a Benefice such a D. such a B. Yet for all this hee will bee no Simonist because forsooth hee hath not bought the Holy Ghost nor by way of Lapse entred vpon anothers Liuing as is were another mans wife which some flaw in this wife not fault in the Incumbent hath brought into the lapse and so now free for any to sue out a Diuorce and marry her though so as he commits adulterie with her But thou wilt say It is one thing to bee called and another thing to be Though the ignorant vulgar call mee so yet it therefore followeth not that I am so Things are to be measured not by report but by reason and the vulgar can giue no other reason of calling me a Simonist but onely because Simon bought the gifts of the holy Ghost and I onely buy the corporall commodities of the Church Well yet if there were no other respect but this how ought euery Minister especially to bee carefull of preseruing the credite of his holy calling and profession As Saint Hierome writing De vita Clericorum Sacerdotum saith Caueto omnes suspitiones quicquid probabiliter fingipotest ne fingatur ante deuita Auoid all suspitions and whatsoeuer may bee probably forged preuent it first that it may not bee forged For as euery good Christian ought not onely to abhorre Adulterie and all vncleane Acts but also to direct his conuersation so as he may preserue his good name from the least suspition of lightnesse and dishonestie so euerie good Minister of Christ should so much detest the sinne of Simon himselfe as to decline whatsoeuer hath any similitude or affinitie therewith Abstaine saith the Apostle from all appearance of euill And if there were no other reason to ground common fame vpon but this that merchandizing of Church-liuings is called Simonie because Simons sinne in offering to buy the gifts of the holy Ghost is truly called Simonie it were euen proofe good enough As Theopompus called a drunken murther Cilicismus of the barbarous manners of the Cilicians and lasciuious lust Canobismus of the filthy Canobites Coelius Rhod. lect antiq li. 8. cap. 3. So Iudas is called a Deuill for being like him Herod a Fox for his craft The Church of Antichrist a Whoore for her whoorish conditions and many a man is called a Simonist for resembling Simon As Saint Augustine marshalleth Simon and all Ecclesiasticall Merchants in the same ranke together Simon erat de talibus qui in Templum intrant ad emendum vendendum Simon is one of those that enter into the Temple to buy and sell. In Ps. 130. And see what a similitude there is betweene Simon and the Simonist Simon would haue bought the gifts of the Holy Ghost this man buyeth the goods of the Holy Ghost which are the gifts of God to his Ministers Simon offered money not so much for the gift as for the gaine this Man not onely offereth but giueth his mony not perhaps for his Ordination not for that most carefull Cure of Soules not for that most watchfull and weightie Angelorum humeris tremendum Onuâ— office of an Antistes I dare say what then if neither to make himselfe the more rich honorable in the world and consequently the more capable of a greater prefermentâ— all probable coniecture were at a stand Blame not then euen the common vulgar for calling thee a Simonist after the name of Simon whom thou dost so neerely resemble in thy manners and which thou hast so deerely purchased with thy monies Againe They that haue but in a mediocritie attained the grounds of their Catechisme whereof there are enow to make vp a common fame are able thus to conclude against common Simonie The Commandement saith Thou shalt not Kill Is therefore onely the Act of Murther here forbidden Is not also the enuious the back-biâ—er the hater of his brother a Murtherer Hee that hateth his brother is a Manslayer The Commandement saith Thou shalt not commit Adulterie Is onely the Act forbidden Is not also the affection the lust the looke Hee that looketh on a woman and lusteth after her hath committed Adultery with her aâ—readie in his heart Euen so Thou shalt not commit Simonie Therefore is only the buying and selling of the most proper gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost so hainous as to deserue that odious name of Simonie and shall not the buying and selâ—ling of Church preferments being also the Holy Ghosts gifts but of an inferiour nature that which Simon himselfe had most respect vnto when he offered his money deserue also the name of Simonie And why should not the buying and selling of Church liuings be called Simonie as well as a lustfull looke be called Adulterie For he that vseth lustfull lookes and wanton gestures is not onely an Adulterer in his heart but the likelier and neerer to commit it in the act So he that will not sticke to buy a Benefice bee it but an Aduowson before hee haue taken some Orders is hee not the likelier to buy his Orders too especially being some rusticke Pedanticke that so hee may enioy his former bargaine For euerie one that buyeth a preferment of this nature doth vndoubtly preferre it before the honour of his Calling for he that truely honoureth this holy Calling is of that holy mind as to despise all base meanes to aduance himselfe in this calling and consequently will make small conscience to buy holy Orders which hee accounts but as accessories when as he hath made shipwrack of conscience alreadie in purchasing the profits which he deemeth as the Principall And vpon these reasons not onely the Common fame of this our Church and of the present time but of the whole Catholike Church from time to time is grounded So that the verie fame of it being so vniuersall if there were no other reason mee thinkes it should make any common Christian both ashamed and afraid to oppose either his priuate opinion or practise against such a streame and cloud of witnesses CHAP. VII Simonie demonstrated by our positiue Lawes and by Ecclesiasticall Canons and in fine by the conuiction and confession of the Simonist himselfe BEsides all the former conuictions yea euen without them all the same Lawes which haue appointed and imposed the Oath of Simonie may serue for sufficient and competent Iudges in the case of Simonie And it stands with good reason that the same Law which forbids and punisheth Simonie should bee its owne Interpreter what it meaneth by Simonie And so That is iustly censured for Simonie which the Law vnderstands to be Simonie Now the words of the Statute shewing what Simony is be these And for the auoyding of Simonie and Corruptions in Presentations Collations and Donations of and to Benefices Dignities Prebends and other liuings and Promotions Ecclesiasticall and in admissions institutions and inductions to the same Be it further enacted c. See here what our Statutes call Simonie And according
Bâ—oth will not serue the turne to satisfie hungrie Esau. It is a pot not of Red broth but of precious Red earth which all Edoms so much hunger after Auri sacra fames The time was once indeed when our great Iacob made a noble and gracious tender to the Church to haue redeemed her patrimonie at easie and honourable conditions if shee would which had beene a most happy purchase Another Simoniacall seller was Gehezi of some taken for the first Simonist in the Old Testament Gehezi primo in veteri Testimento Simoniam inuenit Hereupon all such sellers were wont to bee called Gehezites as buyers Simonists But Simon hath obtained to beare the bell and to carry the name away for both sith the money so giuen and taken becomes sin-Sin-money bearing the image and superscription of Simon Sinne stickes so ioyntly betweene these two the Buyer and the Seller as a naile betweene the ioynts of the stones And as Chrys. Qui emit vendit sine periurio esse non potest Hee that buyeth and selleth cannot bee without periury Which might well bee applied indifferently to both the Merchant and Chap-man in Simonie if they did both indifferently take the Oath Therefore our Lord whipped all out of the Temple as well the Sellers as Buyers which Gregory applying to Simony saith Columbâ—â— vendere est de Spiritu Sancto Commodum temporale percipere To sell Doues is to reape a temporall benefit of the Holy Ghost Sellers therefore are as deepe in Simonie as buyers It is the common error of many Patrons to account the Benefices within their Presentatiue power as their goods and chattels as a part and parcell of their Patrimonie whether deuolued vpon them by inheritance or purchased with their money whereupon they resolue that being their owne they may doe with them as they list Vendere iure potest emerat ille priuâ— Hee sells but that hee bought Hence it is that so many hunt after the purchase of Patronages as being in their estimate none of the worst markets But herein such men miserably misdeeme the matter at least if all be true which the Canonists and School-men yea and the ancient Fathers haue deliuered touching these things For Aquinas saith That right of Patronage cannot bee sold nor giuen in fee but passeth with the Village which is sold or set ouer Gratian giues the reason Because the right of Patronage is neither simply Temporall nor Spirituall such a Lay-man may haue it to wit Ius patronatus and leaue it to his heires not Temporall because it cannot bee sold. Saint Hierome to Damascus writing about a point bordering vpon our present purpose saith Quia Beatitudo tua quaesiuit vtrum vsus Decimarum oblationum secularibus prouenire possit nouit vestra sanctitas omnino non licere Protestantibus hoc Diuinis Authoritatibus Paternorum Canonum Because your Blessednesse demanded whether the vse of Tithes and Oblations might bee deriued to Lay-men your Holinesse may know it is altogether vnlawfull And diuine Authorities of ancient Councels auouching the same Gratian addes the reason Non licere Hoc est certum quod Ius Decimarum Laicus possidere non potest cum sit Spirituale This is certaine that a Lay-man may not possesse the right of Tythes seeing it is Spirituall Distinguishing betweene the right of the patronage and the right of the personage And for this cause De sola gratia c. Only of fauour not of meere lay-right or claime the Ius Patronatus or right of Patronage was conferred vpon the Lay-founders or Indowers or Builders according to that Verse Patronum faciunt Dos Aedificatio Fundus Gratian saith moreouer Sunt autem tria c. There bee three things which the Patron attaineth Honour Charge and Profit Honour in presenting Charge or burthen in defending the Church from Dilapidations Profit because if hee fall into pouertie the Church shall prouide for him and that in a more ample manner and measure then for other poore As olso Concil Tolet. 4. Can. 37. hath so prouided Further the ninth Toletan Councell hath decreed Vt quam diu c. That so long as the founders of Churches as the Patrons shall liue they should haue a soâ—icitous care of those places therefore let them present fit Rectors or Parsons vnto the Bishop for the same Churches Patrons then hauing a power conferred vpon them by the Church to present and commend a person not simply to bestow and collate the personage this being a distinct thing from the right of Presentation yea though Presentation be called sometimes a Collation yet this Collation is not Donation because a Donation is of free liberalitie without compulsion but Collation is ioyned with compulsion when as the Collator must present within sixe moneths else his power is then lost Then Patrons haue no power to sell that which to speake simply they haue no power to giue Hereupon Aquinas saith Any act is naturally euill when it falleth vpon an vndue subiect Now a spirituall thing saith hee is an vndue subiect of buying and selling and that for these three reasons First because a spirituall thing cannot bee equalized or made equiualent with any terrene price Thy money perish with thee because thou thinkest the gift of God may bee obtained with money as it was said to Simon Secondly because that cannot be a due matter of sale whereof the seller is not master or owner As a Prelate of the Church is not Lord of spirituall things but onely a dispenser or steward 2. Cor. 4. Thirdly because selling is opposite to the originall propertie of spirituall things which proceed of the free meere gift of God freely yee haue receiued freely giue Talia ergo emere vel vendere est peccatum irreligiositatis Therefore to buy or sell such things is a sinne of irreligion So he Wherupon Zanchie His rationibus Luce clarius efficitur Simoniam admitti non posse sine maxima in spiritum sanctum eiusque dona adeoque in res omnes spirituales iniuria irreuerentia eoque Simoniam ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pertinere By these reasons saith hee it is made more cleere then the light that Simonie cannot bee committed without exceeding great iniury and irreuerence towards the Holy Ghost and his gifts and so towards all spirituall things Therefore deuout Bernard to Pope Eugenius writeth thus concerning placing of Priests in Benefices Sunt quaedam c. There bee some things which either importunitie of suiters doth extort or necessitie doth merit necessarily of vs but it must bee in those things which are our owne But where it is not lawfull for mee to doe as I would what place is left for the suiter vnlesse haply the suiter intreat this of mee that what himselfe would haue it may bee lawfull for mee to bee the more willing not to doe it Espensaeus saith Sunt adulatores potius quam Doctores qui c. They bee
of old who to deterre the Lacedemonian lads from that more then beastly vice of drunkennesse caused their drunken slaues to bee made a spectacle vnto them by whose example they might take the deeper impression of dislike and hatred against that sin So let vs take though a briefe view of the Church of Romes sinne in this kinde omitting particular instances and contenting our selues with generalls their good lawes being occasioned by their euill manners Pope Leo saith Gratia si non gratis datur 〈◊〉 accipitur gratia non est Simoniaâ—i autem non gratis accipiunt Quid ergo dant profecto quod habent Quid habent Spiritum vtiqus mendacij Quomodo hoc probamus Quia si spiritus veritatis testante ipsa veritate de qua procedit gratis accipitur procul dubio spiritus mendacij esse conuincitur qui non gratis accipitur vel datur If grace saith hee speaking of the grace that is conferred by imposition of hands in Ordination be not giuen or receiued freely it is no grace But Simoniacks doâ— not receiue freely What giue they 〈◊〉 Surely such as they 〈◊〉 What haue they Verily the spirit of lyes How 〈…〉 this Because if the Spirit of truth the Truth it selfe being witnesse from whom it proceedeth is receiued freely then doubtlesly it is conuinced to bee the spirit of lyeâ— which is not receiued or giuen freely And Gregory ibidem Quic 〈◊〉 stuâ—et pâ—r protij dâ—tionem sacrum ordinem accipere Saceâ— dos non est sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicâ— concupiscit Whosâ—euer affecteth to receiue holy orders by the gifâ— of money bee is no Priest â—ut courts onely to be called by aâ— emptie title And a little after Quisquis per pecuniam 〈◊〉 ad hoc vt fiat hâ—reticsâ—â— promoâ—etur Whosoeuer is ordained by money is euen hereunto promoted to bee an heretickâ— And Pope Gâ—latius Qâ—â—s constiterit c. If it shall appeare that any vnworthy persons hath bought the sacred Dignitie with money being conuict let him bee depriued But what if some worthy man buy with his money I answere That cannot bee if hee be worthy But let him be what he will if he buy it argues vnworthinesse Also Saint Ambrosâ— is alledged Reperiuntur quamplurimi negotiatione muneris merâ—ari veâ—le gratiam Spiritus Sancti dum illi pretium doâ—aâ—t vt Pontificalis Ordinis sublimicatem accipiant c. There are found many that by the merchandise of money would buy the grace of the Holy Ghost while they giue money to receiue the dignitie of the Pontificall Order Whereupon a fearefull Anathema is decreed to such as so giue or take Likewise it is cited out of the Councell of Chalcedon Si quis Episcopus per pecuniam Ordinationem fecerit c. If any Bishop shall Ordaine for money and shall purchase the grace of the Holy Ghost at a price which indeed cannot bee sold and shall for money ordaine a Priest or Deacon or shall promote any degree or order within the Verge of the Clergie for filthy lucre hee that shall attempt this let him vpon conuiction bee depriued of all Si quis verò mediator c. And if any shall bee a mediator or stickler for such foule and nefarious corruption in giuing and receiuing of a Clerke let him be degraded and if a Laick accursed And out of the eight Synod Qui per pecuniam c. Hee that shall consecrate any for money or is consecrated of another let him be casheâ—red from the Priesthood And many other authorities are there alledged to this purpose And Ambrose saith Inexpiabiâ—is est culpa venditi Ministerij vindicta gratiae coelestis transit in Posteros The sinne of selling the Ministry is vnpardonable and the reuenge of Diuine grace passeth along to the posteritie like Gehezies leprosie But as it is obiected ibid. Ventum est Simoniaci c. Simoniacks though they thinke that the grace of the Holy Ghost is vendible yet they professe the faith and true religion and consequently are no Heretickes It is answered Simoniaci c. Simoniackes although they seeme to hold the faith yet they are inthralled to the perdition of infidelitie as Gregory saith Cum omnis auaritia c. Sith all auarice is Idolatry whosoeuer doth not carefully auoid this and especially in bestowing of Ecclesiasticall dignities is subiect to the perdition of infidelitie although hee seeme to hold the faith in words which in deeds hee denieth And after Cum omnis Those that impose for money are accounted more intollerable Heretickes then the Macedonians who denying the Deitie of the Holy Ghost grosly affirmed him to bee onely the Seruant of the Father and the Sonne but these make him to be their seruant And also worse then those Iewes that blasphemed the Holy Ghost in ascribing Christs miracles to the power of Beelzebub And to speake truely Iudae comparantur Proditori qui Iudaeis occisoribus Christum vendidit They are compared to Iudas the Traitor who sold Christ to the murtherous Iewes And therefore Ex Concilio Bracharensi Placuit It seemeth good vnto vs that for ordination of Clerkes Bishops take no rewards and that the grace of God by imposition of hands bee not sold for money but giuen freely as the Lord hath commanded For it is an ancient Decree of the Fathers Anathema sit danti accipienti Cursed be the giuer and the receiuer Ob. But some obiect It was vsuall in times past to bring the reward of southsaying to the Prophet as Balack sent to Balaam and Saul came to Samuel with a gift in his hand Now propheâ—ie is a gift of the Holy Ghost But that in the Old Testament was wont to bee sold. Answ. Wee neuer read that the good Prophets tooke any reward at the handes of those that brought it Elisha flatly refused any part of those riches which Naaman would haue presented him with It was enough for Balaam and such wicked Prophets to prophecie for rewards as the Lord complaineth of such saying The Prophets diuine for money but wee read not that the good Prophets did receiue any such rewards Yea in stead of receiuing any thing Samuel feasted Saul and his Sed fac eum accepisse say he did receiue it What was it The fourth part of a Sicle a matter of twentie half-penies so Sauls reward hee brought to Samuel came but to fiue half-pennies Which yet if Samuel did at all receiue Stâ—pes magis sunt estimandâ— tabernaculi quà m munera Propheta They are rather to bee esteemed the maintenance of the Tabernacle then rewards of the Prophet Et haec magis in sumptum Propheta quà m muneri Prophetiae reputanda sunt licet potuerunt hi qui ariolos c. Though they that accustomed to goe to southsayers might out of an euill custome thinke that the Prophets would doe so to wit receiue gifts But Gratian concludes vpon that fourth part of a Sicle containing fiue half-pennies which Saul carried
Eâ—clesiasticos ad quos Diuinitus non vocantur arripere cupiunt Qui enim se ingerit propriam gloriam quarit non sumit honorem Praelatus factus Sed gratiae Dei rapinam facicus ius alienum vsurpat Et ideo non accipit benedictionem sed maledictionem Qui autem recte Canonicè vocatur à Deo vocatur Chore voluit sibi sumere honorem ideo Diuinam sensit vltionem I conclude this with that of Chrysostome What skils it if thou giuest not sheere money but in stead thereof dost flatter suborne and keepe a stirre Thy money pâ—rish with thee was said to Simon and so these it shall be said Thy ambition perish with thee because thou hast thought the gift of God may bee obtained by mans ambition It was one of the heauie curses vpon Elies posteritie that they should crouch and say Put me I pray thee into one of the Priests offices that I may eate a piece of bread 1. Sam. 2.36 Some commit Simonie by selling their faith and religion for preferment when with discontent they flie out beyond Seas expecting to bee luâ—ed home againe with some high preferment Of such Cyprian in his 72. Epistle speaketh copiously and very aptly where he aduiseth that after their reurne from their Heresies they should not by and by be admitted to place of preferment in the Church but first be proued by long humiliation he giues the reason because oftentimes they proue dangerous sith they cannot easily cast vp the poison of Heresie which they haue once drunke in so that they should be content onely to be pardoned receiued into the peace of the Church and so remaine till they haue giuen sufficient triall and testimonie of their sound repentance and reformation Concil Elebert can 22. saith of such Placuit huic poenitentiam non esse denegandam eò quòd cognouerit peccatum suum qui â—tiam decem annis agat poenitentiam nisi Iâ—fantes fuissent transducti We are pleased not to deny penance to such a one sith hee hath acknowledged his sin who also let him doe ten yeeres penance Vnlesse they had beene carried away in their infancie Though such are most incurable as the Poet saith Quo semel est imbuta recens seruabit odorem Testa diu When they doe cum lactâ— nutricis errorem surgere sucke error from the Nurse it stickes by them As we see the Iesuiticall milke doth whereby men comming to some growth their nurcerie becomes a second nature Otherwise as Boniface said well Nullâ—â— precio est inuitandus ad conuersionem None is by reward to be inuited to conuersion For as Seneca saith Precio parata soluitur pretio fides Bought faith is easily sold againe Others are said to commit Simonie when by mutuall stipulation or couenant they make an exchance of Benefices or Prebends making their match according to the value of the things And if this be Simonie as the Ancients haue defined it to bee it were to bee wished that the exchange at least were free from stipulation and that the maine end of such permutations did ayme principally at the common good of the Church Yea I haue heard of a strange kind of Simonie in fashion beyond the Seas which they call Sacrum-aucupium in English Sermon-simoniâ— When the fratres praedicantes being about to purchase haue in a readinesse some exquisite master-piece the merite whereof challenging no meane aduancement serueth onely to couer and colour ouer or as a purse to carrie and conuey the more closely the set price of the preferment at least to take away the smell of Simonie that so the Patron may be as free from suspicion of Simonie as the adulterous woman when shee hath wiped her lips and saith I haue not committed iniquitie So saith the Pâ—tron I haue bestowed it vpon a worthy and rare Preacher so rare as it is thought he spent more sweat in that one Sermon about the getting then euer hee mâ—anes to spend againe in all his Sermons hee maâ—es while hee keepeth his preferment Now what should moue this Frier predicaent thus to colour and gild ouer his Simonie with such a sacred gold is hard to say vnlesse some false Glosse vpon the Prouerbs hath made him beleeue that such preaching to such ends is to speake a word in season which is Like apples of gold in pictures of siluer as Salomon saith But the Glosse is ill turned into a Glose The Apostle forbids such merchandise of the Word for filthy lucre sake 2. Cor. 2.17 1. Pet. 5.2 What should I speake of that more then common custome of Matrimoniall Simonie no lesse odious then the rest when a Bâ—nefice or other Ecclesiasticall dignitie must become the portion of some daughter or Kinswoman at the least an honest woman And so if that glosse bee true that a Bishop must bee the huband of one wife that is of one Benefice as the Romish Church expoundeth it not for any zeale they beare to singularitie of Benefices but for the hatred they haue against the vniuersalitie of Priests marriages then also may it bee as true that a man making such a match for a Benefice should marrie two wiues at once I haue also heard of another base kind of Simonie in practise That the Patron admits not his Incumbent but with a stong Obligation or Bond to tye the Incumbent to quit the Benefice at three moneths warning whensoeuer the Patron shall require or hold vp his finger as Maisters vse to giue their seruants a quarters warning when they are wearie of them By this deuice the Patron holds the Incumbent in a miserable seruitude as being his Tenant at will while in the meane time the Patron may Lord it as he list without controll for the Incumbent is bound not to reproue any thing his good Master doth or saith but must say Amen to all or else farewell All. The Patron hath also another dâ—ift in this that wanting for the present a good Chap-man to gaine time and a better thing hee puts in his Bond-man till he be prouided to his liking All vnpreaching Ministers possessing any good Benefice are by strong presumption deepe Simonists For let them tell mee for what respects or good gifts they were so preferred except it be that they and all their good gifts shook hands and parted so soone as they and their fat Benefice met Some by mentall reseruation commit Simonie when both the Patron expects to receiue and the Presentee purposes to giue some gratuitie afterwards without any expresse promise or pre-contract onely vpon trust that so he may saue his Oath This is a mock-Simonie and mock-Oath For is not this Gehezie's sinne Of which the Glosse saith Hoc exemplum est Argumentum contra eos qui non exigunt seu accipiunt ante Collationem Beneficij Gehezi asked but a gratuitie after the healing or say It was his fee For seruants must lâ—ue But hee had his grutuitie with a vengeance Is this
it is attended with a swarme of other enormities In the Canons of the Apostles so called Si quis Episcopus c. If any Bishop or Priest or Deacon shall obtaine this dignitie by money let both him and his Ordainers bee degraded and quite cut off from the communion of Saints as Simon Magus was by Peter Aquinas saith No man vpon any respect ought to receiue Ordination by a Bishop whom hee knoweth to haue beene Simoniacally promoted And if hee be ordained by him hee receiueth not the Execution of his Order although hee wist not the Bishop to bee a Simoniacke but hath need of a dispensation Yea saith another Hee that is ae Simoniack in Order albeit he be a Bishop none can dispense with him no not our Lord the Pope vt ajunt because such hath a crackt Character which being notwithstanding indoleble hee cannot renounce and so the sinne cannot be purged Although Gratian say that the Pope may as well dispense with iâ— as with a Thiefe though hee restore not the theft So that the case of Simonie in Ordination may seeme not much vnlike the Popish Transubstantiation which stands vpon such tickle points â—ffs and And 's as if the intention of the Priest iust at the word of their consecration be wanting or wandring some other way as Baals Ghost was while his prophets prayed vnto him or if the Bishop that gaue that Priest Ordination had not in the time thereof a right intention or if the Bishop that consecrated that Bishop wanted in the very act a right intention and so vpwards If as they say any of these haue failed there is like to bee no Creator created of the Creature no Transubstantiation So in Simonie If a man obtaine a Bishopricke by Simonie he receiueth not the power of the execution of his Order and consequently hee can conferre no power vpon any whom hee shall ordaine because Nihil Dat quod non habet And being so it should follow that all the Ministry ordained by him so successiuely downward becomes a meere nullitie Whereupon Gregory in the Glosse saith Can a man receiue Orders of him whom hee knoweth to bee Simoniacally promoted to his Bishopricke Dico quòd non Yea although he knew it not and by receiuing Orders of him hee receiueth not withall the Execution sith the Ordinator hath none himselfe And a man saith he ought rather to suffer Excommunication then receiue Ordination of such a one If it bee so then what a flaw and breach doth Simonie make in a Ministry Yet Pope Vrban doth somewhat mitigate the matter Si qui c. If any bee ordained of Simoniackes not Simoniacally and can proue that when they were ordained they knew not their Ordeiners to bee Simoniackes in Order and that at that time the Ordinations of such were holden in the Church for Canonicall wee mercifully beare with them so as they liue worthily But they that wittingly suffer themselues to bee consecrated or rather execrated of Simoniackes wee adiudge their Consecration to be altogether voyd So hee Also Nic. Iunior Alex. 2. De caetero Statuimus c. Wee doe further enact that if any hence forward shall suffer himselfe to bee consecrated of him whom hee doubts not to be a Simoniacke in Order both the Consecrater and the Consecrated shall vndergoe like damnation and both of them being deposed let them repent and doe penance and so remaine depriued of their proper dignitie And againe Erga Simoniacos c. Towards Simoniackes wee haue decreed that no mercie be extended for the retaining of their Dignitie but according to Canonicall Sanctions and Decrees of Holy Fathers Wee doe by Apostolicke Authoritie adiudge them to bee altogether condemned and deposed What terrible thunder claps bee here Now if the case bee so as the Disciples said about Diuorce Then it is not good to Marry So some man might say Then it is not good to bee a Minister But as our Lord said vpon another purpose in the sâ—id Chapter Matth. 19. when his Disciples said Who then can bee saued Hee answeâ—ed With men it is vnpossible but with God all things are possible But euery one shall beare his owne burthen I will conclude with the Conclusion of the second Canon of the Councell of Calcedon Si quis c. If any should mediate by any filthy and wicked giuing or receiuing if he be a Clerke Let him be degraded If a Layicke anathematized Also the second Councell of Orleance Can. 4. Si quis Sacerdotium c. If any shall through execrable ambition by money-market seeke the Priesthood Let him bee a reprobate cast-away because the sentence of the Apostle teacheth That the gift of God ought not to bee obtained by the ballance of Money Not a Councell almost but hath a Thunderbolt against this sinne Mediatores etiam Simoniae eadem censura Ligantur qui à solo Papa absoluentur The Mediators also of Simonie are liable to the same censure and they cannot be absolued but onely of the Pope A most inexpiable and hainous sinne I wisse which onely the Pope can absolue Wee will shut vp this with that which is fathered vpon Saint Augustine Ser. 37. ad Fratres in Eremo though those Sermons be confessed â—o be none of his Qui Sacramentum emit vel Ecclesiam vel Prebendas vel Ecclesiarum introitus vel seculari protentia hoc pro se procurarit sciat quòd cum Gehezi Iudâ— iam condemnatus est iam Leprosus factus iam de Templo Domini expellenduâ— est Hee that buyeth the Sacrament or a Church or a Prebend or his admission into the Church or hath procured this for himselfe by secular power let him know that with Gehezi and Iudas hee is alreadie condemned now become a Leper and now to bee expelled out of the Lords Temple And if wee should goe about to collect the Exemplary punâ—shments inflicted by diuine hand vpon Simoniacall offenders it would fill a whole Volume yea if wee could onely obserue many of the iudgements of God which haue remarkeably fallen vpon Sacrilegious Vsurpers and Simoniacall Traders euen in this our Church how not only Tythes improperly detained but Patronages purchased are posted off from man to man as Gods Arke among the Philistins for what can rest out of the proper place from Citie to Citie bringing a plague with it whithersoeuer it câ—me How many Patrons haue beene driuen to sell away their owne Inheritance for abusing Gods Inheritance and taking to themselues the houses of God in possession How many Ecclesiasticall Chapmen of all degrees liue and die beggars leauing their beggarly families and friends behind them themselues cut off by vntimely death before they could recouer their Simoniacall debts to consider those many examples no maruaile if some haue beene of the minde to take the palnes to make a Collection of them throughout the Land and so compile them into one book which would be a worthy