The English Martyrs
Outside the Church there is no salvation, and therefore if the claims of the Pope be true at all, then he who denies them imperils his soul. If a man take off by himself against an evident truth appearing by the common faith of Christendom, this conscience is very damnable. Whereto I answer that, where there is a law of the whole corps of Christendom in a matter touching belief, the difference standeth between beheading and Hell ... I would certainly maintain, and I think without any opposition, that whatever is necessary for salvation, that is, the things without which we cannot be saved, have been handed down to us in abundance: first of all by Sacred Scripture itself, then by its ancient interpreters, furthermore by the common practice handed down from the early Fathers, and finally by the sacred decrees of the Church.
St. Thomas More
Except it were for the Church, I should not believe the Gospel ... Ye that would believe the Church in nothing, nor give sure credence to the tradition of the Church but if it were proved by Scripture, now see it proved to you that ye could not believe the Scripture unless proved to be Scripture by the judgment and tradition of the Church.
St. Thomas More
I am come hither to die for my religion, for that religion which was founded by Christ, established by the Apostles, and propagated through all the ages since, to the present day, by a visible hierarchy: a religion that rests on the testimony of the Scriptures, supported by the authority of the Fathers and Councils, outside which there can be no hopes of salvation.
St. Henry Morse
We have on our side the General Councils and all the Fathers and Doctors of the Church for fifteen hundred years.
St. Richard Reynolds
I am obliged in conscience to suffer all possible torments rather than oppose the teaching of the Church.
St. John Houghton
I have the rest of the bishops of Christendom with me and thus, having on my part all the Catholic bishops of the world from Christ's ascension till now, am joined with the whole consent of Christ's universal Church. St. John Fisher
For one bishop of your opinion, I have a hundred saints of mine; for one parliament of yours --- and God alone knows of what kind -I have all the General Councils for a thousand years.
St. Thomas More
Oh how much are worldlings deceived who consider the examples of the Saints as follies and their end as dishonorable; who think to go to Heaven by the wide way that only leadeth to perdition! The path to Heaven is narrow, rough, and full of wearisome and trying ascents, nor can it be trodden without great toil; and therefore wrong is their way, gross their error, and assured their ruin who, after the testimony of so many thousands of saints, will not learn where to settle their footing!
St. Robert Southwell
Death is in itself very fearful, but much more terrible in regard to the Judgment it summoneth us unto Your soul will then experience the most terrible fears, if you do not recover yourself into the fold and family of God's Church.
St. Robert Southwell
So, then, everyone must have no care for Pope or Councils? Or Church or holy fathers, or the people, or Peter or Paul? But must himself judge boldly about everything? And, because he believes at his own risk, he therefore may believe in himself against the whole world without any risk? ... Oh, can you doubt that, when they sow such spiritual things, what kind of corporal things they will reap?
St. Thomas More
I believe as the Catholic Church teaches me, and in this faith I will both live and die.
St. Margaret Clitherow
What is the use of fighting for many articles of faith and to perish for doubting of a few? ... He believes no one article of faith who refuses to believe any single one.
St. Edmund Campion
Cut off from the body into which alone the graces of Christ flow, you are deprived of the benefit of all prayers, sacrifices, and Sacraments ...Wherein lies your hope? ... Is it because, of all heresiarchs, you are the least crazy? ... You will gain nothing except perhaps to be tortured somewhat less horribly in the everlasting fire than Judas, or Luther, or Zwingli.
St. Edmund Campion
There is but one plain known road ... when you wander from this, you are lost. You must be altogether within the House of God, within the walls of salvation, to be sound and safe from injury. If you wander and walk abroad ever-so-little, if you carelessly thrust hand or foot out of the Ship ... you shall be thrust forth: the door is shut, the ocean roars, you are undone.
St. Edmund Campion
My desire is to die a member of the Catholic Church rather than yield one jot of my faith!
St. Margaret Clitherow
I am come hither to die for the faith of Christ's Holy Catholic Church. Wherefore, I do desire you all to help me with your prayers that, at the very point and instant of death's stroke, I may in that very moment stand steadfast without fainting in anyone point of the Catholic faith.
St. John Fisher
Ye shall find that all these mischiefs among them ariseth through lack of faith.
St. Thomas More
Outside the Church there is no salvation, and therefore if the claims of the Pope be true at all, then he who denies them imperils his soul. If a man take off by himself against an evident truth appearing by the common faith of Christendom, this conscience is very damnable. Whereto I answer that, where there is a law of the whole corps of Christendom in a matter touching belief, the difference standeth between beheading and Hell ... I would certainly maintain, and I think without any opposition, that whatever is necessary for salvation, that is, the things without which we cannot be saved, have been handed down to us in abundance: first of all by Sacred Scripture itself, then by its ancient interpreters, furthermore by the common practice handed down from the early Fathers, and finally by the sacred decrees of the Church.
St. Thomas More
Except it were for the Church, I should not believe the Gospel ... Ye that would believe the Church in nothing, nor give sure credence to the tradition of the Church but if it were proved by Scripture, now see it proved to you that ye could not believe the Scripture unless proved to be Scripture by the judgment and tradition of the Church.
St. Thomas More
I am come hither to die for my religion, for that religion which was founded by Christ, established by the Apostles, and propagated through all the ages since, to the present day, by a visible hierarchy: a religion that rests on the testimony of the Scriptures, supported by the authority of the Fathers and Councils, outside which there can be no hopes of salvation.
St. Henry Morse
We have on our side the General Councils and all the Fathers and Doctors of the Church for fifteen hundred years.
St. Richard Reynolds
I am obliged in conscience to suffer all possible torments rather than oppose the teaching of the Church.
St. John Houghton
I have the rest of the bishops of Christendom with me and thus, having on my part all the Catholic bishops of the world from Christ's ascension till now, am joined with the whole consent of Christ's universal Church. St. John Fisher
For one bishop of your opinion, I have a hundred saints of mine; for one parliament of yours --- and God alone knows of what kind -I have all the General Councils for a thousand years.
St. Thomas More
Oh how much are worldlings deceived who consider the examples of the Saints as follies and their end as dishonorable; who think to go to Heaven by the wide way that only leadeth to perdition! The path to Heaven is narrow, rough, and full of wearisome and trying ascents, nor can it be trodden without great toil; and therefore wrong is their way, gross their error, and assured their ruin who, after the testimony of so many thousands of saints, will not learn where to settle their footing!
St. Robert Southwell
Death is in itself very fearful, but much more terrible in regard to the Judgment it summoneth us unto Your soul will then experience the most terrible fears, if you do not recover yourself into the fold and family of God's Church.
St. Robert Southwell
So, then, everyone must have no care for Pope or Councils? Or Church or holy fathers, or the people, or Peter or Paul? But must himself judge boldly about everything? And, because he believes at his own risk, he therefore may believe in himself against the whole world without any risk? ... Oh, can you doubt that, when they sow such spiritual things, what kind of corporal things they will reap?
St. Thomas More
I believe as the Catholic Church teaches me, and in this faith I will both live and die.
St. Margaret Clitherow
What is the use of fighting for many articles of faith and to perish for doubting of a few? ... He believes no one article of faith who refuses to believe any single one.
St. Edmund Campion
Cut off from the body into which alone the graces of Christ flow, you are deprived of the benefit of all prayers, sacrifices, and Sacraments ...Wherein lies your hope? ... Is it because, of all heresiarchs, you are the least crazy? ... You will gain nothing except perhaps to be tortured somewhat less horribly in the everlasting fire than Judas, or Luther, or Zwingli.
St. Edmund Campion
There is but one plain known road ... when you wander from this, you are lost. You must be altogether within the House of God, within the walls of salvation, to be sound and safe from injury. If you wander and walk abroad ever-so-little, if you carelessly thrust hand or foot out of the Ship ... you shall be thrust forth: the door is shut, the ocean roars, you are undone.
St. Edmund Campion
My desire is to die a member of the Catholic Church rather than yield one jot of my faith!
St. Margaret Clitherow
I am come hither to die for the faith of Christ's Holy Catholic Church. Wherefore, I do desire you all to help me with your prayers that, at the very point and instant of death's stroke, I may in that very moment stand steadfast without fainting in anyone point of the Catholic faith.
St. John Fisher
Ye shall find that all these mischiefs among them ariseth through lack of faith.
St. Thomas More
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