prieſts hath in it a certain emulation of the eternal operations, whereby the Divine perſons are produced.
Qui creavit me (ſi fas eſt dicere) dedit mihi creare ſe; & qui creavit me creatur medainte me.Gabriel Biel, famous among the Schoolmen, in his firſt Leſſon upon the Canon o… the Maſs ſpeaks thus; The Prieſt hath grea… power over both the bodies of Chriſt. That is over the Church, and over the conſecrated hoſte, which he calls God. And in hi… fourth Leſſon, Whoever ſaw the like? H… that created me (if I may ſo ſpeak) hat… given me power to create him. And he that created me without my help, is create… by my means.
Simeon Dunelmenſis lib. 2. Chro. Vigner in his Eccleſiaſt. Hiſtory, p. 300.This manner of ſpeech is not new. Fo… Anno 1097. Urban II. called a Council a… Rome, againſt the Emperor Henry IIII. and all other ſecular Princes who ſhould claim a right to the inveſtiture of Biſhops and Abbots, and to the Collations of Benefices, and Prebends, alledging that it is an abominable thing that thoſe hands which create God, ſhould be obliged to ſo much ignominy as to do homage to thoſe hands which night and day are defiled with filthy and diſhoneſt touches. Wherefore, you muſt not wonder, if a Monk that is admitted into the Order, makes a vow to the Superior, who is a Prieſt, and gives him that honour, which belongs to the worſhip of Latria, ſeeing the Prieſts are called Gods, and Creators of their Creator, and that they have a power over Jeſus Chriſt.
To theſe teſtimonies of the Doctors of the Romiſh Church, who ſay, that a vow belongs to the worſhip of Latria, and ought to be made to God only, we muſt adde the teſtimony of that Jeſuit, Cardinal Tolet. in Book 4. Of the inſtitution of Prieſts, chap. 17. A vow is a promiſe made to God by a deliberate purpoſe and will. By theſe things it appears, that a vow made to Saints, or to a Superior of a Convent, is pure Idolatry; for thereby that honour which is due to God only, is communicated to the creature.
Our adverſaries cannot eſcape by ſaying, that in vowing to Saints they vow mediatly to God; for the worſhip of Latria ought not to be given to the creature either mediately or immediately. In all worſhip of Latria we muſt addreſs our ſelves to God directly. The Monk that makes this vow addreſſeth himſelf to God directly by ſaying, I vow to almighty God, &c. Having thus addreſſed himſelf to God directly, what need is there that he ſhould afterward addreſs himſelf to him mediately, and by oblique ways? It is certain, that he who ſays to his Superior, or Guardian, I Vow to you my Father, ſpeaks not to God, and by theſe words vows not to God. Conſider the words of this vow, and you ſhall find, that a Monk who is admitted into the Order, ſpeaks to God, to the Saints, and to his Superior in the ſame terms, and vows not in two different manners.
But when Bellarmine confeſſeth that the cuſtome of making Vows to Saints was not begun when the holy Scriptures were written, he ſhould have mentioned the time when it began, and not have cheated the Reader with falſe allegations, as his uſual manner is. For he alledgeth theſe words of Euſebius in his 13. book of Evangelical preparation, chap. 7. Honouring the ſouldiers of true piety as the friends of God, we come to their monuments and make vows to them; Which paſſage is falſe, and altogether forged.
He alſo alledgeth Theodoret in his 8. book againſt the Greeks, which book is falſly attributed to Theodoret. In one point Bellarmine, beſides his error, diſcovers his ignorance in the Greek tongue, in not knowing that the Greeks have no proper word to expreſs the word Vow: And the Latine Interpreter, to whom Bellarmine truſts, hath falſly tranſlated Votorum rei dona perſolvunt, Which words are not in the Greek Text of the book attributed to Theodoret.
It is in honour of the Pope that the Monks vow to St. Peter, and St. Paul, and not to St. John, and St. James: for they make the two former the Founders of the Church of Rome.
The things to which this Monk obligeth himſelf, are poverty, chaſtity, and obedience. Of poverty I ſhall ſpeak hereafter. As for chaſtity, the Jeſuit Emanuel Sa in his Aphoriſms upon the word votum ſaith, that the vow of Priesthood is not a vow of chaſtity, and that the Biſhop can diſpence with it; Whereupon we demand, whether a Monk or a Prieſt that commits fornication, doth not violate the vow of Chaſtity, and whether by this Vow he doth not oblige himſelf not to commit fornication. If he doth not oblige himſelf to it, he ſhews that he will not be obliged by vow to obey the command of God, which ſaith, Thou ſhalt not commit adultery: But by this vow he only obligeth himſelf to abſtain from a thing which God permits, and not from that which he forbids. But if this Monk by vowing Chaſtity vows not to commit fornication, it is evident that by commiting fornication he violates his vow, and beſides he tranſgreſſeth the command of God, which obligeth us much more than any voluntary vow. So that he commits two evils, (viz.) He breaks his vow, and violates the law of God. Why then, when a Monk or Prieſt marries for fear of violating the Law of God by committing fornication, is he accounted to have committed a greater ſin than when he commits fornication? Why then is not a Prieſt that commits fornication, made irregular, and incapable of the Prieſthood; but if he marries is preſently degraded, yea, and declared puniſhable with death? To this they anſwer, that it is becauſe he hath broken his vow, and yet he remains unpuniſhed, and ceaſeth not to ſing Maſs for all that. For the commands of God do not bind ſo ſtrongly as voluntary vows do, which are made without, yea contrary to the word of God, which ſaith, If they cannot contain, let them marry. And to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own huſband, 1 Cor. 7.
But that a Prieſt who commits fornication, yea hath divers Concubines, is not thereby rendred irregular, and incapable of the Prieſt-hood, not onelyonly experience ſhews (examples of this being numberleſs) but we have alſo the determination of Pope Innocent the III. Thereupon in the firſt book of the Decretals, in the twelfth Title, in the Chapter Quia circa, His words are theſe, Thou deſireſt to be inſtructed by the Apoſtolique See, Whether Prieſts that have divers concubines, ought to be counted bigamous. To which we think fit to anſwer, that ſeeing they have not incurr'd the irregularity of bigamy, thou mayest diſpence with their exerciſing of the Prieſtly Office, they being ſtained only with ſimple fornication. But for marrying of one wife, according to the Apoſtles rule, a Prieſt is degraded, yea puniſhed with death.
But, which is much more, one that is a notorious Sodomite, is not made irregular, but may ſing Maſs for all that: as Navarre, Navarr. in caput ad inferendam. 23. queſt. 2. De defenſione proximi.the moſt knowing of all the Canoniſts, and the Popes Penitentiary teacheth; A man (ſaith he) doth not incur irregularity but for the caſes ſpecified in the law, of which number Sodomie is none. And this he proves by the authority of Pope Innocent. And he adds, that in Italy, (which is more troubled with this evil than it ſhould be) they demand no diſpenſation for it.
In fine, how binding ſoever the vow of not marrying may be, yet the Pope can diſpence with it, and may permit a man to marry contrary to his vow. Emanuel Sa in the ſame place ſaith, that the Biſhops may alſo diſpence with this vow, and permit a man to marry.
Methinks alſo to vow to St. Peter never to marry, is to pretend to be wiſer than he; for he was a married man. It is juſt as if one ſhould ſay to him, I do vow to thee not to follow thy example. I do promiſe to be wiſer and holier than thou.
It is evident, that he who burns with filthy luſts, and yet vows never to marry, does like a ſick perſon that ſays to God, Lord, I am ſick, but I promiſe thee that I will not make uſe of the remedies which thou offereſt me, and haſt ordained in thy word, for I will be wiſer thaen thou.
CHAP. XIII. The Impiety of the Superiours Anſwer.
IF there be Superſtition and Impiety in this Vow, whereby a Monk vows to the Creature, and obligeth himſelf to things which God commands not; yea, to things which he forbids: there is no leſs in the Anſwer which the Superiour or Guardian makes him, ſaying;
And I, if thou keep this vow, do promiſe thee, in Gods name, life Eternal.
Theſe words duely conſidered, will make a man ttemble for fear. For one that is neither ſent, nor authorized by the King, comes to a man, and ſayes, I have order from the King to promiſe you ſuch a Preferment, if you do ſuch a thing, is a Cheat, and a perfidious perſon, and deſerves to be puniſhed, becauſe he ſpeaks without order, and without being ſent by the King. But the Superiour, who makes this promiſe to the new Monk in God's name, cannot ſhew his Commiſſion or Warrant from God for the making of this promiſe. He abuſeth the poor Monk, by making him believe that he is ſent by God to make him this promiſe in Gods name, (viz.) That if he lives in beggery, if he never marries, and if he be obedient to the Guardian of his Convent, he ſhall have Eternal life: For, theſe three things are things which God commands not in his Word, and to which he hath made no Promiſe; yea, theſe are obſervations whereby God is more often offended then ſerved: Theſe are things which a Heathen or Hypocrite may do. But to ſerve God according to his Word, and to believe in Jeſus Chriſt as he is propoſed to us in the Goſpel, are things to which God hath promiſed Eternal life, and cannot be done by any, but by thoſe that are the true Children of God: Theſe are things, for which the Superiour ſhould ſay, (not I promiſe thee, but) God promiſeth thee Eternal life. For a man ought not to promiſe that which he cannot give.
CHAP. XIV. That corporal Auſterities, and Whippings, and tormenting of the body, are not marks of Holineſs.
HE is very much deceived, who takes the ſeveritie and torments which a man inflicts on his body, for proofs or ſigns of Holineſs. The Apoſtle St. Paul, 1 Tim. 4. ſaith, Bodily exerciſe profiteth little; but godlineſs is profitable unto all things, having the promiſe of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. All that the Capucins do, is nothing,1 K n. 18.28. in compariſon of what Baal's Prieſts did: for they did cut and mangle their bodies with knives, and imbrued themſelves in blood, for the ſervice of their Idol. There are Mahometan Monks called Dervis, who live very auſterely, and do even roaſt their bodies upon the hot ſcalding ſands, and with buckles and rings of Iron make themſelves incapable for generation. The Cynick Philoſophers did beg: Diogenes lay in the ſtreet in a tub, having no other houſholdſtuff then a woodden diſh; and yet he brake that too, when he conſidered thar Nature had given him one in the hollow of his hand. Read Apulejus his eighth Book of the Mileſians, and you will there ſee the deſcription of the Prieſts of the Syrian Goddeſs, who did cut and ſlaſh their bodies.Arrepto flagro indidem ſe multimodis mulctat ictibus. Avidis amimis corradentes omnia, & in ſacculos huic quaeſtui de induſtria praeparatos, farcientes. He deſcribes one of thoſe Prieſts, that did whip himſelf with a whip full of knots, being armed with obſtinacy againſt the ſmart of the ſtrokes, untill the blood ſtreamed down his body. Moreover, he adds,foreign. That when theſe Prieſts had done whipping themſelves, they went about a begging, and one gave them a piece of Mony, another Wine, another Cheeſe, &c. which Alms they put into Wallets. In a word, the deſcription which he gives of theſe mad Prieſts, doth very much reſemble the lives of the Capucins. Lucian in his Book, intituled The Aſs, deſcribes theſe Prieſts after the very ſame manner.
It is a grand abuſe to make Piety conſiſt in things wherein Chriſtians may be excelled by Heathens. There is a proud humility, which deſpiſeth it ſelf, that it may be valued by others. The Apoſtles, and their Diſciples, did not live ſo: In a ſimple and ordinary habit, and manner of life, they lived ſoberly, and laboured in the work which God had committed to them. They were famous, not for their extravagant and hideous apparel, not for whipping themſelves, nor for eating pottage on their knees; but for their zeal, and holineſs of life.