wholle action and is called a circumstance therof An example of this you may haue in all actions If a man determine to go to dinner the very obiect and motiue and intrinsecall end of his desire that is of his intention is to dine But if he referre this his dinner vnto obedience or vnto the glory of God for whom he intendeth to keepe and increase hiscorporall strength these are extrinsecall endes or circumstances of the first intention or end and his immediate intention being to dine he referreth the same with a farther intention vnto those endes Now this intrinsecall end which we spake of as it giueth the nature and forme vnto the inward action so doth it also giue what goodnes or badnes is in it For if that obiect or motiue be of the owne nature conformable vnto to reason than is it a good action or desire If contrary contrary A good action of it selfe may be corrupted by the circumstances but an euill action cannot be iustified by good circūstances or intentions If indifferent so that it hath in it selfe no certaine or determinate order vnto right reason then is the action of the owne nature indifferent neither good nor badde Yet doth not goodnes or badnes flow into an action onely by the nature of the immediate obiect or end of the same but also by the extrinsecall end yea by euery circumstance and euery meanes taken for the obtaining of the same first end or obiect So that although the action be good of it selfe or indifferent yet if it be referred to a further end which is euill or if any meanes vsed for the bringing to passe of the action it selfe be euill or there wante any circumstance of time place maner or measure necessary than is the wholle action it selfe naught for some circumstance Euen in like manner is the action it selfe naught when it being vnlawfull is donne with all possible circumstances or intention of whatsoeuer farther good Dion c. 4. de diu nom For the generall ground both of Philosophers and Diuines cannot be infringed that good is of the wholle intiere cause but the euill is of euery particuler defect Hence is it therfore euident first that although your remote intentions in going to the Church haue neuer so great colour of piety yet that which immediatelye you doe which is to goe to the Church is your intention also And that you as well intend to goe to the Church although for those extrinsecall endes as hee which stealeth for to geue Almes intendeth to steale and the dissolute woeman which killeth her Infant for feare of geuing scandall intendeth the death therof Secondly that the immediate action of going to the Church being euill it cānot be iustified by any godly or lawfull circumstance Euen as if it were good of it selfe yet might it be made euill by an euill circumstance For good requireth a perfect cause euill is that which wanteth any part of the cause Euen as a man is not a perfect man except he haue all his members perfect yet is he imperfect if with all other good pro portion he doe but looke awry §. 12. The 11. obiection of that nature of Churches As for your last reason it is answered in one worde The Churches are ours in ded But the heretickes seruice and company is not ours Euen as if there were Idolatry or any filthy crime there practised you had no right vnto the Idolatry or other sinne nor might be there present for all your right to the Church But if you haue right to the Church why goe you thither at seruice time or so that you may seeme to be at seruice Greg. l. 3. dial c. 30. Hereticall Churches are Deuils lodgings is it not sufficient at any other season O Sir it is not the Church which draweth you but the seruice And if you knew that Churches prophaned by heretikes haue other maner of inhabitants in them then the holy Angells you would not be very hasty for deuotion to go vnto them euen when they be emptye But you shall heare what S. Hillary saith of those which in his time wente to the Churches where heretickes were gathered for loue vnto the Churches dedicated before vnto God Lib. cont Auxent circa fin Wickedly hath the loue of the walles possessed you wickedly doe you reuerence the Church of God in houses and buildings wickedly vnder these pretenses doe you talke of peace vnto me are more safe the mountaines lakes prisons and dongeons ⧠Where you may see a perfect example of our age and how the most holy Fathers which haue liued in auncient times amongst heretickes accounted no small matter the ioyning themselues vnto theire detestable company For they alwaies esteemed it besides a fauouring and exterior protestation of their sectes a most ready way vnto the wholle ouerthrow of true religion For the heretickes haue alwaies endeuoured with shew of piety to darken true piety The cause why heretickes retain Churches and with maintaining some outward shewe of reuerend antiquitye to blotte out of peoples memory the auncient truth it selfe Such was the inuention of Idolatrous Hieroboam who made Israell to sinne Now saith he will the kingdome returne vnto the house of DAVID 3 Reg. 12. if this people doe ascend to doe sacrifice in the house of God in Hierusalem ⧠And for this cause he deuised new Gods new preistes and prophane temples Euen so is it with you For least the people should haue desire to resorte to the true house of God in spirituall Hierusalem longing after Confession after Masse after holy Catholicke Sermons and the whollevse of Catholicke rites and ceremonies you are fedde with reuerend Churches with gay painted words and seruice in the vulgar tongue not for any affection of piety or inclination of vertue For who knoweth not how litle they seeke for piety or desire for other respects to keepe Churches standing but only to nourish the dissention and maintaine the diuision of ISRAEL from IVDA To this end doe they furnishe your Tables with such dishes as are no more comparable with the Catholike dainties than the Onions of Aegipt with the most delicate Manna of the Desert §. 13. THE SECOND PARTE Hauing now answered sufficiently as I suppose vnto your obiections for other obiections which I must of force helpe you withall I wil after bring forth Other obiections are answered in the progresse of this Treatise there resteth the onely thing which I haue in this wholle discourse supposed and taken as certaine in wihch in deed our wholle disputation doth principally consist that is to proue by necessary groundes that to goe to the Church is an action of it selfe euill and iustifiable for no circumstance at all which I haue hitherto supposed not bringing any argumentes therof other then by answering your obiections must needes be insinuated because it was not my part in this Epistle to proue the truth but to
remember an ordinary distinction of Deuines For there are 2. maner of consents the first is consent Caiet verbo Restit which is cause of the action as when I know that without my consent such action would not be donne An other is a simple consent which onely consenteth Two manner of consents to an other mans sinne and yet is not the cause of the action As if in Parliament there be a Bill put vpp against Catholickes and I know that so many voices being passed already before mine my contrary voice can not hinder but it will be made a law Now if I consent after so many voices as are sufficient for if I should before sufficient voices were graunted the case were altered although I knew what voices were to follow than is not my consent a cause of that law yet is my consent a consent Ro. 1. and so according to S PAVI worthy of death as well as that of the others In like maner of you go to the Church and the minister saieth seruice onely for you than is your consent the cause of his sinne and of the sinne of as many as are there present and than who doubteth but you committ a scandall But if you go at ordinary times when the minister notwithstanding your presence would say seruice and others be there without your inducement or any euill example if this be possible yet is your consent present and so vnderstood by all men and therfore is not your action voide of sandall but by consenting vnto an other mans sinne you are also guilty therof as a coucurrunt though not as the cause or mouer therunto as one which alloweth not as one which commandeth as one which geueth the voice whan the number already is sufficient to make the law Neither is there any doubt but you may as well geue consent vnto an action vnto which you concurre for feare See §. 10. as if you concurred for loue as we haue saied before Than vnto your selfe must you apply the verses of the Psalme Ps 49. Whan thou sawest a theefe thou didest runne with him with adulterers thou didest putt thy portion Thou didest wickedly thinke that I were like vnto thee I will reproue thee and sette thy selfe before thy owne face that is that your own conscience shall iudge and condemne you But least you should thinke I speake this of my owne iudgement not leaning vnto the generall doctrine of Gods Church you shall heare the Martyr Irenaeus his graue doctrine against the Valentinian heretickes and other like L. 4. c. 46. A plaine testimony of S. Ireneus Be not you saith he partakers with them And as there in the schisme of Dathan and Abyron the damnation of the principall sinners was common to the rest because they liked them and conuersed with them So here also a litle leauen corrupteth the wholle heape §. 32. Hitherto you see I haue proceeded from the very necessary groundes of the law of God and of nature THE THIRD PARTE Neither can you by your protestation or intention or pretense of feare or any other motiue whatsoeuer excuse your selfe from the violating of any one of these vertues before rehearsed There are some other reasons of no small force vsed to be alleadged of which because I know you wil make no great account I will be content to say no thing One onely thing will I putt you in mind of that is of the daunger of infection Danger of infection which by going vn to heretickes churches you expose your selfe vnto of which if you make small reckoning esteeming your selfe a great doctour able to answere all maner of heretical obiections yet do I earnestly desire you to remember that once you could say as much in this point of going to the Church as in any other matter of Catholicke religion And O senselesse Galathian who hath bewitched you Gal. 3. Sap. 4. how are you so suddenly altered verely malice hath altered your vnderstāding fiction hath deceaued your soule and therfore most happy had you bene if as the wisdome of God doth speake Dissimulation is the way to infection you had bene thē taken vp vnto god whā liuing amongst sinners you were pleasing beloued vnto God O how trew it is that fiction and dissimulation deceiueth the soules of many in our poore countrey What olde man is now a Protestant who hath not gotten such pestilence by fiction who is now a Cōmissioner of ripe witte who being sonne of Catholike parents hath not bene altered by fiction Yea who is now so earnest persecut our of Catholickes as those which at the beginning of this last reuolte hauing bene Catholickes them selues are now most opposite because they saw they could not haue creditte at the first but by fiction L. 4. mor. c. 27. S. Gregory describeth fower degrees of sinnes both in the minde and in the deede expounding a sentence of IOB and to euery member of that sentence applying one degree The wordes of IOB are these Iob. 3. Wherfore died I not in the wombe or being come forth from thence did I not forthwith perish why was I taken vpon the knees why was I nourished with the papes Fower waies saieth he is sinne committed in the hart Fower degrees of sinne and so many also is it executed in the deedes In hart it is committed by suggestion delection consent and by the presumptuousnes of defence Suggestion is made by the aduersary delectation by the flesh consent by the Spiritt the presumption of defence by pride For the sinne which shoulde terrifie the mind doth extoll it and hauing throwen it downe doth lifte it vp but being lifted vp doth more greeuously bruse it In the same maner is a sinne executed in the deed First the sinne is * Going to the Church secretly secretly donne afterward before the eies of men without any shame therof it is manifested than is it brought in to custome at the last either with the seducements of false hope or the obstinacy of miserable dispaire it is nourished Thus S. Gregory This is the miserable progression of lamentable Schismatickes who trusting too much to their owne cleannes aduenture to touch pitch and much like vnto the lewd persons of the world seeking to enioy their vnlawfull contentments before they be aware conceiue sorrow * Psal 7. and bring forth iniquity which so long they harbour in their vnhappy lappe that at the length they nourish it with their pappes and drinke it in vnto their very harte Thus much for a wise man as you are will be sufficient for the daunger of infection Eccle. 3. least perhapps louing daunger you perishe therein I my selfe haue bene acquainted with a learned religious Professour of Diuinity who according to the necessity of his lectures hauing sometimes Caluins workes in his chamber with great humility a farr contrary spirit vnto that which beareth great sway in our
heretickes yet one yeelding vnto an other in wickednes they both agree that they be superstitiouse D. Tho. 22 q. 92. ar 2. Two kind of superstitions and both in heretickes seruice For there are two sortes of superstitions the one consisteth in the worship of a false God which is called Idolatry the other which hath retained vnto it selfe the common name of superstition is found in the vnlawfull worship of the true God which is in seruice of heretickes and such like where other ceremonies are vsed than which Christ and his Church hath ordained These also are of two sortes as well noteth Caietane Verbo Supst For either they be perniciouse or superfluouse Those are perniciouse which are contrary vnto the verity of faith Those are superfluouse which are any wayes contrary to the custome of the Church or otherwise then the Church doth vse The first are alwaies mortall sinnes the second also alwaies when there is contempt or scandall although of themselues they were not perniciouse Iudge you therfore whether both sortes of this second kind of superstition be not in hereticallseruice So that out of the fact of IEHV as you bring an example of going to heretickes seruice because you thinke he did well So I out of the same prooue such dissimulation to be wicked because IEHV did euill See Aug. l. con mend c. 3. See Bannes 22. q. 3. ar 2 dub 1. which I proue by the consent of S. Augustine and all schoole men after S. Thomas the principall ringleader of them all And I maruaile not a litle that you who take vpon you Skill in diuinity did so peremptorily bring the example of IEHV concealing the schoole mens opinion of his fact For you knew vndoubtedly that this Argument was not coined out of your owne witte but bothpropounded and answered before either your selfe or your new confraternity were hatched S. Thomas bringing this example against himselfe to proue dissimulation lawfull answereth it in this maner 22. q. 111. ar 1. ad 2. The dissembling of IEHV it is not necessary to be excused from sinne or from a lye for he was wicked as who did not departe from the Idolatry of Hieroboam yet is he commended and temporally rewarded by God 4. Reg. 10. not for his dissimulation but for his Zeale with which he destroied the worship of BAAL In ep ad Gal. c. 2. Thus S. Thomas And although S. Hierome seemeth to allow of IEHVES dissimulatiō yet you might haue considered that he doth it for to proue S. PETERS dissimulation in Antioch to haue bene without sinne where euen as that which he seeketh to inferre is contrary to S. Augustine and all the Diuines Ep. 19. Ter l. 4. in marcion Cypr ep ad quintū Amb. hie Aug. ep 89.19 Greg. l. 28. mor c. 12. 1. Reg. 21. yea the true meaning of the scripture S. PAVL saying that PETER was reprehensible and diuerse other auncient Fathers So was his antecedent also false and not to be followed although we may also say that he allowed dissimulation in generall but not in this particuler wheras he bringeth other examples of lawfull dissimulations as of DAVID before Abimelech faining himselfe madde and of CHRIST our Sauiour taking vpon him the shape of a sinner that condemning sinne and flesh he might make vs in himselfe the Iustice of God In like maner might IEHV haue a lawfull intention to dissemble and yet in the practise exceed God permitting for so good an end either his sin if he culpably erred or his excusable ignorance if among so many Idolaters he had none to instruct him as in secular and warlike men such particuler knowledge of godly dueties many times we see to be wanting §. 7. 4. Reg. 5. The 6 obiection of Naaman syrus Your next reason is the fact of NAAMAN who after he was conuerted vnto the true God yet had as it seemeth leaue of ELIZEVS the Prophet to be present at the Princes sacrifice vnto Idols The History is this NAAMAN returning vnto the man of God with his wholle company came and stood before him and said Verely I knowe that there is not any other god in the whole earth but onely in Israell I beseech thee therfore that thou receiue this blessing of thy seruaunt But he answered The Lord liueth before whom I stand I will not receaue it And when he was earnest he would not consent And NAAMAN saide as thou wilt But I beseech thee graunt vnto me thy seruant that I may take the burden of two muletts of the earth for thy seruant will not make any more holocaust or sacrifice vnto false Gods but to our Lord. This onely thing there is for the which thou maiest intreate our Lord for thy seruaunt when my Lord shall enter into the temple of Remmon for to worshippe and he leaning vpon my hand if I shall worshippe in the temple of Remmon he worshipping in the same place that our Lord doe pardon thy seruant for this thing who said vnto him goe in peace this farre goeth the history Naaman syrus would receaue Preistes if he now liued Now Sir I doe most hartely wish that you were like vnto NAAMAN SYRVS for then would you giue your blessing aboundantly vnto ELIZEVS and his schollers and cary of the holy land though it were a burden into your house erecting there an Aultar to doe sacrifice vnto the true God and vnto no other But so standeth the case with you such as you are that when once you goe to the temple of Remmon you forget ELIZEVS and the holy land and the sacrifice of the true God and at the very first steppe into hereticall synagogues as it were take your leaue of all goodnes Whether this be true or no I referre my selfe to your owne conscience But to goe directly vnto the matter I say that aswell the hebrew as the greeke and latin word is indifferent in holy scriptures to signifie ciuill and diuine worshippe and importeth no more then to bowe him selfe humbly vnto the ground which we read in Genesis * c. 23. Abraham to haue done for ciuill courtesy to the children of Heth and in the 18. chapter before he did the like to the Angells And in these places also in many more doe the same words signifie either ciuill worshippe to men or religiouse reuerence to Angells or Saintes and so the common doctrine of Diuines is that NAAMAN did not bow vnto the Idoll but vnto the King yeelding him that temporall seruice or ease of his body which was conuenient vnto his Princelye person and greatnes which was also the knowne cause of his presence in that place he being otherwise knowne to detest Idolatry after his recouery from his leper of which you may reade Lyra and other his companions Of going to the Church with the Prince See §. 5.15 and 16. After which maner diuers doe say that for a temporall seruice to a Prince to be donne
disproue falshood Yet least this letter of mine should fall into some handes of those who haue not seene such learned discourses as of this point heretofore haue bene sette forth I will briefly set downe some few reasons amongst so many wherby I may shew this action of going to hereticall seruice to be no indifferent action or such as may be exercised without sinne but wholly forbidden and vnlawfull of it selfe The reason of the difficulry which diuerse make in this question which thing when I vndertake I know in how vncertaine and slippery a place I find my selfe For although in my iudgement this matter may euidently be deduced out of Scriptures yet are the scriptures wrested from our case to other senses Although we may conclude it out of the examples of holy Fathers yet are they interpreted of Idolatry and not of heresie or of being present at Idolatrous sacrifices not at hereticall seruice Although we may alleage the grane example and seuere discipline of the wholle Church euen since Christ his time in all ages forbidding communication with heretiks yet are we answered that those were perfect times in which as all maner of vertues so all maner of seuerity did also florish I know not what prerogatiue being attributed to our age Wherfore although this were a matter fitte to be discussed out of Scriptures Fathers practise of Gods Church yet will we referre the large allegations therof vnto other bookes the learning and knowledge wherof we are not able to reach vnto Onely touching therof so much as we shall thinke necessary to fortifie and confirme those reasons which out of the lawe of nature of God we will bring to inferre our purpose But first we must agree what wee meane by going vnto the Church §. 14. What is ment by going to the Church First therfore by going to Church with heretickes we meane not that materiall action of going to that materiall place where heretickes haue theire seruice For in this respect such action is indifferent Yea in any action in the worlde that which is materiall may be found at some time or other The materiall of euery action may be indiffe rent and with some respect vnto reason which is the guide of all our actions morally lawfull and good though at other times and with other respectes it be vnlawfull For if we take that which is materiall or naturall in murder which is to beteaue a man of his life as it is vnlawfull when order of iustice wanteth So is it lawfull when the same order is obserued That also which is materiall in adultery or in thefte may be found in true matrimony or in a mans owne good altogether lawful commendable And yet is there none which will deny but that murder adultery thefte are of temselues vnlawfull The reason hereof is for that actions are not morally good or badde but by that conformity or deformitye which they haue with reason Wherfore diuerse accidents and many varieties of respectes vnto reason belonging vnto one materiall acte The necessary conditions of morall obiectes are not circumstances but essentiall vn to the action these are not now in respect of goodnes or badnes accidents but belong vnto the very nature and forme of that acte making different quallities either of goodnes or badnes or in the one or the other diuerse degrees kinds For example it is not a thing belonging vnto the naturall substance of the acte whether the man which is killed deserue death or no whether it be ones owne wife or no whether the horse be mine or an others But in the morall forme and nature therof that is in respect of that conueniency which our actions ought to haue with reason these conditions import very much and belong vnto the very substance and forme of goodnes or badnes yea in the very same kinde of theste as it is not a circumstance but intrinsecall vnto the thing which is taken that it is an other mans when the will choo seth and intendeth the same So the difference of place is not a circumstance but the very substance of the obiect in as much as it is morall and maleeth the action sacriledge when the will determineth to take from an holy place And so may we discourse of other condicions of euery obiecte or action In like maner must we resolue of this action of going to the Church For when we say that going to the Church with heretickes is vnlawfull in it selfe we meane not that materiall action comon to Catholicke and hereticke countreis nor going to the Church with heretickes as it may be with other morall conditions which may guie it an other maner of conueniency or disagreeing vnto reason What conditions are those which make the going to he retickes seruice a morall action and of it selfe vnlawfull but as it hath annexed such conditions as wee knowe are in our countrey with the which the goeing being quallified is of it selfe altogether vnlawfull These conditions are when one goeth for to be prefent at seruice and so that he may worthely seeme to go as others doe with conformity in religion or preiudice or contempt of Catholicke faith and vnity which in one worde we may well terme an orderly going to hereticall seruice §. 15. Some manner of going not reprehended Wherby we exclude those which goe to the Church for a temporall end of some particuler duety required by the Prince not in respect of hereticall seruice but of that which is due at other time and places For such so long as their seruice is knowne and such action although indifferent in it selfe is not of them exacted in contempt of religion Going with the Prince see §. 7. and §. 16. or vsed by them to giue the world to vnderstand that they goe to the Church or alleaged by them to proue that they be not recusantes Such I say are iudged by diuerse learned men not to goe to seruice as vnto seruice neither to obey the Prince in respect of seruice which neither the Prince in commaunding doth respect nor they in going all contrary vnto them which only for obedience goe to the Church where the end of the precept and of the going is seruice it selfe Going for obedience see §. 9. But they are esteemed to vse that action as a duety common to all places and no more intended in the Church than other where And so all signification of conformity to be taken away and this to be onely marerially to go to the Church without that forme and morallity which otherwise it hath These I say I exclude not meaning to sette downe my opinion therein whether it be euill of it selfe so to go with the Prince or if it be not whether scandall may be separated from it or no whether they may stay there after their particuler seruice is finished whether ordinary attendance vpon the Princes person be such a sufficient cause or no and
perfection And therfore a sufficient signe of religion is it in the laity to be present Than may we manifestly inferr that the lay people is also ceremoniously present Whence I inferre that as the minister if in the saying of his cōmunion he were touched of god so that he were resolued to renounce his heresy were bound vnder mortai sinne presently to lay downe his booke It is impossible to receaue Gods grace in the Church of heretickes and not to continew his vnlawfull action no not for one instant So also the lay man going thither for feare and in offering vp such praiers as he can afford almighty God in that place being touched with remorce of conscience of his vnlawfull presence is bound vnder paine of the same sinne to followe immediately the counsell of the Prophett and of the Apostle Esa 52. 2. Cor. 6. Gett ye hence gett ye hence go forth from hence touch not that which is polluted go forth of the middest of your congregation Neither were it sufficient for such to determine that he would go no more for so long as he staied there so long should he continew in the acte of a mortall sinne The heretickes pretence is cere monious Againe the hereticke him selfe euery time that he goeth doth an acte of religion and of his false religion professing his vnity in the church of Caluin therfore so doth the Catholicke also both alike in euery particuler time committ a new offence For although the one with this exteriour act of religion hath ioined the interiour yet sufficient it is that both doe the same exteriour act And the heretickes sinne is dubble for he is an inward an outward hereticke But the other is onely an exteriour hereticke but not an interiour Than that it is not lawfull to receiue the heretickes communion all agree But the very same case is of the presence at seruice Receauing the cōmunion is cere monious although one be more greeuouse than the other therfore it is not lawfull to be present For let vs scanne a litle the nature of receiuing the communion For I pray you why may you not receiue Because this is not an indisterent thing as my presence is what thing more indifferent than to eate a peace of bread because it is geuen me in steed of a farre more excelent thing which Christ instituted So is the seruice roung in your eares in steed of a farre more sacred thing And as you sett litle by the seruice so you may also sett as litle by the bread especially wheras some of your ministers will scant take it vp from the ground if it fall Because I should receiue it vnworthely to my damnatiō What do you now know that Christ is not there that true consecration is not made Doe you receiue euery but of meate which you receiue vnworthely to your damnation because it goeth against my conscience O scrupulous conscience and why goeth it against your conscience or why this more than that Bring forth any cause why you may not receaue and I will bring the same for to disallow your presence The trew cause therfor is for that to receaue is an acte of their religion and so is also to be present at seruice Obedience may excuse as well the one as the other An intention of I knowe not what may cleare them both alike And if to go to the Church be not euill in it selfe neither is receauing Yea greater indifferency is in eating and drincking which hath other materiall reasons of commendable and discommendable than can be in the going to the Church and to such a company which hath no other naturall end at that time and with those conditions but religion The ministers sayng is not ceremoniouse but in respect of the company Againe the ministers saying is an exteriour acte of religion and a ceremoniouse behauiour But his saying is not ceremoniouse but in respect of the company which is there religiously present for to heare him For if one which hath licence to read hereticall bookes did out of the Church at a table for curiosity before great companies read the verve same it were no religiouse or ceremoniouse acte Therfore as well the hearer as the reader are religiously present Presence at Idolatry is ceremoniouse 1. Cor. 10 see Testament of Rhemes Besides To be present at Idolatry after the like maner or to eate idolothites otherwise thē at a prophane seast not in the temple is a profession of the Idolls seruice therfore is the like in this your presence in respect of heresy the one signifying as well as the other heither haue wee in Christian times any other Idolls but heresies nor idolothites but their false seruices shifted into our Churches in steed of Gods trew and onely worshippe Furthermore to vse the vestiments of a Turke in which for the honour of Mahomet there is his picture The vestiments of a Turke see §. 35. or the picture of the mone specially dedicated vnto him is by all Diuines esteemed of it selfe a mortall sinne For no other reason than because such a vestiment is ordained for no other end but to signify religion Caiet verbo Habitus omissio Bannes 2.2 q. 3. ar 2 dub 2. Euch as the offring of incense vnto an Idoll donne in such time and place is determined vnto a naughty end of Idolatry although the intention be sarre contrary But the vnion in praier with a false secte being a ceremony of religion is more neere vnto such a signification than a coate which is prophanely vsed and only a marke of religion Much more than must it be vnlawfull although the intention be neuer so contrary Also in the great and famous controuersie which was betweene the two great lightes of the Church S. AVGVSTINE S. HIEROME Dissembling of any lewes ceremony is ceremonious ep 11. 19 Aug. they both agree in this that the Iudaicall obsernances are perniciouse and deadly As thou saieth Saint AVGVSTINE with a free voice yea although all the worlde were against thee doest pronounce that the ceremonies of the Iewes are both perniciouse and deadly vnto Christians and whosoeuer shall obserue them whether he be of the Iewes or Gentiles that he is tombled downe into the pitt of the Diuell So doe I also confirme this thy saying S. AUgustin and S. Hieromes censure and adde that whosoeuer shall obserue them whether of the Iewes or of the Gentills not onely nuely but also dissemblingly he is hurled downe into the pitt of the Diuell ⧠This doctrine is according to those wordes of S. PAVL Gal. 5 If you be circumcised Chust will profit you nothing what is the reason of this but because these ceremonies are signes of Iudaicall religion Ther Iewes ceremonies more lawfull And is it not lawfull to vse the signes of a religion which was once the onely trew religion in the world and by Gods owne prescript ordained and
in the Church more than in ciuill conuersation which also was forbidden them Yea such was the feruent zeale of this Bishoppe in this quarrell and such was the readines of the people to cleaue vnto their Pastour Ep. 33. l. 5. in so iust a cause that the Emperour him selfe feared least by the mutany of the souldiers which notwithstanding S. Ambrose neuer allowed he shold haue bene putt in prison But this Emperour for all this being once depriued of his euill Counsellours was alwaies after vnited vnto his Bishopp reputing him not only as his Father but as his Protectour and deliuerer in all distresses But in this matter of hereticall Churches Amb. orat de obitu Valētiniani orat de trad Bas How we ought to esteeme of lawes in this point Gal. 2. heare I pray you a necessary lesson of this great and most holy Doctour For speaking of Auxentius the Arrian Bishop he saieth whome hee could not by speach deceiue those he thinketh to strike with the sword with his mouth enditing with his hand writing bloody lawes thinking that the law may prescribe vnto men a beliefe he hath not heard that which euen this day was read That a man is not iustified by the workes of the law Or this by the law I am dead vnto the law ibid. that I may liue vnto God And we therfore by the law of our Lord IESVS CHRIST let vs dye vnto this lawe which enacteth decrees of perfidiousnesse ⧠Thus the most constant Pastour of those lawes of which we spake before for the deliuery of Churches vnto Arians Iudge you what he thought of going to the same if the Arians had obtained their purpose although in this pointe also I haue shewed you euen here his iudgement A litle before that time * Sozom. l. 6. c. 18. whan Valens in the East did persecute the Catholickes he came to Edessa for to see a noble Church of S. THOMAS A notable example of Catholicks constancy From this citty had he either by death or banishment or imprisonment taken away most of the Catholicke Pastours yet whan he saw the Cotholicke people to gather thēselues togither in a fielde before the citty he is said very sharpely to haue rebuked the Gouernour generall and to haue geuen him a blowe on the eare because against his commaundement he suffered such meetings to be made A ciuill hereticke Modestus therfore for so was the Gouernours name although he were an Arian yet secretly gaue them warning that they should take heed least the next day they came to the same place to pray For the Emperour had commaunded him greeuously to punish those which he should finde there But the people contemning his threates with farre greater desire than before did fill the place Which thing Modestus vnderstanding knew not what to do yet went be into the field In the way a woman drawing her childe after her and contrary vnto womāly decency her gowne euill fauoredly putte about her as it were hasting vnto a desired thing rusheth through the band of soldiers which went before the Gouernour who seeing that cōmandeth her to be apprehended and asketh her the cause of such hast That I may quickly come saith she vnto the field in which the Catholickes are gathered togither Art thou alone ignorant saith Modestus that the Gouernour will presently come thither and kill all that he findeth Yea saith the woman I haue heard therof and therfore I had need runne most speedely least I come whan all is donne and so be depriued of Martyrdome which now God hath offered me But why I pray thee doest thou leade thy little boy with thee That he also may be partaker of the publicke afflicton and receaue a like reward Therfore Modestus wondering at the manly courage of the woman returneth vnto the court And whan he had informed the Emperour of her he perswaded him that hee should cease from seeking to accomplish what he had begonne wheras especially it was a thing neither of small dishonour and of greate discommodity So farre Sozomenus O constant people O most kind godly mother O happy child which liuest in such a time If our times and people were like vnto these than should wee not onely haue more refusers of Valens his Church but more cōstant practisers of their owne religiō not able to be hindered with losse of goods or of liberty or of life it selfe But we will go somewhat farther in the worthy actes of this renoumed citty l. 4. c. 16. And take that which folowed after out of Theodoret. For notwtstanding the Emperour feared the multitude yet were those which were of the Clergy that is some Priestes and Deacons for their Bishop Baxses was sent into banishment and one Lupus worthy of such a name putt in his place with whom that godly deuoute people refused to cōmunicate these Cleregy men I say were brought before the Gouernour and commaunded either to cōmunicate with Lupus or to be banished Where after a faire long tale saied by the Gouernour to perswade thē from their recusancy A preaching Gouernour alledgeing that it was an extreeme madnes for a few simple men to resist one which was so mighty a Prince and ouer so many at the length saith the Gouernor to Eulogius a holy Priest and the chiefe of those which was than lefte * Go to that Church which your Prince goeth vnto Cōmunicate with the Emperour Vnto whom Eulogius very stilly but quippingly answered What was he whan he was made Emperour made also a Bishoppe The Gouernour vnderstanding the quipp beganne to be angry to reuile the Priest and to adde these wordes I saide not so focile that thou arte but I exhorted you all to communicate with those which whom the Emperour communicateth But the good ould man answered that they had a Pastour meaning his Bishop whose commaundement they should in such thinges obey Wherupon fowerscore of them were sent into barbarous Countreis into banishment ⧠But marke I pray you both here in what shal be said herafter vvhat is cōmunication with heretickes or schismaticks that to cōmunicate with hereticks was alwaies vnderstood by a religious and ceremonious presence at those actions wherin theire Pastours Bishops exercised their woolfish profession towardes their scattered flocke And this must of necessity agree with manifest reason that such communication as is had with heretickes in their praiers is the highest and most vnlawfull degree of communication with them For if in auncient times the holy Bishopps of the Primitiue Church by geuing or sending of certain letters vnto Schismatickes or heretickes Litrae Formarae vel cōmmicatoriae Aug. ep 16 2. 163 Opt. l. 2. copt parm Conc. Mileu c. 20 which were called LITTERAE FORMATAE or COMMVNICATORIAE should therby haue signified their vnion with the same therfore haue licensed others to keepe company and to communicate with them also which they reputed alwaies vnlawfull