Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	bind_v	law_n	regenerate_a	1,198	5	14.1454	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13159	A briefe replie to a certaine odious and slanderous libel, lately published by a seditious Iesuite, calling himselfe N.D. in defence both of publike enemies, and disloyall subiects, and entitled A temperate wardword, to Sir Francis Hastings turbulent Watchword wherein not only the honest, and religious intention, and zeale of that good knight is defended, but also the cause of true catholike religion, and the iustice of her Maiesties proceedings against popish malcontents and traitors, from diuers malitious imputations and slanders cleered, and our aduersaries glorious declamation answered, and refuted by O.E. defendant in the challenge, and encounters of N.D. Hereunto is also added a certaine new challenge made to N.D. in fiue encounters, concerning the fundamentall pointes of his former whole discourse: together with a briefe refutation of a certaine caluminous relation of the conference of Monsieur Plessis and Monsieur d'Eureux before the French king ...	Sutcliffe, Matthew, 1550?-1629.	1600 (1600)	STC 23453; ESTC S117866	358,520	534

authenticall and preferred before the originall bookes of the old testament in Hebrew and of the new testament in Gréeke a matter very new and most vnreasonable and plainely contradictory to the ancient fathers In the same a Sess 4. councell because they would be sure of their groundes the doctors of the Romish Babylon decréed first that none should interpret Scriptures against that sence that the church of Rome holdeth and secondly that vnwritten traditions kept in the church by succession shoulde bee of equall value with canonicall Scriptures After this diuers friers and priests taking vpon them to plead the popes cause haue determined vnwritten traditions and customes of the church and the popes determinations and decretalles to be the foundations and principles of their popish faith b Loc. Theolog. Melchior Canus speaking of theologicall argumentes and Thomas Stapleton taking vpon him to declare which be vndoubted principles of popish doctrine do both principally relie vpō these two They talke also of the church of councels fathers the latin translation and of rules of faith But when it commeth to the triall then whatsoeuer is not consonant to the popes doctrine and decretales that is reiected as of no value Now gladly would I haue any Iesuite that taketh himselfe to be learned for our aduersary is but a babler to prooue these groundes to be ancient Let him shew what those traditions are that are with equall reuerence to the canonicall scriptures to be receiued Let him iustifie by testimony of antiquitie that the popes decretalles are infallible rules of faith The apostle saith that the church is well and strongly built vpon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Iesus Christ béeing the corner stone and this foundation do all ancient fathers allow The testimony of Irenei and Athanasius I haue before alleadged Saluianus saith the church is best founded on scripture Videtur nostra ecclesia saith he c Lib. de prouid Dei 5. ex vna scriptura felicius instituta Aliae habent illam aut debilem aut conuulneratam Habent veterem magistrorum traditionem corruptam per hoc traditionem potius quàm scripturam habent Let him shew the like if he can of his decretals and traditions vnlesse he will haue his grounds to be condemned for new and naught Thirdly scriptures were neuer generally forbidden to be publikely read in vulgar toongs before the councell of Trent neither was it euer thought vnlawfull before that time for lay men to talke of matters of faith or to read scriptures priuately without the ordinaries licence Chrysostome and other ancient fathers were wont to exhort Christians to read scriptures and Christ our sauiour willed his hearers to search them and the apostle doth declare them to be very profitable which sheweth the practise of the Romish church in fraying men from scriptures to be of a late humour and inuention Fourthly the definition of the Romish church is new and of force made new to fit their new popish fancies a De eccles milit c. 2. Bellarmine defineth the church to be A company of men conioyned in one profession of faith and communion of sacraments vnder the gouernement of lawfull pastors and especially of the pope of Rome Which is neither to be shewed nor prooued out of any ancient authenticall writer For the easterne and Africane churches did neuer acknowledge this souereine authority of the pope Nor did our sauiour or his apostles teach vs any such obedience Nay they shew rather that the bishops of Rome are not to be obeyed For suppose Peter had béene bishop of Rome and the bishops of Rome his successors which will neuer be prooued in that sence as the aduersaries take it yet Paul resisted Peter and receiued no b Ibid. c. 9. authority nor grace from him which sheweth that other bishops haue no dependance or authority from the bishop of Rome albeit this proportion were granted Fiftly they make not the catholike church A communion of saintes as we professe in our créede but h●ld that all wicked men and c Ibid. c. 10. heretickes so they outwardly communicate with the church of Rome in faith and sacraments are true mēbers of the church d Ibid. c. 2. Bellarmine saith That to make a man a part of the true church neither faith nor charitie nor any inward vertue is required Which is a méere new fancie and therefore receiued least they shoulde grant that the church in some respect shoulde be inuisible Sixtly the cōfession of faith made by Pius quartus wherin al that take degrees in schoole professe a Conf●t 28. That they firmely admit all ecclesiasticall traditions and constitutions and the Scriptures according to the Romish sence and beleeue that there are seuen sacraments and receiue the doctrine of the councell of Trent concerning originall sinne and beleeue the sacrifice of the masse and transubstantiation and the popes soueraine authority and other pointes of doctrine therein conteined is new and absurd This we shal other where declare that appeareth for that the papistes cannot produce any precedent of this confession or prooue the seuerall points of it by good argument 7. Where in our creede we beléeue the catholike church of late time the papistes haue added a word made it b Confess ●urdega●ens The catholike Romaine church and in Canisius catechisme translated into Spanish by Hieronymo Campos they define him to be no catholike that beléeueth any thing beside that which the church of Rome beléeueth 8. They confesse their sinnes not to God almighty as do the ancient fathers but to the a Virgine Mary c Hortulus animae and to angels and saints 9. They haue of late b put out that commandement d Officium beatae Maria in catech that concerneth the making of grauen images like to God and worshipping them wherein they haue the worde of God and all antiquitie against them 10. In the doctrine of the law all those points wherein they shew thēselues no catholikes of which wée haue spoken in the former chap. are meere nouelties as namely That all that is repugnant to the law of God is not sinne that it is mortall sinne to breake the popes lawes or commandements either concerning rites of the church or other matter which he doth vnder his curse will men to obserue that concupiscence in the regenerate is no sinne and yet that it is sinne not to faste the ember daies that the regenerate may be without sinne and that Christians may be iustified by the lawe of Moyses that the popes lawes binde in conscience and that he hath authoritie to make lawes and lastly that the law of God is not perfect but that wée are to obserue all the traditions of the church and the popes decretals 11. It is not long since they began to teach that othes do not so binde men but that the pope can dispence with them and that he is able to discharge children from

semina virtutum vera incommutabilia which are the groundes whereby conscience concludeth And this properly is conscience But there is also another conscience when wée conclude not from the light of naturall reason but from the knowledge of Gods worde And this conscience concluding from rules of true religion is most resolutely to bee followed But if it conclude otherwise it is no conscience but rather an opinion and fancie and priuate humour and pretense of conscience But saith this discourser A man is to follow his conscience though it do erre and afterward hée telleth vs That an erronious conscience doth both binde and excuse and this he goeth about to prooue and maintaine But his dispute of conscience is such as he sheweth himselfe to bée ignorant both of reason diuinitie and conscience and that he knoweth neither what is truth nor what his owne consorts teach That an erronious conscience is not to bée followed it is apparent for that our conscience is not a rule of our actions but the lawe of God For that is A lanterne to our feete and a light to our pathes And c In 2. sent dist 39. Thomas Aquinas doth in expresse termes determine Quod conscientia non ligat vel obligat virtute propria sed aliena id est praecepti diuini So that it alwaies tieth vs to the law and not against the law Secondly it is the lawe that teacheth vs what is sinne and what is not sinne Ex lege saith the apostle cognitio peccati And sinne is defined by saint Iohn to be a transgrestion of the law So that the lawe must binde the conscience and not conscience dissolue law Thirdly grant this that an erronious conscience is to bée followed and then it will follow that idolaters are to worship idols and heretikes to continue in their errors Mahometans to followe the impieties of Mahomet for that the conscience of euerie of these erring doth perswade them that they are in the right Lastly if an erronious conscience bée to bée followed then were not an erronious conscience to bée changed but we were still to continue in error But contrary to this do schoolemen determine Quaeritur saith a Sum. Syluest in verb. Conscientia Syluester Prierius vtrum homo teneatur erreneam conscientiam deponere and to this question hée answereth quod tenetur That an erroneous conscience should excuse any is yet more absurd For first we are not to be iudged according to our opinion of matters but according to Gods law Secondly if euery man were to be excused vpon his owne perswasion then neyther should idolaters turkes nor heretikes be condemned Thirdly b 1. 2. q 19. art 6. Thomas Aquinas doth determine that an erring conscience excuseth not Voluntas saith he Concordans rationi erranti potest esse mala To conclude this point the same is prooued by reason For if a conscience erring excuse then if a man should thinke he might do well to kill his freind or brother or to betray his countrie he were to be excused That an erroneous conscience bindeth not vs to beléeue that which we thinke to be true and is not nor to do that which we thinke to be good and is not is prooued for that if this were granted diuers inconueniences would ensue For then it should follow that the Turkes that are perswaded in their conscience that it is not good to beleeue in Christ were bound not to beléeue in Christ and that such as in their consciences are perswaded to kill any body or to commit any flagitious act are bound to do it and finally our consciences and priuate opinions should be the rule of our actions and not the law of God Neyther are our aduersaries reasons of any force to cōclude the contrary He saith first that our cōscience is nothing but the determinatiō of our reason about matters to be done or not to be done But his definition is very imperfect for cōscience as well concerneth beléefe as action Beside it concerneth thinges past as well as to come as his owne schoole doctors could teach him if he had read them Thirdly it is not properly the determination of euery mans owne reason but of true reason according to the generall rules that are kept in Synterest and if we vnderstand conscience generally according to the rules eyther of Gods law or the gospell Lastly albeit conscience is the determination of reason yet are we not bound to folow that reason be it right or wrong as he doth thereof inferre but rather we are bound to change our erroneous conscience and to learne what the law of God is that we may onely beléeue and do that is right and auoyde the contrary And this law is such that euery one is bound to take notice of it so that he cannot pretend ignorance or that he hath no light but the light of his owne blind reason He saith further That the quality of mans will is measured according to the obiect that mooueth the will as for example saith he He that thinketh he killeth his enemy when he hitteth a beast in a bush sinneth But while he thinketh he speaketh like a schooleman a great clerke he speaketh if not like a beast in a bush yet like a weake diuine For first there is great difference betwixt the will and the conscience and therefore his purpose of will fitteth not the matter in hand that concerneth conscience neither doth the example fit the resolution of conscience béeing onely concerning the purpose of a mans will that bindeth according to the fact intended albeit the effect ensue not Againe if by this example he be able to prooue that a wrong conscience is to be folowed then might a man lawfully shoot at his enemie in a bush like a foxe because his erroneous will or as this Noddy termeth it conscience leadeth him vnto it Finally Thomas a 1. 2. q. 19. art 6. Aquinas doth teach direct contrary viz That a mans will agreeing with a false reason or ground may be naught Thirdly he alleadgeth out of Saint Paul Rom. 14. and 1. Cor. 8. That to eat meat sacrificed to idols simply without enquiring whether it was such meat or no is no sinne But this is nothing to our question that is about an erroneous conscience For he that eateth such meates simply séemeth to make no conscience of that matter And albeit Saint Paul condemneth him that eateth such sacrificed meat contrary to conscience yet doth he not speake of a mans owne conscience but of an other mans conscience Conscientiam a 1. Cor. 10. saith hée dico non tuam sed alterius and Rom. 14. he saith it is good not to eate or to drink any thing wherein our brother may be offended Againe there is great difference betwixt him that maketh a conscience to absteine from things in themselues not simply vnlawfull and him that resolueth to do things vnlawfull or to leaue things commaunded vndone The apostle

sinnes which are not conuinced by Gods law and yet are more grieuous then diuers transgressions and sins committed against the law as namely the breaches of the lawes of the pope and preceptes of the church For to breake the law of God in some pointes they make it either no sinne as hath béene said or else a veniall sinne But to condemne the popes anathematismes and to breake the commaundements of the church they make it mortall sinne Nay they make it sinne to mislike the abominable worship of images and inuocation of saintes But the apostle doth teache vs That the knowledge of sinne doth come by the law And it is flagitious to thinke that the law of God is not perfect and that mans traditions are of equall value with the law of God Finally the a Iames 4. apostle Iames teacheth vs That we haue but one law giuer and one iudge viz. that canne binde our consciences Which doth further conuince them to be no true catholikes They teach and holde that the regenerate cannot onely performe the law of God perfectly but also do workes of supererogation and more then is commaunded But the apostle Iames teacheth vs That we do sinne all and that in many things and our Sauiour Christ taught his most holy apostles to pray for remission of sinnes Yea when wée haue done what we can yet wée are taught to say That wee are vnprofitable seruants Saint Iohn saith That they that say they haue no sinne deceiue themselues Saint b Lib. 1. aduers Pelag. Hierome therefore saith That then we are iust when we confesse our sinnes Saint De spiritu litera Augustin saith that Wee shall then performe the lawe of God with all our soule and all our hart and loue our neighbour as our selfe when we shall see God face to face that is in the life to come They teach vs that wée are iustified by the workes of the law and that All our life and saluation doth d Ce●sur Col●n f. 22. consist therein The councell of e Sess 6. c. 10. Trent condemneth those that say We are iustified formally by Christes iustice All holde that charitie is the formall cause of our iustification But the catholike church teacheth vs farre otherwise Non iustificatur ex operibus legis vlla caro No flesh saith the apostle f Galat. 2. is iustified by the workes of the lawe Hee saith also g Galat. 3. That as many as are of the workes of the lawe are subiect to the curse and denieth that the law hath power to giue life Nay hée h Rom. 4. denieth That Abraham was iustified by the workes of the law Iustitia nostra non ex proprio merito sed ex dei consistit misericordia Our iustice saith l Aduers P●lag lib. 1. Hierome doth not consist in our merites but in the mercy of God And k Aduers hares lib. 3. c. 20. Irenaeus teacheth vs That the lawe being spirituall doth onely manifest 〈◊〉 and not kill it Neither is it likely the law should ius●●t vs when it pronounceth vs accursed and sheweth wée are all sinners For none are iustified by the lawe but those that performe the lawe But how can wee acquite our selues séeing as saint a D● interpelat Dauid Ambrose saith Dauid doth acknowledge his sinne Paule doth confesse himselfe guiltie Saint b De lib. ach c. 16. Augustine saith That we are therefore commanded to do things which we cannot that wee may vnderstand what we are to desire of God To conclude this point they haue not onely changed the catholike doctrine of the law mingling the same with Pelagianisme but also brought in a new law giuer Bicause the c Heb. 7. apostle saith That the priesthood being changed the law must needes be changed the d De constitution 6. translato canonistes gather That Christs vicar hath authoritie to make lawes And these lawes say they binde mens consciences So the pope is now forsooth become a lawgiuer and a newe Lycurgus in the Romish church But the e Iames 4. apostle Saint Iames telleth vs That there is but one lawgiuer that is able to saue and destroy And for a thousand yéeres after Christ the catholike church of Christ did neuer sée any pope that durst take vpon him authoritie to giue lawes to the whole church Of which wée haue proofe euen by the bookes of popish decretals that began first by Gregorie the ninth to bée brought in forme and were neuer authorized before his time Sixtly the papistes hold doctrine both concerning original and actuall sinne diuers from the doctrine of the catholike church For first they deny that originall sinne passed ouer all men and f Decretal Sixti 4. synod Trid. sess 5. exempt the holy virgin Mary and some say that saint Iohn Baptist and the prophet Hieremy were sanctified from this sinne in their mothers wombe and so not borne in originall sinne which is contrary to the doctrine of the apostle that g Rom. 5. teacheth That through the offence of one all men were subiect to condemnation and to the words of the blessed virgin that calleth Christ Her Sauiour Againe they say that originall sinne is the least of all sinnes hauing so litle force of our will As if that deserued to be accounted litle which bringeth with it death and damnation and which without Christs death could not be purged and forgiuen They h Thom. Aq. ●d in 2. sent dist 33. teach that children departing without baptisme and with originall sinne onely shall not be punished with hell fire nor with any sensible paine As if at the last iudgement all that stand on the left hand as it is written in the 25 of Matth. shall not depart into euerlasting fire or as if that sinne Rom. 5. That brought condemnation vpon all should not be punished with sensible paines or as if there might be a place in hell without sensible paine Saint a Lib. 1. de Orig. anim c. 9. Augustine saith There is no middle place betweene the kingdome of heauen and damnation b Lib de fide ad Petr. c. 3. Fulgentius doth plainely affirme That children dying without baptisme shall susteine endlesse punishmentes And Gregory in his c Lib. 8. c. 16. morals saith That they shall endure perpetuall tormentes of hell They d Bellar. de purgat lib. 1. hold that all Christians canne satisfie for the penalty of all actual sinnes though neuer so gréeuous and yet for originall sinne which they account the smallest of sinnes they say no satisfaction could be made by any but by Christ Iesus But saint e 1. Iohn 1. Iohn saith That the blood of Christ clenseth vs from all sinnes And absurd it were if man could satisfie for most gréeuous sinnes and could not satisfie for the least sinne Of their false and erroneous doctrine concerning concupiscence and concerning the transgressions of the popes lawes which

f Iames 4. saith hée that is able to saue and to destroy But in the church of Rome the pope beareth himselfe as a soueraigne monarke and hée taketh on him power to bind and loose in heauen earth and purgatorie And his agents say That his lawes binde in conscience and that hée hath power to saue and destroy The Romish church is gouerned by his lawes and acknowledgeth him to bée the supreme iudge of controuersies 29. The true church of Christ contenteth herselfe with the religion first taught by the apostles For as g Lib. 4. contr Marcion Tertullian saith Id verius quod prius id prius quod ab apostolis And as h Aduers haeres c. 26. Vincentius Lirinens●● saith it is the propertie of heretikes Not to content themselues with the ancient rule of faith but to seeke nouelties from day to day and to desire to adde to change to take away But the church of Rome doth not content herselfe with the doctrine of the apostles nor with the ancient rule of faith but is still adding changing taking away as may appéere by the popes decretals 30. The true church is dispersed euery where For our Sauiour f commanded his apostles To teach all nations i Matth. 28. And wée beléeue not a particular church but The catholike church that is the societie of Christians of all times and places but the Romish church neither conteineth the Gréekes nor Africans nor men of Asia that haue for many ages béene diuided frō that church Nor doth it reach to the people before Christ but onely a Bellar. de eccles milit c. 2. conteineth such as liue in obedience to the pope How then can the church of Rome bee the catholike church Shall the church of that citie bée as great as the church of the whole worlde 31. The true church of Christ conteineth neither lyons nor tygres nor woolues but consisteth onely of shéepe and lambes Nay it maketh milde Christians of sauage and wilde atheistes and miscreantes and as Paule of a fierce persecutor by christianity was made a constant professor so the mildenesse of this our christian mother the church changeth mens cruell natures They shall not hurt nor kill saith b Isai 11. God by his prophet in all my holy mountain The wolf shall dwel with the lambe and the Pard shall ly with the Kid. c De incarnat verbi Athanasius saith that nothing but Christes faith caused barbarous nations to become peaceable Quis coegit barbaros gentesque alias in suis sedibus saith he immanitatem deponere pacifica meditari nisi Christi fides crucis signaculum d Lib. 2. contr Parmen Optatus speaking of catholikes Which of vs saith he hath persequuted any man Can you shew or prooue that any of you hath beene persequuted by vs But the church of Rome hath of late yéeres and yet doth murder infinite numbers of men that would not adhere to her Romish faith Their e Extr. de haeret per tot lawes are bloody and cruell their executions are more cruell In the time of Charles the emperor the fift of that name it is found in f Meteran de Belgicis tumultibus record That aboue fiftie thousand persons were by sentence of iudges executed to death for the profession of their faith in the low countries In France as their owne stories report at one g Anno 1572. time thrée score thousand Christians without order of law were most shamefully massacred Circiter sexaginta hominum millia saith h Lib. 23. p. 508. Natalis Comes speaking of the massacre varijs in locis per illud tempus trucidata fuisse dicta sunt in Gallia And so extraordinary was the furie of papists that they spared neither age sexe nor qualitie Vel puberes vel impuberes saith i Ibid. p. 507. he trucidati sunt neque vllius sexus vel aetatis vel dignitatis habita est ratio Neither may wée thinke that they haue shewed lesse crueltie against Christians in Spaine Italie Germany England and other nations The Romish church hath died her garments in the blood of saints and the prelates haue shewed themselues leaders to the people in these barbarous executions Well therefore may that bée applied to them which a Lib. 2. con Parmen Optatus spoke of the cruell Donatistes Lacerati sunt viri tractatae sunt matronae infantes necati abacti partus ecce vestra ecclesia episcopis ducibus cruentis morsibus pasta est Men haue béene tormented women haue béene abused infants haue béene murdred women forced to loose their children behold your church is fedde with crueltie and your prelates haue béene captaines to the vulgar sort in their cruell executions 32. The catholike church neuer shewed more fauour to the Iewes and Infidels then to Christians that disliked the bishops of Rome The Christian emperors b L. hac valitura Cod. de Iudaeis Caelieolis excluded the Iewes from all gouernment and authoritie in the common-wealth and c Ibidem restreined their insolencies with diuers sharpe lawes The like course they d Cod. de Paganis sacrif templ tooke also with Pagans and Infidels shutting their temples and forbidding their sacrifices and Idolatries But the Romish synagogue doth indure the impieties of Iewes in the midst of Rome albeit they denie and blaspheme Christ Iesus tormenting and killing christians that shall but once offer to speake against the pope Likewise e Onuphr in Alexandro 6. Alexander the sixt receiued Turkes and Maranes into Rome being erpelled out of Spaine and the popes are content that their subiects shall trade with Turkes albeit they cannot endure any christian that shall mislike the popes authoritie 33. The true church of God neuer sought by forging and falsifying of mens writings and by lying and slandering to aduance Christes religion For truth is strong enough of it selfe and néedeth not to bée supported with falshood f Prouerb 12. and a Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord. False witnesses and slanderers in ancient time were so farre from beeing estéemed in the church that they were b excluded out of the church g Concil Agath c. 27. Concil El●bert c. 73. 74. But the church of Rome perceiuing that she cannot otherwise preuaile goeth to worke by plaine forging and falsifying leauing nothing sound that once passeth her fingers h Canones apostolor constiutione● Somewhat she commendeth vnder the name of the a apostles and many thinges vnder the name of ancient fathers There is no ancient father but she hath ascribed vnto him many children which were neuer begotten by him as the workes of Cyprian Origen Athanasius Hierome Augustine Chrysostome Gregory and others do plainely testifie For who séeth not how many vnlearned and vnsound treatises are dayly published vnder the names of ancient fathers Nay the Romanistes are much offended with Erasmus and other learned mens censures that haue gone about

speaketh of the first our question is of the second kind of conscience as is euident by our aduersaries wordes who teacheth that if our consciences perswade vs to do any thing that we are bound to do it although our reason lead vs wrong Which is contrary not onely to the apostle but also to the schoolemen The apostle saith Whatsoeuer is not of faith or a good conscience is sinne And the schoolemen teach as I haue shewed that an erroneous conscience is not to be folowed but rather forsaken So that if we folow the apostles rule then those that vpon false perswasions abstaine from hearing Gods eternall word and cōmunicating with vs in the sacraments and that go to idole seruice and eat bread that is made an idole do offend gréeuously for that this cannot procéede of conscience but rather is against good conscience Fourthly he assureth vs That the conscience of papistes that refuse to go to the church is grounded vpon so sure and euident groundes as any demonstration in the world can lay downe And his ground is this That the religion professed by papistes is true and that therefore they may not seeme to professe any other And here he thinketh he standeth firme immooueable But if this be his ground his building is founded vpon sand and vpon a cleare vntruth For neither shall he euer be able to disprooue that truth which we professe nor to iustifie those pointes of popish religion which we condemne If he will promise to do it I will giue him what tearme he pleaseth And to the entent all deceiued papists may sée his vanitie I will shewe him b See the 4. encoun●● following this treatise héereafter what the points are that hée cannot prooue In this place it is sufficient to shewe that his popish positions are contradicted in the greatest part of christendome But no firme demōstration can be grounded vpon vntrue or doubtfull propositions Aristotle c Analyt post 1. telleth vs that demonstrations are syllogismes That worke certaine knowledge But this demonstration of his is nothing but a mist or rather darknesse to deceiue ignorant people Wherefore let all papisticall Recusants beware what they beleeue vpon others credite The Iesuites teach them lies for truth heresie for faith antichrist for Christ superstition and falsehood for true religion and draw from them all meanes of their saluation Fiftly hée telleth vs That wee do greatly discredite our doctrine which wee were woont to teach viz. That no man shoulde be forced in matters of his conscience But the discredite is rather his that either vnderstandeth not our doctrine through his dulnesse or else cauilleth about this matter of forcing the conscience without iust cause then ours that teach as wee did euer and vary not from our doctrine in our practise Wée say as wée did euer that the conscience neither ought to bée forced with tortures and terrors of death neither can be forced For faith founded vpon sure groundes surmounteth all violence of tyrants and crueltie of persecutors which terrifieth and discourageth none taught rightlie in Christs schoole As for the sauage and barbarous crueltie of the popish synagogue that purple whoore of Rome Whose a Apocal. 17. vesture is red with the blood of Saints and which without difference of age sexe or qualitie tortureth hangeth burneth and killeth true Christians it is odious not onely to those that vnderstand the truth but also to the milder sort of the aduersaries Further albeit no man can bée forced to religion yet all gentle courses are to bée vsed to draw men to religion For this cause wée exhort the weake and ignorant and with pecuniarie mulctes wée represse those that are wilfull and obstinate And this is all the punishment that her Maiestie vseth against recusants too little certes if wee respect either their deserts or the malice of our enimies neither do we thinke it either vnlawfull to procéed further against hereticall teachers that corrupt Christs doctrine with their leuen or sufferable that notorious blasphemers and railers at religion shoulde escape vnpunished So then wee beléeue that religion is to be taught and not by terrors thrust vpon the people and yet denie not but that such as bee wilfull disturbers of the state of the church or common-welth ought to bée punished Neither is there any repugnance betwixt these two courses Onelie let papists absteine from practises and for the rest they are secured both of life libertie lands and goods We seeke them and not theirs and onely proceede against such as shew open contempt against our religion and yet vse all c●emencie vnlesse their vntollerable abuses against church and state vrge vs to extremitie Finally he doth preferre the orders of the popish synagogue that burneth not onely those that forsake their religion a The papists cannot dissemble their bloody crueltie but such also as will not come vnto their religion The popes religion he calleth The faith of all Christendome and saith That such as thinke hardly thereof ought rather to be barred from comming to the church then drawne thither Wherein he sheweth first his cruelty and bloudy humor that seemeth to reioyce in slaughter and commendeth the woluish nature of the Romish synagogue Secondly his folly and treacherie that betraying his clients cause would haue them punished with death For if all that forsake the faith of Christ and his apostles be to suffer death then will it go hard with his clients the recusantes who pretending catholicke faith indeede do embrace the priuate doctrine and faction of popes Thirdly his impudency that dare auouch the popish religion to be the faith of all Christendome which notwithstanding is contradicted by the easterne churches and forsaken of a great part of the west church and is onely maintained by fire and sword and cruelty Lastly his ignorance in teaching religion that would haue such as do not like all points of faith to bée barred out of the church Which course neither by our Sauiour nor by his apostles nor by any true teachers of Christianitie was euer practised Nay our Sauiour inuiteth all to come to him when hée had made readie to feast his friends woulde haue guestes compelled to come in Likewise the apostles taught all that came and opened their armes to embrace all that were desirous to learne The ancient fathers by all meanes sought to draw people to the church and shut the doores against none that was willing to come in What then shoulde we thinke of the aduersaries but as of enimies of Christ true religion that seeke to murder and famish Christs flocke In the meane while let vs holde on our course and with our Sauiour call al men and refuse none that are willing to heare And thus an ende of the first consideration that concerneth the hurt that popish Recusants do Next we are to consider What hurt they would do that briefly Now that is apparent First by their hatred against religion

Christianlike baptized Nay they beléeue that as many as are regenerate are without sinne and albeit examined by the law yet are to be reputed iust The Iacobites and Armenians were condemned for heretickes For that they made the images of God the father and God the holy ghost imagines saith c Lib. hist 18. c. 52. Nicephorus patris spiritus sancti effigiant quod est perquam absurdum Yet this absurdity is a high point of popish religion The worshippers of the crosse which were called Chazinzartj and Staurolatrae were therefore estéemed heretickes Crucem saith d Ibid. c. 54. Nicephorus adorare colere dicuntur Which is a plaine conuiction of the heresies of papistes who worship the crosse with diuine worship which percase those heretickes did neuer The Collyridian heretickes were condemned for worshipping the virgin Mary and that worthily For as saith e Haeres 78. Epiphanius she was a virgin and honorable but not to be adored Non dominabitur nobis antiquus error saith f Ibidem he vt relinquamus viuentem adoremus ea quae ab ipso facta sunt But the papistes not onely adore her but also giue vnto her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an honor aboue the common sort Nay they deuise masses and offices in her honor and Bonauenture hath shamefully falsified the psalmes of Dauid to draw them to her honour and superlatiue worship The worshippers of images of saintes by a certaine g Hist Miscell Pauli diac lib. 21. councell of Constantinople whose actes are inserted in the sixt action of the second Nicene councell were noted as idolators and condemned by the fathers as heretickes or worse The synode of a In lib. Caroli magni contra synod in partib Graeciae pro imaginib adorand Francford did condemne the second Nicene councell that allowed the worship of images Non nos imagines in basilicis positas say they idola nuncupamus sed ne idola nuncupentur adorare colere eas recusamus b Haeres 79. Epiphanius saith That by worishipping images the minde is turned from one onely God to commit fornication with images All which notwithstanding the papistes kisse them bow to them worship them and burne incense to them The bare footed brethren c Augustin de haeres c. 68. were condemned for their hereticall singularity in going barefoote Yet the papists account this a part of their frierlike perfection and beléeue that it is meritorious to goe barefoote in pilgrimages and processions The Apostolikes notwithstanding their arrogant presumption in taking on them the name and profession of the apostles followers were condemned of heresie for that they receiued none into their communion that vsed wiues or possessed any thing in priuate Apostolici qui se isto nomine arrogantissimè vocauerunt saith saint d De haeres c. 40. Augustine eo quod non reciperent in suam communionem vtentes coniugibus res proprias possidentes quales habet ecclesia catholica monachos clericos plurimos Where note that Augustine saith that monkes and clergy men had wiues and goodes in property The papistes do notwithstanding receiue this heresie condemning all monkes and friers that possesse any goods in property and both monkes and priests that match themselues in mariage The Heraclites as saith e Orig. lib. 8. c. de haeres Isidorus were heretikes that receiued onely monkes and condemned married folkes Monachos tantum recipiunt saith f he coniugia respuunt They also do not beléeue that children dying yoong shall possesse the kingdome of heauen So the papistes do beléeue that onely monkes and friers are in the state of perfection and do not suffer either them or priests to marry They beléeue not also that any child dying before baptisme can be saued albeit the parentes be christians and vse all meanes to haue their childe baptized But such children they place betweene heauen and hell in Limbo puerorum or at least in hell without sensible paine The Priscillianists disioyne maried folkes for religion sake Coniuges saith a Augustin haeres 70. Saint Augustine speaking of Priscillian quibus hoc malum potuerit persuadere disiungens For hiding their wickednesse filthinesse they b Ibidem made no account to forsweare themselues Propter occultandas contaminationes turpitudines suas habēt in suis dogmatibus haec verba Iura periura secretum prodere noli The papists likewise separate maried folkes that vowe religion before mariage consummate they holde that either partie may enter into a monasticall religion They séeme also to make small reckoning of oathes If thou be put to an oath say the c In annot in act 23. resolut quorundam casuum nationis Anglicanae Rhemistes to accuse catholikes for seruing God as they ought to do or to vtter any man to Gods enimies and his thou oughtest first to refuse such vnlawfull oathes but if thou haue not constancy and courage so to do yet know thou that such oathes binde not in conscience and law of God but may and must be broken vnder paine of damnation Now by catholikes these good fellowes vnderstand such as come with an intention to murder their dread souereigne and to raise rebellion or at least such as embrace all popish heresies which are no lesse damnable then the wicked opinions of the Priscillianistes The Helcesaites make Christ in heauen to differ from Christ in earth Christum saith d Haeret. fabul lib. 2. de Helcesaeis Theodoret non vnum dicunt sed hunc quidem infernè illum verò supernè eum olim in multis habitasse One Christ they make dwelling in heauen and another in earth So likewise the papists beléeue teach that Christ in heauen is visible and palpable and hath the dimensions and iust proportion of a mans body but their Christ on the altar and in the Sacrament they beléeue and teach to bée neither visible nor palpable nor that hee hath any iust proportion or dimensions of a true naturall and humane body The Eutychianistes denie that Christ after the vnion of the two natures had a true body but as e De ieiunio 7. mensis ser 6. Leo signifieth A body without shape dimensions or circumscription They saide also that Christ was whole both in heauen and earth against whom f Lib. 4. cont Eutych c. 4. Vigilius disputing saith That the flesh of Christ when it was in earth was not in heauen and nowe being in heauen is not on earth And their chiefe ground as appéereth by g Dialog 2. Theodoret was That Christs humane nature was abolished euen as in the sacrament after consecration the signes are changed into an other nature Who then doth not plainly sée that the papists by their transubstantiation do bring in Eutychianisme holding that Christes bodie in the sacrament is without shape and true dimensions and that his body is both in heauen and in earth and as many seuerall