France and now of late brought into Italy and maintaines this custome contrary to the law yea to be more reasonable then the law it selfe namely that men of the laity rather then of the Glergy should be used as executioners in the aforesaid cases Those who desire to set moe examples of this nature let them read Sotus de Iure Iustitia Suarez or Lessius of the same Argument Now then to come home unto our case in hand I meane of civill causes commenced pleaded and determined in the Kings Courts the defendants being as well ecclesiasticall as lay persons in these Kingdomes of Britanny May we not perswade our selves that a custome so universally received and without interruption continued since the Conversion of the Saxons under Pope Gregory the great and King Ethelbert of England for the space of a thousand yeeres and upward may not take place of the Canon that sayth Preists in all causes must be presented before ecclesiasticall Iudges Cap. Qualiter de Iudicijs especially it being no lesse a law and a Canon of the Church as hath beene before observed That the customes of places being reasonable may derogate from the law written Ext. de consuetudinibus declared above by some examples Now then must I needes bee foreed to beleevâ—â— that all our Kings Bishops Nobles Iudges and Magistrates by whose authority Ecclesiasticall persons were convented in civill causes before secular Tribunals for a thousand yeares and upward did all live and dye excommunicated throwne out of the Church as perished members without hope of salvation when as among our English Kings themselves sixe of them were canonized Saints of which honor no other kingdome of the earth can glory namely King Oswald Etheldred Edmund Richaâ—d Edgar and Edward the Confessour many Bishops as S. Augustine S. Anselme Dunstaâ— Thomas all Archbishops of Canterbury Richard of Yorke Cutbeâ—t of Duresme Thomas of Hereford c. Alas while these and the rest of our country men were bound in the setters of Excommunication where were our gray and blacke Friars and the other zealous Regulars whose parts it was at the least after their arrivellto have anmonished both prince and people of their errors to have preached and published bookes condemning that practise so coâ—ary to the lawes as these maintaine of holy Church was the Pope and Roman court also asleepe for so many ages and would not enforme their spirituall children of so great a violation of the Canon had they misliked thereof Nay rather is it not the universall consent of all divines together with the Canon it selfe That the permission of the Pope in any Church law seeing the same either from the beginning not to be observed or by contrary custome antiquated and notwithstanding is silent and makes no opposition thereunto excuseth the subject from sin as presumed to approve and allow of the said practise See for this glan cap. in ist is § leges dist 4. in c. de treu pace in cap. cum multi 15. q. ult For so much then as it is certaine that as well ecclesiasticall as secular superiours may oblige their subjects albeit never so unwilling to obey their iust lawes so often then as they see the same lawes not to be observed and passe it over in silence they sieme thereby contented therewithall and such silence and taciturnity of the Law-giver may by the subiect according to the former rules be expounded a full consent and approbation of his practise Adde hereunto the observation of a late English Franciscan whose true name I understand is Dampart and his usurped Franciscus à sincta Clara in his late booke Deus Natura Gratia in which as my country man Edmund Bunny laboured in his treatise tending to Pacification to reconcile the Roman Catholiques to the Protestant profession So this Friar of the contrary by his glosses and paraphrasticall expositions labours to draw the Articles of the english confession to the Catholicke and Roman doctrines But let the Friar wring and wrest till he be weary he shewes himselfe but a time server a slatterer and a meere Alchimist adulterating both the doctrine of them and us and seeking to please both a inst reward for such a worke contenteth neither of whom it may be said as of the dead serpent stretched all along upon the grasse Amo sic vixisse oportuit yea so thou shouldest have lived The serpent all his life long lives crooked onely after death is straight so are many at this day both in their lives and doctrines very crooked onely death teacheth them how they ought to have lived themselves and how to have taught others to the example of the Apostle 2. Cor. 2. Non enim sumus sicut plurimi adulterantes verbum Dei sed ex sinceritate c. For we are not as very many adulterating the word of God but of sincerity and as of God before God in Christ we speake Well I must not forget for all my digressió wherefore I brought the Friar upon the stage namely for a testimony against his fellow Triars of this kingdome to shew how unlike to untuned Virginalis their wires doe jangle these maintaining that civill actions against a Priest must be heard and determined in the Bishops consitory the English Friar in the Kings courts for which he produceth his authors His words are as follow in his paraphrase upon the 27. article Confess Anglicana Regibus autem nostris fursse sic eoncessum jus nominandâ— providendi de beneficys testatur post alios Harpâ—feldius seculo 14 fursse etiam aliam consuctâ—â—dinem ex privilegio ort am immemorialem causas Clericorum cognoscendi patet ex decisione Rotae 804. ut communiter citatur To our Kings was granted the right of nomination and provision of benefices as after others witnesseth Harpsfeild in the 14. age As also another custome time out of minde sprung from a priviledge of taking knowledge of the causes of Clergy men as appeareth by the decision of the Rota as it is commonly cited So the English Friar This Do. Harpsfeild as I take it was Archdeacon of Canterbury in Queene Mary her dayes and continued the ecclesiasticall history of England froÌ„ Venerable Bode his time to his owne Decisiones Rota are the very life and quintessence of the Canon law so called from a known office in Rome called the Rota But neither of these bookes are with me for which I use the Friars quotation And now the infirmity of my body not permitting me to proceede further which for the space of these 2. moneths hath much afflicted me and dayly encreasing upon me I am forced thus abruptly to breake off rather then to make an end Beseeching almighty God of his infinite mercy to grant me and all my Adversaryes and all those who professe the name of Iesus Christ to live and dye in true faith hope and charity And so hoping to see the good things of our Lord in the land of the living I take my
reported how the same S. Francis had a revelation from heaven that the aforesaid Friar Helias should doe pennance for his sinnes and not be damned at all This shall you reade in the Chronicle of the Friar Minors tom 1. cap. 118. And such as will take paines to peruse S. Brigids revelations conserre them with our legends of Saints lives shall finde innumerable examples of like kind One Saint having a revelation directly contrary to what hath beene revealed unto another Notwithstanding that there is but one God one truth And we may be enduced or rather enforced to beleeve that these revelations visions and apparitions of S. Francis and Simon Stoc if any such were were meere satanicall illusions no divine revelations for that they promise that certitude and assurance of salvation in this life which is repugnant to sacred Writt the uniforme consent of the Primitive Fathers the uniforme consent of Generall Councells and the beliefe both of our holy Mother the Church and all her obedient children even unto these times as I have aboundantly proved in my Epistle to Pope Vrbanns and not necessary heere to be repeated againe And therefore I will conclude this first point with that of the Apostle Golat. 1. That if an Angell from heaven shall come and preach unto us contrary to what we have received Anathema sir But yet to give scope to a more full and ample discourse of this Argument let us admit for the present that S. Francis and Simon Stoc had received by divine revelation That whosoever shall dye in the habit of the one and the scapular of the other should undoubtedly be saved for it may not bee denyed but such certitude may be had by divine revelation Examples we have of the Scriptures of the two glorious Apostles S. Peter S. Paul of S. Mary Magdalen some others for the arme of our Lord is not shortned nor his power abridged Yet say I conformable to the doctrine of holy Church as afterward shall bee prooved that this can be no assurance or security unto others who are not partakers of the said visions and revelations to beleeve that doctrine because what is of divine authority unto one is but of humane and sallible authority unto another For say that Peter knoweth a thing to come by certaine divine revelation yet the same shall be to Patrick but onely a humane relation received from the lips of Peter a mortall man subject to error and mistaking to deceive and to be deceived and being but in via non in termine peccable in thought word and deed and therefore we see the Church whose wisdome is from the holy Ghost never to canonize any person though reputed never so holy while they are in the flesh and till such time as their sanctity be attested by signes and wonders from heaven As then S. Francis before his conversion was of life conversation like unto others of his rank quality not much scrupulous of the offence of God till he came unto the age of twenty five as may appeare both by the first words of his Testament Quia cùm essem in peccatis c. as also by his life written by Bonaveniure So albeit I confesse the a d and better part of his life after his conversion dedicating himselfe unto the service of God was as a threed more evenly ipun then the former yet not altogether without some knotes as may be knowne by his own confession when on a time so journing in the pallace of the Cardinall De S ta Cruce and in the night-time being beaten of the Devills he repayred in the morning to the presence of the aforesaid Cardinall to whom he related what he had endured and then added Men that know me not repute me as a Saint but behold how the devills who know me well doe handle and chastice me for my sinnes So he Chron fras minor toni I cap. 13. Out of all which I doe inferre that a vision or revclation is not therefore authenticall or to be believed because such a person who after â—is death was canonized for a Saint did in his life-life-time avouch the same either by word or writing because it is necessary for my pâ—ucent assent unto such visions or revelations that the same be canonized for supernaturall infallible truths which cannot be but by authority of holy Church which hath canonized for certaine and infallible verities no other mens workes sayings or writings then those of the Prophets and Apostles as that Angelical Doctor S. Thomas hath in these words Innititur fide nostra rev Lationi Apostolis prophetis factae qui canoricâ—s linos scripserunt non autem revelationi si qua fuit aliis doctoribus facta 1 2 q. 1.8 2 d. 2 dum Our faith is grounded upon revelation made unto the Apostles and Prophets who wrote the canonicall bookes not to revelation if any such was made to other Doctors For which doctrine he cites also S. Aug. in his Epistle unto S. Hierom Epist 14. in these words Solis enim scripturarum libris qui canonici appellaneny didici hune honorem deferre â—t unllum autherum corum in scribendo errasse aliquid firmissime credam Alios autem it a lego ut quantalibet fanctitato doctrinaque prepolleant non ideo verum putem quod ipsi it a senserunt vel scripserunt Onely to the books of Scripture which are called canonicall I have learned to give that honour that I most firmely believe that none of the Authors thereof have erred in writing but other writers I so read that with how great sanctity or learning so ever they doe excell I doe not therefore believe a thing to be true because they have so judged or so written So S. Aug. Now future glory in Heaven being a supernaturall object cannot by humane knowledge or morall certitude be assured unto us but either not all or by divine faith which though not cleare and evident yet excelleth in certitude and infallibility all scientificall knowledge whatsoever And this I say to answere those who happily in defence of their errors in the aforesaid revelations will say that albeit indeed they be not to be believed by a divine and a supernaturall faith yet may they be certaine unto us exáio tapite that is from some other topicall argument which in truth is as much as if they said nothing preaching an infallibility of the aforesaid visions and revelations then brought unto cheir justification they answere us with nothing but historicall legends and I pray God not rather fabulous and meere humane possibilityes When the poore soule in the meane time trusting unto habits and scapulats as Oracles of truth rockes of a sure foundation at the evening and perclose of life findes it selfe irreparably deceived in puncto descondit in infernum in a moment for misbeliefe siukes downe to hell whence neither the habit of S. Francis nor the scapular of the Carmelites nor the saturday
with Maxentius the tyrant when in the sky hee saw a most bright Crosse with this circumscription 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In this overcome Euseb lib. 1. de vita Constant Albeit not that signe of the Crosse which appeared unto Constantin but he in whose hands all victoryes are seconded by humane meanes was the cause of gayning that battayle And so indeed it is said of the divine scapular in that sayned revelation of Simon Stec Ecec signum salutis salus in periculis foedus pacis pacts sempiterni Behold the signe of salvation safety in dangers a league of peace and of an everlasting covenant Say then that we admit of this qualification of theirs and take it for granted that the habit scapular be but bare signes onely significative not operative and onely of the nature of those foure signes last mentioned Yet must we needs confesse them to bee signes of farre more excellency of a greater importment in respect of their supernaturall object which is glory I meane then either the Rain-bow in the clouds or Gideoâ—s Fleece upon the sloore or the retrograde Sun in Ezechias horologe or Constantin his Crosse with the Emblem thereof In â—oc vince In this overcome For that these were but signes and pledges of temporall blessings as security from inundations victory in warre bodily health and the like But S. Francis legacy bequeathed unto his Friars is that whosoever dyes in their habit shall not perish of any unhappy death Simon Stâ—â— of the scapular is That whosoever dyes therein nâ—nquam patietur incendium sempiternum He shall never suffer eternall fire Dame Luissa her Saturday fast is That who so performes it shall not end his dayes in mortall sin These I wis are signes not of any worldly benefits or temporall blessings but of that Crowne of immortality which attends all such as have beene victorious in this our Christian warfare For if the soule that better part of Man be of a divine being and immortall as the best Philosophers have taught and if it be of that precious esteeme with God as he is said in the Scriptures to bee amator animarum a lover of soules And our blessed Saviour the Redeemer of soules could say Mar. 8. Quid enim proderit bomini c. What shall it boot a man to gaâ—ne the whole world and to loose his owne soule And if King Ezechias was so tender of his corporall health as he desired that the same should be confirmed unto him by a signe from Heaven which was a pledge farre more liefe and deare unto him then was that plastet of figs applyed unto his sore a seconâ—lary cause of his health No marveile then though a poore sinner should prize a signe from Heaven an assured pledge of eternall salvation before all other treasure upon earth yea before all other helpes and meanes conducing thereunto Alas then if it be true that these men tell us Why was not S. Francis and Simon Stoe no sooner with us Why did poors sinners misse these so precious signes and pledges of their salvation for a thousand two yeares since Christ Or why since there have beene habits scapulars from the dayes of S. Basil S. Augustine S. Benedict that none of them had that divine influence or signification as the gray habit of the Minors the two square patches ex quolibet panno of the Carâ—â—clites the former not five hundred yeares old and the later not so much But not to lament the times of greater antiquity Alas well away Where was this blessed habit scapular the day wherein S. Bernard dyed in which it is reported that of 30 thousand persons who then departed this life onely S. Bernard two moe were saved for so S. Vincentius the Dominican enformeth us in his 6. sermon de Septuag fró a vision made unto an holy Ermite sometime Deane of Langres in France as also Martinus Polonus in his promptuary of examples cap. 18. Or after that time againe and within the date of these so mysticall weeder where were these helpes divine comforts so farre transcending all sacraments and sacramentalls when as in the yeere of grace 1343. a holy Ermite saw in a vision the soules of men women falling as fast into hell as ever snow came downe from the clouds and onely three to mount up to Heaven namely the soule of a Bishop of a Charter-house Monke and of a Roman Widow This shall you reade lib. de â—rtâ— Carthusiensi in the time of Innocentius the sixt of that name Surely it seemes that either in those dayes there wanted Preachers to publish these miraculous graces of the habit and scapular or people to beleeve them Or else we must say that the shops wanted frises woollen cloath to make them of Or Taylors to cut them out which for my part I will as soone believe as the woods of Arden in Germany to want theeves Freebooters or the Gardens of Egypt to want Leekes Onions which some of the Egyptians worshipped as their gods as may appeare by that verse of Invenal Sat. 15. Porrum cepe nefas violare ac frangere morsu O sanctas gentes quibus bac nascuntur in hor tis Numina To chaw an Onion or a Leeke is held a foule offence O holy people whose gods doe grow but wot you whence Their gardens And I pray God That many among us who would bee esteemed very good perfect Christians yeeld not more honour unto the creatures albeit they make them not their gods then they ought or may stand with the integrity of our holy faith But to returne to our Argument For I purpose to leave no reason pro or contra indiscussed which may serve to discover the vanity of these aforesaid Revelations with which so many soules both have beene and are at this day abused And first for that Legacy of S. Francis grounded upon a vision or Revelation That whosoever dyeth in his habit shall never be prevented with an unhappy death I perswade my selfe besides what already hath been said that it is a meere fiction an lmposture of his Friars of later times untruly fathered upon the Saint for the maintenance of their bellyes And first it is held as most probable That S. Francis had no certaine or particular habit at all either of this or that cloath or colour but onely course and of small price such as might best sort with poverty pennance as may appeare by his rule cap. 2. in these words Fratres omnes vestimentis vilibus induantur possint eis repeciare de saccis alijs pecijs cum benedictione Dei Let all the Fryars be clad with course clothing they may patch them with sackcloth other patches on Gods blessing And this which our Friars doe hold to be a precept of the rule or equipollent to a precept may seeme to be confirmed by the practice of the Order for see wee not the
Capuchins to weare a distinct habit from the Cordeliers agreeing in nothing but onely in colour The Capuchin having a large frise coat to the foot with a piece of course canvas square one halfe yard upon the back girded unto him with a rude massie rope with a great knot before unto this coat sowed a steepled hood or ca puch from whence they have the name of Capuchins of well-neere two foot long from the basis to the conus over this coat they have a cloake of the same frise comming litle below the waste When as the Cordelier professing the same Order of S. Francis the same rule hath a coat of much better frise without that square canvas on the back with a hood or a capuch not steepled at all but round fitted unto his head a girdle of a cord from whence hee hath his name of Cordilier the same handsomely wrought with many artificiall knots orderly placed by equall distances a sleeve O heavenly wide which besides the arme will well containe a couple of Cheeses quartered or a Gamon of bacon a-piece or as many Puddings as would well neere serve a whole Convent of Friars for their break-fast over all this they have a cloak of the same frise descending almost unto the foot Observe then how different these habits be yet those Franciscans againe which are of the reformation of S. Diego they have a distinct habit both from the Capuchin Cordelier Sith then each of these deny the other to have the habit of S. Francis I then demaund of our Friars which of these habits or is it all of them that hath the blessing that whosoever dyes in them shall never be prevented with an unhappy death But what was the true habit of S. Francis or which of the reformations have got it I make account they will agree upon it when my fingers grow all of one length then happily my selfe will be as credulous as others to believe them Now againe it is to be observed That this revelation of the habit is not to be found in the life of S. Francis at all notwithstanding his life was written by many most of them of his own family order as first soone after his death by S. Bonaventure neither is it in the Bull of his canonization of Pope Greg. 9. nor yet in the Roman Breviary or any other Legend of later time either of Lippolo or Lippomannus or Villiegas or last of all by Friar Luke Wadding a Cordilier living this day in Rome In all which Legends of the aforesaid authors matters of farre lesse cousequence I wis are not forgotten yet not word of this great benefit of the habit to be read in them Besides is it not a thing to be admired wondered at that S. Francis leaving such a golden legacy unto the world that whosoever dyed in the habit of his order should be saved that himselfe was not carefull to dye in the same as well for example unto posterity as also to be partaker of that security of salvation with other Christians For we reade in the first tome of the Chronicle of the Priars Minors cap. 71. That S. Francis when he perceived the houre of his death approaching stript himselfe all naked and then cast himselfe upon the ground making an exhortation to his brethren to persist constant in the love of God the profession of holy poverty till such time as the Guardian whom he obeyed understanding the desire of the holy Father taking presently an habit with the cord linnea breeches brought them unto him saying Father take this habit which I lend you with the cord and breeches that you may be buryed there with to cover your nakednesse And it is there said that S. Francis contentedly took the breeches but not the habit for that he desired to conforme himselfe unto our Saviour who dyed naked upon the Crosse Lastly how can this aforesaid revelation of the habit stand with any truth or probability when as dayly experience condem â—eth the same of crrour falshood therefore more like to be some belly-invention of his disciples apostating from the rule and discipline of their Founder then any wise authorixed by S. Francis who doubtlesse was a holy man who in his life-time did see did both condemne lament with great griefe of mind the manyfold disorders of his followers and the prevarication of his rule as may appeare by sundry passages of the history of the Friar Minors whosoever will take the paines to peruse the same I say then that setting aside all other reasons sense it selfe experience doth sufficiently confute convince of most into lienable falshood that doctrine of our Friar Minors namely that whosoever dyes vested with their habit shall never be prevented of an unhappy death For first if it be understood of temporall duasters calamityes in death these fraile bodyes of ours having so many windowes to admit them according to that of the Tragedian Eripere vitam nemâ— non homini potest at nemo mortem mille ad hane aditus patent Seneca in Hippol. Every one may deprive us of life but none can debarre us of death which hath a thousand gates Among which calamityes attending our ends if sudden death be reckoned for one as it seemes by the doctrine of holy Church to be we being taught to pray A subitanea improvisa morte libera nos domine From sudden and inexpected death deliver us good Lord What shall wee say of that subtile Doctor among the Franciseans Johaunes Duns Scotus who being Apoplecticus or subject to the palsy and supposed in one of his fits to be dead was buryed alive as appeared at the returne of his absent companion who being acquainted with the nature of his disease caused his body to be taken up which was found all broken bruised with striving to recover himselfe from his sepulchre whose fate is reported by Paulus I viâ—â— in these words Apoplexiâ correpâ—us Scot us panas persolvis It a quâ—dem at nimis festinato funere promortuo tumulatus cum redeubte vita soro morbi impetum natura discuteret frustra ad petendaw opem miâ—eraâ—ilâ— mugitu adito pulsatoque din sepulchri lapide eliso tandem capite peâ—ierâ—t Scotus taken with an Apoplexy had his punishment so as buryed for dead too hastily when as nature too late had disgested the force of his disease and life returning in vaine desiring holp yeelding a miserable roaring often beating the store of his grave at length his head being violently bruised he perished So Iovius Whose fate wanted not also a Poet to expresse the same in verse as followeth Quod nulli hominum un quans accidit viator Hic Scot us jaceo semel sepultus Et his mortuus omnibus sophistis Argutus magis at que captiosus Ianus Vitalis apud lovium What chanc'd before to none I am forced to bemoane O thou that passest
by Lo Scotus where J lye Who twise though being dead Was once but buryed Of me some doubt not say And sure I thinke they may Each Sophist I out-went In captious argument This and much more as touching the fate of Scotus may you read in Bzovius in his continuation of Cesur Baronius his Annalls in the years 1494. But not to wade into any further sea of examples Spaine will tell you how many Friar Minots have been cast away by shâ—pwrack in their voyages unto the Indyes My selfe in the yeare 1610 in the territoryes of Lerma in Cantle with many othors the whole town in a manner going forth to the same beheld the murdered body of a Franciscan Friar a stranger to that place who was supposed to have had moneyes being robbed of them was also slaine his body hid among the standing corne neere unto the gate of the towne of Leâ—ma But some peradventure will say that sudden death is not to be numbred among unhappy or disasterous fates at all For so much as we read that Iulius Casar disputing of that argument the day before he was slain in the Senat-house was of opinion that an inexpected death was to be preferred before any other Sueton in Iulio And a Princely writer of these times in his exposition upon the Lords prayer seemes not to disallow of that death which yeelds least trouble unto the sense So as in these mens opinions not a sudden but an unprovided death is that which is to be misliked conformable to that of Sapient 4. Iustus si morte praeoccupatus fuâ—rit in refrigerio eâ—it The just man though he be prevented by death he shall be in a refreshing And by their leaves I would say that the death which is inexpected may well be suspected feared to be unprovided And therefore for my part I pray God that death may knock at my doore along time before he enter still leaning unto the old Intanyes A subitanea improvisa morte libera nos Domine From a sudden an unlooked for death good Lord deliver us But to leave this point to those who have more leisure to dispute it whether a sudden death is to be numbred among miserable deaths or no Let us come unto a second wherein I demand whether a death insâ—icted by the hand of Iustice may not justly be numbred among unhappy deaths And I thinke none will deny it forsomuch as Peter hath said Nemo autem vestrum paetiatur ut homicida aut fur c. Let none of you suffer as a murderere or a thiefe c. If then we find Friars of the order of S. Francis who for their crimes demerits have been sentenced at the barre of Tribunalls to in famous dishonorable deaths How then have their habits priviledged them Or where is that legacy of S. Francis that who so dyeth in the habit of his Order shall never be prevented with an unhappy death If any be so curious as to enforme himselfe in this affaire I shall not need to send him either unto the Italian Guittiardin or to Spanish French History or further then unto the Annalls of England for no larger a time then betwixt the Norman Conqueror King Henry 8. Where he shall find examples moe then a good many of that kind I say of Friars of the Order of S. Francis who have bin put to shamefull deaths by the hand of Iustice And the same neither for building of Churches nor ministring of Sacraments But some will say That still I come short of the marke of what was intended so long as I insist onely in these temporall calamitiâ—s that accompany the death of the body which with how terrible a countenance soever they looke upon their patients by any misery or casualty deprived together with their lifes of the benefit of the Sacraments yet we know not but evâ—n in their last agony or before continued unto their end thorough the abundant mercy of God they might be found penitent truly contrite for their fins so as in that despicable wretched a passage unto the eyes of the world they might be able to say Transivimus per ignem aquam eduxisti nos in refrigerium We have passed thorough fire water thou hast brought us into a refreshing So as still to make good that propheticall prediction fathered upon S. Francis by his Friars such as dye in their habit whether by death sudden or deserved they shal alwayes dye happily Since no death is to be held absolutely miserable excepting that one which carryes with it Peccatum ad mortem Of which the Apostle S. Iohn Est peccatum ad mortem non pro illo dico ut roget quis 1. â—oh 5. There is a sin unto death I say that for it no man aske Which sin by S. Augustines judgment is finall impenitency I aâ—â—irme saith he That a sin to dea his to leave faith working by charity even till death Decorrept gratia cap. 12. And the same doctrine he teacheth De civicate Deilib 21. cap. 24. So then the last refuge of our Friars is that setting apart â—ll other kindes of death of which none can be defined to be absolutely miserable such as dye in their habit shall never dye impenitent but truly contrite for their sins by which they shâ—ll be seâ—ure from the second death the eternall separation from the blessed vision of God So S. Francis his supposed revelation of the habit Simon Stoc of the scapular doe concurre in this In quo quis moriens non patietur incendium sempiternuÌ„ In which whosoever dyes shall never suffer eternall fire As then we have hitherto proved instanced by many exaples that notwithstanding the habit of S. Francis there hath not wanted such as have perished both by sudden infamous deaths So now in the last place it remaines to take away all tergiversation to manifest unto the world which some will say is a hard tax That divers Friars ending their dayes in the habit of S. Francis have bin subiect even unto this last worst kind of death joyned with finall impenitency obduratnesse in sin consequently according unto the doctrine of holy Church can no wayes be held to have dyed happily And albeit no man in this life may judge another mans servant for that as the Apostle sayth he stanâ—s or falls unto his owne Lord to whom all judgment both of quick dead is reserved And that ordinarily none comes back from the next world to tell us how they fare according to that of Iob. 16. Ecte enim brevi anni transennt semitam per quam non revertar ambulo Loe our yeares passe swiftly I walke the path by which I shall not returne Notwithstanding in our Writers of the Acts Monuments of Saints we find nothing more common or familiar then visions or apparitions made unto the living as touching the estare condition of
the desunct somerev ealed to be in glory some in Purgatory others damned As whosoever will peruse that large vo umt of S. Brigids revelations or Casarius or Speculum exemplorum or Capgravins or the Chronicle of S. Francis or any of our later legendary collectors will witnesse with me But setting all these aside which for mine own part as I doe not wholly reject depriving them of all credit authority So neither is my faith so strong as to admit into my Creed very much of what I read of that kind Considering that if the belly hath in all times bin a great Master of Art according to that of the Poet Venter magister artis ingenijque largitor The belly is a Master of Art a supplyer of Invention So above all other in the schoole of our Monkes Mendicants hath the same bin not onely a Master of Art but even Doctor Cathedrations A Doctor of the Chayre pablishing both by voyce writing whatsoever might be serviceable unto the Genius of the place Omitting then all Visions Revelations Apparitions I heare our Saviour saying that there is Spiritus blasphemia there is a sin against the Holy Ghost which shall never be forgiven I heare the voyce of the same truth saying Iohn 3. Such as believe not are judged already I heare the beloved Disciple saying 1. Iohn 5. Est peccatum ad mortem there is a sin unto death for which I say that none doe pray I heare S. Aug. saying De Civitate Deilib 21. cap. 24. If there be any that persist till death in impenitency of heart doth the Church now pray for them that is for the soules of them that are departed I heare also Concilium Braccarense primum cap. 34. forbidding to pray for such as dye in desperation or misbeliefe or kill themselves Tell me then you who pretend to be observantes and the most strict imitators of S. Francis what shall we say of such of your order as have bin mnrdered in flagranti delicte you know my meaning Of so many as have bin executed for Iudaisme by sentence of the Inquisition especially in Spaine Portugall of which sort in Lisboa there was a Friar Minor in the yeare 1610. who was burned in his habit upon a stage dying obstinate in his infidelity till the last breath cryed loude often in a lamentable dying voyce Deus Deus mens ad te de luce vigilo O God O my God from the light doe I wake unto thee What say you to others of your Order who preventing the course of nature have murdered themselves Have you forgotten or can you ever forget that wofull spectacle which hapned in the person of Thomas Barnwel a Franciscan Friar who upon S. Iohn day in Christmasse in the yeare 1630 hanged himselfe in the Orchard of Temple Og scarse two miles distant from the city of Dublin upon the bough of an apple-tree not onely in the habit of his order but using for that execrable service the cord of his habit with which he girt his loyns What voyce is there then so wicked or pen so prophane as to publish these men the like to have dved happily No rather may they say Quid profuit nobis habitus aut scapulare What hath the habit or the scapular prosited us or wherein have they helped us for save that in our life-time they were beneficiall unto cur bellyes the confidence that we had in them after death hath deprived both our bodyes of Christian buriall our soules of the prayers suffrages of the Church and of all faithfull people Now then to conclude this Chap. with are capirulation of such argunents as have bin alledged in the precedent discourse against the doctrine of certaintie of salvation by Habits Scapulars the Luissian fast First then gentle reader thou hast scene the same refuted à priore from authority of the Church Scriptures Councells Fathers Secondly à posteriore thou hast beheld the absurdity falsity thereof layd open before thee ad oculum by very sense experience in all such kindes sorts varietyes of death as by Christians in all times have bin held miserable unhappy ignominious of all which Friars in their Habits have bin sensible sufferers And therefore that doctrine of theirs must needes remaine voyde of all truth That whosoever dyes in their habit shall never be prevented with an unhappy death And yet these be our Apostles Missionaryes sent from Rome to convert Nations and to reduce them to the Catholick faith Such Apostles Preachers as doubtlesse shall never turne any unlesse it be fooles into mad men Truly Friar Missionaryes if these be the signes of your Apostleship this the Gospell you preach sooner shall you catch a Hare with a Tabor then convert a Protestant into a Roman Catholicke If among the savage Indyes you preach these doctrines I know not what credulity you may purchase but if in these parts you seeke to gaine soules to bring such as are astray into the right way doubt lesse it must be by other doctrines then Habits and Scapulars Non obtusa adoo gestamus corda Britanni We Britans live not in so grosse anayre though much unto the North but that we can discerne of colours who preacheth Christ who themselves and if the former had bin till this day as well applyed as the latter happily that lapis scandali that rock of offence at which so many have stumbled had bin before this time removed You Mendicants enter heere among us with specious glorious titles of Legantine Missionary power You tell us you are sent to labour in the Vineyard to worke in the harvest but what sayes the Protestant when he sees all you labour is but to eat the grapes to cull out the best sheaves when they finde all your preaching turned into begging or at least there unto tending Mary say they These be those who preach themselves and not Christ Iesus And say they not truly You tell us you are sent from Rome to assist the Priests and the Pastours ingoverning and feeding of their flocks but verily in all parts of this Kingdome it is well understood what slockes you looke after O how well it becomes the Francisean the Dominican after they have shamed the poore people on a Sunday morning out of their meanes the weeke after to gadd thorough the Parishes to gather in their muttons and hearde them together Compulerantque greges Coridon Thirsis in unum and after to expose them to sale one with another at 12. pence the head in every Barony of this Kingdome Gentlemen expecting when the Friars sheep passe by or where they keepe the market hoping what they got so easily they will not rate too highly And as dextrous as they be in bringing home the strayed sheep so no lesse diligent are they in seeking the lost groat It is a laudable custome of the Church commanded by
dinner neither was there written over the gate Porta patens esto nulli clauderis honefto The Friar seeing-himselfe thus prevented his stomack perswading him that he was in extremeinecessity of his dinner he betook himself unto the hammer of the gave so belaboured the broad payle as I know not whether Brontes the great Smithy man with his biggest hammer fetched from his right care could lay weightier stroakes upon his anvill But so it was as the Friar found the proverbe true Venter non babet aures the belly hath no cares and no admission or answer could he get notwithstanding that propter improbitatem by reason of his importunity he perswaded himselfe had they bin all in bed fast in sleep they would have risen ministred unto him And no question but as his hands did labor at the hammer so did many a cogitation hammer in his braines sometimes bewayling the declining of hospitality thorough the Kingdome the hardnesse of rich mens hearts somtimes again bethinking him of the vertue of perseverance comforting himselfe with these the like promises Petite accipietis pulsate aperietur vobis Aske you shall receive knock it shall be opened unto you But nothing did more trouble the Friars mind then when he fell into consideration of that Legacy of S. Francis written under his Image commonly at their altars That in what place so ever his Friars should be they never should want necessary food or rayment the truth of which Legacy he found his stomack now to call in question O how often did he examine the gates whether the weather or wormes or time more consuming then either wormes or weather had made any little windowes by which he might espy some blessed body to passe over the base court within but all in vaine for assoone might hee have looked thorough the ribs of the Trojan horse What will you have of it Lasa patientia sit furor wronged patience turnes into fury the Friar gathers up a number of stones as David did when hee went to let fly at Golias his head though far bigger for this Friar is alufly bouncing Cordilier not such a shrimpe as David was these he throweth against the gates of Droncondran with many a vengeance upon all those who keep their gates so close shut against Friars but alas as Priams darts rebounded back when they arrived at Pirrhus his armor of proofe accusing the weak feeble arme of the thrower So did the stones which Friar Iohn Preston sent against the aforesaid gate leaving some few dints of his doughty choller but nothing which might relieve his hunger At last the Friar all malecontent betakes himselfe unto his palfrey and with a froward kind of patience pursued the rest of his journey But time passing on with swift though silent pases not long after he meetes with old Iohn Bath whose soule God pardon he relates what a challenge he made him what documents he gave him among which I remember this was one What wist you but that the best and dearest friend you have might have bin at your gates at that houre It is against the lawes of hospitality the custome of Ireland to shut their doores at meale time c but betwixt us both he either forgot to tell me or I to demaund what satisfaction was made for that error And now I wot well what the Friar will say or others for him Alas M r Harris is this all you have to say against that ancient Guardian and now a definitor of his Order It seemes if you had worse it should out O no I keep the rest for my Booke De illustribus viris fuminis S. Francisci per Hibernian which I hope ere long shall see the light If they amend not And now betaking my selfe unto a more serious discourse I will conclude this Chapter CAP. V. Whether it be true Martyrdome to dye in defenes of the two former Tenents held both in Theory and Practise by our Archbishop Tho. Flemming and his Friars MVch doth our Archb. Flemming glory that in and for the defence of the libertyes of the Church he is persequuted both of the State some of his own profession But for his part as they seek his bloud so is he most ready and willing with S. Thomas of Canterbury for the immunityes priviledges of the Church to lay down his life that so he may aspire unto the glorious Crown of Martyrdome And sure if the Pope Cardinals in Rome were as forward as he his Friars be here I perswede my selfe he would be canonized before his death so be a second S. Thomas But then how a Martyr There indeed would be the difficulty And therefore the State may do well in the mean time to make him a Confessour That is to acknowledge his fault presumption in violating such lawes as both Church Common-wealth in all ages from our very cradle of Christianity in these Kingdomes have maintained conformable to the Law of God fittest for government as I have abundantly declared in my Book against the Archbishop Flemming his Excòmunication And this I speak in excuse of his first error the mother whereof had it bin iguorance might by an humble submission bin made pardonable For indeed Thomas Flemming was taken frō his Friary of Lovayn at the age of 30. years so was suddenly advāced unto the second Primacy of Ireland humane negotiation of interposed mediators Erigens e stercore pauperem ut sedeat cum principibus cum principibus populi sui raysing him from the dunghill even to sit with Princes with the Princes of his people to whom if that power which could in a moment elevat set him aloft had also furnished him with parts befitting government there had bin no cause of complaint But the man was taken as he was in a new mould could not now be cast A Friar he was and to have a Friar Archbishop of Dublin was the ambition of all the Friars in Ireland whom they presumed therein were not deceived that he would ever smell of the first humour with which he was seasoned Notwithstanding David taken from the flocks from behind the bagged ewes as himself confesseth Psal 77. Sustulit cum de gregibus de post foetanies accepit cum advanced unto the scepter of Israel did not after look back either to the Rams or to the Ewes or their yong ones he left behind him but as Salomon sayth of a Wise man he had alwayes his eyes in his head he looked before him forgetting what was past endevouring to performe with that present estate to which he was called having I con fesse this advantage that he who raysed him had both the power will to bestow upon him the spirit of wisdome and all other gists graces necessary for so high a calling By which we may take knowledge by the way of that distinction Inter voluntatems boneplaniti
leave of the world Mundus non mundar sed mundus polluit Ergo Qui manet in mundo Quomodo mundus erit But how truly may I say with old Tobias Great art thou O Lord who dost wound and heale who brings unto the gates of death and backe againe Tob. 13. And so while yet we have time operemnt bonum ad omnes let us do good to all especially to the domestiques of faith as the Apostle adviceth us It being the office of a good pastor as well to seeke the stray sheepe as to feede the ninety and nine CAP. VIII An Objection answered THere remaines then a difficulty to bee removed for some will well allow of my precedent discourse were it not for one blocke which lyes in their way confessing indeede that in all causes meerely civill Clarkes were anciently empleaded in the Kings temporall courts Neither say they was this to be misliked so long as these kingdomes did stand constanâ— in the profession of the Catholique and Roman religion but fince they have declined therefrom and that the Magistrates are now of an other opinion and profession in the service of God then in those times they were That of the Apostle seemes to take place writing to the Corinthians who having received the law of our Saviour did notwithstanding in their wordly controversies draw one another unto the heathen tribunals Sic nonest inter vos sapiens quisquam c. So is there not among you any wiseman that can judge betweene his brother but brother with brother contendeth in judgement and that before unbeleivers 1. Cor. 7. Now therefore say these men It is not lawfull in these countryes rebus sic stantibus to draw clergy men to the secular tribunals of Protestant judges To which I answer That the Argument which concludes more then it ought is alwayes vitious and that reason which may bee retorted upon the arguer is ever inconsiderately propounded For if that passage of the Apostle were a precept and so binding under sinne to obedience then not onely the Ecclesiastique but the lay Catholicke might not bee compelled to answer before such Magistrates forsomuch as S. Paul speakes generally of all the faithfull without any distinction And therefore our Rhemists according to the universall consent of the fathers doe understand the words of the Apostle in the nature of a Councell and not of a commaund And happy I confesse it were if that Apostolicall councell and advice were followed namely that controversies and suits 'twixt parties which are many times commenced for light causes and more out of stomacke malice and revenge then of good conscience might be composed at home by friends and neighbours sine strepitu forensâ— without this lawyerly pleading at the Barre the benefit whereof is commonly small and uncertaine but the discommodityes both great and apparant as losse of time expence of money with much disquietnesse and vexation of minde But this is a happinesse rather to be wished then ever to be expected among such variety of wills hnmours and dispositions as the world more then ever abounds withall But to hold it absolutely unlawfull for Christians to wage law before publicke tribunalls as it is at this day the heresie of the Anabaptists So to deny that the Roman Catholickes may convent or bee convented in the courts of such magistrates under whom they live notwithstanding what difference soever in matter of religion smells very strong of the heresie of Wicliffe condemned in the Councell of Constance Forsomuch as it is the consent of all divines that no variety of opinion no error in faith no infidelity destroyes or takes away the power of the civill magistrate either supreame or subordinate Such obedience then as heretofore was due unto Catholicke princes by their subjects the same is no lesse due unto their successors of what opinion in matters of faith soever they be Religion being but accidentall and not at all essentiall unto civill principality ordained by God for the politicke and peaceable government of mankind according to that Per me Reges regnant legam conditores justadesernunt Prov. 8. By me Kings raigne and those who make lawes determine just things If then clergy men were lawfully convented in civill actions before Catholicke princes and Magistrates in times past as hath beene proved so no lesse also may they bee before Protestants at this day and the contrary doctrine of our Friars and their followers is but a corner doctrine and of no good subjects And if not of their owne choise and free election it were both good for the Church and common wealth and also for themselves that they might be forced both to live and teach conformable to their holy institutes and so happily there would bee an end of all Controversies 'twixt the Clergy and them An Epistle of the Author unto Thomas Flemming alias Barnwell Archbishop of Dublin AS I began with an Epistle unto Pope Vrbanus 8. now sitting at the helme of S. Peters Barque So it will not be impertinent by reason of some late occurents to conclude with an Epistle unto Tho. Flemming Archbishop of Dublin in the behalfe of the poore distressed Clergy of his Diocesse If any marvaile wherefore I doe addresse my letters unto him rather in print then in private the cause is as I have declared in the 6. chap. That upon what humour or by whose perswasion I know not he refuseth to receive any letter from me sent unto him by any private messenger Yet what I publish in print I finde that he most diligently peruseth Now for that my desire is he should read what I write whether I be his friend as I perswade my selfe I am Or his Adversary as he supposeth yet even from an Adversary some benefit may bee reaped Else had Plutarch never writ his booke Deutilitate ab inimico capienda Of the commodity to be made of an enemy Nor ever had S. Monica the mother of that great S. Aug. beene taught to drinke water had not her shrewd may de in her anger called her a wine bibber as S. Aug. himselfe tells us in the 9. booke of his Confess chap. 8. You see then how I endeav our to comply with the Archbishops humour and that to the example of diverse holy and learned men who have divulged unto the world those very same Epistles which they have directed unto particular persons without any private mission or signature sometimes commending their good actions sometimes reproving their bad So S. Hicrom so S. Bernard admonishing not onely Bishops and Abbates but even Popes and princes of their excesses But it will bee said that they were Saints and I a poore sinner yet say I they were not knowne by that stile when they wrote those Epistles but with much more humility then doubtlesse is in me they confessed themselves to be sinners and so of sinners became Saints But to our purpose S. Paul writing unto Titus whom hee had made Bishop tells him that therefore he