Of a Protestation see §. 31. § 35 then of his outward action And whether his protestation be sincere or no certaine it is that there is in the action all signification sette apart at such time place a very great contempt of religion and of that person to whose dishonour the signification would tend that is of God himselfe For who doubt eth but that if one should cōtumeliously name his Prince before his face although both the Prince that wholle court knew his meaning to be otherwise yet if such opprobrious wordes were enforced by a forreine enemy for contempte of the Prince A very fite example against Prote testation such action would be deemed treason Wherefore that this wholle matter may be perfectly conceiued Let vs imagine that vnto AVGVSTVS the Emperour came 4. seuerall persons the first contumeliously and also from his very harte saieth AVGVSTVS is an vniust Prince the second contumeliously also although against his conscience vseth the like speaches yet doth he not seeke to make his cōscience known vnto the Emperour or vnto his courtiers being present The third maketh in deed his mind open vnto his maiesty and court that he thinketh not so vndoubtedly of him yet contemptuously either to please an aduersary of his or else moued with greater feare of that aduersary than of the Emperour he vttereth the very same The fourth not after any of these maners but sent by a very loiall subiect of the Emperours bringeth him this relation that a forreine Prince or Lord forgetting his alleageance or duety hath publikely said of his Emperiall maiesty AVGVSTVS is an vniust Prince Most euident it is that the three first hath formally vsed and most traiterously the aforesaid wordes but the last only materially without any crime at all Now to apply this example vnto our purpose there are three kind of men which wickedly and traiterously vnto God and his Church go to hereticall seruice The first is the hereticke himselfe who in this action both signifieth inwardly meaneth a false religion The second is the dissembling scismatike who signifieth it and yet in his hart thincketh it not The third is the same fearfull schismaticke who protesteth that he meaneth not to shew liking of a false religion yet neither can his protestation be knowne to all which see his facte and perhapps also he is not beleeued in the same wheras he may aswell lye in his wordes as in his action and yet although he obtained so much that he might be beleeued cannot be excuse himselfe from contempt and derogation vnto Catholicke truth The fourth onely vseth the action materially with out any signification of falshood or contempt of truth at all as are those whom we haue excused before For as in wordes which are principally instituted for to represent the meaning of the hart there may be the materiall sound of them without the signification which is the forme therof as when one repeateth the wordes of an other although they were blasphemous So and much more may there be in actions or outward signes which are not ordinarily so determined to signify as wordes So may a man cary an Iuy bush vpon his backe home for the fire neuer be thought to pretend selling of wine Bannes 2.2 And a comedy plaier counterfeite Idolatry before an Idoll without any formall or sinfull meaning therof Neither for all this is going to the seruice of heretickes not euill in it selfe All kind of dissimulation in this point For we speake of going to their seruice formally that is when there is annexed vnto the materiall therof a signification contempt or preiudice of religion Finally hereby it appeareth that wee exclude not any from the sinfulnes of the deed who any way guie shew or vse any kind of dissimulation in these weighty matters Such are those which go but pray not there or pray by them selues those which by their owne procuring or consent are put in the booke of cōmunicants or of married folkes or of such like Such as gette licence from the Arches to be married where they will Such as send their children to be christened by ministers or say that the minister christened them woemen which cause the minister to come to their house with his booke and surples as though he should Church them those which receiue comfort of ministers at their death or in sicknes for those * c. Filij De Haereticis in sexto are adiudged by the Canons of the Church euen heretickes and so their goods confiscate after their death those which go with coarses to Burialls if they withdraw not them selues when seruice of the Buriall beginneth nor such as to saue them selues from the danger of the law cause a Catholicke Preist to go into the Church to preach therby to make their neighbours to say or thinke that they go to the Church yea and without such intent if they go so that they seeme to go to hereticall seruice nor those which are married by a Catholicke Priest with the communion booke or otherwise that it may seeme they be married conformably those which hauing secrett Pewes or closettes looking into the Church cause some other to go thither that them selues may be deemed present or those which cause thēselues to be caried to the church for al such haue not lied to mē but * Act. 5. vnto god And although we are not bound alwaies to confesse our religion yet are we bound neuer to deny it or to giue probable occasion to others so to esteme of vs. although without such occasion geuen wee may permitte them to thinke what they list §. 17. Whether this doctrine be scrupulous Neither let any man marueile at these manifold downe falls intosinne or esteeme vs to scrupulous or the way of saluation to straite For this is that straines of the gate * Mat. 7. which leadeth vnto life this is the combate betweene the world and Christ * 10.16 neuer agreeing in one this is that * Psal 18. vnsported law of God which not with standing conuerteth soules and maketh them despising the delightes of the flesh yea the extreme vsages of the world only cleaue vnto Christ and that which is a most happy thing to remaine * Luc. 22. with him in his tribulations in the least iote not swaruing from his holy will Maruaile not though hereticks dissemble amongst Catholikes though they shew no difficulty of making al demonstratiō of feined piety contrary vnto their owne consciences whilest they receiue our Sacramentes professe our doctrine and seeme to detest all heresies They want togither with true religion all constant prosessiō of that which they esteeme for truth Treacheries dissimulations false worshippings dublenesse deceite and all manner of fallacy is farre from those hartes which em brace Christian verety One remedy there is which may deliuer you from this precisenes An easie way to auoid all seruples herein Be at
perfection And therfore a sufficient signe of religion is it in the laity to be present Than may we manifestly inferr that the lay people is also ceremoniously present Whence I inferre that as the minister if in the saying of his cōmunion he were touched of god so that he were resolued to renounce his heresy were bound vnder mortai sinne presently to lay downe his booke It is impossible to receaue Gods grace in the Church of heretickes and not to continew his vnlawfull action no not for one instant So also the lay man going thither for feare and in offering vp such praiers as he can afford almighty God in that place being touched with remorce of conscience of his vnlawfull presence is bound vnder paine of the same sinne to followe immediately the counsell of the Prophett and of the Apostle Esa 52. 2. Cor. 6. Gett ye hence gett ye hence go forth from hence touch not that which is polluted go forth of the middest of your congregation Neither were it sufficient for such to determine that he would go no more for so long as he staied there so long should he continew in the acte of a mortall sinne The heretickes pretence is cere monious Againe the hereticke him selfe euery time that he goeth doth an acte of religion and of his false religion professing his vnity in the church of Caluin therfore so doth the Catholicke also both alike in euery particuler time committ a new offence For although the one with this exteriour act of religion hath ioined the interiour yet sufficient it is that both doe the same exteriour act And the heretickes sinne is dubble for he is an inward an outward hereticke But the other is onely an exteriour hereticke but not an interiour Than that it is not lawfull to receiue the heretickes communion all agree But the very same case is of the presence at seruice Receauing the cōmunion is cere monious although one be more greeuouse than the other therfore it is not lawfull to be present For let vs scanne a litle the nature of receiuing the communion For I pray you why may you not receiue Because this is not an indisterent thing as my presence is what thing more indifferent than to eate a peace of bread because it is geuen me in steed of a farre more excelent thing which Christ instituted So is the seruice roung in your eares in steed of a farre more sacred thing And as you sett litle by the seruice so you may also sett as litle by the bread especially wheras some of your ministers will scant take it vp from the ground if it fall Because I should receiue it vnworthely to my damnatiō What do you now know that Christ is not there that true consecration is not made Doe you receiue euery but of meate which you receiue vnworthely to your damnation because it goeth against my conscience O scrupulous conscience and why goeth it against your conscience or why this more than that Bring forth any cause why you may not receaue and I will bring the same for to disallow your presence The trew cause therfor is for that to receaue is an acte of their religion and so is also to be present at seruice Obedience may excuse as well the one as the other An intention of I knowe not what may cleare them both alike And if to go to the Church be not euill in it selfe neither is receauing Yea greater indifferency is in eating and drincking which hath other materiall reasons of commendable and discommendable than can be in the going to the Church and to such a company which hath no other naturall end at that time and with those conditions but religion The ministers sayng is not ceremoniouse but in respect of the company Againe the ministers saying is an exteriour acte of religion and a ceremoniouse behauiour But his saying is not ceremoniouse but in respect of the company which is there religiously present for to heare him For if one which hath licence to read hereticall bookes did out of the Church at a table for curiosity before great companies read the verve same it were no religiouse or ceremoniouse acte Therfore as well the hearer as the reader are religiously present Presence at Idolatry is ceremoniouse 1. Cor. 10 see Testament of Rhemes Besides To be present at Idolatry after the like maner or to eate idolothites otherwise thē at a prophane seast not in the temple is a profession of the Idolls seruice therfore is the like in this your presence in respect of heresy the one signifying as well as the other heither haue wee in Christian times any other Idolls but heresies nor idolothites but their false seruices shifted into our Churches in steed of Gods trew and onely worshippe Furthermore to vse the vestiments of a Turke in which for the honour of Mahomet there is his picture The vestiments of a Turke see §. 35. or the picture of the mone specially dedicated vnto him is by all Diuines esteemed of it selfe a mortall sinne For no other reason than because such a vestiment is ordained for no other end but to signify religion Caiet verbo Habitus omissio Bannes 2.2 q. 3. ar 2 dub 2. Euch as the offring of incense vnto an Idoll donne in such time and place is determined vnto a naughty end of Idolatry although the intention be sarre contrary But the vnion in praier with a false secte being a ceremony of religion is more neere vnto such a signification than a coate which is prophanely vsed and only a marke of religion Much more than must it be vnlawfull although the intention be neuer so contrary Also in the great and famous controuersie which was betweene the two great lightes of the Church S. AVGVSTINE S. HIEROME Dissembling of any lewes ceremony is ceremonious ep 11. 19 Aug. they both agree in this that the Iudaicall obsernances are perniciouse and deadly As thou saieth Saint AVGVSTINE with a free voice yea although all the worlde were against thee doest pronounce that the ceremonies of the Iewes are both perniciouse and deadly vnto Christians and whosoeuer shall obserue them whether he be of the Iewes or Gentiles that he is tombled downe into the pitt of the Diuell So doe I also confirme this thy saying S. AUgustin and S. Hieromes censure and adde that whosoeuer shall obserue them whether of the Iewes or of the Gentills not onely nuely but also dissemblingly he is hurled downe into the pitt of the Diuell ⧠This doctrine is according to those wordes of S. PAVL Gal. 5 If you be circumcised Chust will profit you nothing what is the reason of this but because these ceremonies are signes of Iudaicall religion Ther Iewes ceremonies more lawfull And is it not lawfull to vse the signes of a religion which was once the onely trew religion in the world and by Gods owne prescript ordained and
countrey protested vnto me that he trembled whan hee remembred he had them in his chamber Much more should you tremble at the liuely voice of your blasphemous ghospellers as from whose mouth vndoubtedly the Prince of heresy him selfe belcheth out the smoaky doctrine of his filthy kingdome And it is a thing to quake and tremble at that the Prince of the Apostles who thought him selfe and that with great reason more strong than your selfe was notwithstanding at a girles voice so infected with feare that he repented it all his life after §. 33 Now for the greeuousnes of this sinne The comparison of this sinne with other greeuous offēces which as you see conteineth in it selfe so many sinnes I know not how to deale with you For we haue receiued euen from the first Parents of mankind such inclination to the defence of our owne iniquities that euery one seeketh to make that faulte which he him selfe is subiect vnto the least of all other much like vnto a tale which is for all that no false tale which I haue heard of a Robberye donne betweene London Portchmouth when the theefe taking certaine golden buttons which the true man had vpon his dublett and by chance letting some of them fall the true man sette his foote vpon 3. or 4. of them beeing asked by the theefe who had diligently sought to take them vp whether there were all he anuswered that there were all But the theefe remouing the others foote and spying the buttons tooke them vp and sharply rebuked him for his lye Saying what a lyer a lye is the worst faulte in the world So that I feare very much least as the theefe esteemed his owne faulte lesse then a veniall lye So you will not be induced to iudge aright of your faulte of going to the Church But I tould you before S. Thomas his opinion of schisme who iudgeth it the greatest sinne which may be cōmitted of all others which are not directly against God See §. 73. The hainousnes of Schisme such as are heresy Idolatry other like but only against the neighbour Yea in the same place he saith that sometime Schisme is greater than heresy because it causeth greater harme S. Augustine saith that it is a greater fault L. 2. de bapt c. 6. sacriledge proueth it by the punishment of Dathan and Abyron S. Cyprian is very vehement in the reprehension of schisme saying that the Schismatickes of Christes Church offend more hainously than Dathan and Abyron L. 1. ep 6. ad Magnum because these did not make a new congregation but onely presumed to take vpon them the office of doing Sacrifice which belonged onely vnto Aaron But Schismatickes make a newe congregation opposite vnto Christ his Church But you will surely beare reuerence vnto Christ his owne testimony who appearing vnto S. PETER of Alexandria a glorious Consessour and Martyr Peda in martyrol with a torne coate gaue him this answere demaunding the cause that Arius had torne his vestiment which is the Church Thinke therfore with your selfe of the filthe of this sacriledge and blushe to see your selfe a shamfull patch in Caluins coate whose coat surely is not now a peice of Christ his coate which is altogither vndeuided but a ragged cloute raked out of the sincke of hell although presumptuously arrogating to it selfe the name title of a Church of Christ But we will staye somewhat vppon the generall doctrine of S. Thomas whom willingly I follow for that his authority in common doctrine of Deuines is sufficient to stoppe any mans mouth who pretendeth to beleeue Catholickly 1.2 q. 73. Whence is the greeuousnes of sinns examined This doctour therefore doth define that sinne to be more greeuous which hath an obiect of greater dignity As because all outward goodes are of lesse dignity than man him selfe man being the end of all exteriour things and God more excellēt than man as his finall principall end Therefore is murder a more greuous sinne than these infidelity blasphemye The order of those good things which we must loue and pursew heresie and such like are more hainouse than murder Than according to this rule must you consider what good is taken away by euery vice And that which taketh away that good which is dew vnto God and his Church you must preferre before all other Afterward there followeth the good of your owne soule than of your neighbours soule next of your own body or life than of your neighbours And finally your owne temporall good hath the last place of all So that you may see what account you must make of that action which neither obserueth faith towardes God nor vnity and obedience to his Church nor charity toward your selfe or your neighbour If a man sinne against a man as the holy scripture saieth god may be pacified vnto him 1. Reg. 2. But if a man sinne against our Lord Sinners in the Church easely rise againe who shall pray for him Besides if you sinne within the Church of God you haue a remedy at hand the daily vse of holy Sacramēts doe as it were inuite you to repentance the continuall praiers and Sacrifices of the Church are offered vpp for you to mitigate the wrath of God against you But if you once seuer your selfe from the body Ser. 11. de verbis Do. et ep ad Bonif com 50. S. Augustin saieth that schisme is a sinne against the holy ghost you can receiue no influence from the other members S. Augustine where he expoundeth the wordes of our Sauiour concerning the difficulty of remissiō when a man sinneth against the holy ghost very learnedly discourseth of the sinne of schisme which hee affirmeth to bee the sinne against the holy ghost For that the Schismaticke vniting him selfe to other congregations or rather as this Saint saieth to other segregations and so deuiding the spirite of God cannot in any maner haue the same spirite of God by which only remissiō of sinnes is geuen so that Martyrdome it selfe cannot auaile him Martyrdom profiteth not in Schisme whereas those which sinne being in the Church doe onely sinne against the sonne of man not deuiding the vnity of the spirit And all this hee confirmeth by the authority of S. IVDE who saieth that Schismatickes not holding the head haue no spirit or life within them Neuerthelesse that no man may take occasion hereby to geue him selfe to licentiousnes within the Church let him vnderstand Against licentiousnes in the Church of God that although heresie and schisme in them selues be more filthy abominable and offensiue vnto God than any carnall sinne whatsoeuer yet may schisine perhaps sometime be committed in so small a degree and with such circumstances of feare or want of deliberation or of perfect knowledge or of the smalnes of the matter in which schisme is shewed that although it cannot be excused from mortall sinne yet it may so be diminished
such other like which I will leaue vnto more learned persons to discusse and to such courtiers if there be any to assertaine their consciences in before they aduenture This one thing am I assured of that such persons are in conscience bound to leaue the court if they may without manifest daunger of incurring the Princes disgrace not in respect of their recusancy for that they must willingly susteine but in respect of their want of that temporall duety which by reason of their calling or the Princes fauour is expected from them We exclude also those which by chance or of purpose not for dissimulation Going through the Church but some other necessary end go through the Church without any shewe of reuerence at all for there wanteth the aforesaide conditions Also such as with heretickes go to Catholicke seruice to a Catholicke company For such goe not to heretickes seruice Going to Masse with an hereticke in a catholicke Church Yet I say to a Catholicke company for if the company were of heretickes gathered together as such than although there were Masse yet were this to go to heretickes seruice as we saide aboue The like I say if one went to heare an hereticke preach whome he priuately knew to be an hereticke if such an hereticke preached in a Catholicke company because he is Pastour of the place or thought by the Magistrates people to be Catholike Hearing a secrett heretickes sermon For although this hearing the sermon may in other respectes be euill as for daunger of infection yet is not this formally to go to the Church with heretickes the wholle companye beeing Catholicke Disturbers and the name of seruice or Church being alwaies taken of the company to which such seruice is iudged to belong Such also are excluded as are manisest disturbers or mockers of such seruice Curiouse beholders in an indifferent citty and knowne only for such respecte to come thither not that they may shew any liking or conformity at all Also those which in a Catholicke or indifferent citty doe curiously enter to behold the maner and behauiour of hereticall conuenticles See §. 36. n. 5. so that they shew no reuerence or religious and ceremoniouse presence Finally such as sitting at the table with heretickes are present at their grace so that they aunswere not or pray not with them Presence at the heretikes grace or it be not a formall seruice before sitting downe For these are not at heretickes seruice and the end of their comming is knowne to be to refresh their body neither are they bound to withdraw theire presence being altogether temporall and the putting off their hatte is vnderstood either an acte of ciuility others being bare or an exterior signe of reuerence of his owne thankes geuing vnto God wich becometh euery Christian after meate §. 16. Vnlawfull going We doe not yet exclude from the vnlawfulnes of this action such as although they go not to the Church yet haue seruice at home either by a minister or without Seruice at home For it is not the Church but the seruice and profession of conformity which is reproued which alwaies is vnderstood whan the forme of heretickes praier is obserued Yet would I not condemne neither trewlye allowe those which without any minister gather all their house together to their priuate deuotions or haue one of the famely to rehearse in the name of all some Catholicke praiers not in an hereticall forme although all the persons be not Catholicke so that this be not donne for contempt or with a shew of vnity in schisme or heresy For this is not hereticall seruice and without such preiudice of Catholicke vnity one may pray with heretickes as with any other person in mortall sinne or excōmunication Going with the Prince denying themselues to be Recusants Nor we exclude those which going to the Church with the Prince if such going be lawfull alleage that going for a shew of conformity and of absolute going to the Church when they are called into question For as their going cannot be iuslified if it doe signifie conformity in religion So if they say that it was vsed for the same conformity it must needes be anvnlawfull dissimulation For in those actions which signifie religion it is all one to do thē and to say they were done Making others to thinke that they go And ther fore those which any way giue others to vnderstand that they go to the Church geuing probable cause of such estimation themselues are no way to be excused although they may geuing no sufficient cause permitte that others say or thinke what they list The like of those which say that they haue bene at the heretickes seruice Saying that they haue gone or wil go or that they will go For such speaches imply conformity in religion and are so commonly vnderstood Hitherto appartaine those which going to the Church say they go for obedience For such obedience is but an extrinsecall motiue or end Going for obedience see §. 9. the very forme of such action being to go to Church principally intended in the commandement as we haue said aboue And therfore by the commandement the significatiō of religion or contempt of the Church is not taken away but rather increased And the like is not in going to the Church for some particuler seruice of temporall duety vnto the Prince For here the going to the Church is not formally respected See §. 7. and 15. but only in as much as it happeneth that a mere temporall seruice is to be vsed in the Church as well as in other places Euen as if it should happen thathe Prince in some extremity of corporall disease would for particuler deuotion go to the Church and necessity shoulde require that the Phisition Nurse or Apothecary should their attend for their ordinary seruices Neither are they excused which say they go to the Church Going with out intending to professe religiō yet not intending any signification in religion for this action of it selfe signifying religion on when for some particuler circumstance the signification it selfe is not taken away as in the cases aforsaid It is much alike as if a man hanging vpp an Iuye garland at his dore as though he had wine to sell should answere such as offer to buy wine that although there be a garland hanged vp yet he had no such meaning as to shew that he had wine or if a man should with very angry and fierce countenance call some person of high dignity euen before his face by all maner of opprobrious names and being conuented for the same should say he ment not as he said For although God himselfe in this action of going to the Church knoweth very well our meaning yet doth it signisy vnto men as it ordinarily doth at other times and by others And rather men may doubt of the true meaning of his protestation if he make any
The eighte hindereth no man and withall profiteth heereunto that it may saue an other from corporall vncleannes S. Augustine goeth farther and sheweth his iudgement of these kinde of lyes c. vlt. and calleth the first kinde which most maketh for our purpose a great wickednes and the first kind of a detestable lye A lye can neuer be lawfull And speaking of the last that one may not lye for the custody of an others chastity he yeeldeth this reason that in the nature of good thinges the chastity of the mind is preferred before the cleannes of the body and in the nature of euill thinges that which we doe our selues is more damnable vnto vs than that which we permitt to be donne And he hath there also a notable sentence that a man must not by the helpe of a lye bee leade euen so much as to euerlasting saluation Yea he hath in the 7. chapter that a virgin may not without sinne tell a lye to preserue her selfe from dishonest violence This saying of S. Augustine I would not haue so vnderstood as though it were a greater sinne to tell a lye not hurtfull vnto any than to be dishonest but that supposing that any one goeth about to dishonest a vertuous matrone and she haue no other way to deliuer her selfe from such filthy violence but by telling a lye as that some body is present which is not shee should rather permitt the dishonour than tell a lye saying with the glorious Virgin S. Agnes Amb. l. de virgin if violently thou defile me my virginity shall haue a dubble reward Hence I pray you make the comparison your selfe If a most pure Virgin or most graue matrone for to conserue the most pretiouse treasure of womankind may not tell a veniall lye may you by losing the greatest treasure which you haue or may be had in this world that is your fidelity towardes God and his Church vtter a most detestable lye which you doe by this wicked dissimulation onely to auoide some small penalty of body or goodes Vttering of Catholickes secretts to their danger a mortall sinne and bindeth to restitution Neither yet for this diuision of S. Augustine must euery simple bodye whan he is examined before Commissioners traiterously vtter the secrettes of Catholickes for to tell truth than were a mortall sinne and to tell a lye vnsworne were but a veniall sinne Yet both may be auoided either by silence or by lawfull equiuocation and lesse harme it is if either must be committed to committe the veniall And if an othe be taken in such case it doth not bind euen as no the of any vnlawfull thing can bind in conscience §. 31 I will not omitt here to touch the crime of scandall That this action is alwaies scandalous which is a vice opposite to charity by which we geue our neighbour occasion of spirituall ruine which although in this matter it be one of the least reasons to condemne your faulte yet is it in some maner alwaies found in your action in other maner although not alwaies present yet very hardly auoided It can hardly be auoided in that it causeth others by your example to fall and to thinke the sinne either none at all or not so greeuouse and withall it geueth occasion vnto our aduersaries to insult ouer vs and to blaspheme our religion And this is both the greater and the harder to be auoided in men of knowne resolution and notable giftes or talents of wisdome and learning which they might better haue wanted being cause of their vtter damnation whan by the creditte of them they cause their Brothers fall This deformity of scandall I say in these respects can hardly be auoided For you must not thinke that you can auoid scandall by informing your neighbours that you come not for any liking of their religion A protestation increaseth scādall See §. 19. for whan you desire them not to take any example from your action this doth more increase your scandall whilest you shew that you doe such action meerely against your conscience teach them by your example if not to go to the Church whan perhapps they go already is but one fault yet by geuing them a generall example in effect to all vice not to sticke at any offence of God either fornication or theste or any other enormity whan they see you so perfectly acquainted with Gods Sacraments and the practise of the Church to committ with hope of repentance a faulte no lesse enormious than theirs Wherby you which should be the light of the world geue occasion to fill the world full of darkenes out of the which you were once deliuered teaching seruantes to deceiue their maisters children to bee lasciuious wiues to bee dishonest finally all maner of wickednes so that there be no scandall and that they intend afterwardes to arise againe Which although I know you thinke to be faultes worthy of greate detestation and they also for you are not perswaded other wiser yet by seeing you so couragiouse in aduenturing your best iointe by leaping ouer the walles into the enemies campe How can you blame them if they also within the walles or without being amongst theire frendes betake them selues to farre lesse daungers in which estimation of a lesser daunger if I seeme to erre geue me leaue a while and I hope heerafter I shall satisfie you Yet doe I confesse that this faulte of Scandall may in parte be auoided Going to the Church in a strāge place is vnlawfull and scandalous but neuer altogither If one should go to the Church with heretickes in a place where none knoweth him not so much as the minister or seruaunt or neighbour than I say scandall were auoided in parte But such going can seldome happen vnto a Catholicke vnlesse a man had such pleasure in going to the Church against his conscience as some men may haue as we saide out of S. §. 30. Augustine in telling of a lye for either hee goeth to auoide suspition in some place and than they which are curiouse of him doe conceiue of him as of an hereticke or schismaticke Or he goeth that he may when he is called into questiō or before that also if he be so forward as many are be thought or saied to goe to the Church And this wanteth no more of Scandall than the going where he is knowne But howsoeuer it is I say that scandall although it may in parte yet can it neuer be fully auoided For whosoeuer is at an heretikes church Scandall can neuer be fully auoded although neuer so vnknowne so that he go not inuisible but be seene there by those which are there present besides the signification of the religion which is there vsed schisme dissimulation and such like as we haue saied before he incurreth the greeuous crime of scandall because he seemeth to consent vnto the wickednes of the minister and his adherents in that seruice Wherin you must
truth were a damnable sinne There is yet the highest degree of all A signe distinctiue which is a in which your going to Church shal be lodged and harboured that is when a man vseth such signes or actions as of their owne nature common consent very ceremony of religion or practise of all nations are onely appointed to be ceremonious actions of religion Such for to vse and to apply vnto a false secte or to a Schismaticall congregation is a manifest signe of the same sect and of vnion with the same conciliable or false cōgregation See §. 7. This made deuoute Naaman for to feare least his kneeling when the King kneeled should haue bene thought as donne to the Idoll which in deed if it had bene so iudged and not only materially donne before the Idoll without any ceremonious signification coulde not any way haue bene iustified but his kneeling to aide and assist his Prince to whom he owed that dewtifull tēporall seruice conuenient vnto his Princely greatnes was not thought by any man to be vnto the Idoll whom all the people knew he detested See §. 6. And for this cause is Iehu condemned by the generall consent of Doctours for his dissembled vse of an action of the owne nature signifying a ceremony of Baalls religion and honour Vnto this place and lodgeing must I of necessity vssher your selfe and all your companions whose action of going to the seruice of hereticks as I haue proued before hath as intrinsecall a signification of heresy and schisme as the deuoute going of a Catholickc to Masse in a catholicke congregation hath a profession of Catholicke faith and of Catholicke vnity and religion yet is it here to be noted that as in wordes which haue the principall place amongst signes of the minde and affection of man there may sometimes be themateriall vse or supposition thereof without the formall as the Logicioners teach So there may also be in any action which signifieth religion An example we brought aboue of one which did onely relate the disloiall wordes spoken of Augustus who onely vsed those words materially without any formall signification therof on his parte So also did we bring an example before of a materiall ve of signes and ceremonies of religion whan we according to the common doctrine of Deuines affirmed that the materiall shew of Idolatry in a play or Comedy was not of it selfe vnlawfull Yet notwithstanding as we saye that Sacrifice vnto Idolls and contumelious speaches vnto his Prince are of them selues vnlawfull So doe we say of signes of religion namely of going to the Church For we alwaies take such actions with the formall therof which is the signification which whan it is to be thought present or absent the common estimation of men must decide by the consideration of time person place and such like And so wee say that going to the Church in an orderly maner as it is vsed in our coū trey cannot be voide by all mens estimation of signification of heresy and of contempt of verety as hath bene proued Than doe I conclude that the graue censure of Deuines condemning Caietanes opinion as too seuere Why Caietaines opinion is thought too rigorouse connot be vnderstood of these expresse and positiue signes of a contrary religion but of the omission onely of a signe of a trew religion wherin the reason is manifest For a man is not bound alwaies to professe his religion but in time and place yet is he bound in no time or place to deny his religion So may a man omitte a signe of his religion when he is not expresly interrogated but he cannot neither beeing asked nor without asking vse a ceremoniouse signe of a contrary religion without a most greeuous mortall sinne See than how you are deceiued whilest you argue in this maner If the Prince doe commaund me to weare a yellow cappe for protestation of my trew religion I shall not deny my faith by leauing it because the Prince cannot make a yellow cappe a signe of religion Therfore if the Prince command me to go to the Church of heretickes for signe of conformity and adherency vnto his religion I shall not deny my faith by doing it because he cannot make going to his Church a sign eof his religion Surely Sir he needeth not to make it a signe of his religion for nature it selfe and the consent of all nations the iudgements of all men not affrighted from their reasonable vnderstanding by terrour of hereticall persecution hath made it so already And if you should remaine in Bocardo vntill you had proued this consequence and reduced it to any lawfull moode or figure you should neuer come forth aliue A great difference betweene a signe of trew of false religion That I may saye nothing of the difference betweene a signe of trewe of false religion For the trew religion may be protested onely by ceremonies ordained by God and his Church And therfore a temporall Prince cannot make a protestatiue signe therof But as a false religion may be by a temporall Prince instituted and followed so may the ceremonies and protestations and distinctiue signes therof be framed also according to his peculier imagination A man may contemne God and his Church by houlding vpp his finger whan by a blasphemous cōuenticle it were so agreed but I thinke he could not please God so much by houlding vpp his finger for his honour as he may displease him with the contrary intention in the selfe same action Neither doe I thinke any so wise as to make that a generall signe of Catholicke religion and vnity Lett this than be our finall conclusion in this pointe The cōclusion of this wholle last discourse that although an Infidell Prince cannot make vs determinate signes of protestation of our onely trew religion yett may hee make protestatiue signes of his owne Religion which cannot be practised without mortall sinne as we see in euery false religion to be in vse In Mahomets religion to kisse his toumbe IN Iewish to be circumsed In Caluins to receiue his communion or to be at his seruice Sozom. l. 5. c. 16. Which thing in Iulian the Apostata his time made diuerse Christians to repent their folly who hauing put incense into the fire before the Emperour supposing it to haue bene donne accordin gto some auncient law custome of the Romans onely to his honour vnderstood afterward that the Emperour tooke it as a signe of Idolatry wherfore they with open protestation returned to let the Emperour know their Christian intent and were banished the courte for the same Moreouer I say that this signe of going to the Church with heretickēs is whether the Prince will or no of the owne nature a signe of heresie and so not made by any lawe a signe distinctiue neither in any case to be iustified by the Princes commaundement As fot your Protestation wee haue long since ouerthrowen it