The whiche sayinge of S. Cyprian the learned father S. Chrisostome after Cypryans deathe doethe repete and confiirme Addinge these worddes There is nothinge doeth soe prouocke God as the diuision of the Churche And albeit we should doe innumerable good deedes yet notwithstandynge we shall be punished as greuouslye as they were whiche did rende Christe his owne fleshe and bodye if wee disseuer in peeces the full integrytie and vnytie of the Churche And finallye hee concludeth thus I doe heere saye and proteste that it is no lesse sinne to cutt and breake the vnytie of the Churche then it is to fall into heresie And thus muche I thought good to saye leuing infinyte other thinges that myghte be sayde touching the greeuousnes of this sinne of schisme wherby manye of oure bad Catholiques in Ingland may sée in some parte the miserable daungerous case wherin they stande by sléeping soe careles as they doe in this sinne But nowe that this acte of goinge to the protestantes Churches and prayers is a schismatycall acte and suche a one as deuydeth from the vnytie of the Churche it is easye to be proued for that schisme is accordinge to Saynnte Augustine to S. Austen A seperation of them that thinke the same thing That is a different kinde of seruice of God in those men that doe not differ in opinion in relygion The which thing he expresseth more plainly in an other place putting the difference betwixt hereticks and 〈◊〉 saying Schismatiques are made not by difference in faythe or belefe but by the breaking of the societie or vnytie of Communion Now the Communion or vnytie of the Churche consisteth in these three thinges to wit that al Christians haue one sacrifice one and the selfe same 〈◊〉 also one and the selfe same seruice of of God But they whch goe to the protestants Churches haue no sacrifice at al nether haue they any more then two of seuen sacramentes and those two also so mangled that of the two scarse one is a sacrament as they vse them And as for their seruice it hath no parte of the Catholique seruice as I wil shewe herafter He therfore that goeth to this seruice and willingly seperateth him selfe from the Catholique seruice and Communion breketh the vnitie of Communion of the Churche and consequentlye committeth schisme But some man perhapes will saye I doe it not willinglye but I goe to Churche by constraynte of the publyque lawes of my Realme I aunswere that here is some kinde of constraynte externall bnt not somuche as maye take awaye the lybertie of thy will whiche is internall as the Philosopher wislye disscourceth For this constraynte is but conditionall That is ether to doe that whiche is commaunded for example to goe to the Churche or else to abyde this or that punishment that the lawe appoynteth The whiche penaltye if thou wilt suffer thy will is frée to doe what thou wilte Nether can any mortall power constrayne it further Soe that suche an action as I haue talked of for example going to the Churche for the auoyding of temporall losse is called bothe by the Philosophers and Deuins Inuoluntaria secundum quid simpliciter autem voluntaria That is in parte or in some respecte vnuoluntarie But absolutely and simplye it is to be accounted voluntarye And therfore they are to be estemed good or badd punyshable or rewardeable euen as other frée actions are for otherwyse no sinne shoulde be punisheable Séeinge euery noughtie action commonlye hath some kynde of compulsion in it but yet it maye not be excused thereby As for example the murtherer maye saye that he dyd it not willyngely for that he was compelled therunto by rage of anger And the lecherer maye saye hys fleshe compelled hym to sinne and to take fitter example for oure pourpose all those that denyed Chryste in tyme of persecution for feare of tormentes myghte by youre obiection saye that they dyd it not willynglye but by compulsion of tormentes and therfore were not to be damned for it But yet Chryste sayde that he would take it as done voluntarylye and therfore damne them for it by denyinge them openlye before his Father and hys Angels at the daye of iudgemente And yet to geue an other example néerer to oure matter Saynte John sayeth of the noble men and gentilemen of Jurye in hys tyme. Manye of the princypall men dyd beleue in Chryste but they did not confesse hym outwardlye for feare of the Pharises leste they shoulde be caste out of the Synagoge for they dyd loue more the glorye of men then the glorye of God Here we sée the acte of these noble men and Gentyle men also the compulsion to the acte the cause of their compulsiō lastly S. Johns iudgmēt upon y e acte The acte whereof they are accused is onely houlding their peace and not confessing Christ opēly according as they did inwardlye beléeue of him The cause or excuse that they had to laye for them selues was the feare of the Pharises or Magistrats which compelled them against their wil soe to doe Now what punishment they feared at the Pharisies handes S. John expresseth saying that it was Lest they should be cast out of their Synagoge The which punishment was then and is now at this day amongest the Jewes the greatest punishmēt besides death that can be deuised For he looseth thereby al offices dignities and credit whatsoeuer noe man may buye or sel with him noe man may visite him or talke with him or salute him in the streates Finally it is a death vpon earth a great and sufficient excuse a man would thincke to answer for a mans silence onely For I sée manye a one in England not onelye to conceale their owne consciences but also to speake against the same for a lesse cause But what is Saynt Johns iudgement vpon the matter for sooth he accepteth not the excuse but condemneth them in a damnable mortal sinne against the first commaundement for doinge the same saying That by this silence of thers they did put the glorye of God behynd the glorye of men and thereby shewed that they loued men better then God Noe doubt but to their euerlastinge damnation except they hartelye repented them The which I would haue those vnwise fond noble men and gentle men in England to consider which perswade both them selues and other men that in these troublesome tymes a man maye without offence kéepe his conscience to him selfe but especiallye those that doe not onelye hould their peace but also doe against their conscience what soeuer is commaunded them sayinge that al which is done amisse shal not be layed vppon them at the daye of iudgement but vpon the Prince and the Magistrats which compel them to doe the same against their owne willes But what compulsion this is and how furre it shal excuse their doings I haue now declared Wherfore
that not withstandinge all this wil yet thinke it lawful especialy the thing being nowe in practise and so many meu suffering for the same Assuredly they can looke for no other account to be made of them but as Christ willeth vs. If he heare not the Churche let him be to the as an heathen and as a publicane The which woordes S. Austen sayth Are more greuous and terrible then if he had sayd let him be strookē with a sword let him be consumed with the flames of fyre lett him be deuowred of wylde beastes And a lyttle after talking of the bande where with the Churche maye bynde a mannes sinnes by authorytie geuen vnto her of Christ he saythe A man is bounde more bytterlye and more infortunately by the keyes of the Churche then by anye other moste greuous and harde bandes albeit they were of yron or of Adamante stone Let could Catholiques in Inglande marke this and not thinke they are frée when they are in these bandes nor thinke they are Christians whē in déed they are Heathens and Publicanes It is a natural infirmitie of ours to think willingly to wel of oure owne case and passiō permiteth vs not to iudge indifferently in these matters Let vs therfore consider of other mens cases and by them 〈◊〉 of oure owne If in S. Iohn Crisostome his tyme when there was an Arryan Churche and a Catholique Churche knowen in Constantinople and both of these Churches calling people vnto them and the Emperour fauourynge more the Arrians then the Caholiques if I saye in that case some Catholiques leuing S. Chrisostomes Church should haue gone to the Arrians Churches to seruice vpon obedience to the Emperour what would we think of thē now wold we estéem schismatiques or not Yf theye had dyed soe Consideringe their disobedience to the bishope and their perfidious betrainge of Goddes catholike cause in that time of trial I thinke yes Then let vs not deceue our selues for this is our case nowe And yf in al mens iudgmentes that acte would haue seemed Schisme for disobeing one particuler and priuate Bishope and breaking from his com munion what shal we saye for disobeyinge the general Pastour of al breakinge from his communion Of whom the noble martyr of Christ S. Ciprian aboue fiftene hundred yeres agone said thus Heresies and schisms haue sprong of none other cause then for that men doe not obey Gods Pre ist and for that they doe not thincke or consider that ther is one only Priest whoe is Iudge in Christs stead for the time Vnto whom if al the vniuersall brotherhood would obeye in deuine functions no man would mooue anie thinge against the college of Preistes nether after the iudgement of God the suffrage of the people the bishops consent once put downe in any matter would any man dare to make him selfe a iudge of the Bishoppe and consequently of God nor by breakinge Vnitye teare and rente the Churche of Christ. The Fifte Reason The fifte reason wherefore a Catholicke may not goe to the Church of those of the contrarye religion is for feare lest his presence may be interpreted by God to be consent vnto their doing and soe he be made partaker of their punishment Concerning which we must vnderstand that of al the enemies that God hath in this world there is none in soe hyghe displeasure with him as he who once knowinge the trueth and beinge receaued into his house the Catholicke Church runneth out agayne and by newe deuised doctrines vexeth and molesteth the same being not onelye the house as I haue sayd of Christ but also his spouse nay his owne body Which sorte of men the scripture calleth Heretyckes whose cursse and reprobation in this life is more greauous then anye other sinne whatsoeuer and the damnation for the tyme to come more intollerable For that as S. Peter sayeth It had bene better for them neuer to haue knowen the waye of righteousnes then after they knew it to turne backe agayne And these are those men of whome Christ sayde that one diuel goeinge forth in their first comminge to the fayth by Baptisme he afterwardes entred agayne with seuen other diuels worse then him selfe and soe made the ende of that man worse then his beginning And Saint Paul geueth a maruelous seuere iudgement vpon them when he sayeth That Heretyckes are subuerted and doe sinne and are damned by their owne iudgementes First he sayeth that they are subuerted or ouerthrowen because they are blotted out of the booke of lyfe Secondly that their whole lyfe is sinne vppon 〈◊〉 because they are vtterlye depriued of God his grace without the which we can doe nothing but sinne Thyrdlye he sayeth they are damned by their owne iudgementes ether for that they chose wittingly to leaue the Catholicke Church out of the which they knew their was noe saluation or els because the most of them doe know that they doe amisse and yet for pryde they will not come backe So that euerye waye their case is verye pitifull and lamentable This point the holy Fathers of the Churche doe often tymes handle verye seriouslye aod grauclye prouing that Heretyckes more offend God and are in furre woorse state then anye offender els in the world and namelye more then ether Iew or Gētile For y e which cause they note that the new Testament biddeth vs not to beware of Iewes and Gentiles but of Heretickes in many places The reason is for that they are those wolues which Christ foretould vs shoulde come in shéepe skinnes which as S. Augustine sayeth shal pretend to be very good shéepe and frendes to Christ and to his shéepefould and yet with Christ his owne wordes they shal teach you to denye Christ to teare the shéepefould in péeces and to disperse the shéepe Nay they shal sleye more soules with the word then euer Tyrantes did with the sword Agayne S. Austin proueth at large in an other place that Hereticks are those Antechristes of whom S. Iohn spake when he sayd That manye Antichristes are nowe gonne out meaning of Symon Magus Cerinthus and other Heretickes of his time Of which Antichrists he sayeth that S. Paul did pronounce that terrible saying that they weare The men of Sinne the Children of destruction As who would say that albeit all other noughtye men weare inwrapped with the guilt of sinne and of their owne destruction yet those men aboue al others for ther eminēt wickednes were properlye to be called the men of sinne and in respect of their heynous sinne of slayeinge of soules and the heauye sentence abyding them for the same they were peculierlye to be called the Children of perdition and damnation This therefore being soe that the déepe displeasure of God and his heauy hand hangeth more ouer the heads of Hereticks and Schismaticks then ouer any other people in the world
worth for the eternitie of the lyfe to come his kingdome his glorye and his euerlasting ioye with his riches and tresures vnspeakable which nether eare euer heard nor eye sawe nor hart of man cōceaued how great they are how scusles I saye shal we be at that terrible rekoning daye and how confounded by the examples of seruantes in this lyfe soe zelous for their maisters vpon soe smal wages if we notwith standing al our rewardes both present and to come shalbe yet key could in our maister his seruice present at his iniuries and silent at his slaunders Nether sufficeth it to saye that these suppositions are false and that there are not such thinges commited against God at the Protestantes Churches and seruices for howsoeuer that be wherof I dispute not nowe yet I being in my hart of an other religion must néedes think not onlye them but also al other religions whatsoeuer to commit the same as I knowe they doe also thinke of mine Wherfore how good and holy souer they were yea if they were Angels yet should I be condemned for going amongest them for that in my sight iudgment and Conscience by which onlye I must be iudged they must néedes séeme enemyes to God being of the contrarie religion By this it may appere how greuously they sinne dayly in England and cause other to sinne with them which compel men by terror to doe acts of religion against their Consciences as to take othes receaue Sacraments goe to Churches and the like which being done as I haue sayde with repugnant Consciences is horible mortal sinne as hath bene alredye prooued and conseqently damnable both to the doers and to the enforcers therof The which I beséeche God to geue his grace both to the one and the other part dutifully to consider that ether these maye leaue of to enforce or those learne to sustayne as they ought their enforsment And thus now we maye sée what great and waightye Reasons y t Catholiques haue to lay for their refusal of comming to the Churches of Protestants The which if they were wel cōceaued by the Prince and Magistrates it is not likly that they would presse them to the yelding to such incōueniences against the helth of their own souls but if they should yet ought the other to beare any pressure whatsoeuer rather then to fall into farre worse daungers And of this that I haue sayde here before there may be gathered these conclusions following not vnnecessarye to be noted for better perspicuities sake to the vnlearned First it foloweth of the premises that this goeing to the Protestantes Churches is forbidden not onely by the positiue lawes of the Church dispensable by the Church againe but also by Gods lawe and the lawe of Nature as the consideration of most of the reasons dothe declare For albeit it be prohibited by the Churche yet not onely by the Church seinge that a thing may be prohibited by the Canons of the Churche for more playn explycations sake which was forbiden before by the lawe both of nature and of God also as Aoulterye Uiolence Simonie and the like Euen so albeit going to heretical assēblies be prohibyted by the Church yet because it hath in it or necessarily 〈◊〉 to it dyuers thinges which are prohibited by the lawe of God and Nature as perill of infection Scandal denying of our fayth when it is made a signe distinctiue or commaundement dissemblinge in Gods cause honouring Gods enemies dishonouring the Catholique Churche and the lyke therfore the whole acte of going to Church is sayd to be prohibited also Iure diuino et naturali That is by the lawe of God and Nature And her of it foloweth that no power vpon earth can dispence with the same Wherfore that which hath bene geuen out as is sayde by some great men that the Pope by his letters to her Maiestie did offer to confirme the seruice of England vppon condition that the title of Supremacie might be restored him againe is impossible to be soe soe that if anye such letters came to hir Maiesties handes they must néedes be fayned and false Secondly it foloweth of the premisses y t this going to Church is not onlye vnlawfull Ratione Scandali by reason of Scandal as some wil haue it For albeit Scandal be one reason why it is vnlawful and that in such sort as is almost impossible to be auoyded yet you sée that I haue geuen diuers other causes besides Scandal which make it vnlawfull Wherof it foloweth that a man cannot goe to their Churches albeit he might goe in such secrete manner or otherwise haue their seruice in his howse soe priuelye as no Scandal should follow therof or any man knowe therof which is notwithstanding impossible to do but if it could be yet were the thing vnlawfull especiallye for the. 1. 4. 5. 6. 7. reasons before alledged Thirdely it followeth that a man maye not goe to Church vnder anye vayne pretence as pretending that he goeth only for obedience and not for anye lyking he hath to their seruice yea although he should proteste the same openly For that protestation should rather agrauate then diminishe the sinne Séeing by this protestation he should testifie vnto the whole worlde that he did a thing against his Conscience As if a man should proteste that he did thinke that to rayle against the Pope at Pouls Crosse were nought and yet for obedience sake being soe commaunded would doe it The which was Pilates case who protested first that he thought Christe innocent and therfore sought to deliuer him but in the ende fearing the displeasure of the Iewes and their complaynte to the Emperour washed his handes and soe condemned him thinking by that protestation to haue washed of the sinne and to haue layd it on the Iewes neckes which compelled him therto But I think by this time he hath felt that he was deceaued For when a thing in it selfe is nought noe protestation can make it lawful but rather maketh the doing of it a greter offēce by adding to the vnlawfulnes of the thing the repugnāce of the doers conscience But you wil perhapes saye to goe to the material Church is not a thing euil of it selfe I aunswer and that it is true But you must not single out the matter soe For in this one action of goeing to Church there be many thinges contayned whereof the whole action is compounded As for example there is the materiall Church the possession of the same by the enemye of the Catholicke religion the seruice and sermons in reproofe of the same religion the dayes and houres appoynted for the same the bel ringing and publikely calling al men thither the Princes cōmaundement for the Catholickes to goe to the same the end of the commaundement in general that they by goeing should pray with them allow of their seruice and by their presence honour it Then is there the peril of