subversion and ruine of their soules pag. 19. In the Protestant Church there is neither idâ—latrie committed nor hurt done pag. 22. Why should we not communicate with Protestants where there can be no danger of sinne and in pag. 23. Protestants are not to be called properly formall heretiques pag. 41. In going to the Protestant Church there is no morall malignitie at all in so much that scarce the weakest man can invent how to sinne by any thing that is there done it being of its owne nature so indifferent and to a good intention good that à parte rei there is no appearance of evill therein pag. 48. I never yet could finde any idolatrie committed at Protestant Churches as often as I have frequented the same pag. 52. Protestants are not properly and in rigour formall heretiques If Protestants are not formall heretiques it followeth necessarily that they are no heretiques at all for forma dat nomen et esse If it be a false suggestion that Protestants are blasphemous heretiques hating God and his Church then the truth is they are neither blasphemous heretiques nor haters of God nor his Church but lovers of both If there be no idolatrie committed in Protestant Churches then God is there purely worshipped in spirit and truth If there bee no hurt done in Protestant Churches no danger of sinne nor so much as any appearance of evill then are all Papists iustly to be punished who refuse to come to our Church and they are guilty of grievous sinne in disobeying the commands of King and State and have no pretence at all for their recusancie Thus as Virgil when he read the obsolete writings of Ennius said he sought for aurum instercore so maist thou finde here gold in a dunghill I have washed away the filth by Animadversions inserted in convenient places make thou use of the gold to enrich thy knowledge and confirme thy assurance of the doctrine of the Gospel purely taught and sincerely professed in the Church of England Octob. 1. 1642. A TABLE OF THE SPECIALL CONTENTS LOcks that are scrued with letters are most troublesome to unlocke if we know not the particular letters by the setting whereof together the wards flye open such is the ensuing discourse consisting of very many heads doubling or trebling the Alphabet as appeare by the marginall notes yet without any summaary contents premised or directorie Titles serving in stead of signall letters to open the severall parts and Sections thereof It was thought therefore requisite to supply that defect in the Romish Authour by this table wherein the Reader may readily and easily finde those remarkable points which either are professedly handled or occasionally touched therein First in the Preface pag. 3. Secondly in the Treatise pag. 16. Sect. 1. pag. 26. Sect. 2. pag. 57. Sect. 3. pag. 82. Thirdly in the Appendix pag. 143. First in the Preface The originall of Recusancie in England pag. 6. The Rescripts of seven Popes in the case all erroneous pag 7. The determination of generall Councels of great authoritie yet not infallible pag. 12. Secondly in the Treatise The state of the question touching going to Church with men of a different religion explicated pag. 16. Naamans fact bowing in the temple of Rimmonâ—iscussed â—iscussed pag. 17. The words of the Prophet 2 Kings 5.19 goe in peace diversly expounded pag. 18. None may dissemble his Religion no not in feare of death pag. 21. The resâ—lution â—f the Sorbon Doctors in the case of Recusancie pag. 24. SECT 1. The definition of scandall pag. 26. Severall divisions of Scandall pag. 27. The distinction of veniall and mortall sinne refuted pag. 28. Evangelicall Councels as they call them are not distinct from precepts pag. 29. Povertie in it selfe is not scandalous pag. 31 Whether our Liturgie be any part of the Missall pag. 33. Prayers ought to be made in a knowne tongue pag. 34. What is meant by appearance of evill 1 Thess. 5.22 pag. 35. In what case the eating meates offered unto Idols is forbidden by the Apostle 1 Cor. 8. pag. 39. The definition of an heretique pag. 51. That the faith of Protestants is no way defective pag. 53. The Romish Clergie is grosly ignorant pag. 54 The Protestants manner of preaching in many respects to be preferred before the Romish pag. 55. SECT 2. Recusancie is no distinctive signe betweene a Papist and a Protestant pag. 57. The Protestants Sacrament is not a bare signe nor the holy Eucharist common bread pag. 60. The body and blood of Christ is truly given in the Sacrament pag. 61. The popish carnall manner of eating Christs flesh with the mouth is repugnant to faith reason and common sense pag. 62. The Apostle by the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11.20 meaneth not the Agapae or Love-feasts pag. 64. A foule practise and high misdemeanour of Davenport alias à Sancta Clara in procuring a surreptitious Bull against Day the Franciscan pag. 75. SECT 3. That Papists attribute religious worship to images themselves pag. 85. That a man being questioned of his faith though before an incompetent Iudge is bound to answer the truth pag. 98. That we may not dissemble with dissemblers nor play the Fox with Foxes pag. 99. That Papists trust in their owne merits though some at their death have renounced them pag. 104. The Oath of Allegiance divided into eight branches and every branch justified by Papists themselves pag. 109. The Oath of Supremacie divided into foure branches pag. 114. In what sense Protestants teach the King to be Head of the Church pag. 115. Who are meant by forreiners in the Statute pag. 120. That no Papist can take the Oath of Supremacie but that he must renounce a fundamentall point of his Religion pag. 138. Thirdly in the Appendix 1. A forme of Recantation injoyned the Lollards in the 19. yeere of King Richard the second taken out of the Records in the Tower pag. 143. The Resolutions of the Fathers in the Councell of Trent pag. 145. The Oathes of Supremacie Enacted 35. Hen. 8. 1 Elizabeth pag. 148.150 A proviso for Expounding the Oath 5. Elizabeth pag. 151. The Admonition annexed to the Injunctions Elizabeth 1. pag. 152. The Conclusion of the Authour of the Animadversions to the Reader pag. 154. Errata sic corrige P. 7. in marg state r. flat p. 8. lin 11. p. 7. r. 12. p. 15. l. 9. Ignorattia r. ignorantia p. 22. l. 22. the r. they p. 28. l. 15. dele the p. 42. l. 17. rejoice r. rejoyne p. 54 l. 35. proposition r. praeposition p. 64. l. 14. Apollorum r. Apostolorum p. 76. l. 6. adde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 85. l. 12. sede r. sedè p. 97. marg l. 6. doth r. doe p. 99. l. 11. marg adeo r. adde l. 12. r. wizards p. 140. marg l. 6. d the appendix A SAFEGARD FROM SHIPWRACKE TO A PRVDENT CATHOLIKE Wherein is PROOVED THAT A Catholique may goe to the Protestant Church And Take both the Oathes of Allegiance
6â— de leg cap. 1. upon the will and intention of the lawmaker which is the soule of the law the substance and force of the law doth chiâ—fly depend therefore it by any meanes the will of the lawmaker may be knowne according to it especially we must understand the words of the law But the will of the lawmaker is sufficiently knowne concerning this oath to make it apparently unlawfull for any Catholique to take as appeareth by the words of King Iames of blessed memory saying in his Premonition pag. 9. and in his Apology for the oath pag. 2. and 9. that by the oath of Allegiance he intended to demand of his subjects nothing else but a profession of that temporall Allegiance and civill obedience which all subjects by the law of God and nature doe owe to their lawfull Prince c. For as the Oath of Supremacie saith he was devised for putting a difference betweene Papists and them of our profession So was the oath of Allegiance ordained for making a difference between the civilly obedient Papists and the perverse disciples of the Powder treason by which words it appeareth that King Iames held both the law and the law maker intended by the oath of Supremacie to put a difference betweene Papists and Protestants and that no Papist would take that oath wherein the Jurisdiction of the Pope was intended to be abjured Ergo the said oath of Supremacie is to be interpreted accordingly all doubtfulnesse of words set aside and consequenter unlawfull for any Catholique to take To the Major of which Objection I answer first granting the same Secondly with a distinction that the intentions of the law and law maker are to bee sought when they interpret the law in a truer sense then the plaine words doe as they lie otherwise not lest it want veritie To Suarez I answer that himselfe saith in the place before cited that if at any time the propertie of the words of an oath should induce any injustice or like absurditie concerning the minde or meaning of the lawmaker they must be drawne to a sense although improper wherein the law may be just and reasonable for this is presumed to be the minde of the law maker as it hath beene declared by many lawes in F. tit de lege thus Suarez So that although there were in the words of this oath divers significations impropper and unusuall yet in the opinion of Suarez it might be taken and the words interpreted in the truest sense abstracting from the reall intention of the law maker how much more then say I the words being not improper or unusuall but according to the intention of the law and law maker may they be taken in the more favourable sence which may make the law to be just and reasonable See for this doctrine Can. Cum tu de testibus cap. 16. Can. ad nostram de Iurejurando cap. 21. et de regulis â—â—ris in 6. reg 49. in paenis leg Benignius F. de leg Leg. In ambigua ibidem Hence it followeth first out of the doctrine of the said Suarez that although the words and sentences contained in this oath being considered barely by themselves and without due circumstances to wit the intention of the law and lawmaker and to what end and purpose the sâ—id oath was framed may seeme to some doubtfull and ambiguous although to me they seeme not so that is not cleare and morally certaine and so for one to sweare them in that doubtfull sence were to expose himselfe to danger of perjurie yet considering as I have said that such doubtfull words are to be taken in the more favourable sense and which maketh the law to be just and reasonable and to contain no falshood or injustice If any one sweare those words which of themselves are doubtfull in no doubtfull sense but in a true and determinate sense and wherein they are not doubtfull but cleere and morally certaine there is no danger of perjurie at all It may seeme to follow secondly out of the aforesaid doctrine that such as tooke the oath of Supremacie in King Henry the eighth dayes which rather then those famous and glorious men Sir Thomas Moore and Bishop Fisher would take they worthily chose to die were not to be condemned of perjurie because it might be supposed that they being learned Bishops and Noblemen knowing what belonged to an oath did draw the same to some improper sense which ought to have beene the intention of the aforesaid King to make the law just as if they should have sworne the then King Head or chiefe of the Church of his countrey for that he was Sovereigne Lord and ruler of both persons Spirituall and Temporall all sorts being bound to obey his lawfull civill lawes and commandements And so in this sense although it be a kinde of improper speech every King is Head of the Clergy and all others of his owne Countrey Or peradventure they might sweare him Supreame Head of the Church of England that is Chiefe of the congregation of beleevers within his dominions for so in our language we commonly say him to be the head of a Colledge Court or Citie that is the chiefe and him to be chiefe who is supreame therein The Church being then taken by all Divines for a congregation of men Why might not King Henrie be improperly sworne in the opinion of Suarez Head of the then congregation in England So that what Sir Thomas Moore lawfully and piously refused with relation to the intention of the aforesaid King others might without perjurie take with relation to the law of God abstracting from all unlawfull intentions to wit that every oath be just and reasonable as being to be taken in Veritie Iustice and Iudgement and so what was unlawfull in a proper sence might at lest be free from Perjurie in an improper Thus understanding the first branch and the second and third in the same sence before delivered they might peradventure be excused as I have said from perjurie But never from sinne For considering the state of England in those dayes and the absolute intention of the King which well knowne to the whole world was to be sworne Supreame Head of the Catholique Church Catholique religion still here remaining as I have said his oath was as much different from this now oath of Supremacie as darknesse from light For by this the Queene claimed not the Supremacie granted by Christ to Saint Peter as did her father but onely to be Supreame governour of a Church out of which she would not onely discard the Pope but likewise roote out all Catholique religion contrary to her fathers minde as I have shewed so that the question in the said Kings dayes was about an Article of faith viz. Whether the Supremacie were granted by God to the King or to the Pope Which Article they were bound with losse of their lives to have professed being called thereunto for then did occurre the
were to the injury of the Gospell retained and Christ himselfe blasphemed which no Christian eare ought to endure a See page 22. letter Q b If Papists trusted not in their owne merits it would goe better with them then I feare it will with many who the more they arrogate to themselves the more they derogate from our Saviour and the further they go from salvation I confesse many of them upon their death-beds have renounced their own merits and wholly stucke to our Saviours yet certaine it is that the generall doctrine of the Church of Rome is for trust in their own merits For they teach that faith alone doth not justifie us before God that good works are not only satisfactory for sin but also meritorious of eternall life and supererogatory also for others Consil. Trid. in sess 16. Bellar. l. 5. de iustif c. 16. and they who beleeve that they can so farre stead them do commonly confide in them Let them returne to the more ancient and true tenent with Bernard saying Meritum meum est miseratio Domini Gods mercy is my merit and if their be any worke of our own meritorious it is the renouncing our owne merits and flying meerely to Christ sufficit ad meritum scire quod non sufficiant merita Let them confesse with holy Iob Iob. 9.3 that they cannot answer one of a thousand and professe with Esay Esa. 64.6 All our righteousnesse is as filthy clowts and pray with David Psal. 143.2 Lord enter not into iudgement with thy servants for in thy sight shall no man living be iustified and close up their last Will and breath also as Bellar. is said to have done For Papists often dye in another faith then they lived with that holy ejaculation Lord vouchsafe to receive me into the number of thy Saints non meriti estimator sed veniae largitor not weighing my merits but pardoning my offences and we will not only cleare them of Pharisaicall pride and trusting in themselves but also conceive a better hope of their salvation c See a spunge to wipe out this false aspersioÌ„ upon that worthy servant of Christ and great Instrument of Gods glory pag. 59. letter H. d See the Advertisement to the Reader f The head of controversies betweene the Romish and Reformed Churches is the controversie about the Head of the Church which the Papists will have the Pope to be but reformed Churches Christ alone I say head of the Vniversall or Catholique Church but of particular Churches sovereigne Princes within their severall Realmes may be termed Heads that is chiefe Governours which this Priest here acknowledgeth For the acknowledgement of this supreame authoritie and power of the King in his dominions of England and Ireland the Oath of Supremacie was appointed by Act of Parliament in the 35. of Henry the eighth to be taken by all his Majesties subjects this Act was continued in the reigne of Edward the sixth but repealed in the first and second of Philip and Mary and revived the first of Queene Elizabeth now the question here is whether the Oath of Supremacie thus confirmed by divers Acts of Parliament exclude not that Spirituall jurisdiction which all Papists beleeve to be in the Pope Iure divino or which comes all to one whether a Papist ut siâ— that is remaining a Papist and holding his Popish religion may salvâ— conscientiâ take this Oath of Supremacie this Priest affirmeth he may but we shall demonstrate the contrary hereafter by impregnable arguments drawne from the intention of the Law-makers the letter of the Acts of Parliament and the Queenes Injunctions the judgement of the Church of Rome and the confession of the adversarie himselfe g Not the same authoritie which the Pope had in all things but so farre as it is expounded and limited in the Queenes Injunctions in the first yeere of her reigne the Queene as her brother and father before onely resumed that power which the Pope had unjusty taken from the Crowne and usurped it himselfe a power which is and was of ancient time due to the Imperiall Crowne of this Realme that is under God to have the Sovereigntie and rule over all manner of persons borne within these Realmes and Dominions and Countries of what estate either Ecclesiasticall or temporal soever they be See admonition to the Injunctions in the Appendix h Calvine conceived that King Henry the eighth by the Title of Head of the Church challenged a farre greater power then what the Act of Parliament acknowledged in him or he ever exercised but after the Title of Head of the Church was publikely declared and expounded by Q. Elizabeth boâ—h he and all the Reformed Churches rested satisfied in the lawfulnesse of that Title which imported not Supreame teacher or directer unto Trtuh but Supreame commander for the Truth in all causes and over all Persons i The intention of Henry the eighth and Queene Elizabeth was the selfe same as is expressed in the Act of Parliament 35. Henry the eighth and the Admonition annexed to the Injunctions of the 1 Elizabeth namely the extirpation and extinguishment of the usurped and pretended authoritie power and iurisdiction of the See and Bishop of Rome and the recovery of their owne right by adorning the Crowne with a flowre before wrongfully taken from it and here I cannot sufficiently admire the impudence of this Priest who so confidently affirmes that the intention of Queene Elizabeth was divers from her father in prescribing and requiring this Oath whereas she her selfe in the above named Admonition declareth to all her loving subjects That nothing was is or shall be meant or inâ—ended by the same Oath to have any other dutie allegiance or bond required by the same then was acknowledged to be due to the most noblâ— King of famous memory K. H. 8. her Maiesties father or K. Ed. 6. her Maiesties broâ—â—er k The liberty he speakes of was given by the approbation of the chief Vniversities beyond the Sea of the Romish Religion l Not to forme another Church but to reforme that Church which was before and restore Religion to her puritie by the example of Ezekiah Iosiah and other religious Kings m No power at all excepted but the former power explained onely how farre it extended viz Not to the authoritie and power of Ministrie of divine Office in the Church which none of the Kings or Queenes of this Realme possessours of the Crowne ever challenged Nor I in this place by what authoritie your Bishops anoynt your thumbes and ordaine your Priests to offer the unbloody sacrifice of the Masâ—e for the living the dead There is nec vola nec vestigium of any such calling in the Scripture or purer Antiquitie as for our Ministry it is â—o clearely justified together with the succession thereof out of your own best records and tenents by Francis Mason de succes Episc. Ministerio Angl. that ever since the printing therof all your Romish cavillers
not out of any zeale to the Catholique cause as this Author in his Preface clearely demonstrateth but because they suckt out of this forced Recusancie no small advantage For the transporting of the children of Romish Recusants beyond the Seas ensuing thereupon both filled their Colledges with Schollars and their coffers with money And in this respect these Iesuits may rightly be called Suits as Ieconias in the Prophet is called in disgrace Conias not only in respect of their swinish and Epicurean lives in their Styes beyond the Seas but because their societie herein resembles that Sow in Martiall which farrowed in the Theater by a wound there received so this Order by the wound received from the State I mean the penalties inflicted upon Romish Catholiques for Recusancie hath growne fruitfull and exceedingly multiplyed But in the meane while are not Iesuits consciences seared with a hot iron who every where in their Printed Pamphlets and Libels most bitterly exclaime against the State for inflicting penalties upon Papists in England for Recusancie whereof they themselves have not only been the Authors but chiefe Actors therein to enforce it by the rescript of his Holines procured by them meerely for their advantage as this Author sheweth Secondly to detect likewise the craft of the Secular Priests verè seculares true worldlings who for their owne advantage counterplot against the Iesuits and endeavour by subtill fetches and straines of conscience to evacuate and frustrate their opposites designes Sic ars eluditur arte The Iesuits out of pretended zeale to the Romane faith and religion mainely contend for Recusancie fearefully adiuring all English Papists with whom they have any power that by no means either themselves resort to our publique service or send their children to any Protestant Churches or Schooles on the contrary the secular Priests out of pretended care and love to those of their religion perswade them to make no scruple of repairing to our Churches or Schooles that so they may save both the mulct of the law and great charges by sending their children beyond the Seas there to be brought up in the Colledges and Schooles of the Iesuits As for instructing them in the principles of their Catholique religion that they will take care of if the parents be pleased to commend them to their tuition Thus both make religion a stalking horse to their worldly ends the Iesuit is for Recusancie the secular Priest for Conformitie neither of them truly to gaine soules to Christ but to draw toll to their own mill If there be no necessitie of Recusancie the Iesuits may shut up their shops beyond the Seas and if their be a necessitie of Recusancie the Secular Priests may shut up their shops in England And what care the Iesuits though many Families of Romish Catholiques in England sensibly decay in their estates partly by reason of the penaltie of the law inflicted upon them for Recusancie and partly in respect of the great expence they are at in the education of their children and transportation beyond the Sea so long as the Iesuits Colledges by this means thrive and flourish and what care the Secular Priests though their proselytes run a hazard of their soules by frequenting the Churches and Schooles of those they account quite out of the way of salvation so long as they themselves are well paid for the education of their children and a good amends is made by the Masters temporall gaine for the danger of the Schollers spirituall losse When I read this Authors Preface and Discourse evidently discovering the Iesuits myning and the Secular Priests counter-myning me thinks I see Pseudolus and Simias in the Poet out-vying one the other in craftie fetches deceitfull subtilties practised by them with dissembling lyes and periuries Thirdly to lay open to the view of the world the detestable and damnable doctrine of Romish Priests and Iesuits who straine and weaken the strongest sinew which holdeth the members of all Ecclesiasticall and Politicke Bodies together who cancell that bond which being made on earth is Registred in the high Court of Heaven and the three Persons in the blessed Trinitie are called as witnesses thereunto The Iesuits teach that a man may without scruple of conscience or guilt of sinne affirme that upon oath in words which he knoweth to be false and deny upon oath that which he knoweth to be true so he be sure to have some clause in his minde which added thereunto in his inward intention though not uttered may make what he saith true in a sense And this Priest here in his last Chapter teacheth it to be lawfull to forge and fasten a meaning to the words of an Oath cleane contrary to the meaning of the Law-givers who first made the Oath and the Magistrate who lawfully requireth that Oath of them as I will make it evidently appeare when I come to scan his last Chapter Now what is this else then to use the name of the God of truâ—h in taking publique and solemne Oathes to confirme a lye either in words or meaning what is it else then to mocke with Religion and play fast and loose with the most sacred bonds of Pietie and Loyaltie Verily if Religion be derived à religando from binding the conscience or our faith to God or man he should not slander these men who sayes they have no Religion For the surest and strongest bonds of Religion can no more tye them then the greene withes could Sampson which he brake at pleasure Let there be an Oath advisedly penned in tearmes most expresse and significant with all the cautions that the wit of man can devise against all manner of evasions and backed with never so many direfull imprecations and anathema maranathaes upon the soule of him that shall by any slight cunning falshood or periurie either violate or invalidate and evacuate this Oath yet these men can with a wet finger either loosen it by a forged and forced interpretation or untie the knot by a mentall reservation or cut it asunder by Papall dispensation ô ubi estis fontes lachrymarum Suppose a Romish Priest or Iesuit be brought before a Magistrate to be examined if the Oath of Allegiance and Supremacie be tendered unto him thereby to discover who he is he will take them both in his own sense though neither in the sense of him who ministreth these Oathes nor in the sense of the Parliament which appointed them If hee farther demand of him upon Oath whether he be a Priest or no he will say he is not reserving in his minde of Apollo if he question him further whether he lately came from beyond the Seas he will forsweare it reserving in his minde the red or dead Sea if he farther require of him whether he have received holy Orders from a Romish Bishop he will denie it reserving in his minde without a Miter if the Examiner aske him further whether he had any speech with any English Nun at Liâ—borne he
will make no bones to denie it reserving in his mindâ— chast Lastly if the Iudge or Iustice charge him to use no equivocation or mentall reservation he will say and sweare he useth none reserving in his minde to tell you and so he slips all knots and it may be truly said of him what Pseudolus in the Poet spake of Ballio non potest pietate obsisti huic ut res sunt caeterae this man is oath proofe All heretiques and miscreants deliver mendacia doctrinarum lyes of doctrine but these only doctrinam mendaciorum a doctrine of lyes sodered by mentall reservation these only define doctrinally the lawfulnesse of a lye so that which is untrue in words be salved up with a mentall reservation This is the strange monstrous brat of the Iesuits like a childe halfe in halfe out of the mothers wombe for so is their mixt proposition halfe uttered and halfe concealed or reserved to themselves This is conceived to be the invention of a Iesuit at the first and therefore is tearmed by those who have learnedly impugned it the Iesuits new art of lying and true it is if we peruse the Catalogues of heretiques drawne by Epiphanius Augustine Philastrius together with Alfonsus à Castro Ambrosius de Rusconibus you shall light upon no hereticke who doctrinally maintained such a kinde of equivocation especially in matter of oath to be taken before a lawfull Magistrate It is true the Priscillianists held it to be lawfull to lye and forsweare and some Catholiques in St. Austines time to feigne themselves Priscillianists that they might the better entrap them and discover them but this was fraudulent simulation not mentall reservation the Arch-hereticke Arius when he was demanded whether he had subscribed or would to the Orthodox faith concerning the consubstantialitie of the sonne answered he had or would pointing to a paper in his bosome in which he had written his beliefe touching that point but this was a fraudulent gesture and false significatiin of his minde not a mentall reservation Give therefore the Devill his due this quaint kinde of lye was his prime invention as we may see in the Poet. When the Devill required of the Pagan King who was about to sacrifice unto him Cut me off a head Numa instructed by his familiar appearing to him in the likenesse of the Nymph Oegeria answered I will doe it adding by aequivocation of an Onion when the Devill added nay but thou shalt take of a mans Numa saith he will but addeth what he reserved in his minde haires when the Devill yet farther replyed nay I will have the soule or life you shall saith the King adding what he reserved in his minde of a fish and so plowing with the Devill his owne heifer resolved all diabolicall riddles See here the prototypon of Iesuiticall equivocation by addition and mentall reservation and after what copie either Garnet or Valentia or Navarrus or any other of the like sect wrot who first in our age published in writing and after in print the doctrine of equivocation by mentall reservation Fourthly to descrie to those that sit at the sterne in Church and Common wealth the maine scope and marke at which this Romish Priest and his associates â—ime in perswading all Romish Catholiques within this Realme to resort to our Churches and take the Oathes both of Allegiance and Supremacie It is as be professeth not so much for their indempniâ—iâ— from penall Statutes as to qualifie them for other preferments and even votes in Parliament to the indangering of our Religion and governmâ—nt For what should hinder them whose parts estate and friends are able to raise them from attaining their desires herein sith their Religion is now made no barre unto them and these Oathes he mentions now serve no more for a partition Wall betâ—eene loyall Protestants and dislâ—yall Papists Now the Ephraimites have learned to speake Shiboleth as plaine as the Gileadites whereas before they could but lispe Siboleth And if these Ephraimites by this slight come to be admitted to places of greatest trust in this Kingdome and as their birth and Baronies entitle divers of them to the House of Peeres so they should be chosen indifferently to the House of Commons what a loose end all things would be at How suddenly might we be cheated of our Religion Liberties Lawes yea and lives to Wherefore it were to be humbly desired of those that love the truth in sinceritie even with bended knees that his Maiestie and the high Court of Parliament would make some more certain distinctive signe between Papists and Protestants then monethly coming to Church and taking the Oathes above mentionâ—d This Authour points at such a thing while he speakes of some Articles of thâ—ir faith which it is not lawfull for them in any case to deny If therefore it should seeme good to the wisedome of the State to prescribe such a Confession of faith to be drawn wherein all or the most fundamentall points of their Trent faith are renounced and by name the twelve new Articles added to the Apostles Creede in the Bull of Pope Pius the fourth we should either soone see certainely who were Papists and who were not or at least give the Romish Religion a smarter blow then it ever yet received For though this Authour speake of a Fox craft to be used by Prudent Catholiques and though the Priests and Iesuits and the cunningest heads among the Papists would set their wits on the racke to finde out some Eshapatoir or evasion whereby they might goe beyond the State yet they must then be inforced to denie their Religion to save it and to alter the tenets which have hitherto beene held for currant both among their Schoole Divines and Casuists namely that it is a damnable sinne to equivocate when a man is called to give an account of his faith For this cannot be denied to be a plaine deniall of Christ and in their owne sense whosoever so denieth him before men shall be denied by him before his Father in heaven Lastly to shew the great strength of truth and the cleare evidence of the Protestant Religion which convinceth the conscience of most obstinate Papists For this Authour a man of learning and well versed in the booke cases of the Romanists though in some places he jeares at our Preachers and scoffes at our Religion yet in other where he is most serious he lets fall those passages from him which are worthy the taking up namely pag. 6. Recusancie was first brought aâ—ong Catholiques into England by a certaine companie of men for temporall ends procured covertly and by indirect meanes from twelve Fathers of the Councel of Trent and certaine Popes upon false suggestions The false suggestions pag. 7. et deinceps were these viz. That the Protestants of England were idolatrous and blasphemous heretiques hating God and his Church that the commerce with them especially at Church would be an occasion of the
and Supremacie Matth. 10.16 Be ye wise as Serpents and Simple as Doves LONDON Printed by I. L. for Nicholas Bourne at the South entrance to the Royall Exchange 1642. A Preface to the Reader Gentle Reader I Am to write of a point of Controversie wherein I know that I shall undergoe the censure of divers sorts of people yea amaze some at the strangenesse of the thing Yet my intention being good as tending to the safeguard as well of souls as bodies of all and I my selfe being constrained by a kinde of naturall necessitie thereto as suffering much not only by the severitie of the Laws for my Religion which is the least but likewise both spiritually and temporally by the malice and treachery of some evill spirits instigating others to take advantage by Religion doe hope to finde approbation therein at least of the wiser sort Although I cannot see but why in reason not pretending the least prejudice to Religion but rather the good of Gods Church as I shall make appeare the weakest sort of Catholiques should not be likewise pleased therewith For although Religion as it is taken for Christian beliefe ought of every man to be professed according to St. Thomas Aquinas and other Doctors 2a. 2ae q. 3. at two particular times viz. when and as often as the glory of God shall conduce therunto or the spirituall good of our neighbour shall be either conserved or augmented thereby grounding themselves upon the words of our Saviour Matth. 10.32 Qui me confessus fuerit coram hominibus confitebor ego eum coram patre meo qui in caelis est Every one that shall confesse me before men I also will confesse him before my Father which is in heaven Yet it is not necessary to salvation that any man at all times and in all places doe confesse his Religion without necessitie Whence if a man should goe out into the Market place and cry himselfe to be of such and such a Religion or should write upon the frontispice of his house in a countrey contrary to his Religion here liveth a Christian a Protestant or Catholike his act would be thought so farre from vertue or religion as that it would be rather deemed presumption or the height of indiscretion Hence it is that although a Catholike be bound under paine of damnation to professe his religion in the twice before assigned yet he is not bound to professe a Recusancy of a thing of its own nature indifferent thereby at all times and in all places to discover his Religion for this were as much in effect as to cry himselfe over the whole kingdome or to write over his doore that he were A Catholike or at least some Sectary For as I shall hereafter say Recusancy is common both to Catholikes Brownists and other Sectaries different in opinion from Protestants which would be an occasion to call himselfe in question for the Religion he professeth whence I may rightly describe the Recusancy of Catholikes no otherwise then to be an indiscreet discovery of a mans Religion without necessitie or obligation whereby he makes himselfe lyable to the penall laws of England for not going to Church Which was brought first amongst them into England by a certaine company of men for temporall ends procured covertly and by indirect means from twelve Fathers of the Councell of Trent and certaine Popes upon false suggestions to the ruine of many men That I proove what I have said it is necessary that I relate the manner how it was brought in In the beginning of Queen Elizabeths reign and the alteration of Religion in England Catholikes went to Church to conforme themselves to the State as they did in K. Edward the sixths time yet privately kept to themselves the exercise of their owne Religion Which some Priests perceiving not convenient for the propagation of their owne family then newly hatched wrought in the Councel of Trent that twelve Fathers of the said Councel not all Bishops yet favourers of the said family might be selected to declare to English Catholikes upon these suggestions following viz. that the Protestants of England were idolatrous and blasphemous hereticks hating God and his Church that their commerce especially at Church would be an occasion of the subversion and ruine of their soules denying and betraying of the true faith giving of scandall to men of tender conscience as breaking that signe which was distinctive betweene the people of God and not his people that it was altogether unlawfull for them to goe any longer to the Protestant Church as appeareth by the words of the said declaration which if I had by me I would willingly have here inserted This declaration being thus obtained they possessed certain Popes to wit Paul the fourth Pius the the fifth the two last Gregories Sixtus Clement and Paul the fifth so strongly with the same and the aforesaid suggestions that the said Popes likewise declared as it is said by certaine rescripts which I never yet could see their going to Church to be likewise unlawfull Which said suggestions had they beene or were they true I should likewise say and grant it unlawfull but not being true as I shall hereafter shew the common opinion of Divines in this point is to be followed to wit that it is a thing indifferent and therefore may be lawfull to frequent the Churches of Schismaticks Now to prove what I have said that it was first brought in by a certaine company of men It is evident in it selfe by the carriage of the businesse for it is altogether improbable that one mans authoritie to wit Doctor Sanders who is named to be the onely Agent herein a man alwaies ill relished in our state and therefore in this point to be esteemed partiall could select so many Fathers out of the said Councel in a matter of such importance upon his owne bare suggestion or that the said Fathers would or ought to have declared the same unlesse they had been made beleeve that the aforesaid suggestions were true in the common opinion of most of the Priests then in our kingdome That it was wrought for temporall ends by the said company the event shewes the same for there is none that have got or do get thereby but onely the said company as appeares by their abundant treasure and rich Colledges for Recusancie begets persecution and persecution almes deeds that God may assist the afflicted in their distresses And by this Recusancie great mens children can get no learning or science within this kingdome but must be sent beyond the Seas each at twentie five or thirtie pound per annum by which their said family was and is propagated and their heape increased Further the politicall invention of recusancie was so sweet and pleasing by reason of the great gaine which it brought that one of the said company Authour of the answer to the libell of Justice all besmeared with wonted pietie so
it will be the Scandall of Pharisees as is aforesaid Now to proove the assertion which is the first branch of the Minor Scandall is a word or deed lesse right apt to give occasion to another of spirituall ruine â—ut to goe to Church is no deed lesse right but prudently and chiefely right all circumstances considered Ergo to goe to Church is no scandall and consequenter to goe to Church can yeeld no occasion to my neighbour of spirituall ruine but rather an occasion of both his temporall and spirituall conservation and edification This Minor I prove To goe to heare a piece of a Masse in English is no deed lesse right But to goe to Church is to goe to heare a piece of a Masse in English Ergo to goe to Church is no deed lesse right The Major I prove thus to goe to heare a whole Masse in English the nature of the thing considered and abstracting from the constitution of the Church is not evill For the diversitie of the language takes nothing from the goodnesse of the thing As is manifest in the Greeke Church where Masse is alwayes said in Greeke So that if it be not evill in it selfe to goe to heare a whole Masse in English it is not evill to goe to heare a piece of a Masse in English And consequently not to goe to Church Adde that in the whole Latine Church where it is not lawfull to say Masse in any other language then in Latine becâ—use of the long custome of the Church kept alwayes on foot for this reason that as the Catholique Religion is universall so should it be exercised in an universall language yet it is lawfull and in use to say a piece of the Masse as Collects Prayers Psalmes Epistles and Gospels in any Language of any Countrey whatsoever within the said Church It may be here objected first that although to go to Church be of its own nature a thing indifferent yet hic nunc it is evill For considering the circumstances of time and place it hath a shew appearance of evill apt to occasion sin in another From which we are commanded to abstain by St. Paul 1 Thess. 5.22 saying From all shew of evill refraine your selves To which I answer first That all the appearance of evill which going to Church hath is that in England above other countreys Priests have not been freely left to the Principles of Divinitie or Lay-men to their Christian libertie but it hath been procured to have bin declared unlawfull upon false suggestions and continued thus thought unlawfull by some erroneous judgements Which my neighbour likewise phantasing erroneously apprehends it a species cast from going to Church which indeed is not so nor otherwise then if a man with a blood-shotten eye should behold glasse say it were red when a parte rei it were white It were very hard if I eating fish in the lent and one purblind seeing me eate apprehending it flesh because he goes away scandalized as thinking me to have eaten flesh by reason of his false eyes that I should be said to have given him scandall So it would seeme likewise as hard if a broken phansie or an erring minde should conceive evill species from mine actions which a parte rei are no species at all of them but quite contrary to thâ—ir species that I should thereby be judged to give scandall to little ones No I hope as the erroneous eyes shall beare their owne imperfections so the erroneous judgement shall beare its owne mistake and neither shall accuse me before God of the scandall of little ones Hence I answer secondly to the place of the Apostle before objected thaâ— the appearance or shew of evill is to be understood first that it proceeds really from the act done and that it be not only a conjecturall appearance but morally certaine That no man play Tom-foole in striking him that stands next him without a cause Secondly that the appearance proceeds not from a deed to be done of necessitie either by the Law of God or nature Otherwise we might inferre the Apostle to command contradictories to refraine and not to refraine from such a deed whence proceeds the appearance For if the thing be commanded by the Law of God it must necessarily be done or otherwise sinne And if it were to be done by the Law of Nature the blessed Apostle was not so unreasonable as to bid us refraine from a thing in its owne nature lawfull and of necessitie to be done without admittance of some way to avoyd scandall Although by reason of some circumstance place or person it might have a shew of evill and so for some time be suspended as some things of naturall necessitie yea the Evangelicall counsels may have But in such cases we are to instruct and admonish the weake as I by these presents doe that although it should seeme to them to be evill or to have some shew of evill yet in very deed it is not evill but good And I am constrained under paine of death to do the same After which instruction and admonition if they still persist in their scandall it is not a scandall of little ones but of Pharisees and great ones Neither doth it proceed from infirmitie or ignorance but from malice and is not to be regarded So that it seemes a thing unreasonable and in the strength of judgement against nature that a man shall more regard the trouble of his neighbours conscience at a thing lawfull then the hazard of his own life and ruine of his own family and fortunes in the execution of the same See Diana for this Doctrine and all the Authors by him above cited If any shall here reply to my first answer of the objection that the shew of evill is really in the act of going to Church and not as falsely imagined and that this shew of evill appeares not only to weake and ignorant people but to men of understanding of all sorts and not only to Catholiques but likewise to Schismaticks of all sorts who in going to Church to save their goods confesse that they doe it against their conscience as conceiving it to be unlawfull by reason of the aforesaid Declaration of the twelve Fathers in the Councell of Trent and the foresaid Popes which whether it were gotten by false suggestions or no they discerne not neither doe they dispute but simply obey To make up the rime in reason the more simple they For reason may teach great ones and men seeming of understanding that are Schismaticks or Lay-Catholiques the contrary because nothing is done at Church which is either evill or hurtfull and both reason and learning Priests And therefore I rejoyce with Aristotle Propter illorum cogitare nihil mutatur in re and say that the shew of evill proceeds not from the act of going to Church For in all King Edwards time and the beginning of Queene Elizabeths time untill the thirteenth yeere of her
himselfe disdained This reason seemes to me very strange that a man may goe to Church to serve his King and may not goe to Church to serve himselfe when as charitie alwayes beginneth at home and if a man be naught in or to himselfe to whom can he be good or that feare of displeasure through apprehended disdaine can excuse a man from doing that which were otherwise unlawfull as though a man were not bound rather to suffer the displeasure of his King with losse of his life then suffer wrack of his owne conscience and if feare of displeasure did excuse Naaman why should not the danger of death losse of fortunes ruine of posteritie and the like excuse Catholiques 4. The fourth reason and most especiall difference is say they that Naaman made a promise before the Prophet and his own train that he would from thence forth serve onely the true God and to that purpose carried earth with him to make an Altar for sacrifice Whereas those that goe to the Protestant Church doe not renounce all heresies nor professe to frequent Masse c. But pray give me leave to say they doe and that herein there is no difference at all For Catholikes that goe to Church are knowne to their Confessaries and their minde and intention is likewise to him knowne as Naamans was to the Prophet And if they be knowne Catholiques their beliefe is likewise knowne at leastwise to their traine if not to others by their communion with the See of Rome so that herein there is no disparitie at all And if they be not knowne it is prudence to keepe themselves so more then to their Confessaries which is a sufficient protestation in these troublesome times For I wonder by what law a mâ—n is bound to make any other Protestation of his beliefe for the doing of a thing indifferent So that as I have said for the said foure reasons and likewise because there is Idolatrie committed at Protestant Churches which I never yet could finde as often as I have frequented the same and doe hope to prove the contrarie the aforesaid Doctors make it unlawfull and scandalous to goe to Church and our case different from Naamans Hence they liken it to that of Eleazarus and the other Maccabees 2 Mac. 6.7 who were commanded by eating Swines flesh to depart from the law of God and their fathers Which say they by no meanes was lawfull to doe or to make shew of doing the same And a man may sweare it true For Swines flesh being forbidden by the law they were bound under sinne to abstaine from the same And if they should have made their brethren beleeve in words that they had eaten they would have told an untruth with dissimulation in a matter forbidden by the law both which were mortall sinnes which is as farre different from our case as light from darknesse For we contend that to goe to a Protestant Church is by no law forbidden but a thing indifferent and by a good intention may be made really good without any dissembling And they bring us an example of a thing which in doing many sinnes are committed so that for the reasons which I have given I conceive that the authoritie of the said rewoned Doctors concludeth nothing against our assertion unlesse the Protestants were an assembly of fallen heretiques where there were danger of sinne by subversion or the like which can never be proved It may be fourthly objected that it is the common opinion of men that to go to Church is scandalous because it is a signe of hereticall falshood and a man so doing is reputed as fallen both of Catholiques and Protestants I answer that it is false and experience teacheth us the contrary For who made it such a signe and Schismaticks that goe to Church with an ill conscience only to save their goods notwithstanding in this they are accounted to hurt onely themselves yet of all Catholiques they are trusted and esteemed as honest men and of Protestants they are esteemed no other And they sinne not as I have said in going to Church but in going with an ill conscience and being barred of simple Priests from other meanes of salvation and in doing so give scandall But you will say they deny their faith in this act I deny that They deny onely recusancie with an ill conscience and not religion Yet I grant that such Schismaticks professe no faith at all And if there be any other opinion of men concerning them it is malicious and pharisaical generated by the craft and deceit of others under the species of pretended piety making people beleeve that there is sinne and scandall in the act when there is none and if any Protestant thinketh otherwise of this they have it from the erroneous customary opinion of some Catholiques revealing the same It may be objected fifthly To communicate with heretiques is sinne and scandall but to goe to Church is to communicate with heretiques Ergo. It is sinne and scandall To which I answer first distinguishing the Major to communicate with hereticks publikely and particularly denounced to be such or in their heresie I grant the Major but deny the Minor in the same sence but to communicate with heretiques not denounced such not in point of heresie to be sinne that is most false for then we should neither eate drinke buy or sell with Protestants which is most absurd Which absurditie to take away and all scruple rising from thence by communicating with heretiques as well in service as otherwaies was the before mentioned constitution of Martin the fifth prudently made Adde that if we may not communicate with Protestants in going to Church we must communicate with Brownists in refraining the Church and so be thought the same with them or else every one must be bound to get himselfe convicted for a Popish Recusant that so Protestants may know him to be a Catholique and no Brownist and so to avoyd water he must runne into the fire If you answer that so he goeth not to Church it maketh no matter what Protestants thinke of him for Catholiques know what he is I reply then by the same reason that if he goe to Church it maketh no matter what Protestants thinke of him for Catholiques may likewise know what he is I answer secondly that the Major supposeth what is not granted viz. That Protestants with whom I goe to Church are formall heretiques which I desire to be first proved For an heretique is he that obstinately denieth any article of faith proposed by the Catholique Church to be beleeved How can a Protestant be said obstinately which includes a knowne infallibility rejected to deny an article proposed by the Catholique Church as I have said before when he beleeves none other Church but his owne For although Protestants hold divers tenets contrary to the Catholike Church which have been justly condemned in their Authours as heretiques Yet whether obstinately held in them the contrary not
the common charges and charitie of the rich By which the charitie and unitie of all sorts were much preserved for which cause the said feasts were called Charities of the ancient Fathers and of Saint Paul vers 20. they were called Coenae dominicae our Lords Suppers because they were made in the Churches which then were called Dominicae that is our Lords houses in which feasts because there hapned some foule abuses which the Apostle rebuking vers 22. Why have ye not houses to eate and drinke in or contemne ye the house of our Lord c. they were taken away See Con. Gang. 11. Con. 3. Laod. can 27.28 Apollorum can 39. Clemens Alex. Sâ— Iust. Sâ— August contra Faustum lib. 20. cap. 20. St. Chrysost. hom 27. in 1 St. Ambrose upon this same place by which it appeares no new thing for Catholiques to take some thing with a good intention besides what was instituted by Christ. Here some may aske whether it belongs to me out of my authoritie to institute or renew this pious ceremony in taking bread and wine in remembrance of the death of Christ generally for the prudent Catholiques of England I answer no. God forbid that I should presume to institute or renew any ceremonie in the Catholique Church but I doe onely in compassion of their miseries present to their necessitie if any be in danger of death losse of fortunes or ruine of posteritie and cannot expect leave from the supreame Pastor of our soules the doctrine of Claudius Carinnus de vi pot leg human c. 10 that even in lawes every particular man hath power to interpret the same to his advantage and to dispense with himselfe therein if there occurre a sudden case of necessitie and there be no open way and recourse to the Superiour much more then said I in a pious ceremonie against which there is no law forbidding the same And if you reply that this is taken in a strange Church I answer That in case of necessitie the plâ—ce is impertinent to the thing For Saint Bonaventure that great and pious Doctor using much jaculatory prayers and being upon the place of naturall necessitie and there uttering some of the said prayers the Devill asked him Whether that were a place to pray in to whom he answered in opusc Hic et ubique meum licet orare Deum That it was lawfull to praise God in all places and to receive bread and wine in a Protestant Church from a Minister or to receive the same in a Taverne from a Vintners boy the godly onely know the difference If you reply againe that so we may offer Incense to an Idol in a temple because we may burne perfume and the Idol we know to be nothing I deny that and the disparity is in this that in offering Incense the act and shew there tends to the honour and worship of the Devill For the place being dedicated to him whatsoever is therein done as an usuall ceremonie is taken whatsoever the intention be as done to his honour Which act as it is unlawfull in it selfe to be done because pretended Idolatrie wherein Gods worship is given to the Devill at least in outward shew so it is unlawfull to faine in words the act to be done becauâ—e it is dissembling the object it selfe being likewise forbidden by the law of God both which are great sinnes and apt to cause great scandall which I shall make appeare not to be in our case where I coâ—tend there is no sinne in the act nor yet dissembling nor the object forbidden If you reply thirdly that there is dissembling in going to Church as going two waies in Religion contrary to the Scripture for thereby I seeme to be otherwise then I am the reply is false for I professe but one religion which is Catholique and at Church I doe but observe the picture of true religion ill formed which is but a humane act not hurtfull but by a pious intention may be made good by which all hypocrisie and dissimulation may be avoyded And if I seeme to Protestants to be a Protestant what am I the worse for that I never yet could finde any law to ground an action against the censures of men If they censure me to be a Protestant I am not under their scourge for religion unlesse they will on purpose make an Act of Parliament to cut off my head which shall be no president for any other Iudges or Iustices and then I must set up my rest with a Noble man saying Contra potentiam non est resistentia There is no resistance against power But continuing alwaies loyall both to my King and Countrey and obedient to God and his Church and in so doing giving both God and Caesar their due and that without either sinne or dissembling I had rather they censure mee unjustly yet according to the lawes established for I alwaies stand pro Rege Lege and so misse their aime by an Ignoramus then I loose my life by a pure might But hence it doth not follow for all their censure that I am a Protestant for to be so I must beleeve the 39. Articles of the Church of England which is the definition of a Protestant Which Articles or any other tenents of theirs I meddle not with for if I must doe all things contrary to Protestants lest I should be thought so when they eate I must fast and when they sleep I must wake which is ridiculous As for their thinking me a Protestant it proceeds from want of knowledge for they or most of them neither knowing what a Protestant or Catholique indeed is if Catholiques went to Church they would not know how to distinguish or persecute them it being lawfull among them for every one to beleeve what he pleaseth may easily thinke amisse of me And for me to take benefit of their ignorance and to hide my selfe in persecution untill either the glory of God or good of my neighbour shall urge me to discover my selfe I cannot yet finde my selfe by any law forbidden It may be objected secondly that there were divers Statutes made upon the alteration of Religion in the 2.5 and 6. yeers of Edward the sixth and 1. and 23. of Qâ—eene Elizabeth in hatred of God and his Church as that the Masse should be abrogated and all the Kings subjects should come to Church to heare such Service as was then oâ—dained to distinguish betweene Catholiques and Protestants and that whosoever should say or heare Masse afterwards should incurre certaine penalties as by the said Statutes appeares But no man could obey these commands without sinne Ergo. I answer that I know not much to what purpose this objection can serve R. P. that made it For all Divines as well Catholiques as Protestants know that all humane lawes binde in conscience no â—urther then they are consonant and conformable to the divine law And as farre as they command lawfull unitie and uniformitie to the good
of the common wealth which is the chiefe thing that States men aime at mens consciences being left to themselves they may be obeyed as I hâ—ve said out of Azorius tom 1o. lib. 8. instit moral cap. 27. puncto 5o. And for as much as concerned the abrogation of Masse which by the law of God was unlawfull they did consequenter to the State government then for having rejected the authoritie â—f the Pope they likewise rejected the Masse as knowing that there could be no Masse without Priests nor Priests without the Pope And therefore taking as much of the Masse as would serve for their Service and to be independent of the Pope they left the rest But that they did it in hatred of God and his Church or for any distinction sake it is altogether improbable For what would a man get by hating of God or the Church of which himselfe must be a member to be saved or how could they make a distinction of that they knew not for the Protestant Church was not then knowne or scarce established And therefore without wholly granting the Major or distinguishing the Minor I answer that every one ought under paine of damnation to obey his temporall Prince in matters lawfull Yet to suffer for his religion and abstracting from all obedience either to Statute or Rescâ—ipt not for Recusancie It may be objected thirdly that of S. Paul to the Romans 10.10 With the heart we beleeve unto justice but wâ—th the mouth confession is made to salvation Ergo No man can goe to Church I deny the sequele and to the Antecedent I answer that according to Divines a man is bound to confesse his religion Semper sed non ad semper alwaies but not at all waies that is not at all times and in all places but as I have said before out of Saint Thomas of Aquin in the said two cases viz. as often as the honour and glory of God requires the same or the spirituall profit of our neighbour shall exact it as likely to be impaired by silence which to be requisite I have before granted Yet hence it doth not follow that I am bound to goe into the Market place and cry out I am a Catholike who will punish me or before I am called to publish my religion to make my selfe be called or to live and converse to the same time as having a setled being and not going to Church I read that Saint Faelix going to martyrdome S. Adaucâ—us came to the Officers that led him thither and said to them that he lived in the same law with Saint Faelix and therefore that they should likewise put him to death Yet I conceive that he had a speciall revelation for the same and that it is no warrant for our indiscretion If it be replyed that so a man shall professe no religion I answer the inference to be naught for suppose a mans recusancie were never discovered this man professeth some religion for he doth not live a heathen Why then recusancie being rejected should he not professe the same If it be said that it is written that no man can serve two masters rightly Yet a man may serve one Master and have a servant to serve him or he may serve one master and keepe or use that Masters picture howsoever ill it be drawne It may be objected fourthly that the Rescript of Pope Paul the fifth in which he writes to the Catholiques of England declareth that they ought not to goe to the Churches of Heretiques or heare their Sermons without detriment of the divine worship and their owne salvation To which I answer that the said Pope wrote both piously fatherly and Apostolically according to the aforesaid suggestions by him received and if he had had the truth of the state of England I beleeve he would have written as piously the contrary For put the case that those zealous suggestors had presented to the consideration of the Councel of Trent or the Pope himselfe the truth and lawfulnesse of Catholiques going to Church with these seven reasons following supposing an absolute necessitie 1. First that there is no evill or harme done or said in the Protestant Churches to the prejudice of any Catholike soule that may not either be hindred or prevented very well by the instruction of Priests for they preach not against any notable point of doctrine held in the Catholique Church although some simple Minister for want of matter may glance at some of our tenets by halfes understood or in these daies to please his auditorie may raile against the Pope which he doth so irrationally that few Protestants of any judgement do beleeve him for if he should seriously preach controversies as insisting seriously upon the true doctrine of both sides his Auditors or at lest some of them would be apt to doubt and so to search and dive further into the truth for as Saint Augustine saith doubt begets science which might be an occasion of somes falling from him which fearing he is silent in doctrine and onely teacheth moralitie which why a man may not heare in urgent extremity from any man I cannot conceive 2. Secondly that their going to Church would be a conservation and a preservation of their lands and goods with a prevention of ruine to the family and posterity 3. That it would be a means to obtaine and purchase the love of their neighbours and a meanes of their conversion by an affable conversation by which likewise they might beare the greatest Offices in the common wealth and become Parliament men as well as others of whom and whose power and force in matters of Religion these dayes can somewhat declare 4. Fourthly that it would be a meanes that whereas Priests leave their Colledges and now live in private mens houses to the benefit of one or two and to the great danger of themselves and their Patrons they might by this meanes more freely converse with all sorts of people after an Apostolicall manner and convert many to the honour of God the increase of his Church and good of their owne soules Whereas now they doe little good out of that private house unlesse maintaine some decayed gentlewomen in good clothes to gossip up and downe and like bels to ring their praises that they may fish one in a yeere to the disparagement of their function and great prejudice of their Mission 5. Fifthly that divers Schismaticks that now goe to Church with an ill conscience and thinke themselves in state of damnation doe suffer spirituall detriment and oftentimes being prevented with sudden death everlastingly perish 6. Sixthly many thousands that are very morall and well affected Protestants were it not for the stop of Recusancie would become Catholiques Which rather then they will undoe themselves and Family now will not heare of it 7. Seventhly that no poore Catholique that is not able to give twenty pound per annum with their children to some Colledge beyond the Seas can bring
them up either in science or any other art or trade by reason of Recusancie and this to the ruine of all poore people many having a very great charge and small revenues and part of that likewise taken away for Recusancie Againe if the aforesaid suggestions had presented to their consideration the meanes and wayes of Conversions of kingdomes in generall as that they ought to be done either by miracles warre or policie And have reasoned that for miracles they were not to be expected for that those God ordinariâ—y granted but to Infidels and where by secondary causes they were not probably fezible that by warre they could not be done without a great deale of blood-shed which ought to be avoyded and most commonly with a great deale of rebellion and treachery which were utterly unlawfull And that they were fezible in policie by civilly conversing intermingling and insinuating themselves by degrees into the conversation of all sorts of people So that in time a good effect might have been wrought would not this discourse have been more consonant to truth and charitie and lesse displeasing or odious to our State of England then to suggest that they are Idolatrous hereticks blasphemers of God and his Church professours as indeed they are not because they know the true and sincere professe it of a false religion subverters of souls but poore ones God wote abominable scandalous people c. and that it was a scandal for good people to converse with them in things indifferent and therfore desire that it might be declared unlawfull coÌ„manded that no Catholike might converse w th them as in Christian libertie otherwise he might lawfully do thereby to introduce for their own ends our now goodly distinctive sign of recusancie I appeale to any wise mans judgement And whether the aforesaid rescript and other briefs were not gotten by meere suggestion the case being truly set down by me as it is I appeale likewise to the Pope himselfe who to mine owne knowledge hath been likewise lately notably abused in the like manner Ann. 1639. one Francis Damport alias a Sancta Clara. being at London and having written a booke called Deus Natura Gratia which being disliked by one Day a Franciscan and through the same dislike at Rome being there called into the Inquisition was so much displeased both with his Holinesse and the said Day that he publiquely â—eered the Pope saying that whereas before he thought him infallible which he never thought to my knowledge now he saw that he was fallible as other men were And indeavouring revenge against the said Day substituted a most ignorant and lewd man one George Perrott his ordinary Broker in seditious matters to goe with the sâ—id a Sancta Clara his instructions to Signior Gregory Pauzana then the Popes Agent in London accusing the said Day with much zealous hypocrisie that he had put forth certaine pictures to the hurt of Gods Church and infinite scandall of Protestants After went a Sancta Clara cum tanta gravitate seconding with an abominable deale of zeale and authoritie having then got himself to be Provinciall the complaint of the said Perrot Hereupon the said Signior with the said a Sancta Clara's sollicitor Luke Wadding an Irishman in Rome complaines to the Pope and obtaines upon the former mens suggestions a terrible Bull against the said Day being never cited to answer admonished or knowing any thing thereof The Bull being come to the said a Sancta Clara his lodging in Fleetstreet and safe in his deske he did me the honour to shew me the same Which I read and asking the said a Sacta Clara why he procured it he told me for the said Day his putting forth of the said pictures who likewise said that the said Day knew nothing of the same and therefore desired me to be silent At which I was much astonished and knowing very certainly the ground of the whole businesse to be false and therefore that both the said Day the Popes Agent and the Pope himselfe were most horribly abused I thought that if the said a Sancta Clara were permitted in this manner to abuse men the best men living might be censured excommunicated degraded and what not without ever being heard Which is no practise among Heathens As for the setting forth of the said pictures the matter in them contained as being from my purpose I omit Yet thus much will I speake that it was a thing approved of through the whole Catholique Church the said pictures themselves liked yea desired of the said Day his superiours who to this day doe acknowledge their approbation of the same countenanced by the said a Sancta Clara Perrott and all others ever after they were put forth for the space of above ten yeers before to mine own knowledge A booke at the same time of a Sancta Clara his complaint printed at Doway in defence of the same never proved by oath that any of the said pictures ever came to the hands of any one Protestant Neither doe I thinke that any one Protestant unlesse it might be such as a Sancta Clara had suborned for his own revenge to speake against the same ever saw any of them and therefore there could be no indiscretion or scandall by them proved Nay the said pictures being made for some particular friends devotion not so much as one Catholique to an hundred had or knew of them but contrariwise some that had them from the said Perrott were scandalized through weaknesse by the said a Sancta Clara his questioning of them in this manner as though that should be set forth for their devotion that in it selfe was false Yet notwithstanding all this the malicious suggestions of the said a Sancta Clara against this mans doings did so farre prevaile that Dayes innocency was thought worthy to be condemned by the said Bull for doing a pious and a religious act This indeed I must say that the said a Sancta Clara when he had him at his mercy through the remorse and sting of his own conscience durst not promulgate the said Bull but kept it dead in his deske for feare that those who otherwise honour the Popes Bulls honestly and lawfully gotten would have called him to the Kings Bench Barre for bringing in of this And had he not taken the benefit of the Proclamation of banishment notwithstanding his ambitious and seditious wit he would have been not only questioned for this Bull but likewise for other matters of a farre fouler nature which made it high time for him to run Let any man now judge whether the Popes Holinesse doth not suffer much by hypocriticall suggestions whether he that so notoriously abused him in words did not likewise doe it in deeds For about the same time when the said Bull came over his said booke likewise came out of the Inquisition at which newes the said a Sancta Clara again grudging that his said book should be so questioned and yet passe although by
her Majesties Servants means if a Sancta Clara himselfe may be beleeved unblemished told divers persons seriously speaking that there was never an able man in Rome To which some replying yes The Pope and Court of Cardinals in faith quoth he no making a signe of contempt with his hand they are slight and weake fellows Here is a fellow to get Buls here is one that got himselfe made the Popes Protonotary and bound himselfe by oath to reveale whatsoever he heard or saw done evilly against the Pope yet he is as ready as any to abuse him I wonder what account he can give to the Pope of this his office but it should seeme that he did except himselfe in his oath that he might evilly intreat him at his pleasure That this is true it will be deposed upon oath by divers witnesses whensoever his Holinesse will be pleased to exact the same And further the said a Sancta Clara added that he was writing a booke conceiving as it should seeme the whole Church to be weake and to want his helpe wherein he would shew what Rules generall Councels ought to observe in declaring matters of faith which rules as he said not observed the Councell should not be held lawfull Oh abominable presumption and ambition let any man judge whether this man be not descending to Lucifer who will presume to be copartner with the holy Ghost in directing and â—eaching his Church If this man live we may perchance in time have broached a quaternitie in divinis but I hope that God will prevent his hereticall humour And thus leaving the said a Sancta Clara to him that will have him my intent here is only to shew upon what unjust grounds by suggestion a Bull may be gotten from Rome And whether the aforesaid suggestors for Recusancy who lived at the Popes doores and continually at his or their favorites sides might not also get their rescripts Buls and Declarations by the like fraud for their own ends although questionlesse with the like pretended zeale and pietie I leave to every mans conscience to judge For as in Catholique Countreys where Buls and Breves are directed to Bishops of Diocesses there can be no thought of any sinister proceedings so out of such countreys where particular men or Corporations busie themselves in procuring such Buls c. there is never want of suspition and most commonly of abusive dealing And it stands with reason because particular men would never sue for generall Briefs concerning a whole State or trouble themselves more then others if it were not for their own ends and did not concerne themselves above the rest And therefore the ancient Pietie and Apostolicall Clemencie of Popes in such Cases hath been patiently to heare wherein they have been misinformed and abused for it is not their intention at any time to grant any thing either upon a veyled truth or unjust though speciously suggested grounds Hence Alexander the third writing to an Archbishop of Canterbury gives a Rule of large extent Extra de rescript ex parte That in these kinde of letters that is such as proceed upon information as our Case is this Condition If the request bee upon true grounds is ever understood though it be not expressed And writing to the Archbishop of Ravenna Ibidem he saith Siquando If at any time we write such things to you as exasperate your minde you must not be troubled but diligently considering the qualitie of the businesse whereof we write either reverently fulfill our command or pretend by your letters a reasonable cause why you cannot for we will endure patiently if you forbeare to performe that which was suggested to us by evill information by which appeares the worthy integritie of the See Apostolique howsoever it be by the unworthinesse of flattering hypocrites oftentimes abused §. 3. That it is not unlawfull to goe to Church for feare of danger of subversion or Blasphemy which is the third and last branch of the Minor to be proved WHich I prove thus Not danger of subversion for to what purpose should they preach subversive doctrine when that supposeth a knowledge in the Minister of some people there present to be subverted Which supposition is false and must needs savour of a broken fancie For the Minister intends no more then to exhort his Auditors to a good life and to instruct them in moralitie For as I have said if he should preach controversies he must know some Catholiques to be there or otherwise he would but ingender doubts among Protestants and doubts science and by that meanes would more trouble and disturbe the mindes of the people then profit them which out of prudencie he forbeares and so contents himselfe now and then with an untruth and away And in Catholique countries I my selfe have heard Priests rebuked for preaching of controversies to a Catholique auditorie as being a meanes rather to disturbe them then profit them as troubling themselves with doubts of things either above their reach and capacitie or whereof otherwise they are infallibly certaine so that generally controversies are never preached unlesse it be to bring people from their doubts to a better and greater certaintie then they were in before which hath onely place among people newly converted or staggering in their religion Secondly A man is said to be in danger when that which is feared commonly oftner hapneth then the contrary so a man is in danger of subversion by going to a place where few come but are subverted but so it hapneth not in the Protestant Church as is apparent by Schismaticks of all sorts who many yeeres frequent the Protestant Church and yet retaine their opinion of the Catholique religion without subversion and become Catholiques at last Adde that going to Church will rather confirme Catholiques in their religion then subvert them from the same for then they will have upon their owne knowledge what now they take upon trust for if what is done in Protestants Churches be opposite to what is done in Catholique Churches as the contrarie opinion useth to say comparing them to light and darkenesse which are privative opposites according to Dialecticks although the comparison be false I say opposita per se posita magis elucescunt opposites being set together doe more clearely shew each other then that which is best sends the best species to the power from the object and consequently to be embraced Now if a man hath the best already it will then more clearely appeare and he is not so mad as to leave the best and take the worâ—â— but will be more sure and certain that he hath the best as seeing the opposite and confirme himselfe theâ—ein This appeares true to every meane capacitie What danger then can there be in going to Church shall we be afraid to let a Greyhound goe into the field for feare he should be taken by an Hare Thirdly those that goe to Church either they were borne Catholiques or converted Protestants
if the latter then that which moved them to become Catholiques cannot move them to be Protestants againe If the first it were a wonderfull thing that hearing a little moralitie should make them fall from the doctrine they were brought up in all their life or hearing a small piece of controversie mentioned if it should so happen by a Minister they should be presently carried away from the doctrine they have so long knowne and never once tell it to the priests they daily converse with especially when they goe not out of any dislike of their religion but with a cleare conscience for some other ends I conceive it would rather confirme them in hearing that spoken which in their owne conscience they know to be untrue that it will be so farre from troubling or striking their consciences that they will come home rejoycing at the truth which they heard that day impugned as that they heard the Minister speake of such or such a point as that Catholiques adored pâ—ctures or the like which they knew in their owne conâ—sciences to be false and thereby stirre up an earnestnesse in them in religion as zealing their owne being opposed by falshood and this may ingender such passion or distraction in the hearer that it may be thought zeale of religion or heate of devotion Which heate if after this fight of contrarieties or opposition should not be allayed the parties being as it were swallowed up with zeale of the house of our Lord and the dislike of the Sermon as fraught with untruths seeme too troublesome they may depart the Church for there be many cases of necessitie to make a man go out of the Church and as many likewise to make him come short of the same as to Service if it stand if not there is the lesse to be done and it shall never trouble me Sermon or both for as there are many waies to the wood so there are many waies to the Protestant Church And I have alwaies observed that most commonly Catholiques converted from Protestancie have been more firme and solid in religion as knowing both then those that never knew but one And if Schismaticks of whom I have before spoken from the wisest to the meanest of capacity that notwithstanding they goe to Church and are voyd of grace are never so much as shaken from their intention of being Catholiques or their opinion of Catholique religion why should those that abound so much with Gods grace and professed Catholiques be said to be in danger or feared to swerve from a religion they so well know As for blasphemie there is likewise none If you reply as the contrary opinion useth to doe out of Saint Thomas 2a. 2ae q. 13. art 1. and 2. that Protestants out of a set intent and purpose ascribe their heresies to Gods revelation and denie his revelations to Orthodox articles of faith in which consists blasphemy and without this blasphemy they cannot preach and therefore no Catholique can goe to Church I answer the antecedent to be false and this blasphemie to be much like the Rhemists Idolatry as preferring and embracing their owne opinions before God and so honouring a creature and rejecting their Creator but in truth and charitie we ought not to make them worse then they are for blasphemie and Idolatrie being sinnes there must be some formall intention in the sinner to deny God his due in what he doth And so likewise there must be an intention of committing Idolatry that is of preferring and embracing that which is a morally knowne creature before the Creator and so to give the creature what is due to the Creator or otherwise there can be neither blasphemie nor Idolatry As no man will say that I eating flesh on a fasting day unknowne or forgotten commit Idolatry in preferring my belly before the law of Gods Church and consequently God because I had no intention thereto so no man can say that in the Protestant Church there is formall Idolatry or blasphemy because they mistake For Diana saith 5a. parte tract de par mamae resol pag. 138. that blasphemy is a sinne in that contumelious words are spoken against God with a minde or intention to dishonour God either directly or indirectly virtually or interpretative Now in the Protestant Churches what contumelious words are spoken against God with a minde c If you say as before that they ascribe their heresies to Gods revelation and deny his revelation to Orthodoxe Articles I answer thâ—t their minds and intentions are not so much as interpretativè to dishonour God thereby or indeed so to ascribe their heresies For if they knew their opinions to be heresies and the tenents they reject to be Orthodoxe Articles as we do by the light of faith it would evidently follow that they spake sometimes contumeliously against God which they doe not know but simply interpret Scripture according to their owne fancies and therein they erre and mistake And because they doe not endeavour the meanes to search and know the truth by the definitions of Councels and Doctrine of Catholique Fathers they sinne yet doe not commit Idolatrie for it is not their intention to make an Idol of their opinion unlesse you take Idolatry so largely as every sinner may be said to be an Idolater because in every sinne there is an aversion from God and a conversion to the creature and consequently in this sense all sinners are Idolaters And if it be unlawfull to converse with these Idolaters or the like blasphemers that is such as sinne by word or deed we must converse onely in spatio imaginario or as Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 5. vers 10. We must goe out of this world There were divers very learned and holy Fathers as Saint Cyprian in the question of Baptisme administred by hereticks St. Anselme and others who did mistake and erre before they knew the sense and definition of the Church whom therefore to call blasphemers or Idolaters were blasphemie indeed So likewise there are divers points this day controverted among Catholique Divines as the immaculate conception of our blessed Lady and the like the Authours of which to count blasphemers before they knew the sense of the Church were more then peevish Neither are they to be so accounted after the sense of the Church is knowne for the time they held their opinions before So it is with Protestants for although the Orthodoxe Articles are knowne to us by the Church yet to them they are unknowne and to most of them so unknowne as if they had not been revealed at all because they know none other Church but their owne And therefore what they beleeve they have by errour and mistake and not as blasphemy Whence in my opinion it were more proper and Apostolicall for such men as call them blasphemers and Idolaters to use some prudent and faire way to propose to the aforesaid Protestants the true Church and the authoritie of the same without all suspition of
think truely to be blessed men and of great charitie For as our Saviour saith Ioh. 15. v. 13. Majorem charitatem nemo habet quam ut animam suam ponat quis pro amico suo No man hath greater love then who layeth downe his life for his friend Yet I hope likewise others some who yet live to be as blessed and their charitie or love as great although not so apparent for the present because as yet not exercised in fight but when God shall be pleased to call them to suffer for their Religion they may make it as manifest For although a man of a thinne skin and a veine transparent with lesse art strooke doth presently bleed in abundance yet no man may hence inferre that a man of a thicker skinne and a more obscure veine not lightly strook hath no blood in his body to shed so it is in the present betweene him that suffers for Religion being discovered by Recusancie and him that suffers not being undetected by rejecting the same And in this they differ that as the one suffers for a good conscience sake so the other suffers not with a good conscience As for the said exaggerating speeches they doe so much strengthen and confirme me knowing them to be false that I am morally certaine that the said twelve Fathers in the Councel of Trent selected by the said suggestors for recusancie were abused aswell as the aforesaid Popes And therefore as they are said to have granted to some limited faculties meerely upon the said false suggestions which how farre they did binde the suggestors at their pleasure to great persons according to their custome could very well tell they might as well have granted the same without any such limitation if it had pleased them and I am perswaded more to the gloâ—y of God and increase of his Church as daily experience teacheth For it is improbable with me and against the nature of an Apostolicall mission that men should be sent out of Colledges into Protestant countries to private mens houses to play bo-peepe as fearing to be seene conversing with Protestants and Protestants not caring to come to them for any matter of religion I wonder by this kinde of conversation what kinde of conversion could ensue whereas Saint Paul said to them that were about him Act. 20. vers 20. You know how I have withdrawne nothing that was profitable but that I preached it to you and taught you openly and from house to house Neither doe I beleeve that any man can prove any notable increase of Catholike religion in England either in great families or in small from the time of this recusancie brought in unto this present onely this I see a great impoverishment of the Catholiques here and halfe a dozen faire high Colledges built beyond the seas besides what common purse I know not and this I conceive to be all the effect of recusancie for persecution as I have said begets prayers to God and almesdeeds to his supposed servants which produce great Colledges for refuge to themselves But some may here againe reply that if recusancie had beene rejected and conformitie admitted yet Protestants would have had some other invention to punish Catholiques for their religion I answer it might be so if some evill spirits had told them the proceedings of Catholiques before hand as I never yet knew in my life Catholiques private to themselves otherwise why should they have invented more to punish Catholiques then they have hitherto done to punish Schismaticks or Separatists The said Suggestors had best invent for them some way more then they have already to continue a persecution which were but conformable as it seemes to the said Authour of the Answer c. cap. 9. pag. 216. as is before said who delighteth more to have a persecution although not to fall upon himselfe or his tribe then a toleration in religion Yet in the meane time we had done the uttermost of humane prudence and then wee might have left the rest more safely to God who ordinarily what second causes cannot doe in working to his will himselfe mercifully supplyeth and then at leastwise it would have beene more apparent to the whole world that we had suffered meerly for religion and not for a toy to wit Recusancie Adde that whatsoever had beene invented either by oath or abjuration or what else it must have been done in justice and I hope by a competent Judge or otherwise I should have taught out of the common opinion of Catholique Divines as well Schoolemen as Casuists that putting off their hats they might have passed by in Justice for as Titelman saith contra vulpem vulpizare licet It is lawfull for a man to play the fox against a fox It may be objected thirdly that it was Decreed in the 63 Canon of the Apostles That if any Clarke or Lay-man did enter into the Synagogue of Jews or Hereticks to pray he should be deposed and excommunicated I answer that it might be a necessary Decree because then there were but young Christians and they newly instructed in very high mysteries as the mystery of the Incarnation which was so hard to them as that God should be borne man poore live poorely and at last be put to so shamefull a death by the hands of men his own creatures that the forcible Arguments of the Jews might have easily perverted them Againe the Jews were formall blasphemers of God our Saviour telling them himself that he had done those signes among them that no other man could doe Whereby he gave them to know that he was God all which the Jews rejected as naught and said that he did them in Beelzebub Prince of the Devils And when he told them Ioh. 10. vers 36. that he was the Sonne of God they answered that he blasphemed to whom he replyed vers 37. If I doe not the works of my Father beleeve me not And therefore it was requisite that those Christians should abstaine from their synagogue least they should have fallen to have been as they were The company of hereticks the Apostles might likewise forbid because they were such as fell from and amongst themselves and very likely particularly denounced excommunicate so that danger of subversion was there imminent because their intention was formally to subvâ—rt and infected with one or two points of heresie were not so easily to be discerned as those that professe themselves so wholly different from the Catholique Church that if they did but know a Papist to be in their Churches they would goe neere to pull them downe to the ground and so borne and bred as they know no other religion but their own and there doe so rest teaching their own but to live morally which is both common to Catholique and Protestant Which motive or reason hath no place in our case where I contend there is no danger at all Hence it may be generally observed that what Scriptures Councels Fathers or
the intolerable abuse which some suggestors did put upon the Popes Holinesse concerning this Oath of Allegiance who procured him to send forth a declarative Briefe forbidding English Catholiques to take the same as conteining many things plainly repugnant to faith and salvation and by this meanes compelled him against his will to make the Doctrine adverse to the Oath his owne opinion When as the procurers themselves and their abettors did as I have said counsell in private some men of qualitie who were friends to them to take the same as lawfull as may be easily proved And which is more strange that they should procure it to be declared so repugnant when as the doctrine to be abjured in the said oath wrote by Santarellus was declared by all the Sorbon Doctors and sixteene of the chiefest Jesuits in France to be wicked so that what is held lawfull by most Divines in the Church it being the most common opinion except some few that would seeme to flatter the Pope should be held wicked only for us to take but I conceive as I have said before that the intent and end of the procuration of such Briefs is that nothing should be thought good or lawfull in England to be done without the speciall approbation of the suggestors tribe so that if any man should doe what they have not approved by vertue of the Popes Briefe he shall be presently blasted for an heretick and if he doe what they approve he shall be saved harmelesse by them both at home and abroad let him be never so bad Sed meliora Spero Let any judicious man consider all the Buls Breves and Censures that have beene procured touching the affaires of English Catholiques from the first Bull of excommunication against Queen Elizabeth by Pius Quintus to the last before spoken of in Anno 1639. against one who knowes nothing of the same and he shall finde by farre more hurt done to Catholiques then ever good It were a blessed turne if some order might be taken by our most gracious Queene for the prevention of such mischiefes which serve for nothing more then to make Schismes and Rents in the Church of God and the Pope and his authoritie to be lesse regarded It were more fitting in my poore judgement that Catholiques were succoured in tribulation then by barring them of their Christian liberty in what they may lawfully doe to adde affliction to affliction I must say no more for I perceive that some beginne to swell but the matter is not great for I will write nothing by Gods grace contrary to the Catholique Church Yet I feare they will breake before I have done with The Oath of Supremacy which is as followeth divided into foure branches 1. I A. B. Doe utterly testifie and declare in my conscience that the Kings highnesse is the only Supreme Governor of this Realme and of all other his Highnesse dominions and countries as well in all Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall things or causes as Temporall 2. And that no forreigne Prince Person Prelate State or Potentate hath or ought to have any Jurisdiction power superioritie preheminence or authoritie Ecclesiasticall or Spirituall within this Realme 3. And therefore I doe utterly renounce and forsake all forren Jurisdictions powers superiorities and authorities 4. And doe promise that from henceforth I shall bear faith and true Allegiance to the Kings Highnesse his heires and lawfull successors and to my power shall assist and defend all Jurisdictions priviledges preheminences and authorities granted or belonging to the Kings Highnesse his heires and successours or united and annexed to the Imperiall Crowne of this Realme So helpe me God and by the contents of this Booke Where is to be noted first that in the first yeere and Parliament of Queene Elizabeths reigne when they abolished the Popes authoritie and would have yeelded the same authoritie with the Title of Supreme head to the Queen as it was given before to her father and brother divers especially moved by Minister Calvines writing who hâ—d condemned in the same Princes that calling liked not the terme and therefore procured that some other equivalent terme but lesse offensive although in truth it is all one with the other might be used Vpon which formalitie it was enacted that she was the Chiefe Governour aswell in causes Ecclesiasticall or Spirituall as Civil Temporal because otherwise there could have beene no colour to make new lawes for the change of Religion So the abovesaid Author to the Answer c. cap. 1. pag. 7. and 8. And this was the onely and sole intention of making the aforesaid Oath which was divâ—rs from the â—ntention of King Henrie the eighth and consequently the Oath not the same For his intention in assuming to himselfe the Supremacie was not as I shall say beneath in the third note to alter any principle of Religion the Supremacie onely excepted or so much as any ceremonie of the Catholique Church but to give himselfe a more licentious libertie in point of marriage and divorce and to make the same libertie justifiable to his subjects and because he could not have the same granted to him by the Pope was angry and displeased with him and tooke it of his owne accord and for his sake disturbed the Church and Clergy of England and took away their lands and gave them to his Nobilitie It is to be noted secondly that we are to sweare that the King is chiefe Governour as well in all spirituall things c. Where by All is to be understood in all things ordered or to be ordered by him unlesse some exception bee made in reason touching the establishment or regiment of the Protestant Church of England that the spirituall things were meant touching the Church appears by the very words themselves Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall and that they were meant touching a Church to be established distinct from the then Catholique Church in England appeares by the intention of the oath which was as I have said to inable the Queene to change and alter Religion and to forme an other Church diverse from that which then was which is the Protestant Church and that there are some spirituall things justly excepted from the King appeares by the Declaration of Queene Elizabeth in her next visitation of the Clergie after the said Oath was made wherein she her selfe made an exception and declared in print the same being published by her commandement that in truth She had not power we will not examine then from whence her Ministers power came she having none her selfe by the words of the Oath and Act to minister the Sacraments Neither had she any such intent and that no such thing was implyed in her Title or claime of Spirituall regiment nor no other thing nor more then was before granted to her father by the terme of Supreame Head requiring all her loving subjects to receive the Oath at least in that sence which was
admit the King chiefe governour of the same Neither can the Pope be any way supreame governour of the aforesaid Church because he professeth himself only supreame head and governour of the Catholique Church and of no other according to Saint Paul 1 Cor. 5.12 what is it to him to judge of them that are without of which Catholique Church His Majestie dâ—th not claime to be head Neither will he be governour of any spirituall or ecclesiasticall thing therein as conceiving the same both superstitious and idolatrous Ergo. the King must be supreame governour of the Protestant Church That the King is only Governour is proved because none other can be assigned his equall in preheminencie of government in the aforesaid Protestant Church For the second or third branch it is likewise proved For I sweare them likewise discreetly truly and justly viz. that no forrein Prince Person Prelate c. hath or ought to have any jurisdiction c. within this Realme in the said Protestant Church which I adde as before because according to the intention of the Law and Law-maker as I have before said it was so meant For neither doth His Majestie or did Queene Elizabeth claime to be chiefe Governour of the Catholique Religion or Romane Church or any jurisdiction therein It being by them both as I have often said abhorred as superstitious and abolished for the same reason by the said Queene and State of England therefore it is against reason and a kinde of pettie treason to sweare either of them governour of a Religion which they apprehend so evill but in respect of the Protestant Church established the Pope is a forrein Person and Prelate and his jurisdiction forrein Neither hath he or any other forrein Person any jurisdiction in the aforesaid Church or ought to have for as I have said in the fourth note out of Saint Paul as all those that are of the Catholique faith are domesticks of that faith and all that are not of the same faith are forreiners to it so all that are of the Protestant faith of which His Majestie is governour are domesticks of the same and all that are not of the same are forreiners to that Religion Hence appeares the truth of the said branches wherein is said in the second That no forrein Prince c. and in the third I doe utterly renounce and forsake all forrein jurisdictions c. which I doe justly and lawfully renounce as well in respect of the Protestant Church as of the Catholique for as I have said the Pope is truly a forreiner to the Protestant Church in respect of which I must by the law renounce his jurisdiction And he is no forreiner in respect of the Catholique Church in which I am bound to respect him and his jurisdiction for if all Catholiques be domesticks one to â—he other as I have proved out of Saint Paul how can the Pope who is chief of that faith be said to be a forreiner his jurisdiction being as internall and intrinsecall as innate and naturall to every Catholique in the world as it is to him that stands next him in his chamber at Rome And therefore there being no forrein jurisdiction in the Catholique Church in every sence I may lawfully renounce all forrein jurisdictions The fourth and last branch can have no difficultie at all with any Catholique So that the words of this Oath seeme to me so cleere and lawfull since the establishment of the Protestant Church that it may be taken of any Catholique without any the least danger of Perjurie or any other sinne scandall being avoyded or without mentall reservation or secret equivocation that I admire that any man hath so long scrupulized to the losse of himselfe and fortunes when as being necessitated to take the same and scandall being easily to be avoyded as I have said out of Diana and others he might have prevented his owne ruine with a safe conscience as I conceive Sir Iohn Winter and other men of estates did who are reported to have lately taken the same It may be objected first that this Oath thus explicated hath no coherencie the first branch with the second and third and therefore that it be coherent and taken conformably to the intention of the law-maker as we sweare the King to be onely Supreame Governour of the Church of England in the first branch so ought we in the second and third branch to renounce all Jurisdiction forreign to the same To which I answer first that coherencie is no condition requisite to an oath but impertinent to the truth or falshood of the same for there be many things of a different nature inserted in an oath Secondly that there is a most perfect coherencie in the aforesaid explication for as in the first branch I sweare the King Head of the Church of England so in the second and third I abjure all forreigne Jurisdictions whatsoever Which are the very direct words of the oath for there are no words in any branch signifying a renunciation of all Jurisdiction forreigne to the Protestant Church of England Whence there is a great difference between renouncing all Jurisdiction forreigne to the particular Church of England and renouncing all forren Jurisdiction For a forren Jurisdiction renounced is rightly described A power or right denied to be extent to the swearer by any law and is more generall then a Jurisdiction forreign to the Protestant Church which is onely a power not extent to a Protestant quâ talis which although it be forren to the said Church yet it may be properly extent and appertaining to the swearer So that it is intended by the said oath that as in the first branch we sweare the King onely Supreame Governor of the Protestant Church within this Realme and his Dominions so in the second and third we are to renounce all forren Jurisdictions whatsoever which either the Pope or any other forren Person hath or ought to have in the same which every Catholique may lawfully do notwithstanding that generall saying That the Pope hath Iurisdiction over all Christians for that is meant a generall Jurisdiction in the Catholique Church either actuall or potentiall extent to all which is forren to none and which by taking this oath is not denyed I answer thirdly that all penall lawes as is this law for taking the oath in doubtfull words are ever to be taken in the more favourable sense and which makes the law to containe no falshood or injustice And therefore in this law to sweare as the words lye may be done without any injâ—stice or falshood which is and ought to be presumed to be the minde of the lawmaker for no law or lawmaker intends perjurie And therefore it is a frivolous thing to invent scrupulous crotchets which the words doe not import It may be objected secondly that the oath must be interpreted according to the intention of the law and lawmaker for as Suares saith lib.
times of obligation before expressed by Saint Thomas and other Divines for the profession of a mans faith As when the honour and glory of God and the spirituall benefit of his neighbour should exact the same Now when or what greater honour could a man have done to God then to have stood for the truth of the Gospel and defence of the Catholike faith being so opposed And in whom could there have beene more edification and greater example given for simple and unlearned men to follow then in Bishops and great men of authoritie Neither was it to purpose for them to alleadge that they were in danger of their lives and fortunes for they were bound to loose both rather then to denie any one Article of faith For although I have said that a man is not bound with danger of life or fortunes to abstaine from a thing lawfull or of its owne nature indifferent as the going to a Protestant Church in a Protestant Countrey taking the oath of Alleagiance or the now oath of Supremacy every of which is farre enough from an Article of faith or point of religion onely more cryed downe because out of fashion then out of any grounded reason or judgement to avoid the scandall of weâ—ke ones after instruction or admonition given of the nature of the thing and the danger in abstaining Yet I never said that a man was not bound to professe his religion in time convenient or that hee might deny his faith or any part or point of the same for feare of death but absolutely the contrary hence I say that the Supremacie in those daies being a point of religion and an article of faith although they might be excused from perjurie yet never from sinne and scandall And therefore I conceive that Suares onely intendeth that then lawes and oathes invented contrary to the law of God may be drawne to an improper sence when scandall may be avoyded with integritie of faith And so those that tooke the aforesaid Kings oath I leave to the judgement of God for as Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 4. It is our Lord that judgeth who best knoweth the rectitude of all mens actions and the secret intentions of each mans heart The Minor of the said objection is denyed And to the words of K. Iames saying that as the Oath of Supremacie was devised for putting a difference between Papists and them of our profession So was c. I answer that the said King did not by those words undertake to give an absolute and totall reason why the said oath was devised himselfe not being the deviser or maker thereof but spake according to the effect which hee saw the oath of Supremacie tooke in his daies who conceiving that Catholiques held it not an oath lawfull for them to take and therefore some in King Henries daies refused the same out of conscience others since the abrogation of Masse and establishment of the Protestant Church out of scruples not considering either the change of times or alteration of the Church conceived likewise a difference to result thereby betweene them and Protestants so that the said renowned King did not intend by the aforesaid words to make known the intention of the law or lawmaker but onely spake what an effect the said devised oath had in Catholiques wrought That neither of the said oathes of Supremacie were framed to put a difference betweene Papists and Protestants is evident by what I have said for in King Henrie his dayes there were no Protestants knowne in England to differ withall and that oath was made onely and solely for his pleasure And in the said Queens daies the oath was onely made to give and acknowledge her power and authoritie in Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall things thereby as I have sufficiently said to propagate and establish the Protestant Church and to no other end or purpose The Major and Minor being thus answered the consequence appeares naught and the assertion for the lawfulnesse of the oath in force If any simple man pardon the bluntnesse of my speech for I know that no discreete or judicious man of either learning oâ— piety will justly censure me shall whisper in a corner that this doctrine is scandalous and unheard of and that divers have suffered and shed their blood rather then they would admit the same and which if it had beene lawfull others of his tribe would have found out before this time hee should have added to men of great qualitie and therefore it being no matter of faith none ought to beleeve it I forgive the poore man for he speakes out of hypocrisie or ignorance or both for he cannot tell you with learning and sinceritie why or how it is scandalous And if any did suffer for the same I pray let him likewise whisper when or in what yeere or Kings reign and then compare his speech to what I have said Yet whensoever they did it because they would not sinne against their consciences which rather then to offend they not understanding the â—ruth of the said doctrine and their phansie being the contrary way strong were bound to doe Yet good brother Simple doe not perswade me against my conscience unlesse you can confute me in reason for I conceive that I say nothing although not written of before but what is evident with Grace in reason although it be not certaine by divine fâ—ith And therein I shew my selfe a true friend to my distressed Countrey for certus amicus in re incerta cernitur A sure friend is tried in a doubtfull matter Yet I should be loath that any man should charge me with the least thing said as contrary to faith or the doctrine of the Catholique Church To which and whose censure I doe in all humility submit my selfe for all my doings sayings and writings as well for the satisfaction of mine owne conscience as that ignorant braines may take no offence And iâ— this doctrine were never heard of before what then Is it therefore false or scandalous And if your tribe did not finde it out before is it a wonder None at all with me for I should wonder indeed to heare you the inventers of any thing beneficiall to Gods Church howsoever you may and doe write over and translate other mens workes and so seeme to ignorant men to finde out something for the good of the Church that was never lost or before wanting therein because as yet I have never heard or knowne so much Those therfore that shall hearken to such whisperings I will wish them no other punishment then that the Vicar of fooles may be their ghostly father In the meane time maugre all censures I will thanke God that he hath enabled me to helpe my distressed friend at a dead lift by counselling and instructing to a lawfull I had almost said meritorious but that I feared more anger and discreet act Thus then seriously to conclude If any man shall yet remaine unsatisfied I knowing that an Angel of
other forrein Potentates as afore And also aswell the said Statute made in the said eight and twentieth yeer as the Statute made in the said Session of the Parliament holden the 35. yeere of the Kings Majesties Reigne for establishment and declaration of His highnesse succession and all Acts and Statutes made and to be made in confirmation and corroboration of the Kings Majesties power and Supremacie in earth of the Church of England and Ireland and of other the Kings Dominions I shall also defend and maintaine with by body and goods and with all my wit and power and this I shall doe against all manner of persons of what estate dignitie degree or condition they be and in no wise doe nor attempt nor to my power â—uffer or know to be done or attempted directly or indirectly any thing or things privily or apertly to the let hinderance damage or derogation of any of the said Statutes or of any part of them by any manner of means or for or by any manner of pretence And in case any Oath hath been made by me to any person or persons in maintenance defence or favour of the See and Bishop of Rome or his authoritie jurisdiction or power or against any Statutes aforesaid I repute the same as vaine and annihilate and shall wholly and truly observe and keepe this Oath so helpe me God all Saints and the holy Evangelists The Oath of Supremacie enacted 1 â— Elizabeth cap. 1o. I A. B. Doe utterly testifie and declare in my conscience that the Queenes highnesse is the onely Supreame governour of this Realme and of all other her Highnesse Dominions and Countries as well in all Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall things or causes as Temporall and that no forreigne Prince Person Prelate State or Potentate hath or ought to have any jurisdiction power superioritie preheminence or authoritie Ecclesiasticall or Spirituall within this Realme and therefore I doe utterly renounce and forsake all forraigne jurisdictioâ—s powers superiorities and authorities and doe â—â—omise that from henceforth I shall beare faith anâ—â—rue Allegiance to the Queenes Highnesse her 〈◊〉 and lawfull Successour and to my power shall assâ—st and defend all jurisdictions priviledges preheminences and authorities granted or belonging to the Queenes Highnesse her Heires and Successours or united and annexed to the Imperiall Crowne of this Realme So helpe me God and by the Contents of this Booke A Proviso in an Act 5 o. Elizabeth c. 1o. for expounding this Oath PRovided also that the Oath expressed in the said Act made in the said first yeere shall be taken and expounded in such forme as is set forth in an Admonition annexed to the Queenes Majesties Injunctions published in the first yeere of her Majesties reigne that is to say to confesse and acknowledge in her Majestie her Heires and Successours none other authoritie then that was challenged and lately used by the noble King Henrie the eighth and King Edward the sixth as in the said Admonition more plainly may appeare The Admonition annexed to the Injunctions Elizabeth 1o. followes with this Title An Admonition to simple men deceived by malicious THe Queenes Majestie being enformed that in certaine places of this Realme sundry of her native subjects being called to Ecclesiasticall Ministrie in the Church be by sinister perswasion and perverse construction induced to finde some scruple in the forme of an Oath which by an Act of the last Parliament is prescribed to be required of divers persons for the recognition of their Allegiance to her Majestie which certainly neither was ever meant ne by any equitie of words or good sense can be thereof gathered would that all her loving subjects should understand that nothing was is or shall be meant or intended by the same Oath to have any other Dutie Allegiance or Bond required by the same Oath then was acknowledged to be due to the most noble Kings of famous memorie King Henry the eight her Majesties Father or King Edward the sixt her Majesties Brother And further her Majestie forbiddeth all manner her subjects to give eare or credit to such perverse and malicious persons which most sinisterly and maliciously labour to notifie to her loving subjects how by the words of the said Oath it may be collected that the Kings or Queenes of this Realme possessours of the Crowne may challenge authoritie and power of Ministrie of Divine Offices in the Church wherein her said subjects be much abused by such evill disposed persons For certainly her Majestie neither doth ne ever will challenge any other authoritie then that was challenged and lately used by the said noble Kings of famous memory King Henrie the eight and King Edward the sixth which is and was of ancient time due to the Imperiall Crowne of this Realme that is under God to have the Sovereigntie and rule over all manner of persons borne within these her Realmes Dominions and Countries of what estate either Ecclesiasticall or Temporall soever they be so as no other forreigne power shall or ought to have any superioritie over them And if any person that hath conceived any other sense of the forme of the said Oath shall accept the same Oath with this interpretation sense or meaning her Majestie is well pleased to accept every such in that behâ—lfe as her good and obedient subjects and shall acquit them of all manner penalties contained in the said Act against such as shall peremptorily or obstinately refuse to take the same Oath The Conclusion of the Authour of the Animadversions to the Reader THis Treatise Christian Reader penned by a learned and intelligent Romanist resembles Ortwhinus his Booke intituled Fasciculus rerum expetendarum et fugiendarum or the two baskets of figgâ—s Ier. 24.1.2 set before the Temple one basket had very good figges and the other very naughtie Among the very good are these assertions That in the Protestant Church there is no Idolatrie committed That the Liturgie of the Church of England hath not any malignitie in it that may â—ustifie Popish Recusancie That the Oathes of Allâ—giance and Supremacie are iustifiable by the law of God But among the very naughtie are these that when we are questioned about our Religion before a Magistrate we may vulpizure cum vulpibus goe beyond the foxe if wee can in fox-craft that in taking an oath we may frame a meaning to our selves which is proved contrary to the meaning of him that made or ministreth the Oath that we may by our outward gestures and actions make shew of that Religion of which indeed we are not that a Prudent Catholique may both frequent the Protestant Church in publique as this Priest sâ—ith he hath done often and goe to Masse â—r say Masse in private This is no better then to weare a garment not on our bodies â—ut on our soules made of 〈◊〉 and to plough in Christs â—ield with an Oxe and an Asâ—e and to 〈◊〉 betweene two opinions reproved by the holy Prophet Eliah tâ—is is to be of the
after their manner that which is indeed the maine question between us namely whether Papists are Catholikes For if he take Catholikes in that sense in which the word is used by the ancient Fathers for a right beleever or Orthodox Christian in opposition to all heretikes and schismatikes neither are Romanists such Catholikes and such Catholikes living within his Majesties Dominions not only may but ought to come to our Protestant Churches and take the Oathes both of Allegiance and Supremacie when they are legally tendered unto them d If the author had not here rubd his forehead hee would never have set this text in the frontispice of his book for whether we translate the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 innocent or simple in neither sense it befitteth either the person of the Author and his Associates or the argument of his book How innocent Papists are it is sufficiently known to all the world by the Massacre at Paris Powder plot in England and the present Rebellion in Ireland As for their simplicitie let the Iesuits manifold Apologies of Equivocation speak and this Priests Treatise in hand wherein he endeavoureth through the whole to proove it to be lawfull to double in point of Gods worship and juggle in matter of most sacred and solemne oathes e Rubet auditor eui frigida mens est criminibus tacitâ suÌ„dant praecordia culpâ It seemes the Authors heart smote him and his coÌ„science misgave him and his inke turned red when he set his pen to paper to apologize for hollow hearted newtralitie and halting betweene two religions If we divide his Pamphlet into two parts we shall finde the first part spent in proofe and justification of simulation the second of dissimulation in the former part he perswades the Papists of England to make shew of what they are not by frequently resorting to our Church and Communion Table in the second to deny what they are by taking the two Oathes wherein both the temporall and the spirituall power and jurisdiction of the Pope within these kingdomes are renounced f How the ensuing Treatise tendeth to the Safeguard of the bodies and estates of Papists by declining the penalties of the laws every intelligent Reader may perceive but how this way of dissimulation tends to the safeguard of souls I cannot understand sith the Saviour of our souls who is the Way the Truth Truth and the Life teacheth us in expresse words Marke 8.35 Whosoever will save his life shall loose it but whosoever shall loose his life for my sake and the Gospel shall finde it vers 38. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinfull generation of him also shall the Sonne of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with his holy Angels and Matth. 10.32 33. Whosoever shall confesse me before men him will I confesse also before my Father which is in heaven but whosoever shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven But I subsume to make profession of communion with misbeleevers or schismaticks is not to confesse Christ and to deny any part of our Christian Faith with what art of words or pretence of good intention soever is upon the matter to deny Christ and to be ashamed of him and his Doctrine g You may thanke Pope Pius his seditious Bull against Q. Elizabeth wherein he not only excommunicateth her but exposeth her life and kingdome for a prey and the treasonable practises of Iesuits and Iesuited Papists for the severitie of our laws not indeed against your Religion but rather irreligion and disloyaltie medicum severum intemperans aeger faâ—it h Hoc veruÌ„ est priusquam Theognis nasceretur This is an extreame veritie as the French speake that it is not necessary to confesse a mans Religion without necessitie as if he should say it is not profitable for a man to drive a a Trade without profit or not pleasant to recreate himselfe without pleasure or not wholsome to take Physicke which conduceth not to his health But if this were in him lâ—psus linguae or calami I am sure his inference hereupon is deliquium mentis and argues a defect in his rationall facultie for at this issue he drives because it is not necessary at all times and in all places to confesse Religion no more then to goe out into the Market place and cry I am a Romane Catholike or to write upon the frontispice of his house here lyeth a Papist that therefore a man may sometimes make an outward profession of a contrary Religion by joyning with them publikely in their Service and Sacraments If he had staid longer at schoole he would have perfectly learned which he fumbleth at this lesson from the Schoole Divines which looseneth the sinews of this his argument that affirmative preceptes obligant semper sed non ad semper but negative semper ad semper A man is not bound alwayes to exhibit cultum latriae to God by adoration or prayer but he is bound never to exhibite Divine worship to a creature he is not bound alwayes to offer unto God or to give to the Church but he is bound never sacrilegiously to take away from God or his Church in like manner he is not bound at all times and in all places to professe his faith but he is alwayes bound not to denie his Faith and Religion either by word or deed A man is not bound alwayes to speake a truth but he is bound never to lie feigne or play the hypocrite i See the Advertisement to the Reader The Apostle saith Godlinesse is great gain if a man be contented with what he hath but by the confession of this Priest gaine is the Iesuits godlinesse the zeale of Gods house eats not them up but their zeale devoureth the houses of the welthiest Recusants in England What care they though Recusants sinke in England so long as they swim in abundance beyond the Sea what thought take they for the parents mulcts and taxes by the state so long as their Pupils scores are paid in their Colleges k If seven Popes one after another swallowed the same State gudgeons and after the swallowing of them sub annulo piscatoris sent rescripts into England forbidding all Catholikes under paine of mortall sinne to repaire to Protestant Churches which this Authour acknowledgeth to be an errour in those Popes what becomes of the infallible assistance of the holy Spirit annexed to Peters chaire if so many Popes might be deceived by false suggestions why not by false arguments and objections if they may be deceived in matter of fact why not in matter of faith which often dependeth upon matter of fact and there being more need of inerrabilitie in a visible head for matter of fact then matter of faith the later so far as it is necessary to salvation being plainely set downe in Scripture If they may be deceived as
men why not as Popes surely if the Pope doe any thing as Pope it is sending forth his Buls and Rescripts whereby he governeth and instructeth the Pseudo-Catholike Church and decides cases of conscience and if in such he be subject to errour and mistaking even in a matter of as great weight as any was agitated in the Councell of Trent as this Priest affirmeth pag. 7. upon what a sandie foundation is the Romish Babell built and how loose and weake is the maine ground of a Papists faith l It cannot be the common opinion of Divines that it is lawfull for a man to goe to Church and communicate with those who are of a different Religion For seven Popes alleadged by him two Cardinals Bellarmine and Baronius twelve Fathers of the Councell of Trent R. P. and other Iesuits for the Roman partie and of the Protestant beliefe George Abbot Archbishop of Canterburie in his Lectures at Oxford Calvine in his tract adversus Pseudo-Nicodemitas and the Doctors of the reformed Churches generally in their expositions upon the second Commandement and in their commentaries upon the second of the Corinthians 6. Chapter 15 16 17. ver determine the contrary m No infallibilitie in any generall Councel since the dayes of the Apostles much lesse in the Councel of Trent which was neither a generall Councel nor lawfully called nor free nor at all an assembly of Catholike Bishops but of Images moved like the statues of Dedalus by the sinewes of others See the historie of the Councel of Trent written in Italian by Petro Soave Polano and the Epistle Dudith quinque Eccles. ad Maximilianum 2. Caes. But were the Councel of Trent a generall Councel lawfully called consisting of eminent Doctors and Pastours as it were starres of the first magnitude yet they could not without horrible presumption arrogate to that their Synod infallibilitie for that not onely Provinciall but even oecumenicall Councels may erre and be fouly mistaken and that in matter of faith may thus be demonstrated First every assemby which consisteth of members subject to errour may be seduced and deceived but generall Councels are assemblies consisting of members subject to errour for all men are so Rom. 3.4 Therefore generall Councels may be seduced and deceived This reason is strongly backed by the authoritie of the most judicious of all the Fathers Saint Augustine and that in many places namely Ep. 112. c. 1. Si Divinarum scripturarum earum scilicet quae canonicae in Ecclesia nominantur perspicua firmatur autoritate sine ulla Dub. tationâ— credendum est aliâ—s vero testibus vel testimonies quibus aliquid credendum esse suadetur tibi credere vel non credere liceat quantum ea momenti ad faciendam fidem vel habere vel non habere perpenderis If any thing be confirmed by cleare and evident authoritie of Canonicall Scripture that must be beleeeved without all doubting but for other witnesses and testimonies whereby ye are perswaded to beleeve any thing you may give credit unto them or not as you see cause de natura et grat cont Pelag. c. 61. solis canonicis debeo sine ulla recusatione consensum In the writing of any such men I hold my selfe at libertie namely to give my assent unto them or not for I owe consent without any stay or staggering to the Canonicall Scriptures alone therefore not to the Popes Rescripts or Decrees of generall Councels And in his second booke De bapt cont Donat. c. 3. Quis nesciat scripturam canonicam omnibus posterioribus Episcoporum literis ita praeponi ut de illa omnino dubitari et disceptari non possit utrum vel verum rectum sit quicquid in eâ scriptum esse constiterit Episcoporum autem literas quae post confirmatum canonem vel scriptae sunt vel scribuntur et per sermonem fortè sapientiorem cuiuslibet in ea re peritioris et per aliorum Episcoporum graviorem authoritatem doctioremque prudentiam et per concilia licere reprehendi si quid in eis fortè a veritate deviatum est Et ipsa concilia quae per singulas regiones vel provincias fiunt plenariorum conciliorum authoritati quae fiunt ex universo orbe christiano sine ullis ambagibus cedere ipsaque plenaria saepe priora posterioribus emendari cum aliquo experimento rerum aperitur quod clausum erat et cognoscitur quod latebat Who knowes not that the canonicall Scriptures are so farre to be preferred above the latterr letters of Bishops that whatsoever is found written in it may neither be doubted nor disputed of whether it be true or right but the letters of Bishops may not only be disputed of but censured by Bishops that are more wise and learned then they if any thing in their writings swerve from the truth or by Provinciall Synods and these also must give place to plenarie and generall Councels and even plenarie and generall Councels may be amended the former by the latter and it is to be noted that he speaketh of errour in matter of faith For these words are part of his answer to an Objection of the Donatists out of the letters of Saint Cyprian concerning the point of rebaptizing Secondly If the determinations of generall Councels were infallible all Christians were necessarily bound to stand unto them and to submit to their authoritie but this Saint Augustine peremptorily denies l. 3. Cont. Maxim c. 14. Nec ego Nicenum nec tu debes Ariminense tanquam preiudicaturus proferre concilium nec ego huius authoritate nec tu illius detineris Neither ought I to alleadge the Councel of Nice nor thou the Councel of Ariminum in prejudice to either part For neither am I bound to the authoritie of the one nor thou to the authoritie of the other and it is worth the observation that Saint Augustine speaketh of the first most famous Councel of Nice whose authoritie was greater and held more sacred and venerable then any Councel since and if that Councel concluded not Saint Augustine shall the authoritie of a late Conveticle at Trent conclude all Christians Thirdly If generall Councels may contradict one the other they may certainly erre For it is impossible that both parts of a contradiction should be true But generall Councels contradict one the other Ergo. For the Councel held at Ariminum contradicteth the first generall Councel held at Nice in the point of consubstantialitie of the Sonne with the Father The generall Councel held at Chalcedon contradicteth the generall Councel held at Ephesus in the point of Eutychianisme The generall Councel at Frankeford contradicteth your second generall Councel held at Nice in the point of Image worship Your generall Councel held at Lateran under Leo the tenth contradicteth your Councel of Constance in the point of the Councels superioritie above the Pope Fourthly Cuivis contingere potest quod cuiquam potest that which hath befallen some generall Councels may befall any other unlesse
their originall Fountaine sith the most of them if not all might be gathered out of more ancient Liturgies For which See Biblioth Patru to 1. And if it be so then it may be said That the mud of Popery fell into them but they sprang not from Popery but from purer fountains * It hath been I confesse a long custome in the Latine Church ever since Pope Vitalian to celebrate the Church Service in the Latine tongue but it was never the custome of the Catholique or Vniversall so to doe The Greeke and Syrian and African and other Churches had from the beginning and have at this day their Service in their own languages Neither is the reason the Priest alleadgeth here of any force namely That w as the Catholike Religion is universall so it should be exercised in an universall language which he will have to be the Latine For first there is no necessitie that the Catholike Religion which is universall should be exercised in an universall language but rather in all languages Secondly since the division of tongues at the tower of Babell there was no language universall in all the world the Greeke was for a time the furthest spread and after the Romane but neither of them nor any other was spoken or understood by all Christians and at this day if we may beleeve travellers no language is so generally knowne and spoken as the Slavonian Thirdly the unity of language maketh nothing to the unitie of Religion or the Church neither doth the Apostle require that the Divine Service be performed in any one tongue but that it be done in a knowne tongue to the edification of the Church 1 Cor. 14.4.12.14.16 And to that end among others was the gift of tongues given x See page 28. Letterr. y See the lettero. pag. 17. z See the letter R pag. 28. a This definition of an heretique is both defective redundant defective for every obstinate deniall of an article of faith makes not an heretique unlesse his conscience be clearely convinced of his errour out of the word of God it is redundant also for a man may be an heretique by denying any article of faith though that article be not proposed to him by the Catholike Church to be beleeved though but his pastour or any other religious Christian out of Gods word clearely propound it to him and prove it or it be read by himselfe in the Scripture if he obstinately persist in the denyall thereof after his conscience is convinced he becomes an heretique b The Protestants of England know other Churches besides their own and some have learnedly discoursed of all the Churches in the Christian world as Purchas Brierwood Mocket Mr. Paget and others 〈◊〉 true it is they acknowledge no infallibilitie in the Roman or any particular Church nor receive any Church for true and Orthodoxe which consenteth not with them in all points of faith either expresly set downe or by cleare and necessarie consequence deduced from holy Scriptures c The Protestants hold nothing contrary to the Catholique Church though they hold many things contrary to the present Romane Church which is neither the Catholike Church nor a sound member thereof as is proved invincibly by Iohn Reynolds praefat thesium Sect. 12. Thes. ss 27. Apol. 5.23 And Bilsons answer to Cardinall Allen part 4. And Abbot against Bishop in a Treatise intituled The true ancient Romane Catholike to which none answer hath yet beene given nor sufficient can be d With what face can he say that the Protestants are incredulous and beleeve not the truth Who entirely beleeve the whole doctrine of the Scriptures together with the three Creeds that which beares the name of the Apostles the Nicene and that of Athanasius together with the foure first generall Councels in which time the Church most flourished as also the joynt Doctrine and unanimous consent of all the Fathers both of the Greeke and Latine Church for five hundred yeeres after Christ our Lord came into the flesh Let this traducer of the reformed Churches answer punctually whether he beleeveth that the learned Doctors Confessours and Martyrs who lived and died within the first 500. yeeres held the entire Catholique faith necessary to salvation or no If they held it not how were they saved upon what good ground or warrant are so many of them canonized for Saints even by the Roman Church but on the other side if they beleeved all things necessary to salvation how can we be esteemed incredulous or defective in our faith who beleeveth all that can be proved to have beene joyntly beleeved and unanimously professed by them e Is this the holy Romane Religion to make a May-game of Religion and to goe to Sermons as to a play to make themselves merry and dispell a Melancholly dumpe Besides their owne third commandement enjoynes them to keepe Holy-dayes and their owne Casuists allow the Lords day to be a day that is holy And is this a piece of holynesse to goe on such dayes to a play yet neither doe I beleeve that he can readily name the man much lesse many men that spake fustian with gravity in our Pulpits but I am sure he who patched up this Safeguard out of rags of Religion and falshood speaks Linsewoolsey through his whole Discourse and contrary to the law ploweth with an Oxe and an Asse The later of which here brayeth irrationally and unjustly against the generalitie of Protestant Preachers and Sermons Forsooth we are silly weake and ignorant men but they are all profound Gamaliels nay Angelicall and Seraphicall Doctors Whereunto I answer as Saint Paul did to the calumnies of the false Apostles 2 Cor. 10.12 We dare not make our selves of the number to compare our selves with them that commend themselves but they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves amongst themselves understand not The Catholiques he saith are Hounds â—lood Hounds I grant and our Ministers timorous Hares they dare not encounter the weakest Romane Catholique they neither understand the controversies of Religion nor dare meddle with any in their Sermons If this were true which all our hearers know to be most false yet me thinks Iuvâ—nal speaks very good reason Loripedem rectus derideat Aethiopem albus And what great Clarks I pray were those of whom Boniface Bishop of 〈◊〉 â—pâ—ke in his time heretofore we had woodden Chalices and golden Priests â—ut now we have golden Chalices and woodden Priests what great Gamaliels were they of whom Bonaventure complaines Quidam sacerdotum â—lavem habent he speaketh of the Key of knowledge quidam claviculam quidam nullam what was he upon whom Sir Thomas Moore thus playes in his â—pigrâ—m tu bene cavisti ne te ulla occidere possit litera nam nulla est lâ—tera nota tibi Be not frighted at the words of the Apostle the letter killeth thou hast taken good order that it shall not kill thee for thou knowest not a lettâ—â— What was he