there was no such bond for Catholikes to professe their faith in refusing the Church as after there was although I doe not denie but that it was vnlawfull euen before the Satute as being a thing euill in it owne nature to goe formally to their Seruice but now euery Catholike is bound to professe his faith in refusing to go to the protestants Seruice when it is exacted of him according to the Satute which intendeth to draw him from Catholike Religion And wee see by experience that what Catholike soeuer goeth to theyr Seruice be hee neuer so zealous in minde in Catholike Religion yet is hee of euerie man reckoned in the number of Protestantes and of all Catholickes vtterlie disclaimed And such a one is in very deed a flatte partaker of Protestantisme and is incorporated ipso facto with the members of the same vtterly excluded from the participation of the Misticall Body of Christ our Sauiour 4 You might by the same reason vrge me to receiue your Communion by which you mooue mee to go to your Seruice which I hope you will not do knowing it to be so opposite to my faith religion for I may shewe my obedience to my Princes lawes as wel in the one as in the other And I knowe vvell enough that the Communion is but a peece of bread and a suppe of wine which are things no lesse indifferent of themselues thē my presence at your seruice is And as I know that your minister vvould giue me that bread and wine insteede of a farre better thing so woulde hee buzze and sound in mine eares your seruice I am sure in liew of a far more holy thing And as I little esteeme your seruice so make I small account of your bread and wine But indeede the true cause why I will doe neither the one nor the other is because they be both a like acts of religion vsed in things which I deeme moste vntrue yet might obedience excuse thē both in your opinion 5 I should ipso facto be Excommunicated Calet 2.2 ◠12. ar 1. q. 94. ar 1. and cut off from the Catholike Church of Christ for she excommunicating generallie all heretikes comprehendeth me in the number of thē because in exteriour court or show I am an heretike by going to any other seruice then that of the saide Catholike Church shee not knowing the mind or affection iudgeth according to the outward show and so reputeth me for an absolute heretike although keeping my Faith inuiolable I be not so inwardly and in very deed By this meanes I should be vsed as an excommunicat person altogether cut off frō Gods visible church barred from holie seruice sacraments for no Catholike Priest could lawfullie admitt me to any such so long as I would cōtinue in that miserable state 6 I should be contrary to my conscience a fauourer and a furtherer of Protestantes Religion for I by my presence encreasing your number as I said before must needes somewhat augment the credit of your congregation and so make your sect to flourish the more and encourage others by mine example to help forward the same 7 I should loose that peace vvhich coupleth vs to God and maketh vs of one hart soule amongst our selues Act. 4. and which was so much sought for by the penitent lapsed Christians of the Primitiue Church Their admission or reconciling againe to the Church after theyr fall was tearmed giuing of peace Cyp. lib. 1. Epist 2. for GOD knoweth how little peace rest or quietnesse of minde a Catholike going to your seruice hath And no meruail whē as his body goeth one way his mind another yea he a member rent off from the whole bodie 8 I should be adiudged by the Catholike Church both a Schismatike and an Heretike in so doing A Schismatike because I goe to a Congregation separated frō the church of God an Heretike in that I couple my selfe to them who teach heresie for being by that deed as I said before an exterior Heretike I am consequently a schismatike because that euery heretike is withall a schismatike but euery schismatike is not an heretike for a schismatike only is hee who holding the same opinions Lib. 20 cō Faust c. 3. con Crescon and vsing the same ceremonies of worshipping God with others yet only is pleased with a seuerall congregation 9 I should in so doing make a greatlie in professiō of my faith which must needs be a great sin for a lie is as well committed in deed by dissimulation Ambr. ser de Abra. as in speech And my presence at protestants seruice telleth that I am a protestant whereas in my hart conscience I am a Catholike This kinde of lying as saith S. Augustine ought most chieflie to be auoyded for that it is made in the most noblest of all morall vertues I meane Religion 10 I should giue great scandale occasion of fall to others for that they seeing me doe against my conscience in this may thinke that I will as easlie doe any thing els which I know to be naught vpon hope of repentance and so by mine example may be mooued to doe the like for hee who knoweth or thinketh in his conscience your Seruice to be vnlawfull and yet will be present at it vvhy will hee not as easilie doe anie other thing which hee knoweth to be euill Besides others vvoulde by this myne example bee Confirmed in Schisme and Heresie thinking the seruice either to be good and godly indeed or at the least-wise that it may begone vnto without any scruple As those who saw others eate Idolothytes 1. Cor. 8. were confirmed and encouraged to doe the like 11 I should endaunger my selfe to be infected with that doctrine which I iudge to be damnable And I am told that Eccl. 13. he who loueth daunger shall perrish therein And if I will not be bitten with a Snake I must not sleep nigh an hedge neyther ought I to touch pitch least I be defiled by the same And if Dauid had not aduentured to gaze vpon Bethsabee he had not fallen into so great liking of her as to commit such horrible sinnes as you know And if no Catholicke would haue heard Luth. to haue preached whē he began this new doctrin there had beene at this day neyther Lutheran Zwinglian Protestant Puritane nor any such late sprung vp fellowes to trouble and molest the Catholicke Church Rom. 6. 12 I should disobey S. Paule his cōmaundement bidding mee auoyde an Hereticall man Tit. 3 2. Tim. 4 And farre should I be from the minde of the holy Apostle and Euangelist S. Iohn who durst not so much as stay in the bathe to vvash in the companie of Cerinthus the Heretike Euseb li. 3 cap. 22 What would the same Holie Saint haue said thinke you if hee had bin requested by his deare vvorldlie friēds to haue bin present at the praiers seruice sermōs of
wealthes And therefore if Christ be God and the Holie Bible true the religion of the Papists must needes be that religion which he ordayned and lefte to all generations and consequentlye the onelie true and right religion THE II. REASON The name of Catholikes NO man can iustlie deny but that they who euer haue holden the name of Catholikes and haue beene knowne thereby were vndoubtedlie of true religion for that they had euer on their side the Scriptures Miracles Fathers Councells and Martyrs and for that euery one which was against them was euer accounted reputed for an Heretike And the same Catholikes were euer taken as the trounke or as the bodye of the tree and all others bearing the name of Christians as braunches or boughs cutte off the same tree Nowe all the worlde knoweth that whosoeuer in any age was a member of the Romane Church vnder the obedience of the high Bishoppe thereof hee was euer taken for a Catholike and so termed although in these our daies it hath pleased the protestāts to cal such by the name of Papists which indeed is all one with the name Catholikes for that it signifieth such as followe imbrace the Doctrine of that Church which hath for her head vnder Christ the Pope And it is not amisse as Saint Chrysostome saith Hom. 33. in acta to be named of them who gouerne the Church in Christes steede so that they take not their name of any particular man as Heretikes doe But yet the Catholikes are not called Papists but only of a fewe Lutheranes in Germany and of some others their adherents in other countries neere about for in Greece Asia Affrike in the Indies as in Italy Spain Sicily and in other countries of Europe the name of Papistes is vtterly vnknowne The name therefore of Papists is no name commonly vsed but only of a fewe and neuer heard of before Luther inuented it for that hee coulde not call them after the proper name of any one man because there was neuer anye such in the Church which either brought vp anye newe Doctrine or chainged the Religion of his Predecessours whereas contrariwise heretikes haue euer taken their names of some one who began that heresie as the Nestorians of Nestorius the Pelagians of Pelagius Lutherans of Luther Caluinists of Caluin c. And although Luther tearmed them Papists yet knewe he so well in his conscience that they euer had beene and ought to be called Catholikes as that he caused his folowers to chainge their Creede in saying Brist Mo. 1 I beleeue the Christian Church and not ☜ I beleeue the Catholike Church for feare least they should bee thought to confesse that they beleeued in the Church of Rome which euer was called Catholike And it seemeth that the Protestants knowe in their owne consciences the name of heretikes to bee so proper to themselues as that in their translations of the Bible where the name Heretike occurreth they put in place of it a mā that is the author of sects assuring themselues that the Reader finding the worde Heretike or Heresie woulde presently iudge it to be meant of them As for their own name whereby they tearme themselues protestants which name they take from certaine Lutheranes in Germany who first named them selues so differing and disagreeing altogether from these Protestants in Doctrine it is newe and neuer heard of before in the world and of the same quality and condition that the name Zwinglians is of And therefore I conclude with the saying of Saint Hierome Aduers Lucif Chrysost in act hom 33. Iust in Tryph. If any where thou heare them which are sayed to be of Christ to be tearmed not of our Lord Iesus Christ but of some other as Marcionites Valentinians Hil-brethren or Fielde-breethren be thou sure that they are not the Church of Christ but the Synagogue of Anti-christ THE THIRD REASON Vnity and Consent THE Catholike Romane Religion beeing receiued by so manie Nations in Affrica Asia Europa in this last age in both the Indies hath notwithstanding such varietie of wits such diuersity of manners such multitude of tongues and languages such distance of places such numbers of matters to be beleeued yet euer kept Vnity Concord in such peaceable and consonant manner as neuer anie one in England or Ireland which are the vttermost parts of the west-world dissented or disagreed in anye point of Doctrine concerning Faith from him which liued in the vtmost parts of the East But whosoeuer they be or in what place or region soeuer they remain in al the world if they be catholikes or papists if you will call thē so they all haue one Faith one Beleefe one Seruice one number of Sacramentes one Obedience one Iudgement in all with other like pointes of Vnion and Vnitie which maketh a generall vniformitie also in the peace of mens mindes and to be briefe they haue all one heart and one soule But on the other side Act. 4. if you look into the doinges of Protestantes you shall see such discentions such diuisions such schismes such contrariety of opinions as the like was neuer among the Arrians among the Eutychians among the Donatists among the Nestorians among the Valentinians no nor yet amongest the most iarring Heretikes that euer were So as you may plainely beholde in Luther his seed the selfe-same thing that the Poets faine of Cadmus his sowing you may see the Madianytes Amalekites in one tent against the people of God Ouid. Metam lib. 3. Iudic. 7. builders of the tower Babell accusars of chaste Susanna for they are not only different and deuided from the generall body of Catholickes in Christendome with whom they were vnited heretofore but amongst them selues they haue implacable warres I would you did but see what I haue seene in these Countries as concerning the deadly hatreds contentions and discentions of Luther his ofspring as of the Muntzerans Anabaptists Adamites Steblerians Sabbataries Clancularians or Gartenbrijder Manifestarians Daemonians Commonholders Byslipers Howling Anabaptists Dauidgeorgians Memnonites Polygamistes Signifiers Figurers Valewers Pledgers Presentaries Metamorphists Iudaists Neutersacramentaries Image breakers Zelous Lutherans Soft Lutherans or Interimistes New-Arrians Trinitaries Hell-maisters Hell-tormentors Antidaemonians Amsdorfians Antadiaphoristes Antosiandrians Anti-Swenckefeldians Anti Caluinists Hand-impositors Bisacramentarians Sacerdotales Inuisibilists Scripturians Adiaphoristes Trisacramentarians Quadrisacramentarians Luthero Caluinists Semiosiandrians Maiorists Penitentiarians Noui-Pelagians Politicke-Lutheranes Swenckefeldians Osiandrians Stancarians Antistancarians New-Manichees Sternbergers and of such like all which haue sucked their errors out of the dregges of Luthers Doctrine and yet forsooth will be sound Protestantes all And what diuisions you haue there in England you may in some sort know who doe as I thinke now and then heare preachers of different doctrine What combats your Bishops Councellours moderate sort of Protestants haue to defende their Parlimentarie Religion and the QVEENES Proceedinges as they tearme it against Puritans brownists other
suchlike good fellowes that by shew of Scriptures impugne it you can not but know see vvith your eyes Neyther can it be aunswered that the Sectes heere rehearsed differ one from another onlie in matters of small moment for they differ and disagree in vveightie pointes of our Saluation as might heere easilie be declared but that it vvould not benifit this mine intended breuitie so to doe This Vnitie of CATHOLICKES and discorde of PROTESTANTES most manifestlie sheweth that as the Apostles vvere they for whome our SAVIOVR prayed to his FATHER and vvas heard of him Holie Father keepe them in thy name whome thou haste giuen mee that they may be one as wee also be one Iohn seauenteene so they of the CATHOLIKE ROMAN Religion be they for vvhome in the vvordes following hee prayed and vvas heard Not for them doe I aske onely but also for them which shall beleeue by theyr preaching in mee that all may be one as thou Father in mee and I in thee that also they in vs may be one and hereof it necessarilie followeth that they be of the true CHVRCH for that none but they obserue and keepe the Vnitie vvhich hee obtained for them of his Heauenlie FATHER Aug. l. 18. de ciuit dei C. 41. And surelie it can not proceede but from the HOLIE GHOST that all Sacred vvriters of the CATHOLIKE ROMAN CHVRCH although being men of diuers Nations Times and Languages yet haue so vvonderfullie consented and agreed amongest themselues as wee see they haue done And lastlie it is wonderfull to behold how all decrees of lawfull Councels and of Popes doe agree in all points of Doctrine one with another although they were made by diuers men in diuers places at sundrie times vpon diuers occasions against Heresies not only most different but oftentimes contrarie one to another This no doubt is the finger of God THE IIII. REASON Conuersion of Countries IT is most plaine and manifest that all Countries which euer beleeued in Christ were first conuerted to his faith by such as eyther were precisely sent or at the least-wise had their authoritie from the Pope which liued in the time in which they were conuerted This thing is so openly set downe in the Historie of the first conuersion of euery Countrie as no Protestant were he neuer so impudent can without blushing denie it True it is that Heretiks haue corrupted such as were Catholikes before but that they euer conuerted any Heathen Nation to Christianitie can neuer be shewed I know very well that Iohn Caluin to get glorie sent certaine of his Ministers into new-found landes but I neuer could heare that any of them euer cōuerted so much as one sillie woman to their Ghospell in those partes The truth is their agreement in doctrine was so great that one destroying anothers buildings they became laughing stocks to the Heathens so were glad to depart with shame But who knoweth not that the Catholikes as they haue conuerted all to Christianitie that euer were Christians so in this age they haue brought infinite numbers to the Christian faith in the East and West Indies by the meanes and labours of the most happie holy Fathers of the holy Order of S. Frauncis of S. Dominick of the blessed Society of IESVS which blessed Religious men in our owne Countrie there of England onlie in regard of theyr Sacred function are executed as Traitors And haue not these I pray you theyr authoritie from ROME I will not here speake of the infinite number of Miracles vvrought by Catholikes in the conuersion of countries namely of those which are now done in both the Indies by the Holie Fathers aforesaid for that I reserue that matter for his proper place but I vvould aduise you here diligentlie to weigh the sequele of the Assertion of the Protestants how that if Papistes be not true Christians of the right religion then doth it necessarilie follow that neither Spaniards nor Portingales nor Sardinians nor Sicilians nor Italians nor Germanes nor Trāsyluanians nor Hungarians nor Polonians nor Danes nor Flemminges nor Scots nor Irish nor English no nor any Nation vnder Heauen had euer true Religion before Fryar Luther married Nonne Bore before Iohn Caluine runne away to Geneua before Peeter Martyr vvith his Fustelugges came to teach at Oxford and before a number of such like good companions ledde only by sensualitie carnall zeale dishodded themselues and became such spectacles to the worlde as euerie man knoweth Which thing to affirme is flatlie to denie Christ all Christianity as I shewed in my first Reason And surely I am greatly cōfirmed in the Catholike Religion beholding the Heauenly maner vsed by the professors thereof in gayning soules to Almightie GOD for that I see them neyther to spare goodes nor labours no nor theyr owne liues so that they may vvinne people to Heauen GREGORYE the thirteenth Pope of that name in these our dayes spent all the renennewes of the Popedome in founding SEMINARIES COLLEDGES in diuers Landes and Prouinces thereby to restore the Catholike religion Manie Holie and Religious Priests doe goe dayly into Germany into Hungary into Greece into Palestina into Aegypt into Syria into Aethiopia into Africa into Moscouia into Ireland into Scotland into England and into other heretical heathen countries yeelding themselues to all daungers by sea and land and to all worldly miseries hauing mortified all theyr carnall affections renounced all riches honors and kindred and hauing made themselues most ready for their graue and consequently for another world moued only by the zeale of sauing soules And it mooueth mee not a little to see vvhat patience mildnesse and quietnesse these men vse in all theyr dooinges And I see also on the other side that no protestant euer had so great zeale of his Religion as that he would for spreading abroade the same forgoe any worldly commodity either by founding Seminaries or Colleges in Countries or by going or sending where any difficulty or daunger was but as one wholly respecting this worlde he walloweth in wealth pleasures at home or if by any accident he be compelled to flie into forraine Countries hee may not trauaile except his preatie parnell goe vvith him but such a one to goe simplie as they say bona fide to conuert others was yet neuer seene And if by anie occasion offered vnto such they goe about to plant theyr Ghospell anie vvhere they doe it in such a turbulent and mutinous maner and not by Epistles after Saint Paules vse but by Pistols as Beza did as euerie one may see what spirit pricketh them forward Neyther doe they take anie other course in theyr proceedinges but to destroy States and Kingdomes to displace lawfull Monarchies and Magistrates as the Low-Countries Germany and Scotland can sufficientlie witnesse and euer theyr beginning is of Pride and Enuie as Luthers vvas or by abusing them-selues in theyr former estate as Sir Iohn Caluin did or by yeelding
stand against a whole Realme and wee see no reason but that you may as well come to Church as you did once if wee be not deceaued eate vpon some occasion flesh vpon a friday a thing so opposite to your religion If you can maister your minde so as you may come home in this sort we shall be all most glad of you for if you do neyther Parents nor frends will entertaine you nor speake one worde in your cause for if they should it were but in vaine besides might bring them into some suspitiō discredit God giue you grace to be wise in time for if you holde on in this your wilfull follie wee feare much that you who shuld haue bin most cōfort to your friends wil become their greatest greefe giue thē occasion to wish that you neuer had bin borne whereas being tractable in this our request you may salue all sores past benefit your self pleasure many do great good in your coūtrie comfort your kinsfolkes proue your selfe wise in deed gaine credit amongst the best and liue pleasantly manie an yeare Which thing your Parents and wee most earnestlie desire to see And thus they with paternall blessinges and wee all ioyntlie with millions of commendations commit you to the Almightie London this 2. of October an 1599. Your most kinde and louing friendes R. and G.H. AN AVNSWERE TO THE LETTER AFORE GOING MOST louing frindes I had writtē the reasons of Religion before I receiued the countermaunde in your last letter which came to my handes very late for being dated the 2. of October Anno 1599. it came not to me vntill the 20. of December of the same yeere Perusing the same weighing the contents thereof I find that you little care what religion I reteine in my minde and conscience so that I be conformable to the Lawes of our Country in hearing Seruice as it is nowe set forth or a peece of a Sermon as it is nowe there preached Manye circumstances and surmises you vse but all driue to the finall scope by you intended which is to driue me to your Church And indeede as worldly friends for an especiall kinde of such loue towardes me you labour very much for the which I hartely thanke you but alasle your counsell and desire is no other than S. Peters was to our Lord Christ Mat. 16. or those pittifull frinds was to Eleazarus 1. Mac. 6. for you builde all vpon our present safety welfare in this world And if I thought that I might followe your counsell neuerthelesse saue my soule surelye then I were the most miserable foole that euer was in the worlde if I would not so doe For to speake of my fellow Catholikes in England as well as of my selfe can there I pray you anye man be more madde than to suffer losse of goods and liuing to bee discredited contemned and troden vnder euery mans foote that listeth to spoile them to lie in prison in dungeons to be racked reracked hanged bowelled aliue and boyled and after all this to goe to hell there to bee tormented eternallye with Fire and Brimstone and all for Religion when-as beeing conformable to the Lawes of their country in going to Church they may enioy liuings liberties liues feede at large and liue gallantly alofte in all delicacy mirth pastime pleasure in this world after all this in the ende to be sure of ioy in the next If you coulde proue this to me then I saye you might condemne mee for the wretchedst miscreant that euer liued if I did not yeelde to your aduice and desire But vntil you can proue it I hope you will conster my course in charitable maner and iudge better of me thā that I do it of obstinacy or for feare of discredit or for anye worldly respecte for I cal God Almighty before whome we are sure to meete one daye and to receiue according to our thoughts words deeds to witnesse that I doe refraine refuse to goe to your seruice only for conscience sake that is because I thinke it not laweful for in so doing I should offende God Almightie greatly which I must not doe for a million of worldes But because you write that you suppose me to haue more knowledge then to answere with sillie women it is against my conscience c. and aske vvhat Scripture authoritie or reason I haue for my refusing I thought it good conuenient to shew you briefly some arguments reasons which I know not how to answere if I should follow your counsaile But I will not amplifie or explane them at large for so I should be long and ouer tedious for you who if I be not deceaued can hardly endure to reade through anie prolixe discourse but I wil only point as it were at them with my finger for I know your wits to be ready enough to conceaue the vvhole by a part or parcell To begin therefore I tell you plainely that the reasons why I being a Catholike and most stedfastly beleeuing the Catholike Religion to be most true and consequently all other Sects and religions false and damnable will not goe to heare your seruice or a sermon of your religion are these which follow 1 In so doing I should furnish the Campe of the enimies of the Cathotholike Church with my visible presence which may not be done without offence for Prouer. 14 In the multitude of his people is the Kinges dignitie and in the small number of his folke the ignominy of the Prince I lessen therby the number of Catholikes and encrease the number of Protestantes at the least in open show 2 I should yeeld to an act of a contrary religion exacted of me as a denyall of mine which may not be done without great offence for although you inculcate and ingeminate obedience and dutifulnes to our Prince that it is but an act of obedience sure lie I cannot see but that it is an act of religion for albeit the Statute beare this title An act to retaine her Maiesties subiects in theyr due obedience yet is not meere obedience the marke intended in the Satute for the ordinary way to exact obedience is by othes of fidelitie and homage And why should this law be made for odedience and none els or why shuld obedience be rather shewed in the Church then in other places or why by ioyning with protestants in their seruice rather thē by other maner of waies And I pray you is not obediēce included in euery law as well as in this for it is verie plaine that euery precept or law besides obedience to it selfe intendeth some acte of some other vertue And in this law none can be intended but about religion and so in going to your seruice I shuld make outward professiō of your religion which in my conscience I iudge to be false 3 I should deny my Faith by so doing for before the law of going to the Church was made