remember an ordinary distinction of Deuines For there are 2. maner of consents the first is consent Caiet verbo Restit which is cause of the action as when I know that without my consent such action would not be donne An other is a simple consent which onely consenteth Two manner of consents to an other mans sinne and yet is not the cause of the action As if in Parliament there be a Bill put vpp against Catholickes and I know that so many voices being passed already before mine my contrary voice can not hinder but it will be made a law Now if I consent after so many voices as are sufficient for if I should before sufficient voices were graunted the case were altered although I knew what voices were to follow than is not my consent a cause of that law yet is my consent a consent Ro. 1. and so according to S PAVI worthy of death as well as that of the others In like maner of you go to the Church and the minister saieth seruice onely for you than is your consent the cause of his sinne and of the sinne of as many as are there present and than who doubteth but you committ a scandall But if you go at ordinary times when the minister notwithstanding your presence would say seruice and others be there without your inducement or any euill example if this be possible yet is your consent present and so vnderstood by all men and therfore is not your action voide of sandall but by consenting vnto an other mans sinne you are also guilty therof as a coucurrunt though not as the cause or mouer therunto as one which alloweth not as one which commandeth as one which geueth the voice whan the number already is sufficient to make the law Neither is there any doubt but you may as well geue consent vnto an action vnto which you concurre for feare See §. 10. as if you concurred for loue as we haue saied before Than vnto your selfe must you apply the verses of the Psalme Ps 49. Whan thou sawest a theefe thou didest runne with him with adulterers thou didest putt thy portion Thou didest wickedly thinke that I were like vnto thee I will reproue thee and sette thy selfe before thy owne face that is that your own conscience shall iudge and condemne you But least you should thinke I speake this of my owne iudgement not leaning vnto the generall doctrine of Gods Church you shall heare the Martyr Irenaeus his graue doctrine against the Valentinian heretickes and other like L. 4. c. 46. A plaine testimony of S. Ireneus Be not you saith he partakers with them And as there in the schisme of Dathan and Abyron the damnation of the principall sinners was common to the rest because they liked them and conuersed with them So here also a litle leauen corrupteth the wholle heape §. 32. Hitherto you see I haue proceeded from the very necessary groundes of the law of God and of nature THE THIRD PARTE Neither can you by your protestation or intention or pretense of feare or any other motiue whatsoeuer excuse your selfe from the violating of any one of these vertues before rehearsed There are some other reasons of no small force vsed to be alleadged of which because I know you wil make no great account I will be content to say no thing One onely thing will I putt you in mind of that is of the daunger of infection Danger of infection which by going vn to heretickes churches you expose your selfe vnto of which if you make small reckoning esteeming your selfe a great doctour able to answere all maner of heretical obiections yet do I earnestly desire you to remember that once you could say as much in this point of going to the Church as in any other matter of Catholicke religion And O senselesse Galathian who hath bewitched you Gal. 3. Sap. 4. how are you so suddenly altered verely malice hath altered your vnderstāding fiction hath deceaued your soule and therfore most happy had you bene if as the wisdome of God doth speake Dissimulation is the way to infection you had bene thē taken vp vnto god whā liuing amongst sinners you were pleasing beloued vnto God O how trew it is that fiction and dissimulation deceiueth the soules of many in our poore countrey What olde man is now a Protestant who hath not gotten such pestilence by fiction who is now a Cōmissioner of ripe witte who being sonne of Catholike parents hath not bene altered by fiction Yea who is now so earnest persecut our of Catholickes as those which at the beginning of this last reuolte hauing bene Catholickes them selues are now most opposite because they saw they could not haue creditte at the first but by fiction L. 4. mor. c. 27. S. Gregory describeth fower degrees of sinnes both in the minde and in the deede expounding a sentence of IOB and to euery member of that sentence applying one degree The wordes of IOB are these Iob. 3. Wherfore died I not in the wombe or being come forth from thence did I not forthwith perish why was I taken vpon the knees why was I nourished with the papes Fower waies saieth he is sinne committed in the hart Fower degrees of sinne and so many also is it executed in the deedes In hart it is committed by suggestion delection consent and by the presumptuousnes of defence Suggestion is made by the aduersary delectation by the flesh consent by the Spiritt the presumption of defence by pride For the sinne which shoulde terrifie the mind doth extoll it and hauing throwen it downe doth lifte it vp but being lifted vp doth more greeuously bruse it In the same maner is a sinne executed in the deed First the sinne is * Going to the Church secretly secretly donne afterward before the eies of men without any shame therof it is manifested than is it brought in to custome at the last either with the seducements of false hope or the obstinacy of miserable dispaire it is nourished Thus S. Gregory This is the miserable progression of lamentable Schismatickes who trusting too much to their owne cleannes aduenture to touch pitch and much like vnto the lewd persons of the world seeking to enioy their vnlawfull contentments before they be aware conceiue sorrow * Psal 7. and bring forth iniquity which so long they harbour in their vnhappy lappe that at the length they nourish it with their pappes and drinke it in vnto their very harte Thus much for a wise man as you are will be sufficient for the daunger of infection Eccle. 3. least perhapps louing daunger you perishe therein I my selfe haue bene acquainted with a learned religious Professour of Diuinity who according to the necessity of his lectures hauing sometimes Caluins workes in his chamber with great humility a farr contrary spirit vnto that which beareth great sway in our
wholle action and is called a circumstance therof An example of this you may haue in all actions If a man determine to go to dinner the very obiect and motiue and intrinsecall end of his desire that is of his intention is to dine But if he referre this his dinner vnto obedience or vnto the glory of God for whom he intendeth to keepe and increase hiscorporall strength these are extrinsecall endes or circumstances of the first intention or end and his immediate intention being to dine he referreth the same with a farther intention vnto those endes Now this intrinsecall end which we spake of as it giueth the nature and forme vnto the inward action so doth it also giue what goodnes or badnes is in it For if that obiect or motiue be of the owne nature conformable vnto to reason than is it a good action or desire If contrary contrary A good action of it selfe may be corrupted by the circumstances but an euill action cannot be iustified by good circūstances or intentions If indifferent so that it hath in it selfe no certaine or determinate order vnto right reason then is the action of the owne nature indifferent neither good nor badde Yet doth not goodnes or badnes flow into an action onely by the nature of the immediate obiect or end of the same but also by the extrinsecall end yea by euery circumstance and euery meanes taken for the obtaining of the same first end or obiect So that although the action be good of it selfe or indifferent yet if it be referred to a further end which is euill or if any meanes vsed for the bringing to passe of the action it selfe be euill or there wante any circumstance of time place maner or measure necessary than is the wholle action it selfe naught for some circumstance Euen in like manner is the action it selfe naught when it being vnlawfull is donne with all possible circumstances or intention of whatsoeuer farther good Dion c. 4. de diu nom For the generall ground both of Philosophers and Diuines cannot be infringed that good is of the wholle intiere cause but the euill is of euery particuler defect Hence is it therfore euident first that although your remote intentions in going to the Church haue neuer so great colour of piety yet that which immediatelye you doe which is to goe to the Church is your intention also And that you as well intend to goe to the Church although for those extrinsecall endes as hee which stealeth for to geue Almes intendeth to steale and the dissolute woeman which killeth her Infant for feare of geuing scandall intendeth the death therof Secondly that the immediate action of going to the Church being euill it cānot be iustified by any godly or lawfull circumstance Euen as if it were good of it selfe yet might it be made euill by an euill circumstance For good requireth a perfect cause euill is that which wanteth any part of the cause Euen as a man is not a perfect man except he haue all his members perfect yet is he imperfect if with all other good pro portion he doe but looke awry §. 12. The 11. obiection of that nature of Churches As for your last reason it is answered in one worde The Churches are ours in ded But the heretickes seruice and company is not ours Euen as if there were Idolatry or any filthy crime there practised you had no right vnto the Idolatry or other sinne nor might be there present for all your right to the Church But if you haue right to the Church why goe you thither at seruice time or so that you may seeme to be at seruice Greg. l. 3. dial c. 30. Hereticall Churches are Deuils lodgings is it not sufficient at any other season O Sir it is not the Church which draweth you but the seruice And if you knew that Churches prophaned by heretikes haue other maner of inhabitants in them then the holy Angells you would not be very hasty for deuotion to go vnto them euen when they be emptye But you shall heare what S. Hillary saith of those which in his time wente to the Churches where heretickes were gathered for loue vnto the Churches dedicated before vnto God Lib. cont Auxent circa fin Wickedly hath the loue of the walles possessed you wickedly doe you reuerence the Church of God in houses and buildings wickedly vnder these pretenses doe you talke of peace vnto me are more safe the mountaines lakes prisons and dongeons ⧠Where you may see a perfect example of our age and how the most holy Fathers which haue liued in auncient times amongst heretickes accounted no small matter the ioyning themselues vnto theire detestable company For they alwaies esteemed it besides a fauouring and exterior protestation of their sectes a most ready way vnto the wholle ouerthrow of true religion For the heretickes haue alwaies endeuoured with shew of piety to darken true piety The cause why heretickes retain Churches and with maintaining some outward shewe of reuerend antiquitye to blotte out of peoples memory the auncient truth it selfe Such was the inuention of Idolatrous Hieroboam who made Israell to sinne Now saith he will the kingdome returne vnto the house of DAVID 3 Reg. 12. if this people doe ascend to doe sacrifice in the house of God in Hierusalem ⧠And for this cause he deuised new Gods new preistes and prophane temples Euen so is it with you For least the people should haue desire to resorte to the true house of God in spirituall Hierusalem longing after Confession after Masse after holy Catholicke Sermons and the whollevse of Catholicke rites and ceremonies you are fedde with reuerend Churches with gay painted words and seruice in the vulgar tongue not for any affection of piety or inclination of vertue For who knoweth not how litle they seeke for piety or desire for other respects to keepe Churches standing but only to nourish the dissention and maintaine the diuision of ISRAEL from IVDA To this end doe they furnishe your Tables with such dishes as are no more comparable with the Catholike dainties than the Onions of Aegipt with the most delicate Manna of the Desert §. 13. THE SECOND PARTE Hauing now answered sufficiently as I suppose vnto your obiections for other obiections which I must of force helpe you withall I wil after bring forth Other obiections are answered in the progresse of this Treatise there resteth the onely thing which I haue in this wholle discourse supposed and taken as certaine in wihch in deed our wholle disputation doth principally consist that is to proue by necessary groundes that to goe to the Church is an action of it selfe euill and iustifiable for no circumstance at all which I haue hitherto supposed not bringing any argumentes therof other then by answering your obiections must needes be insinuated because it was not my part in this Epistle to proue the truth but to
Of a Protestation see §. 31. § 35 then of his outward action And whether his protestation be sincere or no certaine it is that there is in the action all signification sette apart at such time place a very great contempt of religion and of that person to whose dishonour the signification would tend that is of God himselfe For who doubt eth but that if one should cōtumeliously name his Prince before his face although both the Prince that wholle court knew his meaning to be otherwise yet if such opprobrious wordes were enforced by a forreine enemy for contempte of the Prince A very fite example against Prote testation such action would be deemed treason Wherefore that this wholle matter may be perfectly conceiued Let vs imagine that vnto AVGVSTVS the Emperour came 4. seuerall persons the first contumeliously and also from his very harte saieth AVGVSTVS is an vniust Prince the second contumeliously also although against his conscience vseth the like speaches yet doth he not seeke to make his cōscience known vnto the Emperour or vnto his courtiers being present The third maketh in deed his mind open vnto his maiesty and court that he thinketh not so vndoubtedly of him yet contemptuously either to please an aduersary of his or else moued with greater feare of that aduersary than of the Emperour he vttereth the very same The fourth not after any of these maners but sent by a very loiall subiect of the Emperours bringeth him this relation that a forreine Prince or Lord forgetting his alleageance or duety hath publikely said of his Emperiall maiesty AVGVSTVS is an vniust Prince Most euident it is that the three first hath formally vsed and most traiterously the aforesaid wordes but the last only materially without any crime at all Now to apply this example vnto our purpose there are three kind of men which wickedly and traiterously vnto God and his Church go to hereticall seruice The first is the hereticke himselfe who in this action both signifieth inwardly meaneth a false religion The second is the dissembling scismatike who signifieth it and yet in his hart thincketh it not The third is the same fearfull schismaticke who protesteth that he meaneth not to shew liking of a false religion yet neither can his protestation be knowne to all which see his facte and perhapps also he is not beleeued in the same wheras he may aswell lye in his wordes as in his action and yet although he obtained so much that he might be beleeued cannot be excuse himselfe from contempt and derogation vnto Catholicke truth The fourth onely vseth the action materially with out any signification of falshood or contempt of truth at all as are those whom we haue excused before For as in wordes which are principally instituted for to represent the meaning of the hart there may be the materiall sound of them without the signification which is the forme therof as when one repeateth the wordes of an other although they were blasphemous So and much more may there be in actions or outward signes which are not ordinarily so determined to signify as wordes So may a man cary an Iuy bush vpon his backe home for the fire neuer be thought to pretend selling of wine Bannes 2.2 And a comedy plaier counterfeite Idolatry before an Idoll without any formall or sinfull meaning therof Neither for all this is going to the seruice of heretickes not euill in it selfe All kind of dissimulation in this point For we speake of going to their seruice formally that is when there is annexed vnto the materiall therof a signification contempt or preiudice of religion Finally hereby it appeareth that wee exclude not any from the sinfulnes of the deed who any way guie shew or vse any kind of dissimulation in these weighty matters Such are those which go but pray not there or pray by them selues those which by their owne procuring or consent are put in the booke of cōmunicants or of married folkes or of such like Such as gette licence from the Arches to be married where they will Such as send their children to be christened by ministers or say that the minister christened them woemen which cause the minister to come to their house with his booke and surples as though he should Church them those which receiue comfort of ministers at their death or in sicknes for those * c. Filij De Haereticis in sexto are adiudged by the Canons of the Church euen heretickes and so their goods confiscate after their death those which go with coarses to Burialls if they withdraw not them selues when seruice of the Buriall beginneth nor such as to saue them selues from the danger of the law cause a Catholicke Preist to go into the Church to preach therby to make their neighbours to say or thinke that they go to the Church yea and without such intent if they go so that they seeme to go to hereticall seruice nor those which are married by a Catholicke Priest with the communion booke or otherwise that it may seeme they be married conformably those which hauing secrett Pewes or closettes looking into the Church cause some other to go thither that them selues may be deemed present or those which cause thēselues to be caried to the church for al such haue not lied to mē but * Act. 5. vnto god And although we are not bound alwaies to confesse our religion yet are we bound neuer to deny it or to giue probable occasion to others so to esteme of vs. although without such occasion geuen wee may permitte them to thinke what they list §. 17. Whether this doctrine be scrupulous Neither let any man marueile at these manifold downe falls intosinne or esteeme vs to scrupulous or the way of saluation to straite For this is that straines of the gate * Mat. 7. which leadeth vnto life this is the combate betweene the world and Christ * 10.16 neuer agreeing in one this is that * Psal 18. vnsported law of God which not with standing conuerteth soules and maketh them despising the delightes of the flesh yea the extreme vsages of the world only cleaue vnto Christ and that which is a most happy thing to remaine * Luc. 22. with him in his tribulations in the least iote not swaruing from his holy will Maruaile not though hereticks dissemble amongst Catholikes though they shew no difficulty of making al demonstratiō of feined piety contrary vnto their owne consciences whilest they receiue our Sacramentes professe our doctrine and seeme to detest all heresies They want togither with true religion all constant prosessiō of that which they esteeme for truth Treacheries dissimulations false worshippings dublenesse deceite and all manner of fallacy is farre from those hartes which em brace Christian verety One remedy there is which may deliuer you from this precisenes An easie way to auoid all seruples herein Be at
herin Now Sir I remember that in heathen common welthes it was accounted a great indecency Cicer. de offic for parents to bath themselues togither with their children Such greate reuerence they thought to be dew to naturall comelines that they esteemed it no small faulte to be vnto them a patterne of the breach therof Impiety of schismatike Parents But how can you here answere the great impiety which you vse vnto your children whan not onely you shew them your euill example of doing wickedly therby geuing them a certaine licence to fall into whatsoeuer wickednes they can craftely conceale But you enforce them or commaund them or at the least permitt them to go to hereticks Sinagogues Where is your wisdome where is your piety where is your feare of God I will here say no more than this that according to the law of God and of nature Eph. 5. you are vnder paine of mortall sinne bound to bring vpp your children in the discipline correction of our Lord for who hath not care of his domesticalls as S. PAVL saith 1. Tim. 5. hath denied his faith is worse then an Infidell And what is this which you doe in your children but to sacrifice them vnto the Diuell Let the example of Hely feare you who though hee seuerely reprehended his children for their sacrilegious extortion Psal 105. 1. Reg. 2. yet because he did not remedy their disorder was seuerely punished both with the losse of his life and also with the desolation of his wholle countrey and famely and the taking of the Arke of Gad. And it is to be noted as S. Chrysostome very well saieth Cont. vituperat vitae monast Parents neuer so holy condemned for their children Carying to the Church by Nurses that this Hely was otherwise a vertuous and perfect man as that Saint gathereth out of his resignation which he shewed vnto Samuell when the young Prophet after his new vocation threatned vnto him from Gad that which afterward befell vnto him But this one faulte did greeuously incense Gods wrath against him Let this be sufficient for your paricidiall impiety towardes your children that howsoeuer they be caried by their Nurses to the Church so long as they sucke which notwithstanding is a greater danger then to let thē go to bedd without blessing or to suffer thē to remaine in placēs haunted with spirits Going of children as experience hath taught vs yet after they be once able to haue a conceit of deuotion towardes Almighty God although they de neber so little or so simple to suffer thē to go much more to send them to such conuenticles is in you a hainous mortall sinne as being directly against the charity and piety and discipline towards your child Marying them out of the Church The like I say of marying them or permitting them to marry out of the Church It is the childes office in deed not to marry without his Parents or Tutours consent and in so doing albeit his marriage be sufficient though it be secrette and without Priest or witnesse in our countrey where the Councell of Trents decree taketh not place yet aswell in the secresy of the marriage and in the secret vse therof which is alwaies vnlawfull although they be sufficiently married vntill it be published No small faulte for children to marry without consent of Parents or Tutours Catechism conc Trid. de Sacr. matri in fine 30. q. 5. c. Aliter c. Nostrates c. qualis 23. q. 2. c. Non omnis Nau. c. 14. n. 15. Sotus d. 29. q. 1. ar 4 Bellarm. l. 1. de matr c. 19 as in the want of his Superiours consent he sinneth greeuously This beeing in mans life reputed a great iniury and against the honour dew vnto his Parents except the Parents or Tutours offered him herin some great wrong For although a child be not bound to marry whom his Father will except there were other particuler circumstances of the necessity of his family or some great cause which in charity might binde him there being no cause to the contrary yet one thing it is not to marry at his fathers apointment which notwithstanding sometimes may be mortall sinne an other it is to marry one of his owne choise and appointmente and to bring into his fathers family a new daughter in law without asking his fathers consent or without presuming of his liking which thing is both contrary to the custome of the holy Patriarches and the honour dew vnto parents and the doctrine of holy Fathers of most graue Deuines and the custome also of the holy Church which vseth to haue the spouse deliuered by her Parents or Tutours at the solemnization of marriage Now you must not be like vnto those which loue to buy good cheape and to sell deare Therfore as you must haue your children obedient vnto you so which mutuall bond must you prouide for them and that much more in spirituall thinges than in corporall Conc. Carth. 4. c. 13. Tert. l. 2. ad vxo in fine Ambr. ep 45. ad Sisin l. de Abraham c. vlt. habetur 32. q. 2. c. Honorā tur very plainly intreateh herof and with more care and diligence preserue them from schisme and heresy than from the temporall infamy of other wickednes which if you do not what do you else but as * l. con mēd c. 7 Our dewty towards our neighbour in this point Eccli 17. This dewty is much greater in extreme necessity at the point of death Ser. 16 de verbo Do. l. 1. ciu c. 9. Ser de natiu Ioa. Bapt. S. Augustine saith beget children that you may nourish them not to God but to the Deuell I will not say that you are bound with your owne imminent perill to admitt them ordinarily to Masse but to keepe them from Churches to instruct them Catholickly when it is thought necessary to prouide them spirituall helpes this I affirme to be your necessary dewty If you haue manifest hope and fitte opportunity of reducing any moste simple person from his wicked waies whom you see to haue necessity of your brotherly correction and admonition when there is none other which can or will vndertake the same so that you fully perceiue that he will thankfully accept such office of charity and not traiterously detect you for a perswader neither maliciously or peruersly bring you or others into manifest daunger of spirituall detriment than are you bound vnder the guilte of mortall sinne by the very law of God him selfe who hath geuen vnto euery one charge of his neighbour to bestow this charitable almes and to shew this spirituall mercy like a good Samatitane towards your neighbour which office if you culpably omitt you are as S. Augustine saieith guilty of the same crimes which your neighbour committeth the reason of such censure wee may vnderstand by S. Bernard Let none say am I the keeper of my
lawes or Princes cannot appoint distinctiue signes of religion § 35 The 17. The 17. obiection that we haue no expresse Canon or auncient practise of the Church against going to heretickes seruice § 36.37.38.39.40 The Printer to the Reader HAuing made readye for thy necessary preseruation against all contagion of Schisme so present an Electuary Gentle Reader I thought it very profitable for thy better vnderstanding and the easier reading of this Treatise to aduertise the of the generall order and methode therof The wholle booke therfore is fittely deuided into fiue partes The first answereth in order the obiections which are vsually made in defence of Schisme and were the principall cause of writing this Treatise according to the occasion ministred by the letter here confuted although afterward also through the wholle booke many obiections be aunswered either propounded by the author him selfe or touched in the aforsaide letter The second parte out of Theologicall grounds and reasons §. 13. declareth the vnlawfullnes of this kind of Schisme The third parte intreateth of some thinges annexed vnto this Schismaticall action §. 32. as daunger of infection the greeuousnes of the sinne comparison with other sinnes and the neglecting of our dewty towardes our neighbours in the reformation therof The fourth parte deduceth out of that which went before §. 35. that this action was vnlawfull and a signe distinctiue before any statute of the realme or late Canon of holy Church and largely entreateth of the nature and variety of signes distinctiue of religion The fifth §. 36. examineth the auncient practise of Gods Church and out of the same doth euidently conclude the determined purpose This gentle Reader did I thinke good to warne thee of desiring in recompence of all my labour that thou wilt courteously pardon the faultes escaped which although they be more than I would yet considering many difficulties of a straunge language a straunge countrey absence of the authour and an vnready copy are notwithstanding fewer than I expected Other faultes thou maiest lett alone vntill in reading thou be at a stay yet in two places there wanting wholle lines take the paines at the beginning to amend them that so both thy owne course in reading may be easied and those which shall come afrer thee may be furthered The faultes escaped P. 4. in the margen Iob. 41. P. 23. there wanteth the quotatiō of S. Augustin in the margen Tract 48. in Ioan. P. 29. l. 2. in marg 8.9 P. 35. l. 15. there wanteth a full pointe before very well P. 36. in the margē at the beginning note Tract in Psal 124. P. 40. l. 2. it is not onely P. 46. l. 17. vnuoluntary P. 60. l. 7. for vndoubtedly reade vndewtifully P. 61 l. 25. of this deede P. 66. in the margen l. 14. Q. Iniuncti P. 75. l. 3. in religion P. 76. l. 12. in the margen sence l. 26. and outward P. 81. l. 18. put a comma after truely P. 82. l. 30. reade thus all heretickes if such be indeed inwardly heretickes P. 83. l. 20 which as a visible P. 85. l. 4. in the marg reade thus Psal 118. ver 165. P. 93. l. 8 in marg in Breuic P. 95. l. 3. marg c. 15. l. 18. away P. 101. l. 23. mortall P. 112. l. 12. reade thus S. Agnes My Angell will keepe me that I be not polluted with other mens filthines or with S. Lucy ibid. in marg Amb. ser 90. ad Virgin P. 113. marg See § 16. P. 116. l. 12. Concurrent P. 123. l. penult obiectes P. 127. there wanteth the note of § 34. P. 128. l. 26. they be neuer P. 129. l. 18. marg for 23. read 32. P. 130. l. 11. marg Honoratur P. 150. l. 12. for P. 164. l. 15. to your politicke P. 166. l. penult Ariminum P. 173. l. 5. marg 162. P. 177. l. 5. with Martyrdome P. 187. l. 20. Donatian P. 188. l. 2. marg l. 2. vitae The places of S. Cyprian are sometimes cited according to an ould imperfect edition which the authour vsed at the beginning but afterward he gotte the last edition of Pamelius AN APOLOGY AGAINST THE DEFENCE OF Schisme THe first degree of felicity as worthely noteth S. CYPRIAN is not to offend Lib. 1. ep 3 the second to know the offence It is a greate misery and most heauy punishment of Gods iustice after that the innocency and purity of an vnspoted conscience is once lost not to know what is amisse and not feeling the smart of the disease to neglect the helpe of phisicke One of the highest degrees of pride the roote and complement of all iniquity is the defence of sinne Psal 140. and with very great reason did DAVID aske of God that his hart might not decline into wordes of malice for to frame excuses in iniquities The not knowing of sinne is so great a plague of Gods indignation that he hath reserued the same especially for the times of Antichrist when wickednes abounding 2. Thes 2. Gods seuere punishment shall also match the same At which time as saieth S. PAVL to such as haue not receiued the charity of truth that they may be saued God will send the operation of error that they may beleue a lye So did he punish those which * Esa 3. preached their sinne like vnto Sodome and were so farre from the knowing of sinne that by preaching it they did defend it Woe vnto you saith the Prophet ESAY which call euill good and good euill making darknes Esa 5. light and light darknes making bitter sweet and sweet bitter Woe vnto you which are sage in your owne eies and wise before your selues Be not * Ro. 13 ouer wise but feare saith the vessell of Election for * Ro. 11. the wisdome of the flesh is death The * Ro. 8. Prophet Ieremy in the person of God propoundeth a question of the obstinacy of the Iewes what should the cause bee that hee which was falne * c. 8. did not rise againe and he which was gone backe did not returne But he answereth it in these wordes why therfore was this people in Hierusalem auerted with a contentious auersion they haue taken hold of a lye and would not returne I haue attended and harkened no man speaketh that which is good there is none which doth Penance of his sinne saying what haue I done All are turned vnto their owne course as a horse going impetuously vnto warre The Kite in the aire hath knowne his time the Turtle and Swallow and Storke haue kepte the time of their coming but my people hath not knowne the iudgement of their Lord. How doe you say we are wise and the law of God is with vs verely the lying stile of the Scribes hath wrote a lye Thus Ieremy I may seeme vnto you my deare frend to forget the familiarity of an epistle and being caried away with the vehemency of an extraordinary greife rather to
going to the Church if he were amongst vs. Eph. 6. Therfore if the Emperour biddeth one thing and God an other what doe you iudge Paye tribute Attend vnto my seruice very well but not in the Idolls temple In the Idolls temple forbiddeth it who forbiddeth it a greater power Pardon me thou thretnest prison he thretneth hell Here now must thou take vpon thee thy faith as a buck ler in the which thou maiest quench all the fierye dartes of the enemy Thus S. Augustine Turne I pray you the wordes Idolls temple into hereticks conuentickle and see how it fitteth your case Or shew why there is not the same reason in the one as in the other in ep ad Tit. c. 3 If it be good saith S. Hierome which the Emperour and gouernour commaundeth obey the will of the ocmmaunder but if it be euill auswere him out of the Actes of the Apostles Act. 5. It behoueth to obey God more then men This same let vs vnderstand both of seruantes to their maisters and of wiues to their husbandes A lesson for wiues and children of children to their parents that in those things onely they must be subiect to their maisters husbandes parents which are not contrary vnto gods commaundementes Thus S. Hierome Againe S. Augustine Iulianus was an Infidell Emperour was he not an Apostata wicked an Idolater Christian souldiers serued an infidell Emperour when they came to the cause of Christ they did not acknowledge but him onely which was in heauen When he would that they should worshippe Idolls that they should offer incense they preférred God before him But when he saied bring forth the Army goe against that nation forthwith they obeyed They distinguished the euerlasting Lord from a temporall Lord and yet were they subiect for the euerlasting Lord euen to the temporall Lord. ⧠Thus you see what these holy Fathers doe iudge of such kind of obedience Obedience alone is not intended in this lawe but also religion L. 5. c. 1. But let vs I pray you consider more deepely the nature of obeidence Although the very forme and wholle drift of obedience be to doe according vnto the law or commaundement of the Superiour yet as it appertaineth vnto euery law in common to direct vs vnto all kind of vertues as Aristotle teacheth in his Ethickes for as he saith the law commaundeth vs to doe workes of fortitude of temperance and of meekenes and in like maner of other kind of goodnes or naughtines comman ding the one or forbidding the other So is there no particuler precept or law but besides the vertue of obedience to it selfe intendeth some act of some other vertue Hence doth it proceed that one which doth transgresse a law is not forthwith called disobedient properly vnlesse * D. Tho. 22. q. 105. ar 1. ad 1. he of purpose did transgresse because he despised the law but he is said to haue sinned against that vertue which the law or precept intended An example hereof we may haue in temperance The law commandeth that we make but one repast on a fasting day If a man ouercome with his appetite transgresse this precept than hath he sinned against temperance not obseruing that abstinence which the law prescribed Neither is he properly in this act disobedient but so farre as disobedience is materially included in euery sinne which in that it is a sinne must needs be against some precept or other And this is very euident for two causes For if in euery sinne there were a formall disobedience then could there be but one kind of sinne in the world that is of disobedience and the particuler obiectes of euery vertue should be but materiall in euery action as the particuler malice of euery vice also materiall in respect of one forme of disobedience and so but one nature of vertue vice in the world Besides one may doe contrary vnto a law in such a light maner and with such want of consideration that he may onely sinne venially against the same and yet if it were properly disobedience it were alwaies a mortall sinne implying in it selfe contempt of the law which cannot be without a mortall deformity See Caiet verbo Contemptus verbo Inobedientia euen in the least sinne of the world although it were but an idle word For to worke any thing of contempt and hatred of the law and law-makers cannot be without such hainousnes Now therfore in euery law there is some other goodnes intended besides the goodnes of obedience No law intendeth obedience only For when or in what countrey was it euer heard of that there was a law made for no other end but for obedience Turne ouer all Brookes Abridgement of the law looke vpon his titles goe ouer all your Statutes which haue bene from time to time made vnder diuerse Kinges See whether you can finde any title of any law in the worlde onely for to be obedient The law intendeth alwaies obedience in euery particuler statute and bindeth the subiectes to obey the same and neuer doubteth of the subiectes obedience so long as he obserueth euery law and behaueth him selfe orderly in the common welth and hauing once accepted the Prince for his superiour and professed his obedience vnto him followeth his direction to all ciuill vertues But that a law should be made whose end should be onely obedience without anyother reason of goodnes or the breach of which should be onely a contempt without the transgression of some other vertue of right and equity towardes the common welth I confesse my ignorance and that I may be deceiued yet I neuer either heard or read in any age or in any author Yea in the holy religiouse estates where obedience is vowed the superiour alwaies commaundeth according to the rule professed which is for to guide the subiectes to all particuler vertues and to mortifie the worldly man not ridiculously intending bare obedience and nothing else obedience being practised in euery particuler commaundment Than Sir in your statute intituled An act to retaine the subiectes in their dew obedience there must needes be intended some other vertue besides obedience For is not the wholle lawe sufficient to shew obidience or if there were any doubt of acknowledging that Superiour by whom law is administred were not othes of fidelity and homage the ordinary and accustomed way to acknowtedg the same or is in this onely act obedience to bee shewed and in none else in no place but in the Church in no maner but by ioyning with heretickes in their seruice where are so many other lawes of eating of flesh of other actions either cōmanded or forbidden which we know how litle these great exacters of obedience doe esteeme So may you euidently see that it is not odedience only pretended but some other end some other reason of that which is proportionable vnto that marke which they shoote at which if you can deuise any other then religion
conformity in their superstition The pretense of obedience maketh this actiō worse than before contempt of Catholicke vnity I pray you imparte your conceite vnto me I my selfe can see nothing else wheof I doe inferre that by such pretended obedience this act is made worse then it was before For a precept law or commaundment prescribeth a matter to that vertue which it intendeth of which it was not a necessary matter before as the commandement of not eating flesh vpon a fasting day was not a matter of fasting necessary before the law for why one might haue before fasted better with one bitte of flesh than with a dainty dinner of diuerse dishes of fishe but after the law it is a necessary obseruance and matter prescribed vnto fasting So in like maner although to goe to the Church before with hereticks had not bene as alwaies it was an act of religion now being commaunded by the law as an act of religion for that is the intent of the law manifestly pretended in the one or other statute of going to the Church it is only a simple act of obedience but an act of obedience in such a matter principally intended as is the profession of a false religion For euery religiouse act applied vnto a false god or a false kind of worship or a false Society of worshippers is an expresse protestation of the same false worship or vnlawfull fellowshippe So should you first haue proued this action to be lawfull in it selfe Obedience is no excuse but whan the matter thereof is first proued lawfull and then you might haue inferred that your obedience had bene lawfull and you should also haue shewed some end in this law ouer and besides bare obedience other then the end of religion which surely must needes be yeelded to be the very end and obiect of the law And this long experience hath shewed in the Church of God that when temporall Princes must be obeyed in Churches Amb l. 5. ep 33. ad Marcellinam there is farther daunger in it then I list now to speake But you shall see an example of Christian obedience When the Emperour was at greate strife with S. Ambrose the holy B. of Millan about the deliuering certaine Churches in the citty of Millan vnto the Arrians as alwaies before this fearefull abiect age Ibid. S Ambrose his obedience to the Emperour Catholikes wold neuer be found amongst heretickes in Churches S. Ambrose aunswered the Emperour in this maner Trouble not thy selfe O Emperour that thou maiest thinke that thou hast any emperiall authority ouer diuine thinges To the Emperour Pallaces appertaine to the Bishop the Churches To thee is committed the righte ouer the publicke not ouer the sacred walles ⧠And when the same Saint was threatned with death for the same cause by Calligonus the Emperours Eunuch euen in the Church God permitte saith he that thou doe that which thou threatnest for I will suffer that which becommeth a Bishop thou shalt doe that which beseemeth an Eunuch ⧠In which controuersie the souldiers sent word as saith S. Ambrose vnto the Emperour that if he would come abrode he mighte with good leaue But that they woulde waite vpon him if they saw him agree with Catholickes Trew Catholicke Christians were than Recusants otherwise they would passe vnto that companye which Ambrose should gather Such accounte ought Christians to make of auoiding hereticall synagogues I will conclude therfore this matter of obedience with one shorte but inuincible reason You will haue it lawfull for obedience to goe to the Church An inuincible reason that it is not lawfull to go to the Church for obedience Than say I in this maner Whatsoeuer is lawfull to be donne that being by a Superiour commaunded is a mortall sinne to transgresse or to omitte But as you defend it is lawfull to goe to the Church for obedience therfore it is a mortall sinne not to goe to the Church when it is so commanded See I pray you how many Preistes Martyrs men woemen and children you condemne to hell whilest you seeke to maintaine your owne dangerouse wilfull estate §. 10. Now let vs proceed vnto your feare The 9 obiection of Feare which you make as one reason amongst the rest but in deede is the wholl cause of your forsaking God Because you haue not perfectly learned his lesson which saidI will teach you whom you shall feare Feare him which when he hath killed the body hath power to sende both bodye and soule into Hell fier yea verely I say vnto you feare him You saye therfore that you doe as you doe for feare and not voluntarily But nothing is a sinne which is not donne voluntarily Therfore in your action is no sinne at all Where if you had said thus that you doe what you do not voluntarily but nothing not voluntarily donne is a sinne therfore what you doe is no sinne then had your argument bene good but your Maior false for I would then say you did voluntarily what you did But now in your first proposition where you say that you doe a thing for feare and yet not voluntarily you include two thinges most repugnant in them selues For it is impossible that a thing be donne onely for feare and not voluntarily Whatsoeuer is done for feare is voluntary And in thispoint we must begge helpe of heathen Philosophers For so hath feare darckened our countreis vnderstanding that the very principles of all morall actions and of goodnes or badnes in our doinges are called into question For what I pray you if for feare of loasing your owne life you vniustly take away an others because of that feare haue you not sinned If you haue sinned then haue you voluntarilye donne it For * Aug l. 3 de lib. arb c. 17 18. et lib. de vera rel c. 14. lib. 1. retract c. 13 asinne is not a sinne except it be voluntary If IOSEPH for feare of his Ladies slaunder had satisfied her will had he donne against his owne Had the three childrē done against their owne will if they had for feare sacrificed or donne worship to the Idoll And your selfe shall be iudge When you goe to the Church doe you goe against your will doth any man cary you or doe you cary your selfe in such maner because of your feare that you might not stay your selfe at home Surely if feare be so mighty a Passion that it taketh away the free gouernment of a mans wil and not onely threatneth but inferreth violenc to the outward members in vaine did our Sauiour exhorte vs not to feare the world in vaine did he with his heauenly instructions animate his Disciples against incounters whatsoeuer of the aduersaries of his holy truth But let vs decide this question out of Philosophy Onely violence taketh away voluntary In a reasonable creature therfore nothing taketh away the nature of voluntary but constraint Now coaction or constraint