Church if you desire to be you may easely dreame it but then are you not of the trew Church but of a dreamed Church But as the trew Church of God is visible it selfe so is the vnion ther which visible And the diuision of other Churches which are in deed not trew Churches but conuenticles or as S. Hierome calleth theē sinagogues of the Diuell being in all the world manifest visible as it were the diuels visible congregations Ep. 11. ad Gerōt de monog As the Church is visible so is the vnion therwith visible who doubteth but the vnion ther which is also visible You know that in Philosophy ENS VNVM be certaine Transcendents which agree to all thinges equally and looke what euery thing hath of Entity that it hath also of vnity Now if Caluins Church be a visible Church and I would to God it were altogither inuisible and sent downe so that the persons therof were safe vnto the Prince of darkenes from whom it first proceeded if Caluins Church I say bee visible than as the being of it is so is the vnity also that is it hath a visible vnity and what vnity is this but that which the wholle world iudgeth a visible frequēting of Caluins congregation The Church you go vnto is Caluins congregation Eph. 6. Col. 1. what is a congregation but a multitude gathered togither and who maketh this multitude but Ihon Thomas and Peter and all that are there If you will from this word All challendge a certaine extra ordinary priuiledge to say that they are all except your selfe you surely doe more than euer was heard of and arrogate vnto your selfe Ro. 5. the deserued Priuiledge of CHRIST our B. LADY who onely are said to haue bene exempted yet with sufficient groundes of scriptures and Fathers from generall sentences such as is that of S. PAVL ⧠in which all haue sinned ⧠But Sir you can no more exempt your selfe from this sentence All these are Caluinists by saying except I than you shall be able at the dreadfull daye of Gods seuere iudgement if you alter not your course to exempt your selfe from go you cursed by saying except I. Mat. 23. What place our Schismatickes haue in Caluins congregation Aug. in Brouin collat 3 The soule of Caluins church Than are you one of Caluins congregation Yet that I may doe you no wrong I will heere put you in minde of a certaine distinction which Catholick Doctours vse that is that some be of the soule of the Church and some of the body For the Church of Christ is not a deade bodye but a body quickned with a liuely spirite The soule of the Church are the inward vertues therof the body is the outward shew Euen so doe I say that in Caluins Church there is a body and a soule the soule is Caluins beliefe and whatsoeuer other dowry of hell it hath for this soule hath no other place than hell fier The body of Caluins church The body therof most fitt for such a soule is the outward profession or shew or vnion or practise and society of Caluins broode Now I confesse that one of these may be without the other And as there may be in the Catholicke Church variety of her members So may there also be in Caluins Sinagogues In the Catholicke Church some are both of the body and soule of the same such as haue both Faith and the outward profession of Catholike religion Others onely of the soule such as haue not the outward vnion and peace with the Church but before God are of such perfection that they be immediately vnited therunto by his heauenly grace Such are those cathecumens which abound with loue of God and trew faith or also excommunicate persons not yet restored in humane Iudgement but restored before God from whom they haue receiued trew contrition and purpose of amendment For God is not tied vnto his Sacraments but can and doth oftentimes immediately iustify those which are throughly conuerted vnto him Finally others there are which hauing no inward disposition at all yet either for feare or some other affection of worldly interest in outward shew doe nothing differ from the rest And these are worthely compared vnto the heares of a mans body or nailes or euill humours which although they be within the body yet are they not animated by the soule as other partes of the body are being depriued of all sense and lost without paine and by nature not fitte to be quickned bvt rather certaine excrementes of the body onely made to adorne and gard the body and to be vsed by the same for the operations of the wholle So than haue we found out your office in Caluins congregation You are not of the soule therof in deed For I hope of the former faith which I know to haue bene perfect in you But as S. Hierome saith although at the beginning no schisme hath false doctrine in Tit. 3. Schisme is the way to heresy yet at the length it forgeth to it selfe some erroneous proposition that it may seeme to haue gonne from the Church with pretense of some cause much like vnto your selfe who first going to the Church for feare now that you may purge your selfe of cowardise basenes maintaine your errour contrary to the generall sense not onely of the Church but euen of morall reason Therfore looke well vnto your selfe least at the length as the losse of charity * 1 Tim. 1. is the way to the losse of faith so your entrance into schisme make you an entrance vnto heresy and so to a generall shipwracke in faith according to the saying of the Psalmist Destroy it * Psal 136. See S. Greg. l. 25. mor. c. 5. destroy it euen vnto the very foundation But yet as I saied you are not of the soule of Caluins religion Neither are you of the body of Caluin as a principall member But you shall heare what you are and I pray you heare it patiently Prou. 27. For better are the strokes of a frend then the kisses of an enemy You are the excrements of Caluins congregation The excrements of Caluins religion receiuing life neither from Catholicke religion nor from Caluins heresy although how could Caluins heresy or any heresie at all geue life vnto the soule and in that body you serue for no necessary vse in which you are the happier and so I hope you will keepe your selfe from any butcherly and tyrannicall exercise but you serue them yet Caluins religion in England hath bene compacted of excrements for an ornament and creditt as though they had a shew of a common wealth And how fitlye is Caluins religion adorned with excrements For if you take way these excrements or at the least if such excrements had bene taken away from the begining in Caluins wholle body there woulde be now neuer a sound mēber But remember I pray you that whilest your
disproue falshood Yet least this letter of mine should fall into some handes of those who haue not seene such learned discourses as of this point heretofore haue bene sette forth I will briefly set downe some few reasons amongst so many wherby I may shew this action of going to hereticall seruice to be no indifferent action or such as may be exercised without sinne but wholly forbidden and vnlawfull of it selfe The reason of the difficulry which diuerse make in this question which thing when I vndertake I know in how vncertaine and slippery a place I find my selfe For although in my iudgement this matter may euidently be deduced out of Scriptures yet are the scriptures wrested from our case to other senses Although we may conclude it out of the examples of holy Fathers yet are they interpreted of Idolatry and not of heresie or of being present at Idolatrous sacrifices not at hereticall seruice Although we may alleage the grane example and seuere discipline of the wholle Church euen since Christ his time in all ages forbidding communication with heretiks yet are we answered that those were perfect times in which as all maner of vertues so all maner of seuerity did also florish I know not what prerogatiue being attributed to our age Wherfore although this were a matter fitte to be discussed out of Scriptures Fathers practise of Gods Church yet will we referre the large allegations therof vnto other bookes the learning and knowledge wherof we are not able to reach vnto Onely touching therof so much as we shall thinke necessary to fortifie and confirme those reasons which out of the lawe of nature of God we will bring to inferre our purpose But first we must agree what wee meane by going vnto the Church §. 14. What is ment by going to the Church First therfore by going to Church with heretickes we meane not that materiall action of going to that materiall place where heretickes haue theire seruice For in this respect such action is indifferent Yea in any action in the worlde that which is materiall may be found at some time or other The materiall of euery action may be indiffe rent and with some respect vnto reason which is the guide of all our actions morally lawfull and good though at other times and with other respectes it be vnlawfull For if we take that which is materiall or naturall in murder which is to beteaue a man of his life as it is vnlawfull when order of iustice wanteth So is it lawfull when the same order is obserued That also which is materiall in adultery or in thefte may be found in true matrimony or in a mans owne good altogether lawful commendable And yet is there none which will deny but that murder adultery thefte are of temselues vnlawfull The reason hereof is for that actions are not morally good or badde but by that conformity or deformitye which they haue with reason Wherfore diuerse accidents and many varieties of respectes vnto reason belonging vnto one materiall acte The necessary conditions of morall obiectes are not circumstances but essentiall vn to the action these are not now in respect of goodnes or badnes accidents but belong vnto the very nature and forme of that acte making different quallities either of goodnes or badnes or in the one or the other diuerse degrees kinds For example it is not a thing belonging vnto the naturall substance of the acte whether the man which is killed deserue death or no whether it be ones owne wife or no whether the horse be mine or an others But in the morall forme and nature therof that is in respect of that conueniency which our actions ought to haue with reason these conditions import very much and belong vnto the very substance and forme of goodnes or badnes yea in the very same kinde of theste as it is not a circumstance but intrinsecall vnto the thing which is taken that it is an other mans when the will choo seth and intendeth the same So the difference of place is not a circumstance but the very substance of the obiect in as much as it is morall and maleeth the action sacriledge when the will determineth to take from an holy place And so may we discourse of other condicions of euery obiecte or action In like maner must we resolue of this action of going to the Church For when we say that going to the Church with heretickes is vnlawfull in it selfe we meane not that materiall action comon to Catholicke and hereticke countreis nor going to the Church with heretickes as it may be with other morall conditions which may guie it an other maner of conueniency or disagreeing vnto reason What conditions are those which make the going to he retickes seruice a morall action and of it selfe vnlawfull but as it hath annexed such conditions as wee knowe are in our countrey with the which the goeing being quallified is of it selfe altogether vnlawfull These conditions are when one goeth for to be prefent at seruice and so that he may worthely seeme to go as others doe with conformity in religion or preiudice or contempt of Catholicke faith and vnity which in one worde we may well terme an orderly going to hereticall seruice §. 15. Some manner of going not reprehended Wherby we exclude those which goe to the Church for a temporall end of some particuler duety required by the Prince not in respect of hereticall seruice but of that which is due at other time and places For such so long as their seruice is knowne and such action although indifferent in it selfe is not of them exacted in contempt of religion Going with the Prince see §. 7. and §. 16. or vsed by them to giue the world to vnderstand that they goe to the Church or alleaged by them to proue that they be not recusantes Such I say are iudged by diuerse learned men not to goe to seruice as vnto seruice neither to obey the Prince in respect of seruice which neither the Prince in commaunding doth respect nor they in going all contrary vnto them which only for obedience goe to the Church where the end of the precept and of the going is seruice it selfe Going for obedience see §. 9. But they are esteemed to vse that action as a duety common to all places and no more intended in the Church than other where And so all signification of conformity to be taken away and this to be onely marerially to go to the Church without that forme and morallity which otherwise it hath These I say I exclude not meaning to sette downe my opinion therein whether it be euill of it selfe so to go with the Prince or if it be not whether scandall may be separated from it or no whether they may stay there after their particuler seruice is finished whether ordinary attendance vpon the Princes person be such a sufficient cause or no and
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
Sacrifice whosoeuer is present although without any attention or deuotion which is dew yet hath he donne an exteriour act of religion commaunded yet sinned for want of the inward deuotion which he should haue ioined thereunto But the same is found in the presence at hereticall seruice Therfore is such presence ceremonious and religious Neither can you excuse your selfe with saying that you are not attentiuely and deuoutely present because there wanteth your goodwill and affection For there is an inward acte of religion as I touched before and an outward Inward and outward actes of religion and sometimes the one and the other ioined togither Now this is an exteriour action of religion although it want the inward forme and that is the thing which we purposed to proue that it is an outward acte of religion Againe in all sortes of religion there be diuerse kindes of ceremonies Comparison with other kind of ceremonies Some doe consist in hallowed thinges as Water Oyle Ashes Palmes Vestimentes Other in time as in Holy daies Vigils Fastings Lent or such like And in like maner doth there some ceremonies consist in places as in Churches Churchyardes Chappell 's Others are found in diuerse obseruances as we see were kepte in the ould lawe of MOYSES Now to vse the other ceremonies is alwaies a signe of that religion vnto which they belong as the keeping of Saturday of IVDAISME the eating of swines flesh of GENTILISME the absteining from certain meates of MANICHISME the keeping of the Catholicke Fastes and daies of some kind of affection to Catholicke religion And why I pray you shall not the place being ceremonious with the ceremonious action vsed therin and the ceremonious time withall of the Sonday or holy day be a signe of religion of that religion I say which vseth the same Ceremonies of places lesse indifferent than others 2.2 q. 85. ar 3. and commandeth the same and which there as a distinct common welth from all others is gathered togither And this reason in ceremoniouse places hath more force than in any other sortes of ceremonies For as the Diuines doe excellently teach Religion being a vertew which exhibiteth honour and reuerence vnto god sometimes it happeneth that this vertew commaundeth vnto other vertues ordaineth their actes to Gods honour As is to fast not onely for the punishment of the body but also for the honor of God to geue almes to pay debtes to visitt Pupills and widdowes for Gods honour and such like Iac. 1. which properly belong to other vertues but are by religion as it were commaunded and directed vnto the end of religion But there are other proper actes which onely belong to religion and not to other vertues Such as haue no other praise as S. THOMAS speaketh but that they are donne for the reuerence of God And these are most properly actes of religion Of this sort are sacrifices kneeling knocking of the breast and such like Such also is this ceremony of going to such a place more than to an other Hereof it proceedeth that one may eate fleshe vpon a friday or otheer fasting day in diuerse cases Why one may eate flesh on a friday and not lawfully go to the Church and yet in no case go to the Church with hereticks For to absteine vpon certaine daies is not a proper or immediate acte of religion but commaunded by religion being in deed an acte of temperance and so intended by the Church though it may be referred not onely to chastice the body but for to doe an honour vnto God And because this law is particulerly found amongst Catholicks hence it is that it doth oftentimes betoken a Catholicke and distinguish him from an hereticke Yet because the immediate end of the law is temperance and the acte of eating flesh or other forbidden meates is such as hath other naturall endes besides the profession of religion as of feeding the body or eating with dispensation therfore is there not necessarily implied therin any ceremony or signification of religion And in case of necessity it may be vsed although others vnderstand a profession of heresy therin For why this act of eating or absteining neither of the owne nature nor by common estimation of men doth signifie religion but hath an other principall vse Yet the going to the Church howsoeuer doth alwaies betoken both of the owne nature and by common ac ception of all the worlde deuotion and religion in Catholicke Churches to the true faith in hereticall to their detestable sinagogues This doth S. THOMAS whom I oftener alleage because my conflict is with those which will be counted Catholickes 2.2 q. 84. ar 3. ad 2. although in this apostaticall action they doe deny their Catholicke religion This I say doth S. THOMAS very plainely sett downe whan he yeeldeth three causes why exteriour worship of God should haue a determinate place where principally it ought to be exhibited not that God may be included in any place but for respect of those which doe worshipp him The first is Three causes of Churchches 3. Reg. 8. for the consecration of the place wherby those which praye conceiue spirituall deuotion that they may the rather be heard as it is manifest in the worshipping of SALOMON Secondly for the Sacred misteries and other signes of holines which are there conteined Thirdly for the concourse of many worshippers wherby the praier is made more acceptable Mat. 18. according to that where there are two or three gathered togither in my name there am I in the middest of them Consider I pray you then whether this place haue not a signification of agreement in religion and of a ceremony of that religion which is there gathered togither I may not say in the name of Christ but leaue vnto your selfe to iudge in whose name As for the consecration you know from whence it came and how neuerthelesse they which were the autours therof account it now prophaned But of the sacred misteries and other signes of holines I hope you wil not be very ready to bragge or boast especially when I shall tell you hereafter what maner of misteries there be in Protestants seruice Yet moreouer doe I proue this presence to be ceremonious The ministers presence is ceremonious The minister himselfe is ceremoniously present yea although whilest he readeth his seruice he would neuer so faine intend to be away or wish that as it hapneth sometime to some of his brethrē he were reading Chaucer But the presence of the minister and of the auditours haue a necessary relation togither The minister is there as one that offereth for the rest the others as those which are offered for Heb. 3. Euery Bishopp saith S. PAVL being assumpted out of men is appointed for men in those thinges which appertaine vnto God The minister is to enter into the Tabernacle the people to expect without Luc. 1. The minister is to make perfect the people to receiue
perfection And therfore a sufficient signe of religion is it in the laity to be present Than may we manifestly inferr that the lay people is also ceremoniously present Whence I inferre that as the minister if in the saying of his cōmunion he were touched of god so that he were resolued to renounce his heresy were bound vnder mortai sinne presently to lay downe his booke It is impossible to receaue Gods grace in the Church of heretickes and not to continew his vnlawfull action no not for one instant So also the lay man going thither for feare and in offering vp such praiers as he can afford almighty God in that place being touched with remorce of conscience of his vnlawfull presence is bound vnder paine of the same sinne to followe immediately the counsell of the Prophett and of the Apostle Esa 52. 2. Cor. 6. Gett ye hence gett ye hence go forth from hence touch not that which is polluted go forth of the middest of your congregation Neither were it sufficient for such to determine that he would go no more for so long as he staied there so long should he continew in the acte of a mortall sinne The heretickes pretence is cere monious Againe the hereticke him selfe euery time that he goeth doth an acte of religion and of his false religion professing his vnity in the church of Caluin therfore so doth the Catholicke also both alike in euery particuler time committ a new offence For although the one with this exteriour act of religion hath ioined the interiour yet sufficient it is that both doe the same exteriour act And the heretickes sinne is dubble for he is an inward an outward hereticke But the other is onely an exteriour hereticke but not an interiour Than that it is not lawfull to receiue the heretickes communion all agree But the very same case is of the presence at seruice Receauing the cōmunion is cere monious although one be more greeuouse than the other therfore it is not lawfull to be present For let vs scanne a litle the nature of receiuing the communion For I pray you why may you not receiue Because this is not an indisterent thing as my presence is what thing more indifferent than to eate a peace of bread because it is geuen me in steed of a farre more excelent thing which Christ instituted So is the seruice roung in your eares in steed of a farre more sacred thing And as you sett litle by the seruice so you may also sett as litle by the bread especially wheras some of your ministers will scant take it vp from the ground if it fall Because I should receiue it vnworthely to my damnatiō What do you now know that Christ is not there that true consecration is not made Doe you receiue euery but of meate which you receiue vnworthely to your damnation because it goeth against my conscience O scrupulous conscience and why goeth it against your conscience or why this more than that Bring forth any cause why you may not receaue and I will bring the same for to disallow your presence The trew cause therfor is for that to receaue is an acte of their religion and so is also to be present at seruice Obedience may excuse as well the one as the other An intention of I knowe not what may cleare them both alike And if to go to the Church be not euill in it selfe neither is receauing Yea greater indifferency is in eating and drincking which hath other materiall reasons of commendable and discommendable than can be in the going to the Church and to such a company which hath no other naturall end at that time and with those conditions but religion The ministers sayng is not ceremoniouse but in respect of the company Againe the ministers saying is an exteriour acte of religion and a ceremoniouse behauiour But his saying is not ceremoniouse but in respect of the company which is there religiously present for to heare him For if one which hath licence to read hereticall bookes did out of the Church at a table for curiosity before great companies read the verve same it were no religiouse or ceremoniouse acte Therfore as well the hearer as the reader are religiously present Presence at Idolatry is ceremoniouse 1. Cor. 10 see Testament of Rhemes Besides To be present at Idolatry after the like maner or to eate idolothites otherwise thē at a prophane seast not in the temple is a profession of the Idolls seruice therfore is the like in this your presence in respect of heresy the one signifying as well as the other heither haue wee in Christian times any other Idolls but heresies nor idolothites but their false seruices shifted into our Churches in steed of Gods trew and onely worshippe Furthermore to vse the vestiments of a Turke in which for the honour of Mahomet there is his picture The vestiments of a Turke see §. 35. or the picture of the mone specially dedicated vnto him is by all Diuines esteemed of it selfe a mortall sinne For no other reason than because such a vestiment is ordained for no other end but to signify religion Caiet verbo Habitus omissio Bannes 2.2 q. 3. ar 2 dub 2. Euch as the offring of incense vnto an Idoll donne in such time and place is determined vnto a naughty end of Idolatry although the intention be sarre contrary But the vnion in praier with a false secte being a ceremony of religion is more neere vnto such a signification than a coate which is prophanely vsed and only a marke of religion Much more than must it be vnlawfull although the intention be neuer so contrary Also in the great and famous controuersie which was betweene the two great lightes of the Church S. AVGVSTINE S. HIEROME Dissembling of any lewes ceremony is ceremonious ep 11. 19 Aug. they both agree in this that the Iudaicall obsernances are perniciouse and deadly As thou saieth Saint AVGVSTINE with a free voice yea although all the worlde were against thee doest pronounce that the ceremonies of the Iewes are both perniciouse and deadly vnto Christians and whosoeuer shall obserue them whether he be of the Iewes or Gentiles that he is tombled downe into the pitt of the Diuell So doe I also confirme this thy saying S. AUgustin and S. Hieromes censure and adde that whosoeuer shall obserue them whether of the Iewes or of the Gentills not onely nuely but also dissemblingly he is hurled downe into the pitt of the Diuell ⧠This doctrine is according to those wordes of S. PAVL Gal. 5 If you be circumcised Chust will profit you nothing what is the reason of this but because these ceremonies are signes of Iudaicall religion Ther Iewes ceremonies more lawfull And is it not lawfull to vse the signes of a religion which was once the onely trew religion in the world and by Gods owne prescript ordained and
exc yet after some sorte cutte off from the Church of Christ which is a visible congregatiō of those which professe the faith of Christ cannot include those which in as much as is visible vnto men haue cutte them seiues from the same This is I confesse the common doclrine of diuines concerning exteriour heresie that is that it doth not leaue the parties which fall into it excommunicate before God and in conscience but onely in the out ward court Yet you must vnderstand that there are two sortes of exteriour heretickes the one which doth an acte of heresy for feare or any other cause yet not so that he may seeme any way to ioyne himselfe vnto an other secte or to participate with the minister of such secte being by name excommunicate or to fauour the same secte at all the other sorte is of those which doe such actes with one of those condicions A fauourer of hereticks or partaker in their crime for which they are declared excōmunicate are also excōmunicate or all of them the first is not excommunicate because he is nothing but an exteriour hereticke the second is excommunicate being not onely an exteriour hereticke but a fauourer or partaker in the crime denoneed Yea moreouer he is properly a schismaticke when he any way concurreth vnto the approuing increasing crediting or fauouring or shewing vnity with a company deuided from the trew Church of Christ of which we will prefently more at large intreate Let this now remaine that although ordinarily he which is onely an exteriour hereticke is not in conscience excommunicate but onely holden by presumption as such punished by the Church as such and bound publickly where he is knowne to behaue him selfe as such Yet as the case standeth in England an exteriour hereticke is withall a fauourer of heretickes for why he increaseth their number and addeth somewhat vnto the creditt of theire congregation and so maketh heresy to spredde it selfe and therfore so ofte as he goeth to them he is excommunicate He is also a partaker with thē in theire crime for the which he is also excommunicate if the cheife agent of the seruice be by name excommunicate for the same faulte which your selfe may examine But now let vs discusse whether he be excommunicate also for Schisme §. 23. My promise was if you remember to shewe that this action which I would so faine discreditt and banish from the practise of all Christian life is of it selfe euill as directly repugning to fiue Christian vertues from which we cannot swarue without a mortall sinne Lett vs now hauing already as I hope sufficiently proued that it is against faith the very foundation of all Christian vertew shew also yet with more breuity that it is against the vertue of Christian charity the Queene and as it were the forme of all trew vertew Charity therfore as the Diuines all doe teach The effects of charity besides her principall effecte which is loue of God and of our neighbour for God hath diuerse other effectes as well inward as outward Inward as first a spirituall ioy of the excellency of God and his goodnes communicated to his creatures Ro 5 et 14. vers 118. vet 16. Secondly Peace which maketh an vnion of wills and consent of desires betweene God and our selues also towardes our neighbours and within our own soule when all our powers doe tend to one end and purpose L. 9 ciu c. 3. Thirdly Mercy which is as S. Augustine defineth a compassion within our hart of others miseries by the which we are moued to yeeld them succour if we could Outward effectes of Charity are beneficence almes and brotherly correction which is also a kind of almes These being the effectes of Christian charity Vices oposite vnto charity there are in like maner certaine vices opposite vnto euery one To loue hatred to spirituall ioy that which we call ACEDIA and may English a certaine loathing of spirituall good also Enuie to Peace discord in thought contention in speach schisme warre fighting sedition and scandall in deedes All these other desormities being lett alone we must make some stay vpon that one of schisme The greeuousnes of schisme 2.2 q. 39 ar 2. ad 3. see S. Aug l. 2 de bapt c. 6. which that you may euen from the begining the more abhorre amongst all sinnes which may be cōmitted against our neighbour in S. THOMAS his opinion also S. AVGVSTINE is the greatest because it is against the spirituall good of a multitude This most horrible crimne so dredfully punished not onely in Dathan and Abiron the principall authours Num. 16. but in all the wholle multitudes of those which were partakers of the schisme against MOISES 4. Reg. 17. and in the tenne Tribes rewarded with the subuersion of theire kingdome and generall captiuity into a strange land for theire reuolting from the house of DAVID this crime so greate and so enormious I say that by your reuolting from Gods Church that is by vniting your selfe to the tabernacle of Rebells to Gods vnity you do most shamefully and lamentably incurr Which that I may the more plainely expound I must first shew you yet breifly and concisely as vnto a deuine of the chamber though not of the schooles what this monstrouse vice of schisme doth meane The necessity of peace and vnity 1. Cor. 14. That Peace therfore of which we spoke before how necessary an acte it is wee may well vnderstand by that which Saint PAVL doth teach vs whan he saith that God is not a God of dissention but of peace And by our Sauiour him selfe who commaunding his Disciples Marc. 9. to haue salte amongst them as without which nothing can be seasoned added thse wordes ⧠Haue Peace amongst your selues ⧠who also gaue a speciall benediction to the peaceable Mat. 5 and for his last farewell before his death his first salutation after his resurrection Io. 20. thought nothing so necessary for his Church as Peace Which Church although he had lefte amidst the stormes and streames of the world in which she could haue no worldly peace yet had he so established in trew peace that she shoulde euen in the extremity of all kind of miseries enjoy not that peace which the wicked haue Esay 48. Io. 14. Io. 17. but that which should vnite her vnto him and all her members amongst themselues that they might be one thing euen as his Father and he were one Now Sir doe you not tremble to thinke that you haue no parcell of this peace For there is no peace with the wicked Esay 48. and the auncient holy Bishopps in the primatiue Church called the admitting of the Penitents into the Church againe the geuing vnto thē peace But whom doe you thinke these Penitents to haue beene Adulterers theeues incestuouse and sacrilegiouse persons not those onely For those were neuer as we will shew hereafter in so farre a degree
molested and generally hindered from her necessary peace Wherfore S. Augustine (a) l. 20. cōt Faust in Tit. 3. vide Cypr. ep ad Magnū 24. q. 1 c. Schisma defineth schisme by a separation of congregation S. Hierome by episcopall dissention Wherunto Pelagius an auncient Pope doth also agree who speaking of schismatickes saieth that they haue made to thē selues partes and seuering them selues from that which is one according to the holy Apostle S. IVDE haue no spiritt Thus therfore you see how an exteriour hereticke doth alwaies an acte of schisme seuering him selfe from the vnity of the Church yet is he not excōmunicate so long as he followeth not or endeuoureth not to make a parte contrary vnto the Churches vnity Schismaticks in England are excommunicate Than may a man be an exteriour hereticke and yet not excōmunicate although a Schismaticke yet not such a schismaticke as your selfe who are a schismaticke in the highest degree saue that you pretend to doe it for feare which is not a sufficient excuse to alleadge vnto Christ to purge the diuiding of his most indiuisible holy garment And so you see if you will see any thing which pleaseth you not how cōtrary this action of going to the Church is vnto two Theologicall vertues Faith Charity §. 28 I haue staied longer thā I thought to haue done in this matter of Schisme Let vs now go forward vnto other vertues whose sacred lawes I say this practise of yours doth infringe The next therfore is Religion the most noble of all morall vertues Of the vertew of religion whose duety it is for to yeeld vnto God honour reuerence which it doth both inwardly by deuotion praier and outwardly also by external shew of worship by sacrifices offerings tithes vowes lawfull othes and Sacraments To these so many excelent vertues are there many vices opposite Idolatry diuination of future humane euents whether it be by diuels starres dreames fier water birdes beastes or any such like thing Also palmestry Caluins seruice is superstitious See §. 6. L. 2. de nar Deo L. 4. c. 28. wichcraft necromancy superstitious obseruances tentatiō of God sacriledge simony All these kinds of irreligious behauiour you detesting I would you had such conceit of Caluinists seruice as you ought it being a most certaine verety that it is most wicked and superstitious There is betweene Tully Lactantius some controuersy concerning superstition The one calleth it the vnlawfull worship of the trew God the other will haue it to be a worship of false Gods But according to the doctrine of S. Augustine and S. Thomas L. 2. doct c. 18. 20. 2.2 q. 92. superstition comprehendeth them both Therfore as you cannot without mortall sinne be present at the Gentills Idolatry which is a superstition of the first kind nor at the Iewes sacrifices although directed vnto the trew God and hauing bene ordained by his owne commaundement So much lesse than at these second may you not be relgiously present at the superstition or voluntary * Col. 2. See Testament of Rhemes worshippe of heretickes inuented by their owne head without the warrant of Christ in the Scriptures or of the holy ghost in the Church or of any lawfull autority of such whom Christ commandeth vs to obey although such seruice haue neuer so great a shew of wisdome or piety as S. PAVL expresly teacheth vs. But of this I will say no more because I haue touched it also aboue only I wold not haue you to thinke so grossely as many do the superstition consisteth in the length of seruice and therfore because Caluins seruice is not so long as ours to free it from such name it is not the length of the praier which maketh superstition for than should Christs most holy praiers haue bene superstitious who praied longer than any of vs all but the forme maner of praier onely maketh it superstitious whan it is either superfluous or pernicious as we said aboue §. 29 You transgresse also the vertew of obedience This acte is contrary to Christian obedience whilest you doe an acte commaunded for contēpt of the Churches autority of which also I haue sufficiently intreated aboue shewed how such contēpt cannot be without a mortall sinne Neither can here your protestatiō take place See §. 9 as I shewed before as it cannot also to exempt you from an exteriour acte of heresy For in the Primitiue Church Marcellinus the Pope others of like condition also were accounted as Idolaters although theire inward meaning were wel knowne to al the world to be quite contrary to their outward action §. 30 There is an other vertew necessary in mans life which is called verity It is a most detestable dissimulation 4. Eth. c. 7. by which a man sheweth him selfe in his life and speach such as in deed he is Which may be transgressed either in speach by a lye or in facte by dissimulation which is a kind of lye as we shewed aboue out of S. Ambrose * Ser. de Abra. See You make therfore a greate lye by such dissimulation and are by S. Augustine * See §. 6 condemned in Iehu and by the example of holy Eleazarus in the scripture vtterly confounded 2. Mach. 6 This kind of lying or dissimulation in matters of Religion is most perniciouse and by all Deuines condemned of a mortall sinne being not onely a lye but a lye in the most necessary profession of faith where all lyes are perniciouse as I said aboue and therfore heere I will not more largely intreate therof But that you may more perfectly know the greeuousnes thereof and learne not to dissemble in such weighty matters for neuer so great danger I will onely sett you downe a diuision which S. Augustine maketh of lyes Lib. de mend c. 14 3. kind of lyes and his censure therof The first and principall kind of lye saieth he and farre to be banished from all men is that which is made in doctrine of religion vnto which lye by no condicion any man may be induced The second is made that it may hurte some man iniustly which is of such maner that it neither profiteth any and yet hindereth some body The third which so profiteth one that it may hinder an other although not in any corporall vncleanenes The fourth which is made for a meere delight of lying and deceiuing which is a wonderfull kind of lye The fifth which is made for the desire of pleasing others with sweete speaches The sixth To saue an other mans goods To saue another mans life To saue anothers purity which neither hindereth any and profiteth some as if a man knowing that an other mans money shall be taken vniustly from him being demaunded by any saith he knoweth not where it is The seuenth hindereth none but profiteth some whan one lyeth vnwilling to betraye an other who is sought for to death
The eighte hindereth no man and withall profiteth heereunto that it may saue an other from corporall vncleannes S. Augustine goeth farther and sheweth his iudgement of these kinde of lyes c. vlt. and calleth the first kinde which most maketh for our purpose a great wickednes and the first kind of a detestable lye A lye can neuer be lawfull And speaking of the last that one may not lye for the custody of an others chastity he yeeldeth this reason that in the nature of good thinges the chastity of the mind is preferred before the cleannes of the body and in the nature of euill thinges that which we doe our selues is more damnable vnto vs than that which we permitt to be donne And he hath there also a notable sentence that a man must not by the helpe of a lye bee leade euen so much as to euerlasting saluation Yea he hath in the 7. chapter that a virgin may not without sinne tell a lye to preserue her selfe from dishonest violence This saying of S. Augustine I would not haue so vnderstood as though it were a greater sinne to tell a lye not hurtfull vnto any than to be dishonest but that supposing that any one goeth about to dishonest a vertuous matrone and she haue no other way to deliuer her selfe from such filthy violence but by telling a lye as that some body is present which is not shee should rather permitt the dishonour than tell a lye saying with the glorious Virgin S. Agnes Amb. l. de virgin if violently thou defile me my virginity shall haue a dubble reward Hence I pray you make the comparison your selfe If a most pure Virgin or most graue matrone for to conserue the most pretiouse treasure of womankind may not tell a veniall lye may you by losing the greatest treasure which you haue or may be had in this world that is your fidelity towardes God and his Church vtter a most detestable lye which you doe by this wicked dissimulation onely to auoide some small penalty of body or goodes Vttering of Catholickes secretts to their danger a mortall sinne and bindeth to restitution Neither yet for this diuision of S. Augustine must euery simple bodye whan he is examined before Commissioners traiterously vtter the secrettes of Catholickes for to tell truth than were a mortall sinne and to tell a lye vnsworne were but a veniall sinne Yet both may be auoided either by silence or by lawfull equiuocation and lesse harme it is if either must be committed to committe the veniall And if an othe be taken in such case it doth not bind euen as no the of any vnlawfull thing can bind in conscience §. 31 I will not omitt here to touch the crime of scandall That this action is alwaies scandalous which is a vice opposite to charity by which we geue our neighbour occasion of spirituall ruine which although in this matter it be one of the least reasons to condemne your faulte yet is it in some maner alwaies found in your action in other maner although not alwaies present yet very hardly auoided It can hardly be auoided in that it causeth others by your example to fall and to thinke the sinne either none at all or not so greeuouse and withall it geueth occasion vnto our aduersaries to insult ouer vs and to blaspheme our religion And this is both the greater and the harder to be auoided in men of knowne resolution and notable giftes or talents of wisdome and learning which they might better haue wanted being cause of their vtter damnation whan by the creditte of them they cause their Brothers fall This deformity of scandall I say in these respects can hardly be auoided For you must not thinke that you can auoid scandall by informing your neighbours that you come not for any liking of their religion A protestation increaseth scādall See §. 19. for whan you desire them not to take any example from your action this doth more increase your scandall whilest you shew that you doe such action meerely against your conscience teach them by your example if not to go to the Church whan perhapps they go already is but one fault yet by geuing them a generall example in effect to all vice not to sticke at any offence of God either fornication or theste or any other enormity whan they see you so perfectly acquainted with Gods Sacraments and the practise of the Church to committ with hope of repentance a faulte no lesse enormious than theirs Wherby you which should be the light of the world geue occasion to fill the world full of darkenes out of the which you were once deliuered teaching seruantes to deceiue their maisters children to bee lasciuious wiues to bee dishonest finally all maner of wickednes so that there be no scandall and that they intend afterwardes to arise againe Which although I know you thinke to be faultes worthy of greate detestation and they also for you are not perswaded other wiser yet by seeing you so couragiouse in aduenturing your best iointe by leaping ouer the walles into the enemies campe How can you blame them if they also within the walles or without being amongst theire frendes betake them selues to farre lesse daungers in which estimation of a lesser daunger if I seeme to erre geue me leaue a while and I hope heerafter I shall satisfie you Yet doe I confesse that this faulte of Scandall may in parte be auoided Going to the Church in a strāge place is vnlawfull and scandalous but neuer altogither If one should go to the Church with heretickes in a place where none knoweth him not so much as the minister or seruaunt or neighbour than I say scandall were auoided in parte But such going can seldome happen vnto a Catholicke vnlesse a man had such pleasure in going to the Church against his conscience as some men may haue as we saide out of S. §. 30. Augustine in telling of a lye for either hee goeth to auoide suspition in some place and than they which are curiouse of him doe conceiue of him as of an hereticke or schismaticke Or he goeth that he may when he is called into questiō or before that also if he be so forward as many are be thought or saied to goe to the Church And this wanteth no more of Scandall than the going where he is knowne But howsoeuer it is I say that scandall although it may in parte yet can it neuer be fully auoided For whosoeuer is at an heretikes church Scandall can neuer be fully auoded although neuer so vnknowne so that he go not inuisible but be seene there by those which are there present besides the signification of the religion which is there vsed schisme dissimulation and such like as we haue saied before he incurreth the greeuous crime of scandall because he seemeth to consent vnto the wickednes of the minister and his adherents in that seruice Wherin you must
that the greeuousnes of other sinnes lesse in their owne kind but being committed with great disorder and continuance may farre exceed the greeuousnes of schisme Moreouer carnall sinnes are more dangerous Carnall sinnes very dangerouse l. 3. eth c. 12. than such schisme as may be of frailty and feare committed For as the Philosopher teacheth the appetite of delight is vnsatiable whereupon it ordinarily happeneth that a man is very hardly withdrawen from fleshly concupiscence if he be once entangled therwith which is also the cause that the Deuill most of all as S. Augustine saieth reioiceth of Idolatry lechery in Leuit. Isid l. 2. c. 3. But he which once goeth to the Church for feare and with trembling of hart and humble acknowledging of his faulte before God may easely rise againe Furthermore he which is drowned in carnallity for the vehemēt applying of his thoughtes and powers to such senfuall abiectes is hardly capeable of reason and of Gods holy motions and inspirations wherby he may be moued to rise againe which hindering of reason and Gods motions is not ordinarily found in one indeliberate or fearefull acte of schisme Finally as S. L. 33 mor. c. 11. Gregory saieth carnall sinnes haue a certaine filth and infamy ioined vnto them which is not in other sinnes although greater in theire owne nature Wherfore Aristotle him selfe affirmeth 3. Eth. c. 10. that the sinnes of intemperance as well in touching as tasting are of all other most reprochfull because they be about those delightes which are common vnto vs and beastes Wherupon he concludeth thus With such thinges therfore to be pleased and delighted Against those which call carnallity a mans fault is beastly ⧠Those therfore are beastly men which geue them selues to such delightes as they are capeable of not in that they are men but as they are animalia that is liuing thinges which is a name cōmon to them and beastes Schisme a proper sinne of the Diuel Yet on the other side least I should flatter you to much those are Diuelesh men which geue them selues vnto sinnes more proper to Diuells than vnto men which sinnes although they be farre seuered from beastly concupiscence yett doe they imply such deformity as the Diuells onely loued at the beginning as Pride against God and his Church heresy schisme such like For that you may know perfectly your owne estate the first Scismaticke that euer was was Lucifer making a diuision in that holy Church as yet being but militant from whence he was by his detestable schisme throwen out that as of him it is most worthely sald Hier. 2. From the begining thou hast broken the yoake thou hast pulled a sunder the bandes hast saied I will not serue so he might being here permitted to gouerne the darkenes of this miserable world be King ouer all the sonnes of Pride who breaking the sweete yoake of Christ Iob. 41. and renting the holy bandes of his vndeuided garment refuse to serue vnto his holy Spouse Esay 60. Gen. 7. Hieron ep 57 ad Damas Degrees of these kindes of sinne For what nation or kingdome soeuer shall not serue this most glorious Queene shall perish Whosoeuer is out of the Arke of Noe shall be swallowed vpp in the generall deluge I will shew you therfore my opiniō of the degrees of this kind of fault In the highest degree is hee which going to the Church is an hereticke in deede Than followeth he which is not an hereticke inwardly but so goeth to the Church that he seemeth to go with all his hart and as an hereticke Afterward he which being commonly knowne to be in mind and resolution a Catholicke yet goeth to the Church and defendeth it as lawfull and in this degree he may go the deeper if others by his example doctrine be induced either to the same opinion which is worse or to the same practise onely without the inward allowing of his act Perswaders of schime or allowers which is not altogither so hainouse And if this scandali be notably ioined therunto I dare match this person yea and preferre him also to the hereticke him selfe and that by S. Thomas his autority 2.2 q. 39. ar 2. Chrysost ho. 11 in ep ad Eph. who saieth in this maner It may happen that some Schismaticke may sinne more hainously than some Infidell or hereticke either for his greater contempt or for the greater daunger which he causeth or for some such like thing Than lett there followe in this rancke he who vsually goeth to the Church yet all the world knoweth he doth it for feare onely and no way defendeth his owne sinne The nexte company of this band shall be of those which vse to go seldome as once or twise a yeere yet continew in this purpose and meane to sleepe still in their excommunication and separation from the Church of God For this continuance of sinne and of so greate a sinne and contempt of the censure of the Church of how great accounte it is the Councell of Trent declareth Sess 25. c. 3. de refor whan it commaundeth that against such as after they are by name excommunicate remaine in their excommunication for the space of one wholle yeere such proceeding be taken as is ordinary against heretickes or the suspected of heresy Vnto all these in my iudgment doe those men which liue in the shamefull filth of dronkennes and carnalities so that the circūstances therof be not exorbitant yeeld the vpper hand And such a one as once only for feare or some other passion yeldeth to go to the Church yet without any notable scandall or peruerting of others and presently sheweth afterward vnto the wholle world his perfect repentance This man I accounte of an inferiour degree of iniquitye vnto those which continually liue in a filthy state of carnall dishonesty yet I preferre him in this band of wickednes before him which through frailty often falleth into the other sinnes and presently riseth againe One onely sorte of men there is who although they go not to the Church Priestes allowing of this action yet may incurr in very high degree the crime of schisme and these are Priestes if there be any which maintaine this action of whom I need to say nothing in this place Wheras for that learning which God hath bestowed vpon them themselues may consider what censures they haue incurred or may incurre and how great a fault it is opposing thēselues to theire chiefe rulers herein in steede of shepheardes to become wolues But if any one should so forgett him selfe and in corners secretly whisper against the receiued truth such you are bound vnder paine of mortall sinne to detect that by their superiour they may be corrected For it is conuenient that they know how there is one vnto whose decisiō in all doubts in vertew of obedience they are bound to stand who hath long since not failed to make his iudgement knowen
way is by his district iudgement to enlarge the causes of wrath that those which being illuminated would not doe well being iustlye blinded should farther doe wherby they may deserue the more to be punished ⧠God graunt that you may open your eies at the length and find the way of the citty of Cods habitation least in the day of his reuenge from this wilfull darkenesse which you haue incurred Psal 106 you be against your will throwen into the vtter darkenesse From which God of his mercy and by the intercession of his blessed mother deliuer you He which desireth nothing more than that our frendship may through Catholicke vnity be perpetuall S. Cypr. lib. de vnit Eccl. What peace doe the enemies of the brethren promise vnto theÌ„ selues do they thinke that Christ is with them whan they are gathered togither which are gathered togither out of the Church Such although they be killed for the confession of Christs name yet this blotte cannot be washed away euen with blood S. Ambrose vpon the 9. chapter of the Apocalipse comparing the heares of the caterpillers vnto the hereticall Churches saith The Locusts had heares of womeÌ„ for as the Saincts of the Church of God had theire flockes which at certaine times did come togither to celebrate the diuine seruices So also heretickes had theire madde and furiouse people which in diuerse places came togither to the celebration not of diuine misteries but of deuelish seruices The same Father vpon those wordes of the Gospell of S. Luke the 9. chapter whan the vncleane spirit shall depart out of a man This it cannot be doubted but that it is spoken of the people of the Iewes which our Lord before did seuer from his kingdome Wherfore vnderstand thou also that all hereticks and schismaticks are separated from the kingdome of God from the Church And therfore it is most manifest that the meetings of heretickes and Schismatickes belong not to God but to the vncleane spirit S. Cyprian in his 40. epistle euen of Schismaticall Churches speaketh thus There is but one God and one Christ and one Church and one chaire by our Lords voice sounded vpon Peter There cannot be erected an other aultar nor made another Priesthood besides one aultar one Priesthood whosoeuer otherwhere gathereth scattereth it is aduouterouse it is impiouse it is sacrilegiouse whatsoeuer by humane fury is decreed that Gods disposition may be violated Departe you farre from the contagion of such men and euen as if you would auoide a canker or pestilence shunne their speaches In the same epistle hee geueth warning to auoid deceitfull teachers such as are now a daies those which teach to go to heretiks churches Flee the wolues which separate the sheepe from the Pastour flee the venemous tongue of the Deuell who from the begining of the world alwaies deceitfull and false lyeth that he may deceaue â—â—â—attereth that he may hurt promiseth good that he may cause euell offereth life the he may kill Now also do his wordes cleerely shew them selues and his poisons are manifest he promiseth peace that none may come to peace he promiseth saluation that he which hath offended may nor come to saluation he promiseth the Church wheras he endeuoureth that who beleeueth him may vtterly perish from the Church The same in his 77. epistle Our Lord insinuating vnto vs vnity defineth and saieth I and my Father am one vnto which vnity he bringing his Church saieth againe And there shal be one flocke and one shepheard if than the flocke be one how can he be of the flocke which is not amongst the number of the flocke Againe libro de lapsis in fine Such maner of men he speaketh of Schismaticks do you auoid as much as you may theire speach spreadeth as a canker their take passeth abroad as a contagion their hurtfull venemous persuasioÌ„ killeth worse than the persecution it selfe Gen 4. Apoc. 2. S. Hierome ep 11. de Monogamia Let one Eue be the mother of aÌ„ll the liuing one Church the mother of all Christians as cursed Lamech deuided the first into two citties so heretickes teare this into many Churches which according to the Apocalipse of S. IHON are rather to be called Sinagogues of the Deuell than congregations of Christ Laus Deo ac Beatissimae semper Virgini Matri Deiparae MARLAE atê™ omnibus Sanctis FINIS