AN ANSWER TO THE DEMANDS of a great Prelate. Touching the Hierarchy of the Church. And the just defence of Privileged, and Religious men. Permissu Superiorum. Printed at ROUEN. M DC XXVI. coat of arms (?) with lion rampant EMMANUEL 〈…〉 … ndijs. 〈…〉 Patris. Will. Sanc● A.C. C●ll Emman. Cantat AN ANSWER To the demands of a great Prelate, touching the Hierarchy of the Church, and the just defence of Privileged, and Religious men. MY LORD: I Am not able to express the obligation which I have to you, by reason of the Commandment which you vouchsafed to lay upon me; which yet notwithstanding is both sweet and sharp. Sweet, in regard that it comes from you, whom I do so highly honour, as well in regard of the eminent quality which you hold in the Church of God, as by reason of your rare virtues, and besides for that you are pleased to love me cordially, and more than I shall ever be able to deserve. But yet sharp withal, because it bringeth a complaint with it, and showeth a most bitter root, which hath sprowted forth, and produced in the heart of many some little aversion from Privileged persons, and Religious men; and which hath filled the minds of many with a kind of sharpness, and even of contempt, and hate against them. Yea the matter is passed on so fare, that many of them have armed themselves, with a certain fervour and zeal, and have put themselves into combat, against those other, as against the enemies of their persons, or at least, as against the enemies of their authority, their power, and their greatness. And yet certainly it seems, it would have been more honourable, even to fight for them, as for their Children, to protect them as their Orphans, and Pupils, to have set upon the Wolf who threatened them, being their sheep, rather than to have beaten them themselves; for having perhaps a little strayed from the rest of the flock, if yet indeed they have strayed at all. Alas, it will not be unfitly done to fear, that the same Serm. 157. which the great Chrysologus saith of St. Paul, may also be said of many others: Per zelum legis, legem impugnabat, & in Deum, Dej amore peccabat. I pray God of his great goodness, to defend us from this great misery, for it is one of the most permitious and irremediable mischief's of all others, if a man persuading himself that he seeketh nothing but God, do yet indeed under that belief, seek himself, and suffer himself to be transported by some passion, for such a one is a kind of incorrigible man, and whilst he thinketh to merit much, he looseth all: Qui errat, quo magis progreditur, Sene. eó magis errat, profectus ejus, defectus est. But now since it hath pleased you to tell me, that many of our Lords the Prelates of France, have this firm belief, that Privileged and Religious men, have as it were, conspired against their authority; and desire to abase and weaken their power, to raise up and strengthen their own Privileges, upon the diminution and ruin of Episcopal powers; I will not speak to you, as to you; but I will do it to you as to them; or rather (if it please you) I will do it by you to them; but yet with so great respect, and by way of discourse so full of honour, of candour, and of truth, that God willing, no man shall have just cause of complaint by it. And to the end that this good fortune may happen to me, and that God may inspire me with his grace, I do in mine own heart, desire your holy and paternal Benediction. I demand not of you (for the particular which I have in hand) any grace or favour, nor the sweet effects of your friendship; nor any thing indeed, but mere justice, yea and even rigour, if you will (saving that you being so good, can hardly be rigorous to any) and that you may make no account of my reasons, but according to the true value of them; and by the just weight of a mind which is not pre-occupated, or possessed by any contrary opinion: nor wrapped up in certain jealousies, and untrue reports; nor inflamed with the false fire of passion, which may be overcast with zeal; nor yet pricked on by any discontentments, but of a mind entirely free, from all these things; and which weigheth reason by the balance of the Sanctuary; and judgeeths of the whole business, as in the presence of God; and as being to render an account to the Divine Majesty, of all his actions; for the true way of treating well the affairs of God, is to treat them so, as belongeth to such affairs; and to banish from thence all kind of humane interest, and all that which may savour any way of earth. But now, before I will plunge myself more deeply into this sea, which is tossed by so many winds, and into the handling of this truth, which is opposed by so many men, it cometh into my thought, that I must here do that, which was anciently remarked by Tertullian, to have been done, by those Primitive Christians, when they were persecuted much; for their enemies caused the God of the Christians to be painted, after a very strange and barbarous manner: for it was in the figure of a man, apparelled with a large lose garment, full of Majesty, upon the top whereof, as upon the shoulders, the head of an Ass was put, with a book in his hand. The feet which did appear under the fringe of his Robe, had upon them these Words, which were written in letters of gold, Deus Cadeaux. Christianorum Ononychites. Now upon this ground the Pagans build strong discourses, in prejudice of God and of truth; and made the Church so ridiculous, and did so disadvantage the faith of Christ, that it was not possible to do it more: Vidimus in foro (saith Tertullian) & risimus, & formam, & nomen. Quod colimus nos, Deus unus est. But yet me thinks (saith he) it is but reason, that it should first be understood, whether indeed we do adore that fantastical thing, or no; and men should first be agreed upon the matter in fact, before they should put their wits into such a full career, and give themselves law and liberty to say that which is said; and indeed all that to which they have a mind, tearing in pieces that white and innocent Robe of Truth. It is greatly to be feared, lest the passion of some particular men, may have chalked out, and framed some very deformed face, for the representing of this particular, which we have in hand; and for the showing it forth in ill posture, and with an aspect of great disadvantage, and setting it also in a false light. They say, that these Privileged persons have a mind to oppress the authority of our Lords the Prelates, that they destroy the Hierarchy of the Church, that they invest the authority which was established by the Apostles, that they are tied too close upon the Pope (and of this forsooth, they make a mortal sin) that they exalt themselves above Bishops; that they forsake the care of Parishes, and draw all to themselves; that they abuse their Privileges, and become insolent, and too independent upon their Ordinaries; that they despise Ecclesiastical Parsons and Curates, whom they undermine; that they follow not the Maxims of the Country, and the Privileges of the Gallian Church, that they fill the best Chairs of the Kingdom, and in fine, that they make themselves petty Kings. Having thus made up this Picture, and given such a colouring to it (as is used by the great Bassaw, who ordinarily makes all his, full of night, and deep shadows and darkness) having I say framed the face of this business, after this manner, they put men then, into an Alarm, they cry out and Preach, yea and excommunicate in many places; they print Books, and they do wonders. What, say they, is it fit that men band themselves thus against Bishops? is it fit to put the Church in Schism? that poor Religious men should be so full of obstinacy and ambition? that without punishment they should bring confusion unto that order, which hath been established by our Predecessors, and a World of such discourses as these, which are received and believed as Oracles, and indubitable truths. I will therefore say with Tertullian, to such as shall have figured or rather disfigured us in this fashion, before the eyes of my Lords the Prelates, that first they should in earnest strive to know, whether that be true or no, whether or no we adore this Orient Sun, and this interest of our own, and whether our designs and pretences aim at that. For otherways it is to frame an ugly thing at pleasure, and it is like setting up a Quintaine or some man of wood, so to learn to make thrusts of the Lance, and of language at it, when yet in the mean time all this is done with disadvantage, to the service and glory of God? We men should first seek to know whether indeed it be the Ark of truth, or else the Chest or Coffer of our own interest, which we adore, and then afterward they might cry out at ease, and without danger of error. My Lords, in such a business as this, a man may either seek the sole Glory of GOD, and the good of souls which are bathed in the blood of jesus Christ, who is the true Bishop and Pastor of our souls, or else he may follow a passion, being overcast and gilded with a show of zeal, and set forth with the apparent ornaments of virtue; or else in fine, he may give himself way to be persuaded to certain things, which he takes indeed to be very true, though yet in very truth they be not so. Of you my Lords I believe that it is the first consideration, which puts you on; or at the most, that it is the first, and the third; you having perhaps, given belief to so many discourses; where with men may have desired to flatter you; and perhaps to work and make deep impressions upon your minds. But yet withal. I beseech you suffer me to tell you that, which generally is in the belief of men; namely, that many who are not Bishops, have suffered themselves to be transported into the second error, and have taken passion, interest, and jealousy, for direct inspirations: but verily I am in fear, lest God should say, Non mittebam Prophetas, & jer. 22. ipsi currebant; non loquebar ad eos, & ipsi prophetabant. Now therefore to discern who is inspired by God, and who is put on by an Episcopal and Apostolical spirit, and who on the other side is possessed by passion, I know not how it may be done more Divinely, then by the mouth of God, and by the mouth of three of the greatest personages, who have ever been in this World; and who all three were Pastors, according to the very heart, and gust of God. The first is Moses, that father of the people of God (and as it were their Bishop) under whom josua was placed. It happened therefore, that one Eldad and Medad, who being a part from the multitude of the jews, (and some will say perhaps that this is a figure of Religious men) began to prophesy amongst the people, that is to say, to instruct, and Preach to them. This news was quickly carried by a young man to josua, who being inflamed with a zeal, which was not altogether so very pure; ran with speed to Moses: and being desirous to use double diligence in giving proof of his fidelity; said somewhat which pleased not Moses in any sort, who was a man all full of the Spirit of God. But let us hear his Words. Statim Iosue filius Nun, minister Mosi, & electus è pluribus; Domine mi Moses, prohibe illos. At ille, quid inquit aemularis pro me? quis tribuat mihi ut omnis populus Num. 11. 29 Prophetet, & det eis dominus Spiritum suum? What is that which this holy man means to say, this Idea of the Pastors of the people of God? I had rather make it be spoken by the mouth of a Pope, which was more worth than gold. But first you may observe in passing by, that instead of Prohibe illos, the Caldean version saith; Mitte eos in carcerem; for this declareth yet better, the boiling heart of joshua, and the excess of his too hot zeal. But now let us hear what the Pope saith. Pia Pastorum mens Lib. 22 mor. cap. 24. (saith St. Gregory) quia non propriam gloriam, sed authoris quaerit; ab omnibus vult adjwari, quod agit, fidelis namque Predicator optat, si fieri valeat, ut veritatem, quam solus loqui non sufficit, ora cunctorum sonent. Vnde cum joshua, duobus in castris remanentibus, atque prophetantibus, vellet obsistere, recté per Mòsen dicitur. Quid aemularis pro me, etc. Prophetare quippe omnes voluit, qui bonum quod habuit, alijs non invidit. Will you therefore see this ill zeal, and how Moses speaketh of this emulation? Here it is. Domine mi, prohibe illos. And will you see the true Spirit of God, and the pure zeal of his service, and of the good of souls? Behold also here it is, Qui● mihi tribuat ut omnes, etc. The second instance is more eminent, and it is jesus Christ who is speaking, and we must adore his Words. Thus stood the case. As he was going to Caperna●um, Markc 9 the Apostles busied themselves about debating, who was to be the greatest man amongst them. Dear Lord, what a kind of discourse was this, for the Apostles to make? But being arrived at their lodging, Christ our Lord demanded of them, what discourse they had held upon the way? to which they all held their peace, and were infallibly ashamed of their having so impertinently debated about the point of precedence. And our dear Lord instructed them sweetly, and taught them, that true greatness is to be only found in the bosom of Humility. Now St. ●hn interrupted him, saying thus: ●aister, we have seen a certain ●an, who hath been so bold as to employ thy name, in dispossessing people of Devils; but perceiving that he did not follow us, and that he was none of our Company, we did expressly prohibit, that he should work no more of these miracles. jesus autem ait; Nolite prohibere eum, ●emo est qui faciat virtutem in nomi●e meo, & posset citó malé loqui de me. Qui. n. non est adversum vos, pro ●obis est. Will you see the true zeal of the honour of God, Nolite ●rohibere etc. Qui. n. etc. And will you see on the other side, a zeal which hath in it a little heat, and ●oyling up of passion, Non sequitur nos, & prohibuimus eum. In the name of God let me make you hear this great Oracle of Greece, and other great personages. For Saint Chrisostome interpreting those words Gloss. in Mark. c. 9 aforesaid, saith thus, Veruntamen non erat tantae perfectionis, quod vellet sequi Christum & discipulos ejus etc. Et talis etiam non est prohibendus quia beneficia divina non solum dantur per maiores sed etiam aliquando per minores & imperfectos, ut in hoc etiam declaretur virtus nominis Christi. Add here that which is said by another. Putavit eum excludendum a beneficio, qui non utitur officio; sed docetur, neminem a bono quod ex parte habet arcendum, sed ad hoc potius quod non habet provocandum. In fine, the gloss proceedeth thereupon and saith; Per istum qui non erat de societate Apostolorum, significatur laicus bonus, qui non habet predicandi officium; tamem bonis verbis & exemplis agit ad expulsionem daemonis de cordibus proximorum, quamuis non sequatur Christum per statum Religionis, & clericatum. It is therefore much more strong, when he is a religious man. In fine, Titus Bostrensis addeth thus, In. c. 9 Luc. Qui vobis, qui mediligitis, non adversantur, pro vobis faciunt. Si qui. n. sunt quiquae ad gloriam meam spectant, implere satagunt, illi non ex se, sed gratia mea preueniente ea praestant. And indeed it is their vocation, and for this reason it is, that God sendeth many Religious orders into the World; giving them this express and precise vocation, which obligeth them to employ themselves towards the salvation of their neighbours, and to do service to them who have most particular obligation of the care of souls; but now you will say, why is it that God doth send this extraordinary succour, since the ordinary may well perform it, without the other. To this I will not answer a word, but I will beg of Rom. 9 St Paul that he will answer it. Tu quis es, qui respondeas Deo, nunquid dicit figmentum ei qui se finxit, quid me fecisti sic? The third instance is of that master of Bishops, the great St. Paul, 1 Phil. but we must hear himself. Quidam (saith he) propter invidiam & contentionem, quidam autem, & propter bonam voluntatem, Christum predicant; quidam ex charitate, scientes quoniam in defensionem Euangelij positus sum. Quidam autem ex contentione Christum annunciant; non sincere existimantes pressuram se suscitare vinculis meis. Quid. n. dum omni modo siuè per occasionem siuè per veritatem Christus annuncietur, & in hoc gaudeo; sed & gaudebo. Scio. n. quia hoc mihi proveniet ad salutem. Do you not admire the greatness of this heart, more capable than the circumference of the whole World? Do you not admire the purity of this soul, which cares not a whit, by whom, nor in what particular manner jesus Christ be praised and served, so that it be done indeed, although it should be to the disadvantage of his own honour, and of his life, yea and of his reputation, which is more dear than life. The intention of those ill Preachers was such, as that those great personages, whilst they are explicating this passage: Pereat Paulus, pereat praedicatio, St Chriso. St Anselm. Theof. Corn. Ecclesia, fides, mundus, no sip si simul dummodó ad breve tempus in honore simus, say, that Saint Paul takes no care of all that, but saith, that upon condition my master may be well served, and that souls may be assisted and comforted, all the rest concerns me not, for I have no interest, but that of my master, and I am afraid least by seeking mine own honour, and mine own advuntages, with too much curiosity and care, I may hinder the service and glory of my Lord God. I like him well who saith, that a man may perceive the truth of their zeal of the service of God, who have charge over souls, john 12. when they do as Martha did, who said to jesus Christ, in so good a fashion; Magister non est tibi curae quod soror mea reliquit me solam ministrare, dic ergo illi, ut me adiwet. In effect you will find that Saint Mary Magdalen did not fail, to put her hands to work, she sent for perfumes, and did embalm therewith the sacred head, and the blessed feet of jesus Christ, and forgot not to help her sister; after she had for sometime given ear to the heavenly words of her dear Master, who was the only divine love of her heart: for as for him who was scandalised at this action, he deserves not so much as to be named; and so he received that answer which he 〈…〉. S●●●t Ignatius entereth e 〈…〉 against those wretches who banded so against Saint ●aul: and saith; Fugite istos, sunt. n. Epist. ad Trall. ●aniloqui, seductores, non Christia●i; sed Christempori, Christilucriones, ●uique ex Christi nomine quaestum faciunt, etc. But this holy Martyr believed that those Preachers were Heretics, and so also did Saint Chrisostome, though indeed Saint Anselme doth hold more probably, that they were Catholics, but yet Catholics, who even consumed themselves with envy, to see that St. Paul, appeared in the world with such a deal of lustre, and eclipsed a part of their glory, leaving them in obscurity. This was the thing (as St. Anselme saith) which transported their heart, and bred in them a desite to destroy Saint Paul, whatsoever it might cost them. I have no mind to make the application, but it sufficeth me to show the heart of Moses, of Saint Paul, of Christ our Lord, and of God; and the purity of mind of these men, who are made according to the heart of God. For so that souls may be saved, such may be saved, such men neither care for their particular honour, nor for their interest, nor indeed for any thing of this World; nor by whom the business be performed, nor by what means, so it may be by that, which the Divine Providence hath judged, and chosen for the best. For as Gerson saith, to believe that nothing is well done, but that which thou dost, or that which thou causest to be done; alas, this is a point of great hazard. If this be to seek God, there are indeed very many who are much deceived, for men are wont to call this a seeking of one's self, and not a seeking of God; or if it be a seeking of God; it is for the finding of himself in that search, and to build (as a man may say) at the cost of God, a Temple, or Trophy ●or a man's own glory, and reputation. Si adhuc hominibus placerem, Christi seruus non essem, said that man of Heaven, that instructor of Bishops. But now we must consider the reasons that men allege against us, in this argument, and what those winds are which make such a tempest, in the sea of the Church, as that a man would say all were lost. So full have men their minds of zeal, and so inflamed upon this business, and so much noise do they make. As for me, I ask for such minds of men, as may be cool, and quiet, and wise, and by no means troubled, and boiling up. And I demand no grace, nor favour, but only a sober and settled judgement, without any other interest, then of God's service, and which may not be pre-occupated by certain inveterate opinions, which have no solidity in them. In fine, my Lords, I desire no other kind of minds in men, but such as are made like yours, that is to say, such as are solid, firm, disinteressed, and which desire but to meet with th● true means of saving the souls of your Dioceses; and to comfort the sheep of your Flocks, and I am well inclined to believe, that of you which Saint Paul said of himself, in Rom. 9 relation to others. Optabam. n. ego ipse (Paulus) anathema esse a Christo, pro fratribus meis. Let us therefore see the reasons which some allege to prove that there is no necessity of Religious men, but rather that they are of prejudice to the Hierarchy of the Church. THE FIRST REASON. ●t Charles did not serve himself of religious men, for the establishment of the Hierarchy of his Diocese, which yet was the honour of Dioceses. THe first, the most specious, and peradventure the most strong reason is this, which here we find alleged; namely, that the great and incomparable Saint Charles, did not serve himself of Religious men, for the establishment of his Diocese, which is nevertheless the most flourishing, or at least one of the most flourishing in Italy, and perhaps even in the whole World. Can any man do better than Saint Charles? Can a man fail by imitating Saint Charles? Can it be disliked if a man do that, which was done by S. Charles? who is Canonised, both in Heaven and in earth? My Lords, I cannot counsel you to make Saint Charles the judge of this question, for if you do, you will infallibly lose your cause: I say you will infallibly lose it. Before I prove this truth, I will tell you by way of surplusage, that supposing Saint Charles had proceeded so as hath been said (which yet is not so) it cannot be inferred thereupon, that all the World, either must do, or hath done the like. There may be reasons which are good at Milan, which are not gusted elsewhere, and some things are good in some season, which are not so in others. If he were now living, and in France, he must be fain to hold another stile, and to go in another air than this. But yet they say still, that Saint Charles was of that opinion. Let it be so. But Saint Bonaventure was of an opinion directly contrary to this, who was a Cardinal as Saint Charles, a Pastor like him; at least as learned as he, and a Saint as he was; and yet nevertheless; he taught and practised the direct contrary, and found himself very well therewith. But let us hear him speak by his own mouth, or rather take the pains to read a Treatise which he made altogether upon this subject, under this fair Title. Quarè fratres minores praedicent, & confessiones audiant. And you shall see whether Saint Bonaventure, be of the opinion of Saint Charles, or at least, whether he be of that which is imputed to him. See but his Apology for those poor Religious men, and my turn is served. You will tell me perhaps, that it is so indeed, but than you will say, that Saint Bonaventure must go for a suspected man. It is certainly as easy for me to say, that Saint Charles ma● also be suspected, though indeed h● ought not to be so. But then yo● say, that Saint Bonaventure was 〈◊〉 Religious man; and Saint Charles was he not so too? And if not; the● I demand justice of you my Lords for why will you have Religious me● believe St. Charles in this business, an● yet you will no● that such as are no● Religious, should believe St. Bon●uenture. Either believe them both, o● relinquish them both; or else you will ordain men to be both judges and parties, which is contrary to all form of justice in France. Saint Thomas also was of a contrary opinion to St. Charles. But you will say, that he was no Archbishop, any more than Saint Bernard, who was also none, but yet of the same opinion with him. He was not indeed, but it was long of no body but St. Bernard, that he was not Archbishop of Milan, as well as St. Charles; nor of any but Saint Thomas that he was not Archbishop of Naples: Now whom my Lords, do you esteem more in the sight of God, either him who refuseth to be an Archbishop, being pressed to be so, by the Pope, and by the whole World: or him who presseth that he may be so, as they say Saint Charles did, whilst yet he was young, and before his conversion. Or do you think perhaps that St. Bernard, or St. Thomas would say any thing against their conscience in a matter of such moment. But let us yet say more, let us leave the Character a part, do you not believe that the testimonies of these two Seraphins, be as weighty and as important in the way of conscience, as that of the great St. Charles, who esteemed these two great Doctors and great servants of God, so much, that he esteemed nothing of himself, in comparison of them. You say, this was the opinion of St. Charles; and I will show you by good account, nine and forty Popes of a contrary opinion, I will show you 500 Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, most illustrious, most reverend, most holy, most wise. And (which importeth) most disinterested, both in France, and elsewhere, who were of a contrary opinion. I will show you Emperors, Kings, Monarches, and even Oracles amongst men, who are also of a contrary opinion. I do highly esteem Saint Charles, and God forbidden but I should. But yet if I should believe him alone, against a sacred torrent of so many others, he would give me little thankes for it, and truly I have no mind to offend him. Would he disagree from St. Bonaventure, he, who in effect, did nothing but by the advice of Panigarola, a man of the same Order, and fare inferior to Saint Bonaventure. Pardon me my Lords, if I tell you, that the History of St. Charles his life, doth carry other manner of reasons with it, then that which you allege, how he came to make his Diocese so flourishing: for that story tells us, that the thing which made him victorious, over so many impediments, and enabled him to do what he listed, was this which followeth. 1. That he led a holy and irreprehensible life. L. 1. c. 8. 2. He did ordinarily fast, and L. 8. c. 21. that oftentimes, with bread and water; yea and even when he was present at Feasts, and he fasted for devotion and not for thrift. 3. He gave over in one morning, L. 2. c. 2. the revenue of threescore thousand Crowns by the year; and who would not believe a man, who should at once allege threescore thousand reasons, which weigh at the least, a Crown a piece. 4. He always every day recited L. c. 2. 8. his Breuiarie, with his knees bend, and his head bare, and he even blotted it all out with tears, which his devotion shed in so great abundance. 5. He did never in effect, go out L. 2. c. 2. of his Diocese. 6. He gave alms, even almost L. 4. c. 3. & l. 8. c. 28. beyond the means he had. 7. He served with his own hands L. 4. c. 3. such persons as had plague soars upon them. 8. He made the visitation of his Diocese on foot, and he performed his Pilgrimages, after the same manner. 9 He daily celebrated mass, with an L. 8. c. 2. incredible devotion, and with a Majesty, which was more than humane. 10. He was peradventure the L. 8. c. 16. most humble man of all his Diocese, and did in his very soul, believe more meanly of himself, then of any servant he had. 11. He was indefatigable, in the L. 8. c. 31. execution of his Office. 12. Under his Scarlet he wore a L. 8. c. 31. hard and rough haircloth. 13. He took his rest, either upon L. 8. c. 3. the bare ground, or else upon straw which was as hard. 14. He would read the holy Bible upon his knees, and with his head bare, and the while, he would shed abundance of tears. 15. He carried a tender love towards the seraunts of God. 16. Every year he made the spiritual L. 8. c. 5. exercises twice, sometimes in the Noviciate, at Novellara (which my Lady his sister had founded) under father Anthonio Valentino, a jesuite (of whom I have understood thus much) and sometimes at Arona, in the Novilitate, which he had founded himself, and then he did ever make his general Confession. 17. He would never do any thing L. 1. c. 4. without taking very wise counsel, and he did exceedingly distrust his own judgement. 18. He was ever the first at good works, at the Office of the Church, at Sermons, at the visiting of Hospitals, and serving the sick. 19 He was greatly exact and L. 8. c. 3. careful, not to give holy Orders, nor Benefices, but to persons very capable, and of good life. 20. He would do nothing of importance L. 8. c. 3. without communicating it first, to the Pope, and his Council, whom he honoured as the Oracle of Heaven. This in effect, is that my Lords, which gave him so great power to make a reformation through his whole Diocese, and not either seculers, or Regulers, or such other aids as those; in fine, in the midst of all impediments, and when the whole secular power would oppose itself to his designs, the Governors of Milan sent word to King Philip the second, that they were not able to resist him; and the King would ordinarily make this answer, Pues●el Arcobispo es un sancto. Let this Archbishop alone, for he is a very Saint. The Archbishop Visconte his successor, a most wise man, and whom I have heard Preach, would sometimes be making the same offers; but the same King answered concerning him; Luego este no es saincto. No, saith he, the case is not the same. For this man is not yet a Saint, when he shallbe so, we will speak with him again. So that the belief which was had of the sanctity of Saint Charles, was that which made him so omnipotent; do but give me some Saint Charles like him, and there shallbe no Barbarism which shall not be tamed, and even made holy in a short time: but without that there will be much to do, whosoever he be that goes about it, and Charles Baromeus, would not have wrought those wonders, if he had not been St. Charles. All this say you, goes well, but in fine Saint Charles did not serve himself of Religious men, in making that Reformation. Though that were so, yet the Pope his Uncle, served himself of them; and so did the greatest Cardinals of his time, who found that they had no cause to repent it. Farnesse at Rome, Paleotta at Bolonia, Valerio at Verona, Priuli at Venice, Medici at Florence, and Este at Ferara, that I may say nothing of my Lords, the Cardinals of France; whose memory is both in benediction and admiration; he of Bourbon, of Vendosme, of Lorraine, of Tornon, and so many others. And these two last, being men of very great judgement, and reputation, resolved when they died, to breathe out their souls in the hands of Religious men, and to leave their hearts depositated amongst them, in testimony of an everlasting love. And I will also forbear to say any thing of such as live, and of an innumerable number of most eminent Prelates of France; yea and of Europe, who have found themselves well at case, by not having been of that opinion, which here is attributed to Saint Charles. I could here say much of those great Cardinals of joyuse, of Condy, of Retz, of Peron, of Ciury; and of so many others: but I will forbear, and pass no further upon this point. But we will yet say better to you, and I am content that Saint Charles be made the judge of all this questions for either the story of his life deceives us, or certainly my Lords, you will lose your cause. So true it is, that Saint Charles did the just contrary, of all that which some men would make the World believe. See how he did it, and what his life relates. When he was converted in good earnest to God, and to that eminent manner L. 1. c. 5. of life which he grew to lead, he took for his guide, Father john Baptista L. 1. c. 5. Ribera a jesuite. When he resolved to make his entry into Milan, and to dispose of that people; he chose Father Palmio and some others of the same Order, which proved so to the glory of God as all the World understands. He settled Colleges and Religious-Houses, and served himself L. 2. c. 7. of them for his Seminaries, and for the affairs of his Diocese. At Milan he found the Barnabists, who are very good Religious men, and who gave him great succour towards the government of his Church. Besides, he brought in the Theatins, esteeming them to be very worthy L. 2. c. 19 labourers in the Vine-yard of God. And yet the good Cardinal did not conceive, that he had half the men whereof he had need, for so great an office. He never ceased, till he had brought the Capuchins into those Dominions of the Swissers, which L. 6. c. 8. were under his Archbishopricke, believing that the sanctity of the life, the good example; and the Preaching of those Fathers, would work that effect, which since indeed they have wrought. He also placed two Colleges of Jesuits at Lucerna, and Ibid. Fribourg; and besides at Milan, and at Arona; and he served himself of all those good Fathers, towards the perfecting of that work, about which he went. In these most solemn and most renowned visitations, which he made amongst the Grisons, in the Voltolina, and other Countries which were blasted with Heresy: he had ordinarily Panigarola with him, L. 7. c. 4. who was then but a mere Cordelier, though afterward he was made Bishop of Aste, and Father Achilles Gagliardo a jesuite; besides others who were not of so much note as these two. Yea, there were three men, of whom he thought he could never have enough, Panigarola, Emanuel Sà, and Father Adorno. The first of them for Preaching; the second for cases of conscience; and the third, for the conduct of his soul, for in all his life, and even in the hour of his death, he would ever be so conducted by this Father Adorno; that in effect, he did nothing but by obedience to him, at least in those things which concerned the interior man, and the guiding of his conscience, which was most tender and nice. And his life speaks of things agreat, and so extraordinary in this ●de, as that I dare not touch them ●ere. When he was able to scape away, and go to Novellarie, there L. 7. c. 11. & 12. to confer with Father Anthonio Valentino (who was Father of the Novices of the Jesuits) he thought himself to be in a kind of Paradise; and when afterward, he came to find himself assaulted by Death, he ●ent for Father Adorno, and made his general Confession to him, and would needs dye in the Arms of him, upon whom he had entirely relied for the direction of his soul, during his life. That I may say nothing of the jacobins and Cordeliers, and other Religious men, who lived on Alms, by whom he was often assisted, with very great fruit. And now I most humbly beseech you most illustrious, and most reverend Lords, is it true which they have said of Saint Charles; that 〈◊〉 did not serve himself of Religion men, he who ever had them at 〈◊〉 feet, he who died in their Arme● and who in effect, did never a● thing of much importance, whe● in he was not assisted by their Counsels: he who served himself of the● labours in his visitations, and wh● received comfort by their conversation, making himself the founder o● some, the protector of others, and generally a Father to them all. He● took great contentment to reuolue● that passage of Saint Gregory up and down in his mind. Cuncti qui praesunt, non in se potestatem Ordinis debent sed aequalitatem pensare conditionis; nec praeesse se hominibus gaudeant, sed prodesse. Those two words of praeesse and prodesse, were everlastingly before his eyes, and yet more, this other passage of the same Pope: Qui episcopatum desiderat, bonum opus desiderat. Notandum vero, 〈◊〉 illo tempore hoc dicebatur, quo Part. 1. c. 8. q●ssquis plebibus praeerat, primus ad ●rtirij tormenta ducebatur, tunc er●audabile fuit episcopatum quaerere, ●ndo per hunc non erat dubium ad ●plicia graviora quemlibet pervenire. Whilst he was repassing this saying in his mind, it is not easily to be believed, with how great ardour of zeal, he would think of culti●ting his Diocese; serving himself of all men, but not of any who would employ themselves but by halves. He was the first at labour, and the last, and lowest of all in the esteemation of himself. And it seemed, as if he had been made Cardinal but to kill himself with taking pains, and to dye himself purple in his own blood: and to bathe in the sweat of his own labours, and so to be exalted to a thousand, and a thousand Crowns of merit. Notwithstanding all this, I 〈◊〉 avow that in the latter years of 〈◊〉 life, he did not serve himself, 〈◊〉 much of Regulers, as of other● This cannot be well denied, and 〈…〉 must frankly avow the truth; F● otherwise a man should contradi● the History of his life, written 〈◊〉 Cap. 18. Possivinus a secular Priest, and 〈◊〉 Domestic of the holy Cardina● and the witness, who saw wh● he wrote. here is then the ca● the Religious men finding themselves to be surcharged, and n● being able to attend to all tha● which the holy Cardinal expecte● at their hands, desired that he● would be pleased to free them from some part of that great employment. From hence, some good Priests took occasion to offer themselves to be used by Saint Charles, in whatsoever he should command. This small beginning enlarged itself; ●d these first servants of God, did ●arme themselves by little and little, ●d set themselves forward apace. ●nd the better to advance this py●us design, and to become more ac●ptable, and necessary, they alleged to the holy Archbishop, as followeth. 1. That Religious men, were not absolutely at his disposition. That they had Generals and Provincials; who disposed of them at their pleasure. That sometimes when they were in the midst of some great good business, they left it all, to follow the call of Obedience. That when Saint Charles began to have particular gust in any one, it was then, that they would be taking him out of his hand. That he was not the Master of any of them. That every one had particular rules, which obliged him to diverse things, and that therefore he could not ser● himself freely of them. 2. That they had too great Privileges and power from Popes, and that they were too independent vpo● their Ordinaries. 3. That they were not of the ordinary body, and of the Hierarchy of the Church. 4. That they might not be Parsons or Curates, Arch-deacons, Canons, Theologals, Vicar's general, nor serve the cures of Villages. 5. That secular Priests were rather to be reform by secular Priests, then by Regulers, who have had no education that way. 6. That by little and little, some Priests might be substituted to the place of others; and so the Clergy of Milan would infallibly grow to be reform, both in Country and City: by the substitution, I say, of of good Priests, who might lead holy lives, and that all the younger Priests, moulding themselves by those others, might thus put themselves upon the way of Ecclesiastical perfection, obtained by secular Priests, who shortly would people Lombardie, with excellent men for the Church. That Religious men not being come in, but to secure the Church when it was in decay, and seemed to hang towards ruin, there would now be not great need of them, but for singing their Office in the Quire, and to make mental Prayer. 8. That good secular Priests were the men, who would uphold the dignity of Bishops, and who live not but by them, nor take any thing to heart but their Commandments, and who would ever be at their feet, and ever near at hand; to be employed by them, in all kind of labour without contradiction. 9 That for the greater assurance and stability hereof, they would take an Oath, nay they would ma● a particular vow, between th● hands of the said Lord Cardinal, whereby they would irrevocably oblige themselves to him, and would make themselves as his Creatures. This is that in gross, which I have learned both in Milan, as also out of the life of the Saint aforesaid, touching that which they alleged to him. And now he who embraced all sorts of people, for the service o● God, was much pleased by the lustre of these fair and winning propositions. And as for the men, he received them after a paternal manner, and gave them the Church of the holy Sepulchre; and obtained the yearly revenue of a thousand crowns for them of Pope Gregory the thirteenth; and by occasion of offering themselves to him, he gave them the name of Oblati, which continueth with them till this day, and in truth they have done God good service in the Diocese of the holy Cardinal. Now as for saying, whether afterward they grew up to frame a body, or whether they have chosen a General, or no, or what Hierarchy they have, I must clearly avow mine own ignorance. For in truth, I know not how the case stands, and I am so little curious, that I have not taken care to inform myself. It is true, that I have been told many times, but I put not this either into my book of receipts, or of expenses, as a thing which concerns me not. But I beseech God to conserve and enrich them, with all the benedictions both of heaven and earth, for the service of the Church, and the good of souls. 9 This was then the occasion of that change which arrived at Milan; wherein my Lords, you may be pleased to observe, that it grew upon the desire of the Religious men, and at their instant 〈◊〉 that Saint Charles discharged them, of that too great employment: for these are the express words of the History. Besides that the holy Cardinal did never give over, even till the end of his life, to serve himself of Religious men, and to employ them upon the conduct of his soul; and you may well believe of so great a Cardinal, that since he trusted his conscience, and his heart in the hands of Religious men, he might also well trust the rest, his flock, and whatsoever was in his Diocese, which was the honour of Dioceses. 10. To tell you now which of the two is better, either to have served Saint Charles in the establishment of his Archbishopricke, and to break through difficulties, or to have helped to conserve that, which was established already, would be but odious, and without fruit. In like manner to debate, whether this be not sitter at one time then in another, would prove to make a discourse apt to breed jealousy, and to discover a high way covered with thorns. To know moreover whether the Oblati do better service to Bishops, then Religious men, yea or no; for the love of God, do not engage me upon this task. When you go to Milan, you ma● take the pains, to inform and instruct yourselves herein. As for me, I know in a manner what might be said, but I also know withal, that I will not say it. That which I willbe bold to say is this, that I do infinitely commend the large heart of Saint Charles, and his affections of a father. He ever loved both the one and the other, ever employed both the one & the other, and as his life doth witness, he better loved to be a Father to all, then partial to any. And seeing that he had all in his power, he would not commit himself wholly to any; nor put himself into parallel with other folks; and to the end, that all might be good children to him, he was a loving Father to all. His life doth further relate, that he had often in his mouth, that word of the wiseman. Discurre, festina, suscita Cap. ●7. animam tuam, ne dederis somnum occulis tuis, nec dormicent palpebrae suae. In fine, he awaked all the world, he employed all the servants of God, and he never thought himself to have men enough to cultivate his Diocese, whereof he so much procured the advancement. 11. True, but yet he wished for some things to be in regular persons, and there were many little things which pleased him not. Alas, is there any kind of people, whereof a man is not weary at ●ngth, since a man groweth weary e●en of himself, and many times he ●ares not for that after noon, which he passionately desireth before. In fine, the mind of man is so made. But now my Lords, tell me if it please you, do you believe that there hath been nothing done, by those others, which might have been wished otherwise, and which displeased Saint Charles, and his successors. Are they perhaps impeccable, or are they men dropped down from Heaven, and confirmed in grace? If a man will not serve himself, but only of such as make no faults, infallibly he must serve himself of none; but he must, as Saint Paul saith, go out of the World, and seek them beyond these parts of the earth which are inhabited by men. Every man is a man, and extremely a man, and subject to many tokens of humanity, and 〈◊〉 inhumanity too. He is the most excellent amongst them, who committeth the fewest faults A good old● Religious man of the Mendicants, said thus at Milan. When those other good men shall have served St. Charles as long as we, and shall have sweat blood and water so many years: the world will then be able to judge, who shall have done better service. And is it therefore fit, that for some little fault, all former services should be forgotten. Some one man, will have committed some light indiscretion; and a hundred others of the same Order, will have performed a thousand good services, and must the misfortune be so great, as to impute the fault of that one to the whole body, and that no account should be made of all that good, which a hundred servants of God have wrought, and must all this be buried, in the pit of oblivion? The great wisdom ●nd wise charity of Saint Charles did ●rue itself of all: he managed the ●ood services of some, he excused ●e faults of others, if any were made, and he gained the heart of the whole World. THE SECOND REASON. That Privileged persons trouble the Hierarchy of the Church. MY Lord Bishop of Geneva, who was the Saint Charles of France, and whose memory is in benediction, was a Prelate, whom you my Lords did honour so greatly, that more cannot be imagined. One day when I had the ho●or to discourse with him at Paris, with that liberty which by his commandment, and through his goodness I had acquired, and there had passed more than five and thirty years, since I had formerly touched this string: in familiar speech he said to me after this manner, but with that ayr● which he ordinarily used, and wit● that Angelical serenity of his. 〈…〉 know not whither these men will g● to frame this Hierarchy, and whe● they find, and fancy these distinctions. When soever it shall plea● them, I will make them see, that Religious men, are one of the most important pieces, or parts of the tru● Hierarchy of the Church. And som● there are, who make a show, as if th● would only abase Religious men who yet in very deed would fain abase Bishops too, and even th● Pope himself. Alas, saith he, le● us live, and serve ourselves of them whom the good God sendeth to v● for although we were ten times a many as we are, infallibly we shoul● not be half so many, as were fit: s● true it is, that, Totus mundus est 〈…〉 maligno positus. 2. Saint Bonaventure, a Cardinal In Apol. peuperum art. 2. 4. Propositionis. 〈◊〉 ● Bishop, disputing with a certain Doctor Gultelmus de Sancto a●ore, who said at that time, all that which now is said upon this argument (for all that which is expressed ●n in this year 1625. is but the repetition, and echo, of that which was delivered in the year 1257. this St. I say, doth observe a choice passage in the Gospel, from whence he draweth a most excellent consequence, and extremely to the purpose Luke 10. of our question. He observeth, I say, that when that poor Traveller was wounded, by those murdering Thiefs, the Priest passed by, and that was all he did. A Levite shortly after passed also by, but he did not so much as once touch the poor wounded man, and so that these two, who were in greatest obligation to help him, left him wholly without succour. By chance there passed also a poor Samaritan, and, 〈…〉 (though he were in less Oblige did yet alight to the ground, he p●red oil and wine into his bleeds wounds, he raised and set him● upon his beast, he caused him to addressed, he paid the charges, he 〈…〉 stored him in fine to himself, a● was afterward greatly praised 〈…〉 Christ our Lord. It doth many tim● happen, that they who style the●selues, to be only of the Hierarchy have so many businesses to do, th● they leave many without succou● and God sendeth others, who supply that omission, in such sort, th● what some do not, others do, an● that with a good will. And Go● who is the common Father of al● sendeth help, both by means 〈◊〉 the one, and of the other. And afterwards he saith, Messis multa, operar● pauci; rogate ergo dominum messis, v● millat operarios in urneam suam. Nam● ●onorum Potisicum est, non tam pati●ter far, quam desiderantèr appete● cooperatores Euangelistas ad multi●dines divinarum messium colligen●. A good mother will never be ●ie, when she sees a man, who ●ough he be none of her ordinary domestic servants, doth yet ne●erthelesse (finding a son of hers ●allen down in the street) raise him ●p with a ready hand, and wrap ●im gently in his arms, and carry ●im back in to her bosom. Nay, she will not know how to entertain ●hat honest man kindly enough, nor ●e able to tell what tha●kes to give ●im. In fine, he addeth this; Pensatis ●mnibus nul●● debet utaeri iniuriosum, 〈◊〉 supers●●um, si caelesti Hierarchiae ●lacuit, aliquos ad hoc opus, etsi non necessitate consti●●los, sed charitate inductos eligere, quos & sub-caelestis Hierarchia voluit & debuit approbare. I conjure you to weigh these words well. 3. And when it should bee● that Religious men, were not o● Hierarchy of the Church, but o● a kind of extraordinary succo● will any man infer thereupon, 〈◊〉 they are not of the body of● Church? Saint Paul came in 〈◊〉 the College of twelve Apo● was already furnished, and was ●traordinarily called; but yet wa● not, I beseech you an Apostle, an 〈…〉 the body of the Apostles, and 〈◊〉 great Apostle, and through his ●cellencie, called the Apostle? I● now there being but twelve se● for the Apostles, where shall these of Saint Paul be? Saint August● will tell you this better than I, or ●ther, you know it already with● any speech of mine. St. Marti● one of the Apostles of France, ca● in afterwards, and what shall 〈◊〉 he be of this body, and of the num● of the rest, because he was call● afterwards, and to their succour? The enemies of the Church, do sometimes fear one of these extraordinary men, more than a hundred ●nd fifty of those others. Tolle Thomam, & Ecclesiam dissipabo, said that miserable Rucerus, long ago. Take Friar Thomas away, shut but up his mouth, let that dead man speak no more, and I will fear no body, but will ruin and renuerse the whole Church of Rome. 4. The Popes and Counsels say expressly, that Bishops and Pastors succeed the Apostles, and the Disciples of jesus Christ. This is most true; but so it is also true, that Popes and Counsels have employed Religious men, and grafted them, as it were, into this Hierarchy, as Kings are wont to do, who (besides their ordinary Militia, which serves for pay) have their white banners, under which voluntaries are assembled, who are the men many times, that go first 〈◊〉 the knocks; and supposing that th● acquit themselves well, and continu● under the authority of the King, the● are praised, beloved, and admired b● all the World. Besides them, who 〈◊〉 mere right are obliged to procure the salvation of those souls, whic● are under their charge, God an● his Vicar on earth, hath certain choice troops, which are sent t● secure those others, and that the● may acquit themselves the better, i● doing their duty, they give them● Privileges and arms, wherewith● to fight against Hell, and against sin● and all those miseries which destroys souls. This is not therefore to trouble the Hierarchy, but to magnify it, to secure it, and to live and dye for● the service of it. Your Mr. Renatus Benedictus, who 〈…〉 is now dead, said one day to Father 〈…〉 Maldonatus, that in very truth, the● Church had formerly been in such ●ermes, that she had had necessity ●hat Religious men should come into the World to help her to re-establish Ecclesiastical discipline; but now, said he, when all goes so well, we have no more need thereof, and therefore let them suffer us, every one to follow his occupation. I would to God he had said true, and that the World were in so present state, as that Religious men had no more to do, but to say their prayers. Alas, and what could we desire more than this? But in conscience, my Lords, are we now grown to be in such case as this, and is France so well sanctified both in City and Country? 6. The wish of a certain worthy Prelate of this Kingdom, is much more worth the making, he useth these very words, and for all kinds of reason, his testimony is worthy to be received both with affection, and with honour, he being such as he is, leading such a life, as all the World doth know, and admire. Lord how happy a thing it is when the Ecclesiastical men, who are of the Clergy, and when the men of Religious Orders be in good accord, and maintain good intelligence for the service of those souls, which have cost the Son of God so much blood. When these Hurs' and josuahs' hold up the arm of these Moses; that is to say, of the ordinary Pastors, to whom the government of souls committed to their charge doth belong: How great benedictions grow from this holy unaminity and correspondence: But on the other side, what confusion springeth forth, when they, who both by their Character of Priest hood, and by a Regular life ought to be in Order, do encounter and oppose one another: For if the salt be unsavoury; with what shall any thing be seasoned? If Order be disordered, by what means shall the extreme corruptions of disorder be removed? If the rule be not straight, with what shall one be able to measure the dimensions of any building? O how truly doth the poor Church endure by these debates, other manner of torments, than Rebecca suffered by the combat of her Children. I confess, it carrieth difficulty with it, for two men to run in a Tiltyard at the same time, and in the same way against one another, without justling, but that again grows very easy, when there is a partition, which cutteth the length of the carrier in the middle; and in the same manner is it easy for divers to labour in the same Vine-yard without contestation, where the business is so great, and the labourers so few, every one seeking not his own interests there, but the interest of jesus Christ: provided always, that they pass not the limits, which the Son of God hath prescribed, etc. And a little after, he saith thus. The Church, which is the seamlesse Coat, not of joseph, but of jesus Christ, is torn by these Schisms, nothing indeed being so contrary to it, as internal divisions, which do afflict it more than external hereresie, etc. 7. That the first honours be rendered to my Lords the Bishops, and the second to the Pastors, and Parsons or Curates of Churches, is out of all dispute: Let them be great in dignity, and eminency, let them command, let them govern, let them triumph. They shall never be either so great, or so holy, but that all good Religious men will wish, that they may be so more and more, and that they may see them also many St. Charleses. That which Religious men desire, is neither greatness, nor honour, nor revenue, nor precedence, nor any thing which carrieth lustre, and noise with it. That which they desire, is but to sweat blood and water, to labour day and night, to serve and comfort the whole World; to Preach, to take Confessions, to visit Hospitals, and Prisons, and must this be for troubling the Hierarchy? The oriental Church is so far off from ever having had this belief, that even in these days, they scarce make any Patriarch, Archbishop, or Bishop, but such as are Religious of the Order of Saint Basil. And still this Hierarchy of the Church must needs have a head, who may govern and range it as is fit. Since therefore fifty Popes without interruption one after an other, have sent these Regulars in aid and succour of the Hierarchy, who will presume to say, that so many Popes, and after them, so many Cardinals, and great Prelates, have troubled the Order of the Church, together with so many Kings, who have desired them, sent for them, honoured them, and who would needs appoint by their express commandments, that they should have employment in their Dominions, and in fine, who have served themselves of them in their own souls. 8. A very learned Doctor in Paris, hath observed (in the relation which he makes of those Hierarchies of Heaven; to those on earth) that the Prelates or Governors of Religious men, are as the Principalities of Heaven, in the Hierarchy of the Church on earth. Is this to trouble the Order of the Church, and to bring in coniusion? The Cardinals (saith he) answers to the Seraphins, the Bishops to the Cherubins, the Parsons and Curates to the Archangels, the Abbots and Superiors of Regular men, to the Principalities, etc. If now we should examine this business by the fruit, which both the one and the other do produce in the Church, there would be much to be said, but this would be odious. It is better that you be pleased to employ your memories upon that which hath been said already, and to retain that in your minds, which was delivered by two Holy Prelates, speaking in these words. Petri Successor pia providet saluti S. Co●. l. c. animarum, & in nullo praejudicat authoritati Pontificum, tanquam ornans, non deornans Ecclesias●●um Hierarchiam, dum mittit Religiosos. Vnde Sanctus Gregorious, ecce mundus Sacerdotibus S. Greg. in Past. plenus est, & tamen in Dei mess, rarus operarius inventiur. This great Pope, and this great Cardinal, when they speak these wordes● do they think, they trouble the Hierarchy of the Church? 9 If these Regulars did intrude themselves, and as Tertullian say Si quis missus est a seipso: If they made havoc where they go, and disturbed the Order of the Church, i● would indeed; be inexcusable, and punishable. But being inspired by Almighty God, authorised by Counsels, sent by Popes, approved by the Bishops of all times, and of all Countries in the World; having bi● in possession of so many ages, and succeeding their predecessors, who have lost their lives in cultivating the Vine-yard of jesus Christ: Alas, shall this be called a trouble to the Hierarchy of the Church? Hierarchicha opera non peragunt authoritate sua, sed Ordinariorum, & potissimê summi pontificis: 〈…〉. l. c. Saith this great Cardinal, cujus dispositionis authoritas positiva ●urae transcendit: For these are his very words. 10. It is to be feared that the Church will find herself like the poor Rebecca, who felt two brothers contend so furiously in her womb, and that she may say, as the Spouse doth, by the relation of Saint Bernard. Filij matris meae pugnaverunt contra 〈◊〉, quia pugnaverunt contra se. Si sic futurum erat, quid quid necesse erat me concipere? I must needs make you hear the voice of this worthy Prelate. That the ranks M. de Belie. Serm. 10. de S. Ignat. of this Militant Church, have been addressed according to the Orders of the Triumphant, there is no doubt at all. The Hierarchy of the one, having been form according to the model of that Mountain of Heaven, amongst the inhabitants of the eternal Zion. Besides, in this Hierarchy, which contained the Order of Pastors in the Church of God● there be added certain troops o● succours, which enter into the Order with them, as Michael did into tha● of the Angel of Israel; and these troops compose a kind of Hierarchy, by reason of their particular government, and of a special kind● of Oeconomy, which they obseru● under the name of Orders, and o● Regularity. And although these congregations of men have many differences, yet are they without any division amongst themselves; and especially without separation from the body of the Church in general. And they beautify this Spouse of the Lamb by those delightful varieties: for which the Holy Scripture declareth her to be so grateful. And they compose the precious Carguanet which adorneth the neck of this chaste Dove with so great lustre. I say therefore that the Orders of Regulars compose a particular Hierarchy: yet annexed nevertheless to the general Hierarchy of the Church. Not ●at Religious men make any new Religion in point of belief, or that they maintain any difference therein, from the rest of the faithful, but on the other side, for as much as their life is more exemplar, and more perfect, and in regard that they are the most illustrious portion of the flock of jesus Christ; their piety doth make their faith much more delicate and more docile. Their souls not finding difficulty to believe any thing, so that it make for the advantage of his glory, who drew them out of the darkness of this World, to the admirable light of the practice of those counsels of his, which put them into the state of acquiring perfection. But I was saying that they seemed to compose a kind of Hierarchy by reason of their exemptions, whic● subtract them from the jurisdiction of the ordinary Prelates, and Pastor● because their life is sequested fro● the ways of worldly men, and because the correspondencies of their Oeconomy, which finally pitcheth upon the holy seat of Rome, by th● degrees of their local Superiors their Provincials, and their Generals, is a copy drawn out of the Original of Parish Priests Diocessaries, hnd Metropolitans, according to that order which the Son of God hath established in his Church, the whole rendering itself into the unity of the Apostolical Seat of St. Peter, as into the centre upon which, as upon an immoveable Rock our Lord hath established his Holy Church. 11. And now since they will mould the Hierarchy of the earth, upon that of Heaven, it cometh fitly to our purpose: for besides the Angel's guardians, who are they which go●erne the World in the ordinary ●ay? Such as are good Divines ●ow, that there is not in a manner ●ny Quire of Angels, whereof God doth not sometimes send one, or other to perform some great charities to mankind. Sometimes a Cherubin, sometimes a Seraphin, sometimes an Archangel; and (as Saint Paul said to the Hebrews,) Omnes sunt administratorij spiritus, in Ministerium missi propter eos qui hereditatem capient salutis. And now do you believe, that the ordinary Angels take it ill, when the extraordinaries come to secure, and help to save souls; and think you that this is a troubling of the Hierarchies. But you will say, have not perhaps the ordinary Angels sufficient power to do what is fit. To which I make you this answer. Shall we give Law to God, and prescri● to him what he shall do? and sha● we offer to change the unspeakeab● designs of his holy Providence, an● of his Charity? when the Apostles were so loaden, that they could no● draw their net, being then so full● fish, they saw another boat whic● Luke 5. passed. Et annuerunt socijs qui era● in alia navi, ut venirent, & adjuvare● eos. So fare off are they from mis-l●king, that others should put thei● hands to their work, that they entreat them to do it with great instance, and without that succo●● they might perhaps have lost bot● their pains, and their fish; and thi● passage is applied to this argument by some great personages, for th● Apostles represent the Prelates and Pastors; and that little boat the Regulars, who are called to succour and assist in the saving of souls. 12. If men say, that the Hierar●y is no other thing, than my Lords ●e Prelates, and the Parsons and curates, if that be so, it is certain, ●at Religious men are not of it. If ●en say, that none are of the Hie●rchy, but they who have charge of souls, in that case, neither the Cardinals nor Canons, nor Religious, nor Abbots, nor Chapters, nor a world of Ecclesiastical persons, shallbe of it. But we must consider whether in very deed, the nature of a Hierarchy consist in that: For St. Dennis, of whom all the World hath taken and learned, what belongeth to a Hierarchy; and Saint ●homas after him, saith first, that Hierarchia est saier Principatus, & P. p. q. 108. 1. 1. multitudo ordinata sub uno principe. 2. una est Hierarchia hominum, & Angelorum sub uno principe Deo. 3 In divinis personis est Ordo, sed non est Hierarchia; quia non est ibi purgare, illuminare, & perficere, 〈◊〉 quo consistit Hierarchia. 4. Non ess● multitudo ordinata, sed confusa; si● multitudine diversi ordines non essen● ergó sit Hierarchia, debent e● diversi Ordines sub unius Princip● gubernation. In this sense, all th● which is in the Church being auow●ed and addressed by the Pope, wh● is the chief of this Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, and put in that pla● which hath been destined for it, 〈◊〉 purge illuminate, and give perfection, is so fare of, from being out o● the Hierarchy, that it is a very profitable part thereof, and which, in a● times, hath done admirable things for the service of God, of the Church● of Prelates, of Pastors, and for th● good of souls. But if the word o● Hierarchy be taken in the most rigorous sense, and if it comprehend nothing else, but Prelates, and Pastor● and them whom they employ, (themselves not being able in their own person's, to do all that which is fit) in ●his case, the Regulars will fall out in ●ood earnest, to be of the Hierarchy, for they are employed therein ●y Counsels, by Popes, by a world ●f Prelates, yea, and by the greatest ●art of Pastors themselves; excepting only some few, who of late ●aue made noise enough. The Kings of France themselves have commanded this to be observed in their Dominions, in such sort, as that Saint Lewis laid a perpetual sentence of banishment out of his Kingdom, upon that Doctor Gulielmus de Sancto Amore, who already had been condemned at Rome, in full Consistory, and whose book was mis-liked, and torn, and yet worse used; that book which he had composed against the Cordeliers, and the jacobins, and wherein he served himself of the same Arguments in effect, in the strength whereof men make such a hoo-bub in these days. 13. But you will say perhaps, tha● Pope Anicetus and others, and th● Counsels also, and the Canon's do● take that for the Hierarchy, whic● Christ our Lord did first send, namely his Apostles, and then his Disciples, by two and two, whom th● Prelates and Pastors do succeed● But it is one thing, when they say that these latter succeed those former, and another thing it is to affirm, that none but they are in the Hierarchy of the Church: For what will you say, if other great Saint● make it good, that you must rathert take the Hierarchy by the Parable o● the Vine-yard, which is the Church● There indeed the first are my Lords the most reverend Bishops; and they who follow after are the venerable Pastors, and Parsons and Curates, but that they who are sent at the ninth ●d eleventh hours, are those Re●lars who are designed to Preach, ●d receive confessions, etc. as being ●me but towards the evening, but ●ho yet nevertheless shall at the end 〈◊〉 the day be passed for true labou●rs, and shall also be well paid, and ●ith the same coin of those others. ●hose eminent men, to whom God ●ue his spirit for the assistance of ●oses and Aaron, in their government of the people of Israel, did ●ey trouble the Hierarchy? Congrega Num. 11. wehee septuaginta viros de senibus Isra●, etc. Et auferam de spiritu tuo, tra●mque eyes, ut sustentent tecum onus po●li. 14. Let us yet come closer, and ●y, that since it belongeth to the ●icar of Christ our Lord, to go●erne this Hierarchy, and that he 〈◊〉 the head thereof (as that learned doctor of the Sorbonne doth excellently De Monarchia. prove) let us see the motive which they allege, when they sen● the Regulars to know, whether the● have troubled the Hierarchy, or els● on the other side, whether they hau● done it good, and most faithful service. I might cite a hundred Bull● but I will only choose three or fou● but yet such as shallbe clear, strong and which shall press home; and wi● have great power upon all the● minds, upon whom truth and re●son will have power, as they are sure my Lords to have upon yours. Pope Gregory the ninth in the Bul● Cum messis, whereby he giveth divers Privileges to the Minorite F●ers, and namely, in the administra● of Sacraments, hath three motiue● The first, Cum messis multa sit, oper● rij verò pauci, etc. The second, Quo● Ministerium vestrum diligentèr i●plentes, vos operarios inconfusibile● exhibetis. The third, qui spirit● ●uitis, spiritu & ambuletis, de doctri● vestra & conversatione, flores & ●uctus proveniant gratiores. Paul the third, in the Bull, Cum ●ter, whereby he granterh many privileges to the society of jesus, ●oth mention two motives of that ●rant: The first, Ne gregi Dominico ●imarum cura de sit, & illum anti●us serpens indefensum & inpraepara●m invadat. The second, attendentes ●d fructus vberes quos in domo Domi●i hactenus produxistis, & producere ●on de sinitis vestrae Religione, integri●ate, scientia, doctrina, moribus & ex●erientia, etc. Pius Quintus, in the Bull, Et si Men●icantium, whereby he confirms all privileges of the Mendicant Friar's ●ayth, Attendentes plerosque exve●erabilibus fratribus nostris Archiepis●opis, & Episcopis, qui Ordines Men●icantium praecipuê, tanquam fructise●os in agro domini palmites; & colere, & adjuvare deberent, non solum● exequi negligere, vecumetiam Con● Tridentini decretis in pravum sens● retoris, vos, & eorum quemlibit, 〈◊〉 rijs afficere incommodis, & pertur●tionibus, eorumque Privilegijs 〈◊〉 modicum afferre gravamen conant● (whereof he recounteth diue● proptereá volentes praemissis, ac● similibus excessibus & gravamini● ex nostri Pastoralis Officij debito pro●dere. Attendentes etiam illos qui o●diei, & aestus, tam in praedicatio●bus, quam in caeteris spiritualib● muneribus quotidiè sustinent, nis●tiam aliquantum piè subleventur, fac●fore, ut oprressi à suis officijs omni● desistant, ne in posterum ●is aliquo● inferatur gravamen, etc. omni & s●gula Privilegia, etc. quomodo-lib● concessa, etc. authoritate Apostolu● tenore praesentium, perpetuò approb●mus & confirmamus. Alexander the fourth, a long tim● before this, had the same motive for ●he Cordeliers, in the Bull of Nimis, ●hereby he protected them against ●he persecution of certain Clerks, ●nd saith thus, Nimis iniqua vicis●itudine largitori bonorum omnium respondetur, dum ij qui de patrimonio Christi impinguati, luxuriant damna●iliter, in eodem Christum patenter ●nfamulis suis non verentur, acsi fa●tus sit impotens Dominum ultionum, etc. Cumquè non desint plerique tam Ecclesiarum Prelati, quam alij, qui ●aeca cupiditate traducti, propriae avi●itati subtrahi reputantes, quicquid vobis fidelium pietas elargitur, quie●em vestram multipliciter inquietant, contra vos molestiarum varias occasiones exquirentes. Volunt namque etc. (where he recounteth all those wrongs which the said Cordeliers had received of the said Clerks.) Nè hujus modi gravamina vobis ab eisdem Pre●latis, vel eorum subditis ulterius inferantur, authoritate praesenti● districtius inhibemus, etc. Gregory the 14th. in his Bull, Ecclesi● Catholicae, had also the same motive for many Privileges, which he gav● or confirmed, to the Society of Iesu● 15. If men desire to see general Counsels, for making an end of this proof, they may be easily brought but you know them better than I, and therefore it would be a superfluous discourse; for you know (as I say) what the Counsels of Viena, of Lateran, and of Trent affirm. If therefore to have shed so muc● blood, for the maintaining of th● Christian Faith, and of the Church over the whole World, if to hau● sweat blood and water. If 〈◊〉 have fought against Heresy and Errors, and Schism if to hau● courageously defended the Catholic Church, even to the last breath of life; if to have Preached, writte● so many books, laboured night and day, both in Cities and Countries, through whole ages: to have served ●he whole World, to have obliged ●en millions of souls to have sacrificed their life to the glory of God, ●nder the authority, and by the commandment of so many Popes, and holy Prelates, even of this Kingdom of France: If this, I say, be to trouble the Hierarchy, if this be a mortal sin, if this be a Schism, we cannot indeed deny, but that by the space of so many Ages, the Regulars have committed these disorders; and that so many holy and wise Prelates, at whose feet they died, in labour under them, and for them, throughout their Dioceses, that these great Prelates, I say, have committed a very grievous fault. But so also on the other-side, if these proceed do merit any return of friendship, if any kind of sweetness, it seems, that it were more honourable for men to show some little good will to them, who desire to employ their lives, and their labours under the authority of my Lords the Prelates, to live and dy● at their feet for the glory of God● and the good of souls, which ar● very glad to find themselves assisted● and comforted by them, and do accept of the little services which they can do. 16. O how highly do I commend● that good and gallant Pastor in Paris, who did so holily, and so ingeniously say as followeth. Let us do better than the Regulars, and let us not busy ourselves with crying out Hierarchy, Hierarchy: for infallibly, if we do better than they, we shall conserve our Hierarchy, and we shall need to be in no fear lest it diminish, or that we shallbe entered into by a breach, or that it shall grow to be dissipated. But till such time, as we see ourselves in that condition, why shall we not serve ourselves of the holy labours of so many good servants of God; who are withal, of our own flesh, and bone, and of our own blood, and our brethren, and who might perhaps have been that which we are, and perhaps better than we: But for the love of God, they would not accept it. If all the World here had a heart, and a tongue like that of this worthy personage, the Gallican Church, would be a Heaven upon earth, but as soon as men permit the infernal Dragon to whistle there, and that he promise certain divinities, and sublime greatnesses, a thousand divisions, and a thousand sorts of miseries enter in, which God of his great goodness shall remove if it pleaseth him, as I beseech him, with all the powers of my soul to do. As for that, which one of the chief men of Paris said, concerning proper interest, the offerings, the respects, the honour, the power, and such other things as these, I willbe fare from objecting it, and so doubtless these things, would not be good for the Hierarchy, and sure, there is no such matter amongst them. Besides that, this is without the compass of my design, and I have somewhat else to do, then to touch those strings which sound not well, and it would never become me well to do it, since it was so ill taken, at the hands of that great person, a Doctor of the Genebrard de Hierarchia. faculty of Paris, an Archbishop, and a man of so great reputation. I had rather make Saint Paul say this word, which issued out of an Apostolical, and Seraphical heart. Noli frater cibo tuo perdere eum, pro quo Christus mortuus est. As if he would say, alas do not amuse yourselves about your own commodities, nor about your own greatness, do not hinder the good ●nd comfort, and perhaps the salvation of those souls, which are bathed ●n the blood of Christ our Lord. Though this should cost you somewhat, it will never cost you so much, as it cost him, who employed even to the last drop of his blood upon it. If the Regulars do good to your flock, will you be offended with them for that? if they do them no good, the World indeed is much deceived, which believes, and daily sees the contrary. Salus populi suprema lex esto. The Law of Laws, is the safety of the people, and the assistance of souls, and it is evidently seen, that both the people and God himself have blessed, and as it were, canonised a million of innocent actions of good Religious men, who have assisted a World of persons. If I durst descend deeply into this matter, and show you the necessity, which the Church conceives itself to have of this succour, so fa● of would it be, from tearing this Hierarchy in pieces, that you would evidently see, that perhaps it would have proved a mere Anarchy, (a● was said by a great Archbishop of France) if the goodness of God had not sent this help. But I will not enter upon this Discourse, nor give any manner of offence to any, it sufficeth for me, to plead the cause of God, and of his servants, showing the innocency of their proceeding, and the purity of their intention. THE THIRD REASON. That Religious and Privileged men do abase the authority of my Lords, the Bishops, and become, as it were, insolent by reason of that power, which is imparted to them, by their Privileges. THis is the source of all our great and most important difference. There is nothing so insupportable as contempt, especially when it grows upon any ●an from his inferior; contempt, ●hether it be truly offered, or but ●magined, produceth most prejudicial effects. If Regulars have indeed committed this sin, it is certainly worthy ●f blame, and intolerable; but so, if it ●e not true, without doubt they who ●ould needs suggest this to our Lords ●he Prelates, and persuade them to believe it, hath been a little in th● wrong; and to omit the speaking 〈◊〉 any thing which may offend them, 〈◊〉 will only say, that their zeal, ha● had a little more of the smoke, the● of the fire. At the worst hand, the● is no mischief without a remedy and when the objection were tru● men should rather apply a plaist● with some lenity, then tear off th● arm, which hath some little hurt 〈◊〉 it; and which afterward might do good service, being cured, and restored to former health. 2. But I maintain, that this is 〈◊〉 mere, and most ugly slander, an● I hope, that, by the help of God I shall make the matter so clear, th● no man of a good mind, willbe ●ble to refuse me his belief, nor eu● contradict me with reason. There hath not been any tim● when the Devil hath not endeavours to put jealousy into the mind's 〈◊〉 the greatest, and to make Religious ●en, who are his capital, and irreconciliable enemies, to be suspected. Who would ever have believed, that ●n France there could have been found ●ny Prelate, whom Saint Bernard ●ight put into jealousy and pain? And yet the while, josilinus the Bishop of Soissons wrote back to him Ep. 213. 〈◊〉 terrible letter, whereof the title ●was this. Bernardo Abbati salutem ●n Domino, & non spiritum blasphe●iae. The poor Abbot, being strogen with this word, as if it had been 〈◊〉 pointed stone, or a bolt of thunder, made this answer. Minimè ●uidem ego spiritum blasphemiae habere ●e arbitror, etc. Et quoniam ut video, ●ondum quievit indign ●tio vestra, qua ●orsi●an adversus Ecclesiae conculcato●es justius incanduisset, etiam nobis di●o, Schismaticos vos, aut fomitem esse ●candali, nec dixi, nec scripsi, nec cre●idi, & dico securus. In the mean time, I believe that the occasions which this most reverend Bishop took, was from this, that th● Churches of Paris, of R●imes, o● chaalon's, and of Bourges, were no● so perfect, and that the Council o● King Lewis the 8th. did seem to carr● that King to consent that Saint Bernard might assist those Churches, an● the Prelates; now this holy Abbot● being full of the spirit of Charitie● wrote thus to my Lord of Soessom● who was of the Council. Miru● valdé, si contra vestrum consilium h●● fiunt; mirum magis & malum, si vestro consilio fiunt; etenim consulere talia, Schisma fabricare est● Deo resistere, Ecclesiam ancillare, & novam in servitutem redigere ecclesiasticam libertatem. Now the enemies of Saint Bernard did blow up this discourse, and cast into the mind of the good Bishop so many shadows and false rumours, that in fine, he broke out, and called S. Bernard a blasphemer, and a man possessed with the malign spirit of blasphemy, before those clouds could be well dispersed. This caused much scandal in France, and God was greatly offended thereby; but in the end, all was accommodated, and men came to see clearly, that it was but a craft of Lucifer who desired to make those two Angels, fight with one another, and to make the Hierarchies here on earth revolt, as he had made those of Heaven rebel before. 3. It hath often arrived in the Church, that sometimes good Prelates should heat, and band themselves against the Regulars, and ever with very good pretexts, but time, patience, truth, and God have cleared all, and turned the storm into calm. Sometimes the jacobins have thought they should have been swallowed up; sometimes the Cordeliers; sometimes the other mendicant Religious, sometimes the Jesuits, and sometimes the Order itself of Saint Benet; as being too powerful, and having for too long a time, disposed of the Keys of St. Peter. But yet certainly, it would be good to see the platform of this mighty building; and to know upon what this great complaint is grounded, which is the spring and force of other complaints: for is it perhaps, that Religious men have a desire to carry away the Mitres and Crosiers of my Lords the Bishops? Is it because they debate about having the upper end of the board, and to be seated in the places of most honour? Is it, that they Preach whether they will or no, or in their Dioceses; and that they make themselves little Monarches in the Empire of others? Doth any one of them hear Confessions without their consent, or at least, of their Vicar's general, according to the Council of Trent? Is it perhaps, that they have more credit and belief, amongst the people, more auditors at their Sermons, and after a sort, more power in appearance then many others? Dear God, what is the matter, and how shall men be able to behave themselves? If these Religious be vulgar persons, men despise them: If there be never so little in them which is more eminent, men enter into jealousies, and say. There is no remedy, but these men must be humbled. In fine, what is that which they do whereby indeed the great power of the Prelates of the Church, is abased? Is it, that they have too many Privileges, and too great authority to absolve sins? Is it that they take Confessions within fifteen days of Easter, and Minister the Communion excepting only upon Easter day, which the Canons, and the Counsels have excepted? Is it that men visit not the Blessed Sacrament in their Churches, and that men enter not upon taking conziance of their Regularity? Is it, that they are not entirely and without exception dependant upon my Lords the Bishops in all and every thing that can be thought of? Is it, that they do insolently abuse the favours, and Privileges, which the See apostolic hath given them? or else, is it because, they do not forsake the use of their Privileges upon the least word of their Bishop, even when he grows stiff without reason against such a power, as is established by God? I do even draw my wits dry, to say all that which I can bring to memory, for the finding of the motherroote, from which all these thorns grow and sprout; and these sharp nests, which prick, so many hearts at this day, and tear the union of the Church, making division amongst the Children of God, and (which is worst) both parties conceive themselves to have reason; perhaps whosoever be deceived, he is deceived without any fault of his, but ●et in fine, he is deceived. 4. During the wars between France, and the Dukes of Burgundy, there chanced a certain thing, which may well serve my turn. The men of Lewis the 11. going forth one morning before day, to make some discovery in the Country, saw an incredible number of reeds growing out of a marish ground. They firmly believed that it was some troops of light horse, who had a mind to make some enterprise upon the King's Army. Others thought, that they were Lanciers, who came to make a road for some surprise. There were never men more afraid. They all at full gallop retired themselves into the gross of their Army, they put the Camp into Alarm, and thrust fear into the most valiant hearses of the French Army, expecting instantly some shrewd skirmish. As soon a● the twilight stroke through th● night, and began to open the day, and that the morning Star, had already disclosed a little light, me● saw that this was nothing but empty● Canes and Reeds, which waved a● the discretion of the wind; so as tha● horrible fear was instantly changed into a public laughter, and fell by way of confusion upon those childish scouts, for having made so foolish and so frivolous a report. They who love not Religious men and who go tossing up and down to discover some little passage, some doubtful Canon of some Provincial Synod, and indeed, some I kno● not what; being all wrapped up either in the night of passion, or of proper interest, do represent the Orders of Religious men, as of Armies all ●camped, and resolved to assault ●nd subdue the authority of my ●ords the Prelates. They tell them ●ales without ceasing, and make most ●range reports, they cast so many ●eares into their minds, and paint ●ut the business so hideously, they allege so many cases happened, and not happened too, they tickle them so delightfully about the delicate point of their authority, and the power of the Crosier, that they shake even such, as are most . Who would not believe men so learned, and who make profession of so much zeal, and ●iety, and who have done nothing but cry out above these thirty years? But yet in truth, if we shall behold the beam of that rising Sun of truth, and look on them a little near at hand, it willbe found, that these armed men be but reeds, and people void of all that interest and ambition, which is laid to their charge, and who of all things are thinking least of contending with that lawful authority, which God hath given to my Lords the Bishops, and to the Pastors of the Church. 5. Let us begin in the name of God to see, and weigh this truth which is of so much importance. I● the Religious do nothing without reason, without right, without avow, without authority, nay (I will say more) without being obliged in conscience, is there any man of common sense, who can blame them for it? For if they attempt any thing beyond this, there is indeed no excuse, nor any cloak which can cover them, & they must be reduced into terms of reason. But is it not fit, that every man defend his right, and that every one enjoy what is his own, and which is justly acquired by him? There are now so many ages, since Regulars are in possession of their privileges, and shall they suffer them ●o be lost and abolished by a morning's work? Privileges well given, ●ery authentical, granted by so ma●y, and so holy Popes, admitted by ●o many holy Prelates through out ●e Christian world; authorised by ●ur Kings, recorded or permitted by so ●any Sovereign Courts of justice; obtained by the sweat of so many ●rowes, by the effusion of so much ●lood, by means of so long, so ●reat, so holy labours, of so many, and ●o worthy personages, the very Sun's ●f their several ages, must all this, I say, ●ee suffered to perish by a morning's ●orke? And all this upon what reason? 〈◊〉 will not name it, but I rather choose ●o beseech you to weigh it well in the ●ght of God, and in the scales of the sanctuary. 6. But there is much more than ●his, which is, that the holy Canons ●orbid in terms express, worthy to ●e well observed, and show that Regulars cannot commit this unworthiness, without hurting their conscience, and (that which greatly imports) without doing much wron● both to the Pope, and to the Church Let us hear the Canon, and th● Pope. Cum et si sponte volueris, de ●re L. 1. Dec. Greg. tit. 43 de arbitris. c. 5. tamen nequiveris sine licentia Ro● Pont. renuneiare Privilegijs, vel Ind● gentijs libertatis, quae Monasterium ●lud indicant ad jus, & proprietat● Romanae Ecclesiae pertinere. Such 〈◊〉 are the houses of the Order of Sai● Francis, and the other Mendicant Pope Gregory speaking to an Abbot who desired to forgo all his Priv●ledges at the instance of the Bishop (who pressed him much) makes hi● know his fault, and tells him, that h● was doing that, which is above 〈◊〉 power, and contrary to his conscience, and contrary to the authority of the See apostolic, and against the sacred and settled stile of th● Church. The Laws of the Church, ●●sse much further than this, for ●●ey declare that if Regulars should ●●nounce all their Privileges, all that ●●ould stand for nothing, and be of ●o value. Nay yet further, they are commanded under pain of excommunication, not to alienate any ●ing of their temporals, and much ●sle of their spirituals: So that it is ●ot now the Religious whom men ●ppose, but the Pope, the See Apo●olike, the Church, and they oppose antiquity. Let us hear the words. innocent the third, to the Archbishop C. si diligenti de for● competenti. of Piso. Asseruisti te usque ad ●aec tempora tenuisse, quod licitum sit ●erico renunciare saltem in tempora ●bus causis juri suo, etc. immemor con●●itutionis, quae cavetur pacto privato●um, juri publico minime derogari. Cum ●gitur hoc jus in Milevitensi, & Car●haginensi Concilijs sit specialiter promulgatum, nè Clerici Clericos, relicto suo Pontifice, ad judicia publica p●trahunt, alioqui causam perdant, & ● communione habeantur extranei, & ● patet, quod non solum invi●sed etiam voluntarij pacisci non posunt, ut saecularia judicia subeant; cu● non sit beneficium hoc personale, cui● nunciare valeat, sed potiús toti Col●gio Ecclesiastico publicé sit indultu● cui privatorum pactio derogare non p●test. Quod habet locum à fortiori 〈◊〉 Reg. 99 ●om. 1. 9 36. act. 1. Regularibus (saith Emanuel Rodericu● quia clerici habent liberam volun●tem, Regulares verò non habent vell● nec nolle; ideo non potest praejudicare ●rum consensus in judicem non suu●. All this Article deserves to be rea● as also the Article 2. of the question 27. where he bringeth many proh●bitions to alienate the goods 〈◊〉 Churches and Monasteries, eue● under the pain of Excommunication. That of Paul the second, in the extravagant Ambitiosae is express● It is a thing worthy of remark, ●hich a great Prelate said one day in ●n assembly of Prelates, that this affair went full to justle upon the ●ope, and that the bottom of the business tended but to some pernicious division and schism. I would name him for honour's sake, ●ere it not, that he is still living, and ●hat perhaps he would not wish to be ●ited upon this occasion. If the Popes, who have given ●hem these Privileges, shall take them ●way again, there is no more to be ●one, but to bow down the head, to ●bey with humility, and to be con●ent. But that the Regulars should ●egrade themselves, that they should ●ffend the See Apostolic, that they ●hould do wrong to millions of ●ules, that they should renounce the ●uours imparted to them by Kings, ●his counsel cannot be fitly given ●hem, especially when a man considers to what this business tende●● and the motives whereby God seet● that men are drawn, and the intere● which the Church hath herein, an● the salvation of souls, and in fin● that they are excommunicated, 〈◊〉 they do it of themselves. 7. But this goeth yet further, fo● they who call in question the force 〈◊〉 Privileges granted by Popes, gro● to shake whole Kingdoms, Chapters, Commonalties, and they overturn the peace of the Church. An● in fine, for what cause, and for wh●● is the question? Alas, he who foun● into the bottom of this business cannot choose but have his hart tran●perst. But you will say, it is not the Privilege which we question; but r●ther the misuse, and intolerable abuse which grows thereby. I am not such a Sot, as that I w … defend and Canonize an abuse, or y … deny, that some abuse may slide in; ●or that some indiscreet persons may ●ot be found. The world was never without such, nor ever will be, vn●esse God work a miracle. But be ●ou pleased, to let the abuses and ●ust complaints which you have to ●ake, be set down, and infallibly ●hey shall be remedied, without noise, without dispute, and without scandal. Might I be so bold, as to ask ●hether they who give you these im●ressions against us, be impeccable or ●o? whether they commit any ●aults? whether ever they fall into ●ny indiscretion? If they confess ●ot themselves like other men? If ●hen you shall have taken all the religious away; they of whom you ●eane to serve yourselves, shall not ●rop down from heaven, and be confirmed in grace, without so much ●s tripping at any time? whether ●hey and you shall never be in any difference with one another, notwithstanding rhat Saint Peter, and Saint Paul, had disputes between themselves; and two Angels are found in Daniel to have fought with one another more than twenty days? Have you no fear my Lords of the passage of that old Roman, Exurgent Tacit; magis alij homines, quam alij mores; and that other, Refodeo Antigonum; and can you ever hope to meet with a whole commonalty, yea or even with any one single man, in whom in fine, you find nothing to be wished otherways, and who may commit some indiscretion? do you judge of a whole body, by some one part, which is out of joint; and of a whole Order, by one indiscreet man, o● for some simple thing which perhaps he may have done without malice, and with great innocency? Di● Christ our Lord excommunicate all his Apostles, because one of the● john 6. was a Devil? For so he was named by Christ himself. And do you believe, that of all those Oblati of St. Charles, of whom you spoke but now, no one did ever commit any fault? If this be so, show us our abuses; if we give you not contentment, if we allege not reasons which are to be of full weight, and worthy of being received; if we do unto produce as many Authentical Bulls as can be desired; we shall at least be ready to submit ourselves to all kind of satisfaction, and to live and dye at your feet, and under those just laws which you shallbe pleased to prescribe. But first, we must have three words, and they are these. To Understand, to Consider, and to judge. And to keep yourselves from prejudging, and to make supposition of nothing, which may not be solidly averred, and that after the parties be heard by word of mouth, for otherwise there will never be a● end. Only you willbe pleased to consider things maturely, for you cannot condemn us without fault, but by condemning Popes, Counsels, Kings, Cardinals, and the greater part of my Lords the Prelates of France, your Predecessors, whom you arraign in arraigning us. 8. Three great Archbishops, all yet alive, and the chief of this Kingdom, have told me more the● once, that they have never derived more honour, and service from any, then from Religious men. A hundred Bishops have said as much, and I will make it good, that there is no man, who serveth and honoureth my Lords the Prelates, with a better heart, and with less interest, then good Religious men do, nor who would employ their lives, and their heads more frankly for the service of God, and of my Lords the Bishops, ●f there were need. Never (saith S. augustine) did I see better people, ●hen those who persever in Religious order, and never worse, than those ●ho departed from thence. Serve your ●lues of the former, and leave the ●tter, since you have so great assu●nce from so great a Bishop, for ●ey being so good, how can they be 〈◊〉 wicked, as to disesteem the Pre●tes, whom all the world doth exeme so much. If Religious men do well, why do ●ou put yourselves in pain? If they ●o ill, command their Superiors to ●ke order with them: and if they do ●t content you with reasons which ●e full of life and strength; and in ●e, if they do not their duty, but ●at they tolerate others faults, use ●u that power, which God and the council giveth you, and when this ●albe done, where is that contempt Conc. 〈◊〉. Sess. 21. 〈…〉. and diminution of your authorities● 9 If you find that it be a charge of conscience to you, that they tak● Confessions at Easter, I say, if it b● but for that, I will easily deliver you● the scruple; for I will show you by a● by, that there is no conscience 〈◊〉 this, I say, none at all, and perhaps there is more obligation of conscience, not to hinder it, as I shall sh● in the due place. It is said in divi●ty, that if a man hath two or thr● good Authors for an opinion, 〈◊〉 may follow it with a good cons●ence, and without any fear at 〈◊〉 Now they will allege you m● then twelve Popes, more than a h●dreth Prelates, more than two hundreth Authors, to show; that 〈◊〉 both may, and aught to be done● good conscience; and that perh● otherwise, one may do more 〈◊〉 then good to souls. And theref● by this occasion, nothing at all of 〈◊〉 authority of my Lords the Prelates do perish, nor of the right of the Pastors, and Parsons, and Curates, nor even of their profit. And wherein is then the contempt? 10. But some man preacheth too licentiously, and words fall impertinently from him to the scandal of Bishops. This indeed, is without all excuse, stop you therefore his mouth, take his Pulpit from him, get his Superior to send him from thence; let his indiscreet zeal be punished: there is nothing so reasonable as this. For if there be any thing in Prelates to be wished otherwise, it is not in public that we must proclaim it, and so begin to mangle the reputation of my Lords the Prelates. Their name, and their life also aught to be as the Sun, which is ever crowned with beams and glory, and a man must never be so adventurous, as to interpose the Moon of any passion, or indiscretion, to eclipse these fair lights of the world. It is not every body's cas● to say as Saint Bernard did long ago. Clauditis nobis ora, utinam & Ep. 42. ad Hon. Archl. oculos claudatis, etc. Some one will have given himself leave, and will have spoken indiscreetly, and fifty others will have esteemed it to be their triumph to speak well of you. Alas, must so many honest men suffer for the indiscretion of some one, and must the head be cut off, because the little toe is not right. 11. But perhaps you would fain see, if the Blessed Sacrament be well and decently conserved and kept; i● there be nothing in it but that, do but vouchsafe one day to go thither to say Mass, and give the Communion, and you shall see all at your case; if it be upon some other motive that serves for the glory of God, since Popes, Counsels, Canons, Custom, and possession do so oppose it. Good God, how many great and holy Prelate's who are gone before you, did ●eaue the world as they found it. They ●ived, and suffered others to live in ●eace: they were in a manner adored ●y the people; they left behind them 〈◊〉 memory so sweet, and full of benediction. What is this which hath arrived since that time, that the Hea●en and the earth must be thus revol●ed? Many great Prelates have proceeded so fare, as to say, that if they ●ere not assisted by Religious men, ●hey would infallibly leave both their smiter, and their Crosier: A Bishopric being such an Office, and charge, that even an Angel would hardly bear it without great fear, as ●he Council saith. When any man is so bold as to ●inde fault with any thing concerning ●he power which our most Christian ●ings, and the Gallican Church enjoy; we are wont to answer, th● because they have so infinitely oblige● the See apostolic, and for that t● Frenchmen have shed so muc● blood in defence of the Church, the● have very well deserved these favour and are in a most just possession thereof, and that men ought not question them. And so my Lords, gi● me leave to tell you, after the sam● manner, that the ancient Religious men have endeavoured to serve the V●niversall Church, and in particular● this most Christian Church of Fran● with so great fidelity, so much labour, so much blood, and the loss● of so many lives, that Pope's an● Kings have thought it fit to acknowledge their good and acceptable services by imparting some favours an● privileges to them; you need bu● read our Annals of France, wher● you shall see that which I dare no● say, and which modesty also will no● permit me to express. 12. It is your greatness, my Lords, to have men at your feet, who are sometimes so great, as that they may seem to obscure others. Alexander the great said, that his greatness consisted in that all his soldiers were Alexander's. Christ our Lord affirmed, that he would have his servants appear to be more than himself. Opera quae ego facio, & ipse john 14. faciet, & majara horum faciet. A King of Egypt there was, who to show his greatness, made an Idol, which all the World was to adore, of a Basin wherein he washed his feet. What jealous apprehension can you have of the greatness of Regulars; since notwithstanding that they were a hundred times greater than they are, yet still you see them prostrate at your feet whensoever you will. Are they to Preach? behold they are at your feet. Must they take holy Orders? behold they are at your feet. Must they have power to hear Confessions in your Dioceses? Behold they are at your feet. Must they obtain some extraordinary favour, and have leave to absolve from cases reserved? Behold they are at your feet. Do they go to your Towns, or do they departed from rhence? Behold they are still at your feet. Can any body fear after all this, that they who in effect are ever at your feet, may enter in parallel with you for greatness, and may have design to draw you down, they who have their heads at your feet? Alas, they make you afraid of them, who tremble when they are in your presence. 13. Would you permit me to let a word or two fall from my mouth which yet I will not press too fare? but yet it is good to call to mind, that all Regulars are not so little considerable, as that many of them be ●ot your own flesh and blood, and descended of the same parents with ●our selves. Many of them might ●aue been Archbishops, and Bishops, and more than this? and some ●aue forsaken Mitres, and Cardinal's ●ats, to hide themselves under the ●oly humility of a religious life. If ●hey have despised themselves for the ●oue of God; men must not infer ●hereby, that they must be despicable to others. It is good for them, ●hat they are despised, but it is not always good for them, by whom ●hey are so despised. He who reads well that Article of Saint Thomas, who saith, that ●piscopi sunt in statu perfectionis, and ●hat religious men are in via, doth ●row to wonder as soon as he hath ●ead the whole body of that Article. ●ut let us pause here, for I have promised that I will not plunge myself too deeply into this matter. Th● greatness of religious men is of th● kind, that they will ever esteems themselves to be very great whe● their heads are at the feet of my Lord● the Bishops. 14. A certain great Doctor of the Sorbonne, a dear friend 〈◊〉 mine, and a man esteemed over a● France for his piety and learning, sai● thus to me one day at Paris with th● tears, after a sort, in his eyes. Ala● to what pass are we now arrived 〈…〉 France is full of Simoniacal and in●cestuous persons, and of Libertin● and Atheists, and yet the while o● might think that men dispute of nothing but of precedences, of powers of great authority, and of castin● religious men, and such as ser● God, to the ground. And all th● is done under a thousand fair appearances, as if the Church of God depended upon knowing who shalbe● the most great, the most absolute, and ●e most redoubted; whilst yet in the ●eane time, Christ our Lord hath ●reached the direct contrary to us. ●ut now (saith he) the worst is, that ●e youngest men are they who make ●ost noise in this business, and ●ho are most full of this fervour. It ●reakes my heart to see, that in steed 〈◊〉 labouring for the salvation of ●ules, such a coil is kept for the ●ory of bodies, and for any little ambition of greatness. This is ●hat, as near as I can remember, ●hich that great Personage said to ●e, who is yet full of health, and ●ull of virtue. And upon that occasion I alleged this reason to him, ●hich seemed a very strong one: that 〈◊〉 this were considerable in any country of the World, it was so in France. ●ut I will leave this for you to guess 〈◊〉, if it please you, I will only tell ●ou, that having imparted it to some worthy prelate's, they avowed to me● that it was most true. As for that which concerneth● Confession, and the rest of that kind● it will fall more naturally into th● next Chapter. And to end thi● Discourse, and to leave your mouth with a good relish, I will set befor● 2. Cor. 4. you, the Father of Bishops, and th● shining Sun of Archbishops. Th● first of them saith, Non enim nosmet ipsos praedieamus, sed jesum Christum Chrisostome hom. 8. Dominum nostrum, nos autem seruos vestros per jesum. And the second: Quoniam acerrimum in ipsos bellum illi gerebant, atque in sidias undique ipsi struebant: Nam, inquit, adversum nos pugnatis, ac un potius adversum eum qui a nobis praedicatur? Neque enim nos ipsos praedicamus, nam ego servus sum, ego eorum etiam qui praedicationem excipiunt minister, operam omnem alteri navans 〈…〉 que ipsius gloriae causae quiduis facient. Ita dum mihi bellum infers, ea qua ●illius sunt deijcis. And a little after. Vides nè a●nimum ab omni gloriae studio purum: ●antum abest, inquit, ut eorum quae Domini sunt quicquam usurpemus, ac ●obis arrogemus, ut etiam no sipsos prop●er eum subijciamus. THE FOURTH REASON. That Religious men forsake the Parishes, and so do wrong to the Pastors and Parsons, and Curates of Churches, and consequently to Bishops. 1. ALL those former streams and torrents have flowed out of this source, and all ●hose claps of thunder, and beams of lightning have broken out of this Cloud: For (if the truth may be spoken) they are some of the Pastors and Parsons and Curates, who have thundered so ●ong, and so loud, that at length they have light upon some of my Lords the Bishops. They have brought upon the board before them, the abasement of Ecclesiastical powers; the diminution of the authority of Ordinaries; they have cited certain little Canons of Provincial Conncels; they have founded forth with a loud voice, this word of Proprius Sacerdos; they have made 〈◊〉 mighty Emphasis upon this other word, agnoscere vultum pecoris sui● they press hard upon the succession to the 72. Disciples, whom the● represent; they deplore the solitude of their Parishes, and of their high Masters, and they impure it to Religious men, who draw all to themselves; they represent to the World how miserably the Hierarchy of the Church is defeated, and they allege a world of other inconveniences, without saying any one word touching their own interest. And according to this, we must firmly, forsooth, believe, that it is not that which puts them on; but the interest of God, and the good of their flock. And I am glad it is so, for if I were ●ncountred by their interest, and that 〈◊〉 were to fight against that, in good ●arnest I would lay my weapons down, for that (as is delivered by a man of a gallant wit of these days, in a book which is currant in Paris) there is not a passage in Saint Au●ustine, nor an argument how strong ●ever it may be, which is strong enough against five hundred Crowns ●f good revenue by the year. 2. Supposing therefore that it is ●t the interest of God, and the ●ood of the Church, and the sal●ation of souls, which thrusts ●em on: I will hope my Lords, that I shall the more easily make you see that there is nothing to be feared herein of this kind: I will not deny but that the comparison between them and the Disciples is fit, and that very holy personages have very happily made it good. I will say moreover, that if it please you, we will yet do more than they demand; and we will, if it please you and them, accord also that they are the second Apostles whom God sent after the first, Saint Paul, Saint Barn●bas, and Saint Martial and those others who were named Apostles by jesus Christ. We will also accord to th● which others say, that they are th● Archangels of this Hierarchy, and you the Seraphins. I will hold 〈◊〉 self to this. As much honour 〈◊〉 pleaseth you, yea and more than y● desire, for alas, we can never gi● too much: But yet when men wi● press so hard upon that of the comparison of the 72. Disciples; I assure you my Lords, that the good Saint Vincentius, doth apply it so naturally to Religious men of his Order, that you will esteem it to square better with them, then with you, or at least as well. 3. 1. Misit eos binos & binos. First this agreeth better to Religious men, who go not but by two and two, then to others who are ever alone; and no man hath, or aught to have any more than his cure. 2. Misit eos praedicare. Is not this the sacred Profession of the Friar's Luke 10. Preachers, whom the See apostolic hath qualified with this honourable name of Predicatores verbi Dei. 3. In omnem Civitatem & locum, See how this fits with Religious men, who have the whole World for their Cloister, and not for them, who are tied to one Parish? 4. Nolite portare sacculum, neque peram, neque pecuniam in zonis, etc. This makes clearly for Religious men, but as for Pastors and Parsons and Curates, in truth it can hardly be applied to them. 5. Neque baculum, neque calceamenta, etc. This is as clear as the Sun. 6. Curale infirmos, etc. It is working miracles whereof he speaks; and then let us never speak more of this. 7. Ego mitto vos sicut oves in mediae luporum. You may well believe, that men seek not greatly after such Benefices as these, and yet in the mean time, this is the highest ambition of holy Religious men, who many times are rather Martyrs, than Confessors. In fine, you see that the comparison is so natural, that a man may say it is even made of purpose for religious men. But there is nothing more easy then for good wits to find out comparisons so natural, and so likely, that more cannot be desired. So that indeed to rely greatly upon this course either way, is to build upon a foundation not very solid. And at the very most (as S. Thomas saith) they shallbe the first Disciples, Opusc. 15. c. 4. and the religious shallbe the second: for defacto, Christ our Lord did send men at several times, the second after the first. 4. But it is yet worse, that men should put you upon an impossibility, and verily with ground little enough, by alleging that passage which men chant out so much. Diligentèr Pro. 27. agnosce vultum pecoris tui, tuosqué greges considera. For they conclude upon this, that resolutely things must so be done, that every one may confess himself at lest once in the year at his Parish; and that religious men must not take the Confessions of any, within the fifteen days of Easter. Give yourselves, I beseech you, my Lords, the patience to consider and weigh that well with all simplicity and candour, which I am about to say to you, and without the infusion of any little drop of gall or passion: for that this word of Pastor of sheep, of Face, of Know, must needs be understood of confession in a literal sense, this certainly cannot be said: Solomon had no thought thereof. There was not in that time, either Confession, or half Confession. And as for making a Prophecy thereof, that conceit would have no garb in it; especially concerning a thing impossible, or at least unprofitable, as I shall make you touch with your hands. The true literal sense of the place is this. The wise man speaketh indeed of sheep, and it is as much as if he had said: Although thou be very rich, yet have thou care of little things; such as sheep are. Non enim (saith he) habebis jugiter potestatem: Rup. Gloss. Greg. jansen. For perhaps though thou be rich to day, thou mayest be poor to morrow, and have need of small helps. A little lower I will give one or two literal senses, which carry proportion to this. But one good Author will be found, who maketh this passage say literally, that which men pretend against Privileged persons. And you see well, that following a literal sense, there is no colour to understand it of Confession. More colour would that have, which that Dutchman said, proving that a man was not to confess but only to God, and bringing in David for having said, Consitemini Domino quoniam bonus. And much more colour Psal. 105. had they who said, that all the World might confess itself (at least in case of necessity) to all the World; Saint james having said in so express james 3. words, Consitemini alterutrum peccata vestra. But all this is worth nothing, and would but make this Divine Sacrament ridiculous, and in effect of no use at all. 5. But now though we put the case, that this passage may serve for this purpose, yet shall it be either impossible to be practised, or in effect without any profit at all. For Saint Peter is a Pastor, if ever there were any in the world, and Pope, and the Bishop, and Parson. This sheep is the son and subject of the Church. Let us not speak yet of the Conscience, but only of the Countenance, Cognosce vultum pecoris tui. Is there any Parson or Curate in Paris, who knoweth the face of all his parishioners which are daily changed. Is there any Bishop that presumes to say that he knows the face of all who are in his Dioceses? (For that the Pope should know all Christians, is a most ridiculous thing.) Cardinal ellarmine of holy memory, was often heard to say to the most illustrious Cardinal of Roche-foveault, Monsignore, verament cisono troppo Christiani all mondo. I assure you, saith he, that I am oppressed with resort of men, and with visits; and I must needs avow to you, that me thinks there are to many Christians in the world. For what means can a man have to know, to serve, and to content them all? And yet nevertheless this man was no more than an Archbishop, and did but speak of mere visits. And now do but imagine whether a great Archbishop can know the face of all his sheep, and yet if he could, to what would that serve for the good of their souls? If now you will take these words, to know the face of your sheep, for the condition and state of the heart, and of the conscience, this is yet far worse: For would you have the Pope confess all the Christians in the World, or the Bishop all the multitudes of his people, or the Pastors and Curates all their Parishioners? Though they had a hundred heads a piece, they were not able to do it, and if men were forced to undergo this burden, no man living would either be a Parson or a Bishop, or a Pope. 6. But let us put the case that all this could be done, for what yet I beseech you would it serve? For that which a man knoweth in Confession, is just as much if he knew it not at all, and all Laws and rights both divine and humane, do forbidden the Confessarius to violate the secret of Confession. And Clement the 8th. hath expressly forbidden the Superiors of Religious men to take the Confessions of their sheep or subjects; and that yet, if they should take them, they may not without Sacrilege serve themselves of that knowledge which grew to them by way of Confession. And now what kind of knowledge is that which serves for nothing? Would the Holy Ghost oblige us to have such a knowledge of our sheep as whereof it should forbid us to make any use at all: And who would ever confess himself to you, if he believed that you would ever serve yourself of the knowledge of what he told you? The most learned Doctors themselves, and they also of the Sorbonne, teach that if the Penitent did assuredly believe that his Confessarius would reveal his S. Tho. in 4. d. 17. q: 3. art. 3: major. ibid. q. 5. Confession, he should not be obliged to confess to him; for what then would this precept serve of knowing the face of the Sheep? And I ask you, if of themselves they would willingly go to confess to a man, who they believed would serve themselves of the knowledge of their sins for their own turn? 7. What then is the meaning of these words to know their sheep? Is it to ordain some man to take their Confessions by and under your authority? Even in conscience do you believe that this is to know? In some Parish of Paris there be many thousands of souls, and more than a hundred men who will have been enabled to take confessions. What knowledge will the Parson or Curate have obtained of his sheep for all that? These good men who were enabled to take confessions, will have spent themselves even to death with labouring in it the whole day, and will have gotten some cruel head-ache by it, will not remember the thousand part of that which men have confessed to them, and for what then will it serve their turn, and what knowledge will the Parson or Vicar draw from thence? will they go tell him what hath been Confessed to them? they will be fare from any such thought, and though they would, they cannot. Besides, the Penitent is not bound to tell his name, nor who he is. And besides, if he should declare it untruly, S. Tho. opus. 15. c. 4. how shall he be convinced therein? If he Confess himself eight days before, and do but reconcile himself on Easter day, how will you know the face of that sheep? If he have no mortal sin in his soul, and that he will not then Confess himself at all, how will you still come to know him? I assure you that when I found the bottom of this business, I find reason to be amazed, that such a noise is made about such a passage; and which signifieth in effect nothing less than that which is given out. 8. For if to know, be to depute some one who may know; O then, all is lost for them. For if the Pope, and if the Bishop can appoint whom he lists for that purpose as well or better than the Parson or Vicar, behold then the gate is open for all Religious men, and the cause is gained. For to say, that the Parson may do it, and that neither the Bishop, nor the Parson of Parsons, the Father of Bishops, the Vicar of jesus Christ may not do it, this is clearly against common sense, against more than twenty Popes, against the swift current of the Church, against two General Counsels at the least, and against a hundred Doctors of great reputation. And when a man should say that the Pastor at the Communion knoweth the face of his sheep; and that the Canons therefore ordain, that they only should minister the Communion to them, and that they do thereby sufficiently comply with the said passage, Cognosce vultum, S. Tho. opus. 15. c. 4. etc. what would they be able to allege against it, which might subsist. For one Doctor whom they shall produce, we will produce twenty, and it is well enough known, that the true literal sense of these words doth import no more, but that Princes should be true Pastors of their people; or housekeepers of their family, and domestickes: and at the most it teacheth them, that the way to make a family great, is to have great flocks of sheep, which is the most harmless means of growing very rich, and that very soon. As for the rest, they are but moral senses, and good wits will draw forth as many of them as they list, and they may serve for the instruction of man's life. But that this should import a Commandment touching Confessions, and Confessions at Easter, and be a text of so much advantage for Pastors; verily that I may not say any thing which savoureth never so little of sharpness, it doth much amaze such men as are of good understanding, and void of interest. 9 To say, that he should know them, that so he may conduct them, as is fit, this indeed were to be wished, but what conduct will you be able to give a man, who may come to you in a press of people, at eleven of the clock upon Easter day in the morning, and whom afterward you shall not see in a twelve month, and peradventure never more, for he may change his parish. And will you be able to remember at the end of a year, what he said to you the year before. But let us here make a stop, for we have walked too long upon a weak plank, and upon a passage which deserveth so little consideration. 10. The great passage, whereof men serve themselves, is the Chanter, Omnis viriusque sexus, of Innocent ●he the third, in the Council of Lateran, and Prop●●●s Saeceraos, and the Gloss also, which doth expressly say, that a man must confess himself to his proper Priest, or must have lea●e of him to do otherwise. For as much as it necessary that he confess himself to his own Pastor or Vicar, at the least at Easter, or else that we overturn all Ecclesiastical Hierarchy. My Lords most reverend and most illustrious, I conjure you to renew here your attentions, and your good affections, for you are greatly interessed in what I shall say. As soon as the Parsons or Curates should have proved (if they were able) that this is not to be understood of the Pope, ●ust so soon would you find, that by a stronger reason, they would maintain, that it were also not to be understood of you, nor should it be permitted to you any longer to place Paenitentiaries in the Churches of all This relates to an Hospital which was founded in Paris by S. Lewes. your Dioceses, to cause the publication of the Indulgences of the three hundreth blind men, as you are wont to do, nor yet the jubilee in the next year, nor at any time afterward, by their saying a man must Confess himself to his proper Priest, who is the Parson or Curate, or to them who shall be liked by him, and to no other: and it shall not be lawful for you to allow any man to hear Confessions in your Church, unless it please them. Pretending, that in this they depend on none but God, having as much power within their parishes, as Bishops have within their Dioceses, and as the Pope hath in Rome. And this is the language which secretly passeth amongst many of them, who have aimed at this mark this long time, and one of them upon my knowledge, hath expressed himself in clear terms, that he depended not upon the Pope, nor upon the Bishop, but upon God alone. They will say as much of the Deans of Chapters, who pretend to be the proper Priests of the Chapter, and as the Parsons or Vicars. They would say as much to my Lords the great Almoners of France, who are the Bishops for the Court, and you would be put to more pains to justify and defend that, than the Regulars their Cause, by whom they begin their battery, that so afterward they may also bring it in upon you. Let us see the force of the Canon, which they bri●g against you, and against us, but let us see it with a sweet and quiet mind, without sharpness, without prejudice, and without all imaginable respect of interest, for we cannot honour you too much, nor them after you. 11. First, what is this Gloss, and who is the Author thereof? It is joannes Andraeas a Doctor of Bolonia, and Doctor Bernardus Botonius, borne at Parma, and a Canon of Bolonia, who glossed the Decretals, and seemed to say, That Regulars cannot hear Confessions without licence given by the proper Pastor, in virtue of these Privileges. For otherwise they should be equal to Parsons and Vicars. Let us see their very words upon the Canon, Proprio Sa●e doti; sed ecce si Praeditatores & fratres Minores, vel alij Religiosi, non habentes populum, habent Privilegium ut alienos Parochianos possint recipere ad paenitentiam, nunquid sufficit Privilegium, ut Parochianum alterius possint recipere ad paenitentiam sine licentia proprij Sacerdotis? Dicat quod non; privilegium enim aequiparat eos illis, qui à populo sunt electi, velillis, qui ab Episcopis populo praeficiuntur, & dat eyes solam executionem, & ita necessaria est adhuc licentia Proprij Sacerdotis. To this honest man of Bolonia, who yet is no man of great moment, and to this reason of his which is poor enough, I will oppose two great men of the same place. One is Gregory the thirteenth, and the other the Cardinal Paleotta, Archbishop of Bolonia, whereof the one by most express Bulls, the other by the practice of his Diocese, have disavowed this Gloss, and have showed, that men ought to make no account thereof. Whom now my Lords, would you rather believe, either this petty Canon, or else the Pope and the Cardinal, who were both of them Doctors of Bolonia and Oracles of the Church? and who expressly affirm that Proprius Sacerdos, are the Pope, the Bishop, and the Parson also. But now take heed, that he who makes the Gloss, do not specify that the Proper Pastor must be only the Parson or Curate, but that he be kept to the General term, and that it be the proper Priest who giveth this leave. And who hath ever doubted hereof. And who hath ever been so insolent, as that he durst presume to hear Confessions without the leave of Popes, Counsels, or Bishops? But if on the other side, men have this leave, against whom do they mount this Canon, and this Gloss, which is so chanted out, and maketh so much noise to so little purpose? But let us put the case, that this Doctor doth understand the Parson, or Vicar by this word of Propius Sacerdos. Is he the Oracle of the world, and is the opinion then of one simple Doctor, an article of faith. 12. Now I oppose against this man, twenty Popes at least, who in express terms have disavowed this Gloss, as namely Innocent the fourth, Alexander the fourth, Clement the fourth, Martin the fourth, Boniface the eight, Bennet the eleaventh, Clement the fifth, john the twenty two, Eugenius the fourth, Nicholas the fifth, Sixtus the fourth, Leo the 10. Paul the third, Paul the fourth, Gregory the thirteenth, Sixtus the fifth, Clement the eight, Paul the fifth, Gregory the fifteenth. And now under Pope Vrbanus, my Lords the Cardinals, who have been deputed at Rome for these affairs. For all these in express, precise, and formal terms show the direct contrary, as may be seen by their several Bulls. I oppose also amongst others, two general Counsels, that of Vienna in the year of our Lord 1311. where Philip the Fair, King of France, did assist to honour it with his presence, and liked well of that which was there agreed; and that also of Lateran, where the Popes, Clement the fifth, and Leo the 10. made express Bulls to declare the contrary, and that the Mendicant Priests who were Religious, and should be aurhorized by the Pope, might absolutely hear Confessions, preserving ever charity, the authority of the ordinaries, and not diminishing at all their authority. And the same also doth the Council of Trent affirm. Moreover I oppose at least fifty Doctors, greatly learned, and many of them canonised Saints, who do clearly hold the contrary; and show that the Canon, Omnis utriusque, cannot any way hinder Privileged persons from hearing Confessions, without wrong to any. I oppose besides the consent of the whole World; for the general practice of the Church hath been such, as I have said, in Italy, France, Germany, Polonia, England, Spain, Flanders, in the East, in the West, in the South, and in the North, in the old and in the new World, and this without contradiction of others, than some very few persons, who have always been condemned. I oppose yet further the authority of our Kings, and of the Sovereign Courts of justice of the Realm, who have received Regulars, and have been pleased that they should enjoy their privileges, and have maintained them therein; and have served themselves of them, and with good success. And one of our good and virtuous Frenchmen, and a L. de Monarch. 3. p. l. 2. c. 14. Ep. 150. learned Doctor of the Sorbon, hath greatly praised this passage of Petrus Blesensis, Tunc salubriter disponitur vita Regum, cum Religiosorum hortamenta sectantur, & ducuntur consilio Sapientium. And in effect all Kings, and above them all, our own, who are the very Sons of Kings, and the Flower de Luce's of the World, have proceeded thus. I oppose withal the judgement of many wise, learned, and most virtuous Parsons and Vicars, who themselves have exhorted their Parishioners to confess themselves to good Regulars, where they believe, that they may be better assisted for the salvation of their souls. For every one of them saith, and saith truly, what doth this import me, so that my flock be saved? for my part I am so much the more discharged, who have, God help me, other work enough to do. May not I be secure in point of conscience, since the Pope, the Counsels, so many Doctors, so many Saints assure me that I am discharged? Besides that I observe that the best Parishioners, and they who frequent my parish most, and who honour me the most, are they who have their souls best cultivated with virtue; and make most account of devotion. Provided that I know they be well Confessed, this aught to serve my turn. Besides a great scruple which I have upon my soul, is the fear I am in, lest they whose Confessions I apply myself to hear, may perhaps not worthily acquit themselves, and the fault thereof fall upon me, and now I am delivered of this remorse when they go to a place, where morrally I ought to be assured that I am discharged in the sight of God. Must then such a noise be made for a little interest, or for a little air of honour, and for a certain, I know not what, which is not worth the speaking of? Now I have heard this very language spoken in Paris itself, and that by the principal Parsons and Vicars of the Town, men of virtue and honour, and who have a very great care of the true Hierarchy of the Church, and to save their sheep, and to perform their Office exactly well. What shall I say to you of that noble Chancellor of the University of Paris? Though formerly he had been a little too stiff and warm in the business, yet he advised himself better afterwards, and said, Status Curatorum debet cum bona Gers. 10. 4. the statib. Ecclesiastici c. 3. de statu curatorum considerate. 7. gratia suscipere statum Privilegiatorum, tanquam co-adjutores missos à Superioribus, etc. Yea, and when he is at the top of his zeal for the Parsons and Vicars, he doth very judiciously add, Salva sempter rationabili authoritate Praelatorum. So that we must either condemn Popes and Kings, and so many holy Bishops for having showed little judgement, and having had little reason in giving the power which they have given to Religious men, or else, saith Gerson, the Parsons and Vicars have been much to blame in opposing themselves to them, who have been so well, so justifiably, and so anciently authorized and maintained in their privileges. Finally, I oppose the Parliament of Paris, which is the Parliament of Peers, and the paragon of parliaments, which hath made two solemn decrees among the rest, the one in favour of the jacobins, in the year of our Lord 1505. and in the behalf of one who was called Galley, and the other in favour of the Cordeliers, in the year 1531. and it went against a Councillor of the parliament itself, called Lovys du Bellay, parson and Archpriest of Saint Severine, and of Paris, who pretended to make Religious men be hindered from hearing Confessions, and was directly rejected from his demand, and Religious men maintained in the use of their privileges. This sufficeth, and I will say nothing of other parliaments, which are wont to honour the Decrees of the parliament of Paris, and not to contest them. 13. So that you see worlds, Popes, Counsels, Kings, Prelates, the Provincial Synods of Langres, 1452. of Paris 1557. of Aix 1585. of Chartres 1526. of Rouen 1581. of Troy's and others, as that of Bourdeaux 1582. of Bourges, 1584. and before all this, of Angers 1291. You see the decrees of Parliaments, the possession of five hundreth years, the universal custom, Bulls, Decrees, Sentences, Histories, Condemnations of Contradictors, a whole troop of Authors, the most wise Pastors and Vicars themselves, the common Dictamen of the Church, the incredible good which arriveth by it, you see, I say, all this in favour of Regulars on the one side, and on the other a petty Canon of Bolonia, who in fine is not indeed contrary to us, though he be so in appearance. 14. Rendering therefore to my Lords the Prelates that which their quality deserves, and their virtues require, that which the Council of Trent ordains, that which use, right and custom have made to pass in the nature of a Law, and honouring parsons and Curates, and loving them with particular affection, and withal exhorting all devout men to do honour to their parsons or Curates, to frequent their parishes, to pay in all their rights, and yet notwithstanding having those so authentical privileges in their hands and the possession of so many years; why do men complain so much of poor Religious men, who very often reap no other thing but much pain and travail? Oh, no man knoweth what it is to be a good Confessarius, but such a man as is in a very ordinary exercise thereof: Alas, what a huge patience is needful, what kind of longanimity, what a condiscending, what a company of repetitions must be endured, how many uncleannesses, what hazards, what a company of ill hours? Is there perhaps so great pleasure in feeding upon nothing but the sins of the people, and with Saint Peter to devour Dragons, Vipers, and a million of bruit beasts, full of venoime? I do rather think that men should have pity of such poor men, than envy, and give thankes to these poor Martyrs and Confessors for their pains they suffer, rather than to arraign them thus, and make war upon them. Some of my Lords the prelate's, have themselves been willing to hear Confessions, and they have done it with great edification, but we have known of very few, who have long continued in that course; so tough, so dangerous, and so greatly wearisome is that business. 15. As for us, if we were to take our turn in pleading, certainly I would cite no other Canon then that of Omnis utriusque sexus, with the Gloss of one of our Synods of France. The Text saith that a man must confess himself to his Proper Priest, or else have his leave to Confess himself to another. Now, who is this Proper Priest, who may give the leave? Let us hear the Synod of Langres in the year of our Lord 1421. Ne remaneat aliqua haestitatio, quis proprius dicatur Sacerdos, declaramus prout etiam jura & doctores declarant, quod Proprius Sacerdos est Papa, ejus Legatus, Paenitentiarius, Diocesanus, & Vicarius Generalis; & ille cui cura suae Parochialis Ecclesiae est commissa. After this I beseech you what can more be said? 16. There resteth only now this complaint, that parishes are forsaken, and that consequently Priests study not; that men go not to their Sermons; that for spite they leave all; that Religious men devour all, and that their Churches swell with people, whilst parishes are forsaken to the great contempt of the Hierarchy of the Church. That now few are found who will be parsons or Vicars, especially in Villages; and therefore Bishops grow to find much difficulty in furnishing their Dioceses; by means whereof all goes to ruin, and souls are damned, and yet Bishops in the mean time are as much obliged in the sight of God to have care of their Dioceses; as the Pope hath of his, and of the Universal Church. Besides, that Priests finding themselves not to be employed, and that persons of quality go to Confess themselves elsewhere, and that men make no great account of their Sermons, they spend not their time in study; and not studing, they give themselves to idleness, and from idleness grows the rest, in such sort, that Regulars are the cause of these mischiefs, and that secular priests grow to be irregular, and it belongeth to Bishops to redress these things, who groan in the mean time under this burden, and know not how to apply good and effectual remedies. 17. Behold here great store of crimes huddled up one upon another, and behold a grievous mortal sin, whereof (by mischance) the Regulars mean not to confess themselves to be guilty. And the reason is, because they know it not, and they found themselves upon this, that non entis proprié non est scientia. And they make good that they are not the cause of these mischiefs in the strength of these maxims of Law, which is received throughout the whole world. Qui utitur iure suo, nemini facit iniuriam. For what? shall it not be lawful for me to do well, for fear lest others do ill for spite? What will you say if God have sent Religious men into the world, as Renatus Benedictus said, to awake them of the Church, who were sleeping? And certainly these are the motives which Popes assign in their Bulls of privileges, and which deserve to be read and well weighed, with a mind full of respect and piety. God himself discovered this to Pope Innocent the third, when he shown him the Church, as if it had been falling to the ground, and Saint Dominicke, and Saint Francis, who shouldered it up so happily, that they kept it on foot, and restored it to the former place. But let us pass from this discourse, which yet nevertheless is not impertinent. For considering the incredible good which God hath vouchsafed to work by means of Regulars over the whole world, we have reason to praise his infinite goodness, to render him all glory for it, and to hope that they may yet be able to serve him in the assistance of many souls. 18. O how I love that good and gallant Parson in Paris, whom all you my Lords do also love, and verily he deserves it, who said thus after an Apostolical manner, and with a generous heart. Let us do better then Religious men, and believe me the Religious men will be more afraid of us, than we of them. The world followeth virtue, or the opinion of virtue, or both together: that which we should do, Religious men strive to do, but let us strive to do that which they do, and their Houses will be more forsaken than ours. Let us adorn our Churches as they do, let us make learned and devout Sermons which may greatly edify our people, let us live as we speak, let us cultivate the souls of our Parishioners, let us make choice of Priests of good lives, let all go orderly in our Churches, let us lay all our interests at the feet of the Crucifix, and this will be the most powerful means to defend us, and to maintain us in our rights, and to have cause to fear nothing. But otherwise to make such a noise, and to do nothing, but cry out without ceasing, and to toss Excommunications up and down, and to be sending threats, all this makes for nothing but discourse without producing any fruit, and men's minds are so made, that by this means they rather grow wild, then soft and sweet, and restored to the way of the ancient piety of France. In fine, this man liveth after this manner, and not only he, but some others also, who are adored in their parishes; and all men do so love them, and they are so desired, and even as it were oppressed with business, that men cannot see them, but with half an eye. And as for those others who are ever crying out, they breed more fear than envy in such as would draw near to them; and they estrange their parishioners from them, who believe that there is some other thing in the business than the pure love of God, the salvation of souls, and the preservation of the Hierarchy. I beseech God to preserve this most virtuous Pastor, and bestow upon him a great heap of benedictions, and grant that all the rest may walk the same pace, and do so much good, that Regulars may have no more to do. O, in how great repose, and with how joyful a heart would they pray God, for so many and so worthy labourers? 19 Let us come to that other exception, that Benefices remain void, and that now in effect men do find no persons capable to fill them with, especially in country towns and villages. Now here I must clearly avow either my simplicity, or my too great credulity. For in very truth I was of opinion, that there had not been half a Benefice which enough had not extreamle desired to get, and to heap one upon another, and that not being able to procure them by any other means, men buy them out right with ready money; and that they use a thousand tricks to serve one another's turns; and that Simony was never so refined, nor less apprehended to be ill, and all the rest of that which common fame is spreading in all companies. Verily I believed all this, and I confess I did it as a thing most certain, and without all doubt. But, my Lords, since you have told me the contrary (for you have said it) I will resolutely give my mind this law, and I will make it stoop to this yoke, that I will believe you without contradiction. But, my Lords, you will pardon me if still I tell you, that although I believe the thing, yet I cannot force my heart to believe the cause which is alleged; namely, that Regulars are the cause thereof. For how can this be? Is it because they get their Benefices? let them have no more of them. Is it that they divert Secular Priests from taking those Benefices? excommunicate them. Is it that they carry away all the stations or Indulgences? They have none but such as please you, and oftentimes they have but the refuse of others. Is it because they debauch secular Priests make them be punished by their superiors; and if they will not, do it you. Is it because they do not Counsel them to study? Alas, some times they say that the Jesuits make too many men learned, and too full of knowledge; and sometimes the direct contrary. Good God, whom shall we believe? If I feared not to offend some, and if I had not promised that I would not anger any, I would acquaint you very clearly with the true source of all these miseries, but I had rather leave it to your thought; and I will impose perfect silence upon myself, saving only in this that I declare to you clearly with a strong voice, and with much truth, that it is not good Religious men, who are the cause of these disorders. 20. So fare of it is, that Regulars should be the cause, that a hundred Bishops will tell you on the other side, when there hath been some disorder in Bourgs and Villages, they have served themselves of Regulars, to put things in Order as before, and the success hath proved, that the choice was good. This is so clear, that it needs no proof. Whether this trouble the Order of the Church, whether it be against the authority of Prelates, or against the right of Pastors, or against reason, I make the most reverend Charles the Bishop of Langres, the judge; who in his Synod, after he had commanded the publication of that Canon, Omnis utriusque, saith these very words. Nè detur materia fratribus Mendicantibus querelandi, volumus quod in fine publicationis constitutionis praedictae, Omnis utriusque sexus, etc. subinferatur, & publice, quod per hoc non intendimus praejudicare Privilegijs super audiendis Confessionibus, eisdem fratribus concessis: subjungendo quod fratres nobis praesentati possunt audire Confessiones libere, & confitentibus eisdem, paenitentias salutares impartiri de commissis, etc. All that which he demandeth is, that men do it under his authority, and this is done, and it is more than most reasonable that it should be so. But in the mean time you see that it is he who is called the Proper Priest, he who sendeth whom he will, and who serveth himself of good Religious men, for the help of parishes. And do you not believe that other Bishops have the same Dictamen with this great Peer of France, and Bishop of Langres, who held this language? 21. Let us add to this, that if ever there were little cause of complaining upon this title, it is in this age of ours. No, my Lords, do not any longer fear that now Secular Priests will not prove such as you desire, or that parsonages will be in want of men very well able to serve the Cures, or for the service also of other Benefices. For the fatherly providence of God hath sent a new Renforce, by a most virtuous congregation of holy Priests, who being full of knowledge and piety, will supply all these wants, according to the vocation which God hath given them, to reform secular Clergy. By the example of their lives they will show what is to be done, by their endeavours they will fill such places as shallbe void, both in City and Country, and they will yield good labourers will refuse to take no pains, and will gladly spread their Charity over the whole World, as they have already begun to do in many places, and will also by little and little grow substituting excellent Ecclesiastical men, to make this Church of France flourish both in Villages and Towns. One only thing I fear, that after men shall have cried hard against Religious men, they will also begin to cry out against these, every one interpreting their zeal according to his own fancy; and banding themselves perhaps as stiffly against them, as against Religious, and alleging a thousand things according to their passions and humours. Now if this should happen, you would clearly discern even from that instant, that the noise which is made both against the one, and against the other, proceeds from some other root then of mere charity, and of a true desire of the good of the true Hierarchy. To tell you more of this would serve for nothing to my purpose, only I will say frankly, that there will never be good labourers enough; that there is more work cut out, than we shall be able to sow, and that the heart of a Bishop, which ought to be a heart paternal and Apostolical, aught to embrace all them who may serve to cultivate the fair field of the Church of God. 22. There is escaping from my hand (and I know not how to keep it back) a passage, which seemeth pardonable to a man, who defendeth so good a cause. Aristotle saith, that, Ex quibus constamus, ex ijs nutrimur, & conseruamur in esse. This being so, my Lords, it is still to be considered, that Regulars have not lost their time, nor done any great wrong to them, who have done them the honour to employ them; and that indeed they are not yet to be cast out of the way. Certainly it hath pleased the infinite goodness of God, to serve himself of them either for plantation of our faith, or else of pity in an eminent degree; and that in a manner, over the whole world. Is it not true, that it was Saint Bernard who made Campaign flourish? St. Columbanus, Burgundy? St. Martin, Tourayne? Saint Anselme, Normandy? Saint Dominicke, Languedoc, and Guyenne? Saint Vincent, Britain? Saint Thomas and Saint Bonaventure, the King Saint Lewes and France? Saint Augustine the Monk, all England? And now in our days is it not they, who have planted the Cross of jesus Christ in all those new worlds, and who are planting it now whilst I am speaking, in the heart of Aethiopia, in Persia, in the East, and throughout the four Winds of the world. May they not well be thought to help towards the entertaining of the Church, since they have sweat blood and water to plant it, and are bedewing it with their tears, and with their blood, and sealing it with their heads and lives? For a little I know not what, must the occasion alas, be lost of drawing so many exemplar services out of their labours? under colour of some little indiscretion of any single man, who may be transported by his zeal. That amendment which might be desired, can it not possibly be procured without such a deal of business, and confused noise? O my God, there are so many abominations in the world, upon which we daily look, and yet men open not their mouths, and hardly think that it concerns them at all, and now it seems that all consisteth in dragging Religious men after them, as if that being once done, we were instantly to see virtue ride in Triumph. I would to Christ there were no impediment but that, and 〈◊〉 would to Christ that all this did turn upon no other thing, but that ●f the pure zeal of the service of God. If every one might make his own complaints, good God, what a terrible discourse would grow upon it, but let not the Divine Majesty be pleased, that so great a misfortune should arrive. It is better to hold one's peace, and to labour in silence and humility. Bona facere, & mala pati Apostolicum est, said the great Saint Bernard. 23. That, my Lords, which is to be much weighed is, that by this course they are not the Regulars whom men assault, but the Privileges themselves, and the Popes who gave them, and the authority of the See Apostolic; for all this is but a level at the same aim, and General Counsels, and Canonised Saints, and the doctrine of the Church received by the whole world, and practised through so many ages, and judged by so many sentences. And all this must be done for 〈…〉 point of honour, or of power, and in a business, which so many great Cardinals full of wisdom, and so many holy and venerable old men, who were grown grey in the Government of the Church, would never alter. I find that my most illustrious and most reverend Lord, the Cardinal of Rochfaucault, who is of so delicate a conscience, so grave in his judgements, and of so exemplar a life, did say very well when he said. I care not what habit men wear, but I ever take the best. As long as Religious men serve to good purpose I do willingly serve myself of them; when they forget themselves, I will also forget them. When Doctors and Seculars, and Pastors do well, I will love them, and shall be glad to employ them. In fine, when a man is to make his choice, he must ever take the best, whatsoever habit he wear. Behold this is a saying worthy of him. 24. I would to God that he with any other, who resembled him, were arbitrator of this cause in difference, to calm this Tempest, and to appease all things with the spirit of 〈◊〉. For there is good means for it, when that which may be said on both sides, may be heard: allowing to my Lords the Prelates, more honour than ever themselves desire, as also to the Pastors of particular Churches, and leaving also Religious men in liberty to enjoy their right in repose, and with respect and honour. These words of Abraham cast themselves into my mouth, Facta est rixa inter pastors Gen. 3. gregum Abraham & Lot, etc. Dixit ergo Abraham ad Lot, rè quaeso sit iurgum inter me & te, & inter pastors meos & pastors tuos, fratres enim sumus. Ecce universia terra co●am te est, recede à me, obscero: si ad sinistram ieris, ego dexteram tenebo; si tu dexteram elegeris, ego ad sinistram pergam, etc. Elegitque sib Lot regionem circa jordanem, & recessit ab Oriente. Make you the choice, my Lords, and take you the fair Eastern Sun to yourselves; those first beams of the day of honour are due to you; the most lively oriental spring of light was made for you. You are they whom the world must honour, as every one looketh towards the rising Sun. The sweet dews of Indulgences, the Eastern winds of Missions, and the powers of commanding and sending hither and thither, aught to issue out of your mouths: all the sweetenesses of heaven pass by your hands, just as the favours of nature begin from the East. Be you therefore the Orients of the world, according to the stile of Origen. Estote filij Orientis, ecce vir oriens nomen eius, dabo Zachar. 6. vobis sernum meum Orientem, & eius Zachar. 3. 1. Reg. 9 erunt optima quaeque, etc. All this is done to you. 25. Religious men, whom you honour with the name of Brothers, but who yet are in effect your sons, and your servants, will place themselves towards the West, and will lodge all their ambition, in the setting Sun of Mortification. They will not at all mislike that the beams of honour be eclipsed from them, so that the beams of their charity may be able to shine brightly in the darkness of sinful souls, and that they may cause the zeal of saving those souls, rise up from the descent of humility. They will be well content to see themselves in this setting quarter, where the day of honour dies, where tempests are wont to rise in the sea, where impetuous winds and hails are wont to grow, where the world seems to be in affliction and misery. That which they desire (after they shall have received some beam of favour from you) is to labour for the salvation of souls, and the conversion of sinners. Let the tempest of slanders, the hail of murmurings, let combats and strife against infernal powers, be for them; and they will gladly utter these excellent words. Et nox sicut dies illuminabitur, sicut tenebrae eius, ita & lumen eius; for sitan tenebrae conculcabunt me, & nox illuminatio mea in delicijs meis. They will do that which Saint Paul did, Collaboro Euangelio, and they shall be that whereof Saint Dennis speaketh, Adiutores Dei & Cooperatores, If it were not that you liked better to labour in the same climate, you as fathers, they as children, you as masters, they as servants, you as Pastors, they as workmen, and that you love to do like those nations whereof Pliny speaks, who for the most part had but one arm a piece, and yet in the world there were not better Archers than they: for one lending his arm for bending the bow, another his, for entering the arrow upon the string, and both of them employing both their forces, draw and shoot off with such stiffness, that there is nothing which they cannot pierce. O how strong and invincible would the Church be, if we all wrought after this manner. Frater qui adiwatur a fratre, quasi Civitas firma, etc. If we Prou. 18. did just the contrary of that which S. Paul said, Omnes quae sua sunt quorunt, Philip. 2. non quae jesu Christi. And if all Ecclesiastical persons did valiantly tread their proper interest under their feet, and carry the glory of God, the good of his service, and the salvation of souls in a high place, what a golden age would this be? And what a terrestrial Paradise, I beseech you, my Lords, should we find, if the Church might enjoy such happiness in this age of ours? We should fully enjoy this sweet Paradise, if the Serpents did not go continually hissing out his temptation off, Eritis sicut Dij. But whilst every one is in Gen. 3. doubt to be drawn down, and given up in pray to contempt, whilst both the one and the other of us will needs conserve ourselves, and believe that we do none of this but for God, and that in so doing we defend Gods right as well as our own, it is greatly to be feared, lest it be told us, that we do not well observe the counsel of our Sovereign Master; who seeing his Apostles whom you represent, and his Disciples whom we represent (and whom we imitate the least unworthily we can) dispute, about I know not what superiority, said to them, Quicunque voluerit Math. 20. inter vos maior fieri, sit vester mtnister; & qui voluerit inter vos primus esse, eric vester seruus. We therefore, my Lords, do not pretend to debate with you about any precedence of authority, nor to partake in the honour of your greatness, this is confessed to be yours, and so yours, as that it belongeth to none else. That which we pretend, is, that you leave us where God hath laid us, at your feet; but so that you will be pleased to leave us also in that liberty, which God and his Church, and Popes, and Counsels, and your Predecessors, yea and many of yourselves have given us for the assistance of his sheep, and for the comfort of those souls, for which you must answer to Christ our Lord, who hath given all his blood for every one of them. Yea there is not any one of them, of whom God doth not respectively say to you, as the son of that Prophet did to the King, Custodi virum 3. Reg. 20. istum, qui si lapsus fuerit, erit anima tua ejus. A passage which Saint Gregory the great applieth to all the Prelates of the Church. 26. When you shallbe pleased to weight all this well, my heart bids me hope, that you will do, as my Lord the Cardinal of Rets, of most happy and dear memory, and Bentivoglio who is a friend to France, and to the Hierarchy, did at Paris; and as my Lord the Cardinal of Lorraine, and my Lord Bishop of Toul, whose memories are blessed, did at Nancy. For both the one and the other having hearkened to certain persons, who suggested to them a thousand things, just like the●e, which me having endeavoured to persuade you now, having had some thought to treat seriously hereof, and to procure an accommodation of things, and being certainly, and fully, and sincerely informed of the business, both the one, I say, and the other, did leave things as they were, and would make no change at all, discerning well, that all those Discourses to the contrary, had no manner of subsistence, but only a little glistering and show. All the world did greatly commend their wisdom, and their zeal so full of judgement; and one of them told me in plain terms, that he discovered well, how that in this business, there was I know not what, which savoured somewhat of a Schism. Those great and incomparable Cardinals of joyeuse, and of Perron, would never give ear to this Discourse, but living and dying, they witnessed the contrary; serving themselves most willingly of Religious men, for the good of their Dioceses. And to show, that they repent not themselves thereof, they resolved to annex their hearts, as the seals of their goodness to those former actions of theirs, and to give them depositated into the hands of Religious men, who keep them as two great treasures. 27. They who abuse your goodness would make you, as it were, believe that if you take not the better heed, your authorities willbe entirely beaten down, and that all is upon the point of utter ruin. I am glad, my Lords, that they address themselves thus to fright you by things so poor, and of so little consideration. For I must beseech you to recall to your memories, that in the year 1225. or there abouts, in the reign of Saint Lewes, Gulielmus de Sancto Amore, and a certain Sigerius, with some other undertaking young Divines, composed a Book, wherein they put word for word, all that which men now object against us, and more than that, and presented the Libel, to Innocent the fourth, pretending to extinguish those two holy Orders; but death came quickly upon him, and that such a death as yourself may read, if it please you, together with the last words he spoke, which you may also vouchsafe to weigh well, for they import. Alexander the fourth followed him, who caused this Libel to be burnt, as a work worthy of that hand which set it forth. And so the end of those two men, who were S. Tho opus. 15. c. 4. enemies of these Orders, was very disastrous; or of one of them at least, who died miserably. In fine, you shall have in Saint Thomas all those very arguments which are brought against us at this day, with the angelical and most solid answers of this Oracle, who, at his return to Paris, did publicly make good all his Doctrine, and answered all them who went to assault him with their Canon shot, and with arguments, which they conceived to be omnipotent. But there happened an accident which discovered that spirit well, whereby they were animated, who banded themselves against these. For upon a certain Palme-Sunday when Saint Thomas Preached publicly in the University, and spoke like an Angel, behold a strange and very unworthy case which happened. For a certain silly fellow called juliot, a Picard, who appeared about the middle of the Sermon, and opening a great paper, wherein was contained a list of injurious speeches against the great man, and a thousand outrageous slanders against his holy Order: After I say, that he vomited out all this, he concluded thus with a loud voice. How now my masters, can you be content after all this, to hear the Sermon of so wicked a man, and of a Doctor who teacheth so abominable errors. And you brother Thomas, what do you answer to this? Now the people was confounded to see the unspeakable modesty of Saint Thomas, who hearkened to all that poisoned Discourse with so profound humility, and with a silence so full of modesty, and holy mortification; that they esteemed him as a Saint of Heaven, for he did never so much as answer any one word. But the people calling up their spirits, and considering the insolency of this bold mean fellow, did that, which you may read if it please you, in the story; for I will not load this paper with it, nor yet importune you. But so it is, that the Auditors did that, which perhaps you yourselves would have done, if you had been at that Sermon; and the King caused him, and those masters of Art, to be punished, who had made him commit that base trick, so full of insolency and scandal. Now all those good Religious, seeing themselves oppressed on all sides, and that the earth and this World failed them; they had recourse to Heaven, and to the holy mother of God, who appeared to Saint Thomas, and made him see these Words written in letters of Gold: Liberavit vos Deus abinimicis vestris, & de manu omnium qui oderunt vos. In a word, in the year of our Lord 1259. all this tempest broke up, and those holy men remained in peace. But I dare not forbear to tell you, that all this storm grew not into that height, but by reason of a certain rage, and a strong passion of a Prelate, who had seen a Nephew of his enter into the Order of Saint Dominicke, and had never been able to draw him thence. Alas, a little wind doth sometimes stir up great storms upon the Sea of this World, and how many things do men ill, under colour of good, if they take not heed? 28. Methinks you do yet desire at my hands the Theses which Saint Thomas defended publicly in this matter, and the Propositions which he maintained against all them who disputed thereof: which was the cause why all the World yielded to the truth, and which calmed this tempest which was so black and so terrible, that it was likely to swallow up these two Orders. I will obey and give you here the chief points thereof, and I will draw them out of his book, and do you but see, if they be not the very same of these days. 1. Cum misit Deus Apostolos 12. Opusc. 15. c. 4. & 72. Discipulos, dedit illis facultatem alios mittendi, sicut fecit Sanctus Paulus. 1 Cor. 4. 2. Multo melius potest Papa, & Episcopus delegare alios, & mittere in vineam Domini, quam Parochus. 3. Minores Angeli in caelesti Hierarchia mitti possunt a superioribus, & eadem plane opera exerc●nt, ideoque dicuntur Seraphin & Cherubin, quia eorum opera exercent: sic in Hierarchia Ecclesiastica. 4. Papa non destruit Ecclesiasticam Hierarchiam cum mittit Monachos ad praedicandum; quod enim potest inferior, ut Curatus, concedere, committendo curam alicui; hoc potest ejus superior, ut Episcopus, & Papa. 5. Papa in hoc non facit contra decreta Canorum, nec contra statuta Sanctorum; quod si daretur eum facere contra verba statutorum, certum est eum servare intentionem statuentium, quae est utilitas Ecclesiae. 6. Quae sunt de jure positivo, relicta sunt sub Papae dispensatione, ut est hoc de quo quaeritur; nempe mittere Monachos ad Praedicationes, & Confessiones audiendas. 7. Quisquis Papae, vel Episcopo suo, vel alicui ejus vicem habenti confessus est; ille confessus est proprio Sacerdoti. 8. Cum Episcopus subditum Sacerdotis absoluit pierce, vel per alium cui commisit, tum Sacerdos Parochialis itâ debet se reputare cognoscere eum, ac si sibi confessus esset. Nam cognoscere potest aliquem, aut ex propria Confession, aut ex sententia superioris, an sit dignus communione. 9 Licet concedatur posse aliquod malum oriri ex hoc, quod aliquis non confitetur Parocho suo, tamen multo plura & majora mala nascuntur, si quis cogatur necessario illi confiteri, ut patet experientia. 10. Quicquid Sancti Doctores & Canon's videntur dicere de Monachis, quorum Officium esse dicitur magis plangere, quam docere; hoc dicitur de Monachis illis, qui nec Sacerdotes erant, neque Diaconi, sed solitarij, & Heremitae: non de ijs qui ad hoc vocati sunt, & qui non ex propria authoritate id faciunt, sed ex commissione Praelatorum. 11. Etiamsi daretur duos tantum Ordines a Domino esse institutos, qui possent propria authoritate praedicare, etc. posset tamen Ecclesia tertium statuere Ordinem, qui posset propria authoritate praedicare; multum magis eorum quiex commissione, sicut in Primitiva Ecclesia fuerunt tantum duo Ordines sacri, scilicet Presbiteri & Deaconi; & tamen postea Ecclesia minores Ordines statuit. 12. Quidam a Confession desisterent, nisi possint alijs quam suis Sacerdotibus confiteri, propter multas causas. 13. Ex communi consuetudine Orientalis Ecclesiae, omnes fere Monachis confitentur. 14. Quidam novellum sibi statuentes errorem, in tantam prorumpunt audaciam, ut asserant, non posse per Episcopos Religiosis praedicta committi, absque voluntate Parochi, & quod pernicio sius est, non posse hoc asserunt concedi per Privilegium sedis Apostolicae. 15. Optimè ait S. Dion. Eccl. Hier. c. 6. summus Sacerdos per suos ministros aut Sacerdotes purgans, aut illuminans, ipse dicitur purgare & illuminare; ergo & Episcopus eodem modo, qui autem facit per alium, per seipsum facere potest. 16. Blasphemiae vicinum est dicere, quod Episcopus non potest usum clavium exercere in quemlibet suae Diaecesis, sicut & Christus posset. 17. Potest institui Religio ad subveniendum pauperibus in necessitatibus corporis; ergo multo magis potest institui ad subveniendum animabus per Praedicationes, & Confessiones. 18. Quod potest inferior, potest etiam Superior, quod ergo potest Curatus, potest Episcopus, & potest Papa. Cui, ut ait Cyrillus, omnes iure divino caput inclinant. 19 Alij gubernationes, alij opitulationes, inquit Apost. 1. Cor. 12. Opitulationes Opusc. 14. c. 23. sunt ij, qui ferunt opem maioribus, ut Titus Apostolo; Archidiaconi Episcopo, etc. Hoc autem non destruit Hierarchiam. 20. Alter alterius membra, & unum corpus in Christo. Rom. 12. Manifestum Opusc. 15. c. 3. est quod Ecclesiasticae unitati derogat, quicunque Religiosis impedit ne docere possint, etc. 21. Qui Romanae Ecclesiae Privilegium, ab ipso summo omnium Ecclesiarum capite traditum, auferre conatur, Ibid. c. 3. hic proculdubio in haeresim labitur, ut dicitur in Decretis. Dist. 22. Cap. Omnes & à Sancto Ambrosio, qui ait se in omnibus sequi Magistram, sanctam L. 3. de sacram. c. 1. Romanam Ecclesiam. It is Pope Nicholas the second, who speaketh against them of the Church of Milan, for entering into competition with Rome, and would needs march hand in hand with the Roman Church, which Saint Thomas applieth also to the point in question. 22. Ab Apostolis 7. Diaconi instituti fuerunt, qui erant in statu perfectionis; Opusc. 14. c. 23. nam relictis omnibus secuti, erant Christum. Ab horum exemplo omnes Religiones derivatae sunt. Quemadmodum ergo Apostolu Episcopi, discipulis Parochi, sic Diaconis Religiosi successerunt. 23. Behold here is a part of the Propositions, which Saint Thomas defended at Paris, in public manner, and with such amazement of all the University, that there was not found a man so bold as to dare once stir this stone. The Preface of his Book carrieth these very words in the front. Praedictus Doctor post divinitùs obtentam victoriam, Pariseos rediens, omnes dicti operis Articulos, public●, & solemnitèr repetens, disputavit, firmavitque. That which goeth immediately before these words, and the sentence of the Pope, is a thing which I will not cite here, but let him see it, who will. I will say nothing here, which may offend, or which may savour of recrimination, or which by any ill odour of strong passion, may poison this discourse, which is dedicated to pure and free, but yet strong truth. I conjure you, my Lords, to weigh well these four words, Publice, Solemniter, disputavit, Firmavit. So that all Paris had the contentment to see this great person sustain all the assaults of the whole world, and he was so happy and so puissant, that he made truth triumph, and did with a little stone beat down that huge Colossus, which men had erected, to the end that falling upon him, it might drive both himself and all his Order into dust. 30. That which Gulielmus de sancto Amore had enterprised at Paris with so ill success, a certain Richardus Armaeanus, the Primate of Ireland, after he had played rex in England, did also enterprise in Auignon in the year 1356. under Innocent the sixth, before the Pope himself, and the Cardinals, and presented them with a book made advantageously in the behalf of Parsons and Vicars, yea and also of Bishops, against Regulars, wherein he delivered the same things which had been offered before by Gulielmus de sancto Amore; for in this business, there is never any thing but repetitions, and noise enough? without any fruit at all, and ordinarily the matter ends in some disastrous death. I will not tell you here, how this poor 〈◊〉 died, but I will only put you in mind that the book was held worthy to dye with him, and that many who have banded themselves against the servants of God, have either sooner or later, had regret, and sorrow in their hearts, or else some other thing which was worse. The face of death makes the face of business change very much. 31. The wisest men have ever judged, that they have no good bargain, who make themselves opposites to the servants of God, especially in those things which are established by his divine Majesty, or his Grand Vicar, and there be a thousand and a thousand Histories to show this as lamentable and fearful, as they are authentical. Men use sometimes to dispute in Divinity, whether the Pope may err in the Canonization of Saints, as also about the approbation of Religious Orders. For my part, I will not enter at this time into that question, but I will not fear to say, that when God hath any such desire, and that he sendeth some to this effect, if any man then make opposition, God doth certainly find himself offended thereby, and is wont to resent it, and therefore Saint Paul saith aloud. Itaquè qui haec spernit, non hominem spernit 1. Thes. 4. sed Deum, etc. Now after points of faith, and some others of the most important of the Church, I know few things whereof there is more formal, clear, and authentical proof, then of the point which here I defend. For twenty Popes, three General Counsels, so many Provincial Synods in France, so many Cardinals, Primates, Archbishops, Bishops, Canons, express Texts, fifty Bulls, Sentences of Parliaments, judgement of eminent Doctors in great number, consent of some Parsons and Vicars, even of Paris, doctor's of the Sorbonne, Saints, Miracles, Reasons, Arguments, possession beyond the memory of man, Texts of the Gospel, particular vocations of God, who hath expressly sent us more than six Religious Orders all entire, the authority of so many Emperors, Kings, Potentates, sovereign Courts of justice, heaven and earth, such a number of ages, and the voice of the world. Is not, I say, all this sufficient to fortify this truth against those poor reasons which they allege, and which in very deed, & in the sight of God, and of disinteressed men, are not of such moment, as to warrant that account and noise, which some make thereof. There was a time when a sentence was given against Saint Bernard, and that from the highest Tribunal in the Church of God. The Saint seeing himself over loaden, by so mighty an authority here on earth, had recourse to heaven and said, Tuum Domine jesu Tribunall appello, tuo me iudicio servo; tibi committo causam Epist. 1. meam. Tu vides qui tua video, qui quaerunt & sua. It que arbiter meus esto Domine jesu, de valtu tuo tudicium meum prodeat, oculi tui videant aequitatem. O jesus bone, quam multa facta sunt, prounius animulae perditione, etc. In fine, men removed both Heaven and earth at Clunie,, at Rome, in France, at Clairivaux; but at length the holy Abbot won the cause, and God paid him that which he had lost, and took part in the business with his servant, and it was a miracle which he wrought, writing this Epistle, and he said boldly to his Secretary, Scribe, Scribe, quia opus Dei est. It is for God, it is on the behalf of God: It is by the express Commandment of God, it is for the saving of a soul redeemed by his blood; it is for interest, it is for the conservation of an Order, which he hath established by means of a servant of his, Saint Bennet, who was our Founder, and therefore saith he write boldly, fear nothing my good brother, neither the hail, nor the flood, nor the tempest, for resolutely God willbe Master. 32. I will not, my Lords appeal to any body from you, but to yourselves, and howsoever it is said, that a man must never be both judge and party, yet I avow to you with all candour, that I confide so much in your goodness, your zeal towards the pure honour of God, of the Church, and of France; and I add yet further in the goodness of our cause, which hath been combated so often, and through the mercy of God, hath never been Conquered, that for my part, I desire no other judges but yourselves. In truth it seems to me that you and we in this difference are, as anciently the two Angels in Daniel were, who had both a good intention, and aimed at nothing but at the glory of God, and fought not but for the salvation of souls; and therefore God sent an Angel, who is called of great Counsel; who accommodated all, and made it evidently appear who was in the right, and who in the wrong. And I will hope and believe so well of his eternal and paternal providence, as that he will do the like in our case, and will make you most evidently discern his holy will. Sicut ergo fuerit voluntas in Coelo, sic fi●t, etc. I tell you therefore yet once again, that I will not appeal from you to any but yourselves, but I will imitate that good Abbot, and good St. Bern. Ep. 213. Frenchman, as good as ever was in the World. You may be pleased to remember that Pope Innocent the second, had employed him extraordinarily to appease the Schism, and he did all that which a Saint was able to do, who had his hands full of miracles, and was ever able to work them. But what did the innocent Abbot gain by this? A thousand jealousies rose up against him, a thousand slanders were darted against the white of his poor heart; the Pope himself in a Letter calling him Rebel and Traitor against the See Apostolic. Who would ever have believed this? Yet in fine, so it was. The holy man opening the Pope's Letter to him, was as if he had opened a Cloud full of fire, with a bolt of thunder in the midst, and with a blow as if it had pierced his heart. But yet calling his spirits to himself, and adoring the admirable but secret providences of God, he wrote in these terms to the Pope. Quis mihi faciet iustitiam de vobis? Si haberem Ep. 213. iudicem ad quem vos trahere possem, iam nunc ostenderë vobis (ut parturiens loquor) quid meremini. Extat quidem tribunal Christi, sed absit ut ad illud appellem vos qui illic, si vobis necessarium & mihi possibile esset, vellem magis totis viribus insistere, & respondere pro vobis. Itaquoe recurro ad eum, cui in praesenti datum est judicare de universis, hoc est, ad vos, vos apello, ad vos, vos indicate inter me & vos. In quo quaeso puer vester tam male meruit de vestra paterninate, ut eum inurere & insignire placeret, Nota, & nomine Proditoris? Nunquid non me vestrum Vicarium, dignatio vestra constituit, in reconciliatione Petri Pisani, etc. This virtuous Abbot firmly thought that he should have met with thankes, for having even defeated himself with labour to appease this Schism; and in place thereof he found himself qualified with the name of Traitor, and a perfidious man, who had (as it were) betrayed both the Pope and the Church. All his choler was such, as that he had none at all, and his appealing (as for a wrong) was not to appeal at all; but to remit it to the providence of God, to make the truth appear, and to make his innocency subsist, which was evidently afterward as you know. 33. I beseech you most humbly to consider well, that notwithstanding men have desired so many, and so many times, to stir up this business in France, in Italy, in Germany, in England, and in Avignon, there hath indeed been made a great deal of confused noise, but the Authors thereof have never gathered any other fruit, than a great deal of pain, and things have still remained in the same state they were in before. In fine, all that which ordinarily men got in those times, was to b● able to observe in whom there was a little passion, and in whom there was none. There was never (God be thanked) less reason to be afraid then now; since now we see France to be filled with so many worthy Prelates, and so zealous of virtue, and of the salvation of souls, as you are. I beseech God to multiply these great favours towards you, and ever to give you hearts which may be truly Apostolical; and all full of celestial fire, and give grace to us, that we may well and worthily serve the Church, under your favours, and by imitation of you. And I pray God that we may never be reproached for that, for which St. Paul reproacheth 1 Cor. 3. the Church of Corinth. Cum sic inter vos zelu● & contentio, nun carnales estis, & secundum hominem ambulatis? Cum enim quis dicat ego quidem sum Pauli, alius autem ego Apollo, nun homines estis? Quid igitur est Apollo? Quid vero Paulus? Ministri ejus cui credidistis, & vnicui● sicut dominus dedit. Ego plantavi. There is for you my Lords, and for the Pastors and Vicars, Apollo regavit, behold this is for privileged Persons, whom God hath sent to secure them. Deus autem incrementum dedit; Itaque neque qui plantat est aliquid, neque qui rigat, sed qui incremen●um dat Deus. Qui autem plantat & qui rigat unum sunt, unusquisque autem propriam mercedem accipiet, secundum suum laborem. Dei enim sumus adjutores, etc. I pray God, I say, that the first part of this Discourse (all which is so Divine) may never be verified upon us, but that the second passage may be verified, which certainly is a most rich one, and able to make the Gallican Church to become a terrestrial Paradise, and the pearl, the flower, and the Lily L. 5. the confid. c. 4. of all the Churches in the World. And for the accomplishing hereof, the advice which St. Bernard (one of the Apostles of our France, gave to Pope Eugenius, who was both his Son, and his Father, and his very heart) doth admirably serve in my judgement. The title is this. Quales coadiutores habere debeat Episcopus, to discharge himself worthily of his place, and in such sort as that he may also save his flock, for this is the true point of State, which imports; and if this be not done, the rest is trash. Amongst other qualities which he ascribeth to these Prelates, who have a mind to be Saints, one is, that they take men who may serve them faithfully. These men he calleth Cooperators and Coadjutors, and saith; Tuum est undecunque evocare, & ascribere tibi, exemplo Moysis senes non iwenes, sed senes, non tam aetate quam moribus, etc. Elige viros qui missi post aurum non cant, sed Christum sequantur. Qui Regibus joannem exhibeant, Aegyptijs Moysen, fornicantibus Phinees, Eliam idolatris, Elisaeum avaris, Petrum mentientibus, Paulum blasphemantibus, negociantibus Christum. Qui vulgus non spernant, sed doceant, non divites palpent, sed terreant, pauperes non gravent, sed foveant, minas Principum non paveant, sed contemnant, etc. To do well, a man should here set down the whole Chapter so precious and full of juice it is, but I should be importunate, and it will suffice to set down the end thereof. Elige eos qui ad teredeant, fatigati quidem, sed non suffarimati; gloriantes quod non aurum attulerint, sed quod reliquerint pacem regnis, legem barbaris, quietem Monasterijs. Ecclestis, Ordinem, Clericis disciplinam, Deo populum acceptabilem, sectatorem bonorum operum. And where shall we find such men as these? It would become me ill, to tell where, whilst I am speaking to you, my Lords, who know it so much better than I, besides that the matter speaks sufficiently for itself. If you fear that Saint Bernard being an Abbot and a Monk, may have been too favourable to them, who should by reason of their profession, have those qualities which he holdeth requisite for such as are to serve Popes and Prelates, let us take hold of another, with whom we will make an end of this discourse. Will you be content to believe Pope Gregory in this business? Harken then to this Oracle, who applieth most happily these words of job, to this purpose. Quando erit Omnipotens mecum & in circuitu meo pueri mei, quando lavabam pedes meos butyro & Petra fundebat rivos olei. Pueri job 29. S. Greg. l. 19 c. 9 & 10. in circuitu Ecclesiae & Christi sunt qui caelestibus mandatis inseruiunt. Pedes sunt sancti Praedicatores, & inferlorum operum Ministri; high butyro eloquij pedes lavant. Quid ad haec nos Episcopi, etc. You may see the rest if it Opusc. 15. c. 4. please you, and how Saint Thomas applieth it to this question. If yet you will needs fear lest this great Pope may also perhaps remember himself to have been a Monk, and that so perhaps he may hang towards the party of Religious men, in pointing at those conditions, which are not more easily, nor more eminently, nor more ordinarily found, then in Religious men, who make profession thereof, let us even resort to Saint Charles, whom you love so well, and let us conclude out of his mouth, as we began by him. This holy Prelate will tell you first, that he desireth no more of Religious men, Act. Medi●l. part. 4. in. Instruct. wisit. 1. de Regular. but that they observe the Council of Trent. Now this is reasonable. Secondly, he commandeth his visitors, that performing towards Religious men, that which the Pope hath by express favour accorded to them, they do by no means grate Act. Medi●l. p. 4. Inst. Conf. upon their Privileges. And this is also reasonable. Thirdly, that he should never be able to have too many Oblati, or other labourers for the saving of souls, for as much (saith he) as Saint Katherine Serm. 3. Synod. 11. & l. 8. vitae. c. 13. of Sienna desired even to lose heaven, for the gaining of one only soul, and what marvel was it then if that holy Virgin would be kissing the ground, and the place where Preachers were wont to set their feet, they being the Cooperators of jesus Christ. And there is nothing more pleasing to God then to see us such; and when he findeth a man who with him will bear the burden of the salvation of souls, etc. Thus saith Saint Charles, and this also is reasonable. He did even burn with such a love of God, and with so great zeal of the salvation of souls, that he could not get labourers enough by the half, who might attend to this holy function; and this was his only reason for his making the Oblati of St. Ambrose, conceiving that they were to prove men who would sacrifice themselves to this alone, without any other diversion in the world, and depending upon his only will. But I have spoken of this already at large, and I must end all this little discourse by the mouth of a great Apostle. If, my Lords, there be any thing which by misfortune may have offended you never so little in this discourse, which hath been made by your commandment, I do most humbly beg your pardon for it. If perhaps you may find, that it containeth strong, and pressing, and reasons, it is God who hath inspired them, and therefore the glory belongeth only to him. I beseech him with all the powers of my soul, that he will be pleased to make you gust them well, and that he will grave them profoundly in your hearts, to the end, that he who is the God of Union, and not of Division, may establish an inviolable peace, and perfect Union in his Church. For as for us, I declare thus much to you, that after we shall have most humbly prayed the great God, to make every one of you a Saint Charles whom you loved so well, we shall esteem it for the highest happiness, and honour, and succour, to be your most humble servants, and we will say with the Divine Apostle: Non enim nosmeteipsos praedicamus, sed jesum Christum Dominum nostrum, nos autem servos vestros per jesum, etc. Omnia autem propter vos, ut gratia abundans per multos, in gratiarum actione abundet in gloriam Dei. And so my Lords, I humbly crave your holy Benedictions. Benedictus Deus. FINIS.