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Soliciting and tempting Emissaries complained of by the Papists.
THe Papists doe heavily complain (how justly, God alone knoweth) that a third sort of Agents were imployed,* 1.1 to practise on the chastity of the Nuns, so to surprize them into wantonness. Some young Gallants were on disigne sent to some Covents, with fair faces, flattering tongues, store of gold, and good cloathes, youth, wit, wantonness, and what else might work on the weaker sex. These having with much craft, scrued themselves into the affections of Nuns, and brought them to their lure, accused them afterwards to the Kings Commissioners for their incontinence. A damnable act, if true, and which mindeth me of the ensuing story, here not impertinently inserted.
2. Some sixty years since,* 1.2 an English Gentleman had the chastity of his Wife in suspition, jealous of a particular person, who kept her company. To put it to triall, this her Husband so contrived the matter, a private place was appointed, with all accommodations for such a deed of darkness, whither the Woman with her suspected Paramore, were by set designe, (but wearing to them the visage of a seeming casualty) brought, and left together. Mean time her Husband made him∣self Master of a secret inspection out of the next room, where, with some of his friends, he was the witnesse of his Wives dishonesty, and his own disgrace. Soon after he entred his action, sues for a divorce, and the Court seemed generally in∣clined to the granting thereof.
3. But a Reverend Judge there present,* 1.3 refused to consent thereunto, alledging it the duty of every Husband by his prayers, counsel, and all other lawful means to save and secure the chastity of his Wife; and not to tempt temptations to tempt her: who otherwise might charitably be presumed honest, if such a fore-plotted occasion had not debauched her, and this not the detecting, but first causing of her disloyalty. Seeing therefore in some sort he had been a Pander to his Wife, let him satisfie himself in the assurance of what was doubtfull before, and bear the burthen of his own betraying her.
4. How just this Judges sentence was (all circumstances considered) I will not interpose.* 1.4 Onely in application to the present purpose, though I confesse the relation betwixt Husband and Wife the nearest, (and therefore most oblig••ng to their mutual preservation) the general Principles of Religion, and the Communion of Saints, tieth all Christians, as they tender the honour and glory of God, to pre¦serve the consciences of others undefiled. It was therefore a meer Satanical trick, who is commonly called thec 1.5 Tempter in Scripture, first to sollici••e souls to sin, and after the committing thereof to be and 1.6 Accuser of the brethren. And seeing the Tempter is deeper guilty than the tempted, (as more active and voluntary) no reason that he should escape, and the other be punished. But all this discourse sin∣keth, the foundation failing, namely, if the premsses cannot be (which as yet are not) proved, that such indirect dealing was used in surprizing of any Votaries into uncleanness.
5. But still the Papists go further,* 1.7 complaining of false returns, that many of these Enveiglers of Nuns met with impregnable pieces of chastity, (neither to be battered by force, nor undermined by fraud) who despairing to lie with their bo∣dies, did lie on their reputations, making their fames to suffer in those false reports, which they returned to the Kings Commissioners. And the following story is, I assure you, traditioned with very much credit amongst our English Catholicks.
6. Two young Gentlemen(whose names for just cause I forbear) went to a Nun¦nery within twelve miles of Cambridge,* 1.8 in the nature of Travellers on the high way, who being handsomly habited, and late at night, were admitted into some out Lodgings of that Nunnery: next day their civil addresses to the Abbesse were re¦turned with such entertainment as became the laws of hospitality. Afterwards (producing or pretending a Commission to visit their Covent) they abode there