of felony Agaynst the terror of both these lawes I intend to geue such comfort as it shall please god by my poore pen to aforde And first I will assay to geue a cordiall agaynst the thirten monthes mulct as that which may extend it selfe more generally and is more like to be put in execution then that other lawe which draweth blood at the first encoūter the world being more earnestly set in these dayes to thirst after money thē to desire the shedding of mens blood And like as pesecution beginneth commonlye with lesser penalties before it proceed to greater so shall it not be a misse to keepe the same order in applying remedye to these afflictions The loue of worldly goods being not so naturall as the care of keeping of a mans life therfore ordinarily the lose more easlly digested Although many will say that they would rather dye speedely then liue a long time in miserie The reson of this their iudgement may be geuen for that they haue already some feeling of want in this life but of deathe they haue not yet tasted neyther doe they feele it so much being in their opinion farther from them but if death were iminēt I thinke ther are very few that would not saue their liues if they could although with very hard conditions for their maner of liuing so that comonly that is found true although it were vttered by the Father Author of lyes pellem pro pelle et cuncta que habet homo dabit pro anima sua Skyne for skyne and all that a man hath he will geue for his soule that is to say for the redemption of his naturall lyfe Yet neuerthelesse ther is good hope that if we maye perswade men to endure patiently the with-drawing of goods liuings they will more boldly aduenture if it shal-be needfull the losse of liues the departing from these temporall possessions being one especiall payne that mē hauing substance doe find at the time of their death being also a greate cause why they feare to dye and therfore many times a great impedimēt to the happy atchiuing of glorious martirdom ACording to this order therfore let vs first consider this penalty of twēty pownd by the month for what cause it is layde vpon you what incōueniences it bringeth and what recompence you maye expect in time to come for this vrgent detriment So that waying the goodnes of your cause and ioyning therto hope of future reward you may rather reioyce in the gayne that is to come then sorow for the present losse or feare the distresse or incommoditye that may ensue And first touching the cause wherfore your purses be thus punished You suffer because you ar Catholickes or as the world termeth you recusants Let vs see therfore what you refuse to doe and vpon what ground although you haue the same declared more at large in sundry learned treatyses it shall not be amisse perhaps to call some few poynts amongst the rest to remembraunce YOu refuse to doe directly agaynst your conscience to descend quick vnto hell and to be swallowed vp a liue by your enemies for Saint Augustine sayeth when thou knowest it to be euill which thou doest and yet doest the same thou doest downe quicke vnto hell And in a nother place those are they sayeth he that are swallowed vp alyue who know a thing to be euill and doe geue consent with their tongues And great reason haue you to shun this manifest and wilfull perdition of your owne soules knowinge that as Saint Paule sayeth he that discerneth that is to saye he that iudgeth a thing to be euill although it were otherwise indifferent if he doe it is damned because not of fayth but because he doeth not according to his conscience and knowledg for all that is not of fayth all that is done agynst a man his conscience is sinne albeit the thinge were of it selfe lawfull much rather if it be vtterly vnlawfull as the going to church with heretikes is holdē in euery discreete mans conscience and iudgement And Saint Iames sayeth to one knowinge to doe good not doing it to him it is sinne much rather if a man know a thinge to be euill do it his offence must needs be great Blessed ar you therfore in refusing to condemne your selues by doing contrary to that which you best alow ALso you refuse to dishonor god by fleeing from his banner and furnishing his enimies campe with your visible presence Where as it is written in the Prouerbs That in the multitude of his people is the kings dignity in the smale nūber of his folke the ignominy of a Prince And ther-fore of such as shrinke awaye in time of aduersity our Sauiour complayneth in one of the psalmes in behalfe of him selfe and of his spouse the Catholike Church in lamentable manner sayinge Aboue all myne enimies I haue byn made a reproch to my neighbours and a feare to mine acquaintance excedingly they that did see me haue fled forth from me vpon which place Saint Augustine sayth that the departure of those that had seene known the Church is more greeuous altogether intollerable thē the obstinate resistinge of those that haue byn nouseled brought vp in error from their infancy And therfore it followeth after a few words in the aforesayde psalme I haue heard the disprayse of manye dwelling round about me As vndoubtedly yf you should forsake god for feare of tēporall losse you should geue occasion to many to blasphem god as if he were not able to deliuer you or as if you had no trust in his power and goodnes saying Non est salus ipsis in deo eorum They haue no saluatiō in their god they haue no hope or assurance in their religion which they haue hyther to professed You shall also geue them occasion to thinke very euill of the Catholike religion by seeming to make lesse accompt of the defence professiō of the same then of a litle money yea then of all your worldlye goods and possessions They that trouble you shall reioyse yf you be moued but doe you hope still in our Lord his mercy YOu refuse likewise not only to geue this cause of reioysing to your aduersaries but also to make a shew of euill that by doing that which is euill of it selfe to induce many weakelings depending on your example as your children your seruaunts friends neyghbours others partly hauing iudgement and knowledge to follow you to church agaynst their consciences and partly being ignorāt to allow the schismaticall seruice now vsed and finally to like of heresy wherby so much as lieth in you you should be homicides and destroyers of their soules for as Saint Paule sayeth If a man se him that hath knowledge sitt at a table in the Idols temple shall not his conscience being weake be edified to eate things sacrificed to Idols vpon which place
A CONSOLATORY LETTER TO ALL THE AFFLICTED CATHOLIKES in England Philip. 4. Sic state in domino Charissimi So stand in our Lorde my Dearest Imprinted at Roan in Normandy TO HIS MOST DEARE COVNTREYMEN ALL THE AFFLICTED CAtholickes in England H.B. wisheth all comfort and strength and ê‘seueraunce in Christ Iesus RIght Noble Lordes and worshippfull GentlemeÌ„ with other worthy Confessors of Christ his Church and religion generally all ye that vnder the name of wilfull and obstinate Recusants but in verye deed because you be true and constant Catholickes eyther alredy haue ben or by likelihood may be herafter endomaged in your worldly goods and possessions empeached of liberty or other wyse persecuted and afflicted If the light of fayth did as clearely shine the fire of godly zeale and charity were now as feruent in mens harts as it was in the golden dayes of those first Christians among whome the precious blood of our Sauior was yet warme the memory of the blessed Apostles most fresh the example of invincible Martirs in euery sex age and condition so frequent as that nothing could be more coÌ„mon then dayly to see men and women olde and young rich poore Priestes and secular for Christs sake to offer them selues with willing and glad mindes to all kinde of exquisite and greuous torments If it might please God I say but in some parte to renue kindle againe the deuotion of those times in this our dull age dead season neyther should this present persecutioÌ„ seeme so terrible as now I feare it seemeth to many neyther should it be needfull at all to vse so much comfort encouragement and exhortation as now perhapps to a great number shal be very necessary to be applyed For so farr were the most Christians in that flourishing prime tyde and cleare Noone dayes of the Church from being afrayde of any kind of death although most cruell and painfull that euery one deemed him selfe the more happy by how much more he might endure for the loue of our Sauiour and as for temporall goods they were then so litle esteemed as that many preuented the persecutors hands by selling all that they had and distributing their money for the reliefe of their poore Christian brethren But now alas that saying of the Prophet Ieremie is to playnly verified of this our miserable time Vae nobis quia declinauirdies quia longiores factae sunt vmbrae vesperi woe to vs because the day is farr spent because the shadowes are growen longer in the eauening The light of true knowledge being diminished charity waxing colde iniquity encreasing the shadowes of transitory things ar become so greate that now a mole hill appeareth more then a mountayne did in times past the losse of a litle money is now accompted greater theÌ„ here-tofore of a whole world of wealth yea more at this day perhapps ar dismayed at the pinching of their purse then would in former age haue ben appalled at the tearing of their fleshe breaking in sunder of all their bones I meane not in this speach to include many of you most constant and approued Confessors of whom I confidently trust better things and nearer to saluation who haue well dâ—seruâ—d that honorable testimony which Saint Paule giueth to the Hebrues hâ—uing susteyned already a great fight of passions on the one part by reproches and tribulations made a spectacle and on thother part made companions of them that coÌ„uersed in such sort You haue taken compassion on them that were in bondes the spoyl of your owne goods you haue taken with ioy knowing that you haue a better and a more permanent substance Ther remayneth for you no more but that you doe not lose your coÌ„fideÌ„ce which hath a great renumeratioÌ„ How long this persecutioÌ„ shall continue to what extremitie it may grow hereafter God knoweth And although we may hope the best yet in respect of our sinns we haue cause also to feare the worst Therfore patience is necesarie for you that doing the will of god you may receiue the promise for yet a litle a verie litle while he that is to come will come will not slacke Liue you in the meane while by the assured fayth hope of Christ his coÌ„ming and withdraw not your selues from the Catholike Church being redy to resist vsque ad saguinem Even to the patient shedding of your blood if the glory of Christ his name shall so require But I speake of the base minded multitude who hardlye be perswaded in hope of felicitie in the life to come to liue here with patience in penury or willingly to endure a paynfull death who ar ether with holdeÌ„ by feare of penall lawes agaynst their coÌ„scieÌ„ces froÌ„ the harbour of saluation or if they be yet in the Church they stagger and ar ready to fall at the terror blast of euery new statute that commeth forth behauing them selues in the meane time so coldly in their profession that scarcely shall you perceiue them by any outward acte to be Catholickes For these espeacially I haue taken in hand this labour of exhortation although I trust it shal-be acceptable to you also who by likelihod haue lesse need to be comforted for even those that fight or runne best are encouraged not onlye by their maisters and gouernours but also by the vulgar multitude that standeth a farr of that which to others is a necessary perswasion to you is a great and excellent commendation for so much as you do that of your selues with out externall admonition wher vnto others haue neede to be often and vehementlye exhorted And if I profite not otherwise by this endevour yet I hope I shall reape profite by calling to remembraunce that which maye bring comfort to my selfe wherof I confesse I stand in neede in respect of the sorowe which I suffer for your affliction my deare beloued contrymen and for the lameÌ„table state of our natiue Land being absent in body yet alwayes present with you in minde and spirit likewise doe I need the prayers of good folke which I besech all Catholikes that shall read this simple treatise of their charitable goodnes to bestow vpon me ANd now to come to my intended matter The weyght of this preseÌ„t persecution seemeth chiefly to consist in two penall statutes thone enforcing you to make shew by outward signes of yelding to a contrary religioÌ„ the other debarring you from practise of your owne the one proposing vnto you detriment of temporall goods the other thretning bodily deth I meaÌ„e thone in flicting penalty of .xx. pownd by the month to be exacted of all those that refuse to be present at the schismaticall prayers now called in England by the name of diuine seruice the other forbidding you to receyue catholicke Priests and consequently excluding you from the benefite of god his seruice SacrameÌ„ts vnder no lesse payne theÌ„ for the same to suffer death as in case
Lord Iesus Christ that they should withdraw them-selues frō euerye brother walking in ordinatly not according to the tradition which they had receyued Also yf any were disobediente they should note him by an epistle and not companye with him that he might be confounded Wihche is one principal cause why the Churche layeth vppon heretikes this payne to be excluded frō the societye of her children intending therby their correctiō as hauing more power ouer them then other Infidels A nother cause which is the peril leste the sincere parte should be corrupted by their companye is expressed in one of the Epistles to Timothye where it is sayde That their speache spredeth as a canker pernitiously creeping from one member to a nother Also the same Apostle commandeth Titus by expresse worde to auoyd an heretike knowing that such a one is subuerted that is to saye he is commonly past hope of amendment and condemned by his owne iudgmēt by his wilful running out of the Catholike churche And agreably vnto this S. Iohn in one of his epistles sayth Yf anye man come vnto you and bring not thys doctrine meaning that which had bene taught by the Apostles other lawful pastors receyue him not into thy house nor saye God saue you vnto him for he that sayeth vnto him God saue you communicateth with his wicked wordes And in his Reuelation he maketh reporte of Christ his owne wordes denouncing terrible punishment vnto all that shal participate with heresie vnder figure of those that cōmited aduoutry with a certein famos woman And in the same booke of Pro. phecye he reherseth the voyce of an Aungel who geueth warning vnto the seruants of God to auoyd flye al vngodly godly cōpany signified by the name figure of wicked Babylon Lest they shold be partakers of her sinnes and therby should receyue of her plagues and punishmētes This poynte was diligently obserued by S. Iohn himself who refused to tary in the same bathe with Cerinthus the enemye of truth lest the bath should fal downe and oppresse them bothe Also by Policarpus S. Iohn his scholer who would not take acquaintance of Marcian that famous heretike otherwise then by calling him the deuils eldest sonne And by S. Anthonie of whom it is written that he could not indure to speake one peaceable worde to an heretike And although it be permitted in places where heretikes are in great multitude for necessities sake to cōuerse and haue deling with them in worldly affayres so long as they be not by name excomunicated and denounced yet to haue felowship with them in actes of religiō it neuer was nor could be allowed or suffered But hath bene alwayes forbid den as I sayde before by the Cannons of the Church reyued from the blessed Apostles The authority of which Cannons moued Origen to refuse by anye meanes to be present at prayers with a certain heretike called Paule The same also moued Heraclas to cast out of the Churche certayne Christians because they had vsed the cōpanye of heretiks and not to be admitted againe before they had publikly declared whatsoeuer they had harde of those enemies of the trueth notwithstanding that he knewe them from their verye harte to be turned from all error and false doctryne The like is decreed by the blessed Pope and martyr Fabian and by the Counsels of Antioche and Laodicea by the fourthe Counsel of Carthage and dyuers others The same hath ben taught by holy Doctors as by S. Cyprian who speaking of heretiks and schismatikes sayth we must depart frō such offēders or rather we must flye frō them in haste lest that ioyning our selues with such as walke peruersly going with them in the waye of their error cryme and wandering a straye from the right and course of our iorney we be holden guilty of lyke offence And by S. Augustine who entring into conference with one of the Manachies secte maketh exception of three thinges whiche in no wise he wolde consente to doe First that he wolde not praye with them Secondly that he wolde not keepe solemne conuenticles with them Thirdlye that he wolde not take vpon him the name of a Manichie More-ouer it hathe bene practised by the whole church of al ages as may appeere by the exāple of those godly people of Allexādria Samosata Edessus with diuers other Cityes wher whole multitudes wolde rather choose to suffer deathe then once to enter the churches while the Arian prelats were present Whose godly zeale maye wel confound the colde deuotion of this vnhappy time wherin so few are found in comparison of a great number who in hart doe beleeue the Catholike religion so few there be I saye that wil be content to sustayne the losse of a fewe goods for the open profession of their fayth Yea many there be that wil not take knowledge of this case wherof in times past no man was ignorant no not the verye heretikes as Arians Donatists and suche like all hauing their seueral churches by them selues and refusing to communicate either with Catholiks or with any other sect disagreing from their opinion AND this maye be a nother important reason of your most iust and aduised refusal I meane the very iudgment and example of al Infidels touching participation with those of a nother religion the Iewes doe not enter into the churches of Christians The Turkes hold it for a signe of Mahomets religiō for one to come into their moskeyes the Lutherans and Caluinistes haue their seueral congregations one distincte from thother and al the protestantes in other countryes refuse to be present at the Catholike seruice So did as manye of them as had zeale or care of their cōscience in the late dayes of Quene Mary In which time a famos preacher of their faction inroled for a martire in Fox his booke making answere to a certayn woman who demanded of him whether she might goe to mattens and euensong for to goe to masse her conscience would not suffer her pronounced and gaue his sentēce in this or in muche like sorte that to goe to anye parte of the seruice then vsed sholde be a thing greatly against the honour of God and contrarye to the charitye due vnto her neyghbour It sholde be against God his honour because sayth he God is not to be honored but in such sort as he hath commaūded and taught by his worde meaning by God his worde expresse Scripture where-as we include also suche trueth as God hath reuealed vnto his Churche Also he sayde that by going vnto such seruice she should denye and disalowe of the whole doctrine of the Gospel And concerning breach of charity towardes her neyghbour she shold therby seuer her selfe from the congregation of the faithful She should great lye confirme the obstinate Papists in their error she should cause the weake Protestants to wauer in their religion and she should greatly offend the more firme sort of