tempted they died in the slaughter of the sword they went about in sheepeskinnes in goats kinnes needy in distresse afflicted of whom the world was not worthie wandering in deserts in mountaines and dennes and caues of the earth And the Apostles them selues esteemed it no reproche to say Vntil this houre we do both hunger and thirst and are vagarants Hovvbeit vve doubt not though thus the enimie vvould haue it and this vve hope patiently to beare for the saluation of our deerest Countriemen but there vvil be left many thousands vvhose harts bovvels and doores shal be open to vs in our Lord notvvithstanding vvhat lavves of man so euer there vvil be alvvaies that vvil rather hazard their liues and goods vvith holy Tobie then see their innocent brethren vnharboured or vnburied Some good Sunamite vvil prepare a poore chamber bed stoole and candelsticke for the trauailed Priests of God Some vvil rather harken to our Sauiours admonition saying He that receiueth a Prophete in the name of a Prophete a iust man in the name of a iust man and as S. Marke speaketh Because he is Christes shal receiue a revvard accordingly thē to mans edictes against the receiuing of the faithful afflicted And if death be threatened by man to such as receiue and succour them our Lord on the otherside denounceth his vae and vengeance to the refusers of them in as large vvise as to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha Some good Onesiphorus vvil refresh vs and embrace our chaines to obtaine mercie of our Lord for him self his familie and posteritie after him God vvil moue the keepers of our persons in prison as he did often in the like times of old England can not lacke Albans vvhose Protomartyr being of that name that famous S. Alban blessed in heauen and earth therfore for euer suffered and offered him self to the persecutors to saue his Christian guest a Clergie man that lay secrete in his house Vve can not feare vve neede not doubt it soundeth in euery Catholikes care novv night and day Feare not them that kil the body and further are not able to do but feare ye him who after he hath killed hath power to cast both body and soul into hel fyre Thousands daily lying on their death beddes and departing in our Countrie can not be afraid of mans offense or indignation that must vvithin fevv'vveekes daies or hovvers be cited before Gods throne and be exempted from these mortal feares such vvil be glad of necessarie Sacraments and comforts of conscience for vvhich they vvould giue al the lands in the vvorld Yea the lay people of al sortes learned and vnlearned noble and meane rich and poore man and vvoman are as ready often to suffer for Christ and his Church as the Priest or Bishop euerlasting thankes and praise be to God vvho also vvil continually through the prayers of the faithful as vve verily trust indue her Ma. ties hart vvith pitie and cōpassion of her ovvne subiectes afflicted for no treasons or vnlavvful attēpts but merely for their faith and conscience vvhich cometh vnto them by so good vvarrant and authoritie that they can not put it of by no earthly feare force or persuasion Much lesse vvil any Catholike vve hope be ashamed of the rebukes and contumelies vvhich vve suffer for the same the cause being Christes vvho suffered many mo before vs. And because one special reproch giuen vs pertaineth not to our persons but to the vvhole order of Priesthod vve may be bold to adde a vvord or tvvo for our defense specially cōcerning that terme Massing Priests vvhereby the nevv pulpits the very chaires of the skorneful merily or mockingly often call vs and our brethren Vvhich name yet giuen vs also in publike vvriting of authoritie is not doubtles of skornefulnes vvhich must needes be far from the enditers of such things but as vve take it for distinction and difference betvvixt vs Catholike and in deede onely Priests and the other of the nevv creation vvhom the people for some resemblance of their actions in the ministerie to the vvonted celebration of diuine things often call Priests though the Protestants list not so to be called as in deede the Ministers can not of right haue any such calling hauing no more povver right or authoritie to minister any Sacramēt other then Baptisme vvhich in some cases vvemen also may do then they haue to make a nevv moone or an other sunne The Church of God knovveth no other Priests neither hath Christ instituted any other order of Priests but of these vvhom contemptuously they call Masse Priests It is that sort and none other to vvhich our Sauiour gaue povver to cōsecrate his body and bloud and offer the same vvhich is to say Masse The first holy Councel of Nice to vvhich our Protestants vvould seeme to attribute something knevv none but such offerers or sacrificing that is Massing Priests S. Hierom himself also of the same order honoured no other nor knevv no other but Masse-Priests vvhose special functiōs he maketh euen these tvvo vvhich our Priests namely seeke to excercise to the saluation of their brethren and vvhich tvvo be specially forbidden and most punishable by the late lavves of the Realme God forbid saith he I should speake any thing amisse of rhem who succeding into the Apostles degree with sacred mouth make our Lordes body by whom we also are Christians who hauing the keies of the kingdom of heauen iudge after a sort before the day of iudgement These lo are your Masse-Priests vvhose harbouring is so dangerous vvhose absolution is so traiterous vvhose sacred ioyntes vvithout respect of honour devv to the order or to degree of learning or gentrie are racked sometimes almost to death S. Ambrose vvas a Masse-Priest testifying of him self that he offered Sacrifice and said Masse euen in that plaine terme S. Cyprian acknovvledgeth the Priests of his time to haue offered or sacrificed yea euen in prisons in times of persecution vvhich is a great comfort and vvarrant for vs in these miseries to do the like as long as God shal suffer it He vvas a Masse priest that S. Augustine sent to do sacrifice in a house infested vvith euil spirits They vvere Masse priests that did sacrifice at the burial of his mother and the rest vvhom he desireth to remember his fathers and mothers soules at the holy alter They vvere Masse priests of vvhom Eusebius vvriteth That they pacified the diuine Maiestie with vnblouddy sacrifices ād mystical cōsecratiōs The high dignitie of Priesthod set forth in the noble vvorke of the same title by S. Chrysostom is specially there commended for those tvvo points for vvhich ours novv is condemned that is for the high supereminent povver of doing the vnblouddy sacrifice vpō the alter and for the authoritie of remitting sinnes See his notable places for the same and thou
Maiestas or the Commonvvealths disturbāce is but to seeke meanes to haue the bloud of innocēt men that neuer committed treasons nor trespasses against any Prince or Common-vvealth it is to make our liues and deaths odious and the true causes therof vnknovven to the vvorld baptizing that by the name of treason and sedition vvhich is mere matter of religion soul and conscience Vvhat hath Masse Matins Confession Absolution beades Agnusdeies and other consecrated tokens of our communion vvith al the Churches of Christ through al ages vvhat affinitie haue they in nature vvith treason Stād they not in al Nations round about you vvith the high duety and loyaltie that belongeth to Princes is there any definition or description of that trespasse vvhich can of reason include the premisses or proue them treasons And though the lavves may make things treason vvhich before vvere not yet in making them so consideration is alvvaies had of the qualitie and cōdition of the faultes and offenses For as to make the saying of Diuine seruice after the rites of the Catholike Church to be Simonie vsurie felony or aduoutrie vvere ridiculous and impossible so it is impossible to make these matters of mere religion in true and proper fense the offense of treason or disloyaltie to the Prince or Commonvvealth Neither doth euery commaundemēt of the Soueraine though in things lavvful not fulfilled make the offense treasonable much lesse either vvhen it concerneth matters merely repugnāt to Gods vvord and our dueties to the Diuine Maiestie as it did in Daniels and the Three childrens case or in causes not truely subiect to any temporal King or his lavves For if such a Prince should make the like lavv that Darius did That no man should pray to any God other then him self for certaine daies al the lavves in the vvorld can not make the refusant a traitour nor bound to obey more then Daniel vvas then not onely because lavves euidently vniust and against God may not be obeied but for that the prayer to the true God and seruing him is not repugnant to any duety that the subiect ovveth to his Soueraine by Gods lavv or nature and therfore can not be made treason in true and proper speach The Churches holy Sacrifice Seruice and Sacraments and consecration or blessing of creatures by the vvord of God and prayer haue no qualitie or condition of treason or crime against the maiestie of the Prince or the repose of the people But if in making such factes treason the meaning be nothing els but to make them punishable by death and othervvise as treasons by the statutes of the Realme are and ought to be then haue vve the pitifullest iniurie in the vvorld that beīg no traitours in deede yet vve must suffer the ignominie and paines of treason and so much the greater that it is done by pretense of lavves and publike authoritie then if it vvere done as it hath been in Holland Zeland and some part of France by barbarous crueltie of Heretikes the Prince and Commonvvealth not agreing therevnto For it is a greuous sinne and dishonorable vvhen a vvhole State agreeth vpon any iniquitie And vve think verily God vvould haue taken vengeance vpon our poore Countrie if her Ma. tie of great clemencie had not staied the execution of so vniust and intolerable disorders though diuers mo then her Highnes knovveth of haue fealt the extreme smart therof in most cruel sort God turne his iust ire from vs for the same But seeing a staffe is easily found to beat a dogge and vvith lions eares be often hornes and such cases of religion and cōscience must needes be so extremely punished Vvhy do they reduce our offense rather to Treason then to Heresie If our doctrine be vvicked our actions superstitious our vvorship of God sacrilegious idololatrical or anyvvise vntrue or vnlavvful vvhy are vve not condemned of such crimes rather then of treason or vnduetifulnes to our Prince for if they be faultes they are directly against Gods honour and but indirectly and consequently against the Prince But for the better enterance into Caluinisme and entertaining the same the old lavves peraduenture for punishing Heretikes vvere repelled or because they can not so easily determine vvhether vve be Heretikes or our Aduersaries vvho haue been dubbed vvith that name so long by the lavves both spiritual and temporal of al Christian countries vvhich also yeld vs the Protestāts making no great claime therevnto both the name of Catholike vvhich vvith S. Augustine vveighed so much and al the properties and prescriptions of truth therevnto belonging therfore they thought it a neerer vvay to make vs traitours then Heretikes and to punish vs for pretensed fedition and conspiracie then for errour in doctrine or heresie Vvherein though they haue giuen authoritie to the Court of Parliament to determine together vvith their Conuocation of the Clergie vvhat is an errour or an heresie yet it is not like they vvil agree of any such thing shortly This also being a common thing in times of errour and disorder to make the fault committed or said to be cōmitted against the Prince greater and more punishable then the offense done directly against God against the Common vvealth thē against the Church against the body thē against the soul more a do about Caesars tribute then Gods due as both in al other things and in the very title of Supremacie is plaine Vvhere the superiority Tēporal hath the first place and preeminēce and the Spiritual is but accessorie vvholy vpholden and directed by the other as vvel for the right of the thing as for the exercise of iurisdiction agreable therevnto And in that case it must needes so be the crovvne being not a spiritual dignitie but a temporal the person of a Prince not spiritual but temporal the Realme not a spiritual Commōvvealth but a temporal the Parliament not a spiritual Court but a temporal the statutes not spiritual lavves but temporal Or if not al these vvholy and soly temporal yet al these more tēporal then spiritual vvhich our Aduersaries them selues can not vvith any reason deny So that in such Countries and lavves vve can expect no other but that al our spiritual endeuours misliked of the State must needes against Gods lavves and mans be violently dravven to treasons and trespasses temporal vvhich be they lavvful or vnlavvful be euidently mere spiritual first to be condemned by their Clergie of errour or heresie and then to be punished by the temporal lavves if they had any standing in force against such offenses Therefore in al these cases pretended treasonable vve for our selues and our brethren by S. Paules example vvho being charged before the ciuil Magistrate of conspiracie and il demeanour tovvardes his Countrie protested that he vvas iudged concerning the Resurrection a question in religion and not for sedition or concourse in tumultes do crie to God and al Christian people vvhich behold our afflictions and sufferings that it is for
no more danger then to England and euery vvay vvith like good vvil and hourely expectation of death Vvhich for the gaine of one soul they coumpt the greatest vantage in earth They are sent to the Heathen to tell them there is no saluation vvithout Christ they are sent to the English to tell them there is no saluation vvithout the Catholike Church Vvhether they die for the one or for the other al is one matter to them This vvorke then haue they to do and must not cease from the same for any feare of mortal man no danger of death or vvhat distresse so euer may fall vvhich they coumpt in such a case the next revvard to heauen it self and most ioyfully choose to accept it though for to do their dueties the longer they vvill not vvilfully runne vpon it Vve therfore seeing both before and novv these late daies some euen of our Countrie sent to the Indes motion vvas made to their Superiors that those of our Nation might rather be employed vpon their ovvne Coūtrie vvhere vnto after good deliberation they did most charitably cōdescend much moued by the example and profitable endeuours of the Priests of both the Colleges and other learned men at home and in banishment vvhom they knevv so vvillingly to sustaine both prisonmēts and death for the same vvith vnspeakable alteration in fevv yeres of vvonderful numbers to the liking and embracing of the Catholike faith And to tell you al vvhen it vvas once secretly bruted among the Fathers vvhom men call Iesuites that hereafter some of the Order vvere like to be deputed in times and seasons for England it is incredible to tell but before Christ it is true hovv it vvas sued and sought for of diuers principal learned men strangers no lesse then of our ovvne vpon their knees vvith tears and affection exceding extraordinarie that they might haue the lotte either to dispute vvith the Protestants in their Vniuersities or to die for the profession and preaching of their faith in so noble a Countrie vvhich they pitied to see deceiued vvith so improbable and barbarous heresie Yea diuers learned men strangers neither Iesuites nor Priests seing also at the same time the Scholers of the English Colleges giue their promis and profession so promptly and zelously to suffer vvhatsoeuer for their poore Countries and parents saluation and for the same to be made Priests vvith out expectation of vvordly prefermēt or honour giuen heretofore and novv alvvaies due to that order in al good Commonvveales but vvith certaine knovvledge of hatred disgrace rebuke and perhaps death thereby herevpon I say the said strangers vvere much inflamed to hazard their person in the same spiritual aduēture and made great sure to certaine that had the doing in those matter vvith manifold persuasions that so it might be And being told that the dealing in Englād in such cases specially for strangers vvas much harder then in the Heathen Countries vvhere there vvere no such exquisite lavves against religion as in the Countries reuolted they replied that they had no feare of dangers nor deaths nor miseries vvhatsoeuer but that they vvould sell their ovvne persons to any seruitude and for vvhat vvorke so euer either in Vniuersities that they so might deale vvith scholers or othervvise to learne the language thereby to practise vvith the people for their saluation for hauing had that intention of long either tovvard Turky or other Pagan places novv our mindes said they are excedingly set vpon English soules vvhom S. Gregorie so many hundred yeres agoe pitied vvith like compassion But hauing so many of our ovvne Nation inflamed vvith the like holy desires not onely in the tvvo Colleges vvholy bent and ordained therevnto but in the Societie aforesaid and in diuers Vniuersities vvhere there be many learned of our Nation in banishment ready to help vs in this haruest besides the great numbers that already are vvithin the Realme it vvas not thought needful nor meete easily to admitte the said strangers for this time but rather to employ our ovvne of the said Colleges specially and of the Societie of Iesus Into vvhich order because it is most agreable to the Churches and our Countries seruice in this time diuers of our Nation of al sortes haue yelded them selues and novv the rather for that they trust to be rather employed vpon their ovvne Countrie then vpon the Indes or other Nations in like distresse Trusting that so these companies vvith the help of our zelous Countriemen in many places both at home and abrode shal be able to supply al vvants that may fall in England from time to time by the deaths executiōs or enprisonmēts of such as novv be or hereafter shalbe by vvhat extremitie so euer restrained from the vvorke of our Lord. For these late terrours thankes be to God trouble them so litle that diuers straight vpon the arriual here in Rhemes of the late Proclamation of Ianuarie came to their Superiors to desire leaue to go in and being ansvvered that the times vvere not seasonable they said it vvas no Godamercie for a Priest to enter in at other times but that they vvere brought vp and made specially for such daies and nineteene persons the same vveeke folovving tooke holy Orders Such is their desire but for their going in they shal be moderated as reason requireth The principal point is that they be not God be praised much afraid of death or danger in so happie and honorable a quarel and many desire Martyrdō if god shal so dispose by vvhich vve euer gaine more to Gods Church then by any office of our life and bloud voluntarily yelded crieth forcibly for mercie tovvard our Countrie Thus the Church stood and increased in most places of the vvorld for some hundred yeres after Christ together the Prophete forvvarning it that it should liue in bloud If our Countrie yeld vs no succour for feare of mans lavves God that hath fedde vs these 20 yeres vvil not forsake vs. If frendes and parentes must giue vs no releefe vve say vvith S. Hierom It is better to begge bread then to leese faith And being the Churches orphans vve shal liue of the tvvelue baskets of the brokē meates remayning of the loaues and fishes miraculously multiplied by Christ to feede his folovvers into the desert For these fragments are not yet spent but dure to the vvorlds end for the sustenance of the desolate that depend vpon our Lord. Dravv from vs vvhatsoeuer they can or vvil our affections and offices tovvardes them shal be doubled If houses must not receiue vs dennes and deserts and grottes shal be our harbour If vve can not make our abode in certaine places vve vvill not be ashamed to be or so to be called of our Aduersaries vagarant persons seing of our betters in the like case the Apostle saith They had trial of mockeries and stripes of bands also and prisons they were stoned they were hewed they were
and to the vvhole state if so iust a request so humbly asked in his name should be cōtemned it vvould please their goodnes to vvithdravv their heauy hand from the poore Catholikes and rather procure them licence of her Ma. tie to serue God after the manner of al their Christian forefathers then to afflict thē in body and mind so pitifully that so both the Seminaries might cease and their Honours might haue Gods Priests and all Catholikes pray for them rather as their patrons then as their persecutors Trusting that they and al the vvise of the Realme be persuaded that the Kingdom of God first sought is the vvay to the peace felicity and security of al vvordly vveale vvhich not onely their ovvne pietie and prudence may teach them but also the example of the Hebrues vvho for feare of endamaging their temporal state for sooke their promised Lord and Sauiour Of vvhom therfore S. Augustine vvriteth this sentence vvorthy to be emprinted in the hartes of al such as haue the rule and charge of kingdoms Temporalia perdere timuerunt vitam aeternam non cogitauerunt sic vtrunque amiserunt ⧠An admonition and comfort to the afflicted Catholikes CHAP. VII NOVV hauing sincerely set forth to the vvorld our intentions vve may turne our talke for conclusion of this Defense to you our fathers frendes and brethren in Christ being either in the fornace of Gods probation or in the burden and broile of that hote haruest of our Lord or by sure treading threshing and vvinovving laid vp for vvel tried vvheat in the barne-floore of Christes Church to you vve say Be humble vvise meeke peaceable patient and constant in all your cogitations vvordes ansvvers doings and sufferings that Christ Iesus vvhom you serue may blesse and prosper your endeuours moue her Ma. ties hart to haue compassion open her graue Counselers eies to see your innocencie alter the enimies and il informers malice and malediction vnto loue and good affection tovvardes you stirre vp the mindes of al men invvardly and in conscience to consider the cause of your afflictions and giue them such sense reason and religion that they may acknovvledge your vndeserued calamities For your life and behauiour agreable to your faith and calling and formed in all pietie discretion and modestie after the demeanour of all old Martyrs and according to the paterne of those glorious Confessors our true fathers Pastors and Maisters that haue by their sacred persons sanctified your prisons by tvvo and tvventie yeres durance shal defend your Christian intents and ours more then all the vvordes that vve can make In the meane time both you and vve vvith all our louing brethren the Catholikes must rest vpon God and the equitie of the cause so vvell knovven and approued to the vvisest in the vvorld and our ovvne vvell enformed conscience For as the cause and not the paine or persecution vvherof only Heretikes do vaunt them selues iustifieth vs so Christ and our conscience testifie that vve are not acquainted vvith any conspiracies against our Prince and Countrie nor do suffer for rebellion or treason attempted against man but for that vve vvill not conspire vvith Coré and his complices against Moyses and Aaron Peter and Paul vvhich the holy Scriptures call rebellion against God and for that vve crie vpon our deerest Countriemen that the reuolt from the Catholike Church is a greater fault by manifold then defection from any earthly king or Cōmonvvealth fyre once sent from heauen and the earth opening and svvalovving such offenders aliue dovvne to Hel for our vvarning and for Gods reuenge of so greuous a crime For this in truth and none other matter do you and vve suffer It is for the honour peace and vnitie of the Church it is for the sauing of our ovvne soules and the soules of our beloued parents and frendes it is for the defense of Christes Priesthod and souerainty in earth it is for his eternal Sacrifice and Sacraments it is for the custodie of that doctrine and truth vvhich vvas laid vp as depositum in the hands of S. Timothee and other Bishops and Priests to be preserued from al corruption and alteration coming by heresie and noueltie it is for the good garding of the holy Scriptures and the natiue sense therof set dovvne by Gods Church and al the holy Doctors from heretical adulteration and deprauation it is for our inheritance left vs by S. Gregorie and S. Augustine our first Apostles vvhich vve may not betray for a thousand deaths finally it is for al our Christian fathers faith honour and memorie to vs most deere and blessed The defense of any one article of the Catholike faith of any one point of Christian doctrine any title of our Lordes lavv any one Sacrament the sauing of any one soul being the price of better bloud then ours is cause iust and great ynough vvillingly and patiently to sustaine al mortal paines but for so many partes of our beleefe impugned for so many holies profaned for millions of soules hazarded for the saluation of our Prince othervvise so gratious our Countrie our parents and our posteritie not to suffer vvere against al duety of nature charitie and religion Such is then your cause deere Sirs as neuer Martyrs nor Confessors since Christes time had any more vvorthy more cleere or more glorious Vvhich to forsake for any feare of man or flatterie of this vvorld should be our eternal ignominie both here in this life and before God and his Angels in the next The manner of your suffering cōfession and Martyrdom for blessed be God some of our brethren haue gladly and honorably persisted euen to death and many mo are ready by his grace for the same resembleth also the old proceding in that kind vvhich hath not been commōly vsed since Kings vvere Christened For as the persecution of Priests and Bishops vvherof S. Hilarie complaineth against Cōstantius the Arian Emperour is oftentimes so couertly and craftily conueied that being in deede great and perilous yet it can not appeare to the due commendation of the sufferers or good example of the seers so both of old and of late almost in euery Countrie as by the Arians and Circuncellions in Afrike and Italie and by the Caluinistes in France Holland and Zeland Priests and Catholikes haue been persecuted more often and more cruelly tormented and massakred then vvith vs thankes be to God but yet neither so much to the merite of the sufferers before God nor to the edification and aduancement of the peoples faith and hope in him as vvith vs vvhere the matter passeth vvith deliberatiō and in forme of lavv and order Vvhen Christian Catholike men are barbarously assailed and sodenly slaine no question made of their faith or holy order no promis giuen of life or promotion if they list to deny their profession no deliberation nor time to consult nor former terrours shevved no tedious nor lingering paines of
in vvorse case then any temporal king or Countrie in earth vvho neuer vvant their seruants and peoples trauailes in their distresses In time of ease and vvealth our Lord hath as many seruiteurs of his Clergie as any other state hath of others God forbid he should lacke them or his Priests should forsake him in the daies of his persecution He is not vvorthy not fitte to haue honour priuilege and vvealth by him in prosperitie that vvil not suffer ignominie lacke and miserie vvith him in aduersitie It is novv deere brethren our course to serue in this sort and a far better lotte is it thē our forefathers had that serued onely in rest and peace neither vvith so much security of saluation nor so litle danger of sinne and damnation Our daies can not be many because vve be men neither can it be either godly or vvorldly vvisdom for a remnant of three or foure yeres and perchance not so many moneths to hazard the losse of all eternity They can not be good in these euil times much like to those vvherof S. Polycarpe complained thus Lord vnto what times hast thou reserued vs And vvere they neuer so many or good to him that refuseth his faith and Maister they shal neuer be ioyful but deadly and doleful Corporally die once vve must euery one and but once and therevpon immediatly iudgemēt vvhere the Confessor shal be acknovvledged and the Denyer denyed againe No Martyrdom of vvhat length or torment so euer can be more greuous then a long sicknes and a languishing death and he that departeth vpon the pillovv hath as litle ease as he that dieth vpon the gallovves blocke or bouchers knife And our Maisters death both for paines and ignominie passed both sortes and all other kinds either of Martyrs or malefactors Let no tribulation then no perill no prison no persecution no life no death separate vs from the charity of God and the society of our svveete Sauiours passions by and for vvhose loue vve shal haue the victory in all these conflictes Neuerthelesse if by Gods suffering for causes hidden vnto vs any shrinke vvhich Christ forbid for feare of death torments or tribulations from the felovvship of your happy confession and crovvnes prepared for the same as in the time of S. Cyprian and alvvaies diuers did and as one of the 40 did vvhose glorious fight S. Basil describeth and the Church celebrateth the 9 of Marche be not scandalized or troubled thereat but vse such vvith all lenitie taking compassion of their infirmitie considering that your selues also or any of vs all may be tempted and ouerthrovven vvith Peter and by Gods grace aftervvard repent and rise vvith him againe Though it be perilous to presume theron many mo folovving him in his fall and miserie then attayning to his Martyrdom and mercie Neither be ye discouraged at the further fall of any Iudas to plaine apostasie and extreme blasphemie or at the traiterous cōspiring of some such vvith the Aduersaries by proditiō and practise to afflict you and all other cōstant Catholikes more deeply but haue this saying of S. Cyprian alvvaies in your mind Nihil interest quis tradat aut saeuiat cùm Deus tradi permittat quos disponit coronari neque enim nobis ignominia est pati à fratribus quod passus est Christus nec illis gloria est facere quod fecit Iudas That is It maketh no matter who betrayeth or rageth wheras God permitteth them to be betrayed whom he appointeth to be crowned Neither is it ignominie or dishonour for vs to suffer that of our brethren which Christ suffered nor for their honour and glorie to do that which Iudas did And a litle after It ought not to moue any faithful man and him that remembreth the Gospel and the Apostles forwarning if in the later daies certaine proud and obstinate felowes and the enimies of Gods Priests either reuolt from the Church or do against the Church when both our Lord and his Apostles haue foretold that now there should be such When some of Christes disciples by incredulitie forsooke him he turned to his Apostles and said wil you also be gone Peter vpō whom the Church was builded in the name of all and in the voice of the whole Church answered that he had the wordes of eternal life and therfore him they beleued and they vvould go to none other signifying and shevving that those vvhich reuolt from Christ perish through their ovvne fault but the Church which beleueth in Christ and holdeth fast that vvhich she once hath knovven neuer to reuolt from him at all and that they are the Church vvhich tarie in Gods house the rest to be the plant vvhich God the father planted not such as vve see not to haue the stedfastnes of vveighty corne but like chaffe to be blovven avvay vvith the puffe of the scattering enimie of vvhom S. Iohn in his epistle saith They vvent out from vs but they vvere not of vs for if they had been of vs verily they vvould haue taried vvith vs. S. Paul also vvarneth vs vvhen euil men perish from out the Church not to be moued nor to thinke that faith is diminished vvhē the faithlesse reuolt For vvhat saith he if some of them haue fallen from the faith hath their infidelity made the faith of God frustrate God forbid Therfore feare no Israriote feare no Simon feare no Nicolas feare no open persecutor nor no secrete proditor but haue courage in Christ our deere felovves And as hitherto vvhen you vvere at libertie and alvvaies so long as you may you haue offered and vvil offer our Lords blessed body and bloud in true Sacrifice to procure Gods mercie to our Countrie So novv vvith S. Paul you must be ready to offer your selues to death in a spirituall sacrifice for the confirmation of your faith and accomplishment of al your Priestly actions Vvhich shal make a forcible crie for grace and pardon both for your frendes and persecutors And vvhat a goodly thing it vvere to die if needes you must among your Catholike brethren and children there as it vvere among your ovvne sheepe for that faith vvhich you haue taught them S. Cyprians example is very notable vvho chose to suffer Martyrdom in Carthage his ovvne Bishopricke in the sight of his flocke rather then at Vtica or els vvheresoeuer hiding him self till the storme of persecution came thither There is no comfort left in the vvorld abrode brethren nor cause vvhy you should much desire either longer life or more libertie nothing could you behold in our countrie but the Churches calamitie distresse and desolation nothing could you heare but nevv Orators and as S. Basil speaketh the pulpits opened to euery blasphemous tonge vvhich caused all sortes of people of right iudgement as he also vvriteth in the same place to flee from Oratories and the houses of prayer as schooles of impiety and rather to make