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 VII.

The People could not live without carnal felicity, according as every one's gust requires to please his sense, wherefore they will have Theatres and Stage-Plays, vuole popolo i tea∣tri; they are set upon it obstinately to love this felicity; it is necessary then to govern them according to this obstinate inclination of corrupt Nature. Why should not the Church then bestow and allow them Stage-Plays and Sights and Theatres.

But to furnish People with these pleasures and to flatter their senses with these satis∣factions, the Prelates themselves must have Riches and Pleasures, and in such great abun∣dance that they may be able to give them out abroad in large measures, for no body can give forth what he hath not.

The Zealous will say, that this is to uphold Peoples errours, who find in the pleasing of their senses a delight which they call felici∣ty: That the delight of the senses in this, cannot without errour be called felicity nor

be loved as such without sin, and that 'tis never permited to contribute to any sin how little soever it be under pretence to avoid a greater thereby, che sia sempre illecito il fare mali. And therefore that the Church cannot make use of those Pomps and Ceremonies which she reckons necessary to refresh the sences, and procure attention, which the Soul ought to have for divine things: the right felicity of senses regenerate, being to serve God according to, and in the perfection of Christian regenerated Souls; all other car∣nal felicity, being false, and all love of false felicity, sin, and an errour in the heart, which the Church ought not to cherish un∣der colour of avoiding greater thereby.

To this it is answered according to our Car∣dinal. That the common Proverb among them which have Law business,* 1.1 is, that an Ounce of Fact is more worth to win your cause than many Pounds of Argument, essendo commun' proverbio che à vincer i liti più vale un' oncia di fatto che molte libre di raggione, and the fact is constant and apparent, that the Church gives the People Theatres and Specta∣cles of Devotion,* 1.2 to give them pleasure and a felicity humane, sensual, Devout, confederando il piacer con la divozione. She does it, to cure the fondness which they have after other sen∣sual and indevout delights, wherein they might set up a false felicity to themselves: Now this fact being notorious, to what pur∣pose all this reasoning against fact?

It will be replyed again that the Church

doth not pretend to cherish Peoples errours, who would feign find their humane felicity in sensible delights; that if in Church showes or sights, the Ministers go into an excess and beyond that which is necessary to keep the People attentive upon God, the Church is neither guilty nor answerable for those ex∣cesses, she condemns them in her Canons,* 1.3 s'in∣terdisse ne' suoni e ne' canti qualunque mistura di lascivo e d'impuro, and that she does not permit that kind of delight, but in such de∣gree,* 1.4 where it may serve to keep the mind at∣tentive to its Devotions, ove e il tenore del canto e il significato delle parole sia divoto e quel∣la aiutie e non impedisca l'indtendiment di que∣ste; and in that degree which may be fitting to instil into hearts, after a sweet manner,* 1.5 sen∣timents of Piety, ed acconcio instrumento ad infunder per dolce modo negli animi i sensi della pietà. But the Church in this did never pre∣tend to serve the Peoples errour, which of this delight create to themselves a carnal felicity.

All these zealous distinctions be specula∣tive, and discourses are to no purpose where there is visible and manifest experience, sono indarno i discorsi dove l'esperienza è palese.* 1.6

So that by these Reasons taken from the Practice of the World, such as it is at this day, and from right Policy, it appears, that the Church may invite unbelievers to the Faith, and believers to the Clergyship for the sake and consideration of an humane felicity, all of Riches, Honours and delights according to the Flesh, secondo la carne; from whence

it follows that Riches are absolutely necessa∣ry for the Church, and poverty would be its ruine and destruction.

'Tis fitting to Observe here as a conclusion clearly drawn from the Seaven Reasons fore∣going, what advantage 'tis to the Church that her Clergymen should possess all the Riches possible;* 1.7 'tis much preferable even before the relief of the Poor. Che la prima e principal parte dell'Ecclesiastiche entrate doverebbe appli∣carsi a' poveri e non a' Ministranti. These be the Churches Enemies which broach this, for the Cardinal maintains, that if the chiefest and best Portion of Ecclesiastical Revenues were applied to relieve the Poor, it would be a Custom directly opposite to the felicity of the Commonwealth,* 1.8 to the institution of God and of Nature, ed io affermo che ciò sarebbe un costume dirimpetto contrario al felice Stato della republica, ed à l'istituti di dio e della natura. So that 'tis upon this Principle that the other Reasons remaining behind shall be ground∣ed.

Notes

• * 1.1

  l. 6. c. 3.
• * 1.2

  l. 1. c. 25.
• * 1.3

  l. 18. c. 6.
• * 1.4

  Ibid.
• * 1.5

  Ibid.
• * 1.6

  l. 8. c. 10.
• * 1.7

  l 9. c. 9.
• * 1.8

  Ibid.