in the name of Paula and Eustockium It were long for me to runne through euerye age from the Ascension of our Lord vnto this day and to shew what Bishops what Martyrs what excellent Diuines haue come in Pilgrimage to Hierusalem thinking that their deuotion and knowledge was so much the lesse and that they wanted some-thing to the perfection of vertue if they had not worshipped Christ in the same places from whence the Ghospell gan first to shyne downe from of the Crosse Surely the companye of religious persons both men and women that haue resorted thither is a certayne flower and most pretious iewell among the ornaments of the Church pilgrimes of our owne countrye in S. Hieromes tyme. In Fraunce who soeuer is the cheefe he commeth hyther in all hast The Britayne whom the seas deuide from this mayne part of the world that we are in if he grow once to be any thing religious and well disposed he forsaketh the west parts and seketh after this place which he knoweth by commoÌ„ brute only by report of the scriptures What neede I reckon here the Armenians the Persians Indians Aethiopians and Aegypt adioyning to it ful of Religious folke Pontus and Capadocia Coele-syria and Mesopotamea with whole swarms of the East and so furth Gentle Reder be wyse and sober in esteeming of holye thinges marke those few examples and be not wise in thine owne skoffing conceyte to condemne the authoritie of the whole world and of that auncyent world which by our aduersaries coÌ„fession was without corruption Thow hast here the custome of all states and degrees out of all contryes synce CHRIST ascended by S. Hieromes accompt Vnles perhaps thou desire also to heare of Kyngs and Emperours which demande is not vnreasonable for that some Prynces now a dayes are partly so prowd and partly so farre from all deuocion that it may seme incredible that the mightie Emperours of the world aboue a thousaÌ„d yeres ago would not only reuereÌ„tly kneele in the place Vbi steterunt pedes eius where he stood walked died rose againe asceÌ„ded that is Lord of lords The Pilgrimage of Princes and their honor of Relikes but stoupe to the dust ashes of poore fyshers his Apostles of meaner men his beloued seruants And yet how easy it were to be copious in this poynte they caÌ„ not be ignorant that haue read the ecclesiastical histories of ConstaÌ„tyne the great and his mother Helena of Arcadius of Theodosius his sonne and Eudocia the Emperesse his wyfe of others My purpose to be short doth not suffer me to tell of all perticularlye Generally of al I will bring two testimonies very sufficient Ep. 42. S. Austen wryting to MadaureÌ„ces that were Idolators you see saith he that the potestates and Peeres of this world them selues that haue bene wonne by the Christians not resisting but willingly dyeng haue turned theyr force and lawes aganst these Idols for the which before they put Christians to death Et Imperii nobilissimi culmen eminentissimum ad sepulchrum Petri piscatoris submisso diademate supplicare haec omnia scripturae diuinae ante longissima tempora futura esse testata sunt And the most lofty toppe of the noble Empyre humbling the stately crowne maketh supplication at Peter the fishers tombe all these things the diuine scriptures witnessed long before should come to passe Chrisostome also wryteth thus Homeli qd Christus sit Deus Romae quae vrbs est regalissima c. At Rome vvhich is the most royall citty Kinges Lieutenantes Captaynes all other things set apart runne to the tombes of the Fisher and the Tent-maker And in Constantinople our Emperours thinke it a great benefite to haue their bodies buryed not hard by the Apostles but at the least vvithout their chappell dore a litle and notvvithstanding they vvere Princes of the vvorld are content to be dore-keepers to poore fishers Is not here going running kneeling praying burieng at the Apostles memories And is not that playne Pilgrimage Is it not the verye honoring of sacred Râ—likes after the present Catholicke maner Were they all fooles all asses all superstitious all Idolatours Yea I will say with S. Hierome Cont. Vigil scripto 2. Did Constantyne the Emperour commit sacriledge vvhen he translated the holy Relikes of Andrevv Luke and Timothie to Constantinople Great soleÌ„nitie in traslating or remouing of Relikes before the vvhich Reliks the diuels rore and confesse they feele the presence of these Saynts Shall vve say that Arcadius Emperour at this present is guiltie of sacriledge for translatinge Samuels bones so longe tyme after his death from Ievvry into Thracia Are all those Bishops not only sacrilegious but also fooles and asses vvho caried in silke and in a golden coffin that vvhich Vigilantius calleth a moste vyle theng and nothing els but vvynd-blovved asshes Are the people of all parishes doltes and dysards vvho came to meete the boly Reliks and receaued them so ioyfully as if they had seene the Prophete presente and alyue among them in so much that from Palestine to CalcedoÌ„ svvarmes of people vvere clustered together singing vvith one voice to the praise of Christ Here are many goodly poynts to be noted the vniuersal practise of the Primatiue Church the principal cause and finall ende thereof the prayse of Christ Reliks honored because they were the Reliks of Samuell Samuell honored because he was the Prophete of Christ so deuoutly in such swarmes because they now sawe them and by occasion thereof entred into a higher consideration what a maruelous man he was how farre in God his fauour borne by miracle of a barren woman dedicated or vowed to God before he was borne famylier with him beinge but a child nerer then of his counsell theÌ„ Hely the high priest able to coÌ„mauÌ„d rayne and to stay it to make Kings and to depose them at one worde a moste excellent Prophete These meditations I say by occasion of the eye trickling into the mynd as S. Cap. 18. Banist Chrisostome and S. Austen speake in the lyke cases made them so affected toward the Reliks as if they had seene the Prophete present Cap. 5. de cura pro mort Now then to go one steppe furder If to see the place onely or some blessed monumeÌ„t doth so much styrre vp deuotion as by these former examples appereth that it iustly moued al good folke to trauail vnto them Myracles wrought by Reliks caused Pilgrimage which is properly Pilgrimage When it pleased God moreouer to shew not onely quaÌ„ pretiosa in conspectu Domini mors sanctorum eius How presious in his sight the death of his saintes is but also quam mirabilis Deus in sanstis suis HOW meruelous a God he is in his saynctes when it pleased him I say to worke straÌ„g miracles to bestow his gratious gifts vpon the poore the lame the sicke and such like and that at the tombes by the verie vertue of his
after admonition you will not rise agayne that wil make vs to maruel to pitie your ease as altogether desperate which God forbid whoe conuerte you and saue you and blesse you both soule bodye euen as I wishe to mine owne selfe For a farewel remember the later ende of man the accompte to be made the consequent there of hel or heauen and before all other respectes doe well for his sake that made you redeemed you sanctified you and hath hitherto preserued and enriched you and will hereafter in heauen fully rewarde you if you wil come euen now at the ninth and eleuenth howre Our Lord keepe you Paris 15. Fe. 1580 Your louing frend vndoubtedly G. M. TO MY LOVINGE AND BESTBELOVED SISTERS DEERE Sisters my care my loue of al worldly things next to my good mother my greatest comforte and ioye Vnlesse you did thinke that I doe most hartely loue you you coulde nor alwaies heretofore haue declared your exceeding loue so plentifully towards me for the which almightie God rewarde you This my loue because it is not a naturall affection onely but sincere and true charitie forceth me to wish vnto you my louing Sisters not onelie manie worldlie commodities which God be thanked you lacke not but much more all spirituall treasure and heauenlie riches wherof you can not haue great store because you dwell not where it groweth I know good Sisters that you meane well and moste willing are you to doe that which might please God but in good sooth you are out of the way and therefore the further you hold on the further you are from your iornies end the further from heauen The wise man saith There is a vvay vvhich seemeth to a man right Prouerb 14. but the end therof leadeth to distruction Beare with me if I write bold lie and tell you the truth plainlie I am your brother I loue you as nature bindeth me not onely in worldly respect but much more towardes God Your soules are deare vnto me my harte alwaies mourneth to thinke vpon your dangerous state wherein you stand O good Sisters the paine of hell exceedeth all tormentes and that fier shall burne for euer Happye are they that keepe them selues by God his greate goodnesse within the CATHOLIQVE CHVRCH for out of it there is no hope of saluation And most happy are they that hauing bene out of this Church by the wicked perswasioÌ„s of false preachers wheÌ„ it pleaseth God to send them true teachers will not remaine obstinate but folow good exhortations and holsome doctrine and so returne agayne as obedient children to Christ their father and to the Church their mother who are alwaies redy to receiue them remembring that which a most auncient and learned Father writeth S. AusteÌ„ vpoÌ„ the 88. psal He can neuer accompt God to be his father vvho vvil not haue the Churh to be his mother If you aske me what this Church is that is called CATHOLIKE and how you may know it behold the true and certen markes thereof and your selfe iudge whether you be within it or no. This Church is a congregation of all true christians which began in Christ his disciples at Hierus lem from thence grewe and multiplied throughout the whole world according as it is sayd in the psalme Their sounde speaking of the Apostles is gone out into the vvhole vvorlde psal 18. v. 5. and their vvordes into the ends of the earth The firste mark of the Church is to be visible So that the first marke of the true church is that it must grow and multiply be seene and appeere alwayes as a light in the world and therfore Christ calleth it A Cittie builded vpon a hill Mat. 5. vvhich can not be hid And the blessed Martyr S. Ciprian sayth The Churche beinge lightened with the brightnes of our Lorde doth reache foorth her beames through-out the whole worlde And S. Austen besides manye other places to this purpose compareth Christ and his Church to that stone vvhich vvas cutt out of a hill vvithout mens handes Daniel ca. 2. and after grevv to be a mightye mountayne so that it filled the vvhole earthe For vndoubtedlye this stone whereof the Prophet speaketh is Christ who was borne of a virgin without the helpe of man and is now growne from a few Apostles and disciples to an infinite number of christian people in all countries confessing one fayth and one beleefe and this is the Catholicke Church whereof your Creede telleth and teacheth you to say I beleeue the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH Let vs see nowe whether this marke doth agree to your brethren in England who call them selues Protestants or to vs whom it pleaseth them to cal Papists First they cal theÌ„-selues in their bookes the Englishe church that is to say of that fayth which is professed in England but we are of the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH that is of such a fayth as is professed in Fraunce in Spaine in Flanders Brabant zelant c. In a great part of Germanie in all Italy and beyond wheresoeuer there be christians and is now preached to the Indians that neuer heard of Christ before and encreaseth wonderfullye And within these fortie yeares in Englande Scotland Ireland Denmarke and Germanie there was no other faith openly professed but ours And now also in all these countries how many are there thinke you of secret catholickes that wish for the olde religion againe with all their hart and folow the new onely for feare Nay how many are there especially in England that doe yet openly professe the CATHOLIKE FAITH Aske good Sisters aske and you shall learne that all the prisons not only of London but of England are full of them because they will not yeeld to these new proceedings nor contaminate their soules with this newe seruice and leaue the olde true and Catholicke fayth besides a number of sundrye degrees which are deade in prison namely twentie three Bishops all depryued of their liuing these tweÌ„tie three yeres now but two of them alyue I omit Doctors Deanes Archdeacons Krights Squires partlie in prison partly departed the Realme and forsaking all rather then they will forsake God and his moste true and vndoubted religion This is true good Sisters as knoweth God you seldome heare of these things and therfore you thinke either their is no other religion but that could seruice with-out all comfort and deuotion which you see in your parish church or you thinke that must needes be the best because you are not taught anie other whereas you see if you beleeue me that all christendome almost is of an other religion And therfore this is the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH and yours is worthily called by your owne ministers the church of England But this shall better appeere The second marke is successiou if I geue you an othâ—r marke of the true Catholicke Church which is that it must continew for euer and from the first beginninge which was in Christ and
questioned vvithall thus VVhat sayest thou of our 〈◊〉 and the Councell that â—ove held You beleeue vvell Sir sayeth he and the Councell vvas good thincking by these vvordes to please the Emperour but they strayght ansvvered him vve vvill not beare these thinges of thy pollured mouth from benceforth therfore go dovvne into darkenes and so bauing that sentence geuen vpon him he descended into the places vvhere vvild beasts vse to be kept and there vvas behedded So that in this man as in all doble delets is and shall be verified the prophesie Sophon 1 I vvill destroy those vvhich svveare by our Lord by Melchom By their Lord God in hart and the Idoll or as in the hebrew in their King with tonge and lippes Contrarywyse when a graue Prelate will deale playnly and resiste the fancy of his Prince although he might thereby incurre displeasure that thing hath greater commodities then may easely be esteemed that is so glorious in heauen and heroicall vpon earth as might moue a man in many respectes exceedingly To omit all others the aboue named Constantine shall suffice to declare what wisdome it is in tyme and place mildly to mortifie the Princes humor Whoe being asked of the Emperour named also Constantine Modo quid nos laederet si dixerimus Theotòkon Christotòkon 〈…〉 At ille hunc complexus ait Miserere domine ne ad contagionem tuam venit sermo iste Nonne vides qualiter deuulgetur anathematizetur Nestorius a tota ecclesia Qui respondens ait I go discere volens interrogaui verum vsque ad te sermo VVell vvhat burte vvould it doe vs if vve should call our B. Lady the mother of Christ For the Catholicks called her Gods mother and the Nestorians would not so doe but called her Christs mother onely But the Bishop Constantine embracing the Emperour sayed Oh my Lord haue pitye let not that terme be vsed to thy defiling doest thou not see hovv Nestorius is published and proclaymed as accursed by the vvhole Church VVhoe ansvvered and sayed I asked the question but for my learning only it vvas but to thee spoken Is it not very playne here that if the Patriarch had soothed him in this as he did afterwardes in other things a great parte of the worlde had bene in danger of Nestorisme But when he heard the matter gaynesayed he excused him selfe and was ashamed that he had moued the question Such a vertue it is to deale discreatly and religiously betweene God and Princes that we alwayes remember 1. ps 117. It is good rather to hope in our Lord then to hope in Princes Thus I haue rudely and breifely but truly and charitably set downe before your eyes dyuers examples if it may please God to geue you heauenly vnderstandinge by some one or other of them to see your owne faulte and to repent before the dreadfull accompte which you must needs make so much the sooner the elder that you are Doe not conceaue I beseech you that by these sundry histories I meante to discrybe your person good M. Doctor take me not amisse If by the vniuersal vew of other mens noughtye demeanure you doe the better perceaue what soeuer little or greate faulte is in your selfe as by the Preachers generall Sermon we doe all the better espye our owne defects that is my meaning that was my purpose If my manner of vtterance doe offende pardon lacke of skill or thincke that I was rather occupied about the matter then curious in the arte If you will needs thincke that I touch you sometyme more then was neede let the chidings of a frende preuayle more with your good nature and wisdome then the kisses of an enemye For learning or wisdome I am not worthy to counsell you but of duety and good will I presume to exhorte you so earnestly as I doe sincerely honour and loue you that you consider your calling A Preist a Doctor a man of worship of estimation What could Christ haue done more for you then he hath done 〈◊〉 215. VVhat then vvill you render to our Lorde for all that he hath rendred to you Will you dye for his sake Mat. 26. Spiritus promptus caro infirma The spirit is prompt but the flesh is infirme Heb. 22. That is not required at your hand Non dum vsque ad sanguinem resistimus vve haue not yet resisted vnto bloud Mat. 19 2â— Will you forsake all and become a beggar Si vis perfectuss esse vade vende omnia sequere me If thou vvilt be perfecte goe sell the things that thou haste and folovve me But neither is that necessitie Wil you suffer imprisonment Act. 16. And at midnight Paule and Silas praying did prayse God when their seete were fast in the stocks in the inner prison But we see that many earnest Catholicks haue also their libertie Will you goe into banishment and lyue in a Catholicke countrye Mat. 10. VVhen they shall persecute you in this countrye flye into an other And yet a man with wisdome may lyue also quietly at home Will you then for Christ his sake leaue your lyuings onely and lyue still worshipfully vpon your stocke To â—ould your peace vnlesse you be vrged â—o confesse your fayth to prefer heresie and further it neither by worde nor deede What may a man doe lesse that will do any thing for his sweete Sauiour and mercifull redeemer â—at 19.16 VVhat permutation shall a man geue for his soule If you had liued in the primitiue world when you must either haue denyed Christ or suffer a long death full of exquesite torments what woulde you haue done whereas now so little losse a little before the tyme of some little temporalities maketh you not only deny your religion but to mainteine the contrary â—uc 12.48 and yet you can remember well much shal be required of him that hath much â—ap 6 And Potentes Potenter tormenta Patientur The mightye shall mightily suffer torments â—uc 17.1 And VVo to him by vvhom scandalls come â—s 13. And shall they not all knovv that vvorke vvickednes that deuoure my people as they vvould eat bread And S. Austen â—a ps 52. Cum scis malum esse quod facis et tamen facis nonne viuus descendis ad inseros vvhen thou doost knovv that that is ill vvhich thou doost and yet for all that doost it doost thou not goe dovvne to hell aliue But I will not haue you feare onely Perfecta charitas 1.10.4.18 foras mittit timorem Perfect charitie casteth out feare Good M. Doctor as you are not without cause esteemed wise so employ it to his honour who giueth all wisdome Be conteÌ„t to be a foole to the world that you may become heauenly wyse S. Ambrose S. Bafill S. Chrisostome were wise men thinke what they haue done long a goe and would doe in your case Follow them and be not seruant to them that are the seruants of noughtines that say in effect Edamus et bibamus cras moriemur 1. Co. 15.32 Let vs eate and drincke for to morrovv vve shall dye Yf that were the way to heauen to followe all worldes all rellgions all Princes to be still in fauour to sleepe in a whole skynne to loose nothing which way soeuer the winde bloweth Suerly many men could wisely doe all this that nowe are esteemed for very fooles but of such as in the last Iudgement shall howle and crye out for very anguish and confusion â—ap 5. VVe senselesse esteemed their life madnes and their ende vvithout honor Behould hovv they are compted among the children of God and their lott is among the Saints This that I haue said is in truth nothing in respect of the matter but in respect of your wisdome it is much I beseech God to add more then I can vtter or think Psa 26. of his holy spirit which may leade you In semitam rectam ostendat tibi viam in qua ambules in the right path and shewe you the waye in the which you ought to walke As for me I am in this case to you as one that carrieth the candle or opening the gate before his master I seeke no thanke by this my seruice as knoweth God onely I quake to thinke of my friends damnation and therfore I crye out vnto you and make a noyse such as I can in this my infancie 1. Cor. 3. Nam neque qui plantat est aliquid neque qui rigat sed quidat incrementum Deus For nether he that planteth is any thing nor be that vvatereth but be that geueth the increase God Christ our Sauiour keepe your worshipp in longe and good health The 15 of October 1575.
A TREATYSE OF CHRIâ—â—â—AN PEREGRINATION Wâ—â—â—ten by M. Gregory Martin Licentiate â— and late reader of diuinitie in the Englishe Coleadge at Remes VVhereunto is adioined certen Epistles vvritten by him to sundrye his frendes the copies vvhereof vvere since his decease founde amonge his vvrytinges Novv especially puplished for the banifite of those that either erre in religion of simplicitie or folovv the vvorlde of fraylâ—iâ— ANNO DOMINI 1583. The contentes of this booke A briefe preface 2. A treatise of Pilgrimage and Relicks 3. A letter sente to M. N. a maried priest 4. A letter sent to his Sisters maried to protestants and them selues trained vpp in heresie where he sheweth and proueth the Catholicke Church to be the true Church 5. A letter sent to M. D. Whyte then warden of newe colleadge in Oxford touching his folowâ—ng the worlde and dissâ—mbling in religioÌ„ agaynst his conscience and knowledge The Printers Preface vnto the Christian Reader THE aunciente Authour of heresie by innumerable meanes enduceth his instruments the professed enimies of Catholicke truth â—eruersly to opugne by flat denyall impudentâ—â— to vvrest by absurde cauills or Ievvishly 〈◊〉 reiecte vvith blasphemous tauntes those â—inges vvhich either they liste not to beleeue 〈◊〉 desire not to learne In all vvhich though â—eir facilitie vvere euer nâ—torious yet their â—â—pudencie vvas neuer more manifest then in â—â—is age But seeing truth is eterall heresie â—ariable and incredulitie atbisme The memâ—rs of Christ his Catholicke Church on the oâ—er side being guided by the holy Ghost haue â—e seased sufficiently to circumuent and disâ—uer the finall driftes of those deluders in maâ—y most excellent and learned discourses lateâ—â— vvritten amonge the vvhich this briefe â—reatyse of Christian Peregrynation â—â—me vnto my handes the vvhich by lycense of my Superiours I haue here published and annexed there-unto certayne Epistles of the same Authors a man of rare vertue and excellent learning Leauing thee good Christian Reader vvith attention to consider thereof trusting the same vvill sufficiently geue testimonie vnto thee that there is no parte or poyâ—â— of the Catholicke Fayth vnable inuincibly to be defended Further assuring thee that vvhatsoeuer incredulous hereticke gayn-sayeth the same he not onely resisteth here in earth the Church millitant and the members therof but violently stryueth agaynst the Prophetes Apostles Fathers Doctours and blessed Sayntes in heauen vvhose very vvords and vvrytings here alleadged he vvickedly oppugneth the vvhich action of his and comparison of him vvith those may be a sufficiente motiue to confirme thy fayth Vale. R. V. A SHORTE DISCOVRSE OF Pilgrimage and Relycks PILGRYMAGE coÌ„minge of the latyne worde perigrinatio is nothinge ells in this presente case which now I mene to write of The name of pilgrimage pilgrime but going of deâ—â—tion to visite some holy monument â—f Christ or his Saints as to Hierusalem 〈◊〉 Rome to Compostella To the which â—aces because there hath bene alwaies â—eat resort of strangers in latin pereâ—ini out of all Christian countries â—erof is it that we say Pilgrimes of Hieâ—salem of Rome of Compostella that is â—raungers and religious trauelers to â—ose places For example wheras the â—ree wyse and honorable persons naâ—ed Magi came from the Easte to worâ—ip Christ in Bethlehem Mat. 2. we may very â—uely say of them that they came in Pilgrimage to Christ WheÌ„ the Chaâ—berlayne to the Queene of Aethioprâ— whom Philippe baptised went out of hiâ— countrye to worship God in the temple at Hierusalem he wente also in Pilgrimage S. Paule him selfe goinge to Hierusalem of purpose to see Peter and as Theophylactus noteth not to see him onely In. 1. Galat. but vvith all to honour him as his beâ—ter euen as vve goe to holy vertuous men made a certeyne Pilgrimage The difference is here was Pilgrimage to the persons them selues as to Christ and to Peter we hauing now their monumeÌ„ts onely and of other Saints make Pilgrimage vnto them Ho. 5. ad po Antioch And accordinge to this sense S. Chrisostome in one of his SermoÌ„s most properly speaketh thus If I vvere voyde of Ecclesiasticall cares and had a strong body I vvould not refuse to make soe longe a iourney as from Antioch to Rome to see the cheynes at the least and the prison vvhere Paule vvas bound In the latin we read it thus peregrinationem tantam facere non recusarem I woulde not â—cke to make so longe a Pilgrimage â—nd this much for the names of Pilâ—ime and Pilgrimage which heretiks â—ue made sore bugges-wordes as â—ough a man would saye Idolatour â—d Idolattie Which termes to the ende thou â—yest vnderstand Christian Reader â—w falsely and foolishly they are obâ—cted to vs The principal cause of pilgrimage Gods honor Marke in all that I shall 〈◊〉 hereafter the feruent deuotion of â—grymes and the princypall cause â—reof to wit the glory of God and 〈◊〉 honour of his Sonne Iesus Christ â—ich are the very grounds of Cathoâ—ke Pilgrimage Ho. 5. ad Po. Antioch Deuotion or affectiâ—â— as when the forsayed holy Doctor â—â—ulpet vehemently brake out into â—se words Vellem nunc in illis locis verâ—â— c. I vvould vvish novv to be for a â—e in the places vvhere these chayne 's reâ—yne and see the fetters vvhich diuels feare 〈◊〉 Angels reuerence The cause of this 〈◊〉 affection because they were Paules â—ynes his cheynes that was Vas electionis God chefely is honored when sayntes or their reliks are honoted Gods chosen vessell his cheynâ—â— that caried the name of Christ before Kinges and countryes that turned a great parte of the worlde to the fayth that wrote so many excellent Epistles for our edifying that for Christ suffered infinit miseries finally his cheynes that vnder Nero shed his bloud for the Ghospell These considerations and the lyke made this learned Father so in loue with the Apostle that he could not conteyne him selfe but woulde needes signifie how he honored the very fetters cordes and linckes wherwith this Champion was tyed for the name of Christ This religious zeale towardes Christ and his Saynts caused him in an other place to saye in this heauenly maner I remember thee Peter and am amased I thinke vpon thee Paule and being in maner past my selfe can not refrayne vveeping for vvhat I may say or vvhat I may speake beholding your afflictions I knovv not Hovv many prisons haue you sanctified Hovv many cheynes haue you 〈◊〉 eautified Hovv many tormentes haue you â—â—usteyned You haue folovved Christ in all â—hings VVell mayest thou reioyse Peter that â—adst the gift to suffer vpon the Crosse as Christ â—â—id Blessed are the nayles that persed those â—oly limmes of thyne Thou also O blessed â—aule haste greate cause to be glad vvhose â—ead vvas cut of vvith the svvord VVhat a â—recious svvord is that vvhich perced thy saâ—red throte the instrument of our Lord vvhich â—eauen doth admire and the earth doth reueâ—ence That svvord I vvish to be my garland â—nd thoso nayles of
that you haue thus fallen so it shal be alwaies honorable for you to rise againe we haue knowen maried priestes afterwarde holie men and by their repentance no lesse esteemed then if it had neuer bene The Church of God as also God him selfe is alwaies glad of a penitent sinner and the Angels in heauen reioise therat let it suffice you that you haue taken your pleasure all this time and geue God thankes that he hath spared you and reserued you al this time to repentance wheras you might haue died in your sinnes and so haue bene damned euerlastingly despise not his calling of you vnto him selfe and to his CATHOLIKE CHVRCH You haue where-withall to lyue although you did forsake all And so you muste and make away with all at once to folow him that being God of goddes and Lorde of lords came into this world and went out of this world in all pouertie and miserie for your sake and for my sake and for euerye sinners sake to redeeme vs vnto him selfe Be not tyed any longer to woman or benifice or bishop or this or that Play the man once in your time for God his sake who haue bene stout and stroung to abide the verie cutting of your body for your owne healthes sake O it is an honour to be compted a good mau of good men rather then rich of the rich and happie of the vnhappie and a litle miserie or wante or disgrace in the world before worldlings is in deede the greatest glorie renowne before God and good men that can be wished God be thanked for it for it is his grace and nor our desert But I thinke I may saye of vs all which are here no smal number if vve should die in banishment if vve vvere driuen to begge among strangers if any miserie should befall vs yet if vve continevve catholike and in the feare of God al is our ioy our crovvne our triumphe But to say trulie vve haue all sufficientlye and my selfe vvas neuer in so good state in Ingland as here I am in all respectes And yet vve in comparison of that vvhich you might prouide are of meane state you might be as greate a man beyonde the seas as you are there and be so vvell accepted of the best as you vvould desire and it vvould be a singular ioye to all your frendes and a greate honour to your selfe besids the ioy and peace of your conscience vvhich novv either doeth much tormeÌ„t you or you are so much the vvorse if you haue no feeling therof You see vvhat might be said if a man vvere disposed to set your selfe before your ovvne eies as in a glasse but I hope you are vvise ynough to gather much of this litle I vvould to God I had novv as good oportunitye to talke vvith you face to face as I haue had heretofore I doubte not by the grace of God but I should reclayme you for I persvvade my selfe that you vvould doe vvell but the vvorld and the flesh ouercometh you and yet alas flesh and bloud shall not possesse the kingdome of heauen Thinke then of the losse of heauen nay thincke on the paines of hell vvhich shal beginne perhaps to morovv perhaps one yere hence and shal continevv for euer for euer for euer this is a long day and in more terrible torment then can be imagined in this life And yet the verie goodnes and loue and benifites of God of our Sauiour Christ should make vs to doe vvel and to please him more then the feare of hel paines Slaues and seruauntes vvill not vvorke vvithout stripes but children ought to doe vvell of verie loue and conscience Your vnlavvfull vvoman M. N. is but one thing albeit a great and horrible thing but your liuing in schisme out of the Catholike Church in all communicating vvith heretikes these are also of great importance If your good L. and master had also kept his bishopricke and folovved the vvorld his example perhaps might haue diminished your fault Novv vvhat excuse haue you after the vertuous example of such a prelate of so many like vnto him either dead in prison or yet prisoners or beyonde the seas in losse of goods and countrie and frends of so manie yong men and children vvhich contemne all the vvorld and vvorldie frends to folovv CHRIST and the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH and shal condemne such as you are that ought to be lanterns and lights to them What excuse I say haue you in this case especially hauing so manie examples of your neere frends and acquaintaÌ„ce vvhom you may remeÌ„ber namely that graue and learned priest vvhich committed that vvoman and her children to you as to a spirituall patrone not a fleshful father vvho if he vvere aliue hovv vvould you looke him in the face An other example you haue your felovve chaplen sometime novv many yeres a moste blessed prisoner Whose happie state and your ovvne miserye if you consider vvell you may iustlye feare that saying in the Ghospell Tvvo in the filde tvvo in a bed tvvo at the mill the one taken the other forsaken You may feare it I say and thereby take occasion to reclayme your selfe before that terrible day of seperating the euil from the good the reprobate from the electe chosen When to the electe it shall be saied come ye blessed you haue done this and this for me And to the reste Goe ye cursed you haue done nether this nor that And here I pray you thinke vvell vpon it and examine your selfe vvhat you haue done for Christ and for his Church in this time when Catholike men are proued as golde by the fire You haue broken your vow taken a woman liued in pleasure of the fleshe kept all liuings and perhaps increased them said or caused to be said hereticall seruice interteined blasphemous and lying preachers flattered and desired the fauour of your false bishopp you haue generallie loued the worlde in al respects more then God and that against your conscience which muste needes condemne you And are these trowye the meanes to come to heauen No no. Act. 14. Per multas tribulationes oportet intrare in regnum coâ—lorum By many tribulations vve must enter into the kingdome of God And Mat. 10. Qui me negauerit coram hominibus negabo ego eum coram patremeo But he that shall deny me before men I also vvill deny him before my father vvhich is in heauen For Gods loue M.N. thinke vpon it betimes and dispatche at once and beare with my boldnes and plainnes which is necessary for your soules health as your selfe will confesse if it may please God to send you his grace and his spirit abundantlie to make you a new man Then shall I loue you and honour you more then euer I did and all good men with me who do not maruel that you or anie man should fall whereas we are all sinners and haue all sallen one way or an other but if
his Apostles neuer to fayle but to appeere and be seene still as a citrye vpon a hill or a light in the world Mat. 28. For Christ said I vvill be vvith you vnto the ende of the vvorld And againe I vvill sende you an other Comforter the spirite of truth vvho shall remaine vvith you for euer And vnto Peter Vpon this rocke vvill I build my Church Mat. 16. and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it That is to say the deuill and all his ministers shall neuer so preuayle against this church but that it shall still appeere and professe one and the same fayth So that there shall be no time wherin this fayth and this church is not Now marke good Sisters I pray you hartely whether your Englishe church and your Englishe religion hath bene alwayes in the worlde since Christ his time I will speake vnto you as before God and as I shall answeare before him at the later day and therefore I requeste you to marke well my wordes and to consider of them A whole thowsande and fiue hundred yeres after Christ your English religion was not heard of in any parte of the world but I tolde you before that the true church must continewe for euer appeare alwaies vnlesse you thinke Christ is false of his promise When began your religion then Forsooth about fiftie veres agone by one Marten Luther in Germanie a frier who aswell for other vngodly respects as also because he would needes marie and breake his vow which he had made of chastitie began to preach against the POPE and against the CATHOLIQVE CHVRCH and because he taught great libertie as that Princes ought not to reuerence the POPE that all Preestes might mary that no man neede to fast and such like he found many disciples in Germanye and hath vnto this day carnall and fleshly men that loue their owne pleasure more then the will of God and his holy church But will you know what manner of man this was Forsooth being examined by learned men concerning his doctrine he was so prest and so angred with the force of truth that he sayd in a great rage This quarrell vvas neuer begon for Gods sake neither for his sake shall it be ended Will you know further that he wrote against the POPE for malice and not for conscience himselfe in his letter to Argentmenses fayeth I neither can deny neither vvill I that if Carolstadius or any other man could fiue yeares agone haue persvvaded me that in the Sacrament is nothing but bread and vvine he might haue deserued of me great thankes for I labored in that matter very carefully knovving righte vvell that by that meanes I might much haue hindred the Popes authoritie Marke that this man would gladly haue fouÌ„d some-what agaynst the BLESSED SACRAMENT but a long time he could not till at length the deuill had taught him to wryte agaynst the Masse De missa angulari as him selfe witnesseth in his bookes where he telleth what talke he and the deuill had together Much more could I tell you of this man but of this little you may iudge whether you may aduenture to build your faith vpoÌ„ this man who lyued within these fiftye yeares and to forsake the auncient fayth of all Christendome continewed from Christ vntill this day for it is moste certen that from this man came your new religion into England but not immediatly at the first when he began to preach for Kinge Henrye the eÌ„ight wrote a learned booke very earnestly against him The Quenes M. father wrote a learned booke a gaiust Luther for the pope Afterward he forsooke him not vpon religion or conscience but vpon displeasure which is common to be seene but long after partly when the King began to take displeasure against the POPE because he might not be maried and vnmaried as he list Partly and especially when King Edvvard being in the beginning of his raigne but a very child was oueruled by wicked couÌ„sellers to maintayne such a religion as might best agree to their carnall appetite This was the beginning of your religion the beginning I say for as for King Heury he wente nothing so farre as they are now come but whereas for his pleasure he had put awaye the Popes authority and for his profit had plucked downe Abbaies he let all other poyntes in manâ—r remayne as before and of this also repâ—nted before he died as it is knowen if not wo be vnto him that euer he was borne for there in the next world good Sisters Kings and Queenes come to their accompts as well as you and we poore folkes I could here tell you of many learned and vertuous men that were then put to death because they would not yeeld to the King in his vnlawfull doings knowing right well that it was all contrary to the lawe of God Amongst whom were these two The Bishop of Rochester the most vertuous and best learned of all the Clergie as appeareth by his books And Sir Thomas Moore Lorde Chauncel or of England a lay man who for his vertue wisdome and learning passed all temporal men that euer were in that Realme as appeareth by his learned workes written in the Englishe tongue but now not suffered to be redd because they teach the CATHOLIQVE FAYTH Some man will tel you that they were behedded for treason but beleeue him not vnlesse it be treason to obay God rather then Princes surely other treason they committed none One Marke more I will shew you to discerne the true Church The thirâ—e marke is â—nitie that in few wordes but so playne that your selfe will confesse it To know the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH this is a certayne and an vnfallible marke if it be in vnitie and concorde if it haue an agreement and consent of hartes and opinions that is to saye if it haue but one fayth and one religion Act. 4. For of the true Church it is sayd The vvhole multitude of beleeuers had one hart and one mynd Ephe. 4. And S. Paule sayth One God one fayth one baptisme And againe 1. Cor. 14. God is not a God of dissention but of peace and vnitye Looke now consider the state of your Protestants in England onely are they all of one religion Haue you not among them some Lytherans some Caluinists some Puritanes all agreeing against the POPE and ech disagreeing one from the other Do not your Lutherâ—Ì„s preach yea before the Queene not with-out great thankes for their labour that the body of Christ is really present in the Sacrament And doe not your Caeluinists preach cleane contrary that there is onely breade and wine And as for your Puritanes doe not they preach and wryte so farre contrary from the other two that they are now forbidden to preach and cast into prison and put from all liuings Yea the communion booke it selfe doth it not nowe saye cleane contrary to that which it sayed in
the later end of King Henry his time Then you were expreslye commaunded to beleeue that vnder each kind of bread and wine are conteyned the body and bloud of Christ now it is petty treason to fay so I speake not here of Dermarke of Geneua of other cities in Germanve who are all Protestants and all differing among them selues and from you I haue onely declared how great diuersitie and disagreeing their is amonge your Protestantes at home within one little Ilande which is so euident and so farre from good christianitie that it may be vnto you a very certen and suer token that the true fayth can not be amonge them which hitherto can not agree in one fayth each condemning the others opinion Thus derely beloued and my very louinge Sisters I haue geuen you certen generall Markes to learne the true Church To wryte all were infinite because all bookes are full of our religion I trust hereafter to instructe you in euery pointe as you would desire and I pray God geue you grace that you may desire it All at once woulde be to tedious In the meane time remeÌ„ber these two things VVhen your religion began and by vvhom and how it came at length into England This is the yeare of Christ a thowsand fiue hundred eyghty and three Luther began to preache with-in these fiftye yeares If he preached the truth and all before him were deceaued where was the Church of Christ in all the worlde for a thowsande and fiue hundred yeares before and how is Christ â—â—ue of his promis that sayd I vvill remayne vvith you for euer and the holy Ghost shall teach you all truth and the gates of hell shall not prcuâ—â—ile against it But for out Church that is to say the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH we can shew how it is grown and continued from the Apostles vntill this day and neuer fayled We can reccon you from time to time Councels Bishopps Doctors infinite numbers of good christians of all ages that were all of our fayth and of our Church Can your Ministers denye but that S. Chrisostome alloweth praying to Saints or that S. Ierome calleth the Bishoppe of Rome Supreme head of the vvhole Church vnder Christ or that S. Austen prayed for his mother being dead or that he honored the Reliques of S. Steuen or that S. Gregory sayd Masse or that S. Ambrose sayeth hefore the vvords of consecration it is bread and vvine but after the vvords are spoken by the preist it is the very body and bloud of Christ or that all christians in S. Austens time did vvorship the blessed Sacrament or that the second Councell of Niceâ— did many hundred yeares agoe allovve the vse of Images for the memorie and representation of Christ and his sayntes condemning Image breakers or that S. Barnerd was an Abbot and had monkes vnder him as in catholike countryes now a dayes can they deny but that all this is true and dare they deny these vertuous Fathers and Doctors of the Church to be now Saints in heauen O my good Sisters that you could vnderstand their books and their writinges that you might your selues see what they say and what wonderfull men they were endued with the spirit of God exceedingly aboue other euen good men much more then your licentious leaders I doubt not but you would suspect your new doctors and folow these you should perceaue they had the scriptures at their fingers eds they knew right well the meaning and sense thereof night and day by fasting and prayer and chast lyfe beseeching God that they might vnderstand and truly expound his word O what a difference is there betweene them and these new Preachers Sisters I appeale to your consciences whither wil you or ought you to truste in the expounding of Scripture your yong vnlearned fleshly Ministers or these auncient most skilfull and most vertuous Fathers When Christ sayed Mat. 26. Take eate this is my body Al these Fathers say and agree that it was his bodye in verye deede Your ministers tell you it was but bread and wine Mat. 16. When Christ sayed to Peter thou art Peter that is a rocke and vpon this rocke vvill I build my Church These Fathers say that Peter was made Head of the Church and after him all his successors in the See of Rome where Peter was the first Bishopp Your Ministers tell you that Peter had no more preheminaunce then the other Apostles therfore the Bishop of Rome hath no more authoritie then an other bishop hath When Christ sayed to his Apostles Receaue ye the holy ghost Io. 20. vvhat soeuer ye doo loose in earth shal be loosed in heauen and vvhat soeuer ye doe binde in earth it shal be bounde in heauen These Fathers saye that Christ gaue to his Church authoritie to remit sinne by the ministrie of the preist to all such as doe truely repent and therefore will haue the people goe to Confession Your ministers haue taken that comfortable SacrameÌ„t of penance away altogether WheÌ„ Raphael the Angel sayth in the twelfth chapter of Tobias That he did offer vp Tobias prayer to almightie God And when in the second booke of Macchabees the fifteenth chapter Onias the priest saith of Ieremie being dead This is he that prayeth much for his people and for the holie citie these fathers say that the Angells and Sainctes doo praye for vs and that we may pray to them your ministers doe not stricke to say that these books of Tobie the Macchabces are scant good scripture Many other things lyke vnto these I could reccon but I should be to loÌ„g fearing least I should werie you these fewe are sufficient to geue you to taste of such marks as may shew you the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH These and many other great reasons doe keepe all good christians within the Church These thinges make so many catholiks partly to haue suffred death partly to haue died in prison partly to continew in prison so many yeares partly to forsake their pleasant countrie their dere frends and to liue to their conscience among strangers being thought of many worldly men to be very fooles for so doing but they know right wel that the wisdome of this worlde is foolishnes before God Mat. 10 And Christ sayth He that loueth father and mother sister and brother better then me is not vvorthie of me Sisters geue me leaue to tell you some-what of my selfe not for anye bragge but the more to moue you and to geue God all the praise for his great goodnes towardes me It pleased my parentes to bring me vp in learning as you know as I was not the best so I was at al times not compted the worst among my felowes and companions some small estimation I had in Oxforde aboue my desert more afterwards wheÌ„ it pleased the Duke to make me though vnworthy Tutor to the Erle his sonne as long as his grace did prosper I liued in his howse to my conscience without
trouble when he was in the Tower other men ruled his howse I was willed to receaue the Communion or to depart if I would haue yeelded I had verye large offers which I neede not tell It pleased God to staye me so with his grace that I chose rather to forsake all then to doe agaynst my beleefe against my knowledge agaynst my conscience agaynst the law of almightie God For a time I lay secretly in England afterwards I came beyond the seas into these catholicke countries out of schisme and heresie for the which I do thāke almighty God much more then for all the estimation that I had or mighte haue had in Englande Whatsoeuer my estate is here I doe more esteeme it then all the riches of England as it now standeth And were I so mad thinke you to forsake all preferment all liuinges all estimation to liue from my good Mother from you my louinge Sisters and your husbandes from other my deere frendes and companions out of mine owne most pleasant countrie would I doe this thinke you but that my learning my conscience telleth me that to solow your religion is present danger of body and soule and to be in the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH is the onely way to saluation Fye vpon all worldy ryches when the soule is in danger nothing is so precious as the soule first seeke for the kingdome of heauen for other things as it pleaseth God O that I might vnderstand once that you were of my mind and of the catholike religion O my harte would leape for ioy to consider that althoughe we can not lyue together vpon earth yet we may hereafter meete in heauen which is vnpossible as long as we disagree in fayth S. Paule sayeth There is one God one fayth one baptisme S. Austen sayeth speaking of one Emeritus He can not be saued but in the Catholicke Church Doe you thinke it sufficient to beleeue in the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Vpō the 88 psalme Harken what S. Austē sayth VVhat doth it profit thee if thou consesse the Lord If thou bonour God If thou preach and praise him If thou acknovvledge his Sonne If thou confesse that he sitteth at the right hand of his father VVhat dooth this profit thee if thou blaspheme his Churche S. Athanasius in his creede saith VVhosoeuer vvil be saued it is necessarie that he holde the Catholicke faith vvhich faith vnlesse a man beleeue in all points and euery article vvithout doubt sayth he he shall perish euerlastingly One poynte is good Sisters that Christ gaue vs at his laste supper his owne blessed bodye and bloude to feede vpon in the remembrance of his bitter death he that saith it is not so doth he beleeue in Christ Doth he not in effecte say that Christ was not able to doe it and by that reason that he was not omnipotent For when the three Euangelists reporte it so playnly Mat. 26. Mat. 14. Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 11. S. Paule after them Take eate THIS IS MY BODY that shall be delyuered for you THIS IS MY BLOVD that shall be shed for you What maketh a man to doubt but that it is so in deede O you will say I see nothing but bread and wine If you should see his body no god a mercy if you did beleeue it But Christ sayed to Thomas Thou Thomas doest beleeue because thou hast seene 10.20 but happy are they that beleeue vvhen they see not Mat. 2. I pray you when the three wise men came from the East to worship Christ what did they see in him Forsooth a yong infant not able to helpe himselfe suckinge his mother a poore carpenters wyfe and that in an oxe stawle yet they fell downe and worshipped him as a God Is it not as easie to beleeue the body of Christ is vnder the forme of bread as that almightie God himselfe was then vnder the shape of a seely weake infante O good Sisters vnlesse you beleeue you shall neuer vnderstande beleeue once Ghrist his wordes and that he is Almightie and that he is able to doe what soeuer he sayeth and you will thinke that all is easye returne to the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH and be content to learne that which you know not of them that wil not for all the world deceaue you and you shal fynde exceeding comfort When Christ shall say at the later day as it were in this maner Was it not of my great kyndnes that I lefte vnto you mine owne body and bloud And was it not of my exceedinge goodnes and wisdome to leaue it not in the forme of flesh and bloud least your nature should abhorre it but of bread wyne which can be lothsome to no man and you make me this gaye recompence saying that it was nothing but bread wyne because you could tast nothing els in your mouth and because your new preachers tould you so whom I sente not Were not you christened in an other fayth Did not my church vvhich is my spouse and the piller of truth Apoc. 21 1. Timo. 3. alwayes teach otherwayes What haue you to saye for your selfe but that you haue most vukindly abused that BLESSED SACRAMENT and heauenly misterie and make me a lyer and deny my omnipotencie and therefore deserue eternall damnation with all such as haue deceaued you When Christ shall say this will it not be a heauye case When Cyprian Ambrose Chrisostome Austen Ierom Gregorie Bernard all the olde Fathers now Saints in heauen shall come and beare witnesse against you and say that they taught otherwise When your Bishops that are now partly deade and partly in prison for the defendinge of this cause shal condemne you because you did not folowe their good example When your owne doctors teachers shall not be able to answere for themselues will it not be a pitifull case But I hope better of you good Sisters I can not mistruste your good natures but that you will be glad to learne the truth which almighay God graunt vnto you for his deere Sonnes sake who died for vs and that I may heare some comfortable newes from you Doe but signifie vnto me that you are content if any thing be amisse to be better instructed Proue me what I can say for any thinge that trowbleth your consciences It shall be farre better newes vnto me to receaue two lines from you to such a purpose then to vnderstād that your husbands were made Lords and you Ladies He is rich that is in the Catholike Church and he is honorable that is in the fauour of God Sisters if I might doe you good to God-warde I would not sticke to aduenture this body of myne to saue your soules to come and talke with you my bodye is not more precious vnto me then your soules How you are disposed what you would haue me to doe for your sakes let me vnderstand by the next Deale wisely I pray you warily both for