which all men are to be saued Thirdly becaâ—…se they sing it and make other simple men to sing it in the beginning of Sermons and otherwise as though it were scripture it selfe and one of Dauids Psalmes Fourthly albeit the Protestantes seruice had not all this euil in it as it hath yet were it nought because it hath not in it those good things which Christian seruice should haue For seruice may bee euil as well for hauing too litle as for hauing too much As the seruice of the Arrians was for singing Glorie to the Father and not singing the same to the Sonne And as if a man should recyte his Creede and leaue out one article as in effect the Protestants doe the article of discention into hell all the whole Creede were nought thereby Nowe howe many thinges doe want in the Protestantes seruice which should be in Christian seruice it were too long in euerie point to rehearse yet will I for examples sake name two or three thinges First therefore they haue left out the chiefest and highest thinges of all which is the blessed Sacrifice of Christ his Bodie and Blood appointed by Christ to bee offered vp euerie day for thankes giuing to God for obteyning of grace and auoyding of all euil and for the remission of sinnes both oâ—… quicke and dead as with one consent the Fathers of the Primatiue Church doe affirme The which sacrifice beeing away no Christian seruice can bee saide to be there For so much as for this cause were ordeined Priests neither can there any be called Priest but in respect of this sacrifice also in respect of this sacrifice were christian churches called Temples for this sacrifice were made Aulters for an Aulter is the place of sacrifice euen as an armorie is the place where armour is For this sacrifice was Priestes apparell made Vestments Sensors Frankensence and the lyke in the Primatiue Church Whereof all the Fathers Councelles and histories doe speake so much The seconde thing which the Protestantes seruice leaueth out is no lesse then sixe of the seuen sacramentes which the catholike seruice of God doeth vse for as for their communion it can bee no sacrament as they doe vse it The commoditie of which Sacraments in the church saint Augustine saieth That it is greater then can bee expressed and therefore the contempt of them is no lesse then sacriledge because saith hee that can not be contemned without impietie without the helpe of which no man câ—…n haue pietie And for this cause in an other place hee saieth That the contemners of visible Sacraments can by no meanes inuisibly be sanctified The third thing that the Protestants seruice leaueth out is all the ceremonies of the catholike church of the which the olde auncient Fathers and Councels doe say these three thinges First that that they are to bee had in great reuerence and to bee contemned of no man Secondly that they are to bee learned by tradition and that many of them are receiued by the tradition of the Apostles Lastly that they which doe either condemne despise or wilfully omyt these ceremonies are excommunicated I might heere adde many other thinges as leauing out prayers for the dead beeing as the Fathers holde one of the chiefest functions of a Priest Also for hauing their seruice in an other order and language then the vniuersall church vseth But this is sufficient For if they leaue out of their seruice both Sacrifice Sacraments and all Ecclesiasticall ceremonies I knowe not what good thing they haue left besides a fewe bare wordes of scripture euil translated and woorse applyed which they read there Seeing therefore their seruice is such it is a sufficient cause to make all catholikes to auoide it The seuenth reason HE telleth vs that the seuenth reason why a catholike may not yeelde to come to the Protestantes churches is because the seruice which they vse is nought and dishonourable to God and therfore no man can come to it or heare it or seeme to allowe of it by his presence without great offence to God Wee heare that it is nought and dishonourable to God But let vs heare the cause why it is so tearmed First it is not sufficient he saith to defend it y â— it is takeÌ„ out of the scripture the Gospels Epistles Psalmes and such like â—…or by that argument the seruice of the Iewes and Heretikes which is taken out of the Scriptures might like wise bée made good I aunsweare if the 〈◊〉 and Heretykes haue nothing in their seruice but taken out of the Scripture their seruice is not euil in the matter thereof and no more can ours be but by that only argument I confesse that our seruice cannot be proued to bée simply good although it were taken â—…uerie worde out of the Scriptures except it be good also in forme and ende that it be referred to the woorship of the onely true God in the name of Christ and vnitie of this Church as in déede it is and therefore not like the seruice of Iews and Heretikes or Schismatikes but least the Protestantes seruice should not be déemed nought throughly Luthers opinion thereof is cited out of Copes Dialoges a sufficient witnesse of so weightie a matter saying That the Sacramentaries doe in vaine beleeue in God the Father in God the Sonne in the holie Ghost and in Christ our Sauiour al this doth auaile them nothing seeing they doe denie this one article as false of the real presence whereas Christ doeth say this is my bodie Suppose that Cope citeth this saying truely out of Luther and that those whom hée calleth Sacramentaries did deny this one article of the reall presence according to the meaning of Christes wordes This is my bodie as false as though Christe were a lyar It were true that all other articles of fayth could not profite them vnto saluation But what woorde is héere to shewe Luthers opinion of the Protestantes seruice whiche might bee good although they were nought which vsed it But wheras he hath gone hetherto vpon méere suppositions nowe wée shall haue his assumption confirmed by weight of argumentes and authorities First therefore to shew that the Protestants seruice is euil he saieth it were sufficient to say That it is deuised of themselues altogether different from al the seruice of Christendom CoÌ„cerning the matter it was confessed before that it is taken out of the scriptures the Gospels Epistles Psalmes therfore not deuised by vs. Touching y e forme and ceremony thereof it hath alwaies bin frée lawful for euery particular Church to deuise whatsoeuer is most méete for edification order cumlinesse as I haue shewed before euen out of the authoritie of Gregory Bishop of Rome therefore may be different from the forme and ceremonies of all other churches in Christendom so the substance of doctrine Sacraments be the same I wil set down his wordes The interogation of Augustine Cum vna
fellowes why hée discenteth from them Last of al concerning the charge which is giuen to Gods people To goe out of Babylon c. Least they bée partakers of her punishments which he citeth Apoc. 18. is diligently to be considered For if we may finde in the Scripture what is Babylon we know from whence to flée The holy ghost therfore before he gaue this charge did first plamely describe the whoore of Babylon the mother of all abhominations of the earth to be y t City which hauing seueÌ„ kings or states of gouernment in succession is situated vpon seueÌ„ hilles to be that great Citie which in that time of the Reuelation had the kingdome ouer the kings of the earth which by all reason and consent of the most auncient writers Irenaeus Tertullian Hierome Augustine c. Can be none other but the Citie of Rome wherfore the spirite of God commaunding his Saints to goe out of Babylon doeth not bid the Romanistes to goe from Protestants but contrariwise the Protestants to goe from the Romanistes The sixth Reason THE sixth cause why a Catholike may not come to churche is because he cannot come without dissimulation The which in matters of conscience and religion is treacherie to God Almightie and a very dangerous matter For as the worthie father S. Ambrose saith It may be lawfull sometimes in a monie matter to holde thy peace but in gods cause where there is danger in communicating with his enimies to dis semble only is no small sinne The reason whereof is that sore saying of Christes owne mouth He that is not with me is against me As though hee had saide Hee that dissembleth and knowing me and my cause to be oppressed holdeth his peace and defendeth mee not I will holde him in the number of my enimies that are against me According to the which rule of Christ S. Iohn which well knew the inward and secrete meaning of Christ speaking of certaine noble men and gentlemen of Iury. The which did beleeue in Christ but durst not confesse him openly for feare of the Iewes Condemneth them of a great and damnable mortall sinne against the first commandement for the same saying that by this act they shewed that they loued the glory of men more then the glory of God By the which example we see that we do wilfully dishonor God and con sequently commit damnable treason against him when wee doe for any feare or temporall respect dissemble our faith hold our peace against our consciences The which thing Saint Paul considering he layeth down vnto vs a generall rule Ore fit confessio ad salutem To be saued we must needes confesse our faith by mouth or open speeche vppon the which wordes S. Austen saith We cannot be saued out of this wicked and malignant worlde except we indeuouring to saue our neighbours besides beleeuing doe also professe our faith by mouth which we beare in our hearts the which faith of ours wee must prouide by godly and wary watchfulnesse that it be not in any respect hurt or violated by the craf tie subtiltie of Heretikes Note his admonition let it not be in any respect violated with craftie subtiltie As for example by causing a man to yeelde a little against his conscience to goe once to churche to stay but a little there to haue seruice in his owne house or the like In the which if a man might say as commonly they doe say in euil meates that a litle wil do but a litle hurt it were more tollerable But seeing the matter standeth as it doth in poysons wherof euery litle dram wil be thy bane No maruel though men shew theÌ„selues more scrupulous Heare the iudgement of a whole cleargie in the Primatiue church and alleadged by S. Cyprian the Martyr of Christ Whereas the whole misterie of faith is vnderstood to consist in the confessing of the name of Christ he that hath sought false sleights for excuse thereof hath nowe denied it and he that wil seeme to haue fulfilled such statutes and lawes as are set foorth against the Gospel in so doing he hath obeied them in very deed For asmuch as he woulde haue it seeme that he hath obeied them Heere you see nowe all dissembling of our faith taken for denying our faith and al seeming to be condemned for doing The which that old valiant champion of God Eliazarus ful wel knewe when he rather chose to die then to seeme to eate a peace of flesh albeit he did it not in deede coÌ„trary to the law of god And the reason hee giueth for it is this It is not fitte for our age to faine O good Eliazarus if it were not fit for thy age to faine or dissemble in matters of religion what shall wee say of our age wherein for manye respectes wee are more bounde too confesse our Lorde and Maister and his catholike Religion then thou wert For that wee haue receiued more benefites at his handes and haâ—…e seene howe hee confessed vs before his enimies and ours and could not be brought by any feare or torment to denie vs. Buâ—… well their wil bee wicked men and dissembling christians stil Yet notwithstanding Gods law must stande set downe by Christe his owne mouth Hee that shal blush or be ashamed of me and my sayings of him shall the sonne of man be ashamed when he shall come in his maiestie and in the maiestie of his Father and oâ—… his holy angels Hee doeth not onely say if we do denie him but if wee doe blushe or be ashamed to confesse him whiche consideration made the Apostles and other seruantes of Christe so peremptorilie to proceede in confessing openly their faith with what danger soeuer it were And S. Paul giueth a reason of it when he saith 〈◊〉 be vnto me except I do preach the gospel That is except I coÌ„fesse it except I set it forth what danger bodily soeuer come thereof And in the Actes of the Apostles the high Priestes and Magistrates commaunded not the Apostles to bee of their religion nor yet to come to their seruice in their sinagogues but onely to holde their peace And that they shoulde not speake or teache any more in the name of Iesus But the apostles vtterly denied to obey that coÌ„andement and in the chapter folowing being taken again for not obeying were asked in open iudgement by the Magistrates thus We commaunded you straightly to teach no more in this name and how chanseth it that you haue filled all Ierusalem with this doctrine And Peter answered with the rest of the Apostles Wee must rather obey God then men As who should sâ—…y that if they shoulde haue graunted to dissemble and not to speake openly they shoulde haue denied God in obeiyng men more then him What if the high Priestes and Magistrates shoulde haue saide vnto them wel wee are content that you liue with your conscience so you
howling of Woolues the bellowing noise of mad bullockes The reason whereof is that which the scholler of the Apostles S Ignatius saieth No man can cal him good or say he doth wel that doth mingle euil with good Wherefore S. Augustine saieth of the Donatistes Schismatikes and Heretikes of his time that albeit they did sounde out Alleluia with as lustie a voice as the Catholikes did in many thinges els did agree in seruice with them more then nowe the Protestantes doe with vs yet their seruice was impious and auailed them nothing And a litle af◅er vpon the woordes of God vttered by the Prophet saying In many things they were with me c. S. Austen saith thus God graunteth that Heretikes in many things are with him as in Sacraments ceremonies and the like But yet for all that they are not with me saieth God in all thinges For in that they are in schisme they are not with mee in that they are in heresie they are not with mee and therefore for these fewe thinges in the whiche they are not with mee those other many thinges in the which they are with me shal profit them nothing To come neerer to our purpose their owne Apostle and second Elias as they cal him Luther condemneth al their whole seruice for the denying only of the real presence saying The Sacramentaries do in vaine beleeue in God the Father in God the Sonne and in the holy Ghost and in Christ our Sauiour all this doth auayle them nothing seeing they do deny this one Article as false of the real presence Where as Christ doth say This is my bodie Loe here this Prophet with the same spirite wherewith he condemneth the Popes hee condemneth the Protestantes why should we bel◅ue him more in the one then in the other But now to shew wherein the Protestantes seruice is euil it were sufficient to say that it is deuised of them selues and altogether different frō al the seruice of christendome besides and therfore not to be receiued by catholikes with whom they deale too childishly when they say their seruice differeth in nothing from the old catholikes seruice but only because it is in English thereby thinking to make the simple people to haue the lesse scruple to come to it The which how false it is it shal appeare by that which I wil say hereafter I might also bring the opinion of al the hotter sort of Protestants called the Puritaines who in writing sermons and priuate speech doe vtterly condemne the seruice which now Protestants haue and therevpon doe refraine from it as much as catholikes But I wil giue more particular reasons as foloweth First the scripture is read there in false shamelesse translations conteining manifest and wilful corruptions to drawe it to their owne purposes as hath bin shewed in particular by many learned men in their works and is like to be shortly more plainly by the grace of God As for example throughout the scripture where Idoles are forbidden they translate it Images as in Saint Iohn they reade Children keepe your selues from Images Whereas the Scripture sayeth Idoles and this is to make simple men beleeue that Idoles Images are al one which is absurd For then where Moses sayeth That God made man according to his owne Image Wee should consequently say God made man according to his owne Idole Againe where in contrarie maner S. Paule sayeth That a couetous man maketh his money his Idole We should say that he maketh it his image The which howe foolish it is euery man seeth and it can not stande with any sence of the Scripture The like absurde translations they haue in infinite other thinges which I cannot stand to rehearse Let some man reade the latter ende of the xii Chapter of the second booke of the Machabies where he shal see what labour their English translator taketh to shift ouer the words of the scripture which talk of oblatiōs prayers for the dead and by that one place let euerie man iudge of his fidelitie in the rest For I am sure that if a Boye shoulde so corrupt Tullies Epistles in translating them in a Grammer Schoole he should be breeched for his labour The scripture therefore being read there in false translations it must needes seeme to be false which is blasphemie against the holy Ghost the inditer of them So that by this it appeareth that that part of their seruice which they pretend to be scripture is no scripture because it is by the malice of the interpretor false the which scripture can not be Secondly the seruice that Christians ought only to goe to shoulde be saide as also the Sacraments administred by Priestes and such as haue receiued the Sacrament of holy orders as al the general Councels fathers of the Church shew vnto vs. And S. Paul when he saith That no man may take vnto him this honour but he that is called as Aaron was Wherefore the same Paul aduiseth the Bishop Timothie not to giue this dignitie vnto any man but vpon great consideration saying Do not lay thy hands rashly vpon any man But now that either al or the most part of Ministers of England be meere laye men no Priestes and consequently haue no authoritie in these thinges it is euident for many causes as wel for that they haue not receiued the vnder Orders which they should haue done before Priesthood as appeareth by the auncient Councel of Carthage wherin S. Augusten was himself by al the Fathers both before since as also because they are not ordained by such a Bishop Priest as the catholike church hath put in that authoritie which admitteth no man for Bishop which is not ordeined by imposition of three or twoo catholike Bishops handes at the least Of al which thinges none are to be founde amongest the Protestantes Thirdly their seruice is nought because they haue diuers false and blasphemous thinges therein and that which is yet worse they so place those thinges as they may seeme to the simple to be verie scripture As for example In the end of a certeine Geneua Psalme They pray to GOD to keepe them from Pope Turke and Papistrie whiche is blasphemous First for ioyning the supreme Minister and substitute of Christ with the knowne and professed enemy of Christe and speaking so contumeliouslye of him of whome all antiquitie in Christ his church hath thought and spoken so reuerently calling him The high Priest of the Church The Bishop of the Vniuersal Church The Pastor of the Church The Iudge of matters of faith The repurger of heresies The examiner of all Bishops causes And finally the great Priest in obeying whom al unitie consisteth and b◅ disobeying of whom all Heresies and Schismes arise Secondly it is blasphemous for that they pray to bee deliuered from Papistrie meaning thereby the catholike and onely true religion by the
that not only saying but also hearing of Masse should bée a woorke so mereâ—…orious The verie Angels of heauen saieth hée doe come down at that time to adore that sacred bodie and to offer the same vp with vs to God the Father for the whole worlde as all the holy Fathers of the primatiue church did both beleeue and teach Then the Angels also are Priestes if they offer this sacrifice But which of all the holy Fathers so doeth teach that wée may knowe they did beâ—…ue First hée cyteth Gregorie Lib. 4. dia. cap. 58. Whose words are these What faythfull man can doubt but in the verie houre of immolation or sacrifice the heauens doe open at the Priestes voice and that the quyers of Angels bee present there in that mysterie of Iesus Christ What is there in these woordes to proue that the Angels doe adorâ—… that sacred bodie or offer vp the same to GOD the Father with vs Otherwise wée doubt not but the Angels of GOD which are present with the faythfull to defende them and kéepe them in all their wayes are present also in all holy actions and especially in the administration of the holie Sacraments The same thing and in the same woordes almost saieth Chrysostome de sacâ—…rd Lib. 6. At that time the Angelles stande by the Priest and the vniuersall orders of the celestiall powers doe crye out and the place nigh to the Aâ—…lter is full of quyres of Angels in the honour of him who is sacrificed For the presence of the Angels I answere as vnto Gregorie for the sacrifice and him that is sacrificed I sayde Chrysostome is the best expounder of himself Hom. 17. in Epist. ad Hebr. In the same woorke de sacerdoâ—…o Lib. 3. Hée saieth the lyke hyperbolicall spéech Nam dum conspicis dominum immolatum c. For while thou seest the Lord sacrificed the Priest leaning ouer the Sacrifice and powring foorth Prayers the people also that stand about to be dyed made redde with that precious blood doest thou thinke that thou art still conuersant among men and that thou standest on the earth Art thou not rather immediately trâ—…ted into heauen Doest thou not cast off all cogitation of flesh and with naked minde and pure vnderstanding looke round about on those things that are in heauen c. These words of his do shew that hée speaketh of a spirituall presence of Christes bodie and blood by fayth which ascendeth into heauen and beholdeth those thinges which the outward eye of the bodie cannot atteine to see As for the visions of Angels that Chrysostome speaketh of in the place by him quoted proue nothing but the presence of them But Hom. 3. contra Anomaeos Hée explicateth the same more at large saith our Reasoner At that time my deare brother not onely men doe giue out that dreadfull crye Héere our Reasoner addeth a parenthesis of his owne which is not in Chrysostome saying wée adore thée O Lorde c. But also the Angels doe bowe their knees to our Lorde and-the Archangels doe beseech him For they account that a fit time hauing that sacred oblation in their fauour And therfore as men are wont to mooue Princes the more if they beare Oliue bowes in their handes because by bearing that kinde of wood they bring into the Princes minde mercy and gentlenesse so the Angels at that time proramis oleagenis in stéede of Oliue braunches hée leaueth out holding out in their handes the verie selfe same bodie of our Lorde they doe intreate for all mankinde although they saide we doe intreat O Lord for the men of the world whom thou hast so loued that for their saluation thou wast content to dye and on the crosse to breath out thine owne soule For these men we make supplication for the which thou hast giuen thine owne blood for these men wee pray for the which thou hast sacrificed this bodie of thine What playner testimony can there bée then this saith our discourser In déed it is plain enough to shew that Chrysostome calleth that thing the verie bodie of Christ which in proper spéech was a Sacrament and pledge of the same And that the similitude of Oliue braunches which are a signe of peace doe shewe Againe their holding out of the bodie of Christ and intreating God for mankind by y â— memoriall sheweth that they did not hold out Christ for then they would haue prayed to that which they 〈◊〉 in their handes and not to Christ by contemplation of that The sense is therefore in this hyperâ—…olicall supposition that the Angels by shewing the 〈◊〉 sacrament of his body once truely offâ—…ed which Sacrament was instituted for a remembraunce of that Sacrifice to entreat our Sauiour Christ by that token of remembrance as men that carrie Oliue braunches in their handes to 〈◊〉 Princes But that the Angels doâ—… adore that bodie in the Hoste and offered to God for vs and with vs for which purposes this place is cyted héere is nothing saide neither of consecration and â—…uation at which time this supplication of the Angels is affirmed to bée The second losse is pretended to be of the grace of six Sacramentes for which hée bringeth small reasons but repeating them saieth That by the grace of confirmation the holy Ghost was giuen Act. 8. 19. In which Chapters is nothing but of the miraculous gifts of the holie Ghost wherwith the Priâ—…e church was garnished but are long since ceased But Cyprian in lib. de â—…ct Christi aduoucheth the same It is true that the Authour of that woorke de cardinalibus Christi operibus Whosoeuer it was maketh mention of that Ceremonie of annointing vsed in his tyme as also the Ceremonie of washing of féete after the example of Christ which hée maketh of as great importaunce as the other The grace that Timothie had by imposition of handes 2. Timothie which the Apostle willeth him not to neglect was extraordinarie and miraculous and therefore maketh nothing for the Ceremonie of vnction neither is there any worde of vnction there vttered That Saint Paule calleth Matrimonie a Sacrament in the Popishe translation it can not make it a Sacrament of the newe Testament which is and was euer before Christ A great mysterie of the spirituall coniunâ—…ion of Christ and his Church although the Apostle doe not say expresly that Matrimonie is a Mysterie thereof but saieth the coniunction of Christ and his Church is a great Mysterie The vnction whereof Saint Iames speaketh cannot be vnderstoode of extreame â—…tion of the Papistes seeing hée promiseth health and recouerie vnto the diseased whereas the Papistes neuer ministred it but vnto them of whose bodely health it is dispaired although our Reasoner say that many times it healeth the bodie Therefore it is manifest that Saint Iames speaketh of an extraordinarie gift of healing which was in the Church by annointing with â—…yle as the Euangelist also doeth witnesse The third benefite that is saide to be lost by going
to the Church of so many thousande Catholykes at this day in that Realme is not vppon disloyaltie or stubberne obstinacy as their aduersaryes giue it out but vppon conscience and great reason and for the auoyding of manyfest perryll of eternall damnation which they shoulde incurre in yeeldyng to that which is demaunded at theyr handes I haue put downe some causes and reasons heere followyng referring the Reader to more larger dyscourses made by dyuerse learned men of our tyme in sundry partes of theyr works this beyng shuffled vp in haste and namely to apeculyar Treatyse not longe agone publyshed touchyng this matter But first of all it is to bee noted that my reasons to thend they may conuynce are to bee supposed to proceede from a catholyke mynde that is from a man which in his conscience is throughlye perswaded that onelye the Catholyke Romayne Relygyon is trueth and that all other newe doctrynes and relygions are false relygions as all newe Gods are false Gods Nowe of these Catholykes there are two sortes in Englande thone which in theyr consciences doe iudge that as all other relygions besides theyr owne are false so all partycipation with them eyther in deede or in shewe by oath by Sacramentes by goyng vnto theyr prayers and seruice or otherwyse is naught forbydden and vnlawefull and yet eyther for feare or fauour or some other worldly cause they are content to communicate wich them in all or some of the foresayde thinges and of those men albeit they bee very many in England I meane not to entreate theyr case beyng apparauntly both to themselues and to all other men wicked and out of all doubte damnable For as S. Austine sayth Hee that knoweth the things to bee ill that he doth and yet doth theÌ„ he goeth downe quick vnto hell As though he would say Albeit he be yet quicke vpon the earth yet is he in the prouideÌ„ce of God dead damned in hel And S. Paul talking of this sin neuer laieth lesse punishment vpon it then iudgement daÌ„nation although it be committed in thinges of themselues indifferent or lawfull for albeit as he saith meates offred to idoles be of themselues lawfull to be eaten to him that knoweth an Idole to be nothing Yet If a man shoulde discerne or iudge it to be vnlawfull and yet eate of it he is damned for it because hee doeth not according to his conscience or knowledge And the reason is that which S. Paule hath immediatly following saying All that which is done by vs not according to our knowledge or conscience is sinne And S. Iames confirmeth the same saying He that knoweth good and doth it not sinneth Wherefore S. Paule crieth out a a little before thus Blessed is hee that iudgeth not or condemneth not himselfe in doing contrary to that he best allowetb And the cause why this sinne against a mans owne conscience is so damnable is this Some doe sinne of humane frailtie as did Peter and this is called a sinne against the father who is called Power Some doe sinne of ignorance as did Paule and this is called a sinne against the sonne who is called Wisedome Some doe sinne of meere will and malice choosing to sinne although they know it to be sinne and this is the sinne against the holy Ghost to whom is appropriated particularly grace and goodnesse the which a man most wickedly contemneth and reiecteth when he sinneth wilfully against his own conscience and therefore Christ saith that a man shalbe forgeuen a sinne agaynst the father and against the sonne as we doe see it was in Peter and Paule But he that sinneth agaynst the holy Ghost shall neuer be forgeuen neither in this world neyther in the worlde to come As for example the Pharisies were not which did many thinges against Christ malitiously and contray to their owne knowledge consciences If this be true as it is if God be not vntrue theÌ„ in what a miserable case standeth many a man in England at this day which take othes receiue sacramentes goe to Church and commit many a like acte directly against theyr owne consciences and against their owne knowledge nay what a case doe they stand in which know such thinges to be directly agaynst other mens consciences and yet doe compell them to doe it As to receiue against their will to sweare against their will and the like Surely as I am nowe minded I would not for ten thousand worldes compel a Iewe to sweare that there were a blessed Trinitie For albeit the thing be neuer so true yet shouldâ—…â—…e be damned for swearing against his conscience and I for compelling him to commit so heynous and greeuous a sinue But of this sorte of Catholikes this is ynough and too much excepte they were better For they are to be accounted according to Saint Paule damned meâ—… in this lyfe and therefore no christians and much lesse Catholikes There are another sort of Catholikes that albeit they doe iudge all other religions besides their owne false and erroneous and damnable yet doe they not thinke but that for some worldly respecte as for sauing their offices dignities liberties credytes or the like they may in some of the former thinges at the leastwise in going to church for as for swearing and receiuing I thinke no Catholike this day in Europe thinketh it lesse then damnable shewe them selues conformable men to the proceedinges of them of the contrarye religion and doe also thinke others too scrupulous whiche doe stande in the refusall of the same But to shewe that these men are in a wrong and perillous perswasion builded onely on their owne fantasie and therefore to be reformed and that the other men are the onely true Catholickes and bounde to doe so much as they doe vppon payne of the high displeasure of God and eternall damage of their owne soules I haue put downe here these reasons that followe which may serue for the iustifying of the one parties conscience and for the due reforming of the other HE beginneth with a large Periode and stately style as though hée were endyting of a Proclamation or an Aâ—…te of Parliament with a long breath stretched Lunges and full mouth That the Queenes moste excellent Maiesty the Honourable Lordes of her Priuie Counsell and other the learned and wyse of Eâ—…glande maye see Quid tanto dignum feret hic Promissor hiatu Parturiunt montes nascetur ridiculus mus What will this large promiser bring foorthe woorthy of so wide a gaping The Mountaynes are in trauell a ridiculous Mouse shall bee borne anon For what in Gods name shall all the Learned and wise in Englande sée Beside her Maiestie and her honorable Câ—…unsell Forsooth That the refusall of going too the churche of so many thousand Catholikes at this day in that realme is not vppon dâ—…oyaltie or stubborne obstinacie as their aduersaries giue it out A mâ—…tter indeede woorthie of so greate a presence as
one fourme of Sacramentes and the like euen as there is according to Paule one Baptisme one bread one faith one churche one Christe one Lorde one body one heauen one hope of rewarde the breaking of which vnitie of the church of God hath beene alwayes accounted a most greeuous and damnable offence For as Irenaeus a most auncient godly father saith They which cut and disseuer the vnitie of the Church shal haue the same punishment that 〈◊〉 had This punishment wee knowe to haue beene the vtter destruction and exâ—…yrpation of him and all his name But other Fathers doe exaggerate this sinne farther For Sainte Augustine in his booke whiche hee made of the vnitie of the Churche sayth thus Whosoeuer doe agree to all the holy Scriptures touching the head of the Churche â—…hiche is Christe and yet doe not communicate with the vnitie of the Churche they are not in the Churche And a little after hee expoundeth what hee meaneth by communicating with the vnitie of the churche whiche is That theyr communion bee with the whole bodie of Christe his Churche dispearsed ouer the whole world and not with any one part separate or els it is manifest that they are not saiâ—…h he in the catholike churche Nowe S. Cyprian in his booke of the simplicitie of Prelates or vnitie of the churche goeth further for he proueth that if a man did liue neuer so vertuously otherwise nay if hee shoulde giue his life and shedde his blood for Christe yet if he were out of the vnitie of the church he coulde not bee saued for that as he saith This spot or sinne the breaking of the vnitie of the churche cannot be washed away with any blood The which saying of S. Cyprian the learned father Chrisostome after Cyprians death doth repeate and confirme Adding these words There is nothing doeth so prouoke GOD as the diuision of the Churche And albeit we shoulde doe innumerable good deedes yet notwithstanding we shall be punished as greeuously as they were which dyd rende Chriâ—…te his owne flesh and body if wee disseuer in peeces the full 〈◊〉 and vnitie of the Churche And finally he concludeth thus I doe heere say and protest that it is no lesse sinne to cut and breake the vnitie of the Churche then it is to fall into heresie And thus muche I thought good too say leauing infinite other thinges that might bee saide touching the greenousnesse of this sinne of schisme whereby many of our bad catholikes in Englande may see in some part the miserable dangerous case wherein they stand by sleeping so carelesse as they doe in this sinne But now that this act of going to the Protestants churches and prayers is a schismaticall act and suche a one as diuideth from the vnitie of the churche it is easie too bee prooued for that schisme is according too Sainte Augustine A separation of them that thinke the same thing That is a different kinde of seruice of God in those men that do not differ in opinion in religion The which thing he expresseth more plainely in an other place putting the difference betwixt heretikes sehismatikes saying Schismatikes are made not by difference in faith or beliefe but by the breaking of the societie or vnitie of Communion Nowe the Communion or vnitie of the churche consisteth in these three thinges to wit that al Christians haue one sacrifice one and the selfe same Sacraments also one and the selfe same seruice of God But they which goe to the Protestantes churches haue no sacrifice at al neither haue they any more then two of seuen sacraments and those two also so mangâ—…d that of the two scarse one is a sacrament as they vse them And as for their seruice it hath no part of the catholike seruice as I will shewe heereafter He therfore that goeth to this seruice and willingly separateth himselfe from the catholike seruice and Communion breaketh the vnitie of Communion of the churche and consequently committeth schisme But some man perhaps will say I doe it not willingly but I goe to Churche by constrainte of the publiquela wes of my Realme I answere that heere is some kinde of constraint external but not so muche as may take away the libertie of thy will whiche is internal as the Philosopher wisely discourseth For this constraint is but conditinall That is either to doe that which is commaunded for example to goe to the Churche or els to abide this or that punishmente that the Lawe appointeth The which penaltie if thou wilt suffer thy wil is free to doe what thou wilt Neither can any â—…ortall power constraine it further So that suche an action as I haue talked of for example going to the churche for the auoiding of temporall losse is called both the Philosophers and Diuines Inuoluntaria secundum quid simpliciter autem voluntaria That is in part or in some respect vnuoluntarie But absolutely and simplie it is to bee accounted voluntarie And therefore they are to bee esteemed good or bad punishable or rewardable euen as other free actions are for otherwise no sinne shoulde bee punishable Seeing euery naughtie action commonly hath some kind of compulsion in it but yet it may not bee excused thereby As for example the murtherer may say that hee did it not willingly for that hee was compelled thereunto by rage of anger And the Lecherer may say his fleshe compelled him to sinne and to take fitter example for our purpose all those that denied Christe in time of persecution for feare of tormentes mighte by your obiection say that they did it not willingly but by compulsion of torments and therefore were not to bee damned for it But yet Christe saide that hee woulde take it as doone voluntarily and therefore damne them for it by deniyng them openly before his Father and his Angelles at the day of iudgement And yet to giue an other example neerer to oure matter Sainte Iohn saieth of the noble men and Gentlemen of Iurie in his time Many of the principall men did beleeue in Christe but they did not confesse him outwardly for feare of the Pharisees least they shoulde bee caste out of the Sinagogue for they did loue more the glory of men then the glory of God Heere wee see the act of these noble men and Gentlemen also the compulsion to the act the cause of their compulsion lastly Saint Iohns iudgement vpon the act The act wherof they are accused is only holding their peace not confessing Christ openly according as they did inward ly beleeue of him The cause or excuse that they had to lay for themselues was the feare of the Pharises or Magistrates which coÌ„pelled them agaynst their will so to doe Now what punishement they feared at the Pharises handes S. Iohn expresseth saying that it was Least they should bee cast out of their Synagogue The which punishment was then
particular cause and fifth generall reason why our seruice is sayde to bée naught is Because they haue diuers false and blasphemous thinges therein God forbid that this saying shoulde 〈◊〉 proued true And that which is worse they so place those thinges as they may seeme to the simple to bee very scripture A wonderfull hard accusation but let vs heare the probation As for example in the ende of a certayne Geneua Psalme They praye to GOD to keepe them from Pope Turke and Papistrie which is blasphemous If it be blasphemous it is against y â— Popes triple crown or the Turkes torbaÌ„t for against God it is no blasphemie nor against his truth or any of his children But what an impudent slaunder is this that the dittie which playnely caryeth before it the name of the endighter Robert Wisdome is so placed as it may séeme to bée very scripture And is called a Geneua Psalme as though the Church of Geneua had any thing to doe with hymmes and spirituall songes vsed in the Church of England Or that the Church of England had receiued all such ditties from Geneua But the matter is taken greatly in snuffe that the Pope is ioyned with the Turke of whome al antiquitie in Christes church hath thought and spoken so reuerently calling him the high Priest of the church With many other titles which if they might all bée iustified of the auncient Prelats of Rome while they were Catholike Byshops yet they would little helpe to defend that Antichrist which now occupyeth the same place but holdeth not the same foundation of fayth and doctrine But let vs sée howe manye of these tytles were appropryed to the Byshoppe of Rome in anye time For the fyrst and chiefest is quoted Cyprian de simplicitate Praelatorum and also Chrisostome lib. 2. de sacerdotio Concerning the former treatise there is in it no worde of the Byshoppe of Rome more then of all other Byshoppes nor any such title of high Prieste giuen vnto him but contrariwise the vnitie of the Church is shewed to consist in the obedience of euery perticular Church to their own Byshop which are all made of equall authoritie and dignitie There Cyprian setteth forth the subtyltie of the diuell which vnder the name of Christe commendeth Antichriste aâ—…d shewing the cause of the deceite hee sayeth Hoc eo fit fratres dilectissimi c. This commeth hereof my most welbeloued brethren while men returne not to the beginning of trueth neyther is the head sought nor the doctrine of the heauenly maister obserued Which thinges if a man consider and examine there is no neede of large treatie or argumentes The tryall vnto trueth is easie by the compendiousnesse of trueth Our Lorde speaketh to Peter I say to thee quoth hee that thou art Peter and vppon this stone I will buylde my church and the gates of hell shall not ouercome it To thee I will giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and what thinges soeuer thou shalt loose vppon earth they shall bee loosed also in heauen And to the same man after his resurrection hee saieth feede my sheepe And although after his resurrection hee giueth equall power to all his Apostles and saieth As my Father sente mee so I also sende you receaue the holye Ghoste whose sinnes you shall forgiue they shall bee forgiuen whose sinnes you shall retayne they shall bee retayned yet that hee myght make the vnitie manifest hee disposed the original of that same vnitie by his authoritie beginning of one man Verilye the rest of the Apostles were the â—…ame thing that Peter was endued with equall felowship both of honour and of power but the beginning proceedeth from vnitie that the church might bee shewed to bee one And after a fewe lynes entreating of the vnitie of the Church hee saieth Quam vnit atem c. whiche vnitie most of all wee that rule as Byshoppes in the Churche ought to holde faste and mayntaine that wee myght proue the Byshoppes office it selfe to bee one and vndeuided Let no man deceaue the brotherhoodde with a lye Lette no man corrupte the trueth of fayth by such preuarication There is but one byshopricke or bishops office whereof a parte is helde of euery one in solidum throughly or perfectly or in the whole You sée that Cyprian saith nothing for his title but against the Antichristian authority pretended therby very much very effectuously But what saieth Chrisostome in his 2. booke de sacerdotio sounding to that purpose I finde nothing but that he admonisheth Basill that he had no iniury in being taken by sorce and made a priest séeing he was therby made equall with Peter euen as Peter excelled all the Apostles Etiam ne nunc nobiscum c. Wilte thou then still contende with vs that this fraud hath not happened wel luckely to thee Which by it art to be made ouerseer of all the goodes of God almightie especially when thou doest those thinges whiche when Peter did Christ woulde haue him to be indued with authoritie and also farre to excell the other apostles These woordes shewe that euery Priest when he doeth the same thinges which Peter did is indued with the same authoritie that Peter was and farr passeth all other men And that Peter was not simplie preferred in authority but only when he did execute his charge therfore so preferred that euerie minister in teaching and administring the sacraments hath the same authoritie and excellencie The next title pretended to be giuen to the Pope by all antiquitie is the Bishop of the vniuersal church For which is quoted Cyprian Epist. 46. that of Cyprian is no more but that certaine Confessors which had ioyned with the Nouatian Scismatikes that made an other Bishop at Rome beside Cornelius returning to the Church acknowledged that Cornelius was the right bishop of the Catholike Church and Nouatus or Nouatianus a false byshop of a scismaticall Church The wordes of their confession are these Nos inquiunt c. We say they doe know that Cornelius is set vp by God Almightie and by our Lorde Iesus Christ a bishop of the most holy Catholike church We confesse our errour We haue been circumuented being carried out of our right minde by factious loquacitie of falshood Wee seemed to haue as it were a certayne communicating with a schismaticall person but our mynde was alwaye sincere in the churche neyther are wee ignoraunte that there is one GOD and one Christe our Lorde whom we haue confessed one holye Ghoste that there ought to be but one bishop in a catholike church Meaning that in euery Catholike Churche there ought to bée but one Byshoppe at once not that there shoulde bee but one bishop of all the Catholike Church which were a monstrous absurdity The thirde title is The Pastour of the Churche for whiche is quoted Chrisostome lib. 2. de Sacer. Where I finde nothing that hath any shewe of suche a matter more then I haue alreadye declared
may bée an error in the number for Hier. 61. contra Apostolicos hee speaketh of some thinges receiued by tradition as that it is sinne to mary after virginitie professed but of ceremonies hée saieth nothing at all As for the Tridentine councell which is next quoted I will not vouâ—…afe to answere it béeing of none antiquitie but holden within these fewe yéâ—…res by the Papistes Then followeth Cyprian epist 66. Which I know not wherfore it is alleadged for there is nothing in it for Ceremoâ—…es or the contempte of them but against the Nouasianes and anerroneous opinion of his that none can baptize but hée that hath the holy Ghost After Cyprian wée are bidden to looke in Augustine de doctrina christiana without quoting the Chapter but for what I knowe not for there are not in him rehearsed any Ceremonies which wée omit for any thing that I can finde The like I say for Cyprian sermone de oratione dominica As for Isidorus who lyued more then 600. yéeres after Christe in ceremoniall age is no méete Authour to controle our want of Ceremonies by such as were vsed in the Spanishe Church in his tyme which yet are not all the same that the Papistes vse Then solloweth the fourth Toletane councell cap. 2. Which appoynteth that there shoulde bée an vniforme order of ministration of the Sacramâ—…ntes and publike prayers in the Churches of Spayne and Gallicia because they were contayned in one fayth and kingdome What pertayneth this vnto the church of England which hath as great authority to appoynt her own Ceremonies as the church of Spayne then had for theirs The laste quotation is Bede lib. Hist. cap. 1. omytting the number of the Booke but hauing perused all the fyrste Chapters of euerye booke I finde nothing for any Ceremonies And whatsoeuer their shoulde bée founde in Beda so late a writer shoulde bee no preiudice vnto the authoritie of our Churche in this tyme. For as I shewed before that Augustine out of euery Church waâ—… willed to choose what ceremonies hee thought most conueniente so his posteritie was not bound to his choyce but as they thought good some they added some they abrogated But where hée noteth in the margent that in these Authors wée may sée 〈◊〉 what tongue seruice was in they dayes in all countryes I marâ—…ayle at his imâ—…udencie séeing neyther in anye place by him quoted except the last Tridâ—…tine counsell perhappes there is anye worde spoken touching the tongue wherein seruice was in their countries nor in all their works is there anye thing to proue the contrarye but that euerye nation had their seruice in such tongue as they vnderstoode As for the leauing out of the prayer for the dead which is in déede an errour of great antiquitie séeing hée quoteth none authoritie for the iustifying of it I will referre the Reader to other treatises that I haue written against it namelye to my confutation of Allens booke of Purgatorie and to my reioynder lately â—…ritten to Bristoes reply So that for any thing which is brought or quoted in this reason the seruice of the Protestantes is proued to bée good inough The eyght Reason THe eight reason of refusall which maye nowe bee yeleded why a Catholicke maye not come to the Protestantes churches is because by going thither hee shall loose all the benefit of his owne relygion neither shal he take any more commoditie therby then if he were not of that relygion at al. This is a verye great waightie and most sufficiente reason to bee yeelded by catholyckes in Englande to their Princes for their refusall of comming to churche and such a one as being sufficiently conceyued by her Maiestie cannot but satisfie her highnesse and greatlye drawe her to compassion of the pitifull case of so many thousandes of her louing subiects who being as I haue sayd catholickes in hearts by going to ProtestaÌ„ts churches must needs be brought either to flat athisme that is to leaue of al conscience and to care for no religion at al as manye thousanâ—… seeme to bâ—… resolued to doâ—… or els to liue in continual torment of minde and almoste desperation considering that by their going to these Churches they loose vtterlye all vse and practise of theyr owne relygion beeing helde as Schismatickes and excommunicate persons of the same and their case 〈◊〉 that if they should die in the same state they were sure to receiue no â—…rt of benefite of that religion no more then if they had been Protestants The which what a danger it is all true Christian men doe both know and feare But yet that the simpler sort may better vnderstande it and the wiser better consider of it I will in particuler repeate some of the abouesaide dommages First therefore a Catholike by going to the Protestantes Churches looseth all participation of that blessed sacrifice of the body and blood of our Sauiour appointed by the saide Sauiour as I haue shewed before to bee offered vp dayly in the oblation of the Masse for the commoditie of the whole worlde quicke and dead and for that cause as the godly and learned Saint Iohn Chrisostome saith Called the comon sacrifice of the whole worlde The which action of offering of this sacred Hoste the sonne of God to his father is of such dignitie excellencie and merite not only to the Priest but also to the standers by assisting him as al the other good works which a man can do in his life are not to be coÌ„pared with it seeing that the very angels of heaueÌ„ do come down at that time to adore after the consecration that sacred body and to offer the same vp with vs to God the Father of the whole worlde As all the holy Fathers of the Primatiue churche did both beleeue and teach Of the whiche it shall be enough at this time to alleadge one or two S. Gregorie therefore the first saieth thus What faithfull man can doubt but that in the verie houre of immolation or sacrifice the heauens doe open at the Priestes voice and that the quires of Angels bee present there in that mysterie of â—…esus Christ And Saint Chrisostome handeling the same saith At that time the time of consecration in the Masse the Angels stand by the Priest and the vniuersall orders of the celestiall powers doe crie out and the place â—…igh to the Aulter is full of quires of Angels in the honour of him who is there sacrificed And immediatelie after hee telleth two visions of holy men whose eyes were by the power of God as hee saith opened and they in those visions sawe the Angelles present at the time of consecration And in an other place hee yet more at large explicateth the same sayinge At that time deare brotâ—…er at the time of consecration and eleuation not onely men doe giue out that dreadfull crie saying wee adore thee O Lorde c. but also the Angels do bow their knees to our