WHERETO I WILL ADD, FOR CONCLUSION, THE WISE AND INGENUOUS JUDGMENT OF ERASMUS ROTERODAMUS. THE RATHER, BECAUSE IT PLEASED MY REFUTER TO LAY THIS WORTHY AUTHOR IN OUR DISH.

In his Epistle to Christopher, Bishop of Basil, concerning Human Constitutions, thus he writes:

FOR, those things, which are altogether of human constitution, must, like to remedies in diseases †, be attempered to the present estate of matters and times.

Those things, which were once religiously instituted, afterwards, according to occasion and the changed quality of manners and times, may be, with more religion and piety abrogated. Which yet is not to be done by the temerity of the people, but by the authority of governors: that tumult may be avoided; and, that the public custom may be so altered, that concord may not be broken.

The very same is, perhaps, to be thought concerning the Marriage of Priests of old.

As there was great paucity of Priests; so, great piety also. They, that they might more freely attend those holy services, made themselves chaste of their own accord. And so much were those Ancients affected to chastity, that they would hardly permit marriage unto that Christian, whom his baptism found single; but a second marriage, yet more hardly.

And now, that, which seemed plausible in Bishops and Priests, was translated to Deacons; and, at last, to Sub-deacons : which voluntarily-received custom was confirmed by the authority of

Popes.

In the mean time, the number of Priests increased, and their piety decreased. How many swarms of Priests are maintained in Monasteries and Colleges! and, amongst them, how few are there, that live chastely ‡! I speak of them, which do publicly keep concubines in their houses, instead of their wives. I do not now meddle with the mysteries of their more secret lusts §: I only speak of those things, which are most notoriously known to the world.

And, yet, when we know these things, how easy are we to admit men into Holy Orders! and how difficult, in releasing this constitution of single life! when as, contrarily, St. Paul teaches that

* Habetur Tomo nono Op. Eras. p. 982.

+ Nam, in totum quæ sunt humani juris, quemadmodum in morbis remedia, &c.

Inter hos, quanta raritas eorum, qui castè vivunt!

Nec, enim, attingo nunc secretiorum libidinum mysteria, &c.

hands must not be rashly laid upon any; and, more than once, hath prescribed what manner of men Priests and Deacons ought to be: but, of their single life, neither Christ nor his Apostles have ever given any law in the Holy Scriptures.

Long since, hath the Church abrogated the nightly vigils at the tombs of martyrs: which yet had been received by the public custom of Christians; and that, for divers ages. Those Fasts, which were wont to continue till the evening, it hath transferred to noon: and many other things hath it changed, according to the occasions arising.

And why then do we so obstinately urge this human constitution; especially when so many causes persuade us to an alteration?

For, first, a great part of our Priests lives with an ill name; and, with an unquiet conscience, handleth those holy mysteries *.

And then the fruit of their labours, for the most part, is utterly lost; because their doctrine is contemned of their people, by reason of their shameful life.

Whereas, if marriage might be yielded to those which do not contain, both they would live more quietly, and should preach God's word to the people with authority, and might honestly bring up their children; neither should the one of them be a mutual shame to other, &c.

Cur hic human.im constitutionem urgemus tam obstinatè; præsertim cùm tot cause suadeant mutationem? Primùm, enim, magna pars Sacerdotum vivit cum malá famâ; parùmque requietâ conscientiâ, tractat illa sacrosancta mysteria, &c.

REVERENDISSIMO VIRO,

Do. MARCO ANTONIO DE DOMINIS,

ARCHIEPISCOPO SPALATENSI,

EPISTOLA

DISCESSUS SUI AD ROMAM DISSUASORIA.

NOLI

OLI gravatè ferre, Reverendissime Præsul, candidam hanc, et animi et calami, devotissimi tibi utriusque, libertatem. Sanè expressit mihi, vel renitenti, verba hæc prius sincerus quidam et religionis zelus et tui.

Fama est te discessum à nobis meditari; neque tain loco cedere velle, quàm fide.

Strenuâ profectò suspicione non caret hoc ipsum proficisci: neque enim cujusquam subire mentem potest, hominem senem velle animi causâ peregrinari. Deferbuit, proculdubio, jam diu juvenilis ille ardor relictas pridem oras curiosè revisendi: nec ita crassi sumus insulares, ut credere possimus cœlum te mutare velle, nisi animum priùs quadamtenus mutare decrevisses; multo verò minùs septem illos, invisos cœlo totiésque tuo fulmine ictos, colles repetere.

Novimus et nos sat benè ingenium Romæ : ecquem latere potest, nedum hominem cordatum, quàm infida sit illa statio superbæ Hierarchiæ expugnatori? Moneat te olim vester Fulgentius, quàm nihil ita tutum sit Pontificiæ Majestatis tantillo violatori; etiam post fidem, si qua famæ fides, sanctè datam, post promissa munera, post benignissimæ invitationis blanditias. Viderit tua prudentia, ut te vel propudiosissima palinodia, tactæque quas dejerasti priùs aræ liberaverint.

O tuam, si, quem modò profiteris, sanus et orthodoxus Romam remeare audeas, miram animi confidentiam, piámque martyrii sitim, dignam stupore nostro, dignam immortalitate! quin nobis istic liceret, et hanc tibi gloriam invidere, et gratulari fœlicitatem; sed quàm te parùm provehat ambitio, est quod non immeritò timeamus.

Quid ergo? Ægrè profectò monuerim opus esse novas profectionis sua rationes exponat Reverentia vestra; quas verò tandem illas, si ex fassis liceat, uti plebeis semper licuit, conjectari, sanctum quoddam uniendæ Ecclesiæ studium te Romam, discordiæ hujusce sacerrimam sedem, propellit; machinaturum demum aliquid, quo funestissimæ Christiani Orbis lites aliquando sopiantur: ad quod quidem opus instructiorem te aliis omnibus produxisse visus est ille Pacis Author.

Animus certè quàm non desit, memini te alicubi palam profiteri. Alicubi inquis, "A primis clericatûs mei annis, in me innatum penè desiderium videndæ unionis omnium Christi Ecclesiarum. Separationem Occidentis ab Oriente in rebus fidei, Austri ab Aquilone, æquo animo ferre nunquam poteram: cupiebam anxiè tot tantorúmque schismatum causam agnoscere ac perspicere; num possit aliqua excogitari via omnes Christi Ecclesias ad veram antiquam unionem componendi, idque videndi ardebam desiderio, dolore interno animi, ex tot dissidiis inter Christianæ Religionis professores, ex odiis acerrimis inter nobilissimas Ecclesias inflammatis, ex tunicâ Christi fœdè scissâ et laceratâ, concepto, excruciabar. Qui me dolor et nimia tristitia mirum in modum conficiebat, et indies magis conficit indeque ad fervens studium invitabat."

Dignam sanè piissimo præsule lapsóque è cœlis pacis Qiλotiuíav! Quis non hunc unà et animi candorem et ardorem zeli pronus exosculetur? Pereat certè, quisquis est: pereat pessumè, qui discerptissimæ Ecclesiæ redintegrationem suo ipsius sanguine redemptam iri noluerit.

Sed parce, si me audis, Colendissime Præsul, parce huic labori. Novimus nos istic, quid possint humanæ vires. Votis nos unà tecum si lubet, usque contendemus, ut, Dei beneficio, beet aliquando Christianam Rempublicam pax alma; respiciénsque ab alto dissipet tandem omnes errorum inimicitiarúmque procellas, quibus hodierno die miserrimè conflictamur.

Sed mortalium quisquis se hoc effectum dare posse sperat, nimio quàm frustrà est! Aut, enim, exuat se prorsùs oportet Romana Ecclesia; quod quis hominum suadere se posse autumet? aut hoc profectò, nullo modo, fieri potest.

Non negarim equidem, (dedimus enim et nos strenuè, quantum potuimus, operam huic instituto) penes utramque litigantium partem, esse sacra pacis limina, quæ aliquanto propiùs liceret, absque ullo fidei damno, salutare. Nam et leviculæ quædam sunt, quæ tutò liceret alterutri, si opus foret, indulgere: neque quid impedit quo minùs in tractandarum, quæ necessariò obveniunt, contro versiarum modo, plus utrinque moderationis Christianæ possit adhiberi; sed, ut unanimem in summis religionis capitibus, quæ nunc est Romæ indoles, concordiam ineamus, dolens edico, haud minùs impossibile est, quàm lucem tenebris, Beliali Deum consociari.

Quam infamis audit hodie Johannis Sturmii media, non secus ac lata illa, quæ ad imum usque Barathrum deducit, via! quàm vapu lat etiamnum bonus ille Cassander, Friciúsque, et quisque modera

tioris ingenii Theologus, pacis ausus est meminisse! Quin et tepídos hæreticis suis connumerandos censuit pridem, nec nemo Gallicanorum patrum, Gualterus. Quis, verò, te meliùs novit, quàm mordicus olim tenuerunt Tridentini Patres, vel minimas quasque quisquilias; stipulamque suæ, quam vocant, fidei? Quibus Orbem Christianum penitùs conflagrare maluerunt Romani rerum domini, quâm ut tantillum suo qualicunque jure cedere viderentur.

Ecqua nunc spes est, post tot annorum pertinaciam, profusiores veri Pontificios charissimis erroribus ultro renunciaturos? Nimiâ profectò fide sit oportet, qui istud crediderit.

Eat nunc quis probus monitor, et suggerat ista, cujus in pectore conclusa delitescit Ecclesia, Pontifici Summo. "Sine me modò suadere tibi obsecro, Sancte Pater, ut fastuosum hunc Papatum, Monarchicúmque in Ecclesias Dei Imperium, abdicare velis. Noli cathedram tuam, quod soles, avaμáçτTov venditare. Desine tibi, post tam apertam tuorum hominum erubescentiam, arrogare gladium illum alterum potestatis secularis. Cave tui-ipsius præcepta divinis æquiparanda censeas edicásque, Insigne illud commentum Transubstantiationis, Sacrificii Missatici, Purgatorii ignis, fatere tandem et exsibila. Noli Ecclesiam Christianam deinceps ludos facere lucrosis Indulgentiarum nundinationibus. Jubeas ne Sanctorum effigies reliquiæve in idola convertantur." Quid, quæso, aliud, à magno Romulí nepote, nisi facem crucémve reportabit?

Quid, ergo? ubi steterit palam errorum parentibus simul et patronis, quidvis aut agere, aut pati potiùs, quàm ut à sententiâ suâ, quamlibet impiâ ac prodigiosâ, discedere velint? Quid à nobis tandem putat paternitas vestra primævæ veritatis asseclis posse expectari, ut conclamatissimis erroribus dare manus, et plus quàm servili jugo Pontificia Tyrannidis colla subdere, jam serò animum inducamus? Non ita sanè et Deum et hominem exuere possumus, ut hâc tam insanâ lege pacem colere mavelimus. Alterum profectò horum, si quando convenire lubitum, planè necesse est, ut aut illi eirare, aut nos rectà ire desinamus: illud, ipsi valdè nolunt; hoc, Deus.

Quòd si, qui olim Cæsari animus fuisse dicitur, non nisi difficillima quæque obeundi, idem hodie sacratum Deo pectus insideat promoveátque; cave tibi, Tyrrhenum mare ingressuro, à duodecim scopulis, plebi quidem nautarum forsitan incognitis, tibi verò peritissimo naviculatori exploratissimis. Minitantur illi scilicet exitium non cymbis modò quotidianis, seu onerariis, seu actuariis ; sed, ubi eò transfretaveris, sanè aut impingat tua navis necesse est, aut subsidat.

Dicam planiùs, ne te salus ipsa servare poterit, ubi Romam accesseris, quin aut damnatos à te pridem errores, mutatâ velificatione revoces resorbeásque; aut damneris vivi comburio: durum utrunque omen; nec, ullâ aliâ ratione, nisi prudenti, quod cautus usque fecisti, profugio, avertendum. Potéstne fieri, ut adeò sis prodigus totius tui, horum uti alterutrum, tutò placidèque vitam