than know you that both they are deuided from vnity and there is now no question leste of cōmunication which cannot be trew but onely in vnity Presence at hereticall seruice expresly forbidden Be you not therfore as if there were no difference betweene Schismatickes and the trew Church indifferently associated vnto both their sacrifices It is not the body of Christ which a Schismatike maketh if we follow truth as our guide Neither can any man faine without reprouing the Apostle that Christ is deuided 1. Cor. 1. One onely is the Church which is Christes body which cannot be deuided in two or more partes For so soone as any departeth frō her he ceaseth to be of any Church at all ⧠How could that auncient holy Bishop more plainly discourse of communication with Schismaticks euen whan they haue trew seruice and Sacraments For that which he saieth that a Schismaticke cannot make the body of Christ See the glosse vpon this place is not vnderstood of want of trew consecratiō if he which taketh it vpon him bee a Prieste but according to the ordinary custome of Doctours which call the trew body of Christ that which is the effect of the holy Eucharist which is the incorporation with Christes misticall body which a Schismaticke cannot make in any or because a Schismaticke him selfe is no parte of that misticall body so that he speaketh not of consecration of the Eucharist but of the vnion of him which is the consecratour S. Augustine disputing against the Donatistes S. Augustines opinion l. 1. de Bap. cont Donat c. 2. 24. q. 1. cap. Si quem forte hath this notable saying which I will sette downe the more largely that you may see how that great Sainte and most graue Doctour of Gods Church esteemed of this exteriour shew of vnion with the trew Church of God which wee defend If perhapps saieth hee extreame necessity driueth any man where he cannot finde a Catholicke keeping in his mind Catholicke peace he doe receaue by some other which is out of the Catholicke vnity that which he would haue receaued in Catholicke vnity he meaneth baptisme if forthwith he depart out of this world we doe not repute him but as a Catholicke And if he be deliuered from corporall death whan he shall yeeld him selfe vnto the Catholicke congregation euen with his corporall presence from whence he neuer departed in his hart not onely we do not disallowe that which he hath donne but with all security and verity we cōmend him because he beleeued that God was present in hjis harte where hee obserued vnity and would not departe out of this life without the Sacramēt of Baptisme which whensoever he found he knew to be Gods and not of men But if any whan he might receiue it in the Catholike Church through any peruersnes of mind doth choose to be baptised in Schisme although afterward he come vnto the Catholicke Church where certaine it is the the Sacrament profiteth which may trewly be otherwhere receiued but not profitt he is peruerse and wicked and so much the more perniciously How a man in necessity may receaue a sacrament of an heretike or schismaticke by how much the more wittingly S Augustine speaketh here of Schismatickes Where he reprehendeth not the seruice or Sacrament but the vnion which is by the outward shew professed Neither yet was it his mind to approue such communicatiō with Schismatickes in necessity that a man may dissemble his recourse vnto them for to be in signe of vnion vnto them but he speaketh of those which were publicke Catecumens in the Church Conc. Trid sess 14. Caiet verbo Absolutio cap. Pastoralis de off iud ord Anglez de Conr. Art 8. Diffic 9. and knowne to desire the Churches Sacrament and as he saieth of the Church already in hart which in their extremity could finde no Catholicke who might actually incorporate them to the same After which maner in extreeme necessity there wanting an other Priest at the houre of death any Catholicke may lawfully and sufficiently be absolued by any trew Priest although an hereticke yea by Luther him selfe if he were aliue So that neither the Priest want dew intention the Penitent make knowne both vnto the Priest and others who might otherwise be scandalized that he wold liue and dye in the Catholicke vnity This is a pointe very good for our countreymen to know as a thing which may happen vnto them to be as profitable as it is most certainly permitted by holye Church So that it be not according to the forme of the communion booke or with dissimulation and dew diligence be vsed for to find a Catholicke Priest But of S. Augustines opinion in this pointe out of whom this Canon was taken we can say much more And if we would say all we should exceed any reasonable volume But our intent is not to bring here the sentences of holy Fathers but in as much as either they shew the custome of the Church or haue theire graue sentences for the gouernment of the wholle Church placed in the body of the Canon lawes This glorious Piller of Christēdome liuing in Affrica amongst the swarmes of Donatistes which at that time molested the Church of Christ being first onely Schismatickes but afterward growing to expresse heresy as alwaies Schismatickes if they continew vse to doe as we haue new oftentimes saied out of S. Hierome in all his workes against Donatistes geueth most plaine testimony of the custome of his daies Going to the Church is schisme in S. Agustines opinion For whosoeuer shal read any of those learned bookes which he writeth of that Schisme shall see that neither the Donatistes with the Catholickes nor these with them would any waies communicate Yea by this great Father it was reputed Schisme for the one parte to communicate with the other in spirituall thinges which whan I say I meane the religious presence at seruice Heare I pray you what this Saint rehearseth of an Imperiall law against this action * Ciuill law See cod de hereticis L. quicunque l. 1. cont ep Parm. in fine See ep 166. Although the conuenticles are seuerall and the segregation wicked yet the law cannot coueniently punish all proper conuenticles wicked seperation congregated Of the other Emperours lawes and iustice except of Iulian the Apostata who only fauoured the Donatistes permitting them to haue Churches which lawes are most vehement against them who is ignorant Amongst the which one generall law against all such as will be called Christians and do not communicate with the Catholike Church but are gathered together seuerally in their proper cōuenticles conteineth thus much that as well be who ordeineth a clergy man as also he which is ordeined be amerced in tenne Poundes of golde But that the very place where the wicked separation is congregated be confiscated There be also other generall commaundemements by which they are disabled either to make will
wholle action and is called a circumstance therof An example of this you may haue in all actions If a man determine to go to dinner the very obiect and motiue and intrinsecall end of his desire that is of his intention is to dine But if he referre this his dinner vnto obedience or vnto the glory of God for whom he intendeth to keepe and increase hiscorporall strength these are extrinsecall endes or circumstances of the first intention or end and his immediate intention being to dine he referreth the same with a farther intention vnto those endes Now this intrinsecall end which we spake of as it giueth the nature and forme vnto the inward action so doth it also giue what goodnes or badnes is in it For if that obiect or motiue be of the owne nature conformable vnto to reason than is it a good action or desire If contrary contrary A good action of it selfe may be corrupted by the circumstances but an euill action cannot be iustified by good circūstances or intentions If indifferent so that it hath in it selfe no certaine or determinate order vnto right reason then is the action of the owne nature indifferent neither good nor badde Yet doth not goodnes or badnes flow into an action onely by the nature of the immediate obiect or end of the same but also by the extrinsecall end yea by euery circumstance and euery meanes taken for the obtaining of the same first end or obiect So that although the action be good of it selfe or indifferent yet if it be referred to a further end which is euill or if any meanes vsed for the bringing to passe of the action it selfe be euill or there wante any circumstance of time place maner or measure necessary than is the wholle action it selfe naught for some circumstance Euen in like manner is the action it selfe naught when it being vnlawfull is donne with all possible circumstances or intention of whatsoeuer farther good Dion c. 4. de diu nom For the generall ground both of Philosophers and Diuines cannot be infringed that good is of the wholle intiere cause but the euill is of euery particuler defect Hence is it therfore euident first that although your remote intentions in going to the Church haue neuer so great colour of piety yet that which immediatelye you doe which is to goe to the Church is your intention also And that you as well intend to goe to the Church although for those extrinsecall endes as hee which stealeth for to geue Almes intendeth to steale and the dissolute woeman which killeth her Infant for feare of geuing scandall intendeth the death therof Secondly that the immediate action of going to the Church being euill it cānot be iustified by any godly or lawfull circumstance Euen as if it were good of it selfe yet might it be made euill by an euill circumstance For good requireth a perfect cause euill is that which wanteth any part of the cause Euen as a man is not a perfect man except he haue all his members perfect yet is he imperfect if with all other good pro portion he doe but looke awry §. 12. The 11. obiection of that nature of Churches As for your last reason it is answered in one worde The Churches are ours in ded But the heretickes seruice and company is not ours Euen as if there were Idolatry or any filthy crime there practised you had no right vnto the Idolatry or other sinne nor might be there present for all your right to the Church But if you haue right to the Church why goe you thither at seruice time or so that you may seeme to be at seruice Greg. l. 3. dial c. 30. Hereticall Churches are Deuils lodgings is it not sufficient at any other season O Sir it is not the Church which draweth you but the seruice And if you knew that Churches prophaned by heretikes haue other maner of inhabitants in them then the holy Angells you would not be very hasty for deuotion to go vnto them euen when they be emptye But you shall heare what S. Hillary saith of those which in his time wente to the Churches where heretickes were gathered for loue vnto the Churches dedicated before vnto God Lib. cont Auxent circa fin Wickedly hath the loue of the walles possessed you wickedly doe you reuerence the Church of God in houses and buildings wickedly vnder these pretenses doe you talke of peace vnto me are more safe the mountaines lakes prisons and dongeons ⧠Where you may see a perfect example of our age and how the most holy Fathers which haue liued in auncient times amongst heretickes accounted no small matter the ioyning themselues vnto theire detestable company For they alwaies esteemed it besides a fauouring and exterior protestation of their sectes a most ready way vnto the wholle ouerthrow of true religion For the heretickes haue alwaies endeuoured with shew of piety to darken true piety The cause why heretickes retain Churches and with maintaining some outward shewe of reuerend antiquitye to blotte out of peoples memory the auncient truth it selfe Such was the inuention of Idolatrous Hieroboam who made Israell to sinne Now saith he will the kingdome returne vnto the house of DAVID 3 Reg. 12. if this people doe ascend to doe sacrifice in the house of God in Hierusalem ⧠And for this cause he deuised new Gods new preistes and prophane temples Euen so is it with you For least the people should haue desire to resorte to the true house of God in spirituall Hierusalem longing after Confession after Masse after holy Catholicke Sermons and the whollevse of Catholicke rites and ceremonies you are fedde with reuerend Churches with gay painted words and seruice in the vulgar tongue not for any affection of piety or inclination of vertue For who knoweth not how litle they seeke for piety or desire for other respects to keepe Churches standing but only to nourish the dissention and maintaine the diuision of ISRAEL from IVDA To this end doe they furnishe your Tables with such dishes as are no more comparable with the Catholike dainties than the Onions of Aegipt with the most delicate Manna of the Desert §. 13. THE SECOND PARTE Hauing now answered sufficiently as I suppose vnto your obiections for other obiections which I must of force helpe you withall I wil after bring forth Other obiections are answered in the progresse of this Treatise there resteth the onely thing which I haue in this wholle discourse supposed and taken as certaine in wihch in deed our wholle disputation doth principally consist that is to proue by necessary groundes that to goe to the Church is an action of it selfe euill and iustifiable for no circumstance at all which I haue hitherto supposed not bringing any argumentes therof other then by answering your obiections must needes be insinuated because it was not my part in this Epistle to proue the truth but to
hath approued the fact hath he approued it and how I pray you by dispensation or definition hath he defined it Excathedra to be lawfull in it selfe neither contrary vnto the law of God nor vnto the positiue law of the Church or hath he supposing it to be only against the second as one which is the steward of Gods family dispensed herein Now for the dispensation That the Pope hath not dispensed I see not how if ther were any it could auaile you considering the danger of dispensations from Rome in our countrey and that although you would neuer so carefully conceale it yet you might hereafter be put to your othe whether you went to the Church vpon any dispensation or tolleration from Rome or no. But let vs scanne the truth of this dispensation When was it graunted by whom in what forme or maner how passed it the Alpes without our priuitie in these countries why are not the Preistes there with you made priuy thereunto considering that the * Mal. 2. lippes of the Preistes doe keepe knowledge men must require the law out of their mouth what subordination is there kept whē such things are sent vnto lay-men and not vnto the Pastours teachers of your soules why doe we not in these countries informe those which come out of the Seminaries of this enlargement must a few vnlearned timerous inconstant lay-men and such as your selfe are for I meane not all be the Popes Agentes in so waighty matters to haue the diuulging of them in the Realme But how began the Pope so lately to tender thus prouidently your distresses and how hard harted haue his predecessors bene all this time who haue not considered them was Gregory the 13. whom both for corporal spiritual prouision for our countrey we may worthely call an other Apostle of England heire vnto the first of his name not only in his seate but also in his affections way that great Patrone so kind vnto our nation that he would oftentimes weepe at the hearing of our miseries only in this point vnkind or did he with all his learning in which he excelled forget his authority in this one point Bring forth the letter the messenger the reporter of his owne knowledge of this new graunt which if you cannot as I am most sure you cannot then as I saide vnto you before out of the Prophet Hieremy that you haue taken hold of a lye in your erroneous proposition which you maintaine So doe I now say that you haue taken holde of an other lye to proue the former and such a lye as vpon my conscience is as long as betweene you and Rome as broade as the way thither whether you goe by Sea or by Germany ioining therunto all the space in the middest And finally as loud as if lies may be hard farther then true tales it may be heard from Westminster hall to the Popes Consistory So that plainly to deale with you I will not say you haue deuised for I know your nature too well but in ouer much credulity you haue taken hold of a long large loud lye although it pleased one in cheife autority of late to reporte that such a dispensation was graunted for men and not for woemen who surely hath bene also too credulous for it did not beseeme his place or person for to lye Now for any definition of the lawfulnes of the acte The Pope hath not defined it as lawfull I say the very same which for the dispensation And besides for them both I adde that it was neuer heard of in any age that the Pope did define or dispense in a thing which hee had no Diuines to maintaine It may be that he define a thing which hath bene doubtfull among Diuines The Pope neuer defineth or dispenseth contrary to common doctrine of Diuines or that he dispense in a thing which some affirme others deny to be dispensable as we know he practiseth in dispensing in some kind of matrimony But this is such a point so necessarily deduced out of Gods word so confirmed by the practise of all ages so resolued in all learned mens iudgements of the world that I assure you whosoeuer taking vpon him the name of a Diuine should propound it as a doubtfull or disputable question I meane practically and not onely as to exercise mens wittes in disputing of very resolued cases in any vniuersity of the world he would be hissed at much lesse it is to be thought that the Pope would dispense in it Yea this I say vnto you and am most assured of The Pope cannot dispense in this case that although this point of going to the Church with heretickes were only by positiue lawes forbidden as vndoubtedly it is of the owne nature and by Gods law vnlawfull as shall be shewed hereafter yet the case so standeth in England that he can not dispense in it For the action of going to the Church going to the Church is exacted for contempt of Catholicke religion therfore beside many other reasons indispensable is alwaies exacted in contempt of Catholicke religion as appeareth both by the vsages of those poore soules which in some partes before the late Commissioners relenting were with singuler despite and barbarous vsages by the officers driuen to the Church and also by the ordinary submission which at the Assises diuers haue pronounced when they haue become conformable wherin the principall pointes of Catholicke religion are renoūced So that I know who purposely comming to the Assises to submitte him selfe by hearing his fellow before him to make so shamefull a protestation which also very contemptuonsly some are like grammer schollers commaunded to repeate againe as not hauing pronounced it well or not spoken loud enough this man I say perceiuing more to be exacted then he had stomacke to beare withdrew himselfe and abode the aduenture of the law And although all which yeeld to goe to the Church doe not make this submission yet hereby may we see that the intent of going to the heretickes seruice is so to obey the Prince that Gods Church and autority may be contemned Now therfore the Pope cannot dispense in the breach of his owne law The Pope cannot dispense in the contēpt of his owne lawe when it is exacted in contempt For than is not his owne law onely broken but also Gods who saieth * Luc. 10 he that despiseth you despiseth me So that if the Pope hauing excommunicated one of those Emperours with whome he had in times past so great contention should fall into the said Emperours handes and the Emperour should say vnto him thou hast excommunicated me therfore to Preist will say Masse in my presence But in despite of thee I will make thy selfe say Masse before me In this contempte although the Emperour be excommunicate only by the Popes own decree yet if the Pope celebrate he sinneth mortally Euen so although this were a positiue law of
vtter defiance with Schisme and Heresie Lett all the worlde vnderstand that in the least dangerouse pointe you will take the secure part and no way shrinke from your duety towards God than shall you certainly auoide the diuerse snares of conscience with which you may otherwise be entangled and perhaps be left in more setled quiet in the world which ordinarily molesteth them moste which most seeke to flatter it This assure your selfe of that as you cannot too soone flye from places suspected of pestilence So cannot you be too curiouse of shūning whatsoeuer hath the least sauour of schisme and heresie And least you may for want of a right persuasion of your duety doe amisse compare alwaie the case of going to the Church A rule to know how farre we may go in this pointe vnto the receuing the cōmunion and doing facrifice or being present at sacrifice vnto Idolls And what you may doe or say you haue donne or will doe or what you may dissemble in one you may in the other For I will shew hereafter that although there be degrees amongst them yet there is sinne committed in them all alike §. 18. Hauing than hitherto declared our full meaning in this question and whome we exclude or include therin Let vs beginne to handle the matter scholastically as I said before as for fruitfull examples of auncient ages and pithy sentences of the doctours of the Church and deuout conceites and exhortations vnto that which is necessary in so weighty a pointe of Christian religion I leaue thē vnto the three bookes The booke of Schisme which learnedly deuoutly and largly intreate therof in our owne tongue My purpose is onely to presse you with sound argumentes and so to inclose you within the bandes of most firme reason The reasons of refufall that you shall neither escape my handes nor being once in them be wrested from me We must therfore out of the sure and stedfast groundes of sound Diuinity The cololatory letter proue that the vsuall going vnto the Church with heretickes in England is altogithtr of it selfe vnlawfull hauing annexed vnto it as signification of false religion a denaill contempt dishonour and preiudice of the truth which doe geue the forme and nature vnto such going and so make it that by to accident or circumstance in the world it may be iustified This will we deduce out of the nature and quality of fiue principall vertues necessarily appertaining vnto Christian duety §. 19. Euery Christian is bound to professe his faith at some times The first of these vertues is an exteriour confession of faith to which euery Chrstian is bound in two fortes For first there is an affirmatiue precept which commandeth vs to confesse our faith and shew outwardly that which we beleeue and to this are we bound sometimes in respecte of other vertues sometimes in respect of faith it selfe In respect of other vertues as of religion which is a vertue to which it belongeth to yeeld honour vnto God not onely with the mind esteeming him our cheife Lorde and finall end Damasc l. 4. c. 13. and submitting our selues vnto him as the soueraigne ruler of our soules but also with our body* and exteriour actions wheras wee consist as well of bodye as of soule exhibiting vnto him outward reuerence in praier thanksgeuing sacraments and ceremonies of religion Which exteriour actions alwaies being a profession of faith it is a cleare case that sometimes in respect of religion we are bound to this exteriour acte of faith which we call confession of faith And this bond in respect of religion taketh place so ofte as the holy Church bindeth vs vnto any acte of religion as of hearing Masse confession receiuing baptisme extreeme vnction or other such like or when there may happen any necessity either of our neighbour or of our selues or of the honor of God or singuler cōmon profit To this confession we are also bound sometimes in respect of charity to wardes our neighbour A man is bound to professe his faith for the charity towardes his neighbour As whan this is a necessary remedy to hinder the peruersion of others in faith and religion or any great scandall in this behalfe As we reade of diuerse Saintes who seing Christians in torments ready to relent comforting them with holsome and necessary counsell haue them selues confessed their owne faith and togither with charity towardes their neighbour shewed their faith towardes God for wihch they haue bene rewarded euen with Martyrdome Christening of children a great bond And here can I not conceale a thing as necessary for the good of my countrey as any other thing without which we cannot be saued It happeneth not seldome that in childbirth the litle Infant is in manifest danger of death The midwife and others assisting either for ignorance malice or for feare of the instrumentes * Commōly against the 9. Iniunctions such are now troubled by the spiritualty of the Diuell which seeketh to take away that onely remedy of saluation which our poore most miserable countrey hath retained doth not care to Christen the same Now whatsoeuer other man or woeman there present yea the * 30. q. 1. c. Ad limina father or mother in such necessity is bound although manifest death woulde ensew vnder paine of mortall sinne that is of eternall damnation if they repent not to Christen or cause to be christened the aforesaide Infant wher by it happeneth that in such fact they consesse this most certaine point of Catholicke verety that no Infant can be saued without Baptisme And in this bond are included schismatikes heretickes themselues who hauing this beliefe are also bound to shew the same in like necessities Some other may be bound hereunto by reason of Iusticke as those which are by office appointed to teach others For such are bound euen with perill of their owne death to instruct theire flocke so therwithall vttering their owne beliefe But in respect of the very vertue of Faith it selfe this outward confession is necessary first Whan is a man ordinarily bound to shew his faith whan any man by concealing and not confessing his faith should be thought to deny the same Secondly in Baptisme where an open profession therof is made Thirdly when generally the faith were in greate hazard or perill of subuersion Saint THOMAS intreating of this matter geueth this rule of the obligation of this precept saying 2.2 q. 3. ar a That a man is bound vnto the exteriour confession of his faith when by the omission therof there shold be withdrawen dew honour from God or profitt to our neighbour as saith he if any man being demaunded of his saith shoulde holde his peace and therby it should be thought either that he had not faith or that the Catholicke faith were not trew or others by his silence should be auerted from the faith for in such cases the consession of our faith
if a man in the brightest noone time of the yeere should hauing his eyesight yet grope for the way And you Sir those also who seeke to make them selues Patrons maintainers of such schisme and detestable practise It is ridiculous now to call this matter into question in this examination or rather condemnation of the learned iudgement of your Superiours and of diuerse holy priesles worthy of theire function and of the great reward which they haue receiued that is of walking with Christ him selfe IN ALEIS QVONIAM DIGNI SVNT because they washed their garments and as it were Ap. 3. Ap. 7. bleached them with the blood of the Lambe you I say and your companions or Fathers if there be any Priest which hath newly bene your ghostly Father to begette you to the Deuell after so many gloriouse confessions after so many deathes after so huge forfeitures of goods landes after so greuous disgraces of the world onely for this pointe which you impugne incurred in examining now whether it be right or wrong seeme to doe as ridiculously as I haue heard to be vsed in some places not farre from you where they first hang the malefactour and afterward consulte of his deserte of death From which places euen as some very pleasantly haue made a forme of a certain Letany that they may escape So doe I desire our good Lord to deliuer all his people from such AFTER IVDGES as your selfe and your companions are But least I should seeme to leane ouermuch to my owne discourses or to the sentence and opinion of our late Founders and Apostles of our recouery vnto me alwaies most graue and reuerend I entend with as much breuity as I may to enter into the consideration of the Canons and practise of the Church that we may see how truth is euer constant and neuer disagreeing to it selfe Yet in all Christian charity I thinke it first necessary by the way to geue you this fraternall admonition The proud arrogancy of the defēders of schisme that whilest you and others scarce out of the A B C whan this doctrine was first vniuersally published by such as now liuing for learning autority and vertew you or they haue not yet ouertaken do set so light by theire sacred censure you shewe your selues scarce as yet entered into the A B C of true vertew and mortification and perfect purgation of hereticall dragges of Pride and singularity And to all godly Catholickes worthy of the glory of that name of the generall renoume of constant confession of theire faith now made publicke in the wholle world and registred vnto eternall memory I say with S PAVL 2. Tim. 3. reasoning of the dangerous times into which it seemeth we are now fallen of you and of your fathers and followers ET HOS DEVITA and such doe you auoide §. 37. In the manner also of requiring the testimonies of antiquity what proceeding is to be vsed in examining the Canons Fathers you deale as ridiculously as if a man by the cōmon sentence of all the Iudges lawiers of the Realme condemned for a Robbery donne in Coome Parke should pleade that he could not iustly be hanged because in all the lawe there is no mention made that he which robbeth in Coome Parke should be hanged All Scriptures all Fathers all Canons are full of most seuere thunderings against your actiō and yet is it not enough to condemne such breakers of Gods peace and his Christian vnity but we must haue forsooth euery particuler accident of your acte the time place manner intention and circumstances all sette downe by Prophesie before hand so condemned This may well serue you to cauill for a while yet cannot it hinder the most iust Iudge to pronounce vpon you dew sentence and deserued punishment That we may not deny our faith that we may not make any outward shew of false religion what cannot be denied in this poynte wt-out heresy that we may not disunite the Church of Christ or deuide his holy garment that we may not contemne his spouse or any waies participate with her traiterous rebells in their rebellion it is so cleare in Scriptures Canons Fathers and perpetuall custome of auncient Ages that to deny it or to doubt of it were a most detestable heresy But because they name not Caluins heresy nor make any mention of England nor touch your Parliaments nor Englishe obedience nor high Cōmissioners nor childishe awe therfore those generall rules are not to be applied to your Churches Countreis Parliaments Intentions which whilest you maintaine see also if there were a law made in England to defend murder whether some also wold not require an expresse Canon to condemn so horrible a crime But as I haue hitherto dealte with you out of Scriptures and the stedfast groundes of Diuinity So will I now deale out of Canons and customes of the Church so that you will promise me to cōfesse your selfe as well included in the generall lawes of Christians as you hope to bee included in the generall promises of Christ and must whether you will or no be included in his generall threatnings The deuision of that which followeth I will therfore deuide this last peice of my discourse into three partes And first shew what hath bene obserued from auncient times of auoiding heretickes vniuersally euen in all ciuill conuersation Secondly of auoiding them in their seruice ceremonies of theire religion Thirdly of the like care of shunning also such as are onely Schismatickes euen in their lawfull rites and ceremonies §. 38. Concerning the first pointe Of the generall bond of auoiding Heretickes Mat. 18. 1. Cor. 5. I need not to be very long considering the charge of Christ cōmanding vs to account those which disobey the Church as heathens and publicans and the doctrine of S. PAVL that with such persons we must not eate and drinke And the admonition of * ep 2. S. IHON who warneth vs that to an hereticke or any erroneous Doctour such are those also which teach that it is lawfull to go to the Church who saieth God saue you communicateth with his wicked workes This did the same S. IHON teach vs also by his example Iren. l. 3. c. 3 S. Ihon Euangelist whan he suddainly departed from the Bath in which Cerinthus the enemy of truth did bath him selfe saying that he feared the ruine of the house S. Policarpe because of his presence S. Polycarpe also out of whom S. Ireneus reporteth the former example sheweth how diligent a follower he was of the holy Apostles of Christ with whom he had bene familier who would not so much as afford vntō Marcion an Arch-heriticke a good looke but when hee meeting him desired him that he would know him he saied I know thee for Satans eldest sonne Such care had the Apostles and their disciples not so much as to speake vnto those which went about with their
wherby we may iudge of the strange spectacles which are in your Churches To conclude what worde more common in Fathers and Canons than that it is vnlawfull to communicate with heretickes and where shall we not finde that one of the cheife communications was in Churches and Ceremonies although the very ciuill communication also were alwaies condemned but not in so high a degree So that in all antiquity we may plainly perceiue what hath bene iudged of communicating with heretickes in churches and seruice Yea so many decrees we haue of this most certaine truth as there haue euer since Christ arisen heresies dew sentences of condēnation haue at any time bene geuen by Councells or Pastours against the same §. 40 Lett vs now see what we haue in the like case of Schismatickes The prescript of holy Canons concerning schismatickes seruice Who although they be as much to be auoided as heretickes yet for that they retaine with the same faith ordinarily the same ceremonies which are in the Church there may be in thē a particular difficulty And if we can in this point also shew our purpose it will be vnto the matter which we handle a singuler aduantage I say therfore that it is not lawfull but rather a thing hauing annexed vnto it many of those deformities we spake of before to be present at the seruice of Schismaticks I meane whan they haue once deuided them selues and made a seuerall cōgregation or as the thirteth Canon of the Apostles and all auncient Fathers are wont to speake haue erected an other Aultar For than doe I say that it is an vnion with them and therfore Schisme disobedience and contempte of the Church Scandall and danger of heresy See §. 24. Schisme being alwaies the high way to heresy as we haue before expounded By reason and discourse this hath bene already proued But by the autority of the Church we may aduouch it This may be deduced out of the thinges before 2. waies in two waies First for that in the alleaged Fathers and Councells there is often times mention made not onely of heretickes but of Schismatickes also as in the Antiochen and Laodicean Councell and others Secondly because many heretickes haue nothing differed from the trew Catholike Church in seruice or Sacraments as ordinarily happened in the Primitiue Church Wherupon I inferre that not the seruice but the vnion and participating with thē in their wickednes Trew Sacramentes damnable out of the Church is by the Fathers reproued whan they generally teach to auoide heretickes seruice So doe the Fathers allow Christes Sacramentes as sufficient euen amongst heretickes and schismatickes whan there concurreth the necessary matter fourme and intention and the conuenient minister l. 2. cont ep Parm. c. 13 dist 32. c. praeter hoc Conc. Illerd c 13. Sending Infants to Christening Yet doth S. Augustine plainly teach that such Sacraments cannot ordinarily be either geuen or taken without sinne Wherfore it was reputed in all ages so hainous a crime to cause a child to be christned by an hereticke although in the dew forme that an auncient Councell made this decree Lett not the oblation of that Catholicke in any wise be receiued in the Church who shall offer his children to be baptised in heresy ⧠So doe the Fathers of the 7 generall Councell determine Act 1. 1. q. 7. c. cōueniontibus that such heretickes as haue receiued holy orders by the handes of heretickes must be after abiuration of their heresy receiued vnto theire functions but if any one of purpose go to an hereticke and receiue of him holy orders him they commaund to be deposed What is here I pray you worthy of condemnation but the exteriour vnion with an hereticke the order it selfe beeing approued and acknowledged by the Church In like maner we haue an auncient Popes Canon in this forme 24. q. 1. c. si quis dedet it If any one doe receiue the communion he meaneth the trew communion of Christes most holy body from the hand of an hereticke and knoweth not that the Catholike Church doth reproue it afterward knowing it let him doe penance one yeere If he know and neglect it and after repent lett him doe penance for tenne yeeres Other doe adiudge him seuen yeeres and some more mildely fiue yeeres of penance If any man permitte an hereticke to celebrate his Masse in the Catholicke Church and knoweth not lett him do Penance 40 daies If for reuerence vnto him a wholle yeere If for condemnation of the Catholicke Church and custome of the Romanes lett him be throwen out of the Church as an heretike except he haue Penance and than lett him doe it tenne yeeres If hee departe from the Catholicke Church into the congregation of heretickes and perswade others Perswading to scisme and after repent lett him do 12 yeeres Penance ⧠If than in hereticall rites and ceremonies that which is reprehended be the cōpany not alwaies the ceremony Than whan we condemned with auncient Fathers the association with all heretickes in their seruices the same Argument and censure must be made in the communication with Schismatickes with whom we cannot professe any vnion but by disuniting our selues from the one onely Doue and Spouse of Christ And yet will I not so geue you ouer but wee will haue some more expresse thing also if it may be for cōmunication with schismaticks that you may the more be confounded at your grosse defending of cōmunication with heretickes For there is a confusion which bringeth sinne Eccli 4 and there is a confusion which bringeth grace and glory and since you haue shamefully entered into the one be not I pray you ashamed in respect of so great reward to abide the other than because you are so curiouse an enquirer for auncient Canons I bring you here a Canon of an auncient Pope S. Pelagius who next before S. Gregory gouerned the Church This worde Schisme which is a greeke worde saieth he doth signifie diuision 24. q. 1. c. schisma But in vnity there can be no diuision they therfore doe not cōmunicate with vnity who cōmunicate with Schismaticks They haue made to thē selues partes and seuering them selues from that which is one that I may vse the Apostle IVDE his wordes they haue no spiritte Wherby it is brought to passe that because in vnity they are not one because they would be in parte because they haue not the spiritt of the body of Christ they can haue no sacrifice Gloss ibi ⧠His meaning is because such sacrifice hath no effecte wheras the effect of the holy Eucharist is the vnity of Christes misticall body from which Schismatickes are deuided And discoursing of the great crime of those which communicate with such he saieth Finally either you thinke them to be the Church and wheras there cannot be two Churches vs to be Schismatickes or if it be manifest that the trew Church is in the Apostolicall Seas