The first Reason.

The first reasō why I being a Ca­tholicke 1. Perill of in­fection. in minde, may not goe to the [Page] Churches or seruice of the contrarie relygion, is, because I perswading my selfe their doctrine to be false doc­trine, and consequently venemous vnto the hearer, I may not venture my soul to be infected with the same. For as it is damnable for a man toNote the Simi [...]. to kill him selfe, and consequentlye deadly sine (without iust cause) to put his bodye in probable danger of deathe: so is it muche more offensiue to God, to put my sowle ten thowsād times of more valewe then my bo­dye, in danger to the deadly stroke of false doctrine and heresie, espetially séeing I haue no warrant of securitie or scaping, but rather I heare GodEccle. 3. crying to the contrarie. Hee that lo­ueth daunger shall perish in the same. Nether is it [...] for mée to think that I am sure inough frō being in­fected, for that I am groūded inough, I am learned suffitiently. For what yf God take his grace from the, and lett thée fall, because thou hast not folowed his counsaile whiche is, If [Page 7] thou wilt not be bitté with the snakeEccle. 3.not to slepe neighe the hedg. If thou wilt not be spotted, thē not to toucheEccle. 3.the Pitche. Wherfor S. Paul to as good a man, as lerned, as strong, as I am, gaue a general rule: to auoid and file an heretical man. The lyke pre­cepteTit. 3. hée gaue to Tymothie being a Byshope, to auoyd a certaine heriti­que2. Tim. 4. by name Alexander: & more ve­hemetly yet he coniureth as it were the Thessalonians in the name of Ie­sus2. Thes. 3.Christe, that they shoulde with­drawe them selues, from like felowes. Rom. 16. The same hée repeateath againe to y^e Romans beseching them to note and1. Tim. 2. to decline from suche mē. The reasō of this, S. Paul vttreth to Timothe.Rom. 16. Because ther speche crepeth lyke a cā ­ker and they haue subuerted the faith of certayne. Againe hée saythe to the Romans of the same men: By sweete words and gaye blessings they seduce the harts of the Innocent. And S. Pe­ter2. Pet. 2. saith of them, that they doe al­lure vnto them vnconstant sowlles. [Page] Héere nowe I sée the scripture care­fully counsailing, and commaunding me to auoyd the cōpany, and speache of false teachers: it putteth downe al­so the perill, if I doe it not, which is as [...] as the [...] of my soul. And on the cōtrarie side, I haue noe war­rant of [...], nor example of good men to [...] the same. For I doe reade this wryten of farr my bet­ters. The Apostles and their schol­lers were so warye and circumspect inNiceph. li. 3. cap. 30.this case (in [...]) that they would not so mnch as once rea­son the matter with any of them, who endeuored by their lyinges or newe deuices, to corrupte the truthe. Fur­thermor I am sure, I can neuer take good by hearing them, but I am in [...] possibilitie to take euill, as ma­nye more learned men then I, in ould time haue done. As Dionisius Alex­andrinus, confesseth of him selfe: andEuseb. his. ec. 67. cap. 6. of Origen & [...] it is knowen: & many men in England can be wit­nesies, which bothe to them selues [Page 8] and also to other mē, séemed (the time was) so firme and grounded in religi­on, as nothing could moue thē: & yet nowe they haue proued otherwise. Wherfore it cānot be but great sinin [...] (notwithstanding all this) if I shall put my sowle in suche daunger, by aduenturing to their companie, to their seruice, to their sermōs, to rea­ding their bookes, or the like, wherby in any wise I may be corupted. The which aduenture, what a sin it was counted in the primatiue Church, it may apere by the seuer lawes, made both by the clergie and temporaltie forthe prohibiting, and punishing ofVide Gre. li. 5. ep. 64. the same in that time, as is to be se­ne in the councels and fathers and in the decrées of the good christianSozo. li. 2. cap. 31. & li. 1. cap. 20 Emperors Martian and Iustinian, and espetialy of the noble and zelous first christian Emperor, Constātine, which made it deathe, after the con­demnation of Arius by the general councel of Nyce, for any mā more to read his books & therby to aduenture [Page] to be poisoned with his heresies: And reason, For if Dauid had not ventu­red2. Reg. 11. to behould [...], he had not bene entrapped [...] loue, and so had not cōmitted [...] horrible sinsGen. 3. that ensewed. [...] if Dame [...] had not presumed to heare the Ser­pent talk, she had not beue beguiled, and if when Luther first began to teache new doctrine, the Catholicks, at that time had not vouchsafed to geue him the hearing, but had auoy­ded his prechings and preuy conuen­ticles, there had not bene now in the world, either Lutheran, Swinglian, Caluenist, Puritā, Anabaptist, Tri­netarie, Famelie of loue, Adamite, or the like: whereof now there are so many thowsands abrode, all sprin­ging of that first secte, and troubling at this daye the whole worlde, with the eternall damnation of infinite soules, the which soules at the day of iudgement shallbe scuselesse, and re­ceaue that heauie sentence of euer­lastinge fier, for that they had not a­uoyded [Page 9] the danger of infection.

The Second Reason.

THE second reason why a Ca­tholicke2. Scandale, cānot yeld to goe to Church, is, because he cannot goe withoutLeu. 4. Nu. 31. 2. Reg. 12. 1. Esd. 8. scandale, which is a sinn more men­tioned, more forwarned, [...] for­bidden, more detested, more [...] Prou. 18. in the Scripture, then any sinn els2. Mach 6. Math. [...] & 18. Mar. 9. mentioned in the same, except it be Idolatrie. But in the new testamēt nothing somuch exaggerated, or w^t Luc. 17. suche vehement spéeches prohibyted:Rom. 14. 15. Christ signifying, that the most part1. Cor. 8. & 10. 2. Cor. 6. of the world to be damned, were to be damned for this sin, when he cry­eth1. Thes. 5. out with that cōpassionable voice of his, saying. Woe be to the worldMath. 18.by reason of scandals. Wherfore pro­nouncing as pityful a sētence, vpon y^e author of thes scādals he saith. Wo beIbid.tothat man by whom come these scā ­dales. And deuysing w^t himselfe (as it were) how to expresse vnto our ca­pacities, [Page] the intollerable greatnes of this mans torment in hell, for scan­dalizing of other men: he vttereth it in this sort. It were better for [...]Mar. 9.man that a milstone were hanged a­bout his necke, and that he were [...] cast into the sea. Which saying so ter­rified S. Paul that rather then he wonld scandalize any man in eating1. Corin. 8. a péece of meat (a thing of it self law­ful as he sayeth) he protested that he would neuer eate flesh in his lyfe.

Now this heynous sinne of scan­daleThree pointes wherein scan­dale is com­mitted. consisteth properlye in thes thrée poynts. First to induce an other man by any meanes to sinne: whether it be by lyfe, or doctrine: and this was the scandale of the Preistes in the ould law, by their noughty lyfe, allu­ring the people to commit the same sinnes. This was the scandale of theLeu. 4. doughters of Moabe, who by their speaches and examples brought theNu. 25. & 31. Israelites to sacrifice with them to Idoles. Whereof also (as of the like to them) Christ spoke agaynst with [Page 10] great disdayne in the Apocalipse, say­ing.Apoc. 2. Thou hast their certayne which hould the doctrine of Balaam, whoe taught Balaac how to geue a scādale. (that is, an occation) for the children of Israel to sinne. I wil fight against those men with the sworde of my mouth. And in this poynt is the pro­perThe proper signification of scandalum. signification of (Scandalum) sene, which importeth as much, as a stum­bling block, whereby a man maketh an other to fal, especiallye the fal of deadlye sinne: whereby a man brea­keth the neck of his soul. As if a man should induce an other by his exam­ple, or otherwise, to commit adulte­rye, to take an oth against his consci­ence, or the lyke: and as Ieroboam did by his exāple, make the ten tribes forsake the vnitye of the Church of Ierusalem, which sinne of his, is soe much noted in the scripture, with this tytle of scandale, (For that he made Israel to finne,) as nothinge3. Reg. 12. more. And in reuēge of the same, God fortold him by Amos y^e Prophet, y^t heAmos. 7. [Page] would destroy his whole howse, and [...] afterwards performed the same, as it3. Reg. 25. apereth in the third booke [...]. And this first poynt of [...], which is to induce other [...] to sinne, is so large & reacheth so farre, (because it may be done, by life, example, words, works, [...], permssion, and the lyke,) as men had néed to looke better about them then they doe. It were to long to geue examples in al: one ont of the ancient D. & martyr of Christ S. Cyprian shal serue for al: for by that, the rest may be gessed. He tal­keth of parents, which ether by their euil examples had drawen their chil­dren to herisic or schisme, or at the least wise had not sufficiētly instruc­them, of the trew church, and of the Sacraments & trew seruice of God in the same. Whervpon thes childrē,An example for schisma­tiquesin Eng­land to note. being damned, shal most pitefullye bewayl ther misery (sayth S. Cipri­an) and the creweltie of their parēts at the day of iudgment, saying thus. We haue done nothing of our selues, [Page 11] nether forsaking the meate and theCiprian. de lapsis.cupp of our lord (the blessed Sacra­ment) haue we of our owne ac­cord hastned to profane contagions (of schisme or heresie.) The perfidy­ousnes or infidelytie of other mē hath vndone vs, we haue felt our own pa­rents to be murderers vnto vs. They haue denyed vnto vs the Church, which is our mother, and God which is our father, and we being yong and not foreseing the daunger of so hey­nous an offence, were content to ioyne our selues with others in the societie or participatiō of the crime, and soe by other mens fraud we were deceyued. This y^t S. Cipryan affir­meth of children, in respect of their parents, we may apply to wyues, brethern, sisters, kinsefolks, acquain­tance, schollers, seruants, subiects, tenants, or the lyke: in respect of any whose words, lyfe, or example, hath, or shal doe them hurt, by geuing thē a scandale, that is, by inducing them to sinne.

[Page]The second poynt of scandale is,The Second poynt of Scan dale. not only if I doe induce an other man to sinne by doing or saying nought my selfe, but further, if I do offend an o­ther mans conscience, in a thing of it self lawful: that is, if I doe make an other man thinke that I do an vnlaw­ful thing, albeit ether I doe it not, or y^t the thing be lawful in it self, yet I cō ­mit scādale. As for example, if a preist should haunt dishonest or suspected howses, albeit he ment neuer soe ho­nestly. And this is, that great scandalRom. 14. 15. wherabout S. Paule maketh so much1. Cor. 8. 10. ado, as cōcerning the eating of meats offered to Idols: the which, albeit it be lawful in it selfe (as S. Paul dis­scourseth) to him that hath knowledge, and therby can iudg that no meat of his owne nature is vnclene before God: and that an Idole is nothing: and consequently, that such meates offered to Idols are nothing spotted or made vnlawful therby. Yet to eate it in suche place or presence as the lookers on, beinge weake and simple, may thinke that thou art an [Page 12] idolater, because thou eatest the flesh offered vp to the idoles: or that they by thine example be edesied or indu­ced to eate the same meates with an euil conscience: this is damnable, sayeth S. Paule, and a most horrible1. Cor. 8. sinne against Christ him selfe, & suche a sinne as S. Paul him selfe sayeth, that he would neuer eate flesh while he lyued, rather then by eating, soe to scandalise any man. Uppon the which discours of S. Paul, the learned fa­ther S. Austen, sayethethus. By this,Aug. ep. 154it is euident, that we are not only for­bidden, to vse any thing in the honor of strāge gods (as the eating of meates offered to them might seme to be) but also to doe anything wherby we may be thought to honour thē, doing it in suche sort, as that although in hart we despise them, yet we edefie or induce thos that knowe not our hartes, in deede, to honour the same. This was also the scandale that the worthy ould Eleazarus in the booke of machabies2. Mach. 6. so much detested & resisted, y^t he chose rather to dye most cruelly, then to cō ­mittit [Page] For whereas the Tyrant did com maund him to eate of the sacrifized meates, and he refused the same, the vnder officers of the Tyrant being moued with vniust compassion (as the scripture tearmeth it) offered him secretly other flesh not offered to I­doles, and of the which he was not forbidden by his law to eate: mea­ningA notable ex­āple of a plain and vndissem bling Consci ence. thereby to deliuer him, and to geue out that he had now satisfied the Prince his comāundement. But the good old man considering what other men might thincke of it, and what Scandale there might ensew of it,2. Mach. 6. answered thus, as the Scripture say­eth: That he would first be sente downe vnto hel, before he would doe it: for (saieth he) yt is not conuenient for our age to fayne, whereby per­chance many yong men, thinking that Eliazarus, now of nintie yeares ould hath past ouer to the lyfe of the Gen­tiles, may through my dissimulation be deceaued. This therefore is the se­cond point of scandale which S. Paul [Page 13] forbiddeth when he sayeth. Keepe your selfe from al shew of euil.

The third point of scandale is, inThe thirde poynt of Scan dale. respect of the enemy, that is, when al­though I doe not induce any man to siune or offend any mans conscience, yet I doe disedefie the enemy, and doe that thing whereby the enemye is scandalized and taketh an occasion to blaspheme God his trueth, his cause, his law, or the lyke. Whereof S. Paul speaketh to the Corinthians1. Cor. 10. Be you without offence or scandale to the Iewes and also to the Gentiles. And2. Cor. 6. in an other place. Geauing offence or scandale to no man, to the end that our function or ministerie be not blamed thereby. And this is that great scan­dale that Dauid being a King and a Prophet, gaue to Gods enemies by his fal, and for the which he was sore2. Reg. 12. punished, as it appereth by the words of the Scripture, which are thes. And Dauid sayd to Nathan the Prophet: I haue sinned against my Lord: and Nathan sayed to Dauid, God hath ta­ken [Page] away thy sinne: but yet because thou hast made the enemies of God to blaspheme: for this cause, the sōne which is borne to the, shal dye the death. This also is the scandale that Esdras comming out of Persia, to­wardes Ierusalem with his countri­men the Iewes, was affeard to geue to the king of Persia, by causing him to think basely of God, as not able to helpe and defend his seruants, if he should haue asked him ayde to con­ducte himselfe and his companie to1. Esd. 8. Ierusalem: for soe he sayth. I was a­shamed to aske of the King ayde and horsemen to defende vs from our enemies in the waye: because we had said to the King before, that the hand or defēce of our God is ouer al them that seke him in honestie, and that his empire, and strength, and furye, is vppon all them that forsake hym. Finallye, of this scandale ment S. Paule and S. Peter also when theyRom. 2. sayd, that the word of God was blas­phemed1. Timo. 6. or spoken euil of by the ad­uersarie2. Pet. 2. [Page 14] part, for the euil lyfe of cer­tayneA Catholique by goeing to church falleth into al the three poyntes of Scandale. noughtie Christians. Nowe, that a Catholicke going to the Chur­ches, seruice, or prayers of them of the contrary relygion, cannot but cō ­mit this great sinne of scandale in the highest degre, that is, in al these thrée poyntes before rehersed, it is euident to al the world. For tou­ching the first poynt: if he be a man of any calling, his example shal induce some other, as wyfe, children, fren­des, seruantes, or the lyke, to doe the same. And howsoeuer he scape him selfe, they maye be infected and so damned, and theyr bloode layd vppon his soule: but muche more if he should exhorte or constrayne anye man to doe the same: as commonlye manye Sysmatyques doe vse. And touchiing the se­conde poynte, he cannot but of­fende manye mens Conscyences: for they that doe knowe hym in­wardelye to be a Catholyque, will thynke hym to sinne against [Page] against his owne conscience, and per­happs be induced to doe the lyke. And they who know him not, must néedes presume him to goe of conscience, and as a fauorer of that religion, and soe be brought to lyke the better of that religion, and the worse of the Catho­licke,Marke this poynte. by his example. And as concer­ning the third and last poynt, their is no enemye of the Catholicke religion in the world, whether he be Gentile, Turke, Iew, or hereticke, but that he must both thincke, and speake the worse of the sayd religion, séeing the professors of the same, are content for worldly pollycie to dissemble it, and leauing their own Churches, to pre­sent them selues to the Churches of their open and professed enemies.

To conclude, in this matter ofAn important admonition. scandale: men must not flatter and deceaue them selues, thincking that they walk in a net and are not séene, when they geue scandale to all the world, which fixeth his eyes vppon them, if not for their owne cause, [Page 15] yet for the religions sake. God is notGala. 6.to be mocked. The godly and learned Father S. Ambrose did accuse Ua­lentinianAmbros. epist. 30. the Emperour for geuing a publyke scandale to the world, be­cause he did but permit certayne aul­ters to the Gentiles: saying, that men would thincke that he preuilye fa­uored them. And his scholler S. Au­gustine thincketh it a scandale, if a man should heare a Donatist butAug. Li. de pasto. ca. 7. speake, and he to hould his peace: for that the hearer might thinke that if this were euil which the Donatist sayeth, the other would reproue him. But if S. Ambrose had sene the Em­perour to haue gone to the Panims Temples, or S. Augustine the other to frequent the Donatistes Chur­ches, what then would they haue sayed? What excuse then would they haue receaued? and this is our very case.

The Third Reason.

[Page] The Thyrd reason why a Catholicke may not come to Church, is, for that goynge or not goeyng to the Church,3. A signe di­stinctiue be­twixt religi­on & religion is made a signe now in England di­stinctiue, betwixt religion, and religi­on, that is, betwyxt a Catholicke, and a Schismatyke. So that a Catholicke by going thether, doth directlye denye his religion. For the better vnder­standing whereof, we must note that the professor of any religion may be knowen by thrée wayes: firste, by3. waies of pro fessing a mans religion. wordes: professing him selfe to be of that religion: secondly, by workes, or déedes proper to that religion: thyrd­ly, by some signe or marke appointed to signifie that religion. As for exam­ple, In Italy a Iew may be knowen, First, by his wordes, if he would pro­fesse him selfe to be of that religion. Secondlye, by workes proper to Iu­daysme, as by keaping the Saterday holye daye, by circumcysinge his children, and the like. Thirdly, by a notorious signe appointed to distin­guishe that religion from al others, [Page 16] which is, to weare on his head a yea­low capp. Nowe, as these thrée are wayes to professe this religion, soe if a [...] of an other religion, (for ex­ample) a Christian, should yeald to vse any of these thinges, he should sinne greauouslye, and in effect deny his fayth. And as for the first, if he should professe him selfe to be a Iew, it is euident that he denyeth thereby his christianitye. And as for the other two wayes, it cannot be denyed: for the circumcysinge of thy children, and the wearinge of a yeallow cappe, doth as playnely in that countrey tel men that thou art a Iew, as if thou didest proclaime it at the market: e­uen as the bush at the tauerne doore,Marke this ex ample. doth tel the goeers by, that there is wyne to be sould within.

But now, that the goeinge to Church is in the realme of England a playne and an apparaunt signe of a Schysmatyque, that is to saye, [Page] of a conformable man (as they call him) to the protesrants proccdings: it is manyfestly to be [...]. First,Why goeing to the Church is a denying of the Catho­lick religion. by the commandement to goe to Church euery holyday, to here ser­uice, and by the [...] of the same commaundement. For (that it is the commaunders meaning, by that acte, as by a proper signe, to haue men shew themselues cōformable to that relygion): it cannot be denyed. For otherwise, to what ende are they commaunded vppon such dayes, and at such a certayn tyme, and for suche a purpose to goe thither. Agayn, it is proued by the exaction of this lawe: For when a Catholick doth come be­fore the Commissioners, ther is no­thing asked of him, but when he was at Church, and if he wil promise to goe to Church, commonly they ac­count him a sufficient conformable man, (y^t is to haue yelded sufficiētly vnto them.) Furthermore, the multi­tude of thē, which haue of long tyme abydden imprisonment, and nowe in [Page 17] greter nūber doe for this only thing, in the sight and knowledge, not only of Ingland, but also of al Christen­dome, and of the enemies of the same in the world besids, doth make this abstayninge from Churche to be a proper and peculier signe [...] a true Catholque, nowe, if it were not be­fore: and the yealding in the same, (especially if a man be called to pub­lique tryal about it) to be a flat andMarke this Reason. euident denyinge of God, and of his faith. For what doth make a thing to be a proper and peculier signe, but the iudgment and opinion of men? The bush of the tauerne, is a signe of wyne, because men commonly take it soe. In lyke mannèr the yelow bo­net of a Iew: the yelow torbant, of a Turke: and the lyke. Euen soe, seing the whole world, at this day, doth take the absteyning from protestātes Churches, to be the only external signe of a trew Catholike: and seing the protestātes them selues doe make it soe: also, seing that the going to [Page] Church is the contrarye signe, it fo­loweth, that if going to Church were of it selfe before lawful, it were now made by this, a peculier signe distin­ctiue betwixt religion and religion, and soe, vtterly vnlawful.

I wil put an example of the Pri­matiue Church, wherin the wearing of a garland was lawful for al soul­diers, vntil the Emperours, and the common opinion of men, had abryd­ged it onelye to infidel souldiers, to distinguish them thereby, in honour, from Christian souldiers. Aud then, after that (as Tertullian prouethe)Tert. lib. de Cor. mili. it was noe longer lawful for Christi­an souldiers to weare them, for that the wearing thereof, was a denyal ofAn example to y^e purpose. the Christian faith. Wherevpon, we reade that a certayne Christian soul­dier offered him selfe rather to suffer death, then to weare one of them: as appeareth in the same booke of Ter­tullian. Bnt now, much more is the thing vnlawfnl in our case. For that the going to the Protestants Chur­ches [Page 18] (which a Catholicke must pre­sume to be heretical) was neuer a thing of it self lawful, (as I wil here­after proue) which the wearing of a garland was: and therfore much lesse now to be tollerated, séeing besides this, it is also made a signe distinctiue as I haue alredye proued.

The Fourth Reason.

THE fourthe cause, whye a Catho­lique4. Schisme. maye not goe to the Church is, because it is Schisme, and breaking of the vnitie of the Catholick church: The which, howe perillous andVide Aug. tom. de Fi. & simb. ca. 10. dreadefull a thinge it is, all Catho­lickes doe sufficientlye knowe. For as they firmelye beléeue, that to oppugne the visible knowen Church of Christe (as all [...] con­tynuallye doe) is a very wicked and damnable sinne: Euen soe in lyke maner they beléeue, that to breake the Unitiye of the same Church, and to make anye rent or disunion in the [Page] same (which is the proper fault of Schismatykes,) is also damnable. For the which cause, S. Paul doth so diligently request the Corinthians to1. Cor. 1. auoyd Schismes, saying. I beseeche you brethrē by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ, that you al say one thing and that ther be no schismes amongst you: And to the [...], Be youEphes. 4.careful to kepe vnitie of spirite in the bonde of peace. The which Unitie, Christ him selfe expresseth more par­ticulerly, and more distinctly, when he [...] of his Father, That his Christians might be one, as he and hisIoan. 17.father were one: that is to say, that as he, and his father, did agrée in al their actions: and what soeuer the one did, the other also did: So in his Church there should be one only forme of be­léefe,Ephes. 2. 4. one forme of seruice, one forme of Sacramētes, and the lyke: euen as ther is (according to Paul) one Bap­tisme,1. Cor. 10. 12 on bread, on faith, one Church,1. Timo. 2. one Christ, one Lord, one body, one Heauen, on hope of reward, the brea­king [Page 19] of which vnitie of the Church of God, hath bene alwayes accompted a most greauous, and damnable of­fence. For, as Ireneus a most Aun­cyent,Irene. li. 4. cap. 43. and godly father sayeth. They which cut, and disseuer the Vnitye of the Church, shal haue the same pun­nishment that Ieroboam had. This punishment, we know to haue bene the vtter distruction and extirpation3. Reg. 4. of him and al his name. But other Fathers, doe eraggerrate this sinne farther: For S. Augustine in his booke which he made of the Unitye of the Church, sayeth thus. Who soe­euerAugust. de Vnit. Eccle. cap. 4.doe agree, to al the holy Scrip­tures towching the head of the church (which is Christ) and yet doe not communicate with the Vnitye of the Church, they are not in the Church. And a little after, he expouudetheHow gre­vous the sinne of scisme is. what he meaneth by communicating with the Unitye of the Church, which is. That theyr communion be with the whole bodye of Christ his Church, dispersed ouer the whole [Page] world, and not with any one part se­perate, or els it is manifest, that they are not (saithe he) in the Catholique Churche.

Now, S. Cyprian in his bookeCvp. de. sim pli. Prel. of the Simplicytie of prelates, or vnytie of the Churche, goeth fur­ther, for he proueth that if a man dyd lyue neuer soe vertuously other­wyse, naye, if he shoulde geue his lyfe and shedd his bloode, for Christe: yet if he were out of the vnytie of the Churche, he coulde not be sa­ued: for that as he saythe. This spot or sinne (the breakinge of the vny­tie of the Churche) can not be wa­shed awaye with any bloode. The whiche sayinge of S. Cyprian, the learned father S. Chrisostome af­ter Cypryans deathe, doethe repete and confiirme. Addinge these word­des.Chris. ho. 11 in epist. ad Ephes.

There is nothinge doeth soe pro­uocke God as the diuision of the Churche. And albeit we should doe innumerable good deedes, yet not­withstandynge [Page 20] we shall be punished as greuouslye as they were whiche did rende Christe his owne fleshe and bodye, if wee disseuer in pee­ces the full integrytie and vnytie of the Churche. And finallye hee concludeth thus. I doe heere, saye, and proteste, that it is no lesse sinneSee more of the greatnes of this sinne. to cutt and breake the vnytie of the Churche, then it is to fall into heresie. And thus muche I thought good toAug. ep. 50. 152. Ser. 181 de. Tem. in. psal. 88. saye, (leuing infinyte other thinges that myghte be sayde,) touching the greeuousnes of this sinne of schisme, wherby manye of oure bad Catho­liquesFulg. li. de. Fi. ca. 37. 38. 39. Greg. lib 14. Mor. in Ingland, may sée in some parte, the miserable daungerous case wherin they stande, by sléeping soe careles as they doe, in this sinne.

But nowe that this acte of go­inge to the protestantes Churches and prayers, is a schismatycall acte, and suche a one, as deuydeth fromThat goinge to churche is schisme. the vnytie of the Churche: it is easye to be proued for that schisme is, accordinge to Saynnte Augus­tine [Page] to S. Austen, A seperation of themLib. 2. cont. Cresco. ca. 3that thinke the same thing. That is, a different kinde of seruice of God inThe defini tion of Scisme those men that doe not differ in opi­nion in relygion. The which thing, he expresseth more plainly in an otherAug. q. 11. in. Mat. place, putting the difference betwixt hereticks and [...], saying. Schismatiques are made, not by diffe­renceThe differ­rence betwixt an heretique and a Schisma tique.in faythe, or belefe, but by the breaking of the societie, or vnytie of Communion. Now, the Communi­on or vnytie of the Churche, consis­teth in these three thinges: to wit,Vnitie of the Churche stan­d eth in three thinges especi allye. that al Christians haue one sacrifice: one and the selfe same [...]: also one and the selfe same seruice of of God. But they whch goe to the protestants Churches, haue no sacri­fice at al: nether haue they any more then two of seuen sacramentes: and those two also so mangled, that of the two, scarse one is a sacrament, as they vse them. And as for their ser­uice, it hath no parte of the Catho­lique seruice, as I wil shewe heraf­ter [Page 21] He therfore, that goeth to this ser­uice, and willingly seperateth him selfe from the Catholique seruice and Communion, breketh the vnitie of Communion of the Churche, and consequentlye, committeth schisme.

But some man perhapes willAn obiection of could Ca­tholikes, with the answer. saye, I doe it not willinglye, but I goe to Churche by constraynte of the publyque lawes of my Realme? I aunswere, that here is some kinde of constraynte externall, bnt not so­mucheArist. lib. 3. Ethico. as maye take awaye the ly­bertie of thy will, whiche is inter­nall, as the Philosopher wislye dis­scourceth. For, this constraynte, is but conditionall: That is, ether to doe that whiche is commaunded: (for example, to goe to the Churche) or else, to abyde this or that punish­ment that the lawe appoynteth. The whiche penaltye, if thou wilt suffer, thy will is frée, to doe what thou wilte. Nether can any mortall po­wer constrayne it further. Soe that, [Page] suche an action as I haue talked ofActions extorted bye feare are simply fre actions, & onlye violent in part. (for example, going to the Churche for the auoyding of temporall losse,) is called bothe by the Philosophers and Deuins. Inuoluntaria secundum quid, simpliciter autem voluntaria. That is: in parte or in some respecte, vnuoluntarie. But absolutely, and simplye it is to be accounted volun­tarye. And therfore, they are to be estemed good or badd, punyshable or rewardeable, euen as other frée actions are: for otherwyse, no sinne shoulde be punisheable. Séeinge euery noughtie action commonlye hath some kynde of compulsion in it, but yet it maye not be excusedMark thes absurdities. thereby. As for example the mur­therer maye saye that he dyd it not willyngely, for that he was com­pelled therunto by rage of anger. And the lecherer maye saye, hys fleshe compelled hym to sinne: and to take fitter example for oure pourpose: all those that denyed Chryste in tyme of persecution for [Page 22] feare of tormentes, myghte by youre obiection, saye that they dyd it not willynglye but by compul­sion of tormentes, and therfore were not to be damned for it. But yet Chryste sayde, that he would take it as done voluntarylye, and therfore damne them for it, by denyinge them openlye before his Father, and hys Angels, at theMat. 10. daye of iudgemente. And yet toLuc. 12. geue an other example néerer to oure matter: Saynte John sayeth of the noble men and gentilemenIo. 12. of Jurye in hys tyme. Manye of the princypall men dyd beleue in Chryste, but they did not confesse hym outwardlye for feare of the Pharises leste they shoulde be caste out of the Synagoge, for they dyd loue more the glorye of men then the glorye of God.

Here we sée the acte of these noble men and Gentyle men: also the com­pulsion to the acte, the cause of their compulsiō & lastly S. Johns iudgmēt upon y^e acte. [Page] The acte, whereof they are accused is onely houlding their peace, and not confessing Christ opēly, according as they did inwardlye beléeue of him: The cause or excuse that they had to laye for them selues, was, the feare of the Pharises or Magistrats which compelled them against their wil soe to doe. Now, what punishment they feared at the Pharisies handes S. John expresseth, saying, that it was. Lest they should be cast out of their Synagoge. The which punishmentWhat a great matter it is a­mongst the Ie wes to be cast owt of the Si­nagogue. was then, and is now at this day, amongest the Jewes, the greatest punishmēt, besides death, that can be deuised. For he looseth thereby al offi­ces, dignities, and credit whatsoeuer: noe man may buye or sel with him: noe man may visite him, or talke with him, or salute him in the streates. Finally, it is a death vpon earth (a great and sufficient excuse a man would thincke) to answer for a mans silence onely. For I sée manye a one in England, not onelye to con­ceale [Page 23] their owne consciences, but also to speake against the same for a lesse cause. But what is Saynt Johns iudgement vpon the matter? for sooth he accepteth not the excuse, but con­demneth them in a damnable mortalA seuere iudg ment geeuen by S. Ihon a­gainst dissem­blers for the time, sinne against the first commaunde­ment, for doinge the same, saying. That by this silence of thers they did put the glorye of God behynd the glo­rye of men, and thereby shewed that they loued men, better then God, Noe doubt but to their euerlastinge damnation, except they hartelye re­pented them. The which I would haue those vnwise & fond noble men and gentle men in England to consi­der, which perswade both them selues and other men that in these trouble­some tymes, a man maye without offence kéepe his conscience to him selfe: but especiallye those that doe not onelye hould their peace, but also doe against their conscience, what so­euer is commaunded them, sayinge, that al which is done amisse shal not [Page] be layed vppon them, at the daye of iudgement, but vpon the Prince andA bad shift of dissemblers. the Magistrats, which compel them to doe the same against their owne willes. But what compulsion this is, and how furre it shal excuse their doings, I haue now declared. Wher­fore hereafer let noe man saye, that he goeth to Church against his wil, thincking thereby to excuse him selfe from schisme.

Besides this, to proue it schisme, yea, and that obstinate and rebelli­ous schisme, it were sufficient to knowe that the meaninge, wil, and commaundement, of the general and vniuersal Catholicke Church at this day, is, that Catholicke men should not present them selues to Protest­antes Churches, or conuenticles, sée­ing they are denounced open ene­myes to the foresayde Church, and their religion hath bene as orderlye condemned in the last general Coun­cel of Trent, As the doctrine of Ar­rius was, in the first general Conu­cel [Page 24] of Nice. And albeit the Councel of Trent made noe particuler decrée of this matter, yet is their noe cause, whye any man should take any hould thereat: séeing the reason there of wasCan. Apost 63. 44. 45. apud Eus. li. 7. caq. 9. because such a decrée was néedles: for the Church hauing alredye condem­ned from the beginninge al prayinge with Heretykes, or reparing to their conuenticles: it was sufficient for the councel onely to condemne the Pro­testantes for such men, without anyewhat the Coū cel of Trent determined a­bout goinge to churche. further particuler prohibitinge of o­thers to come to their Churches, and seruice, séeing their conuenticles be­ing once pronounced to be heretical, the other was to be presupposed. And this is the true meaning of the con­cel, what soeuer others saye, to sha­dowe their imperfections.

Howbeit, some doubt beinge at that tyme, moued by certaine of the Nobilitye of England: whether they might not lawfully without offence [Page] to Church to doe some méere tempo­rall acte (as, to beare the sword be­fore her Maiestie or the lyke): it was debated by. xii. learned men there, at the Councels appoyntment, and de­termination then genen, that onlye for suche a cause, they myght goe to Churche. As for example, if her Maiestie should appoynt certayne Catholyckes, to meete at Poules, to intreate of matters of the state, and that at suche tyme as seruice were sayde there: and this was Na­aman4. Reg. 5. Syrus his case, flat: who was permitted, (as most men take it,) for a tyme, to goe with his Kinge and hould hym vp vppon his shoulder, when he went to the temples of the Idoles. Now, that there hath beneThe case of Naaman Si­ms. a general custome, rule, and Canon of the Churche, prohibiting to goe to the Churches and conuenticles of heretiques, it is playne, by the testi­monie of al antiquitie. The ApostlesCan. Apost 63. them selues in their thréescore and thirde Canon, saye thus. If anye [Page 25] man ether of the clergie, or laitye,The olde Ca non forbidd­ing the going to hereticall Churches.doe goe into the Synagogue of the Iewes or into conuenticles of here­tiques to praye, let him be deposed, and excomunicated. This Canon of the Churche, was exactly after­wardes kepte, and is mentioned very often, by the Fathers and coun­cels, by occasion of the lyke matter. As for example, when Origen was by a certayne necessitie, compelledThe example of Origen. to dwel in house together with one Paule, an heretique, to whome there resorted often, not onely he­retiques, but some simple Catholy­ques also for the fame of his exce­lente eloquence: yet they writ of Orygen. That he coulde neuer be induced, by any meanes to be present at prayers where Paule was. And theEuseb. li. 6. hist. ca. 3. reason is put downe by them to be this. For that Orygen euen from hisNicep. li. 5. capit. 4.youthe had kept and obserued moste dilygentlye the Canon of the Church. Here we sée, what accounte was made in those dayes, of this Ca­non [Page] of the Churche.

Furthermore S. [...] Alexandrinus a lerned Father, tal­kingeThe exam­ple of Hera­clas. of one Heraclas Byshope of Alexandria, and scholer of the afore­sayde Drigen, and shewinge howe the sayde Drigen, had excomuni­cated and [...] out of the Churche cer­tayne Christyans, for that they were accused to haue vsed muche the com­panieEuseb. li. 6. capit. 12. & Li. 7. cap. 6. of a certayne heretique: he ad­deth this sayinge. This Canon, and this example, haue I receyued of our holy father Heraclas. The lyke ob­seruation of this Canon is noted in Athanasius: whos comminge to An­tioche, fled the common and publiqueSozo. li. 3. capit. 9. Churches which were vsurped then, by one Leontius, an Arian Bishope, and his clergye: and séeking out the Catholiques that were in the Cytie,The example of Athanasius which then by contempte were called Eustathians, because thei helde of the Communion of their Catholique de­posed Bishope, named Eustathius, (as Catholiques nowe in Inglande [Page 26] are contemptiously called Papistes, for houlding of the Communion of y^e Bishope of Rome,) and finding them out did secretly communicate with them, as sayth the historie. Conuen­tu in aedibus priuatis peracto. That is. making their assembly or Churche, in their pryuate howses. Howe lyke is this case, to oure state now adayesTheo. li. 1. capit. 14. in Ingland? The lyke respecte to this Canon of the Churche, had Alexander Byshop of Constantinople, who wi­shed rather to dye, then to remayne in the Churche, when Arius the he­retyque, shoulde come in to the same. To this Canon had also respecte, theThe example of the People of Alexandria people of Alexandria, soe muche com­mēded by Athanasius him selfe, who woulde rather praye together byTheo. li. 2. capit. 14. them selues in the Churche yarde without couer, then enter into the Churche to praye, where George theOf the People of Samosa­tum. Aryan Byshope was. The lyke consideration had alsoe the people of Samosatum, whoe after the depryuation of theyr vertuous and [Page] Catholique Byshope Eusebius, and the thrusting into his place by the Arians of an heretical Byshop called Eunomius: they would no more, come at the Church: of whome The­odorete writeth thus. None of the inhabitantes there, poore or riche, ser­uantTheo. li. 4. capit. 14.or artificer, husbandman or graf­ter, man or woman, yong or oulde, would come to the Church, but the Byshop was ther alone, for no man would ether come to his sight, or talk with him, albeit he was reported to haue vsed him selfe, very modestlye, and quietly amongest them. Naye yet further then this, the people of Rome hauing their true CatholiqueThe example of the People of Rome. Byshope deposed by the Aryans, and an other [...] Felyx, thruste vppon them, [...] an heretiqne, but a schismatique, (for the historie saieth, that he was sound in fayth and helde soundly the relygion set downe in the Councell of Nyce,) yet because he was a schismatique, and was content to take holy orders of the A­rian [Page 27] Byshopes, and to cōmunicateTheo. li. 2. capit. 17. with them: the whole people (as I sayde) did [...] him, and as the historie sayeth. None of the inhabytants of Rome, would enter into the Church, soe longe, as he was within. Thus we sée, the scrupulositie of christyan Ca­tholiques in those dayes, and that, (as they thought) vppon good cause, for the auoydinge of schisme. If anye man can shelve me a warrant since that tyme, for the enlarginge of oure consciences nowe a dayes, I woulde gladlye sée it.

Yow haue hearde in the begyn­ningeThe conclu­sion of this Reason. of this reason, the opinyons of our fore fathers, in the primatiue Churche., what a great and hey­nous sinne it is, to breake the v­nytie of the Churche, or to dyso­beye the same. Agayne, it is cer­tayne, that the Churche telleth vs, (if the voyces of all the Byshopes and learned men in Christendome and of the supreme Pastour too, be the voyce of the Churche) that goe­inge [Page] to protestantes Churches, is forbidden vs, what excuse then, shal those men haue from obstinate schis­me, that not withstandinge all this, wil yet thinke it lawful: especialy, the thing being nowe in practise, and so many meu suffering for the same? Assuredly they can looke for no other account to be made of them, but as Christ willeth vs. If he heare not theMath. 18.Churche, let him be to the as an hea­then, and as a publicane. The which woordes S. Austen sayth. Are moreAug. li. 1. cō tra aduers. leg &. pro­phe ca. 17.greuous and terrible, then if he had sayd let him be strookē with a sword, let him be consumed with the flames of fyre, lett him be deuowred of wylde beastes.

And a lyttle after, talking of the bande where with the ChurcheMath. 16. maye bynde a mannes sinnes by authorytie geuen vnto her of Christ,The dreadful Sword of the Church c. he saythe. A man is bounde more bytterlye, and more infortunately, by the keyes of the Churche, then by anye other moste greuous and harde [Page 28] bandes, albeit they were of yron, or of Adamante stone. Let could Ca­tholiques in Inglande marke this, and not thinke they are frée, when they are in these bandes: nor thinke they are Christians, whē in déed, they are Heathens, and Publicanes. It is a natural infirmitie of ours, to think willingly to wel of oure owne case: and passiō permiteth vs not, to iudgeAn important cousideration for Schisma­tiques. indifferently in these matters. Let vs therfore consider of other mens cases, and by them [...] of oure owne. If in S. Iohn Crisostome his tyme, when there was an Arryan Churche, and a Catholique Churche, knowen in Constantinople, and both of these Churches, calling people vn­to them, and the Emperour fauou­rynge more the Arrians then the Ca­holiques:Note this sup­position. if (I saye) in that case, some Catholiques leuing S. Chrisostomes Church, should haue gone to the Ar­rians Churches to seruice, vpon obe­dience to the Emperour: what would we think of thē now? wold we estéem [Page] schismatiques or not, Yf theye had dyed soe, Consideringe their disobedience to the bishope, and their perfidious betrainge of Goddes catholike cause in that time of trial? I thinke yes. Then let vs not deceue our selues, for this is our case nowe. And yf in al mens iudgmentes, that acte would haue seemed Schisme (for disobeing one particuler and priuate Bishope, and breaking from his com munion) what shal we saye for diso­beyinge the general Pastour of al? & breakinge from his communion? Of whom, the noble martyr of Christ S. Ciprian, aboue fiftene hundred yeres agone, said thus. Heresies and schismsCip. ep. 55. ad Cornel. haue sprong of none other cause, then for that men doe not obey Gods PreA notable discourse of S. Ciprian for o­being one ge­neral Pastour. ist, and for that they doe not thincke or consider that ther is one only Priest whoe is Iudge in Christs stead for the time: Vnto whom if al the vniuersall brotherhood would obeye in deuine functions, no man would mooue anie thinge against the college of Preistes, [Page 29] nether after the iudgement of God, the suffrage of the people, the bishops consent once put downe, in any mat­ter, would any man dare to make him selfe a iudge of the Bishoppe, and con­sequently of God: nor by breakinge Vnitye, teare and rente the Churche of Christ.

The Fifte Reason.

The fifte reason, wherefore a Ca­tholicke5. Participati­on. may not goe to the Church of those of the contrarye religion, is, for feare lest his presence may be in­terpreted by God to be consent vnto their doing: and soe he be made par­taker of their punishment. Concer­ning which we must vnderstand, that of al the enemies that God hath in this world, there is none in soe hyghe displeasure with him, as he who once knowinge the trueth, and beinge re­ceaued into his house (the Catholicke Church) runneth out agayne, and by1. Timo. 3. newe deuised doctrines, vexeth and [Page] molesteth the same, being not onelye2. Cor. 11. the house (as I haue sayd) of Christ,Ephe. 5. but also his spouse, nay, his owne bo­dy.1. Cor. 12. Which sorte of men, the scriptureColos. 1. calleth, Heretyckes: whose cursse and reprobation in this life, is more grea­uous then anye other sinne whatsoe­uer: and the damnation for the tymeHow greuous a sinne [...] is. to come more intollerable. For that as S. Peter sayeth, It had bene better for them neuer to haue knowen the waye of righteousnes, then after they knew it, to turne backe agayne. And2. Pet. 2. these are those men, of whome Christ sayde, that one diuel goeinge forth in their first comminge to the fayth by Baptisme, he afterwardes entred a­gayne with seuen other diuels worseLuc. 11. then him selfe: and soe made the ende of that man, worse then his begin­ning. And Saint Paul geueth a mar­uelous seuere iudgement vpon them, when he sayeth, That Heretyckes, are subuerted, and doe sinne, and are dam­ned by their owne iudgementes. FirstTit. 3. he sayeth, that they are subuerted, or [Page 30] ouerthrowen, because they are blot­tedS. Pauls descri ption of an Hereticke ex­pounded. out of the booke of lyfe: Secondly, that their whole lyfe, is sinne vppon [...]: because they are vtterlye depri­ued of God his grace, without the which we can doe nothing but sinne. Thyrdlye he sayeth, they are damned by their owne iudgementes, ether for that they chose wittingly, to leaue the Catholicke Church: (out of the which they knew their was noe sal­uation) or els because, the most of them doe know that they doe amisse, and yet for pryde they will not come backe. So that euerye waye, their case is verye pitifull and lamen­table.

This point the holy Fathers of the Churche doe often tymes handle verye seriouslye aod grauclye, pro­uing, that Heretyckes more offend God, and are in furre woorse state, then anye offender els in the world: and namelye, more then ether Iew or Gētile. For y^e which cause, they note [Page] that the new Testament biddeth vsVide Aug in psal. 54. Cyp. ep. 76. Amb. li. de incar. ca. 2. not to beware of Iewes and Gen­tiles, but of Heretickes in many pla­ces. The reason is, for that they are those wolues, which Christ foretould vs shoulde come in shéepe skinnes:Rom. 16. which as S. Augustine sayeth, shalMatt. 7. pretend to be very good shéepe, and frendes to Christ and to his shéepe­fould:2. Timo. 2. and yet with Christ his owneAug. in psa. 39. wordes, they shal teach you to denye Christ, to teare the shéepefould in pée­ces, and to disperse the shéepe. Nay, they shal sleye more soules with the word, then euer Tyrantes did with the sword. Agayne, S. Austin prouethAug. Li. 2. cont. aduer. cap. 12. at large in an other place, that Here­ticks are those Antechristes, of whom S. Iohn spake when he sayd. That manye Antichristes are nowe gonne1. Ioh. 2.out: meaning of Symon Magus, Ce­rinthus, and other Heretickes of his time. Of which Antichrists he sayeth, that S. Paul did pronounce that ter­rible saying, that they weare. The2. Thes. 2.men of Sinne, the Children of destru­ction. [Page 31] As who would say, that albeit all other noughtye men weare in­wrapped with the guilt of sinne, and of their owne destruction: yet those men aboue al others, for ther eminēt wickednes, were properlye to be cal­led the men of sinne: and in respect of their heynous sinne of slayeinge of soules, and the heauye sentence aby­ding them for the same, they were pe­culierlye to be called, the Children of perdition and damnation.

This therefore being soe, that the déepe displeasure of God, and his hea­uy hand hangeth more ouer the heads of Hereticks and Schismaticks, then ouer any other people in the world: it is noe small daunger, for a man to ioyne him selfe with them, especiallye in the acte, wherein principallye theyHereticks off­end God most in thet seruice. offende God: which is, in their assem­blyes, Seruices, false teachinges and prechinges: at which tymes God his cursse is lyke most abundantlye to descende vpon them, and vpon those also that doe assiste them. For as S. [Page] Paul sayeth, They are worthye ofRom. 1.death, not only that doe euil, but they also which doe cōsent vnto them. AndA vain excuse of Schismatic­kes confuted. that thow maist not excuse thy selfe, and say: I am there in body, but I con­sent not to them in harte: S. Iohn ex­pressethIoh. 2. farther, what it is to consent vnto them, or to communicate with them in their workes, saying. He that sayeth as much as God speede them doth communicate (or participate) with them in their noughtye workes. Which thinge the Prophet Dauid knew wel, and therefore sayde, that he would not soe much as sitt downePsal. 25. with such men, and obiecteth the con­trarye fault to a wicked man, saying. When thou sawest a theefe thou wastPsal. 49.content to runne with him: He doth not accuse him, you sée, for stealinge with him, but for goeing or running with him, and for kéeping him com­panye, albeit he consented not to his robbery. And Saint Paul commaun­ded Tymothye, not to consent to A­lexander2. Tim. 4. the Heretycke, but to auoyd [Page 32] him. Lykewyse, he commaunded the Romayns, not to consent to o­therRo. 6. such [...] fellowes, but to de­clyne or turne awaye from them.

Finallye, Saynt Paules wordes areTit. 3. general and playne of all such men, when he sayeth. Hereticum homi­nem deuita. Auoyde an Hereticall man: He sayeth not, (goe to Church with him) but beléeue him not, or consent not to him in thy harte. This is our interpretation foysted in, ther­by to boulster vpp our owne dissimu­lation, wherein we presume farther, then we shall be able one daye to iustifie: As that foolishe Prophet did,3. Reg. 13 which being sent to preache in Schis­maticall Samaria (but not to eate with them) ventured farther then his commission, and by perswasion did eate with one, whoe sayde him selfe to be as good a Prophet of God as the other (as the Protestantes doe saye them selues to be good Ca­tholickes) but this venturous Pro­phet was slaine by God for his labor. [Page] It is very perilous tobe amongest the enemies of God. If Lot he hadGen. 19. stayed but two houres longer in So­dome, he had dyed with the rest. The terrible death of al them which wereThe company of heretiques how daunge­rous it is. in companie with those thrée rebelli­ous schismatiques, Chore, Dathan, & Abyron, ought to moue vs muche: of which nomber, it is to be thought, many were simple and ignorant men and had little parte of the malyce and noughtie meaninge, of their ringe le­ders: but yet for companies sake, al perished together. The which ex­ample, S. Cyprian applyeth to oureCyp. ep. 76. purpose, asking of vs, if these men so perished for beinge only in compa­nye with those schismatiques? AreA notable say inge against oure Schisma tiques.not we affrayde to be muche more punyshed (saythe he) assistinge and furthering (by our presence) hereti­call oblations, prayers, sermons, and errours.

S. Iohn the deerly beloued ofS. Iohn afraid of the compa­nie of an hery tique. oure Sauiour, had as muche cause to presume of his masters fauour, as [Page 33] we haue: and yet he durst not, soeEuseb. li. 3. capit. 22. muche as staye in the bath, to washe together with Cerinthus the herety­que. For so he saythe. Let vs flee from hence, lest the bathe fal vpon vs, in the which Cerinthus the enemie, of truthe is. Marke, how he was not onely af­frayde, lest the bath would fall: but also, lest it should fall vpon him for kéeping the other companie. What ifNote this sup­position. anye Prince should haue willed S. Iohn to haue come to Cerinthus his seruice, prayers, and sermons? If the histories reporte that the Apostles &Niceph. li. 3. capit. 30 their Disciples would not, so muche as talke or reasone the matter with anie of the heretiques of their tyme, but fled their companie for feare, lest some part of their punishment, should light vpon them: what wise man nowe, will dare to goe to their pray­ers, and assemblies? To conclude, I would wishe euery man to consyder the admonytion of the Angell of God to Christians, talking of all wicked cōgregatiōs vnder the name of [Page] Babylon. And I hard an other voyceApoc. 18.from heauen, saying, goe out my peo­ple from her, to the ende that you be not partakers of her sinnes: and to the ende you doe not receaue of her scor­ges: because her sinnes are come vp to heauen, and God hath now remēbred her wickednes. Marke, how he saythe. To the end that you doe not receyue of her scourges. And yet, it is certain, that the people of God did not cōsente in harte, to the wickednes of this place, which they are bidden here to flée: but only were present there, and yet we sée, how dangerous it was to them to be partakers of the punish­mente, if God of his goodnes had not remoued them out.

THE Syxth Reason.

THE Sixth cause, why a Catho­lique6. Dissimula­tion. may not come to Churche, is, because he cannot come without dis­simulation. The which, in matters of Conscience and religion, is treche­rie to God almightie, and a very dan­gerous matter. For as the worthye [Page 34] Father S. Ambrose saythe. It mayeAmbro. li. 2 offi. cap. 24be lawful somtimes in a monye mat­ter, to hould thy peace, but in Gods cause, where there is danger in comu­nicating with his enemies, to dissem­ble only, is no smal sinne. The reason wher of, is that sore saying of ChristsMath. 22. owne mouth. He that is not with me, is againste me. As though he had sayd. He that dissembleth, & knowing me and my cause to be opressed, houldeth his peace, & defendeth me not, I will houlde him in the number of my ene­mies, that are against me. According to the which rule of Christe, S. IohnIohn. 12. (which wel knewe the inward & se­crete meaning of Christe,) speaking of certayne Noble men and Gentle men of Iurye. (The which did beleue in Christe, but durst not confesse him openly for feare of the Iewes.) Condē neth them of a great & dānable mor­tall sinne against the firste cōmande­mente, forthe same: sayinge, that by this acte, they shewed that they loued the glory of men, more then the glory of God. By the which exāple, we sée, [Page] wilfully dishonour God, and conse­quently commit damnable treason a­gainst him, when we do for any feareDissemblinge in Religion is treson against God. or other temporal respecte, dissemble our faith, and hould our peace against our consciences. The which thing S. Paul consideringe, he layeth downe vnto vs a general rule. Ore fit confe­ssioRom. 10. ad salutem. To be saued we must néedes confesse our faith by mouth, or open speach: Upon the which wordes S. Austin sayeth. We can not be sa­uedAug. de Fi. & sim. ca. 1.out of this wicked and malignant world, excepte we endeuoring to saue our neighbours (besides beleeuing) do also professe our fayth by mouthe, which we bere in our harts, the which fayth of ours, we must prouyde by godlye and warye watchfulnes, that it be not in any respect hurt or violated, by the craftye subtletye of Hereticks. Note his admonition, let it not be in any respect violated with craftye sub­tiltye.The subtiltye of Heretickes. As for example, by causing a man to yelde a litle against his cōsci­ence to goe once to Church, to staye [Page 35] but a litle there, to haue Seruice in his owne house, or the lyke: In the which, if a man might say (as cōmon­lye they doe say in euil meats) that a litle, wil doe but a litle hurte, it were more tollerable. But séeing the mat­ter standeth as it doth, in poysons, wherof euerye litle drāme wil be thy bane: No maruel though men shewe them selues more scrupulous. Heare the iudgment of a whole cleargye in the Primatiue Church, & alleaged by S. Cypriā y^e Martyr of Christ. Wher­asCler. Rom. apud Cyp. epist. 31.the whol mistery of faith, is vnder­stood to cōsist in the cōfessing of the name of Christ, he that hath sought false sleightes for excuse thereof, hath now denyed it: & he that wil seeme to haue fulfilled such statutes & lawes, as are set fourth against the gospel, in so doing he hath obeied thē in very deed: For as much, as he would haue it seeme that he hath obeyed them. Héere youWho dissem­bleth his faith denieth it. sée now, al dissemblinge of our faith takē, for denying our faith: and al sée­minge, to be condemned, for doinge. [Page] The which that ould valiant cham­piō 2. Mach. 6. of God Eliazarus, ful wel knew, when he rather chose to dye, then to séeme to eate a péece of flesh (albeit he did it not in déede) contrarye to the lawe of God. And the reason he gea­ueth for it, is this, It is not fit for our age to fayne. O good Eliazarus, if it were not fit for thy age, to fayne or dissemble in matters of religiō, what shall we say of our age, wherein, for many respectes, we are more bounde to confesse our Lord, and master, and his Catholicke religion, then thow werte? For that, we haue receaued more benefits at his hands, aud haue séene how he confessed vs before his e­nemies and ours, and could not be brought by anye feare or torment to deny vs. But wel, ther wil be wickedLuc. 11. men, and dissembling Christians stil: Yet notwithstāding, Gods law mustBlushynge at Christes cause is damnable. stande, set downe by Christ his owne mouth. He that shal blush or be asha­med of me & my sayings, of him shal the sonne of man be ashamed, whē he [Page 36] shal come in his maiestye, and in the maiestye of his Father, and of his holy Angels. He doth not onely say, if we doe deny him, but if we do blush, or be ashamed to confesse him: which cōside ration made the Apostles, and other seruāts of Christ, so peremptorily to procéede in confessinge openlye their fayth, with what daunger soeuer it were. And S. Paul géeueth a reason1. Corin. 9. of it, when he sayeth, Woe be vnto me except I doe preach the gospel. That is, except I confesse it, except I let it forth, what daunger bodelye soeuer come thereof. And in the actes of theAct. 4. Apostles, the high Preists and magi­strats commaunded not the Apostles to be of their religion, nor yet to come to their seruice, in their sinagogues, but onely to hould their peace. And that they should not speake or teache any more in the name of Iesus. But y^t Apostles vtterly denied to obeye y^t cō ­maundemēt, & in y^t chapter folowing, being takē again for not obeing, wer asked in opē iudgmēt by y^t magistrats [Page] We cōmāded you straightly to teach no more in this name, and how chan­seth it, that you haue filled al Ierusa­lem with this doctrine. And PecterAct. 5.answered with the reste of the Apos­tles, We must rather obey God, then men. As whoe shoulde saye, that if they should haue granted to dissemble and not to speake openly, they should haue denyed God, in obeying men more then him.

What if the high Priests andMarke this supposition & apply it to our tyme. Magistrates should haue sayde vnto them: well, we are content that you liue with youre Conscience, soe you kepe it to your selues, & trouble not the state, and soe that you will, (for obedience sake) some tyme come to onre Sinagogues shewing your sel­ues, conformable men to oure proce­dinges. Nay, what if they shoulde haue sayd: Some of you also, for out­ward shewe, (keping alwayes your Consciences to your selues) must flée this odious name of Christians, and seme to cōmunicate nowe and then [Page 37] with vs, in our Sacrifices and cery­monies: we are content also, that sōe of you shalbe our officers and Justi­ces of peace, Coūcellers and the like,The manner of dissemble­inge Schisma­tiques liuelye expressed. so that you wil somtimes, (for orders sake) punish some of those indiscréete felowes of your religion, which can­not be content to kepe their Consci­ences to them selues: soe you wil al­soe geue some pretye, sharpe charge in your circuites, sessions and assem­blies, (alwayes keping your Consci­encesO damnable dissemlinge: this is done by manye in Inglande. to your selues) & if some of you also wil som times step vpp into the pulpet, and speake thrée or fower er­nest woordes against this religion, it shal be verye gratful vnto vs, espeti­ally if you wil affirme it with an oth which we haue deuised for the sameLiuinge to a mans owne conscience, by leauinge him self no consc­ience. purpose: and this doinge, we assure you, that you shal liue quietly to your owne Consciences, & we shal account you for good subiectes. If, I saye, the Magistrates of Iurye at that tyme should haue geuen to the Apostels & other Christians this swete charme: [Page] you thinke that they could haue abid­den to hear it al out, whose hartes did rise and swel at two woords only that they spooke, for the intreating of them to hould their peace? And yet many a thousand now in England, being as throughly perswaded in hart of, y^t tru­eth of the Catholique relygion as the Apostles & other Christiās at y^t time were of theirs, are content notwith­standing, to heare, digest, admit, & ex­ecute, al, or most parte of these things recited, contrarie to the sayd religion. And yet besids al this (which is more to be wondred at) they are not asha­med to perswade thē selues that they shal one day come to that glory wherDesperate Pre sumption. in the Apostles now are. But this is desperate presūption. And therfor we sée what a iust cause this is, for a Ca­tholique to resuse to come to the churches of the contrary religion.

THE Seuenth Reason.

THE Seuenth Reason, why a Ca­tholickNoughty ser­uice may not yeld to come the pro testantes churches is, because the ser­uice which [Page 38] they vse, is nought and dishonerable to God, and therfore, no man can cōe to it, or heare it, or seme to alow of it by his presēce, without great offence to God. Nether is it sufficient to say (as cōmonly they vse to say to beguile simple people withal) that it is the Scripture, taken out of the Gospels, Epistles, Psalmes, and the like. For by that argument, the Iewes seruice were good at this daye, which is takē out of the ould Testement: and al he­retiques seruice thateuer was, semed to be nothing but Scriptures. For, as S. Austen in diuers places noteth,Aug. to. 6. cont. Max. li. 1. initio. & iter. vers. fi. it was alwayes y^e fashion of heretiks to haue Scripture in their mouthe, & to cleue only to Scriptures, and to refuse traditions as inuentions of men. And we reade of the arian here­tiques, how they were wont to singeAl heretiques vaunte Scrip­ture. Psalmes in the stretes of Constanti­nople, therby to allure the people to them. And yet we may not say, that their seruice was good: like as we cā ­not say that the deuils talke was good with ChristMath. 4. [Page] albeit it were decked with allegation of scripture, and other swéete words. Although therfore their seruice be ful of scripture, it is noe good argumentHier. in ca. 4. & 8. Ose. that it is therfore infallible good. For as S. Ierome sayeth of al Hereticks. What soeuer they speake, or thincke that they doe speake in the prayse of God, it is the howling of woolues, & the bellowinge noyse of madde bul­locks: The reason whereof is that, which the scholler of the Apostles S.Ignat. ep. 2. Ignatius sayeth. No man can cal him good, or saye he doth wel, that doth mingle euil with good. Wherfore S. Augustine sayeth of the Donatistes, schismatickes, and Heretickes, of his tyme, that albeit they did sounde outAug. in ps. 54. Alleluia with as lusty a voyce as the Catholickes did, and in many things else did agrée in Seruice with them (more then now the Protestants doeA litle cuil marreth agret deal of good with vs) yet their seruice was impi­ous, and auayled them nothing. And a litle after, vpon the wordes of God, vttered by the Prophete, sayinge. [Page 39] In manye thinges they were with me. &c. S. Austin sayeth thus. God gran­tethIn psal. 54.that Heretyckes in many thinges are with him, as in Sacramentes, Ceri­monies, and the lyke: But yet for all that they are not with me (saieth God in al thinges. For in that they are in schisme, they are not with me: in that they are in heresie, they are not with me: and therefore, for these few things in the which they are not with me, thos other many thinges in the which they are with me, shal profit them no­thing. To come nerer to our purpose, their owne Apostle, and second EliasLuthers opini on of our Pro testantes ser­uice (as they [...] him) Luther, cōdemneth al their whole seruise, for the denying onely of the real presence, saying. TheCop. dial. 6. ca. 15.Sacramentaries doe in vaine beleeue in God the father, in God the sonne, and in the holye Ghost, and in Christ our Sauyour: al this doth auayle them nothinge, seeynge they doe denye this one Article, as false, of the reall pre­sence. Where as Christe doth saye, This is my body. Loe héere this Pro­phet [Page] with the same spirite wherewith he cōdemneth the Popes, he condem­neth the Protestants, why should we beleeue him more in the one, then in the other?

But now to shew wherein the Pro­testantsWhere in the Protestants ser uice is euil, in particuler. seruice is euil, it were suffi­cient to say, that it is deuised of them selues, and altogether different from al the seruice of Christendome besids: and therefore not to be receaued by Catholickes, with whom they deale too chyldishelye, when they say, their1. Deuysed by them selues di fferent from y^e rest. seruice differeth in nothing from the ould Catholicke seruice, but onelye because it is in English: therby thinc­kinge to make the simple people, to haue the lesse scruple to come to it. The which how false it is, it shal ap­peare by that which I wil saye here­after. I myghte also bringe the opi­nion of all the hotter forte of Pro­testantes,2. Condemned by y^e Puritains called the Puritayns, who in wrytinge, sermons, and priuate speache, doe vtterlye condemne, the [Page 40] seruice whiche nowe Protestantes haue, and thereupon doe refrayne from it, as much as Catholicks. But I wil geue more perticuler reasons, as foloweth.

First the scripture is read there in3. False transs­tions of scrip­ture. false and shameles translations, con­tayning manifest and wilful corrup­tions, to drawe it to their owne pur­poses, as hath bene shewed in parti­culer, by manye learned men in their worckes: and is lyke to be (shortly) more playnlye by the grace of God. As for example, throughe out the scripture, where Idoles are forbid­den, they translate it Images, as in Sainte Iohn they reade. Children1. Ioh. 5.keepe your selues from Images.

Whereas the scripture sayeth Idoles: And this is, to make simple men be­léeue, that Idoles and Images are al one, which is absurde. For then, where Moyses sayethe: That GodGen. 1. 3.made man accordinge to his owne Image. We should consequently say: [Page] God made man accordinge to hys owne Idole. Againe, where in con­trarie maner S. Paule sayth. ThatEphe. 5.a couetous man maketh his mony his Idole. We shoulde saye, that he ma­keth it, his Image. The which howe foolishe it is, euerye man seethe, and it can not stande with anye sence of the Scripture. The like absurde translations they haue, in infinite o­ther thinges, which I cannot stande to rehearse. Let some man reade the latter ende of the xy. chapter of the second booke of the Machabies, where he shal see what labour their Inglishe translatour taketh to shifte ouer the woordes of the Scripture, which talk2Macha. 12. of oblatiōs and prayers for the dead: and by that one place, let euerye man iudge of his fidelitie in the reste. ForSee the Eng­lishe Byble de dycated to Kynge Henry. I am sure, that if a Boye should soe corrupte Tullies epistles, in transla­tinge them in a Grammer Scoole, he should be bréeched for his labour. The Scripture therfore, being read there, in false translations, it muste néedes [Page 41] seme to be false, which is blasphemis against the holy Ghost the indyter of them. Soe that by this, it appeareth, that, that part of their seruice which they pretende to be Scripture, is no Scripture, because it is by the malice of the interpretour false, the whiche Scripture can not be.

Secondly, the seruice that Christi­ans4. Sayd by lay men. ought only to goe to, shoulde be sayd, as also the Sacramentes admi­nistred, by Priestes and such as haueIg. ad Hier. Chri. li. 3. & 6. de. Sacer. & hom. 60 Hier. ep. ad Helio. & ep. 85. ad Eua. Ambro. in Ephes. 4. receyued the Sacrament of holy or­ders, as al the general Councels and Fathers of the Churche, shewe vnto vs. And S. Paule when he saythe. That no man maye take vnto him this honour, but he that is called as Aaron was. Wherfore the same Paul aduiseth the Bishope Timothie, not to geue this dignytie vnto any manHeb. 5. but vpon grete consideration, saying. Doe not laye thy handes rashlye vp­pon any man. But nowe that ether1. Tim. 5. all, or the moste parte of mynisters of Englande, be méere laye men, [Page] and noe preistes, and consequentlye haue noe authoritie in these thinges,Con. 4. Car. can. 6. & Co ncil. Laod. can. 24. it is euidente for manye causes: as wel for that they haue not receaued the vnder Orders, which they should haue done before [...], (as ap­pearethIgna. ep. ad Anti. Areo. ca. 3. by the auncyent Councel of Carthage, wherin Saint Augustine was himselfe,) and by al the Fathers bothe before and since: as allso be­cause they are not ordayned by such a Bishoppe and Preist, as the Catho­licke Church hath put in that auctho­ritye:Can. Ap. 1. & 2. & 68. which admitteth noe man for Bishoppe, which is not ordeyned by imposicion of thrée or two Catho­licke Bishoppes handes at the least. Of al which thinges none are to be founde amongest the Protestantes

Thyrdlye, their seruice is nought,5. Falsehoode & blasphemie in ther seruice because they haue dyuers false, and blasphemous thinges therein: and that which is yet worse, they soe place those things, as they may séeme to the simple, to be verye Scrypture. [Page 42] As for example, In the end of a cer­tayne Geneua Psalme. They praye to God to kéepe them, from Pope,In the ende of their Geneua Psalter. Lurcks, and Papistrye, which is blasphemous. First, for ioyninge the supreme minister and substytute of Christ, with the knowen and pro­fessed enemye of Christ, and speaking soe contumelyouslye of him, of whom al antiquitye in Christ his Church, hath thought, and spoken soe reue­rently,Cyp. de sim. pre. & Chr. li. 2. de Sa. Cyp. ep. 46. Chr. li. 2. de sa. Inno. ep. 93. ap. Au. & Leo. ep. 84. Sy. Alex. 4. apud Atha. Theod. li. 2. hist. ca. 4. callinge him. The hygh Preist of the Church. The Bishoppe of the Vniuersal Church. The Pastor of the Church. The iudg of matters of faith. The repurger of heresies. The exami­ner of all bishopps causes. And final­lye the great Preist, in obeying whom all Vnitye consisteth, and by disobey­inge of whom, all Heresies and Schis­mes aryse.

Secondlye, it is blasphemous, for that they praye to be delyuered fromCy. ep. 55. Papistrye: meaninge thereby, the Ca­tholique and onelye trewe religion, by the which all men are to be saued. [Page] Thirdlye, because they singe it, and make other simple men to singe it, in the beginning of sermons, and other­wise: as though it were scripture it selfe, and one of Dauids psalmes.

Fourthly, albeit the Protestantes [...] of neces sarye thinges which it sho­uld haue in it seruice had not al this euil in it, as it hath: yet were it nought, because it hath not in it, those good things which Christian seruice should haue. For seruice maye be euil, as wel for ha­uing too litle, as for hauing to much. As the seruice of the Arrians was, for singing, Glorie to the Father, and not singinge the same to the Sonne; And as if a man shoulde recyte his Créede, and leaue out one article (as in effecte the Protestantes doe the ar­ticle of discention into hel) al the whole Créede were nought thereby. Nowe, how many thinges doe want in the Protestantes seruice, which should be in Christian seruice, it were to longe in euery poynte to rehearse: yet wil I (for examples sake) name two or thrée thinges. First therefore, [Page 43] they haue lefte out the chéefest, andDion. Ari­op hier. ca. 3. Ign. ep. ad Smyrn. Iu­stin. dial. tri pho. Ter. li. de orat. Au. li. 20. contr. Faust. ca. 23 Chry. hom. 17. ad Heb. Gre. li. 4. di. ca. 57. heyghest thinges of al: which is the blessed [...] of Christ his Bodye and Bloud appoynted by Christ, to be offered vp euerye day for thankes geuinge to God, for obtayninge of grace, and auoiding of al euil, and for the remission of sinnes both of quicke and dead: as with one consent the Fathers of the Primatiue Church doe affirme. The which Sacrifice be­ing away, noe Christian seruice can be sayed to be there: For so much as,Hiero. ep. 1. ad Helio. for this cause were ordayned preists, nether can there any be called PreistChry. li: 2. de Sacerd: Cyp: ep: 54 & li: 1. ep: 2. Au. ser: 25 2: de tempo. but in respecte of this Sacrifice: Also in respect of this sacrifice were Chri­stian Churches called temples, for this Sacrifice were made Aulters: for an Aulter is the place of Sacri­fice, euen as an armorye is the placeOptat. li: 6. cont: Dona: Au. in psa: 113. conci: 2. & Posid. in vita Au. ca. 24. where armour is. For this Sacri­fice was Preistes apparell made: Uestments, Sensors, Frankensence, and the lyke, in the Prymatyue Church. Whereof all the Fathers, [Page] Councells, and historyes doe speake so muche.

The second thinge, which theConcil. flor & constāt. sesio. 15. Protestants seruice leaueth out, is, noe lesse then six, of the seuen Sa­cramentes, which the CatholiqueSix Sacramēts seruice of God doth vse: (for as for their communion it can be no Sa­cramēt as they doe vse it.) The com­moditie of which Sacraments, inAug. li. 19. cont. faust. cap. 11. & 16. the Churche saint Augustine saythe. That it is greater, then can be expres­sed, and therfore the contempte of them is nolesse then sacriledge, be­cause (saythe he) that, can not be con­temned without impietie, without the helpe of which, no man can haue pietie. And for this cause in an otherAug. su le­uit. que. 84. place he sayth. That the contemnours of visible Sacraments, can by no me­nes, inuisiblye be sanctified. The thirde thing that the ProtestantsCeremonies. seruice leaueth out, is, all the cere­monies of the Catholique Churche, of the which the ould auncient Fa­thers [Page 44] and Councels doe saye theseTertulia. de corona. thrée things. First, that they are to beBas. li. de sp. 5. cap. 27. had in greate reuerence, and to be contemned of no man. Secondlye,Epipha. he­resi. 71. that they are to be learned by tradi­tion, and that manye of them areConcil trid ca. 7. &. 13. Cip. ep. 66. Chri. ho: 41 vide Aug. li 2. doct crist. Cyp: ser. de. ora. dom. receaued by the tradition of the A­postles. Lastlye, that they whiche doe ether condemne, despise, or wil­fullye omyt these cerimonies, are excomunicated. I myghte here adde manye other thinges, as leauinge out prayers for the dead, being (as the Fathers holde) one of the chéefestIsodo: li: de: diu: off. functions of a Priest. Also for hauing their seruice in an other order & lan­guageCōcil: Tol. 4. cap. 2. then y^e vniuarsal church vseth: But this is sufficient. For if theyBed: li: hist. capit. 1. leaue out of their seruice, both Sa­cryfice, Sacraments, and all eccle­siasticallIn whiche au­thors you shal see in what tonge seruice was in their dayes in all countries. cerymonics: I know not what good thing they haue lefte, be­sides a fewe bare woordes of Scrip­ture, euil translated, and woorse ap­plyed, which they reade there. [Page] Seinge therfore their seruice is such, it is a sufficient cause to make al Ca­tholiques to auoyde it.

THE Eyght Reason.

THE Eyght Reason of refu­sal8. Loosing the benefit of Ca­tholique reli­gion. which maye now be yéelded, why a Catholyque maye not come to the Protestantes Churches, is, because by going thither, he shal lose al the benefit of his owne religion, nether shal he take any more commoditye therby, then if he were not of that re­ligion at al. This is a very greate, wayghtie, and most sufficient reason to be yelded by Catholiques in Eng­lande to their Princes for their re­fusal of comminge to Churche, and such a one as beinge sufficiently con­ceyued by her Maiestie, cannot but satysfie her Highnes, and greatlye drawe her to compassion of the pyt­tifullA pityful ne­cessitie. case of soe manye thowsands of her louinge subiectes, whoe be­inge, as I haue sayde Catholiques in [Page 45] hartes by goinge to Protestantes Churches, must néedes bee brought ether to flat athisme, that is, to leaue of all conscience, and to care for no relygion at all, (as manye thousand séeme to be resolued to doe:) or els, to lyue in contynuall torment of mynde, and almoste desperation, considering that by theyr goinge to these Churches, they lose vtterlye all vse and practise of theyr owne re­lygion, being helde as schismatiques, and excomunicate persons of the same: and their case such, that if they shoulde dye in the same state, they were sure to receaue no parte of be­nefit of that relygion no more then if they had bene protestantes. The which, what a danger it is, all true Christian men doe both knowe, and feare.

But yet, that the simpler sorte, maye better vnderstande it, and the wyser, better consider of it: I wil in particuler repeate some of the a­bouesayde dommages.

[Page]First therfore a Catholique, by going to the Protestants Churches, looseth all participation of that bles­sedThe losse of partycipation of the Sacri­fice how great a losse. Sacrifice, of the bodye and blood of oure Sauiour, appoynted by the sayde Sauiour (as I haue shewed before) to be offered vp daylye in the oblation of the Masse, for the com­moditie of the whole worlde, quick and dead: and for that cause (as the godlye and learned, saynt IohnChrys. hom 47. in ep. 1. ad cor. Chrisostome sayth.) Called the com­mon Sacrifice of the whole world. The which action of offering of this sacred Hosre, (the Sonne of God to his Father,) is of such dignitye, excellencie, and merit, not only to the Priest, but also to the standers by [...] him: as all the other good woorkes which a man can doe in his lyfe, are not to be compa­red with it, séeing that the verye Angels of heauen doe come downe at that tyme, to adore (after theThe Angels present at the eleuation. [...]) that sacred Bodye, and to offer the same vp with vs, [Page 46] to God the father for the whole world. As al the holy Fathers of the primatiue Churche dyd bothe beleueGre. li. 4. di al. cap. 58. and teach. Of the which, it shalbe enough at this tyme, to aledge one or two. Saynt Gregorie therfore the first, saythe thus. What fayth­full man can doute but that in the verye houre of immolation or sa­cryfice, the heauens doe open at the Priestes voyce, and that the [...] of Angels, be present there, in that misterie of Iesus Christ? And saynt Chrisostome, handeling the same,Chris. lib. 6. de sacerdo. saythe. At that tyme, (the tyme of consecration in the Masse) the An­gels stande by the Priest, and the vniuersall orders of the celestiall po­wers, doe crye out, and the place nygh to the aulter, is full of qui­res of Angels in the honour of him whoe is there sacrifised. And imme­diatlye after, he telleth two visi­onsTwo visions of the presence of Angels at the masse. of holye men, whose eyes were by the power of God (as he say­eth) opened, and they in those visions [Page] saw the Angels presente at the time of consecration. And in an other place, he yet more at large explyca­tethChry. ho: 3: cont. Ano: the same, sayinge. At that tyme deere brother (at the time of conse­cration and eleuation) not onlye men do geue out that dreadful cry, (saying, we adore the O Lord) &ct. but also the Angels doe bowe their knees to our Lord, and the Archangels doe beseche him: for they accounte that a fitt time, hauing that sacred oblation in their fa­uour.A fit Simili­tude of S. Chri sostome.And therfor as men arc wont to moue Princes the more, yf they beare oliue bowes in their handes: (because by bearinge that kinde of wood they bring into the Princes mindes mercye and gentlenes:) so, the Angels at that time, (houlding out in their hands, the verye self same bodye of our Lord)What playner testimony can there be then this.they doe entreate for al mankinde, as thoughe they saide, We doe entreate O Lord, for the men of the worlde, whom thow hast so looued, that for their saluation thou wast content to dye, and in the Crosse, to breathe out [Page 47] thyne owne soule. For these men we make supplicatiō, for the which thou hast geeuen thy owne bloud: for these men we pray, for the which thou hast sacrificed this bodye of thyne. If this be soe, then the hearinge of Masse, is not onelye worth the venturynge of an hundred Marckes, or sixe mon­nethesThe hearinge of a Masse hou well worthe a hundred mar­kes. imprisonment, but also of an hundrede thousande lyues, if a man could loose euerye one for that cause sixe tymes. And an hundred tymes miserable is that man, which for a­nye worldlye respecte doth depryue hlm selfe of soe greate a benifite, as the participation of this sacrifice is. Secondlye, they loose by goeynge toThe losse of y^e grace of 6. Sa cramēts what a losse. Church, the fruite and grace of sixe Sacramentes: as the grace of Con­firmation by the Bishoppe, whereby the Holye Ghoste was géeuen in the Prymatyue Church, (as Saynte Luke sayeth) and now in our tyme,Act. 8. & 19 as Saynte Cypryan proueth, are be­stowed vppon vs by the same, the se­uen gyftes of the holye Ghoste. Set [Page] out by Esaye the Prophet in his ele­uentheCypr. li. de vnct. chris. Esa: 11: chapter. They loose also the grace of Preisthood, soe greatlye com­mended by S. Paul to Tymothye, when he chargeth him soe earnestlye,2. Timo. 1. not to neglect the sayd grace. Also the grace of Matrimony, which S. Paul soe much extolleth, when he callethEphes. 5. this sacrament, a great sacrament. Also the grace of extreme Unction, which is soe great, as S. James say­eth, besids the healing many times ofIaco. 5. the bodye, it also remitteth the sicke mans sinnes: And so in lyke manner the grace of the other two sacramēts, of Penance, and the Aulter, whereof I wil say a word or two immediate­ly. Al thes graces they loose, being cut of (by their going to the Protestants churches) frō these sacramēts, which are nothing else, but cōduits of grace. The which losse, of what valew it is, a man may gesse by that, which al de­uinesThe valew of grace. with on accord doe proue, y^t on droppe of grace is more worth, then al y^e world estéemed in it selfe besids. [Page 48] Thirdly, they loose by going to church al the benifit of y^t keies of the church,What the be nefyte of the keyes of the Church is. or of the auctority of binding and loo­sing of sinns, graunted by Christ to y^t gouernours of the same Church. For the explication of the which, we must vnderstand, that Christ hauing new­lye made the mariage betwéext his déere spouse and him selfe, (I meane the Church): and hauinge now sealed the same, with his owne bloud: and being inforced to depart from the said new maried spouse of his, towching his visible presēce for a time: he deui­sed how to shew vnto her, how great­ly he loued her, and to leaue some no­table pledge & testimony of his singu­ler great affection towardes her. The which he finally resolued, could be by noe other meanes better expressed, then if he should leaue al his auctho­ritie with her, the which he had recea­ued of his Father, with making pub­lyque proclamation to all the world, that What so euer she should for­geue in earthe, towchyng sinne, the [Page] same should be forgeuen in heauen: [...]. 20.and what soeuer sinne, the ChurcheA proclamati­on of the tri­bunal for sinn in earth.should retaine or not forgeue in earth the same should neuer be forgeuen in heauen. And againe: that with what authoritye God his Father sent him,Ioan. 6.with the same he sent her gouernours,Mat. 18.the Apostles, and theyr successors. And againe: he that should not hereAug. ho. 49 et 50. & ho 41. ibid.and obey the Church, should be ac­counted as a heathen and publicane. By the which speeches of Christ, ourCip. li. 1. ep. 2: fore fathers haue alwayes vnder­stoode, that Christe gaue vnto theAmb. lib. 1. ca. 2. de Pae. & in psa. 38 Atha. serm. cont. her. Churche a visible tribunal seate in earth, for the forgeuing or retayning of sinnes, vnto the which al Christi­ans must resorte by submission and humble confession of their sinnes, ifChris. lib. 3 de sacer. they thinke euer to receaue forgeue­nes of the same at Christes hys han­desHil. in ca. 18 Mat. in heauen. For soe we read, that in the primatiue Churche they con­fessedHie. in cap 18. Mat. their sinnes vnto the Apostels: of whom saynt Luke writeth thus. Manye of the faythful came (to theActor. 19. [Page 49] Apostles) confessing and reueling their owne actes. And thrée hundred yeres after that, S. Austen testefieth of his time, saying. Doe you sucheAug. hom. 41. 49. 50. cap. 10. 11. 16 ex 50. hom.penance, as is wont to be done in the Church, that the Church may praye for you. Let no man saye, I doe it se­cretly, I doe ìt with God alone, God which hath to pardon me, knoweth wel how that I doe repent in my hart. What therfore, with out cause was it sayde (to the Priestes) that whichIoan. 20.you loose in earth, shal be loosed in heauen? therfore in vayne were theAug. li. 2. de Visita. infir. cap. 4.keyes geuen to the Church? And in an other place againe more néerlye touching the humour of our men now a dayes, he sayth. There are some which thinke it sufficiēt for their sal­uation, if they doe confesse their sin­nes only to God, to whom nothing is hidden, and to whom no mans con­science is vnknowen. For they will not, or els they are ashamed, or els they disdayne, to shew them selues vnto the Priestes, whom not with­standing [Page] God (by Moyses his lawe­geuer) did apoint to discerne or iudge betweene leprye, and leprye. But ILeu. 13. 14.would not that thou shouldest be de­ceaued,The necessity of Confession.with that opiniō, in such fort, that thou shouldest ether by noughty shame, or obstinate disdayne, refrayne to confesse, before the substitute, or Vicegerent of our Lord. For, whom our Lord did not disdayne to make his substiute, his iudgemente must thow be contente also to stande to. This benifit therefore of the keyes of the Church, and of receauing re­mission of their sinnes by the same, (which Catholickes doe thincke to be the greatest benifit of their religiō) do they loose, that goe to the Protestants Churches, besids al the good instructi­ons, wholesome councels, and vertu­ous admonitions, which Catholickes doe receaue in confession, at their ghostly fathers hands, then the which things, they finde nothinge more for­cible to bring them to good lyfe: espe­cially, if they frequente it often, as [Page 50] all [...] Catholickes in the worlde nowe doe.

Fourthlye, they loose the infiniteThe losse of not receauing the blessed Sa crament. benefite of receuing the blessed sacra­mēt of the aulter, (the pretious Body and Bloud of Christ) being the foode of our soules, and as Christ sayeth. The bread that came downe from he­uen to geue lyfe vnto the world: ToIoan. 6. the worthye eating of which heauēly bread, Christ promiseth infinite re­ward, saying. He that eateth my fleshIbidem.and drincketh my bloud, hath lyfe e­uerlasting, and I wil rayse him againe at the last day. And agayne: He thatVide Ciril. lib. 3. in Io­an. cap. 37.eateth me, shal lyue through me. Up­on which promises of Christ, our for­fathers of the Primatiue church, haueBasil. ad Ce sar. patric. alwayes most earnestlye exhorted al men, to the often receauinge of thisAmb. lib. 5. de Sacra, ca. 4. blessed sacrament, alleaging innume­rable cōmodities of y^e same, and pro­uing by experiēce, that the frequētingChris. hom. 61. ad. pop. Antioch. of this Sacrament, is the chéefeste meanes to come to al grace, zeale, fée­linge, and lyfe in spiritual matters. [Page] And on the contrarye parte, that the abstayninge from the same, is the right way to al spiritual miserye, and for the soule of man to wyther away, drye vp, and starue: euen as the plant dothe, that lacketh moysture. The which we sée nowe by experience, in manye a thousand, who for lacke of the foode, of this blessed Fountayne of grace, are as dead, in al spiritual co­gitations, and déedes, as a starued stake in the hadge, from bearing of flowers: and their myndes so ouer­growen,The state of a carnal man. with the rancke wéedes of Carnalitye, that there is noe diffe­rence betwixte them, and a brute bul­locke: for, as much the one foloweth his passions, as the other. Whereby we sée, what a losse it is, to depryue them selues from the vse of this Sa­crament.The losse of al merite for good workes.

Fiftlye, they loose al the merit of their good déedes what soeuer. For asMat. 20. S. Gregorie sayeth, Euen as, none re­ceauedGreg. li. 35.their peny in the Gospel, but they onely which had labored withinMor. ca. 5.[Page 51] the compasse of the Vineyarde: soe no man shal receaue any reward, for any good deede of his, except he haue donne it, within the vnitye of the Church. So that, if a man should doe neuer so many good déedes, geue neuerCip. de sim. prel. so manye almes, nay, as S. Cyprian proueth, if a man should suffer neuer so many thinges for Christ, yea deathChri. ho. 11. ad. Ephes. it selfe, yet if he were out of the vnity of the Catholick Church, he shal haue no rewarde therefore. And not onely this, but if a man be in anye mortalVi, D. Tho 1. 2. & ōes DD. 15. qu. 119. sinne what soeuer, as long as he aby­deth in the same without repentance, and confession, al deuines hould, that he looseth the rewarde of al his good déedes. And the reason is, because noe worke can be meritorious of it selfe, but onely by reson of the grace from whence it procéedeth: but by euerye mortal sinne which a man commit­teth, he losseth grace, and much more by goeinge out of the vnitye of the Church. And therefore, in such men vntil they repente, there can be noe [Page] hope of anye reward, for any good woorke which they shall doe.

Sixthely, they lose the benefit ofThe losse of the communi on of Saintes. Communion of Saintes, which we protest to beléeue in our Créede. That is, they haue no parte of the Sacrifi­ces, oblations, prayers, fastinges, al­mes, & other good woorks, done with­in the Catholique Church, which all other Catholiques haue. Finallye, they being cut of, and deuided from the vnitie of the other members, theyNote this simi litude. take parte of no influence, whiche cōmeth from the head to the bodye, that is, from Christ to the Churche: nomore, then a mans hande once cut of, doth take blood, norishment, spirit, or lyfe, from the arme, from which it is now separated, as most learnedlyAug. epist 50. ad Boni facium. S. Austen dothe discourse. Wherfore they must néedes wither awaye, and make drye wood for hell fyre: and as good for them it were, in effect, to be of anye other relygion, as of that, whereof they take not one iote of commoditye. And to all these myse­ries [Page 52] they are driuen, onely by going to the protestants Churches.

THE Nynthe Reason.

THE Nynthe Reason whicheExample of In fidels and heri tikes. Catholiques may yelde, for their re­fusal of going to the Church, may be, the example of all men, from the be­ginning, which haue had any care or Conscience toward their own religi­on: not only good men, (of whom I haue geuen diuers examples before) but also al others, how false & erroni­ous soeuer their religion were, yet did they alwayes procure to separate them selues, from them of the con­trarie religion, in the acte of prayer: and from the Templs, Sinagogues, Churches, Dratories, and conuen­ticlesLact. li. 4. & 5. diu. inst. Cur. Sec. de. hist. Maho. Chro. Wol­fan. Drisl. of [...] same. Soe we reade of the Gentils which thought it to be a great sinne and polution, to enter in­to the Iewes Synagogues, or Chris­tians Chnrches. The like we read alsoe, of the Turkes at thys daye. [Page] Soe al heretiques from the begin­ning, as soone as they had framed any newe relygion: eftsons they erected new oratories to them selues, and refused to come to those of other re­lygions, as the Arians, Denatists, and the rest, had their Churches and places of prayer dstincte from the Catholiques, whose Churches theyEus. lib. 3. & 4. detested and auoyded, together with their doctrine. And soe the Anabap­tistesAug. lib. de Vnit. Eccle. & lib2. cōtr. Petil. at this daye, refuse to goe to the Lutherans Church, and the Luthe­rans to the Trinitaries. In like wise the Puritans of our time in Englād refuse to come to the Protestantes churches. And the Protestants in o­other countries, doe vtterly denye to present them selues to CatholiqueThe Protestan tes are Recu santes also in other contres. Churches: alleginge their consciencs for the same, and affirming it to be danmable hipocrisie, in them that for feare, or for any other temporal re­pect, doe yeld to doe the same against their fayth and conscience. Wherby it apeareth, that they goe quit against [Page 53] their own docttrine and example in England, which obiect the same to Catholiques as disobedience, obsti­nacie, and rebellious dealing, which in other countries they them selues both teach and practise. I wil for mor manifestation of this matter, put downe here the very wordes of oneAn. Dom. 1578. of them, translated out of french, and printed in England and dedicated to y^t Lord Tresurour, by John Brooke. the authors name is John Gardiner, a Protestant, whoe in his Cathechis­me, or, as he calleth it, Confession ofArt. 86. his faythe, maketh it a great heynous sinne, for Protestants to present thē selues to our Catholique Churches, which he (according to their blasphe­mous spirit,) calleth, idolatrous. His wordes are these.

I beleue and confesse, that it is not lawful, for any Christian, to be as­sistant, nether in spirit nor body, at the Sacrifices of idolatours, nor also to enter into their Temples, whilst they are doeing their idolatries and Sacri­fices, [Page] excepte it be to rebuke them, in shewinge them their abuses, and to teach them the truth, as the holy A­postles and Prophets haue done, and not for to dissemble as hipocrites. For if the body be a creature of God, (as it is) as the soule is the temple of the ho­ly Ghost, and member of the mistical bodye of Christ: and if it must one day rise agayne, and possesse the eter­nal lyfe with the soule: It must also necessarily be, that it be altogether ge­uen vnto the seruice of God, in this world, with the soule and spirite: o­therwise they can not be ioyned toge­ther after the general resurrection: but being seperated, the one should be in heauen with God, whom he loued, and the other in hel, with the deuil whom he serued, the which is an impossible thinge. Therefore I say, al those dissi­mulations to be a verye renouncinge of Christ, and of his Ghospel. And in lyke manner: I beleeue and con­fesse, that all those fayned and false shewes, by which, the veritye of the [Page 54] Ghospel is hidden, and the word of God despysed, or by which, the igno­rant and infidel is confirmed in his er­rour, or by which the weake is offen­ded, are not of God, but of Sathan, al­together contrarye vnto the truth of the worde. Therefore, we must not halt of both sides, but goe vpryghtlye before that greate God, which seethe, behouldeth, and knoweth, all thinges, euen before they are begonne.

Loehéere, We sée the sentence of their Doctours to the contrarye, whoe presse vs so much to goe to their Churches, agaynst our consci­ences. If errour finde such zeale, what zeale ought truthe to haue? If these fellowes, eche of them, for the defence of their pryuate fond fancies, be contente most willyngelye, to ad­uenture anye daunger or extremitye what so euer, rather then to come to the true Catholicke Church, where­in they were borne, and to the which in Baptisme they swore obedience: [Page] why should such blame be layde vpon vs, for standing in defence of our con­sciences,We, not born nor bred vpp in the Protest ants churche. and for refusinge to goe to their churches, wherein we were ne­ther borne nor bred vp, nor euer per­suaded, that they had any truth, or ho­lines in them? This reason only, may suffice any resonable man, especiallye the Protestant, except he wil mislike with his owne doctrine, which con­demneth me of hipocrisie, dissimula­tion, and renouncinge of Christ, and his Gospel, If I present but my only bodye, to the churches of them, whos religion I am not persuaded to be trew. The which sayinge of his in a sence, hath good reason: albeit the wordes and meaning be wicked. ForOne only Re ligion true & al other false. if there be no man, ether so foolish, or impious in the world, but must néeds thincke that one onelye religion a­mongst Christians, is trew, and al o­ther false: And if euerye man which hath anye religion, and is resolued therein, must néedes presuppose this only truth, to be in his own religion: [Page 55] then it followeth necessarily, that he must likewyse persuade him selfe, that all other religions besides his owne, are false and erroneous, and consequently al assemblies, conuen­ticles, and publike actes of the same, to be wicked, damnable, dishonorable to God, contumelious to Christ, and therfore to his cōscience (which thin­keth so) detestable. Now then suppose the case thus.Note this case

I know in England certayne pla­ces, where, at certayne tymes and dayes, assemblies are made, by cer­taine men, in shewe, to honour and commend, but in my conceate, to dis­honour, dispraise, and impugne, the maiesty of my most dread soueraigne Ladye the Quéene: And I am in­uited thither to heare the same, by my parentes, kinsmen, and acquain­tance: nay, I am enforced thither by the greatest autoritie, that vnder her maiestye may cōmaunde me: Tel me nowe: If I should goe thyther vnder anye pretence whatsoeuer, of grate­fiinge [Page] my frendes, or by commande­ment of any her inferior powers: can her Maiestie take it well, or ac­counte of me, better then of a tray­terous catyue, for yelding my selfe, to stay there, to heare them: to coun­tenance their doinges with my pre­sence: to hould my peace when they speake euill of her: to hould my han­des whiles they slaunder her: and fi­nallye, to saye nothing whiles they induce other men to forsake her, andA Verye cer­tayne conse­quente. her cause? And if her Maiestie, or anye other Prince in the Worlde, could not beare at their subiectes handes, any suche dissimulation, tre­cherye, or treason: how much lesse shall the omnipotent Maiestye of God, (who requireth, and deserueth, muche more exact seruice at our han­des,) beare this dissimulation, and trayterous dealing of ours, if we be content, for temporall respectes, and for satisfaction of anye mortall power, lesse then him selfe, to pre­sent our selues to such places and as­semblies, [Page 56] where we shal heare his Maiestie dishonoured, his Sonne slā ­dered,The thinges that a man must heare at Churche. his holy Woorde falsified, his Church impugned, his Sayntes and Martirs discredited, his Byshopes and Pastours reuyled: and all the whole Ecclesiastical Ierarchye rent, broken, disseuered, and turned vpsy­downe: and his people (purchased with his Blood, and dearer vnto him, then his own lyfe,) excited and stur­red vp against him & his ministers: and by swéet woordes, and gaye be­nedictiōs, slocked away to the slaugh­terRom. 16. house of heresie?

What Noble man is there in the world, which could take it wel, if he should sée his frende, and much­more his Sonne, in the companie of his professed enemye, at such tymeA Verie fitt comparison. principallye, as he knoweth, that his enemye abuseth him in spéeche, and séeketh most, his discredit and dyshonour: but especiallye, if hee should see hym come in open assem­blye of the worlde, to the barre, [Page] against him, in companye with his aduersarie, when his sayd aduersarie cōmeth of set purpose to deface him, (as heretiques doe to their churches and pulpets to dishonour God,) I think (I saye) he could hardly beare it. And shal such disdayne be taken by a mortal man, for a litle iniurie and discurtesie shewed: and shal not the iustice of God, be reuenged vppon our trechery and dissimulation in his cause?

If I geue my seruant but fortieAn example to confounde vs. shillinges a yeare, yet, I thinke him bound to defend me in al poynts and causes, to be frind to my frindes, ene­mye to my aduersaries, to vphoulde my credit, maintayn my honour, to resift my detractors, and to reuenge him selfe vppon my euilwillers: and if he can be content to hould his peace hearing me euil spoken of, and to put vp my flander without opening his mouth: I wil account him vn­worthye to weare my clothe: how much more inexcusable shal we be, [Page 57] at the dreadful daye of Indgment, ifThe gret paye in God his set uice. we, receauing at our Lord and mas­ters handes, such extraordinarie pay for our seruice in this lyfe, and expec­ting further and aboue this, all that himselfe is worth, for the eternitie of the lyfe to come: his kingdome, his glorye, and his euerlasting ioye, with his riches and tresures vnspeakable, which nether eare euer heard, nor1. Cor. 2. eye sawe, nor hart of man cōceaued, how great they are: how scusles (I saye) shal we be, at that terrible re­koning daye, and how confounded, by the examples of seruantes in this lyfe, (soe zelous for their maisters, vpon soe smal wages) if we, notwith standing al our rewardes both pre­sent and to come, shalbe yet key could in our maister his seruice, present at his iniuries, and silent at his slaun­ders?

Nether sufficeth it to saye, thatAn answere to an obiection. these suppositions are false, and that there are not such thinges commited against God, at the Protestantes [Page] Churches and seruices: for howso­euer that be (wherof I dispute not nowe) yet I being in my hart of an other religion, must néedes think not onlye them, but also al other religi­ons whatsoeuer to commit the same, as I knowe, they doe also thinke of mine. Wherfore, how good and holy souer they were, yea if they were Angels, yet should I be condemned for going amongest them: for that in my sight, iudgment, and Conscience, (by which onlye I must be iudged) they must néedes séeme enemyes to God, being of the contrarie reli­gion. By this it may appere, how gre­uouslyHeynous sinn to enforce an other man to do against his conscience. they sinne dayly in England, and cause other to sinne with them, which compel men by terror, to doe acts of religion against their Consci­ences: as to take othes, receaue Sa­craments, goe to Churches, and the like: which being done, (as I haue sayde) with repugnant Consciences, is horible mortal sinne, (as hath bene alredye prooued) and conseqently, [Page 58] damnable both to the doers, and to the enforcers therof. The which, I beséeche God to geue his grace, both to the one and the other part, dutiful­ly to consider: that ether these maye leaue of to enforce, or those learne to sustayne, as they ought, their enfors­ment. And thus now we maye sée what great and waightye Reasons y^t Catholiques haue, to lay for their re­fusal of comming to the Churches of Protestants. The which if they were wel cōceaued by the Prince, and Ma­gistrates, it is not likly, that they would presse them to the yelding to such incōueniences against the helth of their own souls: but if they should, yet ought the other, to beare any pres­sure whatsoeuer, rather then to fall into farre worse daungers. And of this that I haue sayde here before, there may be gathered these conclu­sions following, not vnnecessarye to be noted, for better perspicuities sake, to the vnlearned.

[Page]First, it foloweth of the premises,The first Con clusion. that this goeing to the Protestantes Churches, is forbidden not onely by the positiue lawes of the Church, dis­pensable by the Church againe: but also by Gods lawe, and the lawe of Nature, as the consideration of most of the reasons, dothe declare. For al­beit, it be prohibited by the Churche, yet not onely by the Church: seinge that a thing may be prohibited by the Canons of the Churche (for more playn explycations sake,) which was forbiden before by the lawe both of nature and of God also: as Aoulte­rye, Uiolence, Simonie, and the like. Euen so, albeit going to heretical as­sēblies be prohibyted by the Church: yet because it hath in it, or necessari­ly [...] to it, dyuers thinges which are prohibited by the lawe of God and Nature, (as perill of infection, Scandal, denying of our fayth when it is made a signe distinctiue, or com­maundement, dissemblinge in Gods cause, honouring Gods enemies, dis­honouring [Page 59] the Catholique Churche, and the lyke,) therfore, the whole acte of going to Church, is sayd to be pro­hibited also. Iure diuino, et naturali. That is, by the lawe of God and Na­ture. And her of it foloweth, that noA notable de uise. power vpon earth can dispence with the same. Wherfore, that which hath bene geuen out (as is sayde by some great men) that the Pope by his let­ters to her Maiestie, did offer to con­firme the seruice of England, vppon condition that the title of Suprema­cie might be restored him againe, is impossible to be soe: soe that, if anye such letters came to hir Maiesties handes, they must néedes be fayned and false.

Secondly, it foloweth of the pre­misses,The 2. Con­clusion. y^t this going to Church is not onlye vnlawfull, Ratione Scandali. by reason of Scandal, (as some wil haue it.) For albeit Scandal be one reason, why it is vnlawful, and that in such sort, as is almost impossible to be auoyded: yet you sée, that I [Page] haue geuen diuers other causes be­sides Scandal, which make it vn­lawfull. Wherof it foloweth, that a man cannot goe to their Churches, albeit he might goe in such secrete manner, or otherwise haue their seruice in his howse soe priuelye, as no Scandal should follow therof, or any man knowe therof, (which is notwithstanding impossible to do) but if it could be, yet were the thing vnlawfull, especiallye for the. 1. 4. 5. 6. 7. reasons before alledged.

Thirdely it followeth, that aThe 3. Conclusion. man maye not goe to Church vnder anye vayne pretence, as pretending that he goeth only for obedience, and not for anye lyking he hath to their seruice: yea, although he should pro­teste the same openly. For that pro­testation should rather agrauate then diminishe the sinne. Séeing by this protestation, he should testifie vnto the whole worlde, that he did a thing against his Conscience. As if a man [Page 60] should proteste, that he did thinkeA protestatiō wil not serue. that to rayle against the Pope, at Pouls Crosse, were nought, and yet for obedience sake, (being soe commaunded) would doe it. The which was Pilates case, who pro­tested first, that he thought ChristeMath. 27. innocent, and therfore sought to de­liuer him: but in the ende (fearingPilates Case the displeasure of the Iewes, and their complaynte to the Emperour) washed his handes, and soe condem­ned him: thinking by that protesta­tion to haue washed of the sinne, and to haue layd it on the Iewes neckes, which compelled him therto. But (I think) by this time he hath felt, that he was deceaued. For when a thing in it selfe is nought, noe protes­tation can make it lawful, but rather maketh the doing of it a greter offēce, by adding to the vnlawfulnes of theMarke this ob iection, [...] go­ing to the ma­terial Church. thing the repugnāce of the doers con­science. But you wil perhapes saye: to goe to the material Church, is not a thing euil of it selfe. I aunswer and [Page] that it is true. But you must not sin­gle out the matter soe. For in thisHow manye things contay ned in goinge to Churche. one action of goeing to Church, there be many thinges contayned, whereof the whole action is compounded. As for example, there is the materiall Church: the possession of the same by the enemye of the Catholicke religi­on: the seruice and sermons in re­proofe of the same religion: the dayes and houres appoynted for the same: the bel ringing and publikely calling al men thither: the Princes cōmaun­dement for the Catholickes to goe to the same: the end of the commaunde­ment in general, that they, by goeing, should pray with them, allow of their seruice, and by their presence honour it. Then is there the peril of infection: the scandale whereby I offende other mens consciences: and perhaps bring dyuers others to be corrupted by my meanes: the dishonoring of God his cause: the honoringe of his enemies cause: hearing God blasphemed, and houlding my peace: Semblably there [Page 61] is the conscience of the Catholicke, that thinketh he doth nought: the ex­plication of the Church, that it is not lawful: the matter now in tryal: and the vnlawfulnes of it, defended both by worde and wrytinges of learned men, and by imprisonment of manye other: the controuersie now knowen to al the world, and many thousande mens eyes fixed vpon them, that are called in question for it: the Prote­stant, whereas he estéemed nothing of goeing to Church before, yet now soe desirous to obtayne it, that he thinc­keth the yelding in that one pointe, to be a sufficient yelding to al his desirs: the which thing on the other side, is so detested of the true Catholickes, that, whoe soe euer yeldeth to this, they thincke him a flat Scismatycke, and so abhorre him. And by this meanes the matter is made a signe distinctiue betwixt religion and religion: where­of agiane it foloweth, that if the thing were much lesse then it is, (as for ex­ample, the houldinge vp of a finger) [Page] yet because it is made, Tessera, a marke, token, or signe, of yelding to their procéedings in religion, it were vtterly vnlawful. As if a man should but lift vp a straw to the deuil, in to­ken of obedience, it were as much, as if he did, worde by worde, deny his Créede. These poyntes, and manye moe that might be thought of, beinge put together, and one entyer action made of them, the question is, whe­ther this entyre action of goeinge to Church, with these anneres, be of it selfe vnlawful or [...] and euery wise man wil thincke it is. Nether, if you could by some deuise, plucke from this actiō one or two of these thinges, must we thincke that by and by the action were lawful. As for example, if by a protestation you could signifie that your mynd were not in goeinge thether, to consente to their seruice: as also, that the Princesse mynde to you in particuler, were only that you shoulde goe for temporall obedience sake, yet were not by this al the mat­ter [Page 62] amended. For if a péece of meate were venemous for ten causes con­curringe together, if you should take away two of them, and so eate it, you might for al y^t be poisoned therewith.

One only thing there is, which asIn what sort a man may goe to Churche, with 4. qua­lifications. the Deuines iudge, might make go­ing to Church lawful: which is, if a man did goe thither for some méere, partyculer, knowen, temporal busi­nes: as to beare the sword before the Prince to the chappel: to consult of matters of warre at Poules by the Princesse appoi tmēt: albeit it were in the time of seruice, & the lyke. But here is to be noted, that I say first, forThe 1. Quali­fication. méere temporal busines. For if a man should goe partly for seruice, & partly for tēporal busines, as to talk with y^t church wardēs in y^t Church after ser­uice, it will not serue. Secondly I say:The 2. Quali­fication. for particuler tēporal busines. For it is not enough for y^e Prince to saye in general I wil haue you go only for o­bediēce, which is a tēporal respect, w^t ­out assigning any particuler busines to be donne. [Page] For that was the sayinge of al Prin­ces to the Martyrs in the Primatiue Church, that they would haue them cōforme themselues in exterious acti­ons, to other men: and that for obedi­ence sake, howe soeuer they ment in­wardly. Thirdly I say, for some kno­wenThe 3. Quali fication. busines: For if the busines wer not knowen, men might thincke that they wente of conscience to seruice: and therefore to take away this scan­dale, they ought to protest, for what busines they goe. To these thrée qua­lifications, adde this fourth, which is,The 4. Quali fication. that a man that shoulde thus goe, might not geue anye signe of reue­rence or honour to their seruice: as by knéeling, putting of his hat, or the lyke, more then he would doe, if the seruice were not there. And that it is lawful to goe to any Church of theirs obseruing these foure poynts, it is e­uident. For this is as much to saye, as not to goe to Church at al: Séeing he goeth in this case, to their méere material Church, that is, to that ma­terial [Page 63] house or buyldinge, which is their Church: nether goeth he to it as to a Church, but as to a house to doe his busines in. And this was the case4. Reg. 5. of Naaman the Syrian, who beinge vpon a sodaine conuerted from Idola­trye,The case of Naaman Sy rus promised, that he would neuer sacrifise or offer more to Idoles: how beit, because his office was to stay vp the King of Syria with his handes, when he went to adore the Idoles in the temple Remnon, and because he could not doe that, excepte he bowed himselfe downe, when the King bow­ed downe, whoe vsed to leane vpon him: for this cause he desired the Pro­phet Elizeus, to pray to God for him, that it might be pardoned him: and the Prophet answered him, Depart in peace. Which wordes can importe noe more, but a grantinge to his re­quest: which was, to praye to God that he would pardon him, if he went so to Church: or at the vttermost (as some will enforce it) a tolleration with him, being yet a Proselite or a [Page] new gotten man, to do this temporal seruice vnto his King: (for he wente not vpon cōmaundement to shew his religion as our men doe) especially, it being in such a contrey, as noe scan­dale could folowe thereof. And that many thinges are tolerated with no­uices, which afterwards are taken a­way, it appeareth by S. Paul, whoe circumsised Timothye for satisfiynge the weake Iewes, and yet afterward he condemned in al men al circumsi­sion. Nether maketh it anye matter although he say. Si adorauero in tem­plo Remnon, adorante rege in eodem loco, vt ignoscat mihi Dominus pro hac re. That is. If I shal adore in the temple Remnon, when the King doth adore in the same place, that God wil pardon me for this thinge. As though he should aske pardon for to adore theAdoring is ta ken in y^e Scrip ture for bow­ing downe. Idoles with the King. This kynde of speach (I say) importeth nothinge. For nether doth he aske pardon to commit Idolatrye thereby, séeinge immediatelye before he sayed, that [Page 64] he would neuer committe it more:) nor if he had asked such leaue, could the Prophet haue lycensed him, or would God haue pardoned hem: But his meaninge was onelye, to haue pardon for his seruinge the King in that place, and bowinge downe with him, for the better staying of him vp, when he did adore. For the same worde which we translate héere ad­ore, doth both in Hebrewe, Bréeke, and Latine, n̄gnifie often tymes one­lye bowinge downe, without anyeGen. 32. deuyne adoration. As when Iacobe addored his brother Esawe seuen tymes, that is, bowed downe to him seuen tymes. And Dauid adored Io­nathas1. Reg. 20. Kinge Saule his sonne thrée tymes. Abigaile also adored Dauid1. Reg. 25. twyse. And the lyke in other places of Scripture, where adoringe, is taken for bowynge downe onelye, without anye diuine adoration at al, as héere it is in this place.

[Page] Fourthely and lastly, it follow­ethThe 4, Con­clusion. of that which is spoken before, that séeing this going to Church is so forbidden by Gods lawe, as it is, and hath soe manie great inconueniences in it as hath bene shewed: that a man may not yeld in any one litle poynte in the same: as for example, to come to Church once a yeare, to haue ser­uice in his house, to shewe him selfe present at a péece of seruice, or the like. For most certayn it is, that if all be not lawful, then noe parte of it, is lawfull. And Christ saythe, that he wil not haue one iote of his laweMat. 5. to be paste ouer vnkepte: and whoe soeuer shall breake one of the least of his commandementes, shal haue least parte in the kingdome of heauen. The which wordes of Christ, Saint Iames explicating, saythe. He thatIacob. 2.kepeth all the whole lawe, and dothe offend but in one thing only, yet is he guiltie in al the reste. And Christ himApoc. 2. selfe in the Apocalipes commendeth much the Angel of Ephesus, for his [Page 65] good woorkes, laboure, patience, and for many things besides, there reci­ted: but yet, for being imperfect in some things, (contrarie to the wil ofMath. 5. Christ which would haue vs perfect,) he is commaunded to repent quickly, vnder the payne of léesing his candel­sticke, that is, of léesing his vocation, and his place in the booke of lyfe: soeGod wil haue vs parfit. vnspotted wil God haue our seruice to be. In prefiguration wherof, al Sacrifices of the ould Testament,Leui. 3. were commanded to be of vnspottedNum. 28. creatures, of one colour, of one age,Ezeh. 43. without maime or deformitie, wher­by is signified, that God accepteth no partition, no maime in our seruice, but ether al or none must be his. For1. Cor. 5. a litle leuen sowreth a great deale of dowe, and a smal spott dissigureth a fayre garment. Which S. Paul vr­geth farre, by the example of Christ, when he sayth. That Christ dyed forColos. 1.vs, to thend we should exhibit our sel ues holy and vnspotted, and irrepre­hensible in his sight. As though he [Page] should saye: Christ spared nothing, no not his owne lyfe for vs, that by his example we might be prouoked to geue our selues wholye to him and his seruice, without limitation or re­seruation at all, and therby shewe our selues vnspotted seruauntes and irreprehensible. Which thing the Noble champion of Christ S. BasileThe noble co rage of Saynt Basile. well considered, when being requi­red by the Emperours léefetenaunt, to conforme him selfe in some smallTheod. li. 4 capit. 17. thinges to the Emperours request, and therby purchase quietnes to the whole Church, rather then by obsti­nacie (as he termed it) to exasperats thinges worse: he answered, that perswasion to be fitt for children and not for him: who was redye to suffer anye kinde of death or torment ra­ther then to betraye any one sillable of Gods deuine truthe: adding fur­ther, that he estéemed much and desi­red the Emperours frendshipe if it might be ioyned with godlynes, but if not, he must néedes contemne it, [Page 66] as pernitious. Soe resolute seruan­tes had God in those dayes, and the like desireth to haue nowe.

Herof also followeth an otherWe maye not procute others to saye falslye for vs. thing which I had almost passed o­uer vntouched, that a Catholique, maye not procure anye other to af­firme or sweare for him falsly, that he hath bene at Church, receaued the Communion, or the like: nor accept the same, if anye would offer suche seruice: but if others dyd it, without his procurement, he maye hould his peace, and vse their sinne to his owne quietnes, excepte Scandale shoulde ensewe therof, and then were hée bound to disclose the truthe. For as I haue noted before, out of S. Cipri­an,In Ep. cler. rom. apud. Cyp. epi. 31. he which séeketh [...] in ex­cuse of his faythe denyeth the same, and the séeming to obey lawes, made and published against true religion, is taken by God for obeying in déed, and soe punished for the facte it selfe. The which moste worthy and excel­lent saying of Christ his holy martyr [Page] God graunt we may all wel beare in minde, and execute, as Gods cause and glorye shall require: especially those, which are by peculier preroga­tiue, called to the publique triall of the same. Whom God of his mer­cye soe strengthen with his grace, as his holye name maye be gloryfied in them, and their persecutours moly­fied, by their constant, milde, and so­ber behauiour.

And thus (my deare good frend)The conclusi­on of this first parte. I make an ende of the first poynte, which I promised to handle, concer­ning the reasons which Catholiques haue, to stand in the refusal, of going to the Church against their Consci­ences: hauing sayd much lesse, then might be sayd in this matter, and yet more, then I purposed at the begin­ning. But I am to craue most ear­nestlye at your handes, and of all them that shall chaunce to sée this Treatise, to haue charitable consi­deration of my great haste in wri­ting of the same, which was such, [Page 67] as I had not time to suruew, or read anye parte of it, ouer againe. Wher­fore, if anye thing be in it, wherby you maye be edefied, or any way in­structed: I am glad, and to Gods glo­rye onlye be it. If not, yet surely myThe first part of the authors meaning. meaning was good, and to no mans offence: only coueting herby, to geue some satisfaction to them in Eng­lande, especially to her Maiestie and the right honorable her Counsayle, touching the principles whiche Ca­tholiques haue, to refuse that confor mitie, which is demaunded at their handes, the which as I haue proued they can not admitt, (remayning in Conscience of the contrarye relygi­on) without euident daunger of their owne Soules. Wherof, if her Ma­iesty, & ther Honours may in time be made capable: thē howsoeuer things passe otherwise, yet shall Catholi­ques retayne still, their deserued o­pinion, of honest and trew subiectes, which they moste desire, and the dis­pleasure taken against them, for this [Page] refusal, be deminished, when it shalbe manifest, that the same procéedeth not of wil, but of conscience, and iudgement in religion, which is not in an honest mans hands to frame at his owne pleasure.

Moreouer, my meaninge was to geue some information, towchingeThe seconde part of the au thors mening. the qualitie of this sinne of goinge to the Church of a contrarye religion, and his circumstances, for them, that ether remayned doubtful in the same, or not rightelye perswaded. Of the which two effects, if any one follow, I shalbe most glad: if not, yet I serue (as I trust) such a maister, as rewar­deth the affecte, as wel as the effecte, and the wil, noe lesse then the worke it selfe. Wherefore, to his holy hands I commit the whole: assuringe my selfe, that, as this cause of his Ca­tholique Churche, importethe him more, then it doth vs: so his peculier care of the same, furre surmounteth any care of man, and therefore what soeuer shall become of this, or anye [Page 68] other labour taken for the same: yet he will neuer cease to rayse vpp men, for the defence of it, agaynst all ene­mies to the worldes ende.