your owne sake and for our good frend this berer It is not reason that for his good will he should incurre any danger God forbid my truste is in your wisdome that you will keepe this very close til hereafter by reason of the great persecution The matter is waighty and concerneth both you and this berer verye much be wise and trusty and deceaue not your brother that loueth you as himselfe and therefore wisheth by all meanes to do you good S. Paule sayth He that hath not regard of his ovvne kindred 1. Timoth. 5. hath denied the fayth and is vvorse then an Infidell S. Chrisostome vpoÌ„ the same place wryteth thus If a man instruct strangers in the fayth and suffer his ovvne kinne to continevve in their error vvith vvhom he vvere lykelly to preuaile most because they make most accompt of him vvere he not a most cruell and barberous man For this cause I wryte vnto you and wish you al grace al goodnes al heauenly comfort laste of all and least of all to prosper in this world and yet I wish you that with all my hart at the pleasure of God Other good thing I haue none to sende you but this I will remayne in your debte for your gentle tokens Commend me to your selues your louing husbands and your litle ones and when you haue learned to beleeue ryght your selues bringe them vp accordingly teach them to feare God Make much of this berer I praye you and saue him harmelesse by your wyse and discreate dealings Almighty God preserue you and by his holy spirite leade you into all truth Amen THE COPY OF A LETTER WRITTEN TO M. DOCTOVR Whyte Warden of the new Colledge in Oxforde RYGHTE Worshipfull although your worldly dignitie and the iuste opinion of your greate wysdome compared with my contraries mighte feare me from writing vnto you in this bould maner yet many thinges moued me especially my charitie towardes you to whom I am beholding for causes which you may remember and my dewtie towards God whose good motion I hope it was that I should tell you rather frendly then finely playnely theÌ„ curiously that which your selfe doe knowe much better but haue not cause so well to remember Isa 28. Because that vexation doth geue vnderstanding Ps â—8 and man vvhen he vvas in honor did not vnderstand Which differeÌ„ce in estate maketh that the yonger man for yeres more simple for wit and knowledge may notwithstanding sometime truly say with the prophete Ps 118. Aboue auncients haue I vnderstood Quare doctoralis ille facessat splendor cuiuscunque dignitatis recedat ambitio cum fratre conseruo meo filig matris ecclefiae discipulo Iesu Christi loquor Therefore setting a side that doctor all honour and the respect of vvhat dignitie soeuer I may be bould to speake playnely vvith my brother and fellovv-seruant in Christ vvith a childe of our Mother the Church and a scholler of Iesus Christ Presupposing then that you are in conscience a catholike and seing that in outward shew you professe the contrary I am bould to reason familiarly with you and to demaunde whether you thinke it lawfull to beleeue one thing inwardly to protest the contrary openly and how you can auoyd these euident scriptures VVith the harte vve beleeue to Iustice But when there is necessary occasion Ro. 10.10 VVith the mouth confession is made to saluation He that shal deny me before men Mat. 10.33 I also vvill deny him before my Father vvhich is in heauen But if you thinke it vnlawfull so to doe because you wote well it is condemned of old in the hereticks called Helcesaitistes and Priscilianistes and yet doe agaynst your owne perswasion Buscb li. 6. ca. 31. Aug. coÌ„t Mendac Cap. 2. Ro. 14.22 how answere you these places Blessed is he that iudgeth not himselfe in that vvhich he approueth And vvhatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne Ro. 6. That is as S. Augustine and others expounde it reluctante conscientia Our conscience striuing against it If neither the one nor the other but you are perswaded that a man may lawfully professe both religions as time and Prince altereth Besids that it was the heresie of Basilides Lib. 4. ca. 2. Tò ádiaphore in as Nicephorus wryteth What interpretatioÌ„ haue you for these scriptures Vsquequo claudicatis in vtramque partem c. 3. Re. 18.21 Hovve longe haulte you on both sides I four Lorde be God solovv him But if Baal folovv him Ecclesiast 3. And agayne Coringrediens duas vias c. A harte that goeth tvvo vvayes shall not haue successe and the peruerse of harte shall be scandalized in them And 1. Cor. 10.11 you can not drincke the chalice of our Lorde and the chalice of deuils Mat. 6.24 Mat. 12.30 you can not serue tvvo Maisters He that gathereth not vvith me scattereth And agayne Iac. 3.16 Doth the fountayne geue foorth at one hole svveete and sovver vvater And yet agayne Apoc. 3.16 But because thou art lukevvarme and neither could nor vvhot I vvill begin to vomit thee out of my mouth I neede not vrge the terrible threatenings your wisdome may carnestly consider of it But it is possible that you mislyke of certen things in the Catholicke religion which you would wish to be otherwise and conceaue a mixte religion compounded of that which is best in both But M. Doctor you are in myne opinion wyser then they whoe notwithstanding for this singularitie are esteemed to be wyse men and of graue iudgement but of the vnwyser sort You know concerning things to be mislyked ether they pertayne to fayth or to manners If these later offend you wot what S. Augustine hath long agone answered the Donatistes Tollerare ecclesiam non probare paleas in tanta copia esse vt frumentum tegant donec veniat is qui ventilabrum habet in manu sua vt purget aream suam That the Church doth tollerate and not approue them and that their is so great quantitie of chaffe that it couereth the corne till he come that hath the fanne in his hand to purge his floore If any poynte of doctrine agreed vpon by the whole Church which is alwayes directed by the holy Ghoste mislyketh you you may vpon deeper consideration iustlye feare leste your selfe or any other man in this case be not a true Catholicke nor of that Church out of which is no saluation For that which is the grounde of your fayth in one poynt must consequently be the grounde of it in all the rest So that if you beleeue as you doe the presence of Christ in the blessed SacrameÌ„t because the vniuersal Church out of the scriptures hath so concluded then if the same Church doe define any other Article for example Of Purgatorie of praying to Saincts of Pilgrimage of Pardons of Images you must in like maner beleeue the same If not What authoritie doe you folow What doe you
after admonition you will not rise agayne that wil make vs to maruel to pitie your ease as altogether desperate which God forbid whoe conuerte you and saue you and blesse you both soule bodye euen as I wishe to mine owne selfe For a farewel remember the later ende of man the accompte to be made the consequent there of hel or heauen and before all other respectes doe well for his sake that made you redeemed you sanctified you and hath hitherto preserued and enriched you and will hereafter in heauen fully rewarde you if you wil come euen now at the ninth and eleuenth howre Our Lord keepe you Paris 15. Fe. 1580 Your louing frend vndoubtedly G. M. TO MY LOVINGE AND BESTBELOVED SISTERS DEERE Sisters my care my loue of al worldly things next to my good mother my greatest comforte and ioye Vnlesse you did thinke that I doe most hartely loue you you coulde nor alwaies heretofore haue declared your exceeding loue so plentifully towards me for the which almightie God rewarde you This my loue because it is not a naturall affection onely but sincere and true charitie forceth me to wish vnto you my louing Sisters not onelie manie worldlie commodities which God be thanked you lacke not but much more all spirituall treasure and heauenlie riches wherof you can not haue great store because you dwell not where it groweth I know good Sisters that you meane well and moste willing are you to doe that which might please God but in good sooth you are out of the way and therefore the further you hold on the further you are from your iornies end the further from heauen The wise man saith There is a vvay vvhich seemeth to a man right Prouerb 14. but the end therof leadeth to distruction Beare with me if I write bold lie and tell you the truth plainlie I am your brother I loue you as nature bindeth me not onely in worldly respect but much more towardes God Your soules are deare vnto me my harte alwaies mourneth to thinke vpon your dangerous state wherein you stand O good Sisters the paine of hell exceedeth all tormentes and that fier shall burne for euer Happye are they that keepe them selues by God his greate goodnesse within the CATHOLIQVE CHVRCH for out of it there is no hope of saluation And most happy are they that hauing bene out of this Church by the wicked perswasioÌ„s of false preachers wheÌ„ it pleaseth God to send them true teachers will not remaine obstinate but folow good exhortations and holsome doctrine and so returne agayne as obedient children to Christ their father and to the Church their mother who are alwaies redy to receiue them remembring that which a most auncient and learned Father writeth S. AusteÌ„ vpoÌ„ the 88. psal He can neuer accompt God to be his father vvho vvil not haue the Churh to be his mother If you aske me what this Church is that is called CATHOLIKE and how you may know it behold the true and certen markes thereof and your selfe iudge whether you be within it or no. This Church is a congregation of all true christians which began in Christ his disciples at Hierus lem from thence grewe and multiplied throughout the whole world according as it is sayd in the psalme Their sounde speaking of the Apostles is gone out into the vvhole vvorlde psal 18. v. 5. and their vvordes into the ends of the earth The firste mark of the Church is to be visible So that the first marke of the true church is that it must grow and multiply be seene and appeere alwayes as a light in the world and therfore Christ calleth it A Cittie builded vpon a hill Mat. 5. vvhich can not be hid And the blessed Martyr S. Ciprian sayth The Churche beinge lightened with the brightnes of our Lorde doth reache foorth her beames through-out the whole worlde And S. Austen besides manye other places to this purpose compareth Christ and his Church to that stone vvhich vvas cutt out of a hill vvithout mens handes Daniel ca. 2. and after grevv to be a mightye mountayne so that it filled the vvhole earthe For vndoubtedlye this stone whereof the Prophet speaketh is Christ who was borne of a virgin without the helpe of man and is now growne from a few Apostles and disciples to an infinite number of christian people in all countries confessing one fayth and one beleefe and this is the Catholicke Church whereof your Creede telleth and teacheth you to say I beleeue the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH Let vs see nowe whether this marke doth agree to your brethren in England who call them selues Protestants or to vs whom it pleaseth them to cal Papists First they cal theÌ„-selues in their bookes the Englishe church that is to say of that fayth which is professed in England but we are of the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH that is of such a fayth as is professed in Fraunce in Spaine in Flanders Brabant zelant c. In a great part of Germanie in all Italy and beyond wheresoeuer there be christians and is now preached to the Indians that neuer heard of Christ before and encreaseth wonderfullye And within these fortie yeares in Englande Scotland Ireland Denmarke and Germanie there was no other faith openly professed but ours And now also in all these countries how many are there thinke you of secret catholickes that wish for the olde religion againe with all their hart and folow the new onely for feare Nay how many are there especially in England that doe yet openly professe the CATHOLIKE FAITH Aske good Sisters aske and you shall learne that all the prisons not only of London but of England are full of them because they will not yeeld to these new proceedings nor contaminate their soules with this newe seruice and leaue the olde true and Catholicke fayth besides a number of sundrye degrees which are deade in prison namely twentie three Bishops all depryued of their liuing these tweÌ„tie three yeres now but two of them alyue I omit Doctors Deanes Archdeacons Krights Squires partlie in prison partly departed the Realme and forsaking all rather then they will forsake God and his moste true and vndoubted religion This is true good Sisters as knoweth God you seldome heare of these things and therfore you thinke either their is no other religion but that could seruice with-out all comfort and deuotion which you see in your parish church or you thinke that must needes be the best because you are not taught anie other whereas you see if you beleeue me that all christendome almost is of an other religion And therfore this is the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH and yours is worthily called by your owne ministers the church of England But this shall better appeere The second marke is successiou if I geue you an othâ—r marke of the true Catholicke Church which is that it must continew for euer and from the first beginninge which was in Christ and
the later end of King Henry his time Then you were expreslye commaunded to beleeue that vnder each kind of bread and wine are conteyned the body and bloud of Christ now it is petty treason to fay so I speake not here of Dermarke of Geneua of other cities in Germanve who are all Protestants and all differing among them selues and from you I haue onely declared how great diuersitie and disagreeing their is amonge your Protestantes at home within one little Ilande which is so euident and so farre from good christianitie that it may be vnto you a very certen and suer token that the true fayth can not be amonge them which hitherto can not agree in one fayth each condemning the others opinion Thus derely beloued and my very louinge Sisters I haue geuen you certen generall Markes to learne the true Church To wryte all were infinite because all bookes are full of our religion I trust hereafter to instructe you in euery pointe as you would desire and I pray God geue you grace that you may desire it All at once woulde be to tedious In the meane time remeÌ„ber these two things VVhen your religion began and by vvhom and how it came at length into England This is the yeare of Christ a thowsand fiue hundred eyghty and three Luther began to preache with-in these fiftye yeares If he preached the truth and all before him were deceaued where was the Church of Christ in all the worlde for a thowsande and fiue hundred yeares before and how is Christ â—â—ue of his promis that sayd I vvill remayne vvith you for euer and the holy Ghost shall teach you all truth and the gates of hell shall not prcuâ—â—ile against it But for out Church that is to say the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH we can shew how it is grown and continued from the Apostles vntill this day and neuer fayled We can reccon you from time to time Councels Bishopps Doctors infinite numbers of good christians of all ages that were all of our fayth and of our Church Can your Ministers denye but that S. Chrisostome alloweth praying to Saints or that S. Ierome calleth the Bishoppe of Rome Supreme head of the vvhole Church vnder Christ or that S. Austen prayed for his mother being dead or that he honored the Reliques of S. Steuen or that S. Gregory sayd Masse or that S. Ambrose sayeth hefore the vvords of consecration it is bread and vvine but after the vvords are spoken by the preist it is the very body and bloud of Christ or that all christians in S. Austens time did vvorship the blessed Sacrament or that the second Councell of Niceâ— did many hundred yeares agoe allovve the vse of Images for the memorie and representation of Christ and his sayntes condemning Image breakers or that S. Barnerd was an Abbot and had monkes vnder him as in catholike countryes now a dayes can they deny but that all this is true and dare they deny these vertuous Fathers and Doctors of the Church to be now Saints in heauen O my good Sisters that you could vnderstand their books and their writinges that you might your selues see what they say and what wonderfull men they were endued with the spirit of God exceedingly aboue other euen good men much more then your licentious leaders I doubt not but you would suspect your new doctors and folow these you should perceaue they had the scriptures at their fingers eds they knew right well the meaning and sense thereof night and day by fasting and prayer and chast lyfe beseeching God that they might vnderstand and truly expound his word O what a difference is there betweene them and these new Preachers Sisters I appeale to your consciences whither wil you or ought you to truste in the expounding of Scripture your yong vnlearned fleshly Ministers or these auncient most skilfull and most vertuous Fathers When Christ sayed Mat. 26. Take eate this is my body Al these Fathers say and agree that it was his bodye in verye deede Your ministers tell you it was but bread and wine Mat. 16. When Christ sayed to Peter thou art Peter that is a rocke and vpon this rocke vvill I build my Church These Fathers say that Peter was made Head of the Church and after him all his successors in the See of Rome where Peter was the first Bishopp Your Ministers tell you that Peter had no more preheminaunce then the other Apostles therfore the Bishop of Rome hath no more authoritie then an other bishop hath When Christ sayed to his Apostles Receaue ye the holy ghost Io. 20. vvhat soeuer ye doo loose in earth shal be loosed in heauen and vvhat soeuer ye doe binde in earth it shal be bounde in heauen These Fathers saye that Christ gaue to his Church authoritie to remit sinne by the ministrie of the preist to all such as doe truely repent and therefore will haue the people goe to Confession Your ministers haue taken that comfortable SacrameÌ„t of penance away altogether WheÌ„ Raphael the Angel sayth in the twelfth chapter of Tobias That he did offer vp Tobias prayer to almightie God And when in the second booke of Macchabees the fifteenth chapter Onias the priest saith of Ieremie being dead This is he that prayeth much for his people and for the holie citie these fathers say that the Angells and Sainctes doo praye for vs and that we may pray to them your ministers doe not stricke to say that these books of Tobie the Macchabces are scant good scripture Many other things lyke vnto these I could reccon but I should be to loÌ„g fearing least I should werie you these fewe are sufficient to geue you to taste of such marks as may shew you the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH These and many other great reasons doe keepe all good christians within the Church These thinges make so many catholiks partly to haue suffred death partly to haue died in prison partly to continew in prison so many yeares partly to forsake their pleasant countrie their dere frends and to liue to their conscience among strangers being thought of many worldly men to be very fooles for so doing but they know right wel that the wisdome of this worlde is foolishnes before God Mat. 10 And Christ sayth He that loueth father and mother sister and brother better then me is not vvorthie of me Sisters geue me leaue to tell you some-what of my selfe not for anye bragge but the more to moue you and to geue God all the praise for his great goodnes towardes me It pleased my parentes to bring me vp in learning as you know as I was not the best so I was at al times not compted the worst among my felowes and companions some small estimation I had in Oxforde aboue my desert more afterwards wheÌ„ it pleased the Duke to make me though vnworthy Tutor to the Erle his sonne as long as his grace did prosper I liued in his howse to my conscience without
make your grownd but your singuler fancie as in these so in all the rest which you seeme to beleeue Farre from the obedience which the Apostle teacheth Captiuatinge their vnderstanding to the obedience of fayth 2. Cor. 10.3 And very wide from S. Austens moste learned and humble opinion Contrâ—cy fundaâ—a 5. Non crederem Euangelio nisi authoritas Ecclesiae me moueret I vvoulde not beleeue the Ghospell except the authoritie of the Church did moue me He that sayed so would he not also vpon occasion offered boldly and confidently haue sayd I beleeue their is Purgatorye that their are Pardons in the Church that we may pray to Sainctes because the Church doth teach me to beleeue so And if you aske him what church he wold send you to his long treatises against the Donatists shew you as in a glasse a very liuely discription of this present CATHOLIKE ROMANE GHVRCH No dout the authority of the Church is ether so necessary or so sufficient a foundation to builde vpon that without the warrantise of it a man beleeueth nothing because he beleeueth his owne braynes and with it a man may and ought euen agaynst humane reason beleeue any thing because it is the Oracle of the holye Ghost And in good sooth it is a small reason to credite one article and discredite an other both defined by the Church As to saye this is golde and this is copper both being tryed golde by the touâ—ch stone As much to say in playne wordes this I will and this I will not Prospeâ— pru P. 2.0.27 Siâ—yolo siâ—iubeo stet proratione voluntas Vnnaturall children and therfore in deede no true children that deuideth their mother the Church lyking this misliking that which is properly deuidere sententiam Euen as Salomom iudged moste truly her to be the false mother that requyred moste impudently Be it neither to me nor to thee but let it be deuyded 3. Reg. 3.26 In. Ps 88. conc 2. Quid prodest si Dominum confiteris Deum honoras if sum predicas Filium eius agnoscis sedentem ad dexteram patris confiteris blasphemas ecclesiam eius VVhat doth it profit thee sayeth S. Austen if thou confesse our Lord if thou honour God if thou prayse him if thoudost acknovvledge his sonne and confesse him to sit at the right hand of the Father and yet doest blaspheme his Church And after he had recyted all the heresies before and in his tyme he sayeth Omnis christianus catholicus ist a non debet credere Ad Quodul in sine sed non omnis qui ista non credit consequenter debet se christianum catholicum iam putare vel dicere Possune enim haereses aliae quae in hoc opere nostro commemoratae non sunt vel esse vel fieri quarum aliquam quisquis â—enuerit Christianus Catholicus non erit Euery christian catholike ought not to beleeue these thinges but it follovveth not that euery one that belecueth not these thinges ought to thinke and accompt him selfe to be a christian catholike for their may be many other heresies vvhich are not reconned vp in this booke any one of the vvhich vvhosoeuer holdeth is not a christian catholike And therfore Athan â—si is in Symbolo sayeth VVhich Catholicke fayth except euery one doe keepe vvholy and inuiolable vvithout doubte he shall perish euerl estingly Thus much I haue sayed by the way rather to you then of you because I haue knowne certen learned and wyse men of that mislyking and distinguishing humor But to you I will talke as to one that is in conscience a full Catholicke and for outwarde behauiour may be esteemed contrary S. Austen exhorteth vs Vbi supra Amemus Dominum Deum nostrum Amemus Ecclsiam eius illum siout Patrem istam siâ—ut Matrem Matrimonium hoc magna cum charitate compaginatur Nemo offendit vnum promereâ—ur alterum Nemo dicat ad Idola quidem vado sed tamen Dei ecclesiam non relinquo Catholicus sum tenens Matrem offendis Patrem c. Let vs loue our lord God let vs loue his Church Him as our Father her as our Mother This matrimonye is knitte together vvith greate charitie No man offendeth the one and deserueth thankes of the other Let no man say I goe to the Idols and yet for all that I doe not forsake Gods Church I am a Catholicke houlding thy Mother in harte and offendinge thy Father in facte openly c. I neede not tell you that to communicate with Idolaters and with hereticks is all one Passim in prophetaâ— Quia omnis heresis Idolum est sectatorum eius Because all heresie as S. Hierome sayeth is the Idoll of her follovvers And therefore S. Austen declaring the danger of the one to be more then the other sayth Vpon the. 54. Psal Ab illis qui longe sunt facilis cautio est non me tamcito fallit qui dicit veni Idolum adorare multum a me longe est Christianus es Christianus inquit expropinquo aduersatur prope est redime in pace animam meam ab iis qui appropinquant mihi VVe may easily bevvare of those that be afarre of for he doth not so soone deceaue me vvhich sayth Come adore the Idoll he is very farre from me Art thou a christian I am a christian sayeth he he is neere to me he is against me euen at hand redeeme thy soule in peace from those vvhich are neere vnto thee S. Ambrose Fraterno nomine non fraterné ecclesiam persequntur â—e Incar Ca. 2. siquidem sub optione nominis Christiani quadam nuncupatiua fidei germanitate paricidalibus gladiis nos cupiunt vulnerare They persecute the Church vnder the name of a brother but not brotherly truly they desire to vvounde vs vvith their murthering svvord vnder the chosen name of a Christian and a certen fayned brotherhood of fayth Now if the pretensed name of a Christian doth so easely procure credite to false doctrine What doth the name of a Catholicke to perswade erronious opinions which I beseeche you consider deepely For a Catholicke you are esteemed and learned and wyse Many good meaning men that gladly would doe well depende vpon you harken what you say looke what you doe and because they are determined to folow you by your doing ill and saying worse you doe pitifully infecte many hartes either with error or dissimulation and wounde their soules to euerlasting death and that because they compte you a Catholicke and therefore are perswaded that you will not teach them amisse Lyke as the Iewes conceyued of one Alâ—mius the hygh Priest saying 1. Mac. 2. The man being a Priest of Arons stocke and comming vnto vs after this sorte vndoubtebly will not deceaue vs. But you can well remember howe by that name and tytle he abused them Surely if Heresie should choose persons for her commendation there could be no greater pollicy theÌ„ to hire
A TREATYSE OF CHRIâ—â—â—AN PEREGRINATION Wâ—â—â—ten by M. Gregory Martin Licentiate â— and late reader of diuinitie in the Englishe Coleadge at Remes VVhereunto is adioined certen Epistles vvritten by him to sundrye his frendes the copies vvhereof vvere since his decease founde amonge his vvrytinges Novv especially puplished for the banifite of those that either erre in religion of simplicitie or folovv the vvorlde of fraylâ—iâ— ANNO DOMINI 1583. The contentes of this booke A briefe preface 2. A treatise of Pilgrimage and Relicks 3. A letter sente to M. N. a maried priest 4. A letter sent to his Sisters maried to protestants and them selues trained vpp in heresie where he sheweth and proueth the Catholicke Church to be the true Church 5. A letter sent to M. D. Whyte then warden of newe colleadge in Oxford touching his folowâ—ng the worlde and dissâ—mbling in religioÌ„ agaynst his conscience and knowledge The Printers Preface vnto the Christian Reader THE aunciente Authour of heresie by innumerable meanes enduceth his instruments the professed enimies of Catholicke truth â—eruersly to opugne by flat denyall impudentâ—â— to vvrest by absurde cauills or Ievvishly 〈◊〉 reiecte vvith blasphemous tauntes those â—inges vvhich either they liste not to beleeue 〈◊〉 desire not to learne In all vvhich though â—eir facilitie vvere euer nâ—torious yet their â—â—pudencie vvas neuer more manifest then in â—â—is age But seeing truth is eterall heresie â—ariable and incredulitie atbisme The memâ—rs of Christ his Catholicke Church on the oâ—er side being guided by the holy Ghost haue â—e seased sufficiently to circumuent and disâ—uer the finall driftes of those deluders in maâ—y most excellent and learned discourses lateâ—â— vvritten amonge the vvhich this briefe â—reatyse of Christian Peregrynation â—â—me vnto my handes the vvhich by lycense of my Superiours I haue here published and annexed there-unto certayne Epistles of the same Authors a man of rare vertue and excellent learning Leauing thee good Christian Reader vvith attention to consider thereof trusting the same vvill sufficiently geue testimonie vnto thee that there is no parte or poyâ—â— of the Catholicke Fayth vnable inuincibly to be defended Further assuring thee that vvhatsoeuer incredulous hereticke gayn-sayeth the same he not onely resisteth here in earth the Church millitant and the members therof but violently stryueth agaynst the Prophetes Apostles Fathers Doctours and blessed Sayntes in heauen vvhose very vvords and vvrytings here alleadged he vvickedly oppugneth the vvhich action of his and comparison of him vvith those may be a sufficiente motiue to confirme thy fayth Vale. R. V. A SHORTE DISCOVRSE OF Pilgrimage and Relycks PILGRYMAGE coÌ„minge of the latyne worde perigrinatio is nothinge ells in this presente case which now I mene to write of The name of pilgrimage pilgrime but going of deâ—â—tion to visite some holy monument â—f Christ or his Saints as to Hierusalem 〈◊〉 Rome to Compostella To the which â—aces because there hath bene alwaies â—eat resort of strangers in latin pereâ—ini out of all Christian countries â—erof is it that we say Pilgrimes of Hieâ—salem of Rome of Compostella that is â—raungers and religious trauelers to â—ose places For example wheras the â—ree wyse and honorable persons naâ—ed Magi came from the Easte to worâ—ip Christ in Bethlehem Mat. 2. we may very â—uely say of them that they came in Pilgrimage to Christ WheÌ„ the Chaâ—berlayne to the Queene of Aethioprâ— whom Philippe baptised went out of hiâ— countrye to worship God in the temple at Hierusalem he wente also in Pilgrimage S. Paule him selfe goinge to Hierusalem of purpose to see Peter and as Theophylactus noteth not to see him onely In. 1. Galat. but vvith all to honour him as his beâ—ter euen as vve goe to holy vertuous men made a certeyne Pilgrimage The difference is here was Pilgrimage to the persons them selues as to Christ and to Peter we hauing now their monumeÌ„ts onely and of other Saints make Pilgrimage vnto them Ho. 5. ad po Antioch And accordinge to this sense S. Chrisostome in one of his SermoÌ„s most properly speaketh thus If I vvere voyde of Ecclesiasticall cares and had a strong body I vvould not refuse to make soe longe a iourney as from Antioch to Rome to see the cheynes at the least and the prison vvhere Paule vvas bound In the latin we read it thus peregrinationem tantam facere non recusarem I woulde not â—cke to make so longe a Pilgrimage â—nd this much for the names of Pilâ—ime and Pilgrimage which heretiks â—ue made sore bugges-wordes as â—ough a man would saye Idolatour â—d Idolattie Which termes to the ende thou â—yest vnderstand Christian Reader â—w falsely and foolishly they are obâ—cted to vs The principal cause of pilgrimage Gods honor Marke in all that I shall 〈◊〉 hereafter the feruent deuotion of â—grymes and the princypall cause â—reof to wit the glory of God and 〈◊〉 honour of his Sonne Iesus Christ â—ich are the very grounds of Cathoâ—ke Pilgrimage Ho. 5. ad Po. Antioch Deuotion or affectiâ—â— as when the forsayed holy Doctor â—â—ulpet vehemently brake out into â—se words Vellem nunc in illis locis verâ—â— c. I vvould vvish novv to be for a â—e in the places vvhere these chayne 's reâ—yne and see the fetters vvhich diuels feare 〈◊〉 Angels reuerence The cause of this 〈◊〉 affection because they were Paules â—ynes his cheynes that was Vas electionis God chefely is honored when sayntes or their reliks are honoted Gods chosen vessell his cheynâ—â— that caried the name of Christ before Kinges and countryes that turned a great parte of the worlde to the fayth that wrote so many excellent Epistles for our edifying that for Christ suffered infinit miseries finally his cheynes that vnder Nero shed his bloud for the Ghospell These considerations and the lyke made this learned Father so in loue with the Apostle that he could not conteyne him selfe but woulde needes signifie how he honored the very fetters cordes and linckes wherwith this Champion was tyed for the name of Christ This religious zeale towardes Christ and his Saynts caused him in an other place to saye in this heauenly maner I remember thee Peter and am amased I thinke vpon thee Paule and being in maner past my selfe can not refrayne vveeping for vvhat I may say or vvhat I may speake beholding your afflictions I knovv not Hovv many prisons haue you sanctified Hovv many cheynes haue you 〈◊〉 eautified Hovv many tormentes haue you â—â—usteyned You haue folovved Christ in all â—hings VVell mayest thou reioyse Peter that â—adst the gift to suffer vpon the Crosse as Christ â—â—id Blessed are the nayles that persed those â—oly limmes of thyne Thou also O blessed â—aule haste greate cause to be glad vvhose â—ead vvas cut of vvith the svvord VVhat a â—recious svvord is that vvhich perced thy saâ—red throte the instrument of our Lord vvhich â—eauen doth admire and the earth doth reueâ—ence That svvord I vvish to be my garland â—nd thoso nayles of
Pharisees did their ten commaundementes in the brode hemme of their garments and therfore are checked of our Sauiour It would requyre a iuste volume to reckon the enormities crepte in among religious tytes and customes in all ages since the ascensioÌ„ of Christ and as the number of Christians multiplyed so as it happeneth in a multitude the more abuses whereof the aunciente Fathers make often mention and lament it Ad. Rustmona As when S. Hierome sayeth Vidimus nuper planximus we hane seene of late and it greeued vs not a litle And agyne piget dicere Ad Eustochium I am loth to tell how many virgins dayly fall from their porpose and profession And agayne Ad Sauinâ— Diacoâ—um prorumpunt lacrimae antequam verba O villanie I can more easelye weepe in this case then speake Of all the which things as also the vnprofitable ceremonyes and superfluous deuotion which are the priuate fansies of vnskilfull persons not the publicke ordinances and decrees of the Church the first Councel of Nice and after it S. Ep. 11â— Austen geueth this generall rule which at all tyme taketh place and is our warrantyse what so euer is agaynst fayth or good lyfe that the Church of God nec approbat nec tacet nec facit doth neither allow nor dissemble nor put in practyse And this much mighte well be answered if happely there be any sinfull abuses at this day First that we can not be happyer theÌ„ the Primatiue Church which in all points had the like as I wil shew if it be needefull Secondly all good Catholicks that see any such faultes much more lamente them then the hereticke doth blame them the more it greeueth them that by such offences the truth is ill spoken of among our enimies and suspected of them that are indifferent to both Thirdly the words of our Sauiour must needs be fulfilled Necesse est vt veniant scandala Offences must necessarely come there is no remedy such is the sinfull frayletie of mans nature Psal 118. But Pax multa diligentions eum non est illis scandalum They are at greate peace which loue him and nothing can offende them or make them to fall from the truth Loue Christ and his Catholicke Church as thou shouldest doe and no abuse be it neuer so greate shall be able to moue thee one iotte from the pure profession of all laudable customes Howbeit to say truly Of supersti 〈…〉 so called I thinke heresie hath partly so extinguished and partly so cooled the feruent deuotion of ryght good earnest Catholicks that if there be any religious zeale lefte in some few more then in others which therefore seemeth superstition because it is rare and singuler the same is so farre from heynous crime or greeuous fault Adue vigil that I may compare it rather with their deuotion which in S. Hieroms time lyghted tapers at the Ghospell tyme and burned wax candels before Martyrs tombes of whom he geueth sentence that ech one had rewarde according as they were deuoutly disposed or with their persuasion that at the same tyme also were wont to shew Pilgrims comming to HierusaleÌ„ Comâ—in matth the pauement of the Church as yet imbrewed with Zacharias bloud as it was thought and therefore visited not without reuerence which their godly affection albeit they were possibly deceaued S. Hierome did not mislyke toward that glorious Martyr whose death was so pretious in Gods sight that it was one cause of the Iewes extreme desolation as our Sauiour himselfe witnesseth So lykewyse it maye fortune that in some Churches or Chappels there is proposed some false relike Of doubtful relikes and so honored as the relike of that saynt whose it is not which thinge if it were done rashly vpon light credit and if it might easely be discerned were a faulte in no wyse to be suffered but be cause it hath from tyme to tyme bene esteemed so nothing knowen to the contrary not disalowed of the Bishop whose diligence in examining such thinges is to be wished and in Fisher Bishoppe and Martyr of Rochester is greatly commended and especially because the honor resteth not in the Relike but is wholy referred to that saynt whose Relike it is esteemed For these causes I say their is no more feare of superstition or Idolatry in this case Mare 10. then if Bartimens the blinde man in the Ghospell had sayed to anye other man in steede of Christ Misertre mei fili Dauid Sonne of Dauid haue mercye vppon me as he might quickly haue done being blind if they had mocked him and shewed an other for Christ Or if a Catholicke should adore that hoste which a preist at the tyme of eleuation lifteth vp not consecrated or worshippe one of the theeues crosses for the Crosse of our redemption if one sodenly were changed for the other In all these cases and the lyke ignorance doth excuse being neither rashe nor wilfull and sincere meaning hath rewarde before him that knoweth the harte of the worshipper that he honoreth vndoutedly the priÌ„cipall it selfe in heauen howsoeuer he be deceaued agaynst his will in mistaking some earthly monumente or remembrance therof For example thou meanest to honour the Kings Lieutenant as if he were the King him selfe among a number thou doest not know him it is tould thee sadly that it is he that weareth the gay cote perhaps he is of his meanest gentlemen yet no doubt thou hast done thy dutifull obeisance to thy Lorde and Prince howsoeuer thou be deceaued in this person or that which is sayed to represent him How be it in sacred thinges more heede is to be taken and greater discretion to be vsed Psal 89. Honor Regis iudicium diligit In honoring the Kinge of Kings and his seruants there is much iudgement required Psal 46. We are commauÌ„ded to sing to our Lord but sapienter wysely 150. and in an other psalme in cimbalis bene sonantibus vpon well sounding cymbals They sound well when euery string is in tune without discorde neither to high nor to lowe but in a golden meane which all good Catholicks in all poyntes of religion most hartely wish and pray for Tit. 2. vt is qui ex aduerso est vereatur nihil habens malum dicere de nobis That the aduersary may be afrayed to open his mouth agaynst vs when he is able to say no euill of vs. Thus I haue breifly touched certen poynts concerning Relikes and pilgrimage the name the cause the grouÌ„d the fruite the myracles the vse and abuse which may be an interim to thee Christian Reder agaynst the odious termes of Idolatrye and superstition deuysed by heretikes as buggishe baubles to feare babyes A full discourse of this matter I reserue as not necessarie if after these fewe the aduersarie be quyet if not then I meane God willing to opeÌ„ the whole paÌ„cke And to shew such a glorious sight of vniuersall practise and
his Apostles neuer to fayle but to appeere and be seene still as a citrye vpon a hill or a light in the world Mat. 28. For Christ said I vvill be vvith you vnto the ende of the vvorld And againe I vvill sende you an other Comforter the spirite of truth vvho shall remaine vvith you for euer And vnto Peter Vpon this rocke vvill I build my Church Mat. 16. and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it That is to say the deuill and all his ministers shall neuer so preuayle against this church but that it shall still appeere and professe one and the same fayth So that there shall be no time wherin this fayth and this church is not Now marke good Sisters I pray you hartely whether your Englishe church and your Englishe religion hath bene alwayes in the worlde since Christ his time I will speake vnto you as before God and as I shall answeare before him at the later day and therefore I requeste you to marke well my wordes and to consider of them A whole thowsande and fiue hundred yeres after Christ your English religion was not heard of in any parte of the world but I tolde you before that the true church must continewe for euer appeare alwaies vnlesse you thinke Christ is false of his promise When began your religion then Forsooth about fiftie veres agone by one Marten Luther in Germanie a frier who aswell for other vngodly respects as also because he would needes marie and breake his vow which he had made of chastitie began to preach against the POPE and against the CATHOLIQVE CHVRCH and because he taught great libertie as that Princes ought not to reuerence the POPE that all Preestes might mary that no man neede to fast and such like he found many disciples in Germanye and hath vnto this day carnall and fleshly men that loue their owne pleasure more then the will of God and his holy church But will you know what manner of man this was Forsooth being examined by learned men concerning his doctrine he was so prest and so angred with the force of truth that he sayd in a great rage This quarrell vvas neuer begon for Gods sake neither for his sake shall it be ended Will you know further that he wrote against the POPE for malice and not for conscience himselfe in his letter to Argentmenses fayeth I neither can deny neither vvill I that if Carolstadius or any other man could fiue yeares agone haue persvvaded me that in the Sacrament is nothing but bread and vvine he might haue deserued of me great thankes for I labored in that matter very carefully knovving righte vvell that by that meanes I might much haue hindred the Popes authoritie Marke that this man would gladly haue fouÌ„d some-what agaynst the BLESSED SACRAMENT but a long time he could not till at length the deuill had taught him to wryte agaynst the Masse De missa angulari as him selfe witnesseth in his bookes where he telleth what talke he and the deuill had together Much more could I tell you of this man but of this little you may iudge whether you may aduenture to build your faith vpoÌ„ this man who lyued within these fiftye yeares and to forsake the auncient fayth of all Christendome continewed from Christ vntill this day for it is moste certen that from this man came your new religion into England but not immediatly at the first when he began to preach for Kinge Henrye the eÌ„ight wrote a learned booke very earnestly against him The Quenes M. father wrote a learned booke a gaiust Luther for the pope Afterward he forsooke him not vpon religion or conscience but vpon displeasure which is common to be seene but long after partly when the King began to take displeasure against the POPE because he might not be maried and vnmaried as he list Partly and especially when King Edvvard being in the beginning of his raigne but a very child was oueruled by wicked couÌ„sellers to maintayne such a religion as might best agree to their carnall appetite This was the beginning of your religion the beginning I say for as for King Heury he wente nothing so farre as they are now come but whereas for his pleasure he had put awaye the Popes authority and for his profit had plucked downe Abbaies he let all other poyntes in manâ—r remayne as before and of this also repâ—nted before he died as it is knowen if not wo be vnto him that euer he was borne for there in the next world good Sisters Kings and Queenes come to their accompts as well as you and we poore folkes I could here tell you of many learned and vertuous men that were then put to death because they would not yeeld to the King in his vnlawfull doings knowing right well that it was all contrary to the lawe of God Amongst whom were these two The Bishop of Rochester the most vertuous and best learned of all the Clergie as appeareth by his books And Sir Thomas Moore Lorde Chauncel or of England a lay man who for his vertue wisdome and learning passed all temporal men that euer were in that Realme as appeareth by his learned workes written in the Englishe tongue but now not suffered to be redd because they teach the CATHOLIQVE FAYTH Some man will tel you that they were behedded for treason but beleeue him not vnlesse it be treason to obay God rather then Princes surely other treason they committed none One Marke more I will shew you to discerne the true Church The thirâ—e marke is â—nitie that in few wordes but so playne that your selfe will confesse it To know the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH this is a certayne and an vnfallible marke if it be in vnitie and concorde if it haue an agreement and consent of hartes and opinions that is to saye if it haue but one fayth and one religion Act. 4. For of the true Church it is sayd The vvhole multitude of beleeuers had one hart and one mynd Ephe. 4. And S. Paule sayth One God one fayth one baptisme And againe 1. Cor. 14. God is not a God of dissention but of peace and vnitye Looke now consider the state of your Protestants in England onely are they all of one religion Haue you not among them some Lytherans some Caluinists some Puritanes all agreeing against the POPE and ech disagreeing one from the other Do not your Lutherâ—Ì„s preach yea before the Queene not with-out great thankes for their labour that the body of Christ is really present in the Sacrament And doe not your Caeluinists preach cleane contrary that there is onely breade and wine And as for your Puritanes doe not they preach and wryte so farre contrary from the other two that they are now forbidden to preach and cast into prison and put from all liuings Yea the communion booke it selfe doth it not nowe saye cleane contrary to that which it sayed in
trouble when he was in the Tower other men ruled his howse I was willed to receaue the Communion or to depart if I would haue yeelded I had verye large offers which I neede not tell It pleased God to staye me so with his grace that I chose rather to forsake all then to doe agaynst my beleefe against my knowledge agaynst my conscience agaynst the law of almightie God For a time I lay secretly in England afterwards I came beyond the seas into these catholicke countries out of schisme and heresie for the which I do thāke almighty God much more then for all the estimation that I had or mighte haue had in Englande Whatsoeuer my estate is here I doe more esteeme it then all the riches of England as it now standeth And were I so mad thinke you to forsake all preferment all liuinges all estimation to liue from my good Mother from you my louinge Sisters and your husbandes from other my deere frendes and companions out of mine owne most pleasant countrie would I doe this thinke you but that my learning my conscience telleth me that to solow your religion is present danger of body and soule and to be in the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH is the onely way to saluation Fye vpon all worldy ryches when the soule is in danger nothing is so precious as the soule first seeke for the kingdome of heauen for other things as it pleaseth God O that I might vnderstand once that you were of my mind and of the catholike religion O my harte would leape for ioy to consider that althoughe we can not lyue together vpon earth yet we may hereafter meete in heauen which is vnpossible as long as we disagree in fayth S. Paule sayeth There is one God one fayth one baptisme S. Austen sayeth speaking of one Emeritus He can not be saued but in the Catholicke Church Doe you thinke it sufficient to beleeue in the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Vpō the 88 psalme Harken what S. Austē sayth VVhat doth it profit thee if thou consesse the Lord If thou bonour God If thou preach and praise him If thou acknovvledge his Sonne If thou confesse that he sitteth at the right hand of his father VVhat dooth this profit thee if thou blaspheme his Churche S. Athanasius in his creede saith VVhosoeuer vvil be saued it is necessarie that he holde the Catholicke faith vvhich faith vnlesse a man beleeue in all points and euery article vvithout doubt sayth he he shall perish euerlastingly One poynte is good Sisters that Christ gaue vs at his laste supper his owne blessed bodye and bloude to feede vpon in the remembrance of his bitter death he that saith it is not so doth he beleeue in Christ Doth he not in effecte say that Christ was not able to doe it and by that reason that he was not omnipotent For when the three Euangelists reporte it so playnly Mat. 26. Mat. 14. Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 11. S. Paule after them Take eate THIS IS MY BODY that shall be delyuered for you THIS IS MY BLOVD that shall be shed for you What maketh a man to doubt but that it is so in deede O you will say I see nothing but bread and wine If you should see his body no god a mercy if you did beleeue it But Christ sayed to Thomas Thou Thomas doest beleeue because thou hast seene 10.20 but happy are they that beleeue vvhen they see not Mat. 2. I pray you when the three wise men came from the East to worship Christ what did they see in him Forsooth a yong infant not able to helpe himselfe suckinge his mother a poore carpenters wyfe and that in an oxe stawle yet they fell downe and worshipped him as a God Is it not as easie to beleeue the body of Christ is vnder the forme of bread as that almightie God himselfe was then vnder the shape of a seely weake infante O good Sisters vnlesse you beleeue you shall neuer vnderstande beleeue once Ghrist his wordes and that he is Almightie and that he is able to doe what soeuer he sayeth and you will thinke that all is easye returne to the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH and be content to learne that which you know not of them that wil not for all the world deceaue you and you shal fynde exceeding comfort When Christ shall say at the later day as it were in this maner Was it not of my great kyndnes that I lefte vnto you mine owne body and bloud And was it not of my exceedinge goodnes and wisdome to leaue it not in the forme of flesh and bloud least your nature should abhorre it but of bread wyne which can be lothsome to no man and you make me this gaye recompence saying that it was nothing but bread wyne because you could tast nothing els in your mouth and because your new preachers tould you so whom I sente not Were not you christened in an other fayth Did not my church vvhich is my spouse and the piller of truth Apoc. 21 1. Timo. 3. alwayes teach otherwayes What haue you to saye for your selfe but that you haue most vukindly abused that BLESSED SACRAMENT and heauenly misterie and make me a lyer and deny my omnipotencie and therefore deserue eternall damnation with all such as haue deceaued you When Christ shall say this will it not be a heauye case When Cyprian Ambrose Chrisostome Austen Ierom Gregorie Bernard all the olde Fathers now Saints in heauen shall come and beare witnesse against you and say that they taught otherwise When your Bishops that are now partly deade and partly in prison for the defendinge of this cause shal condemne you because you did not folowe their good example When your owne doctors teachers shall not be able to answere for themselues will it not be a pitifull case But I hope better of you good Sisters I can not mistruste your good natures but that you will be glad to learne the truth which almighay God graunt vnto you for his deere Sonnes sake who died for vs and that I may heare some comfortable newes from you Doe but signifie vnto me that you are content if any thing be amisse to be better instructed Proue me what I can say for any thinge that trowbleth your consciences It shall be farre better newes vnto me to receaue two lines from you to such a purpose then to vnderstād that your husbands were made Lords and you Ladies He is rich that is in the Catholike Church and he is honorable that is in the fauour of God Sisters if I might doe you good to God-warde I would not sticke to aduenture this body of myne to saue your soules to come and talke with you my bodye is not more precious vnto me then your soules How you are disposed what you would haue me to doe for your sakes let me vnderstand by the next Deale wisely I pray you warily both for