Catholic Charity Complaining and Maintaining that Rome is Uncharitable, Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
Wherein the Cavaliers tenth and last Chapter is annihilated, which hee calleth a Recapitulation.
SECT. I.
The totall of the Cavaliers many nothings is cast up in two short Conclusions, contrary to all that which hee hath indeavoured to prove: And some additionals to that totall examined; viz. The false remedies of his impertinent feare, lest Papists should grow in love with the civility of Protestants.
THe Cavalier having said many nothings in his former discourse, hee now summes up these nothings, which being never so many, yet it is well knowne they can amount but to nothing. Wherefore, not to make this work tedious by unnecessary repetitions, I referre the Reader to the former severall confutations and annihilations of the particulars, out of which he would here frame this Recapitulation: and insteed of the Authour's not inferred, but intruded Conclusion upon forlorne and vanishing premisses, this Conclusion still stands right and strong for us, that since there is but one true Church, and one saving faith, and the Protestants (notwithstanding any of this Authours hollow, answerable, and answered objections, from difference in Sacraments, Traditions, &c. doe hold and beleeve this saving faith, and so are the true Church; the Papacie and adherents thereof professing a difference and division from them, so farre as to bee of another Church and faith, doe excommunicate themselves most heavily, even to damnation. And secondly, The Protestants being the true Church, the Romists separating themselves from us, persecuting us and pronouncing damnation against us, doe herein exceeding uncharitably, while they cut off, hate, persecute, and sentence unto hell and damnation the true Church, even the living members of Christ Jesus: For indeed, Papists can never prove against us any change of the Foundation, and therefore are uncharitable in damning those who are lively stones, built on that onelyonly Foundation and corner stone, Christ Jesus. But, as if Rome were not enough uncharitable, and though the Title seemed to tell us that the Cavalier would but have recapitulated his former uncharitable speeches; yet hee breakes forth into new Capitulations and Incentives of uncharitablenesse: He doubts (yea seemes to bee grieved) that some of the Romish Communion, seeing the faire and just conversation of Protestants, may grow into love with them and their Religion. But let the Cavalier upon better consideration remember, that this is not the great and most dangerous and suspicable fault of Popery, that it is so in love with Civility, that for it it neglects Religion; but that Popery hath so mightily depraved and corrupted Religion, that Popish Religion hath destroyed Civility, and fairenesse of Nature: So that, whereas Religion should have advanced men beyond naturall candour and fairenesse; Popish Religion hath destroyed this naturall fairenesse, and made them worse then men, whom true Religion would have lifted up above men, unto Saints; an evident mark that it is not a true, but a false and foule Religion: This appeareth plainely in those of the powder Treason; divers of which were men of candid natures, and ingenuous dispositions; yet by Popish Religion turned out of nature, made worse then themselves, and brought to the acting of the most unnaturall of Treasons. A foule Religion, that doth blacke even the white of nature; yet the Cavalier desiring, Romishly, to dye white into black, hee prescribes Antidotes, and Remedies of Love and Charity; and thus adviseth his Readers to hatred and opposition against Protestants: See how Saint John carryed himselfe towards Cerinthus, and Policarpe to Marsyon, and Saint Anthony to the Arrians, and a thousand others. And lest it should bee thought that Saints fall not foule but onelyonly upon such Hereticks that deny even the very prime Articles of Christian Religion, which concerne either God the Father, or the immediate person of Christ our Lord himselfe: Cast but an eye upon Saint Bernard, that milde and mercifull man of God, and see how hee treats the Hereticks of his time, who had too much affinity with those of ours; Videte detractores, videte canes, &c.See yee Dogges, see yee Detractors. Behold how hee gives his Romists patternes and presidents to make them fall foule with us; but indeed, his first Presidents are impertinent, for they shew a falling foule with such as wee are not: wherefore, because his first patternes were incongruous, and would not serve the turne (those heresies of Cerinthus not belonging to us) hee leapes over many hundred yeeres of the purer times of the Church, where, it seemes, hee could not finde grounds for his better falling foule with us, and at length comes unto the times of Popish errours and superstitions; there hee findes a good old man, one, I thinke, of the seven thousand which belonged to Gods Election, though not altogether without a glasse on his eyes, party-coloured by the prejudice of his birth and education in those times of superstition: This good man hee seeth angry with some of his time that derided the Baptisme of infants, Prayers for the dead, and the Suffrages of Saints; the former of which did justly deserve a sharpe reproofe; and indeede, upon that hee chiefely insists in his confutation. But the later wee impute to the superstitious darknesse of the times, and would have covered these sores of this holy man, but that this Authour will needes discover the nakednesse of his father. Yet, if he will but looke into that very Sermon of aSuperstitionis impietat…m nomine Religionis intitulant — In operimentum turpitudinis continentiae se insigniere voto.—Hi adeo, aut bestiales sunt, ut non advertant qualiter omni immunditiae laxat habenas qui nuptias damnat, aut certè ita pleni nequitiâ, & diabolicâ malignitate absorpti, ut advertentes dissimulent, & laetentur in perditione hominum. Tolle de Ecclesia honorabile Connubium, & thorum immaculatum, nonne reples eam concubina iis, incestuosis, seminifluis, mollibus, masculorum concubitoribus, & omni denique genere immundorum? Elige ergo utrumlibet, aut sal…a…i universa haec MONSTRA hominum, aut numerum salvandorum ad continentium redigi paucitatem. Bernard. in Cant. serm. 66.Bernard, hee shall see more just and weighty reasons to accuse his owne Romists for crimes, which draw Almighty God himselfe to fall foule with some of their chiefe limbs and members. For here hee disputes against that forbidding of marriage which defiles the Church with adulterous, incestuous, and unnaturall sinners, whom hee calls, The monsters of men; yet by Romes forbidding marriage, such monsters have been too often found among those, who yet are called Priests, Abbots, Monkes, and Friars. But yet, that this Champion may still nourish his root of wormwood and division, and that the Romish palates may be still kept in distaste and loathing of us, he saith of Protestants, That they are cruell enough to such as they see not, and withall their civility, and curtesie, and suavity in ordinary conversation, they can find in their Hereticall hearts at a clap to rob all dead men of the help and comfort of the prayers of the living, and all living men of the prayers of the Saints, who are in heaven; and the same Saints, of all the honour which Catholickes pay to them here on earth: to omit in this place their infinite and innumerable detractions, and slanders, and reproaches of the whole Church of God. But here is as little verity as charity; for the three Alls, are all three untruths. For it is not true, that Protestants rob all the dead of the prayers of the living: For first, those dead which are in heaven, are not robbed of prayers by denying prayers to those that are not in heaven, but supposed to be in Purgatory. Secondly, those prayers that belong to the dead, wee give for them; and that is, to joyne with them in their own prayers: even the prayers of the soules of Saints under the Altar. Revel. 6.9, 10.We pray that God would hasten the comming of Christ, and so their resurrection and their consummation in glory. And to this end, that God will hasten the judgement of the great Whore,Revel. 19.1, 2. which hath shed their bloud, and avenge it on her. A second untruth is this, That wee rob all living men of the prayers of the Saints in heaven; I might indeed say, that this building is of another stuffe, and different from the foundation, That wee are cruell to those that wee see not; for wee see those that are living: But, howsoever, it is also untrue; for wee allow and imbrace the prayers of the Saints in heaven for the living; yea, wee doubt not, but that those soules who are in the triumphant part of the Church, and perfect in charity, doe love that part of the Church which is here militant, and pray for her victory, and that it may bee joyned with her in triumphant glory. True it is, that we find not in the Scripture, that the Saints departed have such knowledge of the particular affaires of the Saints living, that wee can beleeve by a supernaturall faith that they know our necessities, our thoughts,Rom. 14.23. and desires. And, what is without faith being sinne, we dare not offer prayers without faith,Eccles. 7.1. lest they should bee turned into sinne. Thirdly, it is no lesse untrue, That wee rob Saints of all the honour which true Catholickes pay unto them. The name of the Saints is to us as a precious ointment,Psal. 112.6. and it is kept by us in everlasting remembrance. We delight to make mention of their heavenly vertues, of their valiant actions, and constant passions, of their wise counsells, powerfull exhortations, excellent expositions of divine truths in their sayings, sermons, and writings. We desire to follow their examples, to bee instructed by their knowledge to bee inflamed with their zeale, and enlived with their heats, who quicken being dead, as the dead Prophet enlived the dead souldier. These honours we doe them, and thus should it bee done to those whom God doth honour. And if thus we doe honour them, then far from truth is it, that wee rob them of all that honour which true Catholickes pay them. And lastly, where hee speakes of infinite detractions, slanders, and reproaches of the whole Church of God; this is a most unjust, and unjustifiable slander. We reverence the whole Church of God as our Mother, we love her peace; and to this end is that which is written in the first Chapter, and to this end are these lines, which write against this slander. Wee reproach not the whole Church; but a botch, a wen, a disease, and burthen in the Church: A faction, that disturbs and distracts the Church; and which, to set up a counterfeit head, teares the true body of Christ into pieces: And this seemes also to bee the businesse of this Champion in this worke; and even at this time, when by unjust accusations hee both perswades to uncharitable divisions, and strives by his clamours to terrifie soules into the net of the Papacie. But this Champion, while hee liveth, will never be able to prove, that the Papacy (or the Pope and his faction) is the Church: And yet, untill he prove this, all his booke is but a carkasse, meere dead paper, without strength and life: In the meane time, they are most guilty of detractions, slanders, and reproaches of the whole Church of God, that lay the title of damnable Heretickes or Schismatickes on all the members of the whole Catholick Church, that are not subject unto the Man of sinne, which sits as God in the Temple of God.
SECT. II.
An absurd complement of the Cavaliers, attended with three grosse slanders of the Protestants Religion, That it is a profession suted to the pleasure of superiours. Secondly, that the ground of it is sense and appetite. Thirdly, that they labour more for conformity then unity, are all answered.
ANd now after his bitter pill of dissention, to take away the offence of it, and that at parting hee may flatter the taste of his Reader with a farewell of sweetnesse, he puts this sugar to it: All which I have not said either by way of aggravating their sinnes, or of alienating men from their persons, which I esteeme and love, and desire to serve with my whole heart. If the Reader will make a due conjunction of this with the former, and make a right construction of the whole, he may see it runne into this confusednesse, The Romish faction must bee rigorous to Protestants, and avoid them, as Saint John did Cerinthus, &c. Yea, they must fall foule upon them, though holding lesser heresies, and call them Dogs; they must take them for cruell Robbers of the living and the dead, for slanderers and detracters, and all this is well done, and may bee done without being alienated from their persons. But doth this Authour thinke that there will bee a separation, a falling foule, and an accounting of us for Dogs without alienating of affections from our persons? Or would hee have such a not alienating from our persons, as, upon meeting with us, to part presently from us, or to fall foule upon us, and to call us Dogs? Surely, whatsoever this Authour afterwards speakes of his intent, his former words teach such a separation, division, and hatred, that these later words doe not take them away; but onelyonly make a faire shew by a mannerly distinction, teaching a counterfeit art of falling foule upon men, without being alienated from their persons. But will any wise man thinke it a charitable speech, if Catesby should say unto Faulx, Be not alienated from the person of the King, nor of his royall issue, nor of the Nobility, but onelyonly fall foule upon them, and blow them up with gun powder? As for that following profession towards their persons so diversly expressed, which I esteeme, and love, and desire to serve with my whole heart, I acknowledge them to be faire words, and of a very good countenance: But perchance, by some other way there might have been given to a doubtfull Reader more solid satisfaction. For a scrupulous Reader may possibly say, that these words by Travellers are vented often but as the froth of complement, and by Romists are often eluded by a latent equivocation, or mentall reservation, and may now bee doubted, because they doe come in suspiciously with very bad company; even as attendants on exhortations and incentives, to separate from Protestants, to esteeme them as Dogs, and to fall foule upon them; yea, not to hold the Reader in doubt, but to let him see there is no soundnesse in your distinction of not hating our persons, you have in this booke before taught, that hee who doth not obey your Church, Page 35▪bee taken for no other then a Pagan, or a Publican, that is, a meere Idolater in his Religion, and for a most infamous and base person in his conversation. The Reader might have been more soundly satisfied, if in stead of all these verbs, (esteeme, love, and serve) the Cavalier had onelyonly said this single sentence, with one adverb, I have heartily taken the oath of Allegiance.
As for his good intent, in shewing us what Heresie is, and how odious, we thank him for it, and doe make this use of it, That because Heresie is so odious, therefore we abhorre the Papacy, which hath in it sundry Heresies, Idolatries, and Doctrines of Divels, and is not the Church, but a faction in the Church; and desire by grace to continue true and lively members of the Church, truly Catholick, consisting of all Kinreds, Tribes, and Nations over the face of the whole earth, whereof Christ Jesus is the onelyonly and unquestionable Head. And if by the Authours mis-perswasions wee should remove from this truly universall Church to become members of the Papacie, wee should remove from the Church truely Catholick, to a piece and portion in the Church; and that not so much a piece of the Church, as a faction and disease in the Church; whereof the taking away, and not the increase is a speciall, if not only preservation of the unity and health of the Church truly catholick. And towards this let the Pope hear his aTu quid Christo universalis sanctae Ecclesiae capiti in extremi judiciidicturus es examine, qui cuncta ejus membra tibimet conaris universalis appellatione supponere? Quis rogo in hoc tam perverso vocabulo, nisi ille ad incitandum proponitur, qui dispectis Angelorū legionibus secum socialiter constitutis ad culmen conatus est singularitatis erumpere, ut & nulli subesse, & solus omnibus praeesse videretur. Greg. Mag. lib. 4. Epist. 38.better, even a better Pope then any since him, making a question which he cannot well answer but by removing his universall Headship; What wilt thou answer to Christ the Head, who goest about to subjugate all his members to thee? And elsewhere bEgo autem fidenter dico, quia quisquis se universalem Sacerdotem vocat, vel vocari desiderat, in elatione sua Antichristum praecurrit, quia superbiendo s… caeteris praeponit. I…. lib. 6. Epist. 30. Mauritio Augusto.he saith, that such a one is the fore-runner of Antichrist. But such a one was the Pope within twenty yeers after this was written. And if the Pope, a thousand yeers since, was the fore-runner of Antichrist, we may well thinke that Antichrist is not all this time behind his fore-runner.
And now, if the Popes universall Headship bee an Antichristian errour, and an errour unanswerable at the last day, it were good that the Authour himselfe being moved by his owne motives, would withdraw his faith from this Antichristian hereticall Headship, and become a right childe of the Church, truely Christian and Catholick; wherein, and not in the Papacy, is salvation▪ But how farre from verity this is which followeth, I thinke hee cannot but see when he comes to himselfe; his words or insimulations are these, What indeed doe they, but shew by their whole course, that they desire, and resolve to beleeve and professe according to the occasion, and to comply with the superiour powers of this world? But doth the Authour beleeve when hee is awaked what hee spake in this dreame? Have the Protestants done thus? or doth not this Authour know that they have not thus done? Whom doe Papists esteeme a superiour Power in the world above the Popes? Therefore they have blasphemed him into a King aIohn Tankerill, a Batchelour of Divinity, defended, that the Pope, Vicar of Christ, is Monarch of the Church, and may deprive Kings & Princes, who disobey his commandments, of their Kingdomes, States, and Dignities. For which hee being condemned to recant by the French, the Court of Rome spake of the French men as of lost sheepe, who denyed the Authority given by Christ to Saint Peter. Hist. Trent. lib. 5. And yet Optatus saith, Cùm super Imperatorem non sit, nisi solus D…us qui fecit Imperatorem —Dixisti, Ego sum Deus; Ide…, quia quam vis non sit usus hâc voce, tamen aut facit, aut passus est quòd defectum hujus vocis impleret. Extulit corsuum ut nullum hominem sibi comparandum arbitraretur & tumore mentis suae altior sibi visus est esse; quia quicquid est supra homines jam quasi Deus est. lib. 3.of kings, and Lord of lords. And did Luther, and the first Protestants comply with this superiour Power of the world? Hee bHist. Trent. lib. 1.neglected both the threatnings of Cajetane, and the faire promises of Vergerus. Againe, in Queene Maries dayes, did those whom you burned here comply with the superiour powers in point of Religion? Yea, looke through Christendome, and your owne fires, which you have kindled to consume a world of Protestants, will flash into your faces, blast them, and make them look red with the shame of this scandall.
And that which followes is a like empty of Truth; but, indeed, that emptinesse is againe filled up with malice: They desire to obey appetite and sense, without being ever so much as told, if they can chuse, that they must lose heaven for their labour. You have had Scriptures, Fathers, and Reasons for our Religion, which never yet were, nor never can bee answered; and with these hath Popery beene battered into pieces. Why then talke you of appetite and sense, when your owne smart and shame can tell you, that wee have had stronger weapons which have beaten you with sound blows? Rather speake of sense and appetite when you see a Papist in his …at dayes, before Ashwednesday, to make worke for the Priest, or speak of sense and appetite when a King is moved to goe to the dames of Paris, and then offered to have a Cardinall (a man of sense and appetite) to be his Confessor, as Lewis the eleventh at the enterview told Edward the fourth: rather speake of sense and appetite among the stalled Monks, the fleshly Cardinals, the luxurious Popes, that may draw a world of soules into hell both by doctrine and example, and who of you durst say to such a one, What dost thou? or in our Authours words, tell them that they must have hell for their labour. But indeed, wee justly take it ill, that Papists should tell us, that when wee are going to heaven, we should lose heaven for our labour, onelyonly because wee give not up our soules to this Man and Head of sinne, by schisme and errour leading millions of soules from heaven to hell.
Hee goes on, and sayes; The children in this are as like their Mother as they can looke: For, who perceives not that the Protestant Church doth rather carry a respect to outward conformity, then to reall unity in matter of Religion; and that indeed they are but as in jest, when there is speech of saving soules in any one Church rather then in another? A large scandall cast on a whole Church, (and, I doubt, once this Authours Mother) yet without proofe, and against proofe; for no proofe doth hee bring that our Church is in jest in matters of Religion, or accounts all Religious alike: and even his owne words next following might have holpen him to disprove his owne false witnesse; It is true that they make both Lawes and Canons, whereby they obliged men under a world of penalties to frequent their Churches, and to receive their Sacraments. For the Lawes and Canons which hee mentions, doe expresse a care for the beleeving her doctrine, since they command a subscription to it, a teaching and preaching of it (and preaching, Saint Paul saith,Rom. 10.14, 17. is the meanes of beleeving), and lastly Excommunication against those that affirme the contrary: But the Authour, having spoken a broad scandall against the whole Church, brings in a very narrow tax of some Ministers for a proofe of it: For I put the case, It is likely the Pope himselfe was of a contrary opinion to the Cavalier, and doubted that uniformity would bring to uni…y, and therefore forbad his Disciples this uniformity.If a man who were knowne to be wholly affected in his heart of the Catholick faith, should yet, for the saving of his lands or goods, resolve to comply with their Lawes, by going to their Churches, and by receiving their Communion; yea, and withall, should declare in company the day before, that hee was resolved to doe so the day after, for the onelyonly saving of his estate, and for the shewing of obedience to the Kings Lawes; though yet withall hee were perswaded that their Sacraments were unlawfull, and their Church impure: Would that aIt seems, Ministers had need to looke carefully to their carriage; especially, since notice is given of a book written by Papists, of the lives of divers, with their names and actions.Minister refuse to let him goe to his Service, and for to communicate with the rest? Infallibly hee would not; and wee see daily, that they doe not in like occasions; for that Church, as I said, aspires not to unity, but uniformity. But here first let the Reader take notice, That the Cavalier brings in sons of Rome as like the mother as they can looke, and just the same which hee reproved before. For hee speakes of a man who is wholly affected in his heart to the Romish faith, and yet, for saving his goods, will come to the Church and receive our Communion. Now let me borrow the Cavaliers words, and see how his owne words doe fit with his owne Catholicks; They professe according to the occasion, and comply with the superiour Powers of this world, and obey the motions of appetite and sense, and are as like their mother Rome as they can looke, who for a long time hath fitted Religion to temporall ends, if wee may beleeve judicious and truth-telling Guicciardin.
But now, for the admitting of such a one to receive as shall professe his beleeving our Church to bee impure, and our Sacraments unlawfull, I can hardly thinke that this Authour beleeves that our Church doth allow it:Can. 3. Can. …. For the Canons do excommunicate, ipso facto, those that say our Church is not true, and maintaineth the Apostles doctrine, or affirme part of the Articles is erroneous: now, the doctrine of our Sacraments is a part of the Articles. Besides, the Rubrick before the Communion doth order, That if any have done any wrong to his neighbor by word or deed, the Curate having knowledge thereof, shall call him, and advertise him in any wise not to presume to come to the Lords Table, untill hee have openly declared himself to have truly repented. Now, I think our Church is a very neer and honourable neighbour, and that hee who professeth that hee holds her impure, doth also professe, that hee exceedingly wrongs her; and then you may see what doth follow: But that I may somewhat speak for Romists; Though Rome, which is called an Harlot, cannot but have a Whores forehead, yet I professe, that I know no Romist so impudent, I never heard of one, & in charity, I can hardly think there is such a one, that will openly professe our Sacrament to bee unlawfull, and yet receive it presently upon the saying of it: for my part, if I were a Romist, though I indeed knew such Romish Catholicks, I should not boast of their shame to the Protestants, it shewing an extreme need of scandalous objections, when a man must first cast the filth of a scandall at his owne wholly affected (for so he termes them) Catholicks, that it may rebound from their faces and light on Protestants. And, for our aspiring to unity, it is far more reall and solide then such a single and slight objection can dissolve or dissever; for we have those mighty bonds of unity,Ephes. 4. One God the Father of all, one Lord, and one Spirit; one Baptisme, and one saving Faiht. Neither is our faith le…t loose to Libertinisme, but the doctrine of it is contained in Articles agreed and subscribed to by the Clergy, and enacted by the State, and (as hath been shewed) there is Authority and Law for the punishment of those that cast scandals upon it.
SECT. III.
Wherein a vaine boast of the Romists confidence in maintaining their Religion by Excommunications is confuted: And an inconsiderate charge, That treason is pretended against Papists Priests in this Realme, because wee dare not avow the punishing them for heresie, is retorted.
BUt I wonder no lesse, that this Cavalier should withall boast of his Catholicke Church, That shee is so farre from obliging a man that beleeves not in his heart as shee teacheth, under pecuniary mulcts, to repaire to her Service and Sacraments, that she will by no meanes admit him thereunto, till hee have first cleared himselfe of that suspicion, and sufficiently shewed himselfe free from any such want of beliefe. For first, what kind of converts are those, whom Rome from whatsoever heresie converteth by the Faggot, and admits to her Sacraments? And is there not very just cause to suspect, that they beleeve not from the heart all that she teacheth, or at least doe not sufficiently shew themselves free from any such want of beliefe, when they are turned to their new faith, onelyonly by such woodden arguments? Secondly, it seemes this Authours Catholicke Church is not the same Catholicke Church whereof aSub persecutore Floro, Ch…istiani Idol…um cog…ban…u… ad T…pla. Sub M…ca…io … (Donat…lae) compellebantur ad Basil… cam. Sub Horo d…eb…tur, ut n…ga…etur Christus, & Idola …ogarentu…; contra, sub Macario commonebantur omnes, ut Deus unus pariter in Ecclesia ab omnibus coleretu…. Optat. lib. 3. Aliorum autem Imp…atorum justitiam▪ l…g…sque quae veh…m…nte▪ adversus … l…ae sunt, qui▪ ignorat? In quibus una Generalis advers… omnes qui Ch…istian…s s… d…ci volunt, & Ecclesiae Catholicae non communicant, s…d in sui… separatim c…nventiculis congregantur, id continet ut vel ordinato… Cle…ici, vel ipse ordinatus deni… libris auri mulct…tu…. Locus verò ipse qu… impia separatio congregatur, redigatur in F…cum. … …ontra Parm…. lib. 1.Optatus and Saint Austin were members. For Catholickes of that Church did compell men to Church by penalties, that did not altogether beleeve in their heart as the Church taught. And wee know, the Churches intent is to bring them to heare, and by hearing to beleeve what shee teacheth, and so to fit them for the Sacraments. Thirdly, bEcclesia paulatim progressa est, & …m…ia rem…dia expe…ta, primò solum excommuni…abat, deinde addidic P…CUNIARIAM mul…tam. B…llar. de …, cap. 21.Bellarmine himselfe confesseth, that the Church hath used such meanes for the reducing of Heretickes; and in the very terms which the Authour denieth, Pecuniary mul…ts. And whereas our Authour eftsoones speakes of Ostiarii, set to keep out men of contrary beliefe, what knowne Protestant in France is hindered, or at least how commonly are they admitted by the imaginary Ostiarii to bee present at the Masse? And, in the Archdukes Court, Protestants have come to the Masse, and known to bee such by most notorious Papists, though they came in only to see the acting of it. Secondly, what Ostiarii did put off cTu id sentis de certitudine tollente omnem dubietatem, ac si divini…ùs nobis esset certò propositum, id esse revelatum à Deo. Ego verò, & credo Cath… lici omnes, auscultantes SANCTUM DECRETUM, id a…negamus. Dom. So…o. Apolog.Catharinus for holding contrary to Trent, That a man by faith may bee sure of his salvation? Or dCastro libro 3. contra haereses verbo. Baptismus haeres. 9. sententiam Cajetani, ut haereticam damnare videtur. Suarez m. 3. T. 3. disp. 27. sect. 3.Cajetan for holding, That infants dying without Baptisme might be saved? Who puts off the French, that hold the Councell to be above the Pope; a point of faith much differing from the present faith of Rome? That which followeth, I thinke at the first reading may appeare to bee the meere swelling of one that hath drunke the poysoned cup in the hand of the Scarlet Lady. This Church, enriched and endowed with the holy Ghost, proceeds like a body, which knowes it selfe to belong to an omnipotent head, and feares not to avow both what it saith, and what it doth. And, as on the one side shee expresses all the suavity which can bee conceived, and is most ready to wrap up the most enormious sinners of the world, and the most mortall enemies which shee hath, in the very bowels of her compassion, if they will come to God in the way of Penance. For can the Reader keep himselfe from laughter, when he seeth the lofty description of this Romish fortitude; and withall seeth the low pusillanimity and meannesse of the Pope, taking in an Excommunication denounced against the State of Venice, without penance and satisfaction; and so neither avowing what it saith, nor what it doth, to the plain disavowing of that which this Cavalier saith? Againe, doth not this Church proceed much rather like a body ruled with a head possest not with a seventh vertue, but with many of the seven deadly sinnes, whereof a great one is eQuod convocandi Concilii intentio satis sincera non fuit, Romanae avaritiae artificiosa provisio patefecit. Multi enim evocati, quibus iter cundi ad Concilium difficile vel intolerabile videbatur, interventu pecuntae turpius exactae quam praestitae relaxari meruerunt. Neubridg. lib. 3. cap. 2. Quando hactenus aurum Roma refudit? Bernard. de consider. lib. 3.Covetousnesse. For, doe wee not reade that (which may make a modest Romist to blush, when hee reades it) when the fAt (nuntius ille Rufi) priusquam abeam tecum secretiùs agam: Mansit ergo ibi per dies plurimos—munera quibus ea cordî esse animadvertebat disperti…ndo, & p…llicendo. Deductus ergo à sententia Romanus Pontifex est. Ladmer. lib. 2. Nec mirum, nam omnes satisfactiones quae poenitentibus imponuntur à Confessore, juxta Ecclesiae Romanae statuta possunt commutari in pecuniarias. Texeda Hispanus C 5.Popes owne souldiers and servants fight for his supremacy, a principall point of their forged and fictitious faith, he by mony hath been brought from avowing what hee said for those servants, and their services.
It followes, Shee goes on so farre, if shee see cause to separate them in the quality of Heretickes from her communion, and proceeds not against them as against Traytors to Princes or States, according to that poore shift of Protestants, whose guilty consciences make them not dare (though their hearts bee well bent that way) to punish our Priests capitally, as for a corrupt Religion; but they set upon them false and impudent pretexts of Treason. First, We acknowledge, that the Pope doth outgoe this Authour with his Excommunication; for hee goes on so farre, not onelyonly when hee sees cause, but when hee sees no cause, to separate from his Communion, even without any proofe of heresie: for, what cause was there seene of excommunicating the King of Navarre out of his Kingdome in the quality of an heretick, who was taken for a Romist; especially since it is recorded, that the King of Spaine's conscience in his death-bed was not satisfied with the Pope's eye-sight of the cause; but spake as seeing cause of Restitution, where the Pope pretended cause of Excommunication? And what cause had the Venetians given of Excommunication, when their Restitution without penance shewes plainely, that they were without cause excommunicated? And what cause had the Pope for excommunicating Queene Elisabeth, and giving away her Kingdome? And whereas you say, Shee proceeds not against them as against Traytors to Princes or States; This is so true, that I cannot confute it. But to make your truth yet more true, I must also add this, That your Papacy proceeds against Protestants, because they will not bee Traytors to Princes or States; as appeares by the penance of the Irish Pilgrime formerly mentioned; and by the Bull of Pius quintus, where hee curseth and excommunicateth those subjects that will not bee Traytors to their Soveraigne: And indeed, by that Bull the Papists themselves were exceedingly troubled betweene two feares; one of being tyed with the cords of this excommunication for want of Treason; and another, of being tyed up for Treason, in obeying this Excommunication: Which griefe, with the remedy thereof, I finde thus described by Master Hart, a not unlearned Romist;Execution of Iustice, pag. 16, 17. The Bull of Pius quintus (for so much of it as is against the Queene) is holden among the English Catholicks for a lawfull sentence, and a sufficient discharge of her subjects fidelity, and so remaines in force; but in some points touching the Subjects, it is altered by the present Pope. For, where in that Bull all her subjects are commanded not to obey her, and shee being excommunicated and deposed, all that doe obey her are likewise innodate and accursed; which point is perillous to the Catholicks: for if they obey her, they bee in the Popes curse; and if they disobey her, they are in the Queenes danger: therefore the present Pope, to releeve them, hath altered that part of the Bull, and dispensed with them to obey and serve her without perill of Excommunication; which Dispensation is to endure but till it please the Pope otherwise to determine.
But whereas this Authour saith, That the guilty consciences of Protestants make them not dare to punish Priests capitally, as for a corrupt Religion; I leave it to the wisdome of State to consider how farre such an imputation of guilt deserves to bee removed. And let his owne fellowes weigh with themselves whether this Authour hath acted the part of a Cavalier both valiant and wise, thus to provoke clemencie armed with power, by putting the scandall and shame of guiltinesse upon it? And whether hee hath not brought a kinde of necessitie of capitall punishments for the removing of his owne objection of guilt: especially, since they who thus provoke patient clemency to turne into severity, have also already made smooth the way for it; for they have aScripturis iisdem confirmat quibus probat. D. Cypr. de exhort. Mart. cap. 5. Quod sic Idololatriae indignetur Deus, ut praeceperit …os etiam interfici qui sacrifica…e & servire Idolis suaserint. Quo loco vide A…net…t. num. 27. & latius in Epist. ejusdem 52. ad Antonianum. Pam…lius in Tertull. ad Scapul. n. 8. Quum autem jussu Divino debea… occidi Idololatra Exod. 22.— Moyses talium sanguine putavit Levitarum suorum manus consecr…tas iri, Exod. 32. quod & Phin…ae ad justitiam reputatum est, usque in sempiternum, Num. 25. Psalm. 105. Propterea princeps, ut benè tibi sit, auseras Prophetas istos, &c. Quintinus inter Adnot. Pamelii. Tertull. de Praescript. n. 254. The Idolatry of Popery hath beene proved by many: and above many, by B. Bilson, Christ. Subject. part. 4. B. M…rton of the Masse, lib. 7. Dr. Reynolds de Idololatria Romana: And confessed before by Cassander.plentifully proved, That Idolatry should bee punished with death; And the other halfe have the Protestants mightily and inevitably evicted; That right or very Popery is right Idolatry: And now what hinders, but that this Authour may have his desired conclusion of capitall punishment for an Idolatrous Religion, and not onelyonly for Treason.
But as here his valour was inconsiderate, so now his inconsideration is valiant: For, not weighing the Treasons of Priests, nor indeed, the reasons by which they have approved the Justice of Lawes made against them; this Authour in a blind hardinesse, to his owne shame, doth accuse Protestants of Impudence and Falsehood. For, that many Priests have been actuall Traitors, our Chronicles too plentifully shew; and their owne bI hold directly the affirmative part, scil. That both her Majesties laws and proceedings against all sorts of Catholicks have bin milde and mercifull. Watson Quodlibet. 8. Act. 9. I said, that (caeteris paribus) her Majesties proceedings had been both mild and mercifull, and that wee are not so much to exclaime against the cruelty of the Persecution, as to admire how that any of us are left alive to talke of Religion. Id. Appendix to the Quodlibets.Pens have witnessed to the world the justice of our Lawes, even against those Priests who have not bin taken in actuall Treason. And now that this Authour may help us (as hee usually doth) towards his owne confutation, hee giveth us a sentence that is a sword for the slaying of his owne Charity Mistaken: His words are these; As the Catholick Church is most perfectly charitable, so withall shee thinkes shee cannot expresse the vertue better, then by clearely distinguishing betweene truth and falshood, and by exhorting men to imbrace the one, and to avoid the other: so far off is she from demeriting by letting Protestants know, that if they dye impenitent in that Religion, they lose their soules. Here is that truth which I told him long since, and which hath already served to overthrow a great part of his former discourse; That Charity cannot be better expressed then by clearly distinguishing between truth and fashood, and by exhorting men to imbrace the one, and to avoyd the other. For, herein doe the Romists exceedingly offend against Charity, and can hardly better expresse the contrary (Uncharitablenesse) then by putting truth into place of falsehood, and by exhorting men to imbrace falsehood, and to avoyd truth. And untill the Authour hath disproved this mistaking, our Accusation of Romish uncharitablenesse still stands on foote, and his owne plea for Rome lyes still unproved: And Rome though very meritorious, yet doth much demerit, yea, sinne against Charity, for falsly telling Protestants, That they lose their soules if they dye impenitent in a true Religion.