other Councels as also against the late Councell of Trent where the matter was put English Catholikes making suite that it might be couertly discussed decided to 12. learned Fathers whose iudgement in this matter is yet extant and it had bin superfluous to haue in any publike CanoÌ„ there condemned the same which by so many Councels before that was plainly forbidden Against the examples of Saints learned Fathers as of S. I. Euang. which I recited before of S. Polycarpe of S. Denis Bishop of Alexandria of S. Anth of Origen of Beniolus S. Amb. S. Athan. S. Chrisost and of many moe 23 I should in so doing shew my self a Neuter that is such a one as is not affected to either religion consequeÌ„tly of no religion Apoc. 3. but an Atheist or neither hote nor cold but luke warme therfore to be spued out of the mouth of God 3. Reg. 18. for hee who haulteth on both sides is on neither side but a traitour to bothe And from the one and the same fouÌ„tain there runneth not sweet sower water Iacob 3. neyther can any man serue two contrary masters as he can not plow with an Oxe an Asse Mat 6. Deut. 22. nor weare garments of linnin wolleÌ„ nor sow his field with two maner of seeds 24 I should in so doing be as is said before one of your congregation and yet I should be but the verie excrements or chippings of your Church for receauing no life froÌ„ Catholike religion in the corps of Protestantisme I should serue for no necessarie vse because I could not be ther but for some worldly respect so in body only by that meanes but as the haires of a mans body or nailes or euill humors which althogh they be within the body yet are they not animated by the soul but void of sense lost without paine by nature not fit to be quickned for froÌ„ the Protestant spirit I hope I should sucke no zeale of that sect from the soule of the Catholike Church I could receaue no life because I cutt my selfe off froÌ„ it by yeelding to your seruice and so I should remaine void of sense life and soule and should be nothing but Caluins excrements 25 I should shewe my selfe a colde Catholike indeed to haue no zeale at all for that deeming you to bee Gods enemies yet I can finde in my hart not only to be in companye with you in ciuill affaires but also in your seruice far from the spirit of the Prophet Dauid Psal 16. who hated the congregation of such and was euen eaten with the zeale of Gods Church and greatly loued the beutye thereof Yea I shoulde doe quite contrary for when I see a theefe I should run with him take part with the adulterers And to conclude with answering your demaund why I will not as well goe to your seruice as eate fleshe vpon a fryday when vrgent occasions driue me thereunto I say that Religion being a vertue which giueth honour reuerence to God doth sometimes coÌ„mand other vertues directeth their actions to Gods honor Theod. 22. q. 85. art 3 As fasting is a vertue that subdueth mans body and may be commaunded by religion to serue God withall Other actes there are which only belong to religion not to other vertues which haue no other praise but that they are done for the reuerence of God of vvhich sort are sacrifies kneeling knocking on the brest such like And of this sort is the ceremonie of going to such a place more then to another Herevpon it is that one may eate flesh vpon a friday or other fasting in diuers cases and yet in no case goe to seruice with those who are of a false religion for to abstaine vpon certaine dayes is not a proper or immediate act of religion but commaunded by religion being indeed an act of temperance so intended by holy Church although it may be vsed to honor God with all And because none vse to fast on such daies but Catholikes it doth oftentimes betoken a Catholike distinguisheth him from Protestants yet because the immediate end of the law is temperance the act of eating of flesh or of other forbidden meats hath other naturall ends besides religion therefore it doth not necessarily containe anie signification of religion but the act of going to the Church doth of it own nature by common acceptation of all betoken deuotion and religion Thus haue I brieflie yeelded you some reasons and authorities why I may not satisfie your request condiscende to your desires in going to your seruice I coulde haue yeelded many moe but I thought these might suffice you and cause you to surcease from your worldly carnall perswations for hereafter I meane not to aunswere you any more such letters but only to say vnto you goe behinde me Satans for you are scandales to me And so desiring our Parents blessing with humble commendations to theÌ„ and harty to you and to all the reste of our kinsfolkes and friendes I leaue you all to our Lord and Sauiour who send vs his grace in this world and his glory in the next From my Chamber at Palempyne this 18. of Februarie 1600. FINIS ✚ A bryef short declaracyon made wherbye eâ—… chrysten man maye knowe what is a sacrament Of what partes a sacraments consysteth and is made for what intent sacramentes were instituted and what is the pryncypall effect of sacramentes finally of the abuse of the sacrament of chrysten body and bloud Imprinted At London by Robert Stoughton Dwellynge wythin Ludgate at the sygne of the Bysshoppes Myter
be saide that they doe as the firste Christians did which denyed and destroyed the false and superstitious religion of the Heathens for that the Christians did that by manifest Commission from God himselfe by working of Miracles by planting Christian religion in place thereof but the Protestantes neither doe that which they do by any authoritie from God nor euer could work any one miracle as is afore-saide and insteede of that which they reiect pull downe they place iust nothing THE XV. REASON Diuinitie IF you looke into the Vniuersities of the Catholiks of Protestants you shal see in the one the whole corps of Diuinitie and of Christian trueth most pythelie and profoundly taught but in the other nothing but a number of pelting obiections taken out of Caluins Institutions or out of the Magdeburgenses or out of some Hereticall Pamphlet together with wrested interpretations of the new Testament which they haue learned of Beza or of some such like fellow in some they trouble themselues with nothing but onely with the Controuersies of this time that is all the Diuinity which they haue or meddle withall But the Catholike Diuines studie and teache in theyr Schooles most exactlie all thinges vvhich man may in this life know of God ALMIGHTIE of his Simplicitie Perfection Goodnesse Infinitie of his being in his creatures of his immutabilitie Eternitie Vnitie knowledge and seeing of him of his names Science Idees Life Will Loue Iustice and Mercie Prouidence Power Felicitie of the Blessed Trinitie of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost of theyr Equalitie Vnitie Consubstantialitie in one GOD-HEADE of the Creation of thinges of Angels of theyr substance Incorporcitie locall motion Knowledge Will Loue Production Goodnesse and Badnesse of mans Creation of his Bodie Soule of all the powers and parts thereof of his Propagation of the end whereunto hee is created of Vertue and Vice in generall and in particular of the Incarnation of Gods Sonne ioyning two most different natures of God and Man both entire both complete without cōmixtion or confusion into the vnitie of one person of the perfections defects assumpted by him of the Resurrection Iudgemēt and of many other profound pointes vvhich the Protestantes neuer beate their braines about and indeede they cannot possiblie studie these thinges throughlie beeing somuch occupied about wooing vvenching and wiueing taking vppon them to be Doctours of Diuinitie and Husbandes also And therefore if the learnedst amongst them should appeare in Catholicke Schooles or Vniuersities abroade hee would not once dare to open his mouth in matters of Learning among the great nūber of most excellent learned men which there are founde as wee haue vvell proued by such of your Protestants as nowe and then goe abroade to forraine VNIVERSITIES and are very quicklie brought to Confesse theyr inequalitie in this kinde for that they scarce vnderstand the verie ordinarie tearmes of the learned sciences which the others doe fullie possesse And I pray you what a learned Clargie was there in Queene Maryes time in our Countrie of England in respect of these pore creatures that occupy now theyr Prebends and sit in the sunne-shine of theyr new pretended Ghospell with theyr Wiues and Children rounde about them Were not one Tonstall one Watson one Christopherson for learning one Fecknā one Gardener one White for wisdome learning togeather able to set to Schoole all your ruffed Cleargie at this day for tearme of life and after as by their workes writings yet extant doth wel appeare This grosse ignorance of these newe Ghospellers is the cause that the people doe remaine vtterly voide of the knowledge of mysteries which they are bound to beleeue vppon paine of damnation and they cannot otherwise be when as their Leaders Doctours are altogether vnskilfull of the points afore-named But if they can speake a litle Greeke and a few words in Hebrew and vse some Inke horne Eloquence with rayling against Pope and Papistes then are they forsooth deepe Diuines Take the most learned Doctour of them all and set him to reason with an Heathen or with an Atheist and you shall see what goodly arguments hee will make nay you shall see him betray the truth for lack of learning for that he is vtterly ignorant as they are all of Schoole Diuinitie And hereupon it is that theyr Preachers comming to reason vvith the Turkish Priestes haue beene driuen to yeelde and haue become Mahometans for indeed one who taketh vpon him to be Doctor of Diuinitie ought to be so instructed furnished with Philosophie Morall Physicall and Metaphysicall with Logicke and with all humane helps with Councels Fathers Histories and such like and not only with the bare text of the Bible as that he may be able to defend the faith of Christ in all points against Iewes Turkes Heathens Atheistes not only against heretiks And here I cānot but admire the prouidēce goodnes of God towards his Church in furnishing it with all kinds of learning sciences whereby it may defend and maintaine it self against all sorts of enimies be they Iewes Turks Heathens Atheists or Heretikes vvhatsoeuer for in the Vniuersities thereof you may see most learnedly substantially orderly and vniuersallie taught all Christian truth and that in short space for in 4. or 5. yeares the whole course of Diuinity is taught vnder two or three readers in the same time the Controuersies by another reader by another all the new Testament is learnedlie foundly expounded besides an 100. publike Disputations euerie yeare of some whole matter as of Baptisme of the Eucharist of the Trinitie of the Incarnation of Angels of the Supremacie c. and withall the whole Bible read ouer at Table euery yeare alwaies after Dinner and Supper two Chapters of it one of the new and another of the old testament diligentlie examined vvith familiar conference betweene the learned and the younger sort And besides all this there are taught Cases of Conscience in which is set downe what is sinne and vvhat not the differences of sinnes which great which lesser c. which is a most fruitfull a most profitable kind of knowledge and therefore is much studied and practised by Catholike Priests Diuines who teach the people thereby to rule and to order their liues and actions Neyther doth the Protestant meddle with these matters of Conscience but fraighteth his ship only with Faith and neuer beateth his braine about sinnes for that he thinketh none to be imputed to such Predestinated as they all weene them-selues to be vvhich causeth the people theyr followers to be vtterly ignorant of the nature differences and quality of sins and consequently nothing fearefull or stayed by any conscience to committ the same THE XVI REASON Holinesse of Life ALthough vpon externall outwarde holinesse vve may not infallibly inferre true Religion for that among Iewes Turkes and other Infidelles some make great shewe of piety and deuotion yet we may truelie argue that
Cirinth for the Apostles Lib. 3. c. 30 and their schollers as witnesseth Nicephorus vvere so warie in this case that they would not so much as once reason the matter with any of them that endeuoured by their leasinges to corrupt the truth And holy Ignatius boldly affirmeth that Epist 6. ad Philadelphenses vvho so flieth not from a false preacher shal be damned into Hell 13 I should be partaker of all their wickednes consequently in daunger of al the punishment mischiefe which may befal them especially being present with them at the deede wherein principally they offend God from vvhich thing I am discouraged by the terrible death of all thē which were in company with the Schismatikes Chore Num 16. Dathan and Abiron which example as saith Saint Cyprian ought to mooue vs not to assiste or further Hereticall oblations Cyp. Epist 76. praiers sermons and errours 14 I should contrary to the iudgements of the learned of all Religions for the Gentiles thought it not lawfull to enter into the Iewes Synagogues Lact lib. 4. 5. diuin instit cur Senec de hist mahom chronic Wolsang Drisl Eus lib. 3. 4. Aug. li. de vnit Ecl. lib. 2. coa Petilian Ioh. Gard. in his Cat. art 86. or into Christiā Churches The Turks at this day refuse to doe the same the Arrians Donatists and such like would not one goe to anothers conuenticles nor to the Catholikes seruice nor the Catholikes to any of theirs The Anabaptistes will not goe to the Lutherans Churches nor the Lutheranes to the Trinitaries The Puritanes vvill hardlie be drawen to Protestantes seruice neither will the Protestantes in Catholike Countreis come to Catholike Seruice And the Iewes will not go to any Seruice but their own Those Protestantes which in Queene Maries dayes had anie conscience refused to go to Masse And therefore in reason you shoulde not mooue me much lesse vrge me to doe the thing vvhich the learned on your side in theyr owne case would not doe because they iudge it vnlawfull 15 I should doe euil to goe to your Seruice because I cannot but in mine own conscience iudge it to be dishonourable to God and consequentlie naught For to omit to speake how it is deuised by your selues and how your fellovv PVRITANES doe vtterlie condemne it I knowe your Translations of Holie Scriptures to be false shameles so as if my scholler should translate one of Tullyes Epistles in such corrupt maner I would soundlie breeche him for his labour Then your Ministers are no Priestes but meere Lay-men consequently haue no authoritie to deale in such things Besides you haue in your Seruice diuerse false and blasphemous things put them to the people for Scripture as in a Geneua Psal you pray to be defended frō Pope Turke Papistry c. And to speake what I thinke you haue left out all good thinges haue chosen to your selues iuste nothing of Catholike seruice although the people were made to beleeue that it was the old Seruice put into English 16 I shoulde goe to that Seruice which neuer was heard of in the world before these dayes nor yet is in anie place els in all the world but onelie there in England 17 I shoulde goe to that Seruice which you amongst your selues cannot agree vpō or decree to continue And it had by all likelihoode beene chaunged againe before this day if the grauer sorte had not made some stay for feare of incurring the note of inconstancy for how many bils I pray you haue there bin put vp in Parliaments about the chaunging of your Seruice Agree therefore amongest your selues first what seruice you will haue to continue and then I will aunswere you reasonablie to your demaund 18 In so doing my soule should goe one way and my body another which ought not to be for if they should goe two waies in this worlde they could not be ioyned togeather after the resurrection in the next life but the one should goe to heauen the other to hell which cannot be for if the bodie serue not God together with the soule in this life why should it enioy heauē in the next And if it be with Protestantes at their Seruice in this worlde why should it not be where the Protestants be in the next 19 I should loofe all the benefit of Catholike religion so either leaue off all conscience or els liue in continuall torment of mind and if I should die in that state I should be vtterlie cast away for euer Besides I shoulde loose the merite of all the good works that I euer did in all my life because I giue ouer working before euening so loose my pennie wages which otherwise would be truely paide mee Mat. 20 20 If I should so doe either to gratifie you other of my friends or by commaūdement of any power vnder her Maiestie neyther you nor they could take it well or account of mee better then of a trayterous caitiue for that you must needs think that I who will violate my faith to God almighty in doing contrarie to my cōscience iudgment for any worldly respect will easily breake my faith promise with man according to the iudgment of Constantius the Emperour Eus de vit canstant l. 1. cap. 11. for how can he be true vnto man that is conuicted of periurie to God verily such must needs be deemed of the wise to be flatterers turne-coates and great hypocrits 21 And now to come to the aunswere which you say women such sillie soules are accustomed to make I should do contrary to my conscience which thing in no case is lawfull to be done Yea if your seruice were good godly indeed the very true Seruice of God yet so long as I thinke otherwise of it I may in no case yeeld to go to it because an erroneous conscience bindeth a man to follow it neuer to doe any thing against it according to iudgement of all learned men of what sect or religion soeuer they be And therefore you may not request me much-lesse vrge me to go to your seruice before I be perswaded in my conscience that it is lawful so to doe Greatly therfore doe you offend God there in England in forcing people to goe to the Church contrary to their consciences and in imprisoning those who refuse so to do for no man is able to maister his own conscience knowledge and to doe against it he ought not therefore it is not in his power or will to goe to your Seruice without offence 22 I should do contrary to the Cānons custome of the Catholik church and against the examples of all Holie Saints learned Fathers Contrarie to the 63. Canon of the Apostles and against Concil Carth. 4. cap. 71. 72. Cōcil Antioch cap. 2. 5. Con. Laodicen c. 9. 32. 33. 37. Con. Mag. Later cap. 70. and against diuers