Logician in the Vniuersities or schooles of Sectaries but he vvil oppose him self boldly against al the Church vvith this pretext alvvaies that Gods mere vvord so they call their Bible falsely corruptly and deceitfully translated together vvith as foul fantastical and false suppositions deduced out of the same must be folovved before al mens doctrines and inuentions And generally al Sectmaisters to abuse the people them selues shamefully deceiued before make the state of the controuersie betvvixt them and the Catholikes their aduersaries to be this Vvhether they grounding their doctrine on Gods mere vvord are to be beleued rather then their aduersaries founding theirs vpon mans traditions and fantasies Vvhere that is not the poynt of the doubt but this vvhether the vvord and vvritten letter being redde acknovvledged and common to both they haue the true sense and vnderstanding of it rather then vve and vvhether they folovv fansie that be ledde by their ovvne priuate spirit or vve that leane to the Spirit of the Church Novv then al men must knovv that as it is the propertie of the Protestants and such others to call the sense that them selues of pride and ignorance make choise of Gods mere vvord so also to terme the holy Churches sense or interpretation mans fansie or inuention Vvheras euer the priuate singular nevv and particular spirit is fansie and the common vniuersal old and Catholike interpretation is the true and mere vvord of God vvhervpon our doctrine and trayning vp the Studēts in these Catholike Colleges are grounded And the very drift of Catholike schooles in these daies must be to dravv men from phantasie priuate imagination and liking of their ovvne iudgement to the trusting of al the learned fathers of al ages to the beleefe of the Catholike Church according to a Christians profession to obey in doubtes of doctrine the holy Councels and other authentical Iudgements vvhich Christ hath left in his Church for that purpose to vvhich end vve do svveare al that take degree according to the ordinance of the holy Councel of Trent that they shal during their life in al their preaching teaching disputing vvriting and othervvise expound the holy Scriptures as neere as they can secundum vnanimem consensum Patrum according to the vniforme and agreable sense of the Fathers This is not to bring vp men according to fansies but according to the promised Spirit of truth This is to auoid the particular presumptiō of Heretikes vvho are vvholy so caried avvay vvith the priuate spirit of pride and contention that they frame to them selues certaine platformes of doctrine according to euery of their particular Sectes vvhich they call their analogie of faith and dravv Gods vvord vnto it making it to sovvnd and say vvhatsoeuer they dreame of And therfore S. Augustine noted this to be the propertie of Faustus the Manichée and the like so to handle the matter by much talking of Scriptures that al the authoritie therof might be subiect to them selues and yeld no other meaning then their fansie allovved of To auoid therfore these partial spirits vve imitate in our learning and teaching as neere as the time and opportunitie of things do suffer vs holy S. Basil and S. Gregorie Nazianzene of vvhom thus Ruffinus vvriteth For the space of thirtene yeres they studied only the bookes of holy Scripture and the vnderstanding of the same they folowed not of their owne presumption but of the vvritings and anthoritie of their forefathers vvho also them selues vvere vvel knovven to haue receiued the rule of vnderstanding by succession from the Apostles Vve teach and learne humility and obedience to our Prelates vve teach all ours to knovv and keepe those traditions vvhich the Apostle commendeth to his flockes both vvritten and vnvvrittē those precepts of the Ancients and the like of our Superiors that the faithful in the Actes vvere cōmaunded to obserue according to the difference of things and times prescribed by the gouernours of our soules In al doubtes vve resolue our selues by the definition of holy Doctors Councels and See Apostolike to vvhich Christ hath giuen the Spirit of truth the right sense of holy Scriptures and the grace of discerning the false priuate spirits of errour from the true common Spirit of Christian Catholike people Vve teach them that such precepts and traditions as be in Scriptures commended vnto vs and al other holy Churches decrees are vntruely called the traditions or commaundements of men in the sense of Heretikes for that they be the Ordinances of the holy Ghost vvho continually assisteth our lavvful Pastor in the due regiment of our soules Vve teach them that the Scriptures be hard and high and many vvaies misconstrued to damnation that Manes Arius Macedonius Eutyches Sabellius Pelagius though they redde the Scriptutes and as much vaunted thē selues therof as the Caluinists novv do yet erred and misconstrued them shamefully and that the Protestants therfore may so do and in deede do folovving the like particular contentious and disobedient spirits as they did Vve tel thē of S. Augustines experiēce That Heretikes by daily contentions and fightes raise vp mistes and smoke vnto them selues that they can not conceiue the truth vvhich is hardly seen euē of a stil and quiet mind And againe Heretikes piking out such sentēces and chapters of Scripture as simple men vnderstand not by them do deceiue the ignorant soules which by curiositie are easily misledde because euery vnlearned soul is curious But he that hath well learned the Catholike faith spred throughout the vvhole vvorld and is armed vvith good maners and true pietie can not be deceiued Vve teach our Scholers that the ancient fathers of al ages agreing together are more like to vnderstand the Scriptures then the Protestāts and that if humility make any thing in this case as it doth al they vvere more humble then the Protestants if studie and diligence be required they passe them if great knovvledge in al sciences our good felovves be not comparable if the tonges diuers had the cheefe of them naturally vvherof ours get but a smal tast by art if much exercise of reading conferring comparing expounding the Scriptures help to vnderstād them hovv far they excel our delicate Doctors their vvorkes and infinite treatises do vvitnesse if prayer serue any thing for attaining truth and Gods spirit vvithout vvhich no such verities cā be knovven surely to cōpare onely their deuotions vvatchings fastes sacrifices to these companions endeuours vvere a great iniurie and ridiculous if to be void of vvordly distractions to liue single and chast vvhich to the onely studie of Philosophie vvas of old thought conuenient profit to the knovvledge of Diuinitie the Protestants haue no great aduantage if Gods great graces and vertues euen to the vvorkes of miracles and sustaining Martyrdom and so high holines of life that they are beleued of al Catholike men and not denyed of Heretikes to be in heauen help to the vnderstāding of
AN APOLOGIE AND TRVE DECLARATION OF THE INSTItution and endeauours of tvvo English Colleges the one in Rome the other novv resident in Rhemes against certaine sinister informations giuen vp against the same 1. Pet. 3. Sanctifie our Lord Christ in your hartes ready alwaies to satisfie euery one that asketh you an accoumpt of that hope which is in you but with modestie and feare hauing a good consience that in that which they speake il of you they may be confounded which calumniate your Good conuersation in Christ For it is better to suffer as doing wel if the wil of God will haue it so then doing il Printed at Mounts in Henault 1581. The contents of this Apologie THE preface of the authors intention herein Chap. 1 The reason of our absence and liuing out of our natiue Countrie 2 Of our resorting sometimes to the citie and court of Rome 3 The meaning and purpose of the institution of the Seminaries 4 That we liue not in them against the lawes of God and our Countrie with a duetiful exhortation to the Queenes Maiestie 5 That the Students therof be not trained vp in erroneous doctrine 6 Of Priests and Iesuites and for what cause they are sent into England 7 An admonition and comfort to the afflicted Catholikes AN APOLOGIE AND TRVE DECLARATION OF THE INSTItution and endeauours of tvvo English Colleges the one in Rome the other novv resident in Rhemes against certaine sinister informations giuen vp against the same ⧠Derely beloued countriemen in Christ Iesus ALthough for our selues our ovvne consciences giue vs sufficient satisfaction and testimonie of innocencie in al those things vvherof vve be accused and God himself not onely at the general iudgement in the face of the vvhole vvorld but at the particular daies of euery of our deaths vvhat side sort or cōdition so euer vve be shal discerne our cause and iustifie our intentions against al our aduersaries Yet for that vve be vvarned by the Apostle to make our actions allovvable not to God alone but to men also and a great Clerke telleth vs that it vvere great crueltie so to rest in the cōfidence of our conscience that vve regard not our fame the one being as necessarie for our neighbours as the other for our selves Vve meane by Gods grace and your fauours sincerely and truely as in the sight of our Sauiour and yet most humbly and tēperately for the due respect of our Soueraine and Superiors to make cleere and defend our miscōstrued good purposes and needeful offices tovvards our natiue Countrie in these many heauie yeres of our coacted absence from the same Trusting that so our Lord may alter the mindes of many that mistake our doings and may turne the Q. Maiesties and her honorable Councels eares from our calumniators her hand of indignation from our afflicted brethren and her hart to vvonted mercie and clemēcie tovvardes her ovvne Catholike subiectes Neither needed our defense to be long nor could be hard or doubtful if it vvere to be made either before the vvhole Church of God in any age vvhich both of old in the like cases heretofore and of late in our ovvne by her highest Courtes of Councels and Seates Apostolike the grauest surest and to our causes the most proper Tribunals in earth hath giuen sentence for our faith and doctrine and al our endeuours agreable therevnto Or before al other Christian countries States or Vniuersities vvheresoeuer vve havue liued al vvhich by their manifold mercies comfortes encouragements and by diuers honorable attestations vvich shalbe extant to the posteritie do approue and praise our studies and scholastical trauailes proper to our trade for the reclaiming and succourse of the poore deceiued soules of our nation Or before any of al the old Christian kings her Highnes most noble progenitors in any of their honorable Courtes of Parliament Synodes or Consistories of famous Prelates Congregations of the learned in either their renovvmed Vniuersities from the first faith of our countrie til this our od miserable age al their lavves decrees definitions statutes al their vvorkes vvritings actions life and death approuing our doings and condemning the contrarie Neither can vve mistrust though the sight and certaintie therof be in God alone but our posteritie recouering it self from this present blast of doctrine and peculiar tempest of this time vvhich kind of maladie as experience and recordes of other ages teach vs seaseth lightly on Countries by startes and seasons onely both the simple and vvise that at the first for great allurements vvorldly grateful noueltie and alteration vvould not bevvare novv by a fevv yeres proofe easily vvaxing vvearie of the same vvill like allovv and iustifie our duetiful seruice to God and the Church of England Hauing then the vvhole Church of Christ for vs the nations abrode vvith vs al our countrie beforetime assuredly and as vve trust al after our daies agreable vnto vs our defense before God and man must needes be most easie acceptable and reasonable The difficultie novv onely remaineth in the preiudice and partialitie of the present cōdition and svvay of time vvhich by authoritie force and feare of lavves fauour of the Prince domestical educatiō plausible preaching and persuasion of profite peace and pleasure doth sometimes alter and infect the very iudgement and reason of the invvard man and much oftener doth byas and peruert the external actions of many vvorldings euen against their ovvne natural inclinatiō knovvledge and conscience of vvhich sort there be no doubt in our Countrie innumerable not onely of those vvhose constrainte is euident but euen of such as seeme principal promotors of the one part and persecutors of the other Vvho because they be vvise can not be Protestants 23 yeres that is to say any long time together but yet because they be also vvorldly can not or vvil not confesse their former fall to their disuātage in this life vvhich they preferre before eternal glorie Vvitte and experience being ynough oftentimes to discouer falshod but not sufficient vvithout Gods grace vvhich many haue not because they vvil not to retire to the Church and truth againe These mens exterior assent shal in deede hardly be obtained for the approbation of our actions be our defense neuer so open and euident But our confidence being in God into vvhose hād the hartes and doings of all Princes and peoples be put vvho can at euery moment forcibly touch and incline them to acknovvledge the equitie of our cause as to his glorie and vvisedom shalbe best and vvho hath already giuen vs eternal honour be to his name the hartes and soules of so many thousands of our deere Countriemen Vve may aduenture vvith al hope ioy and comfort to speake in our defense and discouer vvithout al disloyaltie loyaltie to her Maiestie or any her Highnes Ministers the vvrong informations that certaine enimies of the Catholike Church haue giuen vp against vs and our brethren as to our great greefe vve perreiue by some
resort thither to temper al mens ielousy as much as vve may in faith and truth they vvere none other but to make humble sute for the establishmēt and perpetual foundation of the College or Seminarie vvhich his Holines had not long before instituted in place of the Hospital of our Nation there as a thing much more proper to this time and more fruitful to our Countrie then it vvas adding of his ovvne much then and a great deale sithence to the old prouision and novv in Ianuarie last fully founding and accomplishing the same this vvas one thing An other vvas that the Gouernours of that College in Rome aboue and of this other novv resident in the citie of Rhemes beneath might giue and take mutual direction for correspondence in regiment discipline and education most agreable to our Countrimens natures and for preuention of al disorders that youth and cōpanies of scholers namely in banishment are subiect vnto Vvherein vve thanke God of al that paines and endeuours for that it pertained excedingly to the general good and honour of our Nation that vve may perpetually haue a number of the most pregnant vvittes brought vp in the principal Seat place and fountaine of our Christianitie Vvhither vvhat so euer is learned vvise vertuous of al the most famous Vniuersities Monasteries Societies and Colleges through the vvorld is recuiled as to a continual mart of al kind of doctrine and prudence S. Hierom calling it the place of greatest faith and deuotion and the Aduersarie him self confessing that the great resort thither heretofore vvas for that the best learned and vvisest men of the vvorld vvere there besides the experience of the Vniuersal Churches practise vvhere there is daily entercourse betvvixt al Princes Prelates and peoples Christened in causes of conscience religion and other spiritual affaires and vvhere they may see and vvonder at Gods promis and proprouidence in the continual preseruation of that state and regiment in persecution in prosperitie in vvealth in pouertie in good life in il life the Heretikes as S. Augustine speaketh in vaine barking about it That the Arians Macedonians Pelagians Donatistes Nestorians and al other Sectaries that stood at the bay vvith this Seat are al buried in infamie that these present Protestants Anabaptists Puritans Trinitaries and other vvolues of vvhat heare so euer that ball against the Pastor the sooner to sease vpon the flocke as S. Cyprian speaketh daily decay and discouer their ovvne malice and folly that al Empires Kingdoms and States be by certaine seasons either decaied or manifoldly altered and this Seat to stand immoueable and to be as firme and florishing in this disordered reuolt of many peoples from it as euer before These and such other high experimēts vvith innumerable examples of vertue and deuotion shal this Romane institution giue to our Countriemen vnder the famousest teachers and gouernours of youth in our age or some vvorldes before Vvho othervvise vvould admire their pety Maisters at home the cause of al errour and ignorance To do this seruice then to our Commonvvealth for vvhich if euer it come to it self againe it vvil thanke the doers as much as novv it blameth them vvas that viage taken specially And then to make like humble sute for the augmentation of the monethly prouision of this other College for that the number and necesitie therof daily encreasing it vvas not sufficient Vvhich sute his Holines also of his incomparable loue to our Nation benignely heard These lo God knovveth vvere our last dealings and these are our treasons and sinnes and none other that vve contriue at Rome against our natural Countrie ⧠The meaning and purpose of the institution of the Seminaries CHAP. III. AND concerning his Holines intentions if they be any other in the institution and entertainement of these Seminaries thē ours are they be vnknovven to vs none being so presumptuous to search further into his secretes thē standeth vvith his good pleasure and vvisdom to vtter of him self nor any hauing iust cause to deeme vvorse or othervvise of his doings then is agreable to his holy high calling approued good affectiō to our Countrie his great vertue and the euidence of the thing This is a cleere case that the persons vvhich first put them selues together in the Vniuersitie of Duay the yere 1568 yelding to Collegial forme of studie and discipline vnder one President vvhich after some yeres and good proofe of their profitable endeuours by Gods goodnes obtained his Holines protection and monethly exhibition had these intentions first to dravv diuers youths vvho then for their conscience liued in the lovv Coūtries from sole seueral and voluntarie studie to a more exact methode and course of cōmon conferēce and publike exercise to be pursued by their Superiors appointmēt rather then their ovvne choise that they might be more apt to serue their Countrie vvhen it should please God mercifully to reduce thē home againe Secondly doubting the time of our chastisement might be so long as to vveare out either by age emprisonmēt or other miseries the elder sort of the learned Catholikes both at home and abrode it vvas thought a necessarie duety for the posteritie to prouide for a perpetual seede and supply of Catholikes namely of the Clergie nothing mistrusting but the times and opportunities vvould come vvere they neere vvere they far of vvhē they might take aduātage for restitutiō of religiō no Sect euer being liked lōg nor permanēt vvithout enterchāge as vve see in Arianisme the paterne of al other Vvhich though it troubled the vvorld some hūdred yeres together yet it changed places had lucida interualla gaue seasons of calme and rest to holy Bishops Priests and faithful persons according as the Emperours vvere diuersely affected tovvard the Sect or more or lesse giuen to rigor or clemencie Vvhich is the prouidence of God for the perpetuity of the Catholike faith vvhich no heresie that euer vvas or shal be can vvholy exclude by no vvitte or violence of man according to the saying of S. Augustine Nemo delet de coelo constitutionem Dei Nemo delet de terra Ecclesiam Dei Thirdly their purpose vvas for their better furnishing of meete men to the end aforesaid and for disaduantaging the aduersarie part therein to dravv into this College the best vvittes out of England that vvere either Catholikly bent or desirous of more exact education then is these daies in either of the Vniuersities vvhere through the delicacie of that Sect there is no art holy or prophane throughly studied and some not touched at all or that had scruple of conscience to take the othe of the Queenes Supremacie in causes Ecclesiastical vvhich gaue vs diuers not onely Catholikes but others out of both the Vniuersities vvhere it is specially exacted and tormēteth the consciences of many that seeme pure Protestants or that misliked to be forced to the Ministerie as the vse is in diuers Colleges a calling cōtemptible euen
Gods vvord that preeminence aboue Protestants they haue also Finally if the time of their liuing in this vvorld vvas by much more then a thousand yeres in diuers of them neerer to Christ then ours is and thereby they might very easily trace out the Apostles doctrine by the report of not many ages before them in these things novv doubted of that aduantage also they had beyond the Protestants Al these things vvith vvhat other prescriptions so euer any Catholikes haue had against Heretikes in al age vve haue against the Protestants in the most euident sort that can be So that vve may very fitly say as S. Augustine did by the like comparison onely changing the Heretikes names Hath long time so confounded heauen and earth light and darknes that Luther Caluin Zuinglius Bucer Beza do see and Hilarie Gregorie Ambrose Hierom Chrysostom and the rest are blind Therfore if either grace coÌ„mon sense diuine or humane probabilitie vvil serue our Schooles cary al vvith them against the Aduersaries if the expresse vvordes of Scriptures may preuail vve haue them a thousand times more cleere for vs then the Aduersaries haue for them if the sense must be sought for vve haue as many helps of nature of learning and of grace honour and thankes be to God as they haue to find it out the sentence is giuen for vs and against our Aduersaries in al the Tribunals of Gods Church Al Vniuersities al Colleges al Churches al Bishoprickes al Monasteries al monuments of Christianitie vvere made by and for Catholikes and for Protestants none Al the soules of our Christian fathers al the Saints in heauen al their actions vvorkes vvritings liues and deaths professe for vs. Therfore if our doctrine be erroneous there is no truth nor can be no God Christ religion nor saluation Vvhich Atheisme is the end of al these vnhappy reuolts from the vnitie of Gods people And for the particular points of our doctrine Catholike vve haue and diuers other learned in banishment haue before vs by sundrie bookes in our vulgare tonge defended them vvith al maner of learning and proofes that the Protestants them selues required and haue refuted the contrary inuincibly By vvhich combat in vvriting bookes though they vvere the chalengers and promised for the entertainemeÌ„t therof or at least vvished in shevv of vvordes al freedom and impunitie yet aftervvard they vvere driuen to forbid the entering hauing or reading of al our vvorkes Vvherevpon madde I. Pace meeting one day vvith M. Iuel called the B. of Salisburie but not secundum vsum SaruÌ„ the ProtestaÌ„ts chaÌ„pion saluted his L. courtly and said Novv my Lord ê™ he you may be at rest vvith these felovves for you are quit by ProclamatioÌ„ Neuertheles the Aduersaries haue not ceased to make shevv of ansvver to diuers of the said Catholikes vvritings but vvith such il grace in the sight of al vvise men that they haue rather furthered our cause then their ovvne For their ansvver is nothing els but a plaine running avvay like vnto some covvardly dogges that fleing from the fight yet in running avvay looke backe and barke and bay at their enimie or the game vvhich any man of iudgement may sone espie Alleage them Scriptures it is not Canonical alleage that vvhich them selues acknovvledge to be Canonical they corrupt it vvith false translation deceitful alteration fantastical glosing such as neuer came to any vvise faithful maÌ„s mind before Alleage them Doctors they deny the bookes alleage others or their bookes confessed they say they vvere in a blind age of some that they folovved the errors of the Gentility of al together that they vvere men Alleage sacred Councels they vvil not beleeue them vvithout expresse Scriptures Vvhen vve reply yea but vvhy beleeue you not these men and Saints and iudicial meanes of trial of the true sense of Scriptures seing you are but men also your selues and a litle vvorse men then they then at length they come to the spirit of God vvhich they arrogate to theÌ„ selues and deny it to Gods Church Priests and Councels to vvhom it vvas promised And being at this exigent they flee from the question of doctrine to liues and maners of Popes Prelates and Priests as though there vvere any creature liuing more profane and impure then the preacher Protestant or al vvere true vvhich the deepe hatred and malice of Heretikes feine against Gods Priests or the vulgar vices of humane frailety vvere the fruites by vvhich false teachers be tried or vve for the condemmation of the Protestants doctrine charged them onely or specially vvith the sinnes incident to mens infirmitie of euery sort and not rather vvith such crimes as be natural to Heretikes namely of this sect Vve charge them vvith rebellion against Christes Church lavves and ordinances vvith disobedieÌ„ce to their lavvful Pastors vvith contempt of holy Councels fathers and Doctors vvith falsifying corrupting denying diuers bookes and places of holy Scripture vvith contention and dissension among them selues disturbances of Kingdoms and Countries desire of liberty and nouelty inconstance and daily chaunge of their opinions presumptuous arrogance and vaunting of their knovvledge aboue al antiquity vvith singularity sacrilege apostasie incestuous mariages of vovved persons spoile of Churches profanation of al holy things preaching and teaching altogether to the disgracing of fasting vvatching virginity continencie voluntarie pouerty al good vvorkes and many other points directly tending to the corruption of good life in al states finally vvith blasphemie against Christes Sacrifice Sacraments Saincts and such like their enormities vvhich are faults properly proceding from their doctrine and therfore far vnlike to those proceding onely of humane infirmitie and mans frailety vvith vvhich they either falsly or truely charge the Clergie and specially the Popes and See Apostolike euen as the Nouatians and Donatistes did before them Vvhich offenses do so litle preiudice the truth and doctrine of the same Seat that S. Augustine auoucheth if some Iudas or traitor vvere in that office as there vvas one in the College of the Apostles that it could not be preiudicial to the doctrine of that See or the peoples obedience to the same Our heaueÌ„ly Maister saith he concerning naughty Gouernours of the Church hath made the people secure and void of care that for them the Chaire of holesom doctrine be not forsaken in which euen the euil them selues are compelled to speake good thinges For it is not their owne that they speake but Gods who in the chaire of vnitie hath put the doctrine of veritie And S. Cyprian giueth vvarning to all faithful people not to maruel nor in any vvise to trust an Heretike specially one fallen into relapse vvhen he raileth on Gods Priests With the fallen and profane saith he and such as are out of the Church out of vvhose breastes the holy Ghost is departed there can be nothing els but a wicked or peruerse mind and deceitful tonge and venemous hatred and sacrilegious lies Whom
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