keepe it to your selues and trouble not the state and so that you wil for obedience sake sometime come to our sâ—…agogues shewing your selues conformable men to our proceedings Nay what if they shoulde haue saide Some of you also for outward shewe keeping alwaies your consciences to your selues must flee this odious name of Christians and seeme to communicate now and then with vs in our sacrifices and ceremonies wee are content also that some of you shalbe our officers and Iustices of peace counsellours and the like so that you will sometimes for orders sake punishe some of those vndiscreete felowes of your religion which cannot be content to keepe their consciences to themselues so you wil also giue some pretie sharpe charge in your circuites sessions and assemblies alwayes keeping your consciences to your selues and if some of you also wil some times step vp into the Pulpet and speake three or foure earnest woordes against this religion it shal be verie grateful vnto vs especially if you wil affirme iâ—… with an othe which wee haue deuised for the same purpose and this doing wee assure you that you shal liue quietly to your owne consciences and we shal account you for good subiectes If I say the Magistrates of Iurie at that time should haue giuen to the Apostles and other Christians this sweete charme doe you thinke that they could haue abidden to heare it al out whose hearts did rise and swel at two woordes only that they spoke for the intreating of them to holde their peace And yet many a thousand now in Englande beeing as throughly perswaded in heart of the truth of the catholike religion as the Apostles and other Christians at that time were of theirs are content notwithstanding to heare digest admit and execute al or most part of these thinges recited contrarie to the saide religion And yet besides al this which is more to be wondred at they are not ashamed to persuade them selues that they shal one day come to that glorie wherein the Apostles nowe are But this is desperate presumption And therefore we see what a iust cause this is for a catholike to refuse to come to the churches of the contrarie religion The sixth reason THe sixt cause hée saieth why a catholike may not come to church is because he cannot come without dissimulation Therefore let the Popishe Catholike leaue his dissimulation and become a good Christian rather then to leaue the Church and become an obstinate Schismatike In this reason as in the rest certeine leaues are spent in shewing that God abhorreth dissembling and will not hold them guiltlesse which holde their peace when he is â—…ishonoured and are ashamed clearely to confesse Christ and his trueth before men c. But that the going to Protestantes Churches is a deniall of Christ a dissimulation of his truth or any such matter there is nothing at all brought to proue it But sée I pray you his â—…ditious insinuation which hée maketh in his fonde supposition which hée woulde haue to be applied to our time what if the high Priestes and Magistrates shoulde haue saide to Peter and the Astles Well wee are content that you liue with your consciences so you keepe it to your selues and trouble not the state and so that you will for obedience sake sometime come to our Synagogues shewing your selues conformable men to our proceedinges Nay what if they shoulde haue saide Some of you also for outward shewe keeping alwayes your consciences to your selues must bee this odious name of Christians and seeme to communicate nowe and then with vs in our sacrifices and ceremonies Wee are content also that some of you shalbe our Officers and Iustices of peace Councellers and the like so that you wil sometimes for order sake punishe some of those indiscreete fellowes of your religion which cannot be content to keepe their consciences to them selues so you wil also giue some pretie sharpe charge in your Circuites Sessions and assemblies alwayes keeping your consciences to your selues and if some of you also wilsometimes steppe vp into the Pulpet and speake three or foure earnest woordes against this religion It shalbee verie gratefull vnto vs especially if you wil affirme it with an oth which we haue deuised for the same purpose and this doing wee assure you that you shal liue quietly to your owne consciences and wee shal account you for good subiectes This trayterous supposition which you will vs to apply to our time and note in the Margent to be the maner of dissembling Schismatikes liuely expressed to be done by many in Englande declareth howe reuerently you thinke speake and would haue ignorant persons to conceiue of her Maiestie and the principall Officers and Magistrates of the realme that shée with them not onely exhorteth men to dissimulation false meaning and periurie but also that her Maiestie is content to haue such hypocrites and false forsworne persons to be her Officers and Iustices yea her Councellers and Prelates of the Church No meruaile if you protest of your duetifulnesse and obedience which thus villainously conceiue and write of her excellent Maiestie and call her to the reading of it which were too intollerable to be iudged of any person of wisedome and honestie of howe lowe degrée and calling soeuer hée were It is hard therefore to susteine a counterfeit person long For euen while you declayme against dissimulation you haue discouered your selfe to bee an horrible dissembler The seuenth reason THE seuenth reason why a Catholike may not yeeld to come to the Protestants 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 alow of it by his presence without great offence to God Neither is it sufficient to say as coÌ„monly they vse to say to beguile simple people withall that it is the Scripture taken out of the Gospels Epistles Psalmes and the like For by that argument the Iewes seruice were good at this day which is taken out of the olde Testament and al Heretikes seruice that euer was seemed to be nothing but Scriptures For as S. Austen in diuers places noteth it was alwayes the fashion of heretikes to haue Scripture in their mouth and to cleaue only to scriptures and to refuse traditions as inuentions of men And we reade of the Arrian Heretikes howe they were wont to sing Psalmes in the streetes of Constantinople thereby to allure the people to them And yet we may not say that their seruice was good like as wee cannot say that the deuils talke was good with Christ albeit it were decked with allegation of scripture and other sweete words Although therfore their seruice be ful of scripture it is no good argument that it is therefore infallible good For as S. Ierom saith of al heretikes Whatsoeuer they speake or think that they do speak in the praise of God it is the
to Church is all the benefite of the keyes of the church or of the authoritie of binding or losing But this is nothing so for by going to Church where they may heare the Gospell truely preached they may be made partakers of the keyes wherewith heauen is opened and of remission of sinnes at the handes of God by the ministrie of his woord As for consession of their sinnes such as the Scriptures requireth and the Primitiue Church practised they shal make dayly But Popishe â—…hrift no Scripture requireth neither did the auncient Church practise it They that confessed their dooinges Actes the 19. mâ—…de open and not auricular confession But for proofe of Popishe auricular confession as I thiâ—…ke Augustine is quoted in many Homelies not 〈◊〉 whereof saying Doe you suche penaunce as is wont to bee done in the Churche that the Churche may pray for you Let no man say I doe it secretly I doe it with God alone c. These woordes are manifest that hee speaketh of open confession of suche as had openly offended the Church and were to make open satisfaction for the same But more néerely touching the humour of our men hée saieth c. And so citeth a long saying out of the booke de visitatione infirmorum lib. 2. Cap. 4. Which was neuer written by Augustine nor by any other man of wit or learning Sâ—…che counterfeite stuffe is méete to defende suche false doctrine as that Wherefore although wée vrge not auricular confession neither make we a Sacrament of repentance because it hath no visible signe proper vnto it yet the benefite of the keyes of the Church is not lost but of such as be truely conuerted from Papistrie with an inestimable comfort to be found in our Church The fourth losse is layd to bee of receiuing the blessed Sacrament of the Aulter the precious bodie and blood of Christ beeing the foode of our soules There is no reason brought for this losse but the onely tedious supposition that the bodie and blood of Christ is receiued onely in the Popish Church And whereas hée commendeth the often receiuing of the Sacrament it is well that the Papistes who within time of mens remembraunce made small account of often receiuing as appeareth by their infinite priuate Masses now at length haue founde out that the Sacrament is â—…ot ordeined to be looked on but to be often receiued Fifthly they loose saieth hée all the merit of their good deede s whatsoeuer for which heâ—… citeth Gregorie euen as none receiueth their penny in the Gospel but they onely which had laboured within the compasse of the Vineyarde so no man shal receiue any rewarde for any good deede of his except hee haue done it within the vnitie of the Church To this saying I agrée which speaketh of the reward and not of the merite but that they which come to our Church may not bee members of the true Church of Christ there is not a 〈◊〉 or letter brought for proofe Sixthly they loose the benefite of the Communion of Saintes saieth hée and finally beeing cut off and â—…ut from the other members they take no part of influence which commeth from the head to the bodie c. Héere except wee graunt that vile supposition that the Popishe Sinagâ—…gue is the onely Catholike Church of Christ there can be no consequence but to proue that pointe which is the whole matter in debate we heare neuer a word The ninthe Reason The ninthe reason which catholikes may yeeld for their refusall of going to the church may bee the example of all men from the beginning which haue had any care or conscience towarde their own religion not only good men of whom I haue giuen diuers examples before but also al others howe false and erronious soeuer their religion were yet did they alwayes procure to separate them selues from them of the contrarie religion in the act of prayer and from the Temples Sinagogues churches Oratories and conuenticies of the same So wee reade of the Gentiles which thought it to bee a great sinne and pollution to enter into the Iewes Synagogues or Christians churches The like wee read also of the Turkes at this day So all heretiques from the beginning assoone as they had framed any newe religion eftsoones they eâ—…ected newe Oratories to them selues and refused to come to those of other religions as the Arians Donatistes and the rest had their churches and places of prayer distinct from the catholikes whose churches they 〈◊〉 and auoyded together with their doctrine And so the Anabaptists at this day refuse to goe to the Lutherans church and the Lutherans to the Trinitaries In like wise the Puritans of our â—…ime in Englande refuse to come to the Protestantes churches And the Protestantes in other countriâ—…s doe vtterly denye to present themselues to catholike Churches alledging their conscience for the same and affirming it to bee damnable hypocrisie in them that for feare or for any other temporal reâ—…pect do yeld to doe the same against their faith and conscience Wherby it appeareth that they goe quite against their owne doctrine and example in England which obiect the same to Catholikes as disobedience obstinacie and rebellious dealing which in other countries they them selues both teach and practise I will for more manifestation of this matter put downe here the verie words of one of them translated out of French and printed in England and dedicated to the Lord Treasurer by Iohn Brooke The Authors name is Iohn Gardiner a Protestant who in his Cathechisme or as he calleth it Confession of his faith maketh it a great heâ—…ous sinne for Protestantes to present them selues to our catholike churches wâ—…ich hee according to their blasphemous spirite calleth idolatrous His wordes are these I beleeue and confesse that it is not lawful for any Christian to be assistant neither in spirit nor body at the Sacrifices of idolators nor also to enter inâ—…o their Temples whilest they are doing their idolatries Sacrifices except it be to rebuke them in shewing them their abuses to teach them the truth as the holy Apostles Prophets haue done and not for to dissemble as hypocrites For if the body bre a creature of God as it is as the soule is the temple of the holy Ghost member of the mystical body of Christ and if it must one day râ—…se againe possesse the eternal life with the soule It must also necessarily be that it be altogether giuen vnto the seruice of God in this world with the soule and spirite â—… otherwise they can not be ioyned together after the general resurrection but being separated the one should bee in heauen with God whom he loued and the other in hel with the deuil whom he serued the which is an impossible thing Therfore I say al those dissimulations to be a very renouncing of Christ and of his Gospel And in like maner I beleeue and confesse that all those fayned and false
you summoned before you to defend so maâ—…y thousand Catholikes as in that realme make refusall to goe to Church â—…ut aduise your selfe well whether your Checke roule doe not deceiue you and by a Cyphar too muche make you insteede of a seâ—…e hundreds too sette downe so manye thousandes Or if your friende more woorshipfull then true of his woorde in certifiyng you of manye thousandes of Gentlemen imprisoned whose defense you take in hande â—…oo make hath deceyued you you séeme to bee a manne altogether vnmeâ—…te to speake in the eares of her moâ—…e excellent Maiestie and the Honourable Lords of her Priuie Connsell that I cléene omitte all the wyse and Learned of Englande whiche are so lighte of credite too imagine that so manye thousande Gentlemen of this Realme shoulde professe suche obstinacie after so manye yéeres teaching too refuse obedience too her Maiesties Lawes touching Religion when so fewe of anye calling repugned at the firste publishing of the same Or if you make a wilfull Lye because I cannot thinke so basely of youre witte too bée deceiued in so playne a matter not onelye her Maiestie and Honourable Counsell but all the wise and Learned of England maye easily gesse what trueth they shall looke for in the rest of your discourse when so manifest a falâ—…ood is contayned in your firste sentence and what purpose you followed in faygning the refusall of so manye thousaundes whiche if they were all registred will not muche excéede the leâ—…e number of hundereds Well too omitte the number the cause you say of their refusall is not as their Aduersaries geue out But vppon conscience and greate reason and for the auoyding of manifest perill of eternall damnation whiche they shoulde incurre in yeelding too that whiche is demaunded at theyr handes And that all the wise and learned of the Lande with the Prince and her Counsel maye sée this to be so I saith hee haue put downe some causes and reasons here following â—…erily yoâ—… haue taken a greate péece of woorke in hande and â—…hosen no meanâ—… Iudges therefore it standeth you in hande to bring substantiall prooues Let vs heare therefore how you begin Your Margent noteth A necessary suppositioÌ„ your text runneth in these woordes But first oâ—… all it is to be noted that my reasons to the end they may conuince are to be supposed to proceede from a Catholike minde that is from a man which in his conscience is throughly perswaded that onely the catholike Romaine religion is trueth and that all other newe doctrines and religions are false religions as al new Gods are false Gods Certaynely it is a necessary supposition without the which al your reasons are not woorth a â—…igge and it is such a supposition as if it might haue byn allowed vnto Arius Macedonius or Eutyches c. Their reasons might haue conuinced all their aduersaries Suppose an Heâ—…etike to bee a Catholike and heresie to bee truth and Arius was a good Priest Macedonius was an holy Bishop Eâ—…yches was a reuerend Abbot Truely I was deceiued wheÌ„ I Prognosticated in y â— beginning that the trauell of the mountanes would bring foorth a litle mouse For behold they haue brought â—…oorth a great Monster a necessary supposition y â— this writers reasons to the end they may coÌ„uince are to bee supposed to procéede from a Catholike minde No maruell though you blewe the Trumpet and made a lowd noise That the Queenes most excellent Maiestie the Honourable Lordes of her priuie Counsell and all other the learned and wise of England might sée that all your niene reasons to the ende they may conuince must be supposed to procéede from a man that is persuaded that only the Catholike Romayne religion is trueth and all other new doctrines and religions are false But why doe you oppose the Catholike Romayne Religion to all other new doctrines When by the Catholike Romayne religion you meane the present Popishe religion and not the auncient Romayne religion which was the Catholike religion of all true Christians I sée wel as we must first of all suppose you to be a true Catholik so wee must secondly suppose the present Popishe Heresie to be the auncient Romayne and vniuersall religion of al the Catholike Church of Christ. These suppositions will doe you greate pleasure to the ende as you saye that your reasons maye conuince But by such suppositions the théefe that standeth at the barre with as good reason may bee acquited and the Iâ—…dge that 〈◊〉 on the benche by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bee condâ—…ned After this necessary supposition followeth a profitable diuision of Catholikes whereof there are twoo sortes in Englande One of them whiche although they iudge that all participation with all other Religions is noughte yet for feare or fauour or for some worldly cause they are content to communicate with them in all or some thinges by him named As in deede or in shewe by othe by Sacramentes by going to theyr prayers seruice or otherwise These hee pronounceth tâ—… bée out of all doubte in a damnable case for this hée allâ—…adgeth Augustine Saint Paule Thomas of Aquine c. And it is verie true that whosoeuer doeth contrary to his conscience â—…ee it iustly or falsely perswaded sinneth damnablye but when hee proceedeth further to charge such with sinne agaynst the holye Ghost whereof our Sauiour Christe sayeth that it shall neâ—…r be forgeuen in this worlde nor in the worlde to come hee pronounceth not onelye a falsâ—… but also an vnleâ—…ed Iudgemente and euen contrarie too himselfe and thoâ—…e principles whiche hee alloweth For although hée sinne verie grieuously whiche sinneth wilfully agaynst his owne Conscience yet hée sinneth not alwayes irremisibly For hée that knoweth Mâ—…ther Adulterie and suche like 〈◊〉 offences too â—…ee damnable and yet wilfully his conscience reclaiming béeyng ouercome of yre or lust or suchother wicked affection doth committe them doeth not by and by committe sinne agaynst the holie Ghoste but by the grace of GOD may bée renewed by repentance The same is too bee saide of them that dissemble their profession and outwardly communicate with Idolaters and Heretikes but not woorse then theâ—…s nor halfe so ill is the case of dissembling Papistes whiche beside their ignoraunce and false perswasion whiche resteth in supposition this manne himselfe confesseth for feare or fauour or other worldlye cause too doe that whiche is contrarie too theire corrupte Conscience and erroneous perswasion Which is the sinne of humane â—…railtie and not of malicious contumelie and blasâ—…mie against the grace and spirite of GOD. Neither doth Augustine whoâ—… hee cyteth vppon the fiftie foure Psalme maintayne his cruel and desperate Censure whoâ—… wâ—…Wrdes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then hee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esse quâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nonne viâ—…us discendis 〈◊〉 inferos If thou diddest descende when thou werte deade thou shouldest not knowe what thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when thâ—… knowest that too bee euill whiche thoâ—…doest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not
aster longe teaching he bée further vrged too confesse it experience as Augustine testifieth of manye Donatistes doeth shewe that although hée did first professe it by compulsion hée maye by Gods grace woorking in him afterwarde imbrace it willingly Wherefore the compulsion pretended to bee vsed is neyther so daungerous to them that are compelled nor so hurtefull to them that muste vse it being the last refuge to bring vngodly persons to repentaunce by threatning and executingof punishment which contemne despyse all gentle and fatherly admonishment Which if it will not preuayle but that of some it is borne out with obstinacie of other pretended by hypocricis the Magistrate hath discharged his dutie the offendor hath not founde damnation which hée should haue â—…raped Albeit by contumacie or dissimulation hée haue â—…creased the same Now followeth the other parte of the diuision for the first and the persons contayned therin our discourser refuseth to deale with all as of whome there is no hoâ—…e because they are damned in this lyfe they are no christians and much â—…sse catholikes But there are another sorâ—…e of catholyes which 〈◊〉 they iudge as the former 〈◊〉 that alother religious beside their own 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 â—…able yet doe they not thinke but that for some worldâ—… 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 thâ—…ir offices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and other like they may in some of the former things aâ—… lest wise in going to church shewe themselues conformable to the 〈◊〉 of them of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For reformiâ—…g of thosâ—… mens wrong and perrilloâ—… 〈◊〉 aâ—…ons these nine reasons following vnder the necessary supposition before sayde are franied The first Reason THe first reason why I being a Catholyke in minde maye not goe to the churches or seruice of the coÌ„trary relygion is because I perswading myself theyr doctrine to be false doctrine consequeÌ„tly venomous vnto the â—…earer I may not venture my soule to be infected with the 〈◊〉 For us it is damnable for a man to kyll him selfe and consequently deadly siâ—…ne without 〈◊〉 cause to put his body in probable daunger of death so is it much more offensâ—… to God to put my soule ten thousand tymes of more valewe then my body in daunger to the deadly stroke of falsâ—… doctrine and heresie especially seeing I 〈◊〉 â—…o warrant of 〈◊〉 â—…ping but rather I heare God crying to the contrary Hee that â—…eth daunger shall perâ—… in the same Neyther is it sufficient for me to thinke that I am sure inoughe from beeing infected for that I am grounded inough I am learned sufficiently For what yf God take his grace from thee and let thee fall because thou hast not folowed his 〈◊〉 which is If thou wilt not be biâ—…ten with the 〈◊〉 not do sleepe â—…gh the hedgâ—… If thou wilâ—… not be spoâ—…ed then not to touch the Pitch Wherefore 8. Paule to as good a man as learned as strong as I am gaue a generall rule to auoyde and flye an heâ—…ticall man The lyke precepte hee gaue to Timothy beeyng a By shoâ—… to auoyde a certayne heretyque by name Alexaâ—…der 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet hee 〈◊〉 as it weâ—…e the Thessalon 〈◊〉 in the name of Iesus Christes that they should 〈◊〉 drawe them selues 〈◊〉 like fellowes The saâ—…e hee repeateth agayne to the 〈◊〉 beseechyng them to note and to deâ—…yne from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The reason of this â—… 〈◊〉 vttereth 〈◊〉 Tyâ—…thye Because their speech creepeth like a canker and they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉 of the same men By sweete wordes and gay blessinges they sâ—…uce the heartes of the Innocent And S. Peter saieth of them that they doe allure vnto them vnconstant soules Heere nowe I see the scripture carefully counsayling and commannding mee to auoyde the company and speech of falle teachers it putteth downe also the perrill if I doe it not which is as great as the death of my soule And on the contrary â—…de I haue no warrant of scripture or example of good men to aduenture the same For I doe reade this written of farre my betters The Apostles and their schollers were so warie and circumspect in this case in aâ—…yding heretikes that they would not so much as once reason the matter with any of them who endeuoured by their lyings or new deuices to corrupt the truth 〈◊〉 I am sure I can neuer take good by hearing them but I am in great possibilitie to take euill as many more learned men then I in olde tyme haue done As Dionisius Alexandrinus confesseth of himselfe and of Origen and Tertulian it is knowne and manye men in England can be witnesses which both to themsâ—…ues and also to other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the time was so firme and grounded in religion as nothing could moue them and yet nowe they haue proued otherwise Wherefore it cannot bee but great sinne in mee notwithstanding all this if I shall put my soule in such daunger by aduenturing to their companie to their seruiâ—…e to theyr sermons to reading their booâ—…es or the lyke wherby in any wise I may be corrupted The which aduenture what a 〈◊〉 it was counted in the primatiue church it may appeare by the seueâ—… lawes made both by the clergie and temporaltie for the prohibiting and punishing of the same in that time as is to be seene in the councels and fathers and in the decrees of the good christian Emperours Martian and 〈◊〉 and especially of the noble and zelous first christian Emperour Constantine which made it death after the condemnation of Arius by the generall councell of Nyce for anye man more to reade his bookes and thereby to aduenture to be poysoned with his heresies And reason For if Daâ—… had not ventured to behold Beâ—…abe he had not beene entrapped wiâ—…h her lone and so had not committed those horrible sins that ensewed And if Dame Eua had not presumed to heare the serpent talke she had not beene beguiled and if when Luther first began to teach new doctrine the catholiks at that time had not vouchsaâ—…ed to giue him the hering but had auoided his prechings preuy coÌ„uenticles theâ—… had not bin now in worlde either Lutheran Swinglian Caluenist Puritan Anabaptist Trinetarie Family of loue Adamite or the lyke whereof now there are so many thousands abroad al springing of that first secte and troubling at this day the whole worlde with the eternall damnation of infinite soules the which soules at the day of iudgement shall be scuselesse and receaue that heauie sentence of euerlasting fire for that they had not aâ—…oyded the daunger of infection The first reason THe first reasoÌ„ why a Papist may not go to church is y â— perril of infectioÌ„ which is as good a reasoÌ„ as y â— a fowle toad may not come into a cléere spring to wash her spewe out her venome for feare of infection not of the well of which there is greater daunger but of her owne body vnto whose
and is nowe at this day amongst the Iewes the greatest punyshment besides death that can be deuised For he looseth therby al offices dignities and credit whatsoeuer no man maye buye or sell with him noe man may visit him or talke with him or salute him in the streates Fynallye it is a death vppon earth a great and suffycient excuse a man would thinke to answere for a mans silence onely For I see many a one in England not onelye to conceale theyr owne consciences but also to speake againste the same for a lesse cause But what is Saynt Iohns iudgement vpon the matter for sooth hee excepteth not the excuse but condemneth them in a damnable mortal sinne agaynst the first commaundement for doing the same saying That by this silence of theirs they did put the glory of God behynde the glory of men and thereby shewed that they loued men better then God Noe doubt but to their euerlasting damnation except they hartely repented them The which I would haue those vnwise and fonde noble men and gentle men in Englande to consider which perswade both themselues and other men that in these troublesome tymes a man maye without offence keepe his conscience to him selfe but especially those that doe not onely holde their peace but also doe against theyr conscience what soeuer is commaunded them sayinge that all which is done amisse shall not belayde vpon them at the day of iudgement but vpon the Prince and the Magistrates which compell theâ—… to doe the same against their owne willes But what compulsion this is and how furre it shall excuse their doinges I haue now declared Wherefore hereafter let no man say that he goeth to church against his wil thinking therby to excuse him selfe from schisme Besides this to proue it schisme yea and that obstinate and rebellyous schisme it were sufficiente to knowe that the meaning wil and commaundement of the generall and vniuersall Catholyke Churche at this daye is that catholyke men shoulde not presente them selues to Protestantes churches or conuenticles seeing they are denounced open enemies to the aforsayd church and their relygion hath beene as orderly condeÌ„ned in the lastgeneral counsell of Trent As the doctrine of Arrius was in the first generall counsell of Nyce And albeit the councell of Trent made no perticuler decree of this matter yet is there no cause why any man shoulde take any holde thereat seeing the reason thereof was because suche a decree was needelesse for the church hauing alreadie condemned from the beginning all praying with Heretikes or repayring to their conuenticles it was sufficient for the counsell onely to condemne the Protestantes for such men without any further particular prohibiting of others to come to their churches and seruâ—…ce seeing their conuenticles being once pronounced to bee hereticall the other was to bee presupposed And this is the true meaning of the counsell whatsoeuer other saye to shadowe their imperfections Howbeit some doubt being at that time moued by certaine of the Nobilitie of England whether they might not lawfully without offence goe to church to doe some meere temporall acte as to beare the sworde before her Maiestie or the like it was debated by xij learned men there at the counselles appoyntement and determination then giuen that onlye for such a cause they might goe to church As for example if her Maiestie should appoynt certaine catholiks to meete at Poules to intreaâ—… of matters of the state and that at such time as seruice were sayd there and this was Naaman Syrus his case flatte who was permitted as most men take it for a time to goe with his Kinge and holde him vppon his shoulder when hee went to the temples of the Idolles Now that there hath beene a generall custome rule and canon of the church prohibiting to goe to the churches and conuenticles of heretikes it is plaine by the testimonie of all antiquitie The Apostles themselues in their threescore and thirde canon say thus If any man eyther of the clergie or laiâ—…e doe goe into the Synagoge of the Iewes or into conuenticles of heretiques to pray let him be deposed and excomunicated This canon of the church was exactly afterwardes kept and is mentioned very often by the Fathers and counselles by occasion of the like matter As for example when Origen was by a certaine necessitie compelled to dwell in house together with one Paule an heretique to whome there resorted often not onely heretiques but some simple Catholiques also for the fame of his excellent eloquence yet they write of Oâ—…igen That hâ—… coulde neuer be induced by any meanes to bee present at prayers where Paule was And the reason is put downe by them to be this For that Orygen euen from his youth had kept and obserued most diligently the Canon of the Church Heere wee see what account was made in those dayes of this Canon of the church Furthermore S. Dionysius Alexandrinus a learned Father talkinge of one Heraclas Byshoppe of Alexandria and scholer of the aforesayde Origen and shewing howe the saide Heraclas had excommunicated and cast out of the church certaine christians for that they were accused to haue vsed much company of a certaine heretique he addeth this sayinge This Canon and this example haue I reâ—…aued of our holy Father Heraclas The lyke obseruation of this Canon is noted in Athanasius who comming to Antioche fledde the common and publique Churches which were vsurped then by one Leontius an Arian Byshoppe and his clergye and seeking out the Catholyques that were in the citie which then by contempte were called Eustaâ—…hians because they helde of the communion of their catholike deposed Bishoppe named Eustathius as catholyques now in Englande are contemptiouslye called Papistes for holding of the communion of the Byshop of Rome and finding them out did secreetelye communicate with them as saieth the historie Conuenâ—…uin aedibus priuatis peracto That is Making their assembly or Chnrche in their priuate houses Howelyke is this case to our state now adayes in England The lyke respecte to this canon of the churche had Alexander by shoppe of Constantinople who wished rather to die then to remayne in the churche when Arius the heretique should come to the same To this canon had also respecte the people of Alexandria so much commended by Athanasius him selfe who would rather praye together by them selues in the churche yarde without coâ—…r thâ—… enter into the church to praye where George the Aryan byshoppe was The lyke consideration had also the people of Samosatum who after the depriuation of theyr vertuous and cathoâ—…ke byshop Eusebius and the thrusting into his place by the Aryans of an heretical byshop called Ennomius they would no more come at the church of whome 〈◊〉 writeth thus None of the inhabitants there poore or rich seruant or artificer husbandman or grafter man or woman younge or olde woulde come to
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
he wil mislike with his owne doctrine which condemneth me of hypocrisie dissimulation and renouncing of Christ and his gospel If I present but my only body to the churches of theÌ„ whose religion I am not perswaded to bee true As though the Prince Magistrats y â— execute the lawes for coÌ„ming to church would haue the papists to come like hypocrits disseÌ„blers counterfeiters not rather y â— they may heare the word of God preached be instructed beléeue and be saued But why may not this argument of exaÌ„ple be retorted vpoÌ„ his own neckâ—… The Protestants recusants in other countries are not allowed by the papists but against their wil to alleadge their conscience for their refusall but are eyther compelled to conforme themselues to Popery or else are cruelly put to death No more shoulde the pretence of conscience excuse the papistes but that they shouldâ—… receiue the same measure which they meate to others and of y e cup which they haue mingled to other be made to drink a double portion them selues After this he putteth a case and question whether he might resort to such assemblies as should be pretended to be kept in her maiesties honour but indéede wee greately to her dishonour vpon any inâ—…itation of friendes or commaundement of authoritie and how her maiestie might iustly conceiue of him in such resorting in the ende He concludeth that in the assemblies of the Protestantes in their church he shall heare the maiestie of God dishonored his sonne slaundered his holy woord falsefied O monstruous inuention Is Gods maiestie dishonoured where he alone is taught to be honored serued obeyed glorified in all things Is his soÌ„ne staÌ„dered which is taught to be our only spiritual king prophet high priest sauiour redéemer mediator aduocat head of his church Is his holy word falsified which is set forth to be the only sufficieÌ„t rule directioÌ„ doctrine to instruct vs in all trueth As for y â— impugning of Gods church dâ—…screditing of his saintes martyrs reuiling of his bishops pastours and seduction of his people into heresy are méere flaunders as voyde of trueth as they are of proofe And therfore the comparison example which followeth as they may serue where truth is defended against heresy so are they altogether preposterous where heresy is mainteined against true religioÌ„ But now he maketh an answere to an obiectioÌ„ and saith Neither sufficeth it to say that those suppositions are false and that there are not such things committed against God at the Protestants churches seruices for howsoeuer that be wherof I disput not nor yet I being in hart of another Religion must needs thinke not only them but also al other Religions whatsoeuer to commit the same as I know they doe also thinke of mine The conclusion is that they must not doe anything against their conscience vpon dissimulation c. Wherto I yéelde but it is the Magistrates duety to prouide by doctrine penaltie that their conscience may be better instructed especially séeing this their Patrone groundeth all his reasons vpon false suppositions whereof hée will not dispute because hee knoweth hee is not able to defende them And therfore the Prince and Magistrats can no more be mo ued with these niene Reasons not to procéede in exâ—…cution of the godly lawes then the Iudge on the benche can bee mooued by as many reasons that shew no more but how haynous a thing it is to condemne an innocent to forbeare pronouncing of sentence against one that is conuicted at the barre of felony The reasons thus vnreasonably discoursed hee gathereth out of the same certayne shorte conclusions which because they are all aunsweared before I will not now stand to repeate the answeres only where any new matter occurreth I wil briefely note it vpon the first conclusion hée aunsweareth another conclusion that no power vppon earth canne dispense with goyng too Churche whiche is prohibited by the law of GOD and nature Here hee biddeth open warre to the Canonists which defend that the Pope may dispense almost with al matters And sée wée not in his dispensations for marriage that a man may marry his brother or sisters daughter which is contrary both to the law of God and nature that the Pope doeth dispense with suche marriage what the Pope did offer by his letters to her Maiesty I neuer heard it reported whiche he saith is geuen out by some greate men But I haue heard of them whiche aâ—…firmed that they haue séene the Popish Dispensation y â— for time of Schisme a Priest might go to Church more theÌ„ that In the 3. conclusion is contayned a case with 4. qualifications in which a papist might lawfully goe to Church namely for some méere particular knowne teÌ„porall businesse without geuing any signe of reuerence and honor to their seruice Which is nothing to y â— purpose or matter in questioÌ„ whiche is whether Papists y â— are so obstinate y e they wil not bee taught are to bee compelled eyther to yéelde too instruction or too suffer punishment vntill they shalbée willing In the later end he shameth not to repeat that his meaning was to geue some satisfaction to her Maiestie and the Right Honorable of her councell touching the Principles he should rather haue said the petition of principles which catholikes haue to refuse that conformity which is demaunded at their handes Nay rather her Maiesty and Councell when they sée that Papistes haue no reasons to yéelde for their obstinacie but such as stand vppon so vnreasonable suppositions as no man liuing would graunt against his cause and religion they may bee better encouraged to proceede in punishing that contumacie which is not grounded vpoÌ„ any approoued reason or authority of Gods worde but vpon the méere wilfulnesse and suppositions of wicked and vngodly men whiche howsoeuer béeyng nowe disappointed of the intended massacres and treasonable purposes they woulde be taken for honest and true subiects yet can they not perswade any wise man that they depending vppon the oracle of Antichrist who hath taken vpon him like a proude Instrument of Satan to depose her Maiesty from her royal throne and to discharg aâ—… her subiects of theyr duetie and obedience to her highnes may be true or faithful subiect to their Prince except they doe vtterly renounce and defie the Pope The first part of this treatise beeing ended I knowe not what friende of his maketh his excuse for omission of the second thirde part promised in the beginning whereof the one was what way or meanes Papistes may vse too remedie or ease themselues of this afflictioÌ„ now layde vpon them for their conscience The other if that way or meanes doe not preuayle then howe they ought too beare and indure the same These parts the writer saith he part ly by euill disposition of body and partly by other sodayne busines falling vpon him hée was inforced to leaue out But the contents of the