a Christian man afraid to glorifie Christ before a Iew whoÌ„ both hée is sure to offend and that hée will take occasion either in heart or mouth to blaspheme our Sauiour The third point saith hée is in respect of the enemie that is when although I doe not induce any man to sinne or offende any mans conscience yet I doe disedisie the enemy and doe that thing whereby the enemy is scandalised and taketh an occasion to blaspheme God his trueth his lawe or the like For except the thing which I doe is wicked as the adultery of Dauid which hée bringeth for an example though the enemy is scandalized as the Pharisées were at Christ and taketh an occasion to â—…aspheme God his trueth or his worde 〈◊〉 It is no 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 by mée lewdly giuen but by him wickedly taken But cleare it is that offence by no meanes may bée giuen either to the Iewes or to the Gentiles or to the Church of God But howe is the second part of the argument proued which 〈◊〉 al y â— proofe A Catholike saith he by going to Church seruice or prayers of them of the contrarie religion can not but commit this great Scandale in the highest degree that is in all those three pointes before rehearsed This is boldly saide but what is the reason to shewe that it is truely saide Touching the first pointe saieth hee If he bee a man of any calling his example shal induce some other as wife c. This is as good Logike as the necessarie supposition to prâ—…us an vniuersall proposition by a particular Euerie Catholike giueth offence because some that is of any calling induceth by his example So that hée which is a méere priuate man whose example can not induce or authoritie constraine is exempt from this point of giuing offence But why shoulde any man of what estate so euer hée is bée charged with offence giuing when the thing which hée doeth is not disprooued but by a vayne supposition to be godly and honest And touching the seconde pointe when it is not a thing indifferent but either a necessarie duetie as wée iudge or a thing altogether vnlawfull as hée holdeth to come to the Churche howe can any man bée saide touching that pointe to commit offence which is contrary to his owne determination of that point But by a marginall note hée commaundeth vs to marke the third pointe and that is this There is no enemy of the Catholike religion in the worlde whether hee bee Gentile Iewe Turke or heretike but that hee must both thinke and speake the woorse of the saide religion seeing the professours of the same are content for worldly pollicy to dissemble it and leauing their owne Churches to present them selues to the Churches of their open and professed enemies This man reasoneth altogether of necessities and impossibilities the strongest Cheynes that are to holde any reasons if they were surely linked riueted into the causes that hée would binde with them But howe prooueth hée that it is necessarie for euerie enemie of the Catholike religion in the worlde to thinke woorse of it for the dissembling of some of the professours of the same The worlde is wyde and the true Catholike religion hath many enemies that are wise which when they knowe that euery religion and their owne what euer it bée hath many dissemblers when it is persecuted will not for the onely pointe of dissembling thinke woorse of the Catholike religion then they thinke of their owne for the same cause But not withstanding the Cheyne is no better locked to the cause of all the enemies yet the offâ—…nce of dissiâ—…ulation is carefully to bée aâ—…yded in respecte of some parte of them But vntill going to the Church where the woorde of God is reade and taught the Sacrament ministred and prayers conceaued according to the 〈◊〉 of the holy scriptures can bee condemned of wickednesse there is no offence to bée feared in frequenting the same But that the goâ—…rs to Churche offende not God by hypoâ—…sie and dissimulation let them take héede of all sortes at their vttermost perrill for as you cyte it albéeit you wrongly apply it they shall finde one day that God is not mocked The third Reason THe thirde reason why a Catholike may not come to churche is for that going or not going to the church is made a signe nowe in Englande distinctiue betwixt religion and religion that is betwixt a Catholike and a Schismatike So that a catholike by going thether doeth directly denye his religion For the better vnderstanding whereof wee must note that the Professour of any religion may bee knowne by three wayes first by woordes professing him selfe to be of that religion secondly by woorkes or deedes proper to that religion thirdly by some signe or marke appointed to signifie that religion As for example In Italy a Iewe may bee knowne First by his woordes if hee woulde professe him selfe to bee of that religion Secondly by woorkes proper to Iudaysme as by keeping the Saterday holy day by circumcysing his children and the like Thirdly by a notorious signe appointed to distinguishe that religion from all others which is to weare on his head a yeallow â—…ppe Nowe as these three are wayes to professe this religion so if a man of an other religion for example a Christian should yeeld to vse any of these thinges hee should sinne greeuously and in effect deny his fayth And as for the first if hee shoulde professe him selfe to bee a Iewe it is euident that he denieth thereby his Christianitie And as for the other two waies it cannot be denied for the circumâ—…ysing of thy children and the wearing of a yeallowe cappe doeth as plainely in that countrie tel men that thou art a Iewe as if thou diddest proclaime it at the market euen as the bush at the Tauerne doore doeth tel the goers by that there is wyne to be solde within But nowe that the going to Church is in the realme of Englande a plaine and an apparant signe of a Schismatike that is to say of a conformable man as they cal him to the Protestants proceedinges it is manifestly to be proued First by the commaundement to go to Church euery Holiday to heare seruice and by the exaction of the same commaundement For that it is the commaunders meaning by that act as by a proper signe to haue men shewe them selues conformable to that religion it cannot bee denied For otherwise to what ende are they commaunded vppon suche dayes and at such a certaine time and for suche a purpose to goe thither Againe it is proued by the exaction of this lawe For wheâ—… a catholike doeth come before the Commissioners there is nothing asked of him but when hee was at church and if hee wil promisâ—… to goe to church commonly they account him a sufficient conformable man that is to haue yelded sufficiently vnto them Furthermore the multitude of them which haue of long
â—…eligion 〈◊〉 this example VVhy going 〈◊〉 the Church is a denying of the Catholike religion 〈◊〉 this reason Tert. lib. de Cor. mili An example to â—…he Purpose 4. â—… 〈◊〉 Vide Aug. tom de Fi. simb ca. 10. 1. Cor. 1. Ephes. 4. Ioan. 17. Ephes. 2. 4. 1. Cor. 10. 12. 1. Timo. 2. Irene li. 4. ca. 43. 3. Reg 4. August de Vnit. Eccle. cap 4. Hovv grieuous the sin of 〈◊〉 is Cyp. de simpli Prel Chris. ho. II. in epist ad Ephes. See more of 〈◊〉 greatneâ—… of 〈◊〉 sinne Aug. ep 50. 152. Ser. 181. de Tem. in Psal. 88. Fulg. li. de Fâ—… ca. 3â—… 38. 39. Greg. lib. 14. Mor. That going to church is 〈◊〉 Lib. 2. cont Cresco ca. 3. The definition of Scisme Aug. q. 11. in Mat. The difference betvvixt an herâ—…tike and a sâ—…smatike Vnitie of the Church standerâ—… in thre things especially An obiection of cold Catholikes vvith the ansvvere Aristo lib. 3. Ethico Actions extor ted by feare are simplie free actions only violent in part Marke these absurdities Mat. 10. Luc. 12. lo. 12. VVhat a great matter it is amongst the 〈◊〉 to be cast out of the 〈◊〉 A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giuen by S. Iohn against dissemblesâ—… for the time A bad shift of dissemblers Can. Apost 63. 44 45. apud Eus li. 7. cap. 9. VVhat the councell of Trâ—…t determined against going to Church 4. Reg. 5. The case of Noaman Sirus Can. Apost 63. The old Canon for bidding to goe to heretical churches The example of Origen Euseb. li. 6. hist. cap. 3. Niceph. li. 5. cap. 4. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hâ—… Euseb. 〈◊〉 6. cap. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 9. Sozo li. 3 cap. 9. Theol. li. 1. cap. 14. The example of 〈◊〉 The example of the â—…ople of Alexandria Theo. li. 2. cap. 14. The pâ—…ople of â—…mosatum Theo. li. 〈◊〉 cap. 14. The example of the people of Rome Theo. li. 2. capit 17. The conclusion of this reason Mat. 18. Aug. li. 1. con tra aduers. leg prophe ca. 17. Math. 16. The dreadfull 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 Note this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ep 55. ad Cornel. A notable discourse of S. Cipryan for obeying one generall Pastour Bede lib. 1. cap. 27. De vnit eccl cap. 4. Ephe. 5. c. Lib. 2. cont Creson ca. 3. Aug. quest 11. in Mat. Heb 10. 〈◊〉 Iohn 4. Deut. 〈◊〉 Math. 4. 10. Iâ—…stinus Deut cum Tryphon cont Indeos Aug. Epâ—… 118. Iâ—… Mat. 26. 1. Cor. 11. 〈◊〉 Tit. â—… In Catal. In lib. yontiâ—… cus 5. 〈◊〉 1. Tim. 3. 2. Cro. 11 Eph. 5. 1. Cor. 12. Colos. 1. How grieuous a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 2 Pet. 2. Luck 11. Tit. 3. S. Paules discripâ—…ion of an Hereâ—…ke expounded Uide Aug. inpsal 54. Cyp. ep 76. Amb. li. de incar ca. 2. Rom. 16. Mat. 7. 2. Tim. 2. Aug. in psal 39. Aug. li. 2. â—…ont aduer cap. 12. 〈◊〉 Iohn 2. 2. Thes. 2. Heretikâ—…s offâ—… God most in 〈◊〉 seruice Rom. 1. A vaine excuse of 〈◊〉 confuted Iohn 2. Psal. 25. Psal. 49. 2. Tim. 4. Rom. 6. Tit. 3. 3. Reg. 〈◊〉 Gen. 19. The company of Heretiques 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is Cyp. ep 76. A notable saying against our Scâ—…ismatiques S. 〈◊〉 afrayde of the company of 〈◊〉 heretyque Euseb. lib. 3. cap. 22. 〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉 Niceph. li. 3. cap. 30. Apâ—… 18. 1. Iohn 2. 2. Thes. 2. Irenâ—… lib. 5 Tertul. aduer Mar. lib. 3. Hier. in prefac Didym de spiritu sancto August de ciuit Dei li. 16. cap. 11. li. 18. ca. 2. c. â—… Dissimulation Ambro. lib. 2. â—…ffi cap. 24. Mat. 22. Iohn 12. Dissemblinge in Religion is 〈◊〉 against God Rom. 10. Aug. de Fi. sim. â—…ap 1. The subtiltie of Heretikes Cler. Rom. apud Cyp. epist. 31. VVho dissembleth his faith 〈◊〉 it 2. Mach 6. Luc. 11. Blâ—…sbing at Christes caâ—…se is damnable 1. Cor. 9. Act. 4. Act. 5. â—…arke this suppo sition and apply it 〈◊〉 our time The manner of dissembling schismatâ—…es liuely expressed O 〈◊〉 â—…ssembling this is done by many in England Lining to a mans ovvne conscience by leauing hiâ—…â—…eife no conscience Desperate presumption Naughtie 〈◊〉 Aug. to 6. cont Max. li. 1. initio iter vers fi All bâ—…tikes vaunt scripture Mat. 4. Hier. in ca. 4 8. Osee. Ignat. ep 2. Aug. in ps 54 A litle euil marreth a great deale of good In psal 54. Iâ—…thers opinion of our 〈◊〉 sâ—…ruice Cop. dâ—…l 6. ca. 15. VVherein the â—…rotestantes seruice is euil in particular 1. Deuised by them selues 〈◊〉 from the rest 2 Condemned by the Puritaines 3. Falâ—…e translations of scripture 1 Ioh. 5. Gen. 1. 3. Eâ—…he 5. 2. Macha 12. See the English Bible dedicated to King 〈◊〉 4. Saide by laâ—… men Ig. ad Hier. Chri. li. 3. 6. de Sacer. hom 60. Hier. ep ad Helio ep 85. ad Eua. Ambro. in Ephes. 4. Hebr. 5. 1. Tim. 5. Con. 4. Cai. can 6. Con cil Laod. can 24. Igna. ep ad Anti. Areo. ca. 3. Can. Ap. 1. 2. 68. 5. Falsâ—…d and 〈◊〉 in their seruice In the ende of their Geneua Psalter Cyp. de 〈◊〉 pre Chry. li. 2. de Sa. Cyp. ep 46. Chr. li. 2. de sa Inno. ep 93. ap Au. Leo. ep 84. Sy. Alex. 4. apud â—…ba Theod. li. 2. hist. cap. 4. Cy. ep ep 55. Lacke of necessary thinges vvhâ—…ch it should haue in it Dion Ariop hier ca. 3. Ign. ep ad Smyrn Iustin dial tripho Ter. li. de orat Au. li. 20. câ—…ntr Faust. ca. 23. Chr. hom 17 ad Heb. Gre. li. 4. di ca. 57. Hiero. ep 1. ad Helio Chry. li. 2. de Sacerd. Cyp. ep 54. li. 1. ep 2. Au. ser. 25. 2. de tempo Optat. li. 6. cont Dona. Au in Psa. 113. conci 2. Posid in vita Au. ca. 24 Concil flor constant sessio 15 Six Sacraments 〈◊〉 19. conâ—… faust cap. 11. 16. Auâ—… suâ—…euit que 84. Ceremonies Terâ—… de coroâ—…a Bas. li. do sp 5. cap. 27. â—…phipha hâ—…resi 71. Concil tâ—…id ca. 7. 13. Cip. ep 66. Chry. ho. 41. vide Aug. li. 2. doct christ Cyp. ser. de ora dom Isodo li. de diu off Concil Tol. 4. cap. 2. Bed li. hist. capit 1. In vvhich Auâ—…hors you shal sec in vvhat tonge seruice vvas in their dayes in 〈◊〉 countries Dia. 6. ca. 15. Bed lib. 1 cap 27. â—… Iohn â—… Ephes. 5 Act. 6. Act. 14. Chrisost. de sacerd lib. 1. Lib. 7. ca. 14. Con. Mile can 22. Aphrican c. 92. Conc. Carth. 3. ca. 26. Epist. ad solit vit agentes Heb. 9. 12. 22. 25. 2. Thes. De verb. do in Ioh. Ser. 46. Epest 50. â—… Loosing the â—…enefit of catholicke religion 〈◊〉 pitifull 〈◊〉 The losse of 〈◊〉 cipation of the sacrifice hovv great a losse Chryso hom 47. in ep 1. ad cor The Angels prâ—…sent at the â—…leuation Gre. li. 4. dial cap. 58. Chryso lib. 6. de sacerdo Tvvo visions at the presence of 〈◊〉 gels at the Masse Chrys. hom 3. cont Ano. A fit similitude of S Chrysostom VVhat plainer testimonie can therâ—… be then this The bearing of a Masse hovv vvel â—…orth a hundred markes The losse of the grace of 6. sacraments vvhat a losse Act. 8. 19. Cypr. lib. de vnct Chry. Esay 11. 2. Tim. 1. Ephes. 5. Iacob 5. The value of grace VVhat the benefite of the keies of the Church is Ioan. 20. A proclamatioâ—… of the tribunal foâ—…â—…inne in eartâ—… Ioan. 6. Mat. 18. Aug. ho. 49. 50. ho. 41. ibid. Cip. li. 1. ep 2. Amb. li. 1. ca. 2. de Pâ—… in Psal. 38. Atha serm cont her Chry. lib. 3. dâ—… sacer Hil. in ca. 18. Mat. Hâ—…e in cap. 18 Mat. Actor 19. Aug. hom 41 49. 50. cap. 10. 11. 16. ex 50. hom Ioan. 20. Aug. li. 2. de Uisita infir cap. 4. Leui. 13. 14 The necessitie of confession The losse of not receiuing the blessed Sacramet Ioan. 6. Ibidem Vide Cyril li. 3. in Ioan. ca. 37. Basil. ad Ce sar patric Amb. li. 5. de Sacra ca. 4. Chrys. ho. 61. ad pop Antio The â—…tate of a carâ—…all man The losse of al meritâ—… for good vvorkes Mat. 20. Greg. li. 35. Mor. ca. 5. Cip. de simprel Chri. ho. 11. ad Ephes. Vi. D. Tho. 1. 2. omnes D D. 15. qu. 119. The losse of the 〈◊〉 of Saintes Note this similitude Aug. Epist. 50. ad Bonifacium Hom. 17. ad Heb. Heb. 9. Lâ—… 4. ca. 34. â—…octom saith not in â—…heir hands Coâ—…s domini ipsum portendenâ—… Ephe. 〈◊〉 Mâ—…rke 〈◊〉 Lib. 35. Mor. Cap. â—… Exampâ—…e of Iâ—…fidels and â—…ikes Lact. li. 4. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cur. Sec. de hist. Maho. Chro. Wolfan Drisâ—… Eus. lib. 3. 4. Aug. lib. de Vnit. Eccle. lib. 2. con Pâ—…til The 〈◊〉 are Râ—…cusants also in other countries An. Dom. 1578. Art 86. VVe not born nor bred vp in the pro testants church One onlâ—… religioâ—… true 〈◊〉 false Noâ—… this 〈◊〉 A very certaiâ—… 〈◊〉 The things that a man must heare at Câ—…urch Rom 16. Averie fit comparison 〈◊〉 example to confound vs. The great pay in God his seruice 1. Cor. 2. An 〈◊〉 to an obiection Heynous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inforce an other man to do against his conscience Concluâ—…ons dravvne out of 〈◊〉 premisses The first coâ—…sion A notable deuise The 2. conclusion The 3. conclusion A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not serue Mat. 17. Pilates 〈◊〉 Marke this obiection of going to the materiall Church Hovv many things 〈◊〉 in going to church Note this simiâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…hat sort a man may goe to Church vvith 4 qualifications The 1. qualificatioÌ„ The 2. qualificatioÌ„ 〈◊〉 3. qualificatioÌ„ 〈◊〉 4. qualificatioÌ„ 4. Reg. 5. The case of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 19. Gal. 5. Adoring iâ—… 〈◊〉 in the scripture foe 〈◊〉 Gen. 32. 1. Reg. 〈◊〉 1. Reg. 15. The 4. conclusion Mat. 5. Iacob 2. Apoc. 2. Mat. 5. God vvill 〈◊〉 â—…s perfect Leui. 3. Num. 28. Ezech. 43. 1. Cor. 5. Colos. 1. The noblecourage of Saint Basil Tho. 〈◊〉 4. cap. 17. VVe may not procure others 〈◊〉 say falsly for vs. In Epist. cler rom apud Cyp. Epist. 31 The conclusion oâ—… this first parte The first parte of the Authors meaning The second parte of the Authors 〈◊〉 Apoc. 18 Leuit. 18.
to the Church of so many thousande Catholykes at this day in that Realme is not vppon disloyaltie or stubberne obstinacy as their aduersaryes giue it out but vppon conscience and great reason and for the auoyding of manyfest perryll of eternall damnation which they shoulde incurre in yeeldyng to that which is demaunded at theyr handes I haue put downe some causes and reasons heere followyng referring the Reader to more larger dyscourses made by dyuerse learned men of our tyme in sundry partes of theyr works this beyng shuffled vp in haste and namely to apeculyar Treatyse not longe agone publyshed touchyng this matter But first of all it is to bee noted that my reasons to thend they may conuynce are to bee supposed to proceede from a catholyke mynde that is from a man which in his conscience is throughlye perswaded that onelye the Catholyke Romayne Relygyon is trueth and that all other newe doctrynes and relygions are false relygions as all newe Gods are false Gods Nowe of these Catholykes there are two sortes in Englande thone which in theyr consciences doe iudge that as all other relygions besides theyr owne are false so all partycipation with them eyther in deede or in shewe by oath by Sacramentes by goyng vnto theyr prayers and seruice or otherwyse is naught forbydden and vnlawefull and yet eyther for feare or fauour or some other worldly cause they are content to communicate wich them in all or some of the foresayde thinges and of those men albeit they bee very many in England I meane not to entreate theyr case beyng apparauntly both to themselues and to all other men wicked and out of all doubte damnable For as S. Austine sayth Hee that knoweth the things to bee ill that he doth and yet doth theÌ„ he goeth downe quick vnto hell As though he would say Albeit he be yet quicke vpon the earth yet is he in the prouideÌ„ce of God dead damned in hel And S. Paul talking of this sin neuer laieth lesse punishment vpon it then iudgement daÌ„nation although it be committed in thinges of themselues indifferent or lawfull for albeit as he saith meates offred to idoles be of themselues lawfull to be eaten to him that knoweth an Idole to be nothing Yet If a man shoulde discerne or iudge it to be vnlawfull and yet eate of it he is damned for it because hee doeth not according to his conscience or knowledge And the reason is that which S. Paule hath immediatly following saying All that which is done by vs not according to our knowledge or conscience is sinne And S. Iames confirmeth the same saying He that knoweth good and doth it not sinneth Wherefore S. Paule crieth out a a little before thus Blessed is hee that iudgeth not or condemneth not himselfe in doing contrary to that he best allowetb And the cause why this sinne against a mans owne conscience is so damnable is this Some doe sinne of humane frailtie as did Peter and this is called a sinne against the father who is called Power Some doe sinne of ignorance as did Paule and this is called a sinne against the sonne who is called Wisedome Some doe sinne of meere will and malice choosing to sinne although they know it to be sinne and this is the sinne against the holy Ghost to whom is appropriated particularly grace and goodnesse the which a man most wickedly contemneth and reiecteth when he sinneth wilfully against his own conscience and therefore Christ saith that a man shalbe forgeuen a sinne agaynst the father and against the sonne as we doe see it was in Peter and Paule But he that sinneth agaynst the holy Ghost shall neuer be forgeuen neither in this world neyther in the worlde to come As for example the Pharisies were not which did many thinges against Christ malitiously and contray to their owne knowledge consciences If this be true as it is if God be not vntrue theÌ„ in what a miserable case standeth many a man in England at this day which take othes receiue sacramentes goe to Church and commit many a like acte directly against theyr owne consciences and against their owne knowledge nay what a case doe they stand in which know such thinges to be directly agaynst other mens consciences and yet doe compell them to doe it As to receiue against their will to sweare against their will and the like Surely as I am nowe minded I would not for ten thousand worldes compel a Iewe to sweare that there were a blessed Trinitie For albeit the thing be neuer so true yet shouldâ—…â—…e be damned for swearing against his conscience and I for compelling him to commit so heynous and greeuous a sinue But of this sorte of Catholikes this is ynough and too much excepte they were better For they are to be accounted according to Saint Paule damned meâ—… in this lyfe and therefore no christians and much lesse Catholikes There are another sort of Catholikes that albeit they doe iudge all other religions besides their owne false and erroneous and damnable yet doe they not thinke but that for some worldly respecte as for sauing their offices dignities liberties credytes or the like they may in some of the former thinges at the leastwise in going to church for as for swearing and receiuing I thinke no Catholike this day in Europe thinketh it lesse then damnable shewe them selues conformable men to the proceedinges of them of the contrarye religion and doe also thinke others too scrupulous whiche doe stande in the refusall of the same But to shewe that these men are in a wrong and perillous perswasion builded onely on their owne fantasie and therefore to be reformed and that the other men are the onely true Catholickes and bounde to doe so much as they doe vppon payne of the high displeasure of God and eternall damage of their owne soules I haue put downe here these reasons that followe which may serue for the iustifying of the one parties conscience and for the due reforming of the other HE beginneth with a large Periode and stately style as though hée were endyting of a Proclamation or an Aâ—…te of Parliament with a long breath stretched Lunges and full mouth That the Queenes moste excellent Maiesty the Honourable Lordes of her Priuie Counsell and other the learned and wyse of Eâ—…glande maye see Quid tanto dignum feret hic Promissor hiatu Parturiunt montes nascetur ridiculus mus What will this large promiser bring foorthe woorthy of so wide a gaping The Mountaynes are in trauell a ridiculous Mouse shall bee borne anon For what in Gods name shall all the Learned and wise in Englande sée Beside her Maiestie and her honorable Câ—…unsell Forsooth That the refusall of going too the churche of so many thousand Catholikes at this day in that realme is not vppon dâ—…oyaltie or stubborne obstinacie as their aduersaries giue it out A mâ—…tter indeede woorthie of so greate a presence as
to commit it For whereas the Tyrant did commaund him to â—…ate of the sacrifized meats and he refused the same the vnder officers of the Tyrant being mooued with vniust compassion as the scripture tearmeth it offered him secretly other fleshe not offered to Idoles and of the which hee was not forbidden by his lawe to eate meaning thereby to deliuer him and to giue out that hee had now satisfied the Prince his commaundement But the good old man considering what other men might thinke of it and what Scandale there might ensue of it answered thus as the Scripture saieth That hee would first bâ—… sent downe vnto hell before hee would doe it for saieth he it is not conuenient for our age to fayne whereby perchaunce many young men thinking that Elâ—…azarus now of ninetie yeares old hath past ouer to the life of the Gentiles may through my dissimulation be deceiued This therefore is the second point of scandale which S. Paule forbiddeth when hee saieth Keepe your selfe from all shewe of euill The third point of seandale is in respect of the enemy that is when although I doe not induce any man to sin or offend any mans conscience yet I do disedefie the enemy and do that thing wherby the enemy is scandalized and taketh an occasion to blaspheme God his trueth his cause his lawe or the like Whereof S. Paule speaketh to the Corinthians Be you without offence or scandale to the Iewes and also to the Gentiles And in an other place Giuing offence or scandale to no man to the end that our function or ministerie be not blamed thereby And this is that great scandale that Dauid being a King and a Prophet gaue to Gods enemies by his fall and for the which he was sore punished as it appeareth by the words of the scripture which are these And Dauid saide to Nathan the Prophet I haue sinned against my Lord and Nathan said to Dauid God hath taken away thy sinne but yet because thou hast made the enemies of God to blaspheme for this cause the sonne which is borne to thee shal dye the death This also is the scandale that Esdras comming out of Persia towards Ierusalem with his countrimen the Iewes was afraid to giue to the king of Persia by causing him to think basely of God as not able to helpe and defend his seruants if hee should haue asked him aide to conduct himselfe and his companie to Ierusalem for so hee saith I was ashamed to aske of the King aide and horsemen to defend vs from our enemies in the way because we had saide to the king before that the hande or defence of our God is ouer all them that seeke him in honestie that his Empire and strength and 〈◊〉 is vpon all them that forsake him Finally of this scandalement S. Paule and S. Peter also when they said that the worde of God was blasphemed or spoken euil of by the aduersarie parte for the euil life of certaine noughtie Christians Nowe that a Catholike going to the Churches seruice or prayers of them of the contrarie religion cannot but commit this great sinne of scandale in the highest degree that is in all these three pointes before rehearsed it is euident to all the worlde For touching the first point if hee bee a man of any calling his example shal induce some other as wife children friendes seruauntes or the like to doe the same And howsoeuer â—…ee scape himselfe they may bee infected and so damned and their blood layde vppon his soule but much more if hee exhort or constraine any man to doe the same as commonly many Schismatiques doe vse And touching the second point hee cannot bâ—…t offend many mens consciences for they that doe know him inwardly to bee a Catholike wil thinke him to sinne against his owne conscience and perhaps be induced to doe the like And they who knowe him not must needes presume him to goe of conscience and as a fauourer of that religion and so bee brought to like the better of that religion and the worse of the Catholike by his example And as concerning the third and last point their is no enemy of the Catholike religion in the world whether he be Gentile Turke Iewe or Heretike but that he must both thinke and speake the worst of the saide religion seeing the professors of the same are content for worldly pollicy to dissemble it and leauing their owne Churches to present them selues to the Churches of their open and professed enemies To conclude in this matter of scandale men must not flatter and deceiue them selues thinking that they walke in a net and are not seene when they giue scandale to all the worlde which fixeth his eyes vppon them if not for their owne cause yet for the religions sake God is not to be mocked The godly and learned Father Saint Ambrose did accuse Valentinian the Emperour for giuing a publike scandale to the worde because hee did but permit certaine aâ—…lters to the Gentiles saying that men would thinke that hee priuely fauoured them And his scholler Saint Augustine thinketh it a scandale if a man shoulde heare a Donatist but speake and he to holde his peace for that the hearer might thinke that if this were euill which the Donatist saieth the other woulde reproue him But if saint Ambrose had seene the Emperour to haue gone to the Panims Temples or S. Augustine the other to frequent the Donatistes Churches what then would they haue saide What excuse then would they haue receiued and this is our verie case The second reason THe second reason saith hée why a Catholike can not yeeld to go to church is because he caÌ„not go without scandale which is a sin more mentioned more forwarned more forbidden more detested more threatened in the scripture then any sinne els mentioned in the same except it be Idolatrie I will not stande to examine the comparison but certaine it is that the wilfull giuing of offence or as hée calleth it newly scandale is in scripture often and greatly detested and verie damnable and abhominable a thing well knowne to them that are wise and learned in the scriptures and therefore néeded not the one quarter of quotations and textes that are cited for it There are also diuers kindes therof and neuer a good of them all Whether it be by inducing other men to sinne by false doctrine or wicked example by offending the weake conscience of our brethreÌ„ in a thing of it selfe lawful which our reasoner setteth downe absolutely without regarde of such circumstances If I doe offende an other mans conscience in a thing of it selfe lawfull As though our sauiour Christ might be accused for neglecting the offence of the obstinate Pharisees Or whether it be by giuing occasion to the enemy to blaspheme when a man doeth wickedly which also our Aduocate of the Recusantes doeth set downe so nakedly that he woulde make
time abidden imprisonment and nowe in greater number do for this only thing in the sight knowledge not only of Englande but also of al Christendome and of the enemies of the same in the worlde besides doeth make this abstaining from churche to bee a proper and peculiar signe of a true catholike nowe if it were not before and the yeelding in the same especially if a man be called to publike trial about it to be a flat and â—…uident denying of God and of his fayth For what doeth make a thing to be a proper and peculiar signe but the iudgement and opinion of men The bush of the Tauerne is a signe of wine because mâ—…n commonly take it so In like maner the yeaâ—…ow bonet of a Iew the yealow torbant of a Turke and the like Euen so seeing the whole world at this day doeth take the absteming from Protestantes Churches to bee the only external signe of a true catholike and seeing the Protestantes them selues doâ—… make it so also seeing that the going to Church is the contrarie signe it followeth that if going to church were of it selfe before lawful it were now made by this a peculier signe distinctiue betwixt religion and religion and so vtterly vnlawful I wil put an example of the Primatiue church wherein the wearing of a garland was lawful for al souldiers vntil the Emperours and the common opinion of men had abridged it onely to infidel souldâ—…ers to distinguish them thereby in honour from christian souldiers And then after that as Tertullian prooâ—…eth it was no longer lawful for christian souldiers to weare them for that the wearing therof was a denial of the christian fayth Wherevppon wee reade that a certaine christian souldieâ—… offered him selfe rather to suffer death then to weare one of them as appeareth in the same booke of Tertullian But now much more is the thing vnlawfull in our case For that the going to the Protestantes churches which is a catholike must presume to be heretical was neuer a thing of it selfe lawful as I wil hereafter proue which the wearing of a garland was and therfore much lesse now to be tollerated seeing besides this it is also made a signe distinctiue as I haue alreadie prooued The third reason THe third reason is not vnlike his brethren that went before which all holde of a necessarie supposition or els they inforce no necessarie conclusion This third reason is for that going or not going to the Church is made a signe nowe in Englande and a distinctiue note betwixt religion and religion betwixt a Catholicke and a schismatike as the wearing of a yellow Cappe is the marke of a Iewe in Italy I yéeld it is so and therfore going to Church is the externall note of a Catholike not going to Church is the marke of a Schismatike Heretike But what go I about to breake the adamantine necessitie of the former supposition Then let it stand and sée howe it is fastened to the cause in controuersie That the going to Church is the playne and apparant signe of a Schismatike that is to say of a conformable man as they call him to the Protestantes proceedinges it is manifestly to bee prooued In déede it is necessarie to bée prooued if you will haue the argument of auoiding the distinct marke of Schismatikes to agrée with Protestantes Howe then doe you proue it First by the commandement and exaction of the same for going to Church In déed this proueth the meaning of the coÌ„manders to be y â— they woulde haue all true Christians whoÌ„ you call the Protestants to bée discerned from heretikes and schismatikes by this marke But that all Protestants are heereby proued to bée schismatikes it is as farre of as euer it was and as néere as euer it shalbe But the reason of exaction mightily doeth prooue it For when a Catholike doeth come before the Commissioners there is nothing asked of him but when hee was at Churche and if hee will promise to goe to Churche commonly they account him a sufficient conformable man that is to haue yeelded sufficiently vnto them It were I gesse hard to proue that euery Papist which commeth before the Commissioners is examined of that one Article of comming to Churche And if it were graunted that to bée one question which is asked of him when hee was at Churche yet that nothing els is asked of any that commeth before them I thinke there is no man will beléeue you though you woulde swere it And if some of whose conformitie there is hope by promising to goe to the Churche where they may bée instructed are for a season vrged no further yet that they are commonly accounted to bée conformable men and thought to haue yéelded sufficiently vntoo the Commissioners I dare say neither the Commissioners who best know their owne thoughts wil acknowledge so much and their contrary practise is often séene in many and you your selfe complaine of it that they exact of many to communicate to take the oth whiche is more then onely going to Churche But the long imprisonment of many doeth make this absteining from the Church to bée a proper and peculiar signe of a true Catholike No verily but of an obstinate herctike For not y â— imprisonment but the cause for which they suffer must argue them to bée true Catholikes whiche cause séeing it is lefte without defence or proofe sauâ—… only a poore naked and beggerly supposition to stande vpon it followeth not that going to Churche is the note of a Schismatike but not going to Churche rather argueth a Schistike or an Heretike The fourth Reason THE fourth cause why a Catholike may not goe to the Churche is because it is Schisme and breaking of the vnitie of the Catholicke Churche the which howe perrillous and dreadsul a thing it is all catholikes doe sufficiently knowe For as they firmely beleeue that to oppugne the visible knowne Churche of Christe as all Heretikes tontinually doe is a verie wicked and damnable sinne Euen so in like manner they beleeue that to breake the vnitie of the same Churche and to make any rent or disuion in the same whiche is the proper faulte of schismatikes is also damnable For the whiche cause Saint Paule doeth so diligently request the Corinthians too auoide Schismes saying beseeche you brethren by the name of our Lorde Iesus Christe that you al say one thing and that there bee no schismes amongest you And to the Ephesians Bee you careful to keâ—…pe vnitâ—…e of spirite in the bonde of peace The which vnitie Christe himselfe expresseth more particularly and more distinctly when hee requesteth of his Father That his Christians might bee one as he and his father were one that is to say that as hee and his father did agree in al their actions and whatsoeuer the one did the other also did So in his church there shoulde bee one only forme of beliefe one fourme of seruice
one fourme of Sacramentes and the like euen as there is according to Paule one Baptisme one bread one faith one churche one Christe one Lorde one body one heauen one hope of rewarde the breaking of which vnitie of the church of God hath beene alwayes accounted a most greeuous and damnable offence For as Irenaeus a most auncient godly father saith They which cut and disseuer the vnitie of the Church shal haue the same punishment that 〈◊〉 had This punishment wee knowe to haue beene the vtter destruction and exâ—…yrpation of him and all his name But other Fathers doe exaggerate this sinne farther For Sainte Augustine in his booke whiche hee made of the vnitie of the Churche sayth thus Whosoeuer doe agree to all the holy Scriptures touching the head of the Churche â—…hiche is Christe and yet doe not communicate with the vnitie of the Churche they are not in the Churche And a little after hee expoundeth what hee meaneth by communicating with the vnitie of the churche whiche is That theyr communion bee with the whole bodie of Christe his Churche dispearsed ouer the whole world and not with any one part separate or els it is manifest that they are not saiâ—…h he in the catholike churche Nowe S. Cyprian in his booke of the simplicitie of Prelates or vnitie of the churche goeth further for he proueth that if a man did liue neuer so vertuously otherwise nay if hee shoulde giue his life and shedde his blood for Christe yet if he were out of the vnitie of the church he coulde not bee saued for that as he saith This spot or sinne the breaking of the vnitie of the churche cannot be washed away with any blood The which saying of S. Cyprian the learned father Chrisostome after Cyprians death doth repeate and confirme Adding these words There is nothing doeth so prouoke GOD as the diuision of the Churche And albeit we shoulde doe innumerable good deedes yet notwithstanding we shall be punished as greeuously as they were which dyd rende Chriâ—…te his owne flesh and body if wee disseuer in peeces the full 〈◊〉 and vnitie of the Churche And finally he concludeth thus I doe heere say and protest that it is no lesse sinne to cut and breake the vnitie of the Churche then it is to fall into heresie And thus muche I thought good too say leauing infinite other thinges that might bee saide touching the greenousnesse of this sinne of schisme whereby many of our bad catholikes in Englande may see in some part the miserable dangerous case wherein they stand by sleeping so carelesse as they doe in this sinne But now that this act of going to the Protestants churches and prayers is a schismaticall act and suche a one as diuideth from the vnitie of the churche it is easie too bee prooued for that schisme is according too Sainte Augustine A separation of them that thinke the same thing That is a different kinde of seruice of God in those men that do not differ in opinion in religion The which thing he expresseth more plainely in an other place putting the difference betwixt heretikes sehismatikes saying Schismatikes are made not by difference in faith or beliefe but by the breaking of the societie or vnitie of Communion Nowe the Communion or vnitie of the churche consisteth in these three thinges to wit that al Christians haue one sacrifice one and the selfe same Sacraments also one and the selfe same seruice of God But they which goe to the Protestantes churches haue no sacrifice at al neither haue they any more then two of seuen sacraments and those two also so mangâ—…d that of the two scarse one is a sacrament as they vse them And as for their seruice it hath no part of the catholike seruice as I will shewe heereafter He therfore that goeth to this seruice and willingly separateth himselfe from the catholike seruice and Communion breaketh the vnitie of Communion of the churche and consequently committeth schisme But some man perhaps will say I doe it not willingly but I goe to Churche by constrainte of the publiquela wes of my Realme I answere that heere is some kinde of constraint external but not so muche as may take away the libertie of thy will whiche is internal as the Philosopher wisely discourseth For this constraint is but conditinall That is either to doe that which is commaunded for example to goe to the Churche or els to abide this or that punishmente that the Lawe appointeth The which penaltie if thou wilt suffer thy wil is free to doe what thou wilt Neither can any â—…ortall power constraine it further So that suche an action as I haue talked of for example going to the churche for the auoiding of temporall losse is called both the Philosophers and Diuines Inuoluntaria secundum quid simpliciter autem voluntaria That is in part or in some respect vnuoluntarie But absolutely and simplie it is to bee accounted voluntarie And therefore they are to bee esteemed good or bad punishable or rewardable euen as other free actions are for otherwise no sinne shoulde bee punishable Seeing euery naughtie action commonly hath some kind of compulsion in it but yet it may not bee excused thereby As for example the murtherer may say that hee did it not willingly for that hee was compelled thereunto by rage of anger And the Lecherer may say his fleshe compelled him to sinne and to take fitter example for our purpose all those that denied Christe in time of persecution for feare of tormentes mighte by your obiection say that they did it not willingly but by compulsion of torments and therefore were not to bee damned for it But yet Christe saide that hee woulde take it as doone voluntarily and therefore damne them for it by deniyng them openly before his Father and his Angelles at the day of iudgement And yet to giue an other example neerer to oure matter Sainte Iohn saieth of the noble men and Gentlemen of Iurie in his time Many of the principall men did beleeue in Christe but they did not confesse him outwardly for feare of the Pharisees least they shoulde bee caste out of the Sinagogue for they did loue more the glory of men then the glory of God Heere wee see the act of these noble men and Gentlemen also the compulsion to the act the cause of their compulsion lastly Saint Iohns iudgement vpon the act The act wherof they are accused is only holding their peace not confessing Christ openly according as they did inward ly beleeue of him The cause or excuse that they had to lay for themselues was the feare of the Pharises or Magistrates which coÌ„pelled them agaynst their will so to doe Now what punishement they feared at the Pharises handes S. Iohn expresseth saying that it was Least they should bee cast out of their Synagogue The which punishment was then
a man to ioyne him selfe with them especially in the acte wherin principally they offend God which is in their assemblyes seruices false teachinges and preachinges at which times GOD his curse is lyke most abundantly to discende vpon them vpon thosealso that doe assiste them For as S. Paule saieth They are worthy of death not onely that doe euill but they also which do consent vnto them And that thou maist not excuse they selfe and say I am there in body but I consent not to them in hart S. Iohn expresseth farther what it is to consent vnto them or to communicate with them in their workes saying Hee that saieth as much as God speede them doeth communicate or participate with them in their noughtie workes Which thing the Prophet Dauid knew well and therefore sayde that hee would not so much as sit downe with â—…uch men and obiecteth the contrary fault to a wicked man saying When thou sawest a theefe thou wast content to runne with him Hee doeth not accuse him you see for stealing with him but for going or runninge with him and for keeping him companye albe it he consented not to his robberie And S. Paule commaunded Timothy not to consent to Alexander the Hereticke but to auoyd him Likewise he commanded the Romaines not to consent to other such like fellowes but to decline or turne away from them Finally saint Paules wordes are generall and playne of al such men when he saith Hereticum hominem deuita Auoid an Hereticall man He saith not goe to church with him but beleeue him not oâ—… consent not to him in thy heart This is our interpretatioÌ„ foisted in therby to boulster vp our owne dissimulation wherein wee presume farther then wee shall bee able one day to iustifie As that foolishe Prophet did which being sent to preach in Schismatical Samaria but not to eate with them ventred farther then his commission and by perswasion did eate with one whoe sayde him selfe to bee as good a Prophete of GOD as the other as the Protestantes doe saye them selues to bee good Catholykes but this venturous Prophet was slaine by God for his labour It is verye perillous to bee amongest the enemyes of GOD. If Lot hee had stayed but two houres longer in Sodome hee had dyed with the rest The terrible death of al them which were in coÌ„pany with those three rebellyous Schismatiques Chore Dathan and Abyron ought to moue vs muche of which number it is to bee thought manye were simple and ignoraunt men and had little parte of mâ—…lyce and noughtie meaning of their ringeleaders but yet for companyes sake all peryshed together The which example S. Cyprian applyeth to our purpose asking of vs if these men so peryshed for beinge onelye in company with those Schismatiques Are not wee affrayde to bee much more punished saieth hee assisting and furthering by our presence hereticall oblations prayers sermons and errours S. Iohn the deerely beloued of our Sauiour had as much cause to presume of his masters fauour as wee haue and yet hee durst not soe muche as staye in the bath to washe together with Cerinthus the heretique For so hee sayeth Let vs flee from hence least the bath fall vppon vs in the which Cerinthus the enemie of trueth is Mâ—…rke how he was not only affrayd least the bath woulde fal but also least that it should fal vpon him for keeping the other companie What if anye Prince shoulde haue willed S. Iohn to haue come to Cerinthus his seruice prayers and sermons If the histories reporte that the Apostles and their Disciples woulde not so much as talke or reason the matter with anye of the heretiques of their time but fledde their companie for feare least some parte of their punishment shoulde lyght vppon them what wise man nowe will dare to goe to their prayers and assemblies To conclude I would wishe euerye man to consider the admonition of the Angell of God to christians talking of all wicked congregations vnder the name of Babylon And I heard an other voyce from heauen saying goe out my people from her to the ende that you bee not partakers of her sinnes and to the ende you doe not receaue of her scourges because her sins are come vp to heauen and God hath nowe remembred her wickednes Marke how he saith To the end that you do not receiue of her scourges And yet it is certaine that the people of God did not consent in heart to the wickednesse of this place which they are bidden hâ—…reto flee but on ly were present there and yet wee see how dangerous it was to them to bee partakers 〈◊〉 the punishment 〈◊〉 God of his goodnesse had not remoâ—…ed them out The fifth Reason THe fift reason hée calleth in the Margent participation but in the text hee setteth it downe in these wordes The fifâ—… reason wherefore a catholike may not goe to the churche of those of the contrary religion is for feare least his presence may bee interpreted of God to be consent vnto their doing and so he be made partaker of their punishmente If the doings of the Protestantes in their Church were naught the Papists comming to it might bée partakers of their deserued punishment not by interpretation of their presence to bée consent whiche it is not but by pretending and dissembling to giue consent in outwarde presence whiche they giue not in their inwarde conceit For it is a prophane and vngodly imagination 〈◊〉 ascribe vnto God the interpretation of a fact to bée other then the minde of the doer meaneth it seeing the Lord knoweth the thoughtes of all mens heartes and nâ—…de not like men to interprete their minds by their outward appearaÌ„ce The reste of this reason is spent altogether in shewing howe GOD detesteth Heretikes and punisheth them that haue any societie with them whiche is all true but that the Protestantes are those Heretikes Antichristes or Babylon out of whiche the faythfull are commaunded to flée it is not by one woorde attempted too bee prooued but standeth wholy vpon the first necessarie supposition that trueth is falshoode and falsehoode is trueth For they cannot bee those Hereticall Antichristes of whiche Saint Iohn speaketh because they acknowledge whole Christe both in person and office but the Papistes which denie his office of only Redéemer high Priest lawegiuer head of his Churche Mediatour and Aduocate for the same are they of whom Saint Iohn speaketh But I doe not a litle muse why our discourser 〈◊〉 the text of Saint Paule in the plurall number The men of sinne the children of destruction Whereas the Apostle saith The man of sinne the childe of destruction and the rest of the Papists vrge the singuler number so farre as that they will not admit the Apostle to speake of a whole succession or order of many but of one only singuler man But hereof let him make account to his
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
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
may bée an error in the number for Hier. 61. contra Apostolicos hee speaketh of some thinges receiued by tradition as that it is sinne to mary after virginitie professed but of ceremonies hée saieth nothing at all As for the Tridentine councell which is next quoted I will not vouâ—…afe to answere it béeing of none antiquitie but holden within these fewe yéâ—…res by the Papistes Then followeth Cyprian epist 66. Which I know not wherfore it is alleadged for there is nothing in it for Ceremoâ—…es or the contempte of them but against the Nouasianes and anerroneous opinion of his that none can baptize but hée that hath the holy Ghost After Cyprian wée are bidden to looke in Augustine de doctrina christiana without quoting the Chapter but for what I knowe not for there are not in him rehearsed any Ceremonies which wée omit for any thing that I can finde The like I say for Cyprian sermone de oratione dominica As for Isidorus who lyued more then 600. yéeres after Christe in ceremoniall age is no méete Authour to controle our want of Ceremonies by such as were vsed in the Spanishe Church in his tyme which yet are not all the same that the Papistes vse Then solloweth the fourth Toletane councell cap. 2. Which appoynteth that there shoulde bée an vniforme order of ministration of the Sacramâ—…ntes and publike prayers in the Churches of Spayne and Gallicia because they were contayned in one fayth and kingdome What pertayneth this vnto the church of England which hath as great authority to appoynt her own Ceremonies as the church of Spayne then had for theirs The laste quotation is Bede lib. Hist. cap. 1. omytting the number of the Booke but hauing perused all the fyrste Chapters of euerye booke I finde nothing for any Ceremonies And whatsoeuer their shoulde bée founde in Beda so late a writer shoulde bee no preiudice vnto the authoritie of our Churche in this tyme. For as I shewed before that Augustine out of euery Church waâ—… willed to choose what ceremonies hee thought most conueniente so his posteritie was not bound to his choyce but as they thought good some they added some they abrogated But where hée noteth in the margent that in these Authors wée may sée 〈◊〉 what tongue seruice was in they dayes in all countryes I marâ—…ayle at his imâ—…udencie séeing neyther in anye place by him quoted except the last Tridâ—…tine counsell perhappes there is anye worde spoken touching the tongue wherein seruice was in their countries nor in all their works is there anye thing to proue the contrarye but that euerye nation had their seruice in such tongue as they vnderstoode As for the leauing out of the prayer for the dead which is in déede an errour of great antiquitie séeing hée quoteth none authoritie for the iustifying of it I will referre the Reader to other treatises that I haue written against it namelye to my confutation of Allens booke of Purgatorie and to my reioynder lately â—…ritten to Bristoes reply So that for any thing which is brought or quoted in this reason the seruice of the Protestantes is proued to bée good inough The eyght Reason THe eight reason of refusall which maye nowe bee yeleded why a Catholicke maye not come to the Protestantes churches is because by going thither hee shall loose all the benefit of his owne relygion neither shal he take any more commoditie therby then if he were not of that relygion at al. This is a verye great waightie and most sufficiente reason to bee yeelded by catholyckes in Englande to their Princes for their refusall of comming to churche and such a one as being sufficiently conceyued by her Maiestie cannot but satisfie her highnesse and greatlye drawe her to compassion of the pitifull case of so many thousandes of her louing subiects who being as I haue sayd catholickes in hearts by going to ProtestaÌ„ts churches must needs be brought either to flat athisme that is to leaue of al conscience and to care for no religion at al as manye thousanâ—… seeme to bâ—… resolued to doâ—… or els to liue in continual torment of minde and almoste desperation considering that by their going to these Churches they loose vtterlye all vse and practise of theyr owne relygion beeing helde as Schismatickes and excommunicate persons of the same and their case 〈◊〉 that if they should die in the same state they were sure to receiue no â—…rt of benefite of that religion no more then if they had been Protestants The which what a danger it is all true Christian men doe both know and feare But yet that the simpler sort may better vnderstande it and the wiser better consider of it I will in particuler repeate some of the abouesaide dommages First therefore a Catholike by going to the Protestantes Churches looseth all participation of that blessed sacrifice of the body and blood of our Sauiour appointed by the saide Sauiour as I haue shewed before to bee offered vp dayly in the oblation of the Masse for the commoditie of the whole worlde quicke and dead and for that cause as the godly and learned Saint Iohn Chrisostome saith Called the comon sacrifice of the whole worlde The which action of offering of this sacred Hoste the sonne of God to his father is of such dignitie excellencie and merite not only to the Priest but also to the standers by assisting him as al the other good works which a man can do in his life are not to be coÌ„pared with it seeing that the very angels of heaueÌ„ do come down at that time to adore after the consecration that sacred body and to offer the same vp with vs to God the Father of the whole worlde As all the holy Fathers of the Primatiue churche did both beleeue and teach Of the whiche it shall be enough at this time to alleadge one or two S. Gregorie therefore the first saieth thus What faithfull man can doubt but that in the verie houre of immolation or sacrifice the heauens doe open at the Priestes voice and that the quires of Angels bee present there in that mysterie of â—…esus Christ And Saint Chrisostome handeling the same saith At that time the time of consecration in the Masse the Angels stand by the Priest and the vniuersall orders of the celestiall powers doe crie out and the place â—…igh to the Aulter is full of quires of Angels in the honour of him who is there sacrificed And immediatelie after hee telleth two visions of holy men whose eyes were by the power of God as hee saith opened and they in those visions sawe the Angelles present at the time of consecration And in an other place hee yet more at large explicateth the same sayinge At that time deare brotâ—…er at the time of consecration and eleuation not onely men doe giue out that dreadfull crie saying wee adore thee O Lorde c. but also the Angels do bow their knees to our
Christe our forefathers of the Primatiue church haue alwaies most earnestly exhorted al men to the often receiuing of this blessed sacrament alledging innumerable commodities of the same aud prouing by experience that the frequenting of this sacrament is the chiefest meanes to come to all grace zeale feeling and life in spirituall matters And on the contrary part that the abstayning from the same is the right way to al spiritual miserie and for the soule of man to wither away dry vp and starue euen as the plant doth that lacketh moysture The which we see now by experience in many a thousand who for lacke of the foode of this blessed Fountaine of grace are as dead in al spiritual cogitations and deedes as a starued stake in the hedge from beating of flowers and their mindes so ouergrowen with the â—…anke weedes of carnaâ—…lite that there is no differenc betwixt them and a bruite bullocke for as muche the one foloweth his passions as the other Wherby wee see what a losse it is to depâ—…iue themselues from the vse of this sacrament Fiftly they loose al the merite of their good deedes whatsoeuer For as S. Gregoâ—…ie saieth Euen as none receiued their peny in the Gospel but they onely which had laboured within the compasse of the Vinyarde so no man shal receiue any reward for any good deede of his except he haue done it within the vnitie of the Church So that if a man should doe neuer so many good deedes giue neuer so many almes nay as saint Cyprian prooueth if a man should suffer neuer so many things for Christ yea death it selfe yet if he were out of the vnitie of the catholike church hee shal haue no reward therefore And not onely this but if a man be in any mortal sinne whatsoeuer as long as he abideth in the same without repentance and confession al deuines holde that he looseth the reward of al his good deedes And the reason is because no worke can be meritorious of it selfe but onely by reason of the grace from whence it proceedeth but by euery mortal sinne which a man committeth hee looâ—…eth grace and much more by going out of the vnitie of the church And therefore in such men vntil they repent there can bee no hope of any reward for any good worke which they shal doe Sixthly they lose the benefit of Communion of Saintes which wee protest to beleeue in our â—…eede That is they haue no part of the sacrifices oblations prayers fastings almes and other good workes done within the 〈◊〉 church which al other catholikes haue Finally they beeing cut off and deuided from the vnitie of the other members they take part of no influence which commeth from the head to the bodie that is from Christ to the church no more then a mans hand once cut off doth take blood nourishment spirite or life from the arme from which it is now separated as most learnedly saint Austen doeth discourse Wherfore they must needes wither away and make drie wood for hell fire and as good for them it were in effect to bee of any other religion as of that whereof they take not one iote of commoditie And to al these miseries they are driuen onely by going to the Protestantes churches The eight Reason THe eight reason of refusal why a catholik may net come to y ◠〈◊〉 churches is because by going tâ—…ither he shal lose al the benefite of his own religion This is called a verie great waightie most sufficient reason yeâ—…lded by catholikes in EnglaÌ„d to their Princes for their refusal of comming to church and such a one as beeing conceiued of her Maiestie cannot but satisfie her Highnesse and greatly drawe her to compassion of the piâ—…iful case of so many thousandes of her louing subiectes Here be words of great importance but all the reason hangeth vppon our lothsome supposition which if it be denyed as it cannot be proued the Pâ—…pists â—…se nothing by comming to our churches but receiue inestimable benefite if as they be present in bodies so they be truely coÌ„uerted in mind But sée I pray you how honorably he thinketh of her Maiesties both wisdom coÌ„science y â— he presumeth to affirme she cannot but be satissied by this reason which is nothing but a beare sâ—…ppositioÌ„ wheras she knoweth most assuredly y â— religioÌ„ which she by law mainteineth to be y â— only true religioÌ„ that she would think any benefit to be lost â—…her louing subiects by departing froÌ„ the coÌ„trary errour And once againe he ratleth in his many thousaÌ„ds of her louing subiects by whoÌ„ hée meaneth y e obstinate Papists God forbid her Maiestie should haue many huÌ„dreds of such louinge subiects as in their heart haue receiued this traiterous Antichristian persuasioÌ„ that they are by y â— Popes bull duly discharged of all obedieÌ„ce oth of allegiance if any they haue made to her But that the simpler â—…ort may better vnderstand this reason the wiser better consider of it hee will in particular repeat some of the abouesaid damages The first losse is of the participation of the sacâ—…fice of the bodie blood of our Sauiour appointed by him to bee offered vp dayly in the oblation of the Masse c. Nay he that is truely conuerted from Papistry then first receiueth y e benefit of that only sacrifice which Christ offered for y â— redemption of al his elâ—…ct is discharged of the sacrilegious blasphemy wherby y e same is pretended to be often repeted in the Popish Masse But Chrysostome is affirmed for that cause to call it the common sacrifice of the whole worlde I haue shewed before howe Chrysostome calleth the celebration of the Communion a sacrifice which is rather a remembrance of the singular sacrifice once offered by Christ him selfe neuer to be reiâ—…erated But the action of offering of this sacred Host saith hée the Sonne of God to his Father is of such dignitie excellency and merite not only to the Priest but also to the standers by assisting him as all the other good works which a man can do in his life are not to be compared with it Nay of all other blasphemies it is the most horrible that a wretched caitife should presume to offer the Sanne of God to his Father which no creature in heauen or earth could doe but hée him selfe by his eternal spirite But of the sacrifices which the Church doeth offer Irenaeus saieth Non sanctificant hominem c. They doe not sanctifie a man for God hath no neede of sacrifice but the conscience of him that offereth doeth sanctifie the sacrifice if it bee pure and causeth God to accept it as of a friend This hée speaketh euen of the sacrifice offered in the Lordes Supper which if it were any other then of prayse and thankesgiuing it were extreame blasphemie that Irenaeus saith of it Yet let vs sée what reason hée bringeth
to sinne with them which compelmen by terror to doe acts of religion against their consciences as to take othes receiue sacraments goe to Churches and the like which being doone as I haue saide with repugnant consciences is horrible mortal sinne as hath beene already proued and consequently dam nable both to the doers and to the enforcers therof The which I beseech God to giue his grace both to the one and the other part duetifully to consider that either these may leaue of to inforce or those learne to sustain as they ought their inforcement And thus nowe wee may see what great and waightie reasons the Catholikes haue to lay for their refusall of comming to the Churches of Protestants The which if they were wel conceiued by the Prince magistrates it is not likely that they woulde presse them to the yeelding too suche inconueniences against the health of their owne soules but if they shoulde yet ought the other to beare any pressure whatsoeuer rather thē to sal into far◅e worse dangers And of this that I haue said heere before there may be gathered these conclusions folowing not vnnecessarie to be noted for better perspicuities sake to the vnlearned First it foloweth of the premises that this going to the Protestantes churches is forbidden not onely by the possitiue lawes of the church dispensable by the Churche againe but also by Gods lawe and the lawe of nature as the cōsideration of most of the reasons doth declare For albeit it be prohibited by the churche yet not onely by the church seeing that a thing may be prohibited by the canons of the churche for more plaine explicatiōs sake which was forbiddē before by the law both of nature of God also as Adulterie Violence Simonie and the like Euen so albeit going to hereticall assemblies be prohibited by the church yet because it hath in it or necessarily annexed to it diuers thinges which are prohibited by the lawe of God and nature as perill of infection Scandale deniyng of our faith when it is made a signe distinctiue or commaundement dissēbling in gods cause honoring gods enimies dishonoring the catholik church and the like therefore the whole acte of going to church is saide to be prohibited also ◅ure diuino naturali That is by the law of God nature And heereof it foloweth that no power vpō earth can dispence with the same Wherefore that which hath been giuen out as is saide by some great men that the Pope by his letters to her Maiestie did offer to confirme the seruice of England vppon condition that the title of Supremacie might be restored him again is impossible to be so so that if any suche letters came to her Maiesties handes they must needes be fained false Secondly it followeth of premisses that this going to churche is not only vnlawfull Ratione Scandali by reason of Scandal as som wil haue it For albeit Scandal bee one reason why it is vnlawful and that in such sort as is almost impossible to be auoyded yet you see that I haue giuen diuers other causes besides Scandal which make it vnlawful Whereof it followeth that a man cannot goe to their churches albeit hee might goe in such secrete maner or otherwise haue their seruice in his house so priuily as no Scandale shoulde followe thereof or any man knowe thereof whiche is notwithstanding impossible to doe but if it coulde bee yet were the thing vnlawefull especially for the 1 4. 5. 6. 7. reasons before alleadged Thirdly i◅ followeth that a man may not goe to churche vnder any vaine pretence as pretending that hee goeth only for obedieuce and not for any liking hee hath to their seruice yea although hee shoulde protest the same openly for that protestation shoulde rather agrauate then diminishe the sinne Seeing by this protestation hee shoulde testifie vnto the whole worlde that he did a thing against his conscience As if a man shoulde proteste that hee did thinke that to rayle against the Pope at Paules crosse were naught and yet for obedience sake being so commaunded woulde doe it The which was Pilates case who protested first that hee thought Christ innocent and therefore sought to deliuer him but in the ende fearing the displeasure of the Iewes and theyr complaint to the Emperour washed his handes and so condemned him thinking by that protestation to haue washed of the sinne and to haue layde it on the Iewes neckes which compelled him thereto But I thinke by this time hee hath felt that hee was deceaued For when a thing it selfe is naught no protestation can make it lawefull but rather maketh the doing of it a greater offence by adding the vnlawefulnesse of the thing the repugnaunce of the doers conscience But you will perhaps say to goe to the material church is not a thing euill of it selfe I answere and graunt that it is true But you must not single out the matter so For in this one action of going to church there be many things contained wherof the whole action is compounded As for example there is the material church the possession of the same by the enemie of the catholike religion the seruice and sermons in reproofe of the same religion the dayes and houres appoynted for the same the bel ringing and publikly calling al men thither the Princes commaundemente for the Catholikes to goe to the same the end of the commaundement in general that they by going should pray with them allowe of their seruice and by their presence honour it Then is there the peril of infection the scandal wherby I offend other mens consciences and perhaps bring diuers other to bee corrupted by my meanes the dishonouring of God his case the honouring of his enemies cause hearing God blasphemed and holding my peace Semblably there is the conscience of the catholike that thinketh he doth nought the explication of the church that is not lawfull the matter nowe in tryall and the vnlawfulnesse of it defended both by word and writings of learned men ann by imprisonment of many other the controuersie now knowne to all the world and many thousand mens eies fixed vpon them that are called in question for it the Protestant wheras he esteemed nothing of goeing to Church before yet now so desirous to obtayne it that hee thinketh the yeelding in that one poynt to bee a sufficient yeelding to all his desires the which thing on the other side is so detested of the true catholikes that whosoeuer yeeldeth to this they thinke him a flat Schismatike and so abhor him And by this meanes the matter is made a signe distinctiue betwixt religion and religion whereof againe it foloweth that if the thing were much lesse then it is as for example the holding vp of a finger yet because it is made Tessera a marke token or signe of yeeling to their proceedings in religion it were viterly vnlawful As if a man shoulde but
second parte which is missing should be to shew as hée sayth How the only way which catholiks haue of remedie or easement in these their afflictions is prayer humble recoursevnto the good nature mercy wisedome of the Queenes Maiesty confuting the custome of al heretikes which in euery countrie where they are contraried seeke to molest and disturbe by rebellion their Lords and heades What neede the confutation in writing when wee haue séene it in practise of déedes Let the rebellion in the north serue for a good example to confute all heretikes that rebell against their Princes Let the procurement of inuasion of the Queenes dominions by the Italians and Spaniards vnder the Popes banner displaied in field and vpon fort declare what humble recourse they make by petition yea let a whole hundreth I thinke of practises within these 22. yeeres whereof her maiestie and her honourable councell are priuie and by Gods grace haue preuented them declare that the onely remedie which Papistes séeke is by prayer to God As for treasons poysons wilchcraftes coniurations and other deuilish dâ—…uises haue they not procéeded from them y â— seek none other meanes of remedie but by instaÌ„t prayer to God And humble supplications to her highnesse But the Heretikes saith hee teache the same to be Lawfull the one of them saying for which he quoteth Luther in assertione Artic. damn in Bull. Leon 10. and Wickeliffe Counsaile of Consâ—…antia Sess. 8. lib. 4. Trial. cap. 36. That Christians are bound to no Princes lawes and therefore it is lawfull for the subiects to rise against their Princes and punish them at their pleasures if they rule amisse This detestable slander indéed is most vniustly laid vpoÌ„ Wickliffe in y â— wicked councel of Constantia 40. yeres after he was dead which is manifestly disproued by his owne woorkes yet extant to be séenè in which he teacheth the contrary but it is a slander without all colour y â— Luther should so teach except it were wheÌ„ he was a Papist The other for which he quoteth Caluin lib. 4. institut 10. part 5. is charged to say That howsoeuer the prince ruleth wel or euill yet his lawes binde not the subiectes to obey in conscience but onely for feare of temporall punishment so that if the subiect were of abilitie to resist the prince he might without sinne doe the same Let any man that will turne the booke and if he finde in Caluine these words or in the doctrine of them let him boldely condemne Caluine not onely for an heretike but also for a common enemy of mankinde That whiche Caluine speaketh of the spirituall libertye of a Christian mans conscience whiche must bee kept wholly in subiection vnto God how maliciously this lewd writer draweth to such seditious heresies fiue hundreth places in Caluins woorks directly condemning all rebellion sedition and murmuring against Magistrates and exacting obedience vnto them not onely for feare but also for conscience sake doe most abundantly demonstrate But what the doctrine of the Papistes is concerning obedience to lawfull Magistrates let the Bull of Pius Quintus and the same repeated by Gregorius 13. against her Maiestie sufficiently beare witnesse Except you wil say these Popes for geuing such Bulles and al Popes for clayming and practising such authority are Heretikes If your popish doctrine and practise had béene agaynst rebellion why did not your Pope excoÌ„municate the procurers and stirrers vp of y â— rebellion in the North or if he lacked time because it was suppressed before knowledge coulde come vnto him Tel vs I pray you how many of the knowne rebelles that fledde ouer the Sea haue byn excoÌ„municated for raysing war against the Prince in her owne dominions Doeth not your open acceptation of them without any penance or satisfaâ—…ion declare that your church well liked of their traiterous fact Yea from whence proceeded the whole traiterous attempt but from the Popes approbation and promises You deceiue your selues to much when you thinke to take the charge and crime of rebellion and treason from your owne consciences and to lay it vppon Luther and Caluines backes and imagine you shoulde finde credite among wise men There were other secrete causes why this second part was omitted as there be other meanes of easement whiche you daily séeke and therefore doe allow whatsoeuer you pretende to the contrary As for the third parte of considerations and comforte were to small purpose except you did first prooue the cause of your suffering to be good and godly for not the paine but the cause maketh a Martyr Which séeing you are not able to defend you suffer not as Christians but as euill doers not as humble Martyrs but as obstinate and rebellious Heretikes God be praysed ¶ Imprinted at London by Thomas Dawson at the three Cranes in the Vinetree for George Byshop A pitifull discription of Englâ—…de at this day A rare 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 The 〈◊〉 of the vvhole Trâ—…tise Gen. 14. Mat. 11. 〈◊〉 A necessary Supposition Tvvo Sortes of Câ—…bolikes VVhat a Siâ—…e it is to doe agaynst a mans ovvn conscience August in Psal. 54. Rom. 14. 1. Cor. 8. vide expo D. Tho. 1. 2. Q. 19. aâ—… D D. ibi Rom. 14. Cap. 4. Rom. 14. Marke this reason â—… Three kindes of Sinne. Math. 26. 1. Tim. 1. Vide D. Tho. in 2. 2. Q. 14. and Creg lib. 25. Mor. ca. 1â—… Sinne agaiâ—…st itâ—… holy Ghost Mat. 12. Mar. 3. Luke 12. Iohn 15. Act. 9. The pitifull 〈◊〉 of dissenâ—…bling 〈◊〉 Math. 12. Mark 3. Lukâ—… 12. 〈◊〉 Pâ—…rill of iâ—…fection Note the Similiâ—… Eccle. 3. Eccle. 3. Eccle. 3. Tit. 3. 2. Tim. 4. 2. Thes. 3. Rom. 16. 1. Tim. 2. Rom. 16. 2. Pet. 2 Nicep li. 3. Ca. 30 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 6. Vide Gre. li. 5. ep 64. Sozo li. 2. ca. 31. li. 1. cap. 20. 2. Reg. 11 Gene. 3. Tit 3. Irene lib. 3. Cap. 3. 2. 〈◊〉 Leu. 4. Nu. 31 2. Reg. 12. 1. Esd. 8. Pro. 18. 2. Mach. 6. Math. 17. 18 Mar. 9. Luk. 17. Rom. 14. 15. 1. Cor. 8. 10. 2. Cor. 6. 1. Thess. 5. Math. 18. Ibid. Mark 9. 2. Cor. 8. Three pointes vvherein scandale is committed Leu. 4. Nu. 25. 31 Apoc. 2 The proper signification of scanâ—…lum 3. Reg. 12. Amos 7. 3. Reg. 25. 〈◊〉 example for 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 to note Ciprian de lapsis The second poiâ—… of Scandale Rom. 14. 15. 1. Cor. 〈◊〉 10. 1. Cor. 8. Aug. ep 154. 〈◊〉 Mach. 6. A notable example of a plaine and vndissembling conscience 2. Mach. 6. The third point of Scandale 1. Cor. 10. 2. Cor. 6. 2. Reg. 12. 〈◊〉 Esd. 〈◊〉 Rom. 2. 1. Tim. 6. 2. Pet. 2. A Catholike by going to Church fallen into all 〈◊〉 three poiâ—…tes of Scandâ—… Marke this poâ—… An imporâ—… admonition Gala. 6. Ambros. epist. 30. Aug. Li. de pasto ca. 7. Mat. 15. 5. 12. Galat. 6. â—… A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beâ—…vvixt religion and religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of prosessing a mans
faith sworne vnto God in their oath of baptisme Or els her highnesse must thinke great disâ—…oyaltie what speake I of disloyaltie yea open and manifest contumely in such an impudent marchant as dare be bold to assure her subiects y â— commaunding them to ioyne with her in true religion shée commaundeth them to breake their firste fayth sworn to God in baptisme and yet notwithstanding cannot but be coÌ„forted at their obstinate contempt to her most iust and godly commaundement But let the matter of the first fayth remaine in question What assurance can her maiestie haue of the kéeping of their second fayth and alleadgeance sworn to her heighnes as to y e substitut of god How many of those recusants presended for coÌ„science and kéeping of their first faith sworn to goâ—… ioined with the trayterous Earlâ—…s of Northumberland and Westmerland in open and actual rebellion against her maiesties person her crowne aâ—…d dignitie Behold the bond of assurance that her heighnes hath by their obstinate refusing to yéeld vnto her gracious and godly procéedings These be the linkes of loyalty wherby papists are so chained in obedience vnto their god y t they caÌ„not be traytors against their prince This is the recognisance of their dutie y â— they wil stick vnto her maiestie if occasioÌ„ should serue y â— so soone as any occasion is offred to shew theÌ„selues in their right collors stick not to make open war against her maiestie euen in her owne realme and their natiue countrey I hartâ—…ly beseech almightie God if it bée his will for Christes sake to illuminate their blind eyes that their heartes being truely conuerted vnto God they may bée méete instrumentes to serue the Prince Which grace if it be not his maiesties pleasure to graunt vnto them sor causes knowne to his diuine wisdome I beséech him for his mercie that her highnesse neuer haue néede or vse of their ayde who are her secréete sworn â—…imies howsoeuer they pretend an outward countenance of duetie and faythfulâ—…esse But to returne to this our discourser if Papistes could bée ashamed of any thing my thinke he should not for shâ—…me promise her maiestie assurance of their fidellitie who hauea receiued principle y â— to infidels and such as they accounte herhighnesse to be no fayth or promise of obedience it is to bée obserued And what talketh hée of a secundarie fayth sworne vnto her highnesse as though either shée or any almost in Englande were ignorant of the blasphemous bulles of Pius quintus and Gregorius 13. giuen forth against her maiestie procured by the traitours on that side the sea by which al her subiects are assured to bée discharged of all oth of obedieâ—…ce and loyaltie vnto their souereigne and the Prince her selfe with more vile tearmes then I in respecte of her honour and my duetie may expresse as méete for the basphâ—…mous mouth of Antichrist as vnworthy of her most 〈◊〉 and noble personage discharged of y â— most lawful souer eigntie which by the ordinance of Gâ—…d her most iust title by all law righ equitie doth appertaine vnto her Will they stick to her Maiestie in conscience of anyoth whose consciences the Pope hath loosed from al dutie of alleadgeance Haue not all the Papistes â—…ne sense of this matter or els where is the vnitie they brag of dâ—…th not Bristo in his 40. motiue affyrme that al the Papistes in England be duelie discharged from subiectioÌ„ and the Prince froÌ„ dominion by the souereigne autoritie of the common pastor of relygion Saith he not in the same motiue that although they be discharged of their fealtie yet they obey for common humanitie He might much more truly haue said that being in their traiterous perswasion discharged of their fealty wherinsoeuer they obey it is for feare of penaltie How can they that thinke themselues discharged of their fealty kéepe their secoÌ„d faith and aleadgeaunce â—…worne to her highnesse as to the substitute of God whome they wickedly imagine to bée discharged from dominion by the souereigne authoritie of Gods vicar in their tearme but the dauilles dearling in very déede But if the rebellion in the North the Bulles of their two last Popes Feltons execution Brisues motiues and a great many other motiues inducing her maiestie to conceiue of them as of most daungerous persons to the state were all cleane forgotten or els had neuer gone before are the attempts of Saunder in Ireland so obscure or y â— Popeâ—… standerd throwne downe so lowe or his garyson of soldiours so wholy discomfited or his forte so througly rased and made euen with the ground or Campions proude and foolish chaleng and the flocking of so many Iâ—…suits and Seminaristes as so many trompets and bellowes of sedition into England concurring with the hostile inuasion of Ireland so cléerely abolyshed that no monumentes of popish sidelitie and alleadgeance to their souereigne remaine to bée gathered or considered of them but that this new discourser dare assure her Maiestie that the disobedience of Papistes is an argument of their loyaltie their obstinacie a proofe of their fidelitie their contâ—…mpte of God and his trueth a conclusion of their alleageaunce and sworne seruice to their Prince Yet is hée so confident in defending their wilfulnesse that hée aâ—…ouceth that their aduersaries also and persecutors cannot in any reason mislike it for that the contrary relygion were to haue them as constant and faythfull in that if it were possible to winne them to the same In déede constancie if the cause bée good wherein it is deserueth great commendation but obstinacie in an euil cause as it hath nothing y â— in reasoÌ„ can moue wise men to like it so hath it not a necessarie consequence that the obstinate being once reclaymed to good religion will al waies continue constant in the same For beside experieÌ„ce in some of the recusantes who haue reuoulted from the truth once professed that constancie wherby true religioÌ„ is faithfully maintained is the gift of God and diffreth as much from obstinacie whereby an euill matter is borne out as trueth differeth from falshood and good relygion from heresie The last part of y â— answer to this preteÌ„ded letter is spent in promising to proue their obstinâ—…cie to be constancie and their wiâ—…lnes to be conscience and in 〈◊〉 his friendes desire briefly to touche three thinges The firste poynte shall bee what cause 〈◊〉 reason the Catholikes haue sayeth hee to stande as they doâ—… in the refusall of thinges offered them and especially of going to church The other two poyntes which are altogether omitted I will rehearse in the ende with a briefe coniecture of the cause why the same were giuen ouer And now to the first parte and in déede The onely matter and whole discourse of this treatise The first parte THat the Queenes most excellent maiestye the honourable Lordes of her pryuy Counsell and other the learned and wise of England may see that the refusall of going
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
the Church but the Byshoppe was there alone for no man woulde eyther come to his sight or talke with him albeit he was reported to haue vsed him self very modestlye amongst them Nay yet further then this the people of Rome hauing their true catholike byshop deposed by the Aryans and an other called Felix thruste vppon them not an heretique but a schismatique for the historie saith that he was sounde in fayth and held soundlye the relygion set downe in the counsel of Nyce yet because he was a schismatique and was content to take holy orders of the Arian Byshoppes and to communicate with them the whole people as I sayde did flye him and as the historie saieth None of the inhabytants of Rome would enter into the church so longe as hee was within Thus wee see the scrupulositie of chrystian Catholykes in those dayes and that as they thought vppon good cause for the auoyding of schysme If anye man can shewe mee a warrant since that tyme for the enlarging of our consciences now a dayes I woulde gladly see it Yow haue heard in the beginning of this reason the opinions of our forefathers in the primatiue church what a great and haynous sinne it is to breake the vnitie of the church or to disobey the same Againe it is certayne that the church telleth vs if the voyces of all the Byshops and learned men in christendome and of the supreame Pastour too bee the voyce of the church that goeing to Protestantes churches is forbidden vs what excuse then shall those men haue from obstinate schisme that notwithstanding all this will yet thinke it lawefull especially the thing being nowe in practise and so manye men suffering for the same Assuredlye â—…hey can looke for no other account to be made of them but as Christ willeth vs. If hee heare not the Churche let him bee to thee as an heathen and as a Publican The which wordes S. Austen saieth Are more grieous and terrible then if he had sayde let him be strooken with a sworde let him be consumed with the flames of fire let him bee deuoured of wylde beastes And a little while after talking of the bande wherewith the church mayâ—… binde a mans sinnes by authoritie giuen vnto her of Christe hee saieth A man is bounde more bitterlye and more infortunately by the keyes of the Churche then by any other most grâ—…uous and barde bandes albeit they were of yron or of adamant stone Leâ—… colde catholykes in Englandemarke this and not thinke they are free when they are in these bandes nor thinke they are christians when in deede they are Heathens and Publycans It is a naturall infirmitie of ours to thinke willingly to wel of our owne case and passion permitteth vs not to iudge indifferently in these matters Let vs therefore consider of other mens cases and by them conieâ—…ure of our owne If in Saint Iohn Chrisostome his time when there was an Arrian churche and a catholike Churche knowen in Constantinople and both of these churches calling people vnto them and the Emperour fauouring more the Arrians then the catholikes if I say in that case some catholikes leauing Saint Chrisostomes church should haue gone to the Arrians churches to seruice vpon obedience to the Emperour what woulde we thinke of them now would we esteeme them damned schismatikes or not If they had dyed so considering their disobedience to the Bishoppe and their perfideous betraying of Gods catholike cause in that time of tryall I thinke yes Then let vs not deceaue our selues for this is our ease nowe And if in all mens iudgementes that acte woulde haue seemed Schisme for disobeying one particular priuate Bishop and breaking from his commnnion what shall wee say for disobeying the Generall Pastour of all and breaking from his communion Of whom the noble Martyr of Christ Saint Cyprian aboue thirteen hundred yeeres agone saide thus Heresies and Schismes haue sprong of none other cause then for that men doe not obey Gods Priest and for that they do not thinke or consider that there is one onely Prieste who is iudge in Christes steede for the time Vnto whom if all the vniuersall brotherhood woulde obey in diuine functions no man woulde moue any thinge against the Colledge of Priestes neyther after the iudgement of God the suffrage of the people the Bishops consent once put downe in anye matter woulde any man dare to make himselfe a iudge of the Byshoppe and consequently of GOD nor by breaking Vnitie teare and rent the Churche of Christ. The fourth Reason THE fourth cause why a catholicke may not goe to the church saith he is because it is sinne and breaking of the vnitie of the catholick churche And then discourseth at large how perilous it is to break the Unitie of the Churche and how néedfull to kéepe it in whiche Argument hée hath all true Christians to take his parte sauing that hée séemeth to vrge this vnitie so farre that in the Churche of Christ there should bée not alone one only forme of beliefe but also One forme of seruice one forme of Sacramentes For which hée quoteth Ephes. 2. 4. If hée meane of one essentiall and substantial forme of Sacramentes and Seruice I doe willingly admitt that hée sayeth but if he speake of one external â—…orme in woordes and ceremonies as for example that which the Popishe Church doeth vse Sainte Paule neyther in the place by him noted nor anyâ—… where els teacheth that it is necessary to bée in the whole Church of Christ neyther was it in auncient times but euery Churchâ—… vsed suche forme of prayers and administration of the Sacramentes as they thought most conuenient whereof not onelie so many differing formes of Lyâ—…urgies yet extant but almost al the Auncient Writers are witnesses Neyther at this day is there in all Churches of Christ one forme of seruice and Sacramentes no not in the Popishe Churche wherein howe many diuersities of seruices there are in other places it is to be gathered by so many differing formes as were héere in Englande according to the vse of Sarum of Yorke of Rome or of Hereforde Neyther did Gregorie when hée sent Augustine into Englande to plant the fayth and religion that was at Rome thinke it expedient to bynde the Saxons to the forme of Ceremonies and seruice vsed in the Church Romayne but willed him to choose out of euery Churche what hée thought conuenient for the newe Church of the English Saxons But procéeding to shewe how grieuous the sinne of Schisme is out of Augustine our reasoner putteth vs in minde what Augustine meaneth by coÌ„municating with the vnitie of the Churche in these woords That their Communion bée with the whole body of Christes Church dispersed ouer the whole world and not with any one parte separate or els it is manifest that they are not saith he in the Catholike Churche Uerely these wordes of Saint Augustine with many other that
and the same mysterie as hee speaketh depriuing the lay people cleane of the cup of Christes blood whiche hee in expresse woordes commaundeth to hée drunke of all men And Saynt Paule by his authoritie chargeth euerye man after due examination as well to drinke of that cuppe as to eate of that breade of the Lorde woorthily As for our seruice when he bringeth any argumentes as hee promiseth to prooue that it hath no part of the Catholike seruice hee shall receiue his answere and our defence accordingly Hitherto therfore although with many whot woordes he hath concluded nothing against vs at length he commeth to answere an obiection of colde Catholikes as hee calleth them whiche are that they goe not too the Churche willingly but by constraynt of the Publike Lawes of the Realme And héere out of Aristotles Ethickes Lib. 3. The Acte of goyng to Churche is prooued voluntarye because the constraynt is conditionall eyther to doe that is commaunded or too beare that punishment that the Lawe appoynteth Where is then the sore charge agaynst them that compell men against theyr willes to sweare to goe to Churche c contayned in his Preamble before the first reason It is a greate force of cunning of one and the same matter to geue a contrary iudgement as it serueth best for your aduantage Nowe therefore you woulde haue these vnwise and fonde noble men and Gentlemen too consider I vse your owne termes that it is a badde shifte of dissemblers To say that hee goeth to churche agaynst his will thinking thereby to excuse himselfe of Schisme But beside this to proue it schisme yea and that obstinate and rebellious Schisme it were sufficient to knowe that the meaning will and commaundement of the generall and vniuersall catholike churche at this day is that catholike men shoulde not present themselues at Protestants churches UUhy Sir is not the Pope by your reede the best Interpreter of the Catholike Churches meaning And hath not hee graunted diuers dispensations for Papistes to presente themselues in Protestantes Churches But they haue beene denounced open enimies say you by the Councell of Trent as the doctrine of Arius was condemned in in the firste generall Councel of Nice Nay rather as the Homousians were in y e Councel of Ariminium in many other Councels of the East And as the doctrine of the Catholikes was in the seconde of Ephesus Nice the seconde and many other blasphemous and heretical couÌ„cels I passe ouer your slaunder of the Nobility of Englande by certaine of which you affirme that the heretical and schismaticall coÌ„uenticle of Trent was moued whether they might not lawfully without offence go to Church to do some meere temporal Acte as to beare y e swoord before her Maiesty c. Except you meane of such of the Nobility as haue openly declared their disloyalty by entring into rebellion or otherwise But as touching y e forbidding to goe to heretical churches which you labour so vehemently to proue y t you father it vpon a Cannon of the Apostles themselues which must needs be obserued Can. 63 You should haue done more wisely to haue confirmed it by theyr Canonicall writinges rather then by those Apocriphall Canons which if we should receiue theÌ„ as authentical wil prooue eueÌ„ your popish churches to be hereticall your selues to bee Heretikes because you goe against many thinges decreed in those Canons As y e you admit no married persons to the office of a priest or bishop agaynst the 6. CanoÌ„ That you forbidd any that is maymed or imperfect in body to be a bishop against the canon 77. y â— your bishops priests deacons and cleargie are often present at the celebratioÌ„ yet doe not coÌ„municate al which by the 8. Canon are excoÌ„municated But that it is not lawful to pray in the Conuenticles of heretikes it is more cleer by the Scriptures then y â— it needed to be proued by the example of Origen of Heraclas of Athanasius or anye other The example also of the people of Rome whiche refused to communicate with Felix might haue heene spared but that vnder colour of certaine wordes of Theodoret you would haue it seem as though not one of the Inhabitants of Rome was infected with Aurianisme UUheras y e matter is other wise seeing that Felix although himselfe of the Catholike religion was chosen bishop by the more part of the Clergie and people of Rome which were of the faction of the Arrians And therfore where Theodoret saith that none of the Inhabitants of Rome would enter into the church so long as Felix was within it must of necessitie be vnderstood of the Catholike Inhabitantes For that there was neuer an Arrian dwelling at Rome at such time as Constantius came thither I thinke no man but lightely acquaynted with the hystory of that time that can bee perswaded But after that Liberius himself had subscribed to the Arrians as Saint Hierom writeth and returned after hee hadde consented too Constantius the Heretike as Pope Damasus himselfe writeth by whome Pope Felix whiche was a Catholike was deposed and great persecution followed This I say declareth that neyther the head nor the body of the Churche of Rome was in that time frée from the hereâ—…e of the Arrians Insomuche that Constantius helde there a counsell with Heretiks together with Vrsutius and Valens as the same Damasus writeth and cast oâ—…t Felix oâ—…t of his Bishopricke which was a Catholike and called backe Liberius Nowe come we to the conclusion of this reason where hée gathereth by the opinions of the Forefathers how greate a sinne it is to breake the vnity of the Church or to disobey the same But not coÌ„tent with this conclusion which is true hée addeth a false position without proofe saying It is certayne that the Church telleth vs if the voyces of all the Byshops and Learned menne in Christendome and of the supreame paâ—…our to be the voyce of the church that the goyng to Protestantes churches is forbidden vs. The certeyntie of this Assertion dependeth vpon the necessitie of trueth in his first supposition But hée addeth an exception if the voyces of all the Biâ—…ops and learned men in Christendome c be the voyce of the Churche But I suppose that all the bishops in Christendome haue not giuen their voyces y â— way For none of the Bishoppes of the Protestantes would giue their voyces to condemne their owne Church And many hundreth Bishops of the Orientall Churches in Europe Africa and Asia neuer heard of the controuersie betweene the Papistes anâ—… Protestantes wherefore they coulde neuer giue their voyces to condemne them whose cause they neuer vnderstood of But let it be another supposition that there are noe bishops but such as are members of the Antichristian Church of Rome except you will adde the third necessary supposition that al learned men bee Papistes or that no Protestantes are learned men you haue not prooued that the going to the
howling of Woolues the bellowing noise of mad bullockes The reason whereof is that which the scholler of the Apostles S Ignatius saieth No man can cal him good or say he doth wel that doth mingle euil with good Wherefore S. Augustine saieth of the Donatistes Schismatikes and Heretikes of his time that albeit they did sounde out Alleluia with as lustie a voice as the Catholikes did in many thinges els did agree in seruice with them more then nowe the Protestantes doe with vs yet their seruice was impious and auailed them nothing And a litle af◅er vpon the woordes of God vttered by the Prophet saying In many things they were with me c. S. Austen saith thus God graunteth that Heretikes in many things are with him as in Sacraments ceremonies and the like But yet for all that they are not with me saieth God in all thinges For in that they are in schisme they are not with mee in that they are in heresie they are not with mee and therefore for these fewe thinges in the whiche they are not with mee those other many thinges in the which they are with me shal profit them nothing To come neerer to our purpose their owne Apostle and second Elias as they cal him Luther condemneth al their whole seruice for the denying only of the real presence saying The Sacramentaries do in vaine beleeue in God the Father in God the Sonne and in the holy Ghost and in Christ our Sauiour all this doth auayle them nothing seeing they do deny this one Article as false of the real presence Where as Christ doth say This is my bodie Loe here this Prophet with the same spirite wherewith he condemneth the Popes hee condemneth the Protestantes why should we bel◅ue him more in the one then in the other But now to shew wherein the Protestantes seruice is euil it were sufficient to say that it is deuised of them selues and altogether different frō al the seruice of christendome besides and therfore not to be receiued by catholikes with whom they deale too childishly when they say their seruice differeth in nothing from the old catholikes seruice but only because it is in English thereby thinking to make the simple people to haue the lesse scruple to come to it The which how false it is it shal appeare by that which I wil say hereafter I might also bring the opinion of al the hotter sort of Protestants called the Puritaines who in writing sermons and priuate speech doe vtterly condemne the seruice which now Protestants haue and therevpon doe refraine from it as much as catholikes But I wil giue more particular reasons as foloweth First the scripture is read there in false shamelesse translations conteining manifest and wilful corruptions to drawe it to their owne purposes as hath bin shewed in particular by many learned men in their works and is like to be shortly more plainly by the grace of God As for example throughout the scripture where Idoles are forbidden they translate it Images as in Saint Iohn they reade Children keepe your selues from Images Whereas the Scripture sayeth Idoles and this is to make simple men beleeue that Idoles Images are al one which is absurd For then where Moses sayeth That God made man according to his owne Image Wee should consequently say God made man according to his owne Idole Againe where in contrarie maner S. Paule sayeth That a couetous man maketh his money his Idole We should say that he maketh it his image The which howe foolish it is euery man seeth and it can not stande with any sence of the Scripture The like absurde translations they haue in infinite other thinges which I cannot stand to rehearse Let some man reade the latter ende of the xii Chapter of the second booke of the Machabies where he shal see what labour their English translator taketh to shift ouer the words of the scripture which talk of oblatiōs prayers for the dead and by that one place let euerie man iudge of his fidelitie in the rest For I am sure that if a Boye shoulde so corrupt Tullies Epistles in translating them in a Grammer Schoole he should be breeched for his labour The scripture therefore being read there in false translations it must needes seeme to be false which is blasphemie against the holy Ghost the inditer of them So that by this it appeareth that that part of their seruice which they pretend to be scripture is no scripture because it is by the malice of the interpretor false the which scripture can not be Secondly the seruice that Christians ought only to goe to shoulde be saide as also the Sacraments administred by Priestes and such as haue receiued the Sacrament of holy orders as al the general Councels fathers of the Church shew vnto vs. And S. Paul when he saith That no man may take vnto him this honour but he that is called as Aaron was Wherefore the same Paul aduiseth the Bishop Timothie not to giue this dignitie vnto any man but vpon great consideration saying Do not lay thy hands rashly vpon any man But now that either al or the most part of Ministers of England be meere laye men no Priestes and consequently haue no authoritie in these thinges it is euident for many causes as wel for that they haue not receiued the vnder Orders which they should haue done before Priesthood as appeareth by the auncient Councel of Carthage wherin S. Augusten was himself by al the Fathers both before since as also because they are not ordained by such a Bishop Priest as the catholike church hath put in that authoritie which admitteth no man for Bishop which is not ordeined by imposition of three or twoo catholike Bishops handes at the least Of al which thinges none are to be founde amongest the Protestantes Thirdly their seruice is nought because they haue diuers false and blasphemous thinges therein and that which is yet worse they so place those thinges as they may seeme to the simple to be verie scripture As for example In the end of a certeine Geneua Psalme They pray to GOD to keepe them from Pope Turke and Papistrie whiche is blasphemous First for ioyning the supreme Minister and substitute of Christ with the knowne and professed enemy of Christe and speaking so contumeliouslye of him of whome all antiquitie in Christ his church hath thought and spoken so reuerently calling him The high Priest of the Church The Bishop of the Vniuersal Church The Pastor of the Church The Iudge of matters of faith The repurger of heresies The examiner of all Bishops causes And finally the great Priest in obeying whom al unitie consisteth and b◅ disobeying of whom all Heresies and Schismes arise Secondly it is blasphemous for that they pray to bee deliuered from Papistrie meaning thereby the catholike and onely true religion by the
Turkish state in which the sense féeling of vertue was neuer so wholy extinguished but some remained euen in them that knewe not God nor serued him aright The king of Sodoma shewed some sense féeling of gratitude equitie when he was content to yéeld to Abraham his deliuerer the whole pray and spoyle of the aduersaries so that hée might recouer his captiuâ—…d people But let that passe and consider the grounde of this comfort So many genâ—…lemen en both for their yeeres lyuings and habilities as 〈◊〉 to be as vaine as the rest as though all other Gentlemen were vaine but they so precise in matters of religion and respectiue of their consciences c. To omit that which is â—…e in secrete the manifest couetousnes â—…ppression and wrong dealing in some of their liues appearing declareth small precisenes to be in their religion or respect of their conscience in their refusal But admit that none of them might he touched in conuersatioÌ„ as that were not sufficient to iustifie their religion so it shoulde be small matter of comfort vnto a christian man to sée so many Gentlemen refusing to yéelde to the trueth and so few poore men to whom the Gospel properly perteineth that dare withstand the Lawes that are now made of religion Whereas the true religion hath but fewe noble in comparison of the multitude of the poore that receiue and imbrace the Gospell It is therefore but a smal likelihood that Papistrie shoulde be the true religion which few or none but Gentlemen dare professe in EnglaÌ„d Which argueth y â— y â— greatest number of theÌ„ being able by welth to beare out the greatest punishment that is laide vpon them suffer of wilfulnesse rather then of conscience who if they were put to the same tryal y â— the poore martyres were in time of popish persecution it is hard to say how many of these gentlemen that abide imprisonment woulde indure to ende their liues as those did in firy â—…ormeÌ„ts Experience we haue in the daies of king Henry king Edward wheÌ„ sharper punishmeÌ„t then now is practised was executed vpon offendours in some cases how few there were those y â— were discouered by others rather theÌ„ by their own open professioÌ„ that indured the seueritie of those lawes Yet were those times more likely to haue yéelded thousands of martyrs confessours when men were newly drawne from their old inueterated opinions if certeiutie of truth had béen in papistrie which might haue bâ—…d a constant faith to haue suffered death willingly faithfully for the defence testimonie of gods religion against heresie which error builded vpon vncertaine or false grounds albeit it may worke wilful perâ—… in a fewe yet neuer is able to giue paâ—…ience constancie in the â—…ttermost a â—…tions vnto ma nie The same thing the experience of these times doth coÌ„firme in which only they suffer by their wils to whom the suffering is no great smart But y e mener sort although in hart they fauour popery yet because they haue no faith but an vncertaine opinion they dare make no confession to bring them selues in greater trouble then they are able without greate paine too suffer And 〈◊〉 those of wealâ—…h that care not to be imprisoned rather then to 〈◊〉 to Church how many of them dare make confession of that which is the profession of all Papâ—…sts that he acknowledgeth the supreme authoritie of the Pope is by Bul or other token of pardon reconciled to the Sea of Rome And wherefore are they so dangerous in this matter rather then the oÌ„ther but because y â— law 〈◊〉 sharâ—… in y â— point for acknowleging y â— popes authoritie theÌ„ for going to church Whereas if they suffered of conscience grounded vpoÌ„ a ChristiaÌ„ faith they would neuer be ashamed to confes him whoÌ„ they think in their erronious perswasioÌ„ to be the rock of the Church y â— head singuler shepheard of the same without acknow legeing of whose autority they hold y â— there is no church no truth no saluation I omit that there is apparant probable suspitions in some of the imprisoned of hope of greater preferment worldly aduauntement in another state then they looke to obteine in this whereto doth tend al their diuelish traiterous machinations against the Prince present state by Gods goodnes hitherto preuented and I hope if our sinnes which deserue the contrary doe not 〈◊〉 shalbe finally and perpetually disapointed But this their obstâ—… is such a thing saith this discourser as it must needes bryng comfort to all men So that in his iudgement they are no meÌ„ to whom the wilful contempt of Papists bringeth no coÌ„fort what more It can iustly greeue none except the coÌ„mon enimy the dyuel hymselfe Sée 〈◊〉 not what 〈◊〉 he maketh of her Maiestie at her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Nobilitie Comminaltie all whom it cannot but grâ—… excéedingly y â— any of her born subiects there naturall countriemen should so obstinately refuse the hearing of Gods word coÌ„munication with his Churche without y e which there is no hope of saluation that they had rather bee imprisoned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 displeasure of God them natural Prince then be at large with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ 〈◊〉 liâ—… of their soueraigne Yet further 〈◊〉 how not only in general but also in particuler he presu meth to â—…rine of her Maiestie And as for the Princes herselfe saith he she cannot but becomforted therein Behold how confidently hée â—…dereth her 〈◊〉 Maisâ—…ie in bearing men in hand not only that she is 〈◊〉 by â—…he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of her subiects but also that it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but that â—…hée should be comforted by that which euen coÌ„mon sense abhorreth that the ruler shoulde be comforted by disobedience and a Christian ruler by disobedience vnto Christes faith wherof she is a â—…olous defendor What other thing therfore is ment by this supposed impossibilitie but to â—…nuat in most sâ—…anderous infamous suggestion y â— her Maiestie fauoureth the contempt of her lawes liketh well of disobedient subiectes yea is greatly conforted at the obstinacie of thâ—…m whom by publike lawes and open profession she hath declared these 22. yéeres to be enimies of Gods truth maintayners of superstition and defendâ—…rs of heresie But let vs yet more néerely beholde the cause which maketh it impossible but that shée must néedes be conforted therein She cannot but be conforted threin saieth hée assuring her selfe that if these men doe sticke so firmely vnto their consciences and faith sworne vnto God in their oth of baptisme Then will they as firmly for the same consciences stick vnto her maiestie if occasion shall serue in keeping their secundary fayth and alleageance sworn vnto her heighnes as to the substitute of god No doubt but her maiesty must take great comfort y â— she setteth forth and executeth lawes to defende such a faith religion as men cannot obay but by breaking their