Charity mistaken, with the want whereof, Catholickes are vniustly charged for affirming, as they do with grief, that Protestancy vnrepented destroies salvation.

THAT CATHOLICKS ARE both improbably and vniustly charged with lacke of Charity, for affirming that Protestancy vnrepented de∣stroyes saluation. CHAPTER I.

IF it be a part of honour and iustice, for a Cauallier of this world, to defend the rights of the oppressed; and to contri∣bute, if there be cause, with particular care, towards the protection and defense of some excellent, but afflicted Lady, whose fame were blasted by the ill tōgues of men: how much more iust and ho∣nourable will it be for a Catholike (who in this time and place, may well goe for a Cauallier of Christ) to defend the ho∣nour and fame of his Lady and Mother, which is the holy Catholicke Church: Shee being so innocent, as the immacu∣late Spouse of Christ our Lord ought to

be, and yet with all, so much wronged, as to be taxed for wanting the very wed∣ding ringe, and the nuptiall to be it selfe of Charity, whereby shee is best distin∣guished from all pretenders to that Ma∣riage bed, and most euidently marked out to be that very Spouse, which in∣deed shee is? For, that the abounding in Charity should be the distinctiue signe of the Church of Christ our Lord, from euery other congregation vpon earth, he did by the Oracle of his owne blessed mouth declare expressely vpon record; when speaking to the same Spouse of his, in the persō of his disciples he sayd thus; By this shal all men know,* 1.1 whether you be my disciples or no, if you loue one another.

And least by occasion of these words, a man might chance to thinke, that the Church were only bound to loue her owne children, and consequently that Catholicks were but obliged to main∣teine Charity towards their fellow Ca∣tholicks; our Lord did elswhere teach vs, that we were not only to loue our friends, but our enemyes also, by his owne exam∣ple of bestowing his sunne,* 1.2 and rayne, not only vpon the iust, but vpon the vniust also; and that it was to be a signe of a true Pa∣stour,

if he were ready euen to lay downe his life for his slocke,* 1.3 whereby in this case the spirituall good, of no lesse thē the whole world, is to be vnderstood. So that to charge the Catholicke Church, that shee proceeds vncharitably towards Prote∣stants; and that so far, as through the want thereof, to censure and condemne them to the paynes of hell; is as good (as hath bene said) as to tell her to her teeth, that she is but a harlot and strum∣pet, and not indeed the Spouse of Christ, as she pretends. And now therefore I, as a childe, though an vnworthy one, of this Church, feeling the affront which his mother vndergoes vpon this occasiō, will procure to remoue it the best I can; and in the first place to shew, how im∣probable the slander is; and in the second place, how vntrue.

First then at the very first fight, it is wholy improbable, euen supposing that the Catholicke Church should vniustly & vntruly hold (as shee is charged by her aduersaries to doe) that Protestancy vn∣repented destroyes saluation, that yet this should be affirmed by her, through want of Charity, and not rather vpon some other motiue, namely error in iudg∣ment

indiscreet zeale of soules, immo∣derate feare of the iustice of God, or the like. For to see the holy Catholicke Church dissolue, and euen as it were de∣feate her selfe of her very selfe, for the acquiring of all imaginable both tempo∣rall and eternall blessing to mankinde; & then yet to say, that because shee wants Charity, shee will not allow men of dif∣ferent Religions a place in heauen, where yet there is roome inough for all the world; doth stampe the marke of absur∣dity vpon the very front of the proposi∣tion, euen whilest it is deliuered. Now to see that this Catholicke Church is, af∣ter a most eminent manner, so expressiue, & diffusiue of her selfe towards the good of others, as hath bene sayd, a man needes no more but to haue eyes in his head; for the truth thereof is not only to be eui∣cted by reason, but it lies subiect euen to common sence, and to the obseruation of euery ordinary looker on. For what kinde of creature is there, of what condition, what sex, what age, whom the Catho∣licke Church doth not striue to wrap vp in the bowels of her pitty? & how restles is that solicitude wherwith shee doth it?

As soon as any childe is borne, shee

considering the precise necessity of Bap∣tisme, will be sure to initiate him with that Sacrament; wherin other Religions are farre more remisse. When he growes vp to yeares of discretion, shee strengthēs him with the Sacrament of Conforma∣tion. When shee findes him once to haue drunke of the poysoned cup of actual sin, shee striues to make him cast it vp againe, by the Sacrament of Confession and Pe∣nance. To the end that he may not only enioy some proportion of health, but be able to stand out, and grow, and passe on with strength and comfort, shee feedes him from time to time, with the pretious Body of our blessed Lord in the Sacramēt, of the Altar. If he will bestow himselfe vpon the seruice of Almighty God in a more particular manner, by taking Priest∣hood, she not only giues him holy Or∣ders, but she doth it by a Sacrament cō∣ferring grace. If he haue not spirit for so much as that, but resolues to walke on in the broade way of a marryed life; that state is honorable, though it be inferiour to the former; and she ioynes him to a wife, by a Sacrament, also cōferring grace. If in his last sicknes he be assalted by those sharpest arrowes of his inuisible

enemy, she annoynts him towards the combat, & enables him by that Extreme Vnction, and by the benedictions and prayers which accompany it, to resist & conquer those aduerse powers. When he is giuing vp the ghost she recomends the soule with most tender, and affectuall words, into the hands of God. And it is no sooner discharged from that body, but instantly she makes it her businesse, to pray for it; and still she prayes, and prayes, and neuer giues it ouer till the worldes end.

But now in the meane time, whilest Christians are leading this mortall life, for such as haue a desire to consecrate themselues wholy to God in any Reli∣gious Order, by the vowes of Pouerty, Chastity, and Obedience, whether they be men, or women, the holy Catholicke Church with excessiue Charity, pro∣uides meanes for them, in Monasteries, and other Religious houses, (either by the foundations of Princes and great per∣sons, or els by the ordinary and day∣lie Charities of her deuout children in generall) that they may be enabled to liue, and wholly attend to that sacred fū∣ction, for the assistance of mankinde in

the way of spirit (though some after a more contemplatiue, and some others after a more actiue or mixed manner) without scattering, or dispersing their thoughts and cares, vpon prouiding for the necessaries of this life.

She doth also otherwise finde meanes, that secular men & woemen be succou∣red, according to all theyr miseries, whe∣ther they be spirituall or temporall. If men be to suffer as malefactors, she hath children, who by speciall deuotion oblige themselues to watch some nights with those poore creatures, of what Religion soeuer they may be, to prepare them, be∣fore they dye, for that great passage, If men be taken prisoners by Moores, or Turkes, or other Infidels, she nourishes whole Orders of Religious people in her bosome, whose office it is to keep cor∣respondence in those other vnbelieuing parts; by meanes whereof the miserable creatures are redeemed, and restored to their former liberty, through the Charity of her children. Orphanes, and poore virgins are brought vp by thousands; and endowed with marriage money. And persons sicke of all diseases, are cherished and relieued, and regaled by whole Ar∣myes

(as man may say) of Christians, in her Hospitalls: yea & they are serued and attended (after the example of Christ our Lord) by the owne hands of great Princes and Prelates, & of choice & deli∣cate Ladies, & Queenes, in the Commu∣nion of the holy Catholicke Church.

But then, as much as soules are more worth then bodies, so farre doth the Cha∣rity of Catholicks, for the instructing, & gayning soules, exceed those former Charities, which they impart for the re∣lief of mens bodies. For where there is question of bringing vp youth in vertue; of drawing ignorant and dull people to some reasonable proportiō of knowledge in thinges belonging to their saluation; of reducing men, who are peruerted by heresy; of conuerting men, who are bu∣ryed quicke in the blindenes of infidelity; what paynes, what care, what vast iour∣neys both by sea and land, what incom∣modity, what danger, what torment, what death is not most gladly vndergone and euen desired by worlds of Religious men, who are children of the holy Ca∣tholicke Church; and who sucke the sweet strong spirit of the loue of martyr∣dome, from the brests of their mother;

she being inspired and inriched there∣with, by her celestiall spouse? In the strength whereof, they blesse such as curse them; they pray for such as perse∣cute them; and are ready vpon all occa∣siōs, in the hope of freeing their enemies from damnation, to runne hazard of their owne temporall death. Now she who is so profuse in affoarding fauours, will be sure precise in not doing wrongs. And so it is notorious to the whole world (as appeares both by our innumerable books of Cases of conscience, and by those For∣mularies also, which are dayly set out to instruct and teach men how to exa∣mine themselues, and to confesse their sinnes) that she is most strict in keeping vs, from iudging or speaking vncharita∣bly of any one, and from doing men the least wronge, either in thought, word or deed. And now without recrimmating vpon our aduersaries, for the want of such great charities, and diligences as these, mee thinkes I may appeale euē to them∣selues, whether it be euen probable (as I sayd before) that the belief of the Ca∣tholicke Church, concerning the ill estate of such as dy impenitent in the Prote∣stant Religion, can be thought to proceed

from want of Charity, and deserue not rather to be imputed, and ascribed, to some other cause.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Euan. Io. c. 13.
• * 1.2

  Matt. c. 5.
• * 1.3

  Ioh. 10.