heretickes yet one yeelding vnto an other in wickednes they both agree that they be superstitiouse D. Tho. 22 q. 92. ar 2. Two kind of superstitions and both in heretickes seruice For there are two sortes of superstitions the one consisteth in the worship of a false God which is called Idolatry the other which hath retained vnto it selfe the common name of superstition is found in the vnlawfull worship of the true God which is in seruice of heretickes and such like where other ceremonies are vsed than which Christ and his Church hath ordained These also are of two sortes as well noteth Caietane Verbo Supst For either they be perniciouse or superfluouse Those are perniciouse which are contrary vnto the verity of faith Those are superfluouse which are any wayes contrary to the custome of the Church or otherwise then the Church doth vse The first are alwaies mortall sinnes the second also alwaies when there is contempt or scandall although of themselues they were not perniciouse Iudge you therfore whether both sortes of this second kind of superstition be not in hereticallseruice So that out of the fact of IEHV as you bring an example of going to heretickes seruice because you thinke he did well So I out of the same prooue such dissimulation to be wicked because IEHV did euill See Aug. l. con mend c. 3. See Bannes 22. q. 3. ar 2 dub 1. which I proue by the consent of S. Augustine and all schoole men after S. Thomas the principall ringleader of them all And I maruaile not a litle that you who take vpon you Skill in diuinity did so peremptorily bring the example of IEHV concealing the schoole mens opinion of his fact For you knew vndoubtedly that this Argument was not coined out of your owne witte but bothpropounded and answered before either your selfe or your new confraternity were hatched S. Thomas bringing this example against himselfe to proue dissimulation lawfull answereth it in this maner 22. q. 111. ar 1. ad 2. The dissembling of IEHV it is not necessary to be excused from sinne or from a lye for he was wicked as who did not departe from the Idolatry of Hieroboam yet is he commended and temporally rewarded by God 4. Reg. 10. not for his dissimulation but for his Zeale with which he destroied the worship of BAAL In ep ad Gal. c. 2. Thus S. Thomas And although S. Hierome seemeth to allow of IEHVES dissimulatiō yet you might haue considered that he doth it for to proue S. PETERS dissimulation in Antioch to haue bene without sinne where euen as that which he seeketh to inferre is contrary to S. Augustine and all the Diuines Ep. 19. Ter l. 4. in marcion Cypr ep ad quintū Amb. hie Aug. ep 89.19 Greg. l. 28. mor c. 12. 1. Reg. 21. yea the true meaning of the scripture S. PAVL saying that PETER was reprehensible and diuerse other auncient Fathers So was his antecedent also false and not to be followed although we may also say that he allowed dissimulation in generall but not in this particuler wheras he bringeth other examples of lawfull dissimulations as of DAVID before Abimelech faining himselfe madde and of CHRIST our Sauiour taking vpon him the shape of a sinner that condemning sinne and flesh he might make vs in himselfe the Iustice of God In like maner might IEHV haue a lawfull intention to dissemble and yet in the practise exceed God permitting for so good an end either his sin if he culpably erred or his excusable ignorance if among so many Idolaters he had none to instruct him as in secular and warlike men such particuler knowledge of godly dueties many times we see to be wanting §. 7. 4. Reg. 5. The 6 obiection of Naaman syrus Your next reason is the fact of NAAMAN who after he was conuerted vnto the true God yet had as it seemeth leaue of ELIZEVS the Prophet to be present at the Princes sacrifice vnto Idols The History is this NAAMAN returning vnto the man of God with his wholle company came and stood before him and said Verely I knowe that there is not any other god in the whole earth but onely in Israell I beseech thee therfore that thou receiue this blessing of thy seruaunt But he answered The Lord liueth before whom I stand I will not receaue it And when he was earnest he would not consent And NAAMAN saide as thou wilt But I beseech thee graunt vnto me thy seruant that I may take the burden of two muletts of the earth for thy seruant will not make any more holocaust or sacrifice vnto false Gods but to our Lord. This onely thing there is for the which thou maiest intreate our Lord for thy seruaunt when my Lord shall enter into the temple of Remmon for to worshippe and he leaning vpon my hand if I shall worshippe in the temple of Remmon he worshipping in the same place that our Lord doe pardon thy seruant for this thing who said vnto him goe in peace this farre goeth the history Naaman syrus would receaue Preistes if he now liued Now Sir I doe most hartely wish that you were like vnto NAAMAN SYRVS for then would you giue your blessing aboundantly vnto ELIZEVS and his schollers and cary of the holy land though it were a burden into your house erecting there an Aultar to doe sacrifice vnto the true God and vnto no other But so standeth the case with you such as you are that when once you goe to the temple of Remmon you forget ELIZEVS and the holy land and the sacrifice of the true God and at the very first steppe into hereticall synagogues as it were take your leaue of all goodnes Whether this be true or no I referre my selfe to your owne conscience But to goe directly vnto the matter I say that aswell the hebrew as the greeke and latin word is indifferent in holy scriptures to signifie ciuill and diuine worshippe and importeth no more then to bowe him selfe humbly vnto the ground which we read in Genesis * c. 23. Abraham to haue done for ciuill courtesy to the children of Heth and in the 18. chapter before he did the like to the Angells And in these places also in many more doe the same words signifie either ciuill worshippe to men or religiouse reuerence to Angells or Saintes and so the common doctrine of Diuines is that NAAMAN did not bow vnto the Idoll but vnto the King yeelding him that temporall seruice or ease of his body which was conuenient vnto his Princelye person and greatnes which was also the knowne cause of his presence in that place he being otherwise knowne to detest Idolatry after his recouery from his leper of which you may reade Lyra and other his companions Of going to the Church with the Prince See §. 5.15 and 16. After which maner diuers doe say that for a temporall seruice to a Prince to be donne
conformity in their superstition The pretense of obedience maketh this actiō worse than before contempt of Catholicke vnity I pray you imparte your conceite vnto me I my selfe can see nothing else wheof I doe inferre that by such pretended obedience this act is made worse then it was before For a precept law or commaundment prescribeth a matter to that vertue which it intendeth of which it was not a necessary matter before as the commandement of not eating flesh vpon a fasting day was not a matter of fasting necessary before the law for why one might haue before fasted better with one bitte of flesh than with a dainty dinner of diuerse dishes of fishe but after the law it is a necessary obseruance and matter prescribed vnto fasting So in like maner although to goe to the Church before with hereticks had not bene as alwaies it was an act of religion now being commaunded by the law as an act of religion for that is the intent of the law manifestly pretended in the one or other statute of going to the Church it is only a simple act of obedience but an act of obedience in such a matter principally intended as is the profession of a false religion For euery religiouse act applied vnto a false god or a false kind of worship or a false Society of worshippers is an expresse protestation of the same false worship or vnlawfull fellowshippe So should you first haue proued this action to be lawfull in it selfe Obedience is no excuse but whan the matter thereof is first proued lawfull and then you might haue inferred that your obedience had bene lawfull and you should also haue shewed some end in this law ouer and besides bare obedience other then the end of religion which surely must needes be yeelded to be the very end and obiect of the law And this long experience hath shewed in the Church of God that when temporall Princes must be obeyed in Churches Amb l. 5. ep 33. ad Marcellinam there is farther daunger in it then I list now to speake But you shall see an example of Christian obedience When the Emperour was at greate strife with S. Ambrose the holy B. of Millan about the deliuering certaine Churches in the citty of Millan vnto the Arrians as alwaies before this fearefull abiect age Ibid. S Ambrose his obedience to the Emperour Catholikes wold neuer be found amongst heretickes in Churches S. Ambrose aunswered the Emperour in this maner Trouble not thy selfe O Emperour that thou maiest thinke that thou hast any emperiall authority ouer diuine thinges To the Emperour Pallaces appertaine to the Bishop the Churches To thee is committed the righte ouer the publicke not ouer the sacred walles ⧠And when the same Saint was threatned with death for the same cause by Calligonus the Emperours Eunuch euen in the Church God permitte saith he that thou doe that which thou threatnest for I will suffer that which becommeth a Bishop thou shalt doe that which beseemeth an Eunuch ⧠In which controuersie the souldiers sent word as saith S. Ambrose vnto the Emperour that if he would come abrode he mighte with good leaue But that they woulde waite vpon him if they saw him agree with Catholickes Trew Catholicke Christians were than Recusants otherwise they would passe vnto that companye which Ambrose should gather Such accounte ought Christians to make of auoiding hereticall synagogues I will conclude therfore this matter of obedience with one shorte but inuincible reason You will haue it lawfull for obedience to goe to the Church An inuincible reason that it is not lawfull to go to the Church for obedience Than say I in this maner Whatsoeuer is lawfull to be donne that being by a Superiour commaunded is a mortall sinne to transgresse or to omitte But as you defend it is lawfull to goe to the Church for obedience therfore it is a mortall sinne not to goe to the Church when it is so commanded See I pray you how many Preistes Martyrs men woemen and children you condemne to hell whilest you seeke to maintaine your owne dangerouse wilfull estate §. 10. Now let vs proceed vnto your feare The 9 obiection of Feare which you make as one reason amongst the rest but in deede is the wholl cause of your forsaking God Because you haue not perfectly learned his lesson which saidI will teach you whom you shall feare Feare him which when he hath killed the body hath power to sende both bodye and soule into Hell fier yea verely I say vnto you feare him You saye therfore that you doe as you doe for feare and not voluntarily But nothing is a sinne which is not donne voluntarily Therfore in your action is no sinne at all Where if you had said thus that you doe what you do not voluntarily but nothing not voluntarily donne is a sinne therfore what you doe is no sinne then had your argument bene good but your Maior false for I would then say you did voluntarily what you did But now in your first proposition where you say that you doe a thing for feare and yet not voluntarily you include two thinges most repugnant in them selues For it is impossible that a thing be donne onely for feare and not voluntarily Whatsoeuer is done for feare is voluntary And in thispoint we must begge helpe of heathen Philosophers For so hath feare darckened our countreis vnderstanding that the very principles of all morall actions and of goodnes or badnes in our doinges are called into question For what I pray you if for feare of loasing your owne life you vniustly take away an others because of that feare haue you not sinned If you haue sinned then haue you voluntarilye donne it For * Aug l. 3 de lib. arb c. 17 18. et lib. de vera rel c. 14. lib. 1. retract c. 13 asinne is not a sinne except it be voluntary If IOSEPH for feare of his Ladies slaunder had satisfied her will had he donne against his owne Had the three childrē done against their owne will if they had for feare sacrificed or donne worship to the Idoll And your selfe shall be iudge When you goe to the Church doe you goe against your will doth any man cary you or doe you cary your selfe in such maner because of your feare that you might not stay your selfe at home Surely if feare be so mighty a Passion that it taketh away the free gouernment of a mans wil and not onely threatneth but inferreth violenc to the outward members in vaine did our Sauiour exhorte vs not to feare the world in vaine did he with his heauenly instructions animate his Disciples against incounters whatsoeuer of the aduersaries of his holy truth But let vs decide this question out of Philosophy Onely violence taketh away voluntary In a reasonable creature therfore nothing taketh away the nature of voluntary but constraint Now coaction or constraint
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
or donations or to receiue any thing by any wills or donations ⧠Thus S. Augustine Where you may obserue the cause of such punishment onely to be the gathering togither into seuerall cōuenticles which he calleth wicked separations and the not communicating with the Catholicke Church So that in S. Augustines iudgement you may see that it is all one to be gathered in Caluins wicked separation and not to communicate with the Catholicke vnity which I pray you what is it else but to be in Schisme l. 1. de bapt cont Don. c. 4. More plainly he calleth those which receiue Baptisme in the Donatistes congregation with an intent after their Baptisme presently to come to the Catholicke Church Schismatickes Such I say he calleth Schismatickes not disallowing the Sacrament but the receiuing of it in that Church which maketh schisme What need is it saieth he to committ this accursed euill euen but one day or one houre For whosoeuer desireth this to be graunted him may either of the Church or of God demaund that it may be lawfull for him but for one day to be an Apostata For there is no cause why he should feare to be an Apostata for one day and not feare to bee a Schismaticke or Hereticke for one day ⧠See how he accounteth the receiuing of the holy Sacrament of Baptisme of an Hereticke although with intent of coming to the Catholicke Church afterward to be Schisme and the persisting after in such congregatiō to continew the schisme Thus much he saieth of such as know the Donatistes not to be the trew Church In the next chapter But they which through ignorance are there baptised c. 5. thinking that to be the Church of Christ in cōparison of the former doe indeed sinne lesse yet are they greeuously wounded with the sacriledge of Schisme Wounded with the sacriledge of schisme ⧠He expoundeth him selfe afterwards because their ignorance cannot be excused Than is it Schisme to receaue a most holy trew Sacramēt of a Schismaticke Why I pray you not because * ibid. c. 2. they receiue baptisme but because they receiue it in Schismatickes Churches therfore the being in Schismatickes Church as one of their society is Schisme The like hee hath in the same booke * c. 8 Those whome they Baptize they cure of the wound of Idolatry and Infidellity but more greeuously they do strike with the wound of schisme Schisme by S. Augustine is more greeuous than Idolatry For Idolaters amongst the people of God the sword destroied but the Schismatickes the earth opening swallowed ⧠Behould what account this holy Doctour maketh of the company of schismaticks in their Churches not because the thing donne which is the administration of Gods most pure Sacrament is euill for he alwaies honourerh it nor because of the sinne of the minister vr worthely exercising his function for such sinne is most often committed euen in the Catholicke Church and cannot defile the worthy receiuour nor because of the euill or false beliefe or schismaticall mind of the receiuer for he supposeth the contrary but onely for that association which is had in a Schismaticall congregation with the same and is not onely committed in the acte of the Sacrament there receiued but euer after by remaining amongst thē is continewed The same Doctour where he intreateth against Emeritus a Danation Bishop Of such as were of the parte of Donatus in harte but yelded to the Catholickes their corporall presence saieth that they are CARNE INTVS SPIRITV FORIS Thā is it also a cleare case that the very corporall presence in Caluins parte maketh one to be CARNE INTVS SPIRITV FORIS that is in fleshe within Caluins Church in spirit without and because as we said aboue none can be of Gods Church deuided See §. 24. but he must be wholly of the same what remaineth but that such are to be esteemed of Caluins S. Gregory l. 1. ep 36. not of Christ his Church Of S. Gregories time we haue most euident testimony Who not onely strictly forbiddeth that any person permitte his children bondslaues or any belonging to his iurisdiction to be baptized by the Donatistes But whan the Inhabitants of a certaine Iland called Caprea L. 7. ep 99. returned frō schisme sending their Embassadours to Rome for their reconciliation he gaue order that if theire fitst Bisshop would be also reconciled to the vnity of gods Church he should remaine their Bishopp otherwise that a new should be made that our Lords flocke saieth he may be secure against the dartes of the deceitfull enemy Which great care considering the tumultes inconueniences which happen where two seuerall Bishops do sitt had bene in vaine if that people might haue receiued theire spirituall things of their olde Schismaticall Bishop Neither is there any cause herof but the exteriour shew of vnion in his congregation wheras the difference in doctrine seruice and Sacraments was none at all Whosoeuer readeth ouer the histories of such Schismes as haue bene heretofore in the Romane Church whan there hath bene diuision of Popes although the Romane Church was neuer deuided but all deuiders haue presently ceassed to be of this Church he shall finde this doctrine of auoiding Schismaticks most cōstantly on both sides to haue bene obserued For as the Schismatickes did arrogate vnto thē selues the name of the trew Church so did they also alwaies paint them selues with the shew of whatsoeuer piety the trew Church should professe L. 6. vitae Sancti Bern c. 6. In the time of that greate Schisme betweene Innocentius the second and Peter Lyon S. Bernard a most carnest defendour of the trew Pastour of the Church at POITIERS before that Church had publickely shewed it selfe to be Schismaticall had offered vnto God in the Cathedrall Church the immaculate Sacrifice But after his de parture the Deane of the same Church broke very impiously but not scotfree the Aultar in which the holy man had celleorated for after a very shorte time he died most desperatly And whan the Prince of that countrey of A quitane who had opposed him selfe to Innocentius came to parley with S. Bernard after much debating of the matter S Bernard gotte him selfe vnto the most effectuall armour of the Diuine misteries When the Prince him selfe was not permitted to enter into the Church but by the Diuine autority of the Saint adiuring hun in the presence of Christes body which vpon the sacred Patene he caried forth of the Church vnto him was at the length mollified and of a wolfe S. william D. of Aquitane became a lambe and of a SAVLE a PAVLE and of a notorious sinner a glorious Sainte and patterne of trew repentance for nourishing the diuision of the Church Than doe we euidently see that on both sides this hath alwaies bene an inuiolable custome that aswell the Schismaticke hath auoided the Catholicke as the Catholicke hath shunned the spirituall communication with
not going to the Church with heretickes yet if you be commaunded of purpose to doe contrary vnto such law by doing it you sinne mortally neither can the Pope dispense that his owne autority be had in contempt This is the common doctrine both in matters of excommunications * Caiet ver contem verbo In Festo licita which are positiue and also in working of holy daies w e also at the least besides Sonday are positiue So that although vpon necessity one may worke vpon such a daye yet were it a mortall sinne if euen with danger of death he wrought at his Lords commaundement for despite of the Church or contempt of that particuler law And the like is in diuerse cases §. 2 Thus much therfore of your autority which you fetch from the Pope Now let vs goe to our English Cardinal of whose autority of dispensing The second obiectiō of the English Cardinalls dispensatiō or altering his opinion I must say no lesse then I said of his superiour Besides that it being held by your lawiers there that it is treason to take meate and drinke of so dangerous a person you may well suppose that it will be a deeper kind of treason to fetch from him his dispensations But he hath perhapps altered his opinion concerning the lawfulnes of this act His opinion is well knowne by all his schollers and more then 20. diuerse places in the new testament of Rhemes and now being sory that he hath heretofore bene so rigorous he hath geuen you to vnderstand how farre you may proceed To this I can say nothing more then I haue said before of the rest but that you may doe well to counsaile all Recusants which haue hitherto paied the statute or otherwise forfeited any thing for their recusancy to chalenge of him a ful restitution of all their damages For he is not ignorant that who vpon rash decision of a question of iustice or iniustice of an act is cause of any mans losse or hinderance is by Gods law and mans liable for the same besides the offence which hee committeh towardes God as well in the same resolution as if withall he haue therby caused the spirituall ruine of many soules which any man may perceiue whether it hath proceeded of his former rigour or no. But the truth is that these are thinges which are fitte onely to be tould or beleeued by Babes §. 3 And what maruaile if you beleeue such reportes of persons so farre off The 3. obiection of the opinion of Preistes in England wheras you are ready to beleeue the same of your Preistes at home with whom because you dare not either for the loue of your owne opinion or for the feare of the penalty of the law go forth of your dores to conferre you are easily drawne to beleeue euery flying false report For I am very credibly giuen to vnderstand that there is not one Catholike Preist in England who differeth from the rest of his brethren one only excepted of whom I heare that no good and godly person maketh any accounte at all least perhaps the ministeriall spirite of pride which must needes haue bene once in him before he was a Catholike should returning vnto his former house make the last things worse then the former especially wheras I vnderstand that the Superiours of Rhemes hearing of his doings sent word to all other Preists by one coming vnto you that they should not feede his contentiouse humour by writing against him but account him rather as a heathen and Publicane And diuerse of our countrey-men are here resolued that he will be very shortly suspended for his singuler perniciouse doctrine This also I am assured of that a certaine other Preist who in England hauing committed vnto writing some fantasticall conceites of his owne concerning this point not finding sufficient credit at home returned to Rome whence he first came with his conceited writinges there freely and voluntarily making an humble submission and reuoking his dreames burned his papers and I heare also that for desire of perfect satisfaction for his former singularity and errour he went after his returne into England to the aforesaid Preist of whose opinion before his departue he had known nothing at all and informed him very charitably of the effect of his iorney But very likely it is that he auailed litle Yet this I do vnderstand that since his returne from Rome this Preist behaued him selfe very well in England before his imprisonment for now they say here he is in Bridewell far contrary to the conceite they had of him with vs. For this I know that at Rome to hinder his returne vnto you and to preuent the returne vnto his vomitte which was feared they would haue either kept him as prisoner or proceeded with him euen so farre as the inquisition if it had not bene feared least it would haue scandalized the countreis there discouered too much vnto them the imperfections of our nation And in the low countrey he should haue bene detained by force if they could haue found of charity who would haue discharged his commons But thankes be to God he hath behaued himselfe otherwise then we looked for God grant that in prison he be the same which he was abrod It would also haue beseemed any humble spirite such as it is not like the other singuler Preist is endowed withall to haue repaired also to his Superiours if he thinke he hath any to enquire theire iudgement seeing himselfe so singuler at home Now then you are vtterly shutte off from the autority of your Preistes at home if you will not venture your soule either vpon the fancy of one who hath since becoming soberer made knowne vnto you the sober iudgements of his graue Superiours or of one who for his too much learning may perhapps haue harboured in his minde his auncient olde acquaintance And if there be any others counsaile them I pray you to keepe their doctrine secrete for feare of what may light vpon them §. 4. Now against all these autorities which you see notwithstanding how they be either rotten or coloured and painted with a counterfaite shew That going to heretikes seruice is against the autority of all learned men of our age I oppose that I may now saye nothing of auncient times in which you will deny perhappes that your estate was fully resembled I oppose I say moste true and reuerend authority of most singuler men which haue florished in our owne age and most perfectly vewed and examined our owne cause First the 12. The Councell of Trēt Fathers of the Councell of TRENT whose learned iudgement in this point is yet extant Neither ought it to be called in to suspicion because it was not generally set downe For both there are sufficient witnesses aliue for the verity therof and it was our owne suite to haue it done couertly and perhappes it was a question vnworthy of publicke discussion
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