writer but al so therin nov aâ—d then haue vsed some oshisowne speeches whose name though very memorable yet for the present vpon inst reasons I doe conceale trusting only to my slender weake memorye of that I haue heretofore reade or in schooles heard of my masters if I say in touching of so high misteries so many and waighty matters I in any sorte haue fayled or gone one iotte astray from the common receaued faith of the true Catholike and Apostolike Romane Churche as by GODS gratious assistance I trust I haue not yet if there be any of my learned Catholike Brethren that can synde any iust faulte or error herein I will not obstinatly defende yet as Heretâ—ks doe but humbly thanke him that will friendlie charitable either correct it him selfe or warne me of it that I may correct it my sâ—lfe amend it For I as a fraâ—le maÌ„ may easily eâ— Yet â—â—l I boldlie say with that learned * Father I wâ—â—â—euer be an heretike by GODS grace as alwaies submitting my lelfe â—nd all my sayings and doings to the censure judgment and correction of the holy Catholike Churche that I knowe cannot erre Neither haue I heare written any large discourse of any thing but only touched as it weare the toppes of things with what breuitie l mighte makinge the vnlearned to vnderstand But this I beseech you if at any tyme you perceâ—â—e me to enueigh shâ—rply against heretiks or their falie dâ—alings abuses that you woulde not take yt that I doe it for any wante of Charitie towards them or for hatred against their persons but only in respect of their vices and damnable sects heresies wherby they hurt theÌ„selues and others and slaunder the trueth For it is the zeale of GODS cause and the Catholike trueth that some tyme more vehemently causeth me to speake for it is not the most malitious heretike in this lande nor all the heretiks though neuer so malitiouslie they seeke our bloude but GOD is my witnes I am so farre from wishing them harme though olde infestred diseases must be cured with sharpe medicines sometymes for the patients good that I woulde lay my hands vnder their feete and kisse the very grounde they tread one to doe them good and winne their soules to GOD which though with the losle of my lise it were donne yet I trust in GOD I shoulde thinke it well * Aug. bestowed But if my laboures can doe such no good yet I hope GOD will accept my good will and desire And if that I may herewith doe any well disposed person good Then I beseech him whosoeuer that I a sinnful wretch may be pertaker of his good prayers which is all I desire for these smal paines Fare you well 10. Aprilis Anno 1594. Written by him who desireth the good of his Countrye and saluation of all I. R. CHAP. I. OF THE TRVE WAT to saluation GOod Sir touching the truth of those matters you desire to know First assure your selfe for certaine there is but one truth from which whosoeuer obstinatly swarueth must needes be a lyar so not of God but of the Diuell the father of lies Secondly to knowe the truth you can enquire of none more certaine theÌ„ of him who is truth himselfe who calleth himselfe via veritas vita the way truth life A way by grace truth by infallible direction life by fruition of his glory that is Christ him if you follow the true way you shall not walke a-stray him the light and fountaine of truth if you chiefly respect you shall not erre nor be ouer-whelmed in darknesse and so neither here want the life of grace without which the soule cannot liue nor so consequently of Gods glory without which the soule liueth in euerlasting death without which life of grace here glory there better it had bin neuer to haue enioyed this mortal transitory life For what profiteth it a man saith that euerlasting truth if he winne the wholeworld and loose his owne soule The beauty of which soule of man created by God whilst it remayneth in state of grace is so great as framed to the likenesse of almighty God the dignity so excellent as being fellow and coheire with Christ and the price of such value as redeemed with his pretious bloud which beauty of mans soule is soiled blotted quite lost yea become like vnto the olde and crooked most vglie serpent the Diuell by sin ignorance forgetfulnesse to be briefe for want of knowledge and following of the truth which is Christ who said he that followeth me walketh not in darknesse but shal haue the light of life Assure your selfe then my good Sir that it is the sweete motion of Gods holy spirit that in clineth your desire to know the truth which is of such inuinsible force that it stayeth it selfe in God only I meane as the finall and chiefe end of truth For wine may be strong women faire Princes mighty Sed omnia vincit veritas But truth ouercommeth all thinges Enquire then of Christ the infallible truth of those thinges you stand in doubt and you shall be sure neuer to misse the way so that you so enquire that you follow him with perseuerance to the end which is obteyned by Gods grace in perfect humility without security presumption or trust in our selues as of our selues but working with Gods grace our owne saluation chiefly reposing and staying our selues in the helpe and mercies of God and so in matters of faith yea and good workes also a man I meane may be in sure hope and coÌ„fidence neuer to misse the way I haue you will saye enquired thus of Christ but I finde diuers professors of Christ quite differing a sunder in most weighty matters of high misteries of Faith Religion Sacraments Ceremonies and of euerlasting Saluation and yet all parties glorie of the truth How may I then an vnlerned man discerne the light of the truth from amongst so many monstrous cloudes of darknes Hear therefore what Christ saith the truth that caÌ„not fail wel consider I say the rule he setteth downe to know the truth from the dissembled cloake of trueth which is pernitious falsehood and deceitfull flattery These be his words Many shal come in my name say I am Christ shall deceiue many Mat. 4 and againe shall saye Beholde here is Christ Beholde him there as one sorte of people who at this day glory of christ The worde of the Lord and the Gospel say beholde you shall finde Christ in a parte corner of Germanie in Saxony in Wittenberge in Denmarke as the Lutherans who affirme that man hath no free will and that God is the author of euell aswell of the treason of Iudas as of the election of Saint Paul An other Sect as of Anabaptists that oftentimes abuse Baptisme and confound all good ciuill and politicke gouernment to the extirpation of Christian Princes and all gouernors saye you shall finde Christ
in pointes of Saluation nor lead her children amisse Here vppon it commeth that the Catholike Romane Church the house of Christ dispersed through out the whole worlde is not diuers but one as Christ her head is one who is Sauiour of his body This church you shall finde to preach teach vse one vniformity of Sacraments yea and for the most part of ceremonies through out the whole worlde the same order and time of Fasting of Praier one and the same beliefe of al points of religion in euery coast in the earth not nowe one Faith and to morrow another but the same that was planted by Christ his Apostles that which with perpetuall peace consent vnity and concord shee kepeth vndefiled shal keep euen vnto the end of the world Here upon it commeth that when as heresie heretiks in the beginning seeme plausible and be greedily receiued yet for that they be not grounded in Christ the truth in the end become loathsome hateful to al mē being deuided destroy one another Cōtrary the Catholike Church being founded on christ the head corner stone and fast lincked together in vnity concorde and charity in all hir members euer encreaseth as she is more persecuted and is Tanquam acies bene ordinata As the forefront of a most strong armie well sett in battaile array terrible to the diuell and al his power and euer increaseth I say the more shee is afflicted for besides the herytikes haue stirred many vp that before were a-sleepe to search out the truth yea and many to shedde their bloode in the Catholike cause we haue not lost so many Christians by heresies in these parts of the world but God hath stirred vp others that hane raised many moe in other parts of the worlde which if this heresie had not troubled our quietnesse here perhaps some of those Apostolike men had not so speedely sought to haue planted the Faith in other Countries Wherein you see so good and mightye is God which woulde neuer permit euil but that he knoweth to gather good of it to turne their euill to our good and encrease of his Church who by vnitye and concord thus obtaineth the victory as that Babilonicall strumpet heresie is euer the ruine of her selfe To be briefe you see by this little that is saide that none can haue the spirit of God and the truth but those only that haue amongst themselues the spirite of peace vnity concorde which when it is euer hath beeue wanting amongest Protestantes and other heretikes of this time therefore it must nedes folow their sect and congregaton is not the true church of Christ because none els saue Catholike Christians which they call Papists doe consent and agree in all poyntes of Faith and religion liuing Tanquam vnanimes in domo As brethren all of one minde together in one house Therefore we may most certainlye conclude that none other sauing only the catholike Romane Church which euer hath doth liue in vnity consent of Faith Religion in all pointes is the true Church of Christ Chap. V Of the fourth certaine note of the true Church THe fourth and last most certaine marke of the true Church is the lawful succession of Apostolike Priestes Bishoppes in the Catholike Church which succession of Bishoppes as it was a stay to S. Augustine against the Donatists and other heretikes of his time to keepe him within the vnity of Godes Church so is it likewise a sure pillar for vs Many things there be saieth he that keepe me most iustly within the bosome of the Church the vniforme consent of people and nations the authority cōfirmed with miracles norished with hope increased with charity finally the succession of Bishopps in Peters seat to this day to whome our Lord committed the charge of his fllock to be fed keepeth me herein This lawful succession of Bishoppes loe that ledd Saint Augustine to the knowledge of the true Church and conserued him in the lappe thereoff is and iustlye may bee no lesse a guide and staye to vs in the same which lawfull succession of Bishoppes because the heretikes want therefore they bee not sent by God For two kindes of vocations there bee the one is ordinary the-other extraordinarye by miracle both which because the Heretikes want they cannot bee of God for as touching the first that they want ordinary vocation by succession it is plaine as for example who sent Luther Caluin and the rest If they say God so claime an extraordinarye vocation where then be their miracles that testifie they bee sent from God They haue none you see to proue their extraordinary vocation and yet the sonne of God himselfe would not be beleued without miracles saying Si Ioh. opera non fecissem in eis que nemo alius c If I had not wrought such workes amongst them as no other man did they should not haue sinned and must wee beleeue Caluin and his fellowoes for their bare wordes no their fruites be not so good you see it is vnfit As for their ordinarie vocation by succession that euery man seeth they want For before Luthers time there was neyther Patriarchall nor Bispopps seate nor yet euer any honest persons chaire of his Gospell to bee found throughout the worlde as all men may most easilye knowe but to make the matter more plaine by an example at home aske now the superintēdent of Yorke or Canterbury whome they succeed perhappes they can name you two or three predecessors of their hereticall crew hut appose thē a little more and they can goe no farther wheras he that was last lawfull and true Archbishoppe of Canterburye Cardinall Poole for exāple could haue shewed his lawfull succession from his next lawfull predecessor to an other many hundred yeares together euen to Saint Augustines time who was sent by Saint Gregorie the great then Pope Saint Gregory succeeded Pelagius Pelagius his predecessour Benedictus and so lineally euery of those Bishopps in that seat could shew theyr predecessor from whose handes by lawfull ordinary succession and vocation they receiued their faith and apostolike authority euen to Saint Peter who was sent by Christ as by all ancient writers we can proue Then as I sayd when as protestantes and all other heretikes of this time want both these vocations first ordinary not called of god as Aaron was and much lesse extraordinary by miracle for though meruailes they shew many yet miracles none no not asmuch as the healing of any lame creature therefore it followeth they be none of Godes messengers but such as of whome hee complaineth by his word Ipse currebant ego non mittebam eos They ranne and I sent them not that is bee intruders of themselues not true messengers of Christ not pastors but robbers not simple true teachers but wily foxes not raisers vp of Gods house entring in by the dore but breakers down of the wal deuouring the flocke Now how euidently
to S. Paul on earth and yet at that present sat at his fathers right hand in heauen To be briefe such a glorified deficate body to whome by power of his diuinity vnited thereunto nothing is impossible this I say if Heretickes woulde beleeue with vs then to them the flesh of Christ would profit much This is my Body this is my Bloud said Christ the pronounâ— This pointeth to body or bloud and not to bread and wine as appeareth by the genders contrary God prouided of purpose that the article This therefore shoulde neither agree with bread nor with wine but only with body bloud or with the Chalice wherin the bloud is conteyned and therefore this to be true that Christs very body and bloud is in the B. Sacrament of the Altar as being most expresse and plaine by the very words of christ we are bound to beleue though to declare the maner how excedeth mans reason because he said it to whom nothing is impossible And therefore for ignorant vnlearned meÌ„ especially when heretikes aske the reason how it is possible for Christ to be here there in many places at once it is not fit for theÌ„ to reasoÌ„ but to haue recourse to faith which is aboue reason plainly say I beleeue Christ that said This is my body to whose power nothing is impossible and let the heretike demand scof or flout neuer so much go you nofurder with him but leaue him to the more lerned that caÌ„handle him better For with his whyes how 's he deceueth the simple souls as the serpent did Eue who begaÌ„ first with the woman the weaker vessell whereby diuines vnderstand the sensual part or inferior part to reason proposed things that seemed delectable reasonable and good and so in the end drew reason and all awry making her to consent by answering first doubtfully and so made her doe the things vnlawfull but if shee neuer had stood to haue reasoned or answered the wily serpeÌ„t but had fled him at first she had neuer bin ouercome The diuel theÌ„ in like maner against the simple childreÌ„ of Gods Church taketh the bodies of heretiks his members speaketh in theÌ„ as in paradise he spake in the body of the serpent so poore simple soules listning to his wily crafts he deceiueth vnder pretence of good casteth them out of paradise Christs kingdome that is his holy Church wherefore flie you alwaies the whispering of that olde serpent in heretikes that you be not deceiued with theÌ„ For heresy creepeth as a canker and the diuels deceipts be diuers many somtimes he armeth hiÌ„ selfe against the people of God with the word of God euill vnderstood to ouerthrow the truth of Gods word in this SacrameÌ„t other misteries of our redeÌ„ption as wheÌ„ Christ saith poore men shal you Ioh. 12. 8. alwaies hauâ— c. meaning passible in forme of pouerty but not by withdrawing himself from vs by his corporal preseÌ„ce in this B. Sacram. as wheÌ„ it is said he is risen asceÌ„ded into heaueÌ„ we must vn derstand he is neuerthelesse in his sacred flesh meat indeed in this miraculous mistery and so in spirit truth with vs all daies euen to the end of the worlde For Christ ascended into heaueÌ„ there sitting at the right hand of his father and leauing vs the beliefe thereof as a chiefe article of our faith Christ made his owne supper saying This is my Bodye and commaunded his Apostles and their successors to make the same saying doe and make this thing for the rememberance of me Therfore neither the making of Christs bodye neither the beleefe thereof can be contrary to the sitting of Christ at the right hand of his father Againe sith nothing is impossible to God albeit that which implieth contradiction in it selfe be therefore impossible because it repugneth to the truth it felfe which is God is it not possible to God Christ shoulde both be in heauen after one visible sort and in the Sacrament after a misticall sort It were impossible for the body of Christ both to be in heauen and not in heauen or to be in the Sacrament and not to bee there in the same respect but to bee in heauen and in the Sacrament or to bee in many places at once that maketh no contradiction but only sheweth an allmighty infinite power in him who worketh it In somuch as Christ is allmighty to sitt at the right hand of God he is able to performe his owne word gift in the Sacrament of the Altar and therefore in the sixt of S. Iohn when hee spake of eating his flesh and drinking his bloud which he would giue he also declared that he would go vp into heauen in his man-hoode where hee was before in his god-head And that thing hee spake as S. Cirillus hath noted to declared that he was God and therfore able to worke that which hee spake of in so much as his wordes were Spirit and Chris de sacerdotiâ— lib. 3. Life For this cause S. Chrysostome crieth out O miraculum O dei benignitatem O miracle O goodnes of God hee that sitteth aboue with the Father in the same very momente of time is touched with the handes of men and deliuereth himselfe to those that will receaue and imbrace him seeme these thinges worthy to bee despised and neglected thou shalt perceaue our holye things not only to bee wonderfull but also exceed all wondring and astonying of the mind Thus saith S. Chrisostome This Blessed Sacrament then thus miraculously instituted by Christ for a perfect memorye of his death and pleadge of his infinite loue with all reuerence and honor is to bee vvorshipped and vvith gratefull memories and pure hartes to bee receaued of vs seeing hee coulde shevv vs no greater token of vnmeasurable loue then this by giuing himselfe wholy vnto vs nor deuise any more excellent way to declare the same For as a man that in fight is wounded with a scarre in his face for his friendes sake comming with that in his face putteth his frend in more perfect memorye of his loue then if hee left or sent him an hundreth other tokens so Christ for our loue taking a deepe vvounde to death coulde leaue vs no more perfect memory thereof then his ovvne bodye in an vnspeakable mistery whereby his death is shewed vntill hee come to iudgment at the end of the vvorlde For euen as the noble actes vvhich other men haue donne bee written vpon their sepulchers so in this memorie of Christ his actes are daylie shewed and rehearsed Then his Incarnation is beâ—okened most mistically vvhen breade is made fleshe as the vvorde was before made fleshe and that Incarnation is represented in outvvarde shevv also by singing of the Angells hymne Glory bee to God in the highest Then See here how in the B. Sacrament at Masse the whole life death and resurrection of Christ is represented the going before of
asketh you what reason you haue for this or what Scripture for that or what beleeue you of this or of that Say you no more but I beleeue the holy Catholicke Church as shee belieueth in al things so do I if he aske you againe and againe how shee beleeueth answer the heretick euen as I beleeue I beleeue as the Catholick Churche beleeueth and so stay quietre your self and so first beginne to beleeue then after to vnderstand For as God saide by his holy Prophet vnlesse you beleeue you shall not vnderstand yea it is sufficient to saluation if your life be according though you cannot vnderstand the chiefe highest misteries nor bring Scripture for euerie thing so you beleeue as the Catholicke Church doth grounding your self therein who is able to direct and guide you from and out of all errors incombrances and darknes of this world into a most sure and stable light For to the holy Catholick Church Christ promised to send his spirite the holy Ghost after his departure to bee with her and guid her in all truth euen to the end of the world I haue many thinges to say to you saieth our Sauiour to his Disciples but you cannot beare them away now but when I shall goe I wil Ioan. 16. send you the holy ghost the comforter he shal teach you all truth Lo you se by Christ promise his holy Spirite shall guide his church in al truth that it neuer faile erre nor be deceiued that is as I haue proued before at large only the true Catholicke Apostolick Romaine church no other in this Church what simple man so euer containeth him-selfe and truly followeth the same hee cannot goe astray and out of this Church if hee were the greatest Philosopher or learned man in the worlde as there bee some Falsi nemmis scientiam sibi promittentes Yet most certainely hee shall erre bee deceaued To this Church then without which is no Saluation ioyne your selfe her obay her follow her beleeue in al things you cannot erre my soule for yours nor goe astray to damnation this Church if you forsake as I said before if you had all the wisdome of men or al the learning of Aristotle and the wisest Philosophers that bee or haue beene you should without al doubt erre walke in darknes and perrish for euer Chap. LXXVIII Against schisme that it is altogether vnlawfull and forbidden vnder paine of damnation to goe to the churches of hereticks or schismaticks to their prayers sermons Sacramentes spirituall exercises or in any sort directly or indirectly to communicate participate yeeld consent or assent to the sâ—me also a precaution is giuen to beware of dissembling Catholikes which indeede are schismaticks BVT when you bee thus once established in the one only truth of Christ and his â—oly Church though this be the foundatioÌ„ first to beginne to beleeue well yet you must then do according to true faith beleeue els you can not be saued for saith as I said before out of S. Iames without good workes is dead Epist Iacobi cap. 2. take heede then when you be once well grouÌ„ded in true faith religioÌ„ that you not only flee sinne and seeke to exercise good works true vertue but withal beware of dissembling Catholiks that flatter theÌ„selues to be Catholiks be none indeede they coÌ„sesse theÌ„selues to knowe Christ in words and yet deny him in deedes These men bee as daingerous as heretikes them selues in some respects worse and will vnder pretence of religion more easely deceaue the simple and those wee call Schismatiks not only lay persones but suche as bee and were preists of olde and yet for feare of loosing their liuings will teach you as thee tearme it to beare a little with the time till a better world come and in the meane time vnlooked for death cometh For thus they will come vnto you and say O Sir you keepe a good house you might badly bee spared amongst your neighbours infaith this world will not last alwalyes and then he will with Iudas whisper in your eare tell you how you shal heare newes erre it be long then will say vnto you CaÌ„not you goe to church in the meane time and keepe your conscience to your selfe by God there is neuer a knaue of them all shall take aduantage of mee and yet God knoweth my mind Lo this dissembling Schismatike with these and others foolish perswasions which come of loue of his flesh and want of loue and feare of God he deceaueth him selfe and others For the truth is whatsoeuer you beleeue yet if you doe contrary to your beliefe you damne your owne soule doing contrary to your conscience For we may not dissemle with God For he that denieth mee before men saith Christ I will denie him before my father which is in heaueÌ„ For God hath not only made mans hart and soule to beleeue in him but hath giuen him a body And mouth to confesse Rom. 10. him which wee must doe to bee saued For wee beleeue in heart to righteousnesse as saith Saint Paul and confesse in mouth to Saluation Now to goe to the heretiks church is to deny Christ for Christ is the truth Who as hee is God in all and all in all so is he wholy in euery parte of the truth and therefore hee that denieth any article of his faith denieth the trueth and so denieth Christ yea but you wil say I say nothing there but sitte downe and say my praiers yea but your very being there your very action or deede is an allowing of their euill doings or sayings for Christ and his holy Sacraments be there abused and blaspheamed so be his blessed mother and his Saints and therefore if I be present in such a company ioyning my selfe with them by my presence I alowe of them whatsoeuer I thinke to the contrary you see if one be drawne in amongst theeues perhaps partly against his will to be at a robbery as to hold the horses he shal be hanged for his paines The Church indeed was built by our forefathers for Gods seruice and good purposes and was dedicated to God consecrated or hallowed but now is defiled with vncleane birds become worse then a denne of theeues as haunted by the Diuels and ministers that daily blaspheame Christs truth holy Sacraments Wherefore if you will not be damned with them she such daÌ„nable company if you were in company where your Lord Master were euill spoken of you should giue them courage by your presence and silence do you think your Master would not plucke his coat oft from your backe thrust you out so God wil deale with dissemblers cast them out of his kingdome and seruice that see him heare him dishonoured and dissemble it besides many dangers ghostly that follow by going to heretiks prayers and Churches so that if you will be a Catholicke Christian and knowe the truth to
naught be admitted as Christian Catholiks and for meÌ„bers of Gods Church as they For the heretiks of this tyme rayse vp from hell al old heresies whereof Turcisine first arose for the most part that haue bene from Christs time to this day such as many hundred yeeres agone haue bene condemned by the general consent of al Christendome now knitting altogether in one fardell with a number moe of their owne and the deuils new deuising they make rather a generall apostacy denying al things in effect that good is then an heresie from the Church making the hye way to the Diuell and Antichrist learning yet this lesson of false Mahomet their grandesire to admitte al sects and religions that in outward wordes confesse GOD to be of their Church or to be saued and so by the Diuells drift endeauour to their power to send all the world packing to Hell Butlett vs suppose which would GOD it were true that Protestants differed from the Catholike Church but in some one point or the least article of our faith now in questioÌ„ at this day As for example inuocation of Saints or the vse of images yet I say am able plainlie to proue that for the obstinate denyall of the lesse of these points or any such like they should quite cut themselues off from the vnity of Christs Catholike Church which we are bound by Christs owne word by the instruction of our creede to heare beleeue because as there is but one faith Church so but one truth therein which is plaine and simple and cannot be intermedled with any lye therfore whatsoeuer this church proposeth as matter of truth faith to be beleeued I am bound to beleeue it or els I discredit her for a lying Church so not the Church of Christ which is truth so that deny the Churches truth and beliefe in one point deny her in al and the mis beliefe and obstinate gayne saying against one article of faith maketh one an heretike and so offender against the whole for God is truth and wholly in euery part of truth so that to deny any receiued truth of the Church which is matter of faith is to offend against the whole insomuch that S. Iames saith qui totam legem seruauerit offender it autem in vno factus est omnium reus he that keepeth the whole law offendeth in one point is guiltie of al now the true Church of GOD eight hundred yeeres agone condemned image breakers for exaÌ„ple quite cutting them off from the corps vnity of the Church commending to al as a matter of faith that good Christians ought reuerently to keepe and vsethe sacred Images of Christ and his Saints the same doth the Church of God stil beleeue teach confirmed it in her last general Councell holden at Trent as these image breakers for that one heresie were many hundred years agone condemned by the consent of all Christendome and cutte of quite from the whole Church so were those that denyed inuocation of Saints and their holy reliques as Ioumian and Vigilantius in S. Ieroms time against which heretikes and their heresies as new Idolls Saint Ierome him-selfe thundring with Note here that Beza in Actor Apo. cap. 23. v. 3. Is angrywith S. Ierome forwriting against Ioumian vigilaÌ„tius saying Ego coraÌ„ Deo Angelus eâ—us affirme intoller an danâ— esse multis locis in de torquè dis Scripturis Hieronimi andaciam vt in libro contra Iouinianum Vigilantium see here how Beza approoueth elde heretickes of his opinions condemning S. Hierome authority of Gods word and his church very sententiously and learnedly burst them asunder many other such like heretiks for other opinions as the Donatists in Africk in S. Augustine time agreeing many of them in all other points with the Catholik Church yea many of them differing litle or nothing at all in the outward rite and forme of the Churches seruice yea some of theÌ„ but Schismatiks in the beginning yet were they all cutte of the Church no true Christians euer Communicating with them in SacrameÌ„ts or prayers the holy fathers so vehe meÌ„tly writing against the least of those heresyes that rather then they would haue admitted the least of them into the Church of God they would haue suffered many deaths and come now heretiks that cast downe Images Saints yea Christ himselfe out of the Church and pulle downe churches and all and think to be accounted member of gods Church nay that Church hath euer taught vs another lessone who hath euer beene so carefull to keepe her faith with Saint Paul that reioycing said fidem seruaui In all pointes so pure and vndefilled remembring her chiefe pastors lessone that therein shee must resist the Deuill seeking euer his pray whome he may deuoure whome he bidds vs resist Fortes in fide strong in the Catholik faith especially That euen as the Church triumphant in heauen with God can admit no impure or vncleane soule distained with sinne so certainly the true Church of God militant heere on earth neither may nor can admit into her society any open obstinate leaporous heretike infected with the least heresie and why but because as treason is most hay nous to the Prince and common weale so is heresie most grieuous in the sight of GOD and most pernitious to his Church many other great offendors the Prince oft spareth but very seldome is treason pardoned because it tendeth to the ruine of the Kings person and dissolution of the whole state and Monarchy So the holy Church oft times vvith great compassion is forced to tollerate grieuous sinners yea vvith sighes and teares ought to sorrowe and lament them expecting donec formetur in eis Christus and as long as they bee not obstinate in sinne as in theft fornication or more grieuous faults so long oft she expects I say their amendment not quite cutting them off but releeuing them with prayers and good Counsaile that so she vpon their recouery with joy may imbrace them in visceribus misericordiae Christi but euen as the vigilant sheepheard immediatly driueth away the Wolfe or seperateth the scabbed sheepe from 〈◊〉 flocke for feare of killing his lambes or infecting his sound sheepe So the true Pastors of the Church neuer tollerate heresie nor the least heretike in Christs flocke the Church because it creepeth as the canker and destroyeth the corne of Christ Darnell Cockle and such other weede though it be permitted to grow stil with corne till the day of reaping yet venemous blacke flying vermine that consume the corne at euery bitte must diligently at all times bee driuen away For heresie opposeth her selfe by diuision against God which is one preferring her owne wit before the wisedeme and ordinance of Christ in his Church sinneth most highly in Luciferian pride which God so detesteth breaketh charity the knot of peace in his Church which he chiefly loueth and so shooteth against GOD himselfe the