this for different opinions in religion a miserie not accustomed to fal in our fathers dayes vpon that noble 〈◊〉 But as these were causes of some sorow so was it no meane comforte vnto me to consider that in these wicked loosse times of ours wherein there is no feelinge or sence of vertue leaste but all men enwrapped in the loue of Godes professed enemie the world followinge with all force and full sayle the vanities and ambition of the same that their should be fownde in Ingland so many gentlemen both for their yeares liuinges and other habilities as fit to be as vayne as the reste yet so precyse in matters of religion so respectiue to their cōsciences as that they wil prefer their soul before ther body gods cause before theyr owne ease na that they will rather venture both body and goodes lyfe landes libertye and all then they wil doe any thinge contrary to theyr consciences whereby they must be iudged at the last daye This is suche a thing as it must nedes bring comforte to all men can iustly greue none excepte the cōmen enemy the deuil him selfe For as for strāgers they must néedes be 〈◊〉 therewith as for Inglish men they must néedes be incoraged therby And as for the Princes hir selfe shée cānet but be comforted therein assuringe hir selfe that yf these men doe 〈◊〉 so firmly vnto theyr consciences and fayth sworne vnto God in theyr 〈◊〉 of baptisme then wil they as 〈◊〉 for the same conscience stik vnto 〈◊〉 Maiestie if occasion should serue in kéepinge theyre secondary faythe and allegeance sworne vnto hir Highnes as to the substitute of God Their aduersaries also and persecutors it can not in any reason mislyke for that the contrarye religion were to haue them as constant and faithful in that if it were possible to win them to the same But notwithstanding séeing you wryte that ther is both great dislyke displesure also takē of it as though their constancie were obstinacie and their conscience méere will which most of all gréeueth as you wryte their obedient and well meaninge mindes albeit otherwise the pressure it self be so heauie as the burden therof is sore and gréeuous to beare for these causes and for the géeuinge of some more lyght to the whol matter I wil as you séeme to desire most briefly towch thrée things in this letter wherby I doubt not but that you shall accompte your selfe fullye and sufficientlye answered 1. The first poynt shalbe what cause or reasō the Catholicks haue to stand as they doe in the refusall of thinges offered them and especially of going to the Church Secondly what waye or means they may vse to remedy or ease themselues of this afliction now layd vpon them for theyr consciences Thirdly if that waye or meanes doe not preuayle then howe they ought to beare and indewre the same The firste parte THAT the Quens most excellēt Maiestye the honorable Lords of hir preuy Counsell other the learned and wyse of Inglande may see that the refusall of going to the churche of so mani thow sand Catholiques at this day in that Realme is not vppon disloyaltie or stubburne obstinacie as theyr aduersaries geue it out but vppon conscience and great reason and for the auoydinge of manifest peril of eternal dānation which they shold incurr in yealdinge to that which is demauuded at their hands I haue put downe some causes and reasōs heere folowinge referringe the Reader to more larger discourses made by diuers lerned men of our tyme in soundrye partes of their workes this beinge shufled vp in hast and namelye to a peculier Tretise not long agone published to wching this matter But first of all it is to be noted that my reasons to thend they may cōuince are to be supposed to procéed from a Catholick mind that is from a man which in his conscience is throughly perswaded that onelye the Catholycke Romaine Relygion is truth that al other new doctrines and religions are false religions as all new gods are false gods Now of these Catholiks there are two sorts in Ingland thone which in their consciences doe iudge that as all other religions besids their owne are false so all participation with them either in déede or in shewe by othe by Sacramentes by goynge vnto theire prayers and seruice or otherwise is naught forbidden vnlawful yet ether for fear or fauour or 〈◊〉 other worldly cause they are content to comunicate w t them in all or some of y e forsayd things of thos men albe it they be very many in Ingland I meane not to intreate their case be ing aparantly both to thē selues and to al other men wicked and out of al doubt dānable For as S. Austin saith He that knoweth the thinges to be il that he doth yet doth thē he goeth down quick vnto hell As though hée would say Albeit he be yet quick vpō the carthe yet is he in the prouidence of God dead and damned in hel And S. Paul talking of this sinne neuer layth lesse punishement vpon it then iudgment and damnation althoughe it be committed in thinges of them selues indifferent or lawful for albe it as hée sayth meates offred to Idoles be of them selues lawful to be eaten to him that knowth an Idole to nothing Yet Yf a mā should decerne or iudge it to be vnlawful and yet eate of it he is damned for it because he doth not accordinge to his conscience or knowledge And the reason is that which S. Paule hath immediatelye folowinge sayinge All that which is done by vs not according to our knoledge or conscience is sinne And S. 〈◊〉 confirmeth the same sayinge He that knoweth good and doth it not sinneth Wherfore S. Paule crieth out a little before thus Blessed is he that iudgeth not or condemnethe not him selfe in doinge contrarye to that he best alloweth And the cause why this sinne against a mans owne cōscience is so dānable is this Some doe sinne of humaine frailtie as did Peter and this is called a sinne against the father who is called Power Some doe sinne of ignorance as did Paule this is called a sinne against the sōne who is called Wisdōe Some do sinn of meere will malice choosing to sinne although they know it to be sinne and this is the sinne 〈◊〉 the holy Ghost to whome is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 particulerlye grace and goodnesse the whiche a man most wikedly cōtemneth and reiecteth when hée sinneth wilfully against his owne Conscience and therefore Christe sayeth that a man shalbe forgéeuen a sinn against the father and against the senne as wée doe sée it was in Peter and Paul But he that sinneth against the holy Ghost shal neuer be forgeuen nether in this world nether in the worlde to come As for exāple the Pharises were not which did many thinges againste Christ
worth for the eternitie of the lyfe to come his kingdome his glorye and his euerlasting ioye with his riches and tresures vnspeakable which nether eare euer heard nor eye sawe nor hart of man cōceaued how great they are how scusles I saye shal we be at that terrible rekoning daye and how confounded by the examples of seruantes in this lyfe soe zelous for their maisters vpon soe smal wages if we notwith standing al our rewardes both present and to come shalbe yet key could in our maister his seruice present at his iniuries and silent at his slaunders Nether sufficeth it to saye that these suppositions are false and that there are not such thinges commited against God at the Protestantes Churches and seruices for howsoeuer that be wherof I dispute not nowe yet I being in my hart of an other religion must néedes think not onlye them but also al other religions whatsoeuer to commit the same as I knowe they doe also thinke of mine Wherfore how good and holy souer they were yea if they were Angels yet should I be condemned for going amongest them for that in my sight iudgment and Conscience by which onlye I must be iudged they must néedes séeme enemyes to God being of the contrarie religion By this it may appere how greuously they sinne dayly in England and cause other to sinne with them which compel men by terror to doe acts of religion against their Consciences as to take othes receaue Sacraments goe to Churches and the like which being done as I haue sayde with repugnant Consciences is horible mortal sinne as hath bene alredye prooued and conseqently damnable both to the doers and to the enforcers therof The which I beséeche God to geue his grace both to the one and the other part dutifully to consider that ether these maye leaue of to enforce or those learne to sustayne as they ought their enforsment And thus now we maye sée what great and waightye Reasons y t Catholiques haue to lay for their refusal of comming to the Churches of Protestants The which if they were wel cōceaued by the Prince and Magistrates it is not likly that they would presse them to the yelding to such incōueniences against the helth of their own souls but if they should yet ought the other to beare any pressure whatsoeuer rather then to fall into farre worse daungers And of this that I haue sayde here before there may be gathered these conclusions following not vnnecessarye to be noted for better perspicuities sake to the vnlearned First it foloweth of the premises that this goeing to the Protestantes Churches is forbidden not onely by the positiue lawes of the Church dispensable by the Church againe but also by Gods lawe and the lawe of Nature as the consideration of most of the reasons dothe declare For albeit it be prohibited by the Churche yet not onely by the Church seinge that a thing may be prohibited by the Canons of the Churche for more playn explycations sake which was forbiden before by the lawe both of nature and of God also as Aoulterye Uiolence Simonie and the like Euen so albeit going to heretical assēblies be prohibyted by the Church yet because it hath in it or necessarily 〈◊〉 to it dyuers thinges which are prohibited by the lawe of God and Nature as perill of infection Scandal denying of our fayth when it is made a signe distinctiue or commaundement dissemblinge in Gods cause honouring Gods enemies dishonouring the Catholique Churche and the lyke therfore the whole acte of going to Church is sayd to be prohibited also Iure diuino et naturali That is by the lawe of God and Nature And her of it foloweth that no power vpon earth can dispence with the same Wherfore that which hath bene geuen out as is sayde by some great men that the Pope by his letters to her Maiestie did offer to confirme the seruice of England vppon condition that the title of Supremacie might be restored him againe is impossible to be soe soe that if anye such letters came to hir Maiesties handes they must néedes be fayned and false Secondly it foloweth of the premisses y t this going to Church is not onlye vnlawfull Ratione Scandali by reason of Scandal as some wil haue it For albeit Scandal be one reason why it is vnlawful and that in such sort as is almost impossible to be auoyded yet you sée that I haue geuen diuers other causes besides Scandal which make it vnlawfull Wherof it foloweth that a man cannot goe to their Churches albeit he might goe in such secrete manner or otherwise haue their seruice in his howse soe priuelye as no Scandal should follow therof or any man knowe therof which is notwithstanding impossible to do but if it could be yet were the thing vnlawfull especiallye for the. 1. 4. 5. 6. 7. reasons before alledged Thirdely it followeth that a man maye not goe to Church vnder anye vayne pretence as pretending that he goeth only for obedience and not for anye lyking he hath to their seruice yea although he should proteste the same openly For that protestation should rather agrauate then diminishe the sinne Séeing by this protestation he should testifie vnto the whole worlde that he did a thing against his Conscience As if a man should proteste that he did thinke that to rayle against the Pope at Pouls Crosse were nought and yet for obedience sake being soe commaunded would doe it The which was Pilates case who protested first that he thought Christe innocent and therfore sought to deliuer him but in the ende fearing the displeasure of the Iewes and their complaynte to the Emperour washed his handes and soe condemned him thinking by that protestation to haue washed of the sinne and to haue layd it on the Iewes neckes which compelled him therto But I think by this time he hath felt that he was deceaued For when a thing in it selfe is nought noe protestation can make it lawful but rather maketh the doing of it a greter offēce by adding to the vnlawfulnes of the thing the repugnāce of the doers conscience But you wil perhapes saye to goe to the material Church is not a thing euil of it selfe I aunswer and that it is true But you must not single out the matter soe For in this one action of goeing to Church there be many thinges contayned whereof the whole action is compounded As for example there is the materiall Church the possession of the same by the enemye of the Catholicke religion the seruice and sermons in reproofe of the same religion the dayes and houres appoynted for the same the bel ringing and publikely calling al men thither the Princes cōmaundement for the Catholickes to goe to the same the end of the commaundement in general that they by goeing should pray with them allow of their seruice and by their presence honour it Then is there the peril of
which make the matter more afflictiue As the disioyning of man and wife in sondrye prisons The compelling of such to dye in prison which could not stande or goe in their owne houses The sendinge of virgins to Brydewell for their consciences The rackinge and tormentinge of dyuers which was neuer harde of before in anye country for religion And that which aboue all other thinges is most gréeuous iniurious and intollerable is the geuinge out publiquelye that all Catholiques are enemies and traytors to your Royall Maiestye and this not onely to vtter in speach but also to let it passe in print to the vewe of the worlde and to the rentinge of Catholiques hartes which are preuye of their owne truthe and dutifull affection towardes your Highenes estate and person This was wryten and putt in printe this Sommer paste to a Noble man of your Maiesties preuye Counsayle for the excitinge of him to the persecution of all Catholiques by a straunge braynesicke felowe whom Newegate possessed a longe tyme for his phantastical opinions wherin he is soe pregnant if men reporte truelye as he can deuyse anye newe religion vppon a wéekes warninge geuen him at anye tyme. This Felow affirmeth there that al Papistes as he termeth them are enemies to God and to your Roial Maiesty The which in his meaning toucheth soe néere soe manye thowsand good subiaes in this Lande as I meruayle that ether his audacitie serued him to write it or M. Elmers officers would allowe to printe it But it séemeth that Catholiques at this daye are made according to the Philosophers prouerbe Praeda Mysorum That is layde open to euery mans iniurie a pray for euery one to bayte vppon and a common place for euery rayler to ruffle on and to rubbe his cankered tongue in their slaunder In al which great wronges they haue no appeale but vnto God and to your Maiestye as Uicegerent in his place before whom they desire aboue all other thinges to cleare themselues from this gréeuous obiected crime of dissoyaltie by protesting and calling the omnipotent knowledge of our great God and Sauiour to witnes that they are déeply slaundered in this poynte and that they are as readye to spend their goods landes liuinges and lyfe with al other worldly commodities whatsoeuer in the seruice of your Maiestie and their Countrie as their auncitours haue bene to your Noble progenitours before this and as dutifull subiectes are bound to doe vnto their soueraine Princesse and Quene onlye crauing pardon for not yeelding to such conformitie in matters of religion as is demaunded at their handes which they cannot doe but by offence of their consciences induced by those reasons which more at large are declared in this Treatise following And that the Catholique religyon in general for I medle with no mans particuler facte is vniustlye towched by anye secte of our time for teaching disobedience or rebellion against their Princes it maye appeare playnly by the different doctrine which ech part delyuereth vnto his folowers First John Wikliffe one of their progenitours teacheth That a Prince if he rule euil or fal into mortal sinne is no longer Prince but that his subiectes may rise against him and punishe him at their pleasures Secondly Martin Luther folowing the same sreppes teacheth That Christians are free exempted from al Princes lawes Wherof followed immediatly that famous rebellion of the countriemen against their Lordes in Germanye in the yeare 1525. and in the same two hundred thousand slayne in one daye Thirdly John Caluin not dissenting from the rest teacheth That Princes lawes binde not subiectes to obedience in conscience but only for external and temporal respect Wherof enseweth that if by anye occasion this externall feare for the which onlye the subiect obeyeth be taken awaye as when he were able to make his partie soe stronge as he feared not his Prince then he should not sinne in rebelling against him And in an other place holding plainlye the doctrine of Luther he saythe That the consciences of the faythfull are exempted from the power of all men by reason of the libertye geuen them by Christ. Lastly the writing against the regiment of Women in Quene Maryes tyme for that the gouernment then lyked them not all men can remember Which errours all the Catholique Churche vtterlye condemneth teachinge her children together with the Apostle true obedience to their Princes for Conscience sake euen as vnto God him selfe whose roome they doe possesse and to whom they are bounde vnder the payne of mortall sinne and eternall damnation patiently to obey how hardly soeuer they deale with them in their gouernment otherwise By the which your Maiestie may perceaue how falslye the Catholique religion is charged by her enemyes of the 〈◊〉 crime Besides this if your 〈◊〉 wisdome shal but enter into a 〈◊〉 consideration of the 〈◊〉 of Catholiques and of other of newer relygions towardes their Princes this daye in Europe it shal easelye appeere which of them are of the quieter spirits and 〈◊〉 in obedience I wil not make mention of greater matters but only to quite this afore sayd puritance which soe falslye hath infamed vs. I 〈◊〉 set 〈◊〉 here certayne propositions gathered out of two sermons of two of his preachers by a minister present there in Stamforde at the generall fast this last sommer Which fast being prohibited with the preachings at the same by the expresse letters of the Lorde Superintendent of 〈◊〉 bearing date the 5. of September to the Alderman and Comburgeses of the sayde Lowne the preachers would not obey but stepping vp into the pulpit vttered as followeth 1. In such actions as may further the publique fast flesh and blood must not be called to counsayle to doe the Lordes commaundement but they must be vndertaken without suche warrant 2. The religion that Jonas preached did not as ours nowe dothe depend and hange vppon Actes of Parliament For we when we goe about such actions as God is to be glorified in doe first enquire whether ther be any Acte of Parliament to warrant our doinges or no. 3. It is the manner of her officers and Counsailers now a dayes to reforme matters by Actes of Parliament and by polycies and not by Jonas his preachinges 4. Her Counsailers neuer inquire what newes at Poules sermon but what reportes are a brode that if anye dislyking thing should come to the Kinges eare they might stopp it from thence 1. He is of no spirite that wil not promote that which God commaundethe thoughe al Edicts be contrarye for we must not obey flesh and blood 2. They that are ruled by the Edictes of men wil change their religion with the Prince and they are of noe conscience though they be neuer soe much grounded in diuinitie 3. What if nether the Quéene Counsayle nor Bishoppe haue bene present at the Fast nor alowed therof yet we
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