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
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
As for example by causing a man to yelde a litle against his cōscience to goe once to Church to staye but a litle there to haue Seruice in his owne house or the lyke In the which if a man might say as cōmonlye they doe say in euil meats that a litle wil doe but a litle hurte it were more tollerable But séeing the matter standeth as it doth in poysons wherof euerye litle drāme wil be thy bane No maruel though men shewe them selues more scrupulous Heare the iudgment of a whole cleargye in the Primatiue Church alleaged by S. Cypriā y e Martyr of Christ. Wheras the whol mistery of faith is vnderstood to cōsist in the cōfessing of the name of Christ he that hath sought false sleightes for excuse thereof hath now denyed it he that wil seeme to haue fulfilled such statutes lawes as are set fourth against the gospel in so doing he hath obeied thē in very deed For as much as he would haue it seeme that he hath obeyed them Héere you sée now al dissemblinge of our faith takē for denying our faith and al séeminge to be condemned for doinge The which that ould valiant champiō of God Eliazarus ful wel knew when he rather chose to dye then to séeme to eate a péece of flesh albeit he did it not in déede contrarye to the lawe of God And the reason he geaueth for it is this It is not fit for our age to fayne O good Eliazarus if it were not fit for thy age to fayne or dissemble in matters of religiō what shall we say of our age wherein for many respectes we are more bounde to confesse our Lord and master and his Catholicke religion then thow werte For that we haue receaued more benefits at his hands aud haue séene how he confessed vs before his enemies and ours and could not be brought by anye feare or torment to deny vs. But wel ther wil be wicked men and dissembling Christians stil Yet notwithstāding Gods law must stande set downe by Christ his owne mouth He that shal blush or be ashamed of me my sayings of him shal the sonne of man be ashamed whē he shal come in his maiestye and in the maiestye of his Father and of his holy Angels He doth not onely say if we doe deny him but if we do blush or be ashamed to confesse him which cōside ration made the Apostles and other seruāts of Christ so peremptorily to procéede in confessinge openlye their fayth with what daunger soeuer it were And S. Paul géeueth a reason of it when he sayeth Woe be vnto me except I doe preach the gospel That is except I confesse it except I let it forth what daunger bodelye soeuer come thereof And in the actes of the Apostles the high Preists and magistrats commaunded not the Apostles to be of their religion nor yet to come to their seruice in their sinagogues but onely to hould their peace And that they should not speake or teache any more in the name of Iesus But y t Apostles vtterly denied to obeye y t cōmaundemēt in y t chapter folowing being takē again for not obeing wer asked in opē iudgmēt by y t magistrats We cōmāded you straightly to teach no more in this name and how chanseth it that you haue filled al Ierusalem with this doctrine And Pecter answered with the reste of the Apostles We must rather obey God then men As whoe shoulde saye that if they should haue granted to dissemble and not to speake openly they should haue denyed God in obeying men more then him What if the high Priests and Magistrates should haue sayde vnto them well we are content that you liue with youre Conscience soe you kepe it to your selues trouble not the state and soe that you will for obedience sake some tyme come to onre Sinagogues shewing your selues conformable men to oure procedinges Nay what if they shoulde haue sayd Some of you also for outward shewe keping alwayes your Consciences to your selues must flée this odious name of Christians and seme to cōmunicate nowe and then with vs in our Sacrifices and cerymonies we are content also that sōe of you shalbe our officers and Justices of peace Coūcellers and the like so that you wil somtimes for orders sake punish some of those indiscréete felowes of your religion which cannot be content to kepe their Consciences to them selues soe you wil alsoe geue some pretye sharpe charge in your circuites sessions and assemblies alwayes keping your Consciences to your selues if some of you also wil som times step vpp into the pulpet and speake thrée or fower ernest woordes against this religion it shal be verye gratful vnto vs espetially if you wil affirme it with an oth which we haue deuised for the same purpose and this doinge we assure you that you shal liue quietly to your owne Consciences we shal account you for good subiectes If I saye the Magistrates of Iurye at that tyme should haue geuen to the Apostels other Christians this swete charme you thinke that they could haue abidden to hear it al out whose hartes did rise and swel at two woords only that they spooke for the intreating of them to hould their peace And yet many a thousand now in England being as throughly perswaded in hart of y t trueth of the Catholique relygion as the Apostles other Christiās at y t time were of theirs are content notwithstanding to heare digest admit execute al or most parte of these things recited contrarie to the sayd religion And yet besids al this which is more to be wondred at they are not ashamed to perswade thē selues that they shal one day come to that glory wher in the Apostles now are But this is desperate presūption And therfor we sée what a iust cause this is for a Catholique to resuse to come to the churches of the contrary religion THE Seuenth Reason THE Seuenth Reason why a Catholick may not yeld to come the pro testantes churches is because the seruice which they vse is nought and dishonerable to God and therfore no man can cōe to it or heare it or seme to alow of it by his presēce without great offence to God Nether is it sufficient to say as cōmonly they vse to say to beguile simple people withal that it is the Scripture taken out of the Gospels Epistles Psalmes and the like For by that argument the Iewes seruice were good at this daye which is takē out of the ould Testement and al heretiques seruice thateuer was semed to be nothing but Scriptures For as S. Austen in diuers places noteth it was alwayes y e fashion of heretiks to haue Scripture in their mouthe to cleue only to Scriptures and to refuse traditions as inuentions of men And we reade of the arian heretiques how they were wont to singe
Protestants to present thē selues to our Catholique Churches which he according to their blasphemous spirit calleth idolatrous His wordes are these I beleue and confesse that it is not lawful for any Christian to be assistant nether in spirit nor body at the Sacrifices of idolatours nor also to enter into their Temples whilst they are doeing their idolatries and Sacrifices excepte it be to rebuke them in shewinge them their abuses and to teach them the truth as the holy Apostles and Prophets haue done and not for to dissemble as hipocrites For if the body be a creature of God as it is as the soule is the temple of the holy Ghost and member of the mistical bodye of Christ and if it must one day rise agayne and possesse the eternal lyfe with the soule It must also necessarily be that it be altogether geuen vnto the seruice of God in this world with the soule and spirite otherwise they can not be ioyned together after the general resurrection but being seperated the one should be in heauen with God whom he loued and the other in hel with the deuil whom he serued the which is an impossible thinge Therefore I say al those dissimulations to be a verye renouncinge of Christ and of his Ghospel And in lyke manner I beleeue and confesse that all those fayned and false shewes by which the veritye of the Ghospel is hidden and the word of God despysed or by which the ignorant and infidel is confirmed in his errour or by which the weake is offended are not of God but of Sathan altogether contrarye vnto the truth of the worde Therefore we must not halt of both sides but goe vpryghtlye before that greate God which seethe behouldeth and knoweth all thinges euen before they are begonne Loehéere We sée the sentence of their Doctours to the contrarye whoe presse vs so much to goe to their Churches agaynst our consciences If errour finde such zeale what zeale ought truthe to haue If these fellowes eche of them for the defence of their pryuate fond fancies be contente most willyngelye to aduenture anye daunger or extremitye what so euer rather then to come to the true Catholicke Church wherein they were borne and to the which in Baptisme they swore obedience why should such blame be layde vpon vs for standing in defence of our consciences and for refusinge to goe to their churches wherein we were nether borne nor bred vp nor euer persuaded that they had any truth or holines in them This reason only may suffice any resonable man especiallye the Protestant except he wil mislike with his owne doctrine which condemneth me of hipocrisie dissimulation and renouncinge of Christ and his Gospel If I present but my only bodye to the churches of them whos religion I am not persuaded to be trew The which sayinge of his in a sence hath good reason albeit the wordes and meaning be wicked For if there be no man ether so foolish or impious in the world but must néeds thincke that one onelye religion amongst Christians is trew and al other false And if euerye man which hath anye religion and is resolued therein must néedes presuppose this only truth to be in his own religion then it followeth necessarily that he must likewyse persuade him selfe that all other religions besides his owne are false and erroneous and consequently al assemblies conuenticles and publike actes of the same to be wicked damnable dishonorable to God contumelious to Christ and therfore to his cōscience which thinketh so detestable Now then suppose the case thus I know in England certayne places where at certayne tymes and dayes assemblies are made by certaine men in shewe to honour and commend but in my conceate to dishonour dispraise and impugne the maiesty of my most dread soueraigne Ladye the Quéene And I am inuited thither to heare the same by my parentes kinsmen and acquaintance nay I am enforced thither by the greatest autoritie that vnder her maiestye may cōmaunde me Tel me nowe If I should goe thyther vnder anye pretence whatsoeuer of gratefiinge my frendes or by commandement of any her inferior powers can her Maiestie take it well or accounte of me better then of a trayterous catyue for yelding my selfe to stay there to heare them to countenance their doinges with my presence to hould my peace when they speake euill of her to hould my handes whiles they slaunder her and finallye to saye nothing whiles they induce other men to forsake her and her cause And if her Maiestie or anye other Prince in the Worlde could not beare at their subiectes handes any suche dissimulation trecherye or treason how much lesse shall the omnipotent Maiestye of God who requireth and deserueth muche more exact seruice at our handes beare this dissimulation and trayterous dealing of ours if we be content for temporall respectes and for satisfaction of anye mortall power lesse then him selfe to present our selues to such places and assemblies where we shal heare his Maiestie dishonoured his Sonne slādered his holy Woorde falsified his Church impugned his Sayntes and Martirs discredited his Byshopes and Pastours reuyled and all the whole Ecclesiastical Ierarchye rent broken disseuered and turned vpsydowne and his people purchased with his Blood and dearer vnto him then his own lyfe excited and sturred vp against him his ministers and by swéet woordes and gaye benedictiōs slocked away to the slaughter house of heresie What Noble man is there in the world which could take it wel if he should sée his frende and much-more his Sonne in the companie of his professed enemye at such tyme principallye as he knoweth that his enemye abuseth him in spéeche and séeketh most his discredit and dyshonour but especiallye if hee should see hym come in open assemblye of the worlde to the barre against him in companye with his aduersarie when his sayd aduersarie cōmeth of set purpose to deface him as heretiques doe to their churches and pulpets to dishonour God I think I saye he could hardly beare it And shal such disdayne be taken by a mortal man for a litle iniurie and discurtesie shewed and shal not the iustice of God be reuenged vppon our trechery and dissimulation in his cause If I geue my seruant but fortie shillinges a yeare yet I thinke him bound to defend me in al poynts and causes to be frind to my frindes enemye to my aduersaries to vphoulde my credit maintayn my honour to resift my detractors and to reuenge him selfe vppon my euilwillers and if he can be content to hould his peace hearing me euil spoken of and to put vp my flander without opening his mouth I wil account him vnworthye to weare my clothe how much more inexcusable shal we be at the dreadful daye of Indgment if we receauing at our Lord and masters handes such extraordinarie pay for our seruice in this lyfe and expecting further and aboue this all that himselfe is
infection the scandale whereby I offende other mens consciences and perhaps bring dyuers others to be corrupted by my meanes the dishonoring of God his cause the honoringe of his enemies cause hearing God blasphemed and houlding my peace Semblably there is the conscience of the Catholicke that thinketh he doth nought the explication of the Church that it is not lawful the matter now in tryal and the vnlawfulnes of it defended both by worde and wrytinges of learned men and by imprisonment of manye other the controuersie now knowen to al the world and many thousande mens eyes fixed vpon them that are called in question for it the Protestant whereas he estéemed nothing of goeing to Church before yet now soe desirous to obtayne it that he thincketh the yelding in that one pointe to be a sufficient yelding to al his desirs the which thing on the other side is so detested of the true Catholickes that whoe soe euer yeldeth to this they thincke him a flat Scismatycke and so abhorre him And by this meanes the matter is made a signe distinctiue betwixt religion and religion whereof agiane it foloweth that if the thing were much lesse then it is as for example the houldinge vp of a finger yet because it is made Tessera a marke token or signe of yelding to their procéedings in religion it were vtterly vnlawful As if a man should but lift vp a straw to the deuil in token of obedience it were as much as if he did worde by worde deny his Créede These poyntes and manye moe that might be thought of beinge put together and one entyer action made of them the question is whether this entyre action of goeinge to Church with these anneres be of it selfe vnlawful or 〈◊〉 and euery wise man wil thincke it is Nether if you could by some deuise plucke from this actiō one or two of these thinges must we thincke that by and by the action were lawful As for example if by a protestation you could signifie that your mynd were not in goeinge thether to consente to their seruice as also that the Princesse mynde to you in particuler were only that you shoulde goe for temporall obedience sake yet were not by this al the matter amended For if a péece of meate were venemous for ten causes concurringe together if you should take away two of them and so eate it you might for al y t be poisoned therewith One only thing there is which as the Deuines iudge might make going to Church lawful which is if a man did goe thither for some méere partyculer knowen temporal busines as to beare the sword before the Prince to the chappel to consult of matters of warre at Poules by the Princesse appoi tmēt albeit it were in the time of seruice the lyke But here is to be noted that I say first for méere temporal busines For if a man should goe partly for seruice partly for tēporal busines as to talk with y t church wardēs in y t Church after seruice it will not serue Secondly I say for particuler tēporal busines For it is not enough for y e Prince to saye in general I wil haue you go only for obediēce which is a tēporal respect w tout assigning any particuler busines to be donne For that was the sayinge of al Princes to the Martyrs in the Primatiue Church that they would haue them cōforme themselues in exterious actions to other men and that for obedience sake howe soeuer they ment inwardly Thirdly I say for some knowen busines For if the busines wer not knowen men might thincke that they wente of conscience to seruice and therefore to take away this scandale they ought to protest for what busines they goe To these thrée qualifications adde this fourth which is that a man that shoulde thus goe might not geue anye signe of reuerence or honour to their seruice as by knéeling putting of his hat or the lyke more then he would doe if the seruice were not there And that it is lawful to goe to any Church of theirs obseruing these foure poynts it is euident For this is as much to saye as not to goe to Church at al Séeing he goeth in this case to their méere material Church that is to that material house or buyldinge which is their Church nether goeth he to it as to a Church but as to a house to doe his busines in And this was the case of Naaman the Syrian who beinge vpon a sodaine conuerted from Idolatrye promised that he would neuer sacrifise or offer more to Idoles how beit because his office was to stay vp the King of Syria with his handes when he went to adore the Idoles in the temple Remnon and because he could not doe that excepte he bowed himselfe downe when the King bowed downe whoe vsed to leane vpon him for this cause he desired the Prophet Elizeus to pray to God for him that it might be pardoned him and the Prophet answered him Depart in peace Which wordes can importe noe more but a grantinge to his request which was to praye to God that he would pardon him if he went so to Church or at the vttermost as some will enforce it a tolleration with him being yet a Proselite or a new gotten man to do this temporal seruice vnto his King for he wente not vpon cōmaundement to shew his religion as our men doe especially it being in such a contrey as noe scandale could folowe thereof And that many thinges are tolerated with nouices which afterwards are taken away it appeareth by S. Paul whoe circumsised Timothye for satisfiynge the weake Iewes and yet afterward he condemned in al men al circumsision Nether maketh it anye matter although he say Si adorauero in templo Remnon adorante rege in eodem loco vt ignoscat mihi Dominus pro hac re That is If I shal adore in the temple Remnon when the King doth adore in the same place that God wil pardon me for this thinge As though he should aske pardon for to adore the Idoles with the King This kynde of speach I say importeth nothinge For nether doth he aske pardon to commit Idolatrye thereby séeinge immediatelye before he sayed that he would neuer committe it more nor if he had asked such leaue could the Prophet haue lycensed him or would God haue pardoned hem But his meaninge was onelye to haue pardon for his seruinge the King in that place and bowinge downe with him for the better staying of him vp when he did adore For the same worde which we translate héere adore doth both in Hebrewe Bréeke and Latine n̄gnifie often tymes onelye bowinge downe without anye deuyne adoration As when Iacobe addored his brother Esawe seuen tymes that is bowed downe to him seuen tymes And Dauid adored Ionathas Kinge Saule his sonne thrée tymes Abigaile also adored Dauid twyse And the lyke in other places
24. Concil flor constāt sesio 15. Six Sacramēts Aug. li. 19. cont faust cap. 11. 16. Aug. su leuit que 84. Ceremonies Tertulia de corona Bas. li. de sp 5. cap. 27. Epipha heresi 71. Concil trid ca. 7. 13. Cip. ep 66. Chri. ho 41 vide Aug. li 2. doct crist Cyp ser. de ora dom Isodo li de diu off Cōcil Tol. 4. cap. 2. Bed li hist. capit 1. In whiche authors you shal see in what tonge seruice was in their dayes in all countries 8. Loosing the benefit of Catholique religion A pityful necessitie The losse of partycipation of the Sacrifice how great a losse Chrys. hom 47. in ep 1. ad cor The Angels present at the eleuation Gre. li. 4. di al. cap. 58. Chris. lib. 6. de sacerdo Two visions of the presence of Angels at the masse Chry. ho 3 cont Ano A fit Similitude of S. Chri sostome What playner testimony can there be then this The hearinge of a Masse hou well worthe a hundred markes The losse of y e grace of 6. Sa cramēts what a losse Act. 8. 19 Cypr. li. de vnct chris Esa 11 2. Timo. 1. Ephes. 5. Iaco. 5. The valew of grace What the be nefyte of the keyes of the Church is 〈◊〉 20. A proclamation of the tribunal for sinn in earth Ioan. 6. Mat. 18. Aug. ho. 49 et 50. ho 41. ibid. Cip. li. 1. ep 2 Amb. lib. 1. ca. 2. de Pae. in psa 38 Atha serm cont her Chris. lib. 3 de sacer Hil. in ca. 18 Mat. Hie. in cap 18. Mat. Actor 19. Aug. hom 41. 49. 50. cap. 10. 11. 16 ex 50. hom Ioan. 20. Aug. li. 2. de Visita infir cap. 4. Leu. 13. 14. The necessity of Confession The losse of not receauing the blessed Sa crament Ioan. 6. Ibidem Vide Ciril lib. 3. in Ioan cap. 37. Basil. ad Ce sar patric Amb. lib. 5. de Sacra ca. 4. Chris. hom 61. ad pop Antioch The state of a carnal man The losse of al merite for good workes Mat. 20. Greg. li. 35. Mor. ca. 5. Cip. de sim. prel Chri. ho. 11. ad Ephes. Vi D. Tho 1. 2. ōes DD. 15. qu. 119. The losse of the communi on of Saintes Note this simi litude Aug. epist 50. ad Boni facium Example of In fidels and heri tikes Lact. li. 4. 5. diu inst Cur. Sec. de hist. Maho. Chro. Wolfan Drisl Eus. lib. 3. 4. Aug. lib. de Vnit. Eccle. lib2 cōtr Petil. The Protestan tes are Recu santes also in other contres An. Dom. 1578. Art 86. We not born nor bred vpp in the Protest ants churche One only Re ligion true al other false Note this case A Verye certayne consequente The thinges that a man must heare at Churche Rom. 16. A Verie fitt comparison An example to confounde vs. The gret paye in God his set uice 1. Cor. 2. An answere to an obiection Heynous sinn to enforce an other man to do against his conscience The first Con clusion A notable de uise The 2. Conclusion The 3. Conclusion A protestatiō wil not serue Math. 27. Pilates Case Marke this ob iection 〈◊〉 going to the material Church How manye things contay ned in goinge to Churche In what sort a man may goe to Churche with 4. qualifications The 1. Qualification The 2. Qualification The 3. Quali fication The 4. Quali fication 4. Reg. 5. The case of Naaman Sy rus Adoring is ta ken in y e Scrip ture for bowing downe Gen. 32. 1. Reg. 20. 1. Reg. 25. The 4 Conclusion Mat. 5. Iacob 2. Apoc. 2. Math. 5. God wil haue vs parfit Leui. 3. Num. 28. Ezeh 43. 1. Cor. 5. Colos. 1. The noble co rage of Saynt Basile Theod. li. 4 capit 17. We maye not procute others to saye falslye for vs. In Ep. cler rom apud Cyp. epi. 31. The conclusion of this first parte The first part of the authors meaning The seconde part of the au thors mening The contents of the 2. parte of this Tretise promised Luther in asserti art dam. in Bul. Leon. 10. Wiklif Cō Constant. Sess. 8. li. 4. trialo ca. 〈◊〉 Caluin 4. inst ca. 〈◊〉 ¶ 5. Vrde D. Tho. 2. 〈◊〉 q. 90. ōm doct ibid. Au. in psal 70. Chri. Amb. in ca. 13. ad Rom. The contents of the thirde parte of this Treatise promsed