A TREATISE OF CHRISTIAN RENVNciation.  
Compiled of excellent sentences & as it were diverse homilies of Ancient Fathers: wherein is showed how far it is lawful or necessary for the love of Christ to forsake Father, Mother, wife and children, and all other worldly creatures.  
Against the enemies of the Cross of Christ, who by temporal respects of obedience or other earthly bonds, withdraw themselves or others from the Confession of their faith and Religion.  
Whereunto is added 〈…〉   
Luc. 14. 
Every one of you which doth not renounce all things which he hath, cannot be my Disciple.  Mat. 16. 
If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his Cross, and follow me.  Luc. 14. 
Many man come unto me and doth not hate his father and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren and sisters, ●ea and moreover his own life, he cannot be my Disciple.   

THE CONTENTS OF this book.  

The Preface, wherein is showed the occasion purpose and order of this Treatise.  
That it is very meritorious and acceptable unto God to renounce parents and all things for perfection. 
Cap. 1.   
That a man is bound under pain of eternal damnation unto a perfect renunciation of all friends, kinsfolks, 
Cap. 2.  Parents, & Superiors their entreaties, examples & commandments, yea and himself also and all that he hath, when otherwise he should be hindered from the duty of a Christian.  
Of the necessary renunciation sometimes to be made of husband and wife: 
Cap. 3.  although that which hath been said above, belong also to them. 
Cap. 4.   
Of renunciation of a man's patrimony and care of provision for children, more particularly than was said before.  
Of renunciation of a man's self yet more in particular and of the necessary obligation to suffer Martyrdom when otherwise God might be offended. 
Cap. 5.  with diverse forcible exhortations to the same.  
The Conclusion to Catholic wives and children.  
Whether it be lawful for Catholics to go to the Protestants Church, with a protestation that they come not for liking which they have of the Religion there professed.    

THE PREFACE.  
IT hath always been an ancient custom even from the very beginning of Christian religion, 
The necessity of Renunciation  that whosoever giveth his name to our Saviour Christ, professing himself a sworn soldier of his spiritual Camp, therein to fight under his victorious standard; should by no other oath be admitted to this holy warfare: than by a solemn profession either made by himself, or by his godfathers in his name, of renouncing the Devil and all his works with all his pomps and vanities. This abrenunciation hath ever been accounted in the whole life of a Christian, not only most forcible for the most strict obligation; it being an homage & promise unto the greatest Sovereignty which possible may be, that is to God himself: but withal, a most effectual remedy and a most sure protection for the comfortable memory thereof, against all temptations and encounters of our ghostly enemies.  
For who is he, which being assaulted with proud and haughty cogitations, or tickled with the flattering representations of unlawful delights, or alured with the transitory vanity of worldly riches, or terrified with the barbarous manacing of bloody persecutors, or daunted with the manifold difficulties of the daily and continual combat with flesh and blood, or finally environed on every side with never so divers troops of the world the flesh and the Devil all conspiring in one against the welfare of the soul: by the remembrance of this irrevocable profession, and indispensible promise unto God, will not presently be encouraged thereby utterly overcoming all manner of difficulties, confidently to say either with that heathen captain lacta est alea, my chance is cast: or with the devout and spiritual soul, Inceptum est, retro abire non licet: I have begun, I may not return backward: or with our Saviour himself: no man putting his hand to the plough, 
Luc. 9  and looking backward is fit for the kingdom of God. For this cause did holy S. Chrysostome exhort us that we should continually have this word in our mouth, 
Hom. 21. ad pop. Antioch.  I renounce thee o Satan, affirming that there is nothing more safe than this word, if in all our works we remember it. 
lib. 1. de Sacra. c. 2.  Yea this moreover he addeth & thereunto doth S. Ambrose consent, that all the account which we must in the day of judgement yield unto almighty God, is but of the observation of this one word, and of the diligent fulfilling of the strict obligation contained in the same. As there is none of you (saith S. Chrysostome) who without shoes and vestments would choose to go into the marketplace, so never go abroad without this word: but when thou art stepping over the threshold, first speak this word, I renounce thee O Satan, & I join myself unto thee O Christ. Neither ever go forth without this voice. thou shalt find this voice a staff, thou shalt find it thy armour, thou shalt find it an invincible fortress. with this word also make the Cross in thy forehead, 
The Cross in the forehead.  for so not only any man whom thou mayest chance to meet, but the Devil himself can nothing hurt thee, when he shall see thee every where appearing with this armour. thus S Chrysostom.  
Neither do we want most evident places of scripture, which do plainly testify unto us the necessity of this renunciation, it being the very sum of Christian religion, & the only end of the coming of the son of God into the world: neither did he come to bring peace into the earth, but a sword: neither can that man follow him which daily taketh not up his Cross: neither can any one be his Disciple which renounceth not together with himself, whatsoever other thing may be under God. What greater renunciation can there be of any thing, than the hatred of the same? What thing can be more dear unto us than our own life or soul? & yet is this a necessary rule for whosoever cometh unto Christ, that he carry a continual & rooted hatred even to his own life & soul. than is our life hated when it is despised for Christ: than is our soul hated when it is afflicted, mortified, and cleansed from the filthy disorder of secular delights for the love of the same Christ: who for one brittle and transitory life, either despised or lost for his name, will repay an eternal and most happy immortality: and for an imperfect, unclean, rebellious soul; humbled, mortified, and purged through the assistance of his grace according to the measure of this life: will tender the same soul in the other life without spot or wrinkle, adorned with all the beautiful gifts of his unspeakable glory. 
How little regard there is now of renuation.   
This is the whole occasion of this present treatise. For I see (and that not with small grief) that for want of due consideration of this so necessary a precept of Christian life, infinite multitudes of all manner of estates do daily perish: I see that such is the forgetfulness of those which should be the soldiers of Christ, that as though this virtue of renunciation were a ceremony only of Monks, Ermittes, Freers and other religious persons, they esteem the same as no part of their Christian duty. I see that in steed of that virtuous and fruitful hatred of ones self (the necessary effect of this renunciation) every one almost is overcome with a blind flattering pernicious self-love; and in steed of building in himself a spiritual Jerusalem by love of God, buildeth a confused Babylon by love of the world. And that we may bring examples only of our own country, and those in one kind only of iniquity (although what iniquity is there committed amongst Christians but for want of renunciation into the hands and will of God?) who is there in our poor and lamentable estate, either withhoulden from God, holy Church their tender mother, or made shameful by revolt and fall from the same; but for want of renunciation? where do we not see, that either parents by children, or children by parents: husbands by wives, or wives by husbands: one friend by an other: the subjects by the superiors, and superiors by subjects, are hindered from the service of God? and that as our Saviour said, 
Math. 10.  inimici hominis domestici eius; the enemies of a man are those of his own household? Which general pestilent disease we can surely impute to no other cause, than to the want of renunciation. So that we see nothing in the world, so ordinarily, so daily, so generally renounced, as God himself and Christian duty. Those which are by God's law, 
Parent's  and the very law of nature commanded to bring up their children in the discipline and correction of our Lord; 
Ephes. 6.  are now bend to no other thing so much as to dedicate them unto the Devil: 
Psal. 105. Married persons  as David also complained of the like case. those which should in the holy estate of wedlock represent the unspotted and unseparable conjunction of Christ and his Church: Sicut equus & mulus in quibus non est intellectus, 
Psal. 31.  not regarding any other thing but base affections: seek to draw one another from Christ the spouse of their soul, and do divide Christ his spouse from Christ, whose perpetual link they should resemble. 
Obedience.  And that which is most sacrilegious and blasphemous to speak or think: all these so great and heinous disorders are oftentimes fathered either upon that sacred power which God hath ordained whereby either wives unto their husbands, or children to their parents, or other subjects to their superiors do owe a kind of duty and obedience: or upon the most honest link of human friendship. as though either wives had sold both body & soul to be by their husbands mortgaged to perpetual slavery of the Devil: or parents had authority to kill the souls of their children over whose bodies they have no such power: or those which are as it were Gods Lieutenants in their several offices, might convert their forces to fight for hell, and lawfully constrain their soldiers and subjects to rebel against God: or finally as if there were any perfect friendship, where there wanteth honesty. All these & many other iniquities in the like sort, as by default of renunciation they are committed: so by the performance of the same according to the most sacred law and will of Christ, they may easily be avoided. 
The purpose of this Treatise.  I purpose therefore by God's assistance to whose glory I direct my labours, in this treatise briefly to show how necessary and meritorious a thing Christian renunciation is, and that for no respects of kindred, obedience, or affection in the world it is to be neglected. 
Renunciation is sometimes of Counsel, sometimes of precept. See chap. 2 out of S. Augustin ●p. 89. q. 4  And that the same sometime is of counsel to those which are free: but many times of necessity from which none can be free. It is of counsel: when voluntarily he which aspireth unto perfection without any bond at all, selleth that which he hath and giveth to the poor & followeth Christ, that he may have a great treasure in heaven. Yet I say that this is of counsel, for those which are free. For those which are in the estate of marriage cannot without mutual consent severe themselves except in some cases as we will declare hereafter. Bishop's also, bondslaves and whosoever for some condition or circumstance have not free power to alter the estate of their life, cannot undertake a religious or solitary life. 
Parents can not hinder their children from religion.  Yet this we say that neither parents may hinder their children, nor any other superior his subject which is free in this point: from such a resolution.  
We urge also & defend: that in some case: that which is of counsel may be of necessity: and that which is of counsel for some only because it is not lawful for all: may be a thing so absolutely required of all manner of persons: that they may under pain of damnation be bound to forsake not only riches & external goods of fortune; but parents, husband, wife, children, & all whatsoever is not God himself. The child is not bound to forsake his parents: but yet he may do it with merit for the service of God. 
A wife may be bound to forsake her husband. See chap. ●  The wife may not forsake her husband at her pleasure although it were for to be religious: yet if either the son must forsake his faith or his father: or the wife her husband or her maker: most certain it is, that the thing which was lawful before in the son is now necessary; and that which the wife could not do before but sinfully: now she cannot neglect but damnably. Hence shall it easily appear what account as well children as wives, aught in this lamentable contagious time for to make, either of the evil examples or of the perverse commandments of their superiors: the first whereof showeth them the way: 
wherefore this treatise was compiled of sentences of holy Fathers.  the second even driveth them to hell. And of this matter we will not bring our own discourses, but the most grave sentences of ancient holy Fathers at large: for three causes. First for that they do not only declare us their uncorrupted judgement in these matters which we desire to persuade: but according to the abundance of that spirit which dwelled within them, they are very earnest and copious in exhorting us to all Christian fervour and perfect abnegation of ourselves. Wherefore I doubt not but hence it will come to pass, that although both the searching and translating of these places have cost me no less labour, than if I had undertaken a whole work of my own: yet this treatise shall be read with exceeding more fruit than if it had proceeded from my own invention: here being contained for the most part as it were so many godly & despute homilies as there are diverse allegations of Fathers: so that this treatise may serve every distressed Catholic in steed of a comfortable sermon whensoever he wanteth other means of fruitful encouragements. Wherein also every one shall so much more effectually be moved: because he is sure that he readeth the devout speeches of those in whom he may not doubt but God inhabited, and he may very well hope that even in these particular discourses it is not they themselves which speak, 
Mat. 10.  but the spirit of their Father within them.  
Secondly for that the misery of our tempestuous time continually more and more increasing, and the huge billous of our troublesome sea daily with more violence seeking to beat against the fortress of our faith: until such time as it shall please him who hath shut the sea within his floodgates and bolted it within the compass of certain bounds: 
job. 38.  to say: hitherto thou shalt come, and not proceed any farther: and here thou shalt break thy swelling waves: it may surely happen that this work may be more necessary hereafter than at this present. For whereas now perhaps parents and husbands are ready to prevent unjust laws, and to do before they be urged, that which hereafter may chance to be urged unto all: it will be no small advantage at that time to have in readiness a Parliament of God's Saints, and of his most holy and ancient Pastors, for the declaration of our duty in so weighty a matter. The third cause which moveth me to make this a work of ancient Fathers, rather than mine own: is least happily the like befall in this question which we handle, 
〈…〉 here to 〈…〉  which doth ordinarily happen in other questions of the same importance. Our present difficulty is (I call it a difficulty although in deed the case be most evident, because to worldly rich men there is nothing but seemeth difficult: an inheritance which Christ hath permitted them, 
Mat. 19  until they leaving their Camels hugeness, will submit themselves unto the lowliness of Christ) But this our present question is; whether a child by the commandment of parents: or a wife for obedience to her husband: or a servant or inferior for duty to his Superior: or a father for providing for his children: may lawfully do that which of itself is against the law of God, and prejudicial to the necessary confession of his faith: & contemptuous withal unto Christ his Church, & a very separation from the same: Whether I say by these respects of temporal duty, these heinous deformities may be taken away: and a contrary bond caused of such temporal obedience or duty: or rather any of those may with merit in case of perfection, yea & be bound necessarily when Gods honour so requireth, to renounce all worldly persons, and temporal respects, only cleaving unto Christ and his holy will. This is our case, this is our question. But what do we see in the like? who knoweth not how often the question of going to heretical Churches hath been tossed in our country? And who is ignorant of the general resolution of all those learned reverend and godly Priests which are and have been in the same? 
* The enemies of the Cross of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is 〈◊〉 belly, 〈◊〉 their 〈◊〉 in their cofufion, which mind 〈◊〉 dly 〈◊〉 Philip●●.  But what hath happened? Certain private persons, who have wholly addicted themselves to make them Gods either of their belly and ease, or of the wicked mammon; setting God behind all things 〈◊〉 may delight them; will not only 〈…〉 their pernicious custom of frequenting heretical conventicles (which were a crime more tolerable) but they refuse also to believe that they do amiss: and that which is more heinous and a most high degree of pride; they defend their wickedness: neither content with this, (as though it were no comfort to perish alone) they induce and by all possible means allure their friends & subjects to the same iniquity. But with what foundation & ground? because forsooth the contrary doctrine proceedeth only from the persuasions, terrors or fears of some self minded and wilful persons whom if you desire to know: they will tell you they be the young clergy. These men undoubtedly after they have once learned to construe latin, and to turn our Lady's Primer, and perhaps the Breviary, or at Oxford to talk a little of logic, 
Dion. c. 2 de divin. nom.  where it may be they have looked into the Divinity school (as for Divinity who knoweth not that amongst heretics none can be learned:) these men I say betaking themselves afterwards to the study of bucolical and georgical affairs, and attending to that worldly substance which God hath cast upon them: no otherwise than that young man, which, as the Poets feign, being sent by his father to keep sheep by dreaming that he was made a Poet, became in deed a Poet: 
Hesiodus  have so suddenly become Divines, that they are more learned, more humble, discreet and virtuous, than those which scornfully they call the young clergy: but should in deed if they were such as they flatter themselves to be acknowledge as the rulers and shepherds of their souls.  
For otherwise what clergy must we send these men unto for their spiritual relief? or wherein differeth the young clergy from the old? or what Catholic clergy can they find in the whole world of contrary judgement? But let us send them to the Convocation house, there shall they find the ancient reverend clergy which they appertain unto, for unto the clergy of Christ his Church they nothing belong: And let us permit these new Doctors with 〈◊〉 old Prelates to gauge their souls so often soul● already to the Devil, not understanding (as S. Paul saith) neither what thing they speak, nor of what they affirm: 
1 Tim. 1.  daily prospering to the worse: erring & driving into error. 
2. Tim 3  It is no marvel if refusing to be of the sheep of Christ, they disdain to acknowledge the shepherds of Christ. Those who esteem their souls and tremble at God's judgements: in so ruled a case, will fly from such Counsellors as from the Devells instruments. This am I willing and desirous that they should know, that although the Church of Christ hath learned by the mildness of her spouse to tender the case of those which of human frailty fall into sin, and can handle with lenity such as go from her, and yet in heart are with her: yet doth she and all her true children profess an eternal hatred unto those which are perverters and seducers of souls as unto heretics themselves: as I hope they shall shortly be discovered what they are if after the definition of the chief Pastor, they will remain self minded and wilful in their so pernicious opinion. 
Of the young 〈…〉. Ser. o 〈◊〉 Virg.   
As for the young years of Gods true clergy which these men seem to contemn, we may first say, as the Church singeth out of S. Ambrose of the glorious virgin S. Agnes. 
Ser. 90. ad Virg.  Infantia quidem computabatur in annis, sed erat senectus mentis immensa. Infancy truly was reckoned in her years but deep old age was in her mind. and that of the wise man Senectus enim venerabilis est non diuturna, 
Cap. 4  neque annorum numero computata. cani autem sunt sensus hominis, & aetas senectutis, vita immaculata. honourable old age is not that which is of great and long time, neither is measured by the number of years. for the wisdom of a man are his grey hears, and the ancientness of old years is an unspotted life.  
Besides it is very well known that both in England and out of England, there are even of this young clergy which they speak of not only more wise, more learned, more virtuous, than these reverend men, think themselves (for perhaps they think better of themselves than their neighbour's do) but also even as far grown in years as they. although this maketh nothing to the verity of doctrine, & jurisdiction which they have over souls wherein our Saviour Christ respecteth not age, but his own will and pleasure in bestowing his holy gifter. S john was the youngest of all the Disciples, and yet he was elevated to more high contemplation than the rest. S. Peter was not the eldest of them all, as being younger than S. Andrew his brother: and yet did our Saviour give him charge a 〈◊〉 over all.  
But if these men call it the young clergy, because it is succeeded unto that old reverend company which for the most part many years sithence is dead and rotten: than do they show the base conceit which they carry of God's Church, as though it were at any time forsaken of God's spirit, and wanted that assistance in latter ages which it hath had in the former. and so they will rot in their sins, because the clergy of our Father's age is rotten in the grave. Yet this must they of necessity acknowledge, that as the holy Church of Christ now dispersed over all the world, although in most divers places, yet is but one: even so if we compare that Church which now is with times forepast: although in most diverse times, yet hath it always been but one, and is now and shall be to the world's end, that which always it hath been, that is the self same one. and in like manner although the particular members of this same Church do necessarily alter for the mortality of our nature: yet in respect of the same universal and Catholic unity, and of the same spirit which governeth the Church: it is always the same. and so this very young clergy as they call it cannot be different in manner of government and doctrine from any clergy never so old which hath been Catholic, so long as this clergy which now is though different in persons from the old, yet observeth all manner of subjection & unity to the one only root which is the sea Apostolic. As without all arrogancy we may say thus much, that never since the first conversion of our Country such unity was greater. there being not one person of the same either ordered, or endowed with necessary jurisdiction, but receiving it not from any particular Bishop, or ordinary authority of Diocesans, but by the immediate delegation or extraordinary commission of the only chief Bishop: from whose particular knowledge they do not serve, in the resolution and managing of matters of the chiefest moment, appertaining unto our religion. So that of the soundness of this very new Clergy these scrupulous Grammarian Divines need not for to doubt: and if there be any old Clergy wilfully and obstinately opposite unto this which now it pleaseth them to term the young Clergy: that Clergy surely is not the Clergy of the Catholic Church, because it hath swerved from the infallible direction of the spirit of the Catholic Church, speaking and teaching in Peter's chair. Neither can they prove this of that most Reverend and constant old Clergy which spent their lives in Durance for Christ. of whose perpetual union unto the young Clergy our whole country can be a witness. Neither can the being ordered in foreign countries, make a new and distinct Clergy from such as live at the same time in our own country, but that they must in all respects be of one and the same Clergy, & therefore all Clergy persons of one age make not two Clergies, but one only. So that very vain is that distinction of theirs of an old & new Clergy. But whatsoever they mean by this new Clergy: Sure it is that either of this Clergy which now is they must have their spiritual food & relief if they will have any (which I scarce can hope for) or of none.  
Finally of our whole Clergy for the most part, only excepting those who by this flattering doctrine that it is lawful to go to the Church have sought to feed the covetous and fearful humours of these sons of this world, and therefore have cast themselves out from the sight of God, by fight against his Church: and as so many cain's are noted with marks of wicked licentiousness; (a worthy punishment that those which do fornicate from God and his Church, are suffered also to run headlong into that other fleshly and beastly fornication:) excepting I say those few whom God hath permitted to renew unto us the examples of judas, Simon Magus, Nicholas the Deacon, and others of those most high and most ancient Colleges: we may by God's especial grace in the rest see that counsel fulfilled which S. Paul giveth unto Timothy: Let no man contemn thy youth: 
1. Tim. 4.  but be an example of the faithful in word, in conversation, in charity, in faith, in chastity.  
A wonderful young man (saith S. Ambrose was the most holy Timothy, 
in hunc locum.  by whose example disordered youth was to be bridled, and the undewtifull irreverence of the aged was to be punished. But the holiness and learning and purity of life, of this very same young Clergy, in so many dangers, amongst so feculer behaviour, in this great decay of discipline in all ages: as it is now renowned all abroad whilst these senseless defenders of schism wallow in flesh and blood: so shall it be celebrated in all ages when their bodies are rotten in the grave, and unless they repent, when their souls, as the Psalm saith, like sheep shall be consumed in hell. Sufficient it is for true Catholics, that the worthiness of the young Clergy is acknowledged and feared by the Devil himself.  
That question therefore of Going to the Church being supposed) as sufficiently resolved by diverse means heretofore, let us hear for our Catholic brethren's comfort the doctrine of the old Clergy of Christ his Church, concerning Christian renunciation: that so all hope may be taken away from the renouncers of Gods ancient Church, to blame the wilfulness of any young Clergy; 
How important this case was in S. Ambrose his opinion.  The matter truly seemeth unto me so important, and the case so urgent: that if the holy Bishop of Milan S. Ambrose accounted it to be the necessary duty of God's Priests even unto death to resist those Parent's which withdrew their daughters from being Nuns, a thing of indifferent choice unto every one: 
l. 3. de Virg.  far greater necessity will there be in confuting those even with danger of death, which seek to withdraw them from all Christian duty. Et potest esse (saith that most godly Doctor) patientia Sacerdotum, ut non vel morte oblata, si ita necesse est, integritatis sacrificium vindicetur? And can a Priest have patience that even with manifest peril of death if occasion be offered, he reschue not the sacrifice of integrity? marvel not therefore (good reader) if I one far unworthy of the least credit of any Catholic Clergy man seem over earnest in this my preface: for by reading over this treatise thou shalt see that I differ not herein from the zeal of most grave Saints of God. if I shall profit them any thing by my reprehension: I shall be glad, because they are made sorry unto penance: if I shall do no more but incense them; yet I hope I shall profit many: Let them in the mean time take it for part of penance, whereas in deed this is but a pebble stone in respect of the millstone which they must expect from the judgement of Christ if they will not be reform, and except they hold their hands from paper, and avoid public occasion of scandalous doctrine in this hehalf: they must needs think that if Priests for want of means and commodity have patience and hold their peace: there will be notwithstanding some one or other always ready to revenge God's cause, and to stand in the defence of the necessary confession of Christ our Redeemer, and of his holy Cross.  
Thus much therefore being spoken of the cause and general manner of this Treatise: 
The order of this Treatise.  I will now set down the order of proceeding therein for although I could not easily distinguish the several matters handled by the Fathers, and almost in every particular allegation there is occasion of speaking of every thing belonging to our purpose: yet have I for the more perspicuity, and for the more ease of the reader so divided the whole, that we may reduce all to a few principal points. The first chapter therefore shall be, to show that it is very meritorious and acceptable unto God, to renounce parents and all things for perfection. For if this be once fully persuaded, less difficulty will it be to prove that it is lawful in cases of necessity. The second. That a man is bound under pain of eternal damnation, unto a perfect renunciation of all friends, kinsfolks, parents and superiors, their entreaties examples and commandments: yea and himself also, and all that he hath, when otherwise he should be hindered from the duty of a Christian. The third shall entreat in particular of the necessary renunciation sometimes to be made of husband and wife. where as well for to take away occasion of error, as for to repress the arrogant perverseness of some husbands which challenge more authority over wives than God or nature hath given them. We must necessarily entreat of some lawful separations of man and wife: which we must be forced to do of our own: although (if leisure will permit) we purpose to prove it out of God's word and ancient Fathers. which if we shall not for haste be permitted to perform: yet this will we promise that we will set nothing down, but according to the common opinion of Catholic Doctors.  
The fourth chapter we will make, more particularly of renunciation of a man's patrimony, and care of provision for children.  
The fifth besides that which was said in the second chapter shall entreat of renunciation of a man's self, and necessary obligation to suffer martyrdom, when otherwise God might be offended. with diverse forcible exhortations to the same.  
Finally shall follow the Conclusion. So that in no part of this Treatise except only in this preface in the conclusion and in some part of the third chapter thou must think that I speak (gentle Reader) but imagine that the Saints of God do speak unto thee. I have undoubtedly lest infinite places, and many Doctor's which might have been brought: but this is as much as my time and commodity could afford thee: others perhaps may take occasion hereby to add other like, these I hope will no less move them which with sincere minds shall read them, than they have comforted myself when I have wrotten them. This only I desire of the devout Readers, that as I have sought nothing else in this small labour, but my Catholic brethren's comfort: so I may reap again the comfort of their grateful acceptation.  
S. Bern. lib. de precept. & dispens.  
Sive Deus sive homo vicarius Dei mandatum quodcunque tradiderit, pariprofecto obsequendum est cura, pari reverentia deferendum, ubitamen Deo contraria non praecipit homo. quod si contigerit, 
Act. 5.  pergendum indubitanter consulo in Petri sententiam, quia obedire oportet Deo magis quam hominibus.  
Whether God, or man, being the Vicar of God do give any commandment: with the like care it must be obeyed, with equal reverence it is to be esteemed, yet so long as man commandeth not contrary unto God. which if it happen, than do I counsel every one to follow Peter's counsel, that we must obey God rather than men.   

A TREATISE OF CHRISTIAN Renunciation.  

THE FIRST CHAPTER. That it is very meritorious & acceptable unto God to renounce Parents and all things for perfection.  

The 38 epistle of S Augustine unto Laetus. §. 1  
I Have read the Epistle which you sent unto our Brethren, 
An exhortation to an estate of perfection against the mothers will.  requesting that they would comfort you, because your new beginnings were shaken with great temptations. where also you signified that you desired our letters. I was very sorry and could not cease from writing: lest I should withdraw both from my own and from your desire, that which I saw in deed I did owe by the duty of charity. If therefore you profess yourself a novice of Christ, forsake not the tents in the which you must even build that tower of which in the Gospel our Lord speaketh: for whosoever remaineth in the same tower & under the banner of the word of God doth fight: him no temptations may pierce on any side. from thence both darts being cast do fly with great force, and being foreseen are with most firm repair avoided. 
Luc. 14.  Consider also that our Lord jesus Christ although he be our King, yet by reason of that society through which he vouchsafed to be our brother, he calleth his soldiers kings and forewarned us that every one by setting forth ten thousand should be fit for to sight with a King which hath twenty thousand. but a little before he brought those forcible similitudes of the tower and the king, mark what he said. If any one come unto me and do not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and also his own soul, 
* S. Augustin and other Fathers indifferently understand this place of life & of soul.  he cannot be my Disciple. Than he addeth. which of you desiring to build a tower doth not first sit down and reckon if he have the cost for the finishing thereof, lest when he hath laid the foundation, he be not able to build it, and all that go buy and see, begin to say, this man began to build & could not finish. Or what King going to join war with another King, doth not first sit and consider if he be able with ten thousand to go against him which with twenty thousand cometh unto him? otherwise whilst he is yet far of, he sendeth an embassage praying peace. But whitherto these similitudes should tend, by the very conclusion he sufficiently opened. for he said. So therefore every one of you which renounceth not all things which he hath, cannot be my Disciple. Therefore as well the cost for the building of the tower, as the ability of ten thousand against a King with twenty, is nothing else, but that every one renounce all that he hath. And the beginning of his speech doth accord with the last conclusion. For in this that every one renounce all things which he hath, is that also contained that he hate his father and mother & wife and children and brethren and sisters, yea and his own soul. For all these things are his own, which for the most part do entangle and hinder the obtaining not of these private temporal and transitory things, but of that common good which shall remain for ever. For in what manner at this present a certain woman is your mother: in that manner surely she is not my mother. this therefore is temporal and transitory: Even as you see already that to be passed away that she conceived you, that she carried you in her womb, that she brought you fourth, that she nourished you. But in that she is a sister in Christ, this she is unto you and to me & to all those unto whom one heavenvly inheritance; God, as a Father; Christ, as a brother, in one society of charity is promised. These are eternal things: these are not wasted with any consumption of time: these things are hoped for, so much more firmly to be possessed, in how much the less by private but rather by common right they are to be obtained. This may you very easily acknowledge in your own mother. For whence proceedeth it that she doth now encumber and entrap you, and wrest and pull you back from your course begun; but of that, that she is your private and proper mother? for in that she is the sister of all those whose father is God, and whose mother is the Church, she hindereth no more you than me, and than all our brethren which love her, not so as you in your own house with private love, but with public charity in the house of God This veyr thing therefore that you are linked unto her with carnal alliance, aught for to work this benefit, that you may with more familiarity talk unto her, 
Affection to a mother  and with greater commodity counsel her, that this her private love unto you may be destroyed in her, lest she make greater account that she hath brought you fourth, of her womb, than that herself together with you, was brought forth out of the wombeof the Church. And this which I have said of your mother, must you also understand of all your other kindred Yea let every man so esteeeme of his own soul, 
To any kindred. To our own soul  that even in it he hate all private affection, which out of all doubt is but temporal: but that he love in it that communion and society of which it is said; they had towards God one soul & one heart for thus your soul is not your own private soul, 
Act. 4.  but of all your brethren, whose souls also are yours: or rather whose souls together with yours are not divers souls, but one only soul of Christ, of which it is sung in the Psalms: 
Psal. 21.  that it may be delivered out of the hand of the dog From hence may you very easily attain to the contempt of death. 
Contempt of death.  And let not parents be offended that our Lord commandeth us to hate them: whereas the very same is also commanded us of our own soul. 
Hatred of Parents.  For even as in this place of scripture concerning our soul we are commanded to hate it with our parents: even so that which in another place the same Lord speaketh of the soul, may most fitly be applied even unto our parents also. 
Io. 12.  Who loveth his soul (saith he) shall destroy it. I will say also confidently. Who loveth hisparents, shall destroy them. For of the soul, that which he called it in the other place, hating here he calleth destroying it. For even as this precept by the which we are commanded to destroy our soul, 
what it is to destroy our soul  is not so to be understood that every one may kill himself, which is a most heinous sin, and yet it tendeth hereunto that every one kill in himself the carnal affection of his soul, whereby this present life is delight full, with the hindrance of the life to come: (For this is that which was said, let him hate his soul, let him destroy hissoule: which notwithstanding is done by loving it: whereas ●ost plainly he layeth before us the benefit of getting the same soul saying: Who hath destroyed it in this world, shall find itto life everlasting.) Even so in like manner of our parents it is most justly said, that who loveth them must destroy them, not by killing them in parricidial manner, but that devoutly and courageously with the spiritual sword of the love of God he striking & killing that carnal affection of theirs, wherewith they endeavour toentangle both themselves and those also whom they have begotten with the enticements of this world; may cause that to live in them whereby they are our brethren, and whereby together with their temporal children, they acknowledge their everlasting parents God and the Church. Beh●ldethe desire of knowing the truth, 
God and the Church our Parents  and understanding the will of God in his holy scriptures doth draw thee. the office of the evangelical preaching doth draw thee. Our Lord giveth a sign that we watch in his tents, that we build the tower, out of the which we may both espy and keep back the enemy of everlasting life.  
The heavenly trumpet doth invite the soldier of Christ unto the combate● and thy mother doth withdraw thee. not such a mother truly as was that of the Maccabees: nor yet like unto the Lacedaemonian mothers, 
2. Mach. 7.  of wh●m it is recorded that more effectually and earnestly then the very displaiing of banners and sound of trumpets they incited their children to shed their blood for their earthly country. For that mother which for the learning of life, doth not suffer you to be estranged from secular cares, doth sufficiently show how well she would permit you if such necessity happened) utterly to abandon the world, for to suffer death. But what saith she? What doth she allege? perhaps those ten months in which you loaded her bowels, & the travails of her bringing forth, and the labours of your bringing up. O this, this, o kill this with the word of salvation, destroy this of your mother, that you may find her for life everlasting. This do you remember to hate in her, if you love her, if you be the Novice of Christ, if you have laid the foundation of the tower, lest the passengers say: 
Luc. 14. Carnal affection.  this man began to build and could not finish. For this is a carnal affection, and yet smelleth of the old man. This carnal affection as well in ourselves as in our friends doth the warfare of a Christian exhort us to destroy. Yet let no man be unthankful to his parents, neither set light by these very benefits of his bringing forth, and nourishing in this life: but let him rather observe every where piety. Let these things take place, 
The Church our mother.  where greater things do not invite us. The Church our mother, is mother also of thy mother. she hath conceived us of Christ, she hath brought us forth by the blood of Martyrs, she hath borne us unto everlasting light, she hath nursed us and yet doth nourish us with the milk of faith, and preparing still more perfect meats, quaketh to see you yet little ones and like toothless infants to do nothing but cry.  
This mother enlarged over the whole world is tossed with so many and so diverse incursions of errors, that her untimely children are not now afraid with deadly armour to war against her. Also through the sluggishness and benumbed dullness of certain which as yet she hath in her lap: 
Necessity of the Church  she bewaileth that her members are in very many places waxed cold, and now unfit for to cherish her little ones. Whence, but of her other children, whence, but of her other members, amongst which yourself are one, doth she require her just and due succour? And you forsaking her necessities will you turn back unto carnal speeches? doth not she with more grievous complaints fill your ears? doth not she show unto you more loving bowels and heavenly paps? hereunto add her spouses taking flesh upon him that you should not cleave unto fleshly things, & the eternal word undertaking those things which your mother doth contumeliously reprove, lest you should deal therewith: add also reproaches, whip, death, yea and the death of the Cross. O you which were conceived of such see, o you borne unto a new life in such a wedlock, do you languish and consume away again into the old man? 
Example of Christ.  Yea had not your Emperor an earthly mother? who notwithstanding whilst he was busy in heavenly things, hearing tidings of her answered: Which is my mother, or which are my brethren? and stretching out his hands towards his Disciples said, 
Mat. 12.  that none belonged to his kin, but such as did his Fathers will. In which number undoubtedly he comprehended the holy Virgin herself, for she also fulfilled the will of his Father. And so that excellent and Divine master both despised in comparison of heavenly alliance the name of a mother which was spoken unto him as private and peculiar, because it was earthly: and declaring the same heavenly alliance in his Disciples, showed with what link of kindred that same Virgin with other of his Saints was joined unto him. But least by this most wholesome instruction wherein he taught that carnal affection in parents should be contemned, he might give any colour unto error, whereas some men deny that he had a mother: in another place he warneth his Disciples, that they should not say they have a father on earth: to the intent that as it was manifest that they had fathers, so it might be evident that he had a mother; whose earthly alliance yet he despising, might give unto his Disciples example of despising the like affinities. And are these things interrupted by the voices of thy mother, and amongst these things is there any room for the memory of a big belly and of a nurse, that of Adame and Eve thou mightest be borne another Adam? Behold rather, behold the second Adam from heaven, and carry now the likeness of the heavenly Adam, as thou hast carried of the earthly. Yea here let take place those motherly benefits, which are reckoned up unto thee for the effeminating of thy mind. Let them in any wise take place, be not ungrateful: return spiritual things for carnal, for temporal everlasting, if she will not follow thee, let her not hinder thee. Will she not be converted unto better? let her not pervert thee unto worse, and so overthrow thee. What Skilleth it whether in a wife or in a mother so that in every woman Eve be avoided? For this pretence of piety and duty, 
All excuses in the service of God are Adames leaves. Gen. 3.  cometh from the leaves of that tree, wherewith our first parents did first cover themselves in that damnable nakedness. And whatsoever in those words and suggestions she allegeth unto you as an office of charity, that she may wrest you from the most pure and sincere charity of the gospel: appertaineth unto the craft of the serpent, and to the double dealing of that King which hath twenty thousand, which we are taught by the simplicity of ten thousand, that is by the simplicity of a heart wherein we seek God, to overthrow. 
Carrying the Cross.  hearken rather unto these things my dearest, and take up your Cross and follow our Lord. for when we being together I perceived, that you were hindered by domestical cares from the study of godliness, I esteemed you rather to be carried & lead by your Cross than to bear and carry it. For our Cross which our Lord will have us carry that we may readily follow him, what doth it signify but the mortality of this flesh. For this is that which crosseth and afflicteth us, until death be swallowed into victory. This very Cross therefore itself must be crucified, and pierced with the nails of the fear of God, least with lose and not restrained members you be not able to carry her rebelling. For follow our Lord, but carrying her you can not For how do you follow him, if you be not his? 
Gal. 5.  but those which are of jesus Christ (saith the Apostle) have crucified their flesh with her passions and desires. If there be any money in your worldly good, with the trouble of which it is neither expedient nor decent you be encumbered: that is truly to be given to your mother and domesticals. 
Parents if they be in necessity must first be provided for in distribution of alms  For their necessity (if you have purposed to distribute such things unto the poor that you may be perfect) is for to be first regarded. for if any man (saith the Apostle) hath not care of his own especially of his domesticals, he hath denied the faith, and is become worse than an infidel. For the ordering of which things, and to free your own shoulders, that you might receive upon them the chains of wisdom, 
1. Tim. 5.  if you took your journey from us: what hurt can you take, or how can you be moved with your mother's tears flowiug forth nothing but flesh, or with the running away of your servant, or death of your maids, or sickness of your brethren? If charity be ordered within you Skilfully to prefer the greater thing before the lesser, and to be moved with pity that the poor may be preached unto: 
Cant. 2. Order of charity  lest the plentiful harvest of our Lord, through want of workmen may lie a pray unto the birds. Skilful also to have a ready heart to follow the will of our Lord in that which he shall determine to do with his servants, either by scourging them or by sparing them: meditate these things: study on these things, that your profiting may be manifest in all things. Beware I beseech you lest you cause more sorrow in your good brethren by your slackness, than before you wrought their comfort by your forwardness.   

Sanit Ambrose in the end of his first book of Virgins. § 2.  
Some man will say unto me● thou every day settest forth unto us the commendation of Virgins. 
Of maiden's entering in to religion without Parent's consent. Consecrating of Nuns.  what shall I do, whereas every day I inculcate the same things and profit nothing? But it is not my fault. Behold out of the territory of Placentia there come Virgins for to be consecrated, there come out of the state of Bonony, there come out of Mauritania that here they may take the Veal. A strange case it is which you see: here I preach, and there I persuade. if the matter go so, let us preach other where, that we may persuade here. What a thing is it, that even they that hear me not, do follow my advise, and those which hear me do not follow it? For I understand, that many Virgin's desire, but that they are forbidden so much as to go abroad by their mothers, & that which is worse, by their mother's being widows, with whom I will now talk a while. 
Children may choose their marriage but which their Parents direction and liking  Truly if your daughters loved a man, according to the law they might choose whom they would. than to whom it is lawful to choose a man, is it not lawful to choose God? Behold how sweet is the fruit of purity: which savoureth even in the actions of barbarous people. From the uttermost parts of the nearer and farther Mauritania, Virgins are brought, desiring to be consecrated here: and all their samilies being in captivity, yet cannot purity be kept captive. she professeth the kingdom of eternity, which lamenteth the injury of her servitude. For what need I speak of the Bononian Virgins, a fertile flock of purity, 
A Nunnery  which depriving themselves of worldly delights, do dwell in a sanctuary of virginity, without any company of the other sex, not without the company of purity, and now arriving to the number of twenty, and the hundred fold fruit, their parents houses being forsaken, walk in the tents of Christ, unwearied soldiers of chastity. sometimesthey are heard all over singing spiritual songs, otherwhiles with their own labours they get their living, and with their hands they seek a succour for alms and liberality. and if they do but smell the savour, whereby to trace out Virginity (for above all other games, 
It is meritorious to induce to religion.  they seek after the hunting of purity) which all manner of careful diligence they track the hidden pray even unto the den. or if they perceive any one now ready to the flight: you shall see them all to rise up with whole wings, to flutter with their feathers, to dance and leap, and with a chaste choir of purity to compass her flying, until she being delighted with the beautiful assembly forgetting her house and country, fall into the nets of purity, and the hays of chastity. A good thing than it is if the endeavours of parents favour the Virgin, as certain flabells of purity. But that is more glorious, if the fire of tender age, 
Children may be religious without consent of Parents  without anyolde tinder, of itself do thrust itself into the sewell of chastity. Will thy parents deny thee a dowry? But thou hast a rich spouse, with whose treasure thou being contented, needest not to seek the benefit of thy father's inheritance. how much better is a chaste poverty, than the commodity of a dowry? and yet whom have you ever heard by the love of Virginity to have been deprived of their lawful portion? Thy parents speak against thee, but they desire to be won: they resist at the beginning, because they are loath to believe thee. Oftentimes they are angry, that thou mayest learn to overcome; they threaten disinhereting, to try if thou canst set nought by all worldly losses. They flatter thee with exquisite allurements, to see if the enticements of diverse pleasures cannot mollify thee. they exercise thee (o virgin) whilst they enforce thee And thisis the first Skirmish, which thy parents pensive desires do offer thee. First o maiden) overcome 
* Piety is the duty with Children own unto Parents and Parents to children. Luc. 19  piety. if thovouercomest thy house, thou overcomest the world. But go to, suppose you lose your patrimony do not the future Kingdoms in heaven requite the loss of fading & brittle possessions? Although if we believe heavenly words, there is no man which shall leave house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or childrne, or sons for the Kingdom of God, and doth not recave seven times as much in this time, and in the world to come life everlasting. Repose thy trust in God: thou which committest thy money to a man, lend it unto God. The good guardian of thy pledged hope, will repay the talon of thy faith with multiplied usuries. Truth doth not deceive, justice doth not cirumvent, virtue doth not beguile. And if you believe not the oracle of God's word, at the least believe examples. 
An Example. Altars stood in S. Ambroses' time. Mass a Sacrifice and Christ really present in it. Of the hating of carnal kindred for perfection.  In our time a certain maiden, once noble in the world, now more noble unto God, when she was urged to mar●age by her parents and kinsfolks, took her refugee to the holy altar for whither better could a Virgin fly, than where the sanctuary of Virginity is offered up? But here was not the end of her boldness. There stood before the altar of God, the boast of purity, the sacrifice of chastity: sometimes laying the Bishop's hand upon her head, demanding consecration, other whiles impatient of that just delay, & laying her head under the altar. Canst thou (saith she) o mother, 
As well in marriage as in consecation are given veils the one being a marriage to the world the other to God  veal me better than the altar can veal me, which sanctifieth the veils themselves? more comely is that ve●le, in which Christ the head of all men is daily consecrated. What mean you my Cousins? why do you yet still turmoil my mind, by soliciting my marriage? I have it long since provided. Do you offer me a spouse? I have found a better. Reckon up never so great riches, boast of nobility, vaunt of authority: I have him to whom none may be compared: rich with the whole world, authorized with absolute empire, noble with heaven itself. If such a one you have; I refuse not your choice: if you cannot find the like; you provide not for me, but you envy me.  
Than the rest being silent, one only said very abruptly: what if thy father lived, would he suffer thee to remain unwedded? But she with great religion, and modest piety: and therefore happily he died that there might be none to hinder me. Which answer concerning the father, 
A daungetous thing to hinder virtue  that person by his speedy death showed to be a prophesy of himself. By that means the rest, every one fearing his own case, began to favour her whom they sought to hinder. Neither did the Virgin suffer any loss of her riches, but rather received the increase of her integrity. You have heard (o maidens) the reward of devotion, beware (o parents) the example of offending.   

Greg. lib. 7. mor. c. 17. & 18. §. 3.  
THose which with earnest study and not with disordered steps do follow the reward of everlasting promise, even as they despise themselves for the love of God, even so do they set at nought all things by which they feel themselves hindered. and whereas for Goditis necessary they serve to whosoever they are able, for God they deny even unto their kinsmen their private services.  
Hence is it that when one said, sufferme first to go and bury my father: 
Mat. 8.  he presently heard from the mouth of truth, suffer that the dead bury the dead, but thou go and preach the Kingdom of God. wherein is to be noted that whilst that chosen Disciple is restrained from the burial of his father, no devout man may of carnal affection perform that to his father, which for the love of our lord he is bound to do even for others. Hence again saith the truth: if any man come unto me, 
Luc. 14.  and hate not his father and mother and wife and sons and brethren and sisters yea and also his own soul, he cannot be my Disciple. in which place whereas the hate of our own soul is joined with the hate of our kinsfolk: it is manifestly showed us, that so we are commanded to hate out kinsfolks as we are commanded to hate ourselves. that drawing them unto everlasting things & neglecting their carnal friendship when it hindereth us, we may learn with the temperate Skill of discretion both to love them conveniently, & to hate them wholesomely, that our hatred may so arise through love, that we may be able by hating them more sincerely to love them. Hence also is it said by Moses: 
Deut. 33  Who saith to his father and his mother, I know you not, and to his brethren I do not know them, neither have known their children: these have observed thy word, & thy bargain, & have kept thy judgements. For that man doth desire to know our Lord more familiarly, who for desire of piety desireth not to know whom he knew carnally. For with great loss is the knowledge of God diminished, if therewith there be any part for fleshly knowledge. Every one therefore must be severed from his kinsmen and friends, if he will the more truly be joined unto the father of all, that so much the more sound he may love those whom valiantly he neglecteth for God, by how much the more he forgetteth the fading affection of carnal society. We must truly even temporally do more good to those unto whom we are nearer: because even the fire burneth that which is applied unto it, but first it consumeth that whereof it was kinled. We must acknowledge the nearness of earthly alliance, and yet when it letteth the course of the mind, not so much as know it. that so the faithful mind inflamed with godly devotion, may neither despise those things which are so near it here below, and yet setting the same in convenient order within himself, he may surmount them for the love of those things above. With diligent care therefore must we provide lest the love of the flesh creep upon us and divert the gate of our heart from the true way, and hinder the force of the supernal love, and with the laying on of a heavy burden, press downward our arising mind. For so must every one have compassion of his kindreds necessity, that through compassion he suffer not the force of his intention to be hindered; that the affection of his mind may fill his bowels, and yet not avert him from his spiritual purpose. Neither truly do not holy men love their kindred to help their necessities, but this very love do they overcome with the love of spiritual things: that so they may temper it with the measure of discretion, that they may not thereby serve from the direct way never so little. Whom therefore those Kine do very well signify unto us, 
Affection to children  which going under the ark of our Lord unto the mountains do show at once both their affection and rigour. as it is written. They took two Kine which did suckle their calves, 
1. Reg. 6.  and yoked them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home, and laid the ark of God upon the cart. And presently there followeth. the Kine went directly by the way with leadeth unto Bethsames and they went with eqnall pace, still going forward and bellowing, and declining neither on the right hand nor on the left. For behold the calves being shut up at home, those Kine which are tied to the cart under the ark of our Lord, do groan and go forward: from within they send forth bellow, and yet from the way they change not their freppes. through compassion they feel affection, and yet do they not bow their necks backward. So; So is it necessary that these do proceed which having undertaken the yoke of the sacred law, do now by inward knowledge carry God's ark, that pitying their kins necessity, they decline not from their former virtuous journey. For Bethsames is the house of the son. than, to go under the ark of our Lord to Bethsames, is with heavenly science to draw near unto the habitation of eternal lightsomeness. But than do we truly go unto Bethsames, when going strait forward, we decline not no not for the affection of our children, unto by-ways of error. The love of whom must truly possess but not bow our mind, lest the very same mind either be to hard, if affection do not move it, or be to soft, if such moving do bow it. We will consider a little blessed job, 
jobs affection to his children  in whom the yoke of God's fear had mortified the neck of his heart, with what great wisdom of discretion he carrieth the ark of divine knowledge. having lost his calves he belloweth. for having heard the death of his sons he shaved his head, & fell to the ground: but yet he goeth bellowing on the right way, because his mouth in lamenting is opened unto God's praise, he presently saying. Our Lord hath given, our Lord hath taken away, even as it pleased our Lord so is it come to pass; blessed be the name of our Lord.   

S. Hierom. ep. ad Furiam. §. 4  
You desire in your letter, 
He commendeth unto her the crown of widowhood against the assaults of Parents and friends  and humbly entreat me, that I will answer you, or rather write unto you in what manner you may live, and conserve the crown of widowhood, without any blemish of the honour of your good name. my mind rejoiceth, my bowels do dance, my assection doth leap, because you desire to be such after your husband's death, as your mother Titiana of holy memory was long time her husband living. Her prayers and devotions are heard. she hath obtained in her only daughter, that which she possessed whilst she lived. You have moreover a very great Privilege of your ancestors, that even from Camillus, either none at all or very few women of your stock was married the second time: so that you are not so much to be praised if you remain a widow; as to be detested, if being a Christian you perform not that, which heathen women for so many ages have observed. I say nothing of Paula and Eustochium, flowers of your family, lest I may seem to take occasion by the exhorting of you to praise them. I let pass Blesilla which following her husband your brother, 
She died halfea year after her husband  in a short space of life fulfilled many years of virtue. And I would to God that men would imitate the praises of women. and wrinkled old age would perform that with voluntary youth doth offer. Wittingly & willingly I thrust my hand into the fire, many countenances will frown, many arms will be thrown, & angry Chremes will rage's with his foaming mouth. 
So do now adays worldly Politics against Priests and others  many great personages will be incensed against my epistles, the whole company of nobles will thunder, that I am a witch, that I am a seducer, worthy to be banished from all civil common wealths. Let them add if they will, a Samaritane also, that I may acknowledge my Lord's title. Surely, I do not divide the daughter from her father. neither do I say that of the gospel, suffer the dead to bury the dead. For whosoever believeth in Christ liveth and whosoever believeth in him, ought surely for to walk even as he walked. Honour your father: but so, if he severe you not from your true father. So long acknowledge the link of your blood how long he acknowledgeth his creator. 
Psal. 44.  For otherwise David will presently sing unto you: Hear o daughter, and see. and incline thine ear, and forget thy people and the house of thy father: and the King will desire thy beauty because he is thy lord 
Forgetting of Parents  O great reward of forgetting one's father. the King will desire thy beauty. because thou hast heard, because thou hast seen, because thou hast inclined thy ear, and forgot thy people and the house of thy father; therefore will the King desire thy beauty, and will say unto thee: Thou a●te all fair, o my friend, and there is no spot in thee. What thing more fair than the soul which is called the daughter of God, and seeketh no foreign ornaments? she believeth in Christ, and with this ambition she goeth to her spouse, having the same to her Lord and her spouse. What miseries marriage have; you have learned in marriage itself: and you have been filled with 
* He all udeth to the quaules which the Isralites first desired and after joathed. Num. 11.  quails even unto loathsomeness. your jaws have tried most bitter choler you have cast on't those sour and unwholesome meats, you have eased your boiling stomach. Why will you yet throw in again that which once was hurtful unto you? 
2. Pet. 2.  The dog returned to his vomett, and the sow washed. into her wallowing in the mire. The very brute beasts, and restless birds, 
Hope of posterity & of conserving the family.  do not fall the second time into the same shares and nets. Do you fear least the family of the Furij be extinguished, & lest your father have not a babe by you. which may creep in his bosom, and beslaver his neck? What I pray you, have all which are married children, and those children which they have do they always answer to their kindred? Yea surely C●ceroes son did resemble his father's eloquence: and Cornelia your auncestresse, an example of honesty and secundity, had much joy of the Gracchis her sons. it is ridiculous to hope of a certainty for that, which both many have not had, & have lost when once they had it. To whom will you leave so great riches? to Christ who cannot die. Who shall be your heir? he which is also my Lord. your father will mourn, but Christ will rejoice; your family will be sorrowful, but the Angels will be joyful. 
Children are not their Parents.  Let your father do what he will with his substance: you are not his by whom you were borne, but his by whom you were borne again, and who redeemed you with an exceeding great price, even with his blood.   

Out of the epistle of the same Saint unto Marcelia of the sickness of Blesilla. §. 5  
Abraham is tempted in his son, & found more faithful. joseph is sold into Egypt, 
He defendeth Blesill● embracing an estate of perfection against her friends desire whom he calleth antichrist's.  that so he may feed his father and brethren. Ezechias is terrified with his death at hand, and resolved into tears, hath his life prolonged for fifteen years. Peter the Apostle is afflicted with our Lord's Passion, and weeping bitterly, he fears; Feed my sheep. Paul a ravening wolf and another young Benjamin is strooken blind in a trance, that he may receive his sight: and being compassed with a sudden horror of darkness, calleth him Lord, whom before he persecuted as man. Even so now, o Marcelia, we have seen our loving Blesilla thirty days continually to have been tormented with the burning of an ague: that she might learn to reject the delights of that body which shortly after is to be consumed with worms. To her also came our Lord jesus, and touched her hand, and behold she arising now serveth him. she savoured somewhat of negligence: and being tied with the bands of riches, she lay in the sepulchre of the world. But jesus groaned, and being troubled in spirit, cried out: Blesilla, come forth. Who arose when she was called, and being come forth now sitteth at the table with our Lord. Let the jews threaten & swell, 
These men are like to jews spiritually seeking to murder Lazarus  let them seek to murder her which hath been raised up again; and let the only apostles rejoice. she knoweth that she oweth her life unto him, who did restore it. she knoweth that she embraceth his foot, whose judgement lately she feared. her body lay almost dead: and death approaching did shake her gasping members. Where were than the helps of her kindred? where were than the words full of vanity? she oweth nothing unto thee o ungrateful kindred, which dying to the world is revived unto Christ. Who is a Christian, let him rejoice: he that is angry, showeth that he is no Christian. A widow loased from the bond of marriage, needeth nothing but perseverance: 
The description of an holy widow  But doth the brown garment offend any person? let john offend him, than whom amongst the sons of women there was none greater: who being called an Angel, baptised our Lord himself, for he also was clad with a camels Skin, and girded with a girdle of hear. do gross meats displease them? nothing is more gross than locusts. Let those women rather offend Christian eyes who with varnish and colour paint their eyes and cheeks, whose plastered countenances deformed with overmuch shining, do resemble idols. who if they happen for want of heed to let fall a tear, it trickleth down in a furrow: whom not so much as the very number of their years can persuade that they are old: who with other folks hair set forth their head: and paint out in aged wrinkles their youth forspent: who finally in presence of many nephews are trimmed like trembling girls. Let the Christian woman blush, if she force the comeliness of nature, if she make provision for the flesh unto concupiscence, in which according to the Apostle, whosoever are delighted, cannot please Christ. Our widow before was very carefully dressed: and all the day at the glass she studied what might be amiss. now she confidently saith. But we beholding the glory of our Lord with face revealed, 
2 Cor. 3.  are transformed into the same image, from glory unto glory, as of our Lord's spirit. Than the maids did plat her hear, and the harmless head was wringed with friseled tops: but now the untrimmed head knoweth this to suffice it, that it is covered. Than did the very softness of feathers seem hard and she could scarce lie in the raised beds now she riseth betime for to pray, & with her shrill voice preventing the others in singing Alleluia, she is the first which beginneth to praise her Lord. she kneeleth upon the ●are ground, and with often tears that face is purged, which before was defiled with painting after prayer, there are sung psalms: and the feeble neck, and wearied knees, and sleepy eyes, for the earnest fervour of the mind, can scant obtain any rest. the mourning gown is least fouled, when she lieth on the ground. The course pantoffle affordeth the price of guilt shoes unto the poor: the girdle is not beset with gold & precious stones: but , and most pure because of the simplicity: and such as may rather straighten the vestments than adorn them. If the scorpion envieth foe good a purpose; and with flattering speech persuade again to eat of the forbiddeu tree: in steed of a shoe, let him be crushed with ANATHEMA, 
A deseription of Antichrist.  and whilst he dieth in his poison let him have this answere● Go after me Satan: which is as much to say, as adversary. for he is the adversary of Christ, and an Antichrist, whosoever is displeased with the precepts of Christ. I pray you what have we done like unto the Apostles, that they are so offended? 
The Apostles forsook their Parents.  They forsake their aged father with their ship and nets: the publican riseth from the custom house, and followeth our Saviour: The Disciple which desired to return home, and bid his friends farewell, is forbidden by our master's voice. The burial of a father is not allowed, and it is a kind of piety, for our Lord to be void of piety. We, because we go not in silks; are esteemed Monks: because we are not drunk neither open our mouths unto dissolute laughter; we are called grave and melancholy: if our coat be not gorgeous, we strait hear that common proverb: he is an hypocrite & deceiving Grecian. 
See how  Let them use even yet more rude scoffs; and carry about with them men stuffed with fat paunches. 
earnest God's Saints have been against the Persecutors of virtue.  our Blesilla will laugh and not disdain to hear the reproaches of croaking frogs, whereas her Lord and master was called Beelzebub.   

A notable epistle of Saint Bernard in the person of one Helias a monk unto his parents. ep. 111. §. 6  
THe only cause for which it is not lawful to obey our parents, 
He defendeth his entry into religion against them. Mat. 10 True love of parents toward the is children. Mat. 10. Mich. 7  is God. For he saith: Who loveth his father and mother more than me, is not worthy of me If you love me in deed as good & godly parents: if you carry a true and faithful piety towards your son: why do you disquiet me being about to serve God the father of all, and endeavour to draw me back from the service of him to whom for to serve is to reign. Verily I now perceive that a man's enemies are those of his own household. In this I must not obey you, in this thing I ta●e you not for my parents, but for my foes. If you loved me, you would certainly rejoice, because I go to my father & yours, yea and the father of all. otherwise what have I to do with you? What have I of you, but sin and misery? only this corruptible carcase which I carry; I confess and acknowledge that I have of yours. is it not sufficient for you that wretches that you are, you have brought me a wretch into the wretchedness of this world: and that also sinners that you are, you have in your sin begotten me a sinner: that you have in sin nourished him which was borne in sin: but by envying me that mercy which I have obtained of him which will not the death of a sinner, you seek to make me also the son of hell fire? O hard hearted father, o cruel mother, o parents most tyrannical and impious, yea rather not parents but parricides, whose grief is the salvation of their pledge, whose comfort is the death of their son. 
The dangers of the world.  which had rather have me perish with them, than reign without them. which go about to recall me unto the shipwreck again, from which I escaped at the length though naked: to the fire again, from whence I scant could get forth half consumed: to the thieves again, by whom I was left half murdered: although by the mercy of the Samaritane, I find myself some what recovered: which endeavour to bring back the soldier of Christ now almost triumphing at the winning of heaven (which I boast not of in myself, but in him which conquered the world) from the very entrance of glory, as a dog to his vomit & a sow to her mire, even into the world again. A strange abuse The house is on fire. the flame is even at our back: & he which avoideth it is forbidden to depart, he with hath escaped it is persuaded to return. And this, by those which are in the midst of the flame, and with most obstinate foolishness, 
The madness of those which hinder others from God's service.  and most foolish obstinacy refuse to avoid the danger. O madness, if you despise your own death, why desire you also mine? if you neglect your own salvation, what delight have you in persecuting mine? Why do not yourselves follow me and run away lest you also burn? doth this lighten your torment if you can also cause me to perish, and is this the only thing you fear, lest you perish alone? What ease can one which is burning yield to another in the flames? What solace can the damned have by having companions of their damnation? What comfort is it for the dying, to see others a dying? I learn not this by that rich man who in torments despairing his own delivery desired that his brethren might be warned lest they also should come into the same place of torments, 
The rich glottone Luke 16.  fearing undoubtedly lest by their misery his own should be increased. what than? shall I go and comfort my sorrowful mother by my temporal visitation, that perpetually I may lament both her and myself without any consolation? Shall I go and pacify my angry father for my temporal absence, receiving also myself a temporal comfort by his presence: that afterward either of us for himself, and both of us one for another may be discomforted with irrimediable sadness? Behold rather after the example of the Apostle, without hearkening to flesh and blood, I will hear the voice of my Lord commanding me: 
Mat. 8. Psal 76. Higher 17.  suffer the dead to bury the dead and I will sing with David: my soul hath refused to be comforted. And with Hieren y●● I have not desired the day of man, o Lord thou knowest. For why? the Chords have fallen v●te ●e in notable things, and I have gotten the noble inheritance of heaven: and doth earthly p●●●ise ●atter me, and carnal comfort t●●kle me? The spirit being once tasted, the flesh must needs be●niau●ry ●● desire of heavenly things loatheth the earthly who hunteth that which is eternal, abhorreth that which is transitory. 
A devout farewell to Parents.  Cease therefore my parents, cease I pray you, both by weeping without profit to afflict yourselves, and by revoking in vain, to disquiett me. least by continuing any longer to send messengers for me, you constrain me to get me farther from you. But if you let me alone, I will never forsake Claravallis. 
Apply this to the Catholic Church. Those with continue in God's Church pacify God's wrath towards their worldly friends.  Haec requies mea in seculum seculi, hic habitabo quoniam elegi eam. This is my rest for ever and ever: here will I dwell because I have so chosen. Here will I continually pray for my own and for your sins: here with daily prayers (even according to your own desire) will I obtain, if I can, that we which for God's love are severed one from another, in this short time, may in the other world live together with a happy and unseparable knot in his love for ever and ever Amen.   

S Hierome in his Epistle to Heliodorus: of the praise of a solitary life. §. 7.  
Because at your departure from me you requested, 
He exhorteth to forsake parents and kindred.  that after I were come unto the wilderness, I would send you letters of persuasion, and I promised that I would satisfy your desire: Behold now, I invite you, 
It was not yet made treason to persuade to the old religion.  now come away speedily. I will not that you remember your old familiars: the wilderness loveth naked persons: I will not have you terrified with the length of the ●orney: you which beleeue● in Christ, give credit to his words. Seek fir●● the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be●● put upon you. Take neither wallet, nor staffeld Abundantly is he rich, which with Christ is poor. But what do I? yet again unwisely do I pray you? Away with entreaties, let flattering be laid aside. my injuried Jove must be angry. thou which despisedst me entreating, perhaps wilt hear me chiding. What dost thou in thy father's house, o delicate soldier? Where is the bulwark, where is the trench, where is the wintering under the tents? Behold from heaven the trumpet soundeth: behold the armed Emperor marcheth with the clouds, for to overthrow the world. Behold the two edged sword proceeding from the King's mouth cutteth down whatsoever he meeteth, and must we have thee come forth from the chamber to the field, from the shadow into the sun? The body accustomed to clothes, cannot bear the burden of the breastplate: the head used to a kerchief, refuseth the helmett: the hand sostned with idleness, is gawled with the hardness of the hilt. Hear the proclamation of thy King. he that is not with me is against me, and he that ●a heareth not with me doth scatter Remember the day when thou first wast made a soldier, 
The Christian soldiers oath in Baptism.  when being buried together with Christ in Baptism, thou tookest the soldiers oath, that in his name thou wouldst not spare father nor mother. Behold the Adversary goeth about to kill Christ in thy breast. Behold the adverse army longeth for the donative which thou than receivedst. Although thy little Nephew hang about thy neck: 
A n stable lesson.  Although with scattered hear, and with rend garments, thy mother show the breasts wherewith ●he suckled thee: although thy father lie overthwart the thresshould: go on though thou tread on thy father, and with dry eyes, fly away to the banner of the Cross. It is the only kind of piety in this thing for to be cruel There will come, there will come hereafter the day, when thou shalt return a conqueror into thy country, and like a valiant champion go crowned into heavenly Jerusalem. Than shalt thou with Paul become a citizen: than shalt thou demand the like freedom for thy parents: than shalt thou also pray for me, 
A great advantage to have one in heaven by our means  who have encouraged thee, that thou mayest overcome.  
Neither am I ignorant with what impediment thou sayest thou art settered. we are not of an iron breast, nor of a stony heart. we were not borne of a flint, nor nourished by the Tigers of Hyrcania. We also have passed through such things ourselves. Sometimes with flattering arms thy widow sister hangeth upon thee: sometimes those bondslaves which have been brought up with thee, do say: unto whom will you leave us to serve? Otherwhiles thy dry Nurse once, but now an old graundame, and thy fosterer, or second father in affection, do cry out: stay a while, until we die, and bury us Happily also thy mother with the shaking Skins of her breasts, and her furrowed and wrinkled brow, according to her old custom ceaseth not to lull thee to the pap. 
Obedience Unto paterits.  Let the grammarians also say if they please, In teomnis domus inclinata recumbit; the whole decaying house leaneth upon thee Easily are these bands overcome by the love of God, and fear of hell. But the scripture commandeth us to obey out parents. Ye: but who loveth the more than Christ, loseth his soul. The enemy holdeth his sword for to kill me, & shall I regard my mother's tears? Shall I forsake Christ's warfare for my father, to whom for Christ's sake I own not the labour of buriing, which yet for Christ's sake I own to every one! Peter ge●ing fearful counsel to our Lord before his Passion, was a scandal unto him Paul when the brethren held him, lest he should go to Jerusalem said: what mean you to weep & trouble my heart? I am not only ready to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of our Lord jesus Christ. This engine of piety which shaketh our faith: must be bruised with the wall of the Gospel. Those are my mother and brethren, which do the will of my father which is in heaven. If they beleeu● in Christ, let them than favour me which am about to fight for his name. if they do not believe; let the dead bury the dead.  
But thou wilt say: this is true in Martyrdom. Thou art deceived mybrother) thou art deceived if thou thinkest that a Christian is ever free from persecution. than art thou most of all assaulted, when thou knowest not that thou art impugned. Our adversary like a roaring Lion, 
Psal. 10.  seeking to devour goeth about, and dost thou think there is peace? he sitteth in ambushes with the rich, that secretly he may kill the innocent. his eyes are bend toward the poor man: he layeth wait in secret, as a Lion in his den: he awaiteth to devour the poor man: and dost thou, that thou mayest be his prey, under the shadow of a thick leaved tree give thyself to sleep.  
And towards the end he exhorteth him to leave the world, with such devout sentences as we may very well apply unto our own estate, and matter of perfect renunciation.  
O desert which blossoumest the flowers of Christ: 
Apply this unto the prison which is our wilderness.  O wilderness, in which do grow those stoves, of which the house of the great King in the apocalypse is built. O solitude, which enjoyest the familiarity of God. What dost thou o brother in the world, which art greater than the world? how long wilt thou be oppressed with the shadow of houses? how long wilt thou be kept fast in the prison of smoking cities? Believe me; I see, I know not what greater light. I long that having cast of the carriage of my flesh, I may fly away unto the pure brightness of air. art thou afraid of poverty? but Christ calleth those blessed which are poor. art thou terrified with labour? But no wrestler without sweat can be crowned. Dost thou take care for meat? but faith feareth not hunger. Fearest thou to rub against the bare ground, thy body consumed with fastings? but our Lord lieth with thee. Dost thou loathe the untrimmed hair of an ill favoured head? but Christ is thy head. Doth the huge vastness of the wilderness amaze thee? but thou must walk with thy mind in heaven. So oft as thy heart ascendeth thither, so oft shalt thou not be in the wilderness. Doth thy unsmothe Skin wax rugged for want of bathing? But who is once washed in Christ, needeth not again to be washed. And that I may briefly answer all: hear the Apostle saying. The Passions of this world are not condign to the glory to come that shall be revealed in us. 
Rom. 8.  Thou art very dainty my brother, if thou wilt both here rejoice with the world, and hearafter rain with Christ. There will come, there will come the day, when this corruptible and mortal body shall put on incorruption and immortality. Than, blessed that servant whom our Lord shall find watching than at the sound of the troumpett shall quake the whole earth with the people thereof. and thou shalt rejoice. When our Lord shall come to judge, the world shall give a mournful groan: one tribe shall strike another's breast. those which were once most mighty Kings, with naked sides shall tremble. There shall be presented Venus with her son. than fiery jupiter shall be brought, and Plato with all his foolish scholars. Aristotle's Arguments shall not avail. than thou a clownish and poor creature shalt rejoice and laugh, and shalt say: Behold my crucifix: Behold my judge, which wrapped in clouts cried in the crib. this is that son of the Carpenter and the workewoman: This is he which carried in his mother's bosom, fled being God from a man into Egypt: this is he which was clothed with purple: this is he which was crowned with thorns. this is that enchanter, possessed with a devil, and a samaritan. Behold the hands o jew which thou nailedst: Behold the side o Roman which thou pearcedst. See the body whether it be the same, which you saled was secretly taken away by the Disciples in the night. The love which I bear thee o brother hath compelled me to write thus unto thee: that we may once be present at those things, for which we now sustain so hard labour.   

The spiritual man's kindred out of S. john Climachus Grad. 3. §. 8.  
Let him be thy father, who both can and will labour with thee to disburden thee of thy sins. 
This man lived in the time of Constantine the great.  Let thy mother be, holy compunction, which may wash thee from all manner of filth. Let him be thy brother, who is thy fellow labourer & soldier in thy heavenly race. Get thee a wife and companion, which never may be separated from thee, the memory of death. Let thy most dear children be the sigh of thy heart. Possess thy body as thy slave. make thy friends, the Angelical virtues, which in the hour of death may help thee, if thou make them now familiar unto thee. This is surely the generation of those which seek our Lord. The assection of God excludeth the affection of parents. and who faith he hath them both deceiveth himself, whereas our Lord saith: You cannot serve God and Mammon. And: I came not to send peace into the earth, 
Mat. 6. Mat. 10.  and love of parents to children and to brethren, which have chosen to serve me: but the sword & the battle. For I came to separate the lovers of God, from the lovers of the world. the earthly and carual, from those which have overcome all earthly and material things: the desirous of glory, from the humble. Our Lord rejoiceth at this debate and separation, when it is made for his charity. Beware, I pray thee, lest thou find all overflown with water, if thou be entangled with the affection and love of thy kindred, and so thou perish with them in the deluge of the love of the world. Take no compassion of the tears of Parents and friends: lest thyself do weep for ever. So often as thy kinsfolks shall compass thee like bees, yea rather as wasps, and shall begin to bewa●●e thee; constantly and speedily get● thy se●e to the consideration of death and of thy own works, that by sorrow thou mayest exclude sorrow. Our friends and not our friends do craftily promise us, that they will provide us all things to our pleasure and contentment, but with that intention, that they may hinder our notable good course, and that being obtained, may draw us to their own will.  
It is more pr●sitable to contristate our parents then God. for he hath both made us & redeemed us. they have oftentimes made to perish those whom they have loved. He is a true Pilgrim in this world, who like unto one of a strange language, amongst men of an unknown tongue, only dwelleth at home in the knowledge of himself We do not therefore depart from our Parents and kinsfolks, because we hate them: God forbidden: but that we may avoid that hindrance, which they are wo●t to procure us.    

THE SECOND CHAPTER. That a man is bound under pain of eternal damnation unto a perfect renunciation of all friends kinsfolks Parents & Superiors their entreaties examples & commandments, yea & himself also & all that he hath, when otherwise he should be hindered from the duty of a Christian.  

S. Augustine epist. 89. quest. 4 Disputing against the Pelagian Heretics, who taught amongst other heresies that every one was bound to sell all, and give to the poor: which S. Augustine denieth: although every one is bound to leave all when necessity is offered. §. 1.  
DOth that perhaps move them that our Lord saith: 
He showeth the necessity of renunciation. Mat. 19  whosoever shall forsake all his goods for me, shall receive in this world a hundred-fold, and in the world to come he shall possess everlasting life? It is one thing to forsake and another to sell. for even in those things which he commanded to be forsaken, is the wife also numbered: whom by no human laws it is lawful to sell, and by the laws of Christ it is not lawful not so much as to forsake, except in the case of fornication. What is the meaning than of these precepts? (For they cannot be contrary one to another) but that there may happen a case of necessity when either the wife must be forsaken or Christ: 
The wife and husband in this matter of forsaking one another are in the same case.  as, that I may omit other examples if the wife cannot abide her Christian husband, & propound unto him, either divorce from her or from Christ. Here what should be choose, but Christ, and laudably forsake his wife for Christ. For when both are Christians, our Lord hath commanded that none forsake his wife but for sornication. But when either party is an infidel, let the counsel of the Apostle be observed: that if the infidel consenteth to dwell with the faithful husband: the husband forsake not his wife. in like manner neither the faithful wife forsake her husband if he consent to dwell with her. But if the infidel depart, let him depart. for the brother or sister is not subject to servitude in these things: that is if the infidel will not be with the faithful, let the faithful a knowledge this liberty, that he yield himself not so subject unto slavery that he forsake his faith, 
Sonnnes' Parents, brethren and sisters.  lest he lose his unfaithful sp use. This is understood also of sons and parents, of brethren and sisters, that they are all to be forsaken, when this condition is propounded that he must forsake Christ if he desire to retain them. This therefore is to be understood even of the house and land and of all those things which are possessed as money worth. 
House, land & possessions. Of the necessity of this band.  For in like manner doth he not say of these: whosoever shall fallen for my sake whatsoever is lawful to be sold, but whosoever shall forsake them. For it may come to pass that it may be said to a Christian by some Magistrate, either thou shalt not be a Christian, or if so thou wilt remain, thou shalt lose thy house & possessions. Than truly let even those rich men who had determined so to remain rich that by their good deeds they might win God's favour, let them rather forsake these things for Christ, than Christ for these things. that they may receive even in this world (Centuplum) a seven-fold, by the perfection of which number are signified all things. For unto a faithful man all the world is riches, and they become in this manner as having nothing and possessing all things, that they may in the world to come have life everlasting, least forsaking Christ for these temporalities, they may be cast headlong into death everlasting. 
It is an act of perfection to fallen all & give to the poor.  According to this law and condition not they only which with an excellency of mind have embraced the counsel of perfection, for to sell all and to give unto the poor, and with lightened shoulders from the burden of this world to carry the light burden of Christ: but also every weak person, and not so fit for that most glorious perfection, yet such as remembreth himself sincerely to be a Christian: when he shall understand that occasion is given that unless he forsake all these things he must forsake Christ: he will take hold rather of the tower of fortitude against the force of the enemy, 
The abrenunciation in baptism  because when be builded the same tower in his own faith, he reckoned the cost with which it might be made that is, with that resolution be came unto faith, that he might renounce the world not in words only: because if he bought any thing he was as one which possessed it not: and if he used this world, he was as i● he used it not: not hoping in that uncertainty of riches, but in the living God. For whereas every one which renounceth this world, undoubtedly renounceth all that which he hath, that he may be the Disciple of Christ, (for Christ when he had expounded the parrables of the charges necessary to the building of the tower and of the preparation of war against another King adjoined this: 
Luc. 14.  Who doth not renounce all things which he hath, cannot be my Disciple: 
Two manner of renouncing of riches actually and in preparation of mind.  he truly renounceth also his riches if he have any: either so that not loving them at all he distribute them wholly to the poor and disburden himself of superfluous carriages: or so that loving Christ more than them, he transport his hope from them unto him: and so use them, that giving and bestowing easily, he may lay up treasure for himself in heaven. and be ready & prepared to leave, even as his parents, sons, brethren and wife; even so these also if such condition be laid before him, that unless he forsake Christ he cannot have them for if in any other sor●e he renounce the world, 
Abrenunciation in baptism.  when he cometh to the sacrament of faith, he doth that which blessed Cyprian lamenteth of the lapsed, saying: that they renounced the world in words only and not in deeds: For of this man it is said: 
Luc. 14. Some fall from God before they be urged.  When tentation coming he feareth rather the loss of these things, than to deny Christ: Behold the man, which began to build & could not finish. He it is also which when his adversary was as yet a fair of, that is, tentation not as yet afflicting him, but hanging over him and threatening him, to the intent that he may not want these things which he loveth more than Christ, consenteth to forsake & deny Christ. Yea there are also many who persuade themselves that even Christian religion ought to further them to increase their wealth, and multiply their earthly pleasures. 
A description of a Christian Gentleman  But Christian rich men are not such, who although they posesse these things, yet are they not so possessed by their goods that they prefer them before Christ: for with a sincere heart they have renounced the world, so that they repose in such things no hope at all. These men instruct with sound doctrine their wives, sons and whole families to maintain Christian religion. 
Receiving of Priests & recusants  These men's houses excelling in hospitality, do receive the just in name of a just, that they may receive the reward of a just. They break unto the hungry their bread, they cloth the naked they redeem the captive, they hoard up to themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may attainc to the true life. and if happily for the faith of Christ they must suffer pecuniary mulctes, 
Pecuniary mulctes according to the proclamation.  they hate their riches; if the world threaten them for Christ, to be bereaved and severed from their friends: they hate parents, brethren, children, wives. Finally if they must bargain with the adversary for the very life of this body, they hate even their own life. For of all these things have they received a commandment, that otherwise they cannot be the Disciples of Christ. Neither yet because it was commanded them to hate for Christ even their lives, have they power to sell their lives, 
A difference. between selling and losing.  or to deprive themselves thereof with their own hands, but they are ready to lose them by dying for Christ, lest they may live dying by denying Christ. So also their riches which they were not ready to sell by the counsel of Christ, yet must they be ready to lose for Christ. least with them they perish, by losing Christ. 
Martyrs have spr●● of renunciation.  Hence have we of both sexes most rich and noble personages honoured with the glory of martyrdom. So also many which were before loath to become perfect by selling their goods. by imitating Christ his passion were on a sudden made perfect: and these which with their riche●cōmined some infirmity of flesh and blood, upon a sudden against sin did fight for their faith even unto blood. I which writ this: 
S. Augustine was a religious man.  have earnestly loved, & not by my own strength, but by the assistance of God's grace have fulfilled that counsel of perfection which our Lord spoke of, when he said to the rich young man: Go sell all that thou hast, and give unto the poor, and thou shalt have a treasure in heaven, and come and follow me. Neither surely because I was not rich, therefore shall it be accounted the less: 
Mat. 19  For the very Apostles which first did the same were rich. But he forsaketh the whole world, which forsaketh both that which he hath, and that which he desireth to have. But how much I have profited in this way of perfection, I myself in deed do know more than any other man, but God knoweth better than I. And unto this purpose with as much vehemency as I can, I exhort others; 
S. Augustine lived in a regular life.  and in the name of our Lord I have companions, which have been by my means persuaded to the same: yet so that above all things found doctrine be holden, and that we judge not with vain stubbornness those which do not the like, as though it could pro fit them nothing, that they govern their houses and families Christian like, that by works of mercy they hoard themselves up treasure for the time to come. least by such disputation we be found to be not expounders, but accusers of the holy scriptures.   

S. Aug. ser. 6. de Ver. Do. c. 5. § 2  
Speaking of those which went to the idols feasts in the temple, although not to sacrifice, but only to bankett, & yet came to the Christians Church, whom he saith therefore not to receive health in the Church as the woman which had the flux of blood, 
Luc. 8.  and so not to touch Christ, as she, but rather to press him as those multitudes.  
Thou wilt say I fear lest I should offend my Superior. 
Of obedience to superiors.  And dost thou fear lest thou offend thy Superiors, and art thou not afraid to offend God? Why art thou afraid lest thou offend thy Superiors? See I pray thee least perhaps there be a greater Superior whom thou searest not to offend. there is surely a greater. do not offend him. This rule is given thee. is it not a clear case, that he must not be offended which is greater than the rest? 
The order of superiority.  Reckon up now thy Superiors? The first are thy father and mother. if they bring thee up well, if they nourish thee for Christ, they are to be heard in all things, thou must obey them in every commandment and serve them, so that they command nothing against a greater. Who (faiest thou) is greater than he which begot me? he which made thee. for man begetteth, but God createth. man knoweth not how he begetteth, he knoweth not what he begetteth. he which saw thee for to make thee before thou wast whom he made, 
Obedience to the Country.  he surely is greater than thy father. Let thy country be greater yet than thy parents themselves that whatsoever thy parents command against thy country thou hear them not, and what thy country commandeth against God thou obey it not. 
How a man must show himself thankful to God for his reconciliation.   
For if thou wilt be healed, if after the flux of blood, if after 12. years continuance in that disease, if after the wasting of all thy goods in physic and yet not having recovered thy health, thou desirest to be made whole, o thou woman which I speak unto in figure of the Church: thy father commandeth this thing, and thy people command this other thing. but thy Lord God faith unto thee forget thy people, and the house of thy father. With what good, with what fruit, 
Psal. 44.  with what reward? Because faith he the King hath desired thy beauty. he hath desired that which he hath made. for that he might make her beautiful, he loved her which was filthy. For an infidel and filthy one, he shed his blood, he made her faithful and fair: he loved his own gifts in thee. For what didst thou bring unto thy spouse? what dowry didst thou receive of thy first father and of thy first people? Didst thou not receive luxuriousness and clouts of sins? he cast away thy clouts, 
Your dowry when you were out of the Church  he cut in pieces thy hearecloth: he pitied thee that he might deck thee, he decked thee that he might love thee.   

Idem lib. cont. Adimant c. 6 §. 3  
OF that which is written in Exodus Honour thy father & mother. 
Parents are to be honoured and also contemned  Unto this place where our Lord gave commandment of honouring Parents, the Manichees say that, that place of the Gospel is contrary, where our Lord unto one which said, I will first go that I may bury my father, gave this answer: suffer that the dead bury the dead, 
Mat. 3.  but thou, come and preach the kingdom of God. Which is answered in like manner as we answered the former place, concerning the leaving of the wise for the kingdom of heaven. For both we must honour our Parents, and yet we contemn them without any impiery for the preaching of the kingdom of God.  
And after longer disputation he concludeth thus. Whereupon it is manifest, that both the honour of Parents in their degree is to be observed, and yet in comparison of the divine love, especially if they be a hindrance thereunto without all scruple we ought to contemn them. 
Deut 33.  For we read also in the old testament: who faith to his father or mother, I know you not, and who acknowledgeth not his tons, he hath known my testament.   

S August. Conc. 1. in Psal. 70. §. 4  
In that thing only the son must not obey the father, 
Obedience to Parents  if his father command him any thing against his Lord God. neither ought the father to be aggrieved, when God is in this manner preferred before him.   

S. Aug. in Psal. 136. in fine. §. 5  
What hath this Babylon done unto us? 
Psal. 64.  we have already sung in that other psalm: The speeches of wicked men have prevailed against us. For when we were borne; the 〈◊〉 of this world found us little ones, 〈…〉 yet infants strangled us with vain opinions of manifold errors. 
A sit revenge to Paents for evil bringing up.  The infant i● borne a future citizen of Hierusa●em, and in God's predestination already a citizen: but in the mean time inthralied for a while, when he learneth to love that 〈◊〉 his parents whisper unto him. they instruct and reach him covetousness, extortions, daily lies, diverse worships of idols, & Devells, unlawful meditines of inchamments and knotting. What may the tender soul yet an infant do, attending what his Elders do, but follow that which he seethe them to do? Babylon therefore did persecute us when we were little ones. but God gave us the knowledge of himself being great ones; that we should not follow the errors of our Parents: which than I fared was foretold by the Prophet: 
Hier. 16.  Unto thee shall die nations come from the end of the earth: and shall say: Verily our fathers have observed a lie; and a vanity which hath not profited them.  
Even now do young men say thus, which were killed little ones by following such vanities: but by casting away vanities & rescuing unto God let them go forward, 
The persuasions of Parents to go to the Church are these little ones  & reader unto Babylon what recompense shall they render it that which it hath rendered unto us. Let her little ones also be crushed and die. Which are the little ones of Babylon? Evil desires nowly arising. For some d●●guarrell with their desires being old. When the desire first ariseth, before e●ell custom get● any force against thee, when she is a little one, let her not get the strength of a custom, when she is a little one crush her. But thou art afraid lest being crushed she will not die. Crush her against the Rock. 
1. Cor. 10.  And the Rock was Christ.  
Whatsoever (Brethren) in the world doth flatter you: be not over bold: do not confer with your desires. is it a great enemy? kill it at the stone: is it a small enemy? crush it against the Rock. Let the Rock overcome: build yourselves in the Rock if you will not be carried away either by the flood, or by the winds, or by the rain.   

Idem in Psal. 50. §. 6  
But yet (my dearest) in such diversity of manners and so detestable corruption govern your houses, govern your sons, 
Parents ought to teach virtue & not wickedness.  govern your families. Even as it is our parts in the Church to speak unto you, so unto you doth it appertain to deal in such sort in your houses, that you may give good account of those which are your subjects. God loveth discipline. but it is a perverse and false innocency, to let lose the bridle to sins. Very unprofitably, 
God revengeth the Parents sins unto the fourth generation.  very perniciously shall the son feel the father's lenity, that justly afterward he may feel God's severity. And this not alone, but together with his dissolute father. For what? if himself sinneth not and doth not as his son, must he not therefore forbid his son from that wickedness? what? would he perhaps seem to his son, that himself would do the like also if he were not old? The sin which displeaseth thee not in thy son delighteth thee: 
What if the father inviteth the son to that with displeaseth him.  but age hath forsaken thee, not desire. But perhaps the evil son neglecteth either the admonition or childing or se●●●ty of his father. Thou fulfil that which belon goth to thee, God will exact of him that which belonged to him.   

S. Augustin. ser. ●●de verbis Dom. of him which said unto our Saviout. Permit me first to go & bury my father. 
Mat. 8.  §. 7  
The faithfulness of his heart did offer him to our Lord: but piety did detain him. 
God is to be preferred be fore Parents.  But Christ our Lord when he prepareth men for his Gospel, will have no excuse to be pretended of this carnal and temporal piety. The law of God surely hath it, and our Lord himself doth reprove the jews, because they destroyed the commandment of God. 
Ephes. 6.  And Paul the Apostle in his epistle said: this is the first commandment in the promise, which? Honour thy father and thy mother. God himself spoke it. This young man therefore would do God's commandment, and bury his father. but there is place, time, and matter, which is convenient for this matter, this time, and this place. We must honour our father, but we must obey God. We must love him which begot us, but we must prefer him which made us. I 〈◊〉 thee (faith 〈◊〉) to the Gospel, there is 〈◊〉 of thee for another work. this work is greater than that which th●● intendest to do. suffer th●● 〈…〉 their dead. Is thy father dead? there 〈…〉 persons for to bury their dead. 〈…〉 dead which bury the dead? can a dead man be buried by them which are dead? how do they wind him if they be dead? how do they carry him, if they be dead? how do they lament him, if they be dead? They wind him they carry him, they lament him, and yet they be dead, 
* So is any dead which is in mortal sin.  because they are infidels. He taught us that which is written in the canticles: where the Church saith: 
1 Io. 3, 14. Ro 6, 21. jac. 1, 15. Apoc. 3, 1.  Do you set in order charity in me. What meaneth this, do you set in order charity in me? Do you make degrees, and yield unto every one that which is dew do not set the greater under the inferior Love your parents, but preserre God before your parents. hearken to the mother of the Maccabees. 
2. Mach 7.  My sons saith she I know not how you appeared in my womb. I could conceive you, I could bring you forth: but I could not fashion you, hear therefore him, esteem him above me: neither have any regard for to leave me deprived of you. She commanded them, and they obeyed her. That which this mother taught her sons: the same did our Lord jesus Christ teach this man to whom he said; follow me. For presently there stepped forth another Disciple, to whom nothing had been said: 
Luc. 9  and promised that he would follow our Lord: but I go first (saith he) to take my leave of them which are at home. Which, I suppose, hath this meaning. I will give them warning, lest perhaps, as it is an ordinary thing, they seek me. But our Lord answered: no man putting his hand to the plough and looking back, is apse for the Kingdom of heaven. The East calleth thee and dost thou look upon the west?   

S. Augustin. set. 6. de verb. Do. cap. 7. §. 8.  
If he be good which hath authority over thee; 
All superiority is to be contemned in that that it is against Christ.  he is thy nourisher, if he be evil, he is thy tempter. thou therefore both willingly accept his nourishment, and be tried by his tentation. Look thou be gold, consider this world as the gouldsmithes' furnace: in one narrow place there are three things gold, chas●e, fire To those two fire is purte, the chaff is burnt, the gold is purged. Some person hath yielded unto threatenings, and was brought to go to the idols temple. Alas, alas, 
To go to the Church  I bewail the chaff, I see the ashes Another hath not yielded unto threatenings, hath not yielded unto terrors: being brought before the judge: he was constant in his Confession: he bowed not to the idol. What doth the fire? doth it not purge the gold? Behold the constant in our Lord, my brethren: mighty is he which hath called you. fear not the threatenings of the wicked. You suffer your enemies, you have for whom to pray. Let them not in any case terrify you this is perfect health, draw yourselves drink out of this bankett, here drink that you may be satisfied: not there where you may become mad. Be constant in our Lord. you are silver, you shall be gold. 
Sap. 3.  This is not our own comparison, it is out of the scripture you have read it, you have heard it. As ●ould in the f●rnace hath he proved them, and as a sacrifice of holoce u●t, he hath accepted them Behold what you shall be in the treasure of God. Be you rich with God, not as to make him rich, but as to be rich of him. Let him fill you, admit nothing else unto your heart. But do we perhaps make you proud, or teach you to contemn ordained power? We say not so. You which are diseased in this point, 
Ro. 13.  touch also the hem of Christ's garment for to be instructed and cured. The Apostie faith: Let every soul be subject to higher powers, for there is no power but from God. And those that are, of God are ordained. therefore he that resisteth the power, 
See also l. 3. confess. c. 8  resisteth the ordinance of God. But what if he command that which thou oughtest not to do? here truly contemn power, by fearing power. Do you consider the very degrees of human laws. If the governor command any thing, is it not to be done? yet if the Proconsul command the contrary, than truly dost thou not despise power, but choosest to obey the greater. Neither herein ought the lesser to be angry, if the greater be preferred. Again if the proconsul command one thing, & the Emperor another: is it doubted but that be is to be obeyed, the other being despised? 
S. Augustine would not allow going to the Church if he were a 'mongst us. Eph. 6.  Therefore if the Emperor biddeth one thing, and God another: what do you judge? Pay tribute. Attend unto my service very well: but not in the idols temple. In the idols temple forbiddeth it. Who forbiddeth it? a greater power. Pardon me, thou threatenest prison, he threateneth hell. Here now must thou take upon thee thy faith as a buckler in the which thou mayest quench all the fiery darts of the enemy.   

S. Cypri. libro de oratione Dominica. §. 9  
Our Father which art in heaven. The new man, 
How God is our Father.  borne again & restored unto his God by his grace: in the very first beginning saith, Father: because now he hath begun to be the son of God. He came saith the Apostle into his own, & his own received him not, but as many as received him, 
Io. 1.  he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to those that believe in his name. He therefore that hath believed in his name, and is become the son or God, must hence begin, that he may both be thankful and profess himself the son of God, whilst he confesseth that he hath a father in heaven, which is God, & that he may also witness, that even in the first words of his nativity, he renounced his earthly & carnal father, and began to acknowledge and account him only his father which is in heaven; even as it is written. Who faith to his rather and mother, I know you not, & have not acknowledged their sons, 
Deut. 33  these have kept thy commaundernents, and observed thy 〈◊〉. 
Mat. 23.  Also our Lord in his Gospel commanded that we call not a father unto ourselves on earth, because we have one only father which is in heaven and unto that Disciple which made mention of his departed father, he answered let the dead bury the dead, for he had faied that his father was dead, 
Mat. 5.  whereas the father of the faithful is alive.   

S. Gregory in the 4. book of his dialogues chap. 18. §. 10.  
Peter. 
A strange punishment of a father in his son evil nurteted.  Whereas mankind is subject to many and infinite vices, it seemeth to me, that the greatest part of the heavenly Hicrusalem is filled either with little ones or with very infants. Gregory. Although we must believe that all Christened infants dying in their infancy do enter into the heavenly Kingdom: yet is it not to be thought that all little ones, especially those which can speak do enter into heaven. because unto some infants the entry of that Kingdom is shut up, by their own parents if wickedly they bring them up. For a certain man very well known to all this city, three years ago, had a son of five years of age, as I think. whom because he loved over carnally, he brought up over loosely. The same child which is a grievous thing to speak so soon as any thing went contrary to his mind, was a customed to blaspheme the Majesty of God, but in that last contagiousness sickened to death. And when his father held him in his bosom, as those which were present did witness, the child with ghastly eyes perceiving that malignant spirits were come unto him, began to cry; Help father, help father. And so crying he bent away his face, for to hide it in his father's bosom. But when his father asked him what he saw, he answered certain 〈◊〉 ●amores are come which will carry me away, and when he had said this, 
So many children miserably perish in heresy, being first made to distemble by their parents.  he presently blasphemed the name of God's Majesty, and yielded up the ghost. For that Almighty God might show for what offence he was delivered to such tortures, that which his father would not correct him for huing, that he permitted he should iterate dying. that he which long time had lived in blasphemy through God patience: should once by God's judgement die blaspheming to the intent that the father should acknowledge his offence, who being careless of the little soul, brought up for hell fire, no little sinner.   

S. Hierome upon the 10. chapter of S. Matthew. §. 11.  
Who loveth his father and mother more than me: 
Hatred to ones kindred sometimes is piety to God.  is not worthy of me. He which before had said, I came not to send peace, but a sword, and to divide men against father and mother, daughter in law, and mother in law: lest any man should prefer piety before religion: he added: Who loveth his father and mother more than me, is not worthy of me. And in the canticles we read: 
Cant. 2. The order of charity.  he hath ordered in me charity. This order is necessary in every affection. After God love thy father, love thy mother, love thy children. But if necessity come that the love of parents and children must be compared to the love of God, and both cannot be observed: hatred to one's kinted, is piety to God.    

THE THIRD CHAPTER. Of the necessary renunciation sometimes to be made of husband and wife: although that which hath been said above belong also to them.  

S. Aug. cont. Adimant. c. 3. §. 1  
THe true faith and the discipline of the Catholic Church affirmeth both to be true and spoken of our Lord, 
A wife is to be left for the kingdom of heaven.  and no way contrary: that both the coviunction of man and wife is of our Lord, and the leaving of one's wife for the Kingdom of heaven is of our Lord. For not because jesus Christ hath raised up dead men and given them life, therefore is not life itself to be left for the Kingdom of heaven. Even so than although our Lord hath joined a wife unto a man, yet is the to be left (if need be) for the Kingdom of heaven. For this is not always necessary as the Apostle saith. 
1. Cor. 7  If any faithful hath a wife an infidel, and she consenteth to dwell with him, let him not dismiss her. he meaneth truly, that if she do not consent to dwell with him, that is, if she detest in him the faith of Christ, and suffereth him not because he is a Christian, she is to be left for the Kingdom of heaven. even as the same Apostle afterward saith: if the infidel depart, let him depart. for the brother or sister is not subject to bondage in such things. If any man therefore doth leave the Kingdom of heaven, whilst he will not leave his wise which cannot abide a Christian husband: he is reprehended by our Lord. 
The wife also must leave her husband in like sort.   
So he concludeth that these scriptures are not contrary, because (saith he there the wife is joined to the husband that together they may deferue the Kingdom of heaven. and so is a wife commanded to be left, if she hinder her husband from getting of the Kingdom of heaven.   

S. Greg. Lib. 3. mor c. 14. in 2. caput job. treating of job. sitting in the dunghill and his wines wicked impugning of his holy patience. §. 2  
But what do we say thus much of the infidels, 
Who sight against Christ.  whereas in the Church itself we see many carnal persons by their wicked manners fight against the life of their Redeemer? For some there are who because with the sword they cannot, yet do persecute him with perverse actions. for when they see they want in the Church that which they desire: they become the enemies of the good, & not only addict themselves to crooked behaviour, but endeavour also to bend the righteous men's straightness to their perverseness. They neglect to consider the things eternal, and with the baseness of their mind they are subdued to the desire of that which is temporal. and so much the deeper they fall from things everlasting, because they repute that besides temporal goods there are no other. To these men is much displeasant the just men's simplicity, and when they find occasion of trouble, they persuade them to embrace their doubleness. Wherefore is that very fit which followeth. His wife said unto him, dost thou yet remain in thy simplicity. Bless God, & die For whose person did this deceiving woman bear, but of certain carnal persons within the Church's bosom, who in that they be within by their outward profession, do the more oppress the good with uncorrected manners. for less perhaps should they have hurt, if the holy Church admitting them had not received them in the very closet of faith, and by such receiving them unto this profession were not in estate that she cannot avoid them. 
Luc. 8  Hereof is it that the multitude oppressing our Redeemer, but one only woman did touch him, wherefore he said, who hath touched me? To whom when the Disciples answered: the multitudes throung and press thee, and dost thou say who hath touched me, he forthwith added, some body hath touched me, for I know that there is virtue proceeded from me. Many therefore do press our Lord, and one only toucheth: because those which are carnal in the Church do press him, being far from him, & those only do touch him which being truly humble are joined unto him. The multitude therefore do press him, because the company of carnal folks, how much nearer it is admitted, so much the harder is tolerated. 
A new kind of persecutors.  it presseth & toucheth not, because it is importunate being present: and yet in good life always absent. For sometimes they persecute us by wicked speeches: but sometimes only by perverse manners. For sometimes they exhort us to that which they follow: other times although they exhort not, yet cease they not to give us examples of iniquity. Those therefore which by words or examples entice us to evil, in very deed are our persecutors: by whom we are brought unto the combat of temptations: which at the least in our heart we may overcome. But we must understand that those which are carnal in the Church: sometimes through fear, sometimes through presumptuousness go about to persuade perverseness: and when themselves either for pusillanimity, or haughtiness do shrink, they seek to instill the same things into the minds of the just, and that under pretence of charity. 
Charitable persuaders to schism. 2. Reg. 19 Mat. 16.  Peter had a carnal mind before our saviours death and resurrection. Saruias' his son with a carnal mind followed his captain David, yet the one sinned by fear, the other by pride. The first hearing of his master's death, said: Lord be it far from thee, this shall not be unto thee. The other not suffering the injuries of his captain saith: And for all these words shall not Semei be killed, which hath cursed the anointed of our Lord? But answer is given him. what have I to do with you o sons of Saruias': 
Evil counsellors are called Devils.  why will you this day become Satan unto me? Evil counsellors than are called by the name of the Apostata Angels, who with flattering speeches pretending love, do draw unto wickedness. 
Such are those who contumeliously oppose themselves to Priests.  yet far worse are they, which not of fear but of pride give themselves to this vice, whose figure especially was this wife of job, endeavouring to bring her husband unto pride: saying: yet dost thou remain in thy simplicity? Bless God, & die. She reprehendeth simplicity in her husband, because despising all that which is transitory, he desired with a pure heart only things eternal. as if she had said: why dost thou simply desire things everlasting, and patiently groanest at thy present evils? departing, despise that which is eternally good, and even by death avoid that which is presently evil.  
But those which are elect, whilst inwardly they suffer of carnal men that which is evil, how great an uprightness they show within themselves, we may learn of the words of him which is wounded and yet sound, 
How wives should answer their Schismatic husbands.  of him which sitteth, and yet is erected. Thou hast spoken saith he like a very foolish woman, if we have received good of the hand of our Lord, why should we not abide evil? Holy men being overtaken with the conflict of tribulations, when at the very same time they abide some striking them, and others persuading them; to the first they oppose the buckler of patience: against the second they hurl the darts of Doctrine. 
Two combares of Catholics.  and with wonderful cunning of virtue they prepare themselves to both manners of fight, that both within they may wisely confute that which is perverse, and without they may stoutly contemn whatsoever is contrary: and by teaching the first correct them, by tolerating the second oppress them. For by suffering their enemies which rise against them, they despise them: and by compassion of their diseased friends they reduce them; to those they resist lest they draw others; but these they cure, least utterly they lose the life of all honesty.   

S. Hier. in ep. ad Tit. c. 3 §. 3  
If it be good which the Emperor and Governor commandeth: obey the will of the commander, 
God is to be obeyed before husband or any other  but if it be evil: answer him out of the acts of the Apostles: It behoveth to obey God more than men. This same let us understand both of servants to their masters, and of wives to their husbands, & of children to their Parents: that in those things only they must be subject to their masters, husbands, Parents, which are not contrary unto God's commandments.   

An explication of diverse lawful manners of separation of man and wife, according to the holy scriptures and the sentence and practise of holy Church.  
WE have in diverse places above, set down the doctrine of Christ himself with the declaration of the Doctors of the Church, 
§. 1  concerning the forsaking of wives for the love of Christ.  
But whereas in this matter of forsaking, or of living in the estate of wedlock, and performing matrimonial duty one to another, the husband and wife is of like 
* Hieron. Ep. ad Oceanum. Aug. lib. 2. de adult. con. cap. 8. & 19 Sylu. verbo Devortium § 1.  condition, and that divorce or separation or forsaking which is lawful to the husband is lawful also to the wife: as well lest wives should in this point be too rash, as that they may know if need should require how far they may either with merit or without sin proceed: we must necessarily although in few words entreat hereof.  
There are therefore in general two kinds of divorces of man and wife. 
Two kinds of divorces in general.  the first is nothing else but a declaration of the invalidity of a marriage unlawfully contracted. when because of some impediment, the contract could not be sufficient, and therefore is dissolved by the Church: and of this we have nothing at this present to say. The other is, when that marriage which according to the law of God and nature was a true and perfect marriage, is notwithstanding separated by lawful means and of this must we make our whole discourse.  
This separation therefore is of three sorts. 
Three kinds of separation of a lawful marriage.  For either the marriage is quite dissolved the parties remaining free from the former bond: or the bond of the marriage being still in force, there is a separation made sometimes of bed only, sometimes even of all cohabitation. 
§. 2. Separation of bond.   
The very bond of a marriage once sufficient may be in diverse ways dissolved otherwise than by death (for we speak of that dissolution which leaveth both parties alive)  
First if two infidels be married together which were never baptised: 
1. Cor. 7.28. q. 2. Can. si infidelis. etc. Quamto & cap Gau de divortijs.  the one party coming to our holy faith, may marry again and so the first marriage may be dissolved in three cases. first if the party which remaineth infidel will not dwell with the faithful secondly if he will not (sine contumelia aut iniuria Creatoris) without contumely or injury of Christ. Thirdly if by reason of some scandal which may happen the faithful be bound to forsake his first marriage. as now in diverse places it is practised and by law established, that such a faithful person shall be separated from the other remaining an infidel. For S. Paul doth not absolutely command, but giveth as it were counsel, not to dismiss the infidel if he be content to dwell still with the other.  
Of this dissolution of marriage we need not to entreat the case being clear, and not in our country occurrent. yet this must be taught to all Catholics, that they beware herein of the doctrine of those heretics, who agreeably to the rest of their licentious opinions maintain that an heretic may forsake his Catholic wife and marry another. The holy Church teacheth that this rule of S Paul hath no place in the marriages of those which have been baptised. although they were become heretics yea and infidels or Turks, before the time of the marriage: or although afterward either both or one should fall into heresy or infidelity. For the marriage of two baptised not lawfully hindered by any canonical impediment, is always a Sacrament and if it be once consummated by no means can be dissolved.  
Secondly the bond itself of marriage is taken away, when after the solemnisation of the same, before it be consummated by carnal copulation, the one party entereth into religion. for so soon as that party after ordinary probation maketh his solemn profession, the other remaineth free, and may lawfully marry another, 
Cap Ex publico. de conuers. coniug..  yet for to take away all occasion of fraud, the cannon law alloweth two months of liberty unto one which determineth to enter into religion: after which time he is either bound to matrimonial duty (which being once yielded, the marriage cannot be dissolved) or presently to enter without any longer delay. This doctrine is confirmed by the continual practice of the Church. 
* Haer. 78.  of S. Tecla induced hereunto by Saint Paul as 
* l. 2. de virg  S. Epiphanius & 
* Beda & Simeon Metaph.  S Ambrose acknowledge. of S. Alexius a most noble Roman and famous for this act in all ages. of two soldiers whom S. Augustine reporteth in his time to have forsaken their spouses & to have become monks at Trevers. 
Lib. 8. conf. c. 6 lib. 3. dial. cap. 14. See 27. q. 2. can. desponsatum & can. Decreta. & de conuers. coniug. c. ex publico. & can. ex part tua & can. vertum.  by whose example their spouses did also dedicated as S. Augustine saith their virginity unto God. of S. Gregoria a Roman Nun, who because she ran from her spouse in earth (as writeth S. Gregory) deserved to have a spouse in heaven. and of many others in several times. Besides we have the same in diverse ancient canons of diverse Popes. S. Gregory, S. Eusebius, Alexander the third and Innocentius the third.  
Finally the Council of Trent 
* Sess. 24. c. 6.  defineth it in these words. If any one say that marriage only contracted & not consummated, is not dissolved, by the solemn profession of religion of the one party. Let him be anathema. Thus much of this shall suffice.  
A third dissolution of matrimonial band, may be, when the marriage perfectly contracted and not yet consummated, either by request of both parties, or sometime by suit of one only (as when the other hath broken the promised saith, and is already married although unlawfully to another) is by the Pope's dispensation dissolved. For than either party may lawfully marry again. except that the dishonest party cannot without dispensation remain with the second companion, there being between them that impediment which is called impedimentum criminis. which is (for as much as belongeth to our present purpose) when a married party committeth adultery and withal either promiseth or presently contracteth although secretly marriage with the adulterer. 
Antonin. 3. part. tit. 1. cap 21. §. 3. Navar. c. 22 num. 21. Sylu. verbo Divortium q 4. Caiet. Tract. 25. q. 1. D. Tho. 4 sent. d. 27. q. 1. ar. 3. Why marriage not consummate is dissolved by religion. Cap. Deblium de Bigamis & glossa ibi.  For the allowing of this doctrine we have the practice of the Church and opinion of all old canonists and most Divines of our age. and it may very plainly be deduced out of the former verety of our faith. For although every marriage contracted between baptised couples be a Sacrament yet we see that it hath not that indissolubillity and firmness, which it hath after it is consummated: whereas without any dispensation it is dissolved by profession of religion. And that with great reason. For there be three significations in marriage: first of the invisible conjunction of Christ and the soul which is in grace. the second of the conjunction of Christ with his whole Church by the same grace and charity. the third of the conjunction of Christ with his Church by the conformity of his human nature, which he took upon him in his incarnation. Now of this third doth proceed the perfect firmness of marriage: although the other two are sufficient to make it a Sacrament. Hence was it that our Saviour said not: 
Mat. 19 Alex. 3 cap. Ex publico. De conu. coniug..  That which God hath joined let not man separate, but after that he had said: now they are not two but one fresh. What marvel therefore if that marriage may by some Ecclesiastical means be divided, which is not yet consummated, and where they be properly as yet two, and not two in one flesh?  
Besides. 
Hugo de S. vict lib. 2. de Sacr. par. 11  in marriage there are two conjunctions: the one spiritual by mutual consent of minds: the other carnal by conjunction of bodies. But it seemeth very great reason that one spiritual bond, should yield to another more perfect which is that of religion, whereby the soul is joined after so singular a manner unto God. especially, here being no injury unto the education of children because there are none: nor unto the other party now remaining free, and no way blemished or made unfit for another marriage by the loss of virginity.  
And whereas by the doctrine of the Apostle the carnal bond of marriage is dissolved by the natural death of the one party, 
1. Cor. 7.  in so much that if the same party should be miraculously revived again, yet might the wife choose whether she would have him, and if she had married another she could not have him: why shall not the spiritual death of one which by religious profession dieth to the world, be of sufficient force to take away the spiritual bond of a marriage not consummated?  
Now if there be this difference in the firmity of these two marriages: why shall we not attribute the same authority to God's Vicar in earth, for to dissolve that by his sovereign power of binding and loase, 
Mat. 16.  which a man may without his dispensation by his proper act dissolve? especially whereas there may be so urgent causes of such dispensation, and so important for the good of souls. All this we may confirm with an other truth in Divinity. For according to the more common & sound opinion of Divines the Pope may dispense in solemn vows of religion, 
Navarre c. 12. num. 75. D. Tho. 4. d. 38. q 1. ar. 4.  and give a Monk upon just causes leave to return to the world again and to marry. and this hath been diverse times done. and there is no reason why he may dispense in simple, and not in solemn Vows. 
Richardus Durand. Palud. Maior. Henricus S. Antonin. Angel. Innocentius Hostien. Panorm. Caiet.  now if one should thus be dispensed withal which had after a contract of marriage before the consummation entered into religion: than might it happen that he should live in the world married, his first wife being married also to another. Than why may not the Pope do at once, that which by such a circumstance he may do severally?  
Let us than conclude that in marriage which is consummated none but God himself can dispense. who hath not dispensed, but only in the marriage of infidels, when one cometh to our holy faith. But in marriage only contracted and not consummated, the bond may be taken away in two sorts. first by entrance into religion of the one party, without dispensation or consent of the other party: secondly by the dispensation of the Pope at the suit of both parties, or of the one only whom the other hath already unjustly forsaken. And although this last be not expresely defined by the Church: yet is it very secure in practice: and it becometh every devout Catholic with godly affection to persuade himself, that so many chief Pastors of God's Church. in so weighty a matter have not erred. 
§. 3   
Thus much being said of the dissolving of the very bond of marriage let us go now to that which followeth of the separation of bed. 
Of the separation of bed.   
This separation may be with singular merit and with great congruency made by common consent, according to the counsel of S. Paul that the married persons may give themselves for a time the more earnestly unto prayer. 
1. Cor. 7.  For those men are far deceived, who by the holy name of matrimony, seek to excuse their intemperate desues, wholly inclining themselves to the satisfying of their disordered appetite. These should diligently consider the speech of the Angel unto young I obye. 
Tob. 6.  I will show thee who are those against whom the Devil can prevail. For they which so undertake marriage, that they may exclude God from themselves and from their mind: and attend unto their lust as a horse and mule, who have no understanding: the Devil hath power over those. For this cause doth S. Augustine allege S. Ambrose & approve his saying, 
Lib. 2. cont. julia. c. 7.  where he calleth him which is intemperate in marriage, his wives adulterer. and S Hierome worthily hath wrotten: it Skilleth not for how honest a cause a man become mad. 
Lib. 1. cont. jovin.  wherefore even the Philosopher Xistus in his sentences, saith. a too earnest lover of his wife, is an adulterer. towards another man's wife every love is shameful: and so is towards ones own wife that which is over much. a wife man must love his wife by judgement and not by passion. he will rule the hastiness of pleasure, neither will he be carried headlong unto copulation. Nothing is more filthy than for to love his wife as an adulteress. Thus S. Hierome  
This we say not to condemn the act of matrimony which God hath ordained & allowed: but that every one should understand that even in that estate there is danger: 
The matrimonial act how it is sometime sinful.  & as the act may be meritorious when it is done for some virtuous end either of desire of children so that they purpose to make them children of God and members of his Church: or for to render the debt to the other party demanding: as it may be also at the least void of sin when it is done for the avoiding of fornication, when the one party doubteth that otherwise he should fall either in thought or deed: so is it always at the least a venial sin to pretend in that action only delight: and if such delight do pass the limits of matrimony (as if it be joined with unlawful concupiscence of any other person, or if the natural order & necessary decency which God hath ordained be not observed) it is always a deadly sin. Those therefore which are the true children of God, must before they marry, 
The ends of marriage.  lay before their eyes the lawful and godly ends of matrimony. that is, the desire of children for to increase God's house: the mutual fidelity one to another and continual services & comfort of this miserable life: & the avoiding of fornication if they be such as list not to fight against the assaults of the flesh: finally and principally the dignity of the Sacrament and perfect resemblance of the conjunction of Christ and his Church. For reverence of the which, they must imprint in their minds, that saying of young Tobye: 
Tob. 8.  we are the children of Saints, and may not be so joined together as the Gentills which know not God. And the danger of marriage being so great as in very deed it is, and the corruption of our nature so ready to extend itself in delightful things once permitted beyond the due limits: it were also very convenient that every one which undertaketh such an estate, should seek some Angel to be instructed by of what manner of inconvenience he may fall into, if diligent care and continual heed be not taken. Certain it is that the more we severe ourselves from sensual things, the more we approach unto God. And those that for Christ refrain from lawful delights, are more disposed to receive of him the heavenly pleasures. At some times therefore as well to bridle the disorder of the appetite, and teach it to obey reason: as also to avoid 
* Aug. l. 14. ciu. c. 16.  the distraction which the acts of marriage do bring whereby that devotion may be hindered which is required upon solemn days in a Christian: there is a kind of separation to be made between man and wife. which we call separation of bed, although it require not separation of place: of which the Catechism of the Counsel of Trent doth thus entreat. 
De sacr. matr.  Because all good things by holy prayers are to be obtained at God's hands: the faithful are to be taught that for to pray and worship God, they abstain sometimes from the office of matrimony, and especially that they know how they should observe this, three days at the least before they receive the holy Eucharist, and oftentimes when the holy fast of Lent is celebrated, even as our Fathers have very well and holily commanded us. For so will it come to pass that they shall feel the very benefits of marriage with greater measure of God's grace daily to be increased: and following the study of piety, they shall not only pass this life quietly & peaceably, but have a true and firm hope which never confoundeth of obtaining through God's goodness the life everlasting. 
Ro. 5.   
A second kind of separation of bed there may be with excele●t perfection, when both parties agree for the love of God, and affection unto the Angelical virtue of purity, to live together perpetually like brother and sister. This is also counseled by S. Paul in the same place. 
1. Cor. 7.  where he only by indulgence warneth them to return again together lest they be tempted: although he desire that every one were as himself. And this kind of separation is the more meritorious, when by mutual consent it is vowed. neither can the one party lawfully vow continency without consent of the other. 
The excellency of vows. Aug. ep. 45  for a vow always giveth a higher dignity unto every virtuous action: both because of the stability which is there where it is not lawful to go back: faelix necessitas (saith S. Augustin quae ad meliora compellit: happy is the necessity which enforceth to the better things: and also because it maketh every act whereunto it is applied, an act of religion, a principal virtue of Christian life: and particularly in the vow of chastity or continency the soul there by becometh after an extraordinary manner the spouse of Christ.  
This kind of separation although it be highly reverenced of Catholics, as it is of fleshly heretics contemned: yet is perhaps hardly to be found in our country or age. except it be if happily the persecutors make it by keeping the one party in prison (as it is a familiar quality in them to despise marriage in others, but in themselves:) when it were no small merit for either party to make of necessity a virtue & to offer that unto God by vow which they are otherwise enforced unto, at the least for that time until God shall bring them together again. For even of such things as are commanded by the law of God may a vow be made, 
Sotus. l. 7. de just. q. 1. ar. 3 of things necessary to be done a Vow may be made.  when it is so undertaken, that although I were not otherwise bound yet I would in this particular case bind myself. And so in this case the person which hath vowed unto God to observe that chastity which he is other wise bound unto: doth not only exercise acts of temperance and chastity, but of religion also whensoever he avoideth or overcometh any contrary suggestion or occasion.  
But this manner of heroical separation of bed and perpetual abstinence from that which before was lawful was in ancient ages very familiar unto gods saints, 
Epist. 32.45.199. See S. Greg. l. 9 ep. 39 Theodoret l. 4. hist. c. 13. Hier. ep 14. ad Celant  & highly commended by holy Doctors of the Church & namely by S. Augustine who to the confusion of sensual heretickse which understand nothing but flesh and blood, in three several epistles discourseth of three married couples, which all had vowed perpetual continency. neither want we examples of most notable personages. of our blessed 
* Mat. 1. Aug. l. 2. de conf. evan. Cap. 1.  Lady & S. joseph: 
* Krantz. 〈◊〉 c. 32.  of Emperor Henry the first of that name, & Runegunde his wife, both Saints. Of our S. Edward confessor. And of a lay man which Cassian 
* Coll. 14. c. 7.  sayeth for this virtue to have cast out a Devil which a holy Eremite could not expel. And of divers others, which all have in marriage either observed perpetual virginity: or after carnal knowledge vowed perpetual continency. whom if heretics have not the gift for to follow neither can this gift be found where the spirit of wisdom doth not dwell let them cease yet to abridge gods mighty hand in bestowing his liberality where there is capacity of his heavenly grace. 
Sap. 1.   
A third cause of separation in bed is the adultery or fornication or any kind 
* 32 q. 7. cap. non solum. & q. 4. cap. meretrices. Aug. q. 71. super Exo. Mat. 5.  of unlawful copulation of either party. For than (if it be manifestly known unto the innocent party) it is lawful to whold the debt of matrimony. This is the doctrine of our Saviour himself: For if it be lawful to dismiss the fornicator, much more to deny him the matrimonial debt. yet be there some exceptions wherein it is not lawful to make such separation. First if the one party supposing that the other is dead marry another. Than if the act were committed by violence. Likewise if the wife admitted another man, thinking that it was her own husband. Besides when both parties have committed fornication also when one party consented or gave an immediate occasion to the adultery of the other Finally when a reconciliation is made either by an expesse remission of the fault: or by the innocent parties demanding or yielding the debt of marriage after the sault is once known. For than is he deemed to remit the same. Except the wife for some notable fear of the husband should render the debt: for than she hath not lost her right to deny the same, neither was that a reconciliation, which was not voluntarily made. In like manner after a voluntary reconciliation made although both parties were faulty, yea and although the one parties adultery were altogether unknown to the other: by such reconciliation they are both restored to their prime estate. so that notwithstanding any fault past, that party which shall fall again, may be justly denied the matrimonial debt by the other party persevering innocent.  
Neither will it be amiss here to admonish, that the husband using the act of marriage after any copulation had by his wife with an other man whether sinfully or not sinfully: whether himself still remaining bound to her company or no: yet he is accounted Bigamus by the Church: and not admitted without dispensation unto holy orders after the decease of his wife, even as if he had been twice married, or had married a widow. which I the more willingly here do utter, that whosoever is desirous so to live in the estate of marriage that he may not prejudice the undertaking of a higher estate if it please God to set him free: may beware hereby to return to the company of his wife, after such accidents except in cases where he may not without sin refuse the same. For than better is it to put himself in impossibility of a higher estate to come, than in his present estate to offend God. Finally whensoever one may lawfully make separation of bed, the same party may make a perpetual vow of chastity without the others consent, for he is not bound to any reconciliation. But if he chance to fall than is he bound to reconciliation and the other party may irritate the vow as being made without his consent. But if one not disposed to vow giveth the other leave to vow continency: it can never be revoked again: but only upon sufficient cause be dispensed by the Church. Now in the separation not only in bed, 
§ 4.  but also in the very cohabitation itself: first there offereth itself that excellent resolution by mutual consent to vow continency, 
Of the separation of dwelling.  and both together to enter into religion the one of men, the other of women. For many married couples there are, which for that they have worldly charges, or because they cannot so easily frame themselves to the strictness of a religious life, or because of their age and unfitness for a religious estate; do perform that in the world, which undoubtedly might be more perfect in religion. And these are not defrauded of their reward. for they also gheld themselves for the kingdom of heaven, although they do not sell all and follow Christ. Nevertheless that this is a very great step unto that absolute estate of perfection, we may not doubt, whereas many such persons have entered into religion. This is a case very well known by experience in God's Church. And although as we have said, the one only may vow continency by the others consent: yet, with the mutual consent of both, 
In three cases one may enter into religion, & not the other  the one only cannot enter into religion without the other: but only in three csses. First if the one party be very old (as of threescore years of age as Sotus requireth) and out of all danger of incontinency: for than the same party vowing chastity the other may enter into religion. 
C Ad apostolicam & C. cum sis de conve coniug.  yet this must be with leave of the Bishop. for although the profession of the other would hold without such leave: yet were it not free from sin. and such consent of the one party remaining secular may be revoked before the profession of the party religious, but not without sin, when there were not very just cause. Secondly if the one party fall into notorious infidelity or heresy: than after a divorce made by the Church, the other may enter into religion. Thirdly for adultery in like manner: but of these two cases we will say hereafter more.  
I say therefore that the one party may separate himself not only in bed but also in habitation from the other for fornication. according to the doctrine of our Saviour: 
Mat. 5.  although there is no such bond of necessity, but only when there were scandal: as may very well happen if the party delinquent be the wife, & the man knowing her fault should seem to allow it: for than by reason of scandal he werer bound to divorce her. the like danger is not in wives, towards their husbands whose nature is known more to abhor from their husband's disorder herein. and by divorcing their husbands they could not amend them: and especially because they are not their husband's superiors, as the husband is the wives. In this case as we have said the party innocent may forsake the other, and enter also into religion or take holy orders without consent: so that the conditions be observed which we spoke of before in the like case of separation in bed. Yet is there here required the Church's authority, because it is a public matter and subject unto scandal if it be not orderly done. But when the case is notorious and known to the world: 
Panorm. Covar. ●otus. Sylu.  especially if the dishonest wife dwell in house with the adulterer, a bare separation without entering into orders or religion may (in my judgement) be made by private authority: much more where there is no lawful Ecclesiastical Court & no likelihood of scandal. This separation in like manner may be made for spiritual fornication: 
C. de illa. etc. quanto. de diuortij●.  that is for infidelity or heresy. when there is joined obstinacy with all, or danger of infecting the innocent party.  
For than may the innocent by the authority of the Church (or in some cases without as we will presently say, forsake the other. and if he be by the sentence of the Church once condemned of heresy, the innocent party is not bound to receive him again repenting, but may either live alone in a secular life, or else enter into religion. For this must be well carried in mind that (as we said above) no marriage of baptised persons once consummate can be so dissolved that either of the parties may marry another. although the heretics in this behalf do play their parts: whom we cannot at this present attend to confute.  
All these separations are after a sort perpetual ●s we have declared. for it is in the innocent party's choice to receive the other again or no, although the fault be amended.  
There are other causes of divorce, which are for a time, until the causes be taken away. as, for unreasonable cruelty of the husband. or if the wife or the husband were a witch: or killed the children. 
Navar. c. 〈◊〉 n. 22.  or sought the others death. or were dangerously furious; or finally if the one party should draw the other in whatsoever manner unto deadly sin, and could not be reform. And in these cases when necessity urgeth, the wife may forsake her husband without judgement of the Church: for it standing her upon to avoid so imminent danger of body or soul: she may when she is in safety more conveniently procure the divorce. But of the last case it doth especially behove us to speak a little. For of that it is which our Saviour saith: If any one come unto me and hateth not his father and mother and wife etc. 
Luc. 14.  he cannot be my Disciple. also in another place: 
Mat. 18.  if thy eye scandilize thee pluck it out and cast it from thee. Saint Paul also in the case of heresy commandeth to avoid all persons without exception. 
Tit. 3. S. Hierom.  and S. Hierome upon the place alleged of S. Matthew thus notably discourseth. Therefore (saith he) all affection is cut of, and all kindred is dispatched: lest through occasion of piety any faithful person may be laid open unto scandal. if any man (saith he) be so linked unto thee as thy hand, thy foot, thy eye, and be profitable, and careful, and provident in foreseeing of things: & yet cause thee a scandal, & through disagreeing of behaviour, do draw thee to hell: it is better for thee to want both his kindred and helps, lest whilst thou wilt gain thy kinsmen and friends, thou have causes of ruin. therefore do thou not prefer neither wife, nor children, nor friends, nor any affection which may exclude us from the Kingdom of heaven, before the love of our Lord. Every faithful knoweth what hurteth him, or wherein his mind is troubled & often tempted. it is better to lead a solitary life, than for the necessities of this life to lose the everlasting. Thus S. Hierome. Wherefore I do conclude that in case a woman by her husband beurged to go to the Church or to do any unlawful act of religion: much more than in other carnal sins she may, yea and is bound to forsake him, least loving danger she perish therein. 
Eccle. 3.  yet if she perceive herself by God's grace to be so strong and constant that she feareth no perversion at all: she is bound for to remain with him, and so to seek to gain him. But if there be notorious adultery joined withal, and injurious want of all necessary spiritual helps of Catholic religion: I would not doubt but in our country where there is no lawful Ecclesiastical Court even without any danger of perversion she may forsake him. Thus much have I thought good to say of this matter now let us return to the Fathers again.    

THE FOURTH CHAPTER Of renunciation of a man's Patrimony and care of provision for children, more particularly than was said before.  

Cyprianus libro de lapsis. §. 1.  
But unto many persons their own destruction was not sufficient: 
Rich men should leave all, rather than fall.  they quaffed as it were death one to another out of a poisoned cup. And that there might want nothing to the heap of their crime, 
Impiety of Schismatic parents to their child  young children being brought by their father's hands, lost whilst they were little ones, that which in the very entrance of life they had gotten. Shall not they say when the day of judgement shall come, we our se●ues did nothing, neither forsaking the meat and cup of our Lord did we of our own accord run unto profane contagion: others perfidiousness destroyed us, we felt our parents our patricidial slaughterer's they denied for v● our mother the Church and God our father. 
The Church our mother.  that whilst being as yet little ones, improvident, & ignorant of so heinous an offence we were joined by others to the fellowship of crimes, by other men's fraud we might be entrapped. 
Voluntary Banishment and loss of patrimony.  neither is there (o pitiful thing any just or weighty cause to excuse such iniquity. they should have forsaken their country, and sustained loss of their patrimony. for who is he which is borne and must die, which must one day leave his country and forsake his patrimony? that thou mayest not lose Christ, fear the loss of thy salvation, & of thy eternal habitation. behold the holy ghost crieth by the Prophett. 
●●sa. 52.  Depart you, depart you, go forth hence and touch not that which is unclean Go forth out of the midst of her: sever yourselves you which carry the vessels of our Lord. and those which are the very vessels of our Lord, and temples of God, do not they go forth of the midst of her and departed, lest they be constrained to touch that which is unclean, and to be polluted and defiled with deadly dishes? in another place also a voice is beard from heaven, 
Apoc. 1  forewarning the servants of God what they should do, saying. Go out of her my people, lest thou be partaker of her crimes and be punished with her torments: who goeth forth, and departeth, is not made partaker of the crime. but whosoever is found partaker of the crime, is also tormented with the plagues. And therefore our Lord did bid us to retire ourselves & to fly in time of persecution: and that we might do the same, himself both did it, and taught it. 
Martyrdom is wisely to be expected  for whereas the crown of marty doom cometh from the only liberality of God, and cannot be obtained but when the hour is come of receiving it; whosoever remaining in Christ doth go for a while aside, denieth not his faith, but expecteth time. But who by not going aside, is fallen, remained that he might deny. We must not my brethren dissemble the truth, neither must we conceal the matter & cause of our wound. 
Blind love of patrimony.  the blind love of their patrimony hath deceived many: neither could they be willing and ready to depart, who were fettered with their riches as with chains. These were the irons of those which remained, these were the shackells, whereby their force was weakened, their faith oppressed, their mind enchained, their soul imprisoned; that such as were addicted unto earthly desires, might become a prey unto that serpent, which according to Gods own sentence is appointed to feed upon earth. And therefore our Lord all good men's master, both forewarning and counseling for the time to come, saith in this manner. 
Gen. 3.  If thou wilt be perfect, go sell all that thou hast, and give unto the poor, & thou shalt have a treasure in heaven, 
Mat. 19  and come and follow me. if rich men would do this, they should not perish because of their riches. if they laid up their treasure in heaven, they should not have an enemy & persecutor at home: their heart and mind and thought should be in heaven, if their treasure were in heaven. neither could he be overthrown by the world, who had nothing in the world whereby he might be overthrown. he would follow our Lord easily and freely as the Apostles, and many in the Apostles time, and others have done, who forsaking their goods and parents, with unseparable conjunction were fastened to our Lord. But how can they follow Christ who are holden fast with the bands of their patrimony? or how can they go up unto heaven, or climb up unto high & heavenly things, who with earthly desires are pulled downward? They think they possess, who rather are possessed, slaves of their substance, and not masters of their money, but rather their money's prentices. This time and these men doth the Apostle signify, 
1. Tim. 6  saying. They that will be made rich fall into tentation and the snare of the Devil, and many desires unprofitable and hurtful, which drown men into destruction, and perdition. for the root of all evils is covetousness: which certain desiring have erred from the faith, and have entangled themselves in many sorrows. But our Lord, o with how great rewards he inviteth us to contempt of riches? these small and trifling losses of this life, o with what hire he recompenseth? 
Mar. 10.  There is none (saith he) which leaveth house, or lands, or parents, or brethren or wife or children for the Kingdom of God, which receiveth not seven times as much in this time, and in the world to come life everlasting. 
Loss of riches is not to be feared but wished.  These things being once known, and warranted by the assurance of our Lord which promiseth, such loss is not only not to be feared, but also wished for, the same Lord again affirming & warning us, Blessed shall you be, when they shall persecute you, 
Luc. 6.  and separate you & cast you forth, and curse your name as wicked for the son of man. Be glad in that day and rejoice, for your reward is much in heaven.   

Cypr. lib. de Opere & Eleemosinis. §. 2.  
Let not that thing (my dear brethren (hinder a Christian from good and just works, 
Providing for children is no excuse of want of love to god  that any man think himself excused by the benefit of his children: whereas in that which is bestowed spiritually, we ought to think of Christ who acknowledgeth that he receiveth it, and herein we do not prefer our fellow servants, but Christ himself before our children: himself instructing us. 
Mat. 10.  Who loveth his father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me. and who loveth his son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. 
Deut. 33.  and in Deuteronomie for the strengthening of our faith, and the love of God, the very like is written. Who saith unto his father or mother, I know you not, neither have known their children, these have kekpt thy precepts, and observed thy testament. for if we love God with all our heart, we must not prefer either parents or children before God. for if by alms given unto the poor, Christ borroweth upon interest, and when we give to the little ones, we give to Christ, there is no cause why any man may prefer earthly things unto heavenly, or esteem more human things than Divine. 
3. Reg. 17  So that widow in the third book of Kings when in a drought and famine having spent all, 
The wonderful reward of Alms.  of a little meal and oil which was left she had made her a cake, which being eaten she might die with her children: Helias suddenly came, and requested that first she would give him for to eat, and of that which was left she and her children should feed: neither did she stick to obey him, or in that hunger and necessity preferred her children before Helias. Yea she did in the sight of God, that which pleased God, readily and willingly she offered what was asked, neither of plenty did she give a little, but of a little she gave all, and her children famishing she first feedeth another, neither in penury and famine doth she think of meat before mercy; that whilst in a wholesome work she despiseth her carnal life, she might keep the spiritual life of her soul. Helias therefore bearing the figure of Christ, and showing that he rewardeth every one for his alms, answered and said. This saith our Lord, the pot of meal shall not fail and the vessel of oil shall not be diminished until that day in which our Lord will send water upon the earth. According to the faithfulness of God's promise, there was multiplied unto the widow and augmented which she bestowed, and her just works & merits of mercy receiving increase, the vessels of meal and oil were filled.  
Neither did the woman take from her children that which she gave to Helias, 
That which is given in alms, is not taken from children.  but rather she gave to her children that which liberally and devoutly she performed. And she as yet knew not Christ. she had not as yet heard his precepts: she did not being already redeemed with his Cross and passion, render meat and drink for blood: that hereby it may appear how much he offendeth in the Church, who preferring himself and his children unto Christ, keepeth his riches, 
If riches are to be forsaken for the poor: how much more for to keep fidelity towards God.  not imparting his abundant patrimony, unto the poors necessity. But thou hast many children at home, and the number of children hindereth thee that thou dost not attend to good works so liberally. But in this respect thou shouldest work more largely, because thou art a father of many children. Thou hast the more for which thou must pray, thou must satisfy for the sins of many, thou must purge the consciences of many, thou must deliver the souls of many.  
As in this secular life in nourishing and maintaining of children, the greater the number is, 
Spiritual care of children. job. 1.  the greater is the cost: so in a spiritual and heavenly life, the greater number of children thou hast, the greater also must be thy charge. So did job offer up many sacrifices for his sons, & such number of hosts he gave unto God as was the number of his children and because there cannot any day want whereby God may be offended, there wanted not daily sacrifices whereby sins might be cleansed. if therefore thou lovest thy children sincerely, if thou carriest towards them a perfect and fatherly sweetness of charity: thou oughtest the more endeavour with just actions to commend them unto God. neither think him to be the father of thy children, who is mortal and weak, but prepare them that father, wh● is an everlasting & stable father of all spiritual children t● him do thou assign thy riches, whi●h thou keepest for thy heirs: let him be the tutor and guardian of thy children, and by his divine majesty a protector from all worldly injuries. 
Patrimony is safe in God's hand.  Thy patrimony once committed unto God neither the common wealth can exact, nor the exchequer invade, nor lawyers cavilling overthrow. in safe is laid up that inheritance, which is reserved in God's custody. this is to do for thy dear children against the time to come, this is with fatherly piety to provide for thy future heirs; according to the true saying of the scripture: I was young, 
Psal. 36.  and now am old and I have not seen the just man forsaken, nor his seed wanting bread All the day he pitieth and dareth, 
Prou. 20  and his seed shall be in benediction. and again, he which converseth with out shame in justice, shall leave behind him happy sons. Thou art therefore a perverse and traitorous father, if thou dost not faithfully provide for thy children, if thou lookest not how to maintain them with religious and true piety. Thou which seekest rather the earthly than the heavenly patrimony, 
Some fathers commend their children to the Devil.  and to commend thy children rather to the Devil than unto Christ, offendest twice, & committest a double heinous sin. both in that thou preparest not for thy children Gods fatherly help, and in that thou teachest them to love more their patrimony than Christ. Be rather such a father to thy children as was Toby. give them profitable and wholesome precepts, 
Tob. 4.  such as he gave to his sons, command thy children that which he commanded his: saying, and now my son I charge thee serve God earnestly: and do before him that which pleaseth him, and give charge unto thy children that they do justice and alms, and be mindful of God and always praise his name and fear not whilst thou givest alms, for thou layest up for thyself a good reward against the day of necessity. for alms delivereth from death, and suffereth not the soul to go to hell.   

Pratum spirituale. Cap. 201. §. 3  
A certain Father told as followeth. 
A notable example of the care which god hath of good men's children.  I went upon a time to Constantinople, for some necessary business. and whilst I sat in the Church, there came in a secular man, of great nobility, and singularly devout. He when he saw me, came and saluted me with all dewtifull charity. And sitting down afterward, he began to ask me of things appertaining to the good of the soul. And when I told him that to such as order well these earthly things, there are given also those which are heavenly: you have said very well O Father saith he: For blessed in deed is he which reposeth his hope in God, & committeth himself wholly unto him. And he said moreover. I was the son of a certain secular man of great nobility and glory. my father was very much addicted to the giving of alms and bestowed very much upon the poor. And one day he calling me, showed me all his money: saying, my son whether wilt thou rather, that I leave thee this money, or leave thee Christ for thy guardian? I liking very well that which he did, answered him, that I would rather have Christ. For all these things fade, and this day are, and to morrow shall not be: but Christ remaineth for ever. Which when he had heard, he frankly & liberally gave all to the poor: so that dying he left me almost nothing. And I now being brought unto poverty, conversed meanly, having my hope in Christ, to whom he had left me. there was another very rich and principal man, having a very devout wife and fearing God, but had but one only daughter she therefore said to her husband: We have but this only daughter: and God hath given us so great riches: what therefore doth she want? if we seek to bestow her on any principal and rich man, which is not of good behaviour, he will be a perpetual affliction unto her. Let us seek forth for her an humble and devout maqn, which may love her and cherish her according unto God's will and pleasure Who said unto her. Thou hast said very well. Go therefore into the Church & pray very devoutly, & there remain: and look who first entereth, he it is whom God sendeth as a spouse for our daughter. She therefore did as her husband willed her. and when she had prayed, and there fat still, I was the first which entered in. She therefore sending her servant caused me to be brought: & began to ask me: whence are you? Than I answered, I am of this city, and the son of such a one? What saith she) of that great alms giver? Even of the same, say I Than she: 
Parents now a days do nothing but heap up God's wrath against their children.  have you ever a wife? I answered, no. and told her what my father said unto me, and what answer I gave him. Than s●●ee glorifying God, said. Behold your good guardian hath sent you a wife, & money, that you may use the one & the other with the fear of God. And she gave me her daughter & her money. And so I pray continually, that I may follow my father's example even unto my end.    

THE FIFTH CHAPTER. Of renunciation of a man's self yet more in particular and of the necessary obligation to suffer martyrdom when otherwise God might be offended. with diverse forcible exhortations to the same.  

S. Cyprian Epistola 56. Cyprian unto the people of Thibaris, sendeth greeting. §. 1  
I Had thought my beloved brethren, 
He animateth them unto martyrdom.  & did earnestly desire if the estate of our matters and the condition of the time would permit, according to your often desires to come unto you myself, and being present by such mean exhortation as I could afford you, to strengthen your fraternity. But because with urgent business we are so hindered, that we cannot conveniently make any long excursions, and be long absent from the people which by God's mercy we have under our charge, 
He had a revelation of the trouble at hand.  I have in the mean while in steed of myself sent you this letter. for whereas we ourselves are oftentimes urged and warned by our Lord's mercy instructing us: we must of duty be careful for to warn also you. For you must know and of certainty believe and hold it for true, that the day of tribulation beginneth to hang over our head, and that the sunsetting of the world and time of Antichrist is at hand. so that we must all of us stand ready unto the battle, and think of nothing else but of the glory of everlasting life, & of the Crown of Confession of Christ. neither let us think that the things which do now come are of such manner as those which are passed have been. A greater and crueler conflict is at hand, for which with incorrupted faith, and valiant courage the soldiers of Christ must prepare themselves. considering that therefore they drink daily the blood of Christ, that they may themselves also shed their blood for Christ For that is truly to desire to be with Christ, to imitate that which Christ taught and did. according to S. john; 
1. Io. 2  saying. Who saith that he remaineth in Christ, must so walk as he hath walked. The blessed Apostle S. Paul also exhorteth & teacheth us saying: 
Ro. 2.  we are sons: but if we be sons, we are heirs also of God, and coheirs of Christ, if so be that we do suffer with him, that we may be glorified with him. all which things are now to be considered by us, that no man desire any thing of the now dying world; but follow Christ who both liveth for ever, and quickeneth his servants, which retain the confession of his name. 
Io. 16  For the time is come (my dear brethren) which long since out Lord foretold, saying: The hour will come, that every one which shall kill you, shall think he doth God good service. But these things shall they d● because they know not my father nor me. This have I spoken unto you, that when the hour of these things shall come, you remember that I told you. neither let any one marvel that we are afflicted with daily persecutions, and oftentimes oppressed with grievous tribulations, whereas our Lord hath foretold that these things should happen in the latter times, and hath furnished our warfare with his own instruction and exhortation. Peter also his Apostle hath taught us that therefore persecutions are made, that we may be proved, & even we also by the example of those just persons which are gone before us, 
1. Pet. 4  be joined through death and sufferings unto the love of God. My dearest (saith he) wonder not at the fervour which happeneth unto you, which is made for your tentation, neither do you shrink as if any new thing happened to you: but so oft as you communicate with the passions of Christ, in all things rejoice, that in the revelation of his glory you may rejoice being glad. If you be reviled in the name of Christ, you are happy, because the name of the majesty and virtue of God resteth in you. which name truly by them is blasphemed, but by us is honoured The Apostles taught us concerning the precepts of our Lord and heavenly commandments, that which themselves thereby had learned. whereas our Lord himself doth confirm us saying. 
Mat. 1● Luc. 1●  There is none which leaveth house or land, or parents, or brethren or sisters, or wife or children, for the Kingdom of God, and receiveth not seven times as much in this time, & in the world to come life everlasting. And again: blessed shall you be when men shall hate you, and separate you, and thrust you forth, 
Luc. ●  and curse your name as evil, for the son of man: Be you glad in that day and rejoice, for behold your reward is much in heaven. our Lord would have us be glad & rejoice in persecutions because when persecutions are raised, than are crowns of faith bestowed, than the soldiers of God are proved, than unto Martyrs are the heavens opened. Neither did we so ascribe ourselves to this warfare, that we should only think of peace and shun and refuse the battle whereas in this very warfare our Lord hath walked before us, that master of humility and patience and suffering, first doing that which he taught for to do, and first suffering that which he exherteth to suffer. Lay before your eyes, most beloved brethren, that he which only hath received all judgement of his father, and is for to come to judge, hath already set down the sum, 
Mat. 1●.  of his judgement & sentence to come, forewarning us & proclaiming, that before his father he will both confess those which confess him, and deny those which deny him. if we could escape death, we might worthily fear it. But whereas it is necessary that he which is mortal do die, let us embrace this occasion proceeding from God's promise and liberality, and leaves so pass by death, that we may receive the reward of immortality: neither let us sear to be killed, it being certain that when we are killed we are crowned. 
Catholic Prisoners ought not to be dismayed by the want of Priests.  And let no man my brethren seeing our people for fear of persecution to be driven away and scattered, be therefore troubled in mind, because he seethe not the confraternity gathered together, neither heareth the Bishop's preaching. All cannot then be together as who may not lawfully kill, but must of reccess●ty be killed. wheresoever at such time any brother shall be separated for a while in body but not in spirit from the flock, because of the necessity of the time, let him not be moved with the horror of such flight, or retiring and hiding himself be terrified with the solitariness of a desert place. He is not alone, whose companion is Christ even in his flight. he is not alone, which conserving the temple of God, wheresoever he is, is not without God. And if whilst he flieth in the wilderness and mountains, the murderer oppress him, a wild beast destroy him, hunger or thirst or cold consume him, or if whilst he hasteth by the seas with dangerous navigation, a storm or tempest do drown him: Christ beholdeth his soldier wheresoever he fighteth, and to him which dieth by reason of persecution for the honour of his name, he giveth that reward which he promised to give in persecution. neither is it a less glory of martyrdom, that one dieth not publicly & amongst a multitude: when the cause of dying is to die for Christ. Sufficient to the testimoy of a Martyr is that witness who proveth & crowneth the Martyrs. Let us follow (dear brethren) just Abel, 
Gen. ●  who laid the first foundation of of martyrdoms, whilst be first was killed for justice. Let us imitate Abraham, 
Gen. 2●  the friend of God, which did not stay to sacrifice with his own hands his son, whilst with a faithful devotion he obeyed God. Let us imitate the three children Ananias, Azarias, and Misael: who neither astonished with their age, 
Dan. 3  nor discouraged with their captivity, after the conquest of jewry, and the surprising of Jerusalem, by the valour of their faith, overcame the King in his own Kingdom: who being commanded to adore the image which Nabuchodonozor made, were stronger than either his threats or flames: by these words proclaiming and witnessing their faith. O King Nabuchodonozor we need not answer thee concerning this matter For God whom we serve is able to take us forth of the furnace of burning fire: and to deliver us out of thy hands, o King. And if he will not: know thou, that we serve not thy Gods, & we worship not the golden image which thou hast erected. They believed that according to their faith they might escape: but they added; if he will not, that the King mighty know that they could even die for the God which they worshipped. For this is the force of courage of faith, to believe and know that God is able to deliver from death even present, and yet not to fear death, nor to yield at all, that faith may so be more effectually proved. There issued forth of their mouth the uncorrupted and invincible vigour of the holy ghost. that we may see those things to be true which our Lord saith in the gospel: 
Mat. 10  when they shall apprehend you, do not think what you may speak, for there shall be given you even in that hour what you may speak. for it is not you which speak, but the spirit of your father which speaketh within you. he said, that from above there should even at that time be given us what to speak and answer: and that they did not than speak, but the spirit of God their father: which not departing nor being separated from Confessors, both speaketh & is crowned within us. So also Daniel when he was compelled to adore the Idol Bel, whom both the king and people did worship with full liberty of faith broke forth for the defence of God's honour into these words. I worship nothing but my Lord God which made heaven & earth. What I pray you? the grievous torments of the blessed Martyrs amongst the Machabe●s, 
2. Mach. 7  and variety of pains of the seven brethren, and the mother comforting her children in torments, and dying herself also with her children, are not these great examples of fortitude and faith, and do not these persons by their passions excite us to the triumph of martyrdom? The prophets whom the holy ghost did inhabit to teach them things to come: the Apostles whom our Lord did choose: the just persons which are killed for justice; have not all these taught us to die? The nativity of Christ presently began with the martyrdoms of infants, when for his name all were killed from two years of age douward. the age not ready for the Skirmish, was fit for the crown: and that we may know that those are innocent which are killed for Christ, innocent infancy was slain for his name. it was showed that no man is free from danger of persecution: when such as they received martyrdom. What shame were it than for a Christian, if the servant would not suffer, when his Lord first hath suffered and for us to refuse for to suffer for our sins, when without sin of his own he suffered for us? The son of God suffered that he might make us the sons of God: & will not the son of a man suffer that he may persever the s●nne of God? if we sustain the hatred of the world: the same hatred of the world Christ suffered before us if we a●●de in this world reproaches, if flight, if torments. more grievous things hath tasted the Lord & maker of this world; who saith; if you were of this world, 
Io. 15.  the world would love that which were his own: but because you are not of the world and I have chosen you out of the world: therefore doth the world hate you. remember the word which I said unto you: the servant is not greater than his Lord: if they have persecuted you, they will persecute you also.  
Our Lord God, whatsoever he taught he also did so that the disciple cannot be excused, which learneth, & doth not Let not yet any of you my brethren be so terrified with the fear of persecution, or with the coming of Antichrist at hand, that he be not also armed against all things with the evangelical exhortations Antichrist cometh, but Christ cometh after. the enemy assaileth and rageth: but Christ presently folowtheth to revenge our sufferings & wounds. the adversary fretteth & threateneth, but there is one who is able to deliver from his hands. 
Mat. 10.  he must be feared, whose anger none can escape: whereas be forewarneth us; saying: fear not them which kill the body, but cannot kill the soul: but rather sear him with can destroy both body and soul into bell. 
Io. 12.  And again who loveth his life shall lose it, and who hateth his life in this world, 
Apoc. 14. To go to that Church is to adore the beast.  shall conserve it unto everlasting life. And in the Apocalypse: if any man adore the beast and his image, & taketh his mark in his forehead and in his hand, be also shall drink of the wine of the anger of God, mingled in the cup of his anger, and shall be punished with fire and brim slone, before the eyes of the holy Argells and before theeys of the lamb: and the smoke shall ascend from their torments, world without end, and they shall have no rest day & night who soever do adore the beast and his image. For worldly Skirmishes, men are exercised and practised, & they repute it a great advantage of their honour if they chance to be crowned in the sight of he people, and in the presence of the Emperor. Behold here a singular and excellent Skirmish, and honoured with the reward of a heavenly crown: how God doth behold us fight, and opening his eyes upon those whom he hath made his children, is delighted with the view of our Skirmish whilst we fight & Skirmish in this conflict of our faith, God beholdeth us, his Angels behold us, Christ himself beholdeth us. O what excellency of glory, o how great felicity it is, to Skirmish in the presence of God, to be crowned by the judgement of Christ? Let us arm ourselves dear brethren) with all our force. Let us be ready for the combat, with a pure mind entire faith, and devout courage. Let God's army march to the field which is bidden us. Let the constant be armed lest they lose the benefit of their late constant standing Let the lapsed be armed, that he may recover the loss of his fall. Let honour provoke the constant, and sorrow the lapsed, unto the combat The Apostle armeth and prepareth us, saying our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against Princes & Potestates, 
Eph. 6.  against the rectors of the world of these darkness, against the spirituals of wickedness in the celestials, Therefore take the armour of God, 
Spiritual armous.  that you may resist in the evil day, and stand in all things perfect. Stand therefore having your loins girded in truth, and clothed with the breastplate of justice, and having your feet shod to the preparation of the gospel of peat: in all things taking the shield of faith, wherewith you may extinguish all the fiery darts of the most wicked one. and take unto you the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. Let us take these weapons, with this spiritual and heavenly armour of proof. Let us safeguard ourselves, that in the evil day we may be able to withstand and resist the Devils threatenings Let us put on the breastplate of justice, that our breast may be fenced and secure from the darts of the enemy. Let our feet be shod & armed with the evangelical doctrine, that when we begin to tread on, and crush the serpent, he be not able to bite or trip us Let us carry stoutly the shield of faith, which guarding us, whatsoever the enemy hurleth, may be extinguished. Let us take for the cover of our head, a helmett of salvation, that our ears may be fenced, that they hear not the bloody proclamations: let our eyes be defended, that they see not the detestable idols; let our forehead be fortified, that the sign of God may be kept untouched: 
The sign of the cross.  let the mouth be guarded, that our conquering tongue may confess our Lord jesus Christ. Let us arm also our right hand with a spiritual sword, that it may courageously refrain the deadly sacrifices, and remembering that it hath received our lords body in the Eucharist, let it embrace him, being hereafter 〈◊〉 receive of our Lord a reward of heavenly crowns. O that day, what a one my brethren & how great shall it come when our Lord shall begin to reckon his people, and to take account with his divine examination of every one's merits, to send the wicked to hell, and to condemn our persecutors to the perpetual punishment of burning flame. But to yield unto us reward for our faith and devotion? O what glory, and how great joy will it be, to be admitted that thou mayst see God? to be honoured, that with Christ thy Lord God thou mayst receive the delight of everlasting light and salvation? to salute Abraham, and Isaac and jacob, and all the patriarchs, and Prophets, and Apostles and Martyrs: with the just and friends of God, to enjoy in the kingdom of heaven the pleasure of immortality there to receive that neither eye hath seen, 
1. Cor. 2.  nor care hath heard, nor hath ascended into the heart of man? 
Ro. 8.  For that we shall receive far greater things than that which here we can either work or suffer, the Apostle teacheth us saying the passions of this time are not condign to the glory to come, that shall be revealed in us. what that revealing shall come, when God's glory shall shine upon us, so blessed shall we be, and joyful. being honoured with our lords liberality; as they shall remain confounded and miserable, which having forsaken God, or rebelling against God have done the will of the Devil, that now of necessity with him they must be tormented with unquenchable fire. These things my dear brethren let cleave to our hearts: let this be the preparation of your armour. let this be your daily and nightly meditation, to have before your eyes, and to ponder always with your thought and understanding, the torments of the wicked, and the rewards, and merits of the just. What punishment our Lord doth threaten to such as deny him: what glory he promiseth to those which confess him. if whilst we think, & meditate of this, the day of persecution come upon us; the soldier of Christ instructed by his precept and admonitions, doth not quake at the battle, but is ready for the crown. I wish my dear brethren that you always farewell.   

Ex Epistola 26. apud Cypria. quae est Confessorum ê carcere ad Cyprianum. §. 2.  
For what thing could befall more glorious, 
The nobleness of martyrdom.  ot what could more happily be bestowed upon and man from God, than amongst the very butchers being mangled, to confess our Lord God? than amongst the raging diverse and exquisite torments of the secular power, the body being racked, tortured & quartered, with a dying & yet a free spirit to confess Christ the son of God? than having forsaken the world to be gone to heaven? than having left men, to stand amongst Angels? than all worldly impediments being cut of, to represent himself at liberty before the sight of God? than to obtain the heavenly kingdom without any delay? 
Martyrs go to heaven without passing by Purgatory.  than in the name of Christ, to have been made a companion in passion with Christ? than by the divine liberality of his judge, to become a judge? than by the Confession of the name of Christ to have carried away an unspotted conscience? than not to have obeyed humave and sacrilegious laws against our faith? 
Sacrilegious laws.  than with public voice to have professed the truth? than by d●ing, to have subdued even death that is so feared of all men? than by death to have gotten immortality? than tortured and racked with all instruments of cruelty, by torments to have overcome torments? than to have with the valour of the mind striven against all the griefs of a rent body? than not to have loathed his own gushing blood? than to have begun next after his faith to love his very torments? than to think a loss of his life, that he is not dead? For unto this combat doth Christ by the trompete of his gospel excite us. saying. Who lotteth his father and mother more than me is not worthy of me and who taketh not up his Cross & followeth me, is not worthy of me; 
Mat. 10.  And again blessed are those which suffer persecution for justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Blessed shall you be when they shall persecute you and hate you: be glad and reiorse, 
Mat. 5.  for so did their fathers persecute the prophets also with were before you. And again You shall stand before Kings and Magistrates, 
Mat. 10.  and a brother shall betray his brother to death, & the father the son. And who persevereth to the end, he shall be saved. And to him which overcometh I will gove to sit upon my throne, 
Appoc. 1. Ro. 8.  even as I have overcome & sit upon the throne of my father. The Apostle also. Who shall sever us from the charity of Christ? tribulation? or distress? or persecution? or hunger? or nakedness? or danger? or the sword, as it is written: for thee we are killed all the day: we are accounted as sheep of the sacrifice, but in all these things we overcome for him which hath loved us. These and the like things when we read in the gospel, and feel in ourselves as it were certain firebrands for to inflame our faith, applied unto us by our Lords voices: we presently do not only not dread the adversaries of the truth at all, but we challenge them: and even in this only that we have not yielded to the enemies of God, we have overcome them: and we have vanquished the wicked laws against the truth: and if as yet we have not shed our blood, yet are we ready for to shed it.  
Let no man esteem this linger of our putting of, 
The mercy of Prisons.  to be clemency, which rather hurteth us, which hindereth our glory, which deferreth heaven, which delaieth the happy sight of God For in such a fight, and in such a combatte where faith is a champion, not to have put of the Martyrs by delay, is true clemency. Pray therefore (o beloved Cyprian) that God will more plentifully and readily more and more every day arm every one of us and lighten us with his grace: and confirm us and strengthen us with the might of his power: and like a good Captain bring forth at the last unto the battle his soldiers which as yet he hath exercised and proved within the tents of the prison; and that he deliver unto us divine armour, 
Spiritual armour for Confessors Eph. 6.  those weapons which cannot be overcome: the breastplate of justice which useth never to break the shield of faith which cannot be pierced the sword of the spirit which cannot be bruised for of whom may we rather desire that he pray for these things, than of so glorious a Bishop: that those which are appointed to the sacrifice, may ask help and secure at the hands of the Priest.   

S. Cypr. libro de exhortatione Martyrij cap. 6. §. 3.  
That we being redeemed and restored to life by Christ his blood, 
Christ his blood is to be esteemed above all things. Mat. 10.  aught to prefer nothing before Christ; in the gospel our Lord teacheth and saith Who loveth his father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me. And who loveth his son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. and who taketh not his Cross and followeth me, is not worthy of me So also in Deuteronomy: 
Deut. 33.  who say to their father and mother I know you not, and have not acknowledged their sons, they have kept they precepts, and observed thy testament. Also the Apostle Paul: 
Ro. 8.  who shall separate us from the charity of Christ? tribulation? or distress? or persecution? or hunger? or nakedness? or danger? or the sword? as it is written, for we are killed for thy sake all the day, we are esteemed as sheep of slaughter, but in all these things we overcome, because of him that loved us. And again. 
1. Cor. 6. We are not our own. 1. Cor. 5.  you are not your own: for you were bought with a great price: Do you glorify and carry God in your body Again. he died for all, that those also which live, do not now live to themselves, but to him who died for them and arose again.   

S. Ambrose upon the 118 Psalm: octon. 21. upon that verse: Princes have persecuted me, & my heart did trembie at thy words. §. 4.  
If we consider the ancient history: 
How to behave a man's self in torments.  both Saul & Absalon, and many foreign Princes persecuted holy David: but none could prevail against him. There be also Princes of the world and rulers of darkness, which go about in thy own breast to oppress thee, & raise cruel persecutions within thee, promising earthly kingdoms, honour, and riches, if with a base mind thou wilt yield unto them, and determine to obey their commandments. These Princes sometimes with a cause do persecute, sometimes without a cause: without a cause they persecute him, in whom they find nothing of their own, and yet they go about to subdue him. not without a cause they persecute him, who yieldeth himself to their power, and wholly entereth into the possession of the world. for over their own they worthily challenge deminion, & of such they exact reward of their iniquity. Well doth the Martyr say, that unjustly he suffereth the torments of persecutions who hath stolen nothing; hath violently oppressed no man; hath shed the blood of no man; hath defiled the bed of no man: who oweth nothing unto the laws, and yet suffereth more grievous punishments than thieves: who speaketh justly, and is not heard; who speaketh words full of salvation and is impugned: so that he may say: 
Psal. 119.  when I speak unto them they impugned me without a cause. Without a cause than doth he suffer persecution, which is impugned without any fault: he is impugned as an offender, when he is in such confession to be commended: he is impugned as an enchanter, which glorieth in the name of our Lord, piety being the foundation of all virtue. Verily without cause is he impugned, who before wicked men and infidels, is accused of impiety, he being a master of faith. But he which is impugned without a cause, must be valiant and constant how then doth he add, and my heart did tremble at thy words? To tremble, is a token of infirmity, of dread, and fear. But there is an infirmity unto salvation: there is also a fear of Saints. Fear you our Lord, 
Psal. 33. Psal. 111.  all his Saints. and blessed is the man which feareth our Lord. wherefore is he blessed? because in his commandments he hath all his delight. Imagine than a Martyr, 
A meditation for one which is tortured.  standing in the midst of dangers. when on one side most fierce beasts do roar to cause him terror: on another side the hissing of hot glowing plates of iron, and the flame of a fiery furnace doth cast forth heat: on another side the drailing of heavy chains doth rattle: on another the begoared butcher standeth by: imagine him (I say) seeing all about him nothing but torments. and than afterward thinking of the commandments of God, of that everlasting fire, of that endless burning of the perfidious, of that misery of a reviving pain: to tremble in his heart, lest when he yieldeth unto the present misery. he addict himself to eternal torments: to be troubled in mind, whilst he doth as it were with his very eyes, behold that terrible sword of the future judgement. In this trembling of a constant person, do not two equal things seem to concur together, the confidence of one which desireth eternal things, and trembleth at divine things? yet be of good courage; thou which hopest; be of good courage, thou which art confident I would to God I might deserve to be such a one, that if happily the persecutor come upon me, I do not consider the sharpness of my tortures, I regard not my torments, and pains, I think not of the horribleness of any grief: but account all these things as light; and fear Christ, lest Christ deny me, lest Christ exclude me, lest he thrust me out of the congregation of his Priests, if he judge me unworthy of that college. but rather he see me, although moved with the terror of corporal pain, yet trembling more at his future judgements. 
Mat. 14.  And if he say unto me: o thou of little faith why didst thou doubt? he will yet reach me his hand, and after the boisterous trouble of the raging billows of this world, establish me in the safe haven of a secure mind.   

S Augustin. ser. 6. de verb. Do. cap. 9 §. 5.  
But perhaps some Ruler layeth wait against thee; and seeketh to impugn thee. 
The benefit of imprisonment for religion. Psal. 51.  he whetteth his razor, wherewith he may shave thy hears, not wherewith he may cut thy head. That which I say, you have even now heard in the psalm: as a sharp razor thou hast made deceit. Why did he compare the deceit of the Ruler, unto an evil razor! because he is not admitted but to our superfluities. Even as the hears in our body do seem superfluous, and without detriment of the flesh are shaven away: so whatsoever a furious Ruler can do unto thee, account that amongst thy superfluities. He taketh away thy poverty: doth he take away thy riches? Thy poverty and thy riches are in thy heart. thy superfluities he may take away, he might damnify them, and being permitted even hurt thy body. 
A Christian should make no account of his life.  For this life to those which think of another life, even this life I say is to be accounted amongst superfluities. For the Martyrs contemned even it also. they loased not their life but they found it. Assure yourselves (my brethren) that enemies are not admitted against the faithful, but in as much as is profitable to tempt and prove the faithful. Assure yourselves of this (my brethren) let none say the contrary. Cast all your care upon our Lord; lay yourselves wholly upon him. He will not shrink from you to let you fall, he which made us, and gave us security of our very hear. Amen, 
Mat. 10.  I say to you, your very hears of the head are all numbered. Our hears are numbered unto God, how much more our manners, when our hears are so well known? Behold, that God doth not despise even our least things: for if he despised them he would not create them. For he truly both made and numbereth our hears also. 
Luc. 21.  But now that they are, thou wilt say they shall happily perish. of this also, hear what he saith. Amen I say to you, a hear of your head shall not perish. Why fearest thou a man, o man which art carried in God's bosom? See thou fall not out of his bosom: whatsoever thou shalt suffer there, shall be for thy salvation, not for thy destruction. The Martyrs suffered the quarterings of their members, and are Christians afraid of the injuries of Christian times? 
S. Augustin here speaketh of those countries where infidel officers did of malice persecute Christians, by false subornations.  He which doth thee an injury now; doth it with fear. he saith not openly, come to the Idol; he saith not openly, come to my altars, and there bankett. And if he say so, and thou wilt not: let him make his complaint, let him bring his action: he would not come to my altars, he would not come to the temple which I reverence. Let him say it. he dare not. but he deviseth craftily other things. prepare thy hear, he whetteth his razor, he is ready to take away thy superfluities, to shave away whatsoever thou must once leave. Let him take that which shall remain if he can. what hath this unjust ruler taken from thee? what great thing hath he taken? that which the thief, that which the burglar, and if he go to the uttermost that with the murderer taketh. if he be permitted to kill the very body, what taketh he from thee but that with the murderer taketh? I favoured him when I called him murderer. for every murderer how heinous soever, is a man that which the ague, which the scorpion, which the poisoning todstoole taketh. all this their might when they rage against us, is to do like the todstoole men eat the venomous todstoole and die. Behold in what brittleness is this life which thou must once leave: do not so fight for it that thyself be left. Our way is Christ. Consider Christ he came to suffer but so to be glorified. to be contemned; but so to be exalted: to die; but after to rise again. doth the work terrify thee? but see the reward. Why wilt thou in delicateness come to that thing, whitherto only labour bringeth? But thou fearest to lose thy silver because thou camest by it with great labour. if not without labour thou camest by thy silver which one day at the least at thy death thou must leave: wilt thou achieve life everlasting. without labour? Set more by it, which thou shalt so obtain after all thy labours. that thou shalt never lose it. if that be dear unto thee which thou after all thy labours so obtainedst, that once thou shalt lose it: how much more ought we to desire those things which are everlasting?   

S. Bernard serm. 61. in Cant upon those words: My Dove in the holes of the rock. §. 6.  
The Martyr needeth not to be afraid to lift up his pale and wan face to him, 
Cant. 2. A comfore for Martyrs in torments Psal. 67.  by whose wannes we were saved: or to represent the glorious similitude of his death, of which it was said the hinder parts of his back in the paleness of gold. What should he fear, to whom our Lord saith, show me thy face? to what intent? as it seemeth unto me, he desireth rather to show himself. So it is, he desireth to be seen, not to see. For what doth not he see? there is no need that a man show himself unto him, to whom there is none but is seen although he hide himself from him. He desireth therefore to be seen: the noble courteous Captain will have his soldiers countenance and eyes to be lifted up to his wounds, that so he may encourage his mind, and by his own example make him the more courageous in suffering. Verily he shall not feel his own, when he beholdeth his captains wounds. There standeth the Martyr leaping & triumphing although with his body thoroughly quartered: & whilst the sword searcheth his sides, not only stoutly but also joyfully he beholdeth on every side the sacred blood to gush from his flesh. Where is than the soul of the Martyr? surely in safety: surely in the rock: surely in the bowels of jesus: and no marvel: the wounds being open for his entering in if he were in his own bowels searching them, 
As Martyrs were in time passed tormented for to deny God: so now to betray their brethren.  he should surely feel the sword: he should not abide the pain: he would yield and deny. but now dwelling in the rock, what marvel if he be become hard as the rock? But neither is it to be marveled at, if being exiled from his body he feeleth not the griefs of his body Neither is this caused by nummnes, but by love. for the sense is subdued, not destroyed. neither wanteth there griefs, but it is overcome, it is despised. Than from the rock cometh the Martyrs fortitude: thence is he fully able to drink of the cup of our Lord and this solacing cup, 
Psal. 22.  how notable is it? it is notable and pleasant, no less to the Captain beholding, than to the soldier triumphing. for the joy of our Lord, 
2. Esd. 8.  is our fortitude. what should he do but rejoice at the voice of a most stout confessed on? 
Cant. 2  wherefore he doth even seek it with great desire Let thy voice sound (saith he) in my ears. neither will he be slow in repaying the reward but that he will confess him before his father, 
Mar. 8  whosoever shall confess him before men.   

The 77 epistle of S. Cyprian.  
Cyprian, unto Nemesian, Felix, Lucius, another Felix, Litteus Polianus, 
These Martyrs were condemned to dig in the mines.  Iad●r, Datiws his fellow Bishop: Also to his fellow Priests and Deacons and others brethren in the Mines, the Martyrs of God the father almighty, & of jesus Christ our Lord God and Saviour: sendeth greeting everlasting. § 7.  
Your worthiness and glory (most blessed, 
An exhortation unto Martyrdom  and most beloved brethren) is such, that it would have been my duty to come myself unto your presence and to embrace you, unless I also being cofined for the confession of Christ his name, were kept within the bonds of a prefixed place. yet in what sort I may I present myself, and whereas with body and feet I cannot, with affection and spirit I come unto you, expressing by letters my heart, wherein with joy I exult because of these your virtues & praises: esteeming myself as a partner with you if not with the suffering of body, yet in the fellowship of charity And could I hold my peace, and command silence unto my voice, knowing of my most dearest so many and so glorious matters, wherewith God's liberality hath honoured you: that some of your company by the accomplishing of their martyrdom are gone before, to receive the crown of their merits of our Lord: the rest as yet remaining within the Prison bars, or kept at the mines in chains; doth show by the very delay of punishments, greater examples for the strengthening and fortifying of their brethren: 
Delay of death in persecution increaseth glory.  by the slowness of their torments, winning higher degrees of merits, and being for to receive in the heavenly retribution so many rewards as they sustain days of afflictions. which thing I wonder nothing most stout and blessed brethren that they have happened unto you according to the merit of your religion and faith: that our Lord hath thus exalted you unto so great a height of glory: 
Who are those with deserve to be Martyrs.  who always have flourished in his Church by keeping the rule of faith, firmly observing our lords commandments, in simplicity, innocency; in charity, concord, modesty, in humility; diligence in administration; watchfulness in helping the afflicted; mercy in cherishing the poor; constancy in descending the truth; equity in the severity of discipline. And lest any thing might want in the example of your good deeds, even now by confessing with mouth and suffering with body you stir up your brethren's minds unto divine martyrdoms, yielding yourselves Captains of valour, that the flock following the shepherds, and imitating that which is fulfilled by the rulers, may with equal merits of obedience be crowned by our lord 
A pattern of Bridewell  And whereas you being grievously knocked & beaten with cudgels, have by such cruelties given devout beginning to your confession: we are not to be ashamed hereof. neither truly could a Christians body tremble at the cudgel, whose whole hope is in a tree. the serunat of Christ acknowledged the mystery of our salvation, and being redeemed by a tree unto life everlasting, he was furthered by a tree unto his reward. And what marvel if you which are vessels of gold and silver, are confined unto the mines, 
Martyrs are gold.  that is to a place of gold and silver, but that now the nature of mines is changed, and the places which were wont to yield, now have begone to receive gold and silver? They have put irons also upon your feet, 
Fetters most glorious.  & with infamous chains have bound most happy members & temples of God: as though together with your body your spirit could be bound: or your gold could be abased with the contagion of iron. To men which are dedicated unto God, & with religious constancy do profess their faith: these are not bands, but ornaments, neither do they fetter Christian feet, for ignominy; but they set them forth for to be crowned O feet most happilly chained, which are loased not by a smith, but by Christ. O feet most happily chained, with by a fruitful journey are directed unto heaven O feet bound for a while in this world, that they may be all ways free with our Lord. O feet for a while hindered with shackells and bolts, but yet swiftly running with a glorious pace unto Christ. Let envious and malignant cruelty keep you here so long as she will in bonds and chains: you shall from these countries and afflictions go speedily unto the heavenly Kingdoms. Whilst you are in the mine your body is not pampered with soft lodging and fetherbeads: 
Hardness of Prisons.  but it is cherished with the comf●urt and refreshing of Christ. the over travailed bowels do lie on the ground: but it is no pain for to lie with Christ. Your members are unhandsome for want of bathing, and disfigured with corruption & filthiness: but spiritually is that washed within, which carnally is defiled without. There is little store of bread: but not with bread only doth a man live, 
Deut. 8. Luc. 4  but with the word of God. You want clothing when you are cold: but he that hath put on Christ is sufficiently clothed and appareled. rough and ragged is the hear of your half 
* So were those used with were sent to the mines. See the like 2. reg. 20.  shaven head. but whereas Christ is the head of a man: needs must that head be comely of what fashion soever, which is honoured with the confession of Christ. This deformity so detested & abhorred by the Gentiles, o with what brightness shall it be rewarded? this temporal & short misery, o with what recompense of a noble & everlasting honour shall it be exchanged, when as the Apostle saith our Lord shall have reform the body of our humility, 
Phillip. 3.  configured to the body of his glory? neither can there be, my beloved brethren, any loss of devotion or of faith, 
Want of the sacrifice of the Mass is recompensed  in that there where you are the Priests of God have no commodity of offering & celebrating the Divine sacrifices. what? you do celebrate & offer a sacrifice unto God both precious and glorious, & which shall exceedingly profit you for the obtaining of heavenvly rewards whereas the scripture saith: 
Psal. 90.  a troubled spirit is a sacrifice unto God: a contrite and humbled heart God doth not despise. This sacrifice do you offer unto God, this sacrifice without intermission both day and night you celebrate, being made hosts unto God, and yielding yourselves holy and immaculate sacrifices as the Apostle exhorteth saying. 
Ro. 11  I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercy of God that you exhibit your bodies a living host, holy, pleasing God, neither be you conformed to this world, but be reform in that newness of your mind that you prove what the good and acceptable and perfect will of God is. For this is that with is most acceptable unto God; this is that, in which our works with greater merits do come to win the favour of God: this is the only thing which the service of our faith and devotion may render unto our Lord for his great & wholesome benefits, 
To suffer martyrdom is to recompense in a sort Christ.  the holy Ghost affirming and testifying in the psalms: what shall I render unto God, for all the things which he hath given unto me? I will receive the chalice of salvation, and will invocate the name of our Lord. precious in the sight of our Lord is the death of his Saints. 
Psal. 119.  Who would not willingly and promptly receive the chalice of salvation? who would not with joy and cheerfulness desire that in which he also may render somewhat unto his Lord? Who would not stoutly and constantly receive a death precious in the sight of our Lord: when he shall please his eyes, who from heaven beholding us in the combat for his name, approveth us willing, helpeth us fight, crowneth us overcoming, rewarding with the liberality of his goodness and fatherly piety, whatsoever he himself hath wrought, & honouring that which himself did perform. For that it is by him that we overcome, and having overcome our enemies we achieve the reward of a singular great combat: our Lord teacheth us in the gospel, saying, 
Mat. 10  when they shall deliver you up, take no thought how or what to speak: for it shall be given you in that hour, what to speak. for it is not you that speak but the spirit of your father that speaketh in you. And again Lay up this in your harres, 
Luc. 21  not to premeduate how you shall answer. for I will gove you mouth & wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist and gainsay. Wherein there is both great confidence for those which believe, & most heinous offence of the perfidious: not to believe him which promiseth his help to those which confess him, and on the other side not to fear the same when he threateneth everlasting torments to those which deny him All which things you most valiant and faithful soldiers of Christ have insinuated unto our brethren, performing in deeds, that which before you taught in words and therefore being hereafter for the be most great in the Kingdom of heaven, according to our Lords promise, 
Mat 5  saying: Who doth and teacheth, shall be called great in the Kingdom of heaven. Finally a very great part of the common people following your example, together with you hath confessed, 
Martyrs of the common people Virgins and Boys. Mat. 13  and together with you hath been crowned: linked unto you with the bond of a most strong charity, and neither in prison nor in the mines severed from their spiritual rulers. in with number there want not Virgins, who Lave joined unto the threescore fold fruit the but der sold, and whom a doubled glory hath exalted unto a heavenly crown. In boys also a greater courage than age, through the praise of their confession hath surpassed their years, that both sexes, and every age might set forth the blessed company of your martyrdom. 
The inward comfort of a persecuted Catholic.  O what strength of a conquering conscience is now within you, most dear brethren? what height of mind? what rejoicing in your heart? What triumph in your breast? for every one of you to stand expecting Gods promised reward. and to be without fear of the day of judgement? for to walk in the mines, with the body of a captive, but with the mind of an Emperor: to know that Christ is present with him, rejoicing in the suffering of his servants, who by his footsteps and ways do go unto the everlasting Kingdoms? you daily wait with joy for the happy day of your departure, and being even now to go forth of the world, you hasten unto the rewards of Martyrs, & the mansions of heaven. being for to see after the darkness of this world a most shining light & being for to receive a glory far exceeding all passions and conflicts. as witnesseth the Apostle, saying: The passions of this time are not condign to the glory to come, that shall be revealed in us. Briefly for that now your speech in your devotions is more effectual, and prayer can the more easily obtain that which is asked in affliction, pray and desire most earnestly, that God's mercy will consummate all our confessions: that he will out of these darkness & snares of this world, deliver us also together with you untouched & glorious: that as we have here stood together, being linked with the band of charity and of peace against the injuries of heretics and oppressions of Gentiles, even so we may together rejoice in the heavenly kingdoms. I wish you all most blessed and beloved brethren in our Lord well to far, & request you always and every where to remember us. Far you well.   

The history of the seven Maccabees Brethren and their mother all Martyrs for the obseruavation of the law of God written in the 7. chapter of the second book of Ma●habees the memory of these holy Martyrs is kept by the Church of Christ, the first day of August. §. 8  
It happened that seven brethren together with their mother were taken, and compelled by the King to eat against the law swine's flesh, being tormented with whips and scourges. One of them who was the first, said in this manner. What seekest thou, 
Mark in all this history the Christian liberty of Martyrs in rebuking Tyrants.  and what wilt thou learn of us? we are ready rather to die, than to transgress our country laws of God. The King therefore being angry, commanded frying pans and brazen pots to be made red hot, which being done, he commanded him which first had spoken to have his tongue cut out, and the skin of his head being drawn away, that his hands and feet should be cut of, his other brethren & his mother looking on And when he was made altogether unprofitable, he commanded fire to be brought, and him yet breathing to be roasted in the frying pan: in which whilst he was for a long time tormented, the rest together with their mother exhorted one another to die stoutly; saying. our Lord God will look upon the truth, 
Deut. 32.  and will comfort us. as Moses declared in the protestation of his Canticle: And he will comfort his servants. The first than being dead in this manner, they brought the next to delude him; and the skin of his head being drawn away together with his hear, they asked if he would eat, before he were punished in all his members through his whole body. But he answering in his country language, said: I will not do it. wherefore he also in the next place received the torments of the first And being in his last gasping, he said. Thou truly (o most wicked one) in this present life dost destroy us, but the King of the world will raise us again which die for his laws, in the resurrection of everlasting life.  
After him the third is deluded: & being required he quickly brought out his tongue, and stretched forth his hands constantly: and confidently said: From heaven I possess these things, but for the laws of God now I despise these very same, because of him I hope to receive them again. So that the King and those which were with him did admire the young man's mind, that he accounted his torments as nothing. This being thus dead, they vexed the fourth torturing him in the fame forte. And when he was even at the point of death, he said thus. it is better for those which are put to death by men, to expect hope from God, as being to be raised again by him: for unto thee there shall be no resurrection unto life. And when they had brought the fifth, they vexed him. but he looking upon him, said. Thou having power over men, whereas thou art mortal, dost what thou wilt but do not think that our generation is forsaken of God. but thou abide patiently, and thou shalt see his great power, and how he will torment thee and thy seed. After him they brought the sixth: & he beginning to die, said thus. Do not err in vain. for we for our own selves do suffer this, having offended against our God, and things worthy of admiration have been done amongst us. but do not thou think that thou shalt be scotfree, because thou hast gone about to fight against good. But the mother wonderful above measure, 
A godly mother.  and worthy of the memory of good men, which seeing in the space of one day her seven sons dying, bore it which a good courage, for the hope which she had in God: exhorted every one of them with her country language stoutly, being replenished with wisdom: and joining a manly courage unto a womanly thought, said unto them. I know not how you appeared in my womb: neither truly did I give unto you spirit & soul & life, and the members of every one of you, did not I fet together; but the creator of the world, which hath formed the nativity of man, and which bathe found out the beginning of all things, will restore unto you again spirit and life with mercy, even as now you set nought by yourselves for his laws. But Antiochus supposing himself to be contemned, & despising the upbraiding voice; when as yet the youngest was alive, not only with words exhorted him, but with an oath also affirmed that he would make him rich & happy, & esteem him as a friend, and give him all mnaner of necessaries, if he would be changed from his country laws. But when the young man was nothing moved unto these things, the king called the mother, & persuaded her to c●ūfaile her young son for the saving of his life. And when he had exhorted her with many words, she promised to persuade her son. Therefore stooping down unto him, deriding the cruel Tyrant, she said in her country language: my son have compassion of me, which carried thee nine months in my womb and gave thee suck for three years and nourished thee, and have brought thee unto this age I beseech thee o son, 
How parents ought to confourt themselves in their children's virtue.  that thou look upon heaven and earth and all things which are in them, & that thou understand that God made them and mankind of nothing: so will it come to pass that then do not fear this butcher, but being made a worthy companion and partner with thy brethren, accept death; that in that time of mercy I may re●eauet gither with thy brethren, thou also. Even whilst she was speaking these things, the young man said: whom do you stay for? I obey not the precept of the King, 
A lesson of true obedience.  but the precept of the law, whi●h was given us by Moses. But thou who hast been he ●●uent our of all malice toward the jews, shalt not escape the hands of God. For we for our own sins do suffer these things. And although our Lord God for our correction and punishment is for a while angry with us, yet he will be reconciled again unto his servants. but thou o most wicked and most abominable of all men, be not foolishly extolled with vain hopes, whilst thou dost ra●e against his servants for thou hast not yet escaped he judgement of the almighty God which seethe all things. For my brethren having now sustained a small labour, do repose under the testament of everlasting lise but thou by the judgement of God shalt suffer 〈◊〉 punishments of thy pride. I as my brethren also do give my life and body for my country laws: invocating God that he will quickly be merciful unto our nation: and that thou by torments & stripes mayst confess, that he only is God. But in me and in my brethren the wrath of almighty God shall cease, which hath justly been brought upon all our generation. Than the King incensed with anger, did show extreme cruelty upon him more than upon all, being much moved that he was derided. And he therefore died undefiled, wholly putting his trust in our Lord. Last of all after the sons the mother also was put to death.    

THE CONCLUSION TO Catholic wives and children.  
NOw therefore o devout Catholic wives and children whom especially I have in this labour regarged, remember that you are the spouses and children of God. these men which are now your husbands, after the short space of this life, and the temporal cohabitation of this vale of misery, shall be your husbands no longer. Than shall there be a perpetual divorce of this band of marriage: and withal either an eternal divorcement in place, the one being so far sundered from the other as is heaven from hell: or both of you for ever shall be divorced together from the face of God, if you die out of his Church or graces or (that which is a most happy and glorious thing) your carnal matrimony and temporal conjunction being catholicly and religiously passed over in this life, shall be changed into a perpetual & indissoluble union in the glory of God.  
These men after their death cannot forbid you to marry another: because your promise was made for no longer space. Even so let not them living still with you cause you to be unfaithful unto God: because that was no part of your plighted promise the faith promised to your husband doth bind you but until death but the faithfulness promised to your most ancient & noble spouse of heaven as it was more ancient than your worldly marriage: so must it never be broken, but continue for all eternities. Your husbands will justly reprehend you, if you dishonour their bed: Even so do you plead your other husband's cause, lest his temple be violated. most filthy is truly the crime of fornication: but above all other vices heresy and profession of heresy is a spiritual fornication. your husbands over your souls have no authority; and over your bodies but a limited power: but your heavenly spouse can condemn both unto everlasting fire, or reward both with everlasting bliss. Let your effeminate husbands like unto the wife of job impugn your holy constancy: and you with manly courage like unto another job expect God's patience. Let your husbands like infidels invite you to their infidelity: 
1. C●●y.  but you by your virtue and godly perseverance endenour to sanctify both their and your children. Let your husbands like so many foolish nabals deserve the wrath of our victorious David: 
1. Reg. 25.  you with the wisdom of Abigail seek to as wage his just indignation. Say you with Abigail: Let not my Lord be angry with this wicked man Nabal: for according unto his name he is a fool, and foolishness is always with him. and you may happily receive that merciful answer of our heatiently I avid: Blessed be thy speech, and blessed art thou which hast forbidden me this day to go to blood, and to revenge me with my own hand.  
And you children whom God hath blessed and made his children by adoption: persuade yourselves that it is not so great a benifit●e to have been borne unto the world, as to have been regenerate unto grace more should you have been behoulden to your temporal parents if they had not begotten you, than being begotten if they do d●●ne you. 
2. Ma●h 7.  And yet the very begetting is not their own work. God formed your body, distinguished your members, gave light and soul unto then all. Let not them desircy your soul who could not give it: let not them destroy your body for ever, who could not make one hear thereof. And they truly in the estate of wedlock sought happily more their own disordered contentments then your temporal being. th●●ke than that they are more than beastly, if they seek their present quietness, by your eternal undoing. Original sin is contracted by carnal propagation even of most holy and temperate parents, who like the godly patriarchs seek nothing in matrimonial acts but the glory of God and increase of his people: not offending in the same so much as venially. your parents added to the sin of Adam their own disorders: married perhaps out of God's Church receiving that holy Sacrament which should have been for your benefit not holily: lived also happily in marriage licentiously: brought you up when you were little ones in ignorance and heresy: And God having at the length showed you their folly, and taught you to amend in yourselves, that which they disordered, will they now fight against God, & make you soldiers of the Devil? what wages shall you receane for such a warsarre? is there favour to be bought with the loss of Christ: or worldly preferment to be preferred before a heavenly spouse: or earthly inheritance or dowry better than the rewards of glory? filii hominum usquequo gravi cord, ut quid diligitis vanitatem & queritis menda●um? 
Psal. 4.  O sons of men, but withal sons of God love not these vanities, carry not a heart loaden with lies, and drowsy with the sluggishness of this world, but let it be lightened and waking unto God. Let their riches go with them into perdition: you have not a father upon earth, but in heaven. Say rather with the Prophett. Thou art our father and Abraham hath not known us, 
Esa. 63.  and Israel was ignorant of us: thou o Lord art our father, our redeemer: thy name is everlasting. Everlasting truly is this name of a father, if you forsake not your true and everlasting father, your earthly father seeketh to deprive you of your everlasting father: pull of your garments, and leaving yourselves naked with godly fervour restore them him again: and so with devout S Francis you may more freely say: Pater noster quies in caelis. If you have not crosses in this world, you shall stants. 
Protesters ●●o kiss Christ with ●udas. Mat. 26. Luc. 22.  So oft as I think of these men, I am put in Mind of the lact of judas. judas coming unto our Saviour, said Hail Rabbi, & he kissed him. But our Savicur said unto him: judas with a ●isse dost thou betray the son of man? Even so these Protesters if not Protestants, with a Protestation will seem to kiss our Saviour: but with their presence amongst such a Pharisaical company they do in deed betray him. I would to God they would open the ears of their heart, and consider those voices which in silence our Saviour speaketh unto them. judas with a kiss dost thou betray me? amongst heretics dost thou profess me? no other place to profess chastity, but in the bed of a harlot? no other time to profess innocency, but in condemning an innocent? no place to profess the honour thou owest me, but where thou in highest degree dost dishonour me?  
And who seethe not how fitly these Pietesters be compared unto judas? for who was the first broacher of the practice of a Protestation, but a most treacherous judas? and now judas having in a sort hanged himself, and scattered abroad the filthy stuff of his most loathsome bowels abominable before God and man, is it not a pitiful case that our Protesters will still be amongst Protestants?  
With these men therefore will I reason a while: and because the case of itself is so clear that nothing can be clearer: I will only in all clarity satisfy that argument, upon which they wholly do rely.  
This argument i, 
The argument for ●ro testation  the preterded rutc●ity of Mr. Cregory Martin, a man of blessed memory, and of singular learning. But where doth he maintain this opinion? forsooth there where in a whole volume he proveth this action to be schism Admit than that such was his opinion? 
Mr. Marin by this opinion would not overthrow his principal opinion of schism.  would he not if he had well considered it, have rather said that such Protestation was vnlaw ull, than to give licence of that which he accounted schism? shall one word spoken by chance in a whole treatise, overthrow his whole purpose which he goeth about to prove in the same? whether would he not have argued in this manner: to go to the Church is a schismatical act, therefore it cannot be justified by Protestation: rather than thus: to go to the Church with Protestation is lawful: therefore to go to the Church is no schismatical act: whereas one of these propositions utterly overthroweth the other? For if it be schism to go to the Church, than is it sin of it own nature, than cannot it be justified by Protestation: for if it were justifiable by Protestation, than would it follow that it were not schism and sin of it own nature.  
For although in sundry cases which of themselves be lawful, 
No Protestation can make a naughty thing good  yet are oftentimes subject to scandal by reason of a likeness of evil which is in them, or of some misconstruing of the same by our neighbour, although I say, in such actions a Protestation may serve to satisfy the well meaning or weaker sort, & so all scandal ceasing the actions remain fully lawful, as being before of themselves lawful, and only for such a circumstance of scandal unlawful: yet hath not any kind of Protestation so much force as to justify that which is of itself evil. as judas his protesting of friendship in kissing our Saviour: or pilate's protesting of innocency in washing his hands: could not make either the one a true friend of our Lord, or the other truly innocent. nor joab his fair speeches and courteous demeanour towards Amasa, could excuse his treacherous murder. Even so than in this case of going to the Church. for whereas such fact is of itself unlawful and schismatical as Mr. Martin purposely doth dispute: how can it be that it may be allowed by Protestation?  
And certainly in this case above all other, a Protestation is most ridiculous For in this action of going to heretical Churches, 
A Protestation is most ridiculous in this case. Going to the Church is a protestation of Protestancy.  the principal deformity and iniquity, is that it signifieth a conformity in schism and false religion: so that it is nothing else of itself but a Protestation in fact of false religion. now by a contrary Protestation in words to seek to disannul the Protestation of the fact, what is it else, but as if a man very expert in the art of lying, should in telling two contrary tales with one breath, desire to be fully believed in both? But howsoever these absurd Protesters persuade themselves, 
Two lies made by Protesters.  yet have they justly received the ordinary reward of liars not to be believed at all. For where as by the fact they show themselves Protestant's, no man yet believeth them: and whereas by their words they seek to alter the nature of the fact, neither yet can they obtain credit, the fact of itself remaining as it was before. So that they come every day from the Church loaden with two diverse and contrary lies. (a small fault perhaps if they were not in so weighty a matter) the one that they are Protestants. the other that their fact doth signify no such thing, as is the profession of Protestancy. I remember that I have heard a pretty conceit of one who seeing upon a sudden that by our Parliaments religion was altered, 
The Person of Croyden  and that defined and decreed superstition, which all our forefathers before accounted true worshipping of God: made earnest petition to some Parliament Lord that it might be enacted by the authority afore said that it should be but five miles from his house to London, that so he might be delivered from a longer travail when he were to go thither. But whatsoever we may worthily attribute to Parliaments, where there is higher authority, more general consent, more public proceed & means to divulge abroad the knowledge of any matter. than in any other temporal thing can be possibly devised: it is surely overmuch prerogative to give unto the speeches of every particular schismatic, 
A Protestation cannot be public enough to take away scandal.  that he may by one Protestation make that another Protestation shall be no Protestation: although he would Protest every time not only in the Pulpit but also in Printed Papers which surely were necessary if he would make his speecehes of Protestation as well known as his Protestation of fact, and yet it were not sufficient perhaps, whereas many would hear of his fact which would not hear of his papers.  
The Protestation therefore being of itself thus absurd, & for such cause as is worthily to be thought very far from that learned Licentiates approbation: it seemeth yet more dangerous for the want of any warrant of ancient practice or example. For it is a very strange case, that in so many ages past, in so diverse & long persecutions stirred up against God's Church by infidels, heretics, schismatics: yet no memory should be extant of any satisfying the persecutors pleasure by doing that which he commanded with a Protestation: but that this Protestation should first of all be heard of in communication with Protestants: belike to show that Protesters and Protestants are as near in inward qualities and conditions, as they are in the outward and material sound of their names. And surely if the Pope should condemn this opinion of a Protestation as an heresy: (as it may be he hath in condemning the defender & maintainer thereof:) than could we have no fit name for these new heretics, than to call them Protesting Protestants.  
Of contrary Protestations we read oftentimes and almost every where, that is: that the Saints of God have not only not satisfied their persecutors desires, but have boldly protested that they would not obey their unlawful commandments. Be it known unto thee o King, 
Dan. 3.  that we will not worship thy Gods, & the idol which thou hast erected we will not adore. This was the Protestation of the three children. 
Act. 4. & 5.  Hear also the Apostles Protestation. We cannot but speak those things which we have seen and heard. And we must obey God rather than men. 
2. Mach. 7.  And the youngest Machabee: whom do you stay for? I obey not the precept of the King, but the precept of the law. These are Protestations fit for Christians, honourable in the making, famous in the remembering, and most glorious in their everlasting rewards not those which do as it were call God and heaven & êarth to witness, that the obedience of man is preferred before the obedience of God.  
Of like examples of Christian Protestations all Ecclesiastical histories are full: neither could ever the fury of persecutors or extremity of torments drive the champions of Christ, to yield or seem to yield to as indifferent things as going to the Church may seem to be, and to seek to justify such actions by Protestation.  
This hath always made me think that that good virtuous learned Divine did never mean to allow a Protestation as these new Protesters would have him: considering the repugnance which it hath to his whole argument of his treatise, and the absurdity of the thing itself, which (although he speak somewhat obscurely) I cannot think but that his wisdom could very well perceive  
Yet do I not doubt but that he worthily admitteth a Protestation in some cases. 
A Protestation is some times profitable.  For this action of going to the Church is than unlawful, when it is a Protestation of conformity in religion: which it is always, when there is such orderly going as is used by the heretics themselves, now it may be that in diverse cases this orderlines and conformity may be wanting, & than the going to the Church with heretics is called but a material going and not a formal: because the formality is by the alteration of the essential conditions of such going taken away. in this case therefore when going to the Church is no Protestation of false religion: it is not unlawful of itself: so that for to avoid scandal if there be any danger thereof, I make a Protestation, wherein I show my going to be only material and not formal. An example or two we may show out of the scriptures. The going of the people with Hieroboam to bethel when he there was to sacrifice, 
●. Reg. 13.  was a formal going to idolatry, because they went orderly all alike. but the coming thither of the Prophett to reprehend the King, was only a material going to idolatry, and very well known to be of a diverse nature from the other. Naaman Syrus was materially present at idolatry but not formally: because he went not to the temple as unto a temple, but as unto any other place where his particular temporal service might be exacted. neither did he obey his King commanding an act of religion, but requiring only the temporal assistance which to his greatness was convenient. Now if Naaman had seen any probability of scandal, than should he have been bound to have made a Protestation. generally therefore when there is no contrary Protestation in the fact, that is when going to the Church with heretics is only material and not formal. than may a Protestation be very well used in words: which nevertheless is not necessary, but in danger of scandal. So that a Protestation doth not make that lawful which was unlawful but showeth the lawfulness of that which was judged unlawful. neither maketh it that a material going which was formal: but only declareth that to be material which was in deed material before.  
Many examples might be brought in our own case, 
Mr. Martin's case of Protestation is examined.  of material going: but it hath been sufficiently done in other books. I will only touch that case which Mr. Martin himself bringeth. A man may lawfully go saith he to the Church with heretics if he protest that he goeth to pray catholicly. True it is if he not only protesteth to pray catholicly, but prayeth in deed catholicly and is there catholicly present. Which he cannot then do, if he be indistinctly amongst them, whatsoever prayers he say. for his fact is a Protestation that he is there to pray in heretical union & participation. and that most of all if he protest that he cometh for obedience: for the end of such obedience, is participation with heretics and conformity with them. Yet this will I say for Mr Martin, that in case that he pray catholicly, that is, that he show a manifest disunion with heretics: he sinneth not. But this cannot be as the case is with us. yet can I put such a case  
As if Catholics & herericks in league against the Turk had but one Church, and being agreed not to molest one the other, should at one time in several altars have Mass and communion and yet the people of force were confused and mingled in the Church: in such a case the Catholic sinneth not: and his Protestation may be virtuously used, although it be not necessary: for there being two several services, the presence only is no more a profession of the one than of the other. Thus I think Mr. Martin's doctrine true and I persuade myself that he in very deed meant no more. 
Whatsoever Mr. Martin held he would now alter his opinion.   
But letting this pass as a matter somewhat uncertain what he held, when this shift was first propounded, and never examined before: there is no doubt at all, but if he had afterward known the contrary resolution even only of his Superior, yea and of many other excellent particular persons beside, amongst so many hundreds which hold now the contrary: such was his humility and virtue, that he would presently have yielded to any one of them. For in matters of conscience (a most subtle & unsearchable profundity) all particulars are not easily seen at the first: and desire of not proceeding rashly with those who may be endamaged with a severe resolution, causeth many times the determiner to take the more favourable way, which time the very mother of truth doth after show to be unallowable whereof we may find in our country sufficient examples in more weighty and apparent dissimulations, than is this of going to the Church, as in the oath of the Supremacy, and receiving the Protestants communion: which things how easily they were swallowed up either in K Henry's time or sithence every man knoweth: and how some Clergy men first allowed them, which afterward disproved them, it is to to manifest.  
And it is worthy of consideration, how these Protesters do deal dubblely. 
The double dealing of Protesters.  For when Mr Martin alloweth as they interpret him a Protestation: that is the Censure of the most learned man Mr. Gregory Martin. and we truly think him worthy of much more praise, and that he needeth not the commendation of men, whom God hath; as we hope commended. But when he saith that going to the Church is schism or denial of Catholic religion: than there is no speech of his commendation nor allowing of his opinion at all. We therefore here have determined omitting many other things which hath been said herein by others, and especially by the learned assembly of those of the Counsel of Trent, who define this act to be of itself unlawful t● let down against this pretended and doubtful authority, a true and plain authority of most grave Divines even of this point in particular.  
When therefore the stature of the monthly penalty for going to the Church came forth: 
Most absolute authority against this Protestation.  he which was than Precedent of the College of Rheims desiring to tender as much as with God's favour he might the distressed case of Catholics, and to allow them if it were tolerable even this Protestation which we speak of, in which some perhaps before had been of contrary opinion unto himself & had gone about to descend it: very charitably according to his accustomed tenderness took his journey to Paris. & there in the Sorbonists College had the case disputed, and resolved that it was altogether unlawful. 
Sorbon College.  whereupon he made suit unto the King which than was that he would be a mean unto her Majesty. to suspend the execution of the statute for one year. but he breeding than that which afterwards he brought fourth, answered that he would not deal therein. Not contented with this, with fatherly care he wrote to Rome to the Reverend Father Frauncise Toledo a man of known learning and practice. from whom he had this answer which I will presently set down. 
Franciscus Toletus.  which was carried into our country by one Mr. Edward Stransam now a Saint in heaven, and delivered unto a Reverend Priest unto whom he related this whole history as the same hath lately imparted it unto me. Cum tale edictum sit contra Ecclesiam Catholican & in haeretici erroris favorem & confirmationem, non est ulla ratione obediendum. Interest enim haereticorum Conciliabulis & corum Ecclesiam indistincte tanquam unum eorum frequentare, non solum est veram fidem & religionem occultare, sed falsam sectam novo quodam facto ad id ordinato profiteri: quod iure divino prohibitum, nec ulla dispensatione licitum esse, nec ulla temporalittm amissione bonorum justificari potest.  
Protestatio autem illa quae a nonnullis Catholicis sit, a peccato non excusat: cum sit contraria facto. factum enim si tale est ut describitur, nempe haereticorum Ecclesiam frequentare & eorum Conciliabulis indistincte tanquam unum eorum interest, Protestatio quoddam est sectae eorundem, & in hune finem tale edictum sanatum est. That is: Whereas such statute is against the Catholic Church, and in favour and confirmation of heresy: it must not in any manner be obeyed. for to be present at the Conciliables of heretics, and to frequent their Church indistinctly as one of them; is not only to hide the true faith and religion, but to profess a false sect by a new kind of fact ordained thereunto. Which being forbidden by the law of God, can neither be lawful by any dispensation, nor justified by any loss of temporal goods.  
And that Protestation which is made by some Catholics, excuseth not from sin, whereas it is contrary unto the fact. For the fact if it be such as it is described, that is, to frequent the heretics Church and to be present at their Conciliables indistinctly as one of them, is a certain Protestation of their sect, & for this end was that statute made.  
Thus much of this authority of so grave learned and famous men in this very point of a Protestation. And yet can I bring far greater: so that we suppose this as a certain ground, 
The ground upon which the dissallowing of Protestation doth stand.  that if going to the Church with heretics be of it own nature a sin and indispensible, than no Protestation can make it lawful. I will therefore bring the infallible authority of him which sitteth in the chair of Peter according to the tenor of a letter lately sent into England: whereof a friend in these countries hath imparted unto me a copy & I will here set down so much as shall belong to this purpose, word for word neither must it seem strange to any, that herein I go about to publish so private a thing: when I do nothing else but only give a necessary preservative, against diverse venomous tongues, which out of so sweet and pleasant a flower having gathered poison, are every where busy to disperse the same: as hereafter shall appear.  
You must (saith the writer of this letter) have great regard that you teach not nor defend that it is lawful to communicate with the Protestants, 
An Italian letter.  in their prayers, or service, or conventicles where they meet to minister their untrue Sacraments. For this is contrary to the practice of the Church, & the holy Doctors & Father's use & example in all ages: who never communicated or allowed in any Catholic person to pray together with Arrians. Donatists, or what other soever. Neither is it a positive law of the Church, (for so it might be dispensed withal upon some occasion.) But it is derived of Gods own eternal law, as by many cuident arguments I could convince: and it hath been largely proved in sundry treatises in our own tongue and others: and as we have practised from the beginning of our missions.  
And lest either any of my Brethrens might either mistrust my judgement, 
The Definition of the Church.  or be not satisfied by such proofs as have been made therein: or myself be beguiled in mine own conceit: I thought not only to take the advise of the best learned Divines here: but to make all sure; I have demanded the Pope's holiness that now is his sentence. who expressly told me, that to participate with the Protestants, either by praying with them, or coming to their Churches, or service, or such like, was by no means lawful or dispensable. so fair goeth this point of the letter.  
Thus we see here this truth defined out of Peter's chair, so that there is no more place of doubt at all. neither must we think that this is the Pope's private opinion only: it is his express declaration and absolute pleasure by this resolution to teach and direct our country, 
See Bellarm lib. 4. de pontif.. c. 2.  so that herein he could not err.  
But it is a world to see how subtle and cunning iniquity is in defence of itself. 
Three objections out of the afore said letter.  For out of this very letter I understand that many take occasion to descend going to the Church, thinking that both by the Pope's meaning and by the opinion of him Which wrote the letter, they have such liberty. O extreme madness, or to say better, most impudent malice. If the Pope will have them which fall easily received again; therefore do they not sin? than doth not the adulterer, thief, murderer, sin, because they must be easily received again. And who doubteth but that every sinner, although never so heinous, must be received again? God forbidden else: but so that he repent, and (as the letter specifieth in this very case) yield some reasonable hope that he will hereafter stand more strongly?  
But the letter saith that this sin being done of fear is less, & more compassionable, & more easily to be absolved.  
It seemeth that these grave interpreters make no account of any sin, but only of that which is against the holy ghost. for so long as you leave any place for compassion, or hope of absolution & remission, they will have no sin at all. God grant they be so fearful as they should be even of sins against the holy ghost, and that they dying in their obstinacy & impenitency, it may not be said hereafter of them which our Saviour said of the jews: 
10.8.  I go, and you shall seek me, & shall die in your sin. As for their fear: 
L. 3. ●th. c. 1  Aristotle will tell them that such things as are done for fear are voluntary. And he bringeth our very example. as saith he, if a Prince having in his hands the Parents and children of any persons, should command these to redeem the other by any unlawful action. which he concludeth not withstanding such fear to be voluntary. And so is this action of going to the Church: and consequently a sin still, although it may be by such fear somewhat diminished: but not transferred from a mortal sin to a venial, as we will afterward show.  
But the Priest must here (forsooth) exact less security from falling again, than in any other sin: therefore can this be no sin, where sufficient security of avoiding it is not exacted.  
O deceitful EVE always excusing: o malicious serpent always suggesting excuses in most weighty matters. Hath he not exacted sufficient security before, when he requireth Confession, sorrow, reasonable hope of perseverance, which is all one with a steadfast purpose of amendment? And that he requireth less security in this sin than in another, it is not for that it is no sin at all: but because the danger of other sins ordinarily dependeth upon one circumstance or upon a very few: but the danger of this upon infinite. One is given to lasciviousness. take away the occasion Which is but one, that is familiar conversation with evil disposed persons, and he is out of danger. One is given to fight and brawling: cause him to live more privately in an orderly and civil house, and you see there is great security in his standing in God's favour.  
But one is very fearful of his estate, and discouraged and ready to fall with every blast of searches or Assizes. in this man you can have no security but his own resolution. For if he convaigh over his lands, he may be put in prison. if he escape the Assizes; he may be visited by pursuivants. if these be his friends; yet some justice, or some Commissioner may have him by the back: as now a days none are so busy in such base services as gentlemen themselves, and those the nearest neighbours: so that you cannot help this man, but he must always be in present danger of falling. only his purpose is necessary never to fall again. which if he have, although his ghostly Father thinketh that he will fall if occasion be offered, yet is he bound to absolve him. For this is a general rule in all sins, 
Navar. c. 3. nu. 13  that certainty or security of amendment can never be required by the ghostly Father of the Penitent: for neither the office of a soldier, nor of a merchant nor of diverse other like, can in all probability long time continue without sin: neither is the Confessor only not bound to believe certainly that such will not sin again: but the Penitents themselves are not bound to think so of themselves, as Navarre doth largely teach. Yet is there always required to firm purpose of the Penitent, which may very well stand with an uncertainty of the effect, when occasion shall be offered: experience teaching us that men of never so good resolution may fall again. Thus do we see in what manner less certainty may be exacted in avoiding this sin than in others & yet a firm purpose be necessary in this as well as in all others. Thus much be said against those which out of this letter defend it to be no sin.  
But there ariseth a more subtle kind of persons, 
Against those which say it is a venial sin  who hearing out of the same letter, that this going to the Church is by no means lawful or dispensable, do confess in deed that the letter condemneth it as a sin. but yet not as a mortal sin, or by which Gods grace is lost, and the horrible guilt of eternal damnation incurred: but only as a venial sin, from which no just man's life can be free, & which also is by no manner of way dispensable, as well as a mortal sin. I must needs in these persons not only commend their subtlety of wit, in that they very well have conceived that a venial sin cannot be dispensed withal: but admire also the tenderness of their consciences: as being so scrupulous and fearful, that they think it a worthy question to be tossed amongst Divines, propounded to the Pope, resolved from Rome to England, whether any action practised in our country be a venial sin or no. It were doubt les a most happy estate of our Country if either Catholics made such account of all venial sins, as this letter wisheth they should make of this, or those Which are our Supiours had not need to let pass many thousand venial sins Without controlment.  
I will therefore out of this very letter bring 8. sundry arguments which shall evidently convince that by the judgement of the writer, going to the Church is a grievous mortal sin.  
First for that he saith it is no ways lawful, excusable, or dispensable. for although it be true that a venial sin cannot be lawful: yet is this sin one of those kinds which the Divines do call mortal sins Exsuo genere: 
1.2. q. 88 ar. ●.  which S. Thomas doth thus declare. When the will (saith he) is moved towards any thing, which in itself is repugnant unto that charity by which a man is ordained unto his last end; that sin hath by the very object thereof that it is mortal. wherefore it is mortal of it own nature, whether it be against the love of God, as blasphemy, perjury and such like: or against the love of our neighbour as murder, adultery, & such others. Thus S. Thomas. So that this action of going to the Church, whether we consider it as against faith, as being exterior heresy: or against charity to our neighbour as being schism, & scandal: or against religion, as being a superstitious action: or against obedience as being forbidden by so many Ecclesiastical laws: it is always against necessary virtues of Christian life, and so mortal of it own nature.  
Than do I thus argue. Whatsoever is indispensible in such a kind of sin as is mortal of it own nature, is always a mortal sin: but so is this. ergo. etc. The Mayor is common amongst all Divines. 
S. though ibid. & ar. 6.  who affirm that mortal sins ex suo genere, can never become venial, except it be for the imperfection of the act as not being deliberate, or the smallness in quantity, as in the stealing of a halfpenny. neither of which exceptions can here in this action take place. The Minor is proved above. Secondly he saith that this is contrary to the practice of the Church, and the holy Doctors, and Fathers, use, and example in all ages: But fuch practise Doctors and Fathers esteemed it always a heinous matter, and severely reprehended it and punished it, as all histories do witness: Therefore will the writer of the letter have us to esteem it in like manner a heinous and grievous offence.  
Thirdly he referreth himself to sundry treatises, 
See Testan. of Rheims Mat. 10, 32 & 2. e●ist of S. Ihon.  written heretofore: but those all especially those of his own writing condemn it as a mortal sin ergo.  
Fourthly he allegeth the practice of England from the beginning of the missions of Priests: But who is so impudent that he dare deny, that always those Which have lived in those missions have made it a mortal sin?  
Fifthly he saith the Pope willed that such as should through frailty go to the Church should be easily absolved: than was it his judgement and the Popes also that there was necessity to be absolved which necessity is not in venial sins which are not necessary to be confessed. and are taken away by other means, than by absolution: if so it please the Penitent.  
Sixthly he requireth sorrow, & reasonable hope that they will hereafter stand more strongly. which is a plain argument of a mortal sin: for this is not required in a venial sin.  
Seventhly he calleth the absolving of them a receiving again. Than were they fallen out of the Church, and quite cut of from Christ his members: for this is the common understanding of this word, to receive again. And is there any doubt than of a mortal sin?  
Finally the intent of his letter was only for to repress the singularity of him Which was well known to teach the contrary, who now by his going forth hath showed how near this point of doctrine in God's judgement is unto flat heresy & Atheism: and it was thought better to use this mild proceeding than thè Ecclesiastical sword. and yet certain promise is made of that also if need require. Than was it not his intention to confirmed the others opinion by censuring it as a venial sin: neither is that sword to be drawn, but in case of mortal sin.  
God grant therefore that these so grave and manitould authorities make those which go to heretical conventicles, yet at the least to acknowledge their sin committed therein: & not by defending so great an iniquity, both to increase their own damnation, & to cause the ruin of diverse others. If the lapsed will come to acknowledge their fault, to confess their frailty, to abandon and forsake the same: the door of God's mercy is as open unto them, as unto all other sinners. most lamentable is the estate of such, who by obstinae defence of sin, cannot seek for redress thereof, but most desperately run into wilful destruction.  
And lest this small and simple labour intended only for the glory of God and for benefit of the simpler sort, might chance to offend any per son at all: here do I protest that my pen is not directed against any particular person, neither do I know any one particular person whom these things may touch, and in my conscience I suspect none. and especially of the Clergy I assure myself that at this present there is not one (besides some which may live openly in schism, for whom I can not answer, neither is it necessary) which disagreeth in this point from his Reverend and worthy fellows. Yet do I perfectly know that great hurt is done every where and that by Pamphlettes and persuasions of such Lay persons as amongst the simple have an undeserved conceit of virtue and learning. Such do I touch: and yet I know none. and therefore conclude with S. Hierome, 
ep. ●●●●ep 〈◊〉 cia.  Neminem specialiter meus sermo pulsavit. Qui mihi irasci volverit, ipse de se quod talis est consiteb●ur. It cannot ●●and with Christian charity, for the necessary good of many, to regard the offences and speeches of a few.  
FINIS.    

Faults escaped.  

Pag. 43. lin. 19 Voluntarily.  
ibid. lin. 24. epistle.  
Pag. 65. lin. 20. were not rich.  
Pag. 73. lin. 18. Be constant.  
Pag. 74. lin. 24. Service. Verywell.  
Pag. 94. lin. 27. Kunigund.  
Pag. 102. lin. 15. which must not.  
Pag. 120. lin. 9 of proof. let.  
Pag. 129. lin. 7. he might take  
Pag. 132. lin. 20. grief.  
Pag. 133. lin. 14. confined.  
Pag. 160. lin. 12. fit.  
ibid. lin. 16 quaedam.  
ibid. lin. 17. sancitum.