partes by you cast in to dunghils he will restore to suche puritye perfection that they shal be more capable of his glorious ornamentes then they were before And this is that which Saint Paule sayd Reformabit corpus humilitatis nostrae configuratum corpori clari tatis suae He shall reforme the body of our humility confygured vnto the bodye of his brightnesse Whiche phrase of speache argueth that the more the body for him is humbled in torments the more shall yt be partaker of hys brightnesse in glorye Farre otherwyse will it be in the bodyes of the wicked here pampered in all kind of pryd For as the haukes though while they are alyue they are highlye prysed deyntilye fedd and honoured vppon greate persons fistes Yet whē they are once dead they re bodye serueth for nothinge but to be throwen in to the dunghill wheras the Partridge whose fleshe hath bene torne with the haukes talons is notwithstanding serued in a syluer plate to the Kinges owne table so the wicked in this lyfe cheryshed with all kinde of solaces and set forth with great pompe after they re deathe are onlye fytt for hell fyre wheras the bodyes of Gods Martyrs shall both in earth haue theyr honour often times by open myracles and in heauē be preferred to the Kings table not to be eaten them selues but to feede vppon the repaste of Angels Cease therfore to abuse and contenme that God esteemeth cease to pursue whom God defēdeth heare his gentle warninges leste he power vpon you more vntolerable scourges He beginneth to geue a taste of his anger alredy And And therfore if you loue not vs consider at the leaste youre owne welfare if you also neglect that at the lest haue care of the cōmon wealth leaste the offence of magistrates bring the whole nation into the cōpasse of Gods heauy reueng Alas why should you vse these extremityes against vs why should you pyne and waste vs with such lingering torments we saye with S. Cyprian Eyther to be a catholike is a capital crime or no. If it be we acknowledge that this fault we haue and will neuer forsake it Why then doe you not forth with put vs to death for it If it be no such fault why do you persecute innocents put to death torments ryson the vndeseruing Tormenting is for those that acknowledge not the accusatiō but we doe not onlye not denye or conceale our Faythe from you but are readye if you will to preach it in your most publike assēblyes And if that all those were to suffer for oure Fayth that in deed beleeue it to be the best I will not only say as Tertulliā did to Scapula of Carthage Quid passura est Carthago decimāda a te What shall Carthage suffer beinge to be tithed by the But quid passura est Anglia tertianda a vobis what shall Englande suffer being to be thirded by your crueltye Quid te sayeth S. Cyprian to a persecutour ad infirmitatem corporis vertis quid cum tenerae carnis imbecillitate contendis Cum animi vigore congredere virtutem men tis infringe fidem destrue disputatione si potes vince vince ratione Whye doest thou turne thee to the fraylty of our bodyes why stryuest thou with the weaknesse of our fleshe Encounter with the force of our minde impugne the stoutnesse of oure reasonable portion disproue oure faythe ouer come vs by disputation if thou canst ouercome vs by reason This is not the waye in christian charity You should firste sufficientlye enforme vs of the truth by putting vs to silence and conuincing of errour the learned of our syde before you proceede to punishing of vs for not embracinge it We haue reade your bookes we fynde them full of wilful corruptions bothe of Scriptures and Fathers purposlye wrested agaynst the true meaninge therof Pryuate conference is to small purpose for it commonly endeth in only raylinge agaynst vs. The waye of Gods churche hath alwayes in suche cases bene to geue free lybertye to the verye heretickes to haue publike disputation before sufficyente Iudges and if they were there conuicted or refused to come they haue bene subiecte and that worthelye to temporall punishmente But hitherto could we neuer haue anye equall conditions of disputation graūted Vnlesse it be equall for a man to be brought from the racke to dispute And yet that very disputatiō was so litle to the aduauntage of your cause that manye of your beleefe were since that the lesse friendes to your faythe and others became altogether Catholikes But if you will needes kepe on your violent course againste vs and prolonge your iniquitye we will saye Dominus nobis adiutor non timebimus quid faciat nobis homo Our Lorde is our ayder and we will not feare what man can doe vnto vs. The Martyrs in S. Cyprians tyme disgested the lyke miseryes with ioyful hartes sayinge Hostes veritatis non tantum nō perhorrescimus sed prouocamus Inimicos Dei hoc ipso quod non cessimus vicimus nefarias contra veritatem leges subegimus sinōdum sanguinem nostrum fudimus sed fudisse parati sumus We are not onlye out of feare of the enemyes of trueth but we chalenge them In not yelding to Gods aduersaryes we haue ouercome them and mastered they re wycked lawes agaynste the truethe thoughe as yet we haue not shed oure bloode but are prepared if neede require at anye tyme to shedd it If you shew vs worldly honours therby to entyse vs vnto you you shewe the Lyon haye for which he careth not If you threatē vs with torments therby to enforce vs you shew the Salamandra fyre with which she is not harmed For neyther can youre pleasures profitt vs nor your punishmentes hurte vs and therfore equallye we contemne them bothe The worste you can doe vnto vs in oure beste though temporallye you oppresse vs you cannot hinder our spirituall aduauncement though you spoyle vs of oure worldlye goodes you cannot bereaue vs of oure heauenlye in heritaunce and how heauilye soeuer you affryghte vs you shal neuer be able to suppresse oure religion Though the vpper heauens violentlye turne the lower from easte to weste yet haue they theyr peculier and proper course from weste to easte Aud well maye you vse vyolence to oure bodyes to remoue vs from the easte of Gods Church where the Sunne of trueth ryseth to the west of heresye wher the lyght therof goeth downe but God willing your vyolence shall neuer make vs leaue oure naturall motion from the errour of all false doctrine to the easte of true religion If God will permitt you we refuse not to endure and stay his pleasure If he will he is able to healpe vs if he will not he will make vs able to sustayne you If it please him the frogges the gnattes the flyes the grashoppers are armyes stronge enoughe to enforce you from molesting vs as they dyd Pharao from molesting the
deede it is Especiallye if we consider that after the decaye of al other Patriarchal and Apostolicall Seates as of Antioch Alexandria and Hierusalem after so manye alterations and violent changes of the temporall state of Româ— from Emperoures to Kinges of the Gothes from them to exarkes of the Greekes and an otherwhyle to Consuls and of these some by right some rayninge by vsurped authoritye likewyse after so manye Massakers sackinges and ouerthrowes of the citye it selfe yet this succession hath neuer fayled the authority therof neuer decayed but hath alwayes continued perseuered as it shall doe to the ende of the worlde Secondlye what an assured proofe of our religion agaynst all the aduersaryes Cauils hath the Church of Rome by the iÌ„numerable miracles wherby God hath auerred the truth thereof in diuerse famous and holye men adherentes and defendours of the same For albeit the deuill maye worke some fayned wonders aboue mans reache yet in the coÌ„passe of other naturall causes thoughe also by inueigling and deceyuing our sense or imagination he maye make that appeare a miracle which in deed is none yett these thinges which surpasse the habilitye of anye creature and are onlye in the power of almightye God nether the deuill nor anye other can doe by naturall meanes but onlye as the instrument and agent of God chiefest and soueraigne cause therof as to giue sighte to the blynde to restore a liÌ„me to the maymed to rayse the deade and such lyke which men of our beliefe in all ages since Christe haue donne For to omitt Christ and his Apostles to omitt also others of the primitiue Churche we fynde such as our aduersaryes can not denye to haue bene of our Church to haue wrought verye extraordinarye miracles First those of Gregorye Thaumaturge of which S. Basil S. Hierom S. Gregory Nazianzen The strange cures and raysinge of the dead by S. Anthonye Hillarion S. Martin and S. Nieholas which S. Athanasius S. Hierom Sulpitius and others write of And yett it is well knowne that S. Anthonye and S. HillarioÌ„ were professed Eremites and Monckes and consequentlye enemyes to those that condemne and reproue Monasticall lyfe After them we haue these which S. Gregorye speaketh of in his Dialogues of whiche manye were donne by Monckes other religious persons And to come to our natiue examples how manye miracles wrought S. Austine and his companye in reclaymynge of our contrye as S. Bede and S. Gregorye reporte to omitt those of S. Cuthbert S. Ihon S. Oswalde S. Dunston and diuerse other registred by the same S. Bede our owne cronicles Which mens religion it were a follye to call in question what it was seinge that by the testimonye of all writers it is as appareÌ„t that they were addicted to the Catholicke Roman Churche as that there were anye such men at all Now if we come to later tymes Let S. Malachias so highly coÌ„mended in S. Bernardes works Lett S. Bernardes owne lyfe written by Gotfrye a man of the same tyme lett S. Francis miracles registred by S. Bonauenture S. Dominickes S. Thomas of Aquine Saint Bonauentures owne be testimonies whose fayth is the trewest seinge that all these were them selues monckes and fryers and first founders of diuers religious orders professours of perpetuall pouertye chastitye and obedience and vowed persons All which poyntes are condemned by our aduersaryes and maynteyned by vs. Finally to come to sayntes yett freshe in memorye what miraculous thinges haue ben wrought by S. Bernardin S. Catherine of Siena of whome Sainte Anthonine writeth by S. Anthonine him â—elfe of whome Surius writeth And in our dayes since Luther vprist by the reuerend father Francis Xauier of the societye of Iesus in the Indies whose wonderfull miracles are not onlye certeyne by most diligent enquirye and scrutinie made for the true knowledge of them by the Kinge of Portugall but the miraculous conuersion of so manye thousandes yea and so manye Kingdomes as by the same were turned from infidelitye to the Romaine faith yeldeth an vndoubted assurance therof Seynge therfore that these men by our aduersaries owne confessioÌ„ and by their lyues and writinges are manifestlye knowne for men of our religion Seynge also their miracles were suche as surmounted all power of coniuringe sorcery or enchantment as the fathers graunt the giuinge light to the blynde limmes to those that wante them and reuiuinge the dead to be Seynge finallye these miracles haue ben wrought eyther for testimony of their vertue which can not be true vertue without true faythe or for proofe of their religion which all authors assure vs was the same that oures what greater certificat can we haue of the goodnesse and integrity of our quarell since we are sure that God the onlye author of these supernaturall effectes can not witnesse anye kynde of vntruthe And to doubte whether these miracles be true or truelye reported being written by so graue and authenticall auctors is nothinge els but to condemne all historyes bookes and registers of antiquitye and onlye to allow that whereof our owne sight and sense doth acerteine vs which is extreme follye Moreouer if we consider both the sinceritye and sanctitye of our fayth and the professours therof and the absurditye and corruption of our aduersaryes beliefe and behauiour by the fruites we shall soone know in whose gardeyne the best tree groweth For as concerninge our fayth the principles rules groundes therof are suche that though they be aboue yett are they not agaynst reason neither yelde they scope to suche as lyue accordinge to their prescript of licentiousnesse or riott but keepe them in awe and compasse of their duety towardes God and man Whereas the verye articles of our aduersaries religion are of suche tenour that in reason and pietye they can not be held for religious truthes nor beinge belieued restrayne mens consciences to the limites of vertue but rather open them a wyde gate to desperat dissolute lyfe For he that affirmeth all the actions of man euen the verye beste to be damnable sinnes as Caluin and his followers auouche and therewith that all sinnes are of equall deformitye and heynousnes touchinge death and damnation what harte or encouragement can he haue to followe vertue or what bridle can holde him from plunginge him selfe in the puddle of all vyce seinge the one is as greate an offence and as punishable before God as the other and the same fayth which maketh that the sinfulnesse of a good action is not imputed to the doer is also of the same force and hath the same effecte in anye other wicked worke whatsoeuer Agayne he that beleeueth the coÌ„maundements of God to be impossible for man to keepe and withall that howsoeuer he breake them it nether can nor ought to make him doubt of his election which dependeth only vpon gods predestinatioÌ„ why should he not thincke it follye to endeuoure to obserue Gods lawe beinge an impossibillitye yea
Yet the Legate and the foresayde Fathers gaue this aunswere that they wold haue this resolution no lesse acounted of then if it were the censure of the whole Councell I omit also that dyuers heretickes shal be witnesses againste you in the daye of Iudgement who with letters and sett treatises haue by many Scriptures proued it to be vnlawfull for one of a true beleefe to frequente or repayer to the seruice or sacramentes of a false churche Whose argumentes and actions in this matter will so much the more condemne you in that they were more religious in an erroneous and vntrue then you in a syncere and vndoubted faythe They re oppinion in this matter who desyreth more at large to peruse lett him reade the treatyse of Ihon Caluine whiche he made de vitandis superstitionibus quae cum sincera fidei confessione pugnant of auoydinge superstitions whiche repugne against the sincere profession of faithe and his booke which he did wryte as an Apologye ad Pseudonicodemitas to false Nicodemites who alledged in theyr defence the example of Nicodemus that came to Christe by night◠In which amonge other poyntes he sayeth that goinge to a churche of a contrarye beliefe is partiri inter deum diabolum animam vni corpus alteri assignādo To part stakes betweene God and the diuell assygning the soule to one and the body to the other He hath also of the lyke tenoure written two Epistles vnto two of his friendes You maye lykewise in the same volume see the counsel of Melancthon Peter Martyr Bucer and the Ministers of the Tigurine Congregation whose censure being by Caluine demanded they all agreed to his opinion M. Fox also recordeth diuerse letters of Bradfod Hullier others that wholy approue the same assertiō And albeit their reasons were misapplyed in the particular churche to which they proued it vnlawfull to resorte Yet are they very sufficient and forcible to confirme that the repayring to a false church in deed is moste sinnfull and damnable And there-fore consider with youre selues what wilfull blyndnesse you are in that mayntayne a poynte whiche not onlye Catholickes but euen the verye heretickes them-selues that caryed anye forme or shew of conscience and religion haue detested as moste preiudiciall to the trueth offensyue to God pernicious to your selues And not contented your selues to offer your soules to sacryfyce your fayth to make an hoaste to the diuell of youre eternall saluation and your portion in heauen You carye also with you youre selye innocentes and force your children to the lyke impyetye as though it were not enough for you to perishe alone Shall not they as S. Cyprian noteth in the daye of iudgemente crye out againste you We of our selues haue donne nothing We dyd not of our owne accorde leaue the meate and cuppe of God to runne to prophane infection the infidelytye of others hath caste vs awaye We felte our owne parents our murderers They denied vs the church for our mother God for our Father and haue reuyued the olde sinne of the Iewes and Gentiles Immolauerunt filios suos filias suas demoniis They offered vpp theire sonnes and theyr daughters to diuels O how cruell and how vnnaturall a thing cōmitt you in thus trayning vp your litle ones in so impious a sorte You gaue them but a temporall lyfe and you take from thē a spirytuall you bred their bodye and you are the bane of they re soule You brought them forth for heauen you guyde them the waye to hell Was this the fruite of your paynful laboure to bring one into the world that shold through your education curse the father that begat him and the mother that bred him the howre of his birthe and wishe that the wombe had ben his tombe his natiuitye his decease and his beginninge his endinge O howe much better did that good mother of the Machabees that rather exhorted her children to martyrdome then to offende for sauing they re lyues Muche better dyd S. Felicitas who in the tyme of persecution beinge as desirous to send her children before her to heauen as other mothers are to leaue theyres after them here in earthe confirmed them in spirite whose bodyes she had borne and was they re mother in theyr byrth to God as well as in theyr natyuitye towarde the worlde And as S. Gregorye sayeth seeinge her seuen deare pledges martyred before her was in a sorte martyred in them all and though she were the eyghte in place yet from the firste to the laste she was alwayes in payne and her owne killinge was not the beginning but the ende of her martyrdome The lyke examples we reade of S. Symphorosa S. Sophia who as they were mothers in affectiō so were they also in care of theyr childrēs soules exhorting thē to cōstancy geuing exāple of the same Alas how contrarilye doe the parentes of our dayes who as thoughe they re children were nothing but fleshe and bloode bodyes with-out soules pamper them in all sensuall delight feare nothige more then that they re soules should be in the state of grace mēbers of the Catholicke Churche But they that are cruell to them-selues how can they be mercyfull to others and suche as are them selues fallē from God how can theye eyther exhorte or vphold others in Gods seruice O blindnes dulnes of harte And had you rather haue God then man for your enemye Had you rather be the diuels then Gods prisoners Had you rather lyue caytyues here in earth then dye to be Sayntes in heauē What are your riches as you vse them but giues to cheyne you and fetter you in sinne Are they not most strayte and stronge boltes by whiche as S. Cyprian sayeth Et virtus retardata est fides pressa mens victa anima praeclusa Both vertue slacked and fayth suppressed the minde ouercome and the soule imprisoned Yea and besydes this bringe not these cheynes with them a moste cruel keeper that is the loue of mony whose qualytye is whom he hath once gotten not to suffer him to depart the pryson but to holde him sure with a thousand bandes lockes and dores casting him into an inwarde holde to make him take pleasure in his bōdage O what a miserable change make you You sell with Esau your heauenly inheritāce for a litle broth You sell your soule that coste no lesse then the life blood of God him-selfe for the shorte vse of a fewe ryches you sell God and all he is worth for a small reuenew of a fewe yeeres It is not the feare of temporall losse can excuse you God gaue it you and for him you must not be vnwilling to forgoe it It is foly to thinke that God can allowe for an excuse the losse of a lyttle pelfe when the soule which he bought with his owne blood is lost for the sauing of it Clemens Alex
so muche that the forbidden aple is thought by the Fathers to haue bene the verye first that she tasted of So did Pharao procure to roote out the Hebrewes by killing theire babes as Herode also thought to doe with Christ when he murdered the Innocents The deuill hath his mastiues to garde his folde that if anye escape out they maye presently barke byte him with detractious slaunders if that will not serue with heauier afflictions Of these the Scripture sayeth Filij hominum dentes corum arma et sagittae et lingua eorum gladius acutus The children of men their teeth are like swordes and arrowes their tongue a sharpe blade And thoughe they be verye vglye monsters that in steede of teeth and tongue carye such murdering weapons yett such are the deuils instruments to persecute those that recoyle from his seruice These men S. Ciprian well describeth in the person of Nouatian saying that a man of that office is Desertor Ecclesiae misericordiae hostis interfector paenitentiae doctor superbiae veritatis corruptor perditor charitatis A forsaker of the Church an enimye of mercye a murderer of penance a preacher of pride a corruptor of the truth a spoyler of charitye But they that leaue theire iorney for suche are lyke horses that are frighted with shadowes seing they feare the paines troubles of this worlde which in deed are but shadowes in respect of those of the worlde to come Illic trepidauerunt timore vbi non erat timor They there treÌ„bled for feare where there was no iust occasion therof It is not for vs to regarde the slaunders of men or to abandon the seruice of God for them seyng that it is but a verye slender excuse to alledge the feare of wordes of a vassall as a iust impedimeÌ„t of not performing our duetye towardes our soueraigne The frindshipp of this worlde is an enemye to God S. Paule him selfe sayd that if he would haue pleased men he could not haue ben the seruant of god It were a great follye for the blynd to reuyle or scorne others because they see or for the lame to contemne those that are sounde of lymmes and much more sottishnesse were it for a man that seeth to goe blyndfolde or to put out his eyes for the blynde wretches scoffinge or to lympe or mayme him selfe for the creples sayinges Ambulans recto itinere timens Deum despicitur ab eo qui infami graditur via He that walketh an vpright waye and feareth God is despised of him that treadeth infamous pathes But qui habitat in coelis irridebit eos He that dwelleth in the heauens shall laugh such to scorne knowinge how much better they deserue it then those whome they make their stales It is no disgrace to the sunne to be hated of the Ousell and night byrdes nor to the iewell to be trodden on and not esteemed of the beasts And so Aristippus when one tolde him that men despised him answered so do the bests them making as litle account of their contempt as they did to be contemned of the bestes Ecce in eoelo testis meus conscius meus in excelsis Lo my witnesse sayeth Iob is in heauen and in the highest he that is priuye to my doynges We must not esteeme how we are iudged of men but how acceptable we are vnto God who is the onlye vmpeere of whom we must looke for the finall verdicte vppon all our actions S. Bernard compareth such as are caryed with the wordes of mens mouthes vnto the moone which because it hath but a borowed light somtimes waxeth and somtimes weyneth other whiles is not seene at all So sayeth he they that relye theire consciences in other mens lippes are somtimes of greate otherwhiles of litle and full often of no account as it pleaseth the flattering tongues to set forth or suppresse their prayse But he that with the sunne caryeth his light within him and maye saye with S. Paule Gloria nostra testimoniuÌ„ conscientiae nostrae Our glorye is the testimonye of our conscience howsoeuer he may with a cloud of disgrace malicious slauÌ„ders be couered from mens eyes yet can his light be neuer so darkned but that Pater qui videt in abscondito reddet illi Our father which seeth in secrett will reward him and in the daye of iudgment shall he shine like the suÌ„ne it selfe in the view of the whole world agreablye to that saying Fulgebant iusti sicut sol The iust like the suÌ„ne shall blaze out theire brightnesse You must not thinke when you are come out of the Whales bellye to sett with Ionas in the shadowe but that you shall haue some enuious worme to gnaw the Iuye roote asunder And if you be altered from a thorne or bryer to be an odoriferous Cedar the worme that can not breed in you wil be gnarring about you It is the propertye of the deuill and his instrumentes to feede like storkes vpon the venemous euill actions of men and they onlye take pleasure to see vs in sinne and reioyce if we amend at our calamityes And as Vultures or rauens though they strayte smell a dead cors when it is corrupted and drawe vnto it by the vnsauery stench in which their delight is yet the sound bodyes they neyther sent not seeke out So the wicked are readye to flocke about vs while we are in the stench of sinne and corrupted with vice because they them selues delight therin Yet if we be souÌ„d and hole and haue cast from vs that carryon wherof they were eagre they neyther smell vs nor seeke vs yea rather auoyde vs and hate vs. The sauour of vertue striketh them dead and though in the winter when the vyne was bare they could lye vnder it yett in the spring when it beginneth to flower they lyke serpents are stroken dead with the sent therof and therfore no maruell though they mortally hate it In our storme is their time of singing as to the Sirens is vsuall and they are most sadd in our calme and sorye in our welfare And as the shipp while it is vppon the maigne sea is in a manner a Castle or common wealth by it selfe and hauing all the sayles hoysed vpp and swolne with the wynde and the banners displayed with a verye loftye shew daunceth vppon the waues and allureth euerye eye to behold the pryde thereof But when it is comen into the hauen it is strayte ransacked by the Searcher forced to paye custome and the sayles being gathred the banners taken in the anchers cast it lyeth quietlye at rode and is litle regarded So they that whyle they sayled vppon the surges of worldly vanityes followed the tyde of a consciencelesse course might range vncontrolled and hauing the fauourable gale of authoritye to wafâ—e them forward and honours and pompe to sett them forth were admired of the people if they
vigill and the fast here For otherwyse he that will feast it here in ioconsye and disporte after this lyfe ad sepulchra ducetur et in congerie mortuorum vigilabit He shal be led to the graues in the heape of the deade shall keepe a perpetuall vigill in hell They obserued that as S. Basill sayeth the huge and noble cityes furnished with glory of munition with aucthoritye of great personages and all plenty both at home and abroade at the length shew in the onlye ruines the signes of their auncient nobilitye The shipp also that hath often escaped many shipwrackes a thousand tymes crossed the seas with great aduaÌ„tage of the shipmeÌ„ in the end iustled with a blast is shattered in peeces Mightye armyes that haue often coÌ„quered in warr haue afterward bene made a miserable and bloodye spectacle to their enimies All nations Ilandes enhaunced to great power swaye haue decayed in time or chaunged their libertye with bondage Finallye what hauocke losse ruyne or miserye can be reckened wherof this wretched world hath not shewed some example yea and that in the lyfe of the godlye All thinges therfore bendinge here to decaye and beinge taynted with deathes consuÌ„ption The Sayntes in mourninge sorte agreablye to dyinge and passing persons liued in a continuall farewell as men that all wayes stoode vpon the departure from these earthlye solaces litle regardinge the thinges that they were to leaue and hauinge their hartes setled vpon the felicity that they tended vnto And as men that at noone daye desire to see the starres goe downe into a deepe and darke well from thence the easier to discrye them so they desyring to haue the eyes of their harte perpetuallye fixed vppon the starres of heauen that is the glorye of the Sayntes descended in to that profounde obscure and base kynde of lyfe sequestring them selues from the lyght and pleasure of these inferior comfortes yea and delyghtinge in griefes the better to conceaue of future happynes Consider how low Iob went when he cryed Putredini dixi pater meus es mater mea soror mea vermibus I sayde vnto corruption thou art my father and to the wormes you ar my mother sister Consider how low S. Paule went when he sayde Esurimus et sitimus nudi sumus colaphis cedimur tanquam purgameÌ„ta huius mundi facti sumus omnium peripsema vsque ad huc We are hungrye we thyrst and we are naked and beaten with buffets yea and that which is more we are made the refuse of this worlde and drosse of all euen vntill now How farr went Dauid when he sayde Ego sum vermis non homo opprobrium hominum abiectio plebis I am a worme and no man the stale of men and the castawaye of the people They were not ignorant that euery valley shal be filled and euerye mountayne hill humbled They knew that the waters of grace springing into lyfe euerlasting rest not on the hyghe and steepe hilles but in the bottomes and lowe valleyes according to that Qui emittit fontes in conuallibus inter medium montium pertransibunt aquae Who letteth out his fountaines in the valleyes and his waters shall passe in the middest betweene hils They well vnderstoode how conuenient a thinge it is and conformable to the state of this lyfe recumbere in nouissimo loco to sitt downe in the last place as Christ counsayled For as S. Augustine sayeth Excelsa est patria humilis via ergo qui quaerit patriam quid recusat viam Aloft is our countrye but lowe is our waye who therfore seeketh the couÌ„trye why shuneth he the waye O howe much are the worldlinges deceyued that walke in magnis mirabilibus super se in greate thinges and in marueyles aboue them selues that reioyce in the time of weepinge and make their place of imprisonmeÌ„t a pallace of pleasure that think these examples of Sayntes follyes and their endes dishonorable that thincke to goe to heaueÌ„ by the wyde waye that onlye leadeth to perdition Well maye we to these saye with S. Augustine Quo itis peritis nescitis non illac itur quo pergitis quo peruenire desideratis Nam vtique beati esse desideratis Sed misera sunt ad maiorem miseriam ducunt itinera ista quae curritis Tam magnum bonum querere per mala nolite si ad illud peruenire velitis huc venite hac ite Whether goe you you perishe and you perceyue it not that is not the waye to the place you goe vnto and to which you desire to arryue for your meaninge is to be happye but miserable are they and to more miserye leade they those iorneyes which you runne seeke not so greate a good by euill If you meane to atchiue it hyther must you come this waye must you goe The path to heauen is narrowe rough and full of weerisome and tyeringe ascents neyther can it be trodden without greate toyle And therfore wronge is their waye grosse their error and assured their ruine that after the steppes and testimonyes of so manye thousand Sayntes will not learne wherto settle their footinge It were enough to haue the example of Christe onlye who as S. Augustine noteth cryeth alwayes vnto vs. Qua vis ire ego sum via Quo vis ire ego sum veritas Vbi vis permanere ego sum vita Which waye wilt thou goe I am the waye Whether wilt thou goe I am the truth Where wilt thou staye I am the lyfe And if this waye leade vs through austere and paynfull passages if this trueth teach vs the trace of humilitye if this lyfe be not atchiued without a doleful dyinge pilgrimage Then Vae vobis qui ridetis quia flebitis beati qui lugent quoniam ipsi consolabuntur Woe be vnto you that laugh for you shall weepe happye are they that morne for they shal be comforted For as S. Gregorye sayeth Qui honoratur in via in peruentione damnabitur quasi per amoena prata ad carcerem peruenit qui per praesentis vitae prospera ad interitum tendit He that is honored in his iorney shal be condemned at his iorneyes end and he commeth as it were by pleasant medowes to his prison that by the prosperitye of this worlde runneth to his ruine For in trueth the contentments of this lyfe haue true miserye fayned felicitye assured sorowe doubtfull delightes rough stormes timorous rest solace full of sadnesse and hope full of hazarde They are lyke fayre wether in winter nothing durable lyke a calme in the sea alwayes vncertayne Like the stedines of the moone that is ouer in chaunginge They resemble the Coâ—â—â—rices egge fayre without foule within Nabuchodonozors image that had the face and hed of golde but earthen and brittle feete or the sweete riuer that runneth into the salte sea Sordes eius in
defende that Church of Rome which as Cirillus sayeth Ab omni seductione et haeretica circumuentione manet immaculata Remayneth vnspotted from all seducinge and hereticall circumuention Of whiche Theodoretus writeth that Semper haeretici faetoris expers permansit It hath alwayes bene cleere from stench of heresye We defend that Church of which Ruffinus noteth In ecclesia vrbis Romae neque heresis vlla sumpsit exordium mos ibi seruatur antiquus In the Church of the citye of Rome nether hath anye heresye taken the beginning the auncient custome is ther dulye obserued Of which also Gregorye Nazianzen obserueth that Vetus Roma ab antiquis temporibus habet rectam fidem semper eam retinet sicut decet vrbem quae toti orbi praesidet semper de Deo integram fidem habere In olde Rome hath the true fayth euen from the times of our forefathers ben kept and it alwayes retayneth it as it is fitt for a cittye that ruleth the whole worlde to haue euermore a sound fayth of God We defend not a Church singled from others not the dismembred Church of Arrius Berengarius Luther or Caluin who as they haue their seuerall names from their seuerall founders so ar they knowen therbye as Lactantius and S. Hierome note to be no longer members of Christ but the sinagoge of antichrist But we defend the Catholicke Church whose name as S. Augustine is witnesse no Hereticke dareth for shame clayme as proper to his owne secte hauing of all ages and persons ben euermore accounted the knowen style of men of our profession We defend a Churche founded by Christ enlarged by his Apostles impugned by none but infidels and condemned heretikes Whose doctrine can be deriued from no late author neuer conuinced of noueltye neuer touched with variablenesse change or contrarietye in essentiall poyntes of beliefe This Illiricus our professed enemye hath in his centurias sufficientlye shewed where from age to age he setteth downe the sayinges of the fathers that manifestly approue our fayth how beit malicously he termeth them naeuos Patrum the wennes or wertes of the fathers And yett for his owne doctrine he can not fynde in all antiquitye so manye sound and vnblemished places as the werttes be which he findeth for the cōfirmation of oures And therfore well sayth Vincentius Lirinensis that our religion imitateth the course of our bodyes For though there be greate difference betweene the flower of childhoode the ripenesse of olde age yet is it the same man that was then younge and is now olde though the partes of childrens bodyes be nether so bigg nor stronge as they be in the full groweth yett are they the verye same equall in number and lyke in proportion and if anye haue altered shape vnagreable to the former or be increased or diminished in nūbre the whole body eyther waxeth monstrous or weake or altogether dyeth So ought it to be in Christian doctrine that though by yeeres the same be strengthened by tyme enlarged and aduaunced by age yett alwayes it remayne vnaltered and vncorrupted And though the wheate cornell which our forefathers haue sowen by the husbandmans diligence hathe spronge to a more ample forme hath more distinction of parts is become an eare of corne yett lett the proprietye of the wheate be retayned and no cokle reaped where the wheate was sowen But now towching the Churche that impugneth vs as of all other heresies we can bringe forth the late beginner his new doctrine eyther vnheard of before or condemned in other heretickes his first adherentes the general opposition against him or counsels vniuersityes and Catholicke Doctours varietye and sodeyne chaunge in doctrine and diuision of his disciples as of Luther and Caluin the worlde knoweth and of other heretickes all historyes doe reporte And thus did Tertullian Optatus Millenitanus and S Augustine with other fathers sett downe a note to know them by the demaunding the beginninge of their beliefe the cause of their longe lurkinge the origin of their cathedrall seate We defend that Churche which notwithstandinge the rage of the Iewes in her Infancye the barbarous tirranye of Pagan Emperors in her Childhoode The outragious persecutions of heretickes in her ripe age not withstandinge all other bruntes and encounters of Satan and his impes hath alwayes remayned vnpregnable yea the more it hath bene lopped and pruned the more hath it shott out and florished The more it hath bene suppressed the better hath it prospered and lyke the arke of Noe with the swelling of the waters that haue drowned all other sectes it was rather alofted and aduaunced to the view of all nations For as S. Leo noteth The Church is not diminished with persecutions but encreased and our Lordes fielde is then alwayes best furnished with most abundance of corne when the cornells that are single in their sowing are multiplyed in theire grouthe Which surelye could neuer be vnlesse it were of God miraculously maynteined For as Gamaliel sayed If it were the counsell or worke of men it would haue bene dissolued but because it is the Church of God the gates of hell haue not bene able to preuayle agaynst it beinge the firmament and piller of truthe as S. Paule calleth it S. Chrisostome also vpon the forerehersed wordes of S. Mathew sayeth that God onlye was able to make that a church founded vppon one fisher a base person shoulde not fall beinge shaken with so boystrous tempestes For though the Catholickes haue bene temporallye so weake their number in respect of their enemyes small The princes that haue impugned them most mightye theire decrees manacinges and tormentes to suppresse them vntollerable yet because they were built vpon a sure rocke not all this blusteringe of wyndes nor irruption of waters haue had power to ouer flowe or to beare them down but that in the ende they haue had and alwayes shall haue the vpper hande of Gods enemies Nether can any say that it is not our Church but theirs that was thus persecuted For there is no tirānical persecution but hath alwayes bene most violentlye bent agaynst the sea of Rome and agaynst the Pope and his followers in so much that of the Popes them selues there haue bene aboue thirtye Martirs Besydes if we reede all antiquitye we shall not fynde one that hath suffered for anye parte of our aduersaryes religion but onlye such as are by all auncient authors registred for damnable heretickes whereas we can alledge them diuers that hane died and ben persecuted for poyntes of our beliefe who haue euer bene since their deathes honoured and acknowleged for Saintes by all Christendome vntill Luthers tyme. For how manye virgins for not breakinge theire vowe of virginitye haue bene cruellye put to death which if they would haue consented to mariage might haue easelye escaped as S. Agnes so highlye praysed by S. Ambrose and diuerse others How many for cleauing vnto
is to vs. Wherein notwithstanding besydes the denyall of the coming of Christ ther are very many ridiculous things As that God spendeth three houres in the daye in readinge they re lawe other certayne houres he weepeth and afflicteth himselfe for sufferinge the Temple to be destroyed the Iewes brought into bondage that he appoynted certayne sacrifyces euery newe Moone to be offred for his sinne in geuing the Sunne that lyght which wrongfullye he had taken awaye from the Moone and other fables of lyke follye And yet as childish thinges as these be wante there not at this daye that will dye in defence of they re religion And not many yeares since a Renegate Christian becōming a Iewe was burnt for this fonde doctrine Neyther is this maruayle when the Gentyles themselues euen vnto this daye haue also their Martyres For as maye be seene in the Epistles storyes of India it is thought a verye laudable thinge amonge them putting themselues and they re goodes into an vnfurnished shipp newe builte for that purpose to bore the shipp thoroughe and by drowning in the syghte of theyr friendes and the people to sacryfice themselues to theyr false Gods Other also in they re greate and hyghe solemnities when the presse throng of people is moste vse to lye flatt in the thresholdes of the dores of the Temples and suffer them selues to be trampled to death are therby accoūted as Sainctes I omitt Decius Scaeuola Leocorius Leonides and others of older date whose factes maye easilye auouch S. Augustines sayinge that causa non paena martyrem facit And therfore they are madd sayeth he that diuide the members of Christ abolish the Sacraments and yet glorye of they re persecution in that they are forbidden to doe these things by the Emperours lawes which they haue enacted for the vnity of gods Church And boste guilefullye of their innocencye seekinge at mens handes the glorye of Martyrs which at oure Lordes they can not haue But the true Martyrs are those of whome our Lorde sayde blessed are they that suffer persecution for iustice sake Wherfore not they that for theire owne iniquitye or for the impious breache of Christiā vnity but they which for righteousnes suffer persecution are in deede the true Martyrs Et si passa es o pars Donati corporalem afflictionem ab ecclesia Catholica a Sara passa es Agar redi ad dominam tuam And O saction of Donatus if thou hast suffered corporall persecution of the catholicke churche thou hast suffered as Agar of Sara Returne therefore vnto thy maystres And in testimony hereof of so manye hundredes of heretickes that haue bene in former ages put to death for they re heresyes whome haue you emongest all aunciente authores that doth register them as Martyrs yea that condemneth them not for obstinate heretickes Where haue you anye of they re festiuall dayes they re glorious tombes theire honour and memories celebrated mentioned or knowne We see that the true Martyrs dayes names actes and ashes are yett famous though they were strayte after Christes tyme and haue passed the stormes of so manye and greate persecutions They are mentioned of all antiquitye honoured with the style of as great Saintes as them selues et memoria eorum in benedictione est and theire memorye shal be blessed But not all Arrius posteritye not all the races of other heretickes coulde mainteyne theyr doctrine or theire Martyrs credite longe but euen it fell out with them and will doe with foxes Martyrs as Dauide prophesied Vidi impium superexaltatum eleuatum supra Cedros Libani transii ecce non erat quaesiui eum et non est inuentus Locus eius For a whyle they were honored as Saintes and had the glorye of the Cedars of Libanus giuen vnto thē But in the ende they are found to haue bene barren trees and throwne into vnquencheable fyre and they re places was no longer found amongest Saints Martyrdome can not be the iuste punishment of sinne but the crowne of vertue and whosoeuer is iustlye executed for a true offence Sainte he maye be if he repente him of his faulte and take his deathe as his iust deserte But Martyre he can not be thoughe he endure neuer so manye deathes or tormentes For as one that in a hott sommer daye walkinge in a drye and barren fielde and being sore parched with the sunne extreme thirstye though he settled him selfe to paynte or graue in the earth most pleasante fountaynes or delyghtsome and shadowye bowers shoulde be neuerthelesse as much annoyed with heate and as litle eased of his thyrst as before So they that walke in the fruitelesse fielde of heresye in which it is vnpossible that eyther the fountayne of grace shoulde spring or the arbours of glorye growe howsoeuer in the heate of theire iust persecution and thyrst of comforte in they re punishmentes they feede they re imagination with a vayne presumption of future ioyes yett in trueth all their hope is like a paynted fountayne that rather increseth thē diminisheth their payne And therfore in yelding them selues so rashelye to tormentes for theire heresyes they doe lyke a poore wretch lyinge a sleepe on the edge of a hye and steepe rocke who dreaminge that he were made a Kinge and had a glorious trayne of nobilitye to attende him sūptuous pallaces to lodge him and the commodityes of a whole kingdome at his commandement shoulde vpon the sodeyne by starting vp and leaping for ioye fall downe from the rocke and in lieu of all his imaginarye solaces kill him selfe and leese that litle comforte which he had in his miserable lyfe For in trueth as S. Paule sayeth though I deliuer my bodye to be burned and haue no charitye and vnion with God and his true Church it auayleth me no thinge And for this woulde Christe haue his first Martyres Innocentes and as S. Cyprian sayeth Aetas nec dum habilis ad pugnam idonea extitit ad coronam vt appareret innocentes esse qui propter Christum necantur infantia innocens ob nomen eius occisa est The age vnhable to the combate was apte for the crowne and that it myghte appeare that they were innocentes that shoulde dye for Christ innocent infancye was firste for his name putt to death This seemed Dauide to insinuate when he sayd keepe innocencye and beholde equitye because there are reliques for the peaceable man But where this innocencye wanteth this equity fayleth this peace ablenesse with Gods Church is not obserued well sayeth S. Cyprian Siex talibus quis fuerit apprehensus non est quod sibi quasi in confessione nominis blandiatur cum constet si eiusmodi extra ecclesiam fuerint occisi fidei coronam non esse sed paenam perfidiae If anye such be apprehended he need not flatter him selfe as though he were a confessor of Christes name seeinge it is manifeste that if anye such be killed it is no crowne
shall crye vnto me and I will heare they re cryes And my furye shall take indignation and I will stryke you with the sworde and your wyues shal be widdowes and your children orphans Yea and I will meate the enemyes of my churche with they re owne fleshe and they shall be dronken with theyr owne bloode as it were with newe wyne Remember what is sayde in the booke of wisdome Condemnat iustus mortuus viuos impios One iust man dead coÌ„demneth many wicked yet alyue They shall see sayeth Salomon the end of the wise man and shall not vnderstande what God hath determined of him and whye our Lord did protecte him They shall see and shall contemne him but our Lord shall laugh them to scorne And after these thinges they shal fall without honour with reproch amongst the dead for euer for he shal burste theÌ„ puffed vpp without voyce he shall moue theÌ„ from the very foundations shall bring them to vtter desolation And they shall grone and theyr memorye shall perish Thus hath it happened to persecutours of former tymes who haue as is shewed euen with theyr posteritye bene rooted out for they re cruelty shewed to their mother the Churche Neyther can suche stepchildren euer prosper accordinge to that saying of Christe Omnis plantatio quam non plantauit Pater meus eradicabitur And that of Salomon Spuria vitulamina non dabunt radices altas nec stabile firmamentum collocabunt All planting that my Father hath not planted shal be rooted vp And bastard slypps shal neuer take deepe roote nor be setled in any stayed suerty RemeÌ„ber that he which speaketh these things is able to ê‘forme theÌ„ doubtlesse will doe it if you wil not cease to deserue it Cap. 16. BVT Now to returne to you moste glorious Confessors remeÌ„ber who sayd vnto you Feare you not my litle flocke For the aduersaries of our Lord shal be afrayed of him more then you of them and he will thunder from heauen vppon them He wil tourne they re lyghteninges into rayne of consolation And if here he measure the waters of your short miseries with his closed fiste heauen and his eternall rewardes he will measure vnto you with his open span If here he hath made darkenesse his secrete place he will afterwarde shew himselfe vnto you clothed with lighte as with a garmente and will make the comfortlesse deserte wherin you nowe dwell as it were a place of delights and the wildernesse of your desolation as the garden of our Lorde In the meane tyme you muste be contented to saye with Iob I haue bene a brother vnto Dragons and a felowe of Ostriges taking well they re euill vsage and requitinge Dragons spite with brotherlye charitye and the vnnaturalnesse of the Ostrige that as the Scripture sayeth is hardened against her yonglinges as thoughe they were not hers with friendlye demeanour dutifull subiection Remember what S. Gregorye sayth Abel esse non potest quem Caini malitia non exercet rosa quae redolet crescit cum spina que pungit Abel he cannot be that is not exercysed by the malice of Cayne the rose whose pleasant sauour delighteth groweth with a stalke whose prickle woundeth God will not be angrye for euer neyther will he all wayes conteyn in wrath his mercyes Adhuc paululum modicumque consummabitur indignatio mea furor meus super scelus eorum Iuxta est dies perditionis adesse festinant tempora Yett a litle whyle and a verye shorte space and my wrath sayeth he shal be consummated and my rage vppon the enormitye of mine enemyes The daye of theyr destructioÌ„ is nere and the tymes hasten to be at hande And then shall the burthen be taken from your shoulders and the yoke from youre necke Then shall God afford you a crowne of glorye in stead of the ashes of your disgrace Oyle of ioye for your mourning and a garmente of prayse for the spirite of heauines Happy therfore is he that drinketh in the way of the torreÌ„t of martirdome for he shall lifte vp his heade to an vnspeakeable crowne Hapye is he that is quasi torris raptus ex incendio lyke a fyre brand snatched out of the flame of persecution because with a most fortunate vyolence is he caryed brighte with an enflamed charitye to the presence of God Happye is he that sucketh honye out of this rock and oyle out of this most harde stone For by the taste of this honye shall his eyes be opened as it hapened to Ionathaâ— and he shall see the yoake of all miserye rott awaye from the face of this oyle Finally blessed is he that with Dauid can saye my mouth sayde in my tribulation I will offer vpp vnto the holocaustes full of marow yelding himselfe with Isaac as a perfecte sacryfyce rather then our mother the Churche shold want lyuing hoastes euen of her owne children to offer when God shall appoynte it for the confirmation of his trueth For withe suche hoastes is Gods fauoure earned And seeinge that persecutioÌ„ in Gods cause is a signe that you are Sathans enemyes sith he thus pursueth you That you are Gods children sith he thus chastiseth you Seeinge that you haue Christes example to encourage you the necessarye miseryes of this world to make you willing the auoyding of greater paynes due vnto your sinnes to comforte you seing your cause is so good the estate of the persecuted so honorable in Gods Churche imprisonmente glorious martirdome pretious in it selfe profitable to the Churche and so beneficiall to the sufferers and last of all your finall rewarde so ample and greate what remayneth but for you to reioyce in somanye tytles of consolation happelye to continew that which you haue fortunatlye begonne For as S. Cyprian seyeth Parum est adipiscialiquid potu isse plus est quod adeptus es posse seruare It is a small matter to haue ben able to gett a thinge more it is to be able to keepe it when it is once gotten Now is the time that many of our forfathers haue desyred to lyue in that is when they might not only profitt the Churche by example of they re lyfe and by vertue of they re preachinge but also which they accounted most to be desyred by effusioÌ„ of their blood WheÌ„ Englande was Catholike it had manye glorious Confessors It is now for the honour and benefit of our countrye that it be also well stored with the number of Martyrs and we haue God be thanked suche martyrquellers now in authoritye as meane if they may haue they re will to make Saynctes enough to furnishe all our Churches with treasure wheÌ„ it shall please God to restore them to they re true honoures I doubte not but eyther they or they re posteritye shall see the verye prisons and places of executioÌ„ places of reuerence