wholle action and is called a circumstance therof An example of this you may haue in all actions If a man determine to go to dinner the very obiect and motiue and intrinsecall end of his desire that is of his intention is to dine But if he referre this his dinner vnto obedience or vnto the glory of God for whom he intendeth to keepe and increase hiscorporall strength these are extrinsecall endes or circumstances of the first intention or end and his immediate intention being to dine he referreth the same with a farther intention vnto those endes Now this intrinsecall end which we spake of as it giueth the nature and forme vnto the inward action so doth it also giue what goodnes or badnes is in it For if that obiect or motiue be of the owne nature conformable vnto to reason than is it a good action or desire If contrary contrary A good action of it selfe may be corrupted by the circumstances but an euill action cannot be iustified by good circūstances or intentions If indifferent so that it hath in it selfe no certaine or determinate order vnto right reason then is the action of the owne nature indifferent neither good nor badde Yet doth not goodnes or badnes flow into an action onely by the nature of the immediate obiect or end of the same but also by the extrinsecall end yea by euery circumstance and euery meanes taken for the obtaining of the same first end or obiect So that although the action be good of it selfe or indifferent yet if it be referred to a further end which is euill or if any meanes vsed for the bringing to passe of the action it selfe be euill or there wante any circumstance of time place maner or measure necessary than is the wholle action it selfe naught for some circumstance Euen in like manner is the action it selfe naught when it being vnlawfull is donne with all possible circumstances or intention of whatsoeuer farther good Dion c. 4. de diu nom For the generall ground both of Philosophers and Diuines cannot be infringed that good is of the wholle intiere cause but the euill is of euery particuler defect Hence is it therfore euident first that although your remote intentions in going to the Church haue neuer so great colour of piety yet that which immediatelye you doe which is to goe to the Church is your intention also And that you as well intend to goe to the Church although for those extrinsecall endes as hee which stealeth for to geue Almes intendeth to steale and the dissolute woeman which killeth her Infant for feare of geuing scandall intendeth the death therof Secondly that the immediate action of going to the Church being euill it cānot be iustified by any godly or lawfull circumstance Euen as if it were good of it selfe yet might it be made euill by an euill circumstance For good requireth a perfect cause euill is that which wanteth any part of the cause Euen as a man is not a perfect man except he haue all his members perfect yet is he imperfect if with all other good pro portion he doe but looke awry §. 12. The 11. obiection of that nature of Churches As for your last reason it is answered in one worde The Churches are ours in ded But the heretickes seruice and company is not ours Euen as if there were Idolatry or any filthy crime there practised you had no right vnto the Idolatry or other sinne nor might be there present for all your right to the Church But if you haue right to the Church why goe you thither at seruice time or so that you may seeme to be at seruice Greg. l. 3. dial c. 30. Hereticall Churches are Deuils lodgings is it not sufficient at any other season O Sir it is not the Church which draweth you but the seruice And if you knew that Churches prophaned by heretikes haue other maner of inhabitants in them then the holy Angells you would not be very hasty for deuotion to go vnto them euen when they be emptye But you shall heare what S. Hillary saith of those which in his time wente to the Churches where heretickes were gathered for loue vnto the Churches dedicated before vnto God Lib. cont Auxent circa fin Wickedly hath the loue of the walles possessed you wickedly doe you reuerence the Church of God in houses and buildings wickedly vnder these pretenses doe you talke of peace vnto me are more safe the mountaines lakes prisons and dongeons ⧠Where you may see a perfect example of our age and how the most holy Fathers which haue liued in auncient times amongst heretickes accounted no small matter the ioyning themselues vnto theire detestable company For they alwaies esteemed it besides a fauouring and exterior protestation of their sectes a most ready way vnto the wholle ouerthrow of true religion For the heretickes haue alwaies endeuoured with shew of piety to darken true piety The cause why heretickes retain Churches and with maintaining some outward shewe of reuerend antiquitye to blotte out of peoples memory the auncient truth it selfe Such was the inuention of Idolatrous Hieroboam who made Israell to sinne Now saith he will the kingdome returne vnto the house of DAVID 3 Reg. 12. if this people doe ascend to doe sacrifice in the house of God in Hierusalem ⧠And for this cause he deuised new Gods new preistes and prophane temples Euen so is it with you For least the people should haue desire to resorte to the true house of God in spirituall Hierusalem longing after Confession after Masse after holy Catholicke Sermons and the whollevse of Catholicke rites and ceremonies you are fedde with reuerend Churches with gay painted words and seruice in the vulgar tongue not for any affection of piety or inclination of vertue For who knoweth not how litle they seeke for piety or desire for other respects to keepe Churches standing but only to nourish the dissention and maintaine the diuision of ISRAEL from IVDA To this end doe they furnishe your Tables with such dishes as are no more comparable with the Catholike dainties than the Onions of Aegipt with the most delicate Manna of the Desert §. 13. THE SECOND PARTE Hauing now answered sufficiently as I suppose vnto your obiections for other obiections which I must of force helpe you withall I wil after bring forth Other obiections are answered in the progresse of this Treatise there resteth the onely thing which I haue in this wholle discourse supposed and taken as certaine in wihch in deed our wholle disputation doth principally consist that is to proue by necessary groundes that to goe to the Church is an action of it selfe euill and iustifiable for no circumstance at all which I haue hitherto supposed not bringing any argumentes therof other then by answering your obiections must needes be insinuated because it was not my part in this Epistle to proue the truth but to
remember an ordinary distinction of Deuines For there are 2. maner of consents the first is consent Caiet verbo Restit which is cause of the action as when I know that without my consent such action would not be donne An other is a simple consent which onely consenteth Two manner of consents to an other mans sinne and yet is not the cause of the action As if in Parliament there be a Bill put vpp against Catholickes and I know that so many voices being passed already before mine my contrary voice can not hinder but it will be made a law Now if I consent after so many voices as are sufficient for if I should before sufficient voices were graunted the case were altered although I knew what voices were to follow than is not my consent a cause of that law yet is my consent a consent Ro. 1. and so according to S PAVI worthy of death as well as that of the others In like maner of you go to the Church and the minister saieth seruice onely for you than is your consent the cause of his sinne and of the sinne of as many as are there present and than who doubteth but you committ a scandall But if you go at ordinary times when the minister notwithstanding your presence would say seruice and others be there without your inducement or any euill example if this be possible yet is your consent present and so vnderstood by all men and therfore is not your action voide of sandall but by consenting vnto an other mans sinne you are also guilty therof as a coucurrunt though not as the cause or mouer therunto as one which alloweth not as one which commandeth as one which geueth the voice whan the number already is sufficient to make the law Neither is there any doubt but you may as well geue consent vnto an action vnto which you concurre for feare See §. 10. as if you concurred for loue as we haue saied before Than vnto your selfe must you apply the verses of the Psalme Ps 49. Whan thou sawest a theefe thou didest runne with him with adulterers thou didest putt thy portion Thou didest wickedly thinke that I were like vnto thee I will reproue thee and sette thy selfe before thy owne face that is that your own conscience shall iudge and condemne you But least you should thinke I speake this of my owne iudgement not leaning vnto the generall doctrine of Gods Church you shall heare the Martyr Irenaeus his graue doctrine against the Valentinian heretickes and other like L. 4. c. 46. A plaine testimony of S. Ireneus Be not you saith he partakers with them And as there in the schisme of Dathan and Abyron the damnation of the principall sinners was common to the rest because they liked them and conuersed with them So here also a litle leauen corrupteth the wholle heape §. 32. Hitherto you see I haue proceeded from the very necessary groundes of the law of God and of nature THE THIRD PARTE Neither can you by your protestation or intention or pretense of feare or any other motiue whatsoeuer excuse your selfe from the violating of any one of these vertues before rehearsed There are some other reasons of no small force vsed to be alleadged of which because I know you wil make no great account I will be content to say no thing One onely thing will I putt you in mind of that is of the daunger of infection Danger of infection which by going vn to heretickes churches you expose your selfe vnto of which if you make small reckoning esteeming your selfe a great doctour able to answere all maner of heretical obiections yet do I earnestly desire you to remember that once you could say as much in this point of going to the Church as in any other matter of Catholicke religion And O senselesse Galathian who hath bewitched you Gal. 3. Sap. 4. how are you so suddenly altered verely malice hath altered your vnderstāding fiction hath deceaued your soule and therfore most happy had you bene if as the wisdome of God doth speake Dissimulation is the way to infection you had bene thē taken vp vnto god whā liuing amongst sinners you were pleasing beloued vnto God O how trew it is that fiction and dissimulation deceiueth the soules of many in our poore countrey What olde man is now a Protestant who hath not gotten such pestilence by fiction who is now a Cōmissioner of ripe witte who being sonne of Catholike parents hath not bene altered by fiction Yea who is now so earnest persecut our of Catholickes as those which at the beginning of this last reuolte hauing bene Catholickes them selues are now most opposite because they saw they could not haue creditte at the first but by fiction L. 4. mor. c. 27. S. Gregory describeth fower degrees of sinnes both in the minde and in the deede expounding a sentence of IOB and to euery member of that sentence applying one degree The wordes of IOB are these Iob. 3. Wherfore died I not in the wombe or being come forth from thence did I not forthwith perish why was I taken vpon the knees why was I nourished with the papes Fower waies saieth he is sinne committed in the hart Fower degrees of sinne and so many also is it executed in the deedes In hart it is committed by suggestion delection consent and by the presumptuousnes of defence Suggestion is made by the aduersary delectation by the flesh consent by the Spiritt the presumption of defence by pride For the sinne which shoulde terrifie the mind doth extoll it and hauing throwen it downe doth lifte it vp but being lifted vp doth more greeuously bruse it In the same maner is a sinne executed in the deed First the sinne is * Going to the Church secretly secretly donne afterward before the eies of men without any shame therof it is manifested than is it brought in to custome at the last either with the seducements of false hope or the obstinacy of miserable dispaire it is nourished Thus S. Gregory This is the miserable progression of lamentable Schismatickes who trusting too much to their owne cleannes aduenture to touch pitch and much like vnto the lewd persons of the world seeking to enioy their vnlawfull contentments before they be aware conceiue sorrow * Psal 7. and bring forth iniquity which so long they harbour in their vnhappy lappe that at the length they nourish it with their pappes and drinke it in vnto their very harte Thus much for a wise man as you are will be sufficient for the daunger of infection Eccle. 3. least perhapps louing daunger you perishe therein I my selfe haue bene acquainted with a learned religious Professour of Diuinity who according to the necessity of his lectures hauing sometimes Caluins workes in his chamber with great humility a farr contrary spirit vnto that which beareth great sway in our
going to the Church if he were amongst vs. Eph. 6. Therfore if the Emperour biddeth one thing and God an other what doe you iudge Paye tribute Attend vnto my seruice very well but not in the Idolls temple In the Idolls temple forbiddeth it who forbiddeth it a greater power Pardon me thou thretnest prison he thretneth hell Here now must thou take vpon thee thy faith as a buck ler in the which thou maiest quench all the fierye dartes of the enemy Thus S. Augustine Turne I pray you the wordes Idolls temple into hereticks conuentickle and see how it fitteth your case Or shew why there is not the same reason in the one as in the other in ep ad Tit. c. 3 If it be good saith S. Hierome which the Emperour and gouernour commaundeth obey the will of the ocmmaunder but if it be euill auswere him out of the Actes of the Apostles Act. 5. It behoueth to obey God more then men This same let vs vnderstand both of seruantes to their maisters and of wiues to their husbandes A lesson for wiues and children of children to their parents that in those things onely they must be subiect to their maisters husbandes parents which are not contrary vnto gods commaundementes Thus S. Hierome Againe S. Augustine Iulianus was an Infidell Emperour was he not an Apostata wicked an Idolater Christian souldiers serued an infidell Emperour when they came to the cause of Christ they did not acknowledge but him onely which was in heauen When he would that they should worshippe Idolls that they should offer incense they preférred God before him But when he saied bring forth the Army goe against that nation forthwith they obeyed They distinguished the euerlasting Lord from a temporall Lord and yet were they subiect for the euerlasting Lord euen to the temporall Lord. ⧠Thus you see what these holy Fathers doe iudge of such kind of obedience Obedience alone is not intended in this lawe but also religion L. 5. c. 1. But let vs I pray you consider more deepely the nature of obeidence Although the very forme and wholle drift of obedience be to doe according vnto the law or commaundement of the Superiour yet as it appertaineth vnto euery law in common to direct vs vnto all kind of vertues as Aristotle teacheth in his Ethickes for as he saith the law commaundeth vs to doe workes of fortitude of temperance and of meekenes and in like maner of other kind of goodnes or naughtines comman ding the one or forbidding the other So is there no particuler precept or law but besides the vertue of obedience to it selfe intendeth some act of some other vertue Hence doth it proceed that one which doth transgresse a law is not forthwith called disobedient properly vnlesse * D. Tho. 22. q. 105. ar 1. ad 1. he of purpose did transgresse because he despised the law but he is said to haue sinned against that vertue which the law or precept intended An example hereof we may haue in temperance The law commandeth that we make but one repast on a fasting day If a man ouercome with his appetite transgresse this precept than hath he sinned against temperance not obseruing that abstinence which the law prescribed Neither is he properly in this act disobedient but so farre as disobedience is materially included in euery sinne which in that it is a sinne must needs be against some precept or other And this is very euident for two causes For if in euery sinne there were a formall disobedience then could there be but one kind of sinne in the world that is of disobedience and the particuler obiectes of euery vertue should be but materiall in euery action as the particuler malice of euery vice also materiall in respect of one forme of disobedience and so but one nature of vertue vice in the world Besides one may doe contrary vnto a law in such a light maner and with such want of consideration that he may onely sinne venially against the same and yet if it were properly disobedience it were alwaies a mortall sinne implying in it selfe contempt of the law which cannot be without a mortall deformity See Caiet verbo Contemptus verbo Inobedientia euen in the least sinne of the world although it were but an idle word For to worke any thing of contempt and hatred of the law and law-makers cannot be without such hainousnes Now therfore in euery law there is some other goodnes intended besides the goodnes of obedience No law intendeth obedience only For when or in what countrey was it euer heard of that there was a law made for no other end but for obedience Turne ouer all Brookes Abridgement of the law looke vpon his titles goe ouer all your Statutes which haue bene from time to time made vnder diuerse Kinges See whether you can finde any title of any law in the worlde onely for to be obedient The law intendeth alwaies obedience in euery particuler statute and bindeth the subiectes to obey the same and neuer doubteth of the subiectes obedience so long as he obserueth euery law and behaueth him selfe orderly in the common welth and hauing once accepted the Prince for his superiour and professed his obedience vnto him followeth his direction to all ciuill vertues But that a law should be made whose end should be onely obedience without anyother reason of goodnes or the breach of which should be onely a contempt without the transgression of some other vertue of right and equity towardes the common welth I confesse my ignorance and that I may be deceiued yet I neuer either heard or read in any age or in any author Yea in the holy religiouse estates where obedience is vowed the superiour alwaies commaundeth according to the rule professed which is for to guide the subiectes to all particuler vertues and to mortifie the worldly man not ridiculously intending bare obedience and nothing else obedience being practised in euery particuler commaundment Than Sir in your statute intituled An act to retaine the subiectes in their dew obedience there must needes be intended some other vertue besides obedience For is not the wholle lawe sufficient to shew obidience or if there were any doubt of acknowledging that Superiour by whom law is administred were not othes of fidelity and homage the ordinary and accustomed way to acknowtedg the same or is in this onely act obedience to bee shewed and in none else in no place but in the Church in no maner but by ioyning with heretickes in their seruice where are so many other lawes of eating of flesh of other actions either cōmanded or forbidden which we know how litle these great exacters of obedience doe esteeme So may you euidently see that it is not odedience only pretended but some other end some other reason of that which is proportionable vnto that marke which they shoote at which if you can deuise any other then religion
alwaies proceedeth of an extrinsecall cause vsing our members contrary vnto our owne will or desire For as in a stone it is violence to be throwen vpwarde because it is contrary to the nature of the stone which would goe downeward of it selfe and proceedeth from an externall cause which is said violently to moue the stone So in a reasonable creature which hath to gouerne it selfe by reason and knowledge whatsoeuer is contrary to the inclination and propension of the will receiued by the same knowledge is violent and properly called constraint The will cannot be constrained and cannot be any way vsed but by an externall cause For whensoeuer the will it selfe agreeth vnto a thing for whatsoeuer respect than is the action voluntary because it proceedeth from the will Yea God himselfe although he may moue the will of a man for * Pro. 21 the Kinges hart is in the hand of God and whither it pleaseth him Aug. Tract 26. in Ioan. Chrysost â—o 9. in Ioan. he will incline it yet doth he not violente the will at all but sweetly draweth it and allureth it For if he drew the will against the will now a will were not a will Most certaine then it is that the will it selfe can not be constrained because it is a will and no way subiect vnto an externall mouer Now the outwarde powers of man may no doubt be subiect vnto an outward strengh The outwarde members of man may be constrained but not by the will and moued against the will For as Aristotle defineth * l. 3. Eth. c. 1 that is violence or constraint whose begining is without the thing the thing it selfe applying no endeuour therunto But certainely we know that a mans hand or foote or anyother parte whatsoeuer yea the wholle body may be moued by an externall cause or begining the hand foote or body beeing not applyed therunto by the will which is mistresse of the wholle And when this happeneth then doe we say that action to haue bene donne violently and constrainedly You goe therfore to the Church if you go carried by force pulled drawne finally so that your selfe apply not your members therunto then was this a violent action against your will and you haue not sinned But if your selfe once moue your members thereunto D. Tho. 1.2 q. 6. ar 5 ad 2 yea ifyou giue an inward consent to be so violented although it be for feare of losse of goods and liuinges although there stand a gallowes of purpose erected for you although the Beadle of Bridewell come behinde you with his staffe fearcely and barbarously threatning you than haue you moued your selfe the begining of your action is within your selfe if not the first motiue which is outward daunger yet the immediate beginning and naturall cause therof you apply somewhat of your owne which cannot be but from the will therfore is your action voluntary For this cause doe both Philosophers and Diuines conclude that what is donne of feare is alwaies simply and absolutely voluntary For although in other times or with other circumstances none would consent vnto that which he doth for feare yet with those condicions being present he doth absolutely yeeld vnto the same Wherefore concludeth S. Thomas that wheras euery thing is properly said to be such as it actually is not as it may be apprehended that is absolutely voluntary which is donne and consented vnto for the present fearfull condition which it hath annexed although as it is imagined and apprehended without the same condition it would be reiected He therfore which by constraint is violented doth nothing but onely suffereth he which is moued for feare because he doth somewhat himselfe is not violented or constrained but the particuler circumstances considered doth voluntarily what-soeuer hee doth although without those conditions it were vnuoluntary The humane lawes of diuerse countreies for that power which the common wealth hath ouer our ciuill actions doe commonly disanull those contractes which are made for feare yet cannot all the lawes of the worlde bring to passe but these contractes must be voluntary albeit the lawe for to punishe the iuiuriouse person doth make them voide neither can feare or any autority make such contract in him which is iniuried to be no sinne if it were of it selfe a sinne to make it You therfore may resolue your selfe that your going to the Church is voluntary And because euery action voluntary in a matter which of it selfe is a mortall sinne deserueth euerlasting damnation although it be donne for feare acknowledge your sinne that you may the sooner obtaine remission And for all this will I vtter somewhat more in this point that you may see I conceale nothing which may stand for you that if this action of going to the Church with heretickes were onely forbidden by positiue lawes of the Church than when there were no scandall it were lawfull to vse it the Church like a most kinde mother neuer intending to bind vnto so great incoÌ„ueniences as in our countrey by the omission of the same action may ensew But this to be no such action as onely humane lawes doe reprooue shall be proued belowe it is sufficient now to haue shewed that onely feare cannot make it voluntary and consequently not iustifie it if it be euill §. 11. But your reason following of your good intention either to pray Catholickly The 10. obiection of a good intention or to saue your wife and children and goodes or landes is moste friuolous The end say you is that which maketh the action either good or badde But my end is good therfore the action also is not vnlawfull Wherin I maruaile no more that you are become a new patrone of going to the Church This reason serueth for the defence of all vice for you haue taken vpon you the defence maintenance of all other wickednes Teach I pray you the murderer to haue an intention of shewing his manhoode the theefe to desire riches that he may liue in his ould age honestly and truely in the common welth the adulterer to procure amity and frendshippe in his neighboures samely and then may you vpon such intentions I will not say dispense with them that they may seriously applye their trades but persuade them that which they doe to be sound and perfect vertue Two kinds of intentioÌ„s There be therfore two kindes of endes and likewise two sortes of intentions in our actions The first is an intrinsecall end which is the very obiect and motiue which the will desireth and that act of the will by which we desire to obtaine that end is properly called our intention There is an other end extrinsecall vnto the acte and not alwaies pretended when we doe not only desire that which is the immediate motiue of our desire but referring that to a farther purpose desire withall to obtaine the same and this is also a kind of intention but extrinsecall and accidentary in our
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
Sacrifice whosoeuer is present although without any attention or deuotion which is dew yet hath he donne an exteriour act of religion commaunded yet sinned for want of the inward deuotion which he should haue ioined thereunto But the same is found in the presence at hereticall seruice Therfore is such presence ceremonious and religious Neither can you excuse your selfe with saying that you are not attentiuely and deuoutely present because there wanteth your goodwill and affection For there is an inward acte of religion as I touched before and an outward Inward and outward actes of religion and sometimes the one and the other ioined togither Now this is an exteriour action of religion although it want the inward forme and that is the thing which we purposed to proue that it is an outward acte of religion Againe in all sortes of religion there be diuerse kindes of ceremonies Comparison with other kind of ceremonies Some doe consist in hallowed thinges as Water Oyle Ashes Palmes Vestimentes Other in time as in Holy daies Vigils Fastings Lent or such like And in like maner doth there some ceremonies consist in places as in Churches Churchyardes Chappell 's Others are found in diuerse obseruances as we see were kepte in the ould lawe of MOYSES Now to vse the other ceremonies is alwaies a signe of that religion vnto which they belong as the keeping of Saturday of IVDAISME the eating of swines flesh of GENTILISME the absteining from certain meates of MANICHISME the keeping of the Catholicke Fastes and daies of some kind of affection to Catholicke religion And why I pray you shall not the place being ceremonious with the ceremonious action vsed therin and the ceremonious time withall of the Sonday or holy day be a signe of religion of that religion I say which vseth the same Ceremonies of places lesse indifferent than others 2.2 q. 85. ar 3. and commandeth the same and which there as a distinct common welth from all others is gathered togither And this reason in ceremoniouse places hath more force than in any other sortes of ceremonies For as the Diuines doe excellently teach Religion being a vertew which exhibiteth honour and reuerence vnto god sometimes it happeneth that this vertew commaundeth vnto other vertues ordaineth their actes to Gods honour As is to fast not onely for the punishment of the body but also for the honor of God to geue almes to pay debtes to visitt Pupills and widdowes for Gods honour and such like Iac. 1. which properly belong to other vertues but are by religion as it were commaunded and directed vnto the end of religion But there are other proper actes which onely belong to religion and not to other vertues Such as haue no other praise as S. THOMAS speaketh but that they are donne for the reuerence of God And these are most properly actes of religion Of this sort are sacrifices kneeling knocking of the breast and such like Such also is this ceremony of going to such a place more than to an other Hereof it proceedeth that one may eate fleshe vpon a friday or otheer fasting day in diuerse cases Why one may eate flesh on a friday and not lawfully go to the Church and yet in no case go to the Church with hereticks For to absteine vpon certaine daies is not a proper or immediate acte of religion but commaunded by religion being in deed an acte of temperance and so intended by the Church though it may be referred not onely to chastice the body but for to doe an honour vnto God And because this law is particulerly found amongst Catholicks hence it is that it doth oftentimes betoken a Catholicke and distinguish him from an hereticke Yet because the immediate end of the law is temperance and the acte of eating flesh or other forbidden meates is such as hath other naturall endes besides the profession of religion as of feeding the body or eating with dispensation therfore is there not necessarily implied therin any ceremony or signification of religion And in case of necessity it may be vsed although others vnderstand a profession of heresy therin For why this act of eating or absteining neither of the owne nature nor by common estimation of men doth signifie religion but hath an other principall vse Yet the going to the Church howsoeuer doth alwaies betoken both of the owne nature and by common ac ception of all the worlde deuotion and religion in Catholicke Churches to the true faith in hereticall to their detestable sinagogues This doth S. THOMAS whom I oftener alleage because my conflict is with those which will be counted Catholickes 2.2 q. 84. ar 3. ad 2. although in this apostaticall action they doe deny their Catholicke religion This I say doth S. THOMAS very plainely sett downe whan he yeeldeth three causes why exteriour worship of God should haue a determinate place where principally it ought to be exhibited not that God may be included in any place but for respect of those which doe worshipp him The first is Three causes of Churchches 3. Reg. 8. for the consecration of the place wherby those which praye conceiue spirituall deuotion that they may the rather be heard as it is manifest in the worshipping of SALOMON Secondly for the Sacred misteries and other signes of holines which are there conteined Thirdly for the concourse of many worshippers wherby the praier is made more acceptable Mat. 18. according to that where there are two or three gathered togither in my name there am I in the middest of them Consider I pray you then whether this place haue not a signification of agreement in religion and of a ceremony of that religion which is there gathered togither I may not say in the name of Christ but leaue vnto your selfe to iudge in whose name As for the consecration you know from whence it came and how neuerthelesse they which were the autours therof account it now prophaned But of the sacred misteries and other signes of holines I hope you wil not be very ready to bragge or boast especially when I shall tell you hereafter what maner of misteries there be in Protestants seruice Yet moreouer doe I proue this presence to be ceremonious The ministers presence is ceremonious The minister himselfe is ceremoniously present yea although whilest he readeth his seruice he would neuer so faine intend to be away or wish that as it hapneth sometime to some of his brethrē he were reading Chaucer But the presence of the minister and of the auditours haue a necessary relation togither The minister is there as one that offereth for the rest the others as those which are offered for Heb. 3. Euery Bishopp saith S. PAVL being assumpted out of men is appointed for men in those thinges which appertaine vnto God The minister is to enter into the Tabernacle the people to expect without Luc. 1. The minister is to make perfect the people to receiue
herin Now Sir I remember that in heathen common welthes it was accounted a great indecency Cicer. de offic for parents to bath themselues togither with their children Such greate reuerence they thought to be dew to naturall comelines that they esteemed it no small faulte to be vnto them a patterne of the breach therof Impiety of schismatike Parents But how can you here answere the great impiety which you vse vnto your children whan not onely you shew them your euill example of doing wickedly therby geuing them a certaine licence to fall into whatsoeuer wickednes they can craftely conceale But you enforce them or commaund them or at the least permitt them to go to hereticks Sinagogues Where is your wisdome where is your piety where is your feare of God I will here say no more than this that according to the law of God and of nature Eph. 5. you are vnder paine of mortall sinne bound to bring vpp your children in the discipline correction of our Lord for who hath not care of his domesticalls as S. PAVL saith 1. Tim. 5. hath denied his faith is worse then an Infidell And what is this which you doe in your children but to sacrifice them vnto the Diuell Let the example of Hely feare you who though hee seuerely reprehended his children for their sacrilegious extortion Psal 105. 1. Reg. 2. yet because he did not remedy their disorder was seuerely punished both with the losse of his life and also with the desolation of his wholle countrey and famely and the taking of the Arke of Gad. And it is to be noted as S. Chrysostome very well saieth Cont. vituperat vitae monast Parents neuer so holy condemned for their children Carying to the Church by Nurses that this Hely was otherwise a vertuous and perfect man as that Saint gathereth out of his resignation which he shewed vnto Samuell when the young Prophet after his new vocation threatned vnto him from Gad that which afterward befell vnto him But this one faulte did greeuously incense Gods wrath against him Let this be sufficient for your paricidiall impiety towardes your children that howsoeuer they be caried by their Nurses to the Church so long as they sucke which notwithstanding is a greater danger then to let thē go to bedd without blessing or to suffer thē to remaine in placēs haunted with spirits Going of children as experience hath taught vs yet after they be once able to haue a conceit of deuotion towardes Almighty God although they de neber so little or so simple to suffer thē to go much more to send them to such conuenticles is in you a hainous mortall sinne as being directly against the charity and piety and discipline towards your child Marying them out of the Church The like I say of marying them or permitting them to marry out of the Church It is the childes office in deed not to marry without his Parents or Tutours consent and in so doing albeit his marriage be sufficient though it be secrette and without Priest or witnesse in our countrey where the Councell of Trents decree taketh not place yet aswell in the secresy of the marriage and in the secret vse therof which is alwaies vnlawfull although they be sufficiently married vntill it be published No small faulte for children to marry without consent of Parents or Tutours Catechism conc Trid. de Sacr. matri in fine 30. q. 5. c. Aliter c. Nostrates c. qualis 23. q. 2. c. Non omnis Nau. c. 14. n. 15. Sotus d. 29. q. 1. ar 4 Bellarm. l. 1. de matr c. 19 as in the want of his Superiours consent he sinneth greeuously This beeing in mans life reputed a great iniury and against the honour dew vnto his Parents except the Parents or Tutours offered him herin some great wrong For although a child be not bound to marry whom his Father will except there were other particuler circumstances of the necessity of his family or some great cause which in charity might binde him there being no cause to the contrary yet one thing it is not to marry at his fathers apointment which notwithstanding sometimes may be mortall sinne an other it is to marry one of his owne choise and appointmente and to bring into his fathers family a new daughter in law without asking his fathers consent or without presuming of his liking which thing is both contrary to the custome of the holy Patriarches and the honour dew vnto parents and the doctrine of holy Fathers of most graue Deuines and the custome also of the holy Church which vseth to haue the spouse deliuered by her Parents or Tutours at the solemnization of marriage Now you must not be like vnto those which loue to buy good cheape and to sell deare Therfore as you must haue your children obedient vnto you so which mutuall bond must you prouide for them and that much more in spirituall thinges than in corporall Conc. Carth. 4. c. 13. Tert. l. 2. ad vxo in fine Ambr. ep 45. ad Sisin l. de Abraham c. vlt. habetur 32. q. 2. c. Honorā tur very plainly intreateh herof and with more care and diligence preserue them from schisme and heresy than from the temporall infamy of other wickednes which if you do not what do you else but as * l. con mēd c. 7 Our dewty towards our neighbour in this point Eccli 17. This dewty is much greater in extreme necessity at the point of death Ser. 16 de verbo Do. l. 1. ciu c. 9. Ser de natiu Ioa. Bapt. S. Augustine saith beget children that you may nourish them not to God but to the Deuell I will not say that you are bound with your owne imminent perill to admitt them ordinarily to Masse but to keepe them from Churches to instruct them Catholickly when it is thought necessary to prouide them spirituall helpes this I affirme to be your necessary dewty If you haue manifest hope and fitte opportunity of reducing any moste simple person from his wicked waies whom you see to haue necessity of your brotherly correction and admonition when there is none other which can or will vndertake the same so that you fully perceiue that he will thankfully accept such office of charity and not traiterously detect you for a perswader neither maliciously or peruersly bring you or others into manifest daunger of spirituall detriment than are you bound vnder the guilte of mortall sinne by the very law of God him selfe who hath geuen vnto euery one charge of his neighbour to bestow this charitable almes and to shew this spirituall mercy like a good Samatitane towards your neighbour which office if you culpably omitt you are as S. Augustine saieith guilty of the same crimes which your neighbour committeth the reason of such censure wee may vnderstand by S. Bernard Let none say am I the keeper of my
saying See §. 16. §. 31. that for all your contrary minde it is an exteriour signe of heresy euen as in Marcellinus others there minde was knowen to be disagreeing to their exteriour Idolatry And besides that if it were possible that your Protestation might take away signification of heresy yet it cānot but leaue significatiō of schisme contēpt Going to Caluins Church not made first vnlaw full by any late Canon The second thing which I inferre of that which hath bene saied in this wholle discourse is the manifest discouery of the malicious enuye which our aduersaries alwaies not onely cary in their minds but most cruelly and odiously disclose both many other waies and especially in all Arraignements of Priestes and other Catholickes For I perceiue by your owne confession that the greatest motiue of your going to the Churches of Protestants is the feare of being esteemed a hollow and dissembling subiect And surely I neuer saw so farre into the drift of our aduersaries as I haue bene put in mind of by the perusing of your letter They seeke to discreditt all Priestes and the lay Catholicke with the Bulle of Pius .5 which although it is well knowen to haue come forth before some of thē were borne yea before the most parte of them were of yeres of discretion yet they must needes forsooth be accessary vnto the same because they are not conformable in t is one action of coming to their deuine seruice For this cause they read it openly at the barre being faithfully translated by some honorable learned Counseller as they say are not afraide to publish that thing vnto the wholle multitude of trew and faithfull subiectes which wee woulde faine haue drowned in perpetuall obliuion They very odiously charge vs that wee refuse to go to their Church for that Pius 5. hauing sent forth that Bull and reckoned vpp the causes therof amongst other thinges maketh forsooth one of the crimes condemned the vsing and commaunding to be vsed by others certaine impious mysteries for so you say he calleth them and ceremonies according to Caluins prescript for which as well as for the other hee declareth not onely the principall but also the adherents in any such matters there recited to haue already incurred the sentence of excommunication and to be cutte off from the vnity of Christ his body This you saye you heare to your exceeding reproach at euery barr and iudgemente seate in London wherfore you are enforced for to make knowen your faithfull allegeance to shewe in effect that you haue no parte at all of the blame of that Bull. whether this be trew or not that is whether such be the effect of the same Bull or no I protest vnto you that I know not and that for the naturall loue and loiall affection I beare vnto my soueraigne I neuer did read the same This your selfe is very priuy vnto I doubt not that so long as you haue bene a Catholike and so continually conuersed amongst Priests lay Catholikes you neuer heard any one worde or neuer so litle signification of so vnpleasaunt a thing And withall you perfectly should know as well by the truth of the matter it selfe as by many publicke protestations and solemne assertions that there is not one Catholicke in England but beareth as dewtifull and harty affection vnto his most deare Soueraigne since such Bull or declaration as either before the same or if any such thing had neuer come forth In so much that looke what we might haue lawfully donne before without preiudice of our Relgion and disuniting our selues from that body of which euery one of vs must necessarily liue and dye a member the same we will in most dewtifull maner and with moste sincere and vnfained loue whatsoeuer otherwise malicious tongues geue out euen as we looke for heauen and the fauour of our redeemer continually performe vnto our death §. 36. How needles a thing it is to bring forth the autority of the Cannon law THE FIFTH PARTE The 17 obiection that we haue no expresse Canon or auncient practise of the Church and example practise of Gods Church in this question which we handle I hope it doth already remaine manifest For that which out of infallible groundes of holy scripture is so necessarily concluded what necessity is there by humane lawes or customes to confirme That which is enacted by the most sacred Canons of the word of God and the immediate inditing of his holy spirit who will require to bee by humane iudgement approued especially wheras as I said aboue if this actiō were only cōtrary vnto humane lawes although such humane lawes may vndoubtedly bind euen in perill of death yet is it to be supposed that our tender mother the Church so carefull of vs in other matters and extending her soueraigne power ouer our soules to the dispensation in most extraordinary cases would not in so great hazardes and daungers as on euery side enuiron vs hould the bridle so straite 1. Cor. 3. but in the person of Christ according to S. PAVLES example confirme her charity towardes vs least we be circūuented by Satan Besides I know very well how many there haue bene heretofore It were requisite that the defenders of schisme shoulde alleage Canons who haue shewed herin their learned industry So that I maruaile not a litle that you who seeke to transgresse the bondes which your spirituall Fathers Founders of this new of spring of religion haue with so greate piety and vnwearied pacience laied before you do not rather bring forth some auncient Canon or practise of auncient times to colour at the least if not to defend your folly For whan was it euer heard of in all ages since Christ his time that a Catholicke orderly and religiously went to heretickes Sinagogues Infinite places of Fathers innumerable examples of Saintes with the sacred Canons of ecclesiasticall discipline condemne it not one approueth it Heretickes sometimes haue come to Catholicke congregations Theod. l. 4. c. 17. l. de gest cum Emerito initio L. 5. ep 33. Theod. l. 5. c. 32. That Heretickes or Schismatickes haue come to Catholicke congregations therin geuing token of their submission we read As their holy mother desireth nothing more than theire reunion So came Valens the Emperour to S. Basils Masse offered therat So was S. Augustine and all his Catholicke fellow Bishopps desirous of the Donatistes returne So also would S. Ambrose his souldiers of the Emperours gard haue willingly wayted on their Lord to S. Ambrose his Church And S. Chrysostome professed vnto Gainas an Arrian that his Church was open for all which woulde come thither to pray In like maner hath the wisdome of the Church released vnto vs the auncient bond of auoiding heretickes or any excommunicate person euen in Diuine seruices The bond of auoiding heretickes in part enlarged I say in Diuine seruices not in Caluines deuises so long