and Supremacie Matth. 10.16 Be ye wise as Serpents and Simple as Doves LONDON Printed by I. L. for Nicholas Bourne at the South entrance to the Royall Exchange 1642. A Preface to the Reader Gentle Reader I Am to write of a point of Controversie wherein I know that I shall undergoe the censure of divers sorts of people yea amaze some at the strangenesse of the thing Yet my intention being good as tending to the safeguard as well of souls as bodies of all and I my selfe being constrained by a kinde of naturall necessitie thereto as suffering much not only by the severitie of the Laws for my Religion which is the least but likewise both spiritually and temporally by the malice and treachery of some evill spirits instigating others to take advantage by Religion doe hope to finde approbation therein at least of the wiser sort Although I cannot see but why in reason not pretending the least prejudice to Religion but rather the good of Gods Church as I shall make appeare the weakest sort of Catholiques should not be likewise pleased therewith For although Religion as it is taken for Christian beliefe ought of every man to be professed according to St. Thomas Aquinas and other Doctors 2a. 2ae q. 3. at two particular times viz. when and as often as the glory of God shall conduce therunto or the spirituall good of our neighbour shall be either conserved or augmented thereby grounding themselves upon the words of our Saviour Matth. 10.32 Qui me confessus fuerit coram hominibus confitebor ego eum coram patre meo qui in caelis est Every one that shall confesse me before men I also will confesse him before my Father which is in heaven Yet it is not necessary to salvation that any man at all times and in all places doe confesse his Religion without necessitie Whence if a man should goe out into the Market place and cry himselfe to be of such and such a Religion or should write upon the frontispice of his house in a countrey contrary to his Religion here liveth a Christian a Protestant or Catholike his act would be thought so farre from vertue or religion as that it would be rather deemed presumption or the height of indiscretion Hence it is that although a Catholike be bound under paine of damnation to professe his religion in the twice before assigned yet he is not bound to professe a Recusancy of a thing of its own nature indifferent thereby at all times and in all places to discover his Religion for this were as much in effect as to cry himselfe over the whole kingdome or to write over his doore that he were A Catholike or at least some Sectary For as I shall hereafter say Recusancy is common both to Catholikes Brownists and other Sectaries different in opinion from Protestants which would be an occasion to call himselfe in question for the Religion he professeth whence I may rightly describe the Recusancy of Catholikes no otherwise then to be an indiscreet discovery of a mans Religion without necessitie or obligation whereby he makes himselfe lyable to the penall laws of England for not going to Church Which was brought first amongst them into England by a certaine company of men for temporall ends procured covertly and by indirect means from twelve Fathers of the Councell of Trent and certaine Popes upon false suggestions to the ruine of many men That I proove what I have said it is necessary that I relate the manner how it was brought in In the beginning of Queen Elizabeths reign and the alteration of Religion in England Catholikes went to Church to conforme themselves to the State as they did in K. Edward the sixths time yet privately kept to themselves the exercise of their owne Religion Which some Priests perceiving not convenient for the propagation of their owne family then newly hatched wrought in the Councel of Trent that twelve Fathers of the said Councel not all Bishops yet favourers of the said family might be selected to declare to English Catholikes upon these suggestions following viz. that the Protestants of England were idolatrous and blasphemous hereticks hating God and his Church that their commerce especially at Church would be an occasion of the subversion and ruine of their soules denying and betraying of the true faith giving of scandall to men of tender conscience as breaking that signe which was distinctive betweene the people of God and not his people that it was altogether unlawfull for them to goe any longer to the Protestant Church as appeareth by the words of the said declaration which if I had by me I would willingly have here inserted This declaration being thus obtained they possessed certain Popes to wit Paul the fourth Pius the the fifth the two last Gregories Sixtus Clement and Paul the fifth so strongly with the same and the aforesaid suggestions that the said Popes likewise declared as it is said by certaine rescripts which I never yet could see their going to Church to be likewise unlawfull Which said suggestions had they beene or were they true I should likewise say and grant it unlawfull but not being true as I shall hereafter shew the common opinion of Divines in this point is to be followed to wit that it is a thing indifferent and therefore may be lawfull to frequent the Churches of Schismaticks Now to prove what I have said that it was first brought in by a certaine company of men It is evident in it selfe by the carriage of the businesse for it is altogether improbable that one mans authoritie to wit Doctor Sanders who is named to be the onely Agent herein a man alwaies ill relished in our state and therefore in this point to be esteemed partiall could select so many Fathers out of the said Councel in a matter of such importance upon his owne bare suggestion or that the said Fathers would or ought to have declared the same unlesse they had been made beleeve that the aforesaid suggestions were true in the common opinion of most of the Priests then in our kingdome That it was wrought for temporall ends by the said company the event shewes the same for there is none that have got or do get thereby but onely the said company as appeares by their abundant treasure and rich Colledges for Recusancie begets persecution and persecution almes deeds that God may assist the afflicted in their distresses And by this Recusancie great mens children can get no learning or science within this kingdome but must be sent beyond the Seas each at twentie five or thirtie pound per annum by which their said family was and is propagated and their heape increased Further the politicall invention of recusancie was so sweet and pleasing by reason of the great gaine which it brought that one of the said company Authour of the answer to the libell of Justice all besmeared with wonted pietie so
partialitie and then they should see whether having this meane of beliefe in a balanced judgement they would attribute their heresies to Gods revelation and deny his revelation to Orthodoxe Articles or no. To the authoritie of St. Thomas I answer that he meaneth such as attribute heresies quatenus tales to Gods revelation and deny his revelation to Orthodox Articles quâ tales as Arch-hereticks did in this reduplicative sense to be blasphemers But not such as take Scripture for the revealed word of God and misunderstand the same in a specificative sense through their own ignorance or infirmitie to be blasphemers Neither did St. Thomas or any other temperate and solid Divine ever inteâ—d to say It may be here first objected that Catholiques in the beginning of Queene Elizabeths Raigne went to Church and so did likewise the Catholiques in Scotland and they were all in a short time subverted Ergo there is danger of subversion in going to Church I deny the later part of the antecedent and say that while the plot of Recusancie was working there was a command got upon the former suggestions that no Catholiques should goe to the Protestant Church So by barring them of their Christian libertie by degrees to bring in Recusancie as a pretended signe betweene a good Christian and a bad Which some few Catholiques then beleeving themselves bound to obey as indeed they were not but might as well withall reverence and obedience have beseeched the Pope to have recalled his command refused the Church Others and those the most part of the kingdome as appeares by the afore Author of the Answer to the Libell of Justice cap. 8. pag. 172. 182. fearing the penalties of the said Statutes did not refuse but continued to goe to Church who being neglected by Priests being but a few then in England and those of most power being for the said recusancy as having no spirituall comfort or instructions in what sense they might truely and lawfully doe what they did to avoyd the said penalties of the Law and likewise thinking that those Priests thought them to doe ill in what themselves found no hurt they dyed as they lived But whether in Protestant tenents or Catholique or whether they would not have dyed Catholiques if they had had helpe especially such as lived before in Queene Maries time I present to any wise and pious mans judgement truly considering the state of those times And afterwards their children being still neglected upon this point of Recusancy and living in ignorance ingendred the Protestant Reâ—igion now on foot So that the cause of their falling was not their subversion as may be proved by witnesses yet alive but over indiscreet zeale in Priests the chiefest heads of whom ayming as is evident at a temporall end neglecting and rejecting such as would not obey their unreasonable command and in the same manner it hapneth with Catholiques that now goe to Church in these dangerous times Who going to Church only to save themselves from ruine and being rejected as judged to be fallen from the true faith by ignorant Priests and therefore not looked after with any Christian instructions or admonitions faine themselves Protestants rather then they will bee thought to live against their conscience Whence I may truely say and prove by the Authour last before cited who confesseth that in the thirteenth yeere of Queen Elizabeths reigne the third part of this Kingdome at least was Catholique that since the fall of Religion in England by this onely Cheate of recusancie tenne soules have beene lost for one gained which is both lamentable and damnable to those that were the first Authors of the same As for the Scots their fall was neither subversion or Recusancie which was never generally admitted because not covertly procured by the Clergie of that Kingdome but want of Priests to administer the Sacraments and give them other spirituall comfort who seeing the soyle not so fertile as ours and the lawes more severe those few that were rather chose to converse on the Northern borders of England then in their owne Countrey And Catholiques there seeing themselves destitute of all spirituall comfort went to Church to save their inferiour portion from ruine who if they had had but plenty or sufficiencie of priests to have instructed them I doubt not but they would have still remained Catholiques And it had been farre more easie so to have conserved them then fallen now to convert them And thus came the bane of Catholique religion into both Kingdomes which are like so to continue remedilesse unlesse they be assisted by Gods infinite and miraculous power It may be objected secondly that divers Popes as Paul the fourth Pius the fifth both the last Gregories Sixtus Clement and Paul the fifth granted to priests their faculties with an intention that they should administer the Sacraments to onely such as abstained from Protestant Churches I answer that it is so said by R. P. but whether it be so in truth or no I know not peradventure such faculties might be granted to such as received them from the aforesaid suggestors hands and to none others Neither did I ever see any faculties as yet so limited nor I hope ever shall For although the aforesaid Popes might be inclined to the said suggestors tribe so admit of their suggestions thinking them to proceed from zeale and not from hypocrisie who likewise thought their pretenses holy and what a Christian like thing it was to suffer persecution for Gods sake and what a number of Martyrs were made in England sanguinem martyrum esse semen Ecclesiae that the blood of the Martyrs was the seed of the Church Further what an abominable people Protestants were Idolaters blasphemous heretiques subversive of soules and many other the like exaggerating speeches upon which any Pope living unlesse he had foreknowne their drift would have done the like Whereas certainly had they but made known the true State of England in those dayes and sought the good of souls and not themselves in truth they ought to have done the said Popes would never have done as they did to us more then to the Scots Hollanders Germans and other nations by subjecting us and all posteritie by this device of Recusancie to all misery and slavery Neither hath his Holinesse that now is ever declared any such thing for I perceive that he better knowing by experience the said suggestors tribe and their plots with their moth-like dealings in most Kingdomes will be advised hence forward how he granteth any more Rescripts or limiteth any faculties upon their importune suggestions As for our Martyrs of England I hope them truely Martyrs because they died not so much for recusancie as for Religion and a good conscience although that might be a meanes to bring them to their death sooner then otherwise Yet I dare not call all of them Saints untill the holy Church doth bid me as having approved of their miracles but most of them I
Canons soever forbid Communication with hereticks they are to be understood of notorious hereticks in point of their heresie or particularly denounced excommunicated for heresie and fallen in Catholique countreyes or from amongst Catholiques And not of such as are not formall and subversive hereticks but borne incredulous in a countrey to be converted and not knowing the Catholique Church After all this some may yet say that it hath been a long custome with them to abstain from the Protestant Church above these threescore yeers and they have suffered and lost much by refusing the same and can I have so little judgement as to thinke upon mine own bare word or opinion to make them leave this their custome I answer how small soever my judgement be that it is not only my opinion but the common opinion of Divines in the Catholique Church and I never spake with any Priest in England about this point in my life that was able to give me satisfaction to the contrary Some indeed have answered me that it were lawfull if it were not for scandall Others if it were not a distinctive signe and when I have urged that scandall may be avoyded as I have before said and for a distinctive signe I knew none for who should institute that signe then they have answered that a long custome had brought it in I have blessed my self to thinke that men should so unjustly deale with poore Catholiques as to bring upon them a yoake or fetters which they can keepe upon them by no other law then that they themselves cunningly got them on or chained them about threescore yeeres since and now to kicke of these chaines or their devises would prove forsooth scandall because they would seeme refractary and disobedient to their suggestive humours but to give me a reason why going to Church was unlawfull before the refusall thereof became this supposed distinctive signe or before the same could be cause of scandall I could never yet heare any man give but only the aforesaid R. P. hath given in writing the aforesaid suggested untruths with a great deale of passion that this my opinion was thought rationall â—or almost fortie yeers agoe and since recusancy was brought in as appears by his said booke of many most prudent men in this kingdome which is to me no reason at all For let us propose to any Divine in Christendome these three following questions relating the true state of the Protestant Church in exterior actions for we meddle not as I have said with their opinions in matters of faith and withall adding that we are constrained to them under paine of death and losse of all temporall fortunes 1. Whether it be lawfull for a Catholique to heare the Prayers Epistles Gospels and Psalmes of the Catholique Church among Protestants in their Church 2. Whether it be lawfull to heare a Protestant preach in the same place some moralitie although it should by chance happen that some ignorant Minister should speake of some point of mistaken doctrine as that Catholiques trust in their own merits or the like falshood 3. Whether it be lawfull for a Catholique to receive bare bread and wine in remembrance that Christ dyed for him as a pious ceremony and whether not better so taken then without such remembrance I dare say that there is no impartiall Divine but will answer Yes And for these opinions I make no question but if I had been as well backed in Rome as the said R. P. was I would have got as great approbation to the same as he had to the same questions after his subdolâ—us manner proposed as followeth 1. Whether it be lawfull to frequent the Churches of hereticks where there is both imminent danger of subversion and scandall 2. Whether it be lawfull to heare the blasphemous and idâ—latrous Sermons of hereticks in which both God and his Church is notoriously and highly abused 3. Whether it be lawfull to receive Calvines Communion of bread and wine which they hold a Sacrament and is a signe of hereticall perfidiousnesse whereby a man betrayeth and denyeth his faith To which every Cathoâ—ique whatsoever would and must answer No but this in truth is not our case For the beliefe of Catholiques is not questioned nor subversion or blasphemie or denyall of faith either apprehended or feared Neither can they scarce possibly happen in the Protestant Church as I have before said but the question only is what Catholiques may exteriorly doe for the safeguard of life with a good intention and how and in what manner they may best converse and preserve themselves from ruine with most securitie Therefore I pray forgive the said R. P. who proposed the said questions in Rome out of his aboundant zeale of money and youth to propagate his family not once considering that it is an impossible thing for them to be hereticks who never were Catholiques As for their custome of Recusancie I say first that it is no custome for a custome is a continuance of a thing time out of minde without any interruption Now recusancy hath been interrupted oftentimes first by Doctor Wright who wrote against the same Ann. 1607. and since him Master Broughton and now my selfe Neither hath it been time out of minde for there are some yet alive borne in Queene Maries dayes who have knowne when our recusancie was not in England and thereupon in these troublesome times doe now goe to Church I say secondly that an inconvenient custome with imprudencie is better broken then kept and the prescripâ—ion of threescore yeeres not good Yet if they will needs claime a right in and to their actions by the same I doe hereby promise not to take it from them by any suit in law For I doe write more to avoyd the scandall of the weake then that I do thinke thereby to satisfie the weake or rob them of their said custome As for their sufferings and losses I am sorry for them and doe assure my selfe that they will receive a great reward for the same because they suffered not so much for the love of recusancie as for the love of God for whosoever doth the meanest worke no indiscretion therein being apprehended by the doer either for Gods sake or for vertue sake although of some considering the act it selfe and not knowing the doers intention it may be judged indiscreet yet the worke may have a reward from God and yet another that doth not the same no punishment Thus the three branches of the said Minor proposition being proved the Conclusion standeth good for the lawfulnesse of going to the Protestant Church Me thinks here I heare some storme that if this my opinion should be admitted as lawfull it would follow that they must likewise take all the oathes that are made against Catholiques which will tend to perjurie To which I answer that I would have them to do things consequenter and any thing for safeguard of life wherein their is no sinne And to
she meant that she might dispose of Church matters as her Father had and have power to forme what Church she pleased and so that should suffice her Highnesse It is to be noted thirdly that the aforesaid oath when it was made was unlawfull to be taken by any Catholique as the oath before made in the dayes of King Henry the 8th Although when it was made it was not altogether so unlawfull as that of King Henry because in his dayes there was no other Church extant or like to be extant in England but the Catholique Church of which contrary to the Law of God and his own conscience he made himself head as appears by a booke set forth by the said King himself in the later end of his raigne and many yeers after he had framed his Oath of Supremacie intituled A necessary Doctrine and Erudition for any Christian man set forth by the Kings Majestie of England c. In which he sets forth the Christian faith then to be professed in England Which was as absolutely Catholique and the self-same in every point as now it is in Rome And if any man should have sworne him the supreame head as he intended of that Church he would have sworne false as making the Church a Monster in having two heads or depriving the Pope of his authoritie granted him by God which had been to have denyed an Article of faith but when the said Oath was repealed in Queene Maries dayes And another Oath of Supremacie made in the aforesaid first yeere of Queene Elizabeth It was as I have said to inable her not so much to be head of the Church then extant and to be utterly abolished as to be Governour of a new Church distinct from the Catholique Church then out of hand to be propagated and established of which to sweare Her Head before it was or to sweare Her Head of the Church then extant which she conceived superstitious of which indeed she was not head was in a true and proper sence unlawfull And so continued unlawfull untill after the abrogation of Masse and perfect establishment of the new Protestant Church within this Realme and other His Majesties Dominions Which being established as now it is the said Oath of Supremacie ceased from being unlawfull because then there was an apparant face of a Church distinct from the members of the Catholique Church which then began scarce to appeare in respect of the greater multitude of which only she was supreame governour and chief head and no other person whatsoever had or ought to have any jurisdiction or preheminence in the same and all that were or are not of the same faith and Church were and are in a true and proper sense forreiners to the same It is to be noted fourthly that a man may be said to be a Forreiner in a twofold sence First in respect of a temporall Dominion Secondly in respect of faith whence ariseth a spirituall jurisdiction In the first sence all that are not Natives of His Majesties Dominions although some Lawyers say all that doe no homage to His Majestie are forreiners In the second sence all that are of the Protestant faith with the King are Domesticks of the same faith and within His Dominions only subject to His spirituall jurisdiction by the Laws of the Realme And all that are not of the Protestant faith are forreiners to the same conformable to St. Paul who accounted all those of whatsoever Nation or under whatsoever temporall Dominion or Iurisdiction in the world who were of the same faith with himselfe which he taught were Domesticks of that faith And those of whatsoever Nation or temporall Dominion that were not of the same faith he accounted forreiners Whence he saith Gal. 6.10 Let us doe good to all but especially to the domesticks or those of the house of faith And 1 Thess. 4. vers 12. Rogamus ut honeste ambuletis ad eos qui foris sunt nullius aliquid desideretis We desire you brethren that you walke honestly towards them that are without that is forreiners to our faith and need nothing of any mans It is to be noted fifthly and chiefly what conditions are required in every lawful oath which according to the Prophet Ieremy are three viz Truth Iudgement and Iustice for he saith in his fourth Chapter Thou shalt sweare our Lord liveth in truth and in judgement and in justice upon which place the holy Doctor S. Hierome noteth that the foresaid conditions are requisite to every oath of whom all Divines have leâ—rned the same requiring in every lawfull oath every of the said three conditions The reason hereof is because an oath being an invocation of God as witnesse that what we speake is true it is requisite that we should use judgement or discretion to see that we doe nothing rashly or without due reverence devotion and faith towards so great a Majestie but we must especially regard that we make not him who is the chiefe and Soveraigne veritie and inflexible justice either ignorant oâ— what we say or Patron of a lye as witnesse of that which either is false in assertion or unjust in promise Hence an oath wanting Iudgement or discretion and wisdome is a rash and foolish oath that which wanteth Iustice is called an unjust oath And finally where there is not truth it is adjudged a false or lying oath and is more properly then all the rest called Perjurie These notes premised I shall now prove the said Oath of Supremacie to be lawfull for any Catholique to take Every Oath that is accompanyed with the three said conditions or companions viz. veritie justice and judgement in the opinion of all Divines Canon and Civil Lawyers is a lawfull Oath but such is the Oath of Supremacie above recited in every part and particle of the same Ergo. The Minor is proved discoursing of every branch in particular and first of the first branch wherein I sweare that the King is only Supreame Governour of this Realme as well in all Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall things or causes touching the Church of the said Realm as Temporall touching the State or of any other his Dominions Which I doe sweare discreetly as a thing true and just For there is no other Supreme Governour of temporall things to be assigned but the King as all will confesse nor of Ecclesiasticall things or the Church of England as by a sufficient Enumeration may be proved For the Parliamâ—nt is not supreame governour of the Churches within this Realme when as according to the naturall light of reason the King is governour of that and therefore not supreame The Primate cannot be assigned supreame governour when as he hath all his authoritie of government from the King and so he hath a Superior A Lay-eldership cannot be supreame governour for although it be unknowne what it is or from whence it receiveth its authoritie yet I thinke no Lay-eldership so barbarous as not to
after their manner that which is indeed the maine question between us namely whether Papists are Catholikes For if he take Catholikes in that sense in which the word is used by the ancient Fathers for a right beleever or Orthodox Christian in opposition to all heretikes and schismatikes neither are Romanists such Catholikes and such Catholikes living within his Majesties Dominions not only may but ought to come to our Protestant Churches and take the Oathes both of Allegiance and Supremacie when they are legally tendered unto them d If the author had not here rubd his forehead hee would never have set this text in the frontispice of his book for whether we translate the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 innocent or simple in neither sense it befitteth either the person of the Author and his Associates or the argument of his book How innocent Papists are it is sufficiently known to all the world by the Massacre at Paris Powder plot in England and the present Rebellion in Ireland As for their simplicitie let the Iesuits manifold Apologies of Equivocation speak and this Priests Treatise in hand wherein he endeavoureth through the whole to proove it to be lawfull to double in point of Gods worship and juggle in matter of most sacred and solemne oathes e Rubet auditor eui frigida mens est criminibus tacitâ suÌ„dant praecordia culpâ It seemes the Authors heart smote him and his coÌ„science misgave him and his inke turned red when he set his pen to paper to apologize for hollow hearted newtralitie and halting betweene two religions If we divide his Pamphlet into two parts we shall finde the first part spent in proofe and justification of simulation the second of dissimulation in the former part he perswades the Papists of England to make shew of what they are not by frequently resorting to our Church and Communion Table in the second to deny what they are by taking the two Oathes wherein both the temporall and the spirituall power and jurisdiction of the Pope within these kingdomes are renounced f How the ensuing Treatise tendeth to the Safeguard of the bodies and estates of Papists by declining the penalties of the laws every intelligent Reader may perceive but how this way of dissimulation tends to the safeguard of souls I cannot understand sith the Saviour of our souls who is the Way the Truth Truth and the Life teacheth us in expresse words Marke 8.35 Whosoever will save his life shall loose it but whosoever shall loose his life for my sake and the Gospel shall finde it vers 38. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinfull generation of him also shall the Sonne of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with his holy Angels and Matth. 10.32 33. Whosoever shall confesse me before men him will I confesse also before my Father which is in heaven but whosoever shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven But I subsume to make profession of communion with misbeleevers or schismaticks is not to confesse Christ and to deny any part of our Christian Faith with what art of words or pretence of good intention soever is upon the matter to deny Christ and to be ashamed of him and his Doctrine g You may thanke Pope Pius his seditious Bull against Q. Elizabeth wherein he not only excommunicateth her but exposeth her life and kingdome for a prey and the treasonable practises of Iesuits and Iesuited Papists for the severitie of our laws not indeed against your Religion but rather irreligion and disloyaltie medicum severum intemperans aeger faâ—it h Hoc veruÌ„ est priusquam Theognis nasceretur This is an extreame veritie as the French speake that it is not necessary to confesse a mans Religion without necessitie as if he should say it is not profitable for a man to drive a a Trade without profit or not pleasant to recreate himselfe without pleasure or not wholsome to take Physicke which conduceth not to his health But if this were in him lâ—psus linguae or calami I am sure his inference hereupon is deliquium mentis and argues a defect in his rationall facultie for at this issue he drives because it is not necessary at all times and in all places to confesse Religion no more then to goe out into the Market place and cry I am a Romane Catholike or to write upon the frontispice of his house here lyeth a Papist that therefore a man may sometimes make an outward profession of a contrary Religion by joyning with them publikely in their Service and Sacraments If he had staid longer at schoole he would have perfectly learned which he fumbleth at this lesson from the Schoole Divines which looseneth the sinews of this his argument that affirmative preceptes obligant semper sed non ad semper but negative semper ad semper A man is not bound alwayes to exhibit cultum latriae to God by adoration or prayer but he is bound never to exhibite Divine worship to a creature he is not bound alwayes to offer unto God or to give to the Church but he is bound never sacrilegiously to take away from God or his Church in like manner he is not bound at all times and in all places to professe his faith but he is alwayes bound not to denie his Faith and Religion either by word or deed A man is not bound alwayes to speake a truth but he is bound never to lie feigne or play the hypocrite i See the Advertisement to the Reader The Apostle saith Godlinesse is great gain if a man be contented with what he hath but by the confession of this Priest gaine is the Iesuits godlinesse the zeale of Gods house eats not them up but their zeale devoureth the houses of the welthiest Recusants in England What care they though Recusants sinke in England so long as they swim in abundance beyond the Sea what thought take they for the parents mulcts and taxes by the state so long as their Pupils scores are paid in their Colleges k If seven Popes one after another swallowed the same State gudgeons and after the swallowing of them sub annulo piscatoris sent rescripts into England forbidding all Catholikes under paine of mortall sinne to repaire to Protestant Churches which this Authour acknowledgeth to be an errour in those Popes what becomes of the infallible assistance of the holy Spirit annexed to Peters chaire if so many Popes might be deceived by false suggestions why not by false arguments and objections if they may be deceived in matter of fact why not in matter of faith which often dependeth upon matter of fact and there being more need of inerrabilitie in a visible head for matter of fact then matter of faith the later so far as it is necessary to salvation being plainely set downe in Scripture If they may be deceived as
their originall Fountaine sith the most of them if not all might be gathered out of more ancient Liturgies For which See Biblioth Patru to 1. And if it be so then it may be said That the mud of Popery fell into them but they sprang not from Popery but from purer fountains * It hath been I confesse a long custome in the Latine Church ever since Pope Vitalian to celebrate the Church Service in the Latine tongue but it was never the custome of the Catholique or Vniversall so to doe The Greeke and Syrian and African and other Churches had from the beginning and have at this day their Service in their own languages Neither is the reason the Priest alleadgeth here of any force namely That w as the Catholike Religion is universall so it should be exercised in an universall language which he will have to be the Latine For first there is no necessitie that the Catholike Religion which is universall should be exercised in an universall language but rather in all languages Secondly since the division of tongues at the tower of Babell there was no language universall in all the world the Greeke was for a time the furthest spread and after the Romane but neither of them nor any other was spoken or understood by all Christians and at this day if we may beleeve travellers no language is so generally knowne and spoken as the Slavonian Thirdly the unity of language maketh nothing to the unitie of Religion or the Church neither doth the Apostle require that the Divine Service be performed in any one tongue but that it be done in a knowne tongue to the edification of the Church 1 Cor. 14.4.12.14.16 And to that end among others was the gift of tongues given x See page 28. Letterr. y See the lettero. pag. 17. z See the letter R pag. 28. a This definition of an heretique is both defective redundant defective for every obstinate deniall of an article of faith makes not an heretique unlesse his conscience be clearely convinced of his errour out of the word of God it is redundant also for a man may be an heretique by denying any article of faith though that article be not proposed to him by the Catholike Church to be beleeved though but his pastour or any other religious Christian out of Gods word clearely propound it to him and prove it or it be read by himselfe in the Scripture if he obstinately persist in the denyall thereof after his conscience is convinced he becomes an heretique b The Protestants of England know other Churches besides their own and some have learnedly discoursed of all the Churches in the Christian world as Purchas Brierwood Mocket Mr. Paget and others 〈◊〉 true it is they acknowledge no infallibilitie in the Roman or any particular Church nor receive any Church for true and Orthodoxe which consenteth not with them in all points of faith either expresly set downe or by cleare and necessarie consequence deduced from holy Scriptures c The Protestants hold nothing contrary to the Catholique Church though they hold many things contrary to the present Romane Church which is neither the Catholike Church nor a sound member thereof as is proved invincibly by Iohn Reynolds praefat thesium Sect. 12. Thes. ss 27. Apol. 5.23 And Bilsons answer to Cardinall Allen part 4. And Abbot against Bishop in a Treatise intituled The true ancient Romane Catholike to which none answer hath yet beene given nor sufficient can be d With what face can he say that the Protestants are incredulous and beleeve not the truth Who entirely beleeve the whole doctrine of the Scriptures together with the three Creeds that which beares the name of the Apostles the Nicene and that of Athanasius together with the foure first generall Councels in which time the Church most flourished as also the joynt Doctrine and unanimous consent of all the Fathers both of the Greeke and Latine Church for five hundred yeeres after Christ our Lord came into the flesh Let this traducer of the reformed Churches answer punctually whether he beleeveth that the learned Doctors Confessours and Martyrs who lived and died within the first 500. yeeres held the entire Catholique faith necessary to salvation or no If they held it not how were they saved upon what good ground or warrant are so many of them canonized for Saints even by the Roman Church but on the other side if they beleeved all things necessary to salvation how can we be esteemed incredulous or defective in our faith who beleeveth all that can be proved to have beene joyntly beleeved and unanimously professed by them e Is this the holy Romane Religion to make a May-game of Religion and to goe to Sermons as to a play to make themselves merry and dispell a Melancholly dumpe Besides their owne third commandement enjoynes them to keepe Holy-dayes and their owne Casuists allow the Lords day to be a day that is holy And is this a piece of holynesse to goe on such dayes to a play yet neither doe I beleeve that he can readily name the man much lesse many men that spake fustian with gravity in our Pulpits but I am sure he who patched up this Safeguard out of rags of Religion and falshood speaks Linsewoolsey through his whole Discourse and contrary to the law ploweth with an Oxe and an Asse The later of which here brayeth irrationally and unjustly against the generalitie of Protestant Preachers and Sermons Forsooth we are silly weake and ignorant men but they are all profound Gamaliels nay Angelicall and Seraphicall Doctors Whereunto I answer as Saint Paul did to the calumnies of the false Apostles 2 Cor. 10.12 We dare not make our selves of the number to compare our selves with them that commend themselves but they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves amongst themselves understand not The Catholiques he saith are Hounds â—lood Hounds I grant and our Ministers timorous Hares they dare not encounter the weakest Romane Catholique they neither understand the controversies of Religion nor dare meddle with any in their Sermons If this were true which all our hearers know to be most false yet me thinks Iuvâ—nal speaks very good reason Loripedem rectus derideat Aethiopem albus And what great Clarks I pray were those of whom Boniface Bishop of 〈◊〉 â—pâ—ke in his time heretofore we had woodden Chalices and golden Priests â—ut now we have golden Chalices and woodden Priests what great Gamaliels were they of whom Bonaventure complaines Quidam sacerdotum â—lavem habent he speaketh of the Key of knowledge quidam claviculam quidam nullam what was he upon whom Sir Thomas Moore thus playes in his â—pigrâ—m tu bene cavisti ne te ulla occidere possit litera nam nulla est lâ—tera nota tibi Be not frighted at the words of the Apostle the letter killeth thou hast taken good order that it shall not kill thee for thou knowest not a lettâ—â— What was he
will make no bones to denie it reserving in his mindâ— chast Lastly if the Iudge or Iustice charge him to use no equivocation or mentall reservation he will say and sweare he useth none reserving in his minde to tell you and so he slips all knots and it may be truly said of him what Pseudolus in the Poet spake of Ballio non potest pietate obsisti huic ut res sunt caeterae this man is oath proofe All heretiques and miscreants deliver mendacia doctrinarum lyes of doctrine but these only doctrinam mendaciorum a doctrine of lyes sodered by mentall reservation these only define doctrinally the lawfulnesse of a lye so that which is untrue in words be salved up with a mentall reservation This is the strange monstrous brat of the Iesuits like a childe halfe in halfe out of the mothers wombe for so is their mixt proposition halfe uttered and halfe concealed or reserved to themselves This is conceived to be the invention of a Iesuit at the first and therefore is tearmed by those who have learnedly impugned it the Iesuits new art of lying and true it is if we peruse the Catalogues of heretiques drawne by Epiphanius Augustine Philastrius together with Alfonsus à Castro Ambrosius de Rusconibus you shall light upon no hereticke who doctrinally maintained such a kinde of equivocation especially in matter of oath to be taken before a lawfull Magistrate It is true the Priscillianists held it to be lawfull to lye and forsweare and some Catholiques in St. Austines time to feigne themselves Priscillianists that they might the better entrap them and discover them but this was fraudulent simulation not mentall reservation the Arch-hereticke Arius when he was demanded whether he had subscribed or would to the Orthodox faith concerning the consubstantialitie of the sonne answered he had or would pointing to a paper in his bosome in which he had written his beliefe touching that point but this was a fraudulent gesture and false significatiin of his minde not a mentall reservation Give therefore the Devill his due this quaint kinde of lye was his prime invention as we may see in the Poet. When the Devill required of the Pagan King who was about to sacrifice unto him Cut me off a head Numa instructed by his familiar appearing to him in the likenesse of the Nymph Oegeria answered I will doe it adding by aequivocation of an Onion when the Devill added nay but thou shalt take of a mans Numa saith he will but addeth what he reserved in his minde haires when the Devill yet farther replyed nay I will have the soule or life you shall saith the King adding what he reserved in his minde of a fish and so plowing with the Devill his owne heifer resolved all diabolicall riddles See here the prototypon of Iesuiticall equivocation by addition and mentall reservation and after what copie either Garnet or Valentia or Navarrus or any other of the like sect wrot who first in our age published in writing and after in print the doctrine of equivocation by mentall reservation Fourthly to descrie to those that sit at the sterne in Church and Common wealth the maine scope and marke at which this Romish Priest and his associates â—ime in perswading all Romish Catholiques within this Realme to resort to our Churches and take the Oathes both of Allegiance and Supremacie It is as be professeth not so much for their indempniâ—iâ— from penall Statutes as to qualifie them for other preferments and even votes in Parliament to the indangering of our Religion and governmâ—nt For what should hinder them whose parts estate and friends are able to raise them from attaining their desires herein sith their Religion is now made no barre unto them and these Oathes he mentions now serve no more for a partition Wall betâ—eene loyall Protestants and dislâ—yall Papists Now the Ephraimites have learned to speake Shiboleth as plaine as the Gileadites whereas before they could but lispe Siboleth And if these Ephraimites by this slight come to be admitted to places of greatest trust in this Kingdome and as their birth and Baronies entitle divers of them to the House of Peeres so they should be chosen indifferently to the House of Commons what a loose end all things would be at How suddenly might we be cheated of our Religion Liberties Lawes yea and lives to Wherefore it were to be humbly desired of those that love the truth in sinceritie even with bended knees that his Maiestie and the high Court of Parliament would make some more certain distinctive signe between Papists and Protestants then monethly coming to Church and taking the Oathes above mentionâ—d This Authour points at such a thing while he speakes of some Articles of thâ—ir faith which it is not lawfull for them in any case to deny If therefore it should seeme good to the wisedome of the State to prescribe such a Confession of faith to be drawn wherein all or the most fundamentall points of their Trent faith are renounced and by name the twelve new Articles added to the Apostles Creede in the Bull of Pope Pius the fourth we should either soone see certainely who were Papists and who were not or at least give the Romish Religion a smarter blow then it ever yet received For though this Authour speake of a Fox craft to be used by Prudent Catholiques and though the Priests and Iesuits and the cunningest heads among the Papists would set their wits on the racke to finde out some Eshapatoir or evasion whereby they might goe beyond the State yet they must then be inforced to denie their Religion to save it and to alter the tenets which have hitherto beene held for currant both among their Schoole Divines and Casuists namely that it is a damnable sinne to equivocate when a man is called to give an account of his faith For this cannot be denied to be a plaine deniall of Christ and in their owne sense whosoever so denieth him before men shall be denied by him before his Father in heaven Lastly to shew the great strength of truth and the cleare evidence of the Protestant Religion which convinceth the conscience of most obstinate Papists For this Authour a man of learning and well versed in the booke cases of the Romanists though in some places he jeares at our Preachers and scoffes at our Religion yet in other where he is most serious he lets fall those passages from him which are worthy the taking up namely pag. 6. Recusancie was first brought aâ—ong Catholiques into England by a certaine companie of men for temporall ends procured covertly and by indirect meanes from twelve Fathers of the Councel of Trent and certaine Popes upon false suggestions The false suggestions pag. 7. et deinceps were these viz. That the Protestants of England were idolatrous and blasphemous heretiques hating God and his Church that the commerce with them especially at Church would be an occasion of the
moral cap. 11. 27 punctâ— 2.4 5. who saith It is lawfull for Catholiques to prâ—y together with Protestants to heare their Service and goe to their Sermons And for this opinion he citeth Navarr lib. 5. Con. 10. 12. de haeret who as all men know was a pious Divine and a man of a tender conscience Againe the said Azorius saith in the said cap. 27. puncto 5. That if an hereticall Prince commands his Subjects that are Catholiques to goe to Church upon paine of death or losse of goods if he doe this only because he will have his lawes obeyed and not to make it Symbolum hereticae pravitatis nor have a purpose to discern thereby Catholiques from Hereticks they may obey it Gregory Martin one of the translators of the Bible into English cited by the said R. P. in his book aforesaid pag. 101. 109. Diana 5. part tract de scandal pag. 191. resol 33. where he saith a man may use the habit and ceremonies of a false law being in danger of death See Hurtado de Mendoza and others by him cited And Paulus Comitolius Resp. moral lib. 1. q. 47. when he comes to handle the question whether a Professour of the Romane faith being sent into those parts where the Greeke Church observes other rites may goe to their service he allows it and builds upon this reason That by the Law of God and nature it is lawfull and the precepts of the Church if any there were that forbid this doe not binde Christians in cases of great detriment to the life or soule or honour or fame or outward things See Azor. above cited for going to the Schismaticall Church of the Greeks where he saith that a Catholique hearing Masse in a Schismaticall Church there on a Sunday fulfilleth the precept of the Church commanding the same See further the Decree of the Councell of Constans and Martin the 5. which beginneth In super ad evitanda scandala c. for the communicating with hereticks as well in service as otherwaies Which Decree extends it selfe further then to our purpose For by the same we may communicate with Hereticks fallen in a Catholike countrey if it be not in point of heresie Yea receive the Sacraments of Priests excommunicated either by law or any sentence of man so they be tolerated and not by name excommunicated See Diana pag. 175. col 1. and the said Hurtado whom he citâ—th If then we may communicate with such men where there may be some danger of sin why should we not communicate with Protestants where there can be no danger of sinne as shall be hereafter prooved It is fourthly proved by the practice of all Catholikes in forreigne Countries for Germany See for Germany and France Navarr lib. 5. Consil. 12. de Heret and see the foresaid Author of the answer his words are these cap. 9. pag. 216. And indeed if the German Catholiques had beene so restrained persecuted and put to death as the English have beene these yeers and had not gone by halfes with the Protestants as in some places the have done they had had perhaps farre more Catholiques at this day and them more zealous and their whole Nation perchance reduced ere this Thus he Where is to be noted that his perhaps and perchance are nothing worth For by their going to Church as he termeth it by halfes with the Protestants their countrey became Catholike long since whereas his zeale of persecution hath not converted ours yet neither is yet like to doe For Scotland it is confessed by the said R. P. pag. 69. with his judgement of their miserie insâ—ing thereby but the truth of the miserie I shall shew hereafter who yet in plaine termes doth not deny my assertion but here and there granteth that some learned discreete man where there is no scandall and in whom there is no danger of subversion may goe to the Church of heretiques and heare their Sermons Much more say I then to the Church of Protestants most of whom are not to be called properly formall hereticks for to heresie as it is a sinne against faith and maketh a formall hereticke is required obstinacie or pertinacie against the doctrine declaration and sence of the Church See Saint Thomas of Aquin. 2â— â—ae q. 11. ar 2o. Cajetan Bannes idem Aragona art 1o. Suares disput 19. de fide sect 3. Now what obstinacie can Protestants be said to have in their opinions with relation to a Church they know not for they know none other but their owne so that although they beleeve amisse whereby they may suffer in the next world and speake hereticall propositions yet because they proceed not from an hereticall mind or consent they are not perfectly heretiques Adde that I my selfe in Germany with other Catholiques of the same countrey have gone to a Synagogue of Iewes without any scandall or having beene judged to have done amisse Ergo I and others may go to a Church of Protestants without any scandall or being judged in reason to have done amisse And I can assure my selfe whatsoever others may thinke of my assurance that the lawfulnesse of going to Church is the common opinion of all forreign Divines that ever I conversed with in any Vniversitie Which in part may be proved by the fact of a certaine Catholique Lady who going to Church in England sent her Priest to Paris to have this case resolved by the Sorbon Doctors who all Subscribed That a Catholique in England might lawfully goe to the Protestant Church That this is true it may be justified by some persons of great qualitie yet alive If any English Scholler shall answer that we went to the Synagogue of Iewes out of curiositie and when they did not exercise their rites and ceremonies I reply that to choose we would have gone if we might have had private conveniencie unknowne to them to have seene their rites and ceremonies neither doe we set downe our intention of going for if it may be done with any intention lawfully especially where the whole matter of all their rites and ceremonies is alwaies conserved to wit a burning lampe with oyle for the soules departed now as they conceive in Limbo patrum a place where the oblation of oyle to that purpose is alwaies kept the tenne Commandements placed in veneration a number of linnen rolles or bands wrote with Hebrew letters wherwith they binde the tenne Commandements according to their distinction of feasts the knife of Circumcision and the like Which may be stumbling blocks to some weake Christians although the men to performe these rites should not be present why should wee not goe to the Protestant Church with some intention lawfully where there are onely men within bare wals saying some Catholique service by them pieced up together without any Catholique forme not to the possible hurt of any but themselves and whether I went to the said Synagogue out of curiositie or out of the love of science to reason
himselfe disdained This reason seemes to me very strange that a man may goe to Church to serve his King and may not goe to Church to serve himselfe when as charitie alwayes beginneth at home and if a man be naught in or to himselfe to whom can he be good or that feare of displeasure through apprehended disdaine can excuse a man from doing that which were otherwise unlawfull as though a man were not bound rather to suffer the displeasure of his King with losse of his life then suffer wrack of his owne conscience and if feare of displeasure did excuse Naaman why should not the danger of death losse of fortunes ruine of posteritie and the like excuse Catholiques 4. The fourth reason and most especiall difference is say they that Naaman made a promise before the Prophet and his own train that he would from thence forth serve onely the true God and to that purpose carried earth with him to make an Altar for sacrifice Whereas those that goe to the Protestant Church doe not renounce all heresies nor professe to frequent Masse c. But pray give me leave to say they doe and that herein there is no difference at all For Catholikes that goe to Church are knowne to their Confessaries and their minde and intention is likewise to him knowne as Naamans was to the Prophet And if they be knowne Catholiques their beliefe is likewise knowne at leastwise to their traine if not to others by their communion with the See of Rome so that herein there is no disparitie at all And if they be not knowne it is prudence to keepe themselves so more then to their Confessaries which is a sufficient protestation in these troublesome times For I wonder by what law a mâ—n is bound to make any other Protestation of his beliefe for the doing of a thing indifferent So that as I have said for the said foure reasons and likewise because there is Idolatrie committed at Protestant Churches which I never yet could finde as often as I have frequented the same and doe hope to prove the contrarie the aforesaid Doctors make it unlawfull and scandalous to goe to Church and our case different from Naamans Hence they liken it to that of Eleazarus and the other Maccabees 2 Mac. 6.7 who were commanded by eating Swines flesh to depart from the law of God and their fathers Which say they by no meanes was lawfull to doe or to make shew of doing the same And a man may sweare it true For Swines flesh being forbidden by the law they were bound under sinne to abstaine from the same And if they should have made their brethren beleeve in words that they had eaten they would have told an untruth with dissimulation in a matter forbidden by the law both which were mortall sinnes which is as farre different from our case as light from darknesse For we contend that to goe to a Protestant Church is by no law forbidden but a thing indifferent and by a good intention may be made really good without any dissembling And they bring us an example of a thing which in doing many sinnes are committed so that for the reasons which I have given I conceive that the authoritie of the said rewoned Doctors concludeth nothing against our assertion unlesse the Protestants were an assembly of fallen heretiques where there were danger of sinne by subversion or the like which can never be proved It may be fourthly objected that it is the common opinion of men that to go to Church is scandalous because it is a signe of hereticall falshood and a man so doing is reputed as fallen both of Catholiques and Protestants I answer that it is false and experience teacheth us the contrary For who made it such a signe and Schismaticks that goe to Church with an ill conscience only to save their goods notwithstanding in this they are accounted to hurt onely themselves yet of all Catholiques they are trusted and esteemed as honest men and of Protestants they are esteemed no other And they sinne not as I have said in going to Church but in going with an ill conscience and being barred of simple Priests from other meanes of salvation and in doing so give scandall But you will say they deny their faith in this act I deny that They deny onely recusancie with an ill conscience and not religion Yet I grant that such Schismaticks professe no faith at all And if there be any other opinion of men concerning them it is malicious and pharisaical generated by the craft and deceit of others under the species of pretended piety making people beleeve that there is sinne and scandall in the act when there is none and if any Protestant thinketh otherwise of this they have it from the erroneous customary opinion of some Catholiques revealing the same It may be objected fifthly To communicate with heretiques is sinne and scandall but to goe to Church is to communicate with heretiques Ergo. It is sinne and scandall To which I answer first distinguishing the Major to communicate with hereticks publikely and particularly denounced to be such or in their heresie I grant the Major but deny the Minor in the same sence but to communicate with heretiques not denounced such not in point of heresie to be sinne that is most false for then we should neither eate drinke buy or sell with Protestants which is most absurd Which absurditie to take away and all scruple rising from thence by communicating with heretiques as well in service as otherwaies was the before mentioned constitution of Martin the fifth prudently made Adde that if we may not communicate with Protestants in going to Church we must communicate with Brownists in refraining the Church and so be thought the same with them or else every one must be bound to get himselfe convicted for a Popish Recusant that so Protestants may know him to be a Catholique and no Brownist and so to avoyd water he must runne into the fire If you answer that so he goeth not to Church it maketh no matter what Protestants thinke of him for Catholiques know what he is I reply then by the same reason that if he goe to Church it maketh no matter what Protestants thinke of him for Catholiques may likewise know what he is I answer secondly that the Major supposeth what is not granted viz. That Protestants with whom I goe to Church are formall heretiques which I desire to be first proved For an heretique is he that obstinately denieth any article of faith proposed by the Catholique Church to be beleeved How can a Protestant be said obstinately which includes a knowne infallibility rejected to deny an article proposed by the Catholique Church as I have said before when he beleeves none other Church but his owne For although Protestants hold divers tenets contrary to the Catholike Church which have been justly condemned in their Authours as heretiques Yet whether obstinately held in them the contrary not
her Majesties Servants means if a Sancta Clara himselfe may be beleeved unblemished told divers persons seriously speaking that there was never an able man in Rome To which some replying yes The Pope and Court of Cardinals in faith quoth he no making a signe of contempt with his hand they are slight and weake fellows Here is a fellow to get Buls here is one that got himselfe made the Popes Protonotary and bound himselfe by oath to reveale whatsoever he heard or saw done evilly against the Pope yet he is as ready as any to abuse him I wonder what account he can give to the Pope of this his office but it should seeme that he did except himselfe in his oath that he might evilly intreat him at his pleasure That this is true it will be deposed upon oath by divers witnesses whensoever his Holinesse will be pleased to exact the same And further the said a Sancta Clara added that he was writing a booke conceiving as it should seeme the whole Church to be weake and to want his helpe wherein he would shew what Rules generall Councels ought to observe in declaring matters of faith which rules as he said not observed the Councell should not be held lawfull Oh abominable presumption and ambition let any man judge whether this man be not descending to Lucifer who will presume to be copartner with the holy Ghost in directing and â—eaching his Church If this man live we may perchance in time have broached a quaternitie in divinis but I hope that God will prevent his hereticall humour And thus leaving the said a Sancta Clara to him that will have him my intent here is only to shew upon what unjust grounds by suggestion a Bull may be gotten from Rome And whether the aforesaid suggestors for Recusancy who lived at the Popes doores and continually at his or their favorites sides might not also get their rescripts Buls and Declarations by the like fraud for their own ends although questionlesse with the like pretended zeale and pietie I leave to every mans conscience to judge For as in Catholique Countreys where Buls and Breves are directed to Bishops of Diocesses there can be no thought of any sinister proceedings so out of such countreys where particular men or Corporations busie themselves in procuring such Buls c. there is never want of suspition and most commonly of abusive dealing And it stands with reason because particular men would never sue for generall Briefs concerning a whole State or trouble themselves more then others if it were not for their own ends and did not concerne themselves above the rest And therefore the ancient Pietie and Apostolicall Clemencie of Popes in such Cases hath been patiently to heare wherein they have been misinformed and abused for it is not their intention at any time to grant any thing either upon a veyled truth or unjust though speciously suggested grounds Hence Alexander the third writing to an Archbishop of Canterbury gives a Rule of large extent Extra de rescript ex parte That in these kinde of letters that is such as proceed upon information as our Case is this Condition If the request bee upon true grounds is ever understood though it be not expressed And writing to the Archbishop of Ravenna Ibidem he saith Siquando If at any time we write such things to you as exasperate your minde you must not be troubled but diligently considering the qualitie of the businesse whereof we write either reverently fulfill our command or pretend by your letters a reasonable cause why you cannot for we will endure patiently if you forbeare to performe that which was suggested to us by evill information by which appeares the worthy integritie of the See Apostolique howsoever it be by the unworthinesse of flattering hypocrites oftentimes abused §. 3. That it is not unlawfull to goe to Church for feare of danger of subversion or Blasphemy which is the third and last branch of the Minor to be proved WHich I prove thus Not danger of subversion for to what purpose should they preach subversive doctrine when that supposeth a knowledge in the Minister of some people there present to be subverted Which supposition is false and must needs savour of a broken fancie For the Minister intends no more then to exhort his Auditors to a good life and to instruct them in moralitie For as I have said if he should preach controversies he must know some Catholiques to be there or otherwise he would but ingender doubts among Protestants and doubts science and by that meanes would more trouble and disturbe the mindes of the people then profit them which out of prudencie he forbeares and so contents himselfe now and then with an untruth and away And in Catholique countries I my selfe have heard Priests rebuked for preaching of controversies to a Catholique auditorie as being a meanes rather to disturbe them then profit them as troubling themselves with doubts of things either above their reach and capacitie or whereof otherwise they are infallibly certaine so that generally controversies are never preached unlesse it be to bring people from their doubts to a better and greater certaintie then they were in before which hath onely place among people newly converted or staggering in their religion Secondly A man is said to be in danger when that which is feared commonly oftner hapneth then the contrary so a man is in danger of subversion by going to a place where few come but are subverted but so it hapneth not in the Protestant Church as is apparent by Schismaticks of all sorts who many yeeres frequent the Protestant Church and yet retaine their opinion of the Catholique religion without subversion and become Catholiques at last Adde that going to Church will rather confirme Catholiques in their religion then subvert them from the same for then they will have upon their owne knowledge what now they take upon trust for if what is done in Protestants Churches be opposite to what is done in Catholique Churches as the contrarie opinion useth to say comparing them to light and darkenesse which are privative opposites according to Dialecticks although the comparison be false I say opposita per se posita magis elucescunt opposites being set together doe more clearely shew each other then that which is best sends the best species to the power from the object and consequently to be embraced Now if a man hath the best already it will then more clearely appeare and he is not so mad as to leave the best and take the worâ—â— but will be more sure and certain that he hath the best as seeing the opposite and confirme himselfe theâ—ein This appeares true to every meane capacitie What danger then can there be in going to Church shall we be afraid to let a Greyhound goe into the field for feare he should be taken by an Hare Thirdly those that goe to Church either they were borne Catholiques or converted Protestants
admit the King chiefe governour of the same Neither can the Pope be any way supreame governour of the aforesaid Church because he professeth himself only supreame head and governour of the Catholique Church and of no other according to Saint Paul 1 Cor. 5.12 what is it to him to judge of them that are without of which Catholique Church His Majestie dâ—th not claime to be head Neither will he be governour of any spirituall or ecclesiasticall thing therein as conceiving the same both superstitious and idolatrous Ergo. the King must be supreame governour of the Protestant Church That the King is only Governour is proved because none other can be assigned his equall in preheminencie of government in the aforesaid Protestant Church For the second or third branch it is likewise proved For I sweare them likewise discreetly truly and justly viz. that no forrein Prince Person Prelate c. hath or ought to have any jurisdiction c. within this Realme in the said Protestant Church which I adde as before because according to the intention of the Law and Law-maker as I have before said it was so meant For neither doth His Majestie or did Queene Elizabeth claime to be chiefe Governour of the Catholique Religion or Romane Church or any jurisdiction therein It being by them both as I have often said abhorred as superstitious and abolished for the same reason by the said Queene and State of England therefore it is against reason and a kinde of pettie treason to sweare either of them governour of a Religion which they apprehend so evill but in respect of the Protestant Church established the Pope is a forrein Person and Prelate and his jurisdiction forrein Neither hath he or any other forrein Person any jurisdiction in the aforesaid Church or ought to have for as I have said in the fourth note out of Saint Paul as all those that are of the Catholique faith are domesticks of that faith and all that are not of the same faith are forreiners to it so all that are of the Protestant faith of which His Majestie is governour are domesticks of the same and all that are not of the same are forreiners to that Religion Hence appeares the truth of the said branches wherein is said in the second That no forrein Prince c. and in the third I doe utterly renounce and forsake all forrein jurisdictions c. which I doe justly and lawfully renounce as well in respect of the Protestant Church as of the Catholique for as I have said the Pope is truly a forreiner to the Protestant Church in respect of which I must by the law renounce his jurisdiction And he is no forreiner in respect of the Catholique Church in which I am bound to respect him and his jurisdiction for if all Catholiques be domesticks one to â—he other as I have proved out of Saint Paul how can the Pope who is chief of that faith be said to be a forreiner his jurisdiction being as internall and intrinsecall as innate and naturall to every Catholique in the world as it is to him that stands next him in his chamber at Rome And therefore there being no forrein jurisdiction in the Catholique Church in every sence I may lawfully renounce all forrein jurisdictions The fourth and last branch can have no difficultie at all with any Catholique So that the words of this Oath seeme to me so cleere and lawfull since the establishment of the Protestant Church that it may be taken of any Catholique without any the least danger of Perjurie or any other sinne scandall being avoyded or without mentall reservation or secret equivocation that I admire that any man hath so long scrupulized to the losse of himselfe and fortunes when as being necessitated to take the same and scandall being easily to be avoyded as I have said out of Diana and others he might have prevented his owne ruine with a safe conscience as I conceive Sir Iohn Winter and other men of estates did who are reported to have lately taken the same It may be objected first that this Oath thus explicated hath no coherencie the first branch with the second and third and therefore that it be coherent and taken conformably to the intention of the law-maker as we sweare the King to be onely Supreame Governour of the Church of England in the first branch so ought we in the second and third branch to renounce all Jurisdiction forreign to the same To which I answer first that coherencie is no condition requisite to an oath but impertinent to the truth or falshood of the same for there be many things of a different nature inserted in an oath Secondly that there is a most perfect coherencie in the aforesaid explication for as in the first branch I sweare the King Head of the Church of England so in the second and third I abjure all forreigne Jurisdictions whatsoever Which are the very direct words of the oath for there are no words in any branch signifying a renunciation of all Jurisdiction forreigne to the Protestant Church of England Whence there is a great difference between renouncing all Jurisdiction forreigne to the particular Church of England and renouncing all forren Jurisdiction For a forren Jurisdiction renounced is rightly described A power or right denied to be extent to the swearer by any law and is more generall then a Jurisdiction forreign to the Protestant Church which is onely a power not extent to a Protestant quâ talis which although it be forren to the said Church yet it may be properly extent and appertaining to the swearer So that it is intended by the said oath that as in the first branch we sweare the King onely Supreame Governor of the Protestant Church within this Realme and his Dominions so in the second and third we are to renounce all forren Jurisdictions whatsoever which either the Pope or any other forren Person hath or ought to have in the same which every Catholique may lawfully do notwithstanding that generall saying That the Pope hath Iurisdiction over all Christians for that is meant a generall Jurisdiction in the Catholique Church either actuall or potentiall extent to all which is forren to none and which by taking this oath is not denyed I answer thirdly that all penall lawes as is this law for taking the oath in doubtfull words are ever to be taken in the more favourable sense and which makes the law to containe no falshood or injustice And therefore in this law to sweare as the words lye may be done without any injâ—stice or falshood which is and ought to be presumed to be the minde of the lawmaker for no law or lawmaker intends perjurie And therefore it is a frivolous thing to invent scrupulous crotchets which the words doe not import It may be objected secondly that the oath must be interpreted according to the intention of the law and lawmaker for as Suares saith lib.
6â— de leg cap. 1. upon the will and intention of the lawmaker which is the soule of the law the substance and force of the law doth chiâ—fly depend therefore it by any meanes the will of the lawmaker may be knowne according to it especially we must understand the words of the law But the will of the lawmaker is sufficiently knowne concerning this oath to make it apparently unlawfull for any Catholique to take as appeareth by the words of King Iames of blessed memory saying in his Premonition pag. 9. and in his Apology for the oath pag. 2. and 9. that by the oath of Allegiance he intended to demand of his subjects nothing else but a profession of that temporall Allegiance and civill obedience which all subjects by the law of God and nature doe owe to their lawfull Prince c. For as the Oath of Supremacie saith he was devised for putting a difference betweene Papists and them of our profession So was the oath of Allegiance ordained for making a difference between the civilly obedient Papists and the perverse disciples of the Powder treason by which words it appeareth that King Iames held both the law and the law maker intended by the oath of Supremacie to put a difference betweene Papists and Protestants and that no Papist would take that oath wherein the Jurisdiction of the Pope was intended to be abjured Ergo the said oath of Supremacie is to be interpreted accordingly all doubtfulnesse of words set aside and consequenter unlawfull for any Catholique to take To the Major of which Objection I answer first granting the same Secondly with a distinction that the intentions of the law and law maker are to bee sought when they interpret the law in a truer sense then the plaine words doe as they lie otherwise not lest it want veritie To Suarez I answer that himselfe saith in the place before cited that if at any time the propertie of the words of an oath should induce any injustice or like absurditie concerning the minde or meaning of the lawmaker they must be drawne to a sense although improper wherein the law may be just and reasonable for this is presumed to be the minde of the law maker as it hath beene declared by many lawes in F. tit de lege thus Suarez So that although there were in the words of this oath divers significations impropper and unusuall yet in the opinion of Suarez it might be taken and the words interpreted in the truest sense abstracting from the reall intention of the law maker how much more then say I the words being not improper or unusuall but according to the intention of the law and law maker may they be taken in the more favourable sence which may make the law to be just and reasonable See for this doctrine Can. Cum tu de testibus cap. 16. Can. ad nostram de Iurejurando cap. 21. et de regulis â—â—ris in 6. reg 49. in paenis leg Benignius F. de leg Leg. In ambigua ibidem Hence it followeth first out of the doctrine of the said Suarez that although the words and sentences contained in this oath being considered barely by themselves and without due circumstances to wit the intention of the law and lawmaker and to what end and purpose the sâ—id oath was framed may seeme to some doubtfull and ambiguous although to me they seeme not so that is not cleare and morally certaine and so for one to sweare them in that doubtfull sence were to expose himselfe to danger of perjurie yet considering as I have said that such doubtfull words are to be taken in the more favourable sense and which maketh the law to be just and reasonable and to contain no falshood or injustice If any one sweare those words which of themselves are doubtfull in no doubtfull sense but in a true and determinate sense and wherein they are not doubtfull but cleere and morally certaine there is no danger of perjurie at all It may seeme to follow secondly out of the aforesaid doctrine that such as tooke the oath of Supremacie in King Henry the eighth dayes which rather then those famous and glorious men Sir Thomas Moore and Bishop Fisher would take they worthily chose to die were not to be condemned of perjurie because it might be supposed that they being learned Bishops and Noblemen knowing what belonged to an oath did draw the same to some improper sense which ought to have beene the intention of the aforesaid King to make the law just as if they should have sworne the then King Head or chiefe of the Church of his countrey for that he was Sovereigne Lord and ruler of both persons Spirituall and Temporall all sorts being bound to obey his lawfull civill lawes and commandements And so in this sense although it be a kinde of improper speech every King is Head of the Clergy and all others of his owne Countrey Or peradventure they might sweare him Supreame Head of the Church of England that is Chiefe of the congregation of beleevers within his dominions for so in our language we commonly say him to be the head of a Colledge Court or Citie that is the chiefe and him to be chiefe who is supreame therein The Church being then taken by all Divines for a congregation of men Why might not King Henrie be improperly sworne in the opinion of Suarez Head of the then congregation in England So that what Sir Thomas Moore lawfully and piously refused with relation to the intention of the aforesaid King others might without perjurie take with relation to the law of God abstracting from all unlawfull intentions to wit that every oath be just and reasonable as being to be taken in Veritie Iustice and Iudgement and so what was unlawfull in a proper sence might at lest be free from Perjurie in an improper Thus understanding the first branch and the second and third in the same sence before delivered they might peradventure be excused as I have said from perjurie But never from sinne For considering the state of England in those dayes and the absolute intention of the King which well knowne to the whole world was to be sworne Supreame Head of the Catholique Church Catholique religion still here remaining as I have said his oath was as much different from this now oath of Supremacie as darknesse from light For by this the Queene claimed not the Supremacie granted by Christ to Saint Peter as did her father but onely to be Supreame governour of a Church out of which she would not onely discard the Pope but likewise roote out all Catholique religion contrary to her fathers minde as I have shewed so that the question in the said Kings dayes was about an Article of faith viz. Whether the Supremacie were granted by God to the King or to the Pope Which Article they were bound with losse of their lives to have professed being called thereunto for then did occurre the
times of obligation before expressed by Saint Thomas and other Divines for the profession of a mans faith As when the honour and glory of God and the spirituall benefit of his neighbour should exact the same Now when or what greater honour could a man have done to God then to have stood for the truth of the Gospel and defence of the Catholike faith being so opposed And in whom could there have beene more edification and greater example given for simple and unlearned men to follow then in Bishops and great men of authoritie Neither was it to purpose for them to alleadge that they were in danger of their lives and fortunes for they were bound to loose both rather then to denie any one Article of faith For although I have said that a man is not bound with danger of life or fortunes to abstaine from a thing lawfull or of its owne nature indifferent as the going to a Protestant Church in a Protestant Countrey taking the oath of Alleagiance or the now oath of Supremacy every of which is farre enough from an Article of faith or point of religion onely more cryed downe because out of fashion then out of any grounded reason or judgement to avoid the scandall of weâ—ke ones after instruction or admonition given of the nature of the thing and the danger in abstaining Yet I never said that a man was not bound to professe his religion in time convenient or that hee might deny his faith or any part or point of the same for feare of death but absolutely the contrary hence I say that the Supremacie in those daies being a point of religion and an article of faith although they might be excused from perjurie yet never from sinne and scandall And therefore I conceive that Suares onely intendeth that then lawes and oathes invented contrary to the law of God may be drawne to an improper sence when scandall may be avoyded with integritie of faith And so those that tooke the aforesaid Kings oath I leave to the judgement of God for as Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 4. It is our Lord that judgeth who best knoweth the rectitude of all mens actions and the secret intentions of each mans heart The Minor of the said objection is denyed And to the words of K. Iames saying that as the Oath of Supremacie was devised for putting a difference between Papists and them of our profession So was c. I answer that the said King did not by those words undertake to give an absolute and totall reason why the said oath was devised himselfe not being the deviser or maker thereof but spake according to the effect which hee saw the oath of Supremacie tooke in his daies who conceiving that Catholiques held it not an oath lawfull for them to take and therefore some in King Henries daies refused the same out of conscience others since the abrogation of Masse and establishment of the Protestant Church out of scruples not considering either the change of times or alteration of the Church conceived likewise a difference to result thereby betweene them and Protestants so that the said renowned King did not intend by the aforesaid words to make known the intention of the law or lawmaker but onely spake what an effect the said devised oath had in Catholiques wrought That neither of the said oathes of Supremacie were framed to put a difference betweene Papists and Protestants is evident by what I have said for in King Henrie his dayes there were no Protestants knowne in England to differ withall and that oath was made onely and solely for his pleasure And in the said Queens daies the oath was onely made to give and acknowledge her power and authoritie in Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall things thereby as I have sufficiently said to propagate and establish the Protestant Church and to no other end or purpose The Major and Minor being thus answered the consequence appeares naught and the assertion for the lawfulnesse of the oath in force If any simple man pardon the bluntnesse of my speech for I know that no discreete or judicious man of either learning oâ— piety will justly censure me shall whisper in a corner that this doctrine is scandalous and unheard of and that divers have suffered and shed their blood rather then they would admit the same and which if it had beene lawfull others of his tribe would have found out before this time hee should have added to men of great qualitie and therefore it being no matter of faith none ought to beleeve it I forgive the poore man for he speakes out of hypocrisie or ignorance or both for he cannot tell you with learning and sinceritie why or how it is scandalous And if any did suffer for the same I pray let him likewise whisper when or in what yeere or Kings reign and then compare his speech to what I have said Yet whensoever they did it because they would not sinne against their consciences which rather then to offend they not understanding the â—ruth of the said doctrine and their phansie being the contrary way strong were bound to doe Yet good brother Simple doe not perswade me against my conscience unlesse you can confute me in reason for I conceive that I say nothing although not written of before but what is evident with Grace in reason although it be not certaine by divine fâ—ith And therein I shew my selfe a true friend to my distressed Countrey for certus amicus in re incerta cernitur A sure friend is tried in a doubtfull matter Yet I should be loath that any man should charge me with the least thing said as contrary to faith or the doctrine of the Catholique Church To which and whose censure I doe in all humility submit my selfe for all my doings sayings and writings as well for the satisfaction of mine owne conscience as that ignorant braines may take no offence And iâ— this doctrine were never heard of before what then Is it therefore false or scandalous And if your tribe did not finde it out before is it a wonder None at all with me for I should wonder indeed to heare you the inventers of any thing beneficiall to Gods Church howsoever you may and doe write over and translate other mens workes and so seeme to ignorant men to finde out something for the good of the Church that was never lost or before wanting therein because as yet I have never heard or knowne so much Those therfore that shall hearken to such whisperings I will wish them no other punishment then that the Vicar of fooles may be their ghostly father In the meane time maugre all censures I will thanke God that he hath enabled me to helpe my distressed friend at a dead lift by counselling and instructing to a lawfull I had almost said meritorious but that I feared more anger and discreet act Thus then seriously to conclude If any man shall yet remaine unsatisfied I knowing that an Angel of
Priest against him this Sancta Clara hath Paraphrased upon the Articles of Religion established in the Church of England and sheweth in what sense and how a good Romane Catholique may with a saâ—e conscience subscribe to them all though eighteene at least of them shoot point blancke at their Trent faith and pierce it through and through Aggravate thâ—s fact of his to the height doth this Priest himselfe doe lesse who Paraphraseth upon the Oath of Allegiance and Supremacie and sheweth in what sense a Romane Catholique may take both though the former directly renounce the Popes temporall and the latter his spirituall power and jurisdiction Now I see what the matter is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is and alwayes will be emulation betweene Artificers that worke at the same Trade this Priest and Sancta Clara are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the same Craft or Trade they both deale in like Commodities equivocations and mentall reservations and wittie devices to elude oathes subscriptions to articles of Religion and religious obligations Not to dissemble with either of them they both teach with the Helcesaites Euseb. hist. lib. 6. cap. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dissimulation in point of Religion and cunning fetches to deceive Chriâ—tian Magistrates when they are convented before them and unlesse they both repent their doome is set down Apoc. 22.25 Without are Dogs and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye I know well they pretend by this doctrine to keepe men from perjury and lying but they doe just as Lycurgus the Law-giver of the Lacedemonians did who to prevent adulterie enacted communitie of wives For equivocation is no better then an artificiall and made lye as the Bishop of Duresme and Mr. Henry Mason prove in their Treatises of this Argument p Yet some of these Greyhounds have beene taken by the Hares he speakes of as Albertus Piggius by Calvinâ— Paulus Virgerius by Breâ—tius and divers others but of this see pag. 53. letter E. q It is true that the Romanists teach the simpler sort of the vulgar that they are not to adore Images but onely to use them for memorie sake and Cardinall Bellarmine himselfe in his second Booke De imaginibus sanctorum c. 22. hath these expresse words quantum ad modum loquendi praesertim in concione ad populum non est dicâ—dum imagines ullas adorari debere latriâ sede contrariò non debere sic adorari For the manner of speech especially in Sermons to the people we must not say that any Images ought to be adored cultu latriae but on the contrarie that they ought not to be so adored Yet the truth is that the Romane Church maintaineth the religious worship of Images For in the second Councell of Nice confirmed by Pope Adrian they are thunder smitten who adore them not clamat Synodus saith Bellarmine in the Chapter above cited imagines adorandas and venerabiles imagines amplexamur qui secus faxit anathemate percellimus and in the nineteenth yeere of King Richard the Second the Lollards have a forme of recantation prescribed them in these words From this day forward I shall worship Images with praying and offering unto them in the worship of the aints that they be made after Ex Rotulo Clausarum de Anno decimo nono R. sec. in 18. dorso See the Appendix to the Animadversions And to come neerer the Councell of Trent Sess. 25 decreeth in these words Imagines Christi et deiparae virginis et sanctorum in templis perpetuò habendae et retinendae sunt iisque debitus honor et veneratio impertienda The Images of Christ and of the Virgine the mother of God and of Saints are perpetually to be had and kept in Churches and due honour and veneration to be given unto them and lest any should thinke that this worship and veneration is not to be exhibited to the Images themselves but only to glance through them to the Saints Cardinall Bellarmine in his second booke De imaginibus sanctorum c. 21. most plainely and expresly resolves the point Imagines Christi et sanctorum venerandae sunt non solum per accidens vel improprie sed etiam per se et proprie ita ut ipsae terminent venerationem ut in se considerantur et non solum ut viâ—em gerunt exemplaris The Images of Christ and Saints are to be worshipped not onely by accident and improperly but also by themselves anâ— properly so that the worship is terminated in them as they are considered in themselves and not onely in regard of that they represent And cap. 20. He acknowledgeth it to be the opinion of Alexander of Hales Tho Aquinas Caietane Bonaventure Marsilius Almaine Carthusian Capreolus and others that the same honour is due to the Image and the patterne and therefâ—re the Image of Christ is to be worshipped with latria or divine worship And Vasquez de adorat l. 1. disp 6. c. 3. Rex Nebucadonosor admirans sapientiam et spiritum Danielis in signum honoris et reverentiae iussit ei offeri munera odorum et suffituum id quod nos etiam secundum fidem nostram immaginibus facere consuevimus Nebucadonosor admiring the wisedome and spirit of Daniel in signe of honour and reverence unto him commanded that sweete odours and incense should be offered unto him as we according to our faith use to doe to our images and now let the intelligent Reader judge whether Protestant Ministers are slanderers or Papists Idolaters and Image-worshippers by their owne profession See page 52. letter â— s The bane of Poperie not of Catholique religion See pag. 1. letter C and pag. 52. letter C. t Nay not so much for Religion noe nor at all for it but for Treason and disloyaltie See pag. 22. letter Q. u The Fathers heo speakes of were the flower of the Councel of Trent neither were they abused by any false suggestion for the case was put truely unto them and they resolved it according to their conscience after long disputation and mature deliberation See an extract of their Decree in the Appendix to the Animad versions w If Recusancie be so small a matter the more to blame all Papists who for such a toy as Recusancie doth disobey the Lawes The easier the performance of a coÌ„mandement is the greater contumacie in disobeying it x Here he hath found laâ—â—bram periurio this conceit of not being bound to answer the truth but before a competent Iudge and they will have none a competent â—udge but one of their owne religion is the â—yges ring by which the late Papists especially those that are Iesuited goe invisible in and from all our Courâ—s of Iustice. But I demand of them First why our Iudges in England are not as competent as those beyond the â—eas if the King be as it is treason for them or any other to denie our Leige Lord and lawfull Sovereigne those that are put in authoritie under him being men of learning
were to the injury of the Gospell retained and Christ himselfe blasphemed which no Christian eare ought to endure a See page 22. letter Q b If Papists trusted not in their owne merits it would goe better with them then I feare it will with many who the more they arrogate to themselves the more they derogate from our Saviour and the further they go from salvation I confesse many of them upon their death-beds have renounced their own merits and wholly stucke to our Saviours yet certaine it is that the generall doctrine of the Church of Rome is for trust in their own merits For they teach that faith alone doth not justifie us before God that good works are not only satisfactory for sin but also meritorious of eternall life and supererogatory also for others Consil. Trid. in sess 16. Bellar. l. 5. de iustif c. 16. and they who beleeve that they can so farre stead them do commonly confide in them Let them returne to the more ancient and true tenent with Bernard saying Meritum meum est miseratio Domini Gods mercy is my merit and if their be any worke of our own meritorious it is the renouncing our owne merits and flying meerely to Christ sufficit ad meritum scire quod non sufficiant merita Let them confesse with holy Iob Iob. 9.3 that they cannot answer one of a thousand and professe with Esay Esa. 64.6 All our righteousnesse is as filthy clowts and pray with David Psal. 143.2 Lord enter not into iudgement with thy servants for in thy sight shall no man living be iustified and close up their last Will and breath also as Bellar. is said to have done For Papists often dye in another faith then they lived with that holy ejaculation Lord vouchsafe to receive me into the number of thy Saints non meriti estimator sed veniae largitor not weighing my merits but pardoning my offences and we will not only cleare them of Pharisaicall pride and trusting in themselves but also conceive a better hope of their salvation c See a spunge to wipe out this false aspersioÌ„ upon that worthy servant of Christ and great Instrument of Gods glory pag. 59. letter H. d See the Advertisement to the Reader f The head of controversies betweene the Romish and Reformed Churches is the controversie about the Head of the Church which the Papists will have the Pope to be but reformed Churches Christ alone I say head of the Vniversall or Catholique Church but of particular Churches sovereigne Princes within their severall Realmes may be termed Heads that is chiefe Governours which this Priest here acknowledgeth For the acknowledgement of this supreame authoritie and power of the King in his dominions of England and Ireland the Oath of Supremacie was appointed by Act of Parliament in the 35. of Henry the eighth to be taken by all his Majesties subjects this Act was continued in the reigne of Edward the sixth but repealed in the first and second of Philip and Mary and revived the first of Queene Elizabeth now the question here is whether the Oath of Supremacie thus confirmed by divers Acts of Parliament exclude not that Spirituall jurisdiction which all Papists beleeve to be in the Pope Iure divino or which comes all to one whether a Papist ut siâ— that is remaining a Papist and holding his Popish religion may salvâ— conscientiâ take this Oath of Supremacie this Priest affirmeth he may but we shall demonstrate the contrary hereafter by impregnable arguments drawne from the intention of the Law-makers the letter of the Acts of Parliament and the Queenes Injunctions the judgement of the Church of Rome and the confession of the adversarie himselfe g Not the same authoritie which the Pope had in all things but so farre as it is expounded and limited in the Queenes Injunctions in the first yeere of her reigne the Queene as her brother and father before onely resumed that power which the Pope had unjusty taken from the Crowne and usurped it himselfe a power which is and was of ancient time due to the Imperiall Crowne of this Realme that is under God to have the Sovereigntie and rule over all manner of persons borne within these Realmes and Dominions and Countries of what estate either Ecclesiasticall or temporal soever they be See admonition to the Injunctions in the Appendix h Calvine conceived that King Henry the eighth by the Title of Head of the Church challenged a farre greater power then what the Act of Parliament acknowledged in him or he ever exercised but after the Title of Head of the Church was publikely declared and expounded by Q. Elizabeth boâ—h he and all the Reformed Churches rested satisfied in the lawfulnesse of that Title which imported not Supreame teacher or directer unto Trtuh but Supreame commander for the Truth in all causes and over all Persons i The intention of Henry the eighth and Queene Elizabeth was the selfe same as is expressed in the Act of Parliament 35. Henry the eighth and the Admonition annexed to the Injunctions of the 1 Elizabeth namely the extirpation and extinguishment of the usurped and pretended authoritie power and iurisdiction of the See and Bishop of Rome and the recovery of their owne right by adorning the Crowne with a flowre before wrongfully taken from it and here I cannot sufficiently admire the impudence of this Priest who so confidently affirmes that the intention of Queene Elizabeth was divers from her father in prescribing and requiring this Oath whereas she her selfe in the above named Admonition declareth to all her loving subjects That nothing was is or shall be meant or inâ—ended by the same Oath to have any other dutie allegiance or bond required by the same then was acknowledged to be due to the most noblâ— King of famous memory K. H. 8. her Maiesties father or K. Ed. 6. her Maiesties broâ—â—er k The liberty he speakes of was given by the approbation of the chief Vniversities beyond the Sea of the Romish Religion l Not to forme another Church but to reforme that Church which was before and restore Religion to her puritie by the example of Ezekiah Iosiah and other religious Kings m No power at all excepted but the former power explained onely how farre it extended viz Not to the authoritie and power of Ministrie of divine Office in the Church which none of the Kings or Queenes of this Realme possessours of the Crowne ever challenged Nor I in this place by what authoritie your Bishops anoynt your thumbes and ordaine your Priests to offer the unbloody sacrifice of the Masâ—e for the living the dead There is nec vola nec vestigium of any such calling in the Scripture or purer Antiquitie as for our Ministry it is â—o clearely justified together with the succession thereof out of your own best records and tenents by Francis Mason de succes Episc. Ministerio Angl. that ever since the printing therof all your Romish cavillers
for ever be cleerely extinguished and never to be used or obeyed within this Realme or any other your Maiesties Dominions and Countries may it please your Highnesse that it may be enacted as followeth c. Hence I thus argue No Papist with a good conscience can take an Oath prescribed by an Act of Parliament made purposely and with an expresse intention for the extirpation of the Popes jurisdiction and Supremacie over the whole Church which he claimeth by vertue of Christs promise made to Peter tibi dabo claves But such is the Oath of Supremacie as appeares by the Statutes above cited Ergo No Papist with a good conscience may take it 2. Secondly from the letter of the law and formalâ— and expresse words of the Oath which are these That neither the See nor Bishop of Rome nor any forreigne Potentate hath or ought to have any Iurisdiction power or authoritie within this Realme neither by Gods Law nor by any other iust law or meanes Henry 8.35 yeere hereunto adde the Admonition to the Queenes Injunctions Hence I thus argue No Papist may take an Oath which containeth in it the renouncing a prime Article of his faith necessary to salvation in his Religion and the iudgement of his Church But every Papist taking the Oath of Supremacie renounceth a prime Article of his faith necessarie to salvation For so we reade in the Extravagans cap. unam sanctam de maior et obed Subesse Romano pontifici omni humanae creaturae declaramus dicimus definimus et pronunciamus omnino esse de necessitate salutis We saith Boniface the eighth declare say define and pronounce that it is altogether or absolutely necessary to salvation for every humane creature to be subiect to the Bishop of Rome Ergo no Papist may take the Oath of Supremacie 3. Thirdly from the judgement of the Church of Rome which accounteth Fisher Bishop of Rochester and Sir Thomas Moore sometimes Lord Chanâ—ellour of England blessed and glorious Martyrs because both these lost 〈◊〉 heads â—ather then they would acknowledge the King Supreame Head 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 the Popes Headship To omit the testimonies 〈…〉 â—ovius Bishop in Italie Iohn Cochleus of Germanie William Paradine a learned Historian of France Cardinall Poole living in the Court at Rome and writing to the King in the defence of Ecclesiasticall unitie saith thus by the figure of Apostrophâ— Thy Father O England thy ornament thy deâ—â—nce was brought to his death being innocent in thy sight and a little after he lefâ— his life for thy sake left he should overthrow and bâ—tray thy salvation and Cardinall Bâ—llarmine in his Booke De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis ab Anno 1400. ad 1500. thus writeth of Fisher Bishop of Rochester Iohannes Fischerus natione Anglus Episcopus Roffensis posteà S. R. E. Cardinalis et quod longe gloriofius est Martyr Christi occisus est Henrici octavi Regis anglorum iussu Anno 1535. Iohn Fisher an English man Bishop of Rochester and afterwards Carâ—inall and which makes him farre more glorious a Martyr of Christ was slaine by the coommandement of King Henrie the eighth in the yeere of our Lord one thousand five hundred thirty five Whence I thus argue To his evasion that it was not the same Oath See the answer p. 119. letter R. and the Appendix p. 141. Either Fisher and Moore were no Martyrs who died for refusing to take this Oath or they are no good Papists who take it But Fisher and Moore were famous and glorious Martyrs in the opinion of the Romane Church as hath beene prooved Ergo they who take the Oath of Supremacie are no good Papists 4. Fourthly from the confession of this Priest pag. 118. The Oath of Supremacie when it was made in the dayes of King Henry 8. was unlawfull to be taken by any Catholique and pag. 119. If any had sworne the King to be Supreame Head of that Church he would have sworne false as making the Church a monster having two heads or depriving the Pope of his authoritie granted him by God Whence I thus argue The Oath of Supremacie prescribed by that Act of Parliament in the 35. of Henry 8. was unlawfull to be taken by any Roman Catholique as this Priest confesseth But the Oath of Supremacie prescribed by Act of Parliament in the first of Elizabeth in force at this day is the same with the Oath prescribed by Act of Parliament in the 35. of Henrie the eighth as appeareth by comparing both the Oathes together with a proviso in an Act the fifth of Elizabeth for expounding this Oath where it is said That we confesse and acknowledge in her Maiestie her Heires and Successours no other authoritie then that which was challenged and lately used by the noble King Henrie the eighth and King Edward the sixth as in the Admonition to the Qeenes Injunctions more plainly appeares The Queenes Maiestie would that all her loving subiects should understand that nothing was is or shall be meant or intended by the same Oath to have any other Dutie Allegiance or Bond required by the same Oath then was acknowledged to be due to the most noble King of famous memorie King Henrie the eighth her Maiesties father or King Edward the sixt her Maiesties brother Ergo the Oath of Supremacie prescribed by Act of Parliament the first of Elizabeth is unlawfull to be taken by any Romane Catholique I conclude therefore super tota materia that the taking of the Oath of Supremacie is an abrenunciation of the Romish faith and consequently that we wrong no Papist that takes the Oath if we beleeve him a forswearer who forsweares his beliefe De memorando irrotulatâ— * The Helâ—esaus wâ—re condâ—mned for heretikes for holâ—ing a man might deny his faith with his mouth so hee keepe it in his heart Euseb. hâ—st l. 6. c. 31. a Rom. 10.10 Cic. pro 〈◊〉 Amâ—r vultu saepe ladâ—tur 〈◊〉 Ep. â—â— contamiâ—ari se 〈…〉 aâ—am illam vidâ—â—i◠〈◊〉 ibid. Feâ—endâ—m ne est ut gentilis sacrifâ—câ—t christianus inter sit Sâ—zo hist. eccles l. 5. c. 16. prejecto ad pedes auâ—o c. * Suidas in Auxent * Marcus Bishop of Arrethusa Theod. hist. l. 3 c. 6.