such as haue bene wyse Catholicks are so esteemed yet But in deede to be a slaue to heretical aduauncements doth not become a wise maÌ„ so great conteÌ„pt of Christ his Church caÌ„ not stande with the name of a Catholicke Besids that the danger thereof is terrible and with litle consideration may iustly make a stony harte to quake and tremble For what will you alleage at the later day or vnder what name will you pleade for your saluation VVhen he shall render euery man accordinge to his vvorkes Mat. 6.27 Amb. li. 3. â—e sp san c. 18. That you are a Christian But Christ will answere Non agnosco nomen meum vbi non agnosco doctrinam meam I doe not acknovvleage my name vvhere I doe not acknovvleage my doctrine Ps 49 That you are a Catholicke But if thou savvest a theese Ro. 2.24 thou rannest after him And my name through you is blasphemed amongst hereticks Ps 16. And Their belly is filled vvith my secrets 1. Tim. 6. Of close dissembling catholicks their congregation was increased and multiplyed When our sweete Sauiour who made that notable confession for euery one of vs before Pontius Pilate shall thus say vnto you that now dare not confesse him will you not then wishe that you had prayed with the Prophete Ps 118. Take not avvay out of my mouth the vvord of truth vtterly Ps 38. And that you had donne with the Prophete I haue not hid thy truth from the great Councell And Ps 39. Lo I vvill not stay my lippes Lord thou haste knovvne Looke well vpon your person your calling your place what a foule example it is to others and when such a man doth I will not say further but tollerate onely and dissemble false religion Wo be to the worlde for scandals S. Austen hath a place much worthy of your consideration Ca. 7. de pastor Si indifferentâ—r habuero errorem tuum attendit qui fortis est put at nihil esse ire in haeresim Quando aliquod commodum de seculo illuxerit vnde mutetur statim mihi dicit fortis ille periturus hâc hâc Deus est quid interest homines inter se litigantes hoc secerunt vbicunque colendus est Deus si forte illi dixerit aliquis Donatista non tibi do filiam meam nisi fueris de parte mea illi opus est vt attendat dicat si nihil mali esset de parte eorum non contra illos dicereÌ„t taÌ„ta Pastores nosÌ„tri noÌ„ pro illorum errore satagerent Si ergo cessemus taceamus contrar oÌ„ loquuturus est Vtique si malum esset in parte Donati loquerentur contra redarguerent eos satagerent lucrarieos si errant reuocarent illos si pereunt quaererent If I being a pastor or guide of others should make it in the weaker sorte a matter indefferent to be of your error then the strong in fayth vvould note it and thincke it vvere no matter of importaunce to fall into heresie Therefore vvhen any commoditie that the vvorld mighte proffer by changing of his religion the stronge prone to perishe vvould strayght say to me â—ush God is on this side and that sâ—le there is no difference men onely falling at varience aboute the matter haue made all this adoe God may be serued on each hande If some Donatist so was the secte of that tyme called as now Protestant or Caluinist should happely say vnto him I vvill not besto vve my doughter vpon thee excepte thou vvilte be of our secte such a one bad neede to take good beede and saye if it vvere no hurte but an indifferent matter to be of the Donatistes partye then our Pastours vvould not speake so many thinges agaynste them they vvoulde not busye them selues so muche aboute that errour Therefore if vve cease and hould our peace he vvill saye all contrarye Surely if it vvere so ill a thinge to be of the secte or parte of Donat our Pastors vvoullde speake agaynste it vvould reproue them vvould seeke to vvynne them If they erred they vvould reuoke them if they be lost they vvould seeke them If it be such a blocke for other men to stumble at when the learned Doctour and Pastour doeth not confute heresie What is it when he preacheth and prayseth it Alas you can not denye but that you doe so 1. cor 8. And so through thy knovvledge the vveeke brother shall perishe for vvhom Christ hath dyed Saynte Cyprian bringeth in children Ep. de laps whose Parentes example made them denâ—e Christe Aug. ep 23. pleadinge for them selues at the daye of Iudgemente in this manner Nos nihil feâ—imus nec derelicto cibo poculo Domini ad prophana conâ—agia sponte properauimus Perdidit nos aliena perfidia parentes sensimus parricidas illi nobis ecclesiam Matrem illi Parentem Deum negauerunt vt dum parui improuidi tanti facinoris ignari per alios ad consortium criminis iungimur aliena fraude caperemur VVe our selues did nothing vve forsooke not of our ovvne accorde the meate and cupp of our Lorde and hastened to prophane contagions other mens faythlesnes destroyed vs. VVe felte our parentes murtherers of vs their ovvne children they for vs denied the Church our mother they forsooke God our Father that being in our young and vnskilfull yeares and vvholy ignorant of the vvickednes vve mighte be intangled by others in the felovvship of the sinne and be intrapped by other mens fraude If the carnall children may iustly thus accuse their naturall parentes in the case of Idolatrie May not spirituall children much more impute their damnation to their spirituall fathers in the cause of heresie I will not dispute how the crymes differ to commit Idolatrye and to preach heresie both against a mans conscience but because dissimulation is the least of them and scandalizare fratres is an horrible sinne Therefore the authorities which serued sometymes agaynst the one may now be aptly vsed agaynst the other S. Austen Apparet illud esse prohibitum ne in honorem alienorum Deorum aliqua re vtamur aut vti existimemur Ep. 15â— sic eam accipiendo vt quamuis animo contaminamus eos tamen qui nostrum animum ignorant ad haec honoranda aedificemus It is euident that vve be forbidden to vse any thing vvhatsoeuer for the honour of straunge gods or in such sorte as vve may be thought to vse it to that end so taking it that though vve in our harte contemne it vve yet prouoke them that see not our mindes to honor the same And agayne speaking of Seneca Eo damnabilius colebat Idola quó illa quae mendaciter agebat De ciui Dei li. 6. ca. 10. sic ageret vt eum populus veraciter agere existimaret He did so much more damnablye vvorship Idols for that he so did those thinges vvhich he did in fayned shevv
after admonition you will not rise agayne that wil make vs to maruel to pitie your ease as altogether desperate which God forbid whoe conuerte you and saue you and blesse you both soule bodye euen as I wishe to mine owne selfe For a farewel remember the later ende of man the accompte to be made the consequent there of hel or heauen and before all other respectes doe well for his sake that made you redeemed you sanctified you and hath hitherto preserued and enriched you and will hereafter in heauen fully rewarde you if you wil come euen now at the ninth and eleuenth howre Our Lord keepe you Paris 15. Fe. 1580 Your louing frend vndoubtedly G. M. TO MY LOVINGE AND BESTBELOVED SISTERS DEERE Sisters my care my loue of al worldly things next to my good mother my greatest comforte and ioye Vnlesse you did thinke that I doe most hartely loue you you coulde nor alwaies heretofore haue declared your exceeding loue so plentifully towards me for the which almightie God rewarde you This my loue because it is not a naturall affection onely but sincere and true charitie forceth me to wish vnto you my louing Sisters not onelie manie worldlie commodities which God be thanked you lacke not but much more all spirituall treasure and heauenlie riches wherof you can not haue great store because you dwell not where it groweth I know good Sisters that you meane well and moste willing are you to doe that which might please God but in good sooth you are out of the way and therefore the further you hold on the further you are from your iornies end the further from heauen The wise man saith There is a vvay vvhich seemeth to a man right Prouerb 14. but the end therof leadeth to distruction Beare with me if I write bold lie and tell you the truth plainlie I am your brother I loue you as nature bindeth me not onely in worldly respect but much more towardes God Your soules are deare vnto me my harte alwaies mourneth to thinke vpon your dangerous state wherein you stand O good Sisters the paine of hell exceedeth all tormentes and that fier shall burne for euer Happye are they that keepe them selues by God his greate goodnesse within the CATHOLIQVE CHVRCH for out of it there is no hope of saluation And most happy are they that hauing bene out of this Church by the wicked perswasioÌ„s of false preachers wheÌ„ it pleaseth God to send them true teachers will not remaine obstinate but folow good exhortations and holsome doctrine and so returne agayne as obedient children to Christ their father and to the Church their mother who are alwaies redy to receiue them remembring that which a most auncient and learned Father writeth S. AusteÌ„ vpoÌ„ the 88. psal He can neuer accompt God to be his father vvho vvil not haue the Churh to be his mother If you aske me what this Church is that is called CATHOLIKE and how you may know it behold the true and certen markes thereof and your selfe iudge whether you be within it or no. This Church is a congregation of all true christians which began in Christ his disciples at Hierus lem from thence grewe and multiplied throughout the whole world according as it is sayd in the psalme Their sounde speaking of the Apostles is gone out into the vvhole vvorlde psal 18. v. 5. and their vvordes into the ends of the earth The firste mark of the Church is to be visible So that the first marke of the true church is that it must grow and multiply be seene and appeere alwayes as a light in the world and therfore Christ calleth it A Cittie builded vpon a hill Mat. 5. vvhich can not be hid And the blessed Martyr S. Ciprian sayth The Churche beinge lightened with the brightnes of our Lorde doth reache foorth her beames through-out the whole worlde And S. Austen besides manye other places to this purpose compareth Christ and his Church to that stone vvhich vvas cutt out of a hill vvithout mens handes Daniel ca. 2. and after grevv to be a mightye mountayne so that it filled the vvhole earthe For vndoubtedlye this stone whereof the Prophet speaketh is Christ who was borne of a virgin without the helpe of man and is now growne from a few Apostles and disciples to an infinite number of christian people in all countries confessing one fayth and one beleefe and this is the Catholicke Church whereof your Creede telleth and teacheth you to say I beleeue the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH Let vs see nowe whether this marke doth agree to your brethren in England who call them selues Protestants or to vs whom it pleaseth them to cal Papists First they cal theÌ„-selues in their bookes the Englishe church that is to say of that fayth which is professed in England but we are of the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH that is of such a fayth as is professed in Fraunce in Spaine in Flanders Brabant zelant c. In a great part of Germanie in all Italy and beyond wheresoeuer there be christians and is now preached to the Indians that neuer heard of Christ before and encreaseth wonderfullye And within these fortie yeares in Englande Scotland Ireland Denmarke and Germanie there was no other faith openly professed but ours And now also in all these countries how many are there thinke you of secret catholickes that wish for the olde religion againe with all their hart and folow the new onely for feare Nay how many are there especially in England that doe yet openly professe the CATHOLIKE FAITH Aske good Sisters aske and you shall learne that all the prisons not only of London but of England are full of them because they will not yeeld to these new proceedings nor contaminate their soules with this newe seruice and leaue the olde true and Catholicke fayth besides a number of sundrye degrees which are deade in prison namely twentie three Bishops all depryued of their liuing these tweÌ„tie three yeres now but two of them alyue I omit Doctors Deanes Archdeacons Krights Squires partlie in prison partly departed the Realme and forsaking all rather then they will forsake God and his moste true and vndoubted religion This is true good Sisters as knoweth God you seldome heare of these things and therfore you thinke either their is no other religion but that could seruice with-out all comfort and deuotion which you see in your parish church or you thinke that must needes be the best because you are not taught anie other whereas you see if you beleeue me that all christendome almost is of an other religion And therfore this is the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH and yours is worthily called by your owne ministers the church of England But this shall better appeere The second marke is successiou if I geue you an othâ—r marke of the true Catholicke Church which is that it must continew for euer and from the first beginninge which was in Christ and
ioy and comfort to say with the Spouse of Christ Inueni quem quaesiuit anima mea tenebo eum non dimittam I haue founde him whom my soule sought for I will hould him fast and neuer let him goe One example may suffice in steede of a number being of most excellent importance and therefore I will tell it at large and neuer craue pardon for the matter because I know it can not but much delight al such as are not sworne ennemies to the honour of Christ and his sacred monuments I named a litle before one Paula a verye honorable gentle-woman of Rome who after the death of her husbande entred into religion with her doughter Eustochium traueled both together to the holy lande dwelt there aboue twentie yeres vntill her death Whose vertues vere such that S. Hierome doth protest if all his ioyntes and limmes were turned into tongues he could not sufficiently prayse her and calleth IESVS to witnes that whatsoeuer he wryteth of her is a playne historicall truth and no retoricall amplification In Epitaphio The order of her Pilgrimage for the cheefe points was this as S. Hierome telleth it The pilgrimage of paula After she had passed Rhodes and Lycia she came at length to Cypres where she fell at the feete of the holy and reuerent Bishop Epiphanius and was content to be stayed there ten dayes not to rest her in steed of a bayt but to doe workes of charitie For in that space she visited all the religious howses of that country Cypres fu◠of religion men and as she was able gaue them almes From thence she made a litle cutte ouer the water to Selencia and so to Antioch where the holy Confessour Paulinus could staye her but a very litle tyme but euen in the mids of winter so feruent she was in fayth a woman of honorable calling tooke her iorney vpon a lytle asse Arryueth at Sarepta where she entred into a litle turret of Elias and making her prayers to our Sauiour passeth by the sandes at the shore of Tyre where Paule kneeled From thence to Caesaria In it she saw Cornelius howse whose houshold was the litle Church of Christ and Phillips chambers with the fowre closettes of his doughters that were Virgins and Prophets Then to Nicopolis which before was called Emaus where our Sauiour was knowen in the breaking of bread To make shorte Hermynd was onlie to sacred monumēts she forsooke the princely monumente of Queene Helena who had succoured the people with corne in a tyme of famine and went on streyght to Hierusalem The Lieutenante of Palestine knowing her howse and family very well commaunded the Palace to be prepared for her but she chose rather a litle base cottage and with such feruente deuotion visited euery holy place that but for hastening to the rest she might hardly haue bene plucked from the former In Hierusalem kneeling before the Crosse Her manner of reuerēce in holy places euen as though she had seene our Lord present so deuoutly she adored and did humble reuerence Entring into the Sepulcher she kissed the Resurrection-stone which the Angell had remoued from the doore and the very place where our Lords body did lye she licked with a faythfull mouth as one that thirsted after water much longed for All Hierusalem beareth witnes what teares what sobbinge what sorowe she powred out there Our Lord him selfe is witnes to whom she prayed Comminge furth from thence she went to Sion which is to interpret a peere or watch-tower there was shewed vnto her a piller that bare vp part of the cloyster embrued with our Lords bloud to the which they say he was tyed and whipte The place was shewed where the holye Ghoste came downe vpon a hundred and twentie persons that beleeued to the fulfilling of Ioels Prophesie This donne she deuided the litle substance she had to the poore Pilgrimes there her felow-seruants and went forward to Bethlehem In the way at the righte hand she pawsed at Rachels sepulcher where she was deliuered of Beniamin From thence being entred into Bethlehem after she saw once the Inne of the blessed Virgin and that stall where the oxe did acknowledge his lord and the asse his maisters stable Wonderfull deuotion by occasion of the plrce she sware in my hearing sayeth S. Hierome that she saw with the eyes of faith the Infant wrapped in his clowtes our Lord crying in his cradle the wyse men adoring the starre shining ouer the howse the Virgin Mother the carefull Tutour the she pheards comming in the night to see what the matter was the yong Innocentes slayne Herode raging Ioseph and Mary flying into Egipte wherat betweene teares and ioy she brake furth into these words So the hebrew words do signifye saying All bayle Bethlehem the verye hovvse of bread in deede wherein was borne that bread which came downe from heauen All hayle Ephrata vvorthely called a moste plentifull and frutefull country whose fruteful flower is God him selfe Of thee Micheas prophicyed long agoe And thou Bethlehem the hovvse of Ephrata art not the least among a thousand other in Iuda out of thee shall come surth to me euen he that shall be prince in Israell vvhose proceeding is from the beginning and from the dayes of eternitie And I wretched and sinfull woman that I am how is it that I am thought worthy to kisse the manger where my Lorde first cryed being a litle pretye one and to pray in that cabbin where the Virgin Child-wife brought furth our Lord a yong babe Here is my resting place because it is my Lords countrye here will I dwell because our Sauiour hath chosen it Thus farre S. Hierome and much more which I omitte Tell me Reader who so euer thou art I appeale to thy conscience what doest thou thinke of this noble womans Pilgrimage Hast thou not read here her wonderfull desire and longing to these holy places her exceeding deuotion in them her words her teares her maner of worship in all poyntes so feruently and discretely applyed to the honor of our Lorde and Sauiour that to dreame of her superstition in this case were colde Christianitie to imagine Idolatrie were playne infidelitie Moste happie is he that can feele in him selfe these heauenly motions toward the least thinges that concerne Christ for his sake And most vnhappie is he that doth not at the least desire it for to dispyse and condemne it altogether I knowe right well is no small poynt of heresie but in deede that name is to common and therefore to good for it This this I saye and often I must repete it is the true cause and maner and frute of Catholicke Pilgrimage exemplified by me in the forsayd Paula Pilgrimage to Hierusalem from al countries in al ages but so vniuersally vsed of all the moste holy and best learned men in the Primitiue Church that S. Hierome in an other place wryteth thus Ad marcellam
saintes Relikes That by al reason did much more increase this desire inflame this deuotioÌ„ multiplye Pilgrimes and Pilgrimages This was it that made the Princes of the earth bowe their crownes to the shrynes of the Apostles and Martyrs When they saw the deuels rore there wicked spirits cast out the blind to see the lame to go the dead to rise agayne Ipsi videntes sic psal 47. abmirati sunt conturbati sunt commoti sunt tremor apprehendit eos They seeyng such wonderful works were amased astonyshed apawled trembled to consider it sayng that that goeth before in the same psalme Magnus Dominus laudabilis nimis The lord is great and exceeding prayse worthy And agayne For the credit of myracles Nimis honorati sunt amici tui Deus Thy frendes O God are become very honorable But doubtest thou Reader whether euer anye such thinge hath bene done or no No maruayle in this our faythlesse age wherein is veryfied the saying of our Sauiour Luc. 18. Putas cum venerit filius hominis inueniet fidem in terra Shall the sonne of man thinkest thou finde any fayth vpon the earth when he cometh But thou art a reasonable man thou wilte beleeue those that in thyne owne iudgemente are worthye of credit if they tell it thee To omit S. Ambrose Chrisostome Hierome and others whose testymonyes are verye playne and very many let S. S Austens testimonie of sundrie myracles Austen suffice in this my breuitie for all the reste a man so farre from all superstition as he is from fayning or forginge from both so farre as the grauest wisest best learned Doctor of the Church muste needs be Read at thy leasure the eight chapter of his twentye two booke de Ciuitate Dei through out In the maene tyme I chose out these his wordes for thee to waye indifferently Miraculum quod Mediolani factum est cum illic essemus The miracle that vvas vvroughte at Millan vvhen vve vvere there at vvhat tyme a blynd man vvas made to see might vvel come to the knovvledge of manye because it is a great cittie and the Emperour vvas there at the same tyme and the thinge vvas done before a greate concurse of people to beare vvitnesse thereof that ranne by heapes to the bodyes of the Martyrs Geruasius and Protasius vvhich bodies hauing bene longe so hid that no man could tell of them Amb. ser 91 nameth the man his occupation vvere founde by a reuelation that Ambrose the Bishoppe had in his sleepe At the vvhich very place the same blynd man vvas deliuered from his olde darknes and savve the daye lighte He telleth moreouer of a yong man so horribly possessed of an euill spirite that he lay for dead from the which he was delyuered and restored also to his eye that by force of the spirite departing from him hanged downe vpon his cheeke And this was done at the memory only that is to saye some litle Relike of the forsayed Martyrs farre from Millan where the bodyes lye in Africke at a towne called Victoriana lesse then thirtie myles from S. Austens bishoppricke Note by the waye that of one Martyr there were dyuers memories S. Steuens relikes in sundrie places that is some Relike or other of him in sundry places As of S. Steuen he reconeth vp seuen or eight at all greate myracles wrought At the one a blynd woman saw at an other the Bishop that caried the Reliks was immediatly healed of a fistula at another a Preist cured of the stone or grauell per memoriam supradicti Martyris by the Relike of the forsayed Martyr Agayne a man of worship that was a verye Infidell made an earnest Christian by the feruent prayer of his sonne in lawe ad memoriam Martyris at the Martyrs Reliks At another a yong chylde and a nonne raysed from death to lyfe and many other besids at other places reuyued whom he there recyteth At length he concludeth thus Quid faciam VVhat shall I doe My promise to ende this booke forceth me that I can not rehearse all vvhich I knovve And vvithout doubt moste parte of our countrye men vvhen they shall read these vvill be sory that I haue omitted so many thinges vvhich they knovve as vvell as I of vvhom I craue pardon Myracles in many places by S. SteueÌ„s Relikes For to let passe other if I vvould vvryte the myraculous cures onely that haue bene done by this Martyr to vvit Steuen that moste glorious saynte at Calamnes and vvith vs I mighte make many bookes In the ende he telleth at large a wonderfull cure donne vpon one Paule and his sister Palladia in his owne Church at S. Steuens Reliks wheÌ„ him selfe was present Tam clarum atque illustre miraculum vt nullum arbitrer esse Hipponensium qui boc non vel viderit vel didicerit nullum qui obliuisci vlla ratione potuerit So euident and famous a miracle sayeth he that I thinke there is none in al Hippo but he saw it or hath heard of it none that can possibly forget it His conclusion to shut vpp the matter is that which I make the principall ground of all these Pilgrimages the honor of Christ in his sayntes Exultabant in Dei laudem voces c. There vvas such a sound of their voyces that coulde not speake for ioy in the prayse of God that our eares might hardly abyde it Quid erat in cordibus exultantium nisi fides Christi pro qua Stephani sanguis effusus est VVhat vvas there in their hartes that so reioysed but the fayth of Christ for the vvhich Steuen shed his bloud And are there yet Christian men in the worlde that doe discredite the mighty power and glorious workes of Christ in his sayntes Agaynst faythles heretikes that discredit myracles Yea God wot there are yet Eunomians and Porphirians that saye these were but delusions of noughty spirites Hiero. aduc Vigil and that they did not rore in very dede but fained as though they suffered intollerable tormentes Yet there are stubburne Arians that is to say heretickes who as Ambrose telleth would in no wyse confesse that the martyrs Geruasius Protasius did vex the diuels or make the blynd man see Sermo 91. whereas the spirites them selues confessed it and of the man named Seuâ—rus it was a thing famously knowen yet there are Iewishe Scrybes that saye of Christ and his saynts In nomine Belzebub eiiciunt daemonia In the name of Belzebub they cast out diuels Yet there are hypocriticall Pharises that preteÌ„d as though they gaue all the honor to God which they detracte from his saynts and their Reliks lyke to the Iewes that sayed to the blynde man whom Christ had cured Da gloriam Deo Geue God the prayse good felow yea a lamentable case to consider yet there are among Christian men as farre from beleeuing the miracles done by Sayntes To discredit miracles is plaine paganisme as were