all these books Hence it came that I rashly relying on the slaunders of heretikes and not on the Catholike fayth entituled one of my books Of the cause of my departure and another in Italian The rockes of Christian shipwracke and another A certayne sermon which I filled ful of errours and heresies for the most part in hatred of the holy Roman Church and Sea Apostolike and of those Popes by whom I thought my selfe to haue byn iniured and affirmed those and many other things vvhich before I knew to be false and hereticall and after at least in part my selfe misliked and did whils I wrote in England from my hart detest them because they conteyne open heresyes agaynst the Catholike truth and are contrary to sound doctrine I meane to that which the Catholicke Roman Church hath alwayes held and holds at this day agaynst which whatsoeuer or whersoeuer is written or sayd by me that in al and euery part I do condemne and detest and I will better more at large by Gods help condemne and detest the same in the confutation of my bookes of the Ecclesiasticall Commonwealth other bookes that I haue written agaynst the truth for I submit my selfe and all my bookes to the most holy iudgement and censure of the holy Roman and Apostolicall Sea the mistresse and guide of all other Churches 3. In the meane tyme here in this exchange for a new and sounder resolution I most detest the former of my departure the Infamous Rockes of the shipwrackes of my selfe especially and heretikes but not of Catholikes moreouer the Sermon mentioned neither shall I shame by casting of the garments which I had made for myselfe to shew my nakednes because I was not ashamed agaynst all law and conscience to breake forth into vayne fictions open slaunders and filthy heresies Dioscorides l. 6. c. 44. The sting and poyson of the scorpion by bruzing of the same scorpion that stong hath a present remedy If the voluntary breaking and bruzing of my selfe bring remedy to this poysoned wound in case any so wounded haue repented him himselfe I shall esteeme this my bruzing deiection and mortification for happy let the glory of the Catholike Church and Sea Apostolike stand immoueable yea euen with the greatest losse of temporal goods that can befall me and since that so wickedly I haue gone about to weaken and infring it this course cannot at least before God but be glorious vnto me 4. First therfore I confesse in conscience truly sincerly testify that I wrote that booke of the Cause of my departure and the other two to wit the Rocks and Sermon not out of sincerity of hart not good cōscience not out of vnfeygned faith but that I might cast some colourable excuse on my shamefull departur that I might be the more gratfull and welcome vnto the heretickes to whom like a wretch I went or with whome I did conuerse The ten yeares labour which I bragged of in the book of my departure was not imployed in maturity of deliberation grauity of iudgement discussion of truth but all that vvhile I studyed hovv to finish that vaine fruitles and pernicious worke of the Ecclesiasticall commonwealth coyne bold and hereticall fictions and withall satisfy the impotent force of myne owne rage in so much as that vocation was not deuine but diabolicall not inspired by the holy Ghost but suggested by a bad spirit vexing me worse then it did Saul with the spirit of giddines 2. Reg. 18 v. 10. but for my returne I doubt not but that it is to be ascribed vnto Gods true vocation his diuine spirit calling me backe to my Mother the holy Catholique Church 5. I sayd that the behauiour of the court of Rome was the cause why I should for euer abhorre it I am not ignorant that herein I spake ill for there were not wanting then nor yet are at Rome very many cōspicuous examples of piety all Christian vertues which are able to delight and allure religious or well disposed mynds I sayd that out of the forbidding of hereticall books to be read do spring euill suspitiōs which get credit to the books of heretiks and induce men to belieue somewhat to be in them vvhich Catholikes could not confute and this I acknowledge to haue been spoken by me not without great iniury to the Catholike saith who haue found in their bookes I meane of heretikes false hereticall scandalous and pestiferous doctrine from reading of which least the Faythfull be infected they are worthily to be restrayned for not vnto priuate men who read those bookes but vnto the Pastours the iudgement of fayth hath euer and doth still appertayne that they may know which are poisoned pasturs and remoue their flockes far from them Moreouer the arguments of heretiks are deceytfull sophisticall and haue most easy solutions I affirmed the doctrine of those who oppose themselues to the Church of Rome nothing at all or very little to degenerate from the pure doctrine of the primitiue Church and this also is false for the opinions in which they differ from Catholiks are all of them most cōtrary to those which that Church held nothing can conuince them more certainly of errour thē the authority of the ancient Church frō which they by these noueltyes haue very far departed in so much as for this cause they are condemned as heretikes by the Church of Rome it is therefore to be detested I doe detest that which I sayd Therefore the religion of Protestants to be condemned of the Church because it is contrary to the sense and corrupted manners of the Court of Rome I said that in Rome by extreme violence were coyned new articles of beliefe and this truly I did say both agaynst my knowledge and conscience for I neuer saw any such matter nor any man else as most certainly I know for none can say that there are new articles coyned when there are only added the true declaratiōs explicatiōs of the true articles those gathered out of the holy scripturs traditiōs of the Fathers very rules of religion Againe I endeuored to depriue the Roman Church of the titles of Catholike and Vniuersall wherin I exceedingly erred for by the Roman Church is not vnderstood that speciall and particuler Church alone which is at Rome but the collection of all other Churches adhering to the Roman in vnity of the same fayth and subiection to the same chiefe Bishop wheresoeuer they be albeit in the vttermost coastes and corners of the earth And doubtles this is most true of me both by word of mouth as England it selfe can testify and in my written treatises of the Eccleclesiasticall commonwealth and in that part which last of all I heare is printed in Germany I haue euinced that there is no other Catholike Church but the Roman vnderstanding thereby that particular with the other adhering thereunto wheras all other companies of Christians are defiled
Church to be more deuided separated from the Church truly Catholike then they are themselues deuided from the whole world diuisos toto orbe Britannos That they are perfectly deuided froÌ„ the Roman Church other Churches subiect thervnto commumunicating with the same in Religion and fayth they will theÌ„selues willingly confesse and the thing is most euident most notorious Now wheras the RomaÌ„ Church with the others aforsaid is truly properly according to the Cath. Faith the Cath. Church of Christ doth it not necessarily follow the English Church as they call it to be cleane cut of froÌ„ the Catholike Church and consequently that it is not the body of Christ nor his house nor absolutly speaking to be called a Church Which when at length I plainly perceyued I was no longer to â—emain therin They will obiect say â—s this now plain vnto thee who yet in â—hy book of Ecclesiastical coÌ„mon wealth didst stile Rome Babylon who diddest deny the Church of Rome who didst teach vs that it was properly schismatical but that which thou affirmest of our Church doth not so plainly appeare vnto vs. So they Wherfor I shal goe about to mak this point euident vnto the English who know ful well that I am not Pithagoras whose only authority amoÌ„g his schollers for any thing that he sayd was held for best proofe let theÌ„ not therfore be moued with those things I haue sayd without other argument yea further let my wordes want their weight credit eueÌ„ where I bring my reasons and proofes if they be found to be weak and feeble Truly my reason on which I relied when I made Christian Rome to be Babylon was because the prophesy oâ— S. Iohn could no be explicated of Româ— as it was heathen before it imbraced the fayth of Christ Apocalip 8. But this reason is of no force for albeyt that this were granted yet it followeth not that the Christian Rome is Babylon for it is the opinion oâ— many Catholik interpreters that in the persecution of Antichrist the heathen Idolaters enemies of Christ are perhaps to subdue Rome and that of them this prophesy not yet accoÌ„plished may conueniently be vnderstood yet so as the fayth of the Catholike Church stilâ— continue safe and sound by this interpretation my affection of Rome as Christian is ouerthrown and conteyns in iâ— a meer slauÌ„der for I know the ChristiaÌ„ Rome not to be Babylon nor that it can without exceeding iniury be so called But God forbid that in this prophesy oâ— the Apocalyps we should conceaue thâ— Roman Church it selfe the mother of all Churches head of ReligioÌ„ hertofore â—o haue been or herafter that it shal be Baâ—ylon for those things which are spoken of the Citty are not to be transferred or explicated of the Church I denyed the Church to be at Rome but proued it not and therefore that deny all is to be â—laced amongst my curses and raylings â—ea also amongst my heresyes especialâ—y my self refuting the same by reason in my other workes in which strongly I â—aue affirmed the Roman Church with â—he others adherent to be the true onâ—y Catholike Church of Christ now â—oe as much as I can professe auer the â—ame I sayd that it had made a schisme â—ut then I sayd it when as yet I had no â—xact knowledge of schisme or nature â—herof I erred grossly herin because it â—s a manifest falsity the argumeÌ„t brought â—or the contrary is of no moment coÌ„â—ludeth nothing for he who being law â—ully made head of any body doth so â—…ile and proclayme himselfe doth not â—eperate himselfe from the body neither â—oth he cast away the body from him â—ut ioyneth himselfe vnto it which is a farr different thing from schisme but this I will further prosecute in the reuiew correction of that worke now only I declare how it is euident to me that the Englishmen and much more aâ— Sectaryes of our age are truly and properly Schismaticks for that without all lawfull cause they haue cut themselues from the true Church of Christ which is the Catholike Roman Church all those that communicate therewith 10. Two causes only there may be of lawfull separation that one or more Churches of Christ may wholy repell one or more Churches from their communicating with them without the incurring of schisme the one is heresy the other schisme it selfe The hereticalâ— Churches that are incorrigible are to bâ— eschewed of Catholikes who are to hauâ— no Ecclesiasticall coÌ„munion with theÌ„ This is a point well knowne amongâ—… Christians I often demaunded of thâ— Englishmen why they separated themselues from the Roman Church takinâ— the same as it comprizeth all other besides that adhere therunto was it for anâ— heresy But truly none of them al coulâ— eyther in writing or by word of mouth shew eyther the Roman Catholikes of of our tymes or our Predecessors in their publick profession to be or haue been tainted with any true heresy The most soueraigne King of great Britaine playnly and publickely graunted this vnto me this the wiser of their chiefe and inferiour Ministers graunted and many other learned men affirmed the Church of Rome not to erre in the fundamentall fayth wherfore by the grauÌ„t of English Protestants this Church is not hereticall They will obiect perhaps the Church of Rome not to erre in the fundamentall fayth which I in the booke of the causes of my departure in the sermon made at London seemed to defend but to erre and to haue fallen into heresy in other not fundamentall articles but first of all I know not what article there is of true fayth which is not fundamentall neyther could I euer conceaue or were they able to explicate how that distinction should be admitted amongst the articles of faith that some were fundamentall some not for truly I alwayes iudged all and euery of those articles which are truly to be fuÌ„dameÌ„tal but I erred in this that from the number of fundamentall and consequently from the true articles I excluded many which are indeed articles of faith and consequently were all fundamentall and cannot without heresy be denyed howsoeuer they be not of these principall of the Trinity Incarnation Necessity of grace Baptizing in the name of the Trinity c. as are the Sacraments Iustification the necessity of workes merits indulgences and the like which before I set downe as now defined by the Church because these no lesse rely on Gods reuelation then the former and therefore as much belong vnto faith as they for he who makes God deceitfull in any one article whatsoeuer he must necessarily acknowledg him to be deceiptfull in all the rest agayne I demaunded of such as meaÌ„t sincerely that they would produce but one article in which the Roman Church doth hold and teach amisse they are wont to vrge that of Transubstantiation of bread and wyne into the body and bloud of Christ out of
Church not to bind vnder mortall sinne the vnity of the Church not to be taken from one visible head the Pope to be the capitall eenemy of the whole Church the Masse to be no true sacrifice the ceremonies of the Masse to be light Comical gestures no transsubstantiation to be made auricular confession with absolution to be no true Sacrament that there is no purgatory satisfaction for release of the punishment after that the fault is forgiuen not to be necessary no Indulgences to be but of such penaltyes only as are imposed the Saintes not to be inuocated the worship of Relikes and Images not to be lawfull that there is no merit of good workes to euerlasting life These and the the like errours and manifest heresies not so much myne and new as of the auncient and modern heretickes and their bablings and doating dreames condemned alwayes by the Catholike Church in many holy generall Councells are miserable rockes vnto which such as approach make lamentable shipwracke of their faith and euerlastinge saluation and therefore I fly from them as far as I am able and least that I should haue beene cast away vppon them in England I was of necessity to depart from thence and rerurne to the true Church the port and harbour of Catholickes and forsake detest anathematize or accurse all the foresayd errors and whatsoeuer others if there be any other in those bookes which agree not with the faith expressed in the sacred Councells especially in the late Councell of Trent on the other side I imbrace and auer the contrary truthes to wit the chiefe Bishop of Rome by Christs iustitution to be his Vicar on earth to be the visible head of the militant Church which alwayes hath beene visible with full power receaued from God to gouerne and order the same the same Bishopp of Rome to haue power ouer temporall thinges in ordine ad spiritualia the implicite fayth to be profitable and sometymes necescessary as when one without his fault hath no expresse faith or beliefe of some articles the excommunications of the law or deliuered ipso facto to be of force and to be feared as induced by exceeding great reason and lawfull power the Popes to be able to excommunicate all faithfull people of what place or countrey soeuer in case they deserue to be so censured the commaundements of the Church bynd all vnder mortall sinne to obserue them the vnity of the Church chiefly to depend vpon the one visible head thereof the B. of Rome to be the true lawfull towards the sheepe of Christ as it behoueth the profitable Pastor of the whole Church the only eternall saluation of which I desire he may alwayes thirst and seeke with all care in in the Masse to be offered vp vnto God a true proper and propitiatory sacrifice the ceremonies of the Masse ordained by the Fathers and Pastors of the Church by the inspiration of the holy Ghost to be holy mystical profitable and by all meanes to be retayned transubstantiation to be made in the Sacrament of the Aultar that is the conuersion of turning of the whole substance of bread into the body of the whole substance of wine into the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ by Sacramentall absolution wherby the priest absolues the penitent to be exercised a true and proper power of binding and losing sins which our Lord gaue to the ministers of his Sacraments in the Church to be purgatory in that manner as the holy Roman Apostolicke Church teacheth it to be graunted satisfaction to be much avayleable for the releasement of the punishment after that the sinne is forgiuen the vse of pardons in the Catholike Church to whome Christ hath giuē power to bestow them to be most ancient most soueraygne and approued by the authority of holy Councels the Saints not only without all errour of the faithfull to be inuocated but further that it is good profitable to haue recourse to their prayers and help the worship of Reliques and images to be good lawfull and profitable which cannot be abrogated without the spot of heresy the merit of eternall life to depend of our good workes The later General Councels which are of supreame authority in the Church my stomak being ouer charged with ill humours I did often despise especially the Councells of Florence Trent many times also that of Constance and through my procuring a certayn history came forth in print of the Councell of Trent of the truth of which history I had no certainty yea it is worthily suspected of imposture in these thinges also I confesse that I erred very much for I affirme all the most wholsome decrees of these Councells with full fayth to be imbraced by all the Catholikes 6. In a certayn sermon of mine had in Italian at London the first sonday in Aduent and printed I set down these errours which being after repeated agayne in the booke of the Rocks now I haue worthily detested In that sermon I framed a certayn night of papall errours in the Roman Church wheras indeed in the Roman Church alone and others conioyned therewith there is true light the true and only most shining day out of which in England especially is continuall most darke night In the Church of Rome the light of truth the true and sincere vnderstanding of the holy scriptures driues far away from it al the darkenes of errours with which darknes miserable Englād being ouercast groapeth like a blind man at noone day I sayd in the same sermon and reiterated agayne in the booke of the Rocks that S. Peter was neuer at Rome but this as a soule and ignorant lye I freely confesse is to be condemned I made all the Apostles in planting and gouerning the Church to be equall whereas notwithstanding the supremacy of S. Peter ouer them is cleare by the very gospells and Apostolicall traditions I affirmed the Bishops to succeed the Apostles with equall power and to be Bishops in solidum of the Vniuersall Church whereas yet Bishops are but Pastors of particuler Churchs haue but a particuler charge the generall primacy being reserued to him who in the same succeedeth S. Peter who is the B. of Rome and chiefe Pastor I sayd that holy water graynes crosses hallowed images Papal and Episcopall blessings the stations diuersity of habits cords leather girdles visiting Churches and Altars beades processions and the like to be toyes when as it sufficiently appeareth almost all of these thinges to be auncient and allowed in the Catholicke Church which vse is to be cōtinued yea euen in those things which are more fresh inducements to piety deuotion I affirmed that there were only two Sacraments Baptisme and the Supper whereas yet the Catholike Church lightned by the holy ghost doth plainly teach define that there be seauen true Sacraments all which and what other heresyes soeuer condemned by the Catholike Roman Church I doe also condemne and with firme faith belieue
hold and professe the contrary to these heresies defined by the same for it is most certayn that in the decrees of the holy Roman Church reason is not seuered from authority the schoole doctrin especially in articles religion to be altogether conformable to the sense or doctrine of the holy Fathers This further I confesse that I haue without cause complained in my books of the Court of Rome as if it had vsurped authority belonging to others for vnles that Church out of her lawfull authority ouer Archbishops Bishops keep them both in order the violating of all lawes will easely follow by their dissension It is truly the greatest happines of the Church when her inferiour Pastors vnder one most vigilāt Pastour receaue and execute from him who hath supreme authority ouer all reformation of life and the charge of sound and sincere doctrine And truly should not the mild and Fatherly care of the holy Inquisition watch attentiuely ouer our Lords flocke the scabbed sheep would find no cure and that most wicked infectiō would soone farre neere spread it selfe The ordinary armour of that tribunall are sound doctrine and instruction full of charity and not these others which I out of my exulcerated mind haue with so many falsityes and slaunders exaggerated but in case the festered soares doe not yield to lenitiue medicines then is it both fit and necessary that the Phisitian apply more sharp and corrosiue plaisters 7. But now euen the inward fyre of the diseases of my mynd did rage almost by miracle after the entrance of Gregory the fifteenth to the gouernment of the Church whose eminēt piety singular wisdome and continuall sanctity of a most innocent life I indeed belieued to haue aduaunced him to that high honour I began to thinke of some more healthfull course the holy ghost enlightning me with the beames of his grace in so much that now the dangers of my soule in the state I liued in beganne to shew themselues euery day more cleerly vnto me and I now wōdered that I had gone so farre in folly and errour that I would conioyne my selfe with them who were heretikes playne and absolute scismaticks Such in tymes past was the guilefull deceite of a few Arrians in the Councell of Arimini that by secret collusion they had as it were drawne almost all the Catholikes into Arianisme tunc sayth S. Hierome Hieron cōtra Luciferianos totus mundus ingemuit miratus est se esse Arrianum then all the world groaned and merueyled to see it selfe become Arrian so alas much worse it befell me that I saw wondered and lamented my selfe an heretike amongst heretiks scismatick amōg scismaticks And that the Englishmen cōplayne not of me that I doe them wrong but that they may know my departure from thē return to my mother the holy Catholike Church to haue been lawful for iust cause I am constrained to lay open their heresy and schisme with which it was no way cōuenient that I should be further entangled or taynted 8. In England if we speake of Religion are many sects there are Puritās or rigid Caluinists there are more moderate who call themselues only Protestants Reformed there are Anabaptists those deuided into diuers sects neither want there Arrians Photinians such like raffe of lewd mē who albeit they be not allowed openly to professe their errours yet are they not banished the land nor punished at home but are tolerated whiles in the mean time they spread their poyson infect others that the Anabaptists hold many heresies none that is not an Anabaptist will deny but they in Englād freely haue their conuenticles and his Maiesty himselfe one day told me that lately in London at the assēbly of the Anabaptists a woman had made a sermon ministred their Sacramēts The heresies of the Puritans are notorious to wit that there is no free will God to be Author of sinne God merly because so it pleaseth him to damn many Christ not to haue dyed for al to haue vndergon the punishment of hel that infants baptized be dāned c. the more moderate Protestants although they goe about touching points of doctrine to free themselues in some sort from heresy because they doe not admit entirely the heresies eyther of Caluin or Luther if they follow the pure doctrine of the English Church which they call Reformed yet can they not so escape or rid their hands from Puritans and Anabaptists with whome they fully communicate and if any Anabaptist or Puritan come to their Ecclesiastical Conuenticles they neither auoid him nor exclude him yea almost all the Puritan Ministers handle and minister the very Sacraments of the false English Church vnto all commers at least vnto all Caluinists And if Acacius of Constantinople for that he had communicated with Peter Mogge an heretick of Alexandria if all the East Church for persisting in communion with Arrius was separated by a long anathema or curse from the Roman and West Church how much more are the Protestants of England to be esteemed for heretikes because they continually communicate which heretikes neyther do they cōdemne them or deny them their company but rather admit them al that will communicate in their ceremonies rites and Sacraments with the English Church Doth not the deformed Church of England publickly and plainly professe cōmunion Ecclesiastical league or fryendship with Geneua the mother of Puritans and all other forrayn Caluinists Are there not euen in London the Kinges Citty and that by publicke graunt of the King Churches of the French Flemish and Italian Caluinists which hate and abhorre the doctrine profession rites of England yet are most deerely beloued sisters of the English Synagogue And by them Puritanisme is especially maintayned and set forward in Englād Moreouer with the Lutherās polluted with very many heresies the English Sinagogue is most ready to communicate and labours all that it can to the end that these mōsters of many heads may like Hercules hydra agree in one body and a vnion as they terme it be made of all the reformed Churches but of purging the faith and doctrine of these different sects rooting out their heresies no care is had yet the Lutherans hate the Sacramentaries cane peius angue Other heresies of Englishmen concerning faith good workes and iustification as also the B. Sacrament priuate Masses Merits of good workes praying vnto Saints worshipping of holy Images holy rites and ceremonyes the soules of the departed and the like which they out of an hereticall spirit doe condemne and abolish and which I with the same spirit in part haue once condemned and abolished I meane not now further to discusse somewhat I meane as much as this place requires I shall after touch and more els where in a larger worke I come to their schisme 9. Sure I am that the English Sect which the deformed English men call the Reformed
M. ANTONIVS DE DOMINIS ARCHBISHOP OF SPALATO Declares the cause of his Returne out of England Translated out of the Latin Copy printed at Rome this preseÌ„t yeare Vnus Dominus Vna Fides Vnum Baptisma Ephes 4. One Lord One Fayth One Baptisme Permissu Superiorum M.DC.XXIII To the Reader THIS may seeme a small worke good Reader for so great a scaÌ„dall as hath beene giuen by the Authour but it is an abridgement only of another more large ample that is to ensue and yet in this thou mayst perceiue how men may so farre be transported by vnbridled passions as to fall into open schisme heresy on the other side thou mayst see also the force and efficacy of Gods grace in recalling of sinners by true repeÌ„tance to his loue and fauour Let the one of these ballance the other and let the latter cancell the fault of his committed errour 1 CoÌ„silium Profectionis 2. CoÌ„silium Reditus That was wicked pernicious and detestable this is vertuous exemplar and laudable The latter counsayle is alwayes wont to be more ponderous graue and iudicious then the former especially when as the forformer is recalled by the latter His reuolt you will say was scandalous True But now Vna eadeÌ„que manus vulnê° opeÌ„que tulit He hath in part made ameÌ„ds for his former fault by his submissiue confession and this learned Prelate as an vnlearned Mynister stiled him Hall in his honour of the maryed clergy pag. â—5 that had honoured the English Church with a Dalmatian Pall that had passed ouer the Alpes to leaue Rome that was so potent a Protestant as none of al our Bandogges durst fasten vpon him hath now withdrawn both Pall Honour from that Church hath left EnglaÌ„d is returned ouer the Alpes to Rome againe like a bandog indeed hath fastened himselfe on the English wolues bites so hard as he makes them bleed further makes all Protestants to see their weaknes if yet they haue eyes to see Hall ibid. in the answer to the aduertisment that the whole Region of Deuines and those so incomparable that may set Rome to schoole could not defend themselues from open Schisme and Heresy nor perswade one man he such a one as offered himselfe freely into their hands to remaine continue amongst them Magna est veritas praeualet Thou mayst further see with what care and sincerity our Aduersaries write agaynst vs how they examine the matters they handle how little truth learning how much lies detractioÌ„s forgeries passionate fancies are regarded By these base means shameful shifts must heresy be mantained Catholiks impugned iniured all vertue depressed troden vnder foote Let the example of one be a warning vnto all let the Retreate of this seduced Bishop make men looke on what ground they stand not hazard their saluation bought with the ransome of our Sauiours bloud vpon the false Heretical and Schismaticall opinions of these times The Cause of M. Antonius de Dominis his Returne out of England EXCELLENTLY as all other thinges doth the holy Ghost by the mouth of Saint Paul reckon amongst the works of the flesh contentions emulations angers debates dissentions and sects these vnfortunate fruits of this wicked tree I hauing tasted or rather out of the corrupt disease of my minde greedily deuoured haue now thought requisite after the holesome receite of Gods grace to cast vp agayne and make a perfect euacuation of this contracted filth This that I might the more safely and readily doe and my selfe openly reprehend and condemne the manifold errours that haue ensued of the wicked resolution of my former bad departure I resolued with my selfe the best course to be leauing the schoole of errours falsities and heresies to returne of myne owne accord to the holy Roman Church the one only pillar and singular foundation of truth and mother of all Catholikes froÌ„ which so wickedly I had departed therefore first of all I will explicate this reprehension condemning and detestation of my errours past after that I will recount other causes for which I was to leaue England and other hereticall countreyes and to returne agayne to the holy Catholike Roman Church 2. It is a most ancient disease of our corrupt nature as it were by inheritance conueighed from our first parent vnto all his posterity that when we erre and doe agaynst that which is commaunded we eyther coyne friuolous excuses Genes 3. The woman whome thou hast giuen me c. or else defend our faultes and with the counterfeit garment of iustice and vertue labour all we can to maske and couer them This to haue befallen vnto me I doe both confesse lament The disease of my soule wherewith I was sicke before my departure was in that I trusted to much to my own prudence agaynst that wholesome counsayle of the Wise-man Prouerb 3. ne innitaris prudentiae tuae and out of the confidence of my small wit being of so small reach I iudged too rashly of matters of Fayth besides this a certaine frenzy of rage not that which some ignorant companions only wise in their owne conceit obiected vnto me when I was to returne out of England for that forsooth certayne Promotions which in vayne I thirsted after were denyed me but altogeather caused of my vnreasonable impatience whiles I tooke it most grieuously to be vnder them of whome in the Booke of the causes of my departure I haue without all cause complayned these things carryed me vpon the shelfs and sands these did beate my barke agaynst the rocks these sharpened my wit to pestiferous thoughts these were the cause why I fondly feigned errours of the Roman Church wherby I might excuse my departure these finally cast me on those extreme coastes vvhere I went and that I might seeme to haue done well and in some sort endeauour to auoyd the imputation of imprudency and rashnes and of heresy also first for defence of my departure I set forth my purpose and intention in the same then other volumes and bookes fraught with such things as eyther the art of feigning or forging suggested or the wisdome of the flesh did prompt vnto me and vvhiles the sicknes boyled in my brest within and the stings of wrath did pricke my exulcerated mynd the itch of my tongue and pen did breake forth into an impostume Many things which heretikes enemyes of the Sea Apostolike did belieue affirme and professe seemed to me now blinded by my selfe to be credible some to be true when as yet I had neuer brought these controuersies to the touchstone of true diuinity nor had throughly discussed them for I had not ended any part of the Ecclesiasticall Commonwealth in which I had determined to treat of points of religion and rules of fayth nor yet had I so much as begunne it howsoeuer in the booke of the cause of my departure I sayd that I had already finished
tooke the same vnto himselfe in other thinges concerning fayth forme of Religion and Ecclesiasticall rites he carryed himselfe more moderatly Vnder his Sonne Edward a child and much more vnder Elizabeth not only a separation was made from the chiefe Bishop Christ his vicar and supreme Pastor of the Christian flocke but also the vse of Religion by mayne force iniury was taken from Catholikes and by publicke lawes but made by Lay men vtterly suppressed Was there any lawfull Councell before for this matter Were the obiections made against Catholikes discussed Were the reasons for their defence heard Were they conuinced of any errour or impiety in Religion Was this iudgment made by any competēt Iudge Nothing lesse Doth not the same violence the same iniury the same impiety still remayne How much doe they striue in England they especially who seeme to haue care of their Religiō such as it is least the diuine anciēt pious prescript worship of God be restored to Catholikes Is this their meaning whē they say it is not Their fault that the schisme is not taken away They vrge reformation but reformation be it neuer so iust necessary yet if it be made with schisme is a most fowle deformatiō That in deed is reformed that remaines the same in substance Therefore Catholike Religion ought to haue remayned in England and the substantiall practise of the same if any thing had beene to be reformed that seruatis seruandis might haue beene exposed to reformation but no other differēt Religion the former being suppressed or violētly kept vnder was to be made in so much as now there should be two religions disagreeing among themselues and one contrary to the other for if the latter be another Religion from the former the former is not reformed but as much as lay in their power is ouerthrowne and a new set vp but there cannot be two Religions of Christ for there is but one only and that with vs I as haue shewed as there is but one Church one foundation one Christ 28. When as therefore amongst other miseryes I saw my selfe inuolued in inueterate schisme and all hope of vnion to be taken away seeing Altar erected against Altar deuided frō the Charity of the Church I neyther could nor ought with safe conscience to be present wherfore remorse of conscience compelled me to returne and it was necessary that my Agar retourned to the most holy Romā Church her mistresse hearing the voyce of the Angell checking her and saying Gen. 16.9 Reuertere ad Dominam tuam humiliare sub manu illius returne to thy mistresse humble thy selfe vnder her hand or authority that flight cold bring me nothing but shame and ruine God commaunds me to be humbled vnder the hād of my mistresse and in this I ought specially to follow God I would to God that they to whome folishly I fled would acknowledg their most miserable spirituall estat not only for heresies but also for their schisme to be most desperate frō which schisme now I haue shewed that they cannot be excused because they haue vnlawfully separated themselues from the true Church of Christ which is our Catholike Roman Church And this point affrighted me because schismatiks are excluded from being the Children of God for Deum non habent patrem saith S. Cyprian Lib. de simplicitate Praelatorū qui Ecclesiam veram non habent matrem they haue not God for their Father who haue not the true Church for their mother Christ therfore died Ioan. 11.51 vt filios Dei qui dispersi erant congregaret in vnū that he might gather in one the children of God who were dispersed the death therfore of Christ did worke and still worketh not only the redemption of men but also the vnion of his Church Before the death of Christ the children of God were dispersed and deuided some vnder the Law of Moyses others vnder the only Law of nature being far asunder one from the other making together no one certayne and vniuersall Congregatiō but now the diuine wisdome would so haue it that al his faithfull followers true children by faith should make ouer the whole world one society or fellowship that they shold all make one warfare vnder their Captayn and Emperour Christ and vnder his banner to wit the holy and life-giuing Crosse vsing all the same military signes and tokens of the Sacraments and this society and congregation is a singular effect of the death of Christ which procured that disagreeing Sects and innumerable courses of life amongst themselues so different and contrary should meete and be combined in one Christiā vnity Ephes 2.19 which truly is his worke qui fecit vtraque vnum who made both one and that by the Crosse Hereunto doth Anastasius Synaita apply the wordes of God in the creation Congregentur aquae in locum vnum Anastas 3. Hexam let the waters be gathered together in one place This sayth he belongeth to the Church gathered together vnder the vnity of one fayth out of different people countries and sects And for this cause Christ sayd of his own Crosse Ioan. 12. si exaltatus fuero à terra omnia traham ad meipsum If I shal be exalted from the earth I wil draw all vnto my selfe S. Athanasius sayth Athanas de Incarnat verbi Dei Exaltatus enim in cruce Dominus vtroque extenso brachio vtrūque populum ad se inuitauit vt vtrumque amplexando in sinum suum colligeret Our Lord being exalted or lifted vpon the Crosse with both his armes stretched abroad inuited to himselfe both people Iew and Gentile that by imbracing them both he might gather them together into his bosome There is therefore one bosome betweene the armes of our Sauiour 29. And in the same place S. Athanasius thinkes it not to want mystery that Christ chose the death of the Crosse not Beheading by which S. Iohn his precursor died nor cutting or deuiding of his body as Isaias Vt in morte sayth he sine mutilatione integrum corpus seruaret causa subduceretur ijs qui Ecclesiam in partes cupiunt discindere that in the death of Christ his entire body without maiming might be preserued and all pretext taken away from them who desire to cut the Church asunder into partes And so hartily Christ esteemed this vnity as in that most feruent praier which he made in the last night of his life Ioan. 17.11 20.21 he craued of his Father that he would not suffer his disciples and other belieuers in him to depart from this vnity vt credat mundus quia tu me misisti that the world may beleeue that thou hast sent me But our Aduersaryes little consideringe these thinges will as much as is in them haue the death and Crosse of Christ to be destitute of this most noble effect of vnity and by their diuisions schismes giue occasion to Iewes and Infidells of rayling and