the Church but the Byshoppe was there alone for no man woulde eyther come to his sight or talke with him albeit he was reported to haue vsed him self very modestlye amongst them Nay yet further then this the people of Rome hauing their true catholike byshop deposed by the Aryans and an other called Felix thruste vppon them not an heretique but a schismatique for the historie saith that he was sounde in fayth and held soundlye the relygion set downe in the counsel of Nyce yet because he was a schismatique and was content to take holy orders of the Arian Byshoppes and to communicate with them the whole people as I sayde did flye him and as the historie saieth None of the inhabytants of Rome would enter into the church so longe as hee was within Thus wee see the scrupulositie of chrystian Catholykes in those dayes and that as they thought vppon good cause for the auoyding of schysme If anye man can shewe mee a warrant since that tyme for the enlarging of our consciences now a dayes I woulde gladly see it Yow haue heard in the beginning of this reason the opinions of our forefathers in the primatiue church what a great and haynous sinne it is to breake the vnitie of the church or to disobey the same Againe it is certayne that the church telleth vs if the voyces of all the Byshops and learned men in christendome and of the supreame Pastour too bee the voyce of the church that goeing to Protestantes churches is forbidden vs what excuse then shall those men haue from obstinate schisme that notwithstanding all this will yet thinke it lawefull especially the thing being nowe in practise and so manye men suffering for the same Assuredlye â—…hey can looke for no other account to be made of them but as Christ willeth vs. If hee heare not the Churche let him bee to thee as an heathen and as a Publican The which wordes S. Austen saieth Are more grieous and terrible then if he had sayde let him be strooken with a sworde let him be consumed with the flames of fire let him bee deuoured of wylde beastes And a little while after talking of the bande wherewith the church mayâ—… binde a mans sinnes by authoritie giuen vnto her of Christe hee saieth A man is bounde more bitterlye and more infortunately by the keyes of the Churche then by any other most grâ—…uous and barde bandes albeit they were of yron or of adamant stone Leâ—… colde catholykes in Englandemarke this and not thinke they are free when they are in these bandes nor thinke they are christians when in deede they are Heathens and Publycans It is a naturall infirmitie of ours to thinke willingly to wel of our owne case and passion permitteth vs not to iudge indifferently in these matters Let vs therefore consider of other mens cases and by them conieâ—…ure of our owne If in Saint Iohn Chrisostome his time when there was an Arrian churche and a catholike Churche knowen in Constantinople and both of these churches calling people vnto them and the Emperour fauouring more the Arrians then the catholikes if I say in that case some catholikes leauing Saint Chrisostomes church should haue gone to the Arrians churches to seruice vpon obedience to the Emperour what woulde we thinke of them now would we esteeme them damned schismatikes or not If they had dyed so considering their disobedience to the Bishoppe and their perfideous betraying of Gods catholike cause in that time of tryall I thinke yes Then let vs not deceaue our selues for this is our ease nowe And if in all mens iudgementes that acte woulde haue seemed Schisme for disobeying one particular priuate Bishop and breaking from his commnnion what shall wee say for disobeying the Generall Pastour of all and breaking from his communion Of whom the noble Martyr of Christ Saint Cyprian aboue thirteen hundred yeeres agone saide thus Heresies and Schismes haue sprong of none other cause then for that men doe not obey Gods Priest and for that they do not thinke or consider that there is one onely Prieste who is iudge in Christes steede for the time Vnto whom if all the vniuersall brotherhood woulde obey in diuine functions no man woulde moue any thinge against the Colledge of Priestes neyther after the iudgement of God the suffrage of the people the Bishops consent once put downe in anye matter woulde any man dare to make himselfe a iudge of the Byshoppe and consequently of GOD nor by breaking Vnitie teare and rent the Churche of Christ. The fourth Reason THE fourth cause why a catholicke may not goe to the church saith he is because it is sinne and breaking of the vnitie of the catholick churche And then discourseth at large how perilous it is to break the Unitie of the Churche and how néedfull to kéepe it in whiche Argument hée hath all true Christians to take his parte sauing that hée séemeth to vrge this vnitie so farre that in the Churche of Christ there should bée not alone one only forme of beliefe but also One forme of seruice one forme of Sacramentes For which hée quoteth Ephes. 2. 4. If hée meane of one essentiall and substantial forme of Sacramentes and Seruice I doe willingly admitt that hée sayeth but if he speake of one external â—…orme in woordes and ceremonies as for example that which the Popishe Church doeth vse Sainte Paule neyther in the place by him noted nor anyâ—… where els teacheth that it is necessary to bée in the whole Church of Christ neyther was it in auncient times but euery Churchâ—… vsed suche forme of prayers and administration of the Sacramentes as they thought most conuenient whereof not onelie so many differing formes of Lyâ—…urgies yet extant but almost al the Auncient Writers are witnesses Neyther at this day is there in all Churches of Christ one forme of seruice and Sacramentes no not in the Popishe Churche wherein howe many diuersities of seruices there are in other places it is to be gathered by so many differing formes as were héere in Englande according to the vse of Sarum of Yorke of Rome or of Hereforde Neyther did Gregorie when hée sent Augustine into Englande to plant the fayth and religion that was at Rome thinke it expedient to bynde the Saxons to the forme of Ceremonies and seruice vsed in the Church Romayne but willed him to choose out of euery Churche what hée thought conuenient for the newe Church of the English Saxons But procéeding to shewe how grieuous the sinne of Schisme is out of Augustine our reasoner putteth vs in minde what Augustine meaneth by coÌ„municating with the vnitie of the Churche in these woords That their Communion bée with the whole body of Christes Church dispersed ouer the whole world and not with any one parte separate or els it is manifest that they are not saith he in the Catholike Churche Uerely these wordes of Saint Augustine with many other that
Protestantes Church is forbidden by the Church And because you speake of the voyce of the Supreame Pastour of the Churche except you bring the voyce of Christe your argument is to weake to condemne the Protestantes Churche For Saint Peter teacheth vs that Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Supreame Pastour of his Churche which hath no fellowes in office but that the Pope shoulde bee the generall Pastour of all whose Communion it is not lawfull to breake Hée cyteth a place out of Cyprian epi. 55. ad Cornel. Heresies and Schismes haue sprong of none other cause theÌ„ for that men do not obey Gods Prieste And for that they doe not thinke or conâ—…der y â— there is one only priest who is iudge in Christes stéede for y e time Unto whom if all the vniuersal brotherhood would obey in diuine functions no man would moue any thing against the Colleâ—…ge of priests neyther after y e iudgemeÌ„t of God the suffrage of the people y â— bishops consent once put downe in any matter would any man dare to make himselfe a Iudge of the Bishop and consequently of God nor by breaking vnitâ—…e teare or reÌ„t the Church of Christ. To this authoritie I answere that except you wil adde a fourth supposition that Cyprian speaketh of one bishoppe in all the worlde whiche hée sayeth of one bishoppe in euery Dioces it maketh as much for the Byshop of Rochester as for the Byshop of Rome For the whole argument of the Epistle declareth that hée speaketh of herelickes and scismatikes that in scisme were made byshops in his owne Church in other meâ—…s Churches and when they were of them reiected or for their crymes deposed sought approbation of the Byshop of Rome and other Prelates beyond the sea As his wordes are manifest Post ista adhuc insuper After these thinges hauing made them a false Byshop by heretikes they dare bée bolde to sayle beyond the Sea and to cary prophane letters frâ—…m Schismatiks vnto the Chayre of Peter and that principall Churche from whence the vnitie of priestood arose and not to consider that they are Romaines whose fayth is praysed by the commendation of the Apostle to whome false dealyng can haue none accesse Agayne hée saith Neque rescindere c. Neyther canne it vndoe the ordination rightly made that Basilides after his crymes detected and his conscience made bare by his owne confession trauailing to Rome deceaued our fellowe Byshoppe Stephanus dwelling farre off and being ignoraunt of the matter as it was done and of the trueth that hée shoulde ambytiously séeke to bee restored into his Bishopprick from which hée was iustly deposed c. Fynally it is worth nothing for hee falsifieth the wordes of S. Cyprian in translation Post Coepiscoporum consensum which is after the consent of the fellow Byshops which he tearmeth The Byshops consenrors once put down as though Cyprian spake stil of that one Byshoppe which is to bée obeyed in euery Church as this man sâ—…rmiseth in the whole Church The fift Reason THe fyfte reason wherefore a Catholyke maye not goe to the churche of those of the contrary relygion is for feare leaste his presence maye bee interpreted by GOD to bee consente vnto their doing and so hee bee made partaker of theyr punishement Concerning whiche wee must vnderstande that of all the enemyes that GOD hath in this worlde there is none in so heyghe displeasurâ—… with him as hee who once knoweing the trueth and beeinge receauâ—… into his house the catholike churche runneth out againe and by newe deuised doctrines vexeth and molesteth the same beeing not onely the house as I haue sayde of Christ but also his spowse nay his owne bodye Which sorte of men the scripture calleth Heretickes whose curse and reprobation in this life is more grieuous then any other sinne whatsoeuer and the damnation for the time to come more intollerable For that as S. Peter saieth It had beene better for them neuer to haue knowne the waye of righteousnesse then after they knewe it to turne backe againe And these are those men of whome Christ said that one diuell going forth in their first comming to the fayth by Baptisme hee afterwardes entred againe with seuen other diuelles worse then hym selfe and so made the ende of that man woorse then his beginning And Saint Paule geueth a maroeilous seuere iudgment vpon them when he saith That Heretickes are subuerted and doe sinne and are damned by their owne iudgementes First he saieth that they are subuerted or ouerthrowne because they are blotted out of the booke of lyfe Secondlye that their whole lyfe is sin vppon sin because they are vtterly depriued of God his grace without the which wee can do nothing but sinne Thirdly he saith they are damned by their own iudgementes either for that they chose wittingly to leaue the catholicke church out of the which they knewe there was no saluation or els because the most of them doe knowe that they doe amisse and yet for pride they will not come backe So that euery waye their case is very pitifull and lamentable This poynte the holy Fathers of the Churche doe oftentymes handle very seriously and grauelye prouing that Heretickes more offende God and are infarre worse state then any offendour els in the world and namely more then either Iew or Gentyle For the which cause they note that the new Testamente byddeth vs not to beware of Iewes and Gentiles but of Heretickes in manye places The reason is for that they are those wolues which Christ foretolde vs should come in sheepe skins which as S. Augustine saieth shall pretende to be very good sheepe and friendes to Christ and to his sheepefolde and yet with Christ his owne wordes they shall teache you to denie Christ to teare the sheepefold in peeces and to disperse the sheepe Nay they shall sleye more soules with the word then euer Tyrants did with the sword Againe S. Austine proueth at large in aâ—… other place that Heretickes are those Antichristes of whome S. Iohn spake when he saide That many Antichristes are now gone out Meaning of Simon Magus Cerinthus and other Heretikes of his â—…yme Of which Antichristes hee saieth that S. Paule did pronounce that terrible saying that they were The men of sinne the Children of destruction As who would say that albeit all other noughtie men were in wrapped with the guilte of sinne and of their owne destruction yet those men aboue all others for their eminente wickedâ—…es were properly to be called the men of sin in respecte of their heynous sinne of slayeing of soules and the heauy sentence abyding them for the same they were peculiarlye to bee called the children of perdition and damnation This therefore being so that the deepe displeasure of God and his heauye hande hangeth moreouer the heades of Heretickes and Schismatickes then ouer any other people in the worlde it is no small daunger for
A briefe Confutation of a Popish Discourse Lately set forth and presumptuou sly dedicated to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie by Iohn Howlet or some other Birde of the night vnder that name Contayning certaine Reasons why Papistes refuse to come to Church which Reasons are here inserted and set downe at large with their seuerall answeres By D. Fulke Maister of Penbroke Hall in Cambridge Seene and allowed ¶ At London printed for George Byshop 1581. Abriefe conâ—…tation of a Popish discourse THe Papistes by long experience beeing learned howe litle is gained to their part by writing such Treatises in which they tooke vpon them either to iustifie their owne errours or to condemne the truth of Gods Church haue now of late taken an other course and begun an other way of writing which they haue thought more meete both to couer the infirmitie of their cause and to reteine such as they haue seduced in obstinacie of errour For not abiding to proue either that they are in the right or wee in the wrong they content them selues generally to inueigh against Schisme and Heresie to shew foorth the daunger of both in which argument while they conteine them selues they yeeld many good and substantiall reasons as is not hard for them to do which take a good cause in hande But when they come to couple this argument of Schisme or Heresie either by affirmation vnto vs or by denial vnto them selues without which there can no conclusion be made of the whole cause in controuersie they bring nothing but a stale vnlearned and miserable beggerie of the whole matter in question namely that they are the Catholikes we the Schismatikes they are the Church and wee the Heresie Such is the whole drift of Gregorie Martinus vaine Treatise of Schisme such is the scope of Hides seditious Epistle Consolatorie vnto Papistes and the same is the policie of this blasphemous and traiterous discourse coÌ„teining the coulorable reasons made for the Papistes that refuse to go to Church The full and large aunswere vnto which infamous Libell presumed to be dedicated euen to her most excellent Maiestie with the confutation of the same Epistle Dedicatorie because it requireth larger time and is to be expected from a man of singular learning and diligence assoone as it may bee done conueniently I haue thought good in the meane time briefly to set forth vnto the ignorant for no man of meane knowledge can be deceiued by such petition of priâ—…ciples the vanitie vnsufficiencie of al these â—…ne reasons that neither any one of them nor they al together can be any excuse much lesse a defense for these obstinate Recusantes to withdraw their obedience from God her Maiesties most godly lawes decreed for going to Church The answere of a vertuous and learned man to a Gentleman in Englande touching the late im prisonment of Catholikes there THE VEW of your late Letters my deare and woorshipfull friende brought vnto mee soâ—…e sorowe and muche comforte The sorowe proceeded of the wofull and afflicted case of my poore countrie so pitifully set downe by your penne vnto mine eye wherein as you write so many great Gentlemen of woorship are imprisoned for their conscience and religion of late so many good houses broken vp so many hoâ—…sholders dispersed and fled away so many young Gentlemen and seruantes vnprouided so many poore people destitute so many wiues disioyned from their husbands so many children berefâ—… of their parentes such flying such running suche shutting vp in prisons suche pitiful abiding hâ—…ger thirst and colde in prison as you describe doleful for vs to heare heere but more ruful for you to bâ—…old there and al this for different opinions in religion a miserie not accustomed to fall in our fathers dayes vpon that noble realme But as these were causes of some sorowe so was it no meane comfort vnto me to consider that in these wicked and loose times of ours wherein there is no feeling or sence of vertue left but al men enwrapped in the loue of Gods professed enemie the worlde folowing with al force and ful â—…yle the vanities and ambition of the same that there shoulde bee founde in Englande so many Gentlemen both for their yeares liuinges and other habilities as fit to be as vaine as the rest yet so precise in matters of religion and so respectiue to their consciences as that they wil preferre their soule before their bodie and Gods cause before their owne ease nay that they wil rather venture both bodie and goods life landes libertie and al then they wil doe any thing contrarie to their consciences whereby they must bee iudged at the last day This is suche a thing as it must needes bring comfort to al men and can iustly greeue none except the common enemy the Deuil him selfe For as for â—…raungers they must â—…eedes be edefied therewith as for Englishmen they must needes be incouraged thereby And as for the Princesse her selfe shee cannot but bee comforted therein assuring her selfe that if these men doe sticke so firmely vnto their consciences and fayth sworne vnto God in their oâ—… of Baptisme then wil they as firmely for the same conscience sticke vnto her Maiestie if occasion should serue in keeping their secondary faith and allegeance sworne vnto her Highnesse as to the substitute of GOD. Their aduersaries also and persecutors it can not in any reason mislike for that the contrarie religion were to haue them as constant and faithful in that if it were possible to win them to the same But notwithstanding seeing you wryte that there is both great dislike and displeasure also taken of it as though their constancie were obstinacy and their conscience meere wil which most of al greeueth as you write their obedient and wel meaning mindes albeeit otherwise the pressure it selfe bee so heaâ—… as the burthen thereof is sore and greeuous to beare for these causes and for the giuing of some more light to the whole matter I wil as you seeme to desire most briefly touch three things in this letter whereby I doubt not but that you shal account your selfe fully and sufficiently answered â—… The first point shalbe what cause or reason the Catholikes haue to stande as they doe in the refusall of thinges offered them and especially of going to the Church Secondly what way or meanes they may vse to remedie or ease them selues of this affliction now layde vpon them for their consciences Thirdly if that way or meanes doe not preuayle then howe they ought to beare and indure the same BEfore the nyne reasons is premised an answere to a Letter as is pretended of a gentleman in England touching the late imprisoÌ„meÌ„t of Catholiks there the coÌ„tents wherof are these First a great sorrow coÌ„ceiued in this answerer for that pitifull descriptioÌ„ of EnglaÌ„d coÌ„teined in the gentlemans letter wherin was writteÌ„ that so many great Gentlemen of worship were prisoned for their consciences religion of
time abidden imprisonment and nowe in greater number do for this only thing in the sight knowledge not only of Englande but also of al Christendome and of the enemies of the same in the worlde besides doeth make this abstaining from churche to bee a proper and peculiar signe of a true catholike nowe if it were not before and the yeelding in the same especially if a man be called to publike trial about it to be a flat and â—…uident denying of God and of his fayth For what doeth make a thing to be a proper and peculiar signe but the iudgement and opinion of men The bush of the Tauerne is a signe of wine because mâ—…n commonly take it so In like maner the yeaâ—…ow bonet of a Iew the yealow torbant of a Turke and the like Euen so seeing the whole world at this day doeth take the absteming from Protestantes Churches to bee the only external signe of a true catholike and seeing the Protestantes them selues doâ—… make it so also seeing that the going to Church is the contrarie signe it followeth that if going to church were of it selfe before lawful it were now made by this a peculier signe distinctiue betwixt religion and religion and so vtterly vnlawful I wil put an example of the Primatiue church wherein the wearing of a garland was lawful for al souldiers vntil the Emperours and the common opinion of men had abridged it onely to infidel souldâ—…ers to distinguish them thereby in honour from christian souldiers And then after that as Tertullian prooâ—…eth it was no longer lawful for christian souldiers to weare them for that the wearing therof was a denial of the christian fayth Wherevppon wee reade that a certaine christian souldieâ—… offered him selfe rather to suffer death then to weare one of them as appeareth in the same booke of Tertullian But now much more is the thing vnlawfull in our case For that the going to the Protestantes churches which is a catholike must presume to be heretical was neuer a thing of it selfe lawful as I wil hereafter proue which the wearing of a garland was and therfore much lesse now to be tollerated seeing besides this it is also made a signe distinctiue as I haue alreadie prooued The third reason THe third reason is not vnlike his brethren that went before which all holde of a necessarie supposition or els they inforce no necessarie conclusion This third reason is for that going or not going to the Church is made a signe nowe in Englande and a distinctiue note betwixt religion and religion betwixt a Catholicke and a schismatike as the wearing of a yellow Cappe is the marke of a Iewe in Italy I yéeld it is so and therfore going to Church is the externall note of a Catholike not going to Church is the marke of a Schismatike Heretike But what go I about to breake the adamantine necessitie of the former supposition Then let it stand and sée howe it is fastened to the cause in controuersie That the going to Church is the playne and apparant signe of a Schismatike that is to say of a conformable man as they call him to the Protestantes proceedinges it is manifestly to bee prooued In déede it is necessarie to bée prooued if you will haue the argument of auoiding the distinct marke of Schismatikes to agrée with Protestantes Howe then doe you proue it First by the commandement and exaction of the same for going to Church In déed this proueth the meaning of the coÌ„manders to be y â— they woulde haue all true Christians whoÌ„ you call the Protestants to bée discerned from heretikes and schismatikes by this marke But that all Protestants are heereby proued to bée schismatikes it is as farre of as euer it was and as néere as euer it shalbe But the reason of exaction mightily doeth prooue it For when a Catholike doeth come before the Commissioners there is nothing asked of him but when hee was at Churche and if hee will promise to goe to Churche commonly they account him a sufficient conformable man that is to haue yeelded sufficiently vnto them It were I gesse hard to proue that euery Papist which commeth before the Commissioners is examined of that one Article of comming to Churche And if it were graunted that to bée one question which is asked of him when hee was at Churche yet that nothing els is asked of any that commeth before them I thinke there is no man will beléeue you though you woulde swere it And if some of whose conformitie there is hope by promising to goe to the Churche where they may bée instructed are for a season vrged no further yet that they are commonly accounted to bée conformable men and thought to haue yéelded sufficiently vntoo the Commissioners I dare say neither the Commissioners who best know their owne thoughts wil acknowledge so much and their contrary practise is often séene in many and you your selfe complaine of it that they exact of many to communicate to take the oth whiche is more then onely going to Churche But the long imprisonment of many doeth make this absteining from the Church to bée a proper and peculiar signe of a true Catholike No verily but of an obstinate herctike For not y â— imprisonment but the cause for which they suffer must argue them to bée true Catholikes whiche cause séeing it is lefte without defence or proofe sauâ—… only a poore naked and beggerly supposition to stande vpon it followeth not that going to Churche is the note of a Schismatike but not going to Churche rather argueth a Schistike or an Heretike The fourth Reason THE fourth cause why a Catholike may not goe to the Churche is because it is Schisme and breaking of the vnitie of the Catholicke Churche the which howe perrillous and dreadsul a thing it is all catholikes doe sufficiently knowe For as they firmely beleeue that to oppugne the visible knowne Churche of Christe as all Heretikes tontinually doe is a verie wicked and damnable sinne Euen so in like manner they beleeue that to breake the vnitie of the same Churche and to make any rent or disuion in the same whiche is the proper faulte of schismatikes is also damnable For the whiche cause Saint Paule doeth so diligently request the Corinthians too auoide Schismes saying beseeche you brethren by the name of our Lorde Iesus Christe that you al say one thing and that there bee no schismes amongest you And to the Ephesians Bee you careful to keâ—…pe vnitâ—…e of spirite in the bonde of peace The which vnitie Christe himselfe expresseth more particularly and more distinctly when hee requesteth of his Father That his Christians might bee one as he and his father were one that is to say that as hee and his father did agree in al their actions and whatsoeuer the one did the other also did So in his church there shoulde bee one only forme of beliefe one fourme of seruice
howling of Woolues the bellowing noise of mad bullockes The reason whereof is that which the scholler of the Apostles S Ignatius saieth No man can cal him good or say he doth wel that doth mingle euil with good Wherefore S. Augustine saieth of the Donatistes Schismatikes and Heretikes of his time that albeit they did sounde out Alleluia with as lustie a voice as the Catholikes did in many thinges els did agree in seruice with them more then nowe the Protestantes doe with vs yet their seruice was impious and auailed them nothing And a litle af◅er vpon the woordes of God vttered by the Prophet saying In many things they were with me c. S. Austen saith thus God graunteth that Heretikes in many things are with him as in Sacraments ceremonies and the like But yet for all that they are not with me saieth God in all thinges For in that they are in schisme they are not with mee in that they are in heresie they are not with mee and therefore for these fewe thinges in the whiche they are not with mee those other many thinges in the which they are with me shal profit them nothing To come neerer to our purpose their owne Apostle and second Elias as they cal him Luther condemneth al their whole seruice for the denying only of the real presence saying The Sacramentaries do in vaine beleeue in God the Father in God the Sonne and in the holy Ghost and in Christ our Sauiour all this doth auayle them nothing seeing they do deny this one Article as false of the real presence Where as Christ doth say This is my bodie Loe here this Prophet with the same spirite wherewith he condemneth the Popes hee condemneth the Protestantes why should we bel◅ue him more in the one then in the other But now to shew wherein the Protestantes seruice is euil it were sufficient to say that it is deuised of them selues and altogether different frō al the seruice of christendome besides and therfore not to be receiued by catholikes with whom they deale too childishly when they say their seruice differeth in nothing from the old catholikes seruice but only because it is in English thereby thinking to make the simple people to haue the lesse scruple to come to it The which how false it is it shal appeare by that which I wil say hereafter I might also bring the opinion of al the hotter sort of Protestants called the Puritaines who in writing sermons and priuate speech doe vtterly condemne the seruice which now Protestants haue and therevpon doe refraine from it as much as catholikes But I wil giue more particular reasons as foloweth First the scripture is read there in false shamelesse translations conteining manifest and wilful corruptions to drawe it to their owne purposes as hath bin shewed in particular by many learned men in their works and is like to be shortly more plainly by the grace of God As for example throughout the scripture where Idoles are forbidden they translate it Images as in Saint Iohn they reade Children keepe your selues from Images Whereas the Scripture sayeth Idoles and this is to make simple men beleeue that Idoles Images are al one which is absurd For then where Moses sayeth That God made man according to his owne Image Wee should consequently say God made man according to his owne Idole Againe where in contrarie maner S. Paule sayeth That a couetous man maketh his money his Idole We should say that he maketh it his image The which howe foolish it is euery man seeth and it can not stande with any sence of the Scripture The like absurde translations they haue in infinite other thinges which I cannot stand to rehearse Let some man reade the latter ende of the xii Chapter of the second booke of the Machabies where he shal see what labour their English translator taketh to shift ouer the words of the scripture which talk of oblatiōs prayers for the dead and by that one place let euerie man iudge of his fidelitie in the rest For I am sure that if a Boye shoulde so corrupt Tullies Epistles in translating them in a Grammer Schoole he should be breeched for his labour The scripture therefore being read there in false translations it must needes seeme to be false which is blasphemie against the holy Ghost the inditer of them So that by this it appeareth that that part of their seruice which they pretend to be scripture is no scripture because it is by the malice of the interpretor false the which scripture can not be Secondly the seruice that Christians ought only to goe to shoulde be saide as also the Sacraments administred by Priestes and such as haue receiued the Sacrament of holy orders as al the general Councels fathers of the Church shew vnto vs. And S. Paul when he saith That no man may take vnto him this honour but he that is called as Aaron was Wherefore the same Paul aduiseth the Bishop Timothie not to giue this dignitie vnto any man but vpon great consideration saying Do not lay thy hands rashly vpon any man But now that either al or the most part of Ministers of England be meere laye men no Priestes and consequently haue no authoritie in these thinges it is euident for many causes as wel for that they haue not receiued the vnder Orders which they should haue done before Priesthood as appeareth by the auncient Councel of Carthage wherin S. Augusten was himself by al the Fathers both before since as also because they are not ordained by such a Bishop Priest as the catholike church hath put in that authoritie which admitteth no man for Bishop which is not ordeined by imposition of three or twoo catholike Bishops handes at the least Of al which thinges none are to be founde amongest the Protestantes Thirdly their seruice is nought because they haue diuers false and blasphemous thinges therein and that which is yet worse they so place those thinges as they may seeme to the simple to be verie scripture As for example In the end of a certeine Geneua Psalme They pray to GOD to keepe them from Pope Turke and Papistrie whiche is blasphemous First for ioyning the supreme Minister and substitute of Christ with the knowne and professed enemy of Christe and speaking so contumeliouslye of him of whome all antiquitie in Christ his church hath thought and spoken so reuerently calling him The high Priest of the Church The Bishop of the Vniuersal Church The Pastor of the Church The Iudge of matters of faith The repurger of heresies The examiner of all Bishops causes And finally the great Priest in obeying whom al unitie consisteth and b◅ disobeying of whom all Heresies and Schismes arise Secondly it is blasphemous for that they pray to bee deliuered from Papistrie meaning thereby the catholike and onely true religion by the
late What great imprisonment I pray you hath béene of late of so great Gentlemen as hath not béene and continued many yeares before except some intermission granted to assay to winne by clemency y â— which was not atteined by punishment But it is not hard to gesse what marke you shoote at that would haue conscience and religion to bee the only cloake to couer whatsoeuer by secrete conspiracie against the state hath beene of late attempted by some of the Popish faction whom you call Catholikes Your treasonable practises hauing not that successe you promised to your selues and to your friendes in England and Irelande you woulde nowe mooue connseration by persecution for conscience in them that deserue iustly to be suspected for conspiracie yea and them also that are maâ—…ifestly detected of trecherie And howe I pray you is the state of England made miserable that it deserueth your foolish of pitie by imprisonmeÌ„t of these Gentlemen You answere So many good houses broken vp so many young Gentlemen and seruantes vnprouided so many poore people destitute as though al housekéeping maintenance of young Gentlemen and seruants prouision of the poore people depended vpon a fewe obstinate Recusants who if they were all with God yet none of these commodities should be wanting in y â— realme And while they remaine in the worlde who forbiddeth them although they be imprisoned to kéepe good houses mainteine seruants relieue y e poore It is wel knowne how great a gaine they make of their imprisonment how glad some of them are wheÌ„ they may haue the colour of restraint but euen in their own houses that they may pretende imprisonment for not keeping of good houses mainteining of seruants relieuing of the poore But let vs heare more of this lameÌ„table description So many wiues disioyned from their husbands But how many is there or what one is there or euer hath there béen in her maiesties raign that being imprisoned for the only cause of religion might not be suffred to haue his wife resort vnto him yea to remain with him if it were both their pleasures so to liue and the wife to beare parte of her husbandes trouble If not one can bée named that can bée prooued for Howlettes slaunder of Maister Dimmockes wyfe hath béene openly confuted there is no colour in the nexte complainte Of so many children berefte of their parentes whose Parentes are liuing and at libertie to prouide for them in all honest and duetifull manner As for the flying running dispersing shutting vp c. It is so great as hardly can bée séene in any place worth the noting and least able to make a pitifull description of the floorishing estate of Englande which God of his mercy long continue that enuy of all her aduersaries may breake her bowels with griefe to beholde it But who can abide that slaunderous complaint of such pitifull abiding hunger thirst and colde in prison described by the supposed Gentleman repeated by this reason maker to bee a miserie not accustomed to fall in our fathers dayes vpon that noble Realme and all for different opinions in religion You haue beene a great and long straunger from this noble realme that haue not knowne in your own daies if you bee of any yeeres méete to make argumentes for all Catholikes or in your Fathers dayes of what yeeres soeuer you be that you haue not hearde of greater miserie then hunger thirste and colde in prison susteined accustomed to be laid vpon Englishmen professours of the trueth by Papists mainteiners of heresie and all for difference of opinions in religion But I woulde I might reason a little with y â— gentleman describer because you the reporter haue deuised to colour a most destable sâ—…under by haere say and another mans description I pray you Sir in what prison what gentlemen are they that abide such pitiful hunger thirste cold how many haue pined for hunger fainted for thirst starued for cold Are not al these great gentlemeÌ„ which you say are imprisoned for their consciences at libertie to féed cherish themselues with their owne goods Or if you wil impâ—…dently expounde your saying of any poore Papists that are imprisoned for religion of whom you speake not any worde are not their friends suffered to minister vnto them al things necessarie what one person can bée named that abideth such pitiful hunger thirst cold Are you not ashamed without al colour to â—…aunder so noble a state the godly Magistrates of the same with such barbarus crueltie But to say mine opinion I think verily that no gentleman in England hath so vngentlemanlike conception w tout al shew of truth to auouch so lowd a lie But rather y â— this reason maker faineth such a letter of description whereof he himself is the authour imagining by example of his owne faction that the like tyrannie is practised in the Church of God as is vsual to the crueltie of the Papists The causes of his sorowing being thus set foorth he coÌ„meth to comfort himselfe by consideration of so many Gentlemen so precise in matmatters of religion and so respectiue of their consciences in these wickeâ—… loose â—…es where there is no feeling or sense of â—…ertue left but al men in wrapped in the loue of gods professed enemie the world folowing with al force ful saâ—…le the vanities ambition of the same Indéed sir you haue followed your shameles slaunder with full saile haue had winde at wil. What say you is there no sense or féeling of vertue left but al mâ—…n inwrapped in the loue of gods enâ—…ie except those few gentlemeÌ„ â—…he matter of your rare comfort In your familiâ—…r letters we must suppose you write as you thinke and as to your â—…éere worshipfull friende wherfore whatsoeuer you do in coÌ„mon writings professe of your reuereÌ„t opinioÌ„ of her maiesties singuler vertues other of high estate that are vnder her executers of her ChristiaÌ„ lawes al is but dissimulatioÌ„ hypocrisie fained glosing 〈◊〉 flatterie For you acknowledge not only no vertue but not so much as any féeling or sense ofvertue to be left in any other then those gentlemeÌ„ recusants al other men not allured nor intaÌ„gled but inwrapped in the loue euen of gods professed enimie the worlde not seduced and drawen thereby but folowing and that not slowly but with al force and full saile the vanities and ambition of the same If this were true it would make a more miserable estate of England then you before imagined by imprisonment of a few good houss kéepers And I woulde hartily wish that you â—…alfly say of all might not be verified of some But that there is no sense or féeling of vertue but al men inwrapped in the loue of gods professed enimie that in so extréeme a degrée except a smal number of obstinate wilfully blinded Papists that is more then euer could â—…e â—…tly saide almost of any Heathen or
faith sworne vnto God in their oath of baptisme Or els her highnesse must thinke great disâ—…oyaltie what speake I of disloyaltie yea open and manifest contumely in such an impudent marchant as dare be bold to assure her subiects y â— commaunding them to ioyne with her in true religion shée commaundeth them to breake their firste fayth sworn to God in baptisme and yet notwithstanding cannot but be coÌ„forted at their obstinate contempt to her most iust and godly commaundement But let the matter of the first fayth remaine in question What assurance can her maiestie haue of the kéeping of their second fayth and alleadgeance sworn to her heighnes as to y e substitut of god How many of those recusants presended for coÌ„science and kéeping of their first faith sworn to goâ—… ioined with the trayterous Earlâ—…s of Northumberland and Westmerland in open and actual rebellion against her maiesties person her crowne aâ—…d dignitie Behold the bond of assurance that her heighnes hath by their obstinate refusing to yéeld vnto her gracious and godly procéedings These be the linkes of loyalty wherby papists are so chained in obedience vnto their god y t they caÌ„not be traytors against their prince This is the recognisance of their dutie y â— they wil stick vnto her maiestie if occasioÌ„ should serue y â— so soone as any occasion is offred to shew theÌ„selues in their right collors stick not to make open war against her maiestie euen in her owne realme and their natiue countrey I hartâ—…ly beseech almightie God if it bée his will for Christes sake to illuminate their blind eyes that their heartes being truely conuerted vnto God they may bée méete instrumentes to serue the Prince Which grace if it be not his maiesties pleasure to graunt vnto them sor causes knowne to his diuine wisdome I beséech him for his mercie that her highnesse neuer haue néede or vse of their ayde who are her secréete sworn â—…imies howsoeuer they pretend an outward countenance of duetie and faythfulâ—…esse But to returne to this our discourser if Papistes could bée ashamed of any thing my thinke he should not for shâ—…me promise her maiestie assurance of their fidellitie who hauea receiued principle y â— to infidels and such as they accounte herhighnesse to be no fayth or promise of obedience it is to bée obserued And what talketh hée of a secundarie fayth sworne vnto her highnesse as though either shée or any almost in Englande were ignorant of the blasphemous bulles of Pius quintus and Gregorius 13. giuen forth against her maiestie procured by the traitours on that side the sea by which al her subiects are assured to bée discharged of all oth of obedieâ—…ce and loyaltie vnto their souereigne and the Prince her selfe with more vile tearmes then I in respecte of her honour and my duetie may expresse as méete for the basphâ—…mous mouth of Antichrist as vnworthy of her most 〈◊〉 and noble personage discharged of y â— most lawful souer eigntie which by the ordinance of Gâ—…d her most iust title by all law righ equitie doth appertaine vnto her Will they stick to her Maiestie in conscience of anyoth whose consciences the Pope hath loosed from al dutie of alleadgeance Haue not all the Papistes â—…ne sense of this matter or els where is the vnitie they brag of dâ—…th not Bristo in his 40. motiue affyrme that al the Papistes in England be duelie discharged from subiectioÌ„ and the Prince froÌ„ dominion by the souereigne autoritie of the common pastor of relygion Saith he not in the same motiue that although they be discharged of their fealtie yet they obey for common humanitie He might much more truly haue said that being in their traiterous perswasion discharged of their fealty wherinsoeuer they obey it is for feare of penaltie How can they that thinke themselues discharged of their fealty kéepe their secoÌ„d faith and aleadgeaunce â—…worne to her highnesse as to the substitute of God whome they wickedly imagine to bée discharged from dominion by the souereigne authoritie of Gods vicar in their tearme but the dauilles dearling in very déede But if the rebellion in the North the Bulles of their two last Popes Feltons execution Brisues motiues and a great many other motiues inducing her maiestie to conceiue of them as of most daungerous persons to the state were all cleane forgotten or els had neuer gone before are the attempts of Saunder in Ireland so obscure or y â— Popeâ—… standerd throwne downe so lowe or his garyson of soldiours so wholy discomfited or his forte so througly rased and made euen with the ground or Campions proude and foolish chaleng and the flocking of so many Iâ—…suits and Seminaristes as so many trompets and bellowes of sedition into England concurring with the hostile inuasion of Ireland so cléerely abolyshed that no monumentes of popish sidelitie and alleadgeance to their souereigne remaine to bée gathered or considered of them but that this new discourser dare assure her Maiestie that the disobedience of Papistes is an argument of their loyaltie their obstinacie a proofe of their fidelitie their contâ—…mpte of God and his trueth a conclusion of their alleageaunce and sworne seruice to their Prince Yet is hée so confident in defending their wilfulnesse that hée aâ—…ouceth that their aduersaries also and persecutors cannot in any reason mislike it for that the contrary relygion were to haue them as constant and faythfull in that if it were possible to winne them to the same In déede constancie if the cause bée good wherein it is deserueth great commendation but obstinacie in an euil cause as it hath nothing y â— in reasoÌ„ can moue wise men to like it so hath it not a necessarie consequence that the obstinate being once reclaymed to good religion will al waies continue constant in the same For beside experieÌ„ce in some of the recusantes who haue reuoulted from the truth once professed that constancie wherby true religioÌ„ is faithfully maintained is the gift of God and diffreth as much from obstinacie whereby an euill matter is borne out as trueth differeth from falshood and good relygion from heresie The last part of y â— answer to this preteÌ„ded letter is spent in promising to proue their obstinâ—…cie to be constancie and their wiâ—…lnes to be conscience and in 〈◊〉 his friendes desire briefly to touche three thinges The firste poynte shall bee what cause 〈◊〉 reason the Catholikes haue sayeth hee to stande as they doâ—… in the refusall of thinges offered them and especially of going to church The other two poyntes which are altogether omitted I will rehearse in the ende with a briefe coniecture of the cause why the same were giuen ouer And now to the first parte and in déede The onely matter and whole discourse of this treatise The first parte THat the Queenes most excellent maiestye the honourable Lordes of her pryuy Counsell and other the learned and wise of England may see that the refusall of going
to commit it For whereas the Tyrant did commaund him to â—…ate of the sacrifized meats and he refused the same the vnder officers of the Tyrant being mooued with vniust compassion as the scripture tearmeth it offered him secretly other fleshe not offered to Idoles and of the which hee was not forbidden by his lawe to eate meaning thereby to deliuer him and to giue out that hee had now satisfied the Prince his commaundement But the good old man considering what other men might thinke of it and what Scandale there might ensue of it answered thus as the Scripture saieth That hee would first bâ—… sent downe vnto hell before hee would doe it for saieth he it is not conuenient for our age to fayne whereby perchaunce many young men thinking that Elâ—…azarus now of ninetie yeares old hath past ouer to the life of the Gentiles may through my dissimulation be deceiued This therefore is the second point of scandale which S. Paule forbiddeth when hee saieth Keepe your selfe from all shewe of euill The third point of seandale is in respect of the enemy that is when although I doe not induce any man to sin or offend any mans conscience yet I do disedefie the enemy and do that thing wherby the enemy is scandalized and taketh an occasion to blaspheme God his trueth his cause his lawe or the like Whereof S. Paule speaketh to the Corinthians Be you without offence or scandale to the Iewes and also to the Gentiles And in an other place Giuing offence or scandale to no man to the end that our function or ministerie be not blamed thereby And this is that great scandale that Dauid being a King and a Prophet gaue to Gods enemies by his fall and for the which he was sore punished as it appeareth by the words of the scripture which are these And Dauid saide to Nathan the Prophet I haue sinned against my Lord and Nathan said to Dauid God hath taken away thy sinne but yet because thou hast made the enemies of God to blaspheme for this cause the sonne which is borne to thee shal dye the death This also is the scandale that Esdras comming out of Persia towards Ierusalem with his countrimen the Iewes was afraid to giue to the king of Persia by causing him to think basely of God as not able to helpe and defend his seruants if hee should haue asked him aide to conduct himselfe and his companie to Ierusalem for so hee saith I was ashamed to aske of the King aide and horsemen to defend vs from our enemies in the way because we had saide to the king before that the hande or defence of our God is ouer all them that seeke him in honestie that his Empire and strength and 〈◊〉 is vpon all them that forsake him Finally of this scandalement S. Paule and S. Peter also when they said that the worde of God was blasphemed or spoken euil of by the aduersarie parte for the euil life of certaine noughtie Christians Nowe that a Catholike going to the Churches seruice or prayers of them of the contrarie religion cannot but commit this great sinne of scandale in the highest degree that is in all these three pointes before rehearsed it is euident to all the worlde For touching the first point if hee bee a man of any calling his example shal induce some other as wife children friendes seruauntes or the like to doe the same And howsoeuer â—…ee scape himselfe they may bee infected and so damned and their blood layde vppon his soule but much more if hee exhort or constraine any man to doe the same as commonly many Schismatiques doe vse And touching the second point hee cannot bâ—…t offend many mens consciences for they that doe know him inwardly to bee a Catholike wil thinke him to sinne against his owne conscience and perhaps be induced to doe the like And they who knowe him not must needes presume him to goe of conscience and as a fauourer of that religion and so bee brought to like the better of that religion and the worse of the Catholike by his example And as concerning the third and last point their is no enemy of the Catholike religion in the world whether he be Gentile Turke Iewe or Heretike but that he must both thinke and speake the worst of the saide religion seeing the professors of the same are content for worldly pollicy to dissemble it and leauing their owne Churches to present them selues to the Churches of their open and professed enemies To conclude in this matter of scandale men must not flatter and deceiue them selues thinking that they walke in a net and are not seene when they giue scandale to all the worlde which fixeth his eyes vppon them if not for their owne cause yet for the religions sake God is not to be mocked The godly and learned Father Saint Ambrose did accuse Valentinian the Emperour for giuing a publike scandale to the worde because hee did but permit certaine aâ—…lters to the Gentiles saying that men would thinke that hee priuely fauoured them And his scholler Saint Augustine thinketh it a scandale if a man shoulde heare a Donatist but speake and he to holde his peace for that the hearer might thinke that if this were euill which the Donatist saieth the other woulde reproue him But if saint Ambrose had seene the Emperour to haue gone to the Panims Temples or S. Augustine the other to frequent the Donatistes Churches what then would they haue saide What excuse then would they haue receiued and this is our verie case The second reason THe second reason saith hée why a Catholike can not yeeld to go to church is because he caÌ„not go without scandale which is a sin more mentioned more forwarned more forbidden more detested more threatened in the scripture then any sinne els mentioned in the same except it be Idolatrie I will not stande to examine the comparison but certaine it is that the wilfull giuing of offence or as hée calleth it newly scandale is in scripture often and greatly detested and verie damnable and abhominable a thing well knowne to them that are wise and learned in the scriptures and therefore néeded not the one quarter of quotations and textes that are cited for it There are also diuers kindes therof and neuer a good of them all Whether it be by inducing other men to sinne by false doctrine or wicked example by offending the weake conscience of our brethreÌ„ in a thing of it selfe lawful which our reasoner setteth downe absolutely without regarde of such circumstances If I doe offende an other mans conscience in a thing of it selfe lawfull As though our sauiour Christ might be accused for neglecting the offence of the obstinate Pharisees Or whether it be by giuing occasion to the enemy to blaspheme when a man doeth wickedly which also our Aduocate of the Recusantes doeth set downe so nakedly that he woulde make
a Christian man afraid to glorifie Christ before a Iew whoÌ„ both hée is sure to offend and that hée will take occasion either in heart or mouth to blaspheme our Sauiour The third point saith hée is in respect of the enemie that is when although I doe not induce any man to sinne or offende any mans conscience yet I doe disedisie the enemy and doe that thing whereby the enemy is scandalised and taketh an occasion to blaspheme God his trueth his lawe or the like For except the thing which I doe is wicked as the adultery of Dauid which hée bringeth for an example though the enemy is scandalized as the Pharisées were at Christ and taketh an occasion to â—…aspheme God his trueth or his worde 〈◊〉 It is no 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 by mée lewdly giuen but by him wickedly taken But cleare it is that offence by no meanes may bée giuen either to the Iewes or to the Gentiles or to the Church of God But howe is the second part of the argument proued which 〈◊〉 al y â— proofe A Catholike saith he by going to Church seruice or prayers of them of the contrarie religion can not but commit this great Scandale in the highest degree that is in all those three pointes before rehearsed This is boldly saide but what is the reason to shewe that it is truely saide Touching the first pointe saieth hee If he bee a man of any calling his example shal induce some other as wife c. This is as good Logike as the necessarie supposition to prâ—…us an vniuersall proposition by a particular Euerie Catholike giueth offence because some that is of any calling induceth by his example So that hée which is a méere priuate man whose example can not induce or authoritie constraine is exempt from this point of giuing offence But why shoulde any man of what estate so euer hée is bée charged with offence giuing when the thing which hée doeth is not disprooued but by a vayne supposition to be godly and honest And touching the seconde pointe when it is not a thing indifferent but either a necessarie duetie as wée iudge or a thing altogether vnlawfull as hée holdeth to come to the Churche howe can any man bée saide touching that pointe to commit offence which is contrary to his owne determination of that point But by a marginall note hée commaundeth vs to marke the third pointe and that is this There is no enemy of the Catholike religion in the worlde whether hee bee Gentile Iewe Turke or heretike but that hee must both thinke and speake the woorse of the saide religion seeing the professours of the same are content for worldly pollicy to dissemble it and leauing their owne Churches to present them selues to the Churches of their open and professed enemies This man reasoneth altogether of necessities and impossibilities the strongest Cheynes that are to holde any reasons if they were surely linked riueted into the causes that hée would binde with them But howe prooueth hée that it is necessarie for euerie enemie of the Catholike religion in the worlde to thinke woorse of it for the dissembling of some of the professours of the same The worlde is wyde and the true Catholike religion hath many enemies that are wise which when they knowe that euery religion and their owne what euer it bée hath many dissemblers when it is persecuted will not for the onely pointe of dissembling thinke woorse of the Catholike religion then they thinke of their owne for the same cause But not withstanding the Cheyne is no better locked to the cause of all the enemies yet the offâ—…nce of dissiâ—…ulation is carefully to bée aâ—…yded in respecte of some parte of them But vntill going to the Church where the woorde of God is reade and taught the Sacrament ministred and prayers conceaued according to the 〈◊〉 of the holy scriptures can bee condemned of wickednesse there is no offence to bée feared in frequenting the same But that the goâ—…rs to Churche offende not God by hypoâ—…sie and dissimulation let them take héede of all sortes at their vttermost perrill for as you cyte it albéeit you wrongly apply it they shall finde one day that God is not mocked The third Reason THe thirde reason why a Catholike may not come to churche is for that going or not going to the church is made a signe nowe in Englande distinctiue betwixt religion and religion that is betwixt a Catholike and a Schismatike So that a catholike by going thether doeth directly denye his religion For the better vnderstanding whereof wee must note that the Professour of any religion may bee knowne by three wayes first by woordes professing him selfe to be of that religion secondly by woorkes or deedes proper to that religion thirdly by some signe or marke appointed to signifie that religion As for example In Italy a Iewe may bee knowne First by his woordes if hee woulde professe him selfe to bee of that religion Secondly by woorkes proper to Iudaysme as by keeping the Saterday holy day by circumcysing his children and the like Thirdly by a notorious signe appointed to distinguishe that religion from all others which is to weare on his head a yeallow â—…ppe Nowe as these three are wayes to professe this religion so if a man of an other religion for example a Christian should yeeld to vse any of these thinges hee should sinne greeuously and in effect deny his fayth And as for the first if hee shoulde professe him selfe to bee a Iewe it is euident that he denieth thereby his Christianitie And as for the other two waies it cannot be denied for the circumâ—…ysing of thy children and the wearing of a yeallowe cappe doeth as plainely in that countrie tel men that thou art a Iewe as if thou diddest proclaime it at the market euen as the bush at the Tauerne doore doeth tel the goers by that there is wyne to be solde within But nowe that the going to Church is in the realme of Englande a plaine and an apparant signe of a Schismatike that is to say of a conformable man as they cal him to the Protestants proceedinges it is manifestly to be proued First by the commaundement to go to Church euery Holiday to heare seruice and by the exaction of the same commaundement For that it is the commaunders meaning by that act as by a proper signe to haue men shewe them selues conformable to that religion it cannot bee denied For otherwise to what ende are they commaunded vppon suche dayes and at such a certaine time and for suche a purpose to goe thither Againe it is proued by the exaction of this lawe For wheâ—… a catholike doeth come before the Commissioners there is nothing asked of him but when hee was at church and if hee wil promisâ—… to goe to church commonly they account him a sufficient conformable man that is to haue yelded sufficiently vnto them Furthermore the multitude of them which haue of long
and is nowe at this day amongst the Iewes the greatest punyshment besides death that can be deuised For he looseth therby al offices dignities and credit whatsoeuer no man maye buye or sell with him noe man may visit him or talke with him or salute him in the streates Fynallye it is a death vppon earth a great and suffycient excuse a man would thinke to answere for a mans silence onely For I see many a one in England not onelye to conceale theyr owne consciences but also to speake againste the same for a lesse cause But what is Saynt Iohns iudgement vpon the matter for sooth hee excepteth not the excuse but condemneth them in a damnable mortal sinne agaynst the first commaundement for doing the same saying That by this silence of theirs they did put the glory of God behynde the glory of men and thereby shewed that they loued men better then God Noe doubt but to their euerlasting damnation except they hartely repented them The which I would haue those vnwise and fonde noble men and gentle men in Englande to consider which perswade both themselues and other men that in these troublesome tymes a man maye without offence keepe his conscience to him selfe but especially those that doe not onely holde their peace but also doe against theyr conscience what soeuer is commaunded them sayinge that all which is done amisse shall not belayde vpon them at the day of iudgement but vpon the Prince and the Magistrates which compell theâ—… to doe the same against their owne willes But what compulsion this is and how furre it shall excuse their doinges I haue now declared Wherefore hereafter let no man say that he goeth to church against his wil thinking therby to excuse him selfe from schisme Besides this to proue it schisme yea and that obstinate and rebellyous schisme it were sufficiente to knowe that the meaning wil and commaundement of the generall and vniuersall Catholyke Churche at this daye is that catholyke men shoulde not presente them selues to Protestantes churches or conuenticles seeing they are denounced open enemies to the aforsayd church and their relygion hath beene as orderly condeÌ„ned in the lastgeneral counsell of Trent As the doctrine of Arrius was in the first generall counsell of Nyce And albeit the councell of Trent made no perticuler decree of this matter yet is there no cause why any man shoulde take any holde thereat seeing the reason thereof was because suche a decree was needelesse for the church hauing alreadie condemned from the beginning all praying with Heretikes or repayring to their conuenticles it was sufficient for the counsell onely to condemne the Protestantes for such men without any further particular prohibiting of others to come to their churches and seruâ—…ce seeing their conuenticles being once pronounced to bee hereticall the other was to bee presupposed And this is the true meaning of the counsell whatsoeuer other saye to shadowe their imperfections Howbeit some doubt being at that time moued by certaine of the Nobilitie of England whether they might not lawfully without offence goe to church to doe some meere temporall acte as to beare the sworde before her Maiestie or the like it was debated by xij learned men there at the counselles appoyntement and determination then giuen that onlye for such a cause they might goe to church As for example if her Maiestie should appoynt certaine catholiks to meete at Poules to intreaâ—… of matters of the state and that at such time as seruice were sayd there and this was Naaman Syrus his case flatte who was permitted as most men take it for a time to goe with his Kinge and holde him vppon his shoulder when hee went to the temples of the Idolles Now that there hath beene a generall custome rule and canon of the church prohibiting to goe to the churches and conuenticles of heretikes it is plaine by the testimonie of all antiquitie The Apostles themselues in their threescore and thirde canon say thus If any man eyther of the clergie or laiâ—…e doe goe into the Synagoge of the Iewes or into conuenticles of heretiques to pray let him be deposed and excomunicated This canon of the church was exactly afterwardes kept and is mentioned very often by the Fathers and counselles by occasion of the like matter As for example when Origen was by a certaine necessitie compelled to dwell in house together with one Paule an heretique to whome there resorted often not onely heretiques but some simple Catholiques also for the fame of his excellent eloquence yet they write of Oâ—…igen That hâ—… coulde neuer be induced by any meanes to bee present at prayers where Paule was And the reason is put downe by them to be this For that Orygen euen from his youth had kept and obserued most diligently the Canon of the Church Heere wee see what account was made in those dayes of this Canon of the church Furthermore S. Dionysius Alexandrinus a learned Father talkinge of one Heraclas Byshoppe of Alexandria and scholer of the aforesayde Origen and shewing howe the saide Heraclas had excommunicated and cast out of the church certaine christians for that they were accused to haue vsed much company of a certaine heretique he addeth this sayinge This Canon and this example haue I reâ—…aued of our holy Father Heraclas The lyke obseruation of this Canon is noted in Athanasius who comming to Antioche fledde the common and publique Churches which were vsurped then by one Leontius an Arian Byshoppe and his clergye and seeking out the Catholyques that were in the citie which then by contempte were called Eustaâ—…hians because they helde of the communion of their catholike deposed Bishoppe named Eustathius as catholyques now in Englande are contemptiouslye called Papistes for holding of the communion of the Byshop of Rome and finding them out did secreetelye communicate with them as saieth the historie Conuenâ—…uin aedibus priuatis peracto That is Making their assembly or Chnrche in their priuate houses Howelyke is this case to our state now adayes in England The lyke respecte to this canon of the churche had Alexander by shoppe of Constantinople who wished rather to die then to remayne in the churche when Arius the heretique should come to the same To this canon had also respecte the people of Alexandria so much commended by Athanasius him selfe who would rather praye together by them selues in the churche yarde without coâ—…r thâ—… enter into the church to praye where George the Aryan byshoppe was The lyke consideration had also the people of Samosatum who after the depriuation of theyr vertuous and cathoâ—…ke byshop Eusebius and the thrusting into his place by the Aryans of an heretical byshop called Ennomius they would no more come at the church of whome 〈◊〉 writeth thus None of the inhabitants there poore or rich seruant or artificer husbandman or grafter man or woman younge or olde woulde come to
and the same mysterie as hee speaketh depriuing the lay people cleane of the cup of Christes blood whiche hee in expresse woordes commaundeth to hée drunke of all men And Saynt Paule by his authoritie chargeth euerye man after due examination as well to drinke of that cuppe as to eate of that breade of the Lorde woorthily As for our seruice when he bringeth any argumentes as hee promiseth to prooue that it hath no part of the Catholike seruice hee shall receiue his answere and our defence accordingly Hitherto therfore although with many whot woordes he hath concluded nothing against vs at length he commeth to answere an obiection of colde Catholikes as hee calleth them whiche are that they goe not too the Churche willingly but by constraynt of the Publike Lawes of the Realme And héere out of Aristotles Ethickes Lib. 3. The Acte of goyng to Churche is prooued voluntarye because the constraynt is conditionall eyther to doe that is commaunded or too beare that punishment that the Lawe appoynteth Where is then the sore charge agaynst them that compell men against theyr willes to sweare to goe to Churche c contayned in his Preamble before the first reason It is a greate force of cunning of one and the same matter to geue a contrary iudgement as it serueth best for your aduantage Nowe therefore you woulde haue these vnwise and fonde noble men and Gentlemen too consider I vse your owne termes that it is a badde shifte of dissemblers To say that hee goeth to churche agaynst his will thinking thereby to excuse himselfe of Schisme But beside this to proue it schisme yea and that obstinate and rebellious Schisme it were sufficient to knowe that the meaning will and commaundement of the generall and vniuersall catholike churche at this day is that catholike men shoulde not present themselues at Protestants churches UUhy Sir is not the Pope by your reede the best Interpreter of the Catholike Churches meaning And hath not hee graunted diuers dispensations for Papistes to presente themselues in Protestantes Churches But they haue beene denounced open enimies say you by the Councell of Trent as the doctrine of Arius was condemned in in the firste generall Councel of Nice Nay rather as the Homousians were in y e Councel of Ariminium in many other Councels of the East And as the doctrine of the Catholikes was in the seconde of Ephesus Nice the seconde and many other blasphemous and heretical couÌ„cels I passe ouer your slaunder of the Nobility of Englande by certaine of which you affirme that the heretical and schismaticall coÌ„uenticle of Trent was moued whether they might not lawfully without offence go to Church to do some meere temporal Acte as to beare y e swoord before her Maiesty c. Except you meane of such of the Nobility as haue openly declared their disloyalty by entring into rebellion or otherwise But as touching y e forbidding to goe to heretical churches which you labour so vehemently to proue y t you father it vpon a Cannon of the Apostles themselues which must needs be obserued Can. 63 You should haue done more wisely to haue confirmed it by theyr Canonicall writinges rather then by those Apocriphall Canons which if we should receiue theÌ„ as authentical wil prooue eueÌ„ your popish churches to be hereticall your selues to bee Heretikes because you goe against many thinges decreed in those Canons As y e you admit no married persons to the office of a priest or bishop agaynst the 6. CanoÌ„ That you forbidd any that is maymed or imperfect in body to be a bishop against the canon 77. y â— your bishops priests deacons and cleargie are often present at the celebratioÌ„ yet doe not coÌ„municate al which by the 8. Canon are excoÌ„municated But that it is not lawful to pray in the Conuenticles of heretikes it is more cleer by the Scriptures then y â— it needed to be proued by the example of Origen of Heraclas of Athanasius or anye other The example also of the people of Rome whiche refused to communicate with Felix might haue heene spared but that vnder colour of certaine wordes of Theodoret you would haue it seem as though not one of the Inhabitants of Rome was infected with Aurianisme UUheras y e matter is other wise seeing that Felix although himselfe of the Catholike religion was chosen bishop by the more part of the Clergie and people of Rome which were of the faction of the Arrians And therfore where Theodoret saith that none of the Inhabitants of Rome would enter into the church so long as Felix was within it must of necessitie be vnderstood of the Catholike Inhabitantes For that there was neuer an Arrian dwelling at Rome at such time as Constantius came thither I thinke no man but lightely acquaynted with the hystory of that time that can bee perswaded But after that Liberius himself had subscribed to the Arrians as Saint Hierom writeth and returned after hee hadde consented too Constantius the Heretike as Pope Damasus himselfe writeth by whome Pope Felix whiche was a Catholike was deposed and great persecution followed This I say declareth that neyther the head nor the body of the Churche of Rome was in that time frée from the hereâ—…e of the Arrians Insomuche that Constantius helde there a counsell with Heretiks together with Vrsutius and Valens as the same Damasus writeth and cast oâ—…t Felix oâ—…t of his Bishopricke which was a Catholike and called backe Liberius Nowe come we to the conclusion of this reason where hée gathereth by the opinions of the Forefathers how greate a sinne it is to breake the vnity of the Church or to disobey the same But not coÌ„tent with this conclusion which is true hée addeth a false position without proofe saying It is certayne that the Church telleth vs if the voyces of all the Byshops and Learned menne in Christendome and of the supreame paâ—…our to be the voyce of the church that the goyng to Protestantes churches is forbidden vs. The certeyntie of this Assertion dependeth vpon the necessitie of trueth in his first supposition But hée addeth an exception if the voyces of all the Biâ—…ops and learned men in Christendome c be the voyce of the Churche But I suppose that all the bishops in Christendome haue not giuen their voyces y â— way For none of the Bishoppes of the Protestantes would giue their voyces to condemne their owne Church And many hundreth Bishops of the Orientall Churches in Europe Africa and Asia neuer heard of the controuersie betweene the Papistes anâ—… Protestantes wherefore they coulde neuer giue their voyces to condemne them whose cause they neuer vnderstood of But let it be another supposition that there are noe bishops but such as are members of the Antichristian Church of Rome except you will adde the third necessary supposition that al learned men bee Papistes or that no Protestantes are learned men you haue not prooued that the going to the
keepe it to your selues and trouble not the state and so that you wil for obedience sake sometime come to our sâ—…agogues shewing your selues conformable men to our proceedings Nay what if they shoulde haue saide Some of you also for outward shewe keeping alwaies your consciences to your selues must flee this odious name of Christians and seeme to communicate now and then with vs in our sacrifices and ceremonies wee are content also that some of you shalbe our officers and Iustices of peace counsellours and the like so that you will sometimes for orders sake punishe some of those vndiscreete felowes of your religion which cannot be content to keepe their consciences to themselues so you wil also giue some pretie sharpe charge in your circuites sessions and assemblies alwayes keeping your consciences to your selues and if some of you also wil some times step vp into the Pulpet and speake three or foure earnest woordes against this religion it shal be verie grateful vnto vs especially if you wil affirme iâ—… with an othe which wee haue deuised for the same purpose and this doing wee assure you that you shal liue quietly to your owne consciences and we shal account you for good subiectes If I say the Magistrates of Iurie at that time should haue giuen to the Apostles and other Christians this sweete charme doe you thinke that they could haue abidden to heare it al out whose hearts did rise and swel at two woordes only that they spoke for the intreating of them to holde their peace And yet many a thousand now in Englande beeing as throughly perswaded in heart of the truth of the catholike religion as the Apostles and other Christians at that time were of theirs are content notwithstanding to heare digest admit and execute al or most part of these thinges recited contrarie to the saide religion And yet besides al this which is more to be wondred at they are not ashamed to persuade them selues that they shal one day come to that glorie wherein the Apostles nowe are But this is desperate presumption And therefore we see what a iust cause this is for a catholike to refuse to come to the churches of the contrarie religion The sixth reason THe sixt cause hée saieth why a catholike may not come to church is because he cannot come without dissimulation Therefore let the Popishe Catholike leaue his dissimulation and become a good Christian rather then to leaue the Church and become an obstinate Schismatike In this reason as in the rest certeine leaues are spent in shewing that God abhorreth dissembling and will not hold them guiltlesse which holde their peace when he is â—…ishonoured and are ashamed clearely to confesse Christ and his trueth before men c. But that the going to Protestantes Churches is a deniall of Christ a dissimulation of his truth or any such matter there is nothing at all brought to proue it But sée I pray you his â—…ditious insinuation which hée maketh in his fonde supposition which hée woulde haue to be applied to our time what if the high Priestes and Magistrates shoulde haue saide to Peter and the Astles Well wee are content that you liue with your consciences so you keepe it to your selues and trouble not the state and so that you will for obedience sake sometime come to our Synagogues shewing your selues conformable men to our proceedinges Nay what if they shoulde haue saide Some of you also for outward shewe keeping alwayes your consciences to your selues must bee this odious name of Christians and seeme to communicate nowe and then with vs in our sacrifices and ceremonies Wee are content also that some of you shalbe our Officers and Iustices of peace Councellers and the like so that you wil sometimes for order sake punishe some of those indiscreete fellowes of your religion which cannot be content to keepe their consciences to them selues so you wil also giue some pretie sharpe charge in your Circuites Sessions and assemblies alwayes keeping your consciences to your selues and if some of you also wilsometimes steppe vp into the Pulpet and speake three or foure earnest woordes against this religion It shalbee verie gratefull vnto vs especially if you wil affirme it with an oth which we haue deuised for the same purpose and this doing wee assure you that you shal liue quietly to your owne consciences and wee shal account you for good subiectes This trayterous supposition which you will vs to apply to our time and note in the Margent to be the maner of dissembling Schismatikes liuely expressed to be done by many in Englande declareth howe reuerently you thinke speake and would haue ignorant persons to conceiue of her Maiestie and the principall Officers and Magistrates of the realme that shée with them not onely exhorteth men to dissimulation false meaning and periurie but also that her Maiestie is content to haue such hypocrites and false forsworne persons to be her Officers and Iustices yea her Councellers and Prelates of the Church No meruaile if you protest of your duetifulnesse and obedience which thus villainously conceiue and write of her excellent Maiestie and call her to the reading of it which were too intollerable to be iudged of any person of wisedome and honestie of howe lowe degrée and calling soeuer hée were It is hard therefore to susteine a counterfeit person long For euen while you declayme against dissimulation you haue discouered your selfe to bee an horrible dissembler The seuenth reason THE seuenth reason why a Catholike may not yeeld to come to the Protestants churches is because the seruice which they vse is nought and dishonourable to God and therfore no man can come to it or heare it or seeme to alow of it by his presence without great offence to God Neither is it sufficient to say as coÌ„monly they vse to say to beguile simple people withall that it is the Scripture taken out of the Gospels Epistles Psalmes and the like For by that argument the Iewes seruice were good at this day which is taken out of the olde Testament and al Heretikes seruice that euer was seemed to be nothing but Scriptures For as S. Austen in diuers places noteth it was alwayes the fashion of heretikes to haue Scripture in their mouth and to cleaue only to scriptures and to refuse traditions as inuentions of men And we reade of the Arrian Heretikes howe they were wont to sing Psalmes in the streetes of Constantinople thereby to allure the people to them And yet we may not say that their seruice was good like as wee cannot say that the deuils talke was good with Christ albeit it were decked with allegation of scripture and other sweete words Although therfore their seruice be ful of scripture it is no good argument that it is therefore infallible good For as S. Ierom saith of al heretikes Whatsoeuer they speake or think that they do speak in the praise of God it is the
which all men are to be saued Thirdly becaâ—…se they sing it and make other simple men to sing it in the beginning of Sermons and otherwise as though it were scripture it selfe and one of Dauids Psalmes Fourthly albeit the Protestantes seruice had not all this euil in it as it hath yet were it nought because it hath not in it those good things which Christian seruice should haue For seruice may bee euil as well for hauing too litle as for hauing too much As the seruice of the Arrians was for singing Glorie to the Father and not singing the same to the Sonne And as if a man should recyte his Creede and leaue out one article as in effect the Protestants doe the article of discention into hell all the whole Creede were nought thereby Nowe howe many thinges doe want in the Protestantes seruice which should be in Christian seruice it were too long in euerie point to rehearse yet will I for examples sake name two or three thinges First therefore they haue left out the chiefest and highest thinges of all which is the blessed Sacrifice of Christ his Bodie and Blood appointed by Christ to bee offered vp euerie day for thankes giuing to God for obteyning of grace and auoyding of all euil and for the remission of sinnes both oâ—… quicke and dead as with one consent the Fathers of the Primatiue Church doe affirme The which sacrifice beeing away no Christian seruice can bee saide to be there For so much as for this cause were ordeined Priests neither can there any be called Priest but in respect of this sacrifice also in respect of this sacrifice were christian churches called Temples for this sacrifice were made Aulters for an Aulter is the place of sacrifice euen as an armorie is the place where armour is For this sacrifice was Priestes apparell made Vestments Sensors Frankensence and the lyke in the Primatiue Church Whereof all the Fathers Councelles and histories doe speake so much The seconde thing which the Protestantes seruice leaueth out is no lesse then sixe of the seuen sacramentes which the catholike seruice of God doeth vse for as for their communion it can bee no sacrament as they doe vse it The commoditie of which Sacraments in the church saint Augustine saieth That it is greater then can bee expressed and therefore the contempt of them is no lesse then sacriledge because saith hee that can not be contemned without impietie without the helpe of which no man câ—…n haue pietie And for this cause in an other place hee saieth That the contemners of visible Sacraments can by no meanes inuisibly be sanctified The third thing that the Protestants seruice leaueth out is all the ceremonies of the catholike church of the which the olde auncient Fathers and Councels doe say these three thinges First that that they are to bee had in great reuerence and to bee contemned of no man Secondly that they are to bee learned by tradition and that many of them are receiued by the tradition of the Apostles Lastly that they which doe either condemne despise or wilfully omyt these ceremonies are excommunicated I might heere adde many other thinges as leauing out prayers for the dead beeing as the Fathers holde one of the chiefest functions of a Priest Also for hauing their seruice in an other order and language then the vniuersall church vseth But this is sufficient For if they leaue out of their seruice both Sacrifice Sacraments and all Ecclesiasticall ceremonies I knowe not what good thing they haue left besides a fewe bare wordes of scripture euil translated and woorse applyed which they read there Seeing therefore their seruice is such it is a sufficient cause to make all catholikes to auoide it The seuenth reason HE telleth vs that the seuenth reason why a catholike may not yeelde to come to the Protestantes churches is because the seruice which they vse is nought and dishonourable to God and therfore no man can come to it or heare it or seeme to allowe of it by his presence without great offence to God Wee heare that it is nought and dishonourable to God But let vs heare the cause why it is so tearmed First it is not sufficient he saith to defend it y â— it is takeÌ„ out of the scripture the Gospels Epistles Psalmes and such like â—…or by that argument the seruice of the Iewes and Heretikes which is taken out of the Scriptures might like wise bée made good I aunsweare if the 〈◊〉 and Heretykes haue nothing in their seruice but taken out of the Scripture their seruice is not euil in the matter thereof and no more can ours be but by that only argument I confesse that our seruice cannot be proued to bée simply good although it were taken â—…uerie worde out of the Scriptures except it be good also in forme and ende that it be referred to the woorship of the onely true God in the name of Christ and vnitie of this Church as in déede it is and therefore not like the seruice of Iews and Heretikes or Schismatikes but least the Protestantes seruice should not be déemed nought throughly Luthers opinion thereof is cited out of Copes Dialoges a sufficient witnesse of so weightie a matter saying That the Sacramentaries doe in vaine beleeue in God the Father in God the Sonne in the holie Ghost and in Christ our Sauiour al this doth auaile them nothing seeing they doe denie this one article as false of the real presence whereas Christ doeth say this is my bodie Suppose that Cope citeth this saying truely out of Luther and that those whom hée calleth Sacramentaries did deny this one article of the reall presence according to the meaning of Christes wordes This is my bodie as false as though Christe were a lyar It were true that all other articles of fayth could not profite them vnto saluation But what woorde is héere to shewe Luthers opinion of the Protestantes seruice whiche might bee good although they were nought which vsed it But wheras he hath gone hetherto vpon méere suppositions nowe wée shall haue his assumption confirmed by weight of argumentes and authorities First therefore to shew that the Protestants seruice is euil he saieth it were sufficient to say That it is deuised of themselues altogether different from al the seruice of Christendom CoÌ„cerning the matter it was confessed before that it is taken out of the scriptures the Gospels Epistles Psalmes therfore not deuised by vs. Touching y e forme and ceremony thereof it hath alwaies bin frée lawful for euery particular Church to deuise whatsoeuer is most méete for edification order cumlinesse as I haue shewed before euen out of the authoritie of Gregory Bishop of Rome therefore may be different from the forme and ceremonies of all other churches in Christendom so the substance of doctrine Sacraments be the same I wil set down his wordes The interogation of Augustine Cum vna
were falne shoulde rise againe it had been a superfluous and trifling matter to pray for the dead Then considering that to them that are falne a sleepe with godlinesse there is laide vp a most goodly free rewarde holy and godly is the consideration when hee made expiation for the dead to be loosed from that sinne Now let vs sée what the Englishe Bible dedicated to king Henry differeth from this So hee gathered of euery one a certaine insomuch that hee brought together 2000. drachmes of siluer whiche hee sent vnto Ierusalem that there might a sacrifice bee offered for the misdeede In the which place hee did wel and right for he had consideration and pondering of the life that is after this time for if hee had not thought that they which were slaine did yet liue it had beene superfluous and vaine to make any vowe or sacrifice for them that were dead But forsomuche as hee sawe that they whiche die in the fauour and beleefe of God are in good rest and ioy he thought it to be good and honorable for a reconciling to doe the same for those which were slaine that the offence might bee forgiuen The difference as euery indifferent man may sée is in woordes and not in matter but it séemeth that our proude Censor hath not viewed any but the vulgar Latine translation whiche differeth muche more from the Gréeke then the later of the Englishe Bible The Englishe of whiche vulgar Latine as well as I can translat it is thus And a collection being made he sent twelue thousande drachmes of siluer to Ierusalem that a sacrifice might bee offered for the sinnes of the dead thinking wel and religiously of the resurrection For except hee had hoped that they which were fallen shoulde rise againe it might seeme superfluous and vaine to pray for the dead And because hee considered that they which with godlines had receiued sleeping haue the best grace layde vp Holye therefore and wholesome is the cogitation to entreate for the departed that they may be loosed from sinnes Although this translation séeme more pregnante and full for prayers and sacrifices to the dead yet is the same also contayned in the former translations wherfore here is no wilful corruption or false translation proued but the translation is more agréeablâ—… to the originall then that which our Censurer would haue to bée the onely Authenticall The seconde particular cause and the fourth reason is for that the seruice and sacramentes which shoulde bée sayde and administred onelye by Priestes are sayde and ministred onelye by laye men For nowe all or the most parte of the Ministers in Englande are meere lay men That the Sacramentes and publicke prayers should be said and ministred by Ministers lawefully ordayned it is a thing out of question with vs sauing that the Papists doe allowe baptisme in case of necessitie by a laye man But howe is it proued that our Ministers are all or the most parte méere laye men By two argumentes brought forsoothe though he speake of many causes First because they haue not receiued the vndeâ—… orders which they shoulde haue done before priesthoode That such vnder orders are not néedefull it is playne by the scriptures For Stephen and his felowes were not first made Lâ—…ctors dorekéepers Erorcistâ—…s Acolytâ—…S and Subdeacons but out of the whole number of the people chosen immediately to bée Deacons Paule and Barnabas in like manner ordayned by election Elders in euery Church of Lystra Iconium and Antiochia Neyther are those vnder orders prescribed in anye tâ—…xte of the scripture But the Councelles of Carthage the 4. Canon 6. and of Laodecea Canon 24. appoynte that these orders should bée receaued before priâ—…sthood as our reasoner affyrmeth in his quotation But howe truely you shall perceaue by reading the Canons That of Carthage is in these wordes Acolythusquum ordinatur c. When an Acolyte is ordayned let him be â—…avght of the Byshoppe how hee ought tâ—… doe in his office but of the Archedacon let him receaue a candlestick with a waxe candle that hee may know that he is bound to kindle the lightes of the church Also let him receaue a little cruse emptye to giue wine for the Euchariste of the blood of Christe Although this Canon with a many of the rest bee not of such antiquitie as the councell of Carthage the fourth where S. Augustine was present séeing in diuers olde copies they haue not the title of the Carthage councell but generally Statua Ecclesiae antiqua Auncient statutes of the Church yet you sée playnelye that héere is neuer a word to shewe that those vnder orders eyther were or ought to bée necesiarily receaued of euerye one that shalbe preferred to the order of Priesthoode Nowe let vs sée the other Canon of Laodicea Quid non oporteat sacro ministerio deditos c. That they which are dedicated to the holy ministerie from the Priestes vnto the Deacons and the rest of the Ecclesiasticall order that is vnto the Subdeacons Readers Singers Exorcistes and dorekeepers nor any of the number of Contayners and Monkes ought not to come in anye tauerns or common tipling houses Doeth not this Canon proue inuincâ—…blye trowe you that no man ought to bée made Priest excepte hée haue receaued these vnder orders It followeth I thinke by any logique that wheresoeuer these Officers are named there it is meant that they were all receaued by euerye one that was aduaunced to the order of Priesthoode Naye the contrary is easie to bée gathered out of the hystories that manye were ordayned Priestes which neuer had those vnder orders and that manye hauinge those vnder orders continued in them al their lyfe tyme whereas no man taketh them all at this daye in the Popishe Churche but with intente to bée promoted by them as by steppes vnto Priesthoode For in the most auncient Church where they were first vsed they were names of offices to read in the Church to kéepe Church dores from the entring of Gentiles or excommunicate persons to attende vppon the Byshop as witnesses of his conuersation and exorcists were such as had a 〈◊〉 to cast out diuels of them that were possessed the Subdeacons to serue vnder the Deacons in prouiding for the poore c. But in the Popish Church they haue none but 〈◊〉 offices about idie ceremonies and vain pageants of their Masses consecrations ordinations and such like theatricall pompes and showes The seconde cause why our Ministers are said to bée laye men is for that they are not ordayned by such a Byshop and Priest as the catholyke church hath put in that authoritie This cause dependeth altogether vppon our olde supposition that the Popishe Church is the catholyke Church which is not like to bée admitted by any but by the Papistes themselues Otherwise the true Catholike Church hath allowed the ordination of our Ministers as lawfull vntill by authoritie of the holy scriptures it can bée conuinced to bée vnlawfull The third
particular cause and fifth generall reason why our seruice is sayde to bée naught is Because they haue diuers false and blasphemous thinges therein God forbid that this saying shoulde 〈◊〉 proued true And that which is worse they so place those thinges as they may seeme to the simple to bee very scripture A wonderfull hard accusation but let vs heare the probation As for example in the ende of a certayne Geneua Psalme They praye to GOD to keepe them from Pope Turke and Papistrie which is blasphemous If it be blasphemous it is against y â— Popes triple crown or the Turkes torbaÌ„t for against God it is no blasphemie nor against his truth or any of his children But what an impudent slaunder is this that the dittie which playnely caryeth before it the name of the endighter Robert Wisdome is so placed as it may séeme to bée very scripture And is called a Geneua Psalme as though the Church of Geneua had any thing to doe with hymmes and spirituall songes vsed in the Church of England Or that the Church of England had receiued all such ditties from Geneua But the matter is taken greatly in snuffe that the Pope is ioyned with the Turke of whome al antiquitie in Christes church hath thought and spoken so reuerently calling him the high Priest of the church With many other titles which if they might all bée iustified of the auncient Prelats of Rome while they were Catholike Byshops yet they would little helpe to defend that Antichrist which now occupyeth the same place but holdeth not the same foundation of fayth and doctrine But let vs sée howe manye of these tytles were appropryed to the Byshoppe of Rome in anye time For the fyrst and chiefest is quoted Cyprian de simplicitate Praelatorum and also Chrisostome lib. 2. de sacerdotio Concerning the former treatise there is in it no worde of the Byshoppe of Rome more then of all other Byshoppes nor any such title of high Prieste giuen vnto him but contrariwise the vnitie of the Church is shewed to consist in the obedience of euery perticular Church to their own Byshop which are all made of equall authoritie and dignitie There Cyprian setteth forth the subtyltie of the diuell which vnder the name of Christe commendeth Antichriste aâ—…d shewing the cause of the deceite hee sayeth Hoc eo fit fratres dilectissimi c. This commeth hereof my most welbeloued brethren while men returne not to the beginning of trueth neyther is the head sought nor the doctrine of the heauenly maister obserued Which thinges if a man consider and examine there is no neede of large treatie or argumentes The tryall vnto trueth is easie by the compendiousnesse of trueth Our Lorde speaketh to Peter I say to thee quoth hee that thou art Peter and vppon this stone I will buylde my church and the gates of hell shall not ouercome it To thee I will giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and what thinges soeuer thou shalt loose vppon earth they shall bee loosed also in heauen And to the same man after his resurrection hee saieth feede my sheepe And although after his resurrection hee giueth equall power to all his Apostles and saieth As my Father sente mee so I also sende you receaue the holye Ghoste whose sinnes you shall forgiue they shall bee forgiuen whose sinnes you shall retayne they shall bee retayned yet that hee myght make the vnitie manifest hee disposed the original of that same vnitie by his authoritie beginning of one man Verilye the rest of the Apostles were the â—…ame thing that Peter was endued with equall felowship both of honour and of power but the beginning proceedeth from vnitie that the church might bee shewed to bee one And after a fewe lynes entreating of the vnitie of the Church hee saieth Quam vnit atem c. whiche vnitie most of all wee that rule as Byshoppes in the Churche ought to holde faste and mayntaine that wee myght proue the Byshoppes office it selfe to bee one and vndeuided Let no man deceaue the brotherhoodde with a lye Lette no man corrupte the trueth of fayth by such preuarication There is but one byshopricke or bishops office whereof a parte is helde of euery one in solidum throughly or perfectly or in the whole You sée that Cyprian saith nothing for his title but against the Antichristian authority pretended therby very much very effectuously But what saieth Chrisostome in his 2. booke de sacerdotio sounding to that purpose I finde nothing but that he admonisheth Basill that he had no iniury in being taken by sorce and made a priest séeing he was therby made equall with Peter euen as Peter excelled all the Apostles Etiam ne nunc nobiscum c. Wilte thou then still contende with vs that this fraud hath not happened wel luckely to thee Which by it art to be made ouerseer of all the goodes of God almightie especially when thou doest those thinges whiche when Peter did Christ woulde haue him to be indued with authoritie and also farre to excell the other apostles These woordes shewe that euery Priest when he doeth the same thinges which Peter did is indued with the same authoritie that Peter was and farr passeth all other men And that Peter was not simplie preferred in authority but only when he did execute his charge therfore so preferred that euerie minister in teaching and administring the sacraments hath the same authoritie and excellencie The next title pretended to be giuen to the Pope by all antiquitie is the Bishop of the vniuersal church For which is quoted Cyprian Epist. 46. that of Cyprian is no more but that certaine Confessors which had ioyned with the Nouatian Scismatikes that made an other Bishop at Rome beside Cornelius returning to the Church acknowledged that Cornelius was the right bishop of the Catholike Church and Nouatus or Nouatianus a false byshop of a scismaticall Church The wordes of their confession are these Nos inquiunt c. We say they doe know that Cornelius is set vp by God Almightie and by our Lorde Iesus Christ a bishop of the most holy Catholike church We confesse our errour We haue been circumuented being carried out of our right minde by factious loquacitie of falshood Wee seemed to haue as it were a certayne communicating with a schismaticall person but our mynde was alwaye sincere in the churche neyther are wee ignoraunte that there is one GOD and one Christe our Lorde whom we haue confessed one holye Ghoste that there ought to be but one bishop in a catholike church Meaning that in euery Catholike Churche there ought to bée but one Byshoppe at once not that there shoulde bee but one bishop of all the Catholike Church which were a monstrous absurdity The thirde title is The Pastour of the Churche for whiche is quoted Chrisostome lib. 2. de Sacer. Where I finde nothing that hath any shewe of suche a matter more then I haue alreadye declared
The fourth the Iudge of matters of faith for which is quoted Innocentius Epist. 93. apud August and Leo Epist. 84 These are both bishops of Rome and partiall witnesses to depose of theyr owne Prerogatiue shewing what they claymed and not what al antiquitie gaue vnto them The Romane Prelacie as Socrates testiâ—…e in that time although it were a thousande partes more modest then it is at this daye yet was it then passed beyonde the bondes of Priesthood into forayne Lordship And oftentimes the bishops of Rome challenged more authoritie then of other bishops would be graunted as appeareth by many decrées of the Councels in Africa agaynst appealing to the bishop of Rome and against his ambitious titles of high Prtest c. Which this reasoner sayth was giuen him by all antiquitie The fifth title is the repurger of heresies for which is quoted Sy Alex. 4. apud Athanasium But Athanasius allowed no suche title to the Romane bishoppe whom he confesseth to haue subscribed to the Arrian heresie Liberius deinde c. After Liberius had passed twoo yeeres in exile he was turned and through threates of death induced to subscription The sixth title is The examiner of al bishops causes for which is quoted Theodor. lib. 2. hist. cap. 4. UUhere there is no such matter but that Athanasius desired to haue his cause examined and tried by Iulius Bishop of Rome which when it procéeded not because his aduersaries would not appeare his cause was referred by the Empérour Constantius his commaundement to the councell of Sardica when finding no helpe in Iulius the Byshoppe he had first appealed to the Emperour Constance The last title is The great Priest in obeying whom all vnitie consisteth and by disobeying of whome all heresies and Schismes arise Cyp. Epist. 55. This place is alreadie answered to pertaine no more to the bishoppe of Rome then to any other Bishop A second cause he rendreth why our seruice is blasphemous because wee pray to be deliuered from papistrie which hee sayth is onely true religion but that hath neede of many suppositions to prooue it A third cause he yeeldeth Because they sing it and make other simple men to sing it in the beginning of sermons and otherwise as though it were scripture it selfe and one of Dauids Psalmes If men were as ignorant in the scriptures and Psaimes of Dauid as the Papists would haue them to be this pretensed cause coulde haue but smale coller seeing the title of this hymme in euery booke plainly sheweth that it is none of Dauids Psalmes and the prayer conceiued therein for the Queene and her Councell with diuers other requestes pecâ—…ier to our time and state declare manifestly that it cannot of any man that hath his fiue wittes be taken for the expresse woordes of the auncient Canonical Scripture Much lesse can it with any apparance of reason be gathered that there is any purpose in them that cause it to be song to induce any man neuer so simple into such a grosse error that he shoulde thinke the same song to be scripture it selfe or one of Dauids Psalmes The fourth reason in particuler why the Protestantes must be déemed naught is Albeit it had not all this euill in it yet because it hath not in it those good thinges which christian seruice should haue for seruice sayth he may be euill as well for hauing too little as for hauing too much as the Arrians seruice for singing glory to the father and not singing the same to the sonne As if a man should recite his Creed and leaue out one article as in effect the Protestants doe the article of discention into hell all the whole Creede were naught thereby In deede whatsoeuer is defectiue in any necessarye parte cannot bee perfectly good in the whole but that for wante of some good partes all other good partes shoulde bee naught that is a great vntrueth as also it is a senselesse â—…launder that wee leaue out in effect the Article of Christes descention intoo heâ—… for whiche hee giueth noe reason but his bare woorde He might as well say we leaue out the whole Créede because wee vnderstand it otherwise then they doe But what our seruice wanteth whiche is necessary to bee hadd hée will shewe in twoo or thrée thinges First therefore saieth hée they haue lefte out the chiefest and highest thinges of all whiche is the Blessed Sacrifice of Christe his bodye and blood appoynted by Christe too bee offered vp euery daye for thankesgeuing to GOD for obteyning of grace and auoyding of all euill and for remission of sinnes bothe of quicke and dead as with one consente the Fâ—…hers of the Primitiue Churche doe affirme That any sacrifice of Christes body blood by Christe is appoynted not onely the Apostles and Euangelists which set foorth the institutioÌ„ of the Lords supper make no mentioÌ„ but also y e Apostle to the Hebrewes plentifully sheweth that the sacrifice of Christ was but once offered found eternal redeÌ„ption y â— he offered himself but once for if he had he must haue suffered more then once séeing y â— without shedding of blood there is no remissioÌ„ of sins Neither doe the fathers of the Primitiue church wâ—…oÌ„ he quoteth affirme the coÌ„trary He beginneth w t Dionisius the counterfeite Areopagiâ—…e Hier. 3. Where beside y â— the Author beareth a wroÌ„g name being not so old as the Apostles times by 600. yéeres more yet is not this imagined sacrifice by him in such order aduouched The next of the olde writers names with whom the Margent is paynted as Ignatius Epi. ad Smirnenses which if wee should receiue for Authenticall and not counterfeited yet hath it nothing to the purpose but the name of sacrifice Proptereanon licet c. Therefore yâ—… is not lawfull without the Byshop neither to offer nor to make sacrifice nor to celebrate Masses as the Latine translation is of celebration of the communion If this were bothe a true antiquity to be obserued the Popishe seruice were not lawfull but where it is ministred by a bishopp for that also is affirmed in the same Epistle Thirdly he commeth to Iustinus dial cum Triphone A Reuerend Father indéed whose woords if hée had set downe they would not onely haue cléered our seruice of the supposed crime but also haue béen sufficient to expounde whatsoeuer in any other auncient writer is vnproperly and figuratiuely vttered in the name of sacrifice priest and Aultar c. The woordes of Iustinus are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Euen so wee whiche by the name of Iesus as all shall bee one man in GOD the maker of all things hauing put of our filthie garmentes that is our sinnes by the name of his first begotten sonne and being set on fire by the woorde of his calling are a right kinde of high priestes of GOD as God himselfe doeth witnes that in all places among the Gentiles acceptable and pure sacrifices are
may bée an error in the number for Hier. 61. contra Apostolicos hee speaketh of some thinges receiued by tradition as that it is sinne to mary after virginitie professed but of ceremonies hée saieth nothing at all As for the Tridentine councell which is next quoted I will not vouâ—…afe to answere it béeing of none antiquitie but holden within these fewe yéâ—…res by the Papistes Then followeth Cyprian epist 66. Which I know not wherfore it is alleadged for there is nothing in it for Ceremoâ—…es or the contempte of them but against the Nouasianes and anerroneous opinion of his that none can baptize but hée that hath the holy Ghost After Cyprian wée are bidden to looke in Augustine de doctrina christiana without quoting the Chapter but for what I knowe not for there are not in him rehearsed any Ceremonies which wée omit for any thing that I can finde The like I say for Cyprian sermone de oratione dominica As for Isidorus who lyued more then 600. yéeres after Christe in ceremoniall age is no méete Authour to controle our want of Ceremonies by such as were vsed in the Spanishe Church in his tyme which yet are not all the same that the Papistes vse Then solloweth the fourth Toletane councell cap. 2. Which appoynteth that there shoulde bée an vniforme order of ministration of the Sacramâ—…ntes and publike prayers in the Churches of Spayne and Gallicia because they were contayned in one fayth and kingdome What pertayneth this vnto the church of England which hath as great authority to appoynt her own Ceremonies as the church of Spayne then had for theirs The laste quotation is Bede lib. Hist. cap. 1. omytting the number of the Booke but hauing perused all the fyrste Chapters of euerye booke I finde nothing for any Ceremonies And whatsoeuer their shoulde bée founde in Beda so late a writer shoulde bee no preiudice vnto the authoritie of our Churche in this tyme. For as I shewed before that Augustine out of euery Church waâ—… willed to choose what ceremonies hee thought most conueniente so his posteritie was not bound to his choyce but as they thought good some they added some they abrogated But where hée noteth in the margent that in these Authors wée may sée 〈◊〉 what tongue seruice was in they dayes in all countryes I marâ—…ayle at his imâ—…udencie séeing neyther in anye place by him quoted except the last Tridâ—…tine counsell perhappes there is anye worde spoken touching the tongue wherein seruice was in their countries nor in all their works is there anye thing to proue the contrarye but that euerye nation had their seruice in such tongue as they vnderstoode As for the leauing out of the prayer for the dead which is in déede an errour of great antiquitie séeing hée quoteth none authoritie for the iustifying of it I will referre the Reader to other treatises that I haue written against it namelye to my confutation of Allens booke of Purgatorie and to my reioynder lately â—…ritten to Bristoes reply So that for any thing which is brought or quoted in this reason the seruice of the Protestantes is proued to bée good inough The eyght Reason THe eight reason of refusall which maye nowe bee yeleded why a Catholicke maye not come to the Protestantes churches is because by going thither hee shall loose all the benefit of his owne relygion neither shal he take any more commoditie therby then if he were not of that relygion at al. This is a verye great waightie and most sufficiente reason to bee yeelded by catholyckes in Englande to their Princes for their refusall of comming to churche and such a one as being sufficiently conceyued by her Maiestie cannot but satisfie her highnesse and greatlye drawe her to compassion of the pitifull case of so many thousandes of her louing subiects who being as I haue sayd catholickes in hearts by going to ProtestaÌ„ts churches must needs be brought either to flat athisme that is to leaue of al conscience and to care for no religion at al as manye thousanâ—… seeme to bâ—… resolued to doâ—… or els to liue in continual torment of minde and almoste desperation considering that by their going to these Churches they loose vtterlye all vse and practise of theyr owne relygion beeing helde as Schismatickes and excommunicate persons of the same and their case 〈◊〉 that if they should die in the same state they were sure to receiue no â—…rt of benefite of that religion no more then if they had been Protestants The which what a danger it is all true Christian men doe both know and feare But yet that the simpler sort may better vnderstande it and the wiser better consider of it I will in particuler repeate some of the abouesaide dommages First therefore a Catholike by going to the Protestantes Churches looseth all participation of that blessed sacrifice of the body and blood of our Sauiour appointed by the saide Sauiour as I haue shewed before to bee offered vp dayly in the oblation of the Masse for the commoditie of the whole worlde quicke and dead and for that cause as the godly and learned Saint Iohn Chrisostome saith Called the comon sacrifice of the whole worlde The which action of offering of this sacred Hoste the sonne of God to his father is of such dignitie excellencie and merite not only to the Priest but also to the standers by assisting him as al the other good works which a man can do in his life are not to be coÌ„pared with it seeing that the very angels of heaueÌ„ do come down at that time to adore after the consecration that sacred body and to offer the same vp with vs to God the Father of the whole worlde As all the holy Fathers of the Primatiue churche did both beleeue and teach Of the whiche it shall be enough at this time to alleadge one or two S. Gregorie therefore the first saieth thus What faithfull man can doubt but that in the verie houre of immolation or sacrifice the heauens doe open at the Priestes voice and that the quires of Angels bee present there in that mysterie of â—…esus Christ And Saint Chrisostome handeling the same saith At that time the time of consecration in the Masse the Angels stand by the Priest and the vniuersall orders of the celestiall powers doe crie out and the place â—…igh to the Aulter is full of quires of Angels in the honour of him who is there sacrificed And immediatelie after hee telleth two visions of holy men whose eyes were by the power of God as hee saith opened and they in those visions sawe the Angelles present at the time of consecration And in an other place hee yet more at large explicateth the same sayinge At that time deare brotâ—…er at the time of consecration and eleuation not onely men doe giue out that dreadfull crie saying wee adore thee O Lorde c. but also the Angels do bow their knees to our
Lord the Archangels do beseech him for they account that a fit time hauing that sacred oblatioÌ„ in their fauor And therfore as men are wont to moue princes the more if they beare oliue bowes in their hands because by â—…earing that kinde of wood they bring into the Princes mindes mercy gentlenes so the angels at that time holding out in their hands the very selfe same body of our Lord they do intreate for al mankind as though they saide We do intreate O Lord for the men of the world whom thou hast so loued that for their saluation thou wast content to die and in the Crosse to breath out thine owne soule For these men we make sup plication for the which thou hast giuen thy owne blood for these men we pray for the which thou hast sacrificed this body of thine If this bee so then the hearing of Masse is not only worth the venturing of an hundred marks or six monethes imprisonment but also of an hundred thousand liues if a man could loose euerie one for that cause sixe times And an hundred times miserable is that man whiche for any worldly respecte doeth depriue him selfe of so great a benefite as the participation of this sacrifice is Secondly they loose by going to church the fruite and grace of sixe sa craments as the grace of confirmation by the Bishop whereby the holy Ghost was giuen in the primatiue church as S. Luke saith and nowe 〈◊〉 our time as S. Cyprian proueth are bestowed vpon vs by the same the seuen gifts of the holy Ghost set out by Esay the Prophet in his xi chapter They loose also the grace of Priesthood so greatly commended by saint Paul to Timothie when he chargeth him so earnestly not to neglect the saide grace Also the grace of Matrimonie which S. Paul so much extolleth when hee calleth this sacrament a great sacrament Also the grace of extreeme vnction which is so great as S. Iames saith besides the healing ma ny times of the body it also remitteth the sicke mans sinnes And so in like manner the grace of the other two sacramentes of Penance and the Aulter whereof I will say a worde or two immediately All these graces they loose being cut of by their going to the Protestants churches from these sacraments which are nothing els but conduits of grace The which losse of what value it is a man may gesse by that which all diuines with on accorde doe proue that one drop of grace is more worth then all the worlde esteemed in it selfe besides Thirdly they loose by going to church al the benefiâ—…e of the keies of the church or of the authoritie of binding and loosing of sinnes graunted by Christe to the gouernours of the same churche For the explication of the which we must vnderstand that Christ hauing newly made the marriagâ—… betwixt his deare spouse himself I meane the church hauing now sealed the same with his own blood being inforced to depart froÌ„ the said new married spouse of his touching his visible presence for a time hee deuised how to shew vnto her how greatly he loued her to leaue some notable pledge and testimonie of his singuler great affectioÌ„ towards her The which he finally resolued could be by no other meanes better ex pressed then if he should leaue al his authoritie with her the whiche hee had receiued of his father which making publike proclamation to all the worlde that What soeuer she should forgiue in earth touching sinne the same should be forgiuen in heauen and what soeuer sinne the Church shoulde retaine or not forgiue in earthe the same shoulde neuer bee forgiuen in heauen And againe that with what authoritie GOD his father sent him with the same he sent her gouernours the Apostles and their successours And againe he that shoulde not heare and obey the Church should be accounted as a Heathen and Publicane By the which speeches of Christ our forefathers haue alwaies vnderstâ—…ode that Christe gaue vnto the church a visible tribunal seate in earth for the forgiuing or retaining of sinnes vnto the which al christians must resoâ—…t by submission and humble confession of their sinnes if they thinke euer to receiue forgiuenes of the same at Christ his handes in heauen For so wee reade that in the primatiue church they confessed their fins vnto the Apostles of whom S. Luke writeth thus Many of the faith full came to the Apostles confessing and reuealing their owne acts And foure hundred yeeres after that S. Austen testifieth of his time saying Doe you such penance as is wont to be doone in the Church that the Churche may pray for you Let no man say I doe it secretly I doe it with God alone God which hath to pardon me knoweth wel how that I doe repent in my heart What therfore without cause was it said to the Priests that which you loose in earth shalbe loosed in heauen therefore in vaine were the keies giuen to the Church And in an other place again more neerely touching the humour of our men now a daies he saith There are some which thinke it sufficient foe their saluation if they do confesse their sinnes only to God to whom nothing is hidden and to whoÌ„ no mans conscience is vnknowne For they will not or els they are ashamed or els they disdaine to shewe them selues vnto the Priestes whome notwithstanding GOD by Moses his Lawe giuer dyd appointe to discerne or iudge betweene Leprie and Leprie But I woulde not that thou shouldest be deceiued with that opinion in suche sort that thou shouldest either by naughtie shame or obâ—…inate 〈◊〉 refraine to confesse before the substitute or Vicegerent of our Lord. For whom our Lorde did not disdaine to make his 〈◊〉 his iudgement muste thou be content also to stand to This benefite therefore of the keyes of the churche and of receiuing remission of 〈◊〉 sinnes by the same which catholikes doe thinke to bee the greatest benefite of their religion doe they loose that goe to the Protestants churches besides all the good instructions wholesome counsels and vertuous admonitions which catholikes doe receiue in confession at their ghostâ—…y Fathers hands then the which things they finde nothiâ—…g more forcible to bring them to good life especially if they frequent it often as al zelous catholikes in the worlde now doe Fourthly they loose the infinit benefite of receiuing the blessed sacrament of the Aulter the precious body and blood of Christ beeing the foode of our soules and as Christ saith The bread that came downe from heauen to giue life vnto the worlde To the worthie eating of which heauenly bread Christe promiseth infinite reward saying He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath life euer lasting and I will raise him againe at the last day And againe He that eatetb me shall liue through me Vpon which promises of
shewes by which the veritie of the Gospel is hidden the word of God despised or by which the ignorant and infidel is confirmed in his error or by which the weake is offended are not of Cod but of Sathan altogether contrary vnto the trueth of the word Therefore we must not halt of both sides but go vprightly before that great God which seeth beholdeth and knoweth all thinges euen before they are begunne Loe heere We see the sentence of their Doctours to the contrary who presse vs so muche to goe to their Churches against our consciences Iferrour finde such zeale what zeale ought trueth to haue If these fellowes each of them for the defence of their priuate fond fancies be content most williâ—…gly to aduenture any danger or extremitie whatsoeuer rather then to come to the true catholike churche wherein they were borne and to the which in Baptisme they swore obedience why should suche blame be laide vpon vs for standing in defence of our consciences and for refusing to go to their churches wherin we were neither borne nor bread vp nor euer perswaded that they had any trueth or holinesse in them This reason only may suffice any reasonableman especially the Protestant except hee will mislike with his owne doctrine whiche condemneth mee of hypocrisie dissimulation and renouncing of Christe and his Gospel If I present but my only body to the churches of them whose Religion I am not persuaded to be true The which saying of his in a sense hath good reason albeit the workes and meaning 〈◊〉 wicked For if there bee no man either so foolish or impious in the worlde but muste needes thinke that one only religion amongst christians is true and al other false And if euery man which hath any religion and is resolued therein must needes presuppose this only trueth to bee in his owne religion then â—…t followeth necessarily that hee must likewise persuade himselfe that all other religions besides his owne are false and erronious and consequently aâ—…l assemblies conuenticles and publike actes of the same to bee wicked damnable dishonourable to God contumelious to Christe and therfore to his conscience which thinketh so detestable Now then suppose the case thus I know in Eâ—…gland certaine places where at certaine times dayes assemblies are made by certaine men in shew to honour and commend but in my conceit to dishonor dispraise and impugne the maiestie of my moste dread Soueraigne Ladie the Queene And I am inuited thither to heare the fame by my parents kinsmen and acquaintance nay I am inforced thither by the greatest authoritie that vnder her Maiestie may coÌ„maunde mee Tell mee nowe If I should goe thither vnder any pretence whatsoeuer of gratifying my friends or by coÌ„mandemeÌ„t of any her inferiour powers can her Maiestie take it well or account of mee better then of a tratierous catiue for yeelding my selfe to stay there to heare them to countenance their doings with my presence to holde my peace when they speake euill of her to hold my hands whiles they slaunder her and finally to say nothing whiles they induce other men to forsake her and her cause And if her Maiestie or any other prince in the worlde could not beare at their subiectes handes any such dissimulation trecherie or treason howe much lesse shal the omnipotent Maiestie of God who requireth and deserueth muche more exact seruice at our handes beare this dissimulation and traiterous dealing of ours if we be content for temporall respectes and for satisfaction of any mortall power lesse then himself to present our selues to such places and assemblies where we shal heare his Maiestie dishonoured his sonne slaundered his worde falsified his churche impugned his Saints and Martyrs discredited his Bishoppes and Pastours reuiled and al the whole Ecclesiastical Ierarchie rent broken disseuered and turned vpside downe and his people purchased with his blood and dearer vnto him then his owne life excited and stirred vpp against him and his Ministers and by sweete wordes and gay benedictions flocked away to the slaughter house of heresie What noble man is there in the worlde whiche coulde take it well if hee shoulde see his friende and muche more his sonne in the companie of his professed enimie at such time principally as he knoweth that his enimie abuseth him in speeche and seeketh most his discredite and dishonour but especially if hee shoulde see him come in open assemblie of the worlde to the barre against him in companie with his aduersarie when his saide aduersarie commeth of set purpose to deface him as Heretikes doe to their Churches and Pulpettes to dishonour GOD I thinke I say hee coulde hardly beare it And shal suche disdaine be taken by a mortal man for a little iniurie and discurtesie shewed and shal not the iustice of God be reuenged vpon our treacherie and dissimulation in his cause If I giue my seruant but fortie shillinges a yeere yet I thinke him bounde to defende mee in al points causes to bee friend to my friends enimie to my aduersaries to vpholde my credite mainteine my honour to resist my detractours and to reuenge himselfe vpon my euil willers and if hee can bee content to holde his peace hearing mee spoken of and to put vp my slaunder without opening his mouth I wil account him vnworthie to weare my cloth howe muche more inexcusable shall we be at the dreadful day of iudgement if wee receiuing at our Lorde and maisters handes such extraordinarie pay for our seruice in this life and expecting further and aboue this al that himselfe is worth for the eternitie of the life to come his kingdome his glory and his euerlasting ioy with his riches and treasures vnspeakeable which neither eare euer heard nor eye saw nor heart of man coÌ„ceiued how great they are how 〈◊〉 I say shal wee bee at that terrible rekoning day and howe confounded by the examples of seruantes in this life so zealous for their maisters vppon so smal wages if wee notwithstanding al our rewardes both present and to come shalbe yet key cold in our maister his seruice present at his iniuries and silent at his slaunders Neither sufficeth it to say that these suppositions are false and that there are not such things committed against God at the Protestants chur ches and seruices for howesoeuer that bee whereof I dispute not now yet I being in my hearte of an other religion must needes thinke not onely them but also all other religions whatsoeuer to commit the same as I knowe they doe also thinke of mine Wherefore howe good and holy soeuer they were yea if they were Angels yet shoulde I bee condemned for going amongst them for that in my sight iudgement and conscience by which only I must bee iudged they must needes seeme enimies to God being of the contrarie religion By this it may appeare howe greuously they sinne dayly in Englande and cause other
to sinne with them which compelmen by terror to doe acts of religion against their consciences as to take othes receiue sacraments goe to Churches and the like which being doone as I haue saide with repugnant consciences is horrible mortal sinne as hath beene already proued and consequently dam nable both to the doers and to the enforcers therof The which I beseech God to giue his grace both to the one and the other part duetifully to consider that either these may leaue of to inforce or those learne to sustain as they ought their inforcement And thus nowe wee may see what great and waightie reasons the Catholikes haue to lay for their refusall of comming to the Churches of Protestants The which if they were wel conceiued by the Prince magistrates it is not likely that they woulde presse them to the yeelding too suche inconueniences against the health of their owne soules but if they shoulde yet ought the other to beare any pressure whatsoeuer rather thē to sal into far◅e worse dangers And of this that I haue said heere before there may be gathered these conclusions folowing not vnnecessarie to be noted for better perspicuities sake to the vnlearned First it foloweth of the premises that this going to the Protestantes churches is forbidden not onely by the possitiue lawes of the church dispensable by the Churche againe but also by Gods lawe and the lawe of nature as the cōsideration of most of the reasons doth declare For albeit it be prohibited by the churche yet not onely by the church seeing that a thing may be prohibited by the canons of the churche for more plaine explicatiōs sake which was forbiddē before by the law both of nature of God also as Adulterie Violence Simonie and the like Euen so albeit going to hereticall assemblies be prohibited by the church yet because it hath in it or necessarily annexed to it diuers thinges which are prohibited by the lawe of God and nature as perill of infection Scandale deniyng of our faith when it is made a signe distinctiue or commaundement dissēbling in gods cause honoring gods enimies dishonoring the catholik church and the like therefore the whole acte of going to church is saide to be prohibited also ◅ure diuino naturali That is by the law of God nature And heereof it foloweth that no power vpō earth can dispence with the same Wherefore that which hath been giuen out as is saide by some great men that the Pope by his letters to her Maiestie did offer to confirme the seruice of England vppon condition that the title of Supremacie might be restored him again is impossible to be so so that if any suche letters came to her Maiesties handes they must needes be fained false Secondly it followeth of premisses that this going to churche is not only vnlawfull Ratione Scandali by reason of Scandal as som wil haue it For albeit Scandal bee one reason why it is vnlawful and that in such sort as is almost impossible to be auoyded yet you see that I haue giuen diuers other causes besides Scandal which make it vnlawful Whereof it followeth that a man cannot goe to their churches albeit hee might goe in such secrete maner or otherwise haue their seruice in his house so priuily as no Scandale shoulde followe thereof or any man knowe thereof whiche is notwithstanding impossible to doe but if it coulde bee yet were the thing vnlawefull especially for the 1 4. 5. 6. 7. reasons before alleadged Thirdly i◅ followeth that a man may not goe to churche vnder any vaine pretence as pretending that hee goeth only for obedieuce and not for any liking hee hath to their seruice yea although hee shoulde protest the same openly for that protestation shoulde rather agrauate then diminishe the sinne Seeing by this protestation hee shoulde testifie vnto the whole worlde that he did a thing against his conscience As if a man shoulde proteste that hee did thinke that to rayle against the Pope at Paules crosse were naught and yet for obedience sake being so commaunded woulde doe it The which was Pilates case who protested first that hee thought Christ innocent and therefore sought to deliuer him but in the ende fearing the displeasure of the Iewes and theyr complaint to the Emperour washed his handes and so condemned him thinking by that protestation to haue washed of the sinne and to haue layde it on the Iewes neckes which compelled him thereto But I thinke by this time hee hath felt that hee was deceaued For when a thing it selfe is naught no protestation can make it lawefull but rather maketh the doing of it a greater offence by adding the vnlawefulnesse of the thing the repugnaunce of the doers conscience But you will perhaps say to goe to the material church is not a thing euill of it selfe I answere and graunt that it is true But you must not single out the matter so For in this one action of going to church there be many things contained wherof the whole action is compounded As for example there is the material church the possession of the same by the enemie of the catholike religion the seruice and sermons in reproofe of the same religion the dayes and houres appoynted for the same the bel ringing and publikly calling al men thither the Princes commaundemente for the Catholikes to goe to the same the end of the commaundement in general that they by going should pray with them allowe of their seruice and by their presence honour it Then is there the peril of infection the scandal wherby I offend other mens consciences and perhaps bring diuers other to bee corrupted by my meanes the dishonouring of God his case the honouring of his enemies cause hearing God blasphemed and holding my peace Semblably there is the conscience of the catholike that thinketh he doth nought the explication of the church that is not lawfull the matter nowe in tryall and the vnlawfulnesse of it defended both by word and writings of learned men ann by imprisonment of many other the controuersie now knowne to all the world and many thousand mens eies fixed vpon them that are called in question for it the Protestant wheras he esteemed nothing of goeing to Church before yet now so desirous to obtayne it that hee thinketh the yeelding in that one poynt to bee a sufficient yeelding to all his desires the which thing on the other side is so detested of the true catholikes that whosoeuer yeeldeth to this they thinke him a flat Schismatike and so abhor him And by this meanes the matter is made a signe distinctiue betwixt religion and religion whereof againe it foloweth that if the thing were much lesse then it is as for example the holding vp of a finger yet because it is made Tessera a marke token or signe of yeeling to their proceedings in religion it were viterly vnlawful As if a man shoulde but
of lyfe so vnspotted will God haue our seruice to be In prefiguration whereof all Sacrifices of the old Testament were commanded to be of vnspotted creatures of one colour of one age without mayme or deformitie wherby is signified that God accepteth no partition no maime in our seruice but either all or none must be his For a little leuen so wreth a great deale of do we and a small spot disfygureth a fayre garment Which S Paule vrgeth farre by the example of Christe when he saieth That Christ died for vs to the ende we shoulde exhibite our selues holy unspotted and irreprechensible in his sight As though he should say Christ spared nothing no not his owne life for vs that by his example we might be prouoked to giue our selues wholy to him and his seruice without limitation or reseruation at all and thereby shewe our selues vnspotted seâ—…auntes and irreprehensible Which thing the Noble champion of Christ S. Basile well considered when being required by the Emperours leefetenaunte to conforme him selfe in some small thinges to the Emperours request and therby purchase quietnesse to the whole church rather then by obstinacie as he tearmed it to exasperate thinges worse hee answered that perswasion to be fit for children and not for him who was ready to suffer any kinde of death or torment rather then to betray any one sillable of Gods diuine trueth adding further that hee esteemed much and desired the Emperours friendshippe if it might be ioyned with godlinesse but if not he must needes contemne it as pernitious So resolute seruantes had God in those dayes and the like desireth to haue nowe Here of also followeth an other thing which I had almost passed ouer vntouched that a Catholike may not procure any other to affirme or sweare for him falsly that he hath been at Church receiued the Communion or the like nor accept the same if any woulde offer such seruice but if others did it without his procurement he may holde his peace and vse their sinne to his owne quietnesse except Scandale shoulde insue thereof and then were he bounde to disclose the trueth For as I haue noted before out of Saint Cyprian he which seeketh sleightes in excuse of his faith denieth the same and the seeming to obey lawes made published against true religioÌ„ is takeÌ„ by god for obeying indeed so punished for the fact it selfe The which most worthy and excellent saying of Christ his holy Martyr God graunt we may al wel beare in minde and execute as Gods cause and glory shal require especially those which are by peculiar prerogatiue called to the Publike trial of the same Whom God of his mercie so strengthen with his grace as his holy name may be glorified in them and their Persecutors molified by their constant milde sober behauiour And thus my deere good friende I make an ende of the first poynte which I promised too handle concerning the reasons which Catholikes haue to stand in the refusal of going to the church against their consciences hauing said much lesse then might be saide in this matter and yet more then I purposed at the beginning But I am to craue most earnestly at your handes and of al them that shal chaunce to see this Treatise to haue charitable consideration of my greate haste in writing of the same whiche was such as I had not time to suruew or read any parte of it ouer agayne Wherfore if any thing be in it wherby you may be edified or any wayinructed I am glad and to Gods glorie only be it If not yet surely my meaning was good to no mans offence only coueting hereby to geue some satisfaction to them in England especially to her maiestie the Right honourable her counsayle touching the principles which catholikes haue to refuse that conformity which is demanded at their handes the which as I haue proued they cannot admit remayning in conscience of the contrary Religion without euident daunger of their owne soules Wherof if her Maiestie their honours may in time bee made capable then howesoeuer thinges passe otherwise yet shal catholikes retayne sâ—…l their deserued opinion of honest and true subiects which they most desire the displeasure takeÌ„ against theÌ„ for this refusal be diminished wheÌ„ it shalbe manifest that the same proceedeth not of will but of conscieÌ„ce iudgement in ReligioÌ„ which is not in an honest mans handes to frame at his owne pleasure Moreouer my meaning was to giue some information touching the quality of this sinne of going to the church of a contrary ReligioÌ„ and his circumstances for them that eyther remayned doubtfull in the same or not rightly perswaded Of the which two effects if any one follow I shalbe most glad if not yet I serue as I trust such a maister as rewardeth the affect as wel as the effect the will no lesse then the work it selfe Wherfore to his holy hands I commit the whole assuring my selfe that as this cause of his catholike Church importeth him more then it doth vs so his peculiar care of the same â—…urre surmounteth any care of man and therfore whatsoeuer shal become of this or any other labour taken for the same yet he will neuer cease to rayse vp men for the defence of it against all enemies to the worldes ende The nienth Reason THe last reasoÌ„ is the example of Infidels heretikes al which procure to seperat theÌ„selues froÌ„ theÌ„ of the coÌ„trary religioÌ„ in y e act of prayer c. Which exaÌ„ple of it self mée think is a simple reasoÌ„ to teach true ChristiaÌ„s what they ought to doe And especially wheÌ„ it is brought to proue y â— meÌ„ ought not to ioyne theÌ„selues w t the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ of the faithful which by none other reason is disproued to be y e true church but by a lewd vnlearned suppositioÌ„ But the ProcestaÌ„ts theÌ„selues saith he are recusants also in other countries Yea very good cause why they should seing they ought to absteyne froÌ„ idolatry superstitioÌ„ which is committed dayly in the popish churches But therby saith he It appeareth that they goe quite against their own doctrine example in EnglaÌ„d which obiect the same to catholikes as disobedience obstinacy and rebellious dealing within other countries they themselues both teach and practise Alas poore Sophister this is sorie stuffe The true Christians teach and practise that they maye not be defiled with idolatry therfore heretiks be not disobedient obstinate and rebellious when they refuse to communicate w t the true church submit theÌ„selnes to y e godly lawes of a christiaÌ„ magistrat Yet the madde man pleaseth himselfe so much in this absurd coÌ„science y â— after he hath alleadged a large cofession of one Iohn Gardiner to proue y â— Protestants refuse to communicate with papists he saith This Reason onely may suffice any reasonable man especially the Protestant except