Divine Peccatum Schismatis tendit contra vnitatem siue Ecclesiae siue Capitis formaliter The crime of Schisme tendeth against the vnitie either of the church or head formally that is as it is the church vnder that head or the head of that church And therefore if one doubt reasonably whether this particular person be the Pope or no and thereupon do not acknowledge himfully for the Pope hee incurreth not thereby the crime of Schisme no though he erre in iudgement because there wanteth the formalitie of Schisme which is this to refuse him as hee is vndoubtedly the Pope C. 27. And finally the famous Lawyer Nauar Schisma peccatum est quo quis se seperat ab vnitate Ecclesiae nolendo subesse ei vel membris eius quatenus sunt eius Schisme is a sinne whereby one seperateth himselfe from the vnitie of the Church by refusing to be vnder it or the members thereof in regard they are the members thereof So that by the iudgement of all the learned this is an vndoubted veritie That a man cannot be a schismaticke vnlesse hee haue a voluntary or entended rebellion against the Pope and the Church with this formalitie as hee is the Pope or head and the church a body or members vnder him that is in one word vnlesse he refuse to acknowledg him for his head and to communicat with the members because they be vnder him perceiue you this Gent. Yea very well Priest Hereupon it is manifest that we could not possibly be Scismaticks by our delay Gent. I see no such consequence Priest Doe you not you know that our delay to accept of the authoritie and to submit our selues to the Archpr. was not because we denied the Pope to be Pope and our head nor that we refused to obey him as our head nor for that wee would not admit the authoritie and Man said to be instituted by him formally because they were sayd to be instituted by him Vpon these respects and formalities we delaied not and yet without these we could not possibly be Schismaticks But the whole controuersie stood in this That the authoritie was inconuenient for our Church and that it was doubtful VVhether in truth the authoritie was instituted by the Pope or not This was vncertaine I say the Iesuits and Archpriest on the one side had no Bull no Breue no Apostolick letters no authenticall Instrument as is vsuall in all matters both of great lesser moment proceeding from that See and which in graunts of extraordinarie Iurisdiction and Prelacie is absolutely necessarie before any bee bound in conscience to obey them they had no such thing to shewe for proofe of that they claimed and would violently inforce vpon vs as his Ho. fact and wee on the other side partly for want of this Apostolicke VVrit and Testimonie partly vpon other great reasons had good cause to doubt that his Hol. was not acquainted with it yea the particulars of the authoritie implied in them so many and so great inconueniences that we thought it needfull to delay the acceptance thereof till his Ho. should haue better information of our Churches estate and thereupon either recall the authoritie if it were his deed or in time reforme and change it into some other more commodious to our afflicted Church So that their propounding or promulgating this authoritie being insufficient no way binding vs in conscience we bare off to receiue it because it was vncertaine and very likely not to haue bene instituted by the Pope The inconueniences also which it brought with it were no little cause of our delay and we bare not off because we refused to be subject to the Pope as Pope or head of Christs Church or to this or any superioritie he should ordaine ouer us as our supreme Pastor which yet wee must haue done before we had incurred the crime of Schisme Perceiue you now how the case standeth and how farre off we were from being Schismaticks Gent. Very well Pr. Nay further we were so free from that crime and all the least disobedience to the See Apostolicke in that delay of ours and of this neither the Iesuits nor Archpr. could be ignorant for they were priuie to our whole course and actions in that matter and they had also our owne word and hand-writing for submission in al things which were certainly notified vnto vs to be his Ho. his deed that for men of their profession learning modestie and experience to condemne vs yea in the secrecic of their owne conscience to be guiltie of schisme or the least disobedience cannot bee defended by any reason from the grieuous sinne of temeritie and rash judgment But for them by their toungs penns and practise to display and cast abroad in the world the turpitude of this infamie for crimes faigned against vs by themselues and neuer once committed in thought by vs and this also before the Church had examined and censured our case this this fact of the Iesuits Archpriest as it cannot possibly bee excused nor escape the note of vncharitable audacitie extreame crueltie in them so of necessitie must it bring woonder to all posteritie and be horrible in the sight of all honest men VVhen they vrged the admittance of the authoritie with so many threats and in so violent a manner as they did all that yeare before the comming of the Popes Breue we alwaies told them this and we deliuered it them in writing First that we admitted of whatsouer the Pope had done already or would doe in time to come in our Church Againe that wee would presently and without delay receiue the new authoritie and submit our selues vnto the Archpriest if they could shew vnto vs the Popes letters and certainely make it knowne by any Apostolicall writ or authenticall instrument that the authoritie was instituted by him Thirdly we would in fact also doe the same without the shew of any Apostolicall letter if the Archp. and two of the Iesuits would sweare vnto vs and avow it vpon their priesthood that this authority was ordained ouer vs by the Pope or that his Ho. was acquainted with euery particular thereof Againe if they refused all these wee offered further presently to obey the authoritie vpon condition they would agree with vs to send one or two of either side to Rome which might informe his Ho. of the state of all and bring vs certaine word what his will was we should doe in every thing These proceedings and offers of ours will for euer yeeld a firm and irrefragable testimonie of our sinceritie priest-like comportment and innocencie in this cause moreouer protect and keepe safe our good names from the slaunders of our aduersaries in all degrees of schisme or disobedience wherewith their ill affected minds by many sleightie shifts and deceitfull pretences so earnestly labour to staine them and to bereaue vs of our credite a treasure without which we desire not to liue on earth Gent. Made you
his good pleasure what he would haue vs to do and to bring vs word thereof Gent. These were good causes of going to Rome if these were all they deserued neither imprisonment nor banishment nor in any sort should they haue beene hardly vsed or denied audience Surely they had committed some other fault Priest None at all surely Fa. Parson feared least if they should haue had free audience they would haue detected his cunning dealing with the Pope in procuring the new authoritie with our Church in imposing it so violently vpon our Cleargie and haue finally ouerthrowne all his plots laid for oppressing our priests the aduancement of his soietie in England For this cause hauing Cardinall Caiet readie to enforme and effect whatsoeuer hee would mooue him to he maliciously informed the Pope against our priests shut vp all the wayes of audience and got them taken and committed to close prison before euer they were heard at the last banished Gent. They were brought before the Cardinall Caietane and another Cardinall in the English Colledge and then heard what they could say Pr. After seuen weekes close imprisonment they were called before them indeed their examinations taken by Fa. P. of many impertinent matters were read and after there was a shamefull slaunderous libell exhibited against them and read by M. Haddocke and M. Aray two English priests suborned by Fa. P. and readie for whatsoeuer he would bid them doe to serue his turne which yet our priests could not bee permitted to haue a copie of nor to aunswere vnto And for their maine businesse it was nothing at all to the purpose spoken of Gent. VVhy did not your priests deliuer their businesses to the Cardinals at that time Priest Because they were not called forth for that end but as malefactors to answere to whatsoeuer Fa. Par. had deuised against them And they saw neither time nor place fit to deliuer it where the iniquitie of Fa. P. so much preuailed and all justice and indifferencie was abandoned especially they perceiuing Fa. Parsons without discontenting Cardinall Caietane by so doing disposed to deride and make to seeme contemptible both the men and whatsoeuer they said in any thing that crossed his humour They asked the Cardinall if hee condemned their comming to the See Apostolicke about the affaires of their Church He said no it was lawfull VVhy then are we thus punished said they Not for your comming but because you haue thereby and by your contentions scandalized many in England And in the sentence of the Cardinals the crimes for which they were banished are specified to be neither schisme nor rebellion nor enormious disobedience to the Pope or Arch-priest but because they had had contentions in England with men of their owne order whether justly or injustly they had these contentions it is not declared that so vntrue a calumnie might goe more currant in those doubtfull speeches whereas no bad or vnjust dealings of theirs in Englād could be proued against them before those Cardinals but all matters were shuffled vp and done just as Fa. P. would haue them Gent. VVhereby it seemeth that this controuersie of yours was neuer at that time discussed or mentioned at all in Rome Pr. They there neuer had it in question or speech whether we were schismaticks or rebellious or enormiously disobedient for our bearing off to accept the authoritie before the comming of the Breue And therefore you may see by this what little truth is in the Iesuits words when they affirme that our cause was heard and sentence giuen against vs in Rome Gent. VVhy haue they tampered so much in these matters against you Pr. Oh they be Iesuits they must be stirring and the true causes are these They would not be subordinat in any manner to ordinary prelats in England as to Bishops Suffraganes c. but beare themselues the greatest sway in the gouernment of our Church and disposing of all things To exclude therefore all ordinarie prelates which were to bee chosen by voices and common consent of our cleargie they preuented vs secretly by getting an Archp. to rule ouer all except themselues This authoritie was of their owne deuising the man preferred thereto of their own election in whose gouernment also and actions they prouided that themselues should haue a principall stroke that forsooth in euery matter of importance the Archp. should haue the aduise and direction of the head Iesuit in England Thus their wils should be fulfilled without checke in all they listed to attempt or desire Now after they had by false suggestion by many wayes procured this new authoritie and brought vs all into their bondage it behooued them to hold it by violence and strong hand which they had contriued by such cunning for their owne particular without respect of conscience or charitie The end I told you of admaiorem dei gloriam which is cheefely by the aduancement of their societie salueth all odde dealings Gent. It were more time that wee proceeded to some other matter for I should vnderstand this more by reading the censure and letter you spoke of Pr. Let vs so doe what is the next The fourth Slaunder Gent. The report is all ouer That you bee aduersaries or enemies to the Iesuits which are known to be religious men of singular vertue and perfection and to whome aboue all men our nation is most bound and many things are said of your hard dealing against them Pr. I pray you let vs heare all and I shall satisfie you in euery point as well as I can Gent. I shall speake all as it commeth to my remembrance Priest Doe so but for this you haue said what ground haue they to proue vs their enemies or in what are wee their enemies say they I know some haue said and written That wee are enemies to their religious perfection Gent. I also haue heard the same of their dearest fauourites Priest This is a rash and vncharitable calumnie For no man can be an enemy to religious perfection but thereby he falleth from Gods grace For albeit no man out of vow be bound vnder mortall sinne to obserue the Euangelicall counsels yet can no Christian hate the obseruers of them or become their enemie for that respect but hee offendeth mortally thereby If therefore it be certaine that we be their enemies it is no lesse certain that the cause is not any part of religious perfection to be noted in them for otherwise should we be enemies also to the religious men of other orders as to Dominicans Franciscans Benedictines Carthusians and the rest in all the which no man except a Iesuit will denie as much religious perfection to bee found as is among the Iesuits yea we should be more enemies to all them than to Iesuits if this were the cause that mooueth vs in this case For all these haue the essentiall vows of pouertie chastitie and obedience as well as Iesuits and it is to bee supposed that they obserue
businesse causeth such admirable alteration that admit heretofore one had been reputed and shunned as a bad companion or holden for a daungerous spie and traitor by our aduersaries and their fauorites admit hee were such a one as had publickely renounced his Catholicke religion and in open court renied the Pope and authoritie of the sea Apostolicke admit hee were such a one as by his whole life had giuen monstrance of Atheisme yet his exquisit diligence his intemperate stickling his furious zeale in blazing euery where our vndeserued infamies graceth him afresh and maketh him worthy the name of a good fellow and to be reckoned by our brethren persecutors in the rank of a reasonable honest man thogh perhaps this good conceit fame must stand no longer than this peece of their vilest seruice shall endure Your selfe good Sir with all your Catholicke neighbors can witnesse with vs how hetherto wee haue concealed from you and kept secret all the matter of these contentions being most vnwilling and in troth very scrupulous though in our own iust defence to impart vnto you any little portion of the cause or controuersie the notice whereof might certainely trouble your minds and breed you scandale but could not benefit you in the smallest degree Neither the matter only was thus carefully kept from you but the parties also with whome wee had this lamentable conflict least vpon the long triall you haue had of our painefull trauels and sincere conuersation among you nothing agreeable to these slanders you might take the smallest aversion or any hard conceit against the persons of our aduersaries that beare the name of religious men and Catholicke priests But now that you are already made acquainted with this contention and with the parties also and this not by vs but by the Iesuites the Arch-priest and the double industrie of their Agents and that againe contrary to the very law of God and Nature they heape vpon vs dayly new infamies before our cause be heard or by any forme of iust triall and proceeding we bee found guiltie and convicted in the least crime of hundreds wherewith they vnconscionably charge vs. It is needfull that we repell so notable iniuries that wee stand in orderly defence of our good names and innocencie and that we let you know the truth of our cause to the end that this present disturbance of your peace and the greeuous scandale giuen throughout the realme by these contentions may redound to them or vs as either they or we shall bee found by iust examination and indifferent iudgement to haue been the authors and causers thereof And truly Sir wee would haue been vnwilling and very loath to haue defended our owne good names in any publicke manner because we could not possibly doe it without touching the imperfections of our owne deare brethren which in these hard times of persecution and in this lamentable affliction of our Church for the Catholicke faith we earnestly desire to spare and not to touch though with any reasonable losse to vs if our brethren would haue taken vp themselues in any time or haue kept any measure in afflicting vs. But you see our silence hath been so long our patience so great that thereby we haue not onely suffered much detriment in our credits and estimation throughout the realme but moreouer we haue lost many friends which through ignorance of our cause the violencie of religious men and seminarie priests with their adherents noted to run against vs are fallen from vs. This patience of ours also hath made which is the worst our aduersaries more audacious and violent in their vniust courses In all which proceedings of theirs we could neuer hope for stay or stint till they had vtterly ouerwhelmed our good names vnlesse in time we should make some lawfull resistance and encounter which though perhaps we haue vndertaken it too late yet we doubt not but in time we shall recouer some part of our losses and at the least in the iudgements of honest vertuous and indifferent persons bee freed from the infamies after they shall haue once examined and aduisedly waighed the cause on both sides without partiall and blinding affections In this onely our aduersaries haue the aduauntage of vs that they can easily couer the wrongs they doe vs with a plausible cloake and name of their religion and authoritie and with inuectiues against vs as against enemies to their order and disobedient to our owne superiours which two bad dispositions if thorow their slaunders they be once beleeued or conceiued to raigne in vs they must procure of necessitie vnto vs the auersions and hatred of all Catholicke people and honest natures VVe be Catholicke priests and albeit our carriage in Gods worke hath beene heretofore neuer so good and irreprehensible yet the very bare name or coat of religion and the very remembrance of authoritie swaieth much in mens opinions to the discredite of any that contend with religious persons and superiours although their cause bee neuer so iust and the actions of the religious or superiours bee most iniurious But yet who is he that experienced but a little in the affairs of both former and present ages can bee ignorant that the religious by too much seeking themselues may swarue from the perfection of charitie which they professe to run at and that men placed in authoritie may also transgresse the lawes of equitie in the execution of their office and then they are accustomed in the worst sort to oppresse their subiects when they most pretend iustice and in strongest manner sound forth the cries of their authoritie for better colouring therby their vniust violence And surely the abuse of authoritie is not to be feared nor suspected more at any time than when in controuersies refusing or hindering all iust all indifferent all ordinary triall by laws or comprimise they leane wholly to their authoritie and striue alone by it to ouerbeare and subdue their subiects And in like maner also the religious are then to be doubted most of sincere dealing when only by a vaine-glorious conceit or vaunt of their religious estate and perfection they iustifie themselues before the world and would beare out all they doe against their neighbours Thus farre in part we talked besides the answeres I made to euery particular report you told me of which I will here set downe and to auoid the tedious repetition of quoth you quoth I will deliuer the same vnder the names wee haue by our severall callings both of vs true Catholickes I a secular priest and you a VVor. lay Gentleman VVe began and did proceed as followeth Gent. The Iesuites with the Arch-priest and all their followers report that you and your adherents were schismatickes and rebellious to the sea Apostolicke and that still you are disobedient persons to lawfull authoritie and your superiours placed ouer you Pr. They report thus indeed but vnlesse they can prooue vs guiltie of these crimes their reports ought by all good
and to M. Doctor Bishops answer to the letter of Fa. Parson and for a firmer rocke whereon you or any may safely stay their judgement and resolue what you will adhere vnto till the contrarie be defined by gods Church to the graue censure of the Diuines of Paris For the sentence of that famous Vniuersitie doth acquit vs of schisme and sinne in our action of delay repelleth the vntrue flaunders cast against vs by our aduersaries and should cause all men of wisdome and gouernment both to temper their tongues in this case and to suspend their judgements For who is he that is wise and hath the feare of God before him that will aduenture either to condemne vs in his owne heart or to report vs in the world to be guiltie of schisme or sinne for our delay now after so many learned and famous Diuines of that Vniuersitie vpon mature deliberation and discussion of our case haue pronounced vs to be free from these objected slaunders Gent. I haue not seen as yet the reasons you speak of but I expect dayly to haue them And for the sentence of the Sorbonistes in Paris I haue seene it and me thinkes it justifieth your actions very greatly But against it I haue heard objected by your aduersaries First that the information was not truly set downe And again that their sentence is not to be respected in this case considering they be knowne aduersaries to the Iesuits and would be glad by any occasion to displeasure and discredite them Pr. VVhere they except against the censure of the Sorbonists that the case was wrongfully proposed it is a silly shift so fond childish also that euen the Iesuits owne friends are much ashamed thereof and all indifferent men hold it too too grosse and ridiculous For the case was propounded in such manifest and expresse tearmes and so truly and directly set downe that euen our aduersaries themselues can hardly find any way to make it seeme insufficient but shift haue they none at all to make it seeme vntruly deliuered And in this it is more fauorably set downe for them than for vs in that sundry of the cheefest reasons for which wee bare off to accept of that authoritie are passed ouer and omitted without any mention at all Gen. In troth me thinkes the case is very plainely and fully and with great indifferencie put downe and this shift of reprouing the information alwayes seemed to me and to many others a meere cavill or friuolous wrangling which is an vsuall thing to men that want substantiall matter to alleadge for excuse of their fault and when through lacke of humilitie they had rather stand to defend their owne errour than acknowledge it And in this case verily nothing more moued my selfe and diuers others to conceiue very well of you and your dealing in this controuersie and to feare some great defect of sinceritie in your aduersaries than the prohibition which the Iesuits and Archp. made against this censure of the Sorbonists that none should defend it no albeit it proceeded vpon true information of the cause For what other thing could men conceiue hereby but that the Archp. and Iesuits by whose aduise and direction he made and published that decree intended to suppresse the truth by their power and authoritie to beare you downe by strong hand and to ouer-rule our Church by their owne wils onely without regard of equitie reason or conscience Pr. VVhat should they doe but frame their building answerable to their foundation which they had laied at the first and make the progres of their work conformable with their beginning They had set vpon vs with great zeale and in the feruency of their spirit defamed vs of schisme they had made a most scandalous seperation from vs themselues and their adherents shunning vs in all conversation and communion as well in humane things as divine this once done what remained but to prosecute the matter with the same fervor and vehemencie of spirit as they had attempted it at the first They were in credite authoritie was on their side the world swayed with them were it right or wrong they did it should be borne out by the cloake of religion authoritie disobedience and friends And what durst a few poore disgraced priests make resistance durst they examine the actions of religious persons men of so rare perfection or mutter against the command and decrees of so extraordinarie a superiour It was not likely but in case they should giue the attempt no doubt but they should bee discredited and most seuerely punished to their eternall shame and confusion No marvell therefore if with this aduauntage and vpon this hope they were so earnest and so bold as to prohibite in that sort the defence of that sentence albeit the case were rightly propounded vnto these learned men Gent. Supposing the information to haue beene true the prohibition must of necessity be very grosse and farre out of square For besides that in the judgement of wise men it were to patronise erronious doctrine and bolster vp injurious dealing in them that vntruly defamed you of schisme it toucheth also the Divines of that famous Vniuersitie with no small discredit as hauing right information of the case to be men either so very ignorant and doltish that they could not judge and decide it rightly or else so void of grace and honestie that they would wittingly impugne a knowne truth Pr. So it is and certainely the second part of our aduersaries aunswere implieth a conceit of no lesse vile disposition to be in those diuines than this latter you spoke of For when they reject their censure and judge it worthie of no credit because as they say the Sorbonists are enemies to the Iesuits it implieth that they judge them to be men of that bad disposition that they will pronounce an erronious sentence contrary to their owne knowledge and conscience Gent. By my faith I thinke it implieth little lesse than so if a man may speake in plaine English Pr. Iudge you then how our aduersaries through their zeale in selfe-loue are caried headlong beyond all the limits of modestie and how they blush not to defend their erronious paradoxes with injuring any nor feare to cast disgrace vpon whosoeuer that for defence of truth shall stand in their way Gent. VVho would haue imagined that so daungerous an humour had reigned in men that pretend singular perfection in their state would be thoght mortified of their inordinat affections aboue al other either secular or religious Pr. Not I truly vnlesse too much experience had proued it so to be Gent. But the Iesuits seeme not to do any thing nor at all to intermeddle with the affaires of you seminarie priests but they referre all to the Arch-priest and therefore not they but he and his Assistants only deserue the blame if any thing be done amisse Pr. VVould to God it were so that they were not intermeddlers for then things would not haue