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.

The First of the Twenty Reasons why the Church makes use of the promise of Temporal Goods to call Lay-men into Orders. The Excellency of the An∣gels is, to have no need of Lackies; that of Men to have a great many of them.

The perfection of a Magnificent Work, is, to have a deal more about it than it needs, to the end it may appear more splendid; for example, the Magnificence of a Palace upheld by rich Columns, is, to have a many more of them than needs precisely to uphold it,* 1.1 si come appunto ad un magnifico edificio si pone maggior numero di colonne ch' è sofficiente à sostentarlo.

Unto this marvellous neat Example the Reverend Father John Baptist Giatino the Jesuit, who translated into Latin this same History of our Cardinal, Printed at Antwerp, in 1670, addeth another surprizing Exam∣ple, which is that of Lackeys: A Great Lord (quoth he) hath need of some Lac∣keys,

there's no doubt on't; then 'tis for his honour to have a great many of them; yea, a many more than the number precise∣ly necessary; but on the contrary, the An∣gels having no need of Lackeys, 'tis their excellency to have none at all. Angelorum est praestantia, qui famulis non indigent, famulis carere, sed hominum quibus sunt opus, prae∣stantia est, supra quam indigeant iis abun∣dare.

From whence that Father takes occasion to make this general Proposition, That as for those things which have no need of sup∣ports, their perfection is to have none at all; but as for those which have need of support, their excellency and their perfe∣ction is to have more of them than needs, ita universè rebus quae fulcimentis non egent, prae∣stantiae vertitur, fulcimentis vacare; sed rebus quae fulcris indigent, eis plus quam indigent abundare.

Now the Felicity according to the Flesh, hath need of some Riches, of some Honours, and of some carnal Pleasures; and by conse∣quence, the excellency and the perfection of that Felicity is to have a superfluous abun∣dance of Riches, of Honours, and of Pleasures, even according to the Flesh.

The Zealous will be ready to object, That in the present Life, 'tis man's imper∣fection to stand in need of things, and that it is a perfection to have no need of them.

The Cardinal-Historian answers them ac∣cording

to the Principles of the Religious Po∣licy, that Aristotle teaches the contrary; for he says, That the Arts which serve to help our necessities, were first invented in the World, and afterwards the Wit of man applied it self to those Arts which serve to the Felicity of Life,* 1.2 insegna il filosofo prima essersi ritrovate le arti che sovengono alle ne∣cessità e dipoi rivoltò l'ingegno all'invention di quelle che servono alla felicità della vita: So that according to Aristotle, there is a carnal Felicity in the Christian Life, and upon this Politick Rule of Aristotle, the Church did presently in the first Ages pro∣vide things of Necessity, afterwards she took care together self a Court-Royal-U∣niversal, which might have, without impo∣verishing it self, wherewithal to recompense a great number of Excellent persons that were to serve this Republick, and conse∣crate themselves to God, specially in that kind of Life which is led in the Pope's Court, where their Virtues suck abundance of Milk out of her Breasts; that is to say, out of that Court's Temporal Felicity accor∣ding to the Flesh, which cannot subsist, but through abundance of Riches and Tempo∣ral Goods,* 1.3 dapoi che s' è supplito si ampia∣mente al bisogno, non era forse oportuno di provedere anche ad una Corte e ad una Reggia universale laqual potesse alimentare e rimune∣rare gran' numero d'huomini, i quali servis∣sero à quella Republica e si dedicassero special∣mente à Dio in questa vita; adunque l'abon∣danza

di questi beneficii simplici è la mammel∣la per nutrir la virtù nella Chiesa.

So that the abundance of Riches, of Ho∣nours, and of Pleasures, making a Felicity, whereof the Church is the Source, and the Hope whereof, makes the Vocation of the Ecclesiastical Estate, yea, and even their Vocation to the Faith; the more one hath of these Goods, the more one is happy with an Ecclesiastical Christian Felicity: Now the more happy one is, the more perfect one is; yea, one is the more perfect, accor∣ding as he hath more of this sort of the fore∣mentioned Felicity; and ones Virtues are kept by it so much the more in better plight, and are better bred Virtues; if the Church then had remained poor, should one have seen her Offices and her Dignities filled with so many Virtuoso's as now there be, Great Wits and well-bred men; no never; for humane Frailty is so great, that all this Glory of the Church would never have ap∣peared,* 1.4 if she had remained poor, che per l'umana debolezza non così auverrebbe nella povertà della Chiesa.

If the Church had remained poor, she would have remained unhappy according to the Flesh, without Joyfulness, Splendor, or Honour, and by consequence, imperfect, as well as unhappy, and deprived of the Fe∣licity of Aristotle: Now Jesus Christ did not preach a Felicity contrary to the Do∣ctrines of Aristotle; so that this Felicity hath nothing contrary to Jesus Christ's; it

hath no thing which is not conformable with it, but that therewith the Church may serve it self, to make her vocation of the World in general unto this Faith, and of some into Orders.

Notes

• * 1.1

  l. 13. c. 3,
• * 1.2

  l. 8. c. 17.
• * 1.3

  Ibid.
• * 1.4

  l. 1. c. 25.