brethren the Catholikes of Englād that it is not dissimulation hiding or couering our consciēces by othes going to the Churches seruices and preachings of Protestants nor halting on both sides coldnesse and carelesnesse nor yelding to the present svvay of pretended lavves to saue our liues and liuings til time serue our turne that can deliuer our soules or euer recouer the Realme to the vnity of Gods Church againe There is nothing in the vvorld but zeale of Gods house and ardent loue of our Lord and of the soules bought vvith his bloud that can vvinne vs this field Vvhich excellent grace of most high charitie proceeding from Christ that giueth you not onely to beleue in him but to suffer for him is the happiest lotte that you could haue in this life brethren most deere a benediction of God not to your selues onely among so many thousands ful good men that attaine not to so high dignitie of Confession and Martyrdom but to al your Countrie name frendes and familie being blessed and protected by your trauailes in Christ for euermore a thing sought for of many ful perfect men and saincts but not obtained so extraordinarie is your gratious happe herein You knovv the superaboundant revvard the glorious crovvne the eminent state the ineffable felicity of such as confesse Christ before men and vvash their garments in the bloud of the lambe You knovv the revvard so incomparable succedeth immediatly al the paines but a moment betvvixt mans momentanie punishment and Gods euerlasting payement betvvixt the temporal ignominie and eternal glorie You knovv vvithin an houre aftervvard euerlastingly the poorest Confessor of Christ is not onely more glorious vvith the Angels and Saincts in heauen but also often as vve see both in the old and late Martyrs of more renovvmed memorie amōg men then their persecutors You knovv once before the throne of Christ in the theatre of heauen and earth these rufflers of the vvorld shal say vvith many sighes and grones These lo are they of whom we made a mocke coumpting their life madnes and their death inglorious and now wo be to vs they are reckened among the Children of God and their lotte among the Saincts You knovv the force of Martyrdom is such as S. Cyprian also telleth vs that vvithout al chastisement paine or purgation in the next life vvhich S. Augustine saith is greater then any torment in this vvorld it deliuereth the soul from all vvordly infirmity remaines reliques impurity and debt of former offenses and yeldeth it immediatly vnto ioy vnspeakable No vertue no act nor office of this life so meritorious to the sufferer so acceptable to the revvarder nor that so speedily amply and securely procureth eternal glorie To be felovves of Christes crovvne and glorie to be pronounced blessed by his ovvne mouth to be of that designed number of elect persons for the accomplishment of vvhom the iudgement and resurrection so desired of Saincts is differred to contribute any drop of bloud or iote of affliction to the making vp of the full measure of Christs passions for his body vvhich is the Church far excedeth al humane dignitie and felicitie For this revvard then so passing for a cause so good and glorious for a Maister so louing merciful and mighty vvhat earthly miserie should vve refuse to suffer Let vs consider that men for their Prince freend Countrie and home put their liues in extreme peril they refuse no aduenture be it neuer so desperate they put them selues before the mouth of the canon they enter into any breach they sustaine al the plagues famines feares calamities that nature may endure and they do vvell for it is their duety and the dignity of mans condition not to yeld to these transitorie afflictions in the seruices of the Commonvvealth or other honorable quarels See I pray you the daily distresses and hazards of life lands and goods in ill causes all vvhich be vsual among so many desperat cutters and companions ready for a rush to kill and be killed euery moment that for satisfying of their inordinate lust to vvine vvemen dice gorgious apparel or desire of reuenge contemne al dangers giues and gallovves Remember hovv many of the Nobilitie and others in al Nations haue aduentured their persons frendes and posteritie to aduance some particular faction against their ovvne Countries neuer atchieued vvithout infinite bloudshed and calamitie In al these quarels be they iust or vniust so many of al degrees to be ready to suffer al the extremities of death and ignominie euery man for his Prince many for frendes thousands for mere fantasies and falsehod and shal none suffer for our Sauiour for the Church our mother for our brethrens saluatiō shal vve thinke it strange to haue three or foure hundred ready to die for Gods cause to suffer for the best and most honorable quarel of al other that man can haue in this life that Christ should haue some souldiars of al orders that can be content to lose lands goods and life for his sake in this spiritual fight of patience and toleration vvhen the vvorld hath so many One tovvne valiantly assaulted and stoutly defended loseth mo men and sustaineth more miserie in a yere then vve shal bestovv vpon Christ that died for our sakes before and vvill recompense vs incomparably aftervvard in the hotest persecution that lightly can be these xx tie yeres In vvhich case to say nothing of noble Catholike Gentlemen and other deuout people of vvhat sort or sexe so euer to vvhom God giueth euen novv the spirit of constancie by the example of S. Sebastian S. Vincent S. Maurice vvith the vvhole legion of Thebes and S. George the paterne and patrone of our English knighthod vvhose courage in suffering for Christ vvas more glorious thē their fighting for man but to say nothing of them nor of S. Catherine S. Margaret S. Agnes S. Lucie and the like mirrours for our deuout maidens and vvidovves to behold for vs that be of the Clergie this is the onely and proper kind of fight Our order and condition make vs free from the vvarres and other perilous or martial affaires often bringing death and dāger both at home and abrode Vvemen haue their continual perils and miseries by bearing and bringing vp their children Vve besides our natural deaths and aduersities cōmon to al other are subiect to no violence nor troubles but very fevv and very seldom and in such measure as God appointeth or permitteth and in such moderation that it may by his grace easily be borne If vve should for feare or covvardenesse forsake our station in Christes field hauing the example and encouragement of so many Prophets so many Apostles so many Bishops and Priests in the rase of Martyrs and of Christ him self vve vvere the vnvvorthiest Priests that euer vvere And our glorious Sauiour and his Church if they had none to commaund for their seruice and defense in this kind of combat vvere
requested and inuited thē to the same Vvhen a realme or Prince is in errour it taketh avvay al meanes of reducing them to the truth againe no subiection being acknovvledged to Councels or Tribunals abrode al other Bishops Patriarches Apostles Christ and al because they vvere and be forrainers not hauing iurisdiction or sufficient authoritie to define against English Sectaries and errours Finally if this iurisdiction spiritual be alvvaies of right a sequele of the crovvne and scepter of al Kings assuredly Christ nor none of his Apostles could othervvise enter to conuert Countries preach and exercise iurisdiction spiritual vvithout Caesars and others the kings of the Countries licence and delegation To conclude then these are the lavves of the Realme if vve may so call such violences to vvhich vve cannot conforme our selues in conscience except vve like to perish euerlastingly Vvherein though vve may seeme to haue said ynough for our defense yet vve vvil lay before al our deerest Countrie-men some breefe speaches of the principal persons of Gods Church to giue them a tast of their iudgemēt concerning such vsurpation of spiritual Soueraintie by some Emperours of old time that they may see this case to be already ruled vnto al that haue faith and the feare of God S. Athanasius the Great one vsed to such stormes as this saith of Constantius the Arian Emperour What hath he left for Antichrist for yet againe in place of Ecclesiastical cognition he hath appointed his palace the iudicial seat of such causes and made him self the cheefe iudge and arbiter of our controuersies And who seing him to make him self the ruler of Bishops and president of spiritual iudgements would not iustly deeme him to be that very abominatiō of desolation foretold by Daniel And in an other place of the same vvorke When was it euer heard of since the beginning that the Churches iudgement did depend of the Emperours authoritie or who euer accepted that for lawful iudgement The renovvmed Osius vvriteth to the same Emperour Meddle not o Emperour in causes Ecclesiastical nor do thou commaund vs in this kind but leaue such things to vs rather God hath giuen thee the Empire but to vs the Church At the same time and to the same Emperour thus saith Leontius the Martyr I maruel that thy vocation being for other things thou meddlest with these matters Thy charge is of Ciuil and Martial affaires onely and yet thou wilt needes be President of Ecclesiastical causes Sainct Hilarie also to the same Emperour vvriteth thus we besech thy Clemencie to prouide that charge be giuen to al iudges of Prouinces that hereafter they presume not nor vsurpe the hearing of Ecclesiastical causes S. Ambrose to the yonger Valentinian the Emperour thus ausvvereth Vexe not thy self so far o Emperour to thinke that thy Emperial right pertaineth to Diuine things exalt not thy self aboue thy measure For it is written Giue to Caesar that which is Caesars and to God that vvhich belongeth to God the Palace for the Emperour but the Churches are for the Priest Againe the same holy Doctor When didst thou euer heare most clement Prince that laie men haue iudged Bishops shal vve bend by flatterie so far that forgetting the right of our Priesthod vve should yeld vp to others that vvhich God hath commended to vs And recounting the vvhole course of holy Scriptures and al times past vvho can deny but that in the cause of faith in the cause of faith I say Bishops haue iudged of Emperours and not Emperours of Bishops S. Gregorie Nazianzene also vvriting to his citizens thus turneth his speach to the Emperour his Prince You also hath Christes law subiected to my Tribunal for we haue a Soueraintie and that more excellent and perfect vnles the spirit should submit it self to the flesh and the heauenly things yeld to earthly Which my libertie of speach I feare not but thou wilt allow seeing thou art an holy sheepe of my sacred fold and a pupil of the great Pastor and wel instructed by the holy Ghost from thine infancie And to this purpose S. Chrysostom most expresly giueth vvarning that spiritual gouernement and vvoman sexe are not cōpatible for thus he vvriteth Why did our Lord shead his bloud truely to redeeme those sheepe the cure of which he committed both to Peter and also to his successors And a litle after when it cometh to the gouernement of the Church and committing the charge of so many soules al womākind must needes vvholy giue place to the burden and greatnes therof and a great number of men also Thus al these highly vertuous and learned fathers vvrite thus they beleued thus they behaued them selues tovvard their Princes and yet they vvere not traitours they liued not contrarie to Gods lavves nor any iust lavves of man Vve beleue no othervvise vve teach no othervvise vve behaue our selues no othervvise vve liue against Gods and our Countries lavves no othervvise then these noble Clerkes did novv so glorious in heauen and earth And it cometh here to our cogitations as often els in our prayers to almightie God that it vvould please him to touch our Princes hart before he call her to his dreadful iudgement to admit into her graue consideration our former reasons so assuredly grounded on the Scriptures and lavv of Nature of the indecencie incongruitie impossibilitie that temporal Princes specially vvomen should rule and commaund the Church Bishops and Pastors of their ovvne soules and that in things merely concerning the soul But vvhat should vve desire that her Ma. tie may vouchsafe to heare vs poore vvormes and vvretches At least alas that she vvould not contemne the vvhole consent of al the learned Bishops and Priests of her Realme testifying this truth once in Parliament and aftervvard by their continual emprisonment and death in the same that she vvould conceiue deliberatly of so much holy bloud meekely yelded for the testimonie of this truth specially of that noble paire famous Fisher B. of Rochester the best learned of al the Clergie of that Realme for many ages and renovvmed More the greatest Clerke of al the Laity such a coople as any other Christian Nation vvould haue bought vvith millions but thought vnvvorthy to liue by the lavves of ours that she vvould vouchsafe to looke backe to al holy Bishops learned Diuines vvise Lavvyers and the faithful Princes her Highnes noble predecessors of al ages past none of them euer knovving or admitting any such title of Supremacie reigning vvithout it in al glorie securitie and felicitie No Crovvne or Kingdom euer lesse mighty sure and honorable for ioyning vvith or liuing vnder the Churches compasse and regiment but many one perishing by forsaking the same Or if domestical testimonies be in this kind suspicious yet that the sayings of these ancient fathers void of affectiō feare flattery partiality may find place in so generous a mind They also so many
Gods vvord that preeminence aboue Protestants they haue also Finally if the time of their liuing in this vvorld vvas by much more then a thousand yeres in diuers of them neerer to Christ then ours is and thereby they might very easily trace out the Apostles doctrine by the report of not many ages before them in these things novv doubted of that aduantage also they had beyond the Protestants Al these things vvith vvhat other prescriptions so euer any Catholikes haue had against Heretikes in al age vve haue against the Protestants in the most euident sort that can be So that vve may very fitly say as S. Augustine did by the like comparison onely changing the Heretikes names Hath long time so confounded heauen and earth light and darknes that Luther Caluin Zuinglius Bucer Beza do see and Hilarie Gregorie Ambrose Hierom Chrysostom and the rest are blind Therfore if either grace coÌ„mon sense diuine or humane probabilitie vvil serue our Schooles cary al vvith them against the Aduersaries if the expresse vvordes of Scriptures may preuail vve haue them a thousand times more cleere for vs then the Aduersaries haue for them if the sense must be sought for vve haue as many helps of nature of learning and of grace honour and thankes be to God as they haue to find it out the sentence is giuen for vs and against our Aduersaries in al the Tribunals of Gods Church Al Vniuersities al Colleges al Churches al Bishoprickes al Monasteries al monuments of Christianitie vvere made by and for Catholikes and for Protestants none Al the soules of our Christian fathers al the Saints in heauen al their actions vvorkes vvritings liues and deaths professe for vs. Therfore if our doctrine be erroneous there is no truth nor can be no God Christ religion nor saluation Vvhich Atheisme is the end of al these vnhappy reuolts from the vnitie of Gods people And for the particular points of our doctrine Catholike vve haue and diuers other learned in banishment haue before vs by sundrie bookes in our vulgare tonge defended them vvith al maner of learning and proofes that the Protestants them selues required and haue refuted the contrary inuincibly By vvhich combat in vvriting bookes though they vvere the chalengers and promised for the entertainemeÌ„t therof or at least vvished in shevv of vvordes al freedom and impunitie yet aftervvard they vvere driuen to forbid the entering hauing or reading of al our vvorkes Vvherevpon madde I. Pace meeting one day vvith M. Iuel called the B. of Salisburie but not secundum vsum SaruÌ„ the ProtestaÌ„ts chaÌ„pion saluted his L. courtly and said Novv my Lord ê™ he you may be at rest vvith these felovves for you are quit by ProclamatioÌ„ Neuertheles the Aduersaries haue not ceased to make shevv of ansvver to diuers of the said Catholikes vvritings but vvith such il grace in the sight of al vvise men that they haue rather furthered our cause then their ovvne For their ansvver is nothing els but a plaine running avvay like vnto some covvardly dogges that fleing from the fight yet in running avvay looke backe and barke and bay at their enimie or the game vvhich any man of iudgement may sone espie Alleage them Scriptures it is not Canonical alleage that vvhich them selues acknovvledge to be Canonical they corrupt it vvith false translation deceitful alteration fantastical glosing such as neuer came to any vvise faithful maÌ„s mind before Alleage them Doctors they deny the bookes alleage others or their bookes confessed they say they vvere in a blind age of some that they folovved the errors of the Gentility of al together that they vvere men Alleage sacred Councels they vvil not beleeue them vvithout expresse Scriptures Vvhen vve reply yea but vvhy beleeue you not these men and Saints and iudicial meanes of trial of the true sense of Scriptures seing you are but men also your selues and a litle vvorse men then they then at length they come to the spirit of God vvhich they arrogate to theÌ„ selues and deny it to Gods Church Priests and Councels to vvhom it vvas promised And being at this exigent they flee from the question of doctrine to liues and maners of Popes Prelates and Priests as though there vvere any creature liuing more profane and impure then the preacher Protestant or al vvere true vvhich the deepe hatred and malice of Heretikes feine against Gods Priests or the vulgar vices of humane frailety vvere the fruites by vvhich false teachers be tried or vve for the condemmation of the Protestants doctrine charged them onely or specially vvith the sinnes incident to mens infirmitie of euery sort and not rather vvith such crimes as be natural to Heretikes namely of this sect Vve charge them vvith rebellion against Christes Church lavves and ordinances vvith disobedieÌ„ce to their lavvful Pastors vvith contempt of holy Councels fathers and Doctors vvith falsifying corrupting denying diuers bookes and places of holy Scripture vvith contention and dissension among them selues disturbances of Kingdoms and Countries desire of liberty and nouelty inconstance and daily chaunge of their opinions presumptuous arrogance and vaunting of their knovvledge aboue al antiquity vvith singularity sacrilege apostasie incestuous mariages of vovved persons spoile of Churches profanation of al holy things preaching and teaching altogether to the disgracing of fasting vvatching virginity continencie voluntarie pouerty al good vvorkes and many other points directly tending to the corruption of good life in al states finally vvith blasphemie against Christes Sacrifice Sacraments Saincts and such like their enormities vvhich are faults properly proceding from their doctrine and therfore far vnlike to those proceding onely of humane infirmitie and mans frailety vvith vvhich they either falsly or truely charge the Clergie and specially the Popes and See Apostolike euen as the Nouatians and Donatistes did before them Vvhich offenses do so litle preiudice the truth and doctrine of the same Seat that S. Augustine auoucheth if some Iudas or traitor vvere in that office as there vvas one in the College of the Apostles that it could not be preiudicial to the doctrine of that See or the peoples obedience to the same Our heaueÌ„ly Maister saith he concerning naughty Gouernours of the Church hath made the people secure and void of care that for them the Chaire of holesom doctrine be not forsaken in which euen the euil them selues are compelled to speake good thinges For it is not their owne that they speake but Gods who in the chaire of vnitie hath put the doctrine of veritie And S. Cyprian giueth vvarning to all faithful people not to maruel nor in any vvise to trust an Heretike specially one fallen into relapse vvhen he raileth on Gods Priests With the fallen and profane saith he and such as are out of the Church out of vvhose breastes the holy Ghost is departed there can be nothing els but a wicked or peruerse mind and deceitful tonge and venemous hatred and sacrilegious lies Whom
tast it that our pouerty here is Paradise to the good folkes that haue so lōg lacked such spiritual consolation and been tied from the truth lamenting their frendes miseries at home vvith these vvordes of S. Augustine and the like O custom of sinne o cecitie of hart the cōpanion and punishment of sinne You once auerted vs from the consideration of so manifest things but you did hurt vs when we had no feeling Now you torment vs feeling in our familiars that haue not yet the sense therof them selues But giue eare and attention to your saluation most deere frendes whose wittes and capacitie we wel know and to you we promise that if you esteeme of vs your frendes as men of any conscience reason or common sense these things be much more certaine then those vvhich we there at home seemed to learne or rather by force were compelled to beleeue And againe vvith the vvordes of the same holy Doctor to Honoratus his deceiued frende If you thinke your selues sufficiētly tossed and troubled and wil haue an end of these trauailes folow the way of the Catholike discipline which descended from Christ him self by the Apostles euen vnto vs and from hence shal descend to the posteritie ⧠Of Priests and Iesuites and for what cause they be sent into England CHAP. VI. THE last and most odious informatiō giuen vp not aginst vs onely but his Holinesse is that Priests and Iesuites be by his and his delegates special direction sent into the Realme out of the Seminaries not onely to deale vvith the Subiects in matters of religion and conscience but to vvithdravv them from their obediēce and to moue them to attempt somevvhat against the state Vvherof that her Ma. tie and honorable Counsellers haue good care it is most laudable and agreable to their lottes and high callings but to haue feare and doubt that such holy peaceable and svveete endeuours of most orderly and humble persons should tend further then to the good of the peoples soules that cometh of the Aduersaries vntrue suggestion against vvhich our simple sincere and true declaration grounded on most certaine knovvledge of the vvriter hereof and vpon authētical recordes vvhich he hath in his hand to shevv vvhen neede shal require for full iustification of his ovvne and his brethrens actions and attempts herein shal vve trust preuail vvith al men of equitie and indifferencie Therfore vve protest that neither the R. Fathers of the Societie of the holy name of Iesus vvhom the people call Iesuites an expresse clause being in the instructions of their mission into England that they deale not in matters of state vvhich is to be shevved signed vvith their late Generals hand of vvorthy memorie neither the Priests either of the Seminaries or others haue any commission direction instruction or insinuation from his Holinesse or any other their Superior either in Religion or of the Colleges to moue seditiō or to deale against the state or temporal gouernemēt but onely by their Priesthod and the functions therof to do such dueties as be requisite for Christian mens soules vvhich consist in preaching teaching catechizing ministring the Sacraments and the like Neither doth the Pope cōferre or cōmunicate any exterior iurisdictiō to Iesuite or Priest either in the Realme or to be sent thither but onely giueth authoritie or iurisdictiō in foro conscientie in Court of consciēce to absolue the penitent people from their sinnes of vvhat sort so euer not schisme and heresie excepted Vvhich povver of absoluing from sinne can not proceede by the lavv of God or nature frō the Queene but must needes depend of the holy order of Priesthod and must be holden in Capite so to speake in this kind of him to vvhom Christ gaue the first and most absolute povver to bind and loose in al the earth vvithout exceptiō of either England or Ireland and vvithout dependance of either King or Queene in the vvorld and in vvhom he founded the Church and the Priesthod of the same and of vvhom al Prestly and Spiritual function after a sort is holden though neither our Priests sent into England haue or other alvvaies neede to haue expresse vvritings or comission special from him to execute these holy actes of their order Neither do vve suppose that any Priest sent frō either of the Colleges or frō the Societie hath any such special Bull frō his Holinesse not so much as to absolue though they may do it ād ought to do it by their order and by due authoritie taken of their Superiors and holden of the Pope as the supreme Povver spiritual in the vvorld But vvhether they execute those spiritual offices by a special Commission vvritten or vnvvritten or no this is certaine that no such Commission or any act executed by the same conteineth or implieth directly or indirectly any commaundement or condition that the parties absolued should forsake their obedience in Temporal causes to the Queene as the matter seemeth to be mistaken both in the Proclamation of Ianuarie and in the second chapter of the actes of Parliament holden the 13. yere of her Ma. ties reigne In vvhich though there be diuers pretended lavves such as neuer Christian cōmonvvealth before hath made the dangers and transgressions vvherof it is hard for any Catholike man to escape liue he neuer so orderly and obediently except he vvould to obey man forsake God yet if vnder the name Forraine iurisdiction there abolished the interiour povver of the tribunal of God and cōscience be implied also vvhich kind perchance in the Tēporal lavv is not properly termed Iurisdiction but if that be implied also it is a thing in the face of God and his Church more intolerable and most disagreable to the Scriptures made to dravv matters of mere religion and conscience to cases treasonable as they novv speake and the dueties done to God to be vnduetifulnes and disobedience to the Prince Vvhich is no nevves to Gods Church and people against vvhom al the persecutiōs that haue been raised in vvhat age so euer vvere so coloured The case of Christes ovvne death and of his Apostles as before of his Prophets and aftervvard of al his Martyrs almost vvas for pretended treasons seditions disturbances disobediēces and vnduetifulnes to the Emperours Kings and States temporal of the vvorld though in deede they committed nothing agaīst the state or right of any Price or Countrie but suffered for mere religiō vvhich is not repugnāt to any lavvful earthly Politie Therfore vvhat statutes so euer they make so to dravv our actions tending directly and onely to the aduancement of true religion in peaceable and Priestly sort vve protest before God vvho shal discerne our cause that they do vs the greatest vvrong and violence that can be and that to make such things treasons or punishable as treasons vvhich haue no affinitie in nature and condition by the lavv of God or Nations Christian or Heathen to the crime of Laesa
tempted they died in the slaughter of the sword they went about in sheepeskinnes in goats kinnes needy in distresse afflicted of whom the world was not worthie wandering in deserts in mountaines and dennes and caues of the earth And the Apostles them selues esteemed it no reproche to say Vntil this houre we do both hunger and thirst and are vagarants Hovvbeit vve doubt not though thus the enimie vvould haue it and this vve hope patiently to beare for the saluation of our deerest Countriemen but there vvil be left many thousands vvhose harts bovvels and doores shal be open to vs in our Lord notvvithstanding vvhat lavves of man so euer there vvil be alvvaies that vvil rather hazard their liues and goods vvith holy Tobie then see their innocent brethren vnharboured or vnburied Some good Sunamite vvil prepare a poore chamber bed stoole and candelsticke for the trauailed Priests of God Some vvil rather harken to our Sauiours admonition saying He that receiueth a Prophete in the name of a Prophete a iust man in the name of a iust man and as S. Marke speaketh Because he is Christes shal receiue a revvard accordingly thē to mans edictes against the receiuing of the faithful afflicted And if death be threatened by man to such as receiue and succour them our Lord on the otherside denounceth his vae and vengeance to the refusers of them in as large vvise as to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha Some good Onesiphorus vvil refresh vs and embrace our chaines to obtaine mercie of our Lord for him self his familie and posteritie after him God vvil moue the keepers of our persons in prison as he did often in the like times of old England can not lacke Albans vvhose Protomartyr being of that name that famous S. Alban blessed in heauen and earth therfore for euer suffered and offered him self to the persecutors to saue his Christian guest a Clergie man that lay secrete in his house Vve can not feare vve neede not doubt it soundeth in euery Catholikes care novv night and day Feare not them that kil the body and further are not able to do but feare ye him who after he hath killed hath power to cast both body and soul into hel fyre Thousands daily lying on their death beddes and departing in our Countrie can not be afraid of mans offense or indignation that must vvithin fevv'vveekes daies or hovvers be cited before Gods throne and be exempted from these mortal feares such vvil be glad of necessarie Sacraments and comforts of conscience for vvhich they vvould giue al the lands in the vvorld Yea the lay people of al sortes learned and vnlearned noble and meane rich and poore man and vvoman are as ready often to suffer for Christ and his Church as the Priest or Bishop euerlasting thankes and praise be to God vvho also vvil continually through the prayers of the faithful as vve verily trust indue her Ma. ties hart vvith pitie and cōpassion of her ovvne subiectes afflicted for no treasons or vnlavvful attēpts but merely for their faith and conscience vvhich cometh vnto them by so good vvarrant and authoritie that they can not put it of by no earthly feare force or persuasion Much lesse vvil any Catholike vve hope be ashamed of the rebukes and contumelies vvhich vve suffer for the same the cause being Christes vvho suffered many mo before vs. And because one special reproch giuen vs pertaineth not to our persons but to the vvhole order of Priesthod vve may be bold to adde a vvord or tvvo for our defense specially cōcerning that terme Massing Priests vvhereby the nevv pulpits the very chaires of the skorneful merily or mockingly often call vs and our brethren Vvhich name yet giuen vs also in publike vvriting of authoritie is not doubtles of skornefulnes vvhich must needes be far from the enditers of such things but as vve take it for distinction and difference betvvixt vs Catholike and in deede onely Priests and the other of the nevv creation vvhom the people for some resemblance of their actions in the ministerie to the vvonted celebration of diuine things often call Priests though the Protestants list not so to be called as in deede the Ministers can not of right haue any such calling hauing no more povver right or authoritie to minister any Sacramēt other then Baptisme vvhich in some cases vvemen also may do then they haue to make a nevv moone or an other sunne The Church of God knovveth no other Priests neither hath Christ instituted any other order of Priests but of these vvhom contemptuously they call Masse Priests It is that sort and none other to vvhich our Sauiour gaue povver to cōsecrate his body and bloud and offer the same vvhich is to say Masse The first holy Councel of Nice to vvhich our Protestants vvould seeme to attribute something knevv none but such offerers or sacrificing that is Massing Priests S. Hierom himself also of the same order honoured no other nor knevv no other but Masse-Priests vvhose special functiōs he maketh euen these tvvo vvhich our Priests namely seeke to excercise to the saluation of their brethren and vvhich tvvo be specially forbidden and most punishable by the late lavves of the Realme God forbid saith he I should speake any thing amisse of rhem who succeding into the Apostles degree with sacred mouth make our Lordes body by whom we also are Christians who hauing the keies of the kingdom of heauen iudge after a sort before the day of iudgement These lo are your Masse-Priests vvhose harbouring is so dangerous vvhose absolution is so traiterous vvhose sacred ioyntes vvithout respect of honour devv to the order or to degree of learning or gentrie are racked sometimes almost to death S. Ambrose vvas a Masse-Priest testifying of him self that he offered Sacrifice and said Masse euen in that plaine terme S. Cyprian acknovvledgeth the Priests of his time to haue offered or sacrificed yea euen in prisons in times of persecution vvhich is a great comfort and vvarrant for vs in these miseries to do the like as long as God shal suffer it He vvas a Masse priest that S. Augustine sent to do sacrifice in a house infested vvith euil spirits They vvere Masse priests that did sacrifice at the burial of his mother and the rest vvhom he desireth to remember his fathers and mothers soules at the holy alter They vvere Masse priests of vvhom Eusebius vvriteth That they pacified the diuine Maiestie with vnblouddy sacrifices ād mystical cōsecratiōs The high dignitie of Priesthod set forth in the noble vvorke of the same title by S. Chrysostom is specially there commended for those tvvo points for vvhich ours novv is condemned that is for the high supereminent povver of doing the vnblouddy sacrifice vpō the alter and for the authoritie of remitting sinnes See his notable places for the same and thou
and to the vvhole state if so iust a request so humbly asked in his name should be cōtemned it vvould please their goodnes to vvithdravv their heauy hand from the poore Catholikes and rather procure them licence of her Ma. tie to serue God after the manner of al their Christian forefathers then to afflict thē in body and mind so pitifully that so both the Seminaries might cease and their Honours might haue Gods Priests and all Catholikes pray for them rather as their patrons then as their persecutors Trusting that they and al the vvise of the Realme be persuaded that the Kingdom of God first sought is the vvay to the peace felicity and security of al vvordly vveale vvhich not onely their ovvne pietie and prudence may teach them but also the example of the Hebrues vvho for feare of endamaging their temporal state for sooke their promised Lord and Sauiour Of vvhom therfore S. Augustine vvriteth this sentence vvorthy to be emprinted in the hartes of al such as haue the rule and charge of kingdoms Temporalia perdere timuerunt vitam aeternam non cogitauerunt sic vtrunque amiserunt ⧠An admonition and comfort to the afflicted Catholikes CHAP. VII NOVV hauing sincerely set forth to the vvorld our intentions vve may turne our talke for conclusion of this Defense to you our fathers frendes and brethren in Christ being either in the fornace of Gods probation or in the burden and broile of that hote haruest of our Lord or by sure treading threshing and vvinovving laid vp for vvel tried vvheat in the barne-floore of Christes Church to you vve say Be humble vvise meeke peaceable patient and constant in all your cogitations vvordes ansvvers doings and sufferings that Christ Iesus vvhom you serue may blesse and prosper your endeuours moue her Ma. ties hart to haue compassion open her graue Counselers eies to see your innocencie alter the enimies and il informers malice and malediction vnto loue and good affection tovvardes you stirre vp the mindes of al men invvardly and in conscience to consider the cause of your afflictions and giue them such sense reason and religion that they may acknovvledge your vndeserued calamities For your life and behauiour agreable to your faith and calling and formed in all pietie discretion and modestie after the demeanour of all old Martyrs and according to the paterne of those glorious Confessors our true fathers Pastors and Maisters that haue by their sacred persons sanctified your prisons by tvvo and tvventie yeres durance shal defend your Christian intents and ours more then all the vvordes that vve can make In the meane time both you and vve vvith all our louing brethren the Catholikes must rest vpon God and the equitie of the cause so vvell knovven and approued to the vvisest in the vvorld and our ovvne vvell enformed conscience For as the cause and not the paine or persecution vvherof only Heretikes do vaunt them selues iustifieth vs so Christ and our conscience testifie that vve are not acquainted vvith any conspiracies against our Prince and Countrie nor do suffer for rebellion or treason attempted against man but for that vve vvill not conspire vvith Coré and his complices against Moyses and Aaron Peter and Paul vvhich the holy Scriptures call rebellion against God and for that vve crie vpon our deerest Countriemen that the reuolt from the Catholike Church is a greater fault by manifold then defection from any earthly king or Cōmonvvealth fyre once sent from heauen and the earth opening and svvalovving such offenders aliue dovvne to Hel for our vvarning and for Gods reuenge of so greuous a crime For this in truth and none other matter do you and vve suffer It is for the honour peace and vnitie of the Church it is for the sauing of our ovvne soules and the soules of our beloued parents and frendes it is for the defense of Christes Priesthod and souerainty in earth it is for his eternal Sacrifice and Sacraments it is for the custodie of that doctrine and truth vvhich vvas laid vp as depositum in the hands of S. Timothee and other Bishops and Priests to be preserued from al corruption and alteration coming by heresie and noueltie it is for the good garding of the holy Scriptures and the natiue sense therof set dovvne by Gods Church and al the holy Doctors from heretical adulteration and deprauation it is for our inheritance left vs by S. Gregorie and S. Augustine our first Apostles vvhich vve may not betray for a thousand deaths finally it is for al our Christian fathers faith honour and memorie to vs most deere and blessed The defense of any one article of the Catholike faith of any one point of Christian doctrine any title of our Lordes lavv any one Sacrament the sauing of any one soul being the price of better bloud then ours is cause iust and great ynough vvillingly and patiently to sustaine al mortal paines but for so many partes of our beleefe impugned for so many holies profaned for millions of soules hazarded for the saluation of our Prince othervvise so gratious our Countrie our parents and our posteritie not to suffer vvere against al duety of nature charitie and religion Such is then your cause deere Sirs as neuer Martyrs nor Confessors since Christes time had any more vvorthy more cleere or more glorious Vvhich to forsake for any feare of man or flatterie of this vvorld should be our eternal ignominie both here in this life and before God and his Angels in the next The manner of your suffering cōfession and Martyrdom for blessed be God some of our brethren haue gladly and honorably persisted euen to death and many mo are ready by his grace for the same resembleth also the old proceding in that kind vvhich hath not been commōly vsed since Kings vvere Christened For as the persecution of Priests and Bishops vvherof S. Hilarie complaineth against Cōstantius the Arian Emperour is oftentimes so couertly and craftily conueied that being in deede great and perilous yet it can not appeare to the due commendation of the sufferers or good example of the seers so both of old and of late almost in euery Countrie as by the Arians and Circuncellions in Afrike and Italie and by the Caluinistes in France Holland and Zeland Priests and Catholikes haue been persecuted more often and more cruelly tormented and massakred then vvith vs thankes be to God but yet neither so much to the merite of the sufferers before God nor to the edification and aduancement of the peoples faith and hope in him as vvith vs vvhere the matter passeth vvith deliberatiō and in forme of lavv and order Vvhen Christian Catholike men are barbarously assailed and sodenly slaine no question made of their faith or holy order no promis giuen of life or promotion if they list to deny their profession no deliberation nor time to consult nor former terrours shevved no tedious nor lingering paines of