of Rome in the highest state of the Churche as Athanasius with al the Fathers of that Alexandrine Councel recordeth If this I saye be true then is it easely seene vpon howe good grounde this doctrine standeth whereby it is affirmed that the Bishop of Rome his primacie hath his force by Goddes Lawe and not onely by mans Lawe muche lesse by vniuste vsurpation The Scriptures by whiche as wel these as al other holy and learned Fathers were leadde to acknowlege and confesse the Primacie of Peter and his successours were partely suche as Anacletus and Gregorie here allegeth and Cyprian meaneth as it appeareth by his thirde treatise De simplicitate praelatorum and sundry moe of the Newe Testament as to the learned is knowen of whiche to treate here largely and piâ—hâ—hely as the weight of the matter requireth at this time I haue no leysure neither if I had yet might I conueniently performe it in this treatise whiche othervvise vvil amounte to a sufficient bignesse and that matter throughly handled wil â—il a right great volume VVherefore referringe the readers to the credite of these woorthy Fathers who so vnderstâ—â—de the Scriptures as thereof they were perswaded the primacie to be attributed to Peters successour by â—od him selfe I wil proceede keepinge my prefixed order Where at the preeminence of power and auctoritie whiche to the Bishop of Rome by special and singular priuilege God hath graunted is commended to the worlde by many and sundrie Councelles for auoidinge of tediousnesse I wil rehearse the testimonies of a fewe Amonge the Canons made by three hundred and eightene Bishops at the Nicene Councel which were in number 70 and 96 al burnt by heretikes in the East Churche saue .xx. and yet the whole number 97 was kepte diligently in the Churche of Rome in the original it selfe sent to Syluester the Bishop there from the Councel subscribed with the saide 318. Fathers handes the. 44. Canon whiche is of the power of the Patriarche ouer the Metropolitanes and Bishops and of the Metropolitane ouer Bishops in the ende hath this Decree Vt autem cunctis ditionis suae nationibus c. As the Patriarke beareth rule ouer al Nations of his iurisdiction and geueth lawes to them and as Peter Christes Vicare at the beginninge sette in auctoritie ouer Religion ouer the Churches and ouer al other thinges perteining to Christe was 98 Maister and Ruler of Christian Princes Prouinces and of al Nations so he whose Principalitie or Chieftie is at Rome like vnto Peter and equal in auctoritie obteineth the rule and soueraintie ouer al Patriarkes After a fewe woordes it foloweth there If any man repine againste this Statute or dare resist it by the Decree of the whole Councel he is accursed Iulius that woorthy Bishop of Rome not longe after the Councel of Nice in his epistle that he wrote to the. 90. Arriane Bishops assembled in the Councel at Antioche against Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria reprouinge them for their vniuste treatinge of him saithe of the Canons of the Nicene Councel then freshe in their remembrance that they commaunde Non debere praeter sententiam Romani pontificis vllo modo Concilia celebrari nec Episcopos damnari That without the auctoritie of the Bishop of Rome neither Councelles ought to be keapte nor Bishoppes condemned Againe that nothinge be Decreed without the Bishop of Rome Cui haec maiora Ecclesiarum negotia tam ab ipso Domino quà m ab omnibus vniuersorum Conciliorum Fratribus speciali priuilegio contradita sunt To whom these and other the weightie matters of the Churches be committed by special Priuilege as wel by our Lorde him selfe as by al our Brethern of the whole vniuersal Councelles Amonge other principal pointes whiche he reciteth in that Epistle of the Nicene Councelles Canons this is one Vt omnes Episcopi c. That al Bishoppes who susteine wronge in weightie causes so often as neede shal require make their appeale freely to the See Apostolike and flee to it for succour as to their Mother that from thence they may be charitably susteyned defended and deliuered To the disposition of whiche See the auncient auctoritie of the Apostles and their successours and of the Canons hath reserued al weightie or great Ecclesiastical causes and iudgementes of Bishoppes Athanasius and the whole companie of Bishoppes of Egypte Thebaida and Lybia assembled togeather in Councel at Alexandria complaininge in their Epistle to Felix the Pope of great iniuries and griefes they susteined at the Arrians allegeth the determination of the Nicene Councel touching the Supreme auctoritie and power of that See Apostolike ouer al other Bishoppes Similiter à supradictis Patribus est definitum consonanter c. Likewise say they it hath beene determined by common assent of the foresaide Fathers of Nice that if any of the Bishoppes suspecte the Metropolitane or their felowe Bishoppes of the same Prouince or the Iudges that then they make their appeale to your holy See of Rome to whome by our Lorde himselfe power to binde and louse by special priuilege aboue other hathe been graunted This muche alleged out of the Canons of the Nicene Councel gathered partely out of Iulius Epistle who wrote to them that were present at the makinge of them whiche taketh away al suspicion of vntrueth and partely out of Athanasius and others that were a great parte of the same Councel The B. of Sarisburie A scarcrowe stufte with strawe and set vpright may séeme a farre of to be a man Euen so a forger of lies and fables prickte vp in the apparel of auncient names may séeme to the ignorant an Olde Catholique Father No maruel though this authoritie like M. Hardinge beste aboue al others for it is moste vaine and shameles aboue al others and therefore méetest to helpe vp a shameles Doctrine It is no newe practise in the Churche of Rome to forge euidence in the name of Olde Fathers as God willinge hereafter it shal better appeare But as for this Epistle and certaine others that are carried aboute vnder the name of that Godly Bishop Athanasius I wil onely rippe vp the stuffinge and open some parte of the contentes of them and so wil not refuse M. Hardinge him selfe to be the Iudge First that they were neuer written in Gréeke and therefore not by Athanasius it may appeare by sundrie tokens and namely by the allusion of these two Latine woordes Vertex and Vertuntur Romana Sedes est sacer vertex in quo omnes verâ—untur The Latine is rude and barbarous and many times vtterly voide of sense The manner of vtterance is childishe and bablinge emptie of mater and ful of woordes without measure The substance of the whole is nothinge els but flatteringe and auancinge of the Sée of Rome farced vp and set out with lies without shame The authour hereof speaking of the Churche of Rome saith Inde Ecclesiae sumpsere Praedicationis exordium
Rome in consideration of that Bishoppes supreme authoritie Ecclesiam principalem vnde vnitas Sacerdotalis exorta est The principal or chief Churche from whence the vnitie of Priestes is spronge Eusebius Caesariensis speakinge of Peter sent to Rome by Goddes prouidence to vanquis he Simon Magus calleth him Potentissimum maximum Apostolorum reliquoruÌ„ omnium principeÌ„ The mightiest of power and greatest of the Apostles and Prince of al the reaste Augustine commonly calleth Peter Primum Apostolorum First or chief of the Apostles Hierome Ambrose Leo and other doctours Prince of the Apostles Chrysostome vpon the place of Iohn cap. 21. Sequere me Folowe me amonge other thinges sayth thus If any woulde demaunde of me howe Iames tooke the See of Hierusalem that is to saie howe he became Bishop there I woulde answeare that this he meaneth Peter maister of the whole worlde made him gouernoure there And in an other place bringinge in that God saide to Hieremie I haue sette thee like an yron Piller and like a brasen walle But the father saith he made him ouer one nation but Christe made this man meaninge Peter ruler ouer the whole worlde c. And leaste these places shoulde seme to attribute this supreme Auctoritie to Peter onely and not also to his Successours it is to be remembred that Irenaeus and Cyprian acknowledge and cal the Churche of Rome chief and principale And Theodoretus in an Epistle to Leo calleth the same in consideration of the Bishop of that See his primacie Orbi terrarum praesidentem President or 122 bearinge rule ouer the worlde Ambrose vpon that place of Paule 1. Timoth. 3. where the Churche is called the pilloure and staie of the trueth saith thus CuÌ„ totus mundus Dei sit Ecclesia tamen domus eius dicitur cuius hodie rector est Damasus VVhere as the whole worlde is Gods yet the Churche is called his howse the ruler whereof at these daies is Damasus I woulde not werie and trouble the Reader with such a number of allegations were it not that M. Iuel beareth the worlde in hande we haue not one sentence or clause for vs to proue either this or any other of al his Articles But perhappes some one wil say yet I heare not the Bishop of Rome called Heade of the Vniuersal Churche what forceth it whether that very terme be founde in any auncient writer or no Other termes of the same vertue and power be oftentimes founde Is it not one to saye Heade of the vniuersal Church and to saie Ruler of Gods howse which Ambrose saith whereof this argument maie be made The Churche yea the Vniuersal Churche is the howse of God But Damasus Bishop of Rome is ruler of the howse of God after Ambrose Ergo Damasus is ruler of the Vniuersal Churche And by like right and title is the Pope who is Bishop of Rome nowe also ruler of the same VVhat other is it to cal the Churche of Rome the principal Churche respecte had to the Bishop there and not otherwise wherein a figure of speache is vsed as Irenaus and Cyprian doo and President or 123 sette in auctoritie ouer the whole worlde as Leo dothe then to cal the Bishop of Rome Heade of the Vniuersal Churche VVhat meaneth Chrysostome callinge Peter totius orbis magistrum The Maister and teacher of al the worlde and saieinge in an other place that Christ made Peter not ruler â—uer one nation as the father made Ieremie ouer the Iewes but ouer the whole worlde VVhat other I saye meaneth he thereby then that he is heade of the whole worlde and therefore of the Vniuersal Churche The 〈◊〉 of Sarisburie Touchinge the name of the Uniuersal Bishop M. Hardinge hath but one authoritie and yet the same can not be founde Touchinge the other name of Heade of the Churche he commeth in onely with ioyly bragges and great vauntes as if he were plaieinge at poste and shoulde winne al by vicinge He saithe If M. Iuel know this then he speaketh againste his conscience If he know it not then is he not learned To contende for learninge it were a childishe folie He is sufficiently learned that saith the trueth But if M. Hardinge with al his learninge be hable to finde out his Heade of the Churche he shal haue his request I wil graunt him to be learned He saithe The Bishop of Rome is so named either in termes equiualent or expressely Thus he doubteth at the mater and stammereth and faltereth at the beginninge But if the Bishop of Rome were the Heade of the Churche in déede and so allowed and taken in the worlde why was he neuer expressely and plainely named so Was there no man then in the worlde for the space of sixe hundred yéeres hable to expresse his name His termes of like force and meaninge whiche he calleth equiualent must néedes importe thus muche That the Bishop of Rome is aboue al General Councelles that he onely hath power to expounde the Scriptures and cannot erre nor be iudged of any man and that without him there is no health and that al the worlde ought to know him for the Uniuersal Heade vpon paine of damnation Thus muche the Pope him selfe claimeth by that name If M. Hardinges termes sounde not thus they are not equiualent It had beene the simpler and plainer dealinge for M. Hardinge to haue saide This name can not yet be founde and so to haue taken a longer daie As for the mater the question is moued of the Bishop of Rome the answeare is made of S. Peter as if S. Peter continued there Bishop stil vntil this daie But it is presumed that what so euer priuilege was in Peter the same muste néedes be in the B. of Rome by Succession yea although he haue not one sparke of Peter S. Peter in the Olde Fathers is diuersely called the First the Chiefe the Toppe the Highe Honour of the Apostles and in Eusebius and S. Augustine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Princeps Apostolorum In which last woordes of S. Augustine Eusebius I muste doo thée good Reader to vnderstande that Princeps is not alwaies takeÌ„ for a Prince or a Gouernour indewed with power but oftentimes for the first man or best of a companie So we reade in the Scriptures Princeps Familiae princeps legationis princeps Coquorum that is The Chiefe of the house or stocke The chiefe of the embassage the chiefe of the Cookes In this sense Cicero saithe Seruius Princeps in iure ciuili Philosophorum Princeps Aristippus Seruius the Chiefe in the Ciuile Lawe Aristippus the Chiefe of Philosophers So is S. Peter called Princeps Apostolorum And therefore S. Augustine calleth him Primum Praecipuum that is The First and the Chiefe of the Apostles We may not imagine as M. Hardinge seemeth to doo that Peter was made a Lorde or Prince and had Power and Dominion ouer his brethren
to the people calleth him heade of the Churche saieinge Totius corporis membrum in ipso capite curat Ecclesiae in ipso vertice componit omnium membrorum Sanitatem He healeth the member of the whole Bodie in the heade it self of the Churche and in the toppe it self he ordereth the healthe of al the members And in an other place Saluator quando pro se Petro exolui iubet pro omnibus exoluisse videtur Quia sicut in Saluatore erant omnes causa Magisterij ita post Saluatorem in Petro omnes continentur ipsum enim constituit Caput 124 omnium Our Sauiour saith Augustine when as he commandeth paiment for the Emperour to be made for himself and for Peter he seemeth to haue paide for al. Bicause as al were in our Sauiour for cause of teachinge so after our Sauiour al are conteined in Peter for he ordeined him Heade of al. Here haue these men the plaine and expresse terme Heade of the reast Heade of the Churche Heade of al and therefore of the Vniuersal Churche VVhat wil they haue more Neither here can they saye that although this auctoritie and title of the Heade be geuen to Peter yet it is not deriued and transferred from him to his Successours For this is manifest that Christe instituted his Churche so as it shoulde continewe to the worldes ende accordinge to the saieinge of Esaie the Prophete Super solium Dauid c. Vpon the seate of Dauid and vpon his Kingedome shal Messias sitte to strengthen it and to esâ—ablis he it in iudgement and rightuousenes from this day for euermore And thereof it is euident that he ordeined those who then were in ministerie so as their auctoritie and power shoulde be deriued vnto their aftercommers for the vtilitie of the Churche for euer specially where as he saide Beholde I am with you vntil the ende of the worlde And therefore as Victor writeth in his storie of persecution of the Vandales Eugenius Bishop of Carthago conuented of Obadus a great Capitaine of Hunerike kinge of the Vandales about a Councel to â—e kepte in Aphrica for matters of the Faith betwixt the Arians supported by the Kinge and the Catholikes saide in this wise Sâ—nostram fidem c. If the kinges power desire to know our Faithe whiche is one and the true let him sende to his freendes I wil write also to my brethren that my Felowbishoppes come who may declare the faithe that is common to you and vs there he hath these woordes Et praecipuè Ecclesia Romana quae Caput est omniuÌ„ EcclesiaruÌ„ And specially the Churche of Rome which is the Heade of al the Churches Naminge the Churche of Rome he meaneth the Bishop there or his legates to be sente in his steede Thus it is prooued by good and ancient auctorities that the name and title of the Heade Ruler President chiefe and principal gouernour of the Churche is of the Fathers attributed not onely to Peter but also to his successours Bishoppes of the See Apostolike And therefore M. Iuel may thinke himselfe by this charitably admonished to remember his promise of yeeldinge and subscribinge The B. of Sarisburie I might wel passe al these authorities ouer without answeare as beinge no parte of this question For I trust the indifferent Reader of him selfe wil soone beléeue we séeke no quarel against S. Peter nor goe aboute to scanne his titles or to abbridge him of his right It is knowen that S. Peter by these Fathers here alleged Augustine Hierome Chrysostome and Cyril is called the Toppe Heade of the Apostles And if néede so required the same might be auoutched by authorities many moe For who is he that knoweth not this But M. Hardinge knoweth the case is moued not of S. Peter but specially namely of the Bishoppes of Rome And of them he knoweth he shoulde haue answeared if his minde had béene to deale plainely as he saithe fully to satisfie his Reader Within the space of the first sixe hundred yéeres there were in Rome .68 Bishoppes for their Constancie in the Faithe for their Uertue learninge farre excéedinge the reast that haue béene sithence The number of them beinge so great their learninge so notable their life so holy it is maruel M. Hardinge shoulde not be able to shewe that any one of them al in so longe a time was once called the Heade of the Churche therefore should thus reast onely vpon S. Peter who when he receiued these Titles was not Bishop of Rome of whom there is no question moued Wherefore M. Hardinge may better consider his note in the Margin where as he hath written thus Peter and his Successours called the Heade of the Churche expressely He may rather amende it and make it thus Onely Peter and not one of his successours called Heade of the Churche expressely So shoulde his note and his texte agrée togeather and so shoulde he not deceiue his Reader Here by the way I must put M. Hardinge in remembrance notwithstandinge for his estimations sake he would faine haue his foorth in these maters yet should he not therfore thus beguile the eies of the Simple thus misreporte falsifie the woordes of the Ancient Fathers For alleging S. Hierome he leaueth out woords and altogeather dissembleth the whole meaninge In S. Augustine he hath shifted placed one woorde for an other S. Hierome in that place with great contention of woordes commendeth S. Iohn aboue S. Peter namely for that S. Peter was a Maried man and S. Iohn a Uirgin In the heate of his talke he laieth this obiection against him selfe At dices Super PetruÌ„ fundatur Ecclesia licet id ipsum in alio loco super omnes Apostolos fiat cuncti Claues Regni Coelorum accipiant ex aequo super eos Ecclesiae fortitudo solidetur But thou wilt say The Churche was builte vpon Peter and not vpon Iohn Al be it in an other place the same is donne that is the Churche is builte vpon al the Apostles and al receiue the Keies of the Kingedome of Heauen and the strength of the Churche is builte equally vpon them al. M. Hardinge thought it good to skippe dissemble these woordes not withstandinge they be ioyned altogeather in one sentence with the reast It foloweth Tamen proptereà inter duodeâ—im vnus eligitur vt Capite constituto Schismatis tollatur occasio Sed cur non Iohannes electus est virgo Aetati delatum est quia Petrus Senior erat ne adhuc Adolescens pene Puer progressae aetatis hominibus praeferretur Notwithstandinge the Disciples were al equal yet therfore one is chosen amonge the twelue that a Heade being appointed occasion of Schisme might be taken away Thou wilt say againe And why was not Iohn being a virgin chosen to be this Heade He answeareth Christ gaue the preeminence vnto age For Peter was an aged man least that
Hoc dicens ostendit quòd Passio eius est MysteriuÌ„ Salutis humanae per quod etiam Discipulos consolatur Shalbe shead for many Thus saieinge he sheweth that his Passion is the Mysterie of the Saluation of mankinde and by the same he comforteth his Disciples Againe he saithe De Passione Cruce sua loquebatur Christe vtteringe these woordes of the Sacramente spake of his Passion and of his Crosse. To be shorte yf it be true that Christe shead his Bloude at his Last Supper and that Uerily Really and in deede as M. Hardinge alone strangely auoucheth and noman els I trowe beside him then can he no more saie The same was an Vnbloudy Sacrifice And so must he yelde vp the strongest Tower of al his Holde For yf the Sacrifice that Christe made at his Supper were Unbloudy howe did Christ there Shead his Bloude Yf Christe as M. Hardinge saith did there Shead his Bloude howe can that Sacrifice be called Unâ—loudy But to leaue these fantasies and vaine shyftes Christe gaue his Bodie to be broken and his Bloude to be shead not at his Last Supper but onely vpon his Crosse and no where els There he bare our iniquities there was he rent for our Sinnes And in that onely respecte we receiue his Bodie and embrace it and haue fruite of it In this respecte S. Paule saith God forebid I should reioice in any thinge sauinge onely in the Crosse of our Lorde Iesus Christe Therefore this newe Article of the Faith of the Real Sacrificinge Sheaddinge of Christes Bloude at the Table neither beinge true in it selfe nor hitherto by M. Hardinge any waie prooued notwithstandinge the greate Stoare and choise of his Authorities for as muche as Christe neuer gaue neither his Apostles nor any their successours Commission to doo more in that behalfe then he him selfe had donne To saie that any mortal man hath Power and Authoritie Really and in deede to Sacrifice the Sonne of God it is a manifest and wicked blasphemie the greate and grosse errours wherewith the Diuel and his Disciples in the time of his Kingedome of darknesse haue deceiued the world notwithstandinge As for Clemens whom M. Hardinge so often calleth the Apostles felowe as he is but lately start vp and comme abroade and therefore hath not yet gotten sufficient credit and is here brought in dumme saieinge nothinge so is he not woorthy of further answeare Howe be it M. Hardinge dooth greate wronge otherwise to reporte his Authours woordes then he findeth them Truely his ClemeÌ„s what so euer he were saith not The Priest hath Commission or Power to offer vp the Sonne of God His woordes are plaine to the contrary Antitypon Regalis Corporis ChristeÌ„ offerte Offer ye vp not the Bodie of Christe but the Signe or Sacramente of the Roial Bodie of Christ. Likewise againe he saith Offerimus tibi Regi Deo iuxta InstitutioneÌ„ Christi HuÌ„c PaneÌ„ Hoc PoculuÌ„ Wee offer vp vnto thee our Kinge and God not the very Bodie of thy Sonne Really in deede but This Breade and this Cuppe accordinge to Christes Institution It is a greate Prerogatiue for M. Hardinge both to make Doctours of his owne and also to geue them his owne Constructions Neither did Christe by these woordes Doo ye this in my Remembrance erectâ— any newe Succession of Sacrificers to offer him vp Really vnto his Father nor euer did any Ancient learned Father so expounde it Christes meaninge is cleare by the woordes that folowe For he saithe not onely Doo yee this but he addeth also In my Remembrance Whiche Dooinge perteineth not onely vnto the Apostles and their successours as M. Hardinge imagineth but also to the whole people And therefore S. Paule saithe not onely to the Ministers but also to the whole Congregation of Corinthe As often as ye shal eate this Erâ—ade and drinke this Cuppe Ye shal shewe foorthe and publishe the Lordes Deathe vntil â—e come Likewise S. Chrysostome applieth the same not onely to the Cleregie but also to the whole people of his Churche of Antioche Thus he saithe Hoc facite in memoriam Beneficij mei Salutis vestrae Doo ye this in Remembrance of my Benefite and of your Saluation Of these weake positions M. Hardinge without the warrante or authoritie of any learned Father reasoneth thus Christe saithe This is my Bodie that is geuen for you Doo this in my Remembrance Ergo The Prieste hath power to offer vp the Sonne of God vnto his Father M. Hardinge The .5 Diuision That Christe offered him selfe to his Father in his last Supper and that Priestes by those woordes Doo this in my remembraunce haue not onely auctoritie but also a special commaundement to doo the same and that the Figure of Melchisedech and the Prophecie of Malachie perteineth to this Sacrifice and maketh proufe of the same let vs see by the testimonies of the Fathers what doctrine the Apostles haue lefte to the Churche Eusebius Caesariensis hath these woordes Horrorem afferentia Mensae Christi Sacrificia Supremo Deo offerre per eminentissimum omnium ipsius Pontificem edocti sumus VVee are taught saithe he to offer vnto our Supreme â—od the Sacrifices of Christes Table whiche cause vs to tremble and quake for feare by his Bishoppe highest of al. Here he calleth Christe in respecte of his Sacrifice Gods Bishop highest of al Bishoppes the Sacrifices of Christes Table he callethe 222 the Bodie and Bloude of Christe bicause at the Table in his last Supper be Sacrificed and offered the same and for that it is his very Bodie and very Bloude imagination onely I hantasie and Figure set aparte he termeth these Sacrifices as commonly the auncient Fathers doo horrible causinge tremblinge and feare And where as he saithe we haue beene taught to offer these Sacrifices to God doubtlesse he meaneth by these woordes of Christe Doo this in my remembraunce This is my Bodie whiche is geuen for you This is my Bloude whiche is shedde for you Clement in his eight Booke often cited speakinge of the Sacrifice offered by the Apostles commonly addeth these woordes Secundum ipsius ordinationem or ipso ordinante whereby he confesseth it to be Christes owne ordinaunce The B. of Sarisburie To prooue that the Priest offereth vp the Sonne of God M. Hardinge hath here brought in Eusebius an Ancient Father that neuer once named any suche Oblation of the Sonne of God So muche is he opprest and encombred with his stoare True it is The Ministration of the Holy Communion is oftentimes of the Olde learned Fathers called a Sacrifice not for that they thought the Prieste had Authoritie to Sacrifice the Sonne of God but for that therein wee offer vp vnto God Thankes and Praises for that greate Sacrifice once made vpon the Crosse. So saithe S. Augustine In isto Sacrificio est gratiarum actio Commemoratio Carnis Christi quam pro nobis obtulit In this
These very woordes I say can not be taken of one singular man but necessarily importe a number Yet saithe M. Hardinge S. Augustines woordes be plaine Saluator non praecepit quo deinceps ordine sumeretur vt Apostolis per quos dispositurus erat Ecclesiam seruaret hunc locum Christe gaue no commaundement in what order it should be receiued to the intente he might leaue that mater to his Apostles by whom he woulde dispose his Churche Therefore saithe M. Hardinge The number of Communicantes is at libertie and the Priest may receiue alone S. Augustine in that place speaketh not one woorde of any number but onely of the time of receiuing whether it might séeme conuenient to Minister the Communion after supper as Christe did to his Disciples and some vsed then to doo as appeareth by the woordes that folow Nam si hoc ille monuisset vt post cibos alios seÌ„per acciperetur credo quod eum morem nemo variasset For if Christe had commaunded that the Sacrament should euer be receiued after other meates I beleeue no man woulde haue changed that order It is wronge dealyng to bringe one thynge for another to allege number in stéede of time and of S. Augustines woordes to conclude that S. Augustine neuer meante For that S. Augustine requireth a number of Communicantes it appeareth by that immediatly in the same place he allegeth the woordes of S. Paule Quapropter fratres cùm conuenitis ad manducandum inuicem expectate Wherefore brethren when ye meete togeather to eate the Communion wâ—ite one for another Whiche woordes M. Hardinge thought best cunningly to dissemble In other places S. Augustine like as also S. Hierome and others witnesseth that the whole people daily receiued togeather and generally intreatinge of the holy CoÌ„munion he speaketh euermore of a number and neuer of one alone Now whereas M. Hardinge saithe Christe leafte suche maters to the determination of the Churche and to that purpose séemeth to allege as others doo these woordes of S. Paule Coetera cùm venero disponam Touchinge the rest I wil take order when I come This kinde of Doctrine vnto the olde Fathers seemed very daungerous For S. Augustine saithe Omnes insipientissimi Haeretici qui se Christianos vocari volunt audacias figmentorum suorum hac occasione Euangelicae sententiae colorare conaÌ„tur vbi Dominus aiâ— A dhut multa habeo vobis dicere sed ea non potestis portare modo The moste peeuishe Heretikes that be that woulde faine be called Christians doo colour the bolde enterprises of their fantasies by occasion of this saying of the Gospel whereas the Lorde saith Yet haue I many thinges to say vnto you but ye are not hable now to beare them But if the Churche haue determined this mater for priuate Masse as M. Hardinge saith in what Councel at what time within sixe hundred yeres after Christ and in what place was it determined Who was witnesse of the dooinge Who was president Who was Present This is it that the Reader woulde faine learne And M. Hardinge thinketh it best to prooue it by silence How be it it is already confessed that Priuate Masse came in not by Christe or by any of his Apostles or by the Authoritie of the Churche but onely by the vndeuotion and negligence of the people It is woonderfull to sée how handsome constructions these men make of these woordes of S. Paule Touchinge the rest I wil take order when I come For vpon these woordes they builde their Priuate Masse euen in suche forme as it is now vsed in As if S. Paule shoulde saye thus At my comminge I wil take order that ye shal haue Masse in a strange tongue that ye shal receiue alone that ye shal not looke and waite one for an other notwithstanding any my former coÌ„maundement that ye shal not neede to meete togeather that one shal receiue for al the rest and so at my comming I wil vndoo what so euer hitherto I haue ordeined I may not now dissemble the value of M. Hardinges argument Christe saith he ordeined the Sacrament after Consecration and Oblation done to be receiued and eaten Ergo the number of Communicantes togeather is no parte of Christes institution What thought M. Hardinge that none but children and fooles shoulde reade his booke For how loosely hange these partes togeather The Sacramente must be receiued after Consecration Ergo The number of Communicantes is not necessarie There is not one péece hereof that either is true in it selfe or agréeth with other For touchinge Consecration if he wil precisely folow the woordes of the Euangelistes whiche wrote the storie Christe first tooke the Breade and blessed it and brake it and gaue it and saide take ye eate ye and afterwarde this beinge saide and doone he added the woordes of Consecration This is my Body Thus the Euangelistes witnesse contrarie to M. Hardinge that the receiuinge was firste and the Consecration afterwarde Concerning the force of M. Hardinges argument it concludeth directly against him selfe For if Christe Instituted the Sacrament to the intente it shoulde be first Consecrate then receiued of a companie it must néedes folow that receiuinge with company is parte of Christes Institution as it is also auoutched by Cardinal Bessarion the Bishop of Tusculum His woordes be these Hoc ipse ordo rerum poscebat primùm Consecrare deâ—â—de Frangere postea Distribuere quod nos in praesentia facimus This the very natural course of thinges required first to Consecrate then to Breake and after to Distribute whiche thinge wee also doo at this day And Gabriel Biel Consecratio ad vsum qui est manducaâ—io tanquam ad finem quodammodo proximum ordinatur Quia Christus accepit panem benedixit dedit discipulis vt manducarent ConsecratioÌ„ is ordeined for a vse whiche is the Eating as it were for a ende For Christe after he had taken the Breade Blessed it and gaue it to his Disciples to eate And againe Consecratio non est semper finis Consecrationis sed potiùs vsus fidelium Ad hoc enim consecratur Corpus Sanguis Christi vt fideles illis vrantur manducando Consecration is not the ende of Consecration but rather the Vse of the faithful For to that ende is the Body and Bloude of Christe Consecrate that the faithful may vse them in eatinge Thus M. Hardinge frameth argumentes against him selfe M. Hardinge The .9 Diuision But if they allege against vs the example of Christe saying that he receiued not it alone but did Communicate with his twelue Apostles and that wee ought to folow the same I answere that wee are bounde to folow this example Quoad substantiam non quoad externam ceremoniam For the Substance not for the outwarde ceremonie to the whiche perteineth the number and other rites as is aforesaide Christes example importeth necessiâ—â—e of receiuing onely 17
in the behalfe of Christe Benedic haereditati tuae quam per Corporis sanguinis mei Mysterium in ecclesia congregasti Blisse thine inheritance whiche thou hast geathered togeather in the Churche by the Mysterie of my Bodie and Bloude And Dionysius The common and peaceable distribution of one and the same Breade and Cuppe prescribeth a godly concorde vnto them as vnto men fedde togeather with one foode And thus as M. Hardinge hath truely saide Cyrillus and Dionysius agrée in one but bothe togeather against him bothe vtterly condemninge his Priuate Masse M. Hardinge The .14 Diuision And therefore that one may communicate with an other though they be not togeather in one place whiche M. Iuel denieth with as peeuis he an argument of the vse of excommunication as any of al those is that he scoffeth at some Catholike writers for 24 and that it was thought lawful and godly by the Fathers of the auncient Churche neare to the Apostles time it may be wel proued by diuerse good authorities The B. of Sarisburie I vsed the Pulpite as a place of reuerence and not of scoffinge Onely I thought good to laie out the weakenesse of sundrie reasons alleged on your side that the people might sée vpon howe sclender groundes your Religion standeth And thus I did hauinge iuste occasion thereunto of the vniuste reportes moued in corners by you and others whereby you bare the people in hande that al our doctrine was light and childishe and not woorthe the hearinge Therefore that the people hauinge taken some taste of the argumentes on bothe partes might be the better hable to iudge of bothe I shewed foorthe this argument of Pope Innâ—centius The Sunne is greater then the Moone Ergo the Pope is greater then the Emperour and the Elose in the Margine vpon the same The Sunne is seuen and fiftie times greater then the Moone Ergo the Pope is seuen and fiftie times greater then the Emperour And likewise the argument of Pope Bonifacius the eight In principio creauit Deus Coelum terram non in principijs In the beginninge and not in sundrie beginninges God made Heauen and Earth Ergo the Pope hath the soueraintie ouer al Kinges and Princes He that sheweth the weakenesse of these argumentes and suche other deserueth not therefore by and by to be called a scoffer Further touchinge Excommunication I saide thus If the Prieste that saithe Masse in Louaine may communicate with the Prieste that saieth Masse in Calicute whiche is M. Hardinges greatest grounde for his Priuate Masse then hath the Churche so farre foorthe as toucheth the Priestes loste the whole vse of Excommunication For the partie excommunicate beinge a Priest might saye he woulde say Masse and so receiue the Communion euen with the Bishop of whom he were excommunicate whether he woulde or no. This sayinge M. Hardinge hath condemned for péeuishe by his authoritie onely and not by reason In déede the Churche of Rome as it hath lost the whole vse of the holy Communion so hath it also lost the whole vse of Excommunication For these twoo woordes be of contrary natures and the one of them hath his name of the loosinge of the other In the primitiue Churche as al the Godly were fréely receiued to the holy Mysteries so by the authoritie of the Spirite of God the apparent wicked and vngodly were remoued and that with great discretion accordinge to the enormitie qualitie of the faultes as it is specially noted by Gregorius Naeocaesariensis in a Canon touchynge the same The greatest offenders were vtterly excluded from the Congregation as men not méete to be in the company of the godly Others were suffred to enter into the temple and to heare the Sermon but at the beginninge of the praiers they were remoued as men not méete to praie with their bretherne Others were suffred to be present at the praiers but at the beginninge of the Communion were willed to departe The reste were the godly that remained stil and hearde the Sermon and continued in praier and receiued the holy Mysteries altogeather The order hereof is declared by Cassiodorus out of Socrates Stant rei velut in lamentationibus constituti cùm sacra celebratio fuerit adimpleta Communionem non percipiunt They stande wofully and as it were men in lamentation and in heauines and when the holy celebration is ended they receiue not the Communion It followeth Constituto verò tempore velut quoddam debitum exoluentes cum populo Communionem participant At the time appointed as if they had discharged a certaine debte they Communicate togeather with the people Thus the offenders were put from the Communion and al the reste receiued togeather And therefore it is decréed by the Canons of the Apostles That al Faithful that entre into the Churche and heare the Scriptures and doo not continue out the Praiers nor receiue the Communion should be excommunicate as men woorkinge the trouble and disorder of the Churche And the people saide vnto Timotheus beinge a Bishop of the Arrians and neuerthelesse a man of milde and gentle nature and shunninge his companie for the one and yet louinge him for the other Although we Communicate not with thée yet wée loue thée notwithstanding Now if M. Hardinges principle stande for good that the Priest sayeinge his Priuate Masse may receiue the Communion with al others in other places that doo the like then can no Priest be excommunicate For notwithstanding neither any other Priest nor any of the people wil receiue with him yet may he say a Priuate Masse and by M. Hardinges new diuise straight way communicate with them al. But for better declaration of this mater it is commonly taught in Schooles that Priuatio praesupponit habitum that is that the loosinge of a thinge firste presupposeth the hauing of the same for no man can loose that thinge that he hath not Therfore to say there is Excommunication from the Sacramentes where as is no Communion of the Sacramentes Or that he is put from the Lordes Table that neither is at nor comming to the Table Or that he is Excommunicate that is onely forbidden to heare Masse Or that the people doth sufficiently receiue the Sacramentes by the mouthe of the Priest Uerely this kinde of learninge in the Primitiue Churche woulde haue séemed not onely péeuish but also fantastical and méere Frantike Thus the Bishop of Rome as it is saide vseth to Excommunicate Locustes Snakes Caterpillers other like woormes Coniurers vse to Excommunicate their Diuels as though these creatures sauing the force of their authoritie were otherwise méete enough to receiue the CoÌ„munion M. Hardinge The .15 Diuision Irenaeus writing to Victor Bishop of Rome concerning the keeping of Easter as Eusebius Caesariensis reciteth to th'entente Victor shoulde not refraine from their Communion whiche kepte Easter after the custome of the Churches in Asia
some are sicke And by that voice the Deacon dâ—uideth these from them For that voyce of his fallinge into our eares as it were a hande remoueth and shutteth foorthe some and other some it taketh in and presenteth them to the Congregation I sende thée not vnto other places of Chrysostome which be both many moe and farre plainer then this but onely vnto this same place out of which M. Hardinge hath piked as muche as he thought good Chrysostome saithe The people resorted dayly to the Churche The Deacon sundred them with his voice the sounde from the sicke the one porte to receiue the other to absteine the one parte he shut out at the time of the Holy Communion the other he broughâ— in and presented to the Congregation This was the ordinarie practise of the Churche in Chrysostomes time where wée sée plainely by his owne reporte that he receiued not alone Yet saith M. Hardinge For proufe of this these folowinge be suche places as I am perswaded with al. By this colde conclusion he cutteth of credite from al that he hath hitherto saide as not makinge shewe sufficient to winne his purpose and so condemneth his note made in the Margin whiche was Proufes for Priuate Masse and laieth al the burthen of his groundes vpon these other gheasses that hereafter folowe Uerely hitherto for any thinge that may appeare by his Booke notwithstandinge his longe time his muche readinge and greate conference with al his felowes he hath not yet founde either the name of Priuate Masse in any olde Catholique writer or the Sole Receiuing of the Priest If he wil haue the world to beléeue him and subscribe he must leaue his gheasses and bring some sounde and substantial proufes M. Hardinge The .29 Diuision Soter Bishop of Rome aboute the yere of our Lorde 170. who suffered Martyrdome vnder Antoninus Verus the Emperour for order of celebratinge the Masse made this statute or decree Vt nullus Presbyterorum solennia celebrare praesumat nisi duobus praesentibus sibique respondentibus ipse tertius habeatur quia cum pluraliter ab eo dicitur Dominus Vobiscum illud in secretis Orate prome apertissimè conuenit vt ipsius respondeatur salutaâ—ioni This hath beene ordeined that no Priest presume to celebrate the solemnitie of the Masse excepte there be twoo present and answeare him so as he him selfe be the thirde For where as he saith as by way of speakinge to many Our Lorde be vvith you and likewise in the Secretes Pray you for me It seemeth euidently conuenient that aunsweare be made to his salutation accordingly whiche auncient decree requireth not that al people of necessitie be present 37 muche lesse that al so often times should Communicate Sacramentally whiche thinge it requireth neither of those twoo that ought to be present If of the bare woordes of this Decree a sufficient argument may not be made for our purpose inducinge of the affirmation of that one thinge there specified the denial of that other thinge wee speake of whiche manner of argument is commonly vsed of our aduersaries then more weight may be put vnto it in this case for that where as the receiuinge of Christes Body is a farre greater mater then to answeare the Priest at Masse if that holy Bishop and Martyr had thought it so necessarie as that the Masse might not be doone without it Doubtlesse of very reason and conuenience he woulde and shoulde haue specially spoken of that rather then of the other But for that he thought otherwise he required onely of necessitie the presence of twoo for the purpose aboue mentioned The B. of Sarisburie Some say this Decree was made by Pope Anacletus some others say by Soter and so they séeme not to be yet throughly resolued vpon the Authour But if wée had not good cause to doubte of the authoritie of these Decrees and Epistles Decretal wée woulde the lesse doubt of their doctrine It was euermore the CommoÌ„ practise of deceiuers to blase their dooinges by the names of such as thei knew to be in estimation in the worlde For to passe by Homer Hefiod Cicero Plautus and suche others counted learned and famous amonge the Heathens in whose names many counterseite bookes were set abroade S. Paule him selfe willeth the Thessaloniens not to suffer them selues to be drawen from their faithe Neither by spirite nor by talke nor by letter as sent from him By whiche laste woordes he signifieth that letters sometime were falsified and set abroade in his name So were there geuen out Gospels in the name of Peter Thomas and other the Apostles and other maters of smal weight in the names of Augustine Hierome Ambrose Cyprian and other like This was vnto some a common pastime and many godly Fathers complaine muche of it Wherefore wée ought the lesse to maruel if the like haue happened vnto Anacletus Euaristus Soter and suche others as folowed immediatly in Rome after the Apostles time Gratian sheweth that the Decretal Epistles haue béene doubted of amonge the learned And Doctor Smithe although his authoritie be not greate declared openly at Paules Crosse that they can not possibly be theirs whose names they beare And to vtter some reasons shortely for proufe thereof These Decretal Epistles manifestly depraue and abuse the Scriptures as it may soone appeare vnto the godly Reader vpon the sight They mainteine nothinge so muche as the state and kingedome of the Pope and yet was there no such state erected in many hundred yeres after the Apostles time they publishe a multitude of vaine and superstitious Ceremonies other like fantasies farre vnlike the Apostles doctrine They proclaime suche thinges as M. Hardinge knoweth to be open and knowen lies Anacletus that was next after Peter willeth and straitly commaundeth that al Bishops once in the yere doo visite the entrie of S. Peters Churche in Rome whiche they cal Limina Petri. Yet was there then no Churche yet builte there in the name of Peter For Pope Cornelius saith as he is alleged that he first tooke vp S. Peters body and buried the same in Appolloes Churche in Rome at the leaste one hundred and fortie yeres after that Anacletus was dead Pope Antherus maketh mention of Eusebius Alexandrinus and Felix whiche liued a longe time after him and therefore was it not possible for him to know them Fabianus writeth of the cominge of Nouatus into Italy And yet it is cleare by S. Cyprian and by Eusebius that Nouatus came first into Italy in the time of Cornelius whiche was next after him And to leaue a number of other coniectures which may be hereafter more aptly touched some otherwhere neither S. Hierome nor Gennadius intreatinge of the Ecclesiastical writers nor Damasus writinge purposely of the liues of the Bishoppes of Rome before him euer made any mention either of suche Epistles or of any suche Decrees whiche they
the offringe of the Lordes Bodie vpon the Crosse and the flowinge of his Bloude from his side Thus it is cleare that the separation of Christes Body and Bloude is represented as wel by the People as by the Priest Wherefore to diuise a difference without cause and of the same to conclude an errour it is double folie The diuersitie of formes and kindes saithe M. Hardinge serueth for signification onely and hath no further vse ne profite Notwithstandinge this saieynge were otherwise true yet the issue thereof séemeth daungerous It is our parte to be obedient and not to discusse or rectifie Gods Commaundementes and to saye any thinge that Christe the Sonne of God hath appointed vs to doo is vtterly voide of vse and profite As for the libertie of the Churche that is here claimed if we shouâ—de demaunde where and when it was graunted perhaps the Chartar woulde not be founde The libertie of the Churche is not to be against God nor to controlle any his ordinaunce Neither hath M. Hardinge yet proued that the Churche within sixe hundred yéeres after Christe in open Congregation and assemblie of people whiche is the state of this question euer vsed any suche kinde of libertie In these woordes M. Hardinge hath priuily cowched sundrie arguments which of what value or force they be I pray thée Gentle Reader to vnderstande The first is this The prieste Consecrateth the Sacrament Therefore the people is not bounde to receiue in bothe kindes The seconde is this The priest offereth the Sacrifice and representeth the separation of Christes Bodie and Bloude Ergo it is sufficient for the people to receiue in one kinde The thirde is this The Churche hath hir libertie Ergo she is not bounde to Christes Institution Alas howe sclenderly hange these thinges togeather Yet these are the argumentes that as it is supposed are neuer hable to be answeared M. Hardinge The .3 Diuision As touchinge the woordes of Christe Bibite ex hoc omnes Drinke ye al of this They perteine to the Apostles onely and to their successours For to them 49 onely he gaue coÌ„maundement to doo that which he did in his supper as Clement saithe to them onely saiynge doo this in my remembrance he gaue Commission to consecrate offer and to receiue the Sacrament in remembrance of his deathe and passion by the same woordes ordeininge them priestes of the newe Testamente VVherefore this belongeth not to the laye people neither canne it iustely be geathered by this place that they are bounde of necessitie and vnder paine of deadly sinne to receiue the Sacrament vnder bothe kindes The B. of Sarisburie When I reade these woordes of M. Hardinges I am striken with horrour to consider the terrible iudgement of God It is muche to be feared that he that is ledde awaye of this sorte offendeth not of ignorance for so were the faulte the more pardonable but againste the manifest knowen truthe and againste the spirite of God For whereas Christe saithe Drinke ye al of this if he wil followe the letter the woordes be plaine that al shoulde drinke If he wil leaue the letter and take the meaninge S. Paule hath opened it For writinge vnto the whole Congregation at Corinthe he saithe thus As often as ye shal eate this Breade and drinke of this Cuppe ye shal declare the Lordes deathe vntil he come If he doubte S. Paule yet the very practise and continual order of the Primitiue Churche fully declareth what Christe meante And they saye Consuetudo est optima interpres Legis Custome is the best Interpreters of the lawe If he wil take neither the woordes of Christe nor Christes meaninge then I know â—ot how to deale with him Once againe he bringeth foorthe Clement the Apostles fellowe And what Clement Uerily euen the same that ministred and deliuered the holy Communion to the faithful that then were in Rome vnder bothe kindes as appeareth by the longe vsage of that Churche euen as Christe deliuered it to his Disciples and M. Hardinge is not hable to shewe that the same Clemente euer ministred otherwise He seeth knoweth that the woorde Omnes is against him the meaninge against him The practise of the Churche against him his owne Clement against him Yet he beareth his countenance so as if al were with him To be shorte if Christ when he saide Drinke ye al meant not that al shoulde drinke why did S. Paule and al the Apostles and the whole primitiue Churche expounde it and practise it as though he had meante so And if he meante so why dothe M. Hardinge deceiue the worlde and say he meante not so But Clement saithe Christe spake these woordes doo this in my remembrance onely vnto the Apostles Therefore saieth M. Hardinge These woordes drinke ye al pertaine to the Apostles onely and to their successours Understande good Reader that Clement in the place here alleged speaketh not one woorde either of one kinde or of bothe but onely saithe thus That Christe appointed his Apostles to the office of the holie Ministration whiche he calleth the spiritual oblation Therefore thou maiste sée that M. Hardinge shewinge the one thinge for an other and of the same concludinge what him liketh cannot séeme to deale plainely The argument that hereof is geathered standeth thus Clement saithe that Christe gaue onely vnto his Apostles the office of the Ministerie and authoritie to offer the spiritual Sacrifice Ergo these woordes drinke ye al of this perteine nothinge to the people Here is a very fainte conclusion For by force of this reason he may take from the people bothe partes of the Sacrament as wel as one and so leaue them no Sacrament at al. M. Hardinge The .4 Diuision And this vnderstoode they whiche aboue one hundred yeeres past 50 chaunginge the olde custome of the Churche of receiuinge the Communion vnder one kinde by their priuate authoritie woulde needes vsurpe the Cuppe also For seeinge them selues not to haue sufficient proufe and warrant for their dooinge of these woordes drinke ye al of this the better to bolster vp their newe fangled attempte they thought it better to aliege the woordes of Christ in S. Iohn Excepte ye eate the fleashe of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloude ye shal not haue life in you which woordes for al that our newe Masters of fourtie yeeres paste wil to be vnderstanded of the spiritual and not of the Sacramental eatinge as it may be and is taken for bothe of the Doctours vewed a parte Yet in al that Chapter there is no mention of the Cuppe nor of Wine at al. VVherefore they that crie so muche on the institution and commaundement of Christe cannot finde in al the Scriptures neither commaundement where he gaue charge the Sarcament so to be geuen neither so muche as any example where Christe gaue it vnder bothe kindes to any other then to thapostles VVhere as contrariwise it may be shewed of our parte
and teache al nations baptizinge them c. And yet the Churche hâ—â—h not feared to baptize Infantes that be without capacitie of teachinge and for the due administration of this Sacrament to many â—ath thought powring or sprinklinge of water vpon them sufficient though this be not spoaken of I say it is muche to be considered to this purpose that the Apostles â—â—ickte not for a time to alter and change the very essential forme of woordes with which Christe woulde this Sacrament to be ministred For whereas he commaunded them to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy â—host they Baptized in the name of Iesus Chiste 54 Onely intendinge thereby to make that to be of more fame and celebritie So to retourne to the Sacrament of the Body and Bloud of Christe whereof we treate no man can denye but many thinges were at th'insâ—itution of it doone by th' example of Christe and by him commaunded whiche now be not obserued and yet in that respecte no faulte is founde Christe washed the Apostles feete and gaue them an expresse commaundement to doo the same with these moste plaine woordes If I that am your Maister and Lorde haue vvashed your feete you also ought to vvashe one an others feete For I haue geuen you an example that as I haue doone you doo so likevvise Whiche commaundement of Christe accordinge to the outwarde letter verely bindeth no lesse then these woordes Drinke ye al of this yet this commaundement is not keapt but cleane growen out of vse Though it appeare by S. Bernarde who calleth it Magnum Sacramentum A greate Sacrament and longe before by reporte of S. Cyprian that Christe did not onely wasshe his Apostles feete but commaunded also by solemne request and ordeined that the Apostles afterwarde should doo the same VVhether this ordinance of Christe hath been abolisshed for that it should not be thought a rebaptization as it may be geathered of S. Augustine or for any other cause it forceth not greatly But this is muche to be marueled at that this so earnesâ—ly commaunded is so quietly and with such silence suffred vndoone and in the ministration of the Sacrament the vse of the cuppe so factiously and with so muche crieing out required Neither in many other rites and ceremonies wee doo not as Christe did Christe celebrated this Sacrament after that he had supped wee doo it in the morning and fastinge Christe sate at the table with his xij Apostles neither sitte wee at a table neither thinke wee it necessarie to obserue suche number Christe brake the breade wee thinke it not necessarie to breake the hoste that is to be deliuered to the faithful participantes Here is to be noted that S. Cyprian rebukinge them which thought sprinklinge or powring of water not to be sufficient for Baptisme declareth that the Sacramentes be not to be esteemed according to their extreme and rigorous obseruation or administration of al the externe elementes but rather accordinge to the integritie and soundenesse of faithe of the geuer and of the receiuer and that diuine thinges vsed in a compendious sorte conferre and geue neuerthelesse to the right beleuers their whole vertue lib. 4. Epist. 7. Many other commaundementes of God concerninge outwarde thinges might here be rehearsed whiche notwithstandinge by litle and litle in the Churche haue ben omitted as the forebearinge of strangled thinges and bloud which was commaunded by God in the Olde Testament and according to the pleasure and aduise of the Holy Ghoste decreed by the Apostles in the New Testament Yet for as much as concerneth outwarde thinges both this and many other the like haue in processe of time growen out of obseruation and haue without any scruple of conscience beene abrogated The B. of Sarisburie The best staye that these men can lay holde vpon is to denie Christes Institution And therefore M. Hardinge saith here In no wise wee doo not graunt it which is an argument of good courage but of smal proufe But he addeth further If it were Christes Institution yet notwithstandinge by the authoritie of the Churche and vpon good consideration it might be broken His reasons be these In the olde Testament Dauid did eate the Shewbreade notwithstandinge it were forbidden the people in the wildernesse ceased from Circumcision notwithstandinge it were commaunded â–ª the Machabees fought and defended them selues vpon the Sabboth day notwithstanding God had appointed that day to reast In the New Testament wée Baptize Infantes that can receiue no teachinge and sometime wee thinke it sufficient to sprinkle them or to powre them ouer and the Apostles contrary to Christes Institution Baptized in the name of Iesus Onely If M. Harding coulde haue brought any suche example or authoritie as was required suche poore healpes should not haue needed For these allegations are partly true partly false partly not agréeinge to that wée haue in hande neither in place nor in time nor in the ende nor in the manner of dooing nor in other circumstances therfore make litle to this purpose Dauid tooke of the Shewbreade but he was forced thereto by extremitie of famine Neither did he euer decrée that it should be lawful for al others to doo the like The people ceased from Circumcision in the wildernesse but they had Gods special dispensation so to doo as it is noted by Lyra for that they were in continual trauel from place to place and people beinge newly Circumcised coulde abide no labour yet made they no law that Circumcision should quite be abolished The Machabees might lawfully defende them selues vpon the Sabboth day For as Christe expoundeth the law Man is not made for the Sabbothe but the Sabboth is made for man And therefore the Iewes did il that beinge beséeged vpon the Sabboth day as Dion saith stoode stil and yeelded them selues vnto their enemies Yet did not the Machabees proclaime that it should be lawful vpon the Sabboth to goe to the fielde Touching Baptisme first wée teache the Fathers afterwarde wee Baptize them and their children and this is no breache of Christes commaundement For after wée be once become Gods people God hath promised That he wil be our God and the God of our children And by the Prophet Ezechiel he saithe your children be my children They that sprinkled them that they Baptized vsed bothe the woorde and also the element or kinde of water that was commaunded neither dooth it appeare that Christe gaue any commaundement of dippinge the partie into the water But these men take quite away from the people bothe the element kinde of wine and also the woordes of Consecration Last of al in that he saithe The Apostles contrary to the Institution Baptized in the name of Christe Onely Bisides the méere sophistication of the mater he also falsifieth the woordes putting that behinde that S. Luke set before And that thou maist the
many that knowe the Gréeke and the Latine tongues be notwithstanding vngodly and many be godly that know them not Therefore it is very discretely saide by Beda Barbara est lingua quae Deum laudare non potest That tongue is Barbarous that can not praise God M. Hardinge maketh a longe discourse of the Apostles and other Apostolique mennes trauailes throughout the worlde If he had shewed to what ende wée might the better haue knowen his purpose If he wil saye The Apostles Preache in sundrie Countries Ergo The people had their Common Praiers in an vnknowen tongue This Argument wil hardely holde For to that ende God gaue vnto them the gifte of Tongues that they might deale with al nations in their owne Languages Here are wée required to shewe some euidence that in the Primitiue Churche the Publique Seruice was in the Syriacal or Arabike or Egyptian or any other Barbarous tongue and it is stoutely presumed that wee are hable to shewe none What so euer wée can shewe this is no indifferent dealinge For M. Hardinge beinge required of mée to shewe but one sentence of proufe for his side and hauinge as yet shewed nothinge suddainely altereth the whole state of the cause and shifteth his handes and requireth mée to shewe Whiche thinge although I be not bounde to doo by any order of Disputation yet that it may appeare that wée deale plainely and séeke nothinge but the truthe I am contente onely in one example or twoo presently to folow his wil referringe the reast to an other place more conuenient for the same And for as muche as the firste tongue that he nameth amongst others is the Syriacal let him reade S. Hierome describinge the pompe of Paulaes funeral These be his woordes Tota ad Funus eius Palaestinarum vrbium turba conuenit Hebraeo Graeco Latino Syroque Sermone Psalmi in ordine personabant At her Funeral al the multitude of the Cities of Palestine mette togeather The Psalmes were songe in order in the Hebrew Greeke Latine and Syrian tongue Here may he sée that in one Citie foure seueral nations in their Common Seruice vsed foure seueral tongues amonge whiche tongues is the Syriacal whiche thing M. Hardinge thinketh al the worlde cannot shew S. Augustine willing the Priestes to applie their studies to correcte the errours of their Latine speache addeth thereto this reason Vt populus ad id quod planè intelligit dicat Amen That the people vnto the thinge that they plainely vnderstande may say Amen This of S. Augustine séemeth to be spoaken generally of al tongues M. Hardinge him selfe at the ende of his treatie confesseth that the Armenians Russians Ethiopians Sclauons and Moscouites haue from the beginninge of their faithe in their publique Seruice vsed euermore their owne natural countrie tongues Wherefore by M. Hardinges owne graunte wée may iustly claime prescription and charge him with Antiquitie and require him to yeelde to the authoritie of the Primitiue Churche M. Hardinge The .4 Diuision Wherefore M. Iuel in his Sermon whiche he vttered in so solemne an audience and hath set foorthe in Printe to the woorlde saith more then he is hable to iustifie where he speaketh generally thus Before the People grevv to corruption whereby he meaneth the firste sixe hundred yeres after Christe al Christian menne throughout the vvorlde made their Common Praiers and had the holy Communion in their ovvne Common and knovven tongue This is soone spoaken sir but it wil not by you be so soone prooued The B. of Sarisburie That M. Iuel there saide is prooued sufficiently onlesse M. Hardinge be hable to bringe some example one or other to prooue the contrary Neither is the mater so harde of our side to be prooued Thomas of Aquine Nicolas Lyra M. Hardinges owne witnesses for some good parte wil prooue it for me M. Hardinge The .5 Diuision In deed wee finde that where as holy Ephrem Deacon of the Churche of Edessa wrote many thinges in the Syriacal tongue he was of so worthy fame and renome that as S. Hierome witnesseth his writinges were rehearsed in certaine Churches openly Post lectionem ScripturaruÌ„ after the Scriptures had beene reade whereof it appeareth to Erasmus that nothing was wonte then to be reade in the Churches biside the writinges of the Apostles or at least of suche men as were of Apostolike authoritie But by this place of S. Hierome it seemeth not that Ephrems woorkes were vsed as a parte of the Common Seruice but rather as Homilies or exhortations to he reade after the Seruice whiche consisted in manner wholy of the Scriptures And whether they were tourned into Greeke or no so soone it is vncertaine The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge contrary to the ordre of Rhetorique woulde confute our side before he confirme his owne But I maruel muche to what ende he should thus allege Ephrem onlesse it be to heape mater against him selfe For wil he thus frame his reason Ephrem wrote sundry thinges in his owne mother tongue Ergo The people had their Seruice in a strange tongue Wil he haue this to be allowed and goe for an argument If there were nothing els â–ª here to be geathered yet hath he touched twoo thinges expressely against him selfe The one is that nothinge was then redde in the Church sauinge onely the Scriptures or other maters of Apostolique authoritie whiche thinge is also straitely commaunded by the Councel of Carthage Yet M. Hardinge in his Churche euen in the Publique Seruice readeth Lessons and Legendes of childi she Fables The other is that Ephrems Homiliâ—s were pronounced vnto the people in the Uulgare tongue yet M. Hardinge him selfe pronounceth Gospels Epistles and Homilies and al what so euer vnto the people in a straunge tongue But to avoide this inconuenience he saithe â–ª The Homilies were no parte of the Seruice First how is he sure of that Certainely the Latine Homilies be redde in the Matins and accompted parte of the Romishe Seruice Againe what necessary Sequele is this The people vnderstoode Ephrems Homilies Ergo his Homilies were no parte of the Seruice Or what leadeth him to thinke It was profitable for the people to heare and vnderstande Ephrem and yet was not profitablé for them to heare vnderstande Peter Paule or Christe To be shorte be confesseth that Ephrems writinges were exhortations to the Gréeke people and yet doubteth whether they were translated into the Gréeke or no and so he endeth in vncertaintie and concludeth nothing Now let vs sée whether the same Ephrem wil conclude any thinge of our side First Theodoretus saithe He was vtterly ignorant of the Greeke tongue Whiche thinge is also confirmed by M. Hardinges owne Amphilochius For in the conference that was bitwéene him and Basil he saithe He spake by an Interpreter as beinge not hable to speake Greeke himselfe Yet was the same Ephrem a Minister in the Churche beinge as S. Hierome saithe a
vnfruiteful speaking with strange and vnknowen tongues without interpretation to the let and hinderance of Gods Woorde to be declared and to the keping of the people onely in gasinge and wondering from saieing Amen and geuinge their assent to the Godly Blessinge and thankes geuinge But the order of the Churche nowe is farre otherwise We haue not those miraculouse giftes and right wel may wee doo without them For the speakinge with tongues was insteede of a signe or wonder not to them that beleued but to the vnbeleuers And signes be for the vnfaithful the faithful haue no neede of them In Churches I meane where auncient order is kepte whiles the Seruice is songe or saide the ministers doo not speake with tongues or with a tongue in suche sorte as S. Paule vnderstoode but they doo reade and rehearse thinges set foorthe and appoincted to them S. Paule rebuketh them who speakinge with tongues letted the Preachers so as the people present might not be edified The Latine Seruice is not so done in the Churche as the exposition of the Scriptures be thereby excluded In the Apostles time they came to Churche to thintent they might profitably exercise the giftes God gaue them and by the same specially by the gifte of prophecieinge edifie one an other and teache one an other Nowe a daies they come not togeather to Churche one to teache an other and to expounde the Scriptures in common but to praye and to heare the opening of Goddes Woorde not one of an other without order but of some one to witte the Bishop Priest Curate or other spiritual gouernour and teacher The B. of Sarisburie We may safely graunte some parte of M. Hardinge longe talke without preiudice of our cause In deede S. Paule in the place alleged spake of the gifte of tongues as it was a special miracle enduringe onely for a while not gotten by labour or studie but fréely inspired by the spirite of God But the Latine tongue saith M. Hardinge as it is nowe commonly vsed in the Romaine Seruice is not geuen by any suche promptinge of the Holie Ghoste nor is nowe any Miracle at al. Therfore the place of S. Paule cannot be applied vnto it We graunte wel it is no miracle as it is now vsed nor any way sauoureth of the Spirite of God But this is a great miracle to sée either any man so wicked that so wil vse it or so impudent that so wil defende it or so patient that so wil suffer it This verily is a merueilous miracle M. Hardinge séemeth hereof to reason of this sorte S. Paule forbade the Corinthians to vse the special miracle and gifte of God without profitinge the Congregation Ergo Nowe hauinge the Latine tongue without miracle we maye minister the â—â—ruice therein although the Congregation haue no Profite by it This reason is straunge and holdeth as simply as the reaste Yet hath he geuen special aduertisement in the Margin that this place of S. Paule serueth nothinge to our purpose If this note be so certaine and so authentical as he woulde séeme to make it then were the Doctours bothe newe and olde that tooke it otherwise not wel aduised For Lyra writinge vpon the same saith thus Si populus intelligat orationem Sacerdotis meliùs reducitur in Deum deuotiùs respondet Amen Ideò dicit Paulus Si tu Sacerdos benedixeris Spiritu populus non intelligat quid proficit populus simplex non intelligens Quapropter in Primitiua Ecclesia benedictiones coetera omnia fiebant in vulgari If the people vnderstande the praier of the Priest they are the better brought vnto God and with greater deuotion they answeare Amen Therfore S. Paule saith If thou being a Priest Blisse with thy Spirite and the people vnderstande thee not what profit then hath the people being simple and not vnderstanding thee Therefore in the Primitiue Churche bothe the Blissinges and al other thinges were done in the vulgare tongue The vulgare tongue saith Lyra was vsed in the primitiue Church vpon occasion of these woordes of S. Paule In the Councel of Aâ—on it is writen thus Psallentium in Ecclesia Domino mens concordare debet cum voce vt impleatur illud Apostoli Psallam spiritu psallaÌ„ mente The voice and minde of them that singe vnto the Lorde in the Churche muste agree togeather The reason thereof is taken out of this place of S. Paule I wil singe with my sprite I wil singe with my minde Chrysostome saithe S. Paule driueth the whole tenoure of this mater vnto the profite of the hearers These be his woordes Est autem quod Paulus dicit huiusmodi Nisi dixero quod percipi facilè claréque à vobis possit sed linguarum munere praedirum me esse tantùm ostendam nullum ex his quae non intelligetis fructum facientes abibitis Nam quae vtilitas esse possit ex voce non intellecta S. Paules sayinge standeth thus Onlesse I vtter my woordes so as they maie clearely and plainely be perceiued of you but onely shewe me selfe to haue the gifte of tongues ye shal haue no fruite of those thinges that ye knowe not For what profite can ye geate of a voice that ye cannot vnderstande And againe the same Chrysostome saithe farther Sic vos nisi significantem vocem dederitis verba quod dicitur vento hoc est nemini facietis Euen so you onlesse you geue a sounde that may be knowen as the Prouerbe is ye shal throwe foorthe your woordes into the winde that is to say ye shal speake to noman So likewise the Emperour Iustinian where he commaundeth al Bishoppes and Priestes to minister the Sacramentes and other Praiers alowde and with open voice he auoutcheth the same by this place of S. Paule For thus he saithe Sic enim Diuinus Apostolus docet dicens Si solum spiritu benedixeris qui implâ—t locum idiotae quomodo dicet Amen super tuam benedictionem NoÌ„ enim intelligit quid dicas So the holy Apostle saithe If thou onely blisse or praie with thy Sprite how shal he that supplieth the roume of the vnlearned say Amen vnto thy blissinge for he knoweth not what thou sayest It appeareth by these authorities not withstandinge M. Hardinges note that S. Paule maketh somewhat for our purpose How be it we builde not our proufes vpon the Miracle and Gifte of tongues that lasted but for a while but vpon these expresse plaine woordes of S. Paule whiche noman can denie He that speaketh with tongue speaketh not vnto menne but vnto God for no man heareth him If the Trumpet geue an vncertaine voice who shal prepare him selfe vnto the warre Euen so you onlesse yee vtter suche woordes as haue signification howe shal it be knowen what ye saie For ye shal speake into the winde I wil praie with my sprite I wil praie with my minde I wil singe with my sprite I wil singe with my minde
If thou blisse with thy sprite howe shal the ignorant saie Amen vnto thy thankes geuinge For he knoweth not what thou saiest In the Chruche I had leuer to speake fiue woordes with my minde so that I may instructe others then tenne thousande woordes vvith my tongue Let al thinges be donne to the profite of the people These woordes be euident the exposition of Lyra of the Councel of Acon of Chrysostome and Iustinian is plaine And yet muste we vpon M. Hardinges warrant néedes beleue that al this maketh nothinge for the Englishe Seruice to be had in the Churche of Englande M. Hardinge The .26 Diuision And for as muche as al the people cannot heare the priestes prayers at the Aultare whiche hath from the Apostles time hitherto euer beene a place to celebrate the holy oblation at tourninge him selfe for the moste parte to the Easte accordinge to the Apostolike tradition in what tongue so euer they be vttred for distance of the place they remaine in it is no inconuenience suche admitted into the quiere as haue better vnderstandinge of that is saide or songe that the reste remaine in seemely wise in the neither parte of the Church and there make their humble praiers to God by them selues in silence in that language they beste vnderstande conforminge them selues to the Priestes blessinge and thankes geuinge through faithe and obedience with their bretherne in the quiere and geuinge assent to the same vnderstandinge some good parte of that is doone as declared by often preachinge and by holy outwarde Ceremonies perceiuable to the senses of the simplest The B. of Sarisburie There haue beene Aultares saith M. Hardinge euen from the Apostles time and that euen as it is vsed now farre of from the Body of the Church Neither coulde the people beneathe heare the Priest standinge aboue at the Aultar or vnderstande what he meante but onely were instructed by holy reuerende Ceremonies and gaue consent vnto al that was saide by the Priest and yet knew not what he saide This man coulde neuer vtter so many vntruthes togeather without some special Priuilege For first where he saith The Apostles in their time erected Aultares It is wel knowen that there was no Christian Churche yet builte in the Apostles time For the Faithful for feare of the Tyrannes were faine to méete togeather in Priuate Houses in Uacant places in Woodes and Forestes and in Caues vnder the grounde And may we thinke that Aultars were builte before the Church Uerily Origen that liued twoo hundred yeres after Christe hath these woordes against Celsus Obijcit nobis quòd non habeamus Imagines aut Aras aut Templa Celsus chargeth our Religion with this that wee haue neither Images nor Aultars nor Churches Likewise saithe Arnobius that liued somwhat after Origen writinge against the Heathens Accusatis nos quòd nec templa habeamus nec imagines nec aras ye accuse vs for that wee haue neither Churches nor Images nor Aultars And Uolaterranus and Uernerius testifie that Sixtus Bishop of Rome was the first that caused Aultars to be erected Therefore M. Hardinge was not wel aduised so confidently to say That Aultars haue euer beene euen sithence the Apostles time Neither afterwarde when Aultars were first vsed and so named were they streight way builte of stoane as Durandus and such others say they must néedes be and that Quia petra erat Christus Because Christe was the stoane For Gerson saith that Syluester Bishop of Rome firste caused stoane Aultars to be made and willed that no man should Consecrate at a woodden Aultar but him selfe onely and his Successours there And notwithstanding bothe for continuance and staidinesse suche Aultars were vsed in some places as it appeareth by Gregorius Nyssenus S. Basiles brother yet it is plaine by S. Augustine that in his time in Aphrica they were made of Tymber For he saith That the Donatistes in their rage wounded the Priest and brake a sundre the Aultare bourdes And againe he saith That the Deacons dewtie was to carry or remoue the Aultar Whiche thinge cannot be expounded of a heape of stoanes but onely of the Communion Table And therefore S. Chrysostome commonly calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The holy bourde And S. Augustine Mensa Domini The Lordes Table As other Fathers also do in infinite places And notwithstanding it were A Table yet was it also called An Aultar Not for that it was so in déede but onely by allusion vnto the Aultars of the olde law And so Ireneus calleth Christe our Aultar And Origen calleth Our harte our Aultar Not that either Christe or our hartes be Aultars in deede but onely by a Metaphore or a manner of speache Suche were the Aultars that were vsed by the olde Fathers immediatly after the Apostles time Nowe whether it may séeme likely that the same Aultars stoode so farre of from the hearinge of the people as M. Hardinge so constantly affirmeth I referre mée selfe to these authorities that here folow Eusebius thus describeth the forme and furniture of the Churche in his time Absoluto templo ac sedibus excelsissimis ad honorem praesidentium subsellijs ordine collocatis ornato post omnia Sancto Sanctorum videlicet Altari in medio constituto c. The Churche beinge ended and comely furnished with high Thrones for the honour of the rulers and with stalles beneathe set in order and last of al the Holy of Holies I meane The Aultar beinge placed in the middest Eusebius saith not the Aultar was set at the ende of the Qâ—ter But in the middest of the Churche amonge the people S. Augustine likewise saith thus Christus quotidiè pascit Mensa ipsius est illa in medio constituta Quid causae est ô audientes vt mensam videatis ad epulas non accedatis Christe feedeth vs daily and this is his table here set in the middest O my hearers what is the mater that ye see the table and yet come not to the meate In the Councel of Constantinople it is written thus Tempore DiptychoruÌ„ cucurrit omnis multitudo cum magno sileÌ„tio circumcirca Altare audiebant When the Lesson or the Chapter was a readinge the people with silence drew togeather rounde aboute the Aultar and gaue eare And to leaue others Durandus examining the cause why the Priest turneth him selfe aboute at the Aultar yeldeth this reason for the same In medio Ecclesiae aperui os meum In the middest of the Churche I opened my mouthe And Platyna noteth that Bonifacius Bishop of Rome was the first that in the time of the Ministration diuided the Priest from the people To leaue farther allegations wée sée by these few that the Quier was then in the Bodie of the Churche diuided with Rayles from the rest whereof it was called Cancelli a Chauncel and commonly of the Greekes Presbyterium for
learnedly by the tongue S. Paule meaneth not the Latine Greeke or Hebrew amonge the vnlearned people or any other alien or straunge tongue but onely and that by way of Metaphore any manner of vtterance whereby the signes of thinges are pronounced before they be vnderstanded And by the Sprite he vnderstandeth not a noyce of strange wordes after your strange interpretation but as it is here in a certaine proper and peculiar manner taken a power of the soule inferiour to the minde whiche conceiueth the similitudes of thinges and vnderstandeth them not And thinges so vttered be vttered with the tongue and spirite whether it be in Englishe or Latine or any other language And sir although the people vnderstande not in most exacte vvise vvhat the Priest saith in the Latine Seruice yet haue they commoditie and profit thereby so farre as it pleaseth God to accepte the common Praier of the Churche pronounced by the Priest for them The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge hath founde a sporte to passe the time withal He maketh M. Caluin a Patriarke and setteth him on high in iudgement to condemne al the worlde S. Paules meaninge is bombasted and brought out of tune with a noice of strange woordes And in this pointe he doubleth and sheweth copie and plaieth â—ounde aboute merily with his owne fantasie Wherein he may not be muche offended if I say vnto him as S. Hierome saide sometime vnto S. Ambrose for his Commentaries vpon S. Luke Verbis Iudis sentenâ—ijs dormitas That is your wordes be pleasant but your senses be halfe a sleape For that I saw these woordes of S. Paule Yf thou Blisse vvith thy Sprite might séeme doubtful and diuers expositions rising therevpon I thought it meete for the more ease of the vnlearned to open what S. Paule might séeme to meane by this worde Sprite in that place And folowinge the iudgement of sundrie olde Fathers I called it a sounde or noyce of vnknowen woordes This is it that M. Hardinge here so pleasantly calleth Stuffinge and bomebaste and a strange newfangled interpretation Wherein he sheweth him selfe to be somwhat shorte witted as may soone appeare For within a few lines after expoundinge these woordes of S. Paule Quà m decem millia verborum in lingua he him selfe vseth the like bomebaste and the very same stuffinge Uerily if he wil vtterly condemne al manner Paraphrase or addinge of other woordes for declaration of that séemeth harde or doubteful in the texte then must he néedes condemne not onely the Septuagintes but also al other Interpreters of the Scriptures Hereof Origen weighing in what sorte the Apostle S. Paule allegeth the woordes of the Prophete Dauid writeth thus Sed quòd dixit Apostolus Sicut scriptum est Non est iustus quisquam non est intelligens non est requirens Deum Non ijsdem Sermonibus inuenitur in Psalmo sed alij permutantur alij assuuntur alij relinquuntur Quod a studiosis quibusque si obseruetur diligentiùs puâ—o dari in hoc Apostolicam authoritatem vt cùm Scripturae testimonijs vtendum fuerit sensum magis ex ea quà m verba capiamus But where as S. Paule saithe As it is written There is not one iust man there is not one of vnderstandinge there is not one that seeketh after God This place is not founde in the Psalme by these woordes but some woordes are altered by S. Paule and some others are added vnto and some are leafte out Whiche thinge if the Reader aduisedly consider I thinke that herein the Apostles authoritie is declared that when wee haue neede to vse the Testimonie of the Scriptures wee rather take the meaning thereof then the woordes Origen saith S. Paule bothe altered the woordes of the Prophete and added to and tooke fro Yet I trust M. Hardinge wil not say S. Paule bomebasted or stuffed the Scriptures Perhaps he wil replie S. Paule by this woorde Sprite meante not a strange tongue or a noice of vnknowen woordes and therefore this stuffinge is counterfeite And bicause M. Hardinge saith so perhaps the simple Reader wil so beléeue it But if the olde Doctours Fathers so expounde it then al this strange mirth and triumphe might haue béene spared S. Ambrose openeth S. Paules meaning and sheweth what he vnderstoode by this woorde Sprite in this wise Si tu benedixeris spiritu hoc est Si laudem Dei lingua loquaris ignota audientibus If thou blesse vvith thy Sprite That is to say If thou vtter the Praise of God in a tongue vnknowen vnto the hearers This I trow is no Bomebast nor countrefeite stuffinge it is S. Ambroses Interpretation Likewise S. Chrysostome expoundinge the same woordes saith thus Si tu benedixeris spiritu c. Est quod dicit huiusmodi Si peregrina lingua gratias agas quam nec intelligas ipse nec coeteris idem interpreteâ—is plebeius noÌ„ potest subijcere Amen If thou Blisse vvith thy Sprite c. The meaning hereof saith S. Chrysostome Is this If thou geue thankes vnto God or pray in a strange tongue whiche neither thou knowest thee selfe nor canst expounde vnto others the vnlearned cannot say Amen This Chrysostome saith is S. Paules very meaninge M. Hardinge saithe No it is a strange new fangled interpretation Erasmus in his paraphrase turneth it thus Si tu decantes laudes Dei sermone omnibus incognito If thou singe out the praises of God in a tongue vnknowen vnto al thy hearers Dionysius the Carthusian likewise saithe thus Si tu Benedixeris Spiritu id est non verbis quae ab alijs intelligantur sed tantùm lingua If thou Blisse vvith thy Sprite That is to say not with suche woordes as others may vnderstande but onely with thy tongue Anselmus saith Spiritus meus orat id est flatus oris mei orat dum loquor in oratione My sprite praieth That is The breathe of my mouthe praieth so longe as I continue speakinge What so euer opinion M. Harding haue of Erasmus yet I trow of his modestie he wil not say that either Dionysius the Carthusian or S. Ambrose or S. Chrysostome or Anselmus deuised newfangled expositions or discanted vpon S. Paule or set his texte out of tune But he saith the place of S. Paule is doubteful S. Ambrose S. Augustine S. Chrysostome Isidorus Erasmus and Thomas of Aquine vnderstoode it diuersely And wil he thereof conclude thus These Fathers mistooke S. Paules sense Ergo S. Paule had no sense Or diuers Doctours touching this place had diuers iudgementes Ergo Wee must haue no iudgement Or must wée folow none of them bicause some were deceiued Or must wée folowe them al togeather bicause they were Doctours In déede they dissented somwhat in the takinge of this woorde Spirite as it is euident but whether it were the holy Ghoste that S. Paule meante thereby or Imagination or Reason or the Gyfte of tongues or the Sounde of the mouthe or the
al the worlde By these and other like authorities of the Scriptures they conclude that the Pope holdeth his authoritie not by any ordinance of man but De Iure diuino That is euen by the right of Goddes vndoubted Lawe And therefore Pope Bonifacius determineth the mater in this wise to holde for euer Declaramus Dicimus Definimus Pronuntiamus omninò esse de necessitate salutis omni humanae creaturae subesse Romano Pontifici Wee declare say determine and pronounce that vndoubtedly it standeth vpon the necessitie of Saluation for euery mortal creature to be subiecte to the Bishop of Rome Likewise saith the Glose vpon the same Quicquid saluatur est sub summo pontifice What so euer is saued is vnder the highest Bishop If â—â—ese claimes be good it is no harde mater to holde by Scriptures But for as muche as they seeme to make greatest accompte of these woordes of Christe Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I vvil builde my Churche Therefore for answeare herevnto vnderstande thou good Christian Reader that the Olde Catholique Fathers haue written pronounced not any Mortal man as Peter was but Christe him selfe the Sonne of God to be this Rocke Gregorius Nyssenus saith Tu es Petrus c. Thou arte Peter and vpon this Rocke I vvil builde my Churche He meaneth the Confession of Christe for he had saide before Thou arte Christe the Sonne of the liuinge God So saith S. Hilarie Haec est vna foâ—lix fidei Petra quam Petrus ore suo confessus est This is that onely Blessed Rocke of Faithe that Peter confessed with his mouthe Againe he saith Vpon this Rocke of Peters Confession is the buildinge of the Churche So Cyrillus Petra nihil aliud est quà m firma inconcussa Discipuli Fides The Rocke is nothinge els but the stronge and assured Faithe of the Disciple So likewise Chrysostome Super hanc PetraÌ„ id eâ—t In hac Fide Confessione aedificabo Ecclesiam meaÌ„ Vpon this Rocke that is to say vpon this Faithe and this Confession I wil builde my Churche Likewise S. Augustine Petra erat Christus super quod fundamentum etiam aedificatus est Petrus Christe was the Rocke vpon which â—undation Peter him selfe was also builte And addeth further bisides Non me aedificabo super te sed te aedificabo super me Christe saithe vnto Peter I wil not builde mee selfe vpon thee but I wil builde thee vpon mee Al these Fathers be plaine but none so plaine as Origen His woordes be these Petra est quicunque est Discipulus Christi Et super talem petraÌ„ construitur omnis Ecclesiastica Doctrina Quod si super vnuÌ„ illum Petrum tantùm existimas aedificari totaÌ„ EcclesiaÌ„ â–ª quid dicturus es de Iohanne Filio Tonitrui Apostolorum vnoquoque Num audebimus dicere quòd aduersus Petrum vnum non praeualiturae sint portae Inferorum An soli Petro danâ—ur a Christo Claues Regni Coâ—lorum He is the Rocke who so euer is the Disciple of Christe And Vpon suche a Rocke al Ecclesiastical learninge is builte If thou thinke that the whole Churche is builte onely vpon Peter what then wilt thou say of Iohn the Sonne of the Thunder and of euery of the Apostles Shal wee dare to say that the Gates of Hel shal not preuaile onely against Peter Or are the keyes of the Kingedome of Heauen geuen onely vnto Peter By these few it may appeare what right the Pope hath to claime his authoritie by Goddes woorde and as M. Hardinge saith De Iure diuino In déede touchinge the same woordes of S. Mathew S. Hierome writeth thus Istum locum Episcopi Presbyteri non intelligentes aliquid sibi de Pharisaeorum assumunt supercilio Bishoppes and Priestes not vnderstandinge this place take vpon them some parte of the proude lookes of the Phariseis And againe he saithe Nouerint Episcopi se magis consuetudine quà m dispositionis Dominicae veritate Presbyteris esse maiores Let Bishoppes vnderstande that they are greater then the Priestes more of Custome then of the truthe of Goddes ordinance By this it appeareth that the Bishop of Rome holdeth by Custome and not as M. Hardinge saith De Iure diuino As for the Decrées of Councels the Edictes of Princes the saieinges of holy Fathers the Necessitie of Reason and the Practise of the Churche how iustly they be auouched by M. Hardinge they shal be seuerally examined as they come M. Hardinge The .3 Diuision But I in this treatise seekinge to auoide prolixitie hauinge purposed to say somewhat to this number of the other Articles and knowinge this matter of the Primacie to be already largely and learnedly handeled of others wil but Trippe as it were lightly ouer at this time and not set my fast footinge in the deepe debatinge and treatinge of it First as concerning the right of the Primacie by Goddes lawe by these auncient authorities it hath beene auouched Anacletus that holy Bishop and Martyr S. Peters Scholar and of him Consecrated Priest in his Epistle to the Bishops of Italie writeth thus In Nouo Testamento post Christum c. In the New Testament the order of Priestes beganne after our Lorde Christe of Peter bicause to him Bishoprike was first geuen in the Churche of Christe where as our Lorde saide vnto him Thou arte Peter and vpon this Rocke I vvil builde my Churche and the gates of Hel shal not preuaile against it and vnto thee I vvil geue the keyes of the kingedome of Heauen VVherefore this Peter receiued of our Lorde first of al power to binde and to loose and first of al he brought people to the faithe by vertue of his Preachinge As for the other Apostles they receiued honour and power in like felowship with him and willed him to be their Prince or chiefe gouernour In an other Epistle to al Bishops alleging the same texte for the Primacie of the see of Rome speakinge of the disposition of Churches committed to Patriarkes and Primates saith thus moste plainely This holy and Apostolike Churche of Rome hath obteined the Primacie not of the Apostles â–ª but of our Lorde and Sauiour him selfe and hath gotten the preeminence of power ouer al Churches and ouer the whole flocke of Christen people euen so as he saide to blessed Peter the Apostle Thou arte Peter and vpon this Rocke c. The B. of Sarisburie The authorities here alleged are full of Fogge and false grounde and can abide no falt footinge and therefore M. Hardinge Trippeth them so lightly ouer Touchinge this Epistle of Anacletus and other like Epistles Decretal I wil onely geue a taste and leaue the iudgement thereof vnto the Reader First one Petrus Crabbe the compiler of the Councelles complaineth muche that the examples from whence he tooke them were woonderfully corrupted and not one of them agreeing with an other and expresseth
his fable He thought it not sufficient to say The Canons al were quite burnte whiche thinge he onely saith and no man els but bicause he sawe Wise men woulde replie There vvere no suche Canons euer made therefore he tooke paines further to shew the considerations and causes and the whole order and circumstance of the making whereat he saith he him selfe was present Fourscore Canons he saith were diuised in the whole whereof fourtie were laide in in Latine by the Latines and fourtie other in Greeke by the Grecians Of this whole number of Canons saith he the Fathers there tooke of tenne Canons and diuided them as they might moste handesomely emonge the rest and so made vp onely the number of threescore and tenne Canons therby mystically to represent the threescore and tenne Disciples or els the number of the threscore and tenne Tongues that be knowen in the worlde Thus of wholesome and Godly rules of Faith and manners M. Hardinges Athanasius hath leasure to fansie preatie Mysteries But for better viewe hereof I remember Cardinal Cusanus touchinge the Famous Donation of Constantine writeth thus In ipsa scriptura reperi manifesta argumenta falsitatis Euen in the writinge of it I haue founde manifest tokens of falsehoode The like maye be saide of these M. Hardinges newe Canons Euen in the vtteterance and vvritinge of them vve may finde plaine contrarietie and therefore vndoubted tokens of vntruthe For the former twentie Canons whereof there is no question were made in the Councel of Nice But the rest whereof S. Augustine and the Bishops of Aphrica moued doubte whereby the Bishop of Rome woulde seeme to claime were diuised at Rome and not at Nice This newe Canon here alleged saithe The Bishop of Rome hath the rule and soueraintie ouer al Patriarkes But the very true and vndoubted Councel of Nice saithe farre otherwise Antiqua consuetudo seruetur per Aegyptum Lybiam Pentapolim vt Alexandrinus Episcopus horum omnium habeat potestatem quia vrbis Romae Episcopo parilis mos est Let the auncient custome be keapte throughout Aegypte Lybia and Pentapolis that the Bishop of Alexandria haue the gouernement ouer al these For the Bishop of the Citie of Rome hathe the like order But this Canon the Bishoppe of Rome hath no soueraintie ouer other Patriarkes as M. Hardinge fantasieth but onely a felowshippe and equalitie with the reste to walke carefully within his owne diuision as others were bounde to doo within theirs And in this Canon these twoo woordes Parilis mos are specially to be noted whiche cannot otherwise be expounded but onely of like manner order and authoritie of Iurisdiction M. Hardinges Canon saithe S. Peter was Maister and ruler ouer al Christen Princes and yet is not M. Hardinge hable to prooue that while S. Peter liued there was any one Prince Christened in the whole worlde And if Peter had had power ouer Kinges Princes it is not likely he woulde haue taken vp his lodginge with Cornelius the poore Tanner In the ende he concludeth with a terrour If any man repine against this statute accursed be he Wherein he dooth great wronge bothe to S. Augustine and also to al the Bishoppes of Aphrica Numidia Mauritania Pentapolis and Bizancena who not onely repined openly against this Canon but also saide It was falsified and rebuked the Pope of pride and ambition for the same To be shorte what leadeth M. Hardinge to saie The Bishop of Rome hath these three scoare and tenne Canons in safe keepinge Why dooth he thus dissemble mocke the world Certainely the Bishop of Rome himselfe vtterly disclaimeth it and saith He hath them not For thus he writeth touchinge the same Viginti tantùm capitula Nicenae Synodi in Sancta Romana Ecclesia habentur sed quo neglectu alia defecerint ambiguum est There are in the Churche of Rome onely twentie Canons of the Councel of Nice But by what negligence the rest are loste it is not knowen The Pope saithe There are but twentie Canons extant M. Hardinge saithe There are threscore and tenne Canons I trowe It is no reason we should beléeue M. Harding leaue the Pope But Steuin the Bishop of Rome saith There were sometime in Rome the ful thréescore and tenne Canons whiche thinge he geathereth onely vpon this forgerie of M. Hardinges Athanasius And the same beinge the euidence whereby he holdeth his whole title and suche euidence as was not to be founde els where in al the worlde yet cannot he tel neither how he came by it nor how longe he keapte it nor how he loste it But a thinge is wel loste that can not be auoutched and shewed without shame M. Hardinges Athanasius saithe Power to binde and loose is geuen to the holy See of Rome by special priuilege aboue al others And yet the olde Catholique Fathers coulde neuer vnderstande any suche special priuilege S. Cyprian saithe Quamuis Dominus Apostolis omnibus post Resurrectionem suam parem potestatem tribuat tameÌ„ vt vnitatem manifestaret vnitatis eiusdem originem ab vno incipientem sua authoritate disposuit Hoc erant vtique coeteri Apostoli quod fuit Petrus pari consortio praediti Honoris Potestatis The Lorde after his Resurrection gaue vnto his Apostles like power yet to declare vnitie he disposed by his authoritie the Original of vnitie beginninge of one The rest of the Apostles were euen the same that Peter was endewed with like felowshippe bothe of Honour and of Power Origen saithe An verò soli Petro dantur à Christo Claues Regni Coelorum nee alius beatorum quisquam eas accepturus est Hoc dictum Tibi dabo Claues Regni Coelorum coeteris quoque est commune What hath Christe geuen the Keies of the Kingedome of Heauen vnto Peter onely and shal no holy man els receiue them Verily this saieinge To thee vvil I geue the keies of the kingedome of Heauen is common also to the rest S. Cyril saithe Apostolis â—orum in Ecclesijs Successoribus plenam concessit potestatem Christe gaue ful power vnto the Apostles and vnto others that succeeded them in the Churches And S. Basile saithe Christus Petrum post se suae Ecclesiae Pastorem constituit consequenter omnibus Pastoribus Doctoribus â—andem tribuit potestatem Cutus signum est quòd omnes ex aequo ligant absoluunt quemadmodum ille Christe appointed Peter to be Pastour of his Churche after him and so consequently gaue the same power vnto al Pastours and Doctours A token whereof is this that al Pastours doo equally bothe binde and loose as wel as he Nowe if Christe gaue like power to al his Apostles If the reast of the Apostles were the same that Peter was endewed al with like honour and like power If Christes woordes were common to al the reast If al Pastours doo equally bothe binde and loose as
S. Ambrose as it is before alleged comparinge Peter and Paule togeather saithe thus Inter ipsos quis cui praeferatur incertum est Whether of these twoo I may sette before the other I cannot tel Likewise S. Cyprian saithe Hoc erant â—oeteri Apostoli quod fuit Petrus pari consortio praediti Honoris Potestatis The reast of the Apostles were the same that Peter was endewed with like felowship bothe of Honoure and of Power S. Ambrose saithe He cannot discerne betweene Peter and Paule whether he may sette before other S. Cyprian saith Al the Apostles had like Honour and like Power Yet by M. Hardinges fantasie Peter onely was the Prince and al the reaste were subiectes and vnderlinges vnto him But Chrysostome saithe Christe made Peterruler ouer the whole worlde I know not what special power M. Hardinge wil geather of these woordes For the same Commission that was geuen to Peter in as large and as ample sorte was geuen also to the reast of the Apostles Christe saide vnto them al Ite in vniuersum mundum c. Goe into the whole worlde and preache the Gospel And S. Paule saithe it was prophesied of them before In omnem terram exiuit sonus eorum The sounde of them wente out into al the worlde Therefore that S. Chrysostome speaketh hereof S. Peter the same otherwhere he speaketh in like forme of woordes of al the Apostles Thus he writeth vpon S. Iohn Apostoli suscipiunt curam totius Mundi The Apostles receiue the charge of al the Worlde Likewise he writeth of S. Paule Michaeli Gens commissa est IudaeoruÌ„ Paulo verò Terrae ac Maria atque Vniuersi Orbis habitatio Vnto Michael is committed the nation of the Iewes but Lande and Sea and al the habitation of the worlde is committed vnto Paule And againe Paulo Deus omnem praedicationem res Orbis Mysteria cuncta vniuersamque dispensationem concessit God hath geuen vnto Paule al manner preachinge the maters of the worlde al Mysteries and the ordringe of al. So likewise saith S. Gregorie Paulus catenis vinctus RomaÌ„ petit occupaturus MunduÌ„ Paule beinge bounde with cheines wente to Rome to conquiere the whole World And againe he saith Paulus ad ChristuÌ„ conuersus Caput effectus est Nationum quia obtinuit totius Ecclesiae principatum Paule beinge conuerted vnto Christe was made the Heade of Nations bicause he obteined the chieftie of al the Churche This was that Uniuersal power that Chrysostome saith was geuen vnto S. Peter and that not seuerally vnto him alone but iointely and togeather with al the reaste of Christes Apostles Whiche thinge the same Chrysostome other where plainely declareth by these woordes Apostoli vniuersum Orbem terrarum peruaserunt omnibus Principibus fueruÌ„t magis propriè Principes Regibus potentiores The Apostles ranged ouer the whole Worlde and were more like Princes then the Princes in deede and more mighty then the Kinges Thus was not onely Peter but also al the reast and euery of the Apostles made rulers ouer the whole worlde It is further alleged That Peter appointed Iames Bishop of Hierusalem and the same auouched by Chrysostome Although this place of Chrysostome importe not greatly yet beinge wel fifted and considered it may seeme very suspicious as nothinge agréeinge either with that went before or with that foloweth afterwarde but altogeather sauering of some corruption If M. Harding him selfe woulde consider the woordes with indifferent iudgement I doubte not but he woulde maruel how they came thither Neither is it likely That Iames tooke authoritie of Peter hauinge before taken sufficient authoritie of Christe himselfe For this Commission Christe gaue to euery of his Apostles al alike As my liuinge Father sente me so doo I sende you Ye shal be witnesses to me euen to the endes of the Worlde And if Peter gaue authoritie vnto Iames who then gaue authoritie vnto Paule Certainely S. Paule dwelte in no Peculiar but was as muche subiecte to Iurisdiction as S. Iames. But S. Paule saithe He was an Apostle non ab hominibus neque per hominem â–ª neither of men nor by men but by Iesus Christe and God the Father They that were the chiefe of the Apostles geue nothinge vnto me The preachinge of the Gospel emonge the Gentiles was coÌ„mitted vnto me euen as vnto Peter the preachinge of the Gospel emonge the Iewes And Chrysostome eâ—poundinge the same place saith thus Paulus nihil opus habebat Petro nec illius egebat voce Sed honore par erat illi nihil hic dicaÌ„ amplius Paule had no neede of Peters healpe nor stoode in neede of his voice but was in honour as good as he I wil say no more Hereby it may appeare that the reast of the Apostles tooke not their Apostleship 〈◊〉 authoritie of S. Peter But beinge graunted that Peter appointed Iames to preache in Hierusalem yet wil it not folowe therefore that Peter had rule and Dominion â—uer the Apostles For thereof woulde folowe this greate inconuenience The Apostles at 〈◊〉 appointed Peter to goe and to preache in Samaria Ergo The Apostles had rule and Dominion over Peter Whiche were an ouerthrowe of M. Hardinges grâ—attest principle But let vs graunte that Peter was the Heade of the Apostles as a mater nothinge perteininge to this question Wil M. Hardinge thereof conclude that the Pope is therefore the Heade of the Uniuersal Churche For what is there in the Pope that was in Peter Preachinge of the Gospel He preacheth not Féeding of the floâ—ke He feedeth not He wil saye Succession and sittinge in Peters Chayre whiche is in Rome A man maye answeare The Scribes and Phariseis sate in Moses Chayre But M. Hardinge knoweth that Peter when he receiued this Priuilege was in Hierusalem and not in Rome Therefore this argument would better stande thus Peter neither had Dominion ouer the reaste of the Apostles nor was Bishop of Rome when Christe spake vnto him Therefore the Bishop of Rome cannot iustely claime hereby the Uniuersal Power and Dominion ouer al the worlde Uerily S. Augustine saithe Paulus ipse non poterat esse Caput eorum quos plantauerat c. Pâ—ule him selfe coulde not be the Heade of them that he had planted For â—e saithe that we 〈◊〉 many are one Bodie in Christe and that Christe him selfe is the Heade of that Vnâ—uâ—rsal Bodie Of these woordes of S. Augustine we may geather this reason S. Paule coulde not be the Heade of them that he had planted Therefore much lesse may the Pope be the Heade of them that â—e neuer planted Yet replie wil be made That Theodoretus calleth the Churche of Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche woordes M. Hardinge vntruly translateth President or bearinge rule ouer the worlde For he knoweth That the Gréeke woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth Sitting in the first place and forceth
in the stalle so he is now vpon the Aultar and as he was sometimes in the Womans Armes so is he now in the Priestes Handes True it is Christe was there and Christe is here but not in one or like sorte of Beinge For he was in the stalle by Bodily Presence vpon the Holy Table he is by waie of a Sacrament The woman in her armes helde him Really the Priest in his handes holdeth him onely in a Mysterie So saith S. Paule Christe dwelleth in our hartes and no doubtes the same Christe that laie in the stalle It is one and the same Christe but the difference standeth in the manner of his Being there For in the stalle he laie by Presence of his Bodie in our hartes he lieth by Presence of Faith If this Exposition seeme to M. Hardinge ouer exquisite or curious then wil I saie further Christe is so vpon the Table as the Faithful people is vpon the Table S. Augustine speakinge to the people saith thus Vos estis in MeÌ„sa vos estis in Calice Yowe are vpon the Table yowe are in the Cuppe But the people is not there Grossely Really and in deede but in a Mysterie Euen so is Christes Bodie vpon the Table not Grossely not Really or in deede but in a Mysterie And as Chrysostome saith The Priestholdeth Christe in his hande euen so S. Gregorie saith Abel helde Christe in his hande and that foure thousande yeeres before Christe was borne and yet not a bare signe or a naked token but the very same Christe that Esaie sawe and that Iohn Baptist pointed with his finger For thus stande his woordes Quem Iohannes in Ostensione quem Esaias in locutione hunc Abel Significando in manibus tenuit Thus Chrysostome saith the Priest holdeth Christe in his hande as Iohn Baptist helde him as Esaie helde him as Abel helde him And that this was Chrysostomes meaninge it appeareth by the very forme and order of his woordes For he saith Thou Seest the holy Ghost thou Seest Touchest that princely Bodie Thus he speaketh of a Spiritual seeinge and touchinge wherewith we see and touche thinges be they neuer so farre absent from vs. For otherwise touchinge bodily sight M. Hardinge knoweth the Holy Ghost cannot be seene and by his owne Doctrine the Bodie of Christe is there Inuisible But least M. Hardinge take occasion hereof to saie This is a Fantastical and a Vaine kinde of seeinge Let him remember the woordes that S. Hierome writeth to Paula and Eustochium touchinge theire aboade at Bethleem Magos tria deferentes munera in visione beatis oculis vidisti Ipsa eadem munera Fide Deo obtulisti Cum iâ—sdem Magis Deum Puerum in Presepio adorasti Thou sawest with thine happie eyes the Wise menne carrieinge their three sortes of presentes Thou tookest the same presentes and offeredst them vnto God by Faith with the same Wise men thou Adouredst God beinge a Childe in the Manger She sawe the Wise men and yet sawe them not She receiued their Presentes and yet receiued them not She Adoured the Childe in the Manger and yet the Childe was not there Thus she did not verily or in deede and yet not vainely nor by waie of Fantasie notwithstandinge but truely and effectually by Presence of Faith Thus did the Wise menne see Christe thus doo we nowe see Christe Thus did they worship him thus doo we worship him They sawe him and worshipped him beinge in Earth we see him and worship him being in Heauen They had him Bodily Present we haue him Bodily Absent and Present onely to our Faith And in this behalf S. Ambrose saith Magis videtur quod non videtur It is best seene that is not seene That is to saie Wée sée more certainely with our Faith then wée can sée with the eies of our Bodie For our Bodily eie maie deceiue vs But the eie of our Soule whiche is Faith cannot deceiue vs. M. Hardinges reason hereof standeth thus The Priest at the time of the holy Ministration saide O God be merciful to me being a sinner And Looke vpon vs O Lorde Iesus Christe our God from thy holy Tabernacle and from the Throne of thy Glorie Ergo he made his praiers and gaue Adoration to the Sacrament Of the same premisses he might muche better conclude the contrary The Priest withdrewe his minde from these Sensible and Corruptible Elementes and Adoured Christe beinge in Heauen in his Tabernacle and in the Throne of his Glory Ergo he did not Adoure the Sacrament M. Hardinge The .22 Diuision S. Ambrose after longe searche and discussion howe that saienge of the Prophete might be vnderstanded Adore and woorship ye his footestoole because it is holie at length concludeth so as by the footestoole he vnderstandeth the Earthe bicause it is written Heauen is my seate and the Earthe is my footestoole And bicause the Earthe is not to be Adored for that it is a creature by this Earthe he vnderstandeth that Earthe whiche our Lorde Iesus tooke in the Assumption of his Fleashe of the Virgin Marie and hereupon he vttereth those plaine woordes for testimonie of the Adoration Itaque per Scabellum Terra intelligitur per Terram autem Caro Christi quam hodie quoque in Mysterijs Adoramus quam Apostoli in Domino Iesu Adorarunt And thus by the Footestoole Earthe may be vnderstanded and by Earthe the Fleashe of Christe whiche euen nowe adaies also we Adore in the Mysteries and the Apostles Adored in our Lorde Iesus S. Augustines learned handlinge of this place of the Psalme Adore ye his Footestoole bicause it is Holy maketh so euidently for this purpose that of al other authorities whiche in greate number might be broughte for proufe of the same it ought leaste to be omitted The place beinge longe I wil recite it in Englishe onely His woordes be these Adore ye his Footestoole bicause it is Holie See ye Brethern what that is he biddeth vs to Adore In an other place the Scripture saithe Heauen is my Seate and the Earthe is my Footestoole VVhat doothe he then bidde vs Adore and woorship the Earthe bicause he saide in an other place that it is the Footestoole of God And howe shal we Adore the Earthe where as the Scripture saithe plainely Thou shalt Adore thy Lorde thy God and here he saithe Adore ye his footestoole But he expoundeth to me what his footestoole is and saithe and the Earth is my footestoole I am made doubteful afraied I am to adore the Earthe leste he damne me that made Heauen and Earthe Againe I am afraied not to adore the footestoole of my Lorde bicause the Psalme saithe to me adore ye his footestoole I seeke what thinge is his footestoole and the Scripture telleth me The Earth is my footestoole Beinge thus waueringe I turne me to Christ bicause him I seeke here and I finde how without impietie the Earth may be adored For he tooke of
hodiè inde accidisse arbitror quòd olim omnes tum Sacerdotes tum Laici quicunque intererant Sacrificio Missae peracta oblatione cum Sacrificante communicabant sicut ex Canonibus Apostolorum ex Libris atque Epistolis antiquissimorum Ecclesiae Doctorum perspicuè cognoscitur That in olde times there were not so many Masses nor so many Priestes as be nowe I recken the cause thereof to be this for that in olde times al that were present at the Sacrifice of the Masse as wel Priestes as Laye men did Communicate togeather with the Minister as it is plaine to be seene by the Canons of the Apostles and by the Bookes and Letters of the most Ancient Doctours of the Church He addeth further Nunc verò c. But now seeinge the order of Communion is no more obserued emongst vs and that through the negligence and slouthfulnes as wel of the Laye people as of the Priestes the Holy Ghost by the often saieinge of Priuate Masses hath founde out â— godly remedie for this wante Here wée sée that Negligence and Slouthfulnesse Lacke of Deuotion bothe in the people and in the Priest is a good leare to bréede Masses And that the Priestes as many as were present did then Communicate with the Priest that Ministred it is plaine by the Canons of the Apostles and by sundrie other good Authorities which now I purposely passe by And to this purpose it is written thus in a litle booke set abroade vnder the name of S. Hierome Non debet Episcopus repudiare Eucharistiam Presbyteri The Bishop ought not to refuse the Sacrament of a Prieste But M. Hardinges Priestes vtterly refuse to Communicate one with an other and be they neuer so many in one Churche togeather yet wil they saie seueral Masses at sundrie Aultars And not onely thus but also as it appeareth by the Councel of Toledo in Spaine one Priest hath sometimes said foure fiue or moe Masses in one day Pope Leo saide some daies .vij. some daies eight Masses and some daies moe The excesse and oultrage whereof was so greate that they haue benne forced to prouide Lawes and Canons to the contrary For thus they haue decreed Presbyter in die non amplius quà m tres Missas celebrare praesumat Let not any one Priest presume to saie more then three Masses in one daie We maie wel thinke that priestes then saide good stoare of Masses when it was thought sufficient to stinte them at thrée The cause that mooued Leo and other Ancient Fathers to appoint twoo Communions to be Ministred in one daie was as it shal wel appeare that the whole people might Communicate al togeather quietly and without disturbance Whiche thing of it self vtterly ouerthroweth the whole abuse of Priuate Masses But the causes that haue increased the number of M. Hardinges Priuate Masses as they are alleged by Innocentius the .3 and others are these That there maie be one Masse saide Of the Daie and an other For the Deade and That there maie be regarde had to honestie and Profite For so they saie Causa Honestatis vel Vtilitatis vt si dicta Missa de die superueniat aliqua magna persona quae velit audire Missam As if any notable personage happen to come to Churche after that Masse is donne and be disposed to heare Masse These be very easy causes Upon the same the Priest maie saie twentie Masses as wel as thrée M. Hardinge The .2 Diuision Nowe if that rekeninge coulde duely be made of our parte M. Iuel perhaps woulde then saie as commonly they saie that confesse their erroure in numbringe that he had mystolde him self Al be it here it is to be marueiled that he appointeth vs to prooue a number of Masses in one Churche in one daie that vtterly denieth the Masse and woulde haue no Masse in any Churche any daie at al. And standinge in the denial of the whole so peremptorely as he dooth it maie seeme strange that he shoulde thus frame this Article For what reason is it to chalenge vs for proufe of so greate a number sith he taketh awaie altogeather The B. of Sarisburie I haue keapte my rekeninge wel yenough as I trust it wil wel appeare But if M. Hardinge of so greate a number of his Masses be hable to proue no more but two and the same two in the ende be founde Publique Communions and no Priuate Masses at al then maie we iustly saie That he hath both muche misrekened the people and also shamefully mistolde him self As before I vtterly denied that any Priuate Masse was euer vsed within sixe hundred yeeres after Christe so in this Article that the simple that so longe haue benne deceiued might the better vnderstande both the greate disorder that M. Hardinge mainteineth and also howe farre the Churche of Rome is growen from the primitiue Churche of God I thought it not amisse to sette out the mater by partes in suche plaine diuision Therefore the marueil that M. Hardinge raiseth hereof is not so greate The mater considered his Reader wil rather marueil at his marueil M. Hardinge The .3 Diuision It appeareth that beinge not vnwittinge howe good proufes we haue for the Masse it self he thinketh to blanke vs by puttinge vs to the proufe of his number of xxx.xx.xv.x or .v. Verily this kinde of men fareth with the Churche muche like vnto stronge Theeues who hauinge robbed an honest wealthy man of al his money saie afterwardes vnto him vncourtuously ah Carle howe camest thou by so muche Olde Golde Or if it like not them to be compared with Theeues in regarde of the roume they haue shuffled them selues into they may not vnfittely be likened to a Iudge of the Stemerie at Lâ—dforde in Deuonshire who as I haue hearde it commonly reported hanged a felone amonge the tinners in the forenoone and sate vpon him in iudgement at afternoone And thereof to this daie suche wrongeful dealinge in a common Prouerbe is in that Countrie called Lydforde Lawe Sithe that you M. Iuel and your felowes that nowe sitte on the benche require of vs the proufe of moe Masses in one Churche in one day as it were a verdite of twelue men of equitie and right ye shoulde haue hearde our verdite er ye had geuen sentence and condemned the Masse The B. of Sarisburie Howe good cause M. Hardinge hath to make these vauntes of his proufes for his Priuate Masse it may soone appeare vnto the discrete Reader vpon the viewe But here he thought it proufe sufficient for the multitude of his Masses to cal vs Théeues and wicked Iudges and to charge vs with the Lawe of Lydforde and so to solace him selfe with an olde Wiues tale and to make holy day out of season How be it this comparison of his Théeues is not so greately agréeable to his purpose For the coyne that is taken from him was neither Golde nor so Olde as he maketh it nor was
speakinge onely of the Holy Communion and not one woorde of the Priuate Masse Al these thrée Authorities touche onely one Prieste and as it appeareth by the Glose onely twoo Ministrations at the vttermoste Thus hath M. Hardinge failed bothe in the computation of the yéeres and also in the number of his Masses Yet must this be defended emonge the reste bee the profanation thereof neuer so horrible and who so euer dare wishe a reformation herein muste be no better then a Heathen and a Publicane O how muche better had it béene for M. Hardinge either to haue passed the mater ouer in silence or plainely and simply to haue confessed his errour FINIS THE FOVRETEENTH ARTICLE OF ADORATION OF IMAGES The B. of Sarisburie Or that Images were set vp in the Churches to the intent the people might woorship them M. Hardinge The .1 Diuision That Images were set vp in Churches within sixe hundred yeeres after Christe it is certaine but not Specially either then or sithens to the intent the people mighte woorship them The intent and purpose hath beene farre other but right Godly as shal be declared VVherefore the imputinge of this entent to the Catholike Churche is bothe false and also sclaunderouse And because for the vse of Images these Newe Maisters charge the Churche with reproche of a newe deuise breache of Gods â—ommaundement and Idolatrie I wil here shewe Firste the Antiquitie of Images and by whome they haue beene allowed Secondly to what entent and purpose they serue Thirdly how they may be woorshipped without offence The B. of Sarisburie This Article of Images may be easily passed ouer bothe for that the weight thereof is not great and also for that M. Hardinge as his woonte is hath purposely dissembled the mater that was in question and diuised other fantasies that were not touched Wherein notwithstandinge he vse large discourses and make great shewe yet in the ende as it shal appeare he concludeth nothinge I graunt Images were erected in some Churches within sixe hundred yéeres after Christe al be it neither so rathe as it is pretended nor without muche repininge of Godly men and great contention But M. Hardinge of his modestie once againe calleth vs Newe Maisters so as he woulde cal Moses if he were now aliue or muche rather God him selfe For this Doctrine is Goddes Doctrine and not ours And therefore S. Augustine saithe Huiusmodi Simulachrum Deo nefas est in Christiano Templo collocare In a Christian Churche to erecte suche an Image vnto God resemblinge God to an olde Man it is an Abomination And Epiphanius the Bishop of Cyprus entringe into a Churche and findinge there a Uele hanged vp and the Image of Christe painted in it tare it a sunder and pulled it downe bicause it was donne as he writeth him selfe Contra authoritatem Scripturarum contrary to the Commaundement of Goddes Woorde Againe he saithe Huiusmodi vela contra Religionem nostram veniunt Suche veles so painted are contrary to our Christian Religion And againe Haec scrupulositas indigna est Ecclesia Christi populis qui tibi crediti sunt This Superstâ—tion is vnmeete for the Churche of Christe and vnmeete for the people that is committed vnto thee S. Augustine saithe It is Abomination Epiphanius saithe It is contrary to the Scriptures and contrary to Christian Religion Vnmeete for the Churche of Christe and vnmeete for the people of God How be it M. Hardinge perhaps wil suffer these twoo to passe in the numbre of his Newe Maisters And al be it by these Fathers iudgement it is plaine that by settinge vp of Images Goddes Commaundement is broken yet yt may the better appeare by comparinge Goddes Woordes and M. Hardinges Woordes bothe togeather God saithe Thou shalt make to thee selfe no grauen Image M. Hardinge saithe Thou shalt make to thee selfe grauen Images God saithe Thou shalt not fal downe to them nor woorship them M. Hardinge saithe Thou shalte fal downe to them and woorship them Now iudge thou good Reader whether this be a breache of Gods CoÌ„maundement or no. Uerily M. Hardinge in the first entrie hereof saith thus Images are not specially set vp to thintent the people maie woorship them The sense whereof must needes be this Images are set vp to th end to be woorshipped althoughe not specially to that ende But an Image is a Creature and no God And to honour a Creature in that sort is Idolatrie Therefore by M. Hardinges owne confession Images are set vp to be vsed to Idolatrie althoughe not Specially to that ende How be it by this simple Distinction of General and Special Idolatrie is easy to be excused M. Hardinge The .2 Diuision Concerninge the antiquitie and original of Images they were not first inuented by man but 201 coÌ„maunded by God brought into vse by Tradition of the Apostles allowed by Authoritie of the holy Fathers and al Councelles and by custome of al ages sith Christes being in the Earthe VVhen God would the Tabernacle with al fourniture thereto belonginge to be made to serue for his honoure and glorie he commaunded Moses amonge other thinges to make two Cherubins of Beaten golde so as they might couer both sides of the propitiatorie spreadinge abroade their whinges and beholdinge them selues one an other their faces tourned toward the Propitiatorie that the Arke was to be couered withal Of those Cherubins S. Paul speaketh in his Epistle to the Hebrâ—wes VVhiche Images Beseleel that excellent workeman made at the commaundement of Moses accordinge to the instruction by â—od geuen Againe Moses by the commaundement of God made the Brasen Serpent and set it vp on high for the people that were hurt of serpentes in wildernes to beholde and so to be healed In the Temple also that Salomon buylded were Images of Cherubins as Scripture sheweth Of Cherubins mention is made in sundry places of the Scriptures specially in Ezechâ—el the Prophet cap. 41. Iosephus writeth of the same in his thirde and eight booke Antiquittaum Iudaicarum The Image of Cherubins representeth Angels and the woorde is a woorde of Angelical Dignitie as it appeareth by the thirde Chapter of Genesis where we reade that God placed Cherubins before Paradise after that Adam was cast forth for his disobedience The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge doubteth not to deriue the fâ—rst Inuention of his Images from God him selfe euen as rightly and with as good Faith as he deriueth his Masse from Christe and his Apostles or his Holy Water from the Prophete Elizeus or the Cardinalles hatte from S. Hierome Onles perhaps he wil reason thus God saith â—howe shalt not make vnto thee selfe any graueÌ„ Image nor the Likenes of any thinge And Accursed be the man that maketh â—n Image And CoÌ„founded be al they that woorship Images Ergo God commaunded Images to be made Yf he can auouche his Images by suche warrantes then doubtles
of Baptisme and in al other Publique praiers For in euery hereof the people was willed to say Amen Secondely M. Hardinge saithe and he saithe it alone for noman euer saide it before him that the Bishop and Priest was thus commaunded to speake alowde leaste the people should happen to preuente the time and to answeare Amen out of season before the Sacramente wers consecrate And this muste be taken as a graue and a déepe consideration and meete for the Emperour of the worlde But O the vanities of these vaine Menne For whereunto shoulde the people answeare Amen that hearde no parte of the Praier Or how shoulde they Confirme that was saide by the Prieste that knewe not one woorde what he saide Certainely it appeareth not that the Emperour Iustinian doubted so muche the ouer hasty answearinge of the people but rather thought that if the Priestes voice were not hearde the people shoulde be able to answeare nothinge For to that ende he allegeth these woordes of S. Paule How shal the vnlearned man aâ—sweare Amen to thy thankes geuinge For he knoweth not what thou saiest Last of al he saithe This Constitution of the Emperour Iustinian touched onely the Gréeke Churche and perteined nothinge to the Churche of Rome addinge further That by these Newe Maisters it hath beene and is otherwise vntruely alleged Thus muche M. Hardinge onely of him selfe without any other further Authoritie either Olde or Newe Perhappes he woulde haue vs thinke accordinge to that Childishe Fable of their forged Donation that the Emperour Constantinus had geuen ouer the whole Empiere of the Weaste parte of the worlde vnto the Pope and that therefore Iustinian the Emperour had now nothinge to doo in the Churche of Rome But Iustinian him selfe contrary to M. Hardinges Commentarie commaundeth his Lawes to be taken as general and to be keapte vniuersally throughout the worlde For thus he writeth Visum est praesentem Legem omni terrarum Orbi ponendam nullis locorum vel temporum angustijs coarâ—andam Wee haue thought it good that this Lawe shoulde generally concerne the whole worlde to be restrained by no limites of place or time And makinge an Ordinance for the Churche he writeth thus Et hoc non solùm in Veteri Roma vel in hac Regia Ciuitate sed in omni terra vbicunque Christianorum Nomen colitur â–ª obtinere saâ—cimus And this Lawe we wil to take place not onely in the Olde Citie of Rome or in this princely Citie of Constantinople but also in al the worlde where the name of Christians is had in Honour Likewise Eusebius writeth of Constantinus the Emperours Proclamation for the keepinge of the Sunnedaie Vpon that daye he commaunded not onely the Greekes but also al other Nations that were subiecte to the Empiere of Rome to reast from bodily labours And concerninge suche maters as specially touched the Citie of Constantinople he writeth thus in the same Lawe that M. Harding hath herâ— alleged VVhat so euer thinges namely concerne the Churche of this Princely Citie of Constantinople wee haue comprised the same in a particulare Lawe specially seruinge to that purpose Yet neuerthelesse M. Hardinge thinketh it lawful for him to saie The Emperours minde was not to extende this Lawe to the Churche of Rome and wee muste beléeue him vpon his bare woorde yea although the Emperour him selfe say the contrary But to what purpose excepteth M. Harding the Latine Churche in this behalfe was not S. Ambrose B. of Millaine Clemens Leo Bishoppes of Rome al three Bishoppes of the Latine Churche And dooth not M. Hardinge saie that euery of these thrée pronounced the woordes of Consecration openly with lowde voice not in Silence And doothe not M. Hardinge further tel vs It was the Tradition of the Apostles Wherefore then doothe he so nicely excepte the Churche of Rome Had the Churche there any special Priuilege to breake the Apostles Traditions more then others Certainely Clemens Alexandrinus saithe The Traditions of the Apostles as wel in the Easte Churche as in the Weaste were al one euen as was their Doctrine Fuit vna omnium ApostoloruÌ„ â—icut Doctrina ita Traditio Thus hath M. Hardinge founde by his owne Confession bothe the Tradition of the Apostles and the Ancient Doctours Ambrose Clemens and Leo and bothe the Churches of God the Gréeke and the Latine against him selfe M. Hardinge The .4 Diuision Nowe in this VVeast Churche whiche is the Latine Churche the people hauinge beene sufficiently instructed touchinge the beliefe of the Bodie and Bloude of our Lorde in the SacrameÌ„te 217 it hath beene thought by the Fathers conuenient the VVoordes of Consecration to be pronounced by the priest closely and in silence rather then with open voice VVherein they had special regarde to the dignitie of that high Mysterie And doubtlesse for this pointe they vnderstoode as S. Basile writeth that the Apostles and the Fathers whiche at the beginninge made lawes for the order of Ecclesiastical thinges mainteined the Mysteries in their due auctoritie by keepinge them secrete and in silence For it is not saith he any Mysterie at al whiche is brought foorthe to the populare and vulgare cares whereof he wrote very truely before Ei quod publicatum est per se apprehendi potest imminere conteÌ„ptum Ei verò quod remotum est ac rarum etiam naturaliter quodaÌ„modo esse coniunctaÌ„ admirationem That what is doone openly and made common and of it selfe maye be atteined it is like to come in contempte and be despised But what is keapte far of and is seldome gotten that euen naturally in manner is neuer without woonderinge at And in suche respecte Christe gaue warninge that Pretious Stoanes be not strewed before hogges The B. of Sarisburie It is most certaine and therefore the more lamentable that as it now fareth through the whole Churche of Rome the people knoweth neither the Substance nor the Meaninge nor the Use nor the Effecte nor the Ende or purpose of the Sacrament nor the Consecration nor any Woorde thereto belonginge They heare nothinge They sée nothinge They vnderstande nothinge They learne nothinge The Pope the Cardinalles the Bishops the Priestes teache them nothinge It is thought to be the surest fence strongest warde for that Religion that they should be keapte stil in ignorance and know nothinge M. Hardinge bothe in this place and also before calleth them al Hogges Swine as insensible Brute beastes and voide of reason and hable to iudge and conceiue nothing Yet he blussheth not to say The people of the Latine Churche is sufficiently instructed touchinge the Sacramentes And the more sufficieÌ„tly as it appeareth then euer they were instructed in the Primitiue Churche or in the time of the Olde learned Fathers Uerily Ignorance is easily learned They may soone be taught to know nothinge But the Doctrine that he meaneth standeth in Transubstantiation Real Presence
Dignities of the Churche Open Stewes so déerely rented so many thousande Cortegianes so wel regarded Priestes so fréely allowed to kéepe their Concubines The Churche of God turned into a Caue of Théeues Suche corruption in the Cleregie suche corruption in the People So litle difference bitwéene Wife Harlot Honest and Unhonest Godly Ungodly and as S. Bernarde saith of them the Seruantes of Christe seruinge Antichriste and al this suffered without Correction wel allowed of accoumpted Catholique séeinge I saie the Churche of God in Rome thus vsed he may iustely complaine of corruption of life and loosenesse of Discipline How be it it were harde hereof to conclude that therefore noman may heare the Woordes of Consecration Uerily it is thought lawful for Usurers Théeues Hoores Murderers Traitours and al other like to be presente and to heare Masse without exception M. Hardinge The .8 Diuision VVhere as in olde times when by holsome Discipline the Faithful people were kepte in Godlye awe and obedience that Praier also whiche was saide ouer the Oblation before Consecration 219 was pronounced Closely and in Silence and therefore it was called of the Latines Secreta of the Greekes Mystica oratio meaning thereby that it ought not to be vttered openly and made Common The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge for wante of other proufes presumeth of him selfe that in Olde times the Praier before Consecration was pronounced as he saith Closely and in Silence And that he gheasseth onely by this woorde Secreta whiche is a terme peculiar onely to his Massebooke in the Olde Catholique Fathers was neuer founde And yet doothe not the same importe any suche Silence or Secresie as M. Hardinge supposeth For so Gerardus Lorichius writeth of it Non arbitrandū est Orationem eam dici Secretam quasi non liceat Laicis illam vel nosse vel audire Sed quòd iuxtà atque Canon non cantetur voce altiori Wee may not thinke that the Praier is called Secreta for that it is not lawful for the Laie people to know it or to heare it but onely for that it is not songe out with loude voice as is the Canon Therefore M. Hardinge concludeth this mater with twoo vntruethes bothe togeather Thus notwithstanding this newe dūme Ceremonie haue béene onely receiued in the Churche of Rome no where els and that onely for a time and not from the beginninge and therefore mere particulare and no way Uniuersal and so not Catholique Notwithstandinge also it be vtterly voide of any shewe either of the Scriptures or of the Olde Councelles or Ancient Fathers or of any manner Antiquitie Yet M. Hardinge thinketh him selfe wel hable to mainteine it as he dooth the rest against S. Ambrose against S. Augustine against S. Chrysostome against Leo against his owne Clemens against the whole Primitiue Church both Gréeke and Latine and against the Decrées and Traditions of the Apostles and against his owne knowledge and I feare me also against his owne Conscience FINIS THE XVII ARTICLE OF THE SACRIFICE The B. of Sarisburie Or that the Priest had then Authoritie to offer vp Christe vnto his Father M. Hardinge The .1 Diuision Christe is offered vp to his Father after three manners Figuratiuely Truely with Bloudsheddinge and Sacramentally or Mystically In Figure or Signification he was offered in the Sacrifices made to God bothe in the time of the Lawe of Nature and also in the time of the lawe written And therefore S. Iohn calleth Christe the Lambe whiche was killed from the beginninge of the worlde meaninge in Figure The Sacrifices of Abel Noe and Abraham and al those of the people of Israel commaunded by the Lawe of Moses figured and Signified Christe For whiche respecte chiefely the lawe is reported of S. Paule to haue the shadowe of the good thinges to come S. Augustine writinge against Faustus the Heretike saieth Testamenti Veteris Sacrificia omnia multis varijs modis vnum Sacrificium cuius nunc memoriam celebramus significauerunt Al the Sacrifices of the Olde Testament signified by many and sundrie waies this one Sacrifice whose memorie we doo nowe celebrate And in an other place he saithe That in those Fleashely Sacrifices there was a Signification of Christes Fleashe whiche he shoulde offer for sinnes and of his Bloude whiche he shoulde sheadde for the remission of our sinnes Truely and with Bloudesheadding Christe was offered on the Crosse in his owne persone whereof S. Paul saithe Christe gaue him selfe for vs that he might redeme vs from al iniquitie And againe Christe hath loued vs and hath deliuered him selfe for vs an Oblation and Sacrifice to God into a swete sauour Sacramentally or in Mysterie Christe is offered vp to his Father in the daily Sacrifice of the Churche vnder the Forme of Breade and VVine truely and in deede not in respecte of the manner of offeringe but in respecte of his very Bodie and Bloude really that is in deede present as it hath ben sufficiently proued here before The B. of Sarisburie The greatter and woorthier the woorke is that our Aduersaries haue imagined that is for a Mortal and a Miserable man to offer vp the Immortal Sonne of God vnto his Father that Really and in deede the more ought the same either by manifest woordes or by necessary collection expressely and plainely to be prooued For noman taketh honour and office vnto him selfe but he that is called and appointed thereto by God But for ought that maie appeare by any Clause or Sentēce either of the Newe Testament or of the Olde God neuer appointed any suche Sacrifice to be made by any Mortal Creature And Theophylacte saithe Iesus eijciendo Boues Columbas praesignauit non vltrà opus esse animalium Sacrificio sed Oratione Iesus throwinge the Oxen and Dooues out of the Temple signified that they shoulde no lenger haue neede of the Sacrifice of beastes but of praier How be it The Olde learned Fathers as they oftentimes delited them selues with these woordes Sabbatū Parasceue Pascha Pentecoste and suche other like Termes of the Olde Lawe notwithstandinge the Obseruation Ceremonie thereof wer◠then abolished and out of vse Euen so likewise they delited them selues oftetimes with these woordes Sacerdos Altare Sacrificium the Sacrificer the Aultare the Sacrifice notwithstandinge the vse thereof were then clearely expired onely for that the eares of the people as wel of the Iewes as of the Gentiles had benne longe acquainted with the same Therefore Pachymeres the Paraphraste writinge vpon Dionysius saithe thus Presbyterum appellat Sacerdotem vt etiam in Coelesti Hierarchia idque vsus iam obtinuit Him that is the Priest or Elder he calleth the Sacrificer as he dooth also in his Coelestial Hierarchie And the same woorde Sacrificer is nowe obteined by Custome In this sense S. Paule saith of him self Sacrifico Euangeliū Dei I Sacrifice the
for otherwise he can say nothinge And yet he knoweth and beinge learned cannot choose but know that this is the Olde learned Catholique Fathers Exposition touchinge these woordes of the Prophete Malachie and not ours He knoweth that the Ancient Father Tertullian saithe thus The pure Sacrifice that Malachias speaketh of that should be offered vp in euery place Est Praedicatio Euangelij vsque ad finem Mundi Is the Preachinge of the Gospel vntil the ende of the worlde And in an other place Simplex Oratio de Conscientia pura The Sacrifice that Malachie meante is a deuoute Praier proceedinge from a pure Conscience He knoweth that S. Hierome expoundeth the same woordes in this wise Dicit Orationes Sanctorum Domino offerendas esse non in vna Orbis Prouincia Iudaea sed in omni loco The Prophete Malachie meaneth hereby That the Praiers of Holy people shoulde be offered vnto God not onely in Iewrie that was but one prouince of the world but also in al places He knoweth that Eusebius calleth the same Sacrifice of Malachie The Sacrifice and the Incense of Praier Thus the Holy Catholique Fathers expounded these woordes of the Prophete Malachie and yet were they not therefore iudged either ouerthwarte wreasters of the Scriptures or horrible deceiuers of the people Now of the other side if it may please M. Hardinge to shewe foorthe but one Ancient Doctour or Father that either by the Example of Melchisedeâ— or by force of these woordes of Malachie wil conclude that the Prieste hath Authoritie and Power to offer vp Uerily and in deede the Sonne of God vnto his Father he may happily winne some credit M. Hardinge The .4 Diuision For where as the Holy Euangelistes reporte that Christe at his last Supper tooke Breade gaue thankes brake it and saide This is my Body whiche is geuen for you Againe this is my Bloude whiche is sheadde for you in remission of sinnes By these woordes beinge woordes of Sacrificinge and offeringe they shewe and set foorthe an Oblation in acte and deede though the terme it selfe of Oblation or Sacrifice be not expressed Albeit to some of excellent knowledge Datur here soundeth no lesse then offertur or immolatur that is to saie is offered or Sacrificed specially the addition Pro vobis withal considered For if Christe saide truely as he is trueth it selfe and guile was neuer founde in his mouthe then was his Body Presently geuen and for vs â–ª geuen at the time he spake the woordes â–ª that is at his Supper For he saide datur is geuen not dabitur shal be geuen 221 And likewise was his Bloude sheadde in remission of sinnes at the time of that Supper â–ª for the text hath funditur is sheadde But the geuinge of his Body for vs and the sheaddinge of his Bloude in remission of sinnes is an Oblation of the same Ergo Christe offered his Bodie and Bloude at the Supper And thus datur signifieth here as muche as offertur Nowe this beinge truâ— that our Lorde offered him selfe vnto his Father at his last Supper hauing geuen commaundement to his Apostles to dooe the same that he there did whom then he ordeined Priestes of the New Testament saieing Doo this in my remembrance as Clement dooth plainely shew Lib. 8. Apostol Constitut. cap. vltimo the same charge perteininge no lesse to the Priestes that be how the successours of the Apostles in this behalfe then to the Apostles them selues it doothe right wel appeare howe so euer M. Iuel assureth him selfe of the contrary and what so euer the Diuel hath wrought and by his Ministers taught against the Sacrifice of the Masse that Priestes haue auctoritie to offer vp Christe vnto his Father The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge beginneth to scanne his Tenses to rippe vp Syllables and to hunte for Letters And in the ende buildeth vp the highest Castle of his Religion vpon a gheasse I maruel that so learned a man woulde either vse so vnlearned argumentes or hauinge suche stoare of Authorities as he pretendeth woulde euer make so simple choise He saith These woordes Is Geuen Is Shead be woordes of Sacrificinge thoughe the Terme it selfe of Oblation and Sacrifice be not expressed Here M. Hardinge bisides that he hath imagined a strange Construction of his owne that neuer any learned man knewe before and so straggleth alone and swarueth from al the Olde Fathers includeth also a Repugnance and ContradictioÌ„ against him selfe For where as Woordes and Termes sounde bothe one thinge the one beinge mere Englishe the other borowed of the Latine M. Harding saithe Christe in the Institution of his Supper vsed the VVoordes of Sacrificing and yet expressed not the Termes of Sacrificinge Suche Priuilege these menne haue with shifte of termes to beguile the Worlde For yf Christe vsed the Woordes of Sacrificinge howe can M. Hardinge saie He vsed not the Termes of Sacrificinge And yf he vsed not the Termes Woordes and Termes beinge one thinge how can he saie He vsed the woordes Uerily yf this Latine woorde Dare be Sacrificare and Geuinge be Sacrificinge then where as S. Paule saithe If thine enimie be thirsty Geue him drinke And where as Iudas saithe What wil ye Geue me and I wil deliuer him vnto yowe And where as the Foolishe Uirgins saie Geue vs parte of youre Oâ—le c. In euery of these and suche other like places by this Newe Diuinitie M. Hardinge wil be hable to finde a Sacrifice Yet saith he Certaine menne of excellent knowledge haue thus expounded it It seemeth very strange that these so notable menne of so excellent Knowledge shoulde haue no names Perhappes he meaneth Tapper of Louaine or Gropper of Colaine of whom he hath borowed the whole substance welneare of al this Article How be it the demaunde was of the Ancient Doctours of the Churche not of any of these or other suche petite Fathers But Christe saithe in the Present Tense This is my Bodie That Is Geuen not in the Future Tense That Shal be Geuen And likewise This is my Bloude That Presently is Shead not in the Future Tense That Shal be Shead Therefore Christe Sacrificed his Bodie and shead his Bloude presently at the Supper Here M. Hardinge is driuen to control the Olde Common Translation of the Newe Testamente not onely that beareth the name of S. Hierome hath benne euermore generally receiued in the Churche and is allowed by the Councel of Tridente but also that is stil vsed continewed in his owne Masse Booke I graunte In the Greeke it is written Datur Is Geuen not Dabitur Shal be Geuen But here the Presente Tense accordinge to the Common Phrase of the Scriptures is vsed for the Future Chrysostome readeth it thus Dabitur Shal be Geuen not Datur Is Geuen Origen likewise readeth not Effunditur Is Shead but Effundetur Shal be Shead And in this sorte Chrysostome also expoundeth it Effundetur pro multis
and seeking of praise although it be the weakest of al other your shiftes yet it is an affection incident vnto the children of Adam and some men suspecte that M. Hardinge is not fully emptie of the same But he that made the harte is onely meete to searche and to iudge the harte As for mee as I am nothinâ— so I knowe nothinge God forebidde that I should glorie in any thinge sauing onely in the Crosse of Iesus Christe But where it pleaseth you so horribly to pronounce your Definitiue sentence that euerlastinge damnation shal be the ende of our game I might wel answeare you with S. Paule Nolite ante tempus iudicare Iudgâ— not before the time It seemeth ouer muche for you so vnaduisedly to take vpoÌ„ you the office and person of Christe without Commission For S. Iohn saith God hath geuen al iudgement not vnto M. Harding but vnto Christe his Sonne who no doubte wil inquire further of your iudgement Your owne Gelasius saithe Neminâ—â— grauare debet iniqua sententia A vvrongeful sentence may hurt no man It behooueth vs patiently to waite for the Iudgementseate of God In that day al the secretes of darkenesse shal be reueled The wicked and vngodly cried out against the Prophete Dauid Non est salus ipsi in Deo eius He hath no health he hath no comforte in his God But Dauid turned him selfe vnto God and saide O Lorde thou receiuest mee thou art my glorie thou liftest vp my heade If damnation be the ende of al their traueiles that seeke onely the Glorie of God and the Trueth of his Gospel where then shal they be that so wilfully haue dishonoured the name of God and haue burnte his Gospel without cause and haue condemned it as open Heresie Certainely Renegates Infidelles Liers Blasphemers and Idolaters shal haue their portion in the Lake that flameth vvith fier and Brimâ—toane The Lordes mouthe hath spoken it This doubtlesse shal be the ende of their game Now say you it remaineth that I perfourme my promise Yea verily but notwithstandinge al that ye haue hitherto saide muche more it remaineth that you beginne againe and assay better to prooue your purpose that is that ye leaue your Surmises and Gheasses and allege one or other sufficient Clause or Sentence for any of these maters that ye say ye haue prooued For that ye haue hitherto shewed vs as vnto any indifferent Reader it may soone appeare is ouer weake and wil not serue I graunte ye haue alleged Authorities sundrie and many such as I knew loÌ„ge before VVith what faithe I doubte not but by Conference it may soone appeare Verily M. Hardinge I neuer denied but you were hable to misreporte the Anciente Learned Doctours of the Churche and to bringe vs the names and shadowes of many Fathers The Heretiques of al ages were likewise hable to doo the same But what credite may wee yelde to suche AllegatioÌ„s VVhat Errour was there euer so plaine what Abuse so horrible but ye haue beene hable to maineteine the same by some coloure of Scriptures and Fathers Ye haue defended your Holy VVater by the example of Elizaeus and by the woordes of the Prophete Ezechiel Your Pardonnes by the Prophete Esaie the open filthinesse and abomination of your stewes by the name and Authoritie of S. Augustine Suche credite ye deserue to haue when ye come to vs in the name of holy Fathers Ye say ye haue shaken downe al the holdes of our side and that who so seeth it not is starke blinde and seeth nothing So easily and with so smal adoo this whole mater is brought to passe So Iulius Caesar sometime to declare the marueilous speede and expedition of his victorie expressed the same briefely in these three woordes Veni Vidi Vici I came to them I sawe them I conquered them Here in few woordes to trauersâ— the special pointes and corners of your whole Booke and to shew by what force and inginnes ye haue atchieued this enterprise First ye haue prooued your Priuate Masse by VVemen Boyes Children Laiemenne Fables Dreames and Visions your Halfe Communion by Sicke folke Deathbeddes Infantes and Madde men Of Christes Institution of the Scriptures of the certaine practise of the Apostles of the General and knowen vse of the Primitiue Churche of the Anciente Councelles of the Olde Canons of the Holy Catholique Fathers sauing onely your bare Gheasses you bringe nothinge Of your vnfruiteful manner of praieinge in a strange vnknowen tongue ye allege neither Authoritie nor Example Touchinge the Supremacie of Rome whiche is the keepe and Castle of your whole Religion ye wander far and wide and many times biside the way yet haue ye not founde any Ancient Father that euer entitled the Bishop of Rome either the Vniuersal Bishop of the whole worlde or the Head of the Vniuersal Churche Thus ye proceede with your Real presence and so foorth with the rest You intreate vncourteously the Holy Fathers with suche your Translations Expositions and Constructions not as may best expresse their meaning but as may best serue to further your purpose Ye racke them ye alter them ye put to them ye take fro them ye allege sometime the ende without the beginninge sometime the beginninge without the ende Sometime ye take the bare woordes against the meaninge sometime ye make a meaninge against the woordes Ye imagine Councelles that were neuer holden and Canons of Councelles that neuer were seene Ye bringe forged pamflettes vnder the names of Athanasius Anacletus and other Godly Fathers by whom you wel know and cannot choose but know they were neuer made Your greatest groundes be Surmises Gheasses Coniectures and likelyhoodes Your Argumentes be Fallacies many times without either Moode or Figure the Antecedente not agreeinge with the Consequente nor one parte ioined with an other Your Vntruethes be so notorious and so many that it pitieth mee in your behalfe to remember them But the places be euident and crie Corruption and may by no shift be denied And to forgeate al other your Inconstancie touchinge the former times euen now in this selfe same Booke whiche ye wishe vs to receiue and so to receiue as the rule and standarde of our Faithe ye say and vnsay ye auouche and recante and either of forgeatfulnesse or for that ye mislike your former saieinges you are often contrary to your selfe Ye haue sought vp a companie of new petite Doctours Abdias Amphilochius Clemens Hippolytus Leontius and suche others Authours voide of Authoritie ful of Vanities and Childishe fables And no greate marueile For who so wanteth wood is often driuen to burne turfes It had ben good ye had brought some other Doctours to prooue the credite of these Doctours Ye make no difference bitweene Syluer and Drosse bitweene Corne and Chaffe bitweene Olde and New bitween True and False Ye saie Christe sheadde his Bloude in deede and verily at his Laste Supper and that at the same instante of time he
of the Catholique or Uniuersal Churche like as also euery Godly man is a member of the same Thus writeth Calixtus Calixtus Archiepiscopus Ecclesiae Catholicae Vâ—bis Romae Thus Marcellus Marcellus Episcopus Sanctae Apostolicae Catholicae Vrbis Romae In these places Rome is called â–ª a Catholique that is to saye an Vniuesal Cittie partely to exclude the Churches of Heretiques whiche were méere Particular and partely also to signifie that the Churche there was then a Churche of the Catholique and Uniuersal Doctrine So likewise it is written in the Councel of Constantinople Clerici Monachi Apostolici Throni Antiochenae magnae Ciuitatis Catholicae Sanctae Ecclesiae Dei The Clerkes and Monkes of the Apostolique Throne of the greate Cittie of Antioche of the Catholique or Uniuersal Holy Churche of God Againe euery Bishop maye be called the Bishop of the Uniuersal Churche for that it is his duetie to care not onely for his owne flocke but also for al others of the whole Churche of God So saithe Origen Qui vocatur ad Episcoparum vocatur ad Seruitutem totius Ecclesiae Who so is called to a Bishoprike is called to the seruice of the whole Churche So Chrysostome exhortinge the whole people togeather saithe vnto them Vniâ—ersae Ecclesiae curam geramus Let euery one of vs take the care of the Vniâ—ersal Churche So likewise Pope Eleutherius writeth vnto the Bishops of Fraunce Huius rei gratia Vniuersalis vobis a Christo commissa est Ecclesia vt pro omnibus laboretis cunctis opem ferre non negligatis For that cause the whole Vniuersal Churche is committed vnto you that you shoulde trauayle for al and not be negligent to healpe al. Thus many wayes the Bishops both of Rome and of Antioche and of France were called the Bishops of the Uniuersal Churche But the Uniuersal Bishop none of them al was euer called Of Iohn of Constantinople that firste began to vsurpe that name Gregorie the Bishop of Rome writeth thus Despectis omnibus solus conatur appellari Episcopus Despisinge al other Bishoppes he woulde onely be called a Bishop So likewise saithe Pope Pelagius If the chiefe Patriarke be called Vniuersal then the reast haue lost the name of Patriarkes This is the meaninge of an Uniuersal Bishop and the very selfe same Infinite and Immoderate Power that M. Hardinge claimeth for the Bishop of Rome For so he hath already saide That the other three Patriarkes are no Patriarkes in deede but onely his Delegates and Seruauntes to doo that shal please him to commaunde them In stéede hereof M. Hardinge hath founde out a Bishop of the Uniuersal Churche and so leauinge the thinge that is demaunded he answeareth to that is not in question and priuily confesseth by his silence that hitherto he hathe not founde nor can finde his Uniuersal Bishop This answeare maye serue to that is here alleged of the Councel of Aphrica and the Epistle of Athanasius sauing that the Epistle bearinge that holy Fathers name as it is already prooued is nothinge elles but apparante forgerie The Bishoppes in the Councel of Aphrica bisides that they vtterly denied the Popes Uniuersal Power forbiddinge their Clerkes vpon payne of Excommunication to appeale to him sundrie times in the same Councel writinge vnto him they vse the name of Familiaritie and equalitie and cal him their Brother Now for a surplussage for as much as M. Harding with al his studie and conference with his frendes cannot yet â—inde out his Uniuersal Bishop in the Churche of Rome let vs see whether we may finde him in some other place and that not by the witnesse of a simple Priest or a Deacon but by the authoritie of Catholique Emperours and Councels and of the Bishop of Rome him selfe and that not by shiftinge of termes one for an other as M. Hardinge is driuen for wante in stéede of an Uniuersal Bishop to bringe in a Bishop of the Uniuersal Churche but in plaine manifest expresse woordes and such as in no wise may be denied In the Councel of Constantinople the Bishop there is scarcely saluted or intitled by other name For this is his common stile Oecumenico Patriarchae Iohanni To Iohn the Vniuersal Patriarke To Iohn the Father of Fathers and Vniuersal Bishop The holy Vniuersal Archebishop and Patriarke Mennas Nicephorus saithe The Bishoppe of Alexandria was intitled Iudex vniuersi orbis The Iudge of the whole worlde Clement vnto S. Iames the Bishop of Hierusalem writeth thus Clemens Iacobo Fratri Domini Episcopo Episcoporum regenti Hebraeorum Sanctam Ecclesiam Hierosolymis sed omnes Ecclesias quae vbique Die prouidentia fundatae sunt Clement vnto Imaes the Brother of our Lorde the Bishop of Bishops gouerning the holy Churche of the Iewes at Hierusalem and bisides that al the Churches that be founded euerywhere by Gods prouidence The Emperour Iustinian writeth thus Vnto Epiphanius the Archebishop of this Emperial Cittie Constantinople and Vniuersal Patriarke To conclude The Bishop of Rome him selfe thus saluteth the Bishop of Constantinople Therasio Generali Patriarchae Adrianus Seruus Seruorum Dei Vnto Therasius the General Patriarke Adrian the Seruant of Gods Seruantes And in the last Councel holden at Florence Ioseph the Bishop of Constantinople beinge there vsed the same title and wrote him selfe The Archebishop of New Rome and the Vniuersal Patriarke If M. Hardinge had so good euidence for the Bishoppe of Rome I beléeue he woulde not thus passe it away in silence M. Hardinge The .31 Diuision Concerninge the other name Heade of the Churche I meruaile not a litle that M. Iuel denieth that the Bishop of Rome was then so called Either he dooth contrary to his owne knowledge wherein he must needes be condemned in his owne iudgement and of his owne conscience or he is not so wel learned as of that side he is thought to be For who so euer trauaileth in the Readinge of the auncient Fathers findeth that name almost euery where attributed to Peter the firste Bishop of Rome 121 and consequently to the Successoure of Peter that name I saye either in termes equiualent or expressely Firste the Scripture calleth Peter Primum The first amonge the Apostles The names of the twelue Apostles saithe Matthewe are these Primus Simon qui dicitur Petrus First Simon who is called Peter And yet was not Peter first called of Christe but his brother Androwe before him as is before saide Dionysius that auncient writer calleth Peter sometyme Supremum decus The highest honoure for that he was most honourable of al the Apostles sometime Summum Sometime verticalem the chiefest and the highest apostle Origen vpon the beginninge of Iohn saith Let no man thinke that we set Iohn before Peter VVho maie so doo for who shoulde be higher of the Apostles then he who is and is called the toppe of them Cyprian calleth the Churche of