A Brief Confutation of a Popish Discourse, Part 1 · Reason 9
The ninthe Reason.
The ninthe reason which catholikes may yeeld, for their refusall ofExamp…e of I… fidels and …ikes. going to the church, may bee, the example of all men, from the beginning, which hauehave had any care or conscience towarde their own religion: not only good men, (of whom I hauehave giuen diuers examples before) but also al others, howe false and erronious soeuer their religion were, yet did they alwayes procure to separate them selues, from them of the contrarie religion, in the act of prayer: and from the Temples, Sinagogues, churches,Lact. li. 4. & 5. …. …. Cur. Sec. de. hist. Maho. Chro. Wolfan. Dris…. Eus. lib. 3. & 4. Aug. lib. de Vnit. Eccle. & lib. 2. con. P…til. Oratories, and conuenticies of the same. So wee reade of the Gentiles which thought it to bee a great sinne and pollution, to enter into the Iewes Synagogues, or Christians churches. The like wee read also, of the Turkes at this day. So all heretiques from the beginning, assoone as they had framed any newe religion: eftsoones they e…ected newe Oratories to them selues, and refused to come to those of other religions, as the Arians, Donatistes, and the rest, had their churches and places of prayer distinct from the catholikes, whose churches they … and auoyded, together with their doctrine. And so the Anabaptists at this day, refuse to goe to the Lutherans church, and the Lutherans to the Trinitaries. In like wise the Puritans of our …ime in Englande refuse to come to the Protestantes churches. And the Protestantes in otherThe … are R…cusants also in other countries. countri…s, doe vtterly denye to present themselues to catholike Churches: alledging their conscience for the same, and affirming it to bee damnable hypocrisie, in them that for feare, or for any other temporal re…pect, do yeld to doe the same against their faith and conscience. Wherby it appeareth, that they goe quite against their owne doctrine and example in England, which obiect the same to Catholikes as disobedience, obstinacie, and rebellious dealing, which in other countries they them selues both teach and practise. I will for more manifestation of this matter, put downe here the verie words of one of them, translated out of French, andAn. Dom. 1578. Art. 86. printed in England, and dedicated to the Lord Treasurer, by Iohn Brooke, The Authors name is Iohn Gardiner, a Protestant, who in his Cathechisme, or, as he calleth it, Confession of his faith, maketh it a great he…ous sinne, for Protestantes to present them selues to our catholike churches, w…ich hee (according to their blasphemous spirite,) calleth, idolatrous. His wordes are these.
I beleeue and confesse, that it is not lawful, for any Christian, to be assistant, neither in spirit nor body, at the Sacrifices of idolators, nor also to enter in…o their Temples whilest they are doing their idolatries, & Sacrifices, except it be to rebuke them, in shewing them their abuses, & to teach them the truth, as the holy Apostles & Prophets hauehave done, and not for to dissemble as hypocrites. For if the body bre a creature of God, (as it is) as the soule is the temple of the holy Ghost, & member of the mystical body of Christ: and if it must one day r…se againe, & possesse the eternal life with the soule: It must also necessarily be, that it be altogether giuen vntounto 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 separated, the one should bee in heauen with God, whom he loued, and the other in hel, with the deuil whom he serued, the which is an impossible thing. Therfore I say, al those dissimulations to be a very renouncing of Christ, and of his Gospel. And in like maner: I beleeue and confesse, that all those fayned and false shewes, by which, the veritie of the Gospel is hidden, & the word of God despised, or by which, the ignorant and infidel is confirmed in his error, or by which the weake is offended, are not of Cod, but of Sathan, altogether contrary vntounto the trueth of the word. Therefore, we must not halt of both sides, but go vprightly before that great God, which seeth, beholdeth, and knoweth, all thinges, euen before they are begunne.
Loe heere, We see the sentence of their Doctours to the contrary, who presse vsus so muche to goe to their Churches, against our consciences. Iferrour finde such zeale, what zeale ought trueth to hauehave: If these fellowes, each of them, for the defence of their priuate fond fancies, be content most willi…gly, to aduenture any danger or extremitie whatsoeuer, rather then to come to the true catholike churche, wherein they were borne, and to the which in Baptisme they swore obedience: why should suche blame be laide vponupon vsus, for standing in defence of our consciences,VVe, not born nor bred vp in the pro testants church. and for refusing to go to their churches, wherin, we were neither borne, nor bread vp, nor euer perswaded that they had any trueth, or holinesse in them? This reason only, may suffice any reasonableman especially the Protestant, except hee will mislike with his owne doctrine, whiche condemneth mee of hypocrisie, dissimulation, and renouncing of Christe, and his Gospel. If I present but my only body to the churches of them, whose Religion I am not persuaded to be true: The which saying of his in a sense, hath good reason: albeit the workes and meaning … wicked. For ifOne onl… religio… true, & … false. there bee no man either so foolish, or impious in the worlde, but muste needes thinke that one only religion amongst christians, is true, and al other false: And if eueryevery man which hath any religion, and is resolued therein, must needes presuppose this only trueth, to bee in his owne religion then …t followeth necessarily, that hee must likewise persuade himselfe that all other religions besides his owne, are false and erronious, and consequently a…l assemblies, conuenticles, and publike actes of the same, to bee wicked, damnable, dishonourable to God, contumelious to Christe, and therfore to his conscience (which thinketh so) detestable. Now then suppose the case thus.
I know in E…gland certaine places, where at certaine times & dayesNo… this …. assemblies are made, by certaine men, in shew, to honour and commend, but in my conceit, to dishonor, dispraise, and impugne, the maiestie of my moste dread Soueraigne Ladie the Queene: And I am inuited thither to heare the fame by my parents, kinsmen, and acquaintance: nay I am inforced thither by the greatest authoritie, that vnderunder her Maiestie may cō maunde mee: Tell mee nowe: If I should goe thither vnderunder any pretence whatsoeuer, of gratifying my friends, or by cōmandemēt of any her inferiour powers: can her Maiestie take it well, or account of mee, better then of a tratierous catiue, for yeelding my selfe to stay there, to heare them: to countenance their doings with my presence: to holde my peace when they speake euill of her: to hold my hands whiles they slaunder her: andA very certai… … ▪ finally, to say nothing whiles they induce other men to forsake her, and her cause? And if her Maiestie, or any other prince in the worlde, could not beare at their subiectes handes, any such dissimulation, trecherie, or treason: howe much lesse shal the omnipotent Maiestie of God, (who requireth, and deserueth muche more exact seruice at our handes,) beare this dissimulation, and traiterous dealing of ours, if we be content, for temporall respectes, and for satisfaction of any mortall power, lesse then himself to present our selues to such places and assemblies, where we shalThe things that a man must heare at C…urch. heare his Maiestie dishonoured, his sonne slaundered, his worde falsified, his churche impugned, his Saints and Martyrs discredited, his Bishoppes and Pastours reuiled: and al the whole Ecclesiastical Ierarchie rent, broken, disseuered, and turned vpside downe: and his people (purchased with his blood, and dearer vntounto him then his owne life) excited and stirred vpp against him and his Ministers: and by sweete wordes, and gay benedictions,Rom 16. flocked away to the slaughter house of heresie?
What noble man is there in the worlde, whiche coulde take it well, if hee shoulde see his friende, and muche more his sonne, in the companie of his professed enimie, at such time principally as he knoweth that his enimieAverie fit comparison. abuseth him in speeche, and seeketh most his discredite and dishonour: but especially, if hee shoulde see him come in open assemblie of the worlde, to the barre, against him, in companie with his aduersarie, when his saide aduersarie commeth of set purpose to deface him, (as Heretikes doe to their Churches and Pulpettes to dishonour GOD,) I thinke (I say (hee coulde hardly beare it. And shal suche disdaine be taken by a mortal man, for a little iniurie and discurtesie shewed: and shal not the iustice of God, be reuenged vponupon our treacherie and dissimulation in his cause?
If I giuegive my seruant but fortie shillinges a yeere, yet I thinke him… example to confound vsus. bounde to defende mee in al points & causes, to bee friend to my friends, enimie to my aduersaries, to vpholde my credite, mainteine my honour, to resist my detractours, and to reuenge himselfe vponupon my euil willers: and if hee can bee content to holde his peace hearing mee spoken of, and to put vp my slaunder without opening his mouth: I wil account him vnworthie to weare my cloth: howe muche more inexcusable shall we be, at the dreadful day of iudgement, if wee, receiuing at our Lorde and maisters handes, such extraordinarie pay for our seruice in this life, and expectingThe great pay in God his seruice. further and aboue this, al that himselfe is worth, for the eternitie of the life to come: his kingdome, his glory, and his euerlasting ioy, with his riches and treasures vnspeakeable, which neither eare euer heard, nor eye1. Cor. 2. saw, nor heart of man cōceiued, how great they are: how … (I say) shal wee bee, at that terrible rekoning day, and howe confounded, by the examples of seruantes in this life, (so zealous for their maisters, vppon so smal wages) if wee, notwithstanding al our rewardes both present and to come, shalbe yet key cold in our maister his seruice, present at his iniuries and silent at his slaunders?An … to an obiection.
Neither sufficeth it to say, that these suppositions are false, and that there are not such things committed against God, at the Protestants chur ches and seruices: for howesoeuer that bee (whereof I dispute not now) yet I being in my hearte of an other religion, must needes thinke not onelyonly them, but also all other religions whatsoeuer to commit the same, as I knowe, they doe also thinke of mine. Wherefore, howe good and holy soeuer they were, yea if they were Angels, yet shoulde I bee condemned for going amongst them: for that in my sight, iudgement, and conscience, (by which only I must bee iudged) they must needes seeme enimies to God, being of the contrarie religion. By this it may appeare, howe greuouslyHeynous … inforce an other man to do against his conscience. they sinne dayly in Englande, and cause other to sinne with them, which compelmen by terror, to doe acts of religion against their consciences: as to take othes, receiue sacraments, goe to Churches, and the like, which being doone (as I hauehave saide) with repugnant consciences, is horrible mortal sinne, (as hath beene already proued) and consequently, dam nable both to the doers, and to the enforcers therof. The which, I beseech God to giuegive his grace, both to the one and the other part, duetifully to consider: that either these may leaue of to inforce, or those learne to sustain, as they ought, their inforcement.
And thus nowe wee may see what great and waightie reasons theConclu…ons dravvne out of … premisses. Catholikes hauehave, to lay for their refusall of comming to the Churches of Protestants The which if they were wel conceiued by the Prince, & magistrates, it is not likely, that they woulde presse them to the yeelding too suche inconueniences against the health of their owne soules: but if they shoulde, yet ought the other, to beare any pressure whatsoeuer, rather thē to sal into far…e worse dangers. And of this that I hauehave said heere before there may be gathered these conclusions folowing, not vnnecessarie to be noted, for better perspicuities sake, to the vnlearned.
First it foloweth of the premises, that this going to the ProtestantesThe first co… sion. churches, is forbidden not onelyonly by the possitiue lawes of the church, dispensable by the Churche againe: but also by Gods lawe, and the lawe of nature, as the cōsideration of most of the reasons doth declare. For albeit, it be prohibited by the churche, yet not onelyonly by the church: seeing that a thing may be prohibited by the canons of the churche (for more plaine explicatiōs sake) which was forbiddē before by the law both of nature & of God also: as Adulterie, Violence, Simonie, and the like. Euen so, albeit going to hereticall assemblies be prohibited by the church: yet because it hath in it, or necessarily annexed to it, diuers thinges which are prohibited by the lawe of God and nature, (as perill of infection, Scandale, deniyng of our faith when it is made a signe distinctiue, or commaundement dissēbling in gods cause, honoring gods enimies dishonoring the catholik church, and the like) therefore, the whole acte of going to church, is saide to be prohibited also. …ure diuino, & naturali. That is, by the law of God & nature. And heereof it foloweth, that no power vpō earth can dispenceA notable deuise. with the same. Wherefore, that which hath been giuen out (as is saide 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 again, is impossible to be so: so that, if any suche letters came to her Maiesties handes, they must needes be fained & false.
Secondly, it followeth of premisses, that this going to churche is notThe 2. conclusion only vnlawfull▪ Ratione Scandali, by reason of Scandal, (as som wil hauehave it.) For albeit Scandal bee one reason, why it is vnlawful, and that in such sort, as is almost impossible to be auoyded: yet you see, that I hauehave giuen diuers other causes besides Scandal, which make it vnlawful. Whereof it followeth, that a man cannot goe to their churches, albeit hee might goe in such secrete maner, or otherwise hauehave their seruice in his house so priuily, as no Scandale shoulde followe thereof, or any man knowe thereof, (whiche is notwithstanding impossible to doe, but if it coulde bee, yet were the thing vnlawefull, especially for the 1, 4. 5. 6. 7. reasons before alleadged.
Thirdly i… followeth, that a man may not goe to churche vnderunder anyThe 3. conclusion. vaine pretence, as pretending that hee goeth only for obedieuce, and not for any liking hee hath to their seruice: yea although hee shoulde protest the same openly for that protestation shoulde rather agrauate then diminishe the sinne. Seeing by this protestation, hee shoulde testifie vntounto the whole worlde, that he did a thing against his conscience. As if a man shoulde proteste, that hee did thinke that to rayle against the Pope, atA … not serue. Paules crosse, were naught, and yet for obedience sake, (being so commaunded) woulde doe it. The which was Pilates case, who protestedMat. 17. first, that hee thought Christ innocent, and therefore sought toPilates …. deliuer him: but in the ende (fearing the displeasure of the Iewes, and theyr complaint to the Emperour) washed his handes, and so condemned him: thinking by that protestation to hauehave washed of the sinne, and to hauehave layde it on the Iewes neckes, which compelled him thereto. But (I thinke) by this time hee hath felt, that hee was deceaued. For when aMarke this obiection, of going to the materiall Church. thing it selfe is naught, no protestation can make it lawefull, but rather maketh the doing of it a greater offence, by adding the vnlawefulnesse of the thing the repugnaunce of the doers conscience. But you will perhaps say: to goe to the material church, is not a thing euill of it selfe. I answere and graunt that it is true. But you must not single out the matter so. For in this one action of going to church, there be many things contained, wherof the whole action is compounded. As for example, there is the material church: the possession of the same by the enemie of the catholike religion: the seruice and sermons in reproofe of the same religion: the dayes and houres appoynted for the same: the bel ringing and publikly calling al men thither: the Princes commaundemente for the Catholikes to goe to the same: the end of the commaundement in general, that they, by going,Hovv many things … in going to church should pray with them, allowe of their seruice, and by their presence, honour it. Then is there the peril of infection: the scandal wherby I offend other mens consciences: and perhaps bring diuers other to bee corrupted by my meanes: the dishonouring of God his case: the honouring of his enemies cause: hearing God blasphemed, and holding my peace: Semblably there is the conscience of the catholike, that thinketh he doth nought: the explication of the church, that is not lawfull: the matter nowe in tryall: and the vnlawfulnesse of it, defended both by word and writings of learned men, ann by imprisonment of many other: the controuersie now knowne to all the world and many thousand mens eies fixed vponupon them, that are called in question for it: the Protestant, wheras he esteemed nothing of goeing to Church before, yet now so desirous to obtayne it, that hee thinketh the yeelding in that one poynt, to bee a sufficient yeelding to all his desires: the which thing on the other side, is so detested of the true catholikes, that, whosoeuer yeeldeth to this, they thinke him a flat Schismatike, and so abhor him. And by this meanes the matter is made a signe distinctiue betwixt religion and religion: whereof againe it foloweth, that if the thing were much lesse then it is (as for example, the holding vp of a finger) yet because it is made, Tessera, a marke, token, or signe of yeeling to their proceedings in religion, it were viterly vnlawful. As if a man shoulde but lyft vp a straw to the deuill, in token of obedience, it were as much, asNote this simi…. if he did, word by word, denie his Creede. These poyntes, and many moe that myght be thought of, being put together, and one entyre action made of them, the question is, whether this enty…e action of going to churche, with these annexes, be of it self vnlawfull or no? And eueryevery wise man will thinke it is. Neyther, if you could by some deuice, pluck from this action one or two of these things, must we think that by and by the action were lawful. As for example, if by a protestation you could signifie that your minde were not in going thither, to consent to their seruice: as also, that the princesse minde to you in particular, were onelyonly that you should goe for temporal obedience sake, yet were not by this all the matter amended. For if a peece of meate were venomous for ten causes concurring together, ifyou should take away two of them, and so eate it, you might for al that be poysoned therwith.
One only thing there is, which as the Diuines iudge, might make going… …hat sort a man may goe to Church vvith 4▪ qualifications. to church lawful: which is, if a man did goe thither for some meere, perticuler, known, …emporal busines: as to beare the sword before the Prince to the chappel: to consult of matters of war at Poules by the Princes appointment: albeit it were in time of seruice, & thelike. But here is to be noted, that I say first, for meere temporal busines, For if a man shold go, partly for seruice, and partly for temporall busines, as to talke with the church wardēs in the church after seruice, it wil not serue. Secōdly I say, for particularThe 1. qualificatiō tēporal busines. For it is not enough for the Prince to saye in general, IThe 2. qualificatiō wil hauehave you go only for obedience, which is a tēporal respect, without assigning any perticular busines to be don. For that was the saying of alprinces to the martyrs in the primitiue church, that they wold hauehave thē confoō them selues in exteriour actions, to other men: & that for obedience sake, howsoeuer they ment inwardly. Thirdly I say, for some knowen busines:… 3. qualificatiō For if the busines were not knowen, men might think that they went of conscience to seruice: and therfore to take away this scandale, they ought… 4. qualificatiō to protest for what busines they go. To these three qualificatiōs, adde this forth, which is, that a man that should thus go, might not giuegive any signe of reuerence or honour to their seruice: as by kneeling, putting of his hat, o… the like 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 poyntes, it is euident. For this is as much to say, as not to goe to church at all: seeing he goeth in this case, to their meere material church, that is, to that matterial house or building, which is their church: neither goeth he to it as to a church, but as to a house to doe his busines in. And this was the case of Naaman the Syriā, who being vpō … sodain conuerted from Idolatrie, promised,4. Reg. 5. The case of … ▪that he would neuer sacrifice or offer more to Idols: howbeit, because his office was to stay vp the king of Syria with his hands, when hee wente to adore the Idolles in the temple of Remnon, and because he could not do that, except he bowed himself down, when the king bowed downe, who vsed to leane vponupon him: for this cause he desired the Prophet Elizeus to pray to God for him, that it might be pardoned him: & the Prophet answered him, departe in peace. Which words can importe no more, but a graunting to his request: which was, to pray to God that hee woulde pardon him, if he went so to chuch, or at the vttermost (as some will enforce it) a tolleration with him, being yet a Proselite or a new gotten man, to do this temporal seruice vntounto his king: (for he went not vponupon commandement to shew his religion as our men doe) especially, it beeingAct. 19. Gal. 5. such a country, as no scandale could folow therof. And that many thinges are tollerated with nouices, which afterwards are takē away, it appeareth by S. Paule, who circumcised Timothy for satisfying the weak Iewes, and yet afterward he condemned in al menal circumcision. Neyther maketh it any matter although he say. Si ador auero in templo Remnon, adorāte rege in eodemloco, vt ignoscat mihi Dominus pro hacre. That is, If I shall adore in the temple Remnon, when the king doth adore in the same place, that God will pardon me for this thing. As though he should aske pardon for to adore the Idols with the king. This kinde of speach (I say) importethAdoring i… … in the scripture foe … nothing. For neither doth he aske pardon to commit Idolatry therby, seeing immediately before he sayd, that he would neuer omit it more:) nor if he had asked such leaue, could the Prophet hauehave licenced him, or would Cod hauehave pardoned him: But his meaning was only, to hauehave pardon for his seruing theking in that place, & bowing down with him for the better staying of him vp, when he did adore. For the same word which we translate here adore, doeth in Hebrew, Greeke, and Latine, signifie often tymes onelyonly bowing downe, without any diuine adoration. As when IaoobGen. 32. adored his brother Esaw seuen tymes, that is, bowed downe to him seuen times. And Dauid adored Ionathas king Saule his sonne three times. Abigaile also adored Dauid twise. And the like in other places of scripture,1. Reg. …. 1. Reg. 15. where adoring, is taken for bowing downe only, without any diuine adoration at al, as here it is in this place.
Fourthlye and lastlye, it followeth of that which is spoken before,The 4. conclusion. that seeing this going to church is so forbidden by Gods law, as it is, and hath so many great inconueniences in it as hath bene shewed: that a man may not yeeld in any one little poynt in the same: as for example, to come to church once a yeere, to hauehave seruice in his house, to shewe him selfe present at a peece of seruice, or the like. For most certaine it is, that if all bee not lawefull, then no parte of it is lawefull. And Christ saith, thatMat. 5. hee will not hauehave one iot of his lawe to bee past ouer vnkeept: and who soeuer shall breake one of the least of his commaundementes, shall hauehave least part in the kingdome of heauen. The which wordes of Christ,Iacob. 2. Saint Iames explicating, saieth. Hee that keepeth all the whole lawe, and doeth offende but one thing onelyonly, yet is he guiltie in all the rest. AndApoc. 2. Christ himselfe in the Apocalipes commendeth much the Angell of Ephesus, for his good works, labour, patience, and for many things besides, ther recited: but yet, for being imperfect in some thinges, (contrary to the wilMat. 5. of Christ which would hauehave vsus perfect) he is commanded to repent quickly, vnderunder the paine of leesing his candlesticke, that is, of leesing his vocation, and his place in the booke of lyfe: so vnspotted will God hauehave our seruiceGod vvill … …s perfect. to be. In prefiguration whereof, all Sacrifices of the old Testament, were commanded to be of vnspotted creatures, of one colour, of one age, without mayme or deformitie, wherby is signified, that God accepteth noLeui. 3. Num. 28. Ezech. 43. partition, no maime in our seruice, but either all or none must be his. For a little leuen so wreth a great deale of do we, and a small spot disfygureth a fayre garment. Which S Paule vrgeth farre, by the example of Christe, when he saieth. That Christ died for vsus, to the ende we shoulde exhibite 1. Cor. 5. Colos. 1.our selues holy & unspotted, and irreprechensible in his sight. As though he should say: Christ spared nothing, no not his owne life for vsus, that by his example we might be prouoked to giuegive our selues wholy to him, and his seruice, without limitation or reseruation at all, and thereby shewe our selues vnspotted se…auntes and irreprehensible. Which thing the Noble champion of Christ S. Basile well considered, when being requiredThe noblecourage of Saint Basil by the Emperours leefetenaunte, to conforme him selfe in some smallTho. …. 4. cap. 17. thinges to the Emperours request, and therby purchase quietnesse to the whole church, rather then by obstinacie (as he tearmed it) to exasperate thinges worse: hee answered, that perswasion to be fit for children and not for him: who was ready to suffer any kinde of death or torment rather then to betray any one sillable of Gods diuine trueth: adding further, that hee esteemed much, and desired the Emperours friendshippe if it might be ioyned with godlinesse, but if not, he must needes contemne it, as pernitious. So resolute seruantes had God in those dayes, and the like desireth to hauehave nowe.
Here of also followeth an other thing which I had almost passed ouerVVe may not procure others … say falsly for vsus. vntouched, that a Catholike, may not procure any other to affirme or sweare for him falsly, that he hath been at Church, receiued the Communion, or the like: nor accept the same, if any woulde offer such seruice: but if others did it, without his procurement, he may holde his peace, and vse their sinne to his owne quietnesse, except Scandale shoulde insue thereof, and then were he bounde to disclose the trueth. For as I hauehave noted before, out of Saint Cyprian, he which seeketh sleightes in excuse of his faith denieth the same, and the seeming to obey lawes, made & publishedIn Epist. cler. rom. apud Cyp. Epist. 31 against true religiō, is takē by god for obeying indeed, & so punished for the fact it selfe. The which most worthy and excellent saying of Christ his holy Martyr God graunt we may al wel beare in minde, and execute, as Gods cause and glory shal require: especially those, which are by peculiar prerogatiue, called to the Publike trial of the same. Whom God of his merciemercy so strengthen with his grace, as his holy name may be glorified in them, and their Persecutors molified, by their constant, milde, & sober behauiour.
And thus (my deere good friende) I make an ende of the first poynte,The conclusion o… this first parte. which I promised too handle, concerning the reasons which Catholikes hauehave, to stand in the refusal, of going to the church against their consciences: hauing said much lesse, then might be saide in this matter, and yet more then I purposed at the beginning. But I am to craue most earnestly at your handes, and of al them that shal chaunce to see this Treatise, to hauehave charitable consideration of my greate haste in writing of the same, whiche was such, as I had not time to suruew, or read any parte of it, ouer agayne. Wherfore, if any thing be in it, wherby you may be edified, or any wayinructed: I am glad, and to Gods glorie only be it. If not, yet surely my meaning was good, & to no mans offence: only coueting hereby to geue someThe first parte of the Authors meaning. satisfaction to them in England, especially to her maiestie & the Right honourable her counsayle, touching the principles which catholikes hauehave, to refuse that conformity, which is demanded at their handes, the which as I hauehave proued they cannot admit, (remayning in conscience of the contrary Religion) without euident daunger of their owne soules. Wherof if her Maiestie, & their honours may in time bee made capable: then howesoeuer thinges passe otherwise, yet shal catholikes retayne s…l, their deserued opinion, of honest and true subiects, which they most desire, & the displeasure takē against thē, for this refusal, be diminished, whē it shalbe manifest, that the same proceedeth not of will, but of consciēce, & iudgement in Religiō, which is not in an honest mans handes to frame at his owne pleasure.
Moreouer, my meaning was to giuegive some information, touching the quality of this sinne of going to the church of a contrary Religiō, and hisThe second parte of the Authors …. circumstances, for them, that eyther remayned doubtfull in the same, or not rightly 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 affect, as wel as the effect, & the will, no lesse then the work it selfe. Wherfore, to his holy hands I commit the whole: assuring my selfe, that, as this cause of his catholike Church, importeth him more, then it doth vsus: so his peculiar care of the same …urre surmounteth any care of man, and therfore whatsoeuer shal become of this, or any other labour taken for the same: yet he will neuer cease to rayse vp men, for the defence of it, against all enemies to the worldes ende.