The Anatomy of popery, or, A catalogue of popish errours in doctrine, and corruptions in worship together with the agreement between paganism, pharisaism, and popery.

Of the Members of the Church.

THe Members of the Church considered severally, are

• The Clergy,
• The Laity.

Their Errours are,

1. That to make a Member of the Catholick Church, there is not re∣quired Grace or any internal vertue, but a profession of Faith is sufficient.

2. That the Clergy are not held under civil Laws, by any coactive, but only directive Bond, that is, that the Clergy are not subject to the civil Magistrate.

3. That Clergy-men are not bound to keep and observe the positive Laws of Princes, if they be contra∣ry to the Canons of the Church: neither ought they to be cited be∣fore the civil Magistrate for any cause, or to be judged by him. It is absurd, saith Bellarmine, that the sheep should judg the Shepherd.

4. That the goods of the Clergy,

both ecclesiastical and secular, are free from the Tribute and Taxe of secular Princes.

5. That the election of Bishops dependeth upon the Pope, and that they all receive Jurisdiction from the Pope.

6. That single life is always joy∣ned to holy Orders by divine right; that Marriage in the Clergy is a greater sin than Whoredom.

7. That men are to be prepared for holy Orders by the first shaving.

8. That the Clergy-men of the first Order are Priests, properly so called, which, they say, are institu∣ted to offer an external and real Sa∣crifice.

9. That preaching is not necessary to the Priesthood: and in the Ro∣man Church the greatest part of Priests do not preach. They must have some other Charge or Com∣mission besides the Priesthood for to be Preachers.

10. There is that which they call Irregularity, that which hinders a man from being capable of the holy Orders, or performing the Functions

belonging thereunto after they have received them, Ignorance maketh not a man uncapable of holy Orders. Some of their Bishops could not read, but they give them a co-ad∣jutor: for they hold, that a man may serve God by an Attorney. Yea, they confer the sacred Orders upon Infants in the Cradle, as Cardinal Tolet the Jesuit teacheth. No man can receive nor exercise the Priest∣hood, that hath any notable defect in his Body, especially, if he hath lost one of the Fingers wherewith they handle the Host: That man is irregular also that hath had two Wives. An Hermophrodite is not irregular, provided, that the virile Sexe do prevail, as Emanuel Sa, in his Aphorisms, teacheth. I∣tem, that man is irregular, that hath cut off a member from any o∣ther man. An Heretick also, though converted, is uncapable of Orders & his Children likewise, and his Chil∣drens Children: yet in this never∣theless, the Pope gives a Dispensati∣on. Item a wilful Murtherer: in which rank they are not placed that

disclose an Heretick to the Inquisi∣tion, for to put him to death, nor those that carry wood for to burn him: nor that man that gives a wo∣man a Potion to drink for to kill a Child in her Womb, as the same Jesuit there teacheth. A married man is not admitted to any Order: but he that whoreth, or keeps at home a Concubine, or more, may be a Priest, and perform the Functi∣ons belonging thereunto, as Pope Innocent the third doth define in the Title de Bigamis. And thereupon the Gloss of the Doctors addeth, Whoredom hath more priviledge here than Chastity: yea, a notorious Bug∣gerer, or Sodomite, is not irregular or uncapable of holy Orders, and may sing Mass, as Navarrus teach∣eth, who was the Popes Penitenti∣al, and the most learned of all the Canonists.

11. They hold, that the Priests and all Spiritual persons ought to be rich, because Saint Paul saith, a Bishop must be given to Hospita∣lity.

12. That no Priest is to be de∣prived for Fornication.

13. That Christians may be di∣stinguished by divers Names, and separated into various Professions of different Religions.

14. That those Professions are the state of perfection.

15. That publick exercises of Re∣ligion ought to be in an unknown Language.

16. That private exercises are performed that way also in a more holy manner.

17. That Kings enjoy their King∣doms by the Popes favour.

18. That the Pope hath right to give and take away, and translate Kingdoms.

19. That the Roman Church hath Cardinals for Sides-men to the Pope, upon whom the universal Church is turned as upon hinges.

20. That these are to be joined with the Pope in the Government of the universal Church: and that those, whether they be Bishops, or Presbyters, or Deacons, are not on∣ly to be preferred before other Bi∣shops, Archbishops, Primates, Pa∣triarchs, but to be equalled even with Kings.

Notes

• Bp. Down¦ham Ca••¦••a••.
• 〈…〉〈…〉 l. 1. c. 61.
• Vide the J••us••••s Morals.