of felony Agaynst the terror of both these lawes I intend to geue such comfort as it shall please god by my poore pen to aforde And first I will assay to geue a cordiall agaynst the thirten monthes mulct as that which may extend it selfe more generally and is more like to be put in execution then that other lawe which draweth blood at the first encoūter the world being more earnestly set in these dayes to thirst after money thē to desire the shedding of mens blood And like as pesecution beginneth commonlye with lesser penalties before it proceed to greater so shall it not be a misse to keepe the same order in applying remedye to these afflictions The loue of worldly goods being not so naturall as the care of keeping of a mans life therfore ordinarily the lose more easlly digested Although many will say that they would rather dye speedely then liue a long time in miserie The reson of this their iudgement may be geuen for that they haue already some feeling of want in this life but of deathe they haue not yet tasted neyther doe they feele it so much being in their opinion farther from them but if death were iminēt I thinke ther are very few that would not saue their liues if they could although with very hard conditions for their maner of liuing so that comonly that is found true although it were vttered by the Father Author of lyes pellem pro pelle et cuncta que habet homo dabit pro anima sua Skyne for skyne and all that a man hath he will geue for his soule that is to say for the redemption of his naturall lyfe Yet neuerthelesse ther is good hope that if we maye perswade men to endure patiently the with-drawing of goods liuings they will more boldly aduenture if it shal-be needfull the losse of liues the departing from these temporall possessions being one especiall payne that mē hauing substance doe find at the time of their death being also a greate cause why they feare to dye and therfore many times a great impedimēt to the happy atchiuing of glorious martirdom ACording to this order therfore let vs first consider this penalty of twēty pownd by the month for what cause it is layde vpon you what incōueniences it bringeth and what recompence you maye expect in time to come for this vrgent detriment So that waying the goodnes of your cause and ioyning therto hope of future reward you may rather reioyce in the gayne that is to come then sorow for the present losse or feare the distresse or incommoditye that may ensue And first touching the cause wherfore your purses be thus punished You suffer because you ar Catholickes or as the world termeth you recusants Let vs see therfore what you refuse to doe and vpon what ground although you haue the same declared more at large in sundry learned treatyses it shall not be amisse perhaps to call some few poynts amongst the rest to remembraunce YOu refuse to doe directly agaynst your conscience to descend quick vnto hell and to be swallowed vp a liue by your enemies for Saint Augustine sayeth when thou knowest it to be euill which thou doest and yet doest the same thou doest downe quicke vnto hell And in a nother place those are they sayeth he that are swallowed vp alyue who know a thing to be euill and doe geue consent with their tongues And great reason haue you to shun this manifest and wilfull perdition of your owne soules knowinge that as Saint Paule sayeth he that discerneth that is to saye he that iudgeth a thing to be euill although it were otherwise indifferent if he doe it is damned because not of fayth but because he doeth not according to his conscience and knowledg for all that is not of fayth all that is done agynst a man his conscience is sinne albeit the thinge were of it selfe lawfull much rather if it be vtterly vnlawfull as the going to church with heretikes is holdē in euery discreete mans conscience and iudgement And Saint Iames sayeth to one knowinge to doe good not doing it to him it is sinne much rather if a man know a thinge to be euill do it his offence must needs be great Blessed ar you therfore in refusing to condemne your selues by doing contrary to that which you best alow ALso you refuse to dishonor god by fleeing from his banner and furnishing his enimies campe with your visible presence Where as it is written in the Prouerbs That in the multitude of his people is the kings dignity in the smale nūber of his folke the ignominy of a Prince And ther-fore of such as shrinke awaye in time of aduersity our Sauiour complayneth in one of the psalmes in behalfe of him selfe and of his spouse the Catholike Church in lamentable manner sayinge Aboue all myne enimies I haue byn made a reproch to my neighbours and a feare to mine acquaintance excedingly they that did see me haue fled forth from me vpon which place Saint Augustine sayth that the departure of those that had seene known the Church is more greeuous altogether intollerable thē the obstinate resistinge of those that haue byn nouseled brought vp in error from their infancy And therfore it followeth after a few words in the aforesayde psalme I haue heard the disprayse of manye dwelling round about me As vndoubtedly yf you should forsake god for feare of tēporall losse you should geue occasion to many to blasphem god as if he were not able to deliuer you or as if you had no trust in his power and goodnes saying Non est salus ipsis in deo eorum They haue no saluatiō in their god they haue no hope or assurance in their religion which they haue hyther to professed You shall also geue them occasion to thinke very euill of the Catholike religion by seeming to make lesse accompt of the defence professiō of the same then of a litle money yea then of all your worldlye goods and possessions They that trouble you shall reioyse yf you be moued but doe you hope still in our Lord his mercy YOu refuse likewise not only to geue this cause of reioysing to your aduersaries but also to make a shew of euill that by doing that which is euill of it selfe to induce many weakelings depending on your example as your children your seruaunts friends neyghbours others partly hauing iudgement and knowledge to follow you to church agaynst their consciences and partly being ignorāt to allow the schismaticall seruice now vsed and finally to like of heresy wherby so much as lieth in you you should be homicides and destroyers of their soules for as Saint Paule sayeth If a man se him that hath knowledge sitt at a table in the Idols temple shall not his conscience being weake be edified to eate things sacrificed to Idols vpon which place
the lesse at your handes I trust you wil always folow the rule of good Tobias to be merciful in such sorte as you shal be able and if you haue much to geue aboundantly If you haue litle to bestowe yet a lytle willynglye yea this whiche shal-be the greatest almes that could be geuen For as that blessed martyr Sir Thomas more sayth whē a man loseth anye thing for Gods cause although the deuils escheator sease vpon it yet it is rendred to God And as for delicate and sumptuous fare gaye apparrel other external worldly pompe I hope you are so farr frō being in loue with anye of those thinges that rather you wil thanke God for geuing you occasion to cut of such superfluous expences But now for suche of you as haue lytle therfore not being able to satisfie the penaltye shal lose two partes of that which you haue and for suche whose substance consisteth wholye or for the most parte in moueable goods and therfore are lyke to lose all and so to fal into great pouerty there is great cause why they should be releeued by such whom god hath blessed more larglye with temporal benefits and wherfore they should be comforted agaynst the extremity of this imminent storme of worldlye affliction And yet peraduenture it shal be easier for some of thē to descend from their meane state vnto the lowest then for some other that haue borne a great port to come down but to a certayn mediocrity of liuing For where there be lest possessiōs ther is manye times lesse loue of the world Although in deede there be no greate differēce between leesing much or litle for Gods sake so that a man beare like loue towards God But to such of you now whose losse may be more greuous or that maye fall in to greater wante I directe my speach desiring you to consydder a while the condition of these earthlye goods and the burthen of pouertye whiche maye light vpon you in the hardest case that may be foreseene by mans reasone So shall you see neyther the losse to be so great nor the inconuenience that maye follow therof so intollerable as at the first sighte it might be esteemed AND First touching wordly goods I myghte tell you accordyng to some phylosophers yea by the iudgemente of manye Christyan Doctors that they are not worthye the name of goods because they make not their possessors any thing the better But rather they make them for the most parte farr the worse for so much as they are the occasion of pryde whiche is the verye worme and disease that foloweth ryches They kindle couetousnes ther fore they be lyke to colde water being drounke by a man that is in some hott disease the more that he drinketh the more it increaseth his thirst They are matter of intemperance and ouer delicate lining They geue impunity to vices and consequently are occasion of manye sinnes I might saye that they are common to good and to euil men but more commonlye they ar bestowed vpon the euil then vppon the good Beholde sinners haue obteyned riches sayth Dauid in one Psalme And this is so disposed for sundrye good reasons First because we shoulde vnderstande these earthlye possessions not to be the true goods nor the rewarde whiche we expect to receyue also because those wicked men are manye tymes rewarded with earthlye ryches for some morall good which they haue done being not worthye at all of better recompence And for the most part this aboundance of wealth is an occasion wherfore they become more vitious so is permitted vnto them as matter of more greeuous damnation I might saye vnto you that none of these externall thinges whiche a man possesseth are to be called hys owne because they are not within him self therfore it is not in a mās power to keepe or not to leese them This moued certayne Phylosophers as Bias and Stilpo of Megara being spoylled of all that whiche they had to boaste that they caryed with them all their goods meaning that they had not loste theyr inward vertues This bragg they made perhaps more confidently then truely but how much better may a Christian saye that although he be depryued of his earthlye goods yet he hopeth that he shal not lose his fayth his trust and his loue towards God and consequent lye he shal not lose God himselfe the geuer of all goodnes and the onlye ryches that maye suffice and cause him to line content and happye I might shew to you out of profane historyes that manye Philosophers either for loue of knowledge or desire of vayne glorye as Anacharsis Crates Antisthenes and almost all those of like studye and profession and manye worthye Captayns and honourable men in their common wealthes as Aristides and Phocion among the Athenians and among the Romanes Fabritius and M. Curius haue eyther chosen to become poore or haue refused to be made rich when occasion was offered I might proue further by good reason that this external wealth is no otherways profitable but when it is wel bestowed And how can it be bestowed with more aduaūtage then being forsaken for gods loue and for the redemption of your owne soules Otherwise what benefite hath the rich man by his great aboūdance Or what doe his large possessiōs auayle him Are they profitable in respect of his health we see that moste wealthy men can hardlye repayre their bodies by contynuall applying of medicyne where-as the poore man contynueth sound without healpe of physike Hath he more libertye to goe where he wil or more freedome to do what him best pleaseth vndoubtedlye no. For setting a side the couetous mā whose hart is alwayes tyed and chayned vnto his money and take what riche man you wil he is more restrayned from bestowing his tyme at his pleasure by the manifolde instance of his tēporal affayres then the poore cottier by the necessitye of getting his dayly liuing by daylye labour But dothe he enioye more pleasures No surely For although he haue perhapps greater store of delights yet pleasure cōsisteth rather in rarenes then in continual vse rather in mens desires then in the nature of thinges themselues The rich man can scarcely finde any dayntyes that maye content his appetite where as the poore hath hūger for his sauce to al kind of meats As it is written in the Prouerbs That the soule which is already fully satisfied wil tread the hony combe vnder foote but the hungry wil take men bitter for swete The rich man tosseth vp and doune in his softe bedd after a ful stomake where as the poore man sleepeth soundly vpon his simple couche after meane dyet by reasone of his long dayes labour Sleepe is sweete sayth wise Salomon to him that worketh whether he eate lytle or muche but the fulnes of a rich man doth not suffer him to sleep The rich hath moe fauning friends peraduenture but he hathe lesse assurance of
of Saint Paule the famous doctor saint Augustine inferreth that we ar forbidden to vse or to doe that wher-by we maye be thought to doe any thinge in the honour of straūge gods receiuing it in such sort that although in harte we despise such things yet we edifie or induce those that know not our harts in deed to honour the same In lke māner to compare the case of goinge to church in these our dayes vnto meates offered to Idols If men shall see you in churches in time of sacriligious seruice should not their consciences be edified eyther to thinke yt the seruice of God or at the lest with out feare to frequēt the same and so in tract of time to like and allow of heresy and so sinning agaynst your brethren stryking their weake consciences you shall sinne agaynst Christ Therfore sayeth the Apostle if meate scandalize my brother I will neuer eate flesh Of the same mynd was that notable Eleazaurus who chose rather to dye then to make so much as a shew of eating meates forbidden by the lawe saying that he would first be sent vnto hell for sayeth he it is not seemly for our age to fayne that many young men thinking Eleazaurus now of ninty yeares age to haue passed to the lyfe of the gentills may also them selues thorough my dissimulation and for a litle time of this corruptible lyfe be deceyued therby I may procure a blemish malediction to myne olde age for although I be deliuered at this presēt time from the tormēts of men yet shall I not escape the hand of the almighty neyther aliue nor dead And shoulde not men haue greate cause to thinke that you were passed to the lyfe conuersation of heretikes seeing you to differ nothing from them in principall signes tokens of religion should you not cause many to saye ther is no differēce men contēding among them selues haue made these controuersies god is to be honoured euery wher yf the very silence of a man in matter of fayth by Saint Augustins Iudgement should cause many to thinke all religiō indifferent And therfore thryse well aduised ar you in refusing to doe such an acte wherby your catholike brethrē might be offēded scandalized or weakened MOreouer you refuse by conforming your selues as men terme it to the proceedings of a nother religion to denye that fayth which you vndoubtedly knowe to be most true sincere vniuersall auncient as that wherin you haue byn borne and baptised wherin al your worthy auncetors haue liued and dyed which alwayes onlye hath floryshed in this Realme of Englande till within these late yeares yeelding in euerye age most plentiful fruite of deuotion towards God of obedience towardes Princes and other superiors of mercy towards the poore of charity of trueth fidelity and plaine dealing of all sortes of men towards their neighbours And that you shold so denye your faith by going to church with the protestantes yet is it moste playn by the nature of the thing it selfe being an acte properlye belonging to Religion by the intente of the lawe being made to no other ende but to exacte of you some signe of yeelding in matters of conscience by your longe refusal and suffering for the same cause heretofore by the iudgment of the aduersaries holding them-selues satisfied if you relent but in this one poynte of or externall behauior and finally by the confession of all men of any meane vnderstanding if they wil vtter plainly what they thinke if it were thought heretofore in times of persecutiō that the onlye wearing of a garland in certayne feastes of Idoles were to be holden as a signe that a man had denyed his fayth In so muche that Tertulian saythe although a Christian man hold his peace whiles others doe sacrifice to false goddes yet by wearing that garlande vppon his head he maketh aunswere in fauour of Idolatrye whereas this was a thing by nature indifferent being onlye made a signe of religion by vse and opinion of men what shall wee iudge then of ioyning with protestants in their publike prayers and seruice which is peculier to them as the blessed Sacrifice of the Masse is common to all Catholikes And therfore as wee are knowen by the one so they are knowen and discerned by the other If it were not permitted hereto fore that Christians shold in anye sorte conforme them-selues to the Gentils not euen so-much as to hang a lantern or a branche of Laurell at their dores when greate feastes were celybrated in honour of Idoles How can it be lawfull to keepe feastes with hereticks and to enter into their churches when they are busied in suche actes whereby they are distinguished not onlye from Catholiques but also one secte and sorte of them from a nother If it were thought a great offence to be present at the publike spectackles playes because the beginning and fynall ende of them was the honour of Idoles Is it possible that a catholike mā shold safly exhibit his presence at such kinde of seruice as had beginning by deuisiō from the Church and was inuēted for the setting forth of heresie Let vs here what Tertulian saith of the aforesayde plaies in a peculier treatis of that argument he requireth herein the iudgmēt of the very Gentils whether Christians might be there present or no. For saith he They most of all vnderstād a man to be made a Christian by the refusing of such spectakles Therfore he denieth manifestlye who taketh away the thing wherby he is knowen In like maner may we saye at this present the protestants especially vnderstande that one is become a Catholike by the refusing of their churches Therfore he denyeth himselfe to be a Catholike whosoeuer fayleth in this poynt pf his profession Nether let anye man thinke to escape this daūger of deniall by subtile euations For as S. Ciprian saieth whosoeuer seeketh deceytfull sleightes to excuse him-selfe hath denied and he that will seeme to haue satisfied the Edicts or lawes proposed a gainst the Gospel hath obeyed euen in this that he wolde seeme to haue obeyed Now who-soeuer shall thus by his outwarde acte denye himselfe to be a Catholike shall therby denyethe whole Catholike religion euen as he that denyeth him-selfe to be a Christian denyeth Christe And consequently a Christian and Catholique being all one to goe to Churche with heretickes is plainely to denye Christ As contrarie-wise to refuse their conuenticles is a cleere cōfession of Christ And this is a most important reason of your refusall where-vpon I haue stayed the longer because it concerneth you as muche as to be acknowleged or denyed before God the Father and all his Angels when Christe shall come in his maiestie to iudge the worlde HEreof it foloweth also that you refuse by damnable schisme to seuer your selues from the Church your mother where-by you shoulde cease to haue God to your father
A CONSOLATORY LETTER TO ALL THE AFFLICTED CATHOLIKES in England Philip. 4. Sic state in domino Charissimi So stand in our Lorde my Dearest Imprinted at Roan in Normandy TO HIS MOST DEARE COVNTREYMEN ALL THE AFFLICTED CAtholickes in England H.B. wisheth all comfort and strength and ê‘seueraunce in Christ Iesus RIght Noble Lordes and worshippfull GentlemeÌ„ with other worthy Confessors of Christ his Church and religion generally all ye that vnder the name of wilfull and obstinate Recusants but in verye deed because you be true and constant Catholickes eyther alredy haue ben or by likelihood may be herafter endomaged in your worldly goods and possessions empeached of liberty or other wyse persecuted and afflicted If the light of fayth did as clearely shine the fire of godly zeale and charity were now as feruent in mens harts as it was in the golden dayes of those first Christians among whome the precious blood of our Sauior was yet warme the memory of the blessed Apostles most fresh the example of invincible Martirs in euery sex age and condition so frequent as that nothing could be more coÌ„mon then dayly to see men and women olde and young rich poore Priestes and secular for Christs sake to offer them selues with willing and glad mindes to all kinde of exquisite and greuous torments If it might please God I say but in some parte to renue kindle againe the deuotion of those times in this our dull age dead season neyther should this present persecutioÌ„ seeme so terrible as now I feare it seemeth to many neyther should it be needfull at all to vse so much comfort encouragement and exhortation as now perhapps to a great number shal be very necessary to be applyed For so farr were the most Christians in that flourishing prime tyde and cleare Noone dayes of the Church from being afrayde of any kind of death although most cruell and painfull that euery one deemed him selfe the more happy by how much more he might endure for the loue of our Sauiour and as for temporall goods they were then so litle esteemed as that many preuented the persecutors hands by selling all that they had and distributing their money for the reliefe of their poore Christian brethren But now alas that saying of the Prophet Ieremie is to playnly verified of this our miserable time Vae nobis quia declinauirdies quia longiores factae sunt vmbrae vesperi woe to vs because the day is farr spent because the shadowes are growen longer in the eauening The light of true knowledge being diminished charity waxing colde iniquity encreasing the shadowes of transitory things ar become so greate that now a mole hill appeareth more then a mountayne did in times past the losse of a litle money is now accompted greater theÌ„ here-tofore of a whole world of wealth yea more at this day perhapps ar dismayed at the pinching of their purse then would in former age haue ben appalled at the tearing of their fleshe breaking in sunder of all their bones I meane not in this speach to include many of you most constant and approued Confessors of whom I confidently trust better things and nearer to saluation who haue well dâ—seruâ—d that honorable testimony which Saint Paule giueth to the Hebrues hâ—uing susteyned already a great fight of passions on the one part by reproches and tribulations made a spectacle and on thother part made companions of them that coÌ„uersed in such sort You haue taken compassion on them that were in bondes the spoyl of your owne goods you haue taken with ioy knowing that you haue a better and a more permanent substance Ther remayneth for you no more but that you doe not lose your coÌ„fideÌ„ce which hath a great renumeratioÌ„ How long this persecutioÌ„ shall continue to what extremitie it may grow hereafter God knoweth And although we may hope the best yet in respect of our sinns we haue cause also to feare the worst Therfore patience is necesarie for you that doing the will of god you may receiue the promise for yet a litle a verie litle while he that is to come will come will not slacke Liue you in the meane while by the assured fayth hope of Christ his coÌ„ming and withdraw not your selues from the Catholike Church being redy to resist vsque ad saguinem Even to the patient shedding of your blood if the glory of Christ his name shall so require But I speake of the base minded multitude who hardlye be perswaded in hope of felicitie in the life to come to liue here with patience in penury or willingly to endure a paynfull death who ar ether with holdeÌ„ by feare of penall lawes agaynst their coÌ„scieÌ„ces froÌ„ the harbour of saluation or if they be yet in the Church they stagger and ar ready to fall at the terror blast of euery new statute that commeth forth behauing them selues in the meane time so coldly in their profession that scarcely shall you perceiue them by any outward acte to be Catholickes For these espeacially I haue taken in hand this labour of exhortation although I trust it shal-be acceptable to you also who by likelihod haue lesse need to be comforted for even those that fight or runne best are encouraged not onlye by their maisters and gouernours but also by the vulgar multitude that standeth a farr of that which to others is a necessary perswasion to you is a great and excellent commendation for so much as you do that of your selues with out externall admonition wher vnto others haue neede to be often and vehementlye exhorted And if I profite not otherwise by this endevour yet I hope I shall reape profite by calling to remembraunce that which maye bring comfort to my selfe wherof I confesse I stand in neede in respect of the sorowe which I suffer for your affliction my deare beloued contrymen and for the lameÌ„table state of our natiue Land being absent in body yet alwayes present with you in minde and spirit likewise doe I need the prayers of good folke which I besech all Catholikes that shall read this simple treatise of their charitable goodnes to bestow vpon me ANd now to come to my intended matter The weyght of this preseÌ„t persecution seemeth chiefly to consist in two penall statutes thone enforcing you to make shew by outward signes of yelding to a contrary religioÌ„ the other debarring you from practise of your owne the one proposing vnto you detriment of temporall goods the other thretning bodily deth I meaÌ„e thone in flicting penalty of .xx. pownd by the month to be exacted of all those that refuse to be present at the schismaticall prayers now called in England by the name of diuine seruice the other forbidding you to receyue catholicke Priests and consequently excluding you from the benefite of god his seruice SacrameÌ„ts vnder no lesse payne theÌ„ for the same to suffer death as in case
lyght so shyne before men Let the confession of your fayth and your good conuersation be so manifeste that they maye see your good woorkes and gloryfie your father which is in heauen Thirdly therfore it is to be considdered that the Church for maintayning of her visible vnitye hath certaine outwarde signes wherin her children do participat one with a nother wherby she is knowen and distinguished frō other companies For as S. Augustine sayth Into no name of religion either true or false can men be firmely compacted excepte they be tyed together by some fellowship of visible signes or sacraments And these outward signes are esspeciallye the blessed Scacrifice the holy sacramentes of the same publike prayers and seruice of God which are not in the protestants churches And therfore whosoeuer resorteth thither doth manifestly fayle in these tokens of his profession and so diuideth himselfe frō the visible vnity Fourthly this vnitye requireth not onlye that a man participate in sacramentes and prayers but also that he be obediente to his lawfull pastours And now it is euident that the whole churche in the Councel of Trent by condemning the heresies of this time hath also forbidden vs to haue felowship with the folowers of those heresies in diuine thinges Neither was it needful by expresse wordes to prohibit the comming to their churches seing that it was forbidden expresly to pray with heretikes euen by the Cannons of the Apostles and in diuers ages by sundry Councels whiche wee shal haue occasion to cite herafter And who knoweth not that the meaning will and commaūdement of all Catholike pastors at this daye is that we shold abstaine from the a foresayd churches vnder no lesse payne thē to be cast out of the true church Fiftly the practice of our country is most manifest wherby those that only haue bin presēt at the scismatical seruice are holden for very scismatikes accordingly are dealt withal in their rising vp from their ruine and they in the mean time in their owne consciences do acknowledge them-selues to be debarred from the vse of al holye Sacraments Sixtly al this is grounded vpon great reason for like as the protestants are heretikes in respect of their false doctrine so are the scismatikes in their different manner of seruing God And therfore who soeuer doth but seeme to concurr with them in that outward acte of seruice the Churche being not able to searche his harte and minde but iudging him acording to that which he sheweth outwardly must needs cēsure him as a scismatike Which censure is more greeuous terrible then if a man were adiudged to be striken with a sworde to be consumed with fire or to be deuoured with wilde beastes And more bitterly and vnhappily is a man bound by the keyes of the church after such iudgment then by any other most greuous and harde bondes albeit they were of yron or Adamant stone Neither let anye man thinke to be acquite from the crime of scisme or from this heauy cēsure because his acte of going to the protestants churche is constrayned by feare of worldlye losse and not altogether voluntarie For although he wold not doe this acte if the feare were remoued yet according to the condition of this presente time he choseth it as most expedient for him And therfore al circumstances considdered and as thinges goe now it is more voluntary then against his wil and simpliciter as it is termed as the case now standeth it is voluntarie For if feare might haue excused the Churche had done greate wrong not onlye to those who had denyed their fayth by doing sacrifice or casting of incence into the fyre before Idoles through constraint of torment but euen to those who had geuen vp their names among thē that sacrificed al which sortes of offenders were long time with-holden from the Sacramēts and caused to doe harde penance yea manye of them were not admitted to the company of the faithful vntil that eyther the persecution ceased or that the extreme poynt of death ouertoke them or if such faynt hartes might be holden blamelesse where should become the glorye of martirs or the inuincible perseuerance of constant Confessors And therfore great cause haue you rather to suffer your selues to be condemned to the payment of twenty poūdes by the moneth then to be subiecte to this so iust and withal so heuye damnation LIkewise you refuse to dissemble in matters belonging to God your conscience which kind of dissimulatiō S. Augustine reckeneth for the first and worst kind of detestable lying Therfore in one place speaking or Seneca who in his harte knew the Idols of the gentils to be most false and vayne and yet by his outward behauiour seemed to honour them the same doctor pronounceth this sentence in this sorte that he dyd more damnablye worship those false gods for-somuch as those thinges which he did faynedly he did them in suche sorte that the people thought him to doe them truely and in deede from his harte and in a treatis of purpose writtē against the Priscillianists who defended it as a thing lawful for a man to counterfayt a contrarye religion for aduantage and also against certain Catholikes who forsoth as they sayd to espye and finde out heretiks would put on a visard of heresy He determineth that dissimulation in no wise to be vsed shewing that if they shold cōuert any of those heretikes by going among thē in that sort yet shold they as muche confirme their disciples in that errour of thinking it lawful to lye dissēble as they shold edify them in other poynts of doctrine So that neither the catholiks shold know whether an heretike were in other things cōuerted or no so long as he remained in that doctrine of lying Nether shold the new conuert knowe when or wherin to beleue his maister whom he had found in many thinges here to fore haue bin a dissembler a lyar In the same treatis he reciteth the example of Iehu who fained to cōmit Idolatrye therby to entrape the priestes of Baal as wicked and sacriligious and by no meanes to be folowed For neuer did the Apostles who were in deed right holye and true martyrs any such thing for the sauing of their owne lyues as this King did vppon indiscreete zeale to take away the liues of others And wherfore because that with the harte we beleue to Iustice but with the mouth confession is made to saluation Which confession is of dutye and necessity when soeuer a man by his silence should be thought to haue forsaken his faythe or that the religiō should be the worse lyked of or that others should be induced to wauer in their fayth thorough dissimulation All whiche conditions may doe concurr in this case of yelding to heretikes to resorte to theyr churches and seruice And here it is to be noted that the Priscillianists were not the first that would warrant
Gospellers Beholde here the cause wherfore Catholiks be afflicted determined by the iudgment of a Protestant preacher and recorded in the a fore-sayd booke of Fox his monsterous monuments Which thing being wel cosiddered wolde make one to woūder that we should be so vrged by the Protestants at this daye to doe the same thing whiche in their owne case they haue thought must thinke very damnable seing that this common consent of all sectes and religions must nedes shew it to be a thing forbidden not only by man his ordinance but by the verye lawe of God and nature and consequently to be repugnant to the iudgment of euerye one that hathe in his breste but anye lytle sparke of vprightnes and sinceritye AND now lastlye to make vpp this matter of defence for your not going to the church you refuse to resort to such a seruice as besides that it hath bene deuised by the English Protestāts a mong them selues besides that it is condemned of other sectes besides that yt hathe no lyke paterne or platforme a mongste their Euangelicall brethren in other countries besides false translation of Scripture the defect of a lawful minister the want of sacrifice sacraments reuerent ceremonies and other things belonging to the honour of God which are conteyned in the Catholike seruice besides false doctrine and blasphemye which must needes be offensiue to all religious eares is mislyked of most euen at home and hath bene impugned by sundery printed pamphelets which hath geuen occasion of writing great bookes of controuersie Yea by all liklyhoode it had bene chaūged long before this day had not the grauer sorte made staye of the matter for feare to incurr the note of inconstancie yea in the last parlament holden in your Realme anno 29. wher in this monthly exaction was more aggrauated vpon you with peril of a greater forfayture a booke was exhibited for the reformation of the forme of cōmon prayer now vsed neyther was the matter determined otherwise then by contrarye commaundement of the superiors although one wold thinke by reasone it should haue bene agreed amongste them-selues what seruyce they should thinke beste to vse before you should haue bene compelled vnder so greuous a payne to resorte vnto their churches Lo now you see here the causes of your refusal A most happye refusal vndoubtedly yf you continue therin being grounded vppon so good reasons of conscience of duetye towards God of charity towards your Catholike bretheren of respect to religion of reuērece towards the Church of common honestie and playne dealing amongst men of care to auoyde the felowship of other mens sinnes being also iust as that euen those that do moste persecute you yf the case were their owne must needes plead for thē selues with the like alegations and fynally being moued with mislyke of the seruice where-vnto you are now commaūded to resort in which poynt your aduersaryes cannot iustly reproue you them-selues being not yet agreed whether it be the seruice of God or no manye of them earnestly mainteyning the contrarye The Second Parte what Recusants shall lose NOW Let vs considder what losse you shal sustayne for this refusall You shal lose so manye of you as shal not be able to discharge and aunswere this heauye summes your whole substance of moue-able goods and suche as haue landes shal lose moreouer two partes of their reuenewes and those that are of more abilitye to supporte this greeuous burthen shal be greatlye impouerished forced to abridge thēselues of that which otherwise should be verye conueniēt for their estate and calling A verye hard case vndoubtdely but yet not so harde but that by Gods grace it maye be easilye digested And firste of all those that haue greater lyuinges doe lesse stand in neede of comforte and with more quiete minds may sustayn the losse that shal fall vpon thē bothe for that they maye holde themselues the better cōtented in respect of thākfulnes towards God to lose a litle for his sake hauing receiued much farthermore because the inconueniēce which they shal suffer is but the abasing of their out-warde countenance in the world which I hope there is no Catholike but wil patiētly and gladly indure if it wer for no other cause yet for christian humilitye and modestye To such of you therfore as are of greater calling and haue more wher-with to mayntain your selues I saye that I trust there is none of you that so looketh towardes preferment but that you wil rather be content likewise to be aflicted with the people of God then by offending God to haue temporal pleasure for a while esteeming the reproche which you shal suffer for Christ greater riches then the treasure of the Egiptians that is to saye of the whole worlde There is none of you that so atendeth to purchase lands for the encreasing of your patrimonye but that you haue greater care by good deedes to buy the kingdome of heauē For if you purchase here on earth you are as it were not possessing And yf you reioyce in the worlde you are as yf you reioyced not And yf you vse the world as thogh you vsed it not Because the figure of this world passeth awaye I trust you account your selues here as straungers and Pilgrims and therfore you seeke to haue houses to dwel in for a while and not as though you should remayne in them for euer You shal be hindred by this persecution from prouiding for your children so plentifully as otherwise you would but you shal leaue vnto them Gods blessing whiche is more then al earthly riches You shal not marrye your daughters so richlye nor with so great portiōs but you shal matche them with Cotholikes who in this tyme of common necessitye shal more esteeme of religion thē of riches and shal more regard vertuous behauiour then vayne brauerye You shal perhapes not haue so great attendance of seruants but you shal be attended with Angels whersoeuer you goe And if you keepe not so greate familyes yet you maye keepe such as be deuout towards God and faithful towards your selues As vndoubtedlye you shal make them much the better by this your example of suffering for Gods cause Also you shal haue the lesse to aunswere for manye idle persons and in a smaller number you shal haue the fewer euyl You shal keepe lesse hospitality among your neyghbours but you shal be the lesse enuyed by your aduersaryes and withal you shal haue lesse occasion to entertayne vnthankful heretikes anb schismatikes who preying vpon your monye can the lesse expecte to be fedd at your tables Yea perhaps you shal be able to bestow more largelye vpon the domestical of fayth or if your almes be lesse for lack of ability your good-wils shal be rather the more For as you know the widdowes two mites is more then any riche mans treasure and good folke wil considder that you are afflicted Catholiks and therfore wil require
sundry wantes distresses in wrapped on euerye side with infinite miseryes and rather to be called a death then a lyfe If then we make such accompt of this lyfe wherin we are daylye dying the state wherof is so vncertayne so mutable so ful of necessities labours paynes woes and al kinde of wretchednes How greatly should we desyre to enioye a perpetual lyfe a lyfe voyd of al peril free from al mutation wherin is no defecte no trauayle no sorow A quiet lyfe a lyfe abounding with all kinde of good and in euerye respect a most happye and blessed lyfe There is scarslye any man that desireth not to lyue although he be sure by lyuing longer to suffer manye afflictions both of minde and bodye and for the purchasing of a litle false felicitye consisting in transitorye goods honours and soueraygntye although it shal indure but a verye smale while we see that men spare for no expence they shunn no trauayle and finallye they refuse not to doe or suffer anye thing wherby they maye attayne vnto theyr desired ende Now when true felicitye and secure eternitye shal be so happily ioyned together that neyther there shal be anye feeling of present wante nor anye doubt of defect to fall herafter is not this a lyfe to be procured and to be purchased with any bodylye payne or temporal losse whatsoeuer maye be imagined greatest Dearly beloued Catholikes it is not possible to conceyue with thought muche lesse to expresse with wordes the dignytye of thys rewarde which is reserued for you yf you perseuer faythfull to the ende Eye hath not seene nor eare hath not hearde neyther hathe it ascended into the harte of man what thinges god hath prepared for them that loue hym Therfore it maye rather be cōmended with silence then sufficientlye sett forthe by anye speach Yet neuerthelesse somewhat I meane to saye touching this most happye inheritance when I shal haue passed ouer the vttermost poynte of persecution which is the sheading of blood In the meane time to comforte you against the losse of your worldly goods I maye be bolde to saye hauing almightye God for my warrant that for the losse of worldlye offices which you might beare in the common wealth and nowe doe forbeare them for conscience sake you shal be all crowned Kinges in that heauenlye blessed and euerlasting kingdome For your lands whiche maye be taken from you you shal enioye euery one of you the lande of the liuing without disturbance enuye or contradiction For supplye of the wants which yon maye fall into by the spoile of your moueable goods you shal be sure neyther to suffer hunger nor thirst nor other necessitye In lieu of your howses of timber and stone which happylye you shal forgoe and most sure you are not long to continue in them besides that they may also fall to ruine by some mischance you shal haue mansyon places in heauen not built with hand which cannot decaye and you shal dwel in them for euer For the disgrace wherin you lyue being in a manner debarred from the court from the sight of your Prince you shal see the King of Kinges in his maiesty being presēt before his throne and seruing him daye and night in his Temple You shal see God you shal loue God you shal prayse God foreuer You shal haue Pallaces for prisons you shal haue gratulations of Angels for the reproche which you suffer among men In stead of earthly honour seruice you shal haue honour from God the father yea you shal haue christ him-selfe to serue and minyster vnto you the greatest prefermente that by anye harte could be desired AND Thus seeing your refusal and abstayning from the protestantes churches to be most iust reasonable The losse which you shal sustayne for so good a cause to indifferent mindes tollerable The recompence whiche you shal receaue with-out all proportion both here and in the lyfe to come incomparable I exhorte you all deare country-men and beloued brethren in Christe to follow the example of husband men who committ their seede to the ground nothing mistrusting to receyue in time the precious fruite of the earth albeit their seede be for a tyme buried and trodden vnder foote and sowsed with showers and bittten with many a cruel winter storme It is now winter with you the seede which you must caste into the ground are these worldlye goodes which you shal either leese or geue for Gods-sake Feare not the pinching colde of this hard season nor the sharpe stormes of persecution For shortlye the spring tyme of the resurrection shal come and then your plentiful fruites shal appeare and you shal haue a glad sommer of heauenlye ioye and a perpetual haruest of perfect blessednes Immytate here-in those merchaūtes who are contente to haue their money transported by waye of exchange into suche places where they maye receyue it more commodiously Your countrye is heauen be contented that your goodes be transported thether although by the handes of suche as thinke to spoyle you God him-selfe wil be your assurance for receipt of the whole And wher-as men are glad to geue some-what for the exchaūge you shal haue manyfolde gayne both in respecte of quantitye and quallitye You shal haue muche for a little golde for siluer thinges spiritual and euerlasting for bodylye and corruptible thinges At the least-wise prouide for your safetye as passengers doe on the sea in outragious tempest they cast awaye theyr goods and ar contented so that themselues maye come safe to lande The violence of this present storme may perhaps be suche by Gods sufferance as that you shal hardly keepe your wealth and saue your soules withal be content to be depriued of the one wherby you maye preserue the other arriuing safe at the heauenlye porte where al your friendes and kinse-folke expecte you I mean the nine orders of Angels with al Apostles Martyrs Virgins Confessors other glorious Sayntes among whom you shal haue no lack and with whom you shal liue and reioyce euerlastinglye Set before your eyes the notable constancie and firme resolution of those three worthy yong Hebrues who being captiues in a strange lande destitute of frindes and depriued of al humane ayde and comforte would choose rather to be caste a lyue into a burning fornace then to worshipp the statue of Nabuchodonosor or to doe anye honour to his Gods Deare Catholikes your case is some-what like albeit the extremitye be not euery way so great they being in peril of death and you onlye at this present in danger to leese your goods liuelyhoods The fornace of pouertye is threatned to al those that shal refute to honour Caluins bread and Cranmers communion booke by the assistance of their bodylye presence But feare not the terryble flames of extreeme necessitye Geue no eare to the vayne sounde and pernicious Musike of worldly carnal mens perswasions who
Lord Iesus Christ that they should withdraw them-selues frō euerye brother walking in ordinatly not according to the tradition which they had receyued Also yf any were disobediente they should note him by an epistle and not companye with him that he might be confounded Wihche is one principal cause why the Churche layeth vppon heretikes this payne to be excluded frō the societye of her children intending therby their correctiō as hauing more power ouer them then other Infidels A nother cause which is the peril leste the sincere parte should be corrupted by their companye is expressed in one of the Epistles to Timothye where it is sayde That their speache spredeth as a canker pernitiously creeping from one member to a nother Also the same Apostle commandeth Titus by expresse worde to auoyd an heretike knowing that such a one is subuerted that is to saye he is commonly past hope of amendment and condemned by his owne iudgmēt by his wilful running out of the Catholike churche And agreably vnto this S. Iohn in one of his epistles sayth Yf anye man come vnto you and bring not thys doctrine meaning that which had bene taught by the Apostles other lawful pastors receyue him not into thy house nor saye God saue you vnto him for he that sayeth vnto him God saue you communicateth with his wicked wordes And in his Reuelation he maketh reporte of Christ his owne wordes denouncing terrible punishment vnto all that shal participate with heresie vnder figure of those that cōmited aduoutry with a certein famos woman And in the same booke of Pro. phecye he reherseth the voyce of an Aungel who geueth warning vnto the seruants of God to auoyd flye al vngodly godly cōpany signified by the name figure of wicked Babylon Lest they shold be partakers of her sinnes and therby should receyue of her plagues and punishmētes This poynte was diligently obserued by S. Iohn himself who refused to tary in the same bathe with Cerinthus the enemye of truth lest the bath should fal downe and oppresse them bothe Also by Policarpus S. Iohn his scholer who would not take acquaintance of Marcian that famous heretike otherwise then by calling him the deuils eldest sonne And by S. Anthonie of whom it is written that he could not indure to speake one peaceable worde to an heretike And although it be permitted in places where heretikes are in great multitude for necessities sake to cōuerse and haue deling with them in worldly affayres so long as they be not by name excomunicated and denounced yet to haue felowship with them in actes of religiō it neuer was nor could be allowed or suffered But hath bene alwayes forbid den as I sayde before by the Cannons of the Church reyued from the blessed Apostles The authority of which Cannons moued Origen to refuse by anye meanes to be present at prayers with a certain heretike called Paule The same also moued Heraclas to cast out of the Churche certayne Christians because they had vsed the cōpanye of heretiks and not to be admitted againe before they had publikly declared whatsoeuer they had harde of those enemies of the trueth notwithstanding that he knewe them from their verye harte to be turned from all error and false doctryne The like is decreed by the blessed Pope and martyr Fabian and by the Counsels of Antioche and Laodicea by the fourthe Counsel of Carthage and dyuers others The same hath ben taught by holy Doctors as by S. Cyprian who speaking of heretiks and schismatikes sayth we must depart frō such offēders or rather we must flye frō them in haste lest that ioyning our selues with such as walke peruersly going with them in the waye of their error cryme and wandering a straye from the right and course of our iorney we be holden guilty of lyke offence And by S. Augustine who entring into conference with one of the Manachies secte maketh exception of three thinges whiche in no wise he wolde consente to doe First that he wolde not praye with them Secondly that he wolde not keepe solemne conuenticles with them Thirdlye that he wolde not take vpon him the name of a Manichie More-ouer it hathe bene practised by the whole church of al ages as may appeere by the exāple of those godly people of Allexādria Samosata Edessus with diuers other Cityes wher whole multitudes wolde rather choose to suffer deathe then once to enter the churches while the Arian prelats were present Whose godly zeale maye wel confound the colde deuotion of this vnhappy time wherin so few are found in comparison of a great number who in hart doe beleeue the Catholike religion so few there be I saye that wil be content to sustayne the losse of a fewe goods for the open profession of their fayth Yea many there be that wil not take knowledge of this case wherof in times past no man was ignorant no not the verye heretikes as Arians Donatists and suche like all hauing their seueral churches by them selues and refusing to communicate either with Catholiks or with any other sect disagreing from their opinion AND this maye be a nother important reason of your most iust and aduised refusal I meane the very iudgment and example of al Infidels touching participation with those of a nother religion the Iewes doe not enter into the churches of Christians The Turkes hold it for a signe of Mahomets religiō for one to come into their moskeyes the Lutherans and Caluinistes haue their seueral congregations one distincte from thother and al the protestantes in other countryes refuse to be present at the Catholike seruice So did as manye of them as had zeale or care of their cōscience in the late dayes of Quene Mary In which time a famos preacher of their faction inroled for a martire in Fox his booke making answere to a certayn woman who demanded of him whether she might goe to mattens and euensong for to goe to masse her conscience would not suffer her pronounced and gaue his sentēce in this or in muche like sorte that to goe to anye parte of the seruice then vsed sholde be a thing greatly against the honour of God and contrarye to the charitye due vnto her neyghbour It sholde be against God his honour because sayth he God is not to be honored but in such sort as he hath commaūded and taught by his worde meaning by God his worde expresse Scripture where-as we include also suche trueth as God hath reuealed vnto his Churche Also he sayde that by going vnto such seruice she should denye and disalowe of the whole doctrine of the Gospel And concerning breach of charity towardes her neyghbour she shold therby seuer her selfe from the congregation of the faithful She should great lye confirme the obstinate Papists in their error she should cause the weake Protestants to wauer in their religion and she should greatly offend the more firme sort of