Quàm illud imprimis nimium constat, ECCLESIAM ROMANAM A PRIMIGENIA RELIGIONIS PURITATE LONGIUS DEFLEXISSE. Nihilo certius est Romam urbem à suis collibus ad vallem Martiam descendisse; aut Ethnicos olim, referente Eusebio P, Veneris templo sacrum Christi tumulum polluisse. Quanta hîc nubes testium, etiam suorum! Vel à fœminis ordiamur. Hildegardis monacha, non obscuri nominis prophetissa, extinctæ religionis accusat Ordinem Apostolicum; coætanea huic Matilda', communis à fide Christianâ Apostasias; pientissimamque Ecclesiæ, nostro ævo, instaurationem, utraque, venturi præscia, clarissimè prænuntiavit. Sancta Brigida', fundatrix Ordinis S. Salvatoris, ab Urbano Papâ canone donata", Papam "cruciare, imo crucifigere, electorum animas," palàm docet ; omnesque sequaces ejus fautores ac clericos abscissum iri, sedemque in profundum inferni demersam prædicit: tam acriter verò istud, ut rogum illi, jam tum superstiti, et minitati fuerint, et extruxerint Romulei nepotes. Robertus ille nostras Lincolniensis Episcopus", cui capitis moles nomen tribuit, quemque perplexè Rupertum appellavit Illyricus', (quantus vir!) seculi sui pastores desolatores terræ, gregis Dominici dispersores dilaceratoresque, vineæ depastores et demolitores, coram ipso Pontifice palàm arguere ausus est. Carthusianus ille Coloniensis, qui Fasciculum congessisse Temporum dicitur, diminutas queritur veritates à filiis hominum. Petrus de Aliaco, Cardinalis, veteres Theologos Ecclesiam ædificâsse, præsentes seductores eam divastare, confitetur. Concinunt hisce Joannes de Rupescissa, monachus, Joannes Picus Mirandulanus Comes", Tritemius Abbas, Laurentius Valla; lumina Concilii Basiliensis, Cardinalis Arelatensis, et Thomas de Corsellis*. Lapides loquitur Nicolaus ille Clemangius, Archidiaconus Bajocensis', qui justo volumine corruptum Ecclesiæ statum liberè depinxit; neque multò hercle parciùs, Dominicus Episcopus Brixiensis", с " Anno 1370. Revel. Extravag. c. 8. Grosse-teste, in Manuscript. x Revel. 1. i. c. 41. Anno 1250. b Jo. Trevisa, Mona. transtulit Anglicè. Habetur initio Polychron. Ranulphi, in Manuscript. Hussius citavit, et ex illo Illyr. (Catalogus Testium Veritatis. col. 1591. edit. 1608.-A.) - De Statu Ecclesiæ anno 900. Artic. in Concil. Constant. editi 1535. Anno 1350. lib. Vade-mecum. (Vide Oudini Comment. de Script. Ec eles. tom. iii. col. 1014.-A.) h Lib. Advers. Ement. Donat. Constant. Enæas Syl. de Gest. Concil. Ad Pium II. Lib. Reform. Cur. Rom. In Epist. 1500. Anno 1416. durst set before his book this title, "The Reformation of Rome." To say nothing of Joachim; of Peter, of Ferrara, the lawyer; of the three Theodoricks; of Lyra, Petrarch, Gerson, Everard the Bishop of Salisburg, Erasmus, Cassander, Espencæus, the Jury of Cardinals selected by Paul the Third, (amongst which, Gasper Contarini, James Sadolet, and our Cardinal Pole were, as they might, of eminent note;) Alvarus Pelagius, Savonarola of Florence; and whomsoever those times yielded at once both learned and good. Even Pope Adrian himself, the Sixth of that name, while he instructs his Legate in his message, censures the Church; and ingenuously complains, that all was gone to wreck and ruin. What shall we then say to this? Can any man be so partial, as to think that so many saints of both sexes, prophets, prophetesses, monks, doctors, cardinals, popes, should, as Jerome speaks of the Luciferian heretics, merely devise these slanders to the disgrace of their holy mother? If any man be so mad, he is well worthy to be ever deceived. Indeed, Rome was once a holy city; Matt. iv. 5: but now, as no less famous the other way, she is become a city of blood; Ezek. xxiv. 6; 9. This grape is grown a dry raisin. Neither did that good hermit, Antony, so justly say of his Alexandria, as we may now of Rome; "Woe to thee, thou strumpetly city, into which the devils out of all the rest of the world have assembled themselves." Certainly, therefore, so shameful and general a deformity could not but be discerned by our latter Papists; and, to avoid all shifts, we have gently and lovingly laid our finger upon these spots. But, in the mean time, how heinously have they taken it! and, as Ruffinus speaks of Apollinaris the heretic, While they are transported with the vicious humour of contention, and will be crossing every thing that is spoken, out of the vain ostentation of a strong wit, they have improved their idle brabbles to heresies. Jerome said wittily; "They use to wink and deny, which believe not that to be done, which they would not have done." SECT. 2. From the wilful Fable of the Pope's Infallibility. Ir is therefore a most lamentable and fearful case, that a Church, which, of her own favourites, is justly acused of many and dangerous errors, should block up against herself the way whereby she should return into the truth; and, as Francis à n Anno 1400. 。 Aventin. Annal. lib. vii. P Osiand. Confut. Thes. Costeri. r Jo. Mirandula, Marsil. Ficinus et Comineus hunc prophetam nuncup. qui etiam tum libello suo titulum ausus præfigere, "Romæ Reformationem." Taceo Joachimum", Petrum Ferrariensem jurisconsultum, Theodoricos tres°, Lyranum, Petrarcham, Gersonem, Everhardum Episcopum Salisburgensem, Erasmum, Cassandrum, Espencæum, Cardinales à Paulo Tertio delectos, (inter quos Gaspar Contarenus, Jacobus Sadoletus, Polus nostras emicuerunt,) Alvarum Pelagium, Salvanarolam Florentinum'; et quem non, doctorum simul et bonorum? Sed et ipse Adrianus Sextus Papa, dum Legatos suos instruit, Ecclesiam criminatur, omnia in pessum demutata ingenuè quiritatus". Quid vero? Eccui in mentem venire potest, tot Divos Divasque, (date veniam elegantiæ Lipsianæ, à Bellarmino malè mulctatæ,) prophetas ac prophetidas, pontifices, cardinales, monachos, doctores, ista in piæ matris contumeliam, quod de Luciferianis olim Hieronymus', temerè confinxisse? Dignus ille profecto est, cui sacer hic dolus usque obsit. Fuit quidem olim Roma Tóλis ȧyia, Matt. iv. 5; at jam, in aliam partem palmam possidens, O'TA TY; Ezek. xxii. 2. Ασταφύλος σταφίς ἔστι". Neque tam nimio jure istud de sua Alexandriâ prædicârit bonus eremita Antonius, quàm nos de Româ hodiernâ, "Væ tibi, civitas meretrix, in quam totius orbis dæmonia confluxêre *." Quid ergo? Latere quidem nuperos Pontificiorum deformitas tanta non potuit; quin et nos digito modestè comitérque labes hasce monstravimus. Ipsi interim quantum indignati! quodque de Apollinari hæretico Ruffinus, Dum contentionis vitio nimis aguntur, et adversus omne, quod quisque dixerit, ire obvii delectantur, jactatione ingenii malè fortis, hæresin ex contentione generârunt. Pulchrè Hieronymus: "Solent oculis clausis denegare, qui non credunt factum esse quod nolunt." SECT. 2. Ex pertinaci illâ Fabulâ Infallibilitatis Papisticæ. ILLUD igitur planè miserrimum est, ut quæ à suis fœdi ac multijugis erroris accusatur Ecclesia, viam sibi præcluserit ad veritatis metam redeundi; et, quod ingenuè queritur Franciscus Osiand. Papa non Papa. (seu, Papæ et Papicolarum de præcip. Christianæ doctrinæ partibus. Tubing. 1559.—A.) Hieron. advers. Luciferianos. Ecclesia facta lupinar. (tom. i. p. 164. edit. 1616.) "Theocrit. Idyl. «ŋ. Ruff. Hist. 1. i. c. 20. VOL. XI. * Hier. de Vitâ Pauli. Hier. Advers. Luciferianos. (p. 169.) X Victoria honestly complains, should neither endure her own evils, nor their remedies. For, while she stands upon it, that she cannot err; and stubbornly challenges unto her chair a certain IMPECCANCY OF JUDGMENT, that we may borrow a word from Tertullian; what hope can now remain of recovering the truth? How are we now too saucy, that dare mutter ought against her! The first hope of health must needs be fetched from the sense and acknowledgment of the disease. That of the Epicure is common and true: "The beginning of recovery is the knowledge of the fault." "Thou must find thyself amiss," saith Seneca, "ere thou canst amend thyself." Rome brags that she cannot be sick: what do we now talk of medicines for her? These Doctrinal Principles, as our Stapleton calls them, are they, from which a certain fatal necessity of erring must needs follow. For, to what purpose is all this we do? If, upon the sentence of this Romish Oracle (for in the closet, or prison rather, of his breast, as Jerome objected to John of Jerusalem, the Church is included) all things do so depend, that, whatsoever he shall determine must be received without all contradiction, and his decree can by no inferior means be repealed: in vain, do we wrangle for truth; in vain, have all those former Synods both met and defined; in vain, do we either teach or learn ought of any other master. Is it possible she should ever be drawn to remorse for her error, which eagerly defends that she cannot err? Either, therefore, let our Papists suffer this vain opinion of Infallibility to be pulled up by the very roots out of their breasts, or else there can be no hope so much as of a consultation of peace. And do we think that our masters beyond the Alps will ever abide themselves stripped of this darling, which they have made so dainty of all this while? Why do we not as well demand St. Peter's throne, and his revenues; and, together with his patrimony, all the body of religion? For, what one tittle is there of the now Roman faith, that hangs not on this string? Let them give us this, and Rome falls alone, and lies shamefully in the dust. Let them deny it us, and she shall be still that great harlot, still an enemy to peace, still hateful to heaven. But, so far are their modern Doctors from an ingenuous rejection of Infallibility, that no age ever knew so well how to flatter a Pope. For not only have some yielded this unto him, without a Council; as Albert Pighius, Gretser, Bellarmin, and all a Fr. à Victoria, Relect. 4; De Potestate Papæ et Concilii: Propos. 12: Sect. ult. Proventum est ad hunc talem statum, ubi nec mala nostra, nec remedia pati possumus. Senec. Ep. 28. à Victoria, nec mala sua, nec remedia ferre possit. Dum enim errare se non posse contendit, et quandam JUDICII IMPECCANTIAM (detur Tertulliani verbo venia) Cathedræ suæ ir pertinaciùs vindicat, quæ nunc spes restat recuperandæ veritatis? Næ nos modò audaculi sumus, qui quid contra mussitare ausi! Prima sanitatis spes à morbi sensu et agnitione petatur necesse est. Celebre est illud Epicuri; "Initium salutis notitia peccati." Deprehendas te oportet," inquit Seneca', 'antequam emendes." Egrotare se non posse Roma gloriatur; quid nos istic medicinam frustra meditamur? Principia hæc Doctrinalia, quæ vocat Stapletonus noster, illa sunt, à quibus fatalis quædam errandi necessitas necessariò consequetur. 66 Quid enim agimus? Si ab Oraculi Pontificii sententiâ (hujus enim non tam scrinio, quàm ergastulo, quod olim fastidiosè de Joanne Hierosolymitano Hieronymus, includitur Ecclesia) ita pendent omnia, ut quicquid ipse dictaverit, avavriovýτws recipi debeat, nec ullâ unquam ratione din ávádikos fieri possit: frustra mehercle litigamus; frustra convenêre tot Synodi, (ut verè Erasmus,) frustra definiêre; frustra nos vel docemus quid, vel discimus. Fierine potest, ut facti ducatur pœnitentiâ unquam, qui peccare se non posse solerter defendit? Aut ergo evelli sibi sinant Pontificii radicitus hanc futilem certè anλaveías opinionem, aut nulla sperari potest ineundæ pacis consultatio. Hanccine verè sibi Helenam (quam nimium usque delicatam habuerunt) facilè abreptam patientur Transalpini? Quin Petri non solium modò, sed et census unà omnes exposcimus, et integram cum vectigali religionem? Ecquis enim Romanæ (quæ nunc est) fidei apiculus non istinc pendet? Scilicet hoc dato ceciderit profectò Babylon, ceciderit, et in cineres turpiter abierit: negato autem, usque meretrix erit illa magna, usque gravis paci, usque infensa cœlo. Atqui tam longè absunt ab hac ingenuâ Infallibilitatis explosione doctores hodierni, ut nulla unquam tempora æque norint Pontificibus supparasitari. Neque enim modò hoc illi sine Concilio indulserunt Albertus Pighius, Gretserus, Bellarminus, et quotquot sunt uspiam Epist. ad Pammach. de Error. Joh. Hierosol. An tu solus Ecclesia? (Epist. 61. Cap. 16.) Hier. Eccl. 1. iv. Si maturè procedat. |