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.

Reason II.

Can any blame the carriage of the Church, if in imitation of what God did under the Old Testament, she accommodates her self to humane imperfections and makes use of earthly recompences as it were of an allure∣ment to train on men to the Clergiship, and to hold out the fatigues of the Ecclesiastical life without Marrying;* 1.1 Possi pe ciò riprender la Chiesa s'ella, ad imitazione di ciò che faceva Iddio vel vecotuo Testamento, s'accommoda all imperfezione umana ed alletta eziando con pre∣mii terreni à pigliar i legami dello stato Chieri∣cale e le fatiche de' ministerii Ecclesiastici.

Let the Zealous object, that God did ne∣ver propose to his People temporal goods, as necessary to their felicity, even temporal and fleshly. All the true felicity of the Flesh being in those times only the hope of Eterni∣ty, according as God did will, that even the Flesh after it's capacity should partake of, caro mea requiescet in spe. All other carnal felicity being a sin condemned of God in the Old as well as in the New Testament.

Yet the Cardinal, according to the prin∣ciples of his Policy, maintaines, that these idea's which seem fine in Speculation, are

some of those forms, which have no consist∣ence with the dispositions of their matter: for in fine the Jewish People did believe, that temporal goods did make a true felicity according to the flesh, for them; they loved them as such, and so did they beg them of God, and he did grant them.

Ay, but the Zealous will reply, God in∣deed did grant them to that People, but not as they did make a true felicity, no such feli∣city being the true one; but only that which comes from the hope of Eternity, spe gau∣dentes. But granted them temporal goods, telling them that they were not their felici∣ty, warning them not to cosen themselves, to believe they were such, nor to look after them as such, nor to pray for them, as things mak∣ing a kinde of true felicity for them, and that all their prayers made through this false faith were sin, and their Sacrifices abomination before him; that Job upon the Dunghill, saying with that his very flesh, which was then full of sores, he should see his God and his Saviour, after he was risen again from the dead, was more happy even according to the flesh in that hope, than ever Solomon was in all his false carnal felicity.

To all this, the Cardinal saith, that these be Platonick Ideas;* 1.2 lasciamo i discorsi, ponia∣mo il negozic in prattiqua. These be fine discourses: but let us fall upon practice. Hath Jesus Christ as to the Government of his Church, taught any thing contrary to the lessons of Aristotle and the other wise Hea∣thens?

Did God the Father teach his Peo∣ple things contrary to what his Son hath taught? Ones wisdom is not opposite to the others. Aristotle and all the Pagan Legisla∣tors won upon People through hope they gave them of carnal felicity. Is it possible that the Church can teach any thing else?* 1.3 come si la Chiesa di Christo predicasse ch'è con∣trario non dico á l'insegnamenti d'Aristotele ma d'ogni tolerabil Republica de' gentili. As if a carnal felicity for being Pagan, or for being Jewish, could not be Christian.

The Church is a Corporation the most happy that ever was, and the most happy that is upon Earth; il corpo più felice che sia in terra. Then her felicity according to the flesh, that is to say, the happiness of riches, honours and carnal pleasures ought to be greater, and more abundant in all those goods, that if it were yet a Jewish or a Pa∣gan felicity: For what should oblige men to part with either their Paganism or their Judaism to become Christians or Prelates in the Church, if the Church were not able to assure them, that by entring into its Com∣munion they should be richer and more vo∣luptuous than the Jews or the Pagans?

Notes

• * 1.1

  l. 9. c. 9.
• * 1.2

  Ibid.
• * 1.3

  l. 9. c. 9.