ance in the sum of affairs is nothing but to call to the priest to absolve them; provided you be sorrowful for the evil you feel or fear God will send on you: but contrition, or sorrow proceeding from the love of God, is not at all necessary; "neither is it necessary that our sorrow be thought 'to be contrition; neither is it necessary that attrition should go before confession, but will serve if it be some time after; and if you confess none but venial sins, it is sufficient if you be sorrowful for one of them; and the case is the same for mortal sins formerly confessed'." But I am ashamed of this heap of sad stories: if I should amass together what themselves have collected in their books, it would look like a libel: but who is pleased with variety of such sores, may enter into the hospitals themselves, and walk and look till he be weary.

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2. But not only with the evil matter of their propositions; but we have reason to be offended with the strange manner of their answerings. I shall not need to instance in that kind of argument which is but too frequent among those who prevail more by their authority than their reason, of proving propositions by similitudes and analogies. I remember that Gregory Sayr says, that all precepts of the moral law are to be reduced to the decalogue; because as all natural things are reduced to ten predicaments, so it is expedient that all kinds of virtue and vice be reduced to the ten commandments. And Bessæus infers seven sacraments from the number of the planets, and the seven ears of full corn in Egypt, and seven waterpots changed into wine (though they were but six), because as the wine filled six waterpots, so the sacrament of the eucharist fills the other six, and itself makes the seventh; and that therefore peradventure the sacraments are called vessels of grace. But this I look upon as a want of better arguments in a weak cause, managed by careless and confident persons; and note it only as a fault, that the guides of consciences should speak many things, when they can prove but few.

3. That which I suppose to be of greatest consideration is, that the casuists of the Roman church take these things for resolution and answer to questions of conscience, which are spoken by an authority that is not sufficient; and they

Concil. Trid. scss. 14. cap. 4. I Dian. Compend. de Pœnit. Sacram. n. 8. m Clavis Regia, lib. 4. c. 2. n. 5.

admit of canons, and the epistles of popes, for authentic warranties, which are suspicious, whether ever they were written by them to whose authority only they do pretend ;— and they quote sayings of the old doctors, which are contradicted by others of equal learning and reputation, and all cited in their own canon law; and have not any sufficient means to ascertain themselves what is binding in very many cases argued in their canons, and decretal epistles, and bulls of popes. Nay, they must needs be at a loss in their conduct. of consciences, especially in all inquiries and articles of faith when they choose such foundations, which themselves know to be weak and tottering; and yet lay the greatest load upon such foundations, and tie the conscience with the hardest ligature, where it is certain they can give no security. For it is not agreed in the church of Rome, neither can they tell upon whose authority they may finally rely: they cannot tell who is the visible head of the church: for they are not sure the pope is; because a council may be superior to him, and whether it be or no, it is not resolved: and therefore either they must change their principle, and rely only upon scriptures and right reason and universal testimonies, or give no answer to the conscience in very many cases of the greatest concernment; for by all other measures their questions are indeterminable. But the authority of man they make to be their foundation: and yet if their allegations were allowed to be good argument, it would serve them but to very few purposes, since the doctors, whose affirmative is the decision of the case, are so infinitely divided.

4. This to me, and to very many wise men, looks like a very great objection: but I find that they who are most concerned in it, account it none; for the Roman casuists profess it; and yet do not suppose that the consequent of this should be, that the case is difficult, and the men not to be relied upon, and the conscience to be otherwise informed, and that we ought to walk the more warily, but therefore the conscience is at liberty, and the question in order to practice hath no difficulty; hard in the case, but easy in the action: for by this means they entertain all interests, and comply with all persuasions, and send none away unsatisfied. For uncertain answers make with them no uncertain resolution; for they teach us, that in such cases we may follow either part: and therefore they studiously keep up this academical or ra

ther sceptic theology," alii aiunt, alii negant; utrumque probabile "." And upon this account, although with greatest severity they bind on men's persuasions the doctrines of meats and carnal ordinances, yet they have left them loose enough when it comes to the conscience, so loose that the precept is become ridiculous: for what can it be otherwise, when they teach, that" the fast is not broken by drinking of water or wine, nay, though we eat something that our drink may not hurt us; nor the usual collation at night if it be taken in the morning; nor if the butler or the cook lick his fingers nor if we eat eggs or milk-meats, so it be not in the holy time of Lent; nor if after dinner awhile you eat something at the entreaty of a friend; nor if you upon a reasonable cause eat before your time in all these cases you eat and fast at the same time"." All these things are deri vatives from the contrary opinions of some easy, gentle doctors; and the effect of this stratagem is seen in things of greater consequence. For "we are free from our vow, or from a commandment, if it be a probable opinion of the doc tors that we are free ;" and it is probable, if it be the opinion of one grave doctor: that is, in effect, plainly, if it be probable in the doctrine, it is certain in practice; and it is probable, if any one of their doctors says it.

5. And the mischief of this is further yet discernible, if we consider that they determine their greatest and most mys, terious cases oftentimes by no other argument but the say. ing of some few of their writers. I shall give but one instance of it; but it shall be something remarkable. The question was, 'Whether the Pope can dispense in the law of God !?' The inquiry is not concerning a dish of whey, but of a considerable affair; upon which the right or the wrong of many thousand consciences amongst them do depend. It answered "that one opinion of the Catholics says, that the pope can dispense in all things of the law of God, excepting the articles of faith."-The proof is this, so Panormitan speaks, 'in cap. Proposuit, de Concess. Præbend. n. 20.' citing Innocentius 'in cap. cum ad Monasterium, de Statu Monachorum,' where he says, that without cause the pope cannot dispense in things of divine right; intimating that without cause he may. And the same is the opinion of Felinus in cap. Quæ in Ec

Suarez. lib. 10. de Leg. cap. 6. n. 3.

cles. de Const. n. 19 et 20.' where amongst other things he saith, that the pope when he hath cause, can change the usual form of baptism, and make it lawful to baptize in the name of the Trinity, which he reports out of Innocentius, 'cap. 1. de Baptis. in fine, num. 11. Yea, the same Felinus is bold to affirm in cap. 1. de Const. n. 23.' that the pope with one word can create a priest, without any other solemnity, saying, Be thou a priest; which he reports out of Innocentius 'in cap. 1. Sacra Unct.' The same Felinus adds further, that the Pope with his word alone can make a bishop; and he cites 'Angelus in lib. 2. cap. de Crim. Sacrilegii ; et in lib. 1. cap. de Sententiam passis.' The same is held by Decius' consil. 112. n. 3. in fine: et in dict. cap. Quæ in Eccles. n. 25. et seq. alias n. 44 et 45. in Novis. Allegantur etiam alii Juristæ in cap. 2. de translat. Episcopi ; et in lib. Manumissiones. ff. de just. et jure ; et in lib. 2. cap. de Servit.'" &c,

Here is a rare way of probation: for these allegations are not only a testimonial that these Catholic authors are of that opinion; but it is intended to represent, that this opinion is not against the Catholic faith; that popes and great lawyers are of it; and therefore that it is safe, and it may be followed, or be let alone: but yet this is sufficient to determine the doubting conscience of a subject, or be propounded to him as that on which he may with security and indemnity rely. The thing is affirmed by Felinus, and for this he quotes Innocentius; and the same is the opinion of Decius, and for this opinion divers other lawyers are alleged. Now when this or the like happens to be in a question of so great concernmentas this, it is such a dry story, such an improbableproof, so unsatisfying an answer to the conscience, that the great determination of all those questions and practices,-which can depend upon so universal an article as this, and a warranty to do actions which, their adversaries say, are abhorrent from the law of nature and common honesty,-shall, in their final resort, rest upon the saying of one or two persons, who, having boldly spoken a foolish thing, have passed without condemnation by those superiors, for whose interest they have been bold to tell so great a lie.

In conclusion, the effect of these uncertain principles and unsteady conduct of questions is this; that though by violence and force they have constrained and thrust their

churches into a union of faith, like beasts into a pound, yet they have made their cases of conscience and the actions of their lives unstable as the face of the waters, and immeasurable as the dimensions of the moon; by which means their confessors shall be enabled to answer according to every man's humour, and no man shall depart sad from their penitential chairs, and themselves shall take or give leave to any thing; concerning which I refer the reader to the books and letters written by their parties of Port-Royal, and to their own weak answers and vindications.

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If I were willing, by accusing others, to get reputation to my own, or the undertakings of any of our persuasion or communion, I could give very many instances of their injustice and partialities in determining matters and questions of justice, which concern the church and their ecclesiastical persons; as if what was just amongst the reprobates of the laity were hard measure if done to an ecclesiastic, and that there were two sorts of justice, the one for seculars and the other for churchmen; of which their own books give but too many instances. I could also remark that the monks and friars are iniquiores in matrimonium,' and make inquiries into matrimonial causes with an impure curiosity, and make answers sometimes with spite and envy, sometimes with licentiousness; that their distinction of sins mortal and venial hath intricated and confounded almost all the certainty and answers of moral theology; but nothing of this is fitted to my intention, which is only to make it evident that it was necessary that cases of conscience should be written over anew, and established upon better principles, and proceed in more sober and satisfying methods: nothing being more requisite than that we should all "be instructed, and thoroughly prepared to every good work;" that we should "have a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards man;" that we should be able "to separate the vile from the precious," and know what to choose and what to avoid; that "we may have our senses exercised to discern between good and evil," that we may not "call good evil, or evil good." For since obedience is the love of God, and to do well is the life of religion, and the end of faith is the

▾ Vide Summas Cas. Consc. in verbis, Immunitas. Ecclesia. Hospitale. Privilegium. Clericus. Monasterium, &c.