The new politick lights of modern Romes church-government: or The new Gospel according to Cardinal Palavicini revealed by him in his history of the Council of Trent. Englished out of French.

ARTICLE I. Five Errors and poisoned Maxims of the scrupulous Policy of the zealous Igno∣rants according to the Flesh.

THe first pernicious Error of the zealous Ignorants is, to pretend that one should live in the Church as one ought to live according to God, and that the Laws of the Church were regulated and formed by that Principle.

The contrary Maxim is, that the Laws of the Church ought to guide men accor∣ding to the Flesh, and commodiously having regard to the corrupt inclinations of their Nature.

The Second pernicious Error is, That that which is best to be done, is best also to be commanded.

The opposite Maxim is, That the best to be commanded, is that which can be done commodiously according to the Flesh, and not that which should be the best to be done according to God.

The Third pernicious Error of the zea∣lous Ignorants is, That the Church ought to be governed according to the Rules of Antiquity.

The opposite Maxim is. That the Church ought not to be governed according to the Rules of Antiquity.

The Fourth pernicious Error is, That the Church ought to he governed by the way of Councils.

The opposite Maxim is, That the Church ought not to be governed by the way of Councils.

The fifth Error is, That the Church ought to be governed by every Bishop in particular, according to the portion of the Episcopacy fallen to him, which makes in all the Bishops but one and the same Unity of Episcopacy in solidum.

The Fifth opposite Maxim is, That this Opinion is seditious, and that the Church ought to be governed by one only Bishop, King and Monarch of all others.

'Tis true, quoth the Cardinal, if one would take the measure of Good from the Idea of what it ought to be, the Church in the condition wherein we see her, would appear most dreadfully deformed,* 1.1 vero è che se vogliamo prendere la misura del bueno dall'idea di quello che doverebbe essere, la difformità ••••nza dubio rimane grandissima.

Now it is from the Idea of what ought to be, that the Zealous take the measures of their Policy, and they would fain have Laws made to oblige the Church to live as it ought, to live; for example, that Charity should be regulated by that which Gods Love requires, and as the hope or fear of an eternity of Heaven or Hell requireth,* 1.2 daciò che merita un Diò, e un eternità di paradiso ò d'inferno.

They will not by any means that things should rather be regulated according to that, which one man can in reason no more but ex∣pect in the times wherein we are, who are as it were, the Dregs of Adam's corrupti∣on, where our Republick to be governed, is not composed of any that be perfect, but of so many Millions of the imperfect Belie∣ving of the old and new world,* 1.3 e non più tosto da quello che può sperarsi in questa feccia d'Adamo.

The true Religious Policy, according to this Cardinal, doth lay it then for a gene∣ral Maxim, that for to make Laws, one should be guided by the disposition of the people, who being imperfect, ought to be regulated according as God and Nature hath set them into the world in these our times,* 1.4 dovendo governare gli huomini quali Iddio e la natura gli producono al mondo; and a Form must be proposed proportionate to the dispositions of the Matter; that is to say, propose Laws accommodated to peo∣ples humors, and not introduce Idea's foun∣ded

upon what ought to be, having rela∣tion to God, dignè Deo, as S. Paul speaks; From hence this Cardinal leaves it to be concluded, that the Laws of the Church ought not to be such as they should be: for example, if one were obliged to love God by an Act of Love, as a Divine Virtue; if one were obliged to tend to the perfecti∣on of that Love, if one were cursed, doing the work of the Lord negligently.* 1.5 This is ignorant Folks Zeal, zelo imperito d'alcuni, to confound what's best to be done, with what's best to be ordained, as if one was the other,* 1.6 che confondono l'ottimo à farsi con l'ot∣timo à commandarsi, not perceiving that Laws are then worst when they prescribe what's most excellent, that is to say, a per∣fection impossible,* 1.7 le leggi tal ora son' pessime quando prescrivono l'ottimo, ciò è una perfezion inosservabile.

Thus to make Laws according to the true carnal Policy, one must take great care if one would bring it to good, to cause that they be observed,* 1.8 che poi successe, looking out first to see if there be any likelihood of success in the Reformation pretended, ri∣formation riuscibile; for on the contrary, if Laws be made where there is no apparence, they will bring in the Reformation proposed, those Laws become a poison in the Policy. 'Tis important then that one be instructed how to take well his measures to make Church-Laws, that the success thereof may be infallible; for one ought not to imagine

with the Zealous Ignorants, that Antiqui∣ty must be followed,* 1.9 Ʋsaronsi per l'antichi tempi, adunque deonsi rimettere in uso. Anti∣quity ought not to serve for a rule to the present Church, neither ought she to be go∣verned by Councils and Bishops assembled: on the contrary, there is no conjunction of Stars whose influence can be more peril∣lous to the Church than that of Councils is;* 1.10 non si può imaginar congiunzione di più pericolosainfluenza che un synodo generale.

The Church ought not to be governed by Bishops, every one according to his share of Episcopacy, as if it were all but one E∣piscopacy in it self common to the Bishops and the Pope; it is a seditious Doctrine to pretend this solidity,* 1.11 quella sediz sosa dottri∣na. This Cardinal busies himself in the following course of his History, to confute these Errors, and to establish the opposite Maxims to purge the poison of these Errors out of the Religious Policy of the Church; and he concludes very well from thence, the necessity of a Monarch, that may be the Head of the Church, Emperor and King of the whole Universe, who is as the Soul and the Form of the Church, to inform it, animate it, and direct it, according to the Laws of true Policy, which is that accord∣ing to the Flesh, secondo la carne.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Introd. c. 8.
• * 1.2

  Introd. c. 8.
• * 1.3

  Ibid.
• * 1.4

  l. 9. c. 9.
• * 1.5

  Intr. l. 10.
• * 1.6

  Ibid.
• * 1.7

  l. 1. c. 25.
• * 1.8

  Intr. c. 10.
• * 1.9

  l. 21. c. 6.
• * 1.10

  l. 16. c. 10.
• * 1.11

  Ibid.