The whiche sayinge of S. Cyprian the learned father S. Chrisostome after Cypryans deathe doethe repete and confiirme Addinge these worddes There is nothinge doeth soe prouocke God as the diuision of the Churche And albeit we should doe innumerable good deedes yet notwithstandynge we shall be punished as greuouslye as they were whiche did rende Christe his owne fleshe and bodye if wee disseuer in peeces the full integrytie and vnytie of the Churche And finallye hee concludeth thus I doe heere saye and proteste that it is no lesse sinne to cutt and breake the vnytie of the Churche then it is to fall into heresie And thus muche I thought good to saye leuing infinyte other thinges that myghte be sayde touching the greeuousnes of this sinne of schisme wherby manye of oure bad Catholiques in Ingland may sée in some parte the miserable daungerous case wherin they stande by sléeping soe careles as they doe in this sinne But nowe that this acte of goinge to the protestantes Churches and prayers is a schismatycall acte and suche a one as deuydeth from the vnytie of the Churche it is easye to be proued for that schisme is accordinge to Saynnte Augustine to S. Austen A seperation of them that thinke the same thing That is a different kinde of seruice of God in those men that doe not differ in opinion in relygion The which thing he expresseth more plainly in an other place putting the difference betwixt hereticks and 〈◊〉 saying Schismatiques are made not by difference in faythe or belefe but by the breaking of the societie or vnytie of Communion Now the Communion or vnytie of the Churche consisteth in these three thinges to wit that al Christians haue one sacrifice one and the selfe same 〈◊〉 also one and the selfe same seruice of of God But they whch goe to the protestants Churches haue no sacrifice at al nether haue they any more then two of seuen sacramentes and those two also so mangled that of the two scarse one is a sacrament as they vse them And as for their seruice it hath no parte of the Catholique seruice as I wil shewe herafter He therfore that goeth to this seruice and willingly seperateth him selfe from the Catholique seruice and Communion breketh the vnitie of Communion of the Churche and consequentlye committeth schisme But some man perhapes will saye I doe it not willinglye but I goe to Churche by constraynte of the publyque lawes of my Realme I aunswere that here is some kinde of constraynte externall bnt not somuche as maye take awaye the lybertie of thy will whiche is internall as the Philosopher wislye disscourceth For this constraynte is but conditionall That is ether to doe that whiche is commaunded for example to goe to the Churche or else to abyde this or that punishment that the lawe appoynteth The whiche penaltye if thou wilt suffer thy will is frée to doe what thou wilte Nether can any mortall power constrayne it further Soe that suche an action as I haue talked of for example going to the Churche for the auoyding of temporall losse is called bothe by the Philosophers and Deuins Inuoluntaria secundum quid simpliciter autem voluntaria That is in parte or in some respecte vnuoluntarie But absolutely and simplye it is to be accounted voluntarye And therfore they are to be estemed good or badd punyshable or rewardeable euen as other frée actions are for otherwyse no sinne shoulde be punisheable Séeinge euery noughtie action commonlye hath some kynde of compulsion in it but yet it maye not be excused thereby As for example the murtherer maye saye that he dyd it not willyngely for that he was compelled therunto by rage of anger And the lecherer maye saye hys fleshe compelled hym to sinne and to take fitter example for oure pourpose all those that denyed Chryste in tyme of persecution for feare of tormentes myghte by youre obiection saye that they dyd it not willynglye but by compulsion of tormentes and therfore were not to be damned for it But yet Chryste sayde that he would take it as done voluntarylye and therfore damne them for it by denyinge them openlye before his Father and hys Angels at the daye of iudgemente And yet to geue an other example néerer to oure matter Saynte John sayeth of the noble men and gentilemen of Jurye in hys tyme. Manye of the princypall men dyd beleue in Chryste but they did not confesse hym outwardlye for feare of the Pharises leste they shoulde be caste out of the Synagoge for they dyd loue more the glorye of men then the glorye of God Here we sée the acte of these noble men and Gentyle men also the compulsion to the acte the cause of their compulsiō lastly S. Johns iudgmēt upon y e acte The acte whereof they are accused is onely houlding their peace and not confessing Christ opēly according as they did inwardlye beléeue of him The cause or excuse that they had to laye for them selues was the feare of the Pharises or Magistrats which compelled them against their wil soe to doe Now what punishment they feared at the Pharisies handes S. John expresseth saying that it was Lest they should be cast out of their Synagoge The which punishment was then and is now at this day amongest the Jewes the greatest punishmēt besides death that can be deuised For he looseth thereby al offices dignities and credit whatsoeuer noe man may buye or sel with him noe man may visite him or talke with him or salute him in the streates Finally it is a death vpon earth a great and sufficient excuse a man would thincke to answer for a mans silence onely For I sée manye a one in England not onelye to conceale their owne consciences but also to speake against the same for a lesse cause But what is Saynt Johns iudgement vpon the matter for sooth he accepteth not the excuse but condemneth them in a damnable mortal sinne against the first commaundement for doinge the same saying That by this silence of thers they did put the glorye of God behynd the glorye of men and thereby shewed that they loued men better then God Noe doubt but to their euerlastinge damnation except they hartelye repented them The which I would haue those vnwise fond noble men and gentle men in England to consider which perswade both them selues and other men that in these troublesome tymes a man maye without offence kéepe his conscience to him selfe but especiallye those that doe not onelye hould their peace but also doe against their conscience what soeuer is commaunded them sayinge that al which is done amisse shal not be layed vppon them at the daye of iudgement but vpon the Prince and the Magistrats which compel them to doe the same against their owne willes But what compulsion this is and how furre it shal excuse their doings I haue now declared Wherfore
malitiosly and contrary to their own knowledg and consciences If this be trew as it is if God be not vntrew then in what a miserable case standeth many a man in Ingland at this day which take othes receaue sacramēts goe to church and cōmit many a like act directly against their owne consciences and against their owne knowledg nay what a case doe thei stād in which know such things to be directlye against other mens 〈◊〉 and yet doe compell them to doe it As to receaue against theire will to sweare against their wil the like Surely as I am now minded I wold not for ten thowsand worldes compell a Iewe to sweare that theire weare a blessed Trinity For albeit the thing be neuer so trew yet should he be damned sor swearinge against his conscience and I for compelling him to commit so heyneus and gréeuous a sinne But of this sort of Catholikes this is ynough and to much excepte they weare better For they are to be accompted according to S. Paule damned men in this lyfe and therefore noe Christians and much lesse Catholickes There are an other sorte of Catholikes that albeit they doe iudge al other religions besides theire owne false and erroneous and damnable yet doe they not thincke but that for some worldly respecte as for sauinge their offices dignities liberties credytes or the like they may in some of the former thinges at the least wise in goyng to Church for as for swearinge and receauinge I thincke noe Catholicke this day in Europe thincketh it lesse then damnable shewe them selues conformable men to the procéedinges of them of the contrarie religion and doe also thincke others too scrupulous which doe stand in the refusall of the same But to shewe that these men are in a wrong and perilous perswasion builded only on their owne phantasie and therefore to be reformed and that thother men are the onely trew Catholickes and bound to do so much as they do vpon paine of the high displeasure of God eternal domage of their own souls I haue put doune here thes reasons y e folowe which may serue for y e iustifiing of thone parties conscience for the dewe reforming of the other The first Reason The first reasō why I being a Catholicke in minde may not goe to the Churches or seruice of the contrarie relygion is because I perswading my selfe their doctrine to be false doctrine and consequently venemous vnto the hearer I may not venture my soul to be infected with the same For as it is damnable for a man to to kill him selfe and consequentlye deadly sine without iust cause to put his bodye in probable danger of deathe so is it muche more offensiue to God to put my sowle ten thowsād times of more valewe then my bodye in danger to the deadly stroke of false doctrine and heresie espetially séeing I haue no warrant of securitie or scaping but rather I heare God crying to the contrarie Hee that loueth daunger shall perish in the same Nether is it 〈◊〉 for mée to think that I am sure inough frō being infected for that I am groūded inough I am learned suffitiently For what yf God take his grace from the and lett thée fall because thou hast not folowed his counsaile whiche is If thou wilt not be bitté with the snake not to slepe neighe the hedg If thou wilt not be spotted thē not to touche the Pitche Wherfor S. Paul to as good a man as lerned as strong as I am gaue a general rule to auoid and file an heretical man The lyke precepte hée gaue to Tymothie being a Byshope to auoyd a certaine heritique by name Alexander more vehemetly yet he coniureth as it were the Thessalonians in the name of Iesus Christe that they shoulde withdrawe them selues from like felowes The same hée repeateath againe to y e Romans beseching them to note and to decline from suche mē The reasō of this S. Paul vttreth to Timothe Because ther speche crepeth lyke a cāker and they haue subuerted the faith of certayne Againe hée saythe to the Romans of the same men By sweete words and gaye blessings they seduce the harts of the Innocent And S. Peter saith of them that they doe allure vnto them vnconstant sowlles Héere nowe I sée the scripture carefully counsailing and commaunding me to auoyd the cōpany and speache of false teachers it putteth downe also the perill if I doe it not which is as 〈◊〉 as the 〈◊〉 of my soul. And on the cōtrarie side I haue noe warrant of 〈◊〉 nor example of good men to 〈◊〉 the same For I doe reade this wryten of farr my betters The Apostles and their schollers were so warye and circumspect in this case in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they would not so mnch as once reason the matter with any of them who endeuored by their lyinges or newe deuices to corrupte the truthe Furthermor I am sure I can neuer take good by hearing them but I am in 〈◊〉 possibilitie to take euill as manye more learned men then I in ould time haue done As Dionisius Alexandrinus confesseth of him selfe and of Origen 〈◊〉 it is knowen many men in England can be witnesies which bothe to them selues and also to other mē séemed the time was so firme and grounded in religion as nothing could moue thē yet nowe they haue proued otherwise Wherfore it cānot be but great sinin 〈◊〉 notwithstanding all this if I shall put my sowle in suche daunger by aduenturing to their companie to their seruice to their sermōs to reading their bookes or the like wherby in any wise I may be corupted The which aduenture what a sin it was counted in the primatiue Church it may apere by the seuer lawes made both by the clergie and temporaltie forthe prohibiting and punishing of the same in that time as is to be sene in the councels and fathers and in the decrées of the good christian Emperors Martian and Iustinian and espetialy of the noble and zelous first christian Emperor Constātine which made it deathe after the condemnation of Arius by the general councel of Nyce for any mā more to read his books therby to aduenture to be poisoned with his heresies And reason For if Dauid had not ventured to behould 〈◊〉 he had not bene entrapped 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loue and so had not cōmitted 〈◊〉 horrible sins that ensewed 〈◊〉 if Dame 〈◊〉 had not presumed to heare the Serpent talk she had not beue beguiled and if when Luther first began to teache new doctrine the Catholicks at that time had not vouchsafed to geue him the hearing but had auoyded his prechings and preuy conuenticles there had not bene now in the world either Lutheran Swinglian Caluenist Puritā Anabaptist Trinetarie Famelie of loue Adamite or the like whereof now there are so many thowsands abrode all springing of that first
hereafer let noe man saye that he goeth to Church against his wil thincking thereby to excuse him selfe from schisme Besides this to proue it schisme yea and that obstinate and rebellious schisme it were sufficient to knowe that the meaninge wil and commaundement of the general and vniuersal Catholicke Church at this day is that Catholicke men should not present them selues to Protestantes Churches or conuenticles séeing they are denounced open enemyes to the foresayde Church and their religion hath bene as orderlye condemned in the last general Councel of Trent As the doctrine of Arrius was in the first general Conucel of Nice And albeit the Councel of Trent made noe particuler decrée of this matter yet is their noe cause whye any man should take any hould thereat séeing the reason there of was because such a decrée was néedles for the Church hauing alredye condemned from the beginninge al prayinge with Heretykes or reparing to their conuenticles it was sufficient for the councel onely to condemne the Protestantes for such men without anye further particuler prohibitinge of others to come to their Churches and seruice séeing their conuenticles being once pronounced to be heretical the other was to be presupposed And this is the true meaning of the concel what soeuer others saye to shadowe their imperfections Howbeit some doubt beinge at that tyme moued by certaine of the Nobilitye of England whether they might not lawfully without offence to Church to doe some méere temporall acte as to beare the sword before her Maiestie or the lyke it was debated by xii learned men there at the Councels appoyntment and determination then genen that onlye for suche a cause they myght goe to Churche As for example if her Maiestie should appoynt certayne Catholyckes to meete at Poules to intreate of matters of the state and that at suche tyme as seruice were sayde there and this was Naaman Syrus his case flat who was permitted as most men take it for a tyme to goe with his Kinge and hould hym vp vppon his shoulder when he went to the temples of the Idoles Now that there hath bene a general custome rule and Canon of the Churche prohibiting to goe to the Churches and conuenticles of heretiques it is playne by the testimonie of al antiquitie The Apostles them selues in their thréescore and thirde Canon saye thus If anye man ether of the clergie or laitye doe goe into the Synagogue of the Iewes or into conuenticles of heretiques to praye let him be deposed and excomunicated This Canon of the Churche was exactly afterwardes kepte and is mentioned very often by the Fathers and councels by occasion of the lyke matter As for example when Origen was by a certayne necessitie compelled to dwel in house together with one Paule an heretique to whome there resorted often not onely heretiques but some simple Catholyques also for the fame of his excelente eloquence yet they writ of Orygen That he coulde neuer be induced by any meanes to be present at prayers where Paule was And the reason is put downe by them to be this For that Orygen euen from his youthe had kept and obserued moste dilygentlye the Canon of the Church Here we sée what accounte was made in those dayes of this Canon of the Churche Furthermore S. 〈◊〉 Alexandrinus a lerned Father talkinge of one Heraclas Byshope of Alexandria and scholer of the aforesayde Drigen and shewinge howe the sayde Drigen had excomunicated and 〈◊〉 out of the Churche certayne Christyans for that they were accused to haue vsed muche the companie of a certayne heretique he addeth this sayinge This Canon and this example haue I receyued of our holy father Heraclas The lyke obseruation of this Canon is noted in Athanasius whos comminge to Antioche fled the common and publique Churches which were vsurped then by one Leontius an Arian Bishope and his clergye and séeking out the Catholiques that were in the Cytie which then by contempte were called Eustathians because thei helde of the Communion of their Catholique deposed Bishope named Eustathius as Catholiques nowe in Inglande are contemptiously called Papistes for houlding of the Communion of y e Bishope of Rome and finding them out did secretly communicate with them as sayth the historie Conuentu in aedibus priuatis peracto That is making their assembly or Churche in their pryuate howses Howe lyke is this case to oure state now adayes in Ingland The lyke respecte to this Canon of the Churche had Alexander Byshop of Constantinople who wished rather to dye then to remayne in the Churche when Arius the heretyque shoulde come in to the same To this Canon had also respecte the people of Alexandria soe muche commēded by Athanasius him selfe who woulde rather praye together by them selues in the Churche yarde without couer then enter into the Churche to praye where George the Aryan Byshope was The lyke consideration had alsoe the people of Samosatum whoe after the depryuation of theyr vertuous and Catholique Byshope Eusebius and the thrusting into his place by the Arians of an heretical Byshop called Eunomius they would no more come at the Church of whome Theodorete writeth thus None of the inhabitantes there poore or riche seruant or artificer husbandman or grafter man or woman yong or oulde would come to the Church but the Byshop was ther alone for no man would ether come to his sight or talk with him albeit he was reported to haue vsed him selfe very modestlye and quietly amongest them Naye yet further then this the people of Rome hauing their true Catholique Byshope deposed by the Aryans and an other 〈◊〉 Felyx thruste vppon them 〈◊〉 an heretiqne but a schismatique for the historie saieth that he was sound in fayth and helde soundly the relygion set downe in the Councell of Nyce yet because he was a schismatique and was content to take holy orders of the Arian Byshopes and to cōmunicate with them the whole people as I sayde did 〈◊〉 him and as the historie sayeth None of the inhabytants of Rome would enter into the Church soe longe as he was within Thus we sée the scrupulositie of christyan Catholiques in those dayes and that as they thought vppon good cause for the auoydinge of schisme If anye man can shelve me a warrant since that tyme for the enlarginge of oure consciences nowe a dayes I woulde gladlye sée it Yow haue hearde in the begynninge of this reason the opinyons of our fore fathers in the primatiue Churche what a great and heynous sinne it is to breake the vnytie of the Churche or to dysobeye the same Agayne it is certayne that the Churche telleth vs if the voyces of all the Byshopes and learned men in Christendome and of the supreme Pastour too be the voyce of the Churche that goeinge to protestantes Churches is forbidden vs what excuse then shal those men haue from obstinate schisme
that not withstandinge all this wil yet thinke it lawful especialy the thing being nowe in practise and so many meu suffering for the same Assuredly they can looke for no other account to be made of them but as Christ willeth vs. If he heare not the Churche let him be to the as an heathen and as a publicane The which woordes S. Austen sayth Are more greuous and terrible then if he had sayd let him be strookē with a sword let him be consumed with the flames of fyre lett him be deuowred of wylde beastes And a lyttle after talking of the bande where with the Churche maye bynde a mannes sinnes by authorytie geuen vnto her of Christ he saythe A man is bounde more bytterlye and more infortunately by the keyes of the Churche then by anye other moste greuous and harde bandes albeit they were of yron or of Adamante stone Let could Catholiques in Inglande marke this and not thinke they are frée when they are in these bandes nor thinke they are Christians whē in déed they are Heathens and Publicanes It is a natural infirmitie of ours to think willingly to wel of oure owne case and passiō permiteth vs not to iudge indifferently in these matters Let vs therfore consider of other mens cases and by them 〈◊〉 of oure owne If in S. Iohn Crisostome his tyme when there was an Arryan Churche and a Catholique Churche knowen in Constantinople and both of these Churches calling people vnto them and the Emperour fauourynge more the Arrians then the Caholiques if I saye in that case some Catholiques leuing S. Chrisostomes Church should haue gone to the Arrians Churches to seruice vpon obedience to the Emperour what would we think of thē now wold we estéem schismatiques or not Yf theye had dyed soe Consideringe their disobedience to the bishope and their perfidious betrainge of Goddes catholike cause in that time of trial I thinke yes Then let vs not deceue our selues for this is our case nowe And yf in al mens iudgmentes that acte would haue seemed Schisme for disobeing one particuler and priuate Bishope and breaking from his com munion what shal we saye for disobeyinge the general Pastour of al breakinge from his communion Of whom the noble martyr of Christ S. Ciprian aboue fiftene hundred yeres agone said thus Heresies and schisms haue sprong of none other cause then for that men doe not obey Gods Pre ist and for that they doe not thincke or consider that ther is one only Priest whoe is Iudge in Christs stead for the time Vnto whom if al the vniuersall brotherhood would obeye in deuine functions no man would mooue anie thinge against the college of Preistes nether after the iudgement of God the suffrage of the people the bishops consent once put downe in any matter would any man dare to make him selfe a iudge of the Bishoppe and consequently of God nor by breakinge Vnitye teare and rente the Churche of Christ. The Fifte Reason The fifte reason wherefore a Catholicke may not goe to the Church of those of the contrarye religion is for feare lest his presence may be interpreted by God to be consent vnto their doing and soe he be made partaker of their punishment Concerning which we must vnderstand that of al the enemies that God hath in this world there is none in soe hyghe displeasure with him as he who once knowinge the trueth and beinge receaued into his house the Catholicke Church runneth out agayne and by newe deuised doctrines vexeth and molesteth the same being not onelye the house as I haue sayd of Christ but also his spouse nay his owne body Which sorte of men the scripture calleth Heretyckes whose cursse and reprobation in this life is more greauous then anye other sinne whatsoeuer and the damnation for the tyme to come more intollerable For that as S. Peter sayeth It had bene better for them neuer to haue knowen the waye of righteousnes then after they knew it to turne backe agayne And these are those men of whome Christ sayde that one diuel goeinge forth in their first comminge to the fayth by Baptisme he afterwardes entred agayne with seuen other diuels worse then him selfe and soe made the ende of that man worse then his beginning And Saint Paul geueth a maruelous seuere iudgement vpon them when he sayeth That Heretyckes are subuerted and doe sinne and are damned by their owne iudgementes First he sayeth that they are subuerted or ouerthrowen because they are blotted out of the booke of lyfe Secondly that their whole lyfe is sinne vppon 〈◊〉 because they are vtterlye depriued of God his grace without the which we can doe nothing but sinne Thyrdlye he sayeth they are damned by their owne iudgementes ether for that they chose wittingly to leaue the Catholicke Church out of the which they knew their was noe saluation or els because the most of them doe know that they doe amisse and yet for pryde they will not come backe So that euerye waye their case is verye pitifull and lamentable This point the holy Fathers of the Churche doe often tymes handle verye seriouslye aod grauclye prouing that Heretyckes more offend God and are in furre woorse state then anye offender els in the world and namelye more then ether Iew or Gētile For y e which cause they note that the new Testament biddeth vs not to beware of Iewes and Gentiles but of Heretickes in many places The reason is for that they are those wolues which Christ foretould vs shoulde come in shéepe skinnes which as S. Augustine sayeth shal pretend to be very good shéepe and frendes to Christ and to his shéepefould and yet with Christ his owne wordes they shal teach you to denye Christ to teare the shéepefould in péeces and to disperse the shéepe Nay they shal sleye more soules with the word then euer Tyrantes did with the sword Agayne S. Austin proueth at large in an other place that Hereticks are those Antechristes of whom S. Iohn spake when he sayd That manye Antichristes are nowe gonne out meaning of Symon Magus Cerinthus and other Heretickes of his time Of which Antichrists he sayeth that S. Paul did pronounce that terrible saying that they weare The men of Sinne the Children of destruction As who would say that albeit all other noughtye men weare inwrapped with the guilt of sinne and of their owne destruction yet those men aboue al others for ther eminēt wickednes were properlye to be called the men of sinne and in respect of their heynous sinne of slayeinge of soules and the heauye sentence abyding them for the same they were peculierlye to be called the Children of perdition and damnation This therefore being soe that the déepe displeasure of God and his heauy hand hangeth more ouer the heads of Hereticks and Schismaticks then ouer any other people in the world
same vp with vs to God the father for the whole world As al the holy Fathers of the primatiue Churche dyd bothe beleue and teach Of the which it shalbe enough at this tyme to aledge one or two Saynt Gregorie therfore the first saythe thus What faythfull man can doute but that in the verye houre of immolation or sacryfice the heauens doe open at the Priestes voyce and that the 〈◊〉 of Angels be present there in that misterie of Iesus Christ And saynt Chrisostome handeling the same saythe At that tyme the tyme of consecration in the Masse the Angels stande by the Priest and the vniuersall orders of the celestiall powers doe crye out and the place nygh to the aulter is full of quires of Angels in the honour of him whoe is there sacrifised And immediatlye after he telleth two visions of holye men whose eyes were by the power of God as he sayeth opened and they in those visions saw the Angels presente at the time of consecration And in an other place he yet more at large explycateth the same sayinge At that tyme deere brother at the time of consecration and eleuation not onlye men do geue out that dreadful cry saying we adore the O Lord ct but also the Angels doe bowe their knees to our Lord and the Archangels doe beseche him for they accounte that a fitt time hauing that sacred oblation in their fauour And therfor as men arc wont to moue Princes the more yf they beare oliue bowes in their handes because by bearinge that kinde of wood they bring into the Princes mindes mercye and gentlenes so the Angels at that time houlding out in their hands the verye self same bodye of our Lord they doe entreate for al mankinde as thoughe they saide We doe entreate O Lord for the men of the worlde whom thow hast so looued that for their saluation thou wast content to dye and in the Crosse to breathe out thyne owne soule For these men we make supplicatiō for the which thou hast geeuen thy owne bloud for these men we pray for the which thou hast sacrificed this bodye of thyne If this be soe then the hearinge of Masse is not onelye worth the venturynge of an hundred Marckes or sixe monnethes imprisonment but also of an hundrede thousande lyues if a man could loose euerye one for that cause sixe tymes And an hundred tymes miserable is that man which for anye worldlye respecte doth depryue hlm selfe of soe greate a benifite as the participation of this sacrifice is Secondlye they loose by goeynge to Church the fruite and grace of sixe Sacramentes as the grace of Confirmation by the Bishoppe whereby the Holye Ghoste was géeuen in the Prymatyue Church as Saynte Luke sayeth and now in our tyme as Saynte Cypryan proueth are bestowed vppon vs by the same the seuen gyftes of the holye Ghoste Set out by Esaye the Prophet in his eleuenthe chapter They loose also the grace of Preisthood soe greatlye commended by S. Paul to Tymothye when he chargeth him soe earnestlye not to neglect the sayd grace Also the grace of Matrimony which S. Paul soe much extolleth when he calleth this sacrament a great sacrament Also the grace of extreme Unction which is soe great as S. James sayeth besids the healing many times of the bodye it also remitteth the sicke mans sinnes And so in lyke manner the grace of the other two sacramēts of Penance and the Aulter whereof I wil say a word or two immediately Al thes graces they loose being cut of by their going to the Protestants churches frō these sacramēts which are nothing else but cōduits of grace The which losse of what valew it is a man may gesse by that which al deuines with on accord doe proue y t on droppe of grace is more worth then al y e world estéemed in it selfe besids Thirdly they loose by going to church al the benifit of y t keies of the church or of the auctority of binding and loosing of sinns graunted by Christ to y t gouernours of the same Church For the explication of the which we must vnderstand that Christ hauing newlye made the mariage betwéext his déere spouse and him selfe I meane the Church and hauinge now sealed the same with his owne bloud and being inforced to depart from the said new maried spouse of his towching his visible presēce for a time he deuised how to shew vnto her how greatly he loued her and to leaue some notable pledge testimony of his singuler great affection towardes her The which he finally resolued could be by noe other meanes better expressed then if he should leaue al his aucthoritie with her the which he had receaued of his Father with making publyque proclamation to all the world that What so euer she should forgeue in earthe towchyng sinne the same should be forgeuen in heauen and what soeuer sinne the Churche should retaine or not forgeue in earth the same should neuer be forgeuen in heauen And againe that with what authoritye God his Father sent him with the same he sent her gouernours the Apostles and theyr successors And againe he that should not here and obey the Church should be accounted as a heathen and publicane By the which speeches of Christ our fore fathers haue alwayes vnderstoode that Christe gaue vnto the Churche a visible tribunal seate in earth for the forgeuing or retayning of sinnes vnto the which al Christians must resorte by submission and humble confession of their sinnes if they thinke euer to receaue forgeuenes of the same at Christes hys handes in heauen For soe we read that in the primatiue Churche they confessed their sinnes vnto the Apostels of whom saynt Luke writeth thus Manye of the faythful came to the Apostles confessing and reueling their owne actes And thrée hundred yeres after that S. Austen testefieth of his time saying Doe you suche penance as is wont to be done in the Church that the Church may praye for you Let no man saye I doe it secretly I doe ìt with God alone God which hath to pardon me knoweth wel how that I doe repent in my hart What therfore with out cause was it sayde to the Priestes that which you loose in earth shal be loosed in heauen therfore in vayne were the keyes geuen to the Church And in an other place againe more néerlye touching the humour of our men now a dayes he sayth There are some which thinke it sufficiēt for their saluation if they doe confesse their sinnes only to God to whom nothing is hidden and to whom no mans conscience is vnknowen For they will not or els they are ashamed or els they disdayne to shew them selues vnto the Priestes whom not withstanding God by Moyses his lawegeuer did apoint to discerne or iudge betweene leprye and leprye But I would not
that thou shouldest be deceaued with that opiniō in such fort that thou shouldest ether by noughty shame or obstinate disdayne refrayne to confesse before the substitute or Vicegerent of our Lord. For whom our Lord did not disdayne to make his substiute his iudgemente must thow be contente also to stande to This benifit therefore of the keyes of the Church and of receauing remission of their sinnes by the same which Catholickes doe thincke to be the greatest benifit of their religiō do they loose that goe to the Protestants Churches besids al the good instructions wholesome councels and vertuous admonitions which Catholickes doe receaue in confession at their ghostly fathers hands then the which things they finde nothinge more forcible to bring them to good lyfe especially if they frequente it often as all 〈◊〉 Catholickes in the worlde nowe doe Fourthlye they loose the infinite benefite of receuing the blessed sacramēt of the aulter the pretious Body and Bloud of Christ being the foode of our soules and as Christ sayeth The bread that came downe from heuen to geue lyfe vnto the world To the worthye eating of which heauēly bread Christ promiseth infinite reward saying He that eateth my flesh and drincketh my bloud hath lyfe euerlasting and I wil rayse him againe at the last day And agayne He that eateth me shal lyue through me Upon which promises of Christ our forfathers of the Primatiue church haue alwayes most earnestlye exhorted al men to the often receauinge of this blessed sacrament alleaging innumerable cōmodities of y e same and prouing by experiēce that the frequēting of this Sacrament is the chéefeste meanes to come to al grace zeale féelinge and lyfe in spiritual matters And on the contrarye parte that the abstayninge from the same is the right way to al spiritual miserye and for the soule of man to wyther away drye vp and starue euen as the plant dothe that lacketh moysture The which we sée nowe by experience in manye a thousand who for lacke of the foode of this blessed Fountayne of grace are as dead in al spiritual cogitations and déedes as a starued stake in the hadge from bearing of flowers and their myndes so ouergrowen with the rancke wéedes of Carnalitye that there is noe difference betwixte them and a brute bullocke for as much the one foloweth his passions as the other Whereby we sée what a losse it is to depryue them selues from the vse of this Sacrament Fiftlye they loose al the merit of their good déedes what soeuer For as S. Gregorie sayeth Euen as none receaued their peny in the Gospel but they onely which had labored within the compasse of the Vineyarde soe no man shal receaue any reward for any good deede of his except he haue donne it within the vnitye of the Church So that if a man should doe neuer so many good déedes geue neuer so manye almes nay as S. Cyprian proueth if a man should suffer neuer so many thinges for Christ yea death it selfe yet if he were out of the vnity of the Catholick Church he shal haue no rewarde therefore And not onely this but if a man be in anye mortal sinne what soeuer as long as he abydeth in the same without repentance and confession al deuines hould that he looseth the rewarde of al his good déedes And the reason is because noe worke can be meritorious of it selfe but onely by reson of the grace from whence it procéedeth but by euerye mortal sinne which a man committeth he losseth grace and much more by goeinge out of the vnitye of the Church And therefore in such men vntil they repente there can be noe hope of anye reward for any good woorke which they shall doe Sixthely they lose the benefit of Communion of Saintes which we protest to beléeue in our Créede That is they haue no parte of the Sacrifices oblations prayers fastinges almes other good woorks done within the Catholique Church which all other Catholiques haue Finallye they being cut of and deuided from the vnitie of the other members they take parte of no influence whiche cōmeth from the head to the bodye that is from Christ to the Churche nomore then a mans hande once cut of doth take blood norishment spirit or lyfe from the arme from which it is now separated as most learnedly S. Austen dothe discourse Wherfore they must néedes wither awaye and make drye wood for hell fyre and as good for them it were in effect to be of anye other relygion as of that whereof they take not one iote of commoditye And to all these myseries they are driuen onely by going to the protestants Churches THE Nynthe Reason THE Nynthe Reason whiche Catholiques may yelde for their refusal of going to the Church may be the example of all men from the beginning which haue had any care or Conscience toward their own religion not only good men of whom I haue geuen diuers examples before but also al others how false erronious soeuer their religion were yet did they alwayes procure to separate them selues from them of the contrarie religion in the acte of prayer and from the Templs Sinagogues Churches Dratories and conuenticles of 〈◊〉 same Soe we reade of the Gentils which thought it to be a great sinne and polution to enter into the Iewes Synagogues or Christians Chnrches The like we read alsoe of the Turkes at thys daye Soe al heretiques from the beginning as soone as they had framed any newe relygion eftsons they erected new oratories to them selues and refused to come to those of other relygions as the Arians Denatists and the rest had their Churches and places of prayer dstincte from the Catholiques whose Churches they detested and auoyded together with their doctrine And soe the Anabaptistes at this daye refuse to goe to the Lutherans Church and the Lutherans to the Trinitaries In like wise the Puritans of our time in Englād refuse to come to the Protestantes churches And the Protestants in oother countries doe vtterly denye to present them selues to Catholique Churches alleginge their consciencs for the same and affirming it to be danmable hipocrisie in them that for feare or for any other temporal repect doe yeld to doe the same against their fayth and conscience Wherby it apeareth that they goe quit against their own docttrine and example in England which obiect the same to Catholiques as disobedience obstinacie and rebellious dealing which in other countries they them selues both teach and practise I wil for mor manifestation of this matter put downe here the very wordes of one of them translated out of french and printed in England and dedicated to y t Lord Tresurour by John Brooke the authors name is John Gardiner a Protestant whoe in his Cathechisme or as he calleth it Confession of his faythe maketh it a great heynous sinne for