faultes If it be little that I haue yet alleaged against you heare more if it be not too little but enough to condemne you and too too much for you to finde any euasion yet wil I adde more to see if any thing can moue you yea though nothing wâ—l moue you yeâ— wal I adde it to jâ—stifie your condemnation and my complaint woe woe to you who wil not know the time of your visitation Behold I haue stoode at the dore desirous to be let into youâ— hartes and you haue not opened vnâ—o me when therefore ye shal desire to enter into my Kingdome and rest I wil answere you that which the foolish Virgins heard wiâ—h sorrow enough Ye come to late the gate is shut and it shal neuer more be opened I haue sought rest in your soules to make there my mansion and I finde as at my natiuity Luke 1. that there is no place in the Inne I must seeke some-where else I come to your boundes and territories to cast out your Deuils and heale your infirmities Math. 8. you like second Gerasens because of temporal losse of your Swine request me to depart your confines I wil depart and when in necessity you cal me backe I wil not returne I inuite my selfe to your dinner as I did to Zacheus to worke in your house saluation ye conâ—rary to him refuse my courtesie and wil no sâ—luation to your housâ— I wil seeke more worthy Hostes and I wil shâ—ke off the dust of my feete against you I cal you as Lazarus foure daies dead foure yeares dead if not fourty out of your stinking graues I cry come forth come forth and ye wil not arise Possibly you imagine that as I in raising Lazarus brake the common course of nature to shew my glory so I wil in you swarue from the statute of your creation and violating your free vvil make you Catholikes by force so to saue you wel lie stil in your putrifaction whom my voice could not raise to saluation my Angels shal raise them to judgement I haue so â—ong stoode and cryed Ye â—hich trauaile and are loden come vnto me and I wil refresh you I haue openly proclaimed that vvhosoeuer thirsteth should come vnto me and I wil giue him drinke of the water of life Which importunate indeauours of mine and vehement prouocations since they nothing auaile seing ye contemne my loue and set not by the riches of my mercy I am forced to an our cry against you O al ye which passe by the way behold and see if there be any griefe like vnto mine See if any man were euer so handled by his enimies as I their God by my creatures See if euer so great kindnesse hath beene recompensed with so monstrous vngratitude if Superiouâ—s were euer so dispighted by their Subjects Lordes by their Vassals See if at any time beggarly necessity despised so bountiful munificence or apparant peril of ruine and vtter destruction were so securely neglected See if any memory can record so high a Majesty to haue loued so affectionally as base a bondmaide and to haue beene so ignominiously repulsed in his suite What fettered caitiues were euer called to such glorious liberty and would not come out of their dungeons What languishing in such loathsome malladies were proffered health and loued better their noisome calamity Consider and see how the Courtly cares the Royal cheare which I haue prepared for my feast Luke 14. hath beene frustrate and disgraced by vnworthy companions one excuseth himselfe by cares an other by couetousnesse an other by caruality one hath businesse an other is bargaining the third hath married and cannot come Nay ye shal not come but the time shal come when like dogges ye shal hunger and runne about searching and shal not finde for your famine Ye shal craue and wish cry and cal for the crummes which shal fal from my childrens table and from the trenchers of my house-hold but shal not obtaine them ye shal roare after one draught of wate to allay your thirst neither shal it be reached yet vvhen you haue done your worst by not comming when ye were called my banquet shal not be blemished I wil oppose to your soules of better talent you frustrate my feast but it shal not be frustrate I wil fil it with better guestes you disgrace it but I vvil grace it with more honourable roomes ye shal be eternally barred from the table of the Lambe Heretikes shal enter before you into my Kingdome Heretikes shal be conuerted to supply your place and Infidels wil I fetch from East and West India to sit in my glory and ye shal be throwne into vtter darkenesse They shal possesse the Thrones ordained for you they shal enjoy the Crowne which hong ouer your heades in expectation of your deâ—erts Faith shal be giuen to them to them shal thâ— gâ—ace be translated which ye refâ—se and they shal fulfil the righteousnesse belonging to their b leefe 34. Schismatiâ—â—s bâ— their euil example impugne the Catholike â—aith But oh that only ye lost your owne Crownes and that ye were not occasion of perdition to thousands more Oh that though ye honour me not your selues yet that ye would not worke me that contumely and reproch which I may not beare at your handes Euery where am I blasphemed through your example my religion growing in contempt because ye set so little by it who are thought to beleeue it The edifice which I so careâ—ully founded ye like mouldring stones decay by your faltring and relenting that which my Saints haue built by their bloud or rather I by mine owne ye ruinate by the world and flesh as fast as zeale laboureth to kindle holly flame so fast doth your coldnesse extinguish it Marke how desolate my house is and how many haue forsaken my Church one through anothers example It is your dissimulation that betraieth my cause without which persecution could little preuaile For introduction and confirmation to your errour ye set the examples of others before your eies as pillers of your actions others shal make you the ground of their vngodlinesse The contagion runneth among you from one to an other as Chored sheepe and blasted fruit ye daily are destroied and destroy by mutual infection you say you hurt not me or my cause but the joy of the aduersary and the dole of the Catholikes conuinceth it If you could now see the triumph vvhich you adorne for the Deuil and the sorrow of the Angels and Saints as you shal one day know it you vvould confesse no lesse then I now charge you vvithal in the meane space that which you see in the Children of light and in the Children of darkenesse how the one is grieued the other encouraged and how each side laboureth the one to vvinne you the other to hold you fast is sufficient to informe you and condemne you because Moyses and Aaron did once by their example not sanctifie me I would
daily vexe me Wicked and peruerse people yeeld you this thankes to my kindnesse this recompense to my deserts Why doe ye thus forsake me and deny me dispise and disobey me oppugne and assault me Ye forsake me and deny me 4. Schismatiks deny dispise impugne God and say with a bold countenance wherein haue we forsaken and denied thee Haue ye not renounced my seruice cast off my liuery departed from my family passed from my campe and coulers to the aduersaries tentes and yeelded to the profession of a Protestant Ye dispise and disobey me yet blush not to say wherein oh Lord doe we dispise or disobey thee Haue I not commanded you to loue me aboue al and to confesse my name my beleefe and Church and to contend euen vnto death for my truth sake Where is your loialty Haue not I ordained Sacraments for your special comfort a Sacrifice celestial for memory of my exceeding munificence and as an homage of Christian subjection haue I not in my Church determinate ceremonies and obseruances for the greater dignity of my seruice and absoluter vnity of my family Al which sithence you frequent not where is your loue of me or the regard of my honour you oppugne me also and assault me and dissemblingly say wherein doe we oppugne and assault thee Oh Sauiour your example discomforteth others vvhich would else doe wel dissolueth the courage decreaseth the number of my part weakeneth the cause of faith and fortifieth the enimy 5. Schismatikes wilfully deceiue them selues You flatter your selues notwithstanding al these injuries soothing your consciences with a vaine pretence that you loue and honour me stil and with a false glozâ— that you would not for a thousand worldes forsake my seruice nor deny my sacred name How iniquity wil lie vnto it selfe and beare the port of innocency you list not found the depth of your owne hartes for feare of touching the quicke and espying the default which you would not see because seing you would not amend and not amending must needes feele the continual fretting of a disquieted conscience and thinke your soules to hang ouer the Dragons mouth But I wil search the ground of your hollow hartes reueale your deepe dissimulation vnmaske your vaine pretences and launce your festered soares to the very bottome Doe ye not as Peter deny your selues 6. By Peters denial is proued that Schâ—smatik deny Christ to be of my company doe ye not apparantly renounce yea and sometime abjure the fellowship of my followers Doe ye not pretend to haue nothing to doe with their conuersation dreading to be prâ—sumed as one of their number what is this but to disclaime from my Religion to depart from the corps of my vniuersal Church and to seperate your selues from the Congregation vvhich among al the people of this land is al only left for my inheritance and among whom only I am seâ—ued and honoured To deny the communion of my flocke is to deny me to be the true Sheep-heard to renounce the fellowship of the household of faith is to renounce me for your Lord and to disauow my seruice In not partaking with my children you cast me off as none of your Father and in disioyning your selues from the rest of my members you giue sufficient argument that I am not your head Thus you renounce me for your God denying vtterly my holy name and Majesty If you be not vrged to deny my God-head no more was Peter If you be not willed to reuolt in hart from your Redeemer no more was he If you be not expresly commanded to appostate from your faith and conscience no more was he If you deny with month â—o one article of beleefe no more did he In sound beleefe of hart he passed you farre or if comparison should passe betweenâ— you I suppose you wil vaunt no prerogatiue His zeale had in other respects beene often proued as yours daily vpon smal trial deserueth reproofe Your vvickednesse may almost justifie his weakenesse at leastwise the enormity of your crime may extenuate the guilt of his frailty Though he denied me his Master by denying himselfe to be a Disciple yet waded he not so farre as by any other external signe to beare shew of an enimy Though he wickedly spake and rashly perjured as ouer-carelesse what he replied to a Girles question Yet before the Magistrate at publike trial of his faith he shewed more constancy accomplishing by losse of life the period of this penance then which neither could he offer vp nor I require any greater satisfaction After thrise offending he conceiued harty and profound contrition neither euer relapsed into like sacrilege but presently bewailed vvith bitter teares the grieuousnesse of his sinne and lamented the longest day of his life The crowing of the Cocke was a peale to his penance a memorial infallible to showres of remorse and what one day had committed of sinne aâ— daies following omitted not to sobbe How different are your deserts from his how contrary a course doe ye take multiplying your sinnes without al modesty if not without measure not priuatly and sodainly speaking a word of Apostacy but publikely in the face of the vvorld committing actes of Heresie vvithful deliberation with a hart resolued to hazard shipwracke and giue aduenture vpon the shelfes of sinne Not contented vvith eschewing the exercise of the Catholike faith and participation with the faithful in profession of conscience ye make no scruple to frequent the rites of a false beleefe and partake vvith my vtter enimies in the sacrilegious impiety of their profession Yet whereas in him you acknowledge a damnable and mortal denial of me the Lord of Hostes your owne more apparant and odious you wil not vnderstand But you reply a crafty generation as you are crafty to deceiue your selues and as ingenious in iniquity as slow to piety you wil returne vpon me the reproofe of an vnjust complaint saying 7. Schismatikes are not of the Catholike Church that you be Catholikes and remaine firmely vnited to the Church my Spouse Daâ—e ye then say that Catholike Resantes are not my proper stocke Or can ye maintaine that your selues are of their band members of their Church and Fraternity or vvil ye auouch that any company can be mine vvhich imbraceth not wholy their faith For vpon one of these three of force ye must rely if ye vvil justifie your selues to be Children of my Church or fortifie your errour vvith hope of saluation Recusants to stand vpon an assuâ—ed ground none can justly deny 8. The assured grouÌ„d where vpon Recusants staÌ„d or vvith reason cal their saluation in question vvho cleaue stedfastly to their fore-fathers faith departing neither on the right hand nor on the left hand from the rule of religion but agonizing euen vnto death in that Confession vvhere-unto their first christined Auncestours vvere conuerted and wherein al their Godly Predecessours both vertuously liued and happily died Ye your selues though slacke
doe the workes of children if you be my seruants doe the vvorkes of seruants Haue accesse to my Priests frequent my Sacraments cleanse your soules by humble confession and penance haue in due reuerence my rights and ceremonies honour my seruice with your presence prostrate your selues before my holy Altar lifting vp pure hartes and handes Adore with zealous indeauour at the houre of my dreadful Sacrifice when propitiation for the liuing and dead when memory of your Redeemer is celebrated This seeke through fire and vvater through swordes and snares Let neither distance of miles nor friuoulous danger of places nor surmised peril of your owne persons impeach Godly indeauours what should I say more declare by your deuotion that you hunger and thirst saluation and that you set by nothing so much as by the exercises of your religion and the presence of me your Sauiour Aboue al flie the Synagogues of Sathan flie al prophane praiers al heretical coÌ„uenticles al vngodly rites al participation with any thing that belongeth to the table and cuppe of Deuils This doe and then cal me Father of heauen and the Church Mother of earth I wil blesse you in life and shee shal present you to meat your death Here you straine courtesie here flesh and bloud reclaimeth the spirit taking the foile and the old man triumphing 14. Schismatikes justly repelled from the Sacraments some of you discharge themselues of their crimes by mystewards ouer rigorous austerity and by coÌ„plaint of injury in being secluded from my sacred misteries vnderstand ye what ye aske oh ye hypocrites in this one thing only happy that your suite is suspended and prudently rejected by those which know that they are ordained for dispensers not for spenders and vvasters of my celestial prouision and that the childrens foode is not to be giuen to dogges nor pearles to be cast before swine why demaunde ye that which would augment your damnation which though most diuine yet would no more sanctifie you then it did Iudas nor more preuaile you then the Arke did profit the Philistian The sweetest conserues in vndisposed stomackes turne to gal and choller the most nourishing meates breede most annoy in infected bodies and nothing is wholsome where wanteth digestion What flower or herbe the Spider feedeth on turneth to venom be it neuer so pleasant and vvhat Serpents deuour turneth to poison be it neuer so wholsome How dare you proffer to approch to my Altar where so great a Majesty is resident vvithout sufficient examination and proofe of your worthinesse how can ye be proued vnlesse ye be purged how purged but by penance how admitted to penance and pardon either not acknowledging your guilt or not in purpose of amendment Wel then 15. Schismatiks are to be presumed for Heretikes and why among my Catholikes since you are not where shal I finde you where are your raunges being that you cleaue to Sectaries in actes of their Schismatical profession I pronounce you Protestants whose proceedings in departure from the faith though in priuate opinion or possibly in talke ye reproue yet by presence at their houses of Idolatry you in appearance honour by obeying you allow by example you further by deedes you confirme by dissembling you establish You goe thither as one of them you sit there as one of them you behaue your selfe reuerently as one of them The Caluinist taketh you for Proselites and as either conuerted or conformed not altogether abhorring their pretended religion not ouer resolute in the old faith and finally as persons not farre from their Kingdome The poore Catholike scandalized at your impiety frameth no other conceipt then that either you are quite peruerted to heresie or at leastwise that your faith is in the wane that your Sunne is set your deuotion done the light of your soule extinguished that you are lost sheepe distemblers Schismatikes and at the brinke of bottomelesse heresie And haue not thinke you the one and the other just reason of their censure You giue your hand though you vvith-hold your hart you weare the Deuils coate though you cal him not Lord you honour him though you hate him though you abhonâ— him yet you obey him 16. Those which goe to the coÌ„ueÌ„ticles of Heretical rites are justly and properly called Schismatikes Abhominable is Schisme and â—oâ—rible is the name of a Schismatike but why should this be a word of offence to whom the subject thereof and the sacrilege of so great a sinne is neither shame nor remorse Men are men not priuy to the secreâ—s of harts the vnderstanding censureth as by the senses is deliuered The Church therefore judgeth by that which shee seeth not by that which shee seeth not The deede as reason wil doth prejudice the contrary word and vpon the fact riseth sentence of faith When my Church in her first prime vvas nipped vvith sharpe persecution so that diuers blossomes sel from her branches those which through passionate feare condescended to Idolatry vvere by the Bretheren condemned as fallen from their faith rejected as Apostataes and denounced excommunicated neither receiued againe vvithout publike satisfaction and many yeares penance He that should keepe the Saterday holy and pray with Iewes in their congregation were to be supposed a Iew Euery man would exclaime against the fact vvithout caring for the cause He that entreth any of Mahomets meschits prayeth in his Temples or kisseth the bookes of his law is of euery Christian man defied for a Runnegate and of the Turkes priuileged for a Boserman no man inquiring whether loue of their Mahometry or dread of extremity whether carnal sensuality and liberty of their law or worldly prosperity did moue him fixing their eies vpon his outward action men let the intention repose it selfe in the prosound abisme of the hart what then should hinder why you also associating Heretikes in their actions yea principal and proper actions of their profession should not be blazoned for a sherents to Infidelity bearing the blot of depaâ—ters from my Church Catholike and consequently of Schismatical persons 17. ProtestaÌ„ts cannot be of the Catholike Church neither in their faith can be saluation I know I know what it is that lieth at your hart a mischiefe so corrupting your appetite that it destreth not good and your tast that it discerneth not euil a priuy poison but so pestiterous so benumming not the senses but the soule that if it be not exhausted an incureable letargy a mortal and euerlasting sleepe ensueth ye are not perswaded forsooth that the Protestants religion is so abhominable they are to precise which either make them Heretikes or thinke that Heretikes must needes miscarry What we be al Christians beleeue in one Sauiour expect one heauen and enjoy one redemption Haue not al men soules to saue little diffeâ—ences make no great square in the foundation we agree At leastwise whatsoeuer their liues be wicked and doctrine false their praiers and Churches must needs be of God because they
the Lord the Lord when I the Lord haue not spoken vnto them are worse ten-fold then the Prophets of Baal sooner shal the Publican be justified then the hypocritical Pharasie viler and more hateful before me and men is the Adultresse which by Matronlike demeanure would seeme a Saint then the open Strumpet which carrieth lightnesse on her backe and vanity in her face A plaine fable is laughed at but not hated because it is not made to deceiue neither is apt to deceipt if the authour would but a lie forged and obtruded for truth is intollerable Yet if so be that wilfulnesse hath amazed reason that whereas you are resolued to die rather then yeeld to Idolatry for so now and then you would make your selues beleeue yet you would yeeld to heresie rather then sustaine any damage Reflect then once at my request vpon my good Christians whom Idolatry being ouer-come I exercised by Arianisme some-what alwaies being necessary to try my elect Restect I say your vnderstanding vpon their excellent zeale except perhaps ye refuse with soare eies to behold the Sunne for feare of greater annoy marke wel how they fortified their faith against the Arrian Heretikes Socrat. l. 2. c. 12.22.23.24 Theod. l. 4. cap. 14. Niceph. l. 9. cap. 24. Regard how in Greece they vvithstood the Proclamations of Valens the Emperor choosing rather to be scorched brent slaine at their assemblies without the Church walles then they would be present at publike praier of their heretical Superintendent though their seruice which he said were nothing altered from their owne Victor Vtic. de persecutione Vandalorum set before your eies the horrible calamities and intollerable vexations vvhich Catholikes in Africa endured vnder their Vandal Princes for refusing to partake with them in their Arrian rites and for priuately frequenting Masse vvhen it was forbidden Finally muster before your selues the Martirs and Confessors of al ages from the beginning of the vvorld to this present time from Abel to the last which you haue seene or might haue seene with your owne eies Let the very names of Martir and Confessor exhort you the first whereof admonisheth you Martir signifieth witnesse that I require your testimony refuse not therefore to beare witnesse of my truth the other that I challenge your suite and seruice at my Court your duty and attendance at my feasts your vassalage and alleageance confesse therefore and deny me not Oh ye stubborne bowes which wil rather breake then come to the just bent which the true measure of Christianity requireth Oh peruerse generation how much ye want of the perfection of auncient beleeuers Nay how much want ye of the true zeale which a number of good soules declare on whom yet I haue bestowed lesse gifts either of nature or of worldly prosperity In case you say to your selues that you see not the actions of auncient times yet the example and constancy of these doth euery day in euery place hitte you on the eies and might wound your hartes if they were flesh and not of flint nay if they were not too fleshy and voide of al spirit How just cause haue I then to exclaime against you oh disloyal wreatches how long wil ye reject my authority and kicke against my Commandements 25. By what coÌ„mandements of God going to the Heretiks praiers is forbidden who am I that charge you am not I the Omnipotent who am I that cal you am I not your Creatour You put your hand in your bosome and draw forth an empty excuse from your hollow hartes you can remember no law of mine that you brake by going to heretical seruice nor can finde any precept to the contrary I perceiue that you are deeplier seene in the statutes of men then in mine ordinances in the common law then in the Canons more minde the managing of secular affaires then of your soules and better know how many yeares purchase a peece of land is worth or how much a loade of corne commeth to at such a rate then what pâ—â—â—e heauen is to be valued at or what summe of felicity merits added to merits wil at length a mount vnto which is that great and maine commandement not the principal point only but the abridgement of the whole law Is it not that man loue me with al his hart vvith al his strength with al his soule you answere this serueth your turne and that you loue me asmuch as I require But descend to the particulars and you shal be taken with the lie Did I no where wil that besides beleeuing in hart you should also professe your beleefe before men Or vvil you violently make me to meane before Iews and Heathen but not before Heretikes in time of religion flourishing but not in time of persecution to the obtaining of credit or commodity but not to detriment Did I not adde that he which denieth me before men shal be denied of me in the presence of Angels He which shal be ashamed of my religion I wil put him to open confusion and which shal saue his life temporally by yeelding to the persecutour shal loose it eternally being condemned at a more dreadful tribunal when vniuersal Sizes are held ouer al the world Isay 42. Haue I not said that I am a jealous God and wil not giue my honour to another Deuter. 7. Did I not seuerely forbidde my people to encermedle in Heathenisse rites did I not for peril thereof interdict them al society Exod. 23. and coÌ„uersation with Infidels did I not denounce by my Apostles pen that as in hart men are to beleeue that they may be justified Rom. 10. so with mouth they are to confesse their saith that they may be saued If by mouth how much more by deedes and the whole course of their life Or wil I thinke you contrary my owne decrees approue him which confesseth me in wordes and denieth me in profession And what if I had not in such expresse wise prescribed your duty 26. Schismatikes violate the law of nature by going to the Protestants Churches doth not the light of reason the law of nature the office of a Christian man suggest teach command that ye cleaue firmely to your faith and that for no cause possible to be imagined ye commit any thing in word ordeed or omit any thing by negligence or slouth which may import a departure from your religion or be so interpreted and accepted or that may seeme in any one point a conformity to a strange and false faith a yeelding or agremeÌ„t to irreligious proceedings If he which breaketh one commandement be guilty of al as a violater of charity shal not he likewise vvhich faileth or falleth in one point of faith be fully guilty of Infidelity To beare truly the title of a faithful soule it is not enough to beleeue a-right in one or two articles but my whole law that is the entire word of faith must stedfastly be imbraced If then
I shal say goe ye cursed for not doing good for omitting only hospitality and workes of mercy shal wickednesse goe scot-free shal partaking with Heretikes in their abh minations passe as innocent Shal departure from my Church my Faith and Sacraments deserue to heare Come ye blessed Is there nothing for me to examine but whether you be murtherers theeues or adulterers doe I much respect that you should not offend your neighbour and contemne my owne injuries 27. Heresie peâ—â—ecutioÌ„ purposely permitted of God for trial of meÌ„s harts I foretold while I conuersed on earth that heresies of necessity must be for the trial and manifestation of mens hartes that it might be apparant who would of a proude and contemptuous spirit embrace heresie who would of faint hart and pusi lanimity obey it who contrarywise vvould meekely trace his reuerent Fathers steps and preferre the authority of the vniuersal Church before his owne imaginations and not to be shaken as a reede with any tempestes of blustering persecution Luke 12. I fore-warned that I came not to send peace but seperation betweene Parents and Children Subject and Prince Master and Seruant betweene Wife and Husband Bretheren Kinsfolke and Friendes that persecutions should be raised on al sides and that he which loueth parents or children or what else more then me and wil not take vp his Crosse and follow me Math. 10. is not my Disciple nor worthy to haue part in my Kingdome Are you Christians 25. DisseÌ„bling in religion is abhominable and thinke your selues excused from the precept which I gaue to the Synagogue that if any man would draw you to a straunge faith he should not be obeyed for that by such I make proofe of my seruants I discouer the secrets of the hart and sift the branne from the fine flowre try the wheate from chaffe Are you Christians and know not that to follow a false faith is to serue a false God and to beginne new and straunge doctrine of faith is to erect a new and straunge Idol If you doubt thereof I assure you it is so And now is your time of trial now are you called vpon sollicited yea commanded to follow new doctrine to serue Caluins Idol now are you cast into the furnace now shal you proue your selues either gold or drosse and the calamities of this present time I haue purposely sent that the secrets of al hartes shal be reuealed Reuealed you are to your owne shame and to my griefe What shal I doe to your stony hartes to whom my serious commandement of professing sincerely your saith by your conuersation is but as a puffe of winde against a mountaine Shal I charge your consciences vvith Moyses ceremonies and cause you as I did the Iewes to beare the remembrance of this commandement vpon your bodies seing it is so shine from your hartes Shal I forbidde you to vveare linsey-woolsey in your raiment to joyne in the plough the Asse with the Oxe and to sow with two kinde of seedes Though these obseruances were appendant to the old law doubt ye not but the signification of them taketh place in the new He which walketh simply and plainely Pro. 10. walkes confidently Dissimulation and double-dealing I in euery thing hate but in factes of religion I vtterly abhorre Admit that neither reason nor rule of conscience suggested vnto you 29. Schismatikes contemne thâ— authority of the Church nor that I expresly exacted of you such firme confession of faith yet ought not the authority of my Church to weigh so light in your conceipts as neither to hearken vnto my Priests who to reduce you from Heretical conuenticles set nought by their liues and haue by their bloud confirmed the thing to be vnlawful refusing to accept pardon of life vpon so damnable a condition nor to my Vicat in earth vvho sollicitous for soules spareth neither care nor cost for your saluation nor to the declaration of my General Councel at Trent vvhich resolued when this case came first in question that not without grieuous sacrilege you could yeeld your presence at the Heretikes Churches or Ecclesiastical assemblies or by any other manner of signe giue external consent to their detestable rites A thing indeede which by men of vnderstanding could neuer haue beene doubted off if worldly feare had not blinded peoples harts and made them hard to beleeue that which pleased not their humour What can they therefore accompt themselues who wil not hearken to my Spouses voice nor obey her admonition but to be vvorse then Heathens and Infidels Math. 17. 2. Reg. Let them know that not to obey her is as sacâ—legious as Idolatry and al that contemne her are accursed Tob. 13. 30. Heretikes how precisâ—ly to be shunned Besides that principal precept of louing your God aboue al and that other absolute statute of constant profession of my faith Catholike which suffereth no exception If you wil but a little looke about you ye shal finde that I haue yet left you another commandement as a continual helpe against mans frailty a soueraigne preseruation against al infection of pestilent doctrine It is more auaileable against the spiritual enimy then any armour of proofe or a ten-fold shield and might in these darkesome daies be a torch vnto your steps Wil you beare to hâ—are it wil you indeauour to follow it that my present admonition may not turne to your greater damnation you wil if you may heare it from my owne mouth it shal be joyfully receiued as comming from heauen your wordes are reasonable Wel then whose spirit but mine inspired and established as a perpetual obseruation to the worldes end that Heretikes should be vtterly auoided as men subuerted and already damned by their owne judgemeÌ„t Tit. 3. Rom. 16. as sowers of schisme and authors of diuision by teaching contrary faith to that which was first receiued 2. Tim. 2. 2. Tim. 3. as whose speech creepeth like a canker as louers of pleasures rather then of God making a shew of piety but denying in effect the vertue thereof Math. 7. 2. Pet. 2. as Wolues in sheepes attire as authours of blasphemous Sects bold selfe conceipted walking after the flesh 2. Pet. 3. 1. Ioh. 2. as those who following their owne fancies and desires haue issued out from among the faithful and fallen from the truth 2. Tim. 2. * Iudae 4. turning the grace of God to vncleanenesse and are therefore already appointed to judgement as false Apostles 2. Cor. 11. deceitful labourers Ministers of Sathan whose end shal be according to their workes and to conclude al iniquity imaginable vnder one title as Antichrist â— Ioh. 2. I wil not therefore that ye eate or drinke or haue familiarity with them Ioh. ep 2. I wil not that ye friendly salute them for in so doing you partake in their wicked workes and bolster them in their proccedinges and by just consequent must be
neuer let them enter the land of promise and shal you enter into my rest who dishonour me before people euery day He which is the ruine of one poore soule were better be drowned with a milstone and thinke ye it a sleight matter to destroy ye knowe not your selues how many The children of Israel repining against the difficulties which they found when I ledde them through the laborious desert as I now conduct my Church in England through the vncouth dreadful and paineful waies of affliction and tribulation I caused them euery one to die in the wildernesse except only Iosua and Caleb because they two asmuch as in them lay encouraged forward the rest Shal then your murmuring and rebelling against the crosses laid vpon my flocke escape my judgements Wherein chiefly lay the sinne of Ophin and Phines for which I plagued both their father their children and al their posterity was it not the alienating and discouraging of people from my sacrifice by prejudicial behauiour wil any King going to warre-fare endure him which shal by faint wordes or cowardly examples detract the journey and dissolue the Souldiers hartes from battaile I suppose not for one such person hurteth more then seauen enimies if he vvould should he not build with one hand and pul downe with the other How then can ye be excused from being both impediments and impugners of my religion seing as in skirmish so in contention about religion the apprehension of man and his frailty is such that if one shrinke ten faint and if ten yeeld a hundred flie and diuers not standing to their tackling the ouerthrow of al followeth and slaughter of the rest Oh ye fugitiues from my pauilions and campe ye cal me King 35. Schismatikes grieuously abuse God but where is your subjection you cal me Captaine but where is your courage you cal me Lord but where is yours seruice ye cal me father but where is your fillial loue ye cal me Sauiour but where is your care of saluation ye cal me Redeemer but where is your thankefulnesse ye cal me Creatour but where is your obedience and loue ye cal me Omnipotent yet ye feare not my power ye cal me just yet feare not my rodde ye cal me wâ—se yet thinke not that I pearce your dissimulation ye cal me merciful yet accept not my pardon which I here offer you yet againe if ye wil presenâ—ly repent Ye cal me good yet vse it not but abuse my goodnesse ye cal me righteous yet doe me wrong ye cal me God yet haue more respect of man Ye say ye are not wicked but what greater impiety then to associate your selues to my aduersaries to betray my cause to deny my religion and forsake the participation of my Sacraments To haue more care of your substance then of your soules to poise the world and me in ballance and preferre it before me not to deale with my Priests not to assemble at my praiers to liue like Heathens acknowledging the seruice which ye haunt to be folly and sacrilege yet otherwise wanting al exercise of Religion Cursed is hee that doth my worke negligently and fraudulently and cursed is he which doth it not al. Why doe I thus reprehend a sort of innocents 36. Excuses of Schismatikes refelled who wish wel to me and my faith and with al their hartes desire the returne of their fore-fathers daies helping my distressed members to their vttermost power It is not they which haue denied my faith and abolished my lawes or which persecute with such extremity What they doe is against their wil vpon meere compulsion not so much for regard of their owne particular as of children and family neither from the hart but for fashion sake and obedience and only for a time They purpose not to die otherwise then graffed into my body Mystical and true members of my Church and in the meane space redeeme the time of their sinne vvith workes of mercy Can iniquity thus teach your mouthes an vntrought Pyned consciences howe greedily they pray vpon the foode of falshood The bread of lying rellisheth wel in your tast but the grauel thereof shal grate your mouthes and fret your mawes Against your owne soules ye pleade 37. Schismatikes are not excused by pretence of helping the Catholike Others indeede made the breach in Peters Net but why haue ye with them fallen head-long forth others ouer-sowed the cockle but why are ye choaked there-with others raised the smoke but how hapneth it that your eies are blinded others pursue and assault my Catholikes but why haue ye through your departure vveakened them and made them a pray to whom if ye had manfully stoode neither they should haue beene so oppressed nor you liue in such slauery of conscience nor I haue beene so dishonoured in this Realme and almost quite exiled What tel ye me of your simple assistance which is the least that ye ought to doe but farre from the most that ye might Is your continuance in Schisme to further the conuersion of England What Shal my Church be reared in iniquity and Syon founded vpon damned soules Can not I maintaine my power without your sinnes or though I vse you as I finde you wil I euil that good may redounde thereof I seeke not your goods but your good not your substance but your sanctification you and not yours Build not your sinnes vpon my backe for I wil cast you headlong I neede not your dissimulation you are not necessary to me at al. If I feede you without other mens aide so can I feede others without you Perhaps I am beholding vnto you that ye are not such flat Heretikes as some are I had as liefe ye were Oh we are luke warme I would ye were cold oh vve doe not wholy follow Baal If Baal be God follow him wholy if I be God follow him not at al but me halt no longer betweene both And what is it that ye dreame off your good vvorkes 38. Schismatike merit not glory not remiâ—sio by theâ— good workes and frame imaginations of I know not what manner to redeeme your sinnes Pretend ye to be Christians to be of vnderstanding to know wel what ye doe and are ignorant that al workes done in state of â—inne and out of grace how much soeuer they tend to piety or intend my honour are aboundantly rewarded if in consâ—deration thereof I temporally blesse you with health wealth or other proâ—perity seing they neither satisfie my justice noâ— merit remission of offences Hauing dismembred the vnâ—â—â— of my Church by your departure and violated the sacred bond of her peace and charity whatsoeuer ye doe though ye gaue al to the poore and your bodies to the fire for my sake ye are nothing ye doe nothing ye shal reape nothing I spit at your workes if you thinke that done out of grace they serue to saluation Nothing saueth but by liuely vertue and force of my Passion vvith which none
too wel and tickled not your hartes with delight If you loathed the world and could brooke either the absence of her company or the eie of her displeasure ye would not feare what shee could doe vnto you which to speake the most is but to vse you frowardly or to banish you her sight This if shee did am not I presently ready with armes displaied to receiue you into my bosome into my Pallace into my eternal and incomparable Tabernacles If ye loued me ye would not so loue the world ye would not so feare her Seing ye violate my commandement because of her countermande how is it not manifest that wherein you obey me ye obey me for feare of my reuenging rodde which also ye would soone treade vnder foote if the world should thither in like sort extend her prohibition Oh faithlesse cowardes and not faithful champions oh Hares and not Men oh patternes of pusillanimity what auaileth it you for excuse feare indeede as you say driue you from your duty I euidently denounced that ye should not feare them which kil the body and cannot destroy the soule but me who can cast both body and soule into euerlasting flames Haue I no way deserued that you should suffer for me Number the pricks of my sharpe pearsing thornes number the bloudy and renting stripes receiued oueral my body from the rage where of no part from the crowne to the plate was free if ye cannot number these being innumerable consider my fiue deepest woundes consider my despightful death and what I suffered for the redemption of al mankinde for yours in particular amongst the rest Or I pray you if you suffer any thing for my sake is my future glory an vnworthy recompense Am I a slow pay-master or a poore Lord not able to make you amends or are ye richer then I and can expect no just retribution If now while ye are my enimies I haue prouided you and furnisht you vvith many necessary thinges and suffer you to enjoy the fruites of my excellent vvorke-manship the Earth and Skie haue I reserued nothing in store to gratifie my friendes Giue credit to my wordes I tel you that blessed and a thousand times happy are they which suffer persecution and crosses for my name sake and for their conscience for great is their reward in heauen If perfect wisdome were to be talked to vnperfect hartes I vvould tel you how to endure for religion is a thing which in so ample vvise satisfieth for humane negligences and former offences combineth so singular a Garland for the sufferers so exquisitely conformeth to the type of my Passion and maketh men so like to mee their Sauiour that Saints in al ages haue with teares of harty affection desired it with joy imbraced it drawing neare and feruently sought it when it was farre off why feare ye and tremble oh ye of little faith why dispaire ye cast your selues away O ye of no faith The shippe-man calleth to me from the bottome of the Sea in expectation to be swallowed and I heare him The trauailer passing through the midst of theeues craueth my aâ—â—e and I conduct him safe Daniel was secure in the Lyons den Ionas in the Whales belly the three children in the furnace because I assisted them I forsooke not my Disciples and shippe though sometime I seeme to sleepe and to forget them If your eies were worthy to be opened you should see as my seruant Elizeus did millions of Angels in readinesse for preseruation of my Church and company Feare not therefore that from which both I can deliuer you if I wil and wil as I see it best Deny ye my omnipotency and ability to deliuer you or if I cal you to suffer some-what for me who are ye that dare detract and say ye wil not if ye be so bold can ye aliue or dead escape my handes but that I wil make you suffer euen in this life much more for your sinnes and that without al consolation thankes or recompence That which ye feare shal come furiously vpon you and oppresse you like an armed Giant Though ye feare to serue me yet wil not I be afraide to repay your dastardy with a dreadful hire The slouthful person feareth to be stoned with a peece of turfe pretendeth for his lazines Eccles 22. A Lyon is without the dore in the midst of the streete I shal be deuoured What ailest thou Prophet of slouth if thou take courage I am with thee Pro. 29. Feare me and my law he which feareth man shal soone perish but he which trusteth in me shal be assured What fearest thou persecution as a Lyon Feare sinne and flie from it for it is a Serpent and a two edged sword You heare not you are not perswaded Goe your waies ye vnkinde wreatches ye shal not suffer for me for ye are not worthy 42. Excuse of necessity ouerthrowne Necessity you say hath no law but deserueth pardon Oh how you vexe me with wilful blindnesse What necessity is there why ye should deny your faith by going to the malignant congregation Necessity forceth you to saue your soules for if ye doe not in vaine ye haue receiued them nay cursed is the houre vvherein ye were borne vvho haue frustrated the end of your creation vvhich was that glorifying me in this life ye might be glorified by me in the life to come and caused my bloud to be shedde for you in vaine and shal be damned for euer-more without al redemption But no necessity compelleth you to saue your life much lesse your goodes What if ye become poore yea most poore What if ye die is not the cause mine Is it not your faith that ye suffer for I repeate it againe No necessity constraineth you to saue your life much lesse your goodes neither care of your selues neither care of your family Can not I prouide for you and yours 43. Care of family is no excuse of schisme without your sinne Aske the Birdes Fishes and Beastes who feedeth them vvhereas they neither sow nor reape Say not with the murmurers Can God prouide vs foode in the desert feare their example I gaue them sustainance and when they were not content with such as I sent I condescended to them their hartes desire but while the meate was in their mouthes my wrath fel vpon them The expectation of the careful shal perish and the lesse ye trust in me Rom. 11. the lesse regard I wil haue of you Seing you discard me from your accompts I discharge my selfe of your care Wilt thou needes prouide for thy family thou doest wel doth natural loue instigate thee to seeke their maintainance So doe I also yea I tel thee if thou feele not this instinct thou art vvorse then an Infidel But how behoueth it thee to prouide by hooke and by crooke by sinne Schisme Infidelity Perjury Theft Murther must al things be lawful to thee for maintainance of thy family according to