Malice bock ndand t mp1c Pafffon Sunday inallhisplots bli and pcaÉìires. . Ser.37.. out doores andbegge ; Ifnot reftore, hells dooreRands readyopen forme. Ca- lumvndique, &vndiquepontus : on theone fide is Scylla ; on the otherCharibdis ; So in this cafe(faythe Pharifees)Ifwe let this manalone,it is ill withvs; ifwe e take away his life,worfe. Buthe that (hall finde himfelfeperplexed,faffering out of his fear(hlncffebe. twixt two euils, let himnot oncethinke ofthwarting God ; for then,both thofe cuills will fall uponhim ; as iris well obferued by Saint Auguffine, Saint Grego- rie, and Saint Bafil. So Rood thecafenow with thefe men , eyther they dia ue- lee= that Chrift wasthe Medias, or they di dnot beleeue it ; ifbeleeue it, it was anotorious wickedneffcinthem ,topreferre a1Teinporallkingdome before the openprofeffionoftheir faith. And ittheydid not beleeue it , they had no calk giuen then to feare any temporali harme from theRomans , but the Spirituali dammageof Religion. The Prince that fayes,CutoffthisHercfiefor the coq- feruation ofmyCrowne, doth notmake anygreat reckoningofhis faith. What faith Saint Auguftine? temporale regnumfßiritualipretu1erunt, vtrumque ami- ferant,Becaufe theypreferreda temporall kingden.ebefore afpirittiall, they loft both. Ex- perience teacheth vs That Faith and Religion conferue Kingdomes Which Saint Chryfòfiomeprooueth vnto vs inhis 64. Homily,andAchior the Ammonite notifiedas much to Holofernesat she fregeof Bethulia. And here we may take vp a full complaintagainft your counterfeit Chriftians, yourdiffembling Polititians, and their damnable Pofitions, who lootingin part the name ofChriftians andof Catholikes,beare themfelues high vpon the name ofPolititiansandStatesmen, liufn gwondrous wellcontented therewith ;; who areakindofcattle, that doe fo highlyprize their Courtly carriage, theircurte- ousbehauiour and faire demeanor, that they feeke to reduce the caufe Of Reli- gion, and Faith,to ciuilitieand curtefie ;fudging all the reft nieere rufticitie and clownithneffe : alledging intheir defence, That many thingsmullyeeld and giue way to the times; asalfo to diffemblewith the times.And that for the pub- like peace, whichought aboueall things to bee(leemed, they affirme, That war ought not to bee waged for matter of difference in Religion , as well becaufe it cannot be rootedo ut ofinensbrefts ; as alto, becaufe theobligation of Religi- on isnot fo precife a rhing,that we fhould for the fame aduentureand hazardey- ther ourgoods,ourperfons,or the peaceofa State. They fayThat that which dothmoft ofallconcernea Statesman, is aboneall things to haue an eye to the goodofhis Country,andthe profit and benefit oft hepeople therein ; but byno meanes to enter intoaWarre, nor to draw toomuch enuie upon them forcaufe of Religion,leauing that careto Clergie -men,or to Preachers, orto God him- felfe, Who, iftheChurch (hall receiueany iniurieby the new broached opini- ons, is ableof himfelfe to reuenge his owne quatrell. Ina word, There is not that meere Polititian or Statesman, that is notdefiroisto fleepein a wholeskin, and to lookewell enough to himfelfe for one, without thrufting himfelfe into quarrels andcontentions for points ofReligion. Whence it comes topaffe, that theyforfake the Patrocinium and proteétion of the Church , and vpon foule termes put the Catholikefaith into their enemies fingers. He that doth not preferre thecauteof' R eligioábefore all things elfe what_ foeuer,doth notdeferuethename ofa Chriftian; for Faith, Diuine Worfhip,and Religion, difference a Chriftian from a Gentile : Hee then that (hall Height the fame, and make lightaccount ofit, how flialI he enioy this name ? If vino great finners, our Saviour faith,Nefeio vos, Iknow yee not ; though they confeffe and eftecmeof faith, What will he fay vntoPólititians and Statesmen? Thegene- Ddd tali 593
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