puto verisimile arbitramur till he came in with a scio And though I know not as much as Gregory this I may presume to know the place in Saint Paul wracked so often to confesse a purgatory may be applyable to it being a building of hay and stubble and have the charity to believe the foundation laid in Christ faith in him and love of him the ground-work though in the superstructure may be some light aery phantasms stubble and straw which in the day of tryall shall vanish yet he shall be saved so as by fire through or out of fire drosse vanishes but gold shall abide the fiery tryall in the day of the Lord. Sect. 27. Rogula fidei una omnino est sola illa immobilis irreformabilis according to Tertullian and if your Occham is to be credited nec tota Ecclesia nec concilium generale nec summus Pontâ—fex potest facere articuluÌ„qui non fuit articulus c. Therefore if any thing be fundamentall after the Church defines it must be fundamentall before for deductions are not prime and native principles nor superstructures foundations that which is a foundation to all cannot vary to different Christians in regard of it selfe for then it could not be a common rule to any nor could the souls of men acquiesce on a tottering foundation a trice foundation as common to all must be firm unto all in which sense the articles of Christian Faith are fundamentall and not what men please to define for as Irenaeus quum enim una eadem fides sit neque is qui multum de ipsà dicere potest plus quam oportet dicit nec qui parum ipsam minuit if every thing defin'd by the Church be fundamentall in the faith the Churches definition would be the Church-foundation and so by consequence the the Church could lay her own foundation and the Church have an absolute and perfect being before her foundation laid If the too preposterous zeal of the Roman Church since she grew to her in controlable greatnesse had not rashly determined those things to be matter of belief which for many centuries pass'd onely for pious opinions Christendom might have serv'd God in an holy fire of zeal and spirituall fervency which now sacrifices myriads of souls to Belial in the flames of contention what a sight is it to see writers committed together by the ears for trifling ceremonies and beggarly distinctions tanquam pro aris focis incens'd none are affrighted at their noises and loud brayings under Asses skins scioli and smatterers in Divinity onely busie in the skirts and outsides of learning and yet will admit no salvation but by a compliance with their vertiginous pates wise men should know as the body hath certain diseases that are with lesse evill tolerated then remov'd as to cure a Leprosie with the blood of a child so it is better a triviall error should dilate it self then children of the Church should perish while some error may be disseminated with lesse inconvenience then discover'd the use which wise men should make of other mens lapses is to avoid a precipice and the advantage pious men should make of these great flaws in Christianity is not to joyn with them that make them nor to help to dislocate these main bones in the body which disjoynted cannot be set Sect 28. The uncharitable dealings of Christians with Christians cannot induce me to bee uncharitable to any I must believe with St. Hierom Haeretici fiunt non quod Scripturas contemnunt sed quod non intelligunt it is ignorance and not the contempt is the cause of most if not all of our separations The Sheba's of separation all the Trumpeters of sedition may alarm the rabble that brainless horse to battel to trample down order and break the rankes discipline with a separate your selves from Idols curse you Meroz curse you bitterly What society hath light with darknesse Come out of Babylon my people with a hundred such places of Scripture rack'd and by an invention witty in cruelty tortur'd to confesse something may patronize their black designes wringing blood even out of the Gospell of peace Which have as little relation to Christian societies as a Lo here is Christ Lo there go not out after them rack'd so frequently to confesse them Antichrists who correspond not to the whimzies of every phanatique denoting such as Judas Theudas Arthronges and Barchosba Impostors who pretended to be Messiasses sent for the delivery of the Jews out of the hands of the Romans and if it was possible would deceive the Elect the Jewish Christians which are forewarn'd but as the Calvinists it is impossible for them to be deceived who are the Elect and as the Romanist who are in their Church the treasury of all truth cannot be deceived But if the Elect can scarce be saved what shall become of the ungodly if the Christian Jew who washed with Christs blood speaks better things then that of Abels what will become of them against whom it cries worse then that did against Cain while they themselves could cry Let it be upon us and ours if the Elect as the Papist the Catholick with all his indulgengencies masses rosaries and abstinences can scarce be saved what will become of those who are out of the Communicative line of Gods mercy his Ark City our holy Apostolick and Catholick Church If the Elect as Fiduciaries they that can believe they shall bee saved can scarce believe it so strongly but that an intervening scruple of an obstreperous Conscience may damn them what will become of a Papist who believes in a God of wood a God of bread who saies wee can have no assurance since by faith we are saved thus the stream of life is made the puddle of phanatick interpretations while all like the Tyrant who fitted wretches to his bed hack maim and mutilate or stretch and tenter the Scripture to adequate them to inhumane purposes and Heaven it selfe must admit no room beyond the capacities of their empty noddles Vain fuellers fit onely to feed the flames of contention out of whose embers are even rais'd combusti Sect. 29 Though Heaven gates be narrow I cannot believe them so strait as most sects would make them should I not believe one lie with the Fiduciary or many with the Pontifician not easily induc'd to believe heaven the purchase of fonder imaginations Charity would perswade me it is even a receptacle to those whose uncharitable opinions have mutually condemned and secluded each the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The practice of our lives not tongues must make us Christians wee must be rather so by entring into imitation of Celestiall virtues then curious inquiries May we flourish in verity which is the root in humility which is the flower and well doing which is the fruit of the tree of life Sect. 30. Those aëry mysteries which have unhinged so many Cardinall heads shall not extend my Pericranium
rent with his owne arguments shall he not dare to encounter you out of the slender scrip of his owne reason and with pebbles drawn from a brooke of clearer testimonies aime at your forehead that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pontificiall infallibility in the head of your Church and then amputate it by the two edg'd sword of verity and the whole host of delusion your Catholique body of error cui fumus pro fundamento shall evaporate yet by wrinkling and shrinking truth I shall not bring the Church in that narrow compasse to give private spirits leave to ruffle her or make her lesse Catholick or not infallible which could she be she might cease to be holy nor could I be perswaded that the pontificiall robes carried holiness to the Lord that Vrim and Thuminim perfection and light were relative to the Miter and the lips of that high Priest onely carried knowledge I could fly the bosom of the common mother but since from distemper'd parents we exuge poyson not nutriment you must give leave to decline those breasts which flow not with the sincere milk of the word and believe the body distemper'd and of a richetty constitution whose head so exceeds the proportion had infallibilitie a tie above the intention of a Priest in Collation of orders to the proof of which though I cannot expresse the exactnesse of pedantism in quotation yet I shall not be warp'd from that may expresse ingenuity and satisfie a pretender to it in a rural retirement having no book but one of an imperfect edition forc'd to read my self ubi multa desiderantur à desunt nonnulla but nothing that may inform of truth though I can make use onely of some confus'd notes for the engraphical part of memory yet in the agraphical part I shall not show so great a deficiency in the Mnenonâ—cal Art as may render truth suspected truth shal be my aim I may fly high rove yet never farre from the mark and perhaps escape the faâ—lts of most Polemicks who resemble a piece of Arras where there is much in representation and nothing in reality or Plutarchs heartlesse fish with a sword assimilating body want both vigor and acutenesse the discourses of umbraticall Doctors on all sides like bodies bred in the shade cannot endure the Sun or a shower in their more serious retirements affecting nothing beyond Domitians humour of catching of flies which I shall without torture inforce them to confesse Could you but dispossesse your self of prejudicacy truth is a garment that time can wear who pretend to grey-headed error rather dâ—scredit it then patronize it Lay aside those great names of Seraphick and Angelick Doctors look not on any Religion through the opticks of blear-ey'd prejudice as I am confident you make not yours squint to self-interest I have neither giv'n up my name to regall or papall supremacy neither protested covenanted or ingag'd to any faction hee who aims at truth by the Roman or any other bias wiâ—l never come nere the mark the fire of self-love as it is kindled by the breath of the Father of lies so it partaketh of the quality of his flames to be without light since it keepeth us in darknesse to our selves an imperception of the true dimensions of others This liking or disliking of others is but the spurious issue of philautie which undervalues al meets not in a compliance with the humour some natures as Seneca observes are so shady as they think every thing turbulent and stormy that is even in a meridian lâ—ght Some like to old rusticks are content to meet in the Church porch of tradition to talk of mundan a affairs which care not to enter into the Church to serve God in his Ordinances others resemble young Novices which creep into the Church by holes to angle and ring the bells backward neglecting the key of tradâ—tion others by curious inquiries are put into a wheeâ— and are circled so long betwixt proving the Scripture by tradition and tradition by Scripture till the Devill find a means to dispute them into infidelity and make them believe neither Most mens lips and pens open wide like to a monilesse purse nothing comes out of this and what is worth nothing out of them yet this nothing must be plac'd in competition with nothing lesse then salvation the tradition of the Church must be a satisfactory proof to believe by Divine faith if we may believe a Papist Scripture Gods word If wee ask why we must believe it is replied because the Church is infallibly govern'd by the holy Ghost if we inquire how they run to revelation guilty of enthusiasm which they object to others or if they offer to prove it by Scripture as most do it is an acknowledgement that the Scripture is of higher proof then the Churches tradition thus these impertinents touch neâ—ther Heaven nor Earth in their discourses they open an entry into a room but shut it presently Some elate tradition above Divinity the principles of any conclusion must be of more credâ—â— then the conclusion it self the Articles of Faith the Trinity Resurrection and Communion if the conclusions by which they are proveable is Ecclesiastical tradâ—tion it must follow that the Churches tradition is of more credit when the Faith of the Articles must be finally resolv'd into the veracity of the Churches testimony Others depresse tradition even below humanity are so far from equalizing it with rational dâ—scourses as they prefer the dreams of phanaticks before the Churches tradition without which a rayling Song thrust upon an evil air is not worse musick then the confused notes which some intitle the harmony of Scriptures and if they know Gods Law by heart they have no heart to his Law and after all these pretences of Knowledge and illumination like to the Egyptian sages can produce nothing but frogs and blood Nor doe the Exotique Seminaries furnish us better then the weeds which the ranknesse of our own soil hath cast up Apostolicall pruging-hookes are exchang'd for Sanguinary instruments involving the world in blood and staining their own lives at theâ—r deaths leaving nothing behind but a memorial of some hideous impietie while with styles solemnly religious and even Seraphical devotions we find more principl'd in Caesar Borgia and Nicholas the Florentine then Elemented in Religion not erecting a Spiritual Kingdome for Christ but a temporal for the Pope which he honest good man solemnly vows and protests against for all the Bishops of Rome at their Creation make a solemn vow and confess to observe inviolably all Ordinances made in the first eight generall Councells in which is provided that all Causes be determined by the Bishop of the same Province where they are begun This might check the exorbitancy of the Roman See and confine Tibur within her own limits if sober men having neither the inebriations of passion or self-interest might be judges Neither might that impertinent question of triflers
grease of maintenance onely creak make a noise and disquiet the world Sect. 2. Most Polemicks while they have too rashly charg'd the body of error have made themselves her Captives and lent Antagonists Trophies of their rashnesse Though truth is a strong fort inconsideration may become a traytor and expose it to the mercy of an enemy Most men are so drunk with dispute and inebriated by their passions that they cast at Antagonists heads all they can lay hold on not fearing a rebound or what weapons they administer to their own ruine show the weakness of their adversaries with so much of their own that they lend opportunities to error they permit the wild bore in their Vineyards would keep out the Foxes and open a gap for the Foxes would expell the Wild bore they whose malice nam'd the Bishop of Rome Antichrist their weaknesse opened a door to the Brownist to bring in their own orders as rivolets from that See into the premunire of Antichristian While Rome would prevent dissentious they are forc'd to dissent from themselves admit that overgrown monster tyrannons infallibility like the Wild Bore of the Forrest to lay wast Gods Vineyard grown cruelly subtle by age and confidence in his tuskes gores all that stand in opposition â—oming with maliâ—e ambition and Avarice and wallowing in impurities they who dissent from these have not learn'd to agree with themselves each one hath his distinct Idol different Concubine various glosse on which their phancies set produces a brood of sects While they adulterate the Scripture and seem to approve that which they so much decry while they wed themselves to the Idols of their own phancy become the greatest Idolaters or confirm Copernicism with their whimzies the Earths motion by a continuity of giddinesse Sect. 3. With the Lyrck Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri me quocunque rapit tempestas deferor Neither shall I put gall in the ink I write of Religion because others sowre their language If I open sores the launching shall be onely to let out their corruption or take away the proud flesh that keeps the wounds of the Church from healing And though I may confess with S. Bernard Non sit major superbia quam ut unus homo toti congregattoni judicium suum praeferat tanquam ipse solus spiritum Dei habeat yet 't is a different thing for a man modestly in some points dis-satisfied to propose quaeres not to a Congregation onely but the Catholick Church and a sober man may without trenching on irreligion or the least touch of madness or insolency dispute a matter of Religion with the Roman or Church or Prelate as Irenaeus with Victor modesty accompanying and a desire to fist out truth free from vanity and purpos'd opposition even against a particular Church though to dispute an â— Article of Faith what the Catholick Church hath alwayes believ'd is what S. Austine calls insolent madness But in other things Consent of Nations Authority confirm'd by Miracles and Antiquity of S. Peters chair and succession from it motives to keep in the Catholick Church must not hold against demonstration of truth quae quidem si tam manifesta monstratur ut in in dubium venire non possit proponenda est omnibus illis quibus in Catholicâ teneor ita si ali quid apertissimum Evangelioâ— they have opened the gates and made the way that went before us non Domini nostri sed duces fuere truth lies open to all it is no mans severall patet omnibus veritas nondum est occupata multum exilia etiam futur is relicta dissentire licet sed cum ratione non mihi credendum sed veritati Sect. 4. Though I cannot look upon the Pope with that dreadfull apparition which some affrighted with the horror of their own imaginations who character him by a Virgils Polyphemus monstrum horrendum informe ingens cuilumen ademptum Or some sad and distorted phancies flutering betwixt the twilight of ignorance and self-conceit bandy against the name with prejudice as it nothing could result from thence might not taint the odour of virtue and innocence yet could I but believe infallibility to bee the Prerogative of the the pontificial chair I might believe with the Schoolmen sin a non-entity that Pontificial impurities passing for nothing the chair might be secur'd from rasher imputations St. Irenaeus might not accuse a Victor S. Cyprian a Stephen S. Athanasius a Pope Liberius for Arrianism all that pretend to goodnesse Heresie in an Anastatius Honorius John 22. Necromancy in a Silvester Magick in a third Paul a John the 8th 12 13 14 15 16 17. as if the name which implies gratious could import a concatenation of mischiefe they being link'd together in with the 7th Boniface for the most part entring like Foxes living like Lyons and dying like Dogs non montes parturient ridiculum murem sed secundum ridiculum morem in the eight John and Benedâ—ct the 9th supposed to appeare in the shape of a Monster after death because in all his life hee appeared not lesse then a Monsteâ— in all his Actions a 6th Vrban could drown five Candinalls for revenge andas if this had been too little let loose a deluge of impiety the 5. Cardinal virtues suffering for name sake But these are modest vey'd with witchcrafts incests cruelties of a sixth Alexander Idolatrous sacrifices in a Marcelln Diabolicall applications in a Celestine inhumations and such ridiculous peeces of cruelties in others that even Paganism is charitable and Mahometism it self comparatively virtuous Should I omit a 10th Leo's that Father of Christendom in long Coats who before the times others do arrive at age had attain'd to be Father of all the Aged a Pope at twenty quantum peperit nobishaec fabula Christi and after a dispure de animâ redit in nihilum quod fuâ—t ante nihil but I would sally no further shrowds best befiit the dead and by a candid retrogradation to draw a white veil of innocence over those who should have been nursing Fathers to the Church yet let mee tell you Sir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how assents he to Christ in his words who dissents from him in his works Three blazing Comets conspicuous in the Roman Horizon at the same time it would be strange if they should produce no alteration in the Ecclesiastick body three Popes cohabiting at Rome three in diverse Countries a schism for forty years Popes at the French and German devotion Ambition and Corruption to the attaining the Papall dignity as Platina being more prevalent then a Christian life it would be a miracle above any Legends pretend to that Contrariety should râ—concile mutuall Contradictions render infallible while the Church musick must bee onely set out of such discord Antipopes not onely in competition for but opposition to the pontificial dignity of the Popes infallibility see your own
Gerson Occham Almain Echius Hosius Pighâ—us Waldensis at quarrell about Originall of Spirituall power Abulensis Turrecremata Franciscus de victoria Alphonsus de Castro men whose very names speak battell aud writings not much unity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will scarce prove a Rock of defence which implies a stone as well as Rock and the twelve Apostles were all stones which went to the foundation of Christianity No man not warp'd by prejudicate ignorance but may admit a primacy as great as those Princes his Holinesse dignifies with the titles of the most Catholique or most Christian. Peruse the Spanish Edicts and you shall find Cardinall Baronius book asserting Papall jurisdiction by King Phâ—lâ—p lest it might raise the flames of contention in his Subjects made it self a Subject of the flames Peruse the Constitutions of the Gallican Churches nay even now see them menacing to ordain Bishops for Portugal the Pope refusing Reslect upon this darling Flanders and find Bruxels lately tearing his bull for a defamatory scroll by one rent to prevent many Take a view â—of Germany her Henries Fredericks 1. 2. here you shall find the story of the Eagle and Fox verifyi'd if the Eaglé touches but a Popeling the Fox fires his nest See the Eastern Empire whose substance was lost fighting about shadows nay the substance of Religion and Christs Image charity for a wooden one Finally let us look home and sweep our own doors from the â—irt which would cleave to them the first appellant here in England was Wilfrid Archbishop of York in the reign of Egbert and his Son Alfâ—ede the Popes Nuntio's in his behalfe were return'd with a Complement of honouring for grave lives and honorable aspects but they would not ' sent to their Legation See Anselms Contest about appeales to Rome answer'd with a Consuetudo regni mei est à Patre meo instituta ut nullâ—us praeter licentiam Regis papa appelletur quâ— Consuetudâ—nem regni tollâ—t potestatem quoque Coronam Regis violat Siquis invenâ—us fuerâ—t litter as vel mandatum ferens Domini papae c. Capiatur deo eo â—â—cut deâ— Regis traditore Regnâ— c. if it was treason then reason will â—carce expect thee Reward of loyalty now should atteâ—d his missaries These you will not deny such as you call Catholick and cannot wonder if in those times they menac'd ponere murum pro Domino rege they now place one pro republicá and better learn'd by time Now with the Grec an Church they answer we know your pride cannot satisfie your Aâ—arice and therefore leave you to your selves For his Patriarchate by Gods Law he hath none in this Land for 600 years after Christ he had none for the subsequent 600. intent to greater matters hee would have none above or against the Princes sword he can have none to subvert faith or oppresse his brethren 't is fit he should have none you must seek further for subjection to his tribunall this Land oweth him none Finally to bring you home and truth home to you reflect upon your own Rome in the time of budding Christianity Polycarp in Anicetus time comes to Rome yet makes no appeal Justin Martyr lives at Rome lends no suspition of such power hee names a prefect of the brethren calls all Christians High-Priests and so he being one may attain a pontificall dignity Irenâ—us calls Soter Anicetus Hyginus Pius Telesphorus Xistus Presbyters Dionysins Corinthius calls Soter a Bishop Apollinaris tells of Asiatick Churches excomunicating without the Roman The Gallican Churches in a dissention of Alcibiades and Theodotus not onely appeal'd to but the Roman Victor was oppos'd by Polycrates an Ephesian Bishop Nay even the name of Universall Bishop was so great a stranger to Rome that a Pope though it designd the comming of Antichrist was a name of blasphemy and to admit it was to lose the Faith and no Sciolist in History but may discern if the Foxes taile had not been peeld to the Lyons skin his Holiness might have now been but a petty Chaplain and squar'd his Religion to some magnifico's trencher and he may thank Saint Pauls sword which hath more advantag'd him then the Crosse keles of St. Peter Sect 5. Who would be ty'd to that infallibility which instead of adorning hath so dawb'd the Gospell that Christianity may be suspected for a Fable al religâ—on pass for state policy while quatenus Cathedâ—a doceat this Nymph Egeria must inform the Roman Numa and to resist it be no lesse treason quam tentare arcana imperi and yet his Holinesse silence such prodigious pieces of masking foolery golden Legend Bridgets Revelations Metaphrastes Saints Monkish Chymaera's and pious frauds which for excellence and probability may parallel Lucian's true History render Pantagruel Orthodox make Don Quixot for the transportations of his phancy passe in opinion for a S. and a Gusman may be canoniz'd for a knave by revelation as well as a Ronsard tenter our Saviours miracles to an analogy with Hercules labours and your Divine Arâ—sto make Saint John a groom to feed an Hippogriph with Celestiall Oates Indulgence to vice shames virtue out of countenance and the threed of falshood interwoven with the gold of verity makes even truth passe in the supposition of counterfeit Who would believe the treasurie of Pontificiall merits exceeds his Peters pence since no penny no Pater noster no our Father the Pope with Peter sure will scarce hold currant at Heaven gate Or believe a Purgatory above unnecessary injunctions and a fire in it above a Culinary one which he maintains by it in his Kitchin since he seems an adversary in the way and who agrees not with him quickly is cast into Prison and scarce gets out till hee paies the uttermost farthing Or the Priests when they cry edite bibite de hoc omnes and devour all themselves lie not Or mumming may not seem Religion where Religion may seem but a mask of Anticks That lies and phancies bee necessary for salvation since who believes them not Trent Councell salutes with an Anathema Or the Popes have not been the greatest Schismatiques since they have made more Schisms then others Churches have Articles of Faith That two Popes when they both do contradict each the other are both of them infallible Or injoyning severall Bibles I must peruse neither That the people was not mock'd by subtile divisors who instead of milk to instruct their souls milked their purses with the fictitious milk of the Virgin Mary visible in twelve places in the time of Henry the 8. That Saint Wilfrid's needle which opened to the penitent and clos'd to the guilty was not the needle the Camel Cable might passe through the rich man to Heav'n since who gave most was alwaies the most innocent Or a rood moving like to a Puppet by wyre and weeping the tears of a bleeding Vine gain'd not the Priests the blood
There can be no cause to make a schisme or separation from the whole Church for the whole Church cannot universally erre in faith for if it could it would cease to be holy neither can all the members of the militant Church erre either in the whole or an Article of faith if they could there could be no union betwixt the head and members and so no body no Church The Church of the Elect is in the Church of them that are called and the invisible Church in the visible or else the invisible Church is tyed to no duty of Christianity for all such duties are required of the Church and performed as 't is visible and consequently if the whole Church of the Elect cannot erre in fundamentalls the whole visible Church cannot erre in which the Elect is 'T is manifest out of Saint Austin ipsa est Ecclesia quae intra sagenam dominicam cum malis piscibus natat grana sunt inter illam paleam quandâ— area cum videretur tota palea putabatur There are bad fish in the net of the Lord from which there must be ever a separation in heart and manners but a corporall separation must be expected at the sea-shore in the end of the world And as the spirit of a man doth not quicken any member of the body but as it is united to it so neither doth the Spirit of God any member of the Church but being united in the bond of peace Sect. 73. I have weakened the lights of my body to introduce knowledge by by these windowes of my soule lost my selfe to finde others to magnifie my age I will not boast I have outlived Emperours Popes If he lives only long who lives well I am the shortest liver I have served twice Jacobs time to a more deceitfull Master then Laban an impious world young in years old in folly a Labyrinth riddle bubble nothing The reward of Jacobs servitude was blessed mine cursed could produce only spotted actions checquer'd with the guilt of my own black imaginations who have been carried about with the air of my own phancy that I might not be transported with the wind of every phanaticks error discompos'd my fortune to settle my mind Amicus Plato amicus Socrates sed Magis amâ—ca veritas If truth be not more my friend then any one my memory can challenge a familiar acquaintance with I may modestly presume my selfe destitute of any while I have moved upon quick-silver and wheâ—l'd upon the incertainties of giddy chance a Polypire Ephorine and Philaetic become all with all not that I might gain others with the Apostle or gain of others wiâ—h the world but gain my selfe And though this itch of my curiosity may produce bad blood by exasperating malignant humours yet I shall skin my own sores over by so good a conversation and by no rash exposures of aliene sores to the ayre I shall endanger the wranckling of any into male-content I shall not relinquish my part in our elder Brothers legacy the love that Christ bequeath'd us for the greatest of Mundan inheritances for if my barns were full my soul could not take her ease should I disease my brother I might fear with a Thou fool hac nocte in the night of error illuminated by no beam of Gods grace and mercy from a darker action to be cast into a darker dungeon for having no mercy on him for whom the light in darknesse rose I would snatch a Brother out of the fire with fear and trembling and not commit to flames with rigour and malice The Spanish devotion shall prescribe no rule to mine who hang'd up thirteen Indians to the honour of Christ and his twelve Apostles Sect. 74. I am not of the Tyrants minde oderint dum metuant as I would incurre no mans hate so I would lend an occasion to no mans fear since invention witty in cruelty should not wrack a confession that may prejudice another I would not endanger a Priests life to save mine own Bellum cum vitiis Pax cum hominibus is my motto I hate no Sect but pray for all that like Sampsons Foxes divided by the heads they may not be tyed together by the tails in the country they reside to raise a combustion or Snake-like return a sting for entertainment and can wonder that the twilight of nature and noctiluce of reason in Heathens should out-shine the Sun-beams of the Gospell in Christians while History presents us with an Aristodes a Phocion and Themistcoles who though their bodies suffered by an Ostracism would not exile out of their minds that piety which was due even to an ingratefull Country One asked What he would wish to his country for their ingratitude answered Never to want an Aristides The second commanded his sons to forget their Fathers injuries and the third dyed rather then he would revenge his own and could wish the Athenian Legislator might even prescribe a Law to Christians who for blindnesse returned light who instead of retaliating the losse of an eye administred light to the Author by opening the eyes of his understanding Sect. 75. I would convince by reason make no conviction by Law make a confiscation of error not goods though I seek not their goods but the good of their souls Persecution is a seeds-time of error as well as of truth The Norfolk Arian could laugh at the stake and though none can dye well who live not so no one can live so ill as cannot dye desperately The old Roman humour of braving death sleeps not with Paganisme Rome hath still her Scaevola's dare court the flames and have a hand in every combustion no part of the earth can make a breach for which they can want a Curtius who to make it up will not ingulph himselfe in misery Some with Augustus can die in a complement more with Tiberius in dissimilation No Priest but Galba-like will offer his neck with a feri si ere sit populi Romani while with Vespasian they can smile with an ut puto Deus fio A Garnet may be Sainted even for a powder plot And some resembling Otho's friends wil die for society while they like him murder themselves under pretence of being publick victims Sect. 76. I would bring tears to quench rather then fewell to the flames not cause others to be disembowelled but could even disbowell my selfe by an inviscerate dilection Show excrementatam liquidiora tam crassiora non solùm pectoris sed religionis anatomiam To reclaim these Traitors to reason who believe heaven can side with factions and omniscience cannot discover these disguises of charity He who commands us to let our light so shine before men that they may glorifie our heavenly Father commands us not to light men for his glory And though he whom we must pattern was a light in darknesse in usum nocturni luminis Nero like non proponit cremandos Christianos These fires may show hell flames but to show a way