A Brief Confutation of a Popish Discourse, Part 1 · Reason 8
The eyght Reason.
THe eight reason of refusall which maye nowe bee yeleded, why a…. Loosing the …enefit of catholicke religion. Catholicke maye not come to the Protestantes churches, is, because by going thither, hee shall loose all the benefit of his owne relygion, neither shal he take any more commoditie therby, then if he were not of that relygion at al. This is a verye great, waightie, and most sufficiente reason to bee yeelded by catholyckes in Englande to their Princes for their refusall of comming to churche, and such a one as being sufficiently conceyued by her Maiestie, cannot but satisfie her highnesse, and greatlye… pitifull …. drawe her to compassion of the pitifull case of so many thousandes of her louing subiects, who being, as I hauehave sayd catholickes in hearts by going to Protestāts churches, must needs be brought either to flat athisme, that is, to leaue of al conscience, and to care for no religion at al (as manye thousan… seeme to b… resolued to do…) or els to liue in continual torment of minde, and almoste desperation, considering that by their going to these Churches, they loose vtterlye all vse and practise of theyr owne relygion, beeing helde as Schismatickes, and excommunicate persons of the same: and their case …, that if they should die in the same state, they were sure to receiue no …rt of benefite of that religion no more then if they had been Protestants. The which, what a danger it is, all true Christian men doe both know, and feare.
But yet that the simpler sort, may better vnderstande it, and the wiser, better consider of it: I will in particuler repeate some of the abouesaide dommages.
First therefore a Catholike, by going to the Protestantes Churches, looseth all participation of that blessed sacrifice, of the body and blood ofThe losse of … cipation of the sacrifice hovv great a losse. our Sauiour, appointed by the saide Sauiour (as I hauehave shewed before) to bee offered vp dayly in the oblation of the Masse, for the commoditie of the whole worlde, quicke and dead, and for that cause (as the godly and learned, Saint Iohn Chrisostome saith.) Called the comon sacrifice of Chryso. hom. 47. in ep. 1. ad cor.the whole worlde. The which action of offering of this sacred Hoste, (the sonne of God to his father) is of such dignitie, excellencie and merite, not only to the Priest, but also to the standers by assisting him: as al the other good works which a man can do in his life, are not to be cōpared with it, seeing that the very angels of heauē do come down at that time, to adore (after the consecration) that sacred body, and to offer the same vp withThe Angels pr… sent at the …leuation. vsus to God the Father of the whole worlde. As all the holy Fathers of the Primatiue churche did both beleeue and teach. Of the whiche, it shall be enough at this time, to alleadge one or two. S. Gregorie therefore the first, saieth thus What faithfull man can doubt but that in the Gre. li. 4. dial cap. 58.verie houre of immolation or sacrifice, the heauens doe open at the Priestes voice, and that the quires of Angels, bee present there, in that mysterie of …esus Christ? And Saint Chrisostome, handeling the same,Chryso. lib. 6. de sacerdo. saith. At that time, (the time of consecration in the Masse) the Angels stand by the Priest, and the vniuersall orders of the celestiall powers doe crie out, and the place …igh to the Aulter, is full of quires of Angels in the honour of him who is there sacrificed. And immediatelieTvvo visions at the presence of … gels at the Masse. after, hee telleth two visions of holy men, whose eyes were by the power of God (as hee saith) opened, and they in those visions sawe the Angelles present at the time of consecration. And in an other place, hee yet more at large explicateth the same, sayinge. At that time deare Chrys. hom. 3. cont Ano.brot…er (at the time of consecration and eleuation) not onelyonly men doe giuegive out that dreadfull crie,) saying wee adore thee O Lorde &c.) but also the Angels do bow their knees to our Lord, & the Archangels do beseech him: for they account that a fit time, hauing that sacred oblatiō in their fauor. And therfore as men are wont to moue princes the A fit similitude of S▪ Chrysostom.more, if they beare oliue bowes in their hands: (because by …earing that kinde of wood they bring into the Princes mindes, mercy & gentlenes:) so, the angels at that time, (holding out in their hands, the very selfe same body of our Lord) they do intreate for al mankind, as though they VVhat plainer testimonie can ther… be then this.saide: We do intreate O Lord, for the men of the world, whom thou hast so loued, that for their saluation thou wast content to die, and in the Crosse, to breath out thine owne soule. For these men we make sup plication, for the which thou hast giuen thy owne blood: for these men we pray, for the which thou hast sacrificed this body of thine. If this bee so, then the hearing of Masse, is not only worth the venturing of an hundredThe bearing of a Masse hovv vvel …orth a hundred markes. marks, or six monethes imprisonment, but also of an hundred thousand liues, if a man could loose euerie one for that cause sixe times. And an hundred times miserable is that man, whiche for any worldly respecte doeth depriue him selfe of so great a benefite, as the participation of this sacrifice is.
Secondly, they loose by going to church, the fruite and grace of sixe saThe losse of the grace of 6. sacraments vvhat a losse. craments: as the grace of confirmation by the Bishop, whereby the holy Ghost was giuen in the primatiue church, (as S. Luke saith) and nowe … our time, as S. Cyprian proueth) are bestowed vponupon vsus by the same, the seuenAct. 8. &. 19. Cypr. lib. de vnct. Chry. Esay. 11. 2. Tim. 1. gifts of the holy Ghost, set out by Esay the Prophet in his xi. chapter. They loose also the grace of Priesthood, so greatly commended by saint Paul to Timothie, when he chargeth him so earnestly, not to neglect the saide grace. Also the grace of Matrimonie, which S. Paul so much extolleth when hee calleth this sacrament, a great sacrament. Also the grace of extreeme vnction, which is so great, as S. Iames saith, besides the healing maEphes. 5. Iacob. 5. ny times of the body, it also remitteth the sicke mans sinnes: And so in like manner the grace of the other two sacramentes, of Penance, and the Aulter whereof I will say a worde or two immediately. All these graces they loose, being cut of (by their going to the Protestants churches) from these sacraments, which are nothing els, but conduits of grace. The which losse, of what value it is, a man may gesse by that, which all diuines withThe value of grace on accorde doe proue, that one drop of grace is more worth, then all the worlde esteemed in it selfe besides.
Thirdly, they loose by going to church al the benefi…e of the keies ofVVhat the benefite of the keies of the Church is. the church, or of the authoritie of binding and loosing of sinnes, graunted by Christe to the gouernours of the same churche. For the explication of the which, we must vnderstand, that Christ hauing newly made the marriag… betwixt his deare spouse & himself,) I meane the church): & hauing now sealed the same, with his own blood: & being inforced to depart frō the said new married spouse of his, touching his visible presence for a time: hee deuised how to shew vntounto her, how greatly he loued her, & to leaue some notable pledge and testimonie of his singuler great affectiō towards her. The which he finally resolued, could be by no other meanes better ex pressed, then if he should leaue al his authoritie with her, the whiche heeIoan. 20. had receiued of his father, which making publike proclamation to all theA proclamatio… of the tribunal fo… …inne in eart…. worlde, that What soeuer she should forgiue in earth, touching sinne, the same should be forgiuen in heauen: and what soeuer sinne, the Church Ioan. 6. Mat. 18. Aug. ho. 49. &. 50. &. ho. 41. ibid. Cip. li. 1. ep. 2. Amb. li. 1. ca. 2. de P…. & in Psal. 38. Atha. serm. cont. her. Chry. lib. 3. d… sacer. Hil. in ca. 18. Mat. H…e. in cap. 18 Mat. Actor. 19. Aug. hom. 41 49. 50. cap. 10. 11. 16. ex. 50. hom. Ioan. 20. Aug. li. 2. de Uisita. infir. cap. 4. Leui. 13. 14▪shoulde retaine or not forgiue in earthe, the same shoulde neuer bee forgiuen in heauen. And againe: that with what authoritie GOD his father sent him, with the same he sent her gouernours, the Apostles, and their successours. And againe, he that shoulde not heare and obey the Church should be accounted as a Heathen and Publicane. By the which speeches of Christ, our forefathers hauehave alwaies vnderst…ode, that Christe gaue vntounto the church a visible tribunal seate in earth, for the forgiuing or retaining of sinnes, vntounto the which al christians must reso…t by submission and humble confession of their sinnes, if they thinke euer to receiue forgiuenes of the same at Christ his handes in heauen. For so wee reade, that in the primatiue church they confessed their fins vntounto the Apostles: of whom S. Luke writeth thus. Many of the faith full came (to the Apostles) confessing and reuealing their owne acts. And foure hundred yeeres after that, S. Austen testifieth of his time, saying, Doe you such penance as is wont to be doone in the Church, that the Churche may pray for you. Let no man say, I doe it secretly, I doe it with God alone, God which hath to pardon me, knoweth wel how that I doe repent in my heart. What therfore, without cause was it said (to the Priests) that which you loose in earth, shalbe loosed in heauen? therefore in vaine were the keies giuen to the Church? And in an other place again more neerely touching the humour of our men now a daies, he saith, There are some which thinke it sufficient foe their saluation, if they do confesse their sinnes only to God, to whom nothing is hidden, and to whō no mans conscience is vnknowne. For they will not, or els they are ashamed, or els they disdaine, to shewe them selues vntounto the Priestes, whome notwithstanding GOD (by Moses his Lawe giuer) dyd appointe to discerne or iudge betweene Leprie and Leprie. But I woulde not that thou shouldest be deceiued, with that opinion, in suche The necessitie of confession.sort, that thou shouldest either by naughtie shame, or ob…inate …, refraine to confesse, before the substitute, or Vicegerent of our Lord. For whom our Lorde did not disdaine to make his …, his iudgement muste thou be content also to stand to. This benefite therefore of the keyes of the churche, and of receiuing remission of … sinnes by the same, (which catholikes doe thinke to bee the greatest benefite of their religion) doe they loose, that goe to the Protestants churches, besides all the good instructions, wholesome counsels, and vertuous admonitions, which catholikes doe receiue in confession, at their ghost…y Fathers hands then the which things, they finde nothi…g more forcible to bring them to good life: especially, if they frequent it often, as al zelous catholikes in the worlde now doe.
Fourthly, they loose the infinit benefite of receiuing the blessed sacramentThe losse of not receiuing the blessed Sacramet. of the Aulter (the precious body and blood of Christ) beeing the foode of our soules, and as Christ saith. The bread that came downe from Ioan. 6. Ibidem.heauen to giuegive life vntounto the worlde: To the worthie eating of which heauenly bread, Christe promiseth infinite reward, saying. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath life euer lasting, and I will raise him againe at the last day. And againe: He that eatetb me, shall liue through Vide Cyril. li. 3. in Ioan. ca. 37. Basil. ad Ce sar. patric. Amb. li. 5. de Sacra. ca. 4. Chrys. ho. 61. ad pop. Antio.me. VponUpon which promises of Christe, our forefathers of the Primatiue church, hauehave alwaies most earnestly exhorted al men, to the often receiuing of this blessed sacrament, alledging innumerable commodities of the same, aud prouing by experience, that the frequenting of this sacrament, is the chiefest meanes to come to all grace zeale, feeling, and life in spirituall matters. And on the contrary part, that the abstayning from the same, is the right way to al spiritual miserie, and for the soule of man to wither away, dry vp, and starue: euen as the plant doth, that lacketh moysture. The which we see now by experience, in many a thousand, who for lacke of the foode, of this blessed Fountaine of grace, are as dead, in al spiritual cogitations, and deedes, as a starued stake in the hedge, from beating ofThe …tate of a car…all man. flowers: and their mindes so ouergrowen, with the …anke weedes of carna…lite, that there is no differenc betwixt them, and a bruite bullocke: for, as muche the one foloweth his passions, as the other. Wherby wee see what a losse it is, to dep…iue themselues from the vse of this sacrament.The losse of al merit… for good vvorkes.
Fiftly, they loose al the merite of their good deedes whatsoeuer. For as S. Grego…ie saieth, Euen as, none receiued their peny in the Gospel, Mat. 20. Greg. li. 35. Mor. ca. 5.but they onelyonly which had laboured within the compasse of the Vinyarde: so no man shal receiue any reward, for any good deede of his, except he hauehave done it, within the vnitie of the Church. So that, if a man should doe neuer so many good deedes, giuegive neuer so many almes, nay,Cip. de simprel. Chri. ho. 11. ad. Ephes. Vi. D. Tho. 1. 2. & omnes D D. 15. qu. 119. as saint Cyprian prooueth, if a man should suffer neuer so many things for Christ, yea death it selfe, yet if he were out of the vnitie of the catholike church, hee shal hauehave no reward therefore. And not onelyonly this, but if a man be in any mortal sinne whatsoeuer, as long as he abideth in the same without repentance, and confession, al deuines holde, that he looseth the reward of al his good deedes. And the reason is, because no worke can be meritorious of it selfe, but onelyonly by reason of the grace from whence it proceedeth: but by eueryevery mortal sinne which a man committeth, hee loo…eth grace, and much more by going out of the vnitie of the church. And therefore, in such men vntil they repent, there can bee no hope of any reward, for any good worke which they shal doe.
Sixthly, they lose the benefit of Communion of Saintes, which weeThe losse of the … of Saintes. protest to beleeue in our …eede. That is, they hauehave no part of the sacrifices, oblations, prayers, fastings, almes, and other good workes, done within the … church, which al other catholikes hauehave. Finally, they beeingNote this similitude. cut off, and deuided from the vnitie of the other members, they take part of no influence, which commeth from the head to the bodie, that is, from Christ to the church: no more, then a mans hand once cut off, doth take blood, nourishment, spirite, or life, from the arme, from which it is now separated, as most learnedly saint Austen doeth discourse. WherforeAug. Epist. 50. ad Bonifacium. they must needes wither away, and make drie wood for hell fire: and as good for them it were, in effect, to bee of any other religion, as of that, whereof they take not one iote of commoditie. And to al these miseries they are driuen, onelyonly by going to the Protestantes churches.