The converted capuchin, or, The recantation of Father Basil after he had continued nigh forty yeares a fryer of that order and perswaded many Protestants to the Romish-beliefe : with his answers to those reports framed against him since he left his convent at Roüen to be one of the reformed church at Sedan / English according to the French copy. — Declaration du sieur François Clouet, cy-devant appelé Père Basile de Rouen, où il déduit les raisons qu'il a eues de se séparer de l'Eglise romaine. English

The converted capuchin, or, The recantation of Father Basil after he had continued nigh forty yeares a fryer of that order and perswaded many Protestants to the Romish-beliefe : with his answers to those reports framed against him since he left his convent at Roüen to be one of the reformed church at Sedan / English according to the French copy. — Declaration du sieur François Clouet, cy-devant appelé Père Basile de Rouen, où il déduit les raisons qu'il a eues de se séparer de l'Eglise romaine. English

Table of contents

Title page

§

To the Church of ROME.

His Prayer upon his Conversion.

A Refutation of calumnies which were put upon mee.

The first Calumny.

The Second Calumny.

The Third Calumny.

The Fourth Calumnie.

§

§

[Page]

THE CONVERTED CAPUCHIN. OR, The Recantation of Father BASIL, After he had continued nigh forty yeares a Fryer of that Order, and perswaded many Protestants to the Romish-Beliefe.

With his Answers to those Reports framed against him since he left his Covent at ROÜEN to be one of the Reformed Church at SEDAN.

Englished according to the French Copy.

LONDON, Printed by E. G. and are to be sold by Richard Harper, at the Signe of the Harpe in Smithfield. 1641.

§

§

[Page]

[Page]

BEhold here a true Convert, an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile; no Spalata to change a petty Bishoprick for a better Deanry, and lose that too to turne againe in hopes of a Cardinals Hat by the allowance of the Pope his Schoolefellow. Here is one of Gods little Ones whom no ambition or earthly preferment spurres forward, but a holy ayme at the Kingdome of Heaven, who having forsaken a certaine being unites himselfe with a Church upon whose charity depends his whole reliefe, with a Church which admits no Priority in the Ministry, and therefore could have no expectances of Ecclesiasticall promotions. In his old Age after he had passed nigh forty yeares in the Capuchin Order where were novices enough to have travelled for his maintenance and have kept him warme in his Covent.

He was the Popes Missionary, whose faculties by vertue thereof were severall and notable, as hereafter are expressed. And as his eminency for them besides his golden tongue which graced his Sermons to the admiration of his auditors made his revolt from them the more considerable: So hath he gotten store of contumelious reports from them, who in him have lost the glory of their Order and their Chaire, and the best benefactor to their Edifices, his perswasions prevailing more upon the devotions of the auditors, then all the rest he left behinde him.

[Page] But let their Aspersions be as many as malicious. The Church of England is well acquainted with the nature of Popish flamme [...], as in that of our sometimes reverend Bishop King, and others: neither will our Fryer beg any helpe in his vindication, nor doubts but by what followes to give his Reader satisfaction. Some way may be given his Adversaries to load him with lyes, since tis not so much fault as custome among them, and the prime weapons they use in defence of their precious Religion, to wit, their jugling exorcismes and lying miracles, as in the boy of Bilson, &c.

Yet because their Abuses may passe for Truths if unanswered, and my selfe was told by a Fryar of the same Order, that Father Basil our Converts departure was for the love of liberty, I have translated for Thee their Calumnies and his Answers, whereby Thou mayest easily discerne the untruths and malice of his Accusers.

That he was not a man of that Disorder, those of that Order would have thee beleeve, surely Father Joseph, that great wit, and Confessor to the Cardinall of Richelieu would have us think, when he sollicited him by Letters to accept the superiority of the Queens Capuchins, but his Fraternity finding him to be of more profitable use among them, as the sequell intimates, hindred his voyage hither.

And that his austere and exemplary life together with his elaborate preaching gained him a rare opinion from his compatriots, those many hundreds of Protestants he drew into the Romish folds are witnesses: for which his soule doth hourely pennance, and his eyes shed rivolets of teares in prayer, for their safe returne into the bosome of the Church againe.

So that if God had pleased to have wrought in him this work among us, we might have hoped, the rest of his Order here as well as divers of them in France, might have become Converts through his example, besides many of our [Page] English Renegadoes who happily might have beene stopped in in their flight from their holy Mother the Church of England to that adulterous one of Rome.

There are strong Reasons and Motives written by the same pen which engaged this Convert upon his Resolution, more at large then here set downe. And when I shall finde thou hast procured an appetite to them by reading these, I shall take some paines to make them Converts for thy fuller satisfaction.

To the Church of ROME.

[Page]

Sirs,

I Make no doubt but my alteration will beget an ill interpretation of it in them who are ignorant of the motives, and because each man will deliver himselfe according to his owne fancy, I desire to satisfie all by this my Declaration, intreating them to suspend their judgements, untill I have enformed them of the reasons which I am here setting downe.

First, after I have humbled my selfe before my God, praying him, that my unworthinesse passed over, he would be pleased to illuminate my understanding, guiding my soule and my hand so, that I may alleage things conformable to his Word, I do in his glorious presence, as before him that is my Judge, and knowes my heart, make this protestation: That I have not embraced this profession to live at more ease, and better my worldly condition, or to leade a life of more liberty or plenty. For in that religion whereof I earst was, under a cloake of being poore I had store of all things, and while I so continued had wherewith to please my selfe in abundance; farre was I from having any cause to complaine of want, and was honoured among them, and had a setled Lively-hood: but by the Religion I have now entred am reduced to an assured poverty, and deprived of the best of my worldly conveniencies, losing the good will of Millions who highly valued me, yet this poverty and disgrace I entertaine as an honour, since it is for Gods cause, and that Jesus Christ hath scored out our way herein by his owne miseries and sufferings: My life I thank my God hath beene blamelesse, and I am provided for the convincing of those which [Page] would urge ought to the contrary. Had I been a man prophane and vicious, they would not have allowed me the office of Superior for twelve years, which I did yet exercise, but the last yeare among those of mine owne Order; nor did I leave it for any misdemeanor I had committed, but to obey the call of my gracious God, who so knocked at the doore of my conscience that I could not be quiet. I dare without vanity say that I have been in the Church of Rome, and the Capuchin Order of good repure, I preached vehemently against the Church of God, wherewith I have now by the Lords great mercy ranked my selfe; not thinking then that I waged warre against my owne Captaine and Saviour: and that is it, wherein I confesse with perfect sorrow, I have grievously offended his sacred Majestie.

I had there no other booke than the holy Scripture, which might be termed the Word of God, nor was it thence I digged ordinarily the doctrine which I taught, no more than others who preach in the Romish Church, that tye not themselves to the interpretation of holy Writ; and when I entred into the Order, I made a vow to keepe the Rules and Institutions of Saint Francis, which bind not the Friers to study sacred letters, but command in expresse termes, That those of the fraternity which are unlearned need not to study to learne them, but ordaine in the second chapter, that they should be clad in old tayments, and that they might peece them with sacke-cloth and other peeces on Gods blessing. Being thus fastned to this Order, I thought with my selfe that in observing it, I should do workes of Supererogation, by which I supposed to doe more good than God commanded me, and so to merit a degree of glory in Paradise above that common to the Saints, which had no more perfection here, than meerely to fulfill the Law of God.

In the interim, this perswasion dwelt in my soule, that true Religion which leads to salvation comes from God, not humane invention: To the end therefore I might strengthen my selfe in the beleefe of the Romish Church, and be furnished with answers to gain-sayers; I desired to know, as exactly as I might, what Jesus Christ and his Apostles, Founders of Christian religion, taught us, as it is contained in holy Scriptures; but in reading them, glory be to God, it happened cleane contrary to my purpose and intendment.

[Page]

His Prayer upon his Conversion.

O Lord my God, and my Creator, who from all Eternitie knowest those that are thine owne, which no power can wrench from thy holy hands; how copious hath bin thy bounty to me thy poore servant: thou hast dealt with me, ó Lord, according to the greatnesse of thy Compassion, by reducing my soule from death, my eies from superstitious tears, my feet from falling Thou didst suffer me to spend neere forty yeares in an erronious religion, which I supposed conformable to thy holy Word, and have as obstinately defended it, not slighting the least occasion tending to the persecution of thy Church: But O my eternall God, it was my ignorance did it, and I now beg thy pardon with an heart contrite and humbled before thy glorious face. Thou hast put me to the test O Lord, by a sore disease, which I thought would have put an end to my being in this world, but thy goodnesse contented it selfe to depresse my body, that thou mightest raise up my soule in giving a good issue to my heavie triall.

I have been fully sensible of thy benefits, Oh Eternall, what shall I render unto thee for them, that am but dust and ashes in thy Divine presence? I will sacrifice unto thee a sacrifice of thanksgiving. I will invocate thy holy Name, I will pay my vowes in the presence of thy people, in thy Temple, and employ the rest of my dayes in the service and edification of thy Church.

Give, O Father of Mercy, the same grace which thou hast bestowed on me, unto them that shall reade this my Declaration; and particularly, my God and my blessed Father, I beseech thee with teares of true sorrow, to have pitie upon those whom I have helped to erre from the right way, perswading their revolt from thy holy Church: O suffer them not to be deprived of the participation of the blood and merits of thy Son Christ Jesus, but touch thou their hearts with a sorrow, such as may conduce to a true repentance in them.

Have likewise mercy upon so many poore soules as goe astray for want of instruction, prick them forward with the goad of thy feare, stirre in them a desire to know thy truth by reading [Page] thy holy Word; let thy relieving hand draw them out of the mire whereinto they are fallen by originall sinne; regenerate them, O good God, unto a newnesse of life, by the workings of thy holy Spirit, nor lay thou to their charge the hatred they beare me for reverencing thy holy Name: But grant rather that they acknowledging the sanctity of the doctrine which I have embraced, which is the very same Jesus thy Son brought from heaven on earth, they may clearely see how they are abused, and abhorre those superstitions which inveterate wont makes them thinke to be none; that they may detest the impiety of their seducers, who being blind, may else be throwne into the pit, unlesse thou open their eyes by the beames of thy holy Spirit.

Let them not depend longer upon humane traditions, but receive thy Word for the onely guide of their faith, and Jesus Christ their Mediator and Sacrificer; so that having led a life here in the confession of thy most holy Name, and the profession of that truth contained in thy most holy Word, wee may together everlastingly blesse thee in thy holy Tabernacle in Heaven, Amen.

A Refutation of calumnies which were put upon mee.

I Should conclude my Declaration thus, with giving of thanks which I am bound to render the divine goodnesse, for having not only taken from me the horrid and darke veile of my blindnesse, and called mee to his marvellous light, but also for the courage he hath given me to withstand all the assaults that corrupt nature and humane respects could bring against my resolution, did I not feele my selfe obliged to adde these lines in defence of my innocencie, which I understand to be abused by the enemies of true religion.

Yet if the interest of God and his holy Church could set apart my owne interests herein, I would make it my glory to despise these disgracefull aspersions for the love of my Redeemer, who hath given me himselfe for an example. But such separation not being possible, I will genuinely, and without sharpnesse, represent that which may serve to wipe away these reproaches which they have published against me, protesting that all the revenge I will take for these injuries, is, to entreat God [Page] with a good heart for the salvation of them which are the authors, that he would please by his goodnesse and the efficacie of his holy Spirit, to break the bands of that Error wherewith they are so strongly bound, that he would be gracious to them, as he hath been to me, and putting off that vaine industry to be reputed holy among men, they may subject themselves to the Word of God, to the end they may be saved.

The first Calumny.

I Learn by letters of my friends, that they accuse me for drawing out of the purses of divers persons above two thousand pound sterling▪ under pretext of Pius uses, and that now I serve my owne turne with it to the prejudice of them for whom it was appointed.Answ.

The grossenesse of this Calumny hath discovered it selfe so much the better; for who is it but knowes that Capuchins handle no money, nor doth any body use to offer them any, unlesse that craving almes at a doore, unawares they put a double in their scrip, as they would to an Eremite; but the Capuchins do never receive it. Their Order permitting them to receive a bottle of Wine, a Capon, or things of like kind, but not one Double or Denier, as doe others who professe poverty. If any man have received this summe of money for me, let him declare himselfe, and publish the give [...], let him set downe the place and the time, when and where he received it, it will be easie for mee to convince him of lying or theevery, since I for my part never handled any of it. In sooth I have besought my good friends sometimes to gratifie me with some almes, for the building or other accommodations of the Covents whereof I had charge, but did never misplace one single denier of their charities. Let them look upon the registers of receipts of the Capuchins in any place where I resided, and they shall find from point to point the receipts and disbursements of all the mony that every body hath given. Had I mis-employed the money, I obtained for the Covents where I dwelt, with what were nine hundred pounds paid for buildings at the Capuchins of Caudebeck, while I was Superiour there, and above an hundred pounds for Chalices, and other ornaments of the Altar, which are to be seene in their [Page] Vestry? Have I put to other use six hundred and sixty pounds assigned me by order of the overseers of the Kings treasury in a voyage which I made to Paris? The breast-worke of squared free-stone which defends that Convent from the power of the seas batteries, and the greater part of a Dormitory, which were built with that money, are very visible testimonies to the contrary.

If I had kept to my selfe what was given for mine owne sake, could the Capuchins of Alenzon have had a large Dormitorie, which I caused to be almost wholly set up in that yeare when I was their Superiour? Had I then seene the foundations of a Church, Quier and Chappels Vestry and of a second Dormitory, and almost all the timber-frame prepared to the admiration of the inhabitants of that Citie, who could not conceive whence I came by so much almes. The Receiver knowes that the Guardian who preceded me, left his Register thronged with debts when hee left the Charge; and when I parted with it, I left unto him above an hundred pounds in Cash, and the Convent cleane out of debt.

I say nothing of a rich present that a Gentlewoman of very considerable quality, offered to assist the building, which neither would shee give but upon condition I should returne to that place, for my Successour there can tell that shee gave it not, though hee used the best of his power to have it, although hee did his utmost, (he being indeed a man fit onely to reape the benefit of others labours, and more prompt to consume goods implored by others, than procure any to the Covent, and bring water to the mill by others, not his owne ingenuitie.)

The last yeare of the superioritie I exercised in the Capuchin Order was at Nagent Rotrou, where I caused to bee built from the ground a new Dormitory: but whosoever would judge of my uprightnesse in the disbursing of the coine, whereof my selfe was procurer, shall finde that besides what was employed in building, when I went thence, I left to the Receiver of that Covent above threescore and ten pounds, and gave a good account to the Chapter of that Province, by the same token they checked me with a flout for having been too beneficiall to those Covents I had in charge.

[Page] I well knew that a Capuchin which was last yeare of the Convent of Alençon, and was under me the last year in that of Nogent, spread a noise about at Alençon, that I had carried from Rouen two chains of Pearle of good value given to the Covēt of Rouen by the Q. of England to trick up a little virgin Mary, into a puppet of a peece of Oak, which the Capuchins (not without a profitable designe in it) called Our Lady of health, giving out thorow the town, that her Majesty had bestowed it on them for a wodden remedy against the plague, wherewith Rouen was then infected. But to that I answer, that as it is utterly false that the Queen of England gave this Idoll (the Capuchins giving it out onely that they might seem no lesse in favour with Queens than the Jesuits of Rouen, who the same time had obtained a silver Goddesse from the Queen of France, under the title of The Lady of Peace) so, it is untrue that ever shee bestowed Pearles to dresse it: but this reporter is knowne to be a common traducer, as well of others, who as little deserve it from him as I, and if he escape punishment for this fault from his superiours, I doubt not he will receive it elsewhere.

For my last answer to what can be objected against me in this matter, I will make Oath that I never diverted the least thing contrary to the intent of the Donours, neither before, nor at my going thence. My present penury can sufficiently justifie mee, for I am able to say with a good and sound conscience that I brought nothing from the Convent but my habit, and that patched for humilities sake, as our rule commands it (although it was fire new:) and my papers: and that to come and be here, I neither had nor have any money, but the helpe of one of our Churches, which affords mee her charity in my extreme necessitie.

The Second Calumny.

BEsides this first accusation I have lighted upon diverse others, by supervisall of a Letter which the Provinciall of the Capuchins of Normandy expresly wrote to an Assessor of the Kings Aides at Alençon, a man whom I heretofore did helpe to revolt from the true Religion, for which I am heartily grieved.

This Letter exhorts him not to stagger in his beliefe by reason of my change, and the better to settle him, he chargeth me [Page] with Calumnies. After some compliments wherein he calleth my change An unthought of Blow, addes, I will tell you this (Sir) sincerely, that this poore man a while since disposed his fall by wayes cleane averse to his profession. He took to himselfe liberties in things which could not be allowed by the justice of his Order which punisheth as oft as it knowes of them, which he foreseeing could not avoid but by flying, and that it was which cast him into this Abysse, as the Starre in the Apocalyps.

I am sure this man foresaw not this Letter should light into my hands, for else he would either not have writ it, or concealed it, since he must needs know I have letters he wrote unto me, which compared with this, will manifest him one that can breathe hot and cold with the same mouth. But I reserve one especially which a Capuchin who desired to see me here, brought (as I beleeve) and got it conveighed to me, not willing to be seene in the delivery himselfe.

I keepe it to insert with some store of pieces I have, in the reply which I shall make to the answer of this my declaration, if they think good to frame one. It will not be displeasing to well affected people to behold my innocency averred by the Letters of this party, who (having abused me to the Assessor of Alençon) loads me with commendations in that he wrote to me since, disavowing the false reports raised upon me, and exhorts me returne to my Order, giving me his faith and word, That I shall not be lesse honoured among them then before. And to note that he names my going thence a blow so unexpected; if it were so, it must follow my deeds and behaviour were unreproachable; for had I lived licentiously before, my bad deeds would have prepared their wits to have termed this Exite a foreseene and lookt for, not so unexpected an Accident.

The motive for writing this Letter makes for my Justification, for tis to establish this Assessor whose faith was staggering. Had I lead so profane a life, this change of mine could not have made so hard an assault upon the faith of a man of so good a judgement, as he is to whom this Letter is addressed; when a rascally deboist fellow strayes from the right way, the world is not much troubled or shaken at it, but if a man conscionable in his Courses goes away, there is much more cause of astonishment. [Page] Truly if it were behovefull for a Provinciall to pen these Letters to settle his wavering beliefe, for feare my example might draw him after me, it may be yeelded that my life was not so guilty of libertinisme, and serve for argument of my honest deportment.

The Letter tels farther that I fled for feare of the rods that were laid in Pisse for me.

I do not beleeve that he who frames these, nor yet the foure Definers who have a deliberate voyce for imposing penance upon offenders justly condemned, have so corrupt consciences as to take it upon the Holy Evangelist that ever they took into consideration the punishing of any crime of mine, nor that ever it entred into their thought to pronounce sentence against any of my actions: if to belye me be enough to beget beliefe, there is no innocency in the whole world which may not bee subjected to Diffamation. And for the terme, Flying, possibly this reverend Sir had wished, that ere my departure from the Cloyster I had presented my selfe before him to ask his leave thus: Reverend Father, Give me your blessing, for I will leave the Church of Rome, and your Congregation, because there I cannot accomplish my salvation. I intreat his Reverend selfe to hold me excused if I tendred him not this duty, it was not contempt caused me do otherwise.

I will not allow that for a Truth which is not universally true, to wit, That the Justice of the Order punisheth all those liberties it knowes not: For I am able to shew when other occasion offers it selfe, that the Justice of the Order hath beene conscious of many extravagancies and wicked Acts which it hath let passe unpunished, but if in me it knew any which it could not dispense withall, why did not that Justice give me my due of punishment, being alwayes at hand? For I have this twelve yeares assisted at all the Chapters held in that Province, and at the very last before my going away, I alwayes had a voice active and passive in all Elections; I personally was before the Provinciall and Definers, who at that time receive both true and false accusations which the Religious of Covents frame against each other, and underlings against their Superiours: I alwayes came thence with honour, being thence sent back to be Guardian of some Covent.

[Page] Six or seven moneths after the last Provinciall Chapter, the same Provinciall Fathers and Definers which were principals there were assembled at the Covent of Roüen, where I was to treat upon sundry businesses, and among the rest to give judgement upon a Fryer who was prisoner in that Covent: I appeared twice of my own free will before them, to acquaint them what things I thought becomming me for the discharge of my Conscience: they applauded my Zeale, and testified of me that I had benefitted in my proceedings: so our Conference ended, and I departed.

Presently after I was sent by the same Provinciall Scribe of this goodly Epistle, three Leagues from S. Michel with a young Fryer to visit Madame de Forrests his Aunt, who is one of the Religion, but chiefly to talk with her Minister, and this done, to visit his kindred and some of my friends: I had my Letters of Obedience signed by his owne hand, and sealed with his owne Seale: they prescribed me no terme at all, yet in all I spent but six weekes. If the Justice of the Order had knowne in me crimes which it could not passe by without punishment; why did not this Provinciall with whom I daily was, cause me to be staid, instead of sending me so long a voyage, having occasions of other nature sufficient to retaine me, being engaged upon preaching in the Pulpit of the Covent, and upon other imployments that he might have well pretended? But surely, when he sent me with so good a will, the thought of my offences was not in him. Certainly had I felt my selfe culpable, and bound to take my heeles to outrunne my punishment, I had then the key of the Fieldgate, I had liberty to go and come, my Companion being my subject and owing me obedience in this Voyage. I had leisure enough to treat of the meanes of my Conversion with a Gentleman of the Protestant Religion, without the knowledge of my Camarade: but not being otherwise importuned, I beleeved it would be better to see the end of one Moneth after the worke of the Lord begun in me. So shaking this Viper off my finger, as S. Paul did that at Maltha, I call to minde the words of our Saviour in the S. of Matthew, Blessed are they, &c.

[Page]

The Third Calumny.

THE third untruth is couched in the same Letter, and the words are these.

That which Pride wrought in the bad Angels, Covetousnesse and Despaire in Iudas, and what other vices have begot in all the Desertors of the Faith; Vanity alwayes accompanied with all sorts of Licentiousnesse both dishonest and irreligious, hath wrought in this poore man, making the punishments he deserved terrible to him, although we had not prepared for him such as were very great.

If he would have himselfe believed, he should specifie those Actions dishonest, &c. and the time when I began to give my selfe unto them. To moote thus in Generall, without being able to particularize any thing, is but tacitely to confesse himselfe a Backbiter; if I had beene guilty of all sorts of dishonest liberties, some scandall must have risen, as unto divers whose Sentences are yet fresh upon the Register of the Definition of the Capuchins, which I could relate even to the meanest Circumstances. But I cannot hinder publick babling tongues more prone to belye then praise vertuous Actions, nor stop the talke of these base Liberties. The silence which hath been kept upon this Subject might passe for a Miracle in the Church of Rome.

If I had been of a scandalous fame, would they have appointed me these six or seven yeares Preacher upon Advents and Lents every Yeare, and as often to live foure or five moneths together out of the Covent, even the very last yeare? The Provincials that have had attestation of my good manners and successe of my teaching, may serve as witnesses to the contrary.

Had I given ill example at the places where I resided, would the Communalty of the Townes, & the Lords of the Countrey, who erected the Covents which I governed, have written to the Provinciall Assemblies of Fathers of the Chapter-house, Letters gratulatory for my being sent thither, and to request my continuance there the yeares following: this is publickly knowne. I say nothing of a Bishop in great esteeme among the Capuchins, who seeing me in my way to the Chapter, and not knowing whether I should returne to the Cloyster [Page] from whence I went the yeare following, which was in the principall City of his Dioces, told my Companion that the Fathers were Reverend Coxcombs if they sent me not back, considering the advantageable progresse I had made in being Superiour there.

Had I been an evill edifier by my vicious conversation, could the Provincials have been compelled to have returned me where I had dwelt, to dry the eyes of the better sort of that Order of the tears they so plentifully shed for my absence in the presence of them all? I require no other testimony for this truth then the Provinciall himselfe. 'Tis reported that the Jesuites know all to the least of things, even which passe betweene man and wife; if so, would they have selected me Preacher in their Temples for above six moneths upon their most Solemne Festivals, and which is more, the last yeare in the Church of Roüen, if I had been held a man either dishonest or irreligious?

Had I not lived in esteeme in the Capuchin Order, why should Father Joseph (that great wit) have by sundry Letters solicited me, which I shewed to this my Defamer, to accept the Superiority of the Covent of London which is the Queene of Englands Chappell? And albeit the opposition of this Provinciall and the Custos of the Capuchins of Normandy, tis possible I had consented, but was willing to be judged more necessary for their Province, being then both Guardian and Divinity Reader.

Had I not beene well reputed among the Capuchins, and exemplary according to in my Profession, would the Generals, Provincials, and Definers, who better understood their people then any body else, have continued me above twelve yeares successively in the Guardianship of the most eminent Covents, in many whereof they placed Definers after I was gone?

If it be objected, I was not Superiour when I became a Convert, I answer, I was such but the yeere before, and that I could againe be the next: For as the Constitutions of the Order ordaine, that a Provinciall cannot continue in office above three yeares, and after to be discharged for one whole yeare, so is it ordered againe, that a Guardian cannot be in place above six yeares, and those ended, is voided of his charge for one whole yeare: So I had accomplished the six yeares of my Superiority, [Page] and it then followed, I must be quit of my charge by course. But I can easily make appeare, notwithstanding that, I was still in good request among them, for they assigned me for my abode the most honourable Covent of all the Province, where the Provinciall and the Custos, the two Principallists have their constant habitations. I had there the Chaire of the Covent to Preach in all the yeare; and a stage ordered in a Parish of the City where I preached every Sunday. All Rouen can tell that I was the most imployed of all the Covent. Let me give this Smut, this last touch with the Spunge, as the most considerable. The Pope having destinated twenty Capuchins, to send them with extraordinary authority to Preach and Confesse in those parts that had most need, and charged the Provinciall to chuse them with mature deliberation, and advice of the most noted Fathers of the Province, had I not been thought to be of good cariage, should I have beene chosen to this office without any contradiction in so compleat a number, among whom Provincials, Custos's, and Definers were my fellowes? The Priviledges the Pope conferred on me by vertue of this qualification are extraordinary, and confirmed by an expresse Bull, which be these.

1 To heare confessions of the faithfull, as well of one as the other sex, &c. Note that the Capuchins confesse not, and I confessed all that came to their Church at Roüen, even to the time of my going away.

2 To absolve from Heresie, Apostacie, and Schisme.

3 To absolve once every one of cases reserved to the Pope, and also of cases conteined cleerely and doubtfully in the Bull of the Lords Supper▪ provided that the penitents were ready to quit the benefits and restore the fruits ill gathered, [...] due to God only. according to the will of the Holy, Holy, Holy, that is to say, the Pope.

4 To reade the writings or books of Hereticks and all other forbidden, with an intention to consute them.

5 To commute for and change all simple vowes.

6 To dispence with poore Priests for irregularity, proceeding of private and hidden villany, except wilfull manslaughter, downright and reall Symony and Bigamy.

7 To celebrate Masse upon an Altar portable in the middest of the fields in wind & rain in presence of Hereticks & excommunicate persons, & likewise upon an Altar shattered or broken.

[Page] 8 To use twice a yeare the prayers of forty houres, and give plenary indulgence to the confessed, and Communicants, and those who in that interim communicate twenty times, to give thē power for one such soul out of Purgatory as they please best.

9 To give those penitents which came to me to confesse all Saints dayes, and Sundayes, ten yeares of indulgence, with condition they come to my Sermons, and those who communicate upon the Holidayes of the first rank, pardon fully and wholly.

10 To grant the Penitent on their death beds, though but slightly contrite and not receiving the Communion, plenary indulgence, that is, a passeport to go strait from their bed to Paradise.

11 To gain for my self the same indulgence I gave to others.

12 To deliver every Munday a soule from Purgatory, or the next day, if I did not say Masse upon the Munday for the dead.

13 To impart the same power I had to other Priests, whereof I might chuse as I would to helpe me in taking confessions, when there was a great concourse of people.

I professed these priviledges and perform'd the functions of the Missionary of the Pope when I came from the Covent. Had I lived a life averse to what is required of persons to whom this imployment is committed, would they have continued me in it? Or if in these offices they employ men infamous and of foule demeanour for want of others, were to make the world beleeve, that if these great bodies of Religions were opened, there would be found abundance of filth. In a word, had I been wicked as this man writes, and had desired to live in dishonest liberty, I should have remained whence I came rather then came away. For having had the meanes to practice them among them, I should have had much more meanes to continue them there, then in the condition I now am.

The Fourth Calumnie.

THe last slander in the Letter aforesaid, containes the most untruth, as it is the most outragious, and uncivill, tis thus: If the Church and our Order in particular used not the more purity and holinesse of life, he would never have escaped us to have cast himselfe into Ministeriall bonds, who have furnished [Page] him with what he sought, a glut of his sensuall delights among them, and a promise of assistance and protection in his vices.

This poore man must be pardoned, for it appeares either he sinnes through ignorance, or that his passion hath blindfolded him. He shewes you that he knew not how I made my retreat, nor how Ministers behave themselves upon those occasions, for he never came so neere to know so much. His Sword was somewhat of the shortest. But to shew that he speaks as a man ignorant, and to instruct them that desire to imitate me, behold here the method I kept to atchieve the quiet of my conscience by a true conversion.

After I had a long time striven with the troubles and pricks of conscience, which tortured and grievously afflicted my heart, and urged my departure from the Romish Church, where I observed the Hierarchicall and Priviledged ready to devoure one another, and thousands of superstitions, I addressed my selfe to the Father of Lights, after whose heavenly assistance, the reading of holy Scripture, and the bookes of Mr du Moulin (among the rest) his Novelty of Popery and Buckler of Faith, gave some stay to my tired soule, and guided me in framing my last resolution. But because I could not put it in execution without knowing what Order I ought to keepe of some one of the Religion, nor was acquainted with any body at Roüen, to whom in this case I might addresse my selfe, I made use of the occasion of my going to Bresse neare Mount S. Michel whereof I have spoke before. By the way I saw a Gentleman of the Religion, at whose house I was halfe a day, and learned from him how to comport my selfe therein, I finished my voyage, and a moneth after my returne to Roüen, I went from the Covent without either seeing speaking or writing to any Minister whatsoever. True it is, that while I stayed a little at Roüen, after my going from them, I had the honour to see two Ministers who gave me the visit at my lodging, but our discourse was so short, that I had no leisure but to unfold my purpose, and they to tell me I must prepare to beare the Crosse of Jesus Christ in professing the true Religion, and that if I quitted the Monastery, to finde more freedome or means to comply with evill appetites, I was very ill bestead. I was indeed extreamly comforted.

[Page] I went forth of Rouen at shutting the gate, and in day and a halfe arrived at Paris, whence I am hither come in the only protection of the Almighty. Who report mee a man engaged in wenching or wiving, shall accuse themselves of this sinne next Easter. I regard not his prate, as being usual among the Papists upon the like occasions. See how the Ministers have furnished me with what satisfaction I sought, not of my senses, but my poore soule which sighed after its deliverance. I would prolong the discourse to make apparant the cheats of this Detractor, who speaks of the Ministers, as of men who have furnished me with what I sought for among them, sensual and beastly satisfaction, and promised protection for my vices: But because I cannot do it without I set forth the vertues I observed in them since I frequented them, and knowing that their modesties would not approve it, I will content my selfe with this onely, since it is fit something be said, That I observed nothing in their words and actions which did not tend to my spiritual edification, and folly perswaded me that they are altogether free from that the Romish rabble doth, like it selfe, injuriously put upon them; I protest I never saw any of them go from house to house to prattle with, and court young maids, and joyne under pretence of giving ghostly counsel; if Ministers go abroad, it is to visit the sick, comfort the afflicted, treat in consistory of the means for reliefe of the poore, or else somewhat very beseeming their being or their callings when they goe from home. I see them not laden with gay shewes, Crosses, Agnus Dei kneaded with relicks, holy graines, mother Lewis's crosse, nor Medals, nor any of that which they call Aucupia Monachorum, Friers toyles to catch those who snatch at them, wch nets they reach forth principally to those of the femall sex, as the simpler and more enclined to superstitious devotion. They cannot complaine of Ministers, that in their common talke we never heare them use the Name of God so vainly in good or bad, as divers Seculars have noted in the vaine discourses of Monks, and complained thereof. Nor doe we see them complement with wenches and women three or foure houres together in their portalls, as doe the Friers, but above all the begging ones. The Ministers intents of discourse with any women, are examined; and if they give an ill example, it is not borne with. I marvell not that the Holy Ghost [Page] infuseth into them such profound notions of holy Writ, and that it bestowes upon them such excellent illuminations in Divinity, as the Professors of this University deliver unto all that will come to heare them; I can never forget what I noted from one of them, who handling in his Lecture the Commandement, Thou shalt not commit adultery▪ I never saw so grave a stayednesse in words, nor so much carefulnesse in discovering this subject; which gave mee occasion to detest the Romish Casuists, and among other Sanchez a Jesuit, who in a sordid manner turnes to and againe the filth that comes along with this uncleannesse, for there is nothing foule or base in the most execrable excesses of beastlinesse and sensuality which is not tossed to and fro in his imagination, and found in his most prodigious and horrible booke of Marriage. See now what in my conscience I knew of them, in whose bande, they say, I am cast. Hee to whom this invective against them and my sele is written, can judge of these impostures, and of the truth of what I assever, who forsooke the reformed Church at threescore yeares of age, and therefore had time enough to be well acquainted with the behaviours of Ministers. What this reverend Sir addes in his letter, the Huguenots of Rouen themselves say, if I had been an honest man, I had not left the Capuchins, is a lye, by which he makes himselfe a laughing stock, and abuseth him he writes to, by making a baby of him. For can any man of judgement bee perswaded that he is no honest man that avoids Idolatry and superstition to embrace a true Religion? the Reader may judge by this sparkle the rest of the Stuffe. To conclude this small apologie, and to refute what can be objected against the sincerity of my intentions in the work of my conversion, I present unto you this last reason which deserves to be well weighed.

Adversity is a triall whereby God is acquainted with the fidelity of his children: I have passed by it twice since my conversion, the first▪ by a feeblenesse of body which came upon me before I came hither; the second, by a violent disease a while since, which brought me so low that I verily thought to dye. 'Tis then or never that we should deale sincerely with God, and manifest the true resentments of the soule. Is it credible that a man that hath separated himselfe from the Romish Church for no other end but to take a fuller swinge in dishonest liberty, [Page] that he was not seazed at the instant with some terrour of Gods judgments, or shewed not a misrule in his conscience tormented with remorse, by some words or deeds? But I may truly averre that I never before felt my heart at more ease, which being filled with heavenly comfort, seeing my selfe freed from papisticall heresie, and brought into a religion wherein I could not dye ill, since that I apprehended by a lively faith the merits of my Saviour & the premisses of life eternall which he hath made to all them that confesse and beleeve his holy Name.

It is very true, that in this estate I was seazed with an exceeding griefe for my life passed, and the breaches I made in the Church of God in the time of my ignorance: I cannot think on, without great griefe and discontent, the great number of those whom I have perverted, in being the cause they deserted the true Religion. But this confidence I have, that if they be the chosen of God, he will raise them up from their fallen estate, and be mercifull unto them. This disease was very profitable unto me, for besides the exercise of humility and patience under the Lords fatherly chastisements, the frequent visits of Pastors which came to comfort and pray with me, made me sensible how sweet and powerfull are those consolations that are drawen from the doctrine of the Gospell, in comparison of signing with the crosse, anealing, & sprinkling of holy water, among which there is not one sillable of true comfort. But the principal effect of this triall is, that by it I was the more strengthened in my resolution, for I find my selfe more stable and more resolved than ever, to persevere in that holy religion which I have embraced freely without constraint, with a heart void of pride, or ambition or malice. Such issues are the undoubted markes of Gods spirituall calling. And for so much as they who endevor to shake my stability by contumelious reports, or make me bow by promises or flatteries, shall doe better hereafter to consider their owne consciences, and speedily seeke after the means to get forth from the errours wherein they are ensnared, than to labour the change of this my unchangeable resolution: protesting unto them that by the grace of God I will rather suffer thousands of tortures, than breake the vow I have made unto my God, to live and dye in the confession and profession of the faith into which he hath brought me of his pure mercy.

FINIS.

Information about this book

Title statement

The converted capuchin, or, The recantation of Father Basil after he had continued nigh forty yeares a fryer of that order and perswaded many Protestants to the Romish-beliefe : with his answers to those reports framed against him since he left his convent at Roüen to be one of the reformed church at Sedan / English according to the French copy.Declaration du sieur François Clouet, cy-devant appelé Père Basile de Rouen, où il déduit les raisons qu'il a eues de se séparer de l'Eglise romaine. English

Basile, de Rouen, d. 1648?

Edition statement

1641

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2007-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A33486

ID [STC]

Wing C4738

ID [STC]

ESTC R23037

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

12747259

ID [OCLC]

ocm 12747259

ID [VID]

93281

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A33486)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 93281)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 253:E160, no 11)

Source

— The converted capuchin, or, The recantation of Father Basil after he had continued nigh forty yeares a fryer of that order and perswaded many Protestants to the Romish-beliefe : with his answers to those reports framed against him since he left his convent at Roüen to be one of the reformed church at Sedan / English according to the French copy., Declaration du sieur François Clouet, cy-devant appelé Père Basile de Rouen, où il déduit les raisons qu'il a eues de se séparer de l'Eglise romaine. English, Basile, de Rouen, d. 1648?.

Extent

[6], 3-19 p.

Printed by E.G. and are to be sold by Richard Harper...,. London :: 1641.. (Reproduction of original in Thomason Collection, British Library.)

Creation

Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford.

Editorial practices

EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO.

EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org).

The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source.

Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data.

Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.

Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor.

The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines.

Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements).

Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site.