And therefore he was faine to expounde his meaninge and to weigh him downe of the other side with his prety Glose But S. Bernarde without Glose saithe plainely Non sunt omnes amici Spousi qui hodiè sunt Sponsi Ecclesae They be not al the Bridegromes frendes that are this daye the Spouses of the Churche O miserandain Sponsam ralibus creditam Paranymohis Non accici Sponsi sed aemuli sunt O miserable is that Spouse that is committed to sutche Leaders They are not the frendes they are the enimies of the Bridegrome How be it wée néede not greatly to recke what styles and titles the Pope can vouchesaue to allowe him selfe As he may be called the Heade the Prince and the Spouse euen so and by like authoritie and truthe may he be called the Light the Life the Saueour and the God of the Churche God geue him an harte to vnderstande that hée maie be although not the Heade yet a Member of that Body although not the Prince yet a Subiecte in that Kingedome although not the Bridegrome yet a Childe of the Churche of God The Apologie Cap. 3. Diuision 1. Furthermore wee Beleeue that there be diuers degrees of Ministers in the Churche whereof some be Deacons some Priestes some Bishoppes to whom is committed the office to instructe the people and the whole charge and settinge foorthe of Religion M. Hardinge Here it had ben your parte to haue declared your faithe touching the Holy Sacrament of Order agreable to the faith of the Catholike Churche That there be seuen orders in the Churche foure lesser and three greater for so by good reason they are called And as for the institution auctoritie and estimation of the greater specially of Priesthood and Deaconship ye might haue alleged the Scriptures so for the Lesser the example of Christe the Tradition of the Apostles and the testimonies written of the Apostles scholers of those that bothe nexte and sone after folowed them namely Dionys cap. 3. Hierarch Ecclesiast Ignatius epist 8. ad Ecclesiam Antiochenam Tertullian in praescript aduersus Hereticos Gaius Pope and Martyr in Diocletians time Sozimus in S. Augustines time Isychius Eusebius Caesariensis is his Ecclesiastical historie and Epiphanius in the ende of his Booke contra Haereses The B. of Sarisburie Gentle Reader if I should leaue these and other like M. Hardinges woordes vnansweared thou mightest happily thinke he had saide somewhat Here he saithe it had benne our Parte to haue tolde thée of Seuen Orders in the Churche thrée Greatter and foure Lesse Hauing in déede him selfe cleane forgotten his owne Parte For notwithstandinge this controlment and accoumpte of so many Orders yet he nameth no moe Orders then wée haue named And verily if he would haue folowed his owne Authorities it had benne hard for him in any good Order to haue made vp his owne accoumpte For his owne Anacletus saithe Ampliùs quà m isti Duo Ordines Sacerdotum Episcopi Presbyteri nec nobis à Deo collati sunt nec Apostoli docuerunt More then these two Orders of Priestes Bishoppes and Elders neither hathe God appointed vs nor haueÌ„ the Apostles tought vs. And yet of these same Two seueral Orders S. Hierome semeth to make onely One Order For thus he writeth Audio quendam in tantam erupisse vecordiam vt Diaconos Presbyteris id est Episcopis anteferret I heare saye there is a man broken out vnto sutche wilful furie that he placeth Deacons before Priestes that is to saye before Bishops And againe Apostolus praecipué docer eosdem esse Presbyteros quos Episcopos The Apostle Paule specially teacheth vs that Priestes and Bishoppes be al one The same S. Hierome writinge vpon the Prophete Esai reckenethe onely fiue Orders or Degrees in the whole Churche The Bishoppes the Priestes the Deacons the Entrers or Beginners and the Faitheful And other Order of the Churche he knoweth none Clemens saithe Tribus gradibus eommissa sunt Sacramenta Diuinorum SecretoruÌ„ id est Presbytero Diacono Ministro The Mysteries of the Holy Secresies be committed vnto three Orders that is vnto the Priestes vnto the Deacons and vnto the Ministers And yet Deacons and Ministers as touchinge the name are al one Dionysius likewise hathe thrée Orders but not the same For he rekenethe Bishoppes Priestes Deacons And whereas M. Hardinge maketh his accoumpte of Foure of the Lesse or Inferiour Orders meaning thereby Ostiarios Lectores Exorcistas Acoluthos The Doore keepers the Readers the conuerers and the Waiters or Folowers His owne Ignatius addethe thereto thrée other Orders Cantores Laboratores Confitentes The Chounters or Singers the Labourers and the Confessours Elemens addeth thereto Catechistas The Infourmers or Teachers of them that were entringe into the Faithe A litle vaine Booke bearinge the name of S. Hierome De SepteÌ„ Ordinibus Ecclesiae addeth yet an other Order and calleth them Fossarios that is The Sextines or Ouerseers of the Graues And least you should thinke he rekeneth this Order as emongst other necessarie offices to serue the people and not as any parte of the Cleregie his wordes be these Primus in Clericis Fossariorum Ordo est qui in similitudinem Tobiae Sancti sepelire morruos admonet The Firste Order of the Cleregie is the Order of the Sextines whiche as Holy Tobâ—e was woonte to doo casse vppon the people for the burial of the deade Likewise to the thrée greater Orders Isidorus addeth an other distincte seueral Order of Bishoppes vnto whom agréethe Gulielmus Altisiodorensis Gottofredus Pictauiensis as appeareth by Iohannes Scotus Againe of the other Inferiour Orders S. Hierome leaueth out the Coniurers VVaiters S. Ambrose leaueth out the VVaiters and Doore Keepers The Canons of the Apostles leaue out Coniurers VVaiters and Doore keepers al thrée togeather In this so greate dissension darkenesse what waie wil M. Hardinge take to folow By Anacletus there be Two Orders by Clemens S. Hierome Thrée by Hierome Countrefeite SeueÌ„ by others Eight by other Nine by others Tenne At this notwithstandinge he telleth vs our parte had benne to haue shewed that there be iuste Seuen Orders in the Churche Thrée greate and Foure Lesse withoute doubte or question Here gentle Reader it had benne M. Hardinges parte to haue shewed vs the Reasons and Groundes of this Diuinitie These they be as they are alleged by the beste of that side Christe saith I am the Doore Ergo there muste be in the Churche an Order of Doore Keepers Christe saithe I am the Light of the World Hereupon haue thei founded the Order of Acolutes to carrie Tapers And so for the reste Thus mutche maie serue for a taste Now let vs consider what these Orders haue to doo and with how Holy and weighty offices they stand charged in the Churche of God Firste Clemens of whoe 's Authoritie M. Hardinge maket be no smal accoumpte for he calleth
abbridged in the Councel of Hippo as it maie appeare by my answeare in this Booke Fol. 519. Whereas contrariwise the Councel of Hippo was abbridged in the Councel of Carthage This in deede of my parte was an erroure And I thanke M. Dorman that hathe geeuen mée occasion better to consider the same Notwithstandinge as I saide before the woordes be plaine Praeter quas Scripturas alia non legantur The Apologie Par. 5. Cap. 11. Diui. â— The Canonistes this date vse to saie of the Pope that for so mutche as he is Lorde of al benefices though he sel Bishoprikes Monasteries Benefices and Spiritual promotions for monie yet he cannot committe Simonie though he would neuer so faine M. Hardinge 15. Vntruthe VVhereas it is written in Summa Angelica In Curia Romana titulus De Simonia non habet locum The selfe same Summe vseth this distinction saieinge Verum est in ijs quae sunt Simoniaca de Iure positiuo solùm sed non in ijs quae sunt Simoniaca de lure Diuino VVhereby he meaneth that concerninge Simonie whiche properly is so called the Pope is no lesse subiecte thereto then any other man Thus haue you shamefully belied Summa Angelica The Replie Hereby it appeareth that M. Hardinge vnderstaÌ„deth not his owne Summa For by Simonia de Iure positiuo is meante the sale of Bishoprikes and Benefices c. whiche as this Summa saithe the Pope maie freely selle for monie without empeachemente of any manner of Simonie For beter proufe whereof Theodoricus saithe Papa non potest committere Simoniam Sic tenent Iuristae Quia Simonia excusatur per Authoritatem Papae De Schismate inter Vrban Clemen lib. 2. cap. 32. An other saithe Papa non committit Simoniam recipiendo pecuniâ—m pro collatione Beneficiorum 〈◊〉 shamefully wee belie Summa â—â—gelica 16. Vntruthe In the fourthe parte 7. chapter and. 4. Diuision of this Booke touchinge that most vile and shameful abusing of Franciscus Dandalus Gentleman of Venice that was driuen to wallowe vnder the Popes table in a chaine like a Dogge reported as M. Hardinge saithe by Sabellicus in the first Booke of his Seconde Decade I haue answeared as then I thought accordinge to truthe that Sabellicus wrote no Decades but onely Enneades as it might appeare by his woorkes printed either at Basile by Heruagius or otherwhere by any other Sithence I vnderstande that there is nowe extante an other Booke of Sabellicus by the name of Decades set foorthe of late at Basile by Coelius Secundus Curio An. 1560. Vnderstande thou therefore good Reader that herein I folowed sutche Bookes of Sabellicus as had benne long abroade and were wel acquainted amoÌ„g the learned But that there should any other newe Booke of Sabellicus be printed afterwarde specially so longe after the Authours death I coulde not prophesie These and sutche other good Christian Reader be our Vntruthes so many in number and of sutche weighte that M. Hardinge thinketh him selfe wel hable easily with the same to lode a Carte To al these so many and so many so horrible and so blasphemous Lies Goddes Holy name be blessed wée maie truely saie with S. Paule Tanquam seductores ecce veraces Wee are called deceiuers and yet wee saie the Truthe How be it I doo not so warrante euery parcel of any my writinges as though there were nothinge therein conteined but might safely be iustified in al respectes and againste al quarrels Sutche reuerence by S. Augustines iudgemente wée ought to géeue onely to the VVoorde of God Nomans Learninge or memorie was euer infinite But of al others I acknowledge mine to be the weakeste If I haue at any time mistaken either Authoure for Authoure or Name for Name or Chapter for Chapter or Booke for Booke as whereas in the allegatioÌ„ of Pope Leo in stéede of these woordes Indiuiduam VnitateÌ„ I wrote Indiuiduam Trinitatem or whereas in stéede of these woordes Paulinus ad Romanianum I wrote Paulinus ad Augustinum the saide Epistle of Paulinus beinge mingled with a whole Booke of the Epistles of S. Augustine Or if vpon any other like 〈◊〉 I haue alleged either Liberius for Athanasius or the Arians for the Euty 〈◊〉 or any one Father or Doctoure for an other sutche errours beinge bolde of malice were neuer hitherto accoumpted damnable The beste Learned haue oftentimes fallen into them For prouse whereof it were easy to saie that Cicero notwithstanding otherwise a great Learned man alleged Aiax in stéede of Hector Agamemnon in stéede of Vlysses Eupolis in stéede of Aristophanes That Aristotle alleged Calypso in stéede of Circe That Gratian allegeth Aniceus for Anicetus Ambrosius for Augustinus Calixtus for Anacletus Greeke for Latine Nevve for Olde That Hippolytus allegeth the Apocalyps of S. Iohn in stéede of Daniel That S. Chrysostome nameth Abacuk for Sophonias and Agar for Sara If thou be desirous to sée these seueral errours further proued it maie please thee to sée mine Answeare to this s Fol. 362. That in the alleginge of Liberatus I leaste out this woorde Quodammodò it was onely an Erroure For why I should of pourpose doo it there was no cause specially that woorde bearinge in that place no greatter weight But M. Hardinge alleginge these woordes of S. Augustine Christus quodammodò ferebatur in manibus suis not of erroure but as it maie be thought of set pourpose leafte out Quodammodò as knowinge that in that one woorde reasted the meaninge of the whole Briefely what so euer other like erroure shal be found in any my writinges I wil discharge bothe my Clerke and the Compositoure the Printer of the same take the whole vpon mée self I speake not this for that I thinke my Booke can be printed without erroure for that in sutche a number varietie of allegations were scarcely possible But if any erroure what so euer shal escape as I doubte not but there wil many I proteste before him that séeth the harte it walbe wholy againste my wil. And yet maie not these menne so charge others as if they them selues onely were priuileged and exempted from al sutche dangers M. Hardinge maie remember that he him selfe in stéede of the Prophete Osee hath alleged vs the Noble Iosua and that by an other like ouersight he hath alleged the Eighth Booke of Socrates Scholasticus whereas Socrates neuer wrote but Seuen As likewise also M. Dorman allegeth the Seuenth Booke of the Storie of Theodoretus whereas Theodoretus him selfe neuer wrote but Fiue And againe he fraieth al Christian Princes with the horrible Examples of the Tvvoo Kinges as he saith Ozias and Oza Yet he might easily haue learned that Oza was a poore Priuate man and neuer knowen to be a Kinge Notwithstandinge in one of his late litlewoorthe Pamflettes confessinge his ouersight herein he stumbleth into an other Erroure as fowle as the first and bewraieth his ignorance more then before For nowe he telleth vs
False sleight False Dise False Plaie and al False Yet Christe saithe of him selfe I am the Truthe God geue you grace to credite him For the errour of quotation in the margin wherin you spende so many woordes it maye please you to knowe that I neither was the Printer nor coulde be presente at the Printinge For the reste if there can be any one pointe of Falsehed founde in me touchinge the allegation of this Councel of Carthage I wil not refuse to stande charged with the whole But if euery of these horrible Falseheddes be found an euident and plaine Truthe then it maye please you to take home al these prety Titles to your selfe againe as in euery of these woordes so often doubled and so heapte togeather hauing your selfe committed a seueral Falsehedde And herein for trial of your courteous dealinge I am contente your selfe shal fit and be the Iudge For notwithstanding it be thought of many that ye dissemble déepely and wil not bestowe your voice to saie the Truthe Yet I doubte not but in this mater if ye haue eles ye maye easily looke vp and sée the Truthe You saye Sir Defender hathe falsely alleged the Councel of Carthage And why so For that he saithe The Councel Decréed by expresse woordes that the Bishop of Rome should not be called the Vniuersal Bishop This you saie is Forged and Falsified and is no parte of that Councel For indifferent trial bothe of the Truthe and of the Falsehed herein I beseche you beholde the very woordes of the Councel euen as thei are alleged by your own Doctour Gratiā These thei are Primae Sedis Episcopus non appelletur Princeps Sacerdotum vel Summus Sacerdos vel aliquid huiusmodi Sed tantùm Primae Sedis Episcopus Vniuersalis autem nec etiam Romanus Pontifex appelletur Let not the Bishop of any of the Firste Sees be called the Prince of Priestes Or the Highest Prieste or by any other like name but Onely the Bishop of the Firste see But let not the Bishop of Rome him selfe be called the Vniuersal Bishop And in the Glose thereupon it is noted thus In hac Distinctione dicitur quod Papa non debet dici Vniuersalis In this Distinction it is saide that the Pope ought not to be called the Vniuersal Bishop Nowe M. Hardinge compare our woordes and the Councelles wordes bothe togeather Wée saie none otherwise but as the Councel saithe The Bishop of Rome him selfe ought not to be called the Vniuersal Bishop Herein wée doo neither adde nor minishe but reporte the woordes playnely as wée finde them If you had lookte better on your Booke and would haue tried this mater as you saye by your Learninge ye might wel haue reserued these Vnciuile reproches of Falsehedde to your selfe and haue spared your Crieinge of Shame vpon this Defender Touchinge that you so pleasantly cheare your selfe with these woordes You doo as like to M. Iewel as if you were his Fathers Sonne ▪ I muste answeare you as S. Augustine sometime did the Heretique Cresconius Serua potius Puerilia Pueris Keepe sutche Childishe toies to plaie with your Children God make vs bothe like vnto our Father that is in Heauen Where you saie of your selfe onely without farther witnesse that this Title is the Popes Auncient right euer géeuen to him by al the world I doubte not but the vntruthe hereof by my Former Replie touching the same maie soone appeare Certainely when the same Title was offered to S. Gregorie he refused it vtterly as none of his In déede this Councel of Carthage notwithstanding the Title of Highest Bishop was sometimes geuen not onely to the Bishop of Rome other Patriarkes but also vnto al other Bishoppes M. Hardinges owne Amphilochius calleth S. Bastle Principem Sacerdotum The Prince or Chiefe of Bishoppes Rufinus calleth Athanasius Pontificem Maximum The Highest Bishop Nazianzenus calleth the same Athanasius Archisacerdotem Sacerdotum The Chiefe Bishop of Bishoppes Lactantius calleth euery Bishoprike Summum Sacerdotiū Likewise S. Hierome saith Ecclesiae Salus in Summi Sacerdotis dignitate pendet The safetie of the Churche standeth in the dignitie of the Highest Priest By whiche Highest Prieste M. Hardinge him selfe saithe is meante euery seueral Bishop within his owne Diocese S. Augustine saithe Quid est Episcopus nisi Primus Presbyter hoc est Summus Sacerdos What is a Bishop but the First or Chiefe Prieste that is to saie the Highest Prieste Therefore wée may safely spare the Pope this Title of Highest Bishop not as Peculiar to him alone as M. Hardinge imagineth but as Common and General to al Bishoppes Al that ye haue here alleged of the Iurisdiction of the Flamines is a mere fantasie ▪ grounded onely vpō an vnsauery Fable of Anacletus and Clemens Neither are you hable to finde either these names Archiflamines or Protoflamines whiche here are imagined in any Ancient allowed Writer or any sutche Vniuersal Iurisdiction to them belonginge The Firste or Principal or Mother Sees were limited not by the Flamines but by the Prince So it is written in the Councel of Chalcedon Quascunque Ciuitates per Literas Regias Metropolitico nomine honorarunt VVhat Citties so euer by the Princes Charter they honoured with the name of the Mother See And therefore the Emperour Theodosius vpon displeasure conceiued tooke that Name of Honoure from the Cittie of Antioche mindinge it shoulde be so called nomore And for that cause was the Cittie of Rome chosen emongest others to be a Primate or a Principal Mother Sée not for that either Christe or Peter had so appointed as M. Hardinge telleth vs but for that it was the moste Noble Cittie and of greattest renoume in al the world The woordes be plaine Sedi Veteris Romae Patres meritò dederunt Primatum Quòd illa Ciuitas aliis Imperaret The Fathers woorthily gaue the Chiefetie to the See of the Olde Rome Bicause that Cittie had the Princehood ouer others Nowe concerninge this Decrée of the Councel of Carthage it touched as wel the Bishop of Rome as other Primates And therefore Pope Adriane afterward alleging and corrupting the same added thereto this special Prouiso for him selfe Nullus Archiepiscoporum nisi qui Primas Sedes renent appelletur Primas aut Princeps Sacerdotum aut Summus Sacerdos aut aliquid huiusmodi c. Salua semper in omnibus Authoritate Beati Petri Apostoli Let no Archebishop sauinge sutche as heue the Principal or Firste Sees he called either the Primate or the Prince of Priestes or the Highest Prieste or by any other like name c. Sauinge alwaies and in al thinges the Authoritie of Blessed S. Peter the Apostle The Apologie Cap. 4. Diuision 3. And therefore sithence the Bishop of Rome wil nowe a daies so be called chalengeth vnto him selfe an Authoritie that is none of his bisides that he dothe plainely contrarie to the Ancient Councelles and contrarie to the Olde
Hierome saithe Monachus non Docentis sed Plangentis habet officium A Monkes office is not to Preache but to Mourne Againe he saithe Alia causa est Monachi alia Clerici Clerici Oues pascunt Ego Pascor The state of a Monke is one thinge and the state of a Prieste is an other Priestes Feede the Flocke I beinge a Monke muste be fedde Whereupon the Glose saithe Ego Pascor Sacramentis ipsorum I am fedde with the Sacramentes of the Priestes Whereby it is euidente that the Monke him selfe had no Authoritie to Minister Sacramentes no not so mutche as priuately to him selfe But touchinge Bodily laboure S. Hierome saithe This was holden as a Lawe emonge the Monkes in Aegypte that who so woulde not laboure shoulde not eate And S. Augustine saithe as it is alleged in his name Nihil Dei Seruis peius est otiositate Operentur ergo in nomine Domini Vnto the Seruantes of God there is nothinge woorse then Idlenesse Let them woorke therefore in the name of our Lorde Of sutche Idle Monkes S. Augustine saith Isti manus otiosas repositoria plena habere volunt These Monkes wil haue Idle handes and ful Cellers A learned Father was woonte to saie by the reporte of Socrates A Monke that laboâ—reth not with his handes maie be resembled vnto a Theefe S. Bernarde saithe Restat vt sint in laboribus Daemonum qui in laboribus hominum non fuerunt They muste needes be in the trauailes of Diuels that were not in the trauailes of menne Of these S. Augustine saithe Diabolus tam multos Hypocritas sub habitu Monachorum vsquequaque dispersit Sutche a number of Hypocrites hath the Diuel scattered abroade euery where vnder the coloure of Monkes The firste Suppressours of Monasteries within this Realme in our memorie were twoo of your déerest frendes Cardinal VVoulsee Doctoure Fisher the Bishop of Rochester either of them wel warranted thereto by the Authoritie of the Pope Longe before that time the Godly Learned Bishop Letoius ouerthrewe and burnte the Messalians Monasteries and saide they were Dennes of Theeues and as Theodoretus reporteth chased the VVouues awaie from the Folde Of late yéeres sundrie of the Cardinalles of Rome emongest whome also was Cardinal Poole beinge specially appointed in Commission by Pope Paulus 3. to viewe the disorders and deformities of the Churche returned their answeare in this sorte Alius abusus corrigendus est in Ordinibus Religiosorum quod adeo multi deformati sunt vt magno sint scandalo Saecularibus exemplo'que plurimum noceant Conuentuales ordines abolendos esse putamus omnes An other Abuse there is to be Reformed in the Orders of Monkes and Freers For many of them are so vile that they are a shame vnto the Seâ—â—lares and with their example doo mutche il As for Conuentual orders vvee thinke it good they be al abolished This M. Hardinge was the Iudgemente of your owne frendes And therefore ye haue the lesse cause to be offended with the suppressinge of Abbies For your owne déere Catholique Fathers partely haue suppressed theÌ„ them selues partely haue consented vnto the same In the Booke called Opus Tripartitum ioined vnto the Councel of Laterane it is written thus Totus ferè Mundus obloquitur Scandalizatur de tanta multitudine Religiosorum Pauperum qui introierunt in Mundum VVelneare the whole worlde crieth againste and is offended for so greate a multitude of begginge Monkes and Freeres that are entred into the VVorlde Therefore was this Decrée published in the Councel of Laterane Ne nimia Religiosorum diuersitas graueÌ„ in EcclesiaÌ„ Dei offensionem inducat firmiter prohibemus ne quis de coetero Nouam Religionem inueniat Leste ouer greate diuersitie of Religious folke bringe greate offense into the Churche of God wee doo earnestly forbidde that from hencefoorthe no man diuise any Newe Religion Damasus speakinge of the order of them that were called Chorepiscopi saithe thus Vnde iste Tertius Ordo processerit ignoramus quod ratione caret extirpare necesse est From whence this Thirde Order is comme wee cannot tel And the thinge that wanteth reason muste needes be taken vp by the rootes The Apologie Cap. 3. Diuision 6. The Olde Councel at Rome decreed that no man should comme to the Seruice saide by a Prieste wel knowen to keepe a Concubine These menne let Concubines to ferme to their Priestes and yet constreigne men by force againste theire wil to heare theire cursed paltry Seruice M. Hardinge VVe finde no sutche Canon in the olde Romaine Councels Your allegations noted in the margent be false for the more parte as your Doctrine is Yet finde we that Nicolaus and Alexander Popes haue willed no man to heare the Masse of that Prieste whom he knoweth vndoubtedly to kepe a Concubinâ— But wise men in the Lawe thinke onely that to be an vndoubted knowledge when either the iudge hath by open sentence published sutche a man to kepe a Concubine or the facte it selfe is notorious VVhereas you saie we let Concubines out to ferme to our Priestes it is meete for you to saie it because it is false and slaunderous Neither was euer any man or at this daie is driuen to heare his Masse who kepeth a Concubine For if he wil take vpon him to proue any Prieste to kepe a Concubine him selfe non beinge so infamous as he maie not stande in iudgemente it is certaine he shal be hearde If he cannot proue it then is not he out of doubte by order of Lawe that this Prieste kepeth a Concubine and therefore he is bounde as other Christian people be to heare his Masse VVhiche is no sacrilege as your sacrilegious heart thinketh and blasphemous tonge vttereth but the blessed and holy sacrifice whiche Christe made at his laste Supper The B. of Sarisburie If it had pleased you better to haue perused your Bookes ye mought soone haue found these selfe same woordes in the Councel of Rome holden there vnder Pope Nicolas the First Whiche although it be not so olde as maie be compared with yâ— Ancient Fathers Councelles yet it is elder then somme partes braÌ„ches of your Newe Religion To like pourpose writeth Pope Zacharie Quis sapiens iudicabit eos esse Sacerdotes qui nec à Fornicationibus abstinent What wise man wil recken them to be Priestes that absteine not so mutche as from Fornication If no wise man can iudge them to be Priestes what man then is he that wil authorize them to Minister Sacramentes Nowe of the other side M. Hardinge consider you the Common and ordinarie practise of your Churche of Rome Firste touchinge the Pope him selfe your Glose saithe Facta Papae excusantur vt Adulterium Jacob The Popes dooinges or Aduouteries are excused as the Aduouterie of Jacob. And againe Communiter dicitur quo'd pro Simplici Fornicatione quis deponi
not as a cause of Foregeuenesse to be obteined Your very Glose saithe Apud Graecos Confessio non est necessaria quia non emanauit ad illos Traditio talis Emong the Christians in Graecia Confession of Sinnes is not necessarie for that this Tradition neuer came emonge them Yet M. Hardinge I trowe yee wil not saie but theire sinnes maie be foregeuen Certainely Chrysostome saithe Solus te Deus confitentem videat Let God onely see thee making the Confession of thy Sinnes It was very mutche therefore M. Hardinge for you so assuredly and so precisely to saie that sinnes can neuer be foregeuen without your Priuie Confession and specially thereby to proue the Vniuersal Headeship of the Pope The Apologie Cap. 11. Diuision 3. Bisides also that God by his Prophetes often and earnestly commaundeth the King to cutte downe the Groues to breake downe the Images and Aultars of Idoles and to Write out the Booke of the Lavve for him self and bisides that the Prophete Esaias saith a Kinge ought to be a Patrone and a Nurse of the Churche c. M. Hardinge Your seconde argumente for the Ecclesiastical Power of Kinges is because God bad them to cut downe superstitious groues and ouerthrowe idols as though this were not an office of executinge a commaundemente rather then of decreeinge any thinge The Authoritie to discerne an image of Christ from an idol of the deuil belongeth to them who knowe that an image is a name of art which is of God an idol is a name of false woorshippinge whiche is of the Deuil So that an image is godly and idol deuilishe VVhen the Prieste hath iudged this or that to be an idol or when it is euident that so it is then the kinge shal do wel to breake it downe But if the Kinge wil breake downe the image of Christe when the Priest telleth him it is a godly representation and no idol then the Kinge dothe more then his office requireth And shal not onely not proue his supremacie but also shal incurre danger to be reiected of God as Kinge Saul was when he despised to keepe the commaundement of Samuel the high Prieste VVhereas you alleage for a Kinges Ecclesiastical Power that he was commaunded to write out the Booke of the lawe for him selfe why lefte ye out that whiche foloweth there immediately accipiens exemplar à Sacerdotibus Leuiticae tribus The Kinge muste write out a Booke of the Deuteronomie but the example thereof he must receiue of the Priestes that be of the tribe of Leut. If in spiritual matters the Kinge were aboue the Priestes why had he not the Kepinge of the Lawe in his owne handes VVhy muste he take it of the Priestes why did not rather the Priestes come to him sith the inferiour taketh al his right of the superiour If the Priestes muste geue the holy scripture vnto the Kinge then verely muste he take sutche as they geue him and with such meaning as they geue vnto it So that if you had not falsefied the meaninge of Gods woorde by leauinge out halfe the sentence this place had proued againste you It is to be weyed to what ende a Kinge is required to haue and to reade that holy Booke Verely not to take vpon him the parte of a iudge in causes of Religion but as there it is expressed to thintent he learne to feare his Lorde God and kepe his woordes and ceremomonies in the lawe commaunded and that his harte be not lifted vp into pride aboue his brethren c. I omitte that you reade Librum legis whereas the Churche readeth Deuteronomium * it were too longe to enter into that disputation The booke of the lawe signifieth the whole law the Deuteronomie is but one of the fiue bookes VVhere Esaie calleth a Kinge a Patrone of the Churche I haue not founde But were it he called him so it betokeneth that he shoulde defende the Churche from worldly ennimies as in repellinge the Turkes in expellinge Heretikes and sutche like Kingely actes VVhiche proueth no spiritual supremacie but vnder God a fealtie and seruiceable power I finde where Esaie saith Et erunt Reges nutricij tui Reginae nutrices tuae Kinges shal be thy fosterers and Quenes thy nourses But not euery nourse or fosterer is aboue him who is nourished A faitheful seruant oftentimes fostereth the maister Yet is he not aboue his maister Besides S. Hierome vnderstandeth the Kinges whom Esaie nameth to be the Apostles accordinge to whiche sense it maketh nothinge to the purpose it is alleaged for The B. of Sarisburie Al Christian Princes are mutche beholden to you M. Harding yée make them so like to Polyphemus y◠Giante after his eies were striken out that is to saie to a man mighty in body and greate in boanes but starke blinde and no waie hable to guide him selfe A King yée saie maie not take vpon him to Iudge or Pronounce in maters of Religion bee they neuer so cleare but onely must hearken be ready to execute what so euer shal be thought good and commaunded by your Bishoppes as if he were onely your Bishoppes man So saithe your Holy Father Pope Bonifacius 8. Gladius Materialis exercendus est manu Regum Militum Sed ad nutum patientram Sacerdotis The Material or Temporal Swerde muste be vsed by the hande of Kinges and Souldiers but at the becke and sufferance of the Prieste By which Prieste he meaneth the Pope But Dauid saithe Now yee Kinges haue vnderstanding Be learned yee that iudge the Earthe Good Kinges haue oftentimes refourmed Religion and haue lawfully controlled and corrected and deposed idle and wicked Bishoppes as before in place conueniente it is largely proued The Emperoure Iustinian threateneth if the Bishop offended in saieing the publique seruice or in the Ministration of the Sacramentes that then he him selfe woulde vse his Authoritie ouer him and see him pounished Franciscus Zarabella saith that for any crime notorious the Emperour maie summone the Pope to appeare before his Maiestie and maie require him to yelde a reckening of his Faithe And yet wil yée saie The Emperoure is stil the Popes man and maie iudge nothinge in Causes of Religion without him The Kinge yée saie is not hable to Iudge whether an Idole be an Idole or no but by the leadinge and teachinge of the Prieste So wel yée wishe al Christian Princes were instructed that thei should not be hable either to sée or to speake without you But what if you Priestes saie as it hath often happened God is an Idole an Idole is God Light is Darkenesse and Darkenesse is Light what if they saie Greate is Diana the Goddesse of Ephesus What if they condemne the innocente and saie as they smometime saide of Christe Onlesse this man were a malefactoure wee woulde neuer haue brought him to thy hande Yet muste the Prince
Soules of the wicked should not be pounished before the daie of the laste Iudgement Whiche erroure the Vntuersitie of Parise condemned for Heresie and caused the Pope to recante Concil Constantien in Appendice In primis Quin imò Iohannes Papa 22. dixit pertinaciter credidit Animā hominis cum corpore humano mori ▪ extingui ad instar animalium brutorum Dixitque mortuum semel etiam in Nouissimo Die minimè esse resurrecturum The Apologie Parte 6. Ca. 6. Diui. 1. The Canonistes sale The Pope can doo as mutche as Christe him selfe can doo M. Hardinge 7. Vntruthe The moste parte hereof is very false and sclaunderous Mentiris in your Diuinitie is a Verbe Commune The Replie The woordes be moste manifeste out of al question Excepto peccato Papa potest quicquid Deus ipse potest Extra De translatione Episcopi Quanto Hostien The Apologie Parte 6. Ca. 6. Diui. 1. Somme of them haue saide The Pope is the Lighte that is comme into the worlde And who so is an il dooer fleeth that Lighte M. Hardinge 8. Vntruthe If yee were hardely charged to shewe where he saide it or where he wrote it yee would be founde a Lier as in many other pointes yee are founde already That he neuer wrote it in any of his eloquente Italian Sermons set foorthe in Printe I am assured And more hath he not set foorthe Nowe it remaineth that yee telle vs where he saithe so or els confesse your sclaunderous Lie The Replie In the Oration that Cornelius the Bishop of Bitonto pronounced in the Councel of Tridente yee maie finde these woordes Papa Lux venit in Mundum Sed dilexerunt homines tenebras magis quà m Lucem The Apologie ▪ Parte 4. Ca. 1. Diui. 1. They haue decreed that a Prieste for Fornication ought not to be remoued from his Cure M. Hardinge 9. Vntruthe This is a foule Lie And herein these menne moste shamefully haue sclaundered the Churche as by that I haue saide to any man it maie appeare The Replie But vnto the beste learned Canonistes it appeareth farre otherwise Panormitane saithe Hodiè ex Simplici Fornicatione Clericus non deponitur Extra De Consangui Affini Non debet Likewise it is solemnely noted in great letters in the Margine Fornicationes causa hodiè nemo est deponendus The Apologie Parte 6. Ca. 14. Diui. 1. In the Councel of Chalcedon the Ciuile Magistrate condēned iiJ Bishoppes Dioscorus Iuuenalis Thalassius for Heretiques gaue Iudgemente that they shoulde be deposed M. Hardinge 10. Vntruthe That al these three were condemned in that Councel ▪ wee finde not Mutche lesse that they were condemned by any Ciuile Magistrate doo wee finde c. VVhat is impudencie VVhat is licentious Lieinge VVhat is deceiteful dealinge if this be not The Replie These be the woordes pronounced openly in the Councel Videtur nobis iustum esse eidem poenae Dioscorum Reuerendum Episcopum Alexandriae Iuuenalem Reuerendum Episcopum Hierosolymorum Thalassium Reuerendum Episcopum Caesariae Cappadociae subiacere Concil Chalcedonen Actione 1. Pag. 831. Reioinder Fol. 251. b. The B. of Sarisburie M. Harding healpeth it forewarde with a litle prety false translation of his owne For whereas it is written in the Latine Cùm benedixisset Sācta He translateth it thus When he had cōsecrated the Sacrament And likewise these woordes Post finem Orationum he translateth thus After he had donne the Praier of Consecration M. Hardinge 11. Vntruthe Gentle Reader consider how falsely M. Iewel demeaneth him selfe These woordes Post finem Orationum thou findest not at al in al this 32. Diutision If they be not here why reproueth he me for vsinge a prety false translation This is not a prety but a grosse and a shamelesse kinde of falsehed to charge we with that whiche here I saie not The Replie It is in the very next Diuision Therefore this mater needed nothinge so greate adoo The Apologie Parte 2. Ca. 13. Diui. 1. Origen saithe The Breade whiche is sanctified by the Woorde of God c. M. Hardinge 12. Vntruthe Alleginge Origen Sir Defender yee plaie your accustomed false plaie corruptinge his sentence and falsifieinge his woordes He saith Ille cibus not Ille Panis The Replie Yet Origen in the same place calleth it seuen times Panis Therefore this was but a simple mater to make sutche a Tragedie of false plaie The Apologie Parte 2. Ca. 1. Diui. 1. S. Augustine saithe Although the Matestie and Godhedde of Christe be euerywhere yet the Body wherein he rose againe muste needes be in one place M. Hardinge 13. Vntruthe S. Augustine in that Treatie hath not that woorde Oportet but this woorde Potest as the Bookes haue that be not corrupted by the mainteiners of that Heresie The Replie Gratian reportinge this place of S. Augustine vseth this woorde Oportet Thus he saithe in moste plaine wise Corpus in quo Christus resurrexit In Vno loco esse Oportet De Consecr Dist 2. Prima Likewise saithe Petrus Lombardus reportinge the same in Vno loco esse Oportet Lib. 4. Dist 10. Sunt item But before them al S. Peter saide Oportet illum Coelos capere vsque ad tempora restitutionis omnium Actorum 3. These I trowe were not the maineteiners of any Heresie The Apologie Parte 5. Ca. 3. Diui. 11. The Olde Councel of Carthage commaunded nothing to be readde in the Congregation but the Canonical Scriptures M. Hardinge 14. Vntruthe This Booke is ful of Lies and falsified places This Olde Councel is newely falsified The woordes be Vt praeter Scripturas Canonicas nihil in Ecclesia legatur sub nomine Diuinarum Scripturarum It foloweth in the same Decree Liceat etiam legi Passiones Martyrum cùm Anniuersarij dies eorū celebrantur The Replie This Obiection is very true albeit not greatly to the pourpose For as the Decrée cutteth of al secrete or vnlaweful Scriptures so it suffreth nothinge els to be read in the Churche but onely the Passions or deathes of Martyrs and that onely vpon the Martyrs Anniuersarie whiche was for one Martyr but onely one daie in the yeere Nowe lette M. Hardinge telle vs what and howe mutche there remained biside to bee read in the Churche sauinge onely the Canonical Scriptures Howe be it in the same thirde Councel of Carthage there bee other woordes founde sommewhat plainer more pregnante then these For in the saide Councel of Carthage the Councel of Hippo was abbridged In whiche Abbridgemente this Decree is read emōgest others Scripturae Canonicae in Ecclesia legendae quae sunt praeter quas alia nō legantur These woordes were abbridged and authorized in the saide thirde Councel of Carthage as it is plaine by the Title of the same Concilij Hipponensis Abbreuiationes factae in Concilio Carthaginensi Tertio In mistakinge of whiche woordes I muste needes confesse mine erroure For by ouersight I thought the Councel of Carthage had benne
he hath better remembred him selfe that the saide Oza was not a Kinge but onely a Prophete And yet yewis a childe could haue tolde him that the same Oza was neither King nor Prophete but onely a Leuite Let him looke better on his bookes and he shal finde it Howe be it I woulde not that either M. Hardinge or M. Dorman shoulde thinke that therefore they are here charged with ignorance Errours wil créepe bitwéene theire fingers be thei neuer so watcheful In the heate and drifte of writinge when the minde is wholy occupied and fully bente to the substance of the cause it is an easy mater by somme confusion one waie or other to disorder a woorde or to displace a number as to write either 9. for 6. or 24. for 42. or somme other like whiche errour though it be light in dooing yet in the reckeninge oftentimes is very greate To leaue other Examples M. Hardinge him selfe in his Confutation of the Apologie in stéede of the 22. of Luke hathe printed the 2. of Luke Likewise in his Reioinder in stéede of these woordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath printed and sente vs quite the contrarie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In one Booke of the Newe Testamente set out at Colaine in stéede of these woordes Neque Scortatores Regnum Dei possidebunt yée shal finde it by erroure printed thus Neque Sacerdotes Regnum Dei possidebunt To be shorte M. Hardinge in this selfe same Booke in stéede of these woordes Lulled a sleepe by erroure hath printed Lulled a sheepe If al sutche childishe aduantages shoulde be taken then coulde no writer escape vncontrolled Thus good Christian Reader by the shorte Viewe of these fewe Vntruthes for so it pleaseth these menne to calle them thou maiste the better weigh the value and substanceâ—â— of the 〈◊〉 Tedious Repetitions M. Hardinges often rehearsal and doubling of one thing hath forced mee sommetime to doo the like Whiche thing good Reader if vnto thee it shal séeme ouer wearisome I praie thee to consider the occasion thereof My meaninge was onely to doo thee good To the Christian Reader IT pitieth mee in thy behalfe good Christian Reader to sée they conscience thus assaulted this daie with so contrarie Doctrines of Religion and specially if thou haue a zele to folowe and séeste not what and wouldeste faine please Eod and knoweste not howe nor findeste thée selfe sufficiently armed with Goddes Holy Sprite nor hable either to discerue thy meate from poison or to vnwinde thée selfe out of the snares For Satan transfourmeth him selfe into an Angel of Light The wicked is more watcheful and vehemente then the Godly and Falsehed is oftentimes painted and vewtified and shineth more glorious then the Truthe These be the thinges that as S. Paule saithe woorke the subuersion of the Hearers and by meane whereof as Christe saithe if it were possible the very Bsecte of God shoulde be deceiued Howe be it God knoweth his owne and no Power can pusse them out of his hande God is hable to woorke comforte out of confusion and to force his light to shine out of darkenesse Al thinges woorke vnto good vnto them that be in Christe Iesu Be Falsehed neuer so freashely coloured yet in the ende the Truthe wil conquere Notwithstandinge God in these daies hath so amazed the Aduersaries of his Gospel and hath caused them so openly and so grossely to laie abroade their folies to the sight and face of al the world that noman nowe be he neuer so ignorante can thinke he maie iustely be excused They deale not nowe so suttelly as other Heretiques in old times were woont to doo thei hide not the lothsomenesse of their errours they cloke not them selues in Shéepeskinnes they dissemble nothinge they excuse nothing but without either shame of man or feare of God they rake vp those thinges that before were buried that themselues had forsaken the wise had abhorred the worlde had lothed It had benne more policie for them to haue yeelded in sommewhat and to haue staied in the reste So there might haue appeared somme plainenesie in theire dealinges But this is Goddes iuste iudgemente that they that wilfully withstande the Truthe shoulde be geeuen ouer to mainteine Lies as beeinge the Children of Vntruthe Children that wil not heare the Lawe of God For trial whereof I beseeche thée good Reader aduisedly to peruse these fewe notes truely taken out of M. Hardinges late Confutation Iudge thereof as thou shalt sée cause Let no affection or fantasie cause thinges to séeme otherwise then they be The twoo principal GrouÌ„des of this whole Booke are these First That the Pope although he maie erre by personal errour in his owne Priuate Iudgement as a man and as a particulare Doctour in his owne opinion yet as he is Pope as he is the Successour of Peter as he is the Vicare of Christe in Earthe and as he is the Shepheard of the Vniuersal Churche in Publique Judgement in deliberation and Definitiue Sentence he neuer erreth nor neuer erred nor neuer can erre As if he woulde saie The Pope walkinge in his Galerie is one man and fittinge in Consistorie or in Iudgemente is an other Whiche thinge to holde Alphonsus de Castro saithe it is mere folie Yet is this M. Hardinges chiefest or rather as I might in manner saie his onely grounde The Seconde is this The Churche of Rome is the whole and onely Catholique Churche of God and who so euer is not obediente vnto the same muste be iudged an â—â—leretique These twoo groundes beinge once wel and surely laied he maie builde at pleasure what him listeth As for the Pope the better to countenance his estate he saithe that Peter receiued thee I beséeche thee to consider with what indifferente Iudgement M. Harding woulde haue thée to passe bitwéene vs. Firste he saithe What should wee seeke for Truthe Let vs onely beholde the custome of the Churche Againe What Argumentes what Assegations what shewe of disproufe so euer he bringe againste these thinges wee ought to make smal accoumpte thereof Againe I would blesse mee selfe from him as from the Minister of Satan and as from the Disciple of Antichriste and as from Goddes open and professed enimie Againe M. Iewelles Replie and other like Hereticol Bookes are vnlawful to be readde by order of the Churche without special licence and are vtterly forebidden to be readde or keapte vnder paine of Excommunication And againe As for the Replie none other waie wil serue but to throwe al into the fire Of the other side touching the VVoorde of God with most terrible woordes he fraieth thée from it and biddeth thee to consider of other thinges and to behold I knowe not what Yee prostitute the Scriptures he saith as Baudes doo their Harlottes to the Vngodly Vnlearned Rascal people Againe Prentises Light Personnes and the rifferaffe of the people And againe The Vnlearned people were keapte from the
Reading of the Scriptures by the special prouidence of God that pretious stoanes should not be throwen before Swine In sutche regarde these menne haue as wel the Holy Scriptures as also the People of God The scriptures they resemble to common Harlottes and the vileste creatures of the stewes The people of God they calle Vngodly Rascalles Rifferaffe and Filthy Svvine Thus he suffereth thée not to reade either my poore Booke whereof thou shouldest Iudge or the Holy VVoorde of God whereby thou mightest he hable to Iudge but onely biddeth thée to folowe him and to saie as he saithe and al is safe Thus firste he blindeth thine eies and then willeth thee to looke aboute and to condemne the thinge thou neuer kneweste So saithe S. Hierome Isti tantam sibi assumunt Authoritatem vt siue dextra doceant siue sinistra id est siue bona siue mala nolint Discipulos ratione discutere sed se praecessores sequi These menne take so mutche vpon them selues that whether they teache with the Right hande or with the Lefte that is to saie whether they teache good thinges or badde they wil not haue theire Hearers or Learners to enquire causes wherefore they shoulde doo this or that but onely to folowe them beeing theire Leaders But beware I beséeche thée good Christian Reader A simple eie is soone beguiled It is very course Woolle that wil take no coloure It is a desperate cause that with woordes and eloquence maie not be smoothed Be not deceiued Remember of what maters and with what Aduersaries thou haste to deale With feace and reuerence be careful of thine owne Saluation Laie downe al affection and fauoure of parties Iudge iustely of that shal be alleged Onlesse thou knowe thou canste not Iudge Onlesse thou heare bothe sides thou canste not knowe If thou like ought knowe why thou likeste it A wise man in eche thinge wil searche the cause He that cannot iudge golde by sounde or insight yet maie trie it by the poise If thou canste not weigh these maters for want of Learninge yet so sensible and so grosse they are thou maiste féele them with thy fingers Thou maiste soone finde a difference bitwéene Golde and Brasse bitweene Iacob and Esau bitwéene a Face and a Visarde bitweene a fuile Body and an emptie Shadowe Saie not Thou arte settled in thy Beliefe before thou know it Vaine Faith is no Faithe S. Augustines counsel is good Beleeu nomore of Christe then Christ hath willed thee to beleeue Nemo de Christo credat nisi quod de se credi voluit Christus Likewise he saithe Fides stulta non prodest sed obest Fonde Faith is hurtful and dooth no good S. Hilarie saithe Non minus est Deum fingere quà m negare To diuise fansies of God it is as horrible as to saie There is no God The Anciente Father Tertullian speakinge of the Enimies of the Crosse of Christe that disdeigned to submitte theire willes to the wil of God saithe thus Amant ignorare cùm alij gaudeant cognouisse Malunt nescire quod iam oderunt Adeo ' quod nesciunt praeiudicant id esse quod si scirent odisse non possent They desire to be ignorante whereas other folkes desire to knowe They woulde not knowe the Truthe bicause they hate it What so euer it be they imagine it to be the same thinge that they hate But if they knewe it in deede thei coulde not hate it Let Reason leade thee let Authoritie moue thée let Truthe enforce thée The VViseman saithe Who so feareth the Lorde wil not be wilful againste his Woorde God of his mercie confounde al Errours géeue the Victorie to his Truthe and Glorie to his Holy name Amen From London 27. Octobris 1567. ⧠AN ANSWEARE TO A CERtaine Booke lately set foorth by M. Hardinge and entituled A Confutation of the Apologie of the Churche of Englande The Title of the Apologie AN Apologie or answeare in defence of the Churche of Englande with a briefe and plaine declaration of the true Religion professed and vsed in the same The Confutation by M. Hardinge Whereas these defenders take vpon them the name of the Churche of Englande settinge forth thereby a face of auctoritie they do muche like the Asse that Esope telleth of whiche to make the beastes afrayed had put on him a Lions skinne and therewith ietted abroade terribly For as the Lions skinne was but lapped about him and grewe not to his bodie so they beinge in deede no liuely members nor parte of the Churche couer them selues vnder the title and name of the Churche the rather to begyle the simple And verely herein they folowe the wonte of all Heretikes For neuer was there any secte of Heretikes hitherto whiche hath not claimed to be accōpted and called the Church For whiche cause of certaine auncient Fathers they haue bene likened to Apes whose propertie is though they be Apes yet to counterfeit men and to court to seeme men Nouatianus at saithe S. Cyprian after the manner of Apes woulde chalenge to him selfe the auctoritie of the Catholike Churche And where as himselfe was not in the Churche but contrariwise a rebell against the Churche tooke vpon him to affirme that al other were Heretikes and presumed tovpholde the Churche was on his side Irenaeus and Tertullian who were before him write that Heretikes made so much adoo to perswade that the Churche was amonge them selues onely that they feared not to call the right beleuinge and Catholike Churche Hereticall and Schismaticall S. Hilary declaringe how patiently he demeaned himselfe towardes the Arians his enemies by whome he was bannisshed writeth that in fiue yeares space whiles he liued in bannishment he neuer spake nor wrote euill woorde against them whiche falsely said them selues to be the Churche of Christe and were the Synagoge of Antichrist The Donatisles against whome S. Augustine wrote muche saide that the Christianitie was quite loste and gone out of so many nations that be in the worlde and remained onely in Aphrike and that the Churche was onely there In S. Bernardes time also the Heretikes who would be called Apostolikes as they of our time call themselues Gospellers saide that they were the Churche But what meane all Heretikes maye we iudge by couetinge so muche to be seene that whiche they are not Forsooth they meane none other thinge then their Father the Deuill meaneth when he goeth about to begile man For then what dothe he vseth he not this policie to chaunge his owggly hewe and put himselfe in goodly shape of an Angell of light For he is not vnwittinge that if he shewed himselfe in his owne forme suche as he is that euery one woulde flie from him and none lightly woulde be deceiued by him Heretikes doo the like Although they hate the Churche neuer so deadly yet to haue the more oportunitie to hurte it pretende themselues
to be of the Churche For they be not ignorant howe greate the auctoritie of the Churche is Of whose gouernours Christe saied he that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me And againe Tell the Churche They consider in what credite the Churche is with all Christen people howe they staye themselues by it as beinge the pillour and grounde of the truthe howe they Loue her euen as their common Mother howe they honour it as the Body and fulnes of Christe as the spouse of Christe through Faithe accordinge to that is written I will despouse thee to me in faithe As the true Syon whiche our Lorde hath chosen to be his habitation and his restinge place for euer As the safe Arke to keepe vs from drowninge in the dangerous Seas of this worlde out of whiche nolesse then once out of the Arke of Noe is nosaluation Againe they know the Churche must needes be greatly esteemed amonge all the godly for the singular promiser Christe hath made to it that he would be with it all daies to the ende of the worlde That he would pray to his father for the holy Ghost to be giuen to it the spirite of truthe to remaine withit for euer But as Heretikes impugne the lawe by the woordes of the lawe 〈◊〉 S. Ambrose saithe so to ouer throwe the Churche they presume to take vnto them the name of the Churche But what doo 〈◊〉 when they are vrged and wroonge when by force of argumentes they are straighted and as it were driuen to the walle when it is plainely proued to their face whiche is sone done that they be not in nor of the Churche specially beinge of Heresie openly denounced and by iust Excommunication cutte of from the Churche In this case the practise of the Gospellers is vtterly to sette the Churche as taught and with a hote raging spirite to defie it and to saye that themselues be the Catholike Churche and that the Catholikes be the Papisticall Churche the Churche of Antichrist the where of 〈◊〉 a deune of Theeues and I can not tell what The Answeare by the Bishop of Sarisburie TO answeare M. Hardinge to euery parcel of his Booke beinge so longe it would be too tedious Wherefore leauinge many his impertinent speaches other vnnecessarie and waste woordes whiche sundrie his frendes thinke he might better haue spared I wil touche onely so mutche thereof as shal beare somme shewe of substance may any way seeme woorthy to be answeared Firste touchynge the Churche of God we beleue and confesse al that M. Hardinge hath here saide or otherwise can be saide It is the Piller of the Truthe the Body the Fulnesse and Spouse of Christe Al these woordes are vndoubtedly true and certaine And therefore M. Hardinge you are the more blamewoorthy that of the House of God beyng so glorious haue made a caue of Théeues haue turned the beutie of Sion into the confusion of Babylon True it is that Heretiques haue euermore apparelled them selues with the name of the Churche as Antichriste also shal procure him selfe credite vnder the name of Christe Thus did your Fathers M. Harding loÌ„ge agoe They saide then euen as you say now We are the Children of Abraham we are the Euheretours of Goddes promises we haue the Temple of God the Temple of God The Lawe shal neuer passe froÌ„ the Prieste nor counsel from the wise nor the woorde from the prophete Thus coutinuinge wilfully in the open breache of Goddes commaundement neuerthelesse they chearished them selues then as you doo nowe onely with the bare title of the Churche in whose name what so euer credit ye can any wise winne your meaninge is skilfully to conueigh the same ouer wholy to the Churche of Rome as if that Churche onely were the Churche of God without that there were no hope of Saluation And therefore you defende and holde for trueth that your Churche hath authoritie aboue Goddes Woorde And Pope Nicolas saithe Who so denieth the Priuilege and Supremacie of the See of Rome hath renounced the Faithe and is an Heretique And thus as Leo saithe Ecclesiae nomine armamini contra Ecclesiam dimicatis Ye arme your selues with the name of the Churche and yet ye fight against the Churche Likewise saithe S. Cyprian Diabolus excogitauit nouam fraudem vt sub ipso nominis Christiani titulo fallat incautos The Diuel hath diuised a new kinde of policie vnder the very title of the name of Christe to deceiue the simple Nowe concerninge that hote raginge Sprite wherewith M. Hardinge saithe the Gospellers deste the Churche and set it at naught verily I thinke it a harde matter for any Gospeller be he neuer so hote in suche kinde of eloquence to matche M. Hardinge Neither yet maye he wel condemne al suche as in the like cases haue bene hote earnest Esay the Prophete saithe O ye Princes of Sodome and ye people of Gomorrha Iohn the Baptist saithe to the Scribes and Phariseis O ye Serpentes ye generation of Vipers and Adders Christe saithe vnto them Woe be vnto you ye Scribes and Phariseis ye hypocrites Ye are of your Father the Diuel In these eramples wée sée the Sprite of God can sometimes be hote and earnest against the deceiuers of the people and the professed enimies of the Crosse of Christe Neither did either Esay the Prophete or Iohn the Baptiste or Christe desie the Churche of God and set it at naught as M. Hardinge imagineth of vs but rather by these seruent speaches vttered the vehement zele and iuste griefe they had conceiued against them that vnder the name of the Churche abused Goddes people and defaced the Churche For they are not al Heretiques M. Hardinge that this daie espie your grosse and palpable errours and mourne to God for reformation S. Augustine saithe Non debet Ouis pellem suam deponere quâ—d Lupi aliquando se ea contegant It is no reason the Sheepe should therefore leaue of his fliese for that he seeth the Woulfe sometime in the same apparel Likewise it is no reason that wée should therfore geue ouer the right and enheritance wée haue in the Churche of God for that you by intrusion and vniuste meanes haue intituled your selues vnto the same It behooueth vs rather to searche the Scriptures as Christe hath aduised vs thereby to assure our selues of the Churche of God For by this trial onely and by none other it maye be knowen Therfore S. Paule calleth the Churche the Spouse of Christe for that she ought in al thinges to geue eare to the voice of the Bridegrooms Likewise he calleth the Churche the Piller of the Truthe for that shée staieth her selfe onely by the Woorde of God Without whiche Woorde yâ— Churche were it neuer so bewtiful should be no Churche The Ancient Father Irenaeus saithe Columna firmamentum Ecclesiae est Euangelium Spritus vitae
haue not without iust cause left these men rather haue returned to yâ— Apostles olde Catholique Fathers And iâ— we shal be founde to do the same not colourably or craftily but in good Faith before GOD Truely Honestly Cleerely and Plainely and if they theim selues whiche flie our Doctrine and would bee called Catholiques shal manifestly see howe al these titles of Antiquitie whereof they boaste so mutche are quite shaken out of their handes and that there is more pith in this our cause then they thought for we then hope and trust that none of them wil be so negligent carelesse of his owne Saluation but he wil at length studie bethinke him selfe to whether parte he were best to ioine him Vndoubtedly excepte one wil altogeather harden his hart and refuse to heare he shal not repent him to geue good heede to this our Defence and to marke wel what we saie and how truely and iustly it agreeth with Christian Religion M. Hardinge I see wel we must looke to your fingers Ye spit foorth your gal and cholar by and by at the first Through your whole Booke in woorde ye pretend Truthe zeale plainnes and sober dealing But in deede power out litle other then Lieing Spite Scoffes and immoderate railing The effecte of the rest in this Ye haue ioined your selues to the Synagog of Antichriste Ye serue the stage ye haue begonnt to playe your Tragedie on falsely shamefully darkely and guilefully your bragges and promises your crakes of Goddes Holy woorde your errours your Heresies your contagious poison your sclaunders your newe Cleregies Doctrine c. The B. of Sarisburie The Saieing of S. Hierome is auouched by yâ— like Saiyng of Ruffinus an Auncient writer Thus he saithe Vnam notam Haereseos qui dissimulat non est Christianus Who so dissembleth when he is called Heretique is no Christian man For the rest blame me not good Christian Reader yf I vse no moe woordes then néede requireth If I thought it woorthy the while I could answeare al these thinges more at large I trust in our whole Apologie there appeareth no sutche immoderate kinde of railing But if I should folow M. Hardinges humoure and write but the one halfe of that he writeth then perhappes I might woorthily be called a railer The Apologie Cap. 7. Diuision 2. For where they cal vs Heretiques it is a crime so hainous that onlesse it maie be seen vnlesse it may be felt in manner may be holden with handes fingers it ought not lightly to be iudged or beleued when it is laied to the charge of any Christian For Heresie is a forsaking of Saluation a renouncing of Gods Grace a departing from the Body and Sprite of Christe M. Hardinge The Definition ye seeme to make of Heresie is not sufficient For as ye define it so euery deadly sinne is Heresie For euery deadly sinne is a forsaking of Saluation a renouncing of Gods Grace a departing from the Body and Sprite of Christe Heresie is a false Doctrine against the right beleefe by him that professeth the Faithe stubbournly either auouched or called in doubte In which Definition this woorde stubbournly is added bicause it is not errour onely in those thinges that be of Faithe but stubbournes in errour that maketh an Heretike as S. Augustine teacheth VVho saithe he in the Church of Christe sauer any thing that is vnholsome and crooked if being sharply admonished to sauer that is hole and right they resist stubbournly and wil not amend their venemous and deadly Doctrines but stande to defend them theâ— be Heretikes But now the lawe of vpright dealing specially in Gods cause so requiring ye must pardon vs. if as among husbandmen we cal a rake a rake a spade a spade a mattocke a mattocke so among Diuines we cal Heresie heresie and likewise falsehed lieing sclaundering crafte hypocrisie Apostasie malice blasphemie euery such crime by his proper name without al glosing The B. of Sarisburie Ye saie This is not the right Definition of Heresie Verily M. Hardinge this is but a simple quarrel It was not my minde in this place to vtter any Definition of Heresie either right or wronge You knowe right wel that sutche curiositie in this kinde of writinge is not néedeful It is sufficient our woordes be true although they include no Definition For iust proufe of Heresie three thinges necessarily are required First that it be an errour Secondly that it be an errour againste the Truthe of Goddes woorde For otherwise euery errour maketh not an Heresie Thirdly that it be stoutly and wilfully maineteined Otherwise an errour in Goddes Truthe without wilful mainteinance is not an Heresie S. Augustine saith Errare possum Haereticus esse non possum In an errour I may be but an Heretique I cannot be It was not so necessarie in this mater so precisely to séeke vp Definitions I thought it sufficient onely to declare the horrour of Heresie For as touchinge the Definition S. Augustine saithe Quid sit Haeresis regulari quadam Definitione comprehendi sicut ego existimo aut omnino non potest aut difficillimâ— potest To expresse by orderly Definition what thinge maketh an Heretique as I iudge it is either impossible or very harde Therefore you M. Hardinge and your felowes are the more blame woorthy for yâ— of euery your fantasies ye haue made an Heresie Ludouicus Viues one of your owne Schoole thus complaineth thereof Haeresis nomen rebus leuissimis impingitur Idem facerent Scotistae de Thomistis nisi Scholarum consuetudo aures emolliuisses The name of Heresie is laide vpon euery light mater So would the Scotistes handle the Thomistes sauinge that the custome of the Schooles hath brought theire eares in vre Thus Pope Nicolas saithe Qui Romanae Ecclesiae Priuilegium auferte conatur hic procul dubio labiâ—ur in Haeresim Who so euer goeth about to abrogate the priuilege of the Churche of Rome be no doubte is an Heretique That ye speake of stubbernenesse in defence of Heresie I praye God M. Hardinge it doo not ouer neare touche your selfe I praye God you doo not wilfully defende that thinge wherein you knowe and sée manifest and open errour Verily S. Hierome saithe Quicunque aliter Scripturam intelligit quà m sensus Spiritus Sancti flagitat quo scripta est licet ab Ecclesia non recesserit tamen Haereticus appellari potest VVho so euer expoundeth the Scriptures otherwise then the sense of the Holy Ghoste by whome they were written dothe require although he be not yet departed from the Churche yet maye he wel be called an Heretique Likewise the old Father Tertullian saithe Quicquid contra veritatem sapit Haeresis est etiam vetus Consuetudo VVhat so euer thinge â—â—uoureth against the Truthe it is an Heresie be it neuer so mutche an old custome Likewise your Tyrannical and filthy restraininge of Priestes lauful mariage Vdalricus the Bishop of August a
Supreme aboue al other auctoritie in Earthe touchinge the gouernement of the Churche yet was it neuer saide ne thought by the Catholiques that al Religion depended onely thereon as your sclaunderous reporte beareth menne in hande The B. of Sarisburie Lanfrancus Euimondus Abbas Cluniacensis Thomas Waldensis Iohn Fisher and other your like Doctours M. Hardinge are ouer yonge al within the space of this laste fiue hundred yéeres far vnlike S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Ambrose S. Chrysostome and others the Ancient Learned Fathers Doctours of the Churche Neither is there any sufficient cause to the contrarie but that Berengarius Iohn Wicklefe Iohn Hus Doctour Luther Zwinglius Oecolampadius others either for Learninge or for Truthe or for Iudgement in the Scriptures or for Antiquitie maye wel safely be compared with them At the least I hope wée maye saie of them as S. Augustine once saide of the Doctours Fathers of his time Neque quorumliber Disputationes quamuis Catholicorum laudatorum hominum velut Scripturas Canonicas habere debemus vt nobis non liceat salua honorificentia quae illis debetur aliquid in eorum Scriptis improbare aut respuere si fortè inuenerimus quòd aliter selfserint quà m Veritas habet Neither weigh wee the writinges of al meane be they neuer so woorthy and Catholique as wee weighe the Canonical Scriptures but that sauinge the reuerence that is dewe vnto them we maye wislike and refuse somewhat in their writinges if we happen to finde that they haue thought otherwise then the Truthe maye beare Likewise the Councelles ye meane are very Newe therefore beare the lesse authoritie for that they be so many waies contrary to the Olde Hereof hereafter more at large Certainely there is none of your errours so grosse and palpable but by some of your late Councelles it hath benne confirmed Therefore wee maye iustly saie to you as S. Augustine sometime saide to Mariminus the Arian Heretique Nec ego Nicenam Synodum tibi nec tu mihi Ariminensem debes tanquam praeiudicaturus obijcere Scripturarum Authoritatibus res cum re causa cum causa ratio cuÌ„ ratione conceuer Neither maye I saye to thee the Councel of Nice nor maiste thou laye to mee the Councel of Ariminum either of vs thinkinge thereby to finde preuidice against the other But let vs laye mater to mater cause to cause and reason to reason by the Authoritie of the Scriptures Ye graunte there is more lighte and knowledge nowe then was before The greatter is either your faulte or your folie M. Hardinge that in the broade daye open Lighte so busily set foorthe the woorkes of darkenesse S. Chrysostome saithe Hic est multò impudentior Ex furibus enim leges eos grauiùs puniunt qui interdiu furantur He is very shamelesse that woorketh deceite in the open Lighte For of al Theeues the Lawe moste sharpely punisheth them that robbe in the daye time Therefore S. Cyprian saithe vnto you Ignosci poruit simpliciter erranti Post inspirationem verò reuelationem factam qui in eo quod errauerat perseuerat prudens sciens sine venia ignorantiae peccat Praesumptione enim atque obstinatione superatur He that is deceiued and erieth of simplicitie maye be pordoned But after that the Truthe is once reueled who so continueth neuerthelesse in his former errour witingly and willingly sinneth without pardonne of ignorance as beinge ouercome by presumption and wilfulnesse You saie not withstandinge al this greate Light wée talke of yet our liues are nothinge comparable to the liues of them that haue benne before vs. This M. Hardinge hathe euer benne an olde complainte in al ages as maye appeare by S. Cyprian S. Augustine and other Ancient Fathers It was a common Prouerbe in olde times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thinges a yéere paste are euermore better then thinges presente For euery thinge to vs séemeth the greatter as it séemeth nearest to touche our senses And bicause wée féele not our Fathers euilles therefore wée imagine they had no euil at al. The wise man saithe Ne dixeris quae causa est quòd priora tempora meliora fuerint quà m praesentia Stulta enim est huiusmodi interrogatio Neuer demaunde wherefore the times paste were better then the times presente For in deede it is a foolishe question But M. Hardinge wherefore doo you thus condemne our liues in respecte of our Fathers Certainely you must néedes confesse there are fewer blasphemies fewer Othes fewer breaches of Matrimonie fewer Stewes fewer Concubines fewer Fraies fewer Murthers emongst vs this daie then commonly were at any time emonge our Fathers How be it to let our Fathers passe if it shal please you to laye our liues to your liues although we acknowledge many our imperfections yet Goddes name be blessed wee haue no cause to flee the comparison The Popes woordes you saie were neuer taken for Gospel Yes M. Hardinge and somewhat also aboue the Gospel For proufe whereof it maye please you to remember the woordes of certaine your late Doctours Syluester Prieriâs late Maâ—sâ—ter of Pope Leoes Palaice writeth thus Indulgentiae authoritate Scripturae non innotuere nobis sed authoritate Ecclesiae Romanae Romanorumque Pontificum quae maior est Pardonnes are not warrented vnto vs by the authoritie of Goddes Woorde but by the authoritie of the Romaine Churche and of the Bishoppes of Rome whiche is more then Goddes VVoorde Yf this be not sufficient he addeth farther A doctrina Romanae Ecclesiae Romani Pontificis Sacra Scriptura robur authbritatem trahit The Hosy Scripture taketh strength and authoritie of the Doctrine of the Bishop and Churche of Rome Cardinal Cusanus entituleth his Booke De authoritate Ecclesiae Councilij supra contra Scripturam Of the Authoritie of the Churche and Councel aboue and against the Scripture Your greatest Doctour Albertus Pigghius saithe Apostoli quaedam conscripserunt non vt scripta illa praessene Fidei Religioni nostrae sed potius vt subessent The Apostles wrote certaine thinges not to the ende that sutche willinges shoulde he ouer our Faithe and Religion but rather that they shoulde be vnder Your Canonistes saie a Papa potest dispensare coÌ„ira ius Diuinum The Pope maye dispense against the Lawe of God Papa potest dispensare contra Ius Naturae The Pope maye dispense against the Lawe of Nature Papa potest dispensare contra Apostolum The Pope maye dispense against S. Pause the Apostle Papa porest dispensare contra Nouum Testamentum The Pope maye dispense againste the Newe Testamente Papa potest dispensare de omnibus praeceptis veteris Noui Testamenti The Pope maye dispense with al the CommauÌ„dementes bothe of the Olde and also of the Newe Testamente Hereof more hereafter as farther occasion shal be offered These be your owne Doctours woordes M. Hardinge they be truely reported they be
doo the very two lines nexte folowinge muste néedes make you blushe at your owne errour The woordes are these Haec autem vniuersa quae dixi possunt de Ecclesiae Rectoribus intelligi Al these thinges that I haue spoken maye be vnderstanded of the Rulers of the Churche Tel vs nomore therefore M. Hardinge of your Tatians For S. Hierome him selfe telleth you he meante not onely them but also the Bishoppes and Rulers of the Churche And a little before he saithe Inferrur gladius super Montes eleuantes se aduersus scientiam Dei The Swerde of Goddes Woorde is laide vpon the Mountaines that lifte them selues vp againste the knowledge of God In this sense writeth S. Cyprian Si ad Diuinae Traditionis Caput Originem reuertamur cessat omnis error humanus Yf wee returne to the Head and beginninge of our Lordes Tradition al errour of Man muste needes geue place In like sense also writeth Tertullian Ipsa Doctrina Haereticorum cum Apostolica comparata ex diuersitate contrarietate sua pronuntiabit neque Apostoli alicuius Authoris esse neque Apostolici The verie Doctrine of Heretiques compared with the Apostles Doctrine by the diuersitie and contrarietie that is bitweene that and the other wil soone pronounce sentence of it selfe that neither Apostle nor Apostolique man was authour of it Euen thus it fareth M. Hardinge with a greate heape of your Doctrine Ye saie ye haue it by Tradition from the Apostles Yet is it vtterly voide of al authoritie or testimonie of the Scriptures And therefore as S. Hierome saithe it is consumed striken downe in the Conscience of the Godly by the onely Swerde of Goddes Holy Woorde as our eies sée this daye and beinge compared with the Apostles Doctrine the difference contrarietie is so greate it easily bewraieth it selfe as Tertullian saithe that it neuer came from any Apostle nor from any other Apostolique Doctour of the Churche The Apologie Cap. 9. Diuision 4. S. Ambrose also to Gratian the Emperour Let the Scripture saithe he be asked the question lette the Prophetes be asked and let Christe be asked For at that time made the Catholique Fathers and Bishoppes no doubte but that our Religion mighte be prooued out of the Holy Scriptures Neither were they euer so hardy to take any for an Heretique whose errour they coulde not euidently and apparantly reprooue by the selfe same Scriptures And wee verily doo make answeare on this wise as S. Paule did Accordinge to this waye whiche they calle Heresie wee doo woorshippe God and the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christe and doo allowe al thinges whiche haue benne written either in the Lawe or in the Prophetes or in the Apostles Woorkes M. Hardinge Gratian the Emperour bucklinge him selfe as it were to encounter with the Heretike at the firste he geueth meaninge to al to be ware of him for that he endeuoureth to prooue his false Doctrine namely for the first pointe that the Sonne is vnlike the Father Versutis disputationibus VVith suttel and craftie reasoninges He alleageth to that purpose S. Paule to the Colossians Cauere ue quis vos depraedetur pes Philosophiam Beware that no man spoile you through Philosophie and vaine deceit c. For saithe be these Heretikes put al the force of theire poisons in Logike or Dialectical disputation whiche by the opinion of Philosophers is desined not to haue power to prooue but an earnest desire to destroie and disproue Hauinge geuen this holesome warninge lest him selfe might seeme to vse that whiche he counselleth others to beware of to withde awe the Emperour and al other from the guileful Logike of Arius at his firste entrie he saithe I wil not that thou geue credite Holy Emperour to argument and to our Disputation then folowe the woordes Whereof the Defenders take holde Scripturas interrogemus c. Let vs aske the Scriptures let vs aske the Apostles let vs aske the Prophetes let vs aske Christe VVhat neede many woordes let vs aske the Father c. And to this pointe of our beleefe whiche is very highe and secrete is that sayinge of S. Ambrose to be restrained But that for confirmation of the Truthe in pointes whiche be nearer to common sense and for confutation of those Heresies whiche be of lesse subteltie of whiche sorte these Gospellers grosse errours be to this ende that wee ought not to vse the Testimonies of the Holy Fathers against Heretikes for whiche purpose they alleage this place S. Ambrose neither in al that Booke neither in al his woorkes speaketh so muche as one woorde But contrarie wise in sundry places of that woorke be alleageth the auctoritie of the Nicene Councel as a Testimonie of good force against the Arians and declareth a diuine Mysterie to haue benne signified by suche special number of the Fathers there assembled Sayinge Sic nempe nostri secundum Scripturas dixerunt Patres Euen thus accordinge to the Scriptures haue the Fathers saide Seruemus Praecepta maiorum c. Let vs keepe the Preceptes of our Forefathers neither with Temeritie of rude boldnes let vs breake the Hereditarie Seales he meaneth the Doctrine sealed by the Fathers and left to the posteritie as it were by Heritage VVhiche of vs wil be so hardy as to vnseale the Priestly Booke sealed by the Confessours and nowe consecrated with the Martyrdome of many a one Lo heare ye not Sirs howe muche S. Ambrose is against you And though he saye touchinge this Mysteries Let vs aske the Scriptures Apostles Prophetes and Christe yet thereby dothe he not quite exclude the Fathers He saithe not let vs reiect the Fathers The Scriptures and the Fathers be not contrary and therefore thallowinge of them is not the disalowinge of these VVho so euer maketh this argument whiche in your VVoorde is implied The Scriptures are to be asked Ergo the Holy Fathers are not to be asked maketh a foolishe argument The B. of Sarisburie The greattest forte hereof is answeared already S. Ambrose ye saye by this appeale to the Scriptures excludeth not the iudgement of the Learned Fathers but onely the cauâ—â—lations and subtileties of Philosophers and Sophisters For S. Ambrose him selfe is the same treatie often allegeth the Authoritie of the Fathers Al this M. Hardinge is true in deede â–ª Notwithstandinge there is a certaine secrete Vntruthe lapped in it For S. Ambrose allegeth the Fathers not as Groundes or Principles or Fundations of the Faithe but onely as Interpreters or Witnesses or Consenters vnto the Faithe Whiche thinge of our parte was neuer denied Nowe whether S. Ambrose meante thus or no let S. Ambrose him selfe he the Iudge His woordes be these Sic nempe nostri secundum Scripturas dixerunt Patres Thus haue our Fathers saide not of them selues but accordinge to the Scriptures He allegeth the Fathers not as hauinge sufficient credite and substance in them selues but onely as Expounders and Interpreters of the Scriptures So saithe the godly
Father Athanasius Nos ista Hausimus à Magistris diuinitùs afflatis qui Sacros Libros euoluerunt These thinges haue we learned of our Maisters or Fathers inspired from Heauen whiche haue Readde and perused the Holy Scriptures For S. Augustine very wel saithe Secundum hos Libros de coeteris Literis vel Fidelium vel Infidelium liberè iudicamus Accordinge to those Bookes of the Scriptures wee iudge frankely of al other writinges whether they be of the Faitheful or of the Vnfaitheful Therefore S. Hierome saithe Omni studio legendae nobis sunt Scripturae in Lege Domini meditandum die ac nocte vt probati trapezitae sciamus quis numus probus sit quis adulterinus Wee muste Reade the Scriptures with al diligence and muste bee occupied in the Lawe of our Lorde bothe daie and nighte that wee maye become perfite exchangers and be hable rightly to discerne what Monie is lawful and what is Counterfaite S. Hilarie saithe Hoc proprium est Apostolicae Doctrinae Deum ex Lege ac Prophetis in Euangelijs praedicare This is the very order of the Apostles Doctrine in the Gospel to Preache God out of the Lawe and the Prophetes Otherwise touchinge the discourse of natural reason S. Ambrose saithe No Creature either in Earthe or in Heauen is hable to reache the deapthe of these thinges Thus he saithe Mens deficit Vox silet non mea tantùm sed Angelorum Supra potestates supra Angelos supra Cherubim supra Seraphim supra omnem sensum est The minde is astonned the voice faileth not onely mine but also of the Angelles It is aboue the powers aboue the Angelles aboue the Cherubius aboue the Seraphins and aboue al manner vnderstandinge And therefore he saithe as it is alleaged once before Nolo nobis credatur Scriptura recitetur Non ego dico à me In principio erat Verbum Sed audio I woulde not ye shoulde beleeue mee Lette the Scriptures be readde I saye not of mee selfe In the beginninge vvas the VVoorde but I heare it spoken And againe he saithe in the same Booke vnto the Emperour Gratian Facessat nostra Sententia Paulum interrogemus Let our Iudgemente stande aparte and let vs aske S. Paule the question But M. Hardinge saithe VVhoso euer maketh this argumente whiche in your VVoorde is implied The Scriptures are to be asked Ergo the Holy Fathers are not to be asked maketh a foolishe argumente It seemeth no greate pointe of Wisedome M. Hardinge to vpbraide others with folie without cause God encrease bothe you and vs in al wisedome and vnderstandinge in Christe Iesu How be it our Argumente howe so euer it hathe pleased you to fashon and to handle it as we meante it and made it had no sutche Folie Wherefore what so euer Folie is nowe come to it it is your owne it is not ours For wée denie not the Learned Fathers expositions and iudgementes in doubteful cases of the Scriptures Wée reade them our selues Wée folowe them Wée embrace them and as I saide before wée moste humbly thanke God for them But thus wée saie The same Fathers opinions and iudgementes for as mutche as they are sometimes disagréeable one from an other and sometimes implie contrarieties and contradictions therefore alone and of them selues without farther authoritie and guidinge of Goddes Woorde are not alwaies sufficient Warrantes to charge our Faithe And thus the Learned Catholique Fathers themselues haue euermore taught vs to esteeme and to weighe the Fathers The Ancient Father Origen saithe thus as it is reported before Ex Solis Scripturis examinationis nostrae discretio petenda est The discussinge of our Iudgemente muste be taken Onely of the Scriptures And againe Sensus nostri enarrationes sine Scripturis testibus non habent fidem Our Iudgementes and Expositions without witnesse of the Scriptures haue no credite Likewise S. Augustine Ego Solis Canonicis Scripturis debeo sine vlla recusatione consensum My consent without exception I owe not vnto any Father were he neuer so wel learned but Onely to the Holy Canonical Scriptures His reason is this Nam cùm Dominus â—acuerit quis nostrum dicat Illa vel illa sunt Aut si dicere audet vnde probat For where as the Lorde him selfe hath not spoken who of vs can saie It is this or that Or if he dare saie so howe can he prooue it And therefore he concludeth directly and in like woordes with S. Ambrose Ego vocem Pastoris inquiro Lege hoc mihi de Propheta Lege de Psalmo Recita de Lege Recita de Euangelio Recita de Apostolo I require the voice of the Shephearde Reade me this mater out of the Prophete Reade it mee out of the Psalmes Reade it out of the Lawe Reade it out of the Gospel Reade it out of the Apostles The Apologie Cap. 10. Diuision 1. Wherefore if wee he Heretiques and they as they woulde faine be called be Catholiques why doo they not as they see the Fathers whiche were Catholique men haue alwaies donne Why doo they not conuince and maister vs by the Diuine Scriptures Why doo they not calle vs againe to be tried by them Why doo they not laye before vs howe wee haue gonne awaye from Christe from the Prophetes from the Apostles and from the Holy Fathers Why sticke they to doo it Why are they afraide of it It is Goddes cause Why are they doubteful to commit it to the trial of Goddes Woorde Yf wee be Heretiques whiche referre al our controuersies vnto the Holy Scriptures reporte vs to the selfe same Woordes whiche wee knowe were sealed by God him selfe and in comparison of them sette litle by al other thinges what so euer maye be diuised by menne how shal wee saye to these folke I praye you what manner of men be they and howe is it meete to calle them whiche feare the iudgement of the Holy Scriptures that is to saie the Iudgement of God him selfe and doo preferre before them theire owne dreames and ful colde inuentions and to maintaine theire owne Traditions haue defaced and corrupted nowe these many hundred yeeres the ordinances of Christe and of the Apostles M. Hardinge VVe doo so For they condemned those that went against the Tradition of the Fathers and so doo wee The Scriptures consiste not in inke and paper but in the sense VVhiche sense the Holy Ghoste by Christes promise hath taught the Churche Epiphanius refutinge the Heretikes whiche named them selues Apostolikes saithe that the Scriptures haue neede of Speculation that is to witte to be wel studied and considered to the ende the force and power of euery argument maye be knowen It behoueth vs also saithe he to vse the Tradition For wee can not haue al thinges of the Holy Scripture Thus Epiphanius By Tradition without doubte he meaneth the sense and vnderstandinge receiued of the Fathers For that is the Keie of the VVoorde of God
Doctrine of the Certainetie of Saluation in euery of whiche thinges he saithe the Scriptures are cleare of his side and directly against vs. To answears al these pointes in particulare it would require an other Booke But briefely to touche so mutche onely as shal be néedeful First that the Substance of the Scriptures standeth in the right Sense and Meaninge and not onely in the naked and bare woordes it is true and generally graunted without exception and needeth no farther proufe S. Hierome saithe Non in Legendo sed in Intelligendo Scripturae consistunt The Scriptures stande not in the Readinge but in the Vnderstandinge And S. Hilarie Non Diuinorum dictorum sed intelligentiae nostrae à nobis ratio praestanda est Wee muste yeelde an accoumpte not of Goddes Diuine Woordes but of our owne Expositions But if that onely be the right Meaninge and Sense of the Scriptures that within these fewe late hundred yéeres is cropen into the Churche of Rome and if it be al Gospel what so euer it bée that arriueth from thence and if they be al Heretiques and Schismatiques and Despisers of Christe and of the Apostles and of the Uniuersal Churche that make staie at it or cānot receiue it then is the whole mater already concluded wée shal néede no more adoo Ye saie The Iewes the Arians the Nestorians and other Heretiques alleged the Scriptures Yea verily M. Hardinge and that euen with like Faithe and in like Sense and to like purpose as you allege them nowe as hereafter I truste it shal appeare By the waye for example hereof in this very place where you allege the woordes of the Pharise is auouchinge the Scriptures it maye please you to remember that either witingly or of some errour and ouersight ye haue manifestly corrupted the Scriptures For whereas you haue translated the place thus Searche the Scriptures the Phariseis saide nothinge els but Scrurare Vide Searche and see and spake not one woorde of the Scriptures And although the mater importe not mutche yet to charge you with your owne rule whiche muste needes be good against your selfe any smal faulte in Goddes Woorde must be counted greate In deede S. Chrysostome and S. Augustine séeme to supplie this woorde Scriptures although it were not in the Texte Touchinge the mater it selfe Nicolas Lyra saithe Hoe Verbum eorum simpliciter falsum est Quia si intelligatur de Prohetis generaliter aliqui fuerunt nati de Galilaea videlicet Elizaeus Tobias Debora Prophetissa fortè plures alij This woorde of the Phariseis is plainely false For if it be taken generally of al Prophetes then were there certaine of them borne in Galilei namely Elizaeus Tobias Debora and perchance others moe In sutche sorte M. Hardinge euen with like Faithe and credite you also haue vsed to allege the Scriptures But whereto driue you al this longe tale Wil you in the ende conclude thus The Iewes and Heretiques alleged the Scriptures Ergo Faitheful Christians maye not allege them Or thus Théeues haue sometimes armed them selues Ergo True menne maye not be armed Nay wée maye rather saye thus vnto you The Iewes and Heretiques alleged the Scriptures What accoumpte then maye wée make of you that flée and condemne and burne the Scriptures Certainely notwithstandinge the Phariseis and Heretiques wickedly misalleged the Scriptures as ye sometimes doo to scrue your purpose yet for al that Christe saide vnto them Scrutamini Scripturas Searche the Scriptures And as it is saide before the Catholique learned Fathers in al theire cases and controuersies appealed euermore to the Scriptures Where you saye The Scriptures are so cleare of your side ▪ and make so directly againste vs would God ye woulde in deede and vnfainedly stande to that trial Your fansies and folies woulde soone come to grounde Touchinge your greate heape of examples of the Sacramente of Baptisme defaced as you saye by M. Caluine of Absolution of Extreme Unction of Holy Oile of Signes of Figures of Onely Faithe of the certainetie of Saluation whiche you calle Presumptuous Firste of the Sacramente of Baptisme M. Caluine euery where writeth with al manner reuerence callinge it a Diuine and an Heauenly Mysterie and the Sacramente of our Redemption Wherein also sometimes he iustly reprooueth you for that ye haue so many waies so profanely and so vnreuerently abused the same Of Absolution wée shal haue occasion to saye more hereafter Touchinge your Oile in déede in shewe of woordes S. Iames séemeth to make somewhat for you Notwithstandinge neither doothe he calle it Holy Oile as ye doo neither doothe he calle it a Sacramente of the Churche nor doothe he saye as ye saie it should serue for the Saluation of Body and Soule nor doothe he teache you to salute it and to speake vnto it as to a liuely and reasonable Creature Aue Sanctum Oleum Alhaile Holy Oile nor with these woordes to minister it vnto the sicke Per hanc Sanctam Vnctionem suam pijssimā Misericordiam ignoscat tibi Deus By this Holy enointinge and his deere mercie God Pardonne thee To be shorte it was a miraculous gifte of Healinge lastinge onely as other like Miracles did for the time not a necessary Sacramente of the Churche to continewe for euer As for the Obiection of Signes and Figures for shortnesse of time I muste referre thée gentle Reader vnto my Former Replie to M. Harding The woordes of Christe whiche are thought to be so plaine the Anciente Learned Father Tertullian expoundeth thus Hoc est Corpus meum Hoc est Figura Corporis mei This is my Body that is to saye This is a Figure of my Body Likewise S. Augustine Non dubitauit Dominus dicere Hoc est Corpus meum cùm daret Signum Corporis sui Our Lorde doubted not to saye This is my Body when he gaue a Signe of his Body To rehearse al other like Ancient Authorities it were too longe O what triumphes would M. Hardinge make if none of al the Olde Learned Fathers coulde be founde that euer had called the Sacrament the Signe and Figure of Christes Body But as before he alleged an imagined Sense of the Scriptures without woordes so nowe he allegeth the woordes alone without sense He shoulde haue remembred better that S. Hierome saithe Ne putemus in Verbis Scripturarum esse Euangelium sed in Sensu Let vs not thinke the Gospel standeth in the VVoordes of the Scriptures but in the Meaninge Twoo other greate quarelles M. Hardinge moueth the one of Onely Faithe the other as he calleth it of the Presumptuous Certainetie of Saluation Wherein iudge thou vprightly good Christian Reader how iuste cause he hath to reprooue our Doctrine As for the firste hereof S. Paule saithe Iustificamur Gratis ex Gratia ipsius Wee be Iustified Freely of his Grace wee Iudge that a man is Iustified by Faithe without the VVorkes of the Lawe Wee knowe that a man
Christes Body is in many places but the Fourme of the same Body can be onely in one place not in many If I should demaund M. Hardinge this question by the way wherfore Christes Body in Fourme maye not as wel be in many places togeather as the same in Substance or how he knoweth it or what Doctour or Father euer taught it or how wée may be wel assured of it perhappes he would take a daie to consider it better For thus a man might put him in minde of the groundes of his Religion Sir ye know God is Omnipotent and his power Infinite Ye maie not make him thral subiect to your senses That were Natural Reason that were Infidelitie Christe is as wel â—able to dispose of the Fourme of his Body as of the substance and can as wel present the one in many places as the other How be it thus mutche onely by the way But now what iâ— al this great imagined Difference be no Difference â–ª What if these two woordes Fourme and Substance as they be vsed by Fulgentius be al one What then wil M. Hardinge doo with his prety Glose Verily Athanalius saithe thus Naâ—â—ura Essentia Genus Forma VnuÌ„ sunt Nature Substance Kinde and Fourme be al One thing Leo saithe Quid est In Forma Dei in Natura Dei What is it To be in the Fourme of God He answeareth It is To be in the Nature of God Chrysostome saith Forma Dei Natura Dei est The Fourme of God is yâ— Nature of God S. Augustine saithe SecuÌ„dum Formam Dei Christus ipse de se loquitur â–ª Ego Pater Vnum sumus As concerning the Former of God Christe him selfe saithe of him selfe I and my Father are bothe One. Likewise againe he saithe Vna est Forma quia vna est Diuinitas The Fourme is one bicause the Godhed is One. In like sorte of the Fourme of a Seruant Leo saithe Quaero quid sit Formam Serui accipere Sine dubio Perfectionem Naturae Conditionis Humanae What is it To take the Fourme of a Seruant He answeareth Doubtlesse it is To take the perfection of Nature and state of man Chrysostome saithe Forma Serui Omnino est Natura Serui The Fourme of a Seruant verily is the Nature of a Seruant S. Augustine saithe Quando de Forma Serui in Christo cogitas Humanam Effigiem cogita si est in te Fides Wheâ—â— thou thinkest of the Fourme of a Seruant in Christ thinke of the Shape of a man if there be any Faithe in thee Againe Christum secundum Humanitatem Visibilem Corporeum Localem atque omnia membra Humana veraciter habentem credere conuenit confiteri VVee must beleue and confesse that Christ according to his Humanitie is Visible hath the Substance and Properties of a Body is conteined in Place and verily hath al the members and the whole Proportion of a man To leaue al others Haimo saithe Forman Serui accepit id est in Veritate Hominem accepit He tooke the Fourme of a Seruant that is to saye In very Truthe he tooke Man Ye sée M. Hardinge by these Testimonies of the Ancient Learned Fathers farre contrarie to your vaine Distinction yâ— the Fourme of God is nothing els but God the Fourme of Man is nothing els but Man Wherfore then haue you thus diuised vs this new Difference Wherfore saie you of your owne head yâ— Fourme Substance be so contrarie seing the Catholique Fathers saie they be both One Or wherefore be you so busy to trouble the Penneman without cause Certainely S. Augustine ioineth Fourme and Substance both togeather by the one expoundeth the other In eadem Forma atque Substantia In the same Fourme and Substance and againe expoundeth the same Fourme Veritatem Corporis The Truthe of a Body By these it is plaine that when Fulgentius saith the Fourme of God he meaneth therby the Substance the Nature the Diuinitie of God And when he saith the Fourme of a Seruant he meaneth likewise the Nature â–ª the Substance the Truthe the Perfection the Very Manhoode of a Man And the whole drifte of his discourse is this that Christe being bothe God and Man by the Nature and Substance of his Godhed is euerywhere but by the Nature and Substance of his Manhoode Truth of his Body is onely in one place and not in moe agreing therein with these woordes of S. Augustine before rehearsed Corpus in quo Resurrexit in vno Loco esse Oportet The Body wherin he rose againe must nedes be in oue Place Here are wée terribly charged with guileful dealing with a speciall note also in the Margine Fulgentius fo why falsified Wée haue shifted in this woorde Manhed in stéede of the Fourme of a Seruante and this woorde Godhed in stéede of the Fourme of God And therefore both the Penneman and the Prelates of our Newe Cleregie must néedes be brought foorth before the barre I wil not here tel you M. Hardinge how lewdely ye haue demeaned your selfe towardes her whom it liketh you so often and so scornefully to cal the Lady Interpreter a Lady I wil not saie of what Learning vertue and grauitie but certainly as far from al vnwoomanly Presumption whâ—rwith ye so rudely touch her as you are from al manly modestie and for ought that maie appeare by these toies and trifles ye haue sent vs ouer as ful of wisedome as you of folie I beséeche you cal your woordes againe to minde if you can without blushing So roughly to handle so softe a Creature This Phrase of speeche your very frendes haue mutche misliked and as it is in déede so in plaine woordes they cal it Ruffianrie a vertue although mutche agreable to your Profession yet vnméete for a man either of learning or of sober wisedome But this faulte â—mong many others as I haue saide I wil dissemble Although your whole Booke be vtterly voide of Diuinitie yet at the least some sense of Humanitie had benne commendable But the Prelates of this Newe Cleregie you saie haue fouly falsified both the woordes the sense of Fulgentius And wherin M. Harding Forsooth in stéede of these woordes The Fourme of Man The Fourme of God for yâ— better vnderstanding of the vnlearned they haue vsed these woordes as more commonly knowen Godhed and Manhed If this be so faulte wherefore then is the Olde Father Martyr Vigilius suffered thus to saie Dei Filius secundum Humanitatem suam recessit à nobis Secundum Diuinitatem suam semper est nobiscum The Sonne of God according to his Manhed is departed from vs according to his Godhed is euer with vs Or againe Christus est vbique secundum Naturam Diuinitatis suae loco continetur secundum Naturam Humanitatis suae Christe is in al places according to the Nature of his Godhed and is conteined in
him the Apostles folowe writeth thus Vnus Hypodiaconus det aquam manibus Sacerdotum Duo Diaconi ex vtà que parte Altaris teneat flabellum confectum ex tenuibus membranis vel ex Pauonum pennis quibus leuiter abigant praeteruclantes bestiolas ne in Pocula incidant Let one of the Subdeacons geue Water to the Priestes handes Let two Deacons stande at the two endes of the Austore either of them with a fanne made of fine Parchemente or of Pecockes taises therewith softely to chase awaie the flâ—es that they fal not into the Communion Cuppes The offices of other Inferioure Orders be these as they be noted by one of M. Hardinges owne side Ad Minores Ordines haec spectant Portare Cereos Vrceolum Canes expellere de Ecclesia To the sesse Orders these thinges belonge to carrie Tapers and Holy Water stockes and to drâ—ue Doogges of the Churche These I trowe be the Mystical Holy Orders whereof M. Hardinge saithe Our parte had benne to haue made somme songe discourse beinge him selfe ashamed as it maie appeare by his silence either to name them in particulare or to open the Secretes of theire offices Howe be it in deede good Christian Reader sundrie of these offices in the Primitiue Churche were appointed to very good sober purposes The Doore keepers office was then to keepe out Excommunicate personnes that they should not presse in emonge the Faithful The Psalmistes or Singers office was to singe the Psalmes thereby to moue the peoples hartes to deuotion The Exorcistes office was by a special gifte of God â–ª seruinge onely for that time to cal foorth soule Sprites out of the Bodies of them that were possessed The Readers office was openly and plainely and distinctely to pronounce the Scriptures vnto the people and to this vse the Bishop deliuered vnto him a Booke with this charge Accipe esto relator Verbi Dei Take thou this Booke and be thou a pronouncâ—r of the Woorde of God And therefore Isidorus saithe Tanta â—am clara erit eius vox vt quamuis longâ— positorum aures adimpleat The Readers voice muste be so sowd and so cleare that it maye be hable to fille the eates of them that stande far of The Acolothes or VVaiters office was to attende vpon the Bishop as a witnesse of his conuersation To sutche good vses these offices then serued in the Churche of God But now there is nothinge leafte sauinge the bare name onely without any maner vse or Office For neither doothe the Ostiarius kéepe out the Excommunicates Nor doothe the Acoluthus waite vpoÌ„ the Bishop Nor doothe the Exorciste cast foorthe Diuels Nor doothe the Psalmiste Singe the Psalmes Nor doothe the Reader openly pronounce the Scriptures I might yet steppe alitle farther to open the whole bewtie of the Cleregte of Rome nor doothe the Deacon make prouision for the poore nor doothe the Bishop preache the Woorde of God This had benne our parte to haue opened at large And for leaning of the same we were woorthy by M. Hardinges iudgemente to be reproued The Apologie Cap. 3. Diuision 2. Yet notwithstanding wee saie that there neither is nor can be any one man whiche may haue the whole Superioritie in this Vuiuersal state for that Christe is euer presente to assiste his Churche and needeth not any man to supplie his roome as his onely heire to al his Substance and yâ— there caÌ„ be no one mortal creature whiche is hable to comprehend or conceiue in his mind the Vniuersal Churche that is to wite al the partes of the world mutche lesse hable rightly and duely to put them in order and to Gouerne them The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinges answeare hereto is longe and tedious The Substance therof in short is this Where wée saie No one Mortal Man is hable to wealde the burthen of the whole Churche of God M. Hardinge answeareth VVhere any thinge is in deede there whether it may be or no â–ª to discusse it is needlesse Therefore whether any one man can be superiour and chiefe ouer the whole Churche wee leaue to speake that so it is thus wee proue Euery Parrishe hathe his seueral Vicare or Personne And euery Dioces his owne Bishop Ergo what reason is it there be not one Chiefe Gouernoure of the whole Christen people VVhen questions be moued in maters of Faithe throughe diuersities of iudgementes the Churche should be diuided onlesse by Authoritie of One it were kepte in Vnitie They that saie otherwise take from Christe the Glorie of his prouidence and the praise of his greate loue towardes his Churche The Peace of the Churche is more conueniently procured by one then by many It is moste meete that the Churche Militante touchinge Gouernment resemble the Churche Triumphante But in the Triumphante Churche one is Gouernoure ouer the whole that is God Therfore in the Churche Militant order requireth that one beare rule ouer al accordinge to that the Holy Captaine Iosue seemeth to speake The Children of Iuda and the Children of Israel shal aessemble togeather and they shal make to them selues one Head Thereof our Lord saithe in S. Iohn There shal be One Folde and One Shephearde In deede Christe is Heade of his Body Yet neede it is for as mutche as Christe nowe dwelleth not with vs in Visible Presence his Churche haue one Man to doo his steede of outwarde rulinge in Earthe And therefore he saide vnto Peter Feede my Flocke Confirme they Brethren Thus wee see these Defenders Negatiue Doctrine That no One Man maie haue the Superioritie ouer the whole state of the Churche disproued as vtterly false To theire seconde reason we graunt Christe needed not any man to supplie his roome that should succede in his whole Substance Neither is Man of Capacitie of sutche succession neither hathe there any sutche fonde saieinge ben vttered by the Diuines But bicause Christe sawe the knot of Vnitie should be moste surely kepte knit by Gouernmente of one he committed the regimeÌ„t of the whole Churche vnto One whoe 's Visible Ministerie he might vse in steede of him selfe To the thirde we saye that Man is not onely hable to comprehende in his minde and conceiue the Vniuersal Churche but also to put it in order and to Gouerne it so far as is expedient Laste of al who so euer wil not be fedde nor ruled by this one Shepheard and breaketh out of this one Folde he is not of the Flocke of Christe but of the Hearde of Antichriste Here Gentle Reader M. Hardinge hathe brought thée not the Authoritie of any one Catholique Doctour or Learned Father but onely a few colde Reasons of his owne with certaine Scriptures vnaduisedly alleged and violently forced from theire meaninge as shal soone appeare His firste Reason concludeth very weakely Euery parishe is gouerned by One Vicare or Personne euery Diocese is gouerned by
mandatum Domini Pius Pastor exequitur Euen nowe Peter feedeth the Sheepe and as a Godly Shephearde he fulfilleth the commoundement of his Maister Sutche immoderate and ambitious Dignitie Leo was contente to yeelde to Peter to th ende that the possession and fruite thereof might redounde whelely vnto him selfe Some others haue thought that as wel these Epistles of Leo as also others moe of other the Ancient Bishoppes of Rome haue benne interlaced and falsified by the ambitious Popes that folowed afterwarde Whiche thinge is the more likely bothe for that the selfe same woordes be likewise alleged partely vnder the name of Pope Iulius partely vnder the name of Pope Nicolas and also for that Pope Zosimus whiche was the fifthe before Leo as it is saide before doubted not for an aduantage to falsifie the Holy Councel of Nice Verily when the Councel of Chalcedon had offered vnto this same Leo the Title of Vniversal Bishop as Gregorie witnesseth he vtterly refused it and woulde none of it Nowe touchinge that S. Hierome saithe the poore Bishop of Eugubium and the Bishop of Rome are bothe of one Authoritie For of Authoritie he speaketh as it is prooued before S. Cyrian also saithe the same that the Authoritie of the Bishoppes in Aphrica is as good as the Authoritie of the Bishop of Rome and calleth them al Lewd and Desperate Personnes that wil as M. Hardinge doothe safe the contrarie Therefore whereas M. Hardinge saithe By very Order of Christe him selfe it hath benne Ordeined that maters touchinge Faithe and Religion be referred to that One Prince of Pastours who sitteth in the Chaire of Peter the Highest Bishop and that the same hath alwaies benne donne and obserued from the Apostles time vntil our daies He bringeth vs twoo manifest Vntruthes togeather without any manner proufe at al onely auouched vpon him selfe For it appeareth not that Christe euer tooke this Order or euer made any sutche mention either of any sutche Prince of Pastours or of Peters Chaire And in the Councel of Aphrica it was decreed that no maters shoulde be remooued from thence to Rome The woordes of the Councel are these Ad transmarina Iudicia qui puâ—auerit appellandum à nullo intra Aphricam in Communionem suscipiatur Who so euer shal thinke be ought to appeale to the Judgementes beyond the Seas that is to the Bishop of Rome let no man within Aphrica receiue him to the Communion Touchinge that M. Hardinge calleth the Pope the Prince of Pastours he mighte haue remembred that the righte of this name belongeth onely vnto Christe S. Peter saithe That when Christe the Prince of Pastours shal appeare ye maie receiue the Vncorruptible Crowne Nowe to infeaâ—fe the Pâ—pe with Christes peculiare Titles a man mighte thinke it were greate blasphemie Certainely S. Cyprian saithe Nemo nostrum Episcopum se esse Episcoporum constituit None of vs appointeth him selfe Bishop of Bishoppes mutche lesse the Prince of al Pastours And in the Councel of Constantinople it was Decreed that the Bishop there shoulde haue Euen and Equal Authoritie with the Bishop of Rome As for the other Authoritie of S. Cyprian M. Hardinge saithe wée vnderstoode it not and therefore he willeth vs to looke better vpon our Bookes The counsel is good But if M. Hardinge wil graunte that S. Cyprian him selfe knew what he him selfe wrote and vnderstoode his owne meaninge it shal be sufficient Verily the woordes that he vseth séeme not so darke For thus he writeth Episcopatus Vnus est cuius à singulis in solidum pars tenetur Ecclesia Vna est quae in multiudinem latiâ—s incremento Foecunditatis exâ—enditur Quomodò Solis multi radij sed lumen Vnum ramiarboris multi sed robur Vnum The Bishoprike is One a parte whereof of euery seueral Bishop is possessed in whole The Churche is One whiche by her greate increase is extended vnto many As in the Sonne the beames be many but the lighte is one and in a Tree the boughes be many but the body is One. If there appeare any greate darkenesse or doubte in these woordes S. Cyprian him self in other places thus expoundeth his owne meaning in plainer wise Vna est Ecclesia à Christo per totum Mundum in plura membra diuisa Item Episcopatus Vnus Episcoporum multorum concordi numerositate diffusus There is One Churche diuided by Christe into many Members throughout the worlde Likewise One Bishoprike powred farre abroade by the agreeable multitude of many Bishoppes Againe Ecclesia Vna est connexa cohaerentium sibi inuicem Sacerdotum glutino copulata There is One Churche ioined and fastened in One by the consente of Bishoppes agreeiâ—ge togeather Againe Quando Oramus non pro Vno Oramus sed pro toto populo Quia totus populus Vnum sumus When wee praie we praie not for One but for the whole people For wee the whole people are but One. Againe immediately before these woordes whiche M. Hardinge saithe wée are not hable to vnderstande he saithe Hanc Vnitatem firmiter tenere vendicare debemus maximé Episcopi qui in Ecclesia praeâ—idemus vt Episcopatum quoque ipsum Vnum Indiuisum probemus This Vnitie muste wee holde specially Bishoppes that fitte as Rulers in the Churche that wee maye declare our Bishoprike to be One and without diuision Againe Etsi Pastores multi sumus Vnum tamen Gregem Pascimus Oues Vniuersas quas Christus Sangume suo Passione quaesiuit colligere fouere debemus Notwithstandinge wee be many Shepheardes yet wee Feede but One Flocke and wee are al bounde to geather vp and to nourrishe al the Sheepe that Christe hath wonne with his Bloude and Passion If either the Authour of the Apologie or the Interpreter vnderstoode not S. Cyprian yet M. Hardinge ye maye geue S. Cyprian leaue to vnderstande him selfe And in this sense S. Hierome saithe Communi Presbyterorum Consilio Ecclesiae gubernabantur The Churches were ordred not by the Vniuersal Authoritie of the Bishop of Rome but by the Common Aduise of the Priestes Likewise S. Cyprian saithe Ideircò copiosum est Corpus Sacerdotum CoÌ„cordiae mutuae glutine atque Vniratis vinculo copulatum vt si quis ex Collegio nostro Haeresim facere Gregem Christi laccrare ac vastare tentauerit subueniant coeteri Therefore is the Body or companie of Priestes so copious ioined togeather with consente of Concorde and Vnitie that if any one of our Companie entreprise to raise an Heresie and to scatter and waste the Flocke of Christe the reste shoulde healpe So likewise S. Basile Interrogate Patres Vestros renuntiabunt vobis quòd etiamsi loci situ diuisae inter se sint Paroeciae tamen veluti Coronamento quodam Vnitae vnaque sententia gubernatae fuerunt Assidua quidem populi fuit inter se commixtio Ipsi verò Pastores tanta praediti
fuerunt mutua inter ipsos Charitate vt alius alio Praeceptore ac Duce vsi fuerint Aske of your Fathers and they wil telle you that although Bishoprikes be diuided and sundred by distance of place yet were they euer knitte togeather as with a Garlande and euer ruled by One Aduise In deede the People was euer mingled togeather But the Bishoppes were al so ioined in Charitie that euery of them was contente to be taught and to be leadde by other Therefore as many Faithes in sundrie Faithefulles are but One Faithe as many Churches are but one Churche as many Baptismes are but one Baptisme Euen so saithe S. Cyprian many Bishoprikes are but One Bishoprike and therein as wel the Bishop of Rome as also euery other seucral Bishop hath his portion I saie The Bishoprike of Rome is not this Whole Bishoprike but a Parte Not the Body of the Sunne but a beame Not the stemme of the Trée but a braunche And thus by S. Cyprians minde neither doothe one Bishop holde of an other Nor is any One Bishop Heade of the Whole Nor is One Bishop al in al but al Bishoppes are onely One The Apologie Cap. 3. Diuision 6. And accordinge to the iudgement of the Nicene Councel wee saie that the Bishop of Rome hath no more iurisdiction ouer the Churche of God then the reste of the Patriarkes either of Alexandria or of Antioche haue M. Hardinge If it be a shame to belie the Deuil accordinge to the olde Prouerbe what is it to belie the Churche of God represented in the Nicene Councel The sixth Canon amonge al others of the Nicene Councel is that you grounde your surmise vpon I knowe wel For that hath benne wreasted to your purpose by certaine of your side And the same rightly construed maketh moste againste you For it seemeth to acknowledge the Bishoppe of Rome his Supremacie and Soueraigntie of iudgement ouer other Patriarkes These be the woordes of the Canon rightly Englished hed Let the Auncient custome continewe in force whiche is in Egypte Lybia ▪ and Pentapoli so that the Bishop of Alexandria haue Power ouer them al. Quandoquidem etiam Episcopo Romano hoc consuetum est For asmuch as the B. of Rome hath thus vsed Likewise in Antiochia also and in other Prouinces let the Churches keepe theire Prerogatiue VVhat can be gathered of the woordes of this Canon but that for ratefiynge the iurisdiction of the Patriarkes of Alexandria and Antiochia the Fathers of the Nicene Councel thought good to alter nothinge but to folowe the Auncient custome of Olde time vsed and allowed by the B. of Rome For it is asmuche to saie as this In asmuche as the B. of Rome hath benne wonte from the beginninge to graunt to the B. of Alexandria iurisdiction ouer Egypte Lybia and Pentapoli the Nicene Councel folowinge his authoritie and rule or at the least his vsage willeth and graunteth that the saide Bishop retaine and keepe his auncient right For if the B. of Alexandria had not receiued sutche iurisdiction by Auctoritie and graunt of the B. of Rome of olde time what reason shoulde haue moued those Fathers for confirmation thereof to alleage the custome of the B. of Rome And in that case whereto perteined the additiō of the cause Quia Episcopus Romanus hoc consueuit bicause this was the Bishop of Rome his custome If this had not benne theire meaninge they would neuer so haue spoken For what was his custome other then to allotte those Prouinces to the B. of Alexandria If any other thinge be alleaged to haue benne his maner and custome besides that the woordes of the Canon beare it not what had that benne to the purpose what so euer it be for cause and confirmation of the B. of Alexandria his iurisdiction ouer Egypte Lybia and Pentapoli Alleage you Defender for olde custome of the B. of Rome what elles you liste so that you make no violence to the Canon and thereupon make your argument inferringe of your allegation the Conclusion Ergo the B. of Alexandria ought to haue iurisdiction ouer Egypte Lybia and Pentapoli and you shal finde it to be suche an argument as any Sotte woulde be ashamed to make Against this if it shal like you to Replie wee warne you before that neither ye take aduantage of a doubteful interpretation as we knowe that Canon to be founde in diuerse Bookes not so plainely Translated and therefore we require you to stande to the Original as it is in Greeke neither that ye defende your lie with the wrested Exposition of Theodore Balsamon who hath written Greeke Commentaries vpon the Canons of the Councels sithens the schisme of the Greekes him selfe beinge a Schismatike For he beinge a Greeke borne and prick◠with the hatred of his Nation against the Latine Churche and specially the See of Rome in thexposition of that sixth Canon of the Nicene Councel swarueth bothe from learninge and also from reason The B. of Sarisburie In déede it is a shame to belie any creature for that lieinge is shameful of it selfe And therefore M. Hardinge ye mighte doo mutche better to vse it lesse You haue brought vs here an Exposition of the Councel of Nice sutche as I thinke from that time vntil this time hath seldome benne hearde of You saie The Bishop of Romes Custome was to geue Iurisdiction to the Patriarkes of Alexandria of Antioche and of Hierusalem and that thei had none Authoritie of Gouernmente but onely so mutche as was limited and allowed by him And this you saye was the onely and vndoubted meaninge of that Councel This fantasie is not here auouched by any Auncient Doctour or Learned Father Therefore wée muste thinke what so euer it be it is your owne And weighinge the strangenesse of the same I muste needes saie of yow as S. Hierome saide sometime of one Rheticius in the like case Rheticius eloquens quidem est sed ineptus Interpres Rheticius is an eloquente man in deede and yet but a fonde Interpreter For it is certaine and knowen euen vnto Children that the Bishop of Rome before the Councel of Nice had neither sutche Custome of Superioritie nor sutche dealinge of Iurisdictions Pope Pius Secundus saithe Ante Nicenam Synodum vnusquisque sibi vixit paruus respectus ad Romanā Ecclesiam halebatur Before the Councel of Nice euery Bishop liued to him selfe and there was then smal regarde had to the Churche of Rome As for our sortishe Argumentes sutche as by your iudgemente any sorte would be ashamed to make I maye leaue them wel to you M. Hardinge not for that ye lacke them greately but for that as it appeare the by your Bookes ye knowe beste howe to vse them Touchinge the sixthe Canon of this Councel whiche you imagine is so darke and doubteful I truste it shal be plainely and clearely opened by them that were neuer hitherto accounted sottishe The woordes
doo with menne that they should heare my Confessions as if they weare bable to beale al my griefes VVhen they heare me speake of mee selfe how can they tel whether I doo saie the truthe or no For noman knoweth what is donne in Man but the sprite of Man that is in Man How be it hereof haue growen many vnnecessarie and curious questions what Yeeres what Monethes what Daies what Houres what Manner what Order of Penance should serue for euer seueral sinne In Resolution of whiche doubtes stoode the Iudgement of the Prieste And therefore Carolus Magnus in in his Lawes straitely commaundeth that the Priestes should be skilful in the Booke of Penance But as touchinge the Iudge of Sinnes S. Chrysostome saithe Ante Deum confitere peccata tua Apud Verum Iudicem cum Oratione delicta rua pronuntia Confesse they sinnes before God Before the True Iudge with praier pronounce thine offenses And againe Cogitatione fiat delictorum exquisitio Sine Teste sit hoc Iudicium Solus te Deus confitentem uideat Let the examination of thy sinnes be wrought in thy Harte Let this Iudgement be VVithout VVitnesse Let God Onely heare thee when thou makest thy Confession And againe he saithe Medicinae locus hîc est non Iudicij non poenas sed peccatorum Remissionem tribuens Deo Soli dic peccatum tuum Heere is place of Medicine and not of Iudgement geuinge not punishement but Remission of Sinnes Open thy sinne to God Alone And therefore in M. Hardinges owne Canons it is noted thus Confessio fit ad ostensionem Poenitentiae non ad impetrationem veniae Confession is made vnto the Prieste not thereby to obteine forgeuenesse but to declare our repentance And againe Confessio Sacerdoti offertur in Signum veniae acceprae non Causam Remissionis accipiendae Confession is made vnto the Prieste in token of remission already obteined and not as a cause whereby to procure Remission And yet is the Prieste a Iudge al this notwithstandinge and pronounceth sentence as a Iudge of Doctrine of Open Sinne of the Offence of the Churche and of the Humilitie and Heauinesse of the Penitent and as a Iudge togeather with the Elders of the Congregation hath Authoritie bothe to Condemne and to Absolue Peter Lombarde him selfe saithe Etsi aliquis apud Deum sit solutus non tamen in facie Ecclesiae solutus habetur nisi per indicium Sacerdotis Al be it a man be Absolued before God yet is be not accoumpted Absolued in the face of the Churche but by the Iudgemente of the Prieste Likewise saithe S. Augustine Horror pritis publica Poenitentia satisfacere Sacerdotis Iudicio reconciliatum Communioni sociari I exhorte you first to make Satisfaction vnto the Churche by open penance and so to be restoared to the Communion by the discretion of the Prieste The order hereof as it is set foorthe by S. Cyprian was this Firste the Sinner by many outwarde gestures and tokens shewed him selfe to be penitent and sorowful for his sinne After that he made humble Confession thereof before the whole Congregation and desired his brethren to praie for him Lastly the Bishop and the Cleregie laide theire handes ouer him and so reconciled him So saithe Origen Qui lapsus est procedit in medium Exomologesin facit He that hathe offended commeth foorthe into the middes of the People and maketh his Confession Sozomenus likewise describinge the same Order saithe thus Rei ad terram sese pronos abijciunt cum planctu lamentatione Episcopus ex aduerso occurrit cum Lachrymis ipse ad Pauimentum lamentando prouoluitur vniuersa Ecclesiae multitudo Lachrymis suffunditur They that haue offended fal downe flat with weepinge and lamentation to the grounde The Bishoppe commeth to him with teares and him selfe likewise falleth downe and the whole multitude of the Churche is powred ouer and ouer with teares I vse the moe woordes herein for that the whole mater is longe sithence growen vtterly out of vse Notwithstandinge this is the Confession and Penance that S. Augustine speaketh of Of Open Confession M. Hardinge hee saithe The Keies were not geeuen to the Churche in vaine Of Open Confession hée saithe VVhat so euer ye Loose in Earthe shal be Loosed in Heauen Of Open Confession he speaketh al these woordes and not of any Auriculare or Priuate dealinge Yf M. Hardinge happen to doubte hereof let him looke better vpon his Bookes There shal he finde euen in the verie same place he hathe alleged these woordes partely goeinge before partely folowinge Agite Poenitentiam qualis agitur in Ecclesia vt oret pro uobis Ecclesia Iob dicit Si erubui in conspectu populi confiteri peccata mea Propterea Deus uoluit vt Theodosius ageret Poenitentiam publicam in conspectu populi Nolite permittere Viros vestros fornicari Interpellate contra eos Ecclesiam Doo Penaunce sutche as is donne in the Churche that the Churche maie praie for you Iob saithe I was not ashamed in the sight of al the people to confesse my sinnes Therefore God would that Theodosius beinge the Emperoure of the worlde should doo Open Penaunce euen in the presence of al y◠people Ye wiues suffer not your Husbandes to liue in fornication Comme before the Congregation and crie against them This is the Confession that S. Augustine speaketh of not Secrete or Priuate or in the Eare but Publique and Open and in the Sight and Hearing of al the people In like manner saithe S. Ambrose Multos necesse est vt ambias obsecres vt dignentur interuenire Fleat pro te Mater Ecclesia culpam tuam Lachymis lauet Thou muste needes humble thee selfe and desire many to intreate for thee Let the Churche thy Mother weepe for thee and let her washe thy offence with her teares This therefore M. Hardinge was no plaine dealinge with sutche sleight to turne Publique into Priuate and the Open audience of the whole people into one onely mannes secrete eare and so mutche to abuse the simplicitie of your Reader Certainely these woordes of S. Augustine Open Penaunce Confesse Openly In the sight of al the people That the vvhole Churche maie praie these woordes I saye wil not easily serue to proue your pourpose for Priuate Confession The Apologie Cap. 6. Diuision 3. Wee saie also that the Minister doth execute the Authoritie of Binding and Shutting as often as he shutteth vp the Gate of the Kingdome of Heauen against vnbeleeuing and stubborne persons denouncing vnto them Gods vengeaunce and Euerlasting punishment Or els when the dooth quite shut them out from the bosome of y◠Churche by open Excommunication Out of doubte what sentence so euer the Minister of God shal geue in this sorte God him selfe doth so wel alowe it that what so euer here in Earthe by theire meanes is Loosed and Bounde God him selfe wil
Matrimonium non solùm nihil nobis obstat ad Philosophandum Deo si voluerimus esse sobrij sed magnam adfert Consolationem Comprimit enim insanum Naturae impetum nec turbari sint quasi mare Sed efficit vt seapha foeliciter in portum appellat Et ideo Deus Consolationem hanc tribuit humano generi Marriage not onely hindreth nothing towardes the knowledge and Seruice of God If wee wil be sober but also bringeth vs greate Comforte For it oppresseth the raginge furie of Nature and suffreth vs not to be dashte and toste as the waues of the Sea but causeth that our shippe maie luckily arriue into the hauen And for that cause hath God geuen this Comforte vnto mankind Therefore Gregorie Nazianzene saith Nuptiae sunt laudabiles propter eam quae in Nuptijs est animi tranquillitatem Marriage is woorthy of Praise for the quietnesse and contentation of minde that is in Marriage To be shorte Clemens Alexandrinus saith Habet vt Castitas ita etiam Matrimonium propria munera Ministeria quae ad Dominum pertinent As wel Matrimonie as Chastitie hath either of them theire peculiare offices perteinge vnto God And Chrysostome saithe Ne quis praetexat Vxorem vel Liberos c. Haec excusatio hic praetextus Diaboli sunt insidiae Let noman make his excuse by his Wife or Children c. This Excuse and this pretence is the crafte and deceitefulnesse of the Diuel Thus M. Hardinge to conclude with Chrysostomes woordes the Grounde and Fundation of your Doctrine in this behalfe is the crafte and deceitefulnesse of the Diuel These thinges considered I doubte not but of your courtesie ye wil take backe your Fittons vnto your selfe The Conclusion and summe of your whole talke is this Spiridion serued God neuer the vvoorse not vvithstandinge he had a VVife And Marriage is no let or hinderance to perfite Godlinesse The Apologie Cap. 8. Diuision 3. Further wee saie that the same Lawe whiche by constraint taketh awaye this libertie from menne and compelleth them againste there willes to liue single is the Doctrine of Diuelles as Paule saith and that euer sithence the time of this Lawe a woonderful vncleanesse of life and manners in Goddes Ministers and sundrie horrible enormities haue folowed as the Bishop of Augusta as Faber as Abbas Panormitanus as Latomus as yâ— Tripartite VVoorke whiche is annexed to the Second Tome of the Councelles and other champions of the Popes bande yea and as the matter it selfe and al Histories doo confesse For it was rightly saide by Pius the Seconde Bishop of Rome that he savve many causes vvhy VViues shoulde be taken avvaie from Priestes but that he savve many moe and more vveightie causes vvhy they ought to be restoared to them againe M. Hardinge There is no Lawe in the Churche that by constrainte taketh awaye from men libertie to Marie For S. Paules woordes be plaine If thou take a wife thou sinnest not And likewise If a Virgine marie shee sinneth not But if any Persons haue of theire owne wil and deuotion Vowed to God chastitie the same haue imbarred them selues of this general libertie and by theire Voluntarie Promise haue bounde themselues neuer to Marie And in sutche not onely Marriage it selfe but also a wil to Marie is damnable as S. Paule saithe of VVidowes whiche haue Vowed to liue chaste that they haue theire damnation not for that they Marie but for that they wil marie If the Gospellers alleage against this Doctrine the woordes of S. Paule If a Virgine marie shee sinneth not VVee answeare with Chrysostome and other Fathers that a Virgine by a Vowe of Chastitie dedicated to God if she marrie doubtlesse she sinneth mutche for that beside Christe shee hathe surmaried an aduouterer If they obiecte It is better to Marrie then to Burne Let S. Ambrose answeare VVho saith that this saieinge perteineth to her that hath not promised to her that is not yet vailed And by restraininge them from Marriage the Churche vseth no tyrannic nor if it teache that sutche ought to forebeare Marriage is that to be accoumpted the Doctrine of Diuels but of the Holy Ghoste whereby men are kepte from wilful dammation To forebidde Marriage wholy Vniuersally and altogeather that is the Doctrine of Deuils But to iudge Marriage for somme state and Order of lesse conuenience then the Single Life or after Vowe of chastitie made to require perpetual continencie this is not the Doctrine of Diuels For S. Paule him selfe did bothe If these Defenders wil not admitte this answere and beinge lothe to forsake theire fleashly pleasure pretende to be moued with the Auctoritie of S. Paule who calleth the forebiddinge of Marriage the Doctrine of Diuels I sende them to S. Augustine for an answere in his thirteenthe Booke and Six the Chapter againste Faustus the Maniche VVhere for a sufficient solutton of theire obiection they shal finde these plaine woordes Ille prohibet qui hoc malum esse dicit non qui huic bono aliud melius anteponit That is to sate He forebiddethe Marriage whiche saithe it is euil not he whiche preferreth an other better thinge before this good thinge Nowe that I may shewe in what time and by what persons this Lawe of Single Life was ordeined for breuities sake I wil content my selfe with witnes of One onely Councel VVhiche is the Seconde Councel of Carthage holden in the time of Valentinian and Theodosius the Emperours VVhere we finde that this order was taken by the Apostles them selues and that the Antiquitie obserued and kepte the same The woordes of the councel be these Canone 2. Aurelius Episcopus dixit c. Aurelius the Bishop saide VVhereas in the Councel before this it was treated of the rule of continencie and chastitiè these three Degrees through their Consecrations be annexed to chastitte by a certaine decree written to witte Bishoppes Priestes and Deacons VVhom it is thought good as it becometh the Holy Prelates and Priestes of God and likewise Leuites or suche as attende vpon Holy Sacramentes to be continent and chaste in euery condition to thintente thei may simply obteine that they pray to God for that we keepe and obserue that whiche the Aposâ—les haue taught and the antiquitie hath kepte Lo Sir Defender VVhat if the Bishop of Augusta finde faulte with Priestes liues VVhiche Augusta and whiche Bishop there ye meane I knowe not neither wel can I knowe excepte I sawe your notebooke what if the Abbot Panormitane what if one Faber and one Latomus men of our time I trow and that zelous man whiche wrote the litle tripartite treatise annexed to the Laterane Councel What so euer he was what if al these I saie moued with a zeale and beinge desirous of the Clergies Reformation lamentably complaine of theire loose life what then Gette you fairer painted and better filled boxes then these be or els shal ye al be taken for poore Potticartes
Hierome saithe Quid prodest Corporis pudicitia animo constuprato VVhen the Minde or Harte is defloured what auaileth the Chastitie of the Body S. Ambrose saithe Non imperari potest Virginitas sed optari Nam quae supra nos sunt in Voto magis sunt quà m in Magisterio Wee maie vvishe for Virginitie but commaunde it wee cannot For the thinges that be aboue vs and out of our power are rather of desire then of Commaundement Hereof Epiphanius maketh this Conclusion Vt ne confundantur apud homines occultè scortantur sub Solitudinis aut continentiae specie libidinem exercent Melius est itaque lapsum à cursu palà m sibi vxorem accipere secundum Leges Leste they should be shamed before menne they keepe Harlottes priuily and vnder the colour of Solitarie or Continent Life they practise theire filthy pleasure Better is it therefore for a man beinge fallen from his course openly to take vnto him selfe a vvife accordinge to the Lavve So saithe S. Hierome as I haue before alleged Huiusmodi Virginibus apertè dicendum est vt aut nubant si se non possunt continere aut contineant si nolunt nubere To sutche virgins wee muste saie plainely that either they Marrie if they cannot Conteine Or els that they Conteine if they wil not Marrie So saithe S. Bernard vnto his Sister Quod incautè vouisti ne impleas Impia est promissio quae scelere adimpletur That thou haste vnaduisedly Vowed see thou keepe it not It is a vvicked promisse that is perfourmed vvith vvickednesse To be shorte Iohannes Scotus saithe Si votum Continentiae est annexum Ordini Sacro solùm ex praecepto Ecclesiae sequitur quòd non simpliciter illegitimat ad contrahendum If the Vowe or promisse of Chastitie be annexed vnto Holy Orders Onely by force of the Constitution or Commaundement of the Churche then dooth it not of necessitie and fine force vnhable a man to contracte Matrimonie How be it hereof wée haue saide already so mutche as to a reasonable man maie seeme sufficient The Apologie Cap. 9. Diuision 1. Wee receiue and embrace al the Canonical Scriptures bothe of the Olde and Newe Testament geuinge thankes to our God who hath raised vp vnto vs that Light whiche wee might euer haue before our eies leaste either by the suttletie of man or by the snares of the Diuel wee should be carried awaie to errours and lies Also that these be the Heauenly Voices whereby God hath opened vnto vs his wil and that onely in them mannes harte can haue settled reste that in them be aboundantly and fully comprehended al thinges what so euer be needeful for our Healthe as Origene Augustine Chrysostome and Cyrillus haue taught That they be the very mighte and strength of God to attaine to Saluation That they be the Fundations of the Prophetes Apostles whereupon is builte the Churche of God That they be the very sure and infallible Rule whereby maie be tried whether the Churche doo swarue or erre and whereunto al Ecclesiastical Doctrine ought to be called to accoumpte and that against these Scriptures neither Lawe nor Ordinaunce nor any custome ought to be hearde no though Paule him selfe or an Angel from Heauen should comme teache the contrarie M. Hardinge But why doo yee not here plainely declare whiche be the Bookes of the Scriptures that ye allowe and whiche be they that ye reiecte In general ye saie that ye embrace al the Canonical Scriptures Yet if a man presse you with the place of the Machabees for Praier to be made for the Deade and with the woordes of S. Iames Epistle againste your Iustification of Faithe onely and likewise with certaine other places of the Scriptures whiche be accompted in the Canon of the Churche againste certaine other your false doctrines in this case your wonte is to denie those Scriptures to be Canonical Yet here ye beare the worlde in hande ye allowe al. VVould God there were in you either more truthe or lesse crafte VVel ye geue thankes to God for the Scriptures for that hauinge them before your eies ye are staied in Truthe assured that by the suttelty of man or snares of the Diuel ye be not caried awaie into Errours and Lies And is it so in deede I praie you syrs of what secte be ye or of whiche secte is eche one of you For I dare boldely saye and so the worlde seethe that yee agree not al in one If yee saie yee be Lutherans then muste I further demaunde of you of whiche sorte of Lutherans For that puddle runneth out by many sinckes Be yee Zuinglians Arians Osiandrines Libertines Adiaphoristes Anabaptistes Caluinistes or Sathanisâ—es VVhat Priuiledge haue ye before your felowes a matche beinge made betwene you I meane that newe Cleregie of Englande and the other sectes of our time c. If yee haue this lighte of the Scriptures before your eies how is it that ye agree not within your selues yea how is it that eche one of you oftentimes disagreeth with him selfe howe is it that so many times ye haue chaunged your Commâ—nion Booke the order of your Seruice your doctrine of the blessed Sacrament your Homilies c. VVho knoweth not how in the matter of the Sacrament your chiefe Capitaines haue shewed them selues inconstant and mutable and contrary to them selues I meane Cranmere Ridley Latimer and that greate Rabbin Peter Martyr him selfe As for the resâ— they be not woorthy to be named But what saie ye be these the Heauenly Voices whereby God hath opened vnto vs his wil Then howe dare yee to transgresse his wil declared in these Voices where ye reade expressely that he whiche heareth not the Churche is to be taken for no better then a Heathen and a Publicane As yee procede ye saye that onely in the Scriptures mans harte can haue setled reste and that in them be abundaÌ„tly and fully comprehended al thinges what so euer be needeful for our Saluation as Origen Augustine Chrysostome and Cyrillus haue taught Either you knowe not what you saie sir Defender nor the thinges of whiche you make affirmation as S. Paule saile of suche as ye are writinge to Timothe or you are fowly ouerseene If the harte of man haue setled rest in the Scriptures onely as you saye then in nothinge els but in the Scriptures By this you seeme to trouble and disqutet many hartes For if this be true then had good Abel no better reste in his harte then wicked restlesse Cain VVhen the Holy Booke of Scripture was loste whiche God restored by Esdras were there none in al that time whose hartes had setled reste VVhat foolishe and absurde doctrine is this VVhat if it had pleased God there had neuer benne letter written of the Olde or Newe Testament shoulde not Gods frendes haue founde his peace that passeth al sense as S. Paule saieth Had Paule Antony Hilarion
Pambus and many other Holy men liuinge in VVildernesse without letters no reste ne quiet at their hartes Nay who had the like And whereas you saie that al thinges needeful for our Saluation be abundantly and fully cōprehended in the Scriptures this is also as false as sundry other partes of your Doctrine For if al thinges necessary to Saluation be conteined in the Scriptures then what so euer is not in them conteined the same is not necessarie If not necessarie why shoulde we be laden with vnnecessarie burdens Then awaie with al Traditions at a clappe be they neuer so Apostolike neuer so Auncient neuer so Healthful neuer so longe time in the Churche continued Remember you not what the moste renoumed Fathers haue written of the necessitie of Traditions Or if you remember them what thought you when you wrote thus Let Learned and Holy Basil be hearde in steede of many if not to reuoke you from your errour yet to discredite you and staye others in the truthe His woordes be these Of the doctrines whiche be preached in the Churche certaine we haue out of the Scripture written certaine we haue receiued in secrete Mistery by tradition of the Apostles whiche bothe be of equal force to Godlines Neither concerninge these any man gainesaieth be he of neuer so smal knowledge For if we goe about to reiect the customes that be not set foorth in writinge as beinge of litle regarde then shal we condemne those thinges also whiche we haue in the Gospel necessarie to Saluation Yea rather we shal bringe the preachinge of the Faithe but to a bare name For so they were taken for Heretikes whiche regarded not the solemne faste of Lente receiued at the Apostles as we reade in S. Augustine De Haer. ad Quoduultdeum cap. 53. and in the Councel of Gangra in an Epistle to the Bishops of Armenia Euen so they whiche denied the distinction of a Bishop and a Prieste were condemned of Heresie as we finde in S. Augustine in the Booke and Chapter aforesaide and in Epiphanius Lib. 3. Cap. 75. In the Councel of Constance the same is to be founde Againe if al thinges necessarie to Saluation be expressed in the Scriptures to what purpose saide S. Paule concerninge order and maner to be vsed at the celebration of the holy Sacramente Coetera cùm venero disponam As for other thinges I wil take Order for them when I come VVhat meaneth S. Iohn to saye Hauinge other thinges to write to you of I woulde not write them in Paper and inke for I truste to be with you and speake to you mouthe to mouthe To conclude muche that might be obiected in fewe woordes for breuities sake what saie you sir Defender shal we finde al thinges necessarie to Saluation in the Scripture Howe thinke you of the Scripture it selfe How knowe you this to be the Scripture How knowe ye the Gospel of Mathewe Marke Luke and Iohn to be theirs whose names they beare This can you not finde in al the Scripture and yet is the same necessary to be beleeued VVhat Scripture have you to admitte these and to refuse the Booke bearinge the name of Peter the Gospel of Thomas of Bartholome we of Nicodeme VVhy admitte you not the Prophetes that Basilides would to be allowed but onely the foure greate and the twelue lesser what auctoritie haue you to staie your selfe by concerninge these but onely that of the Churche for Scripture haue you none for proufe hereof Then hath not Scripture al thinges in it necessarie for a Christen man Is it not necessarie to beleeue the Sonne of God to be Homousion that is to saie of the same Substance with the Father whiche if you denie you restore the olde condemned Heresie of the Arians The same can you not finde in the Scripture VVhere in al the Bible finde you that God the Father is Ingenitus VVhere finde you that the Holy Ghoste proceedeth frō the Father and the Sonne that the blessed Virgin Marie continued in her Virginitie that suche as be Baptized of Heretikes oughte to be Baptized againe That in fantes ought to be Baptized That the Foure Bookes of the Gospels were written by Mathewe Marke Luke and Iohn by what Scripture can you prooue it To ende where finde you expressely in al the Scriptures three Persons to be one God The B. of Sarisburie Here to weighe downe the Authoritie of Goddes Holy Woorde M. Hardinge hath brought in a heape of ordinarie stale quarrelles Of the difference bitwéene Priestes and Bishoppes of Lente of the Communion Booke of the Homilies of the Order of Seruice and of the Perpetual Virginitie of Our Lady His whole drifte herein is to beare vs in hande that there is very litle or none Authoritie in the Scriptures and that the whole Credite and certainetie of our Faithe resteth onely in the Churche of Rome He seemeth to take it in scorne that the Woorde of God shoulde be called the Light Yet notwithstandinge the Prophete Dauid saithe Thy Woorde is a Lanterne to my feete And againe The Commaundement of the Lorde is Lightsome geeuing Light vnto the eies And Theophylacte saith Verbum Dei est Lucerna qua Fur deprehenditur The Woorde of God is the Candel whereby ther Theefe or false Teacher is espied Whereas M. Hardinge demaundeth of vs so pleasauntly what Scriptures we allowe and what wée reiecte he troubleth him selfe with an idle and a néedelesse question For we embrace and reuerence euery parcel and title of the Scriptures without exception not refusinge any parte thereof that hath benne allowed by the Ancient Learned Catholique Fathers of the Churche of God Neither doo wee so scornefully calle Goddes Holy Woorde a Nose of vvaxe a Shipmannes Hose or a Dead letter as sundrie of that side haue delited to cal it Touchinge the Booke of the Machabees wee saie nothinge but that we finde written by S. Hierome S. Augustine other Holy Fathers S. Hierome saithe Machabaeorum Libros legit quidem Ecclesia Sed eos inter Canonicas Scripturas non recipit In deede the Churche readeth the Bookes of the Machabees but shee receiueth them not emonge the Canonical allovved Scriptures Or Praier for y◠Dead wee shal haue place more conuenient to speake hereafter The place of S. Iames touchinge the Iustification of Faithe Woorkes is answeared before Neither doo wee discredite any parte either of the Authoritie or of the Doctrine of that whole Epistle notwithstandinge Eusebius saithe It was written by somme other and not by S. Iames. His woordes be these Istius Iacobi qui lustus Oblias vocabatur dicitur esse Epistola quae prima scribitur inter Canonicas Sciendum autem est illam Epistolam esse Spuriam The Opinion is that the Epistle whiche is reckened the firste emonge the Canonicalles is of this Iames whiche was called Iustus and Oblias But wee muste vnderstande that
it is a Bastarde Epistle and not written by S. Iames. Likewise S. Hierome saithe Epistola Iacobi ab alio quopiam sub eius nomine edita asseritur It is saide that the Epistle of S. Iames was set foorthe by somme other man vnder his name This therefore is no Newe fantasie but the Iudgemente of the Ancient Learned Fathers Neuerthelesse wee doo bothe receiue the same Epistle and also reade it in Oure Churches and allowe euery Clause and Sentence that therein is written M. Hardinge saithe If yee haue this Lighte of the Scriptures before your eies howe is it that yee agree no better emongest your selues And here he reckeneth vp by rote a many of names of his owne makinge Lutherans Zuinglians Arians Osiandrians Libertines Adiaphoristes Anabaptistes Caluinistes and Sathanistes In whiche his so pleasante fansie he maie haue leaue to sporte him selfe while he listeth God be thanked wée agrée thorowly togeather in the whole Substance of the Religion of Christe and altogeather with one harte and one Sprite doo glorifie God the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christe Certainely S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Chrysostome Epiphanius and Theophilus as it appeareth by theire writinges agreed no better togeather in theire time then wee doo nowe Yet had they and euery of them the Woorde of God and the same Woorde of God was a Light vnto their feete It was not for any greate stoare of better mater I trowe that M. Hardinge thus chargeth vs with so often changinge the Communion Booke For of more then of one Onely Change he cannot tel vs. And if there had benne lesse then that there had benne no change at al. And yet for that One change he him selfe in the meane season hath changed thrise But the Holy Communion Booke and the Order of the Holy Ministration standeth and by Goddes Mercie shal stand stil without any further Change How be it Gentle Reader if thou wilt knowe the often Alterations and Changes of the Masse reade I beseche thée Platyna and Polydore Vergil touchinge the same There shalte thou finde howe and by whome and vpon what occasion and in what processe of time al the partes of the Masse were peeced and sette togeather and that in the space of seuen hundred whole yéeres scarcely and with mutche adoo it was made vp at laste and brought to somme perfection Christes Commaundement of Hearinge the Churche is answeared before S. Augustine saithe Credimus Sanctam Ecclesiam non Credimus in Sanctam Ecclesiam VVee beleeue that there is a Holy Churche But wee Beleue not in the Holy Churche For the Churche is not God nor is hable of her selfe to make or alter any one Article of the Faithe The Prophete Esay saithe Ad Legem potiùs ad Testimonium Si non responderint secundum Verbum hoc non erit illis Lux Matutina To the Lawe rather and to the Testimonie If they answeare not accordinge to this VVoorde they shal haue no Morninge Light M. Hardinge saithe further If quietnesse of Conscience comme of the VVoorde of God onely then had Abel no more quietnesse of Conscience then wicked restlesse Cain Then should Paule the Eremite and Antonie and Hilarion and Pambus and other Holy menne liuinge in Wildernesse without Letters haue had no reste ne quiet at theire hartes And why so Bicause they had no Woorde written Who woulde thinke that M. Hardinge bearinge sutche a countenance of Diuinitie woulde thus goe aboute to deceiue him selfe with a pointe of Sophistrie Chrysostome saithe Deus Conditor Humani Generis ab initio per seipsum homibus loquebatur God the Creatour of Mankinde froÌ„ the beginninge spake vnto menne by him selfe in his owne personne And S. Paule saithe Deus olim multifarià m multisquemodis Patribê° locutus est In Old times God spake many vvaies and in sundrie sortes vnto the Fathers And doothe M. Hardinge thinke when God him selfe in his owne personne and presently spake vnto Abel that Abel bearde not then the Woorde of God Wée speake not so precisely and nicely of Goddes Woorde written in Paper For so it is a Creature Corruptible and shal consume and perishe as other Corruptible Creatures doo But the VVoorde of God whiche wée speake of endureth for euer S. Hierome saithe Quomodò Aeternae erunt Scripturae Diuinae si Mundus certo fine est terminandus Verum est quidem quòd Librorum pelliculae cum ipsis Literis abolendae sunt Sed quia subiungit DnÌ„s Verba verò mea non praeteribunt proculdubio quod illis apicibus pollicetur erit Aeternum Howe shal the Holy Scriptures he Euerlastinge seeinge the Worlde shal haue on ende True it is that the parchement or leaues of the Bookes with the letters and al shal be abolished But for as mutche as our Lorde addeth My Woordes shal neuer passe doubtelesse though the Papers and Letters perishe yet the thinge that is promised by the same letters shal laste for euer So Chrysostome saithe Paulus Praedicationem non Scripâ—am appellat Euangelium Preachinge not vvritten Paule calleth the Gospel That M. Hardinge addeth of Antonius and Paulus Hilarion other Eremites that they liued in Wildernesse vvithout Letters and therefore presumeth they liued vvithout the VVoorde of God it is very vnaduisedly spoken and vtterly vntrue For proufe whereof to name onely One in stéede of the reste S. Augustine saithe that Antonius the Eremite was notably Learned and perfite in the Scriptures His woordes be these Antonius sine vlla scientia Literarum Scripturas Diuinas memoriter audiendo tenuisse prudenter cogitando intellexisse praedicatur It is reported that Antonius without knowledge of Letter bothe Learned the Holy Scriptures and bare them vvel in minde by hearinge and also by Wisedome and studie vnderstoode them And whereas M. Hardinge woulde séeme to make sutche an accoumpte of Praier and Holinesse without knowledge S. Augustine saithe Lectio sine Meditatione arida est Meditatio sine Lectione erronea est Oratio sine Meditatione tepida est Readinge without Meditation or studie is drie and barren Meditation or studie vvithout Readinge is erroneous And Praier without Cogitation or studie is halfe colde and vnfruiteful Thus wée sée by S. Augustines Iudgement that the Force and Substance bothe of Praier and of Meditation dependeth of Readinge How be it what Comforte and peace of Conscience wée haue by Hearinge the Woorde of God S. Paule can tel vs somewhat better then M. Hardinge Thus he saithe Quaecunque Scripta sunt c. What so euer thinges are written they are written for our learninge that by Patience and Comforte of the Scriptures we maye haue hope Euen so saithe Christe him selfe O Father this is the Euerlastinge Life that they maye know thee the onely and very God and Iesus Christe whome thou haste sente But S. Paule saithe Keepe the Traditions whiche ye haue receiued either by Epistle or by VVoorde And S.
Hardinge be hable easily to winne the price He saithe Our Doctrine is but in a Corner of the worlde and that therefore Christe hathe geuen this watche woorde of vs Beleeue them not How be it if he would aduisedly consider the mater and looke wel about him he shoulde finde that so many Kingdomes and Countries and Commonweales as this day professe the Gospel of Christe would make a good large Corner in the Churche of God Certainely in respecte thereof Rome it selfe were a very poore Corner Vnto whom Christe specially pointed when he saide these woordes Beleeue them not bicause it is a Prophesie it is harde to iudge But it is very likely he meante Antichriste that Man of Sinne the Childe of destruction that auanceth him selfe aboue al that is called God Verily Chrysostome thereof saithe thus Non dico si dixerint vobis Ecce in Haereticis Ecclesijs illis vel in illis apparuit Christus sed etiam si in ipsis veris Ecclesijs quae Dei sunt id est domus vestrae dixerint vobis Christum apparuisse nolite eis credere dicentibus ista de me quia non est digna Diuinitatis meae notitla haec Ostendens per haec quomodò ex ipsis Ecclesijs veris frequenter exeunt Seductores Proptereà nec ipsis omninò credendū est nisi ea dicant vel faciant quae conuenientia sint Scripturis I saie not if they tel you Behold Christe hathe appeared in these or these Churches of Heretiques But if they shal saie vnto you that Christe bathe appeared in the very true Churches that are of God that is to saie that are your houses Beleeue them not if they saie thus of me for this is no woorthy knowledge of my Diuinitie By these he sheweth hovv that out of the very true Churches oftentimes come foorthe deceiuers Therefore wee maie not beleue no not them onlesse they speake or doo those thinges that are agreeable to the Scriptures Verily how so euer M. Hardinge wil shifte this mater the plaine woordes séeme rather to touche him and his companie then either Luther or Zuinglius or any other For they can pointe with theire fingers and saie Here is Christe and There is Christe Behold In this Pyre are three Christes in that fiue in that seuen in that moe Therefore it is likely that Christe géeueth vs this special watche woorde of them and sutche others Beleeue them not Here M. Hardinge maketh mutche adoo about Consecration and yet are not his Felowes wel agreed what to make of theire owne Consecration Gabriel saithe Chritus potuit sine verbo tanquam verus Deus Substantiam Panis Vini Consecrare Vel potuit verba quaedam secretò proferre per illa Consecrare Vel per haec Verba Hoc est Corpus meum Consecrare potuit Vel potuit priùs Consecrare posteà distribuere Vel primùm distribuere posteà Consecrare Quid autem horum fecerit ex Sacris Scripturis non constat Christe as beinge very God might Consecrate the Substance of Breade and VVine vvithout vvoorde Or els he might speake certaine wordes in secrete and by them Consecrate Or els he might Consecrate by these woordes This is my Body Or els he might firste Consecrate and after deliuer Or els firste deliuer and after Consecrate But vvhiche of al these he did in deede by the Holy Scriptures it appeareth not Cardinal Bessarion saithe that in the Latine Churche Consecration is wrought by the vvoordes of Christe in the Gréeke Churche by other Praiers that folowe afterwarde Catharinus intreatinge pourposely hereof saithe Christe Consecrated not vvith the same vvordes that are nowe vsed in the Masse This is my Body Durandus saithe Christe Consecrated by his Diuine povver and after Consecration saide This is my Body Petrus Alliacensis yeldeth this reason hereof Quia nisi antè fuisset Corpus Christi Christus non verè dixisset Hoc est Corpus meum If it had not benne Christes Body before Christe coulde not haue said truely This is my Body It is concluded in a Booke called Antididagma lately set foorth by the Chapter of Colaine that the bare woordes of Christes Institution without the woordes of the Canon of the Masse are not sufficient to woorke Consecration Bonauentura saithe To haue the true Fourme of Consecration wée muste séeke not to the Gospel of Christe but to the Canon Howe be it thereof groweth a greate inconuenience that Christe and his Apostles for that they had not the woordes of the Canon had therefore no Consecration Againe Bonauentura saithe that these woordes Noui Aeterni Testamenti are not of the substance of Consecration but are vsed onely as a fourniture Iohannes Scotus saithe Quod ergo est consilium Dico quòd Sacerdos intendens facere quod facit Ecclesia legens distinctè verba Canonis à Principio vsque ad finem verè consicit nec est tutum alicui reputare se valde peritum in scienua sua dicere volo uti praecisè istis verbis pro Consecratione The mater beinge so doubteful what then is your Counsel I saie that the Prieste intendinge to doo what so euer the Churche doothe and readinge the woordes of the Canon distinctly and plainely from the beginninge to the ende doothe verily Consecrate Neither is it good for a man to recken him selfe very skilful in his knowledge and to saie I vvil vse precisely these or these vvoordes to vvoorke Consecration Where also these woordes are specially noted in the Margine Nota quòd de hae materia Doctor nihil hîc asserit sed probabiliter aliquid dicens sub dubio relinquit Here marke that touching this mater of Consecration the Doctour auoucheth nothing but speakinge sommewhat by the waie of likelyhoode he leaueth the vvhole mater vnder doubte In the ende Scotus vncertainely and doubtefully concludeth thus Vnde dicunt aliqui quòd Forma Graecorum Forma nostra quaecunque scripta in Euangelijs sufficiens est ad Consecrationem Whereof somme saie thus that the Fourme of vvoordes that the Greekes vse and the Fourme that vvee vse and any Fourme els vvritten in the Gospels is sufficient to Consecration The like certainetie Bonauentura teacheth vs For thus he endeth De hoc est vtilius dubitare Quis enim potest scire vtrùm Euangelistae aut Apostolus ipse intenderint describete Formam Igitur melius est hîc piè dubitare quà m praesumptuosé definire Hereof it is best to stande in doubte For who can tel whether the Euangelistes or the Apostle Paule him selfe meante to write vs the Fourme of Consecration Therefore in this pointe it is better Soberly to doubte then presumptuously to determine By these fewe good Christian Reader thou maiste sée the grounde and certainetie of M. Hardinges Doctrine He saithe Wée haue no Consecration for that wée lacke a Thing but what Thinge it should be he and his Felowes cannot tel How be it in deede wée vse the
Petiliani speakinge of the place of the Psalme Sicut vnguentum in capite whiche the Heretike had alleaged saithe thus In hoc vnguento c. In this oinctement his will is to interpret the Sacramente of Chrisme he meaneth the Sacramente of Confirmation whiche in the kinde of visible signes is Holy as Baptisme is Lo S. Augustine calleth cofirmation a Sacramente S. Eusebius Pope namethe it a Sacramente in his third epistle written to al the Bisâ—hoppes of Tuscia and Campania Manus impositionis Sacramentum c. The Sacramente of imposition of Handes saithe he is to be kepte with greate reuerence whiche cannot be performed but by the high Priestes he vnderstandeth Bishoppes Melchiades nexte to Syluester before the Nicene Councel speakinge muche of Confirmation amonge other thinges saithe thus Duo haec Sacramenta Baptismi confirmationis separanda non sunt These twoo Sacramentes of Baptisme and Confirmation maye not be sundered Though these twoo Bishoppes were Popes yet they deserue credit forasmuche as they liued before that corruption crept into the Churche after your accoumpte and died Holy Martyrs That Penaunce is a Sacramente and so accoumpted amonge the Fathers it is so euident that who doubteth of it maie seeme not to haue perused their writinges S. Augustine in enchiridio ad Laurentium speakinge of Baptisme and Penaunce calleth bothe Salutaria Sacramenta healthful Sacramentes S. Ambrose signifieth him selfe to be of the same minde in his firste Booke de Poentientia Cap. 6. 7. and in the second Booke Cap. 2. though without puttinge thexpresse name of Sacramente But in the third Chapter of that Booke he putteth the name of Sacramente expressely Touchinge Order that is a Sacramente also by verdite of S. Augustine whom ye alleage for you Let vs heare what he saithe In his seconde Booke contra epist Parmentani Cap. 13. these be his wordes where he speaketh of Baptisme and of the Power to Baptize whiche is geuen in the Sacramente of Order Vtrunque euim Sacramentum est quadam consecratione vtiunque homini datur illud cum Baptizatur istud cum ordinatur Ideo in Catholica non licet vtrunque iterari Either of them is a Sacramente and with a certaine Consecration either is geuen to man the one when he is Baptized the other when he taketh Orders Therefore in the Catholike Churche it is not lawful either of them to be taken twise For the Sacramente of wedlocke besides other good and sufficient proufes that it is a Sacramente wee haue sundrie testimonies out of S. Augustine and other Doctours In the Churche saithe S. Augustine not onely the bande of mariage but also the Sacramente is so commended that it is not lauful for the husbande to deliuer his VVife to another He calleth wedlocke a Sacramente in many places of his workes De bono coniugali Cap. 7. 18. and in the. 24. Chapter of that Booke hee saithe Haec omnia bona sunt propter quae nuptiae bonae sunt Proles Fides SacramentuÌ„ All these thinges be good for whiche mariage is good issue Faithe the Sacramente Of extreme Vnction who doubteth whether it be a Sacramente let him reade the Epistle of Innocentrus the Firste ad Decentium Eugubinum Episcopum Cap. 8. where moste planely treatinge of it he nameth it a Sacramente Chrysostome interpreteth the place of S. Iames epistle for this Sacramente And so dothe Bede alleaging the place of S. Iames the sixth of Marke the Auctoritie of Innocentius and the custome of the Churche Seinge then we haue founde the seuen sacramentes expressely mentioned in the Fathers accordinge to the teaching of the Catholique Churche whereas ye teache men to beleeue there be but two and pretend that the Fathers spake of nomo I truste from henceforthe they wil take better aduise how they beleue your bare VVoorde without al prouse and with certaine danger of their soules forsake the Doctrine of the Churche whiche is the sure Pillour and ground of truthe as S. Paule saithe In this greate pointe Beza and ye of that side bee manifestly founde lyers The B. of Sarisburie To spende woordes without cause is affliction of the Sprite and losse of time M. Hardinge here bestoweth mutche laboure and allegeth many Doctours to winne that thinge that he might easily haue obteined without any sutche adoo For gentle Reader lefte that thou be deceiued and thinke there is somme weight in this heape of feathers wee wil graunt without force and freely that the Holy Catholique Fathers haue made mention not onely of Seuen as M. Hardinge here accoumpteth them but also of Seuenteene sundrie Sacramentes Tertullian calleth the Helue wherewith Elizaeus recouered the Axe out of the water Sacramentum Ligni the Sacramente of VVoode And the whole state of the Christian Faithe he calleth Religionis Christianae Sacramentum The Sacramente of Christian Religion S. Augustine in many places hathe Sacramentum Crucis The Sacrament of the Crosse Thus he saithe In hac Crucis Figura continetur Sacramentum In this Figure or Fourme of the Crosse there is conteined a Sacrament So saith Leo Crux Christi quae saluandis est impensa Fidelibus Sacramentum est exemplum The Crosse of Christe whiche was geuen to saue the Faitheful is bothe a Sacramente and also a Samplar S. Hierome saithe E latere Christi Baptismi atque Martyrij pariter Sacramente funduntur Out of Christes side the Sacramentes of Baptisme and Martyrdome are powred foorthe bothe togeather Leo calleth the promisse of Virginitie Sacramentum Quid eos manebit qui corruperine foedera Diuini Sacramenti VVhat shal becomme of them that haue broken the Couenante of the Heauenly Sacramente The Breade that was geuen vnto the Nouices or Beginners in the Faithe called Catechumeni before they were Baptized of S. Augustine is called a Sacramente S. Hilarie in sundrie places saith Sacramentum Orationis Sacramentum Esuritionis Sacramentum Scripturarum Sacramentum Fletus Sacramentum Sitis The Sacramente of Praier The Sacramente of Fastinge The Sacramente of the Scriptures The Sacramente of VVeepinge The Sacramente of Thirste S. Bernarde calleth the wasshinge of the Apostles foete a Sacramente Ablutio Pedum Sacramentum est quotidianorum peccatorum The VVasshinge of feet is the Sacramente of daily Sinnes Thus many and many moe Sacramentes it had benne easy for M. Hardinge to haue founde in the Catholique Learned Fathers Yet I trowe he wil not saie that either the Helue of an Axe or the whole Religion of Christe or a Crosse printed in the foreheade or Martyrdome or the Scriptures or a Vowe of Virginitie or the Breade geuen to the Catechumeni or Praier or Fastinge of Wéepinge or Thirste or Wasshinge of féete are the necessarie seuen Sacramentes of the Churche How be it wée wil not greately striue for the name It appeareth hereby that many thinges that in deede and by special propertie be no Sacramentes maie
and maketh mery But when he is awakte his soule is emptie Good menne saithe M. Hardinge withdrawe them selues and are contented to be presente onely to stande by but receiue not the Sacramente But Chrysostome saithe to sutche a good deuoute man If thou stande by and doo not Communicate thou arte vvicked thou arte shamelesse thou arte impudente Thou wilte saie I am vnvvoorthy to be partaker of the Holy Mysteries Then arte thou vnvoorthy to be partaker of the Praiers Thou maiste no more stande here then an Heathen that neuer was Christened Here gentle Reader maiste thou sée a marueilous change in the Churche of God The thinge that in olde times was coumpted Heathenishe Impudencie and VVickednesse is nowe by M. Hardinges Newe Diuinitie becomme Godlinesse and greate Deuotion But God wote here foloweth a very colde Asseueration Not Seldome ye saie the Prieste at the Masse whan none other were disposed receiued alone O M. Hardinge the worlde wel seethe your woorde is no Gospel It appeareth by your so many Vntruthes ye care not greately what you saie Thus yée tel vs Not Seldome the Prieste receiued alone Not Seldome what is that why speake you so nicely what meaneth this colde and doubteful eloquence specially in him that otherwise hath acquainted his voice to speake so bigge why saie you not The Prieste vsed daiely and commonly so to doo Or if yée coulde not auouche so great Vntruthe for very shame why saide you not The Prieste oftentimes or at some certaine times receiued alone at the leaste at foure or three or tvvoo sundrie times within the space of sixe hundred yéeres At the woorste if yee had saide but Once it had benne somwhat As for Not seldomme it is too base it is too simple it disgraceth the whole course of your pleadinge and in plaine speache soundeth as mutche as Neuer It had rather benne your parte takinge vpon you this countenance of credite and grauitie to haue tolde vs Substantially and plainely what manner of man this Prieste was where he dwelte what was his name when and where and in what Companie he saide this Masse who sawe it who hearde it who bare witnesse to it by what Recorde or Authoritie it maie be proued The matter beinge so great and of sutche Antiquitie is there noman leafte behinde to witnesse the same but M. Hardinge In your Former Answeare ye bringe vs in Boies Girles Sicke folke Laie people and VVemen and vpon sutche groundes ye sticke not to founde your Priuate Masse And doubtelesse these examples might haue seemed to stande you in somme prety stéede yf in those daies Boies and VVemen had benne Priestes For Prieste or Bishop that euer receiued the Sacrament alone in the Churche before the people ye are not yet hable to shewe vs one As for your Leontius and Amphilochius S. Basiles Masse at Midnight and other like folies and fables it seemeth by the silence ye vse in your late Reioinder ye are contented wisely and quietly to geue them ouer Yee saie wee are deceiued by Gratian and haue placed Calixtus in steede of Anacletus Here firste of al ye confesse that Gratian your greate Rabbin the Father and Fountaine of your Decrees might be deceiued And verily sutche plainenesse in dealinge if ye would vouchesaue to vse it oftener were woorthy of some commendation For in déede your Gratian as he was a man of great readinge and smal iudgement so he allegeth oftetimes he knoweth not what Hierome for Origen Cyprian for Augustine Beda for Ambrose Iuuencus for Vincentius Greeke for Latine Newe for Olde As for this authoritie wherein you saie wee are deceiued he allegeth it in twoo sundrie places firste vnder the name of Anacletus nexte vnder the name of Calixtus meaninge I trowe yf there were errour in the one at leaste to redresse it by the other Therefore M. Hardinge yf ye had looked better vpon your Booke what so euer opinion ye haue of your Gratian ye should haue founde that wée were nothinge deceiued Haw be it your Gratian in steede of one errour hath made twoo For in deede as it is true yâ— these woordes were neuer written by Calixtus so of the other side it is likewise true they were neuer written by Anacletus but were manifestly forged and falsified by others that folowed afterwarde as in my Former Replie I haue declared more at large But it is a world to see what wiles shiftes these menne can finde to beare out erroure Firste ye saie these woordes were spoken of the Priestes Deacons Subdeacons seruinge the Prieste at Masse vpon Solemne Feastes Pardonne me M. Hardinge to saie the Truthe For verily notwithstandinge this solemne tale it seemeth ye knowe not what ye saie For it maie please you to remember that your Anacletus whose forged Authoritie ye haue alleged was Bishop in Rome in the time of S. Peter shortely vpon the Deathe of Christe when the Churche was euerywhere vnder persecution ful of Bloude Nowe I praie you who euer tolde you either of any office that your Subdeacons had in the Holy Ministerie or of any greate highe Holy Daies of Duplex or magis Duplex or principal Solemne Feastes in the Churche of God in al that time Maye wee thinke that the Blessed Virgins and the Apostles daies were keapte Highe and Holy while the same Blessed Virgin and Apostles were yet aliue Though ye had none other regarde either to God or to your selfe yet shame shoulde force you to foresee more aduisedly what yée saie But your greattest folie appeareth in yâ— shiftinge glostnge of these woordes For you saie this Calixtus or Anacletus speaketh onely of the Priestes the Deacons and the Subdeacons and neuer a woorde expressely of the Laie people and therefore ye saie wâ—e deceiue the vnlearned Reader with a lie Touchinge your vncourteous speache I weigh it none otherwise but as it is The Truthe wil be hable euermore to beare it selfe But that these woordes of Anacletus or Calixtus touche not the Laie people but onely the Priestes and the Ministers the very Gloser him selfe was neuer either so vnskilful or so impudent so to saie For whereas the woordes be these Let them al Communicate onlesse they wil be remoued out of the Churche he setteth there to this Exposition Hoc antiquum est Nam hoc hodiè relictum videtur arbitrio cuiuslibet This vvas the olde manner For novve adaies it is free for euery man to doo therein vvhat he vvil The like Decree is founde vnder the name of the Apostles Canons Quicunque fideles ingrediuntur in Ecclesiam Scripturas audiunt non autem persuerant in Oratione nec Sanctam Communionem percipiunt velut qui ordinis perturbationem commouent ab Ecclesiae CoÌ„munione arceri conuenit As many not onely of the Priestes and Ministers but of the Faitheful as comme into the Churche and heare the Scriptures but continewe not out the Praiers
thinge of an other Substance If ye haue an Authour why comme you without him If it be onely of your selfe why should wée beléeue you If Aliud signifie onely a Substance and nothinge els why doothe S. Augustine saie as it is before alleged Sacramenta sunt Signa terum Aliud existentia aliud Significantia Why saithe S. Augustine againe Aliud est Sacramentum Aliud Virtus Sacramenti Why saithe S. Ambrose Aliud est Elementum Aliud Consecratio For by your Diuinitie the Sacramente the Fourme the Consecration be Accidentes onely and maie not be taken for the Substance Verily for ought that I can learne Aliud is nothinge els but Res alia an other thinge whether it be the Substance or the Accidente For I thinke ye haue no◠forgotten the Olde rule Vnumquodque in suo genere est quid Wée saie The Nature and Substance of the Breade Wine is not clearely changed or cōsumed into Nothinge as many haue dreamed in these later daies Here M. Hardinge commeth roughly in as his manner is and saithe ye belie vs vvee saie not so God forebid Thus he crieth out before he be striken Salomon saithe Impius fugit nemine persequente The gilty fleeth before he be chased For notwithstandinge there be multitudes of folies in his Doctrine yet with this folie wée charge him not But whether any of his Felowes haue so saide or no I reporte me to his Maister Peter Lombarde His woordes be these Quid ergo fit de Substantia Panis Vini Illi dicunt vel in praeiacentem materiam resolui vel in nihilum redigi What then becommeth of the Substance of the Breade and VVine They saie either that it is resolued into the mater that was before or els that it is consumed into nothinge Mary God forebid saithe M. Hardinge So coye and careful he is for his holy Fourmes and his kingedome of Accidentes He saithe The whole Substance of the Breade is cleane abolished not one parte thereof remaininge yet maie it not be turned into nothinge And as if the mater were wel woorthe somewhat be assureth the same sadly with a greate detestation God forebid Hereof somethinge might be saide if it were any thinge woorthe the hearinge But good Reader thou shalt lose nothinge by the silence For I assure thée verily it is woorthe nothinge Yet M. Hardinge firste geueth vs his courteous menti and afterwarde in his familiar manner chargeth vs by plaine termes with a lie and suddainely crieth out as he saith beyonde the modestie of his natural disposition What is Iuggsinge what is Lieinge what is Falsehedde what is Falsifieinge what is wickednesse of Falsaries if this be not I might saie O Sirs Holde the man Good Christian Reader in al these Whattes thou wilte happily thinke there should be somewhat Now be it in déede it is but a pangue of M. Hardinges Rhetorique leste thou shouldest thinke that hauinge spente so many waste woordes in the ende he had saide nothinge But what is the mater M. Hardinge What moueth you to make this piteous outcrie For soothe bicause wée saie The Breade and VVine remaine the same they were before But these be S. Ambroses owne woordes they be not ours wée make them not wée change them not but reporte them simply as wée finde them As they were written in Latine by the Authour these they are Panis Vinum sunt quae erant in aliud mutantur The Breade and VVine are the same that they vvere and are changed into an other thinge Therefore it appeareth al these Exclamations of vvhat is lugglinge vvhat is Lieinge c. perteine vnto S. Ambrose the Authoure hereof and not vnto vs. Nowe for so mutche as it hath pleased M. Hardinge so earnestly to calle vs foorthe to construe him these vvoordes I beséeche thée good Reader marke wel what Constructions he and his Felowes haue imagined fansied vpon the same Firste of al Lanfrancus the chiefest Champion of that side thought it the wisest waie vtterly to denie these woordes and to saie They were neuer written by S. Ambrose For thus he stormeth against Berengarius O mentem amentem O hominem impudenter mentientem O puniendam temeritatem Ambrosium accire testem praesumis quòd Panis Vinum Altaris per Consecrationem non definant esse quoderant sed commutentur in aliud quod non erant Et quidem si de Sacramentis seu de coeteris de quibus Ambrosius scripsit omnes reuoluat Libros quos Ecclesia in vsu nunc habet tale quid ab Ambrosio dictum taliterque expositum nusquam repetire valebit O madde minde O impudent Lier O rashenesse woorthy of pounishement Darest thou to allege S. Ambrose for a witnesse that the Breade and Wine of the Aultar leaue not by Consecration to be that they were before but are changed into an other thinge that they were not Nowe truely if he peruse al the Bookes that S. Ambrose hath written either of the Sacramentes or of other maters I meane sutche Bookes as the Churche hath no we in vse he shal neuer finde any thinge so vvritten by S. Ambrose and so expounded But M Hardinge thought he might not wel thus doo without empeachement of his modestie For the very same woordes are to be founde extante apparent in euery Booke Therefore allowinge the woordes he thought it beste to folowe his Maister Peter à Soto and to delaie qualifie the same with some Construction Thus therefore he saithe Sunt quae erant in aliud mutantur Doothe it not folowe by good Logike Mutata sunt ergo sunt They be changed Ergo they be In Louaine perhaps In other Vniuersities I doubte whether it haue hitherto benne allowed or no. For by this Logique where as S. Hierome saithe Superbia mutata est in Humilitatem M. Hardinge maie conclude as he doothe nowe Superbia mutata est Ergo est Pride is changed into Humilitie Ergo Pride is or remaineth stil And whereas S. Paule saithe Commutauerunt Veritatem Dei in mendacium By this Logique M. Hardinge maie saie Mutata est Ergo est The Truthe of God is changed into a Lie Ergo It is Goddes Truthe stil notwithstandinge And to take further viewe of M. Hardinges Construction thus he saithe Panis Vinum sunt quae erant id est qualia erant The Breade and VVine be in Substance the same that they were that is to saie They be in qualities or Accidentes as they were They are changed in Aliud into an other thinge that is Into an other Substance Thei are Changed that is Thei are Transubstantiate They be that is They be not That they vvere that is that they vvere not Thus Substance is Accidens Accidens is Substance Beinge is not Beinge Not Beinge is Beinge Remaininge is not Remaininge Changinge is not Changinge And the same thinge is not the same With sutche prety Constructions M. Hardinge can teache vs
admitted Judas vnto his Table whereat he gaue and deliuered vnto his Disciples a Figure of his Body Againe S. Augustine saithe as in the Personne of Christe Qui in me non manet in quo ego non manco ne se dicat aut existimet manducare Corpus meum aut Sanguinem meum bibere He that abideth not in me and I in him let him not saie or thinke that he either eateth my Body or drinketh my Bloude The obiection that ye make of the Resurrection of our bodies is light and vaine and to smal pourpose For if noman shal haue parte in the Resurrection but onely they that haue receiued the Sacramente of Christes Body then are al the Holy Fathers Patriarches and Prophetes of the Olde Testamente Abraham Isaac Iacob Moses Aaron and sutche others then are infinite numbers of Christian Children then are many Godly Martyrs whiche beinge Baptized in the Bloude of Christe were taken out of this life before they coulde receiue the Sacramente vtterly excluded for euer from al hope of Resurrection But Christe when he spake these Woordes meante not the reciuinge of the Sacramente but the Spiritual Eatinge of his Very Body and the Spiritual Drinkinge of his Very Bloude Whereof he is made partetaker vnto Resurrection and Life Euerlastinge who so euer beleeueth in the Death of Christe And therefore S. Basile saith of the Sacramente of Baptisme Baptisma est vis efficacia ad Resurrectionem Baptisme is a Povver and a strength vnto Resurrection But hereof wee shal haue occasion offered to saie more hereafter Further Howe can ye assure your selues saye you that your Faithe receiueth the Body of Christe VVhiche was neuer promised to your Faithe By the waie I beséeche you M. Hardinge when or where was Christes Body euer promised to your Mouthe Verily Christe promised his Body to he receiued by Faithe and by Faithe Onely and none othervvise For thus he saithe Ego sum Panis ille Vitae qui venit ad me non esurier qui credit in me non sitiet vnquam I am that Breade of Life He that commeth vnto me shal neuer hunger and he that Beleeueth in me shal neuer thirste Here haue you M. Hardinge a plaine promisse made vnto our Faithe But of your Mouthe wée heare nothinge If you haue ought to shewe out of the Scriptures Doctours or Councelles let it appeare that in plaine woordes without coloure Otherwise if ye cauil in woordes wée muste saie ye haue nothinge Therefore the Auncient Father Origen saith Idcircò dicitur Panis vitae vt habeat Gustus Animae quod deguster Therefore is Christe called the Breade of Life that our Faithe whiche is the Taste of our soule maie houe what to taste Clemens Alexandrinus saithe Comedite Carnes meas Bibite Sanguinem meum Euidenter Fidei Promissionis quod est Esculentum Poculentum dicens allegoricè Eate my Fleashe and Drinke my Bloude Meaninge hereby vnder an Allegorie or by vvaie of a Figure the Meate and Drinke that is of our Faithe and his Promisse Tertullian saith Eundem Sermonem Christus etiam Carnem suam dixit quia Sermo Caro factus est Proinde in causa vitae recipien dus Deuorandus auditu Ruminandus intellectu Fide Digerendus est The same Woorde Christe called his Fleashe For the Woorde was made Fleashe Therefore he muste be receiued in cause of Life He muste be Deuoured by hearing He muste be chevved by vnderstandinge He muste be Digested by Faithe S. Cyprian saithe Quod est esca Carni hoc est Animae Fides As Meate is to the Fleashe so is Faithe vnto the Soule S. Augustine saithe Credere in eum hoc est Manducare Illud Eibere quid est nisi viuere To Beleeue in him is to Eate him That Drinkinge of him what is it els but to liue by him I truste M. Hardinge it maie appeare hereby there is somme promisse made hereof vnto our Faithe Nowe shewe you as euidente Promisse made to your Mouthe and Belly and then your Reader happily wil beleeue you The Apologie Cap. 14. Diuision 2. And therefore in celebratinge these Mysteries the People are to good pourpose exhorted before they comme to receiue the Holy Communion to lifte vp theire Hartes and to directe theire mindes to Heauen warde bicause he is there by whom wee muste be fedde and liue M. Hardinge I praie you Whiche these Mysteries meane ye Those that ye haue in your newe communion or those that we haue at the aulter of God in the Catholike Churche of Christe If ye meane your owne newe deuised toye thereof ye cannot bringe any sufficient reason againste the Churche pardy whiche condemneth the same If ye meane the Holy Mysteries of the Catholike Churche ye misreporte the mater For by that exhortation ye speake of mass- the people are not prepared to receiue the Communion onely nor chifely but to dispose them selues accordingly and as it becommeth them to praie for to that ende be these woordes Sursum corda vp with your hartes pronounced by the Prieste in the Preface before prayer Reade S. Cyprian in Sermone 6. De Oratione Dominica And ye shal finde him to referre the whole to praier But what if we admitte your woordes refusinge your Heretical meaninge VVe graunte the people are to good purpose so exhorted as ye saie and that he is in Heauen whose fleash we feede on in this Sacramente thereby to attaine to life Euerlastinge VVhat conclude ye of this Ergo he is not here For at that marke ye shoote euery man maye see Here we tel you that your Rhetorike is better stuffe then your Logike for your argumente is foolishe VVith the one ye maie leade the simple perhaps with the other ye moue the Learned to laugh at you For Christe is in Heauen and also here as Chrysostome saithe Et hic plenus existens illic plenus Vnum Corpus He is here fully and there fully one Body These two propositions Christe is in Heauen and Christe is here may wel stande togeather without iuttinge the one the other out of place He is there at the right hande of the Father visibly he is here vnder the Formes of Breade and VVine inuisibly there in glorie here in Mysterie ▪ yet as truly and fully here as there concerninge his Substance as Chrysostome saith Ye procede foorth and saie The B. of Sarisburie It maye becomme you M. Hardinge as wel to cal the reuerende Ministration of Christes Holy Mysteries a Toie as to cal the Gospel of Christe Erroure and Heresie So likewise Libanius the Heathen although a man I trow not of your Profession saide sommetime that al the Bookes either of the Scriptures or of any y◠Christian Fathers in comparison of Iulianus the Renegates Bookes were toies and trifles Howe be it Our Toies be the same Toies that were once vsed and allowed vniuersally throughout the Catholique
your Late Chapter of Tridente saith Apparet quòd pro peccatis sub Nouo Testamento post acceptam Salutaris Hostiae in Baptismo efficaciam commissis non habemus pro Peccato Hostiam illam quam Christus obtulit pro Peccato Mundi pro delictis Baptismum Praecedentibus Non enim nisi semel ille Mortuus est Et ideò semel duntaxat hostia illa ad hunc effectum applicatur It appeareth that for the Sinnes committed vnder the Newe Testamente after that wee haue receiued in Baptisme the Power of the Healthful Sacrifice vvee haue nomore that sacrifice for Sinne vvhiche Christe once offered for the Sinne of the VVorlde and for sinnes committed before Baptisme For Christe neuer died but once And therefore that Sacrifice of Christe Crucified is applied vnto vs once onely to this effecte Hereby M. Hardinge ye maie sée that this Doctrine lacketh no defence emongest your Catholiques The summe and meaninge hereof is this That our Sinnes committed after Baptisme are not foregéeuen by the Death of Christe but Onely by the Sacrifice of the Masse Whiche thinge what it séemeth to you I cannot tel But vnto al Godly eares it seemeth an horrible greate blasphemie Here to speake of Praiers specially in so large a sorte it was far impertinente to your pourpose as beinge vtterly no parte of this question The Merites of Christes Deathe whereof wée entreate are conueied vnto vs by God and receiued by vs. God conueieth them to vs onely of his Mercie and wée receiue them Onely by Faithe But the waies whereby either to procure Goddes Mercie or to enkendle our Faithe are many and sundrie Goddes Mercie is procured sommetime by Praier sommetime by other Meanes But to bréede or encrease Faith in vs there are moe waies then can be reckened Somme menne are moued Onely by the Hearinge of Goddes Woorde Somme others by the beholdinge and weighinge of Goddes Miracles Iustinus the Martyr was firste alluered to the Faithe by the crueltie of the Tyrannes and by the Constancie and Patience of Goddes Sainctes S. Cyprian saith Tanta est vis Martyrij vt per illam credere etiam cogatur qui te vult occidere So greate is the Power of Martyrdome that thereby euen he is forced to beleeue that woulde kille thee S. Augustine saithe He was sturred vp to comme to Christe by readinge a Heathen Booke written by Cicero called Hortensius Thus he saithe Ille Liber mutauit affectum meum ad â—eipsum Domine mutauit Preces meas That Heathen Booke changed my minde and turned my praiers ô Lorde vnto thee Emonge other causes the Sacramentes serue specially to directe and to aide our Faithe For they are as S. Augustine calleth them Verba visibilia Visible VVoordes and Scales and Testimonies of the Gospel All this notwithstandinge wee saie It is neither the Woorke of the Prieste nor the Nature of the Sacramente as of it selfe that maketh vs partetakers of Christes Deathe but onely the Faithe of the Receiuer S. Augustine saithe Vnde est ista tanta Virtus Aquae vt Corpus tangat Cor abluat nisi faciente Verbo Non quia dicitur sed quia creditur From whence hathe the Water this greate power that it toucheth the Body and wassheth the Harte sauinge by the VVoorkinge of the VVoorde Not for that it is pronounced but for that it is beleeued So saithe Hesychius Gratia Dei comprehenditur Sola Fide The Grace of God of our parte is receiued by Onely Faithe So saithe Cyrillus Siclus Fidei nostrae Formam habet Si enim Fidem obtuleris taÌ„quam Pretium à Christo velut Ariete immaculato in hostiam dato accipies Remissionem Peccatorum The Sicle hath the Fourme of our Faithe For if thou offer vp thy Faithe as the Price thou shalt receiue Remission of thy Sinnes from Christe that vnspotted Ramme that was geeuen for a Sacrifice Where ye saie ye offer vp Christe the Sonne of Godde Really and Substantially vnto God the Father If ye speake in your dreame it is a very pleasante phantasie but if ye be awake and knowe what ye saie then is it a greate blasphemie as in my Former Replie it maie appeare more at large The Apologie Cap. 16. Diuision 1. And as for theire bragges they are woonte to make of theire Purgatorie though we know it is not a thing so very late risen emoÌ„gest them yet is it no better then a blockishe and an olde Wiues deuise M. Hardinge Purgatorie semeth not to vs a thinge that wee shoulde mutche bragge of no more then yeâ— wil bragge of Hel. VVe tremble at the remembrance of it rather then bragge of it VVel howe so euer it be wil ye nil ye we see ye be driuen to confesse the same to be no newe thinge In deede if you cal them Papistes among whom the Doctrine of praieing for the deade whereof necessarely foloweth the Doctrine of Purgatorie is deliuered taught and holden then are the Apostles who deliuered it by Tradition as Chrysostome and Damascene reporte Papistes Firste forasmutche as nothing that is defiled commeth into the Kingdome of Heauen and some departe out of this Life though in the Faithe of Christe and Children of the Euerlastinge Kingdome yet not throughly and perfitly cleane it remaineth that sutche after this Life before they come to the place of Euerlastinge ioye haue theire Purgation Furthermore the Apostle saithe Seeinge then we haue these promises derely beloued let vs cleanse our selues from al filthines of the Fleashe and Spirite makinge perfite our satisfaction in the feare of God VVho seeth not hereof to folowe that to many whiche be iustified somewhat of satisfaction and Holynes lacketh VVhiche if they be taken from hence before they atteine to the measure of Holynes requisite be they not then after this Life in state to be purged and cleansed The B. of Sarisburie Here are wée comme to the Paper VValles and Painted Fieres of Purgatorie For so it liked M. Harding not longe sithence pleasantly to sport at it in the Pulpites as a bugge méete onely to fraie Children Yet now vpon better aduise and déeper studie he tremblethe God wote and quaketh for feare to remember the tormentes that somme body hath sithence tolde him to be there Howe be it Let him not so mutche dismaie him selfe The Pope as he either firste made it or receiued it by hande from the Heathens and firste allowed it euen so hathe he the whole Iurisdiction and Power ouer it and commaundeth in and out at his pleasure Whether ye make bragges hereof or no I leaue it in question Certainely for this and other like causes One of your felowes saithe Papa potest quicquid Deus ipse potest The Pope can doo vvhat so euer God him selfe can doo An other saith Animae existentes in Purgatorio sunt de Iurisdictione Papae Papa si vellet posset totum
Bernardes iudgemente of your Churche that it woulde heare no sounde Doctrine and that it for that cause seemed vtterly paste recouerie Therefore so certainely to assure your selfe of a thinge vncertaine it was no wisedome Wee maie saie of your Popes and Bishoppes whome onely ye meane by the name of your Churche as S. Hierome saide sometime of certaine others your Fathers longe agoe Non tam indignentur â—obis haec exponentibus Prophetis vaticinantibus quà m Dominum deprecentur studiosâ— agant ne de Sacerdoâ—ibus qui violant Sancta Domini esse mereantur Let them not take stomake againste vs that expounde these thinges nor againste the Prophetes that foretolde these thinges But let them praie vnto God and take good heede that they be not of those Priestes that defile the Holy thinges of the Lorde Churches ye saie not without profane malice ye cal Temples Malice comme vnto him M. Hardinge that Malice meaneth The Prophete Dauid saithe The Lorde in his Holy Temple S. Paule saithe Your Bodies be the Temples of the Holy Ghoste Know ye not that ye be the Temple of God If any man defile the Temple of God the Lorde wil destroie him Ye are the Temple of the Liuinge God What agreemente is there bitweene the Temple of God and an Idole So many times S. Paule nameth Temples togeather in one place and yet I thinke without any greate profane Malice But it shal be lawful for you M. Hardinge to make newe Sinnes and to saie The Apostles of Christe were malicious wicked onely for that they called the Churche of God by the name of Temple Would God ye had not turned Goddes Temple into the Synagoge of Sathan Wée sée by your practise it is true that S. Chrysostome saithe Sicut de Templo omne bonum egreditur ita etiam de Templo omne Malum procedit As euery good thinge proceedeth from the Temple so euery il thinge proceedeth likewise from the Temple In defence of your Halfe Communion ye saie For good causes ye teache the people to be contente with one Kinde And thus ye force the poore people contrarie to the expresse Woorde of Christe contrarie to the example of the Apostles and al the Holy Fathers in the Primitiue Churche and contrarie to the general vse and order of a whole thousande yéeres to geeue care to your good causes But these causes no doubte are greate and woorthy Otherwise yée would not weigh them againste God But wherefore are they dissembled Why are they not tolde vs Your owne Doctours Alphonsus de Castro and Iohn Gerson haue laide them out in this wise Particularely and at large The daunger of sheaddinge The carrieiâ—ge from place to place The fowlinge of the Cuppes The trouble of Mennes Beardes The Reseruinge for the Sicke The turninge of the VVine into Vineger The engendringe of Plees The Corruption or Putrefaction The Lothesomenesse that maie happen for so many to Drinke of one Cuppe The impossibilitie of prouidinge one Cuppe that maie be sufficiente to serue al the People In somme places VVine is deare in somme other places the VVine wil be frorne These M. Hardinge be the fairest and greattest of your good causes And yet haue you thus concluded in your late Chapter at Tridente Si quis dixerit â–ª Sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam non iustis causis rationibus adductam fuisse vt Laicos atque etiam Clericos non conficientes sub Panis tantummodâ— specie Communicaret aut in eo errasse Anathema sit If any man shal saie that the Holy Catholique Churche without iuste Causes and reasons her mouinge doothe Communicate bothe the Laitie and also Priestes onlesse they Minister vnder the onely Fourme of Breade or that the Churche hath erred in the same Accursed be he Therefore Tertullian saithe rightly of you Credunt sine Scripturis vt Credant Contra Scripturas They Beleeue vvithout the Scriptures that they maie Beleeue againste the Scriptures But specially I beseche you M. Hardinge consider wel these woordes of S. Hierome and sée whether ye maie applie them to your selues or no In Consummatione Mundi scrutabitur Dominus Hierusalem id est Ecclesiam suam cum Lucerna vlciscetur super viros Contemptores qui noluerunt Seruare Custodias suas id est Mandata Domini Contempserunt insuper Ratione se peccare dicentes blasphemauerunt in Cordibus suis In the ende of the VVorlde our Lorde shal searche Hierusalem that is to saie his Churche with a Candel and shal wreake him selfe vpon the despisers that woulde not keepe their watches that is to saie that despised the Commaundementes of God and ouer and bisides this saieinge they hadde good Causes and Reasons vvherefore they shoulde offende breake Goddes Commaundementes they blasphemed in their Hartes That ye surmise of Gelasius is moste vntrue He speaketh not one Woorde there of the diuidinge of Christe as you imagine nor had he any cause so to speake But he saithe in moste plaine wise It is Sacrilege to doo the same thinge that you doo that is to saie to diuide the Sacramente to Minister the One parte as ye doo without the other Looke better on your Bookes and Confesse the Truthe as ye shal finde it The woordes be these Aut integra Sacramenta percipiant aut ab integris arceantur Quia diuisio vnius eiusdemque Mysterij sine grandi Sacrilegio non potest peruenire Either lette them receiue the vvhole Sacramentes or els let them be driuen from the vvhole For the Diuision ofone and the same Mysterie or Sacramente cannot happen without greate Sacrilege He speaketh not of the diuision of One Christe as you tel vs but of the diuision of One Mysterie Otherwise touchinge Christe wée saie with S. Paule Vnus Dominus Iesus Christus There is One Lorde Iesus Christe And wée proteste with the Bishoppes of the Easte in the Councel of Chalcedon Accursed be he that parteth Christe Accursed be he that diuideth him That you saie The order of your Latine Seruice hath euermore benne vsed in the Latine Churche from the beginning it is vtterly vntrue For proufe whereof I remitte you to my Former Replie in the thirde Article the fiftéenth Diuision The reste that ye allege is not woorthe the answearinge The Apologie Cap. 1. Diuision 2. Al these thinges muste they of necessitie saie onlesse perchaunce thei had rather saie thus That al Lavve and Right is locked vp in the treasurie of the Popes breaste and that as once one of his soothinge Pages and Clawbackes did not sticke to saie the Pope is hable to dispense againste the Apostles againste a Councel and againste the Canons and Rules of the Apostles and that he is not bounde to â–ª stande neither to the examples nor to the ordinaunces nor to the Lawes of Christe M. Hardinge To saie that al Lawe and right your Latine terme is Fas is locked vp in the
is not streight And therefore Pope Zosimus in more sober wise saithe thus Contra Statuta Patrum condere aliquid vel mutare ne huius quidem Sedis Authoritas potest The Authoritie of this See cannot order or change any thinge contrarie to the orders of our Fathers Isidorus saithe Is qui praeest si praeter voluntatem vel praeter quod in Scripturis Sanctis euidenter Praecipitur vel dicitaliquid vel imperat tanquam Falsus Testis Dei Sacrilegus habeatur He that is in Authoritie if he speake or Commaunde any thinge besides the wil or meaninge of Goddes Woorde or otherwise then is expressely commaunded in the Scriptures let him be taken as a Churcherobber and as a false vvitnesse against God The Apologie Cap. 1. Diuision 3. Wee for our parte haue learned these thinges of Christe of the Apostles of the Deuoute Fathers and doo sincerely with good faithe teache the people of God the same Whiche thinge is the onely cause why wee at this daie are called Heretiques of the chiefe Prelate no doubte of Religion O immortal God hath Christe him selfe then the Apostles so many Fathers al at once gonne astraie Were then Origene Ambrose Augustine Chrysostome Gelasius Theodoretus foresakers of the Catholique Faithe Was so notable a consent of so many Auncient Bishoppes and Learned menne nothinge els but a conspiracie of Heretiques Or is that nowe condemned in vs whiche was then commended in them Or is the thing now by alteration onely of mennes affectioÌ„s sodainely becomme schismatique whiche in them was coumpted Catholique Or shal that whiche in times paste was vndoubtedly true now by and by bicause it liketh not these menne be Iudged false Let them then bringe foorth an other Gospel let them shewe the causes why these thinges whiche so longe haue openly benne obserued wel allowed in the Churche of God ought nowe in the ende to be called in againe Wee know wel yenough theâ— the same Woorde whiche was opened by Christe and spreadde abroade by the Apoistles is sufficiente bothe to our Saluation also to vphold mainteine al Truthe to confound al maÌ„ner of Heresie By that Woorde onely doo wee condemne al sortes of the Olde Heretiques whom these menne saie wee haue called out of Hel againe As for the Arians the EutychiaÌ„s the Marcionites the Ebionites the Valentinians the Carpocratians the Tatians the Nouatians and shortely al them whiche haue a wicked opinion either of God the Father or of Christe or of yâ— Holy Ghost or of any other pointe of Christian Religion for so mutche as they be confuted by the Gospel of Christe wee plainely pronounce them for destable damned Personnes and defie them euen vnto the Diuel Neither doo wee leaue them so but wee also seuerely and streitely hold them in by lawful and politique pounishementes if they fortune to breake out any where and bewraie them selues M. Hardinge VVe for our parte knowe as nowe we haue proued that ye haue not learned these thinges of Christe nor of the Apostles nor of the Fathers but of Luther Zwinglius Oecolampadius Caluine Peter Martyr Bucer and sutche other Apostates and that ye do moste falsely and wickedly leade the people into the Pitte with you And therefore ye are iustly condemned by the Churche and demed Heretikes c. How condemne ye the Donatistes seinge with them ye breake and throwe down the Holy Aulters of God on whiche as Optatus writeth the Body and Bloude of Christe was wonte to be laid c. The B. of Sarisburie Hereto M. Hardinge the whole grosse summe of your Answeare in effecte is this Ye Falsely and wickedly leade the people ye are Apostates ye are Heretiques ye are Impupudente and rebellious Children ye are Despisers of God Mockers of your Mother and peruerters of the Apostles ye vtter Lies ye speake blasphemies At the laste ye saie The Diuel dwelleth in our hartes as in his shoppe This is a hasty kinde of Logique M. Harding He muste needes be harde harted that wil not yelde to sutche Argumentes To leaue other your waste woordes of Vigilantius Iouinian Manichee Aërius and sutche others in the ende ye pronounce your Definitiue Sentence as a Iudge and condemne vs for Heretiques for that wée haue taken downe your Shoppes and gaineful Boothes whiche ye cal the Holy Aultars of God Verily this muste néedes be thought either extreme rigoure or greate folie of the remoninge of a stone to make an Heresie Sutche Heresies I trowe S. Augustine S. Ambrose Optatus and other Learned Fathers knewe but fewe Neither is there any good sufficiente reason to be shewed wherefore it should more be Heresie in vs to take downe your néedelesse and Superstitious Walles whiche ye had erected of your selues without Commission then it was lately in you to teare in sunder and to burne our Communion Tables in the erection and vse whereof wée had the vndoubted example bothe of Christe him selfe and also of the Aunciente Catholique Fathers I saie nothinge of your Crueltie in burninge so many Bibles and Bookes of Goddes Holy Woorde so many of your Bretherns Bodies so many Temples of the Holy Ghoste As for the Aultars whiche Optatus saithe the Donatistes brake downe they were certainely Tables of VVood sutche as wée haue and not Heapes of stones sutche as ye haue as in my Former Replie made vnto you it maie better appeare S. Augustine reportinge the same storie saithe the Donatistes in theire furie brake downe the Aultare Bourdes His woordes be these Lignis eiusdem Altaris effractis Likewise saithe Athanasius of the like furie of the Arians Subsellia Thronum Mensam Ligneam Tabulas Ecclesiae coetera quae poterant foras elata combusserunt They carried foorthe and burnte the Seates the Pulpite the VVoodden Bourde the Churche Tables and sutche other thinges as they coulde gâ—ate Touchinge your Stone Aultars Beatus Rhenanus saithe In nostris Basilicis Ararum Superaddititia structura nouitatem prae se sert In our Churches the buildinge vp of Aultars added to the reste declareth a noueltie Wée haue sutche Aultars M. Hardinge as Christe his Apostles S. Augustine Optatus and other Catholique and Holy Fathers had and vsed whoe 's examples to folowe wée neuer thought it to be sutche Heresie But Optatus saithe The Body and Bloude of Christe was woonte to be laide vpon the Aultare and with these woordes ye would faine affonne your simple Reader as if Christes Body laie there Really Fleashely Verily and in déede But ye should remember that S. Augustine saithe Sacramentum Corporis Christi secundum quendam modum Corpus Christi est Et Sacramentum Sanguinis Christi secundum quendam modum Sanguis Christi est The Sacramente of Christes Body not verily and in deede but after a certaine manner of speache is Christes Body and the Sacramente of Christes Bloude after a certaine manner of speache is the Bloude of Christe This manner of Speache
planè impossibile est Quis enim vnquam audiuit contradictoria posse redigi in concordiam VVhiche is impossible for who euer hearde that contradictions maye be accorded But the Maisters of the Apologie make no doubte at all but they wil shortly be aggreed Suche childishe and impossible thinges they sticke not to set foorthe who would be compted the teachers of the worlde as though we were but blockes and Asses But as for the heresies and errours of Zuinglius and Osiander with a quiet conscience we can not embrace Neither can we subscribe and yelde to their departinge away and newe guegawes whiche haue diuided them selues from Luther Thus far Amsdorffius and muche more there to the same purpose which here I leaue to blot the paper withall To conclude thus all men may plainely see how the maisters of this defence be conuinced of foule lyinge by their owne Doctours and scholefelowes beside the thinge it selfe that geueth manifest euidence againste them But such stuffe in their writinges and Preachinges is not geason Leauinge others I reporte me to M. Iuelles late sermon made at Paules Crosse on the Sondaie before Ascension daye laste in whiche if vniforme reporte made by sundry there present be true he abused certaine Honorable and woorshipfull personages and of common people a greate multitude with lies woorthy rather to be chastised by lawes then to be confuted with woordes But be it as it is written Qui in sordibus est sordescat adhuc The B. of Sarisburie It pitieth me M. Hardinge to see your triflingâ—e If ye thought it so good skil for aduantage of your cause to compare vs to scoldes wherefore then did not you although not through your whole Booke yet at leaste in this selfe same place where ye so deepely charge vs with scoldinge refraine better from sutche wilde speaches as might seeme to proue your selfe a scolde For I beseche you cal your woordes a litle to remembrance and consider indifferently what weemen they be that commonly vse the like Thus ye saie Euen so good Sirs proudely wickedly and fondely yee obiecte yee shewe your Clerkely prowes yee Bragge yee boaste Now haue you tolde your scoldinge tale Yee ioine in wicked amitie againste the Churche of Christe The founders of your Churche The Apostles of your Gospel Yee are conuinced of foule lieinge Al menne doo espie your lieinge lie on so longe as yee liste He that is filthy let him be filthy stil These be your woordes M. Hardinge altogeather in one place If you can finde so many the like in al our whole Apologie condemne vs hardly and cal vs Scoldes Vnitie wée loue Honoure it as the greatest comforte of Christian hartes But if Vnitie be the onely and vndoubted token of the Churche of God woe then be to you and to your felowes For by that token agreeinge so il emongest your selues yee shoulde seeme to haue no Churche But as wee haue saide Al thei that agree togeather are not therefore euermore of the Churche Herode and Pilate were made frendes and agreed togeather Dauid saithe The Kinges and Princes of the earthe haue mette agreed togeather againste the Lorde and againste his Christe S. Iohn saithe of the frendes and fauourers of Antichriste Hi vnum Consilium habent vires ac potestatem suam tradent Bestiae hi pugnabunt cum Agno These shal haue al one Counsel and one Minde and shal deliuer ouer their strength and their power vnto the Beaste and shal fight against the Lambe Chrysostome saithe Expedit ipsis Daemonibus obaudire sibi inuicem in Schismate It is good euen for the Diuels them selues to be obediente one of them vnto an other in their Diuision Symmachus and other like maineteiners of the Heathenishe Idolatrie saide Aequum est quicquid omnes colunt vnum putari It is meete that what so euer al menne woorship be counted One. And thus woulde they seeme to holde by Vnitie If your Vnitie M. Hardinge be so sounde and so certaine as ye woulde séeme to make it why then doo you condemne your selues one an other of Heresie Certainely Heresie importeth Diuision and no greate Vnitie The whole shewe and Substance of your Vnitie standeth in this To geeue eare to your selues to put Christe to silence But the true and Christian vnitie is this That the whole Flocke of Christe heare the voice of the onely Shephearde and folowe him The bande of Vnitie is simple Veritie Whiche M. Hardinge for as mutche as yee haue forsaken ye haue no greate cause to talke mutche of Vnitie As for Sampsons Foxetailes it seemeth ye lackte somewhat to plaie withal Otherwise they serue you here to no greate purpose For if there be any dissension emongest vs it is not in any Article of the Faithe but onely in somme particulare pointe of learninge The like whereof hath benne bitwéene S. Augustine and S. Hierome and others the Learned Godly and Catholique Fathers of the Churche And thus contrarie to Sampsons Foxes notwithstandinge one or other haue benne diuided in somme certaine Conclusion as it were in the tailes yet wée ioine thorowly al togeather in one Heade in one Gospel in one waie of Saluation and in one summe of Religion and al togeather with one Mouthe and one Sprite glorifie God the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christe Concerninge the disagreemente that is bitwéene the Lutherans the Zuinglians touchinge the Beeinge of the Body of Christe in one onely place or in many wée saie that in respecte either of Saluation or of other Article of God the Father or of the Sonne or of the Holy Ghoste or of any other the Groundes Principles of the Christian Faithe it is not weighty In that respecte wee speake it onely Otherwise wee saie the erroure is weighty Sutche errours in sundrie the Anciente Fathers haue benne dissembled and paste in silence S. Hilarie séemeth to saie that Christe receiued not Fleashe of the Blessed Virgin And that the same Fleashe of Christe was impassible and coulde feele no griefe Origen saithe Quidam putant ChristuÌ„ in Futuro Saeculo iterum pati oportere c. Somme menne thinke that in the worlde to comme Christe muste suffer in his Body or be Crucified againe Brentius seemeth to holde that Christes Body is infinite and in al places as is the Godhedde whiche erroure it seemeth was defended by somme in S. Augustines time And therefore he saithe Cauendum est ne ita Diuinitatem astruamus Hominis vt VeritateÌ„ Corporis auferamus We must take heede wee doo not so maineteine yâ— Diuine Nature of Christe beinge man that vvee take avvaie the Truthe of his Body These errours notwithstandinge they were greate in them selues yet in respecte of other greater errours haue benne dissembled And therefore Iacobus Andreas al be it he coulde not be ignorant of this dissension beinge him selfe a partie yet he saithe Quâ—d vociferantur nostros de
the Frenche Kinge the Kinge of Spaine or any other Prince for sufferinge them in their dominions It remaineth wee seeke whether they haue also the lowest and vilest place in that Citie or no lest perhaps although they be a necessarie euil yet beinge promoted aboue their degree they make an euil shewe in the body where they rest Their place maie be considered two waies in respect of the temporal or of the Ecclesiastical order or lawe For temporal order thus they stande Not to haue free libertie of dwellinge in the most haunted streetes and Palaices where them list but onely to be in suche corners and bylanes and smal outhouses as are most fitte shoppes for the vile marchandize of suche occupiers Againe they can not without a very great forfeit ride in Coches or Chariots as Matrones there doo but are constrained either to keepe their homely homes or to walke a foote in the streetes And then also by order they must be in suche apparel that as Iewe by theire red cappes so they by theire shorte vailes a note of dishonestie be knowen to al and be subiect to all shrewdnes of the boies of the streetes who vse commonly to mocke and reuile them And here I can not but mislike with that malice whiche appeareth to be in the makers of this Apologie For it is a vertue in the Prince to set greate burdens and paimentes vpon so filthy a profession to the ende he maie feare women from it and make them the soner weary of it c. In good soothe maisters ye are too yonge to controll the Cittie of Rome in her doinges Besides al this if in that sinneful state they continewe to their ende without repentance it is not lauful for them to make any testamente or last will for bestowinge of their goodes but as condemned and infamous persons they must leaue al to be confiscated and disposed at the Princes pleasure But on thother side if they turne and repent there are houses called Monasteries of the Conuertites and speciall prouision and discipline for them where they are taught howe to be waile their vnchaste life so sinnefully past ouer The B. of Sarisburie Touchinge the number of your Courteghianes of Rome whether they be twentie thousande or more or lesse wee wil not striue They be leased out in see farme The Popes rentes are alwaies certaine For Fornication is fineable in Rome and a goode â—aleable kinde of sinne But this you saie is an other Lie as false and as sclounderous as the reste For ye saie they paie no yeerely pension for theire sufferance in that trade of Life but onely the common taxes whiche are likewise raised vpon other Citizens Whether it be so or no M. Hardinge it is sufficiente for you so to saie Otherwise he that raiseth sutche fines vpon baudrie might wel bee thought to be the baude Howe be it your owne Doctours herein wil soone condemne you For thus it is written by them in your owne Glose Videtur quod crimen Meretricij Ecclesia sub dissimulatione transire debeat Nam Mareschallus Papae de facto exigit tributuÌ„ à Meretricibus It seemeth that the Churche ought to dissemble the fault of whooredome For the Popes Marshal in deede receiueth a tribute or pension of VVhoores Whereas ye saie Cornelius Agrippa was the first Authour of this sclaunder it is vntrue For your owne Glose laste before alleged auoucheth it by the Authoritie of Iohannes Andreas a notable Canoniste that liued welneare twoo hundred yeeres before Agrippa was borne And Nicolaus de Clauengijs that liued in the time of yâ— Emperour Sigismunde in his Booke intituled De Corrupto Ecclesiae statu hathe one special Chapter De Exactionibus pro concubinis tolerandis Of Exactions for the sufferinge of Concubines But al this ye wipe awaie easily with one woorde For ye saie The Courteghianes in Rome paie these impositions not as a portion of theire vnthrifty gaistes but onely as a pounishemente for theire wicked life For it is not laweful there to commit sinne freely without paiemente And thus is the mater wel defended So it is noted vpon your Decrees Quòd dicitur Sacerdos non potest percipere mercedem prostibuli potest dici quòd non debet recipi Oblatio Meretricis licet Eleemosyna possit inde fieri Whereas it is saide The Prieste maie not receiue the revvarde or Oblation of the Stevves wee maie saie that the Oblation of an Harloâ— maie not be receiued notwithstandinge wee maie make an almouse of the same That is to saie A Harlottes monie maie be taken by yâ— waie of Almouse but not by the waie of Oblation Thus are wee taught and it behooueth vs to beleeue that the Pope maie liue not by the Oblations of the Courteghianes but by theire Almouse Nowe for as mutche as M. Hardinge woulde so faine haue this mater to passe by the name of a pounishemente of these il weémenne I beseeche thee good Reader to consider howe greeuousely and with what extremitie and rigoure of Lawe they haue diuised to haue them pounished In a Prouincial Councel holden at Oxforde it is written thus Concubinae Sacerdotum moneantur ab Archidiacono c. Let Priestes Concubines be vvarned by the Archedeacon c. If they vvil not amende then let them be forebidden to Kisse the Pax and to take Holy Breade in the Churche With sutche extremitie and crueltie they keepe the people from dooinge il It was neither for your profession M. Hardinge nor for your grauitie to become a Proctoure for the Stevves Although it might wel becomme Leontium an Heathen Courteghiane of lewde conditions that wai to bestow her witte and Eloquence againste Theophrastus in the defence of that filthy state yet may not the same likewise becomme a Christian man and a professoure of Diuinitie Ye cal your Courteghianes a Necessarie Euil but by what Authoritie of the Scriptures I cannot tel That the whole trade and life of them is il we take it as your graunte But that thei be Necessarie in any Christian Common wealth I recken it very harde for you to proue Yee allege the heate of the Countrie as if that weere a sufficiente warrante for your Stewes And yet I trowe the towne of Louaine and the Countrie of Brabante where ye nowe inhabite is not so hote The heates of Ievvrie are thought farre to passe al the heates of Italie Yet God saithe vnto the Ievves Non erit vlla Meretrix de filiabus Israel nec Scortator de filijs Israel There shal be no Whoore of the Daughters of Israel Nor Whoorekeeper of the Sonnes of Israel And euen nowe where so euer the Gospel of Christe is openly and freely receiued notwithstandinge the heate of the Countrie your Stewes and Bordelles flee awaie as the night clowdes before the Sonne But after that your Priestes were once forbidden laweful Marriage then was it needeful that your
that they be the hearers of the Lavve but the dooers of the Lavve vvhiche are iustified before God M. Hardinge Nay nay Syrs for that thinge ye crake so muche of be not to hastie to thanke your God VVhat peculiare God ye meane we knowe not That phrase your secretarie muche vseth as though ye had an other God beside him that is God of all Compare your selues with whom ye list your owne life and innocencie is so wel knowen as by reprouinge your vices and horrible sinnes no man lightly shal seme a slaunderer In deede if your continuall aduoutrie and Incest were laufull Matrimonie if your filthy yoke fellowes were your true wedded wiues if your robbinge and throwinge downe of Churches were almose and buildinge of places for praier to the encrease of Gods Honour if ignorant rashenesse were godly discretion if your woorde of the Lorde where Gods woorde if your pretensed Gospel were Christes true Gospel if your biblebable and railing were holsome Preachinge if yâ— Sprite of Sathan that is in you the same also beinge a lyinge Sprite in your mouthes coulde be meeke humble obedient and woulde tell Truthe finally if euill were good if darkenesse were light if sower were sweete if the fruites of your so naughty a tree were good we would also soothe you and vpholde your immoderate crakes VVee saie plainely of you at one woorde whiche we will to be a watche woorde for all Christen people to beware of you your Doctrine is Heresie your Life is iniquitie your endeuour tendeth to the subuersion of Soules The B. of Sarisburie It is no greate Crake M. Hardinge to géeue God thankes But what vncourteous dealinge is this of your parte Sir Defender and his Felovves muste comme to you learne to speake Notwithstandinge for ought that maie appeare yee are not yet very wel aduised howe to speake your selfe Nowe bicause wée saie vvee thanke our God our Secretarie hath made him selfe a Seueral God How be it you maie saie Our Lorde and thinke him not Catholique that wil saie otherwise and yet make you not your selues thereby any Seueral Lorde God geue you Grace ye be not seuered from the Lorde But wherefore it shoulde be more lawful for you to saie Our Lorde then for vs to saie Our God I thinke it a highe pointe of cunninge for you to open Thus ye woulde haue vs sommetimes to saie Our Lorde sometimes The Lorde sommetimes neither It were a skilful Cooke that knewe your diete Howe be it The Prophete Dauid saithe Deus noster refugium Vrtius Our God our Refuge and our Strengthe Singe Psalmes vnto Our God Our God is the God of Saluation Our God is in Heauen My God ô My God I wake earely vnto thee Thou arte My God I truste in thee My lotes are in thy handes S. Paule saithe I thanke My God alwaies I geeue thankes vnto My God Thus was it lawful then for the Apostles and Propehtes to speake without rebuke neither was there any M. Hardinge then so vncourteous to saie They made them selues a peculiar God S. Paule saithe Wee are iustified in the name of Iesus Christe our Lorde and in the Sprite of Our God S. Augustine saithe Contra istos Mirabiliarios cautum me fecit Deus Meus dicens In Nouissimis diebus surgent Falsi Prophetae My God hath willed me to beware of these Mungers of Miracles tellinge me that in the laste daies there shal rise vp False Prophetes Againe he saithe Deus Meus vbique praesens est Vbique totus nusquam inclusus My God is euerywhere presente euerywhere whole nowhere inclosed or shut vp Chrysostome saithe Christo meo testificabantur Venti Mare Bothe the Windes and the Sea bare witnesse to my Christe S. Hierome saithe Ego non Patrem non Matrem non Germanum aduersus Christum meum audiam I wil not heare neither Father nor Mother nor Brother against my Christe S. Cyprian saithe Hic est Deus noster id est non omnium sed Credentium Fidelium Deus This is Our God that is to saie not the God of al but the God of the Beleeuers and of the Faitheful Sedulius saithe Deus Naturâ omnium est Voluntate verò paucorum God by Nature is the God of al but by wil he is the God of Fewe But what shal wée neede many Doctours the case beinge so cleare You your selfe M. Hardinge in this selfe same Booke either of pourpose vpon somme better aduise or vnwares haue written the same Consider wel your owne woordes Thus ye saie There is no iniquitie in Our Lorde God Yet I trowe by these woordes ye make not to your selfe a peculiare God S. Paule saithe I liue in the Faithe of the Sonne of God whiche hath loued me and hath geeuen him selfe for my sake Whiche woordes S. Chrysostome writinge vpon the Genesis expoundeth thus Qui dilexit me c. Vt proprium vsurpas commune beneficium Profectò inquit Nam licet pro omni hominum genere Sacrificium oblatum sit tamen propter amorem in eum id quod factum est omnibus proprium mihi facio Ita Prophetis mos est facere dicere Deus Deus Meus quamuis totius Orbis sit Deus Sed peculiare hoc est amori vt ex communibus propria faciat Qui dilexit me Quid dicis An te dilexit solum Omnem inquit hominum Naturam dilexit Sed ego illi Gratias debeo quasi me Solum dilexisset tradidisset semetipsum pro me Solo. S. Paule saithe Christe hath loued me O Paule The benefite that is common to al thou vsest as peculiare to thee selfe Yea verily saithe S. Paule For al be it that Sacrifice were offered for al Mankinde yet for the loue that I beare towardes him the thinge that was donne to al I accoumpte as proper and seueral to mee selfe Alone Thus the manner of the Prophetes is to doo and to saie O God my God notwithstandinge be is the God of al the Worlde But this is the special and alonely office of Loue of thinges common to make thinges peculiare Thou saiste Christe hath Loued mee What saistet thou Hath Christe loued thee Onely and â—oman els No saithe Paule He hath loued al Mankinde But I ovve him thankes as if he had loued mee Alone and had geuen him selfe Onely for me Hencefoorthe M. Hardinge it maie please you to géeue vs leaue to speake as the Prophetes the Apostles the Holy Fathers and Doctours haue spoken before vs. The Apologie Cap. 4. Diuision 1. Bisides al these maters wherewith they charge vs they are woont also to adde this one thinge which thei enlarge with al kinde of spite that is that wee be menne of trouble that we plucke the Sworde and Scepter out of Kinges handes that we arme the people that we ouerthrowe iudgement places destroie the Lawes make hauoke of possessions seeke to
make the people Princes turne al thinges vpside downe and to be shorte that we woulde haue nothinge in good frame in a Common Wealthe Good Lorde how often haue they set on fiere Princes hartes with these woordes to the ende thei mighte quenche the lighte of the Gospel in the very firste appearinge of it that menne might beginne to hate y◠same ere euer they were able to knowe it and to the ende that euery Magistrate mighte thinke he sawe his deadly enimie as often as he sawe any of vs. Surely it shoulde excedingly greeue vs to be so malitiously accused of moste hainous Treasone onlesse we knewe that Christe him selfe the Apostles and a number of good Christian menne were in time paste blamed and reuiled in like sorte For although Christe taught they shoulde geeue vnto Cesar that whiche was Cesars yet was he charged with sedition and was accused to diuise some Conspiracie and to seeke waies to geate the Kingedome And thereupon they cried out with open mouthe againste him in the place of Iudgemente Yf thou let this man escape then thou arte not Cesars frende And though the Apostles did likewise euermore and stedfastly teache that Magistrates ought to be obeied y◠euery soule ought to be subiect to the Higher Powers not onely for feare of wrathe punishemente but euen for conscience sake yet bare they the name to disquiet the people and to stirre vp the multitude to rebelle After this sorte did Haman specially bringe y◠Natiō of the Iewes into the hatred of Kinge Assuerus bicause saide he they vvere a rebellious and stubborne People and despised the ordinaunces and commaundementes of Princes Wicked Kinge Achab saide to Elie the Prophete of God It is thou that troublest Israel Amasias the Prieste at Bethel laide a conspiracie to the Prophete Amos charge before Kinge Ieroboam saieinge See Amos hath made a conspiracie againste thee in the middest of the House of Israel To bee briefe Tertullian saithe This was the general accusation of al Christians whiles he liued that thei were Traitours that thei were Rebelles and the enimies of Mankinde Wherefore if now adaies the Truthe be likewise euil spoken of and beinge the same Truthe it was then if it be now like despitefully vsed as it was in times paste though it be a greuous and vnkinde dealinge yet can it not seeme vnto vs a newe or an vnwoonted matter M. Hardinge Howe farre ye haue attempted I meane the sectes of your Brotherhed in sundry Countries to wreaste the Swoorde out of Princes handes to transpose their Scepters at your pleasure and to alter states and signories though wee holde our peace the worlde Iudgeth the Bloudde of so many thousandes slaine speaketh Englande repenteth Scotlande mourneth Germanie roareth Fraunce bewaileth Sauoie weepeth all Christendome lamenteth VVere the hundred thousande Boures of Germanie consumed by the Swoorde of the Nobilitie there for their obedience The Duke of Saxonie and Lantgraue of Hesse were they ouerthrowen in fielde and taken captiue for standinge in Defence of their Soueraigne VVere so greate multitudes of people destroied at Munster for their loyaltie Your Sacramentarie Suitzers of Berna who robbed the quiet Olde Duke of Sauoye of his Townes and Countries from the farther side of the lake of Geneua vnto the Alpes did they this for mainetenance of his righte and to set him at reste with litle VVhat meante ye when ye laide your Heades togeather beinge at Geneua in Queene Maries daies the Faithfull Brothers of Englande and Scotlande and deuised a most Seditious and Traiterous Booke againste the monstrous regiment of VVomen The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge for wante of mater ye thought it good policie to furnishe your tale with stoare of woordes The VVorlde iudgeth Bloude speaketh Englande repenteth Scotlande mourneth Germanie roareth Fraunce bewaileth Sauoie weepeth Christendome lamenteth If ye had not wel studied your Copia Verborum ye coulde neuer haue benne halte so copious nor haue benne hable so many waies to vtter nothinge Yee might happily haue saide Your Cardinalles crie and your Pope roareth and your Frendes stande aluffe and teare their heare and saie as it is written in the Apocalyps Vae vae Babylon Ciuitas illa Magna Alas alas Babylon that Greate Cittie God be thanked The Kingedomes Princehoodes of the worlde stande nowe in as safe in as quiet and florishinge state as euer before Therefore this Tragical Rhetorique might better haue serued you somme other where The Boures of Germanie of whome ye speake for the greattest parte were Aduersaries vnto Doctour Luther and vnderstoode no parte of the Gospel but conspired togeather as they saide onely against the crueltie and tyrannie of their Lordes as they had donne twoo and twentie yéeres before in the same Countrie in the Conspiracie called Liga Sotularia fifteens yéeres before Doctour Luther beganne to Preache The parteners of whiche Conspiracie had for their watche woorde the name of Our Lady and in the honoure of her were bounde to saie fiue Aue Maries euery daie Certainely touchinge these Later Rebelles it is knowen that Luther sharpely and vehemently wrote againste them And they them selues beinge demaunded thereof vtterly denied bothe partetakinge also the knowledge of the Gospel The Princes of Germanie raised not theire Powers as ye saie againste the Emperoure Charles the fifthe but beinge wrongefully contrarie to the Lawe of Armes inuaded by him they were forced beinge frée Princes by the Lawe of Nature to drawe their swoorde in their owne Defence The Rebelles at Mounster were not Gospellers as yée seeme to meane but frantique Anabaptistes and Heretiques as yee be and therefore enimies vnto the Gospel The Lordes of Berna neuer were Subiectes to the Duke of Sauoie That they tooke certaine of his Castles in their Confines then did it rightly and by the Lawe of Armes beinge forced thereto by daiely inuasions robberies and not hable otherwise to liue in reaste But in deede the saide poore Duke was thorowly spoiled of his whole Dominion of the one halfe by his Brother in Lavve the Emperour Charles 5. of the other halfe by his Neuevve Francise the Frenche Kinge by the counsel of Pope Clemens 7. after their great enterviewe at Marsiles And thereof was diuised a prety Pasquil declaringe the miserable case of the poore Duke Diuiserunt sibi vestimenta mea super vestem meam miserunt sortem They haue diuided my apparel emongest them selues and they haue caste lotes for my Coate The Heades of Englande and Scotlande that as ye saie were laide togeather at Geneua touchinge the gouernemente of Wéemen beinge wel accoumpted were nothinge so many as ye woulde seeme to imagine For if there had benne but one lesse for ought that I haue hearde there had benne but one at al. Sutche hoate Amplifications it liketh you to make of so smal a number Wée wil defende noman in his erroure Let euery man
thinges of the world to confounde the stronge Goddes Holy Name be blessed that of so litle and so simple a despised Mustard séede hath now raised vp so greate a trée triumpheth the Gospel of Christe his Sonnne in euery place throughout the worlde VVhat meant Christe saie you to breake his promisse Nay what meante you M. Hardinge so shamefully to breake Christes Commaundemente and yet to charge him with his Promisse God is true in al his promisses and shal preuaile when he is so lewdely iudged There is no faulte in God or his Christe The faulte is in you that haue made of the House of God a Caue of Theeues Christe neuer made any sutche special Promisse vnto the Pope that what so euer it should please him to saie or doo hée shoulde neuer erre or doo amisse Yee presume ouer mutche of Goddes Promisses Nay though Antichriste should be Pope yet should Christes promisses be true stil It is true that God hath alwaies a Churche Inuisible and a number of Electe knowen onely to him selfe alone Neither is this our onely saieing S. Paule also saithe the same Firmum stat Fundamentum Dei habens hoc sigillum Nouit Dominus qui sint sui This Fundation standeth sounde and firme heuinge this Seale The Lorde knovveth vvhoo be his ovvne Elias thought al the Godly in Israel had benne slaine and not one leafte aliue But God saide vnto him I haue soued vnto me selfe seuen thousand menne that neuer bowed theire knee before Baal God knewe them but Elias knewe them not To the iudgemente of man they were inuisible Therefore S. Augustine saithe Secundum occultam Dei Praedestinationem plurimae sunt foris Oues plurimi Lupi intùs Nouit enim ac signatos habet qui nec eum nec se norunt Accordinge to Goddes Secrete Predestinatiō there be many Sheepe without the Church and many woolues within the Churche For he knoweth them and hath them marked that knowe neither them selues nor God neither Thus the number of Goddes Electe yea before the comminge of Christe in the time of darkenesse was euermore certaine yet afterwarde the knowledge of the Gospel by the Mouthes of the Apostles was abundantly carried abroade into the endes of al the worlde Bothe these partes M. Harding maie stande wel togeather and are nothinge contrarie to our Doctrine Be the number of the Faithful more or lesse yet the Truthe of God is one for euer The Apologie Cap. 5. Diuision 1. But now sithence our very enimies doo see and cannot denie but wee euer in al our woordes and writinges haue diligently put the people in minde of theire deutie to obeie theire Princes and Magistrates yea though they be wicked For this dooth very trial and experience sufficiently teache and al mennes eies who so euer and where so euer they be doo wel see and witnesse for vs it was a foule parte of them to charge vs with these thinges and seinge they could finde no newe and late faultes therefore to seeke to procure vs enuie onely with stale outworne lies We geeue our Lord God thankes whose onely cause this is there hathe yet at no time been any sutche example in al the Realmes Dominions Common Weales which haue receiued the Gospel For wee haue ouerthrowen no Kingdome Wee haue decaied no mans Power or right Wee haue disordered no Common Wealthe There continue in theire owne accustomed state and Aunciente Dignitie the Kinges of our countrie of England y◠Kinges of Denmarke the Kinges of Suecia the Dukes of Saxonie the Counties Palatine the Marquesses of Brandeburgh the Lantsgraues of Hessia the Common Wealthes of the Heluetians Rhetians y◠Free Citties as Argentine Basile Franckford Vlme Augusta Norenberg doe al I saie abide in the same Authoritie and estate wherein they haue benne heretofore or rather in a mutche better for that by meanes of the Gospel they haue theire people more obediente vnto them Lette them goe I praie you into those places where at this presente through Goddes goodnesse and Mercie the Gospel is taught Where is there more Maiestie Where is there lesse Arrogancie and Tyrannie Where is the Prince more honoured Where be the people lesse vnruly Where hathe there at any time either the Commō Wealth or the Churche benne in more quiet Perhaps ye wil saie from the firste beginning of this Doctrine the Common sorte euerywhere beganne to rage and to rise throughout Germanie Allow it were so yet Martine Luther the publisher and setter forewarde of this Doctrine didde write marueilous vehemently and sharpely againste them and reclaimed them home to peace and obedience M. Hardinge Your impudencie of lieinge hathe no measure nor ende But we wil saie litle here hauinge saide yenough already in reproufe of your falsehed VVe leaue you to the wide worlde who seeth and almoste feeleth your lies But I maruel not a litle that in this place specially where ye speake of the good order that your Gospel breedeth ye be not ashamed to make mention of Martin Luther Good God howe mutche could we if we were so disposed alleage out of his seditious and Heretical bookes by him writen against the Power of lawful magistrates At this time let one place suffise for al Luthers wordes be these Inter Christianos nullus neque potest neque debet esse magistratus sed c. Amonge Christen men none can nor ought to be a magistrate but eche one is to other equally subiecte After the Apostles saieinge Thinkinge al others better then your selues c. Againe Be ye humble al one to an other VVhereto Christe accordeth when he saithe VVhen thou arte called to the mariage feaste goe and sitte downe lowest of al. Amonge Christen men none is superiour saue one and onely Christe And what superioritie or magistrate can be there where al be equal and haue right power riches and honour al alike Furthermore none coueteth to be ouer other but al wil be vnder one another VVhere sutche men be though one woulde yet can he not make a magistrare to beare rule ouer others sithe that nature suffereth not to haue superiours where no man wil nor may be a superiour And where sutche kinde of men is there be they not Christen men after the true sorte of Christen men This farre Martin Luther He persuaded them to peace when there was scarsly any lefte that coulde beare a clubbe Firste he stirred vp his Disciple Thomas Munzer in Thuringia who was the rebelles preacher After that he excused him of seditious preachinge to the Duke of Saxonie Prince Electour trusting if Munzer were let alone the matter should wel goe forewarde The B. of Sarisburie To dissemble the reste of your Vntruthes and your immoderate and vnciuile bitternesse M. Hardinge procedinge from the vnquiet and vnsauery humoures of your harte where ye saie Doctor Luther admitteth no Ciuile Magistrate note the same so specially in your margine I marueile
mutche that your paper blusshed not in your behalfe Reade his Bookes throughout and consider the quiet gouernement bothe of the Common Wealthes and also of the Churches of Germanie and ye shal finde that noman euer neither by woorde nor by example more auaunced the Authoritie of the Ciuile Magistrate To leaue al other his notable Sentences to this pourpose againste the Rebelles of whom ye speake beinge then in the fielde againste theire Lordes he wrote thus God commaundeth al menne vniuersally to obeie the Magistrate with feare and reuerence c. Againe Ye take the Swerde and withstande the Magistrate vvhom God hath appointed Is not this rashly to abuse the Name of God But he saithe Emonge Christians neither maie be nor ought to be any Magistrate O M. Hardinge nothinge coulde haue founde faulte herewith but onely intemperate and mere malice For Luther speaketh not these woordes of the outwarde Ciuile Gouernement but onely of our Inwarde Bande and Obedience towardes God And in this respecte there is no Kinge or Prince in déede nor maie be any In this sense S. Paule saithe There is no levve there is no Gentile There is no Lorde there is no Seruaunte There is no Man there is no VVooman For al you are one in Christe Jesu S. Paule denieth not but Ievve Gentile Lorde Seruaunte Man and VVooman remaine stil in theire seueral states and kindes as they were before But in Christe Iesu he saithe there is no regarde of any sutche difference In Ciuile Gouernmente a Kinge is a Kinge and so hath God commaunded him to be knowen But after that wée be once comme to the reuerence and obedience of Goddes wil there God onely is the Kinge the Kinge be he neuer so mighty is but a Subiecte So saith S. Ambrose to the Emperoure Valentiâ—â—ian Noli te extollere Imperator Sed si vis diutiùs Imperare esto Deo subditus Scriptum est Quae Dei Deo quae Caesaris Caesari O my Lorde auance not your selfe But if ye wil remaine long in Empiere be subiecte vnto God It is written Geeue to God that belongeth to God Geeue to Caesar that belongeth to Caesar So saithe the Emperoure Valentinian the Elder of him selfe Ego sum in sorte plebis I am in this respecte as one of the people To like pourpose Iulius Caesar beinge an Heathen Prince saide sommetime of him selfe at Rome in the Councel house Equidem ad alia omnia quae pro vobis gerenda sunt Consul sum Dictator quod autem ad iniuriam cuiquam faciendum attinet sum priuatus Touchinge al other affaires that ought to be taken in hande for your sake I am bothe your Consul and your Dictator But as touchinge any wronge to be donne to any man I am as a priuate man without office So said the Heathen Renegate Iulianus the Emperour Principes vbi ad limen Delubri venerint perinde sunt atque Priuati When the Princes and Magistrates once comme within the entrie of the Temple they are none other but as Priuate Menne And this is al that traiterous and horrible Iudgement that as it pleaseth you to saie Luther had of the Ciuile Magistrate Where ye saie he sturred vp his Disciple Thomas Munzer in Thuringia to be the preacher to the Rebelles it is no strang mater to sée your tonge to renne riot Luther him selfe writinge thereof vnto the Rebelles saithe thus Satanas sub Euangelij praetextu multos hoc tempore seditiosos planè sanguinarios Doctores excitauit Satan vnder the pretense of the Gospel hath sturred vp in these daies many seditious and Bloudy Doctours Meaninge thereby Munzer and other like his companions The Apologie Cap. 5. Diuision 2. But whereas it is woonte sommetime to be obiected by personnes wantinge skil touchinge the Heluetians chaunge of state and killing of Leopoldus the Duke of Austria and restoringe by force theire Countrie to libertie al that was donne as appeareth plainely by al Stories for twoo hundred and threescore yeeres paste or aboue in the time of Pope Boniface the Eight when the Authoritie of the Bishop of Rome was in greatest iolitie aboute twoo hundred yeeres before Huldericus Zuinglius either beganne to teache the Gospel or yet was borne And euer sithence that time thei haue had al thinges stil and quite not onely from foreine Enimies but also from al ciuile dissension And if it were a sinne in the Heluetians to deliuer theire owne Countrie from foreine gouernement specially when they were so proudely and tyrannously oppressed yet to burthen vs with other mennes faultes or them with the faultes of theire Forefathers it is againste al right and reason M. Hardinge Nowe your sprite is not contente withe that ye haue railed already againste the Pope and Holy Churche but it moueth you againe to raue and crie out But whether with more malice or reason let vs indifferently consider The Apologie Cap. 6. Diuision 1. But O immortal God and wil the Bishoppe of Rome accuse vs of Treasone Wil he teache the People to obeie folowe theire Magistrates Or hath he any regarde at al of the Maiestie of a Prince Why doothe hee then as none of the olde Bishoppes of Rome euer didde suffer him selfe to bee called of his flatterers Lord of Lordes as though hee woulde haue al Kinges and Princes whoe and what so euer they be to bee his vnderlinges Why doothe hee vaunte him selfe to bee Kinge of Kinges and to haue Kingely Roialtie ouer his Subiectes Why compelleth he al Emperours and Princes to sweare to him fealtie and true obedience Why dooth hee boaste that the Emperours Maiestie is a thousandfolde inferioure to him that for this reason specially bicause God hath made two lightes in Heauen and bicause Heauen and Earth were created not in twoo Beginninges but in one Why hathe hee and his felowes like Anabaptistes and Libertines to the ende they might runne on more licenceously and carelessy shaken of the yoke exempted them selues from beinge vnder al Ciuil Power Why hathe hee his Legates asmutche to saie as moste suttle spies lieinge in waite in al Kinges Courtes Councelles and Priuie chambers Why doothe he when he liste sette the Christian Princes one againste an other and at his owne pleasure trouble the whole worlde with debate and discorde Why dooth hee Excommunicate and commaunde to be taken as a Heathen and a Pagan any Christian Prince that renounceth his Authoritie and why promiseth he his Indulgences and his Pardons largely to any that wil what waie so euer it be kil any of his enimies Doothe hee maintaine Empires and Kingedomes Or doothe hee once desire that common quiete shoulde bee prouided for You muste pardonne vs good Reader though wee seeme to vtter these thinges more bitterly and bitingly then it becommeth Diuines to doo For bothe the shamefulnesse of the matter and also the desire of rule in the Bishoppe of Rome is so excedinge
then graunte you that whiche you denie The woordes whereof you gather this pretensed saieinge of Gregorie as I suppose be these If any man hath caught vnto himselfe that name of Vniuersall Bishop in that Churche of Constantinople then the whole Churche whiche God forbid fell from his state when he that is called Vniuersal fell Gregorie vnderstandeth by the name Vniuersall Bishop as him selfe declareth in many places suche a one as is a Bishop altogether and onely so as there be no other Bishop besides him Now if it were graunted that the Bishop of Constantinople were this one and onely Vniuersal Bishop this inconuenience would folowe that with the fall of that Vniuersall Bishop the Vniuersall Churche also fell For where the Churche is there be Bishoppes and where be Bishoppes there is the Churche and a Bishop Vniuersall by Gregorie is as muche as all Bishoppes That this beinge graunted the whole Churche is fallen from the Faithe thus he proueth For saithe he the Bishoppes of Constant inople haue fallen into the goulfe of great and detestable Heresies as Nestorius who thinkinge Christe to be two persones and beleuinge that God coulde not be made man ranne to a Iewishe Infidelitie and as Macedonius who denied the holy Ghost to be God VVherefore if the B. of Constantinople be the Vniuersall Bishop accordinge to the sense aforesaide then at the fall of him from the Faithe as when those two before named fell the Churche also falleth as then by this reason when they were Bishops it fell Thus reasoneth S. Gregorie in that Epistle to Mauritius But because to Gregorie it semeth very farre from reason and incredible that the Churche should fall from the Faithe and faile therefore he enucigheth againste Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople for chalenginge that name of Vniuersal Bishop and concludeth that the Bishop of that See in any wise can not so be But if the woorde Vnâ—uersall signifie a soueraintie of charge and Supremacie of Gouernement ouer the whole Churche whiche Christe committed to Peter and in Peter to his Successours the Bishoppes of Rome when he saide Feede my Shepe in this sense it is not impious nor erroneus nor contrary to the minde of S. Gregorie to call the Successour of Peter Christes vicare in Earth the Vniuersal Bishop that is to saie the highest of al and hauinge power ouer all other Bishoppes and Bishop of the Vniuersall Churche And as Christe gaue to S. Peter and his successours for the benefite of his Churche a Supreme auctoritie and power â–ª so for the same Churches sake for whose loue he deliuered him selfe to death by petition made to his Father he obteined for him and his successours the Priuilege of this supreme and moste excellente grace that their Faithe shoulde neuer faile In consideration of whiche singular Priuilege obteined by Christe and graunted to the see Apostolike and to none other Gregorie rebuketh Iohn the Bishop of CoÌ„stantinople so much as one that presumptuously vsurped that newe name of vniuersal Bishop against the statutes of the Gospel and against the Decrees of the Canons To conclude if either Gregorie or any other man shoulde saâ—e that the Churche dependeth vpon one man he mighte seeme to saie truthe meaninge rightly and that not alone nor without good Authoritie For suche a saieinge we finde vttered by S. Ierome The safetie of the Churche saithe he dependeth vpon the dignitie of the highest Priesie who if he haue not auctoritie peerlesse and aboue all other there will be so many Schismes in the Churche as there be Priestes VVhich peerlesse auctoritie aboue all other as S. Hierome in that place dothe attribute to ‡ to the Bishop of euery Dioces directly so consequently to Peters Successor to whom it was saide Feede my Sheepe For by what reason in eche Dioces it behoueth one Prieste to be highesâ—ouer other Priestes by the same and in like proportion nolesse it behoueth that in the whole Churche one Bishop be highest ouer other Bishoppes I meane for auoidinge Schismes The B. of Sarisburie Yf yée had better looked on your Bookes M. Hardinge ye woulde not haue benne so hasty in dealinge Lies Wée falsifie not that good Fathers Woordes but reporte them truely as wée finde them For thus he writeth in sundrie places of Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople that firste auanced him selfe aboue al his Brethren and required to be called the Vniuersal Bishop of al the worlde Vniuersa Ecclesia â statu suo corruit quando is qui appellatur Vniuersalis cadit The whole Vniuersal Churche falleth from her state when he falleth that is called the Vniuersal Bishop This is no Lie M. Hardinge Conferre the places yée shal finde the woordes as wee reporte them It standeth not neither with your profession nor with your modestie so vncourteously to vse your tongue We neither Lie our selues nor father Lies vpon the Doctoures God be thanked his cause is sutche as maie wel be maineteined without Lies But to put you further oute of doubte the sense of these woordes ye maie finde often vttered by S. Gregorie in other places Vnto Anastasius the Bishop of Antioche he writeth thus Vt de honoris vestri iniuria taceam si vnus Episcopus vocatur Vniuersalis vniuersa Ecclesia corruit si Vnus Vniuersus cadit To dissemble the iniurie donne to your Honoure if one Bishop be called Vniuersal then if that One Vniuersal Bishop fal the whole Vniuersal Churche goeth to grounde Againe he saithe in the same Epistle Vos eandem causam Nullam dicere non debetis Quia si hanc aequanimiter portamus Vniuersae Ecclesiae Fidem corrumpimus Ye maie not saie This is a mater of no importance For if wee patiently beare these thinges wee destroie the Faithe of the Vniuersal Churche Againe he saithe In isto Scelesto vocabulo consentire nihil aliud est quà m Fidem perdere To consente vnto this wicked Name is nothinge els but to lose the Faithe Againe Flens dico Gemens denuntio Quia cùm Sacerdotalis Ordo intus cecidit foris diu stare non poterit I speake it with teares I tel it with sighe of Harte For seeinge the Order of Priesthoode is fallen within it cannot nowe stande longe without Againe Diabolus ita validè in quibusdam Ecclesiae necessarijs Membris dentes figit vt nulli sit dubium quin nisi vnanimiter fauente Domino cunctorum prouida Pastorum turba concurrat omne quod absit citiùs ouile dilaniet The Diuel so strongely fasteneth his Teeth in the necessarie Members of the Churche that onlesse by Goddes Grace the prouident companie of al Bishoppes ioine togeather there is no doubte but he wil soone destroie the whole flocke whiche God forbid And againe he compareth the Pride of this name with the Pride of Antichriste and saithe that the one shal woorke the Confusion of the Churche no lesse
saith Non mea Causa sed Dei est NoÌ„ ego solus sed tota turbatur Ecclesia Quia piae Leges quia venerandae Synodi quia ipsa Domini nostri lesu mandata Superbi atque pompatici cuiusdam Sermonis inuentione tuibantur It is Goddes cause It is not mine Not I onely am troubled therewith but also the whole Churche For the Godly Lawes the Reuerende Synodes and the very Commaundementes of oure Lorde Iesu are broken by the inuention of a certaine prowde and pompouse Name Againe Nullus Romanorum Pontificum hoc Singularitatis NomeÌ„ assumpsit Nullus Decessorum meorum hoc tam profano vocabulo vti consensit Nos hunc honorem nolumus oblatum recipere None of al the Bishoppes of Rome euer tooke vpon him this name of Singularitie None of my Predecessours euer consented to vse this Vngodly style wee our selues wil not receiue this honoure though it were offered Thus it appeareth by the Iudgemente of S. Gregorie that this Vniuersal Authoritie is vtterly vnlawful not onely in other Bishoppes but also euen in the Bishop of Rome Touchinge the place of S. Hierome I sée ye are contente to geue ouer and to recante youre former erroure For in your Firste Booke ye saie these woordes are Notable aboue others and therefore might not be dissembled And where S. Hierome saithe The safetie of the Churche hangeth of the Dignitie of the Highe Prieste meaninge thereby euery seueral Bishop within his owne Limites ye thought it good thus to lard the same by a proper pareÌ„thesis with certaine other special stuffe of your owne prouision He meaneth the Pope Peters Successour as if this Highe Prieste of whom S. Hierome writeth could be none other but the Bishop of Rome Now vpon somme better aduise by waie of Retractation ye saie thus This peerelesse Authoritie aboue al other S. Hierome dooth attribute to the Bishop of euery Diocese whiche in déede was the very meaninge of S. Hierome Certainely if S. Hierome by these woordes meante Onely the Bishop of Rome as ye tolde vs before then he meant not the Particulare Bishop of euery Diocese as ye tel vs nowe Therefore ye muste néedes confesse that either nowe or before ye haue soughte meanes to beguile your Reader As for the Pope Peters Successour he meante nomore of him then of any other Bishop If it shal likewise hereafter please you to cal in other your like ouersightes ye shal publishe more truthe and encumber your Reader with lesse Erroure The Apologie Cap. 14. Diuision 3. Bernarde the Abbate aboue foure hundred yeeres paste writeth thus Nothinge is novve sincere and pure emongest the Cleregie vvherefore it resteth that the Man of Sinne shoulde be reueled The same Bernarde in his Treatie of the Conuersion of S. Paule It seemeth novve saithe he that Persecution hath ceased no no persecution seemeth but novve to beginne and that euen from theÌ„ vvhich haue chiefe preeminence in the Church Thy frendes and neighbours O God haue dravven neere and stood vp against thee froÌ„ the sole of the foor to the crovvn of the head there is no part vvhole Iniquitie is proceded from the Elders the ludges and Deputees vvhiche pretende to rule thy people VVee cannot saie novve Looke hovve the people is so is the Prieste For the people is not so il as is the Prieste Alas alas O Lorde God the self same persones be the chiefe in persecuâ—ing thee vvhich seeme to loue the Highest place and beare moste rule in thy Churche The same Bernarde againe vpon the Canticles writeth thus Al thei are thy frendes yet are thei al thy foes Al thy kinnesfolke yet are thei al thy aduersaries Beinge Christes seruauntes thei serue Antichriste Beholde in my reste my bitternesse is moste bitter The Apologie Cap. 15. Diuision 1. Roger Bacon also a man of greate fame after he had in a vehemente Oration touched to the quicke the woeful state of his owne time These so many errours saith he require and looke for Antichriste Gerson complaineth that in his daies al the Substance and efficacie of Sacred Diuinitie was brought vnto a glorious contention oftentatioÌ„ of wittes very Sophistrie The poore menne called pauperes à Lugduno menne as touching the manner of theire life not to be misliked were woonte boldely to affirme that the Romishe churche from whence alone al Counsel and Order was then sought was the very same Halot of Babylon and rovvte of Diuels whereof is Prophesied so plainely in the Apocalyps M. Hardinge Now commeth me he in with a newe band which consisteth of tagge and ragge and a weake companie God knoweth they be to shewe theire faces againste the Catholike Churche whiche as the Holy Ghoste speaketh by Salomon is terrible like an armie of men set in bataile raie Firste frier Bacon the Coniurer and negromanser as commonly they saie o him he is set in the forewarde a man of greate fame forsoothe Then commeth in the good plaine father Gerson a writer in our Graundfathers time he complaineth that Friers and studentes gaue them selues too mutche to the vnprofitable subtilitie of Scholastical questions VVhat maketh this againste the faithe of the Churche After these this Defender placeth in an out winge the falle brethern of Lyons commonly called VValdenses or Pauperes de Lugduno notorius Heretikes condemned of the Churche These beinge detestable Heretikes condemned of the Churche we recke not what they saie no more then what Luther saieth what Zuinglius what Caluine what these Defenders them selues saie what Antichriste what Sathan saieth For the enimies of Gods truthe maie not be admitted to geue witnes againste the Truthe The B. of Sarisburie Of these laste Authorities whiche ye calle tagge and ragge wée neuer made any greate accoumpte Notwithstandinge bothe Iohannes Gerson and Rogerus Bacon were notable and famouse in theire times and in al respectes comparable then with the beste Plaine Father Gerson for by sutche woordes ye thought if beste to quaile his credite beinge otherwise coumpted a suttle disputer and a profounde Schole Doctoure vvas Chauncellar of the Vniuersitie of Parise and for his wisedome and Learninge was thought woorthy to be the Directoure of al the Bishoppes in the Councel of Constance Rogerus Bacon as it appeareth by his Booke De Idiomate Linguarum was hable to iudge of the Latine Greeke and Hebrevve tongues and difides diuerse other Bookes writeth also sundrie Epistles vnto Pope Clemente wherein he mutche complaineth of the ruine and Confusion of the Churche Certainely the weakest of these bothe hath more weight and Substance then either your Amphilochius or your Abdias or your Hippolytus or your Leontius or youre Anacletus or your Pope Clemens whom ye so often cal the Apostles felovve Howe be it there is no man so simple but maie beare witnesse to the Truthe Clemens Alexandrinus Lactantius Arnobius Eusebius S. Augustine other Holy Fathers thought it no preiudice to theire cause to allege the witnesse of the Frantique Sibylles
Caput ex quo totum Corpus coagmentatur connectitur Christe is the Heade of whom the whole Body of the Churche is framed faste and ioined togeather Therefore S. Chrysostome saithe Ex hoc capite Corpus habet vt sit vt bene sir Quid relicto Capite Membris adhaeres Of this Heade that is Christe the Body hathe bothe to be and also wel to be What cleauest thou to the Members and leauest the Heade This is the Vnitie of the Churche that the whole Flocke maie heare the voice of that One Shepehearde and folowe him And that one Shepehearde is Christe the Sonne of God and not the Pope Therefore S. Augustine saithe Per hanc Potestatem quam solùm sibi Christus retinuit stat Vnitas Ecclesiae de qua dictum est Vna est Columba mea By this Power whiche Christe he saithe not hath geuen ouer the Pope but hath reserued onely to him selfe standeth the Vnitie of the Churche of whiche Vnitie it is saide My Dooue is One. Ye saie there appeareth in your Bookes sufficient abundance of Scriptures touchinge any controuersie of this age and that accordinge to the very sense and meaninge of the same togeather with the consente and Iudgemente of the Holy Fathers But as for vs ye saie wée builde onely vpon the bare woordes and make a meaninge of oure owne In déede it is no greate Maisterie for you to arme your selfe with somme shew of Scriptures The Diuel was not altogeather voide of sutche furniture when he came to tempte Christe S. Cyril saithe Omnes Haeretici de Scriptura diuinitùs inspirata sui colligunt erroris occasiones Al Herotiques out of the Heauenly inspired Scriptures geather occasion of their erroure Athanasius saithe Haeretici Scriptutarum Verbis pro esca vtuntur Heretiques vse the woordes of the Scriptures for a baite Tertullian saithe Fidem ex his impugnat ex quibus constat An Heretique assausteth the Faithe by the same woordes of God that breede the Faithe But for as mutche as ye saie yee beare sutche awe and reuerence vnto the VVoorde of God and in the interpretation thereof folowe onely the sense of the Holy Ghoste and the Iudgemente of the Doctours and Fathers of the Churche for somme trial of your truthe herein let vs sée how discretely and reuerently ye haue vsed the same In your late Councel holden at Laterane in Rome one Simon Begnius the Bishop of Modrusia saith thus vnto Pope Leo Ecce venit Leo de Tribu Iuda Radix Dauid c. Te Leo Beatissime Saluatorem expectauimus c. Beholde the Lion is comme of the Tribe of Iuda the Roote of Deuind c. O moste Blessed Leo wee haue looked for thee to be oure Saueour In your late Chapter at Tridente Cornelius the Bishop of Bitonto saide thus Papa Lux venit in Mundum dilexerunt homines tenebras magis quà m Lucem Omnis qui mà lè agit odit lucem non venit ad Lucem The Pope beinge the Lighte is comme into the VVorlde and menne haue loued the Darkenesse more then the Light Euery man that doothe euil hateth the Pope that is the Lighte and commeth not to the Lighte Pope Adrian saith Papa non iudicabitur à quoquam Quia Scriptum est Non est Discipulus supra Magistrum No man shal Iudge the Pope for it is written the Scholar is not aboue his Maister The Pope suffered the Embassadours of Sicilia to lie prostrate on the grounde and thus to crie vnto him as if it had benne vnto Christe Qui tollis Peccata Mundi miserere nostri Qui tollis Peccata mundi dona nobis Pacem O thou Holy Father that takest awaie the Sinnes of the Worlde haue mercie vpon vs thou that takest awaie the Sinnes of the Worlde geue vs Peace Pope Sixtus saithe Who so accuseth the Pope can neuer be forgeuen And his reason is this Quia qui peccat in Spiritum Sanctum non remittetur ei neque in hac vita neque in futura He that sinneth againste the Holy Ghoste shal neuer be foregeuen neither in this VVorlde nor in the VVorlde to comme And by these woordes of the Scriptures so wel applied he concludeth that noman maie accuse the Pope And to leaue a heape of other examples for they are infinite you your selfe M. Hardinge haue often vsed the Scriptures in like sorte Thus ye saie The Sonne of Man came not to destroie the Soules of menne but to saue Ergo The substance of Breade in the Sacramente is not annihilate or consumed to nothinge And this yee saie was the Sense and meaninge of the Holy Ghoste this is the Iudgemente of al the Doctours and Holy Fathers Sutche religious awe and reuerence ye beare towardes the VVoorde of God Yet saithe your Doctoure Hosius The Scripture as it is alleged by vs is the VVoorde of the Diuel but as it is alleged and handled by you so onely it is the VVoorde of God If yee had not vtterly wypte al shame from your faces yée woulde neither make sutche mockeries of Goddes Holy Woorde nor so lewdely abuse the people of God The Apologie Cap. 19. 20. Diuision 1. Woteth not the Bishop of Rome that these thinges are spoken by his owne Minions or vnderstandeth he not he hathe sutche ChaÌ„pions to fighte for him Let him herken then how Holily hoâ— Godly one Hosius writeth of this matter a Bishop in Polonia as he testifieth of him selfe a man doubtlesse wel spoken and not vnlearned and a very sharpe and a stoâ—â—te mainteinour of that side Thou wilt marueile I suppose how any good man could either conceiue so wickedly or write so despitefully of those woordes whiche he knew proceeded from Goddes mouthe and specially in sutche sorte as hée woulde not haue it seeme his owne priuate opinion alone but the common opinion of al that bande He dissembleth I graunte you in deede and hideth what hee is and setteth foorthe the matter so as though it were not he and his side but the zvvenkfeldian Heretiques that so did speake VVee saithe he vvil bidde avvaie vvith the same Scriptures vvhereof vve see brought not onely diuerse but also contrarie interpretations and vve vvil heare God speake rather then vvee vvil resorte to the naked Elementes or bare vvoordes of the Scriptures and appointe oure Saluation to reaste in them It behoueth not a man to be experte in the Lavve and Scripture but to bee taught of God It is but loste laboure that a manne bestovveth in the Scriptures For the Scripture is a Creature and a certaine bare Letter This is Hosius saieinge vttered altogeather with the same Sprite the same minde wherewith in times paste the Heretiques Montanus and Marcion were moued whoe as it is written of them vsed to saie when with contempte thei reiected the Holy Scriptures that them selues knewe many moe and better thinges then either Christe or the Apostles euer
knewe What then shal I saie heere O ye principal Postes of Religion O ye Archegouernours of Christes Churche is this that your reuerence whiche yee geue to Goddes VVoorde The Holy Scriptures whiche S. Paule saithe came by the inspiration of God whiche God did commende by so many Miracles wherein are the moste perfite printes of Christes owne steppes whiche al the Holy Fathers Apostles Angels whiche Christe him selfe the Sonne of God as often as was needeful did allege for testimonie and proufe wil ye as though they were vilwoorthy for you to heare did them Auaunt That is wil ye enioine God to keepe silence who speaketh to you moste clearely by his owne mouthe in the Scriptures Or that VVoorde whereby alone as Paule saithe we are reconciled to God and whiche the Prophete Dauid saithe is Holy and Pure and shal laste for euer wil ye cal that but a bare and deade Letter Or wil ye saie that al our laboure is loste whiche is bestowed in that thinge whiche Christe hath commaunded vs diligently to searche and to haue euermore before our eies And wil ye saie that Christe the Apostles meante with suttletie to deceiue the people when they exhorted them to reade the Holy Scriptures that thereby they might flowe in al wisedome and knowledge No marueile at al though these men despise vs and al our dooinges seeinge they set so litle by God him selfe and his infallible saieinges Yet was it but wante of witte in them to the intent they mighte hurte vs to doo so extreme iniurie to the VVoorde of God But Hosius wil here make exclamation and saie that wee doo him wronge that these be not his owne woordes but the woordes of the Heretique zvvenkfeldius But how then if zvvenkfeldius make exclamation on the other side and saie that the same very woordes be not his but Hosius owne woordes For tel me where hath zvvenkfeldius euer written them Or if he haue written them and Hosius haue iudged the same to be wicked why hath not Hosius spoken so mutche as one woorde to confute them How so euer the mater goe although Hosius peraduenture wil not allowe of those woordes yet he dothe not disallow the meaninge of the woordes For welueare in al Controuersies namely touchinge the vse of the Holy Communion vnder Bothe Kindes although the woordes of Christe be plaine and euident yet dothe Hosius disdeinefully reiecte them as no better then Colde Dead Elementes and commaundeth vs to geeue Faithe to certaine Newe Lessons appointed by his Churche and to I wote not what Reuelations of the Holy Ghoste And Pighius saith Mēne ought not to beleue no not the most cleare manifeste woordes of the Scriptures onlesse the same be allowed for good by the Interpretation Authoritie of the Churche whereby he meaneth the Churche of Rome M. Hardinge How ignorantly wickedly and stubbornely the Authour of this Apologie burdeneth the reuerent Father in God and Honourable prelate Cardinall Hosius with that he neuer saide it is not vnknowen to al men who haue readen that Booke whiche he wrote De Expresso verbo Dei of the expresse VVoorde of God Here I aske so muche pardon as to detecte an hereticall touche or twoo before I make direct answeare to the foule slaunderinge of Hosius Firste I note with what fidelitie these newe Holy brethren doo their thinges It maie be thought that the Secretary of this newe Clergie at his penninge of the Apologie sawe not Hosius Booke of the expresse woorde of God But as they haue benne conuersant in S. Augustine Hierome Chrysostome and the Auncient Fathers so vse they Hosius at this time that is to saie they reade neither the Olde Fathers with any diligence neither the writers of our time But by snappes and pieces either them selues write out here and there a line or two or vse that whiche some of their owne secte hath taken out of them So that for moste parte they neuer knowe the true meaninge of the place whiche they alleage But vsinge patched note bookes and bringinge in scattered Authorities they be deceiued themselues and deceiue others And he that tooke the note knewe well they were not the woordes of Hosius and did but onely put the name of Hosius vnto them because they were taken out of his Booke The writer of this Apologie not knowinge or not remembringe so muche when he founde in the note booke the name of Hosius with suche woordes he did rashely put them in printe to his owne greate shame and discredite If this excuse be not true wee muste needes laie maruelous malice to the saide writer who wittingly and of set purpose did impute the woordes to Hosius whiche he reported by waie of mislikinge of them and shewinge whose Heresie they conteined Now let the Defenders chose whether they will haue their Secretarie condemned of ignorance or of malice How so euer it be marke yet the thirde pointe whiche hereof we wil gather The Apologie was skant Printed and published but that grosse errour was out of hande espied and woorde thereof brought to the Authour I meane him that penned it But what did he Did he confesse that he was deceiued Did he crie Hosius mercie No no. That is not the woonte of Heretikes They wil go forewarde with the matter once begonne what so euer come of it VVhat did he then VVhen it shoulde be set foorthe in Englishe and woorde came to him thereof he made an excuse I warraunt you meete for an Heretike whose propertie it is Proficere in peius as S. Paule saithe to proceede to worse and worse to take his degree backewarde and of a great faulte to make a farre greatter For whereas before as Charitiemoueth me to thinke he had made an errour supposinge Hosius to haue saide that whiche he had not after warde by stubborne mainteininge of it he sheweth what spirite he is of And when he mighte reasonably haue excused his ignorance chose rather spitefully to discouer his malice As it shall manifestly appeare by the circumstance of the thinge He laieth to Hosius charge and in his persone to all our charges that we do not esteeme the Holy Scriptures He proueth it by certaine woordes alleaged out of a treatise made by Hosius De Expresso verbo Dei The woordes are here put in the Apologie as the reader maie see The true argumente of Hosius booke is no other then to shewe that all Heretikes haue alleaged the woordes of God as they be written But none of them all haue taken the righte vnderstandinge of Goddes woordes as they doo in deede signifie For that onely the Catholike Churche atteineth vnto because onely it hath the Holy Ghoste All Heretikes haue brought for their opinions the written VVoorde of God so longe vntill at the laste saithe Hosius there were founde who by the woordes of the Scriptures toke vpon them to take away al Auctoritie from Scriptures Natum est saithe he nouum quoddam Prophetarum genus
qui non sunt veriti Scripturarum auctoritate Scripturis auctoritatem omnem detrahere En quò perduxit rem tandem Saranas A certaine newe kinde of Prophetes is risen who sticke not by the Authoritie of Scriptures to take away al auctoritie from Scriptures See whither at the length the Deuill hath brought the matter Now afterwarde expoundinge this matter more at large he declareth the Capitaine of that Heresie to haue benne Zwenkfeldius He sheweth that by a Texte of Scripture where Dauid saithe I will heare what our Lorde speaketh in me Zwenkfeldius wente aboute to wil men to heare what God telleth euery man by inspiration rather then to geue attendance to the written woorde of God And whiles Hosius reporteth what Zwenkfeldius saide for the maintenance of his fonde Heresie amonge other his woordes these are which be brought in this Apologie against Hosius and againste the Catholikes whereas it is neither Hosius nor any Catholike that speaketh them but onely Zwenkfeldius him selfe Hitherto we haue shewed that the woordes alleaged in the Apologie vnder the name of Hosius make neither againste him nor against vs as not beinge his woordes nor ours but onely the woordes of Zwenkfeldius VVell what credite maie we geue to this man in expoundinge the VVoorde of God whose true meaninge he maie falsisie at his pleasure because we can not bringe foorthe God him selfe to declare his woordes seeinge he dareth to burthen Hosius with these woordes whiche Hosius him selfe beinge yet aliue can declare to haue another meaninge as the Booke it selfe doothe witnesse to all that liste to reade the same This was a greate faulte to impure so horrible an Heresie to Hosius vniustly This was a greate ignorance to charge him with that Heresie whiche he refuteth and impugneth They are greate crimes and yet suche as might riâ—e of misreporte and ignorance But when he was tolde of them he shoulde of reason haue corrected them He should haue repented with Peter and not despaired with Cain and Iudas But what did he when he vnderstoode he had erred He addeth a Glose farre more malicious then the former errour was For graunâ—inge that Hosius setteth out the matter so as though neither he nor any of his side but the Heretikes Zwenkfeldians spake so this not withstandinge he burtheneth bothe him and the Catholikes with it saieinge that he dissembleth and hideth what he is Syr was this the waie to amende your faulte to graunt that Hosius spake against the Zwenkfeldians and yet to beare men in hande he fauoured them If he had fauoured their Heresie what needed he to refell it But how saie you that Hosius dissembleth and hideth what he is sith that euen here in two places in moste plaine woordes you laie the Zwenkfeldian Heresie to his charge Reade your owne Booke Before the allegation of Zwenkfeldius Heresie saie you not thus VVe saithe he will bid away c. And after the allegation haue you not these woordes This is Hosius saieinge How standeth all this togeather You haue forgotten the Prouerbe that biddeth a lier to be mindefull I can not tell howe to name this kinde of your dealinge lieinge or detraction slaunderinge or malicious speakinge But Sir if Hosius haue spoken euill why geue you not witnesse against him of euill If he haue spoken well euen by your owne confession in reputinge the Zwenkfeldians for Heretikes why finde you faulte with him for his good woordes suche I saie as your selfe confesse to be good You reprooue him who speaketh not against Zwenkfeldius and againe you graunt he speaketh against him and yet because you had once reproued him you will contine we in it without reason learninge or witte But it must needes so be for without pertinacie no man is either a perfite Heretike or a perfite slaunderer If yet you stande in Defence of it all the worlde will accompte you for a desperate persone For no man that euer sawe Hosius woorkes can thinke that he was gilty of that you burthen him with But some man might thinke you were deceiued and mistooke Hosius But sith you graunt you doo not now mistake him and yet charge him with auouchinge that whiche he holdeth for Heresie he that vnderstandeth thus muche of you maye assure him selfe that you are disposed to belie and slaunder Hosius though it coste you the damnation of your Soule For shame man repente and reuoke that for whiche your owne conscience stinteth not to barke at you But Hosius saie they peraduenture will not allowe the woordes of Zuenkfeldius yet he doothe not disallowe the meaninge of the woordes VVell and clerkely reasoned As though woordes were allowed or disallowed for any other so principall a cause as for theire meaninge And therefore he that disalloweth woordes hath muche more disallowed the meaninge of them Yet saie they of the Holy Communion vnder Bothe Kindes he reiecteth the plaine woordes of Christe as Deade and colde Elementes Verely a man mighte thinke this Booke was set foorthe by some ennemie of our newe Englishe Clergie it is so mutche to their defacinge had not theÌ„selues at diuerse times acknowleged it for a whelpe of their owne littour A maÌ„ for his life can not finde one leafe in it without many Lies The B. of Sarisburie I cannot greately blame you M. Hardinge though yée shewe your selfe hote and vehement in defence of Hosius For of him you and somme of your Felowes maie saie as Carneades saide sommetime of Chrysippus Nisi Chrysippus fuisset ego non essem If Chrysippus had not benne then had I neuer benne For had not Hosius benne good vnto you and spared you parte of his furniture sutche as it was your Diuinitie had benne ful bare Ye saie wée reade neither the Olde Writers nor the Newe but are vtterly ignorante and voide of al learninge and in respecte of the Beames of your knowlege knowe nothinge It were a very ambitious and a childishe vanitie to make vauntes of Learninge For as motche as ye seeme desirous of the same of greate Readinge ye shal haue the whole praise and glorie of it M. Hardinge without contention Wée wil rather saie with S. Paule Wee knowe nothinge but onely Iesus Christe Crucified vpon his Crosse Yet notwithstandinge wée are neither so ignorant nor so idle but that wee are hable and haue leasure to reade as wel the Olde Doctours the Fathers of the Churche as also your lighte vnciuile Pamflettes and blotted Papers whiche God wote in al respectes are very Newe And for either of them wee are mutche ashamed in your behalfe For the Olde Doctours Fathers to see them of your parte either of wilfulnesse or of forgeatefulnesse or of ignorance so fowly misused of your owne Papers Nouelties to see them with vntruthe and other vncourteous speache so fully freighted But touchinge Hosius yée condemne vs vtterly either of ignorance or of malice For the woordes wherein wée finde sutche faulte were vttered by him as you saie not as any parte of
Arke of Noe. The Heretique Dioscorus to geate somme credite to his Doctrine woulde séeme to bringe the descente thereof from al the Ancient Fathers of the Churche For thus he saide in the open Councel Ego testimonia habeo Sanctorum Patrum Athanasij Gregorij Cyrilli in multis locis Ego cum Patribus eijcior Ego defendo Patrum Dogmata Non trāsgredior in aliquo Et horum Testimonia non simpliciter neque transitoriè sed in Libris habeo I haue the witnesse of the Holy Fathers Athanasius Gregorius cyrillus in many places I am throwen foorth with the Fathers I defende the Fathers Doctrine I swarue not frō thē in any pointe I haue theire witnesse not barely nor by the waie but in theire Bookes So saide the Heretique Eutyches Ego legi Scripta Beati Cyrilli Sanctorum Patrum Sancti Athanasij I haue readde the Bookes of Cyrillus of the Holy Fathers and of Athanasius So saide the Heretique carosus Ego secundum expositionem trecentorum decem octo Patrum sic Credo sic Baptizatus sum Thus doo I beleue and thus was I Baptized according to the Exposition of the three hundred and eighteene Fathers in the Councel of Nice Thus y◠Arian Heretiques alleged the Authoritie of y◠Ancient Father Origen thus the Pelagian Heretiques alleged the Authoritie of S. Augustine As vpon occasion it hath benne saide before Euen with sutche truthe M. Hardinge are you woonte to blase the Armes of your Religion There is no toie so vaine or so fabulous but ye are hable by your conninge to bring it lineally either from Christe him selfe or from his Apostles or from one or other of the Ancient Fathers The Bishop of Sidon in y◠Late diete of the Empiere holden at Augusta auouched openly that ye had your whole Canon from the Apostles of Christe woord by woord euen as it is péeuishely written in your Masse Bookes Andreas Barbatius proueth the Antiquitie of y◠Cardinalles of Rome by these woordes written in the firste Booke of the Kinges Domini sunt Cardines Terrae Et posuit super eos Orbem The Corners of the Earth be the Lordes and vpon them he hath sette the world Abbate Panormitane saithe Cardinalatus est de Iure Diuino Quia Papa per Sacerdotes Leuiticos intelligit Cardinales The Cardinalship standeth by the Law of God For the Pope by the Leuitical Priestes vnderstandeth his Cardinalles Hosius séemeth to saie that Monkes haue theire beginning euen from the Apostles meaninge thereby as one of your Companions there doothe in fauoure I trowe of Religion that Christe him selfe vvas the Abbat For thus he saith Christus Dux exemplar vitae Monasticae Christe was the Captaine and samplar of Monkes life And yet the same man afterwarde as hauinge forgotten his former dreame vtterly displaceth Christe geueth the whole honoure hereof vnto Elias Elizaeus These be his woordes Elias Elizaeus Duces instituti Benedictini Elias and Elizaeus were y◠Captaines of S. Benettes order y◠is to saie thei were Blacke Monkes By like wisedome ye would séeme to fetche your Holy Water from S. Augustine This was sommetime a ioily good waie to winne credite specially whiles what so euer ye said y◠people was ready to geue you care So y◠olde Arcades saide in commendation of theire Antiquitie y◠thei were a daie or twoo elder then the Moone Saturnus beinge in Italie for y◠he was a stranger no man knew frō whēce he came therefore was called Filius Caeli was thought to come frō Heauen Romulus Alexander for that thei were borne in bastardie neuer knewe theire owne Fathers therefore to magnifie the nobilitie of theire bloude woulde be called the Children of the Goddes the one of Mars y◠other of Iuppitter With sutche Truthe and Fidelitie M. Hardinge your woonte is to painte out al the partes and members of your Doctrine For be it neuer so vaine or childishe or lately diuised yet ye beare vs in hande that your Predecessours receiued the same as you saie of theire Bishoppes and they of others theire Predecessours by order vntil they reache to your Augustine the Monke of Rome whom ye haue ful woorthily made a Sainte your Augustine yée saie receiued the same of Gregorie Gregorie of others before him and they al one of an other by continual ascente vnto S. Peter and Peter of Christe and Christe of God his Father No Heralde coulde lightly haue saide more in the mater I trowe ye woulde proue by this Ascente and Descente that God the Father made Holy VVater and said Masse In deede as wel herein as also in your emptie names of Augustine Hierome Chrysostome Ambrose Basile Cyprian Dionyse c. as I tolde you once before ye bringe vs onely a vaine shewe of painted boxes and nothinge in them For in al these Holy Fathers where finde you either your Priuate Masse or your halfe communion or your Accidentes without Subiecte or the reste of your like Vanities wherewith ye haue so longe time deceiued the worlde Leaue your dissimulation set aparte your Confectures and blinde gheasses and for your credites sake once shewe vs these thinges in the Ancient Holy Fathers and shew them plainely and in déede that wée maie thinke there is somme weight in your woorde But your owne Glose speakinge of the Ministration of the Holy Communion whiche now in your Churches in a manner is wholy abolisshed saith thus Hoc Antiquum est Nam hodiè videtur esse relictum This was the Olde order For as it seemeth nowe it is leafte Doctoure Tonstal saithe It was no Heresie to denie your Transubstantiation before your late Councel of Laterane Erasmus whoe 's iudgement I thinke ye wil not refuse saith thus In Synaxi Transubstantiationēe ser ò definiuit Ecclesia In the Holy Ministration it was longe ere the Churche determined the Article of Transubstantiation Al this notwithstandinge M. Hardinge ye blusshe not to saie that bothe these and al other your fantasies haue benne conueighed vnto you by moste certaine Succession from hand to hand from your Englishe Augustine from Gregorie from the Fathers from the Apostles from Christe and from the bosome of God him selfe The Apologie Cap. 1. Diuision 3. But howe if the thinges whiche these menne are so desirous to haue seeme Newe be founde of greatest Antiquitie Contrariwise howe if al the thinges wel nighe whiche they so greatly set out with the name of Antiquitie hauinge benne wel and throughly examined be at length found to be but Newe diuised of very late Soothely to saie no man that hath a true and right consideration woulde thinke the Iewes Lawes and Ceremonies to be Newe in deede for al Hammans accusation For they were grauen in very Aunciente Cables of greatest Antiquitie And although many did take Christe to haue swarued from Abraham and the Olde Fathers and to haue brought in a certaine Newe Religion in his owne name yet
thereof but to Monkes onely If in our time the people mighte be induced to reade the Holy Scriptures with suche mindes for suche causes to suche intents and purposes onely as Chrysostome requireth God forbid we shoulde by any meanes staie them therefrom But consideringe the maner of our time and callinge to due examination the curiositie the temeritie the vnreuerence the contempte of all holy thinges that now all men may espie in the people if we thinke it not good they be admitted to the readinge of the Scriptures freely and without any limitation how so euer you and your fellowes iudge of vs we doubt not of the accompt we haue to make of that our meaninge before our Lordes dredfull seate of iudgemente Now to conclude we tell you that you haue misreported bothe Chrysostome and specially Origen For how so euer they speake of the readinge and meditation of the Scriptures for amendement of life verely in the places by you quoted they exhorte not the people to reason and dispute of diuine matters amonge them selues specially the husbandes with their wiues the parentes with their children as you saie they doo The B. of Sarisburie For as mutche as ye saie parte hereof is true and parte false I truste ye wil géeue us leaue fréely to vse the Truthe vntil ye shal finde your selfe better hable to proue the Falshedde It séemeth not greatly to mislike you that the people haue somme little libertie to reade somme sutche parte of the Scriptures as you maie beste spare them for the orderinge of their liues Whereby it appeareth that for quietinge of their Consciences in maters of Religion and causes of Truthe yée thinke it beste they reade nothinge And this ye saie ye are hable to answeare before the dreadful seate of Goddes Iudgemente Touchinge the Truthe hereof to saie so mutche as might be saide it woulde require greate waste of time S. Augustine saithe Si desit aut ignoretur quà eundum fit quid prodest nosse quò eundum fit If ye haue not or know not what waie to goe what shal it profite you to knowe whither to goe S. Hierome saithe Vt maius est voluntatem Domini facere quà m nosse ita prius est nosse quà m facere Illud Merito praecedit Hoc ordine As it is more to doo the wil of our Lorde then to knowe it so the Knowlege of the same goeth before the Dooinge In goodnesse Dooinge goeth before in order Knowinge Againe S. Augustine saithe Si Scripturas Diuinas aut non legimus ipsi aut legentes alios non libenter audimus ipsa nobis medicamenta conuertuntur in vulnera inde habebimus Iudicium vnde potuimus habere remedium If we either reade not the Scriptures our selues or be not desirous to heare others reade them then are our Medicines turned into vvoundes and then vvhere vvee mighte haue had remedie vvee shal haue Iudgemente Sutche saieinges are common and ordinarie in S. Chrysostome Thus he saithe Librum Diuinum accipiat aliquis in manum conuocatisque proxìmìs per Diuina eloquia riget suam mentem conuenientium vt sic Diabolicas insidias effugere valeamus Let one of you take in hande the Holy Booke and let him cal his Neighbours aboute him and by the Heauenly vvoordes let him water and refreashe bothe theire mindes and also his owne Againe he saithe Poterimus domi versantes ante post Conuiuium acceptis in manus Diuinis Libris vtilitatem inde capere Spiritualem Cibum animae praebere Beinge at home we maie bothe before and after Meate take the Holy Bookes in hande and thereof receiue greate profite and Minister spiritual foode vnto our soule And againe Etiam domi vacemus Diuinarum Scripturarum Lectioni Euen when wee be at home let vs bestowe our time in readinge the Scriptures Origen saithe Vtinam omnes faceremus illud quod Scriptum est Scrutamini Scripturas VVoulde God wee woulde al doo accordingely as it is written Searche the Scriptures But ye saie wee haue misreported bothe Chrysostome and Origen For they exhorte not the people as you saie to reason of Diuine maters emonge them selues specially the Husbandes with their VViues c. Whether of vs bothe maketh truer reporte let vs be tried by Chrysostome Thus he saithe Neque in hoc tantùm consessu sed domi quoque Vir cum Vxore Pater cum Filio inuicem de his frequenter loquantur vltrò citroque suam ferant inquirant sententiam Velintque hanc probarissimam inducere consuetudinem Hearken not hereto onely here in the Churche but also at home let the Husbande with the Wife let the Father with the Childe talke togeather of these Maters and bothe to and fro let them bothe enquire and geeue theire Iudgementes And woulde God they woulde beginne this good Custome Here haue you M. Hardinge the Husbande communinge of Diuine maters with his VVife and the Father with his Childe Therefore so vnaduisedly to saie wée haue misreported this Holy Father it was of your parte a misreporte Likewise S. Hierome saithe Hic ostenditur verbum Christi non suffieleâ—ter sed abundanter etiam Laicos habere debere docere se inuicem vel monere Here wee are ought that euen the Laie menue oughte to haue the VVoorde of God not onely sufficiently but also obundantly and one to instructe and to warne an other Againe he saithe Solent Viri solent Monachi solent Mulierculae hoc inter se habere certamen vt plures ediscant Scripturas Bothe Maried menne and Monkes and Wiues commonly haue this contention emonge themselues vvho maie learne moste Scriptures To conclude Theodoretus saithe thus Passim videas nostra dogmata non ab ijs solùm tenèri c. Ye maie commonly see that our Doctrine is knowen not onely of them that are the Doctours of the Churche and the Maisters of the people but also euen of the Tailers and Smithes and VVeauers and of al Artificers Yea and further also of VVeemen and that not onely of them that be Learned but also of Labouringe VVeemen and Sevvsters and Seruantes and Handemaìdes Neither onely the Citizens but also the Countriefolkes doo very wel vnderstande the same Yee maie finde yea euen the very Dichers and Deluers and Covvheardes and Gardiners Disputinge of the Holy Trinitie and of the Creation of al thinges The Apologie Cap. 3. Diuision 4. 5. The Auncient Fathers Cyprian Epiphanius and Hierome saie for one who perchaunce hathe made a Vovve to leade a sole life and afterwarde liueth vnchastely and cannot quenche the flames of luste it is better to marrie a Wife and to liue honestly in wedlocke And the Olde Father Augustine iudgeth the selfe same Mariage to be good perfite that it ought not to be broken againe These menne if a man haue once bounde him selfe by a Vovve though afterwarde he
treatable voice that the people might receiue somme fruite thereby These menne leste the people should vnderstand them numble vp al theire Seruice not onely with a drowned hollow voice but also in a strange and Barbarous tongue M. Hardinge Iustinian the Emperour willeth praiers at the holy oblation which these Defenders here translate administration as beinge ashamed of theire owne Authore because they holde againste the sacrifice of the Masse to be made not in silence but with an audible voice Not meaninge as though praiers made in silence were vnfruitful to the people as these men woulde make vs beleue And therefore they corrupt his woordes as what thinge do they not corrupt that commeth vnder theire handes They saie Iustinian made that Lawe Vt fructus ex ea re aliquis ad populum redire posset that somme fruit might come thereof to the people as who shoulde saie no fruite were like to come if praier were made in silence But what saithe Iustinian His woordes be Quó maiore exinde deuotione in depromendis Domini Dei laudibus audientium animi efferantur To thintent the mindes of the hearers maie thereby with the more deuotion be lifted vp in settinge forth the praises of our Lorde God He saithe that the lowde voice helpeth to more deuotion he saieth not to some fruit but with more deuotion Some fruit is alwaies had euen by secrete praier and more fruit sometime then by lowde praier Two faultes then are committed or rather two lies made in Iustinians woordes one that for oblation thei tourned administration whiche falsehede M. Iewel vseth in his printed Sermon and in his replies to M. D. Cole VVhether he be also gilty of this An other fault is that for more deuotion they put some fruite The third lie is in that they saie we do whisper al our Seruice so is the Latine albeit this good Lady liketh better the terme of mumblinge I wene fewe who haue the sense of hearing â–ª wil saie with them that the singinge of Psalmes Hymmes Epistle Gospel Grailes Offertories Preface â–ª and sutche like Seruice vsed in the Catholike Churche is whisperinge or numblinge The fourth lie is where they saie we do it so leste the people shoulde vnderstande vs. VVe wishe that al the people vnderstoode al our praiers But we thinke it not conuenient in a common prophane tongue to vtter high mysteries Therefore we wishe they would learne the mystical tongue and gladly do we teache their children the same S. Dionyse the Areopagite scholer to S. Paule teacheth Timothe and in him al vs Communicare ea quae vim perficiendi habent cum ijs qui perficiunt to communicate those thinges whiche haue power to make men perfite with them who make men perfite ‡ that is to saie to publishe priestly office of Consecration for nothinge maketh vs more perfite amonge them onely who are Priestes and not amonge others Laste of al the fifth lie is to saie that we pronounce our seruice and our mysteries in a barbarous toÌ„gue As though the Latine tongue were barbarous and not rather euery vulgare tongue That tongue is moste barbarous whiche is moste vsed of the vulgare sorte moste priuate moste vnknowen in respecte of al VVhen Englande commeth to haue a seruice of theire owne a tongue of their owne in Churches and hath a Churche of theire owne beside the whole then haue they loste theire parte with the Catholike Churche whereunto God restoare it againe The B. of Sarisburie O M. Harding wée corrupte not sutche thinges as comme vnder our handes The worlde séethe that is your Ordinarie and peculiare practise It is not oures Yée dubbe vs bothe here and elswhere with your lies vpon lies Sutche is the Ciuilitie and Courtesie of your speache Yet hitherto wée haue not redubbed you with any one lie Sobrietie and modestie rather becommeth them that speake of God Firste ye saie VVee haue corrupted Iustinians woordes And yet yée knowe wée alleged onely Iustinians meaning and otherwise not one of al his woordes Ye saie Iustinian meante not as though praiers made iâ— silence were vnfruiteful to the people For somme Fruite ye saie there is al waies had euen by secrete and vnknowen Praier But what fruite or howe mutche or howe ye knowe it or can assuere it ye spare to tel vs. Yet S. Augustine saithe Quid prodest locutionis integritas quam non sequitur intellectus audientis Cùmloquendi omninò nulla fit causa si quod loquimur non intelligunt propter quos vt intelligant loquimur What profite is there in speache be it neuer so perfite if the vnderstandinge of the hearer cannot attaine it For there is no cause why wee should speake at al if they vnderstande not what wee speake for whoe 's sake we speake that they maie vnderstande vs. Againe he saithe Mens mea sine fructu est Hoc ait quando id quod dicitur non intelligitur My minde is without fruite This the Apostle S. Paule saithe when the thinge that is spoken it not perceiued And againe Si intellectum meÌ„ns remoueas nemo aedificatur audiendo quod non intelligit Set aparte the vnderstanding of the Minde And noman hath fruit or profite of that thing that he perceiueth not Likewise againe he saith Quid opus est iubilare noÌ„ intelligere iubilationeÌ„ vt Vox nostra sola iubilet Cor non iubilet Sonus enim Cordis intellectus est What needeth vs to singe if wee vnderstande not what wee singe to singe with our voice and not with our Harte For Vnderstandinge is the sounde or voice of the Harte These woordes VVhisperinge and Mumblinge mislike you mutche Yet your owne frendes intreatinge hereof haue often vsed the same woordes In your late Councel of Colaine it is written thus Vt Presbyteri Preces non tantùm Ore Murmurent sed etiam Corde Persoluant nunquam à manibus eorum Liber Legis hoc est Biblia deponatur That the Priestes not onely Mumble vp theire Praiers but also pronouace them from theire hartes Let the Booke of the Lavve that is to saie the Biblâ— neuer be saide from theire handes Likewise Regino reporteth the woordes of the Councel of Nantes Ridiculum est muris aut parietibus Infusurrare ea quae ad populum pertinent It is a preushe thinge to vvhisper those thinges to the walles that perteiâ—e vnto the people Notwithstandinge whether it be VVhisperinge or Mumblinge or by what so euer name els it shal please you to cal it that good Emperours Commaundement meaninge was that ye shoulde so vtter al thinges in the Congregation Distinctely and Plainely with lowde and Open Voice that the people might vnderstande you and answeare Amen Therefore S. Augustine saithe Nos qui in Ecclesia Diuina eloquia cantare didicimus simul etiam instare debemus esse quod Scriptum est Beatus populus qui intelligit
Behold by the Varietie wee vnderstande the Diuersitie of Tongues and by the Apparel wee vnderstande the Vnitie of y◠Churche Againe he saith Distant inter se Linguae Sed Linguarum distantiae non sunt schismata Tongues are diuided one from an other But the Diuision of Tongues is no Schisme or Diuision in Religion The Apologie Cap. 3. Diuision 10. The olde Councel at Carthage commaunded that nothing should be read in Christes Congregation but the Canonical Scriptures these menne reade sutche thinges in their Churches as them selues knowe for a Truthe to be starke Lies and fonde Fables M. Hardinge A man were better I assure thee good Reader to make two newe Bookes then to correcte one so ful of lies and falsefied places as this Apologie is This olde Councel of Carthage is newely falsefied by our new Cleregie The wordes of the Councel are these Palcuit vt praeter scripturas Canonicas nihil in Ecclesia legatur sub nomine Diuinarum Scripturatum It hath semed good vnto vs that besides the Canonical Scriptures nothinge be read in the Churche vnder the name of the holy Scriptures They leauinge out these foure woordes sub nomine Diuinarum Scripturarum Vnder the name of Diuine Scriptures woulde beare men in hande the Councel willed nothinge to be read in the Churche besides the holy Scriptures Are not these trusty men to whom ye may committe the charge of your soules for your faith and saluation It foloweth in the same decree Liceat etiam Legi passiones Martyrum cùm anniuersarij dies celebrantur Let it be lawful also for the Martyrdomes of Martyrs to be read when theire yerely festes are kept And yet dare they not onely to saie nothing must be read besides the Scriptures but also to alleage that very place for that special lie whiche saithe the contrary Looke in the Booke thy selfe good reader and see how falsely they handle so holy matters An other lie is when they saie we reade those thinges in the Churche whiche our selues knowe to be starke lies and funde fables VVhen they cannot them selues shewe that we haue any sutche it is a vaine lieing rhetorike to saie we doubt not of it or knowe it our selues for a truthe I wonder not if they blushe not in belieng vs who haue belied so many Scriptures Councels and fathers The B. of Sarisburie It standeth wel with your Truthe M. Hardinge so often to charge vs with Lies Falsehedde I truste it wil appeare ye had no great cause to keepe so great reuel vpon so poore a Conqueste In deede these woordes be not founde in the thirde Councel of Carthage Yet are they founde in the Councel of Hippo whiche is the Abbridgemente of the thirde Councel of Carthage as it appeareth by the Title of the same Concilij Hipponensis Abbreuiationes factae in concilio carthaginensi Tertio The woordes of the Councel of Hippo and for so mutche also of the thirde Councel of Carthage be these Scripturae Canonicae in Ecclesia legendae quae sunt praeter quas alia non legantur The Scriptures Canonical whiche are to read in the Churche and besides whiche nothinge els maie be read Here haue you M. Hardinge the plaine woordes of the Councel of Hippo abberidged out of the thirde Councel of Carthage That nothinge maie be read in the Churche but onely the Canonical Scriptures Iudge you therefore howe iuste cause ye had so vnaduisedly for I vate not to saie so vnlearnedly to charge the Apologie with Lies and Falsehedde Hereto maie wée adde the like Decrée of the Councel holden at Laodicea Sabbatjs Euangelia cum alijs Scripturis legenda esse censemus Wee agree that the Gospel with others Scriptures be read vpon the Saboth daie If these woordes séeme not sufficiente it foloweth further in the same Councel Non oportet Libros qui sunt extra Canonem legere nisi solos Canonicos Veteris Noui Testamenti We maie not reade any Bookes that be without the Canon but onely the Canonical Bookes of the Olde and Nevve Testamente To like effecte Chrysostome saith Ideò Christus meusas nummulariorum euertit Significans quòd in Templo Dei nō debent esse nummi nisi Spirituales id est qui Dei imaginem habent Therefore Christe ouerthrewe the Exchangers bakes Meaninge thereby that there maie be no Come in the Churche but onely Spiritual that is to saie that beareth the Image of God Againe he saithe Lectorum officium erat in Ecclesia Sacra Legere ex Scriptis vel Prophetarum vel Apostolorum It was the Readers office to pronounce holy thinges vnto the people out of either the Apostles or Prophetes Erasmus saithe Apparet non nisi Apostolicas Literas olim Legi solitas in Templis aut certè Vitorum Apostolicae Authoritatis It appeareth that in olde time nothinge was vsed to be read in the Churches but onely the Apostles Writinges or at leaste the Writinges of sutche others as were of Apostolical Authoritie Likewise saithe Abbas Ansigisus reportinge the Ecclesiastical Decrees of the Frenche Kinges Levves Charles In Templis tantùm Canonici Libri id est Sacrae Literae legantur Let there he read in the Churches onely the Canonical Bookes that is to saie the Holy Scriptures An other lie Ye saie is this when they saie wee reade those thinges in the Churche whiche our selues knowe to be starke lies and fonde Fables For trial hereof wee shal not néede to trauaile far Your owne Bookes and Legendes are prouse sufficiente Erasmus thereof saithe thus Hodiè quorumlibet somnia imò mulietcularum Deliramenta leguntur inter diuinas Scripturas Nowe a daies euery fooles Dreames yea very wee mennes doctinge fansies are read with the Holy Scriptures Likewise saithe Polydore Vergil Multorum Diuorum vitas recitant tametsi parùm ad Fidem Scriptas They reade many Sainctes Liues although not written accordinge to Truthe Ludouicus Viues writtinge of your Legenda Aurea whiche was the Mother of al your deuoute Ecclesiastical stories or Fables saithe thus Nescio cur Aurea dici debeat cùm scripta sit ab homine ferrei oris plumbei Cordis plenissima sit impudentissimis Mendacijs I see no cause why it shoulde be called the Goulden Legende seeinge it was written by a man of an iron face and a ledden harte and is freight ful of most shamelesse lies If ye knewe not these thinges M. Hardinge your frendes wil thinke ye knowe nothinge Sutche Truthes yée reade and publishe deuoutly and solemnely in your Churches Yet maie wée neither saie nor thinke yée mocke the people The Apologie Cap. 4. Diuision 1. But if there be any that thinke these aboue rehersed Authorities be but weake and selender bicause thei were decreed by Emperours certaine petite Bishoppes and not by so ful perfite Councelles takinge pleasure rather in the Authoritie and name of the Pope let
that he heareth loseth the thinge that he heareth Therefore the Pope him selfe in his Pontifical géeueth this special Charge vnto the Reader Stude Lectiones Sacras distinctè apertè proferre ad Intelligentiam aedificationem Fidelium Endeuoure thee selfe to pronounce the Holy Lessons or Chapters distinctely and plainely not to a Spiritual doumbenesse but to the vnderstandinge and profite of the Faitheful Touching the Praiers that the simple people maketh in a tongue vnknowen Christe saithe This people honoureth me with theire lippes But theire hartes are far from mee The Apologie Cap. 9. Diuision 2. In these thinges haue they set al theire Religion teachinge the people that by the same God maie be duely pacified Spirites be driuen awaie and mens consciences wel quieted M. Hardinge VVhat shal I saie to al this but that ye lie I would saie as the manner is Sauing your worshippes but that your often and vnshamefaste lieing hath quite taken awaie from you al opinion of honestie Al Christes Religion whiche we professe consisteth not in these thinges neither by these be mennes consciences quieted By certaine of these euil and impure sprites be driued awaie in deede VVhich here by sundry Aunciente recordes and Testimonies I woulde declare to be moste true were it not wel yenough knowen by daily experience But as for you whereas neither Breade nor VVater nor Crosse driueth you awaie it semeth ye are worse to be coniured then the deuil himselfe Many of your secte Catholike Princes haue founde so stubborne as they could yet neuer ridde theire Countries of them but by coniuration of fire The B. of Sarisburie Yée saie yée ye neuer sought to quiet mennes Cōsciences by Oile Water Palmes c. And therefore ye stande vp a tipps toe and in your familiare manner crie oute yee lie For shorte trial hereof one example maie suffice in stéede of many Augustine Steuchus one of your special and woorthy Doctoures saithe thus Aquas Sale Orationibus Sanctificamus vt ad earum Aspersum nostra deleātur delicta We halowe VVater with Salte and Praiers that by the Sprinkelinge thereof our sinnes maie be foregeeuen Reade your owne Pontifical and ye shal finde in the halowinge of your VVater your Asshes your Palmes your Candels c. this clause euermore in the ende Vt sint nobis ad Salutem Animae Corporis That they maie be to vs to the Saluation of Body and soule Whereas in the ende ye vaunte your selfe of your Crueltie and so pleasantly make Sporte with the Bloude of your Brethern take it not for il if I answeare you with the Woordes of Salomon Viscera impiorum crudelia The bowelles of the wicked be alwaies cruel Therein M. Hardinge standeth your greateste puissance If ye were no better armed with Fire and Svverde then ye be with Scriptures and Doctoures no wise man woulde greately feare your force As for vs wée maie answeare you now as S. Cyprian sommetime answeared the Heathens Nobis ignominia non est pati à Fratribus quod passus est Christus neque vobis gloria est facere quod fecit Iudas It is no shame for vs to suffer of our Brethren the same violence that Christe suffered neither is it any praise for you to doo the same thinge that Iudas did Tertullian saith vnto your Fathers Crudelitas vestra gloria nostra est Semen est Sanguis Christianorum Your crueltie is our Glorie The Bloude of Christians is the seede of the Gospel I praie God al that innocente Bloude that hath benne sheadde in this cause be not required at your handes in the daie of Wrathe and at the declaration of the iuste iudgemente of God The Apologie Cap. 10. Diuision 1. For these lo be the oriente colours and Pretious sauours of Christian Religion these thinges dooth God looke vpon and accepteth thē thankefully these must cōme in place to be honoured must put quite awaie the Institutions of Christe of his Apostles And like as in times paste when wicked Kinge Ieroboam had taken from the people the right seruing of God had brought thē to woorship the Golden Calues leste perchaunce thei might afterward change theire minde and slippe awaie geatinge them againe to Ierusalem to the Temple of God there hee exhorted them with a longe tale to be stedfast saieinge thus vnto them O Israel these Calues be thy Goddes In this sorte commaunded your God you shoulde woorship him For it shoulde be wearisome and troublous for you to take vpon you a iourney so farre of yeerely to goe vp to Ierusalem there to serue and honoure your God Euen after the very same sorte when these menne had once made the Lawe of God of none effecte through theire owne Traditions fearinge that the people shoulde afterwarde open theire eies fal an other waie and shoulde sommewhence els seeke a surer meane of theire Saluation Iesu howe often haue they cried out This is the same woorshippinge that pleaseth God and whiche hee straitely requireth of vs and wherewith he wil be turned from his wrathe that by these thinges is conserued the Vnitie of the Churche that by these al sinnes be cleansed and consciences quieted and that who so departeth from these hath leafte vnto him selfe no hope of Euerlastinge Saluation For it were wearisome and troublous saie they for the people to resorte to Christe to the Apostles and to the Anciente Fathers and to obserue continually what theire wil and commaundement should be This ye maie see is to withdrawe the people of God from the Weake Elementes of the worlde from the leauen of the Scribes and Phariseis and from the Traditions of menne It were reason no doubte that Christes Commaundementes and the Apostles were remoued that these theire diuises might comme in place O iuste cause I promise you why that Anciente and so longe allowed Doctrine shoulde be nowe abolished and a newe Forme of Religion be brought into the Churche of God M. Hardinge It shoulde haue becomme Scoggin Patche Iolle Harry Pattenson or VVil Sommer to haue tolde this tale mutche better then your Superintendentships And if ye woulde nedes haue plaied the parte your selues it had ben more conuenient to haue donne it on the stage vnder a vices cote then in a booke set abrode to the worlde in defence of al your newe Englishe Churche Ye shal neuer make any reasonoble man beleue your scoffinge tale VVe esteme litle your railinge comparison with your spiteful woordes and so mutche deuilishe villany The Apologie Cap. 10. Diuision 2. And yet whatsoeuer it be these menne crie stil that nothing ought to be changed that mens mindes are wel satisfied here withal that the Churche of Rome the Churche whiche cannot erre hath decreed these thinges For Syluester Prieriàs saith that the Romishe Churche is the Squier and Rule of Truthe that the Holy Scripture hath receiued from thence Authoritie and Credite The Doctrine saith he
of the Romaine Churche is the infallible Rule of Faithe from the vvhiche the Holy Scripture taketh her force And Indulgences and Pardonnes saithe he are not made knovven to vs by the Authoritie of the Scriptures but they are knovven to vs by the Authoritie of the Romaine Churche and of the Bishoppes of Rome vvhich is greater then the Scriptures Pigghius also letteth not to saie that without the licence of the Romaine Church we ought not to beleue the very Plaine Scriptures Mutch like as if any of those that cannot speake pure and cleane Latine and yet can babble out quickely and readily a litle somme sutche Lawe Latine as serueth the Courte woulde needes holde that al others ought also to speake after the same waie that Mammetrectus and Catholicon spake many yeeres agoe and whiche themselues doo yet vse in pleadinge in Courte for so maie it be vnderstoode sufficiently what is said mennes desires maie be satisfied that it is a fondenesse nowe in the later ende to trouble the worlde with a newe kinde of speakinge and to cal againe the olde finenesse and eloquence that Cicero and Caesar vsed in theire daies in the Latine tongue So mutche are these menne beholden to the folie darkenesse of the former times Many thinges as one writeth are had in estimation oftentimes bicause thei haue benne once dedicate to the Temples of the Heathen Goddes Euen so wee see at this daie many thinges allowed highly sette by of these menne not bicause they iudge them so mutche woorthe but onely bicause they haue benne receiued into a custome and after a sorte dedicate to the Temple of God M. Hardinge Ye haue neuer donne with the Churche of Rome I cannot blame you For so long as that standeth without ye repente and tourne ye shal neuer be taken but for sutche as ye be Schismatikes and Heretikes But alas poore soules what thinke ye to ouerthrowe that Churche builded vpon the rocke Peter againste whiche hitherto neither tyrauntes nor Heretikes farre passinge you in lerninge and honestie of common life coulde euer preuaile Trowe ye to extinguishe that faithe of the Romaine Churche whiche is the same that was the faithe of Peter for which Christe praied that it should neuer faile Ye laboure in vaine VVel may Sathan winne you the Churche whiche our Lorde praied for by you shal he neuer winne Geue ouer therefore your vaine and wicked attemptes Trust not in the patches that falsely ye allege out of Canonistes gloses scholemen riminge poetes Heretikes and who so euer be they neuer so bad Some ignorant persons maye ye deceiue whose sinnes deserue the same VVhat Syluester Prierlât saieth I minde not here to discusse Neither where he saithe that you alleage haue you thought good to tel vs lest by perusinge the place we shoulde take you in a lie as we haue almoste in al your other allegations The like sinceritie you use in alleaginge Pighius VVe binde our selues neither to the wordes of Syluester nor of Pighius If they erre what is that to vs Let them beare theire owne burthen If they tel truth we beleue them for truthes sake If otherwise we leaue that parte for you to carpe If Syluester Prierias saide that for pointes of belefe the Doctrine of the Romaine Churche is a squire to trie theire truthe by the same beinge wel vnderstanded is right true Likewise if Pighius saie that the Romaine Churche sheweth vnto vs which be the approued and vndoubted scriptures and whiche be not this is so true as your selfe I suppose wil yelde thereunto As for that the scripture receiued from the Churche of Rome Authoritie credite and force if in your meaninge you exclude God that is your lie not Syluesters sentence If relation be made to vs that we ought not geue credite vnto it onlesse it had ben shewed to be holy scripture by the Romaine Church whiche is the true Churche of Christe in this sense be it Syluester or who els so euer saithe it it is a true saieinge and agreable to S. Augustine Ego Euangelio non crederem nisi me Catholicae Ecclesiae commueret Authoritas I woulde not beleue the Gospel except the Auctoritie of the Catholike Churche moued me And for that you alleage out of him touchinge indulgences truthe it is the ful and whole knowledge of them is not plainely opened vnto vs by expresse and euident wordes of Scripture no more then the mysterie of the blessed Trinitie baptizinge of infantes and many other truthes but rather by the doctrine of the Romaine Churche VVhere you tel vs of Pighius that he letteth not to saie that without the licence of the Romishe Churche for in that word you please your selfe wel we ought not to beleue the very plaine scriptures we wil proclaime you a lyer vntil you shewe vs where he spake so farre beside reason and lerninge The holy Churche doth not wil vs to staie from belefe of the scriptures vntil we haue licence but by al waies and meanes inuiteth and stirreth vs to beleue the truthe in the scriptures vttered The B. of Sarisburie The greatest weight hereof vpon twoo of your Doctoures Syluester Prieriâs and Albertus Pigghius Whoe 's credite notwithstandinge yée woulde faine otherwise saue vpright yet here as it séemeth ye are contente for shame to géeue them ouer VVe binde our selues yée saie neither to the woordes of Syluester nor of Pigghius If they erre what is that to vs This shorte and blunte answeare notwithstandinge it séeme to like wel you yet perhaps Prieriâs and Pigghius it woulde not like I sée no greate cause to the contrarie but either of them might as wel renounce your Authoritie and saie of you Wée are not bounde neither to M. Hardinges woordes nor to his felowes For that yée doubte the Truthe of our allegations reade Syluester Prieriâs Maister of the Popes Palace in his Booke entituled Contra praesumptuosas Martini Lutheri Conclusiones de potestate Papae His wordes there emongest others be these Quicūque nō innititur Doctrinae Romanae Ecclesiae ac Romani pōlificis tanquam Regulae Dei infallibili à qua etiam sacra Scriptura robur trahit Authoritatem Haereticus est Who so euer leaneth not to the Doctrine of the Romaine Churche and of the Bishop of Rome as vnto the infallible Rule of God of vvhiche Doctrine the Holy Scripture taketh force and Authoritie he is an Heretique Againe he saithe Authoritas Romanae Ecclesiae Romanique pontificis maior est c. The Authoritie of the Romaine Churche and of the Bishop of Rome is greater then the Authoritie of Goddes woorde As for that is here alleged of Pigghius it is the very sounde and sense of the greatest parte of his Common place De Ecclesia Of whoe 's iudgemente herein M. Caluine writeth thus Pighius ait Nullius Scripturae Authoritate quantum libet Clarae nostro quidem
neuerthelesse drawe his Swerde and strike when and whom so euer the Prieste biddeth and blindely execute his wicked wil In déede M. Hardinge you saie precisely If the mater decreed be Spiritual and apperteininge to Faithe the Prince ought to obeie without question or grudge Likewise againe yée saie It shal be yenough for you to doo as the Successoures of Peter bid you to doo Christe nowe requireth of you not to obeie Peter and Paule but to obeie him that sitteth in theire Chaire What so euer he saie True or false For this no doubte muste be your meaninge The Kinge was bound to write out the Booke of the Lavve This yée saie proueth not the Kinges Superioritie ouer the Priestes No verily M. Hardinge Neither was it alleged by vs to that pourpose Neuerthelesse hereby it appeareth that God woulde haue the Kinge to be learned in his Lavves But the Kinge muste receiue the Booke of the Prieste and of none other Therefore saie you the Prieste is aboue the Kinge Mée thinketh M. Hardinge euen for your credites sake yée shoulde looke better to your Logique For what auaileth the deliuerie of a Booke to make the Prieste either higher or lower When the Pope is at his Consecration the Cardinal that is his Orderer deliuereth him a Booke of the Epistles and Gospelles And wil ye thereof conclude that the saide Cardinal is aboue the Pope Mary God forebidde Goddes meaning touching this Ceremonie was this that the Kinges Booke shoulde he true and fautlesse And therefore God commaunded him to take a Copie thereof out of the Registrie or Recordes whiche were thought to be voide of al corruption and were euermore keapte in the Temple vnder the Custodie of the Priestes Paulus Phagius saithe Euery Priuate man was commaunded to haue one Booke seuerally to him selfe But the Kinge was commaunded to haue twoo And for as mutche as the Kinge was a Publique Persone therefore God willed him to take his Copie out of the publique Recordes of the Temple Your owne Hugo cardinalis saithe Accipiet exemplar à Sacerdotibus non à quibussibet sed à bonis Vbi nihil fucatum est nihil corruptum He shal take his Copie of y◠Priestes not of euery Prieste what so euer but of the good that in the same Copie there be nothing neither coloured nor corrupted Al this M. Hardinge wil hardely proue your strange Conclusion that the Prieste vvas Superioure to the King It séemeth mutche better to proue the contrarie that the Prieste vvas the Kinges Inferioure and his Subiecte and his Clerke of Recordes as beinge appointed to keepe his Bookes So S. Augustine saithe the Ievves this daie kéepe the very true Bookes of the Scriptures Al be it not for theire owne vse but onely for ours And therefore he saithe they be not our Superiours but our Seruantes Certainely concerninge the Kinges and Priestes of the Olde Lavve one of your owne frendes whom for many causes yée maie not wel refuse saithe thus In Veteri Lege Sacerdotium indignius erat Potestate Regia ei Subiectum In the Olde Lavve the Priestes Office was Inferioure to the Prince and Subiecte Vnto him Yée saie If the Prieste muste geeue the Holy Scriptures to the Kinge then verily muste he take sutche as they geeue him and with sutche meaninge as they geeue vnto it Yea I trowe though they teare theire roabes againste Christe as Caiphas did and crie out He blasphemeth yet muste wee by your Iudgemente euermore seeke to them for the sense and meaninge of the Scriptures For this is the grounde and Fundation of your Diuinitie The Scripture of God hathe none other sense but as it shal please the Prieste to geeue vnto it But S. Chrysostome speakinge of the same Priestes and Bishoppes from whome we haue receiued the selfe same Scriptures saithe thus Literae quidem Legis apud illos sunt Sensus autem apud nos The Letters or woordes of the Scriptures are with them but the true meaninge of them is with vs. Here you mutche disaduantage your selfe and as yée saie omitte that we reade Librum Legis whereas the Churche readeth Deuteronomium for that as yée saie it were too longe for you to enter into that disputation Therefore M. Hardinge we wil patiently abide your leasure vnt il yée haue founde out the whole mysterie and cōsidered it better In the meane season it shal not be good for you to be ouer ranke with your Commentaries vntil yée better vnderstande the Texte Certainely the wise and learned thinke that herein yée are mutche deceiued For whereas the Woordes are these Describet sibi Deuteronomium Legis huius they thinke that Deuteronomium in this place is not put for any one certaine seueral Booke of the Fiue Bookes of Moses as it is otherwise commonly vsed but rather for a Copie or a Draught of the Whole Lavve And in this sense they saie that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is none other but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saie a Copie or a Double The Italian Translation hathe thus Esso si scriuera questo Doppio de la Legge The Frenche Translation hath Le double Leo Iudas translateth it thus Describet sibi Exemplum Legis huius He shal write out for him selfe a Copie of this Lawe And for somme proufe hereof it is thus written in the Booke of Iosua Afterwarde Iosua readde out of the woordes of the Lavve bothe the Blessinges and the Curses accordinge to euery thinge that is written in the Booke of the Lavve And there was not one woord of al the thinges that Moses Commaunded but Josua readde the same before the whole congregation of Israel Where we allege the woordes of the Prophete Esai Kinges shal be thy Fosterers and Queenes thy Nurces yée saie Euery Nurce or Fosterer is not aboue him that is nourished A faitheful seruante oftentimes fostereth his Maister Yet is not he aboue his Maister So lothe yee are the Kinge shoulde be Superioure to a Prieste And thus hanc yée brought about by your handsome Conclusions that your Priestes be the Maisters and Kinges theire Seruantes And therefore it is discretely noted in your Glose Imperator Romanus est Procurator siue Defensor Romanae Ecclesiae The Emperoure of Rome is the Stewarde or Bailife of the Churche of Rome The Apologie Cap. 11. Diuision 4. 5. I saie bisides al these thinges we see by Histories by Examples of the beste times that good Princes euer tooke the Administration of Ecclesiastical maters to perteine to theire duetie Moses beinge a Ciuile Magistrate and chiefe Guide of the people bothe receiued from God and deliuered to the people al the order for Religion and Sacrifices and gaue Aaron the Bishop a vehemente and soare rebuke for makinge the Golden Calfe and for sufferinge the Corruption of Religion M. Hardinge Moses was not onely a Ciuile Magistrate but also a Prieste In that he had both
The B. of Sarisburie Al this whole mater touchinge as wel Kinge Iehosophat as also Amarias the Highe Prieste is answeared in that is paste before The Apologie Cap. 11. Diuision 11. Kinge Iosias with greate diligence put the Priestes Bishoppes in minde of their dueties Kinge Iohas bridled the Riote and Arrogancie of the Priestes Iehu put to deathe the wicked Prophetes M. Hardinge The puttinge of Priestes and Bishoppes in minde of their dutie is not a Supremacie in determininge Ecclesiasticall causes And whereas you saie that Kinge Ioas bridled the râ—ot and arrogancie of the Priestes if it were so it was well donne But I finde not those woordes in the texte Concerninge that Iehu did it is a mere temporall Office to put false preachers and Heretikes to death Neither can it belonge to Priestes onlesse they haue also ciuill iurisdiction Muche lesse dothe that acte proue that Kinges be Supreme heades ouer the Churche and ought to be Iudges in controuersies and questions of Religion The B. of Sarisburie Concerninge the storie of Kinge Iohas I reporte me to that is written of him in the Booke of Kinges He sequestred the Oblations of the people whiche the Priestes had bestowed lewdely and wantonly vpon them selues and by his owne Authoritie turned the same to the Reparations of the Temple Of Kinge Iosias it is written thus Constituit Iosias Sacerdotes in officijs suis Kinge Iosias appointed the Priestes to minister in theire seueral Offices And againe Mundauit Iudam Hierusalem ab Excelsis Lucis Kinge Iosias cleansed and ridde Iuda and Hierusalem from their Hille Aultars and their Groaues But yée wil saie He did al thinges by yâ— discretion of the Priestes Bishoppes This thinge in deede is necessarie while the Priestes and Bishoppes be learned and godly But Kinge Iosias did far otherwise for he sent the Bishop him selfe vnto Olda the Prophetisse to learne the discretion and Iudgemente of a VVooman and so was directed in maters of Highest Religion by a VVooman and not by a Prieste These Examples be so manifeste that one of your Felowes there is faine thus to excuse the mater by ouer mutche Antiquitie If we woulde in these daies saithe he vse in all pointes the Examples of the Olde Lawe there woulde folowe an huge number of inconueniences It is no good reason to saie that therefore our Kinges nowe a daies muste haue the like Authoritie Thus saithe he As though the Princes righte were now abated and altered as the Ceremonies of the Lawe were otherwise nowe then it was before Or as if the Comminge of Christe into the worlde and the Preachinge of the Gospel had pourposely benne to represse and pulle downe the State of Kinges The Apologie Cap. 12. Diuision 1. And to rehearse no more Examples out of the Olde Lawe let vs rather consider sithence the Birthe of christe howe the churche hath benne gouerned in the time of the Gospel M. Hardinge If we consider the Office of a Kinge in it selfe it is one euery where not onely amonge Christen Princes but also amonge Heathen * The definition of a Kinge whiche agreeth to Iulius Cesar or to Alexander the Greate as they were Monarkes and Princes is one with the definition of a Kinge whiche agreeth to Henry the Eight or to Charles the Fifthe So that no more could Kinge Henry as Kinge meddle with Religion then Alexander or Iulius Cesar * His place is chiefe amonge the laie euen when they are in the Churche at the Seruice of God and without the Churche in all Temporall thinges and causes he is ouer the Priestes themselues And because all these examples are taken out of the Olde Testamente I will geeue thee a true resolution out of the same Booke what auctoritie Priestes had and what auctoritie Kinges had Moses gaue this rule concerninge the same matter If saithe he thou perceiue an harde and doubtfull iudgement to be with thee betweene bloude and bloude cause and cause Lepre and Lepre and seest the woordes of the iudges within thy gates to varie arise and goe vp to the place whiche thy Lorde God shall chose and thou shalte come to the Priestes of the stocke of Leui and to the Iudge that shall be for the time and thou shalte demaunde of them who shall shewe the truthe of iudgemente to thee But neither the Prieste by this place may medle with that iurisdiction whiche belonged to the Temporall iudge neither the Iudge with that whiche was spirituall and belonginge onely to the Prieste For of such causes Azarias the Priest and Bishop saide to Kinge Ozias It is not thy office Ozias to burne incense vnto our Lorde It is the office of the Priestes That is to saie of the Sonnes of Aaron VVho are consecrated to doo suche Ministeries But this the Kinge mighte doo euen in matters of Religion VVhen the High Priest had geuen sentence he might see the execution thereof to be donne But otherwise what so euer Kinge or Temporal iudge might not doo in his owne person ‡ muche lesse mighte he iudge whether an other did well therein or no. And this concerninge the Olde Testament The B. of Sarisburie The Office of a Kinge yée saie was no more in Kinge Henry the Eighth or in Charles the Fifthe then it was in the Heathen Princes Iulius Caesar or Alexander the Greate And therefore yée saie a Christian Princes Office standeth onely in Maters Temporal and for that cause yee so often calle him a Mere Laie Temporal Prince as if he were in Authoritie not mutche better then an Heathen Magistrate Euen so M. Harding is your Pope no more a Bishop or perhaps mutche lesse a Bishop then Annas and Caiphas Neither is your Prieste more a Prieste then the Prieste of Dagon or Baal The difference standeth not in Office but onely in Truthe Yet neuerthelesse yée knowe that Heathen Princes had euermore a Soueraine Authoritie not onely ouer theire Priestes and Bishoppes but also ouer al Cases of Religion Aristotle saithe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Kinge that is Lorde and Ruler of thinges that perteine vnto the Goddes And therefore Socrates in his storie saithe Imperatores vnà complexi sumus c. Wee haue also herein comprised the Emperours Liues for that sithence the Emperours were first Christened the affaires of the Churche haue hanged of them and the greatest Councelles bothe haue benne and are keapte by theire aduise Yee saie The Prince in doubteful Cases was commaunded to take Counsel of the Highest Prieste This is true But wil yée conclude hereof that the Highest Prieste maie saie doo what he listeth without controlmente What if the Highe Prieste woulde answeare thus as he answeared sommetime in déede This Christe is a Samaritane a deceiuer of the people and hath a Diuel What if he teare his owne roabes for anger and crie oute He Blasphemeth he is vvoorthy to die Yet
to see peace and concorde in the Churche of God VVho liste to reade the Epistles of Pope Leo to Pulâ—â—eria the Emperesse to Martian himselfe to Theodosius to Flauianus Archebishop of Constanâ—â—nople to the Synode firste assembled at Ephesus afterwarde for certaine causes at Chalcedon in the same Epistles he may see bothe the cause of the councell and what conference was had thereof with the saide Leo Bishop of Rome who sente firste to Ephesus Iulianus a Bishop Renatus a Prieste and Hilarius a Deacon and afterwarde to Chalcedon Paschasinus and Lucentius Bishoppes and Bonifacius a Prieste to represente hius personne In one of the saide Epistles written to the Seconde Synode at Ephesus Leo saithe thus Religiosissima Clementissimi principis Fides c. The moste religious Faithe of our moste element Prince knowinge it to perteine chiefely to his reâ—me if within the Catholike Churche no branche of errour springe hath deferred this reuerence to Gods ordinaunces as to vse the auctoritie of the see Apostolike to achieue the effect of a Holy purpose as though he were desirous by the moste blessed Peter himselfe that to be declared whiche in his confession was praised By whiche woordes It is plaine that in matters of Religion the Emperoure proceeded not vpon his owne Head but was directed by the See of Peter VVhat shal I saie more If the Emperoure first Christened the Pope let the Emperour be superiour in thinges to Godward But if the Pope Christened the Emperour as Syluester did Constantine let the spirituall Father in that degree of rule be aboue the spirituall Childe The B. of Sarisburie No man coulde vtter so many Vntruthes togeather with sutche assiance without somme cunninge Firste M. Hardinge yée beare vs in hande that the Emperours of the Worlde in those daies summoned Councelles not by their owne Authoritie but by the Authoritie Warrante of the Pope As if the Popes Authoritie at that time had benne many degrees aboue the Emperoure Notwithstandinge Pope Pius 2. as you knowe saithe thus Ante Nicenam Synodum vnusquisque sibi vixit paruus respectus ad Romanam Ecclesiam habebatur Before the Councel of Nice eche Bishop liued seuerally to him selfe and little regarde was there then had to the Churche of Rome Pope Innocentius complaineth that he had not Authoritie sufficient to force Pelagius beinge but one man to comme before him mutche lesse had he Authoritie sufficient to commaunde calle the whole worlde Pope Leo bothe was an humble suiter himselfe vnto yâ— Emperoure Martianus that it would please his Maiestie to commaunde a Councel and also entreated other Bishoppes to promote the cause Thus he writeth Humiliter ac sapienter exposcite vt Petâ—tiom nostrae qua Plenariam indici Synodum postulamus Clementissimus Imperator dignetur annuere Make suite with discrete and humble Praier that our moste Gracious Emperoure woulde vouchesaue to graunte oure requeste in that wee haue desired a General Councel It is not likely that Pope Leo woulde thus haue written if his owne Authoritie had benne sufficiente Naie it is the more vnlikely that the Emperoure shoulde herein at any time vse the Authoritie of the Pope for that the Pope him selfe was neuer hable to summone Bishoppes as hereafter it shal appeare but onely by the Authoritie of the Emperoure Pope Damasus commaunded the Bishoppes of the Easte to comme to Rome How be it not in his owne name for that had benne no warrante but by the Emperours special letters Eusebius saith thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exemplar Regiarum Literarum quibus iubet Romae Episcoporum Concilium celebrari This is a Copie of the Emperours VVrite whereby he commaunded a Councel to be keapte In Rome As for the Pope notwithstandinge al his Vniuersal Povver he was commaunded by the Emperours Summone to be presente at Councelles as wel as others In the Councel of Chalcedon it is written thus Eodem tenore à Pijssimis Christianissimis Imperatoribus Sanctissimus noster Papa Romanae Ecclesiae praepositus Leo vocatus est By order of the same VVrite Oure moste Holy Pope Leo ruler of the Churche of Rome was called to the Councel by the moste Godly and moste Christian Emperours Sozomenus saithe Constantinus scripsit ad omnes Praesides Ecclesiarum vt ad diem adessent Ad Episcopos Apostolicarum Sedium Ad Macarium Hierosoly mitanum ad Iulium Romanum c. The Emperoure Constantinus sente out his Letters vnto al the Rulers of the Churches that they should meete al at Nice vpon a daâ—e vnto the Bishoppes of the Apostolike Sees vnto Macarius yâ— Bishop of Hierusalem and vnto Iulius the Bishop of Rome c. But sulius excused his absence because of his age Otherwise of Obedience and Dewtie towardes the Emperoure he was as mutche bounde to haue made his appearance there as the reste of his Brethren Yee saie If the Emperoure shoulde haue summoned the Councel by his owne Authoritie then the Bishoppes of Persia and Scotlande whiche Countries were not then vnder the Obedience of the Romaine Empiere woulde not haue appeared vpon the Summone and so had it benne no General Councel This cauil wanteth bothe truthe and sauoure For proufe whereof I wil bringe foorthe your selfe M. Hardinge to reprooue your selfe Yée should not so soone haue foregotten your owne Decree specially conceiued and published in this selfe same Booke Thus you saie these be your owne woordes A Councel is not accoumpted General bicause Bishoppes of al Countries vnder Heauen be assembled but bicause many be assembled and al be lawfully called Otherwise your Late Chapter of Tridente with your woorthy number of Fourtie Prelates whereof certaine were onely Maie Bishoppes otherwise by you called Nullatenses coulde neuer haue benne a General Councel Certainely it cannot appeare that there was any Bishop either of Scotlande or of Englande then called Britaine at any of the firste foure Councelles either at Nice or at Ephesus or at Constantinople or at Chalcedon Yet are these Councelles neuerthelesse called General Touchinge the reste the Emperoure was then the onely Monarke of the worlde and as Chrysostome calleth him Summitas Caput omnium super terram hominum The Toppe and Heade of al menne in the worlde No doubte who so euer woulde then haue refused the Emperours Summone mutche more woulde he haue refused the Summone of the Pope To qualiâ—â—e the mater yée sate the Emperoure did these thinges although not by the Popes vvarrante yet at thâ— leaste by the Popes Consente and neuer otherwise Here likewise is an other Vntruthe For the Emperoure commaunded Councelles bothe when he woulde and whither he would whether the Pope woulde or no many times without any manner of regarde had to his pleasure Pope Leo wrote thus vnto the Emperoure Theodosius Omnes nostrae Ecclesiae Omnes Mansueâ—udini Vestrae cum gemitibus Lachrymis supplicant Sacerdâ—â—es vt Generalem Synodum iubeatis intra Italiam
your Popes Holinesse so entitled wee finde neuer Onlesse it be in somme certaine late Decrees and Gloses of his owne Al be it you of late haue mutche abated the Emperoures Honoure and haue made him onely the Popes man For thus yee saie Imperator Occidentis est Procurator siue Defensor Romanae Ecclesiae The Emperoure of the Weaste is the Proctoure or Stewarde of the Churche of Rome Yet Chrysostome saithe Imperator est Summitas Caput omnium super terram hominuÌ„ The Emperoure is the Toppe and Heade of al menne vpon the Earthe In the Councel of Chalcedon the Emperoure is called Dominus Vniuersi Mundi The Lorde of the Whole Worlde Perhaps ye wil saie The State of the Empiere is nowe empouerished And therefore the Emperoure hathe loste his Title Yet your owne Doctours Glosers coulde haue tolde you Iura communia dicunt quòd Imperator est Dominus Mundi NotwithstaÌ„ding the decaie of yâ— Empiere The Common Lawes saie that the Emperoure is the Lorde of the Worlde Rob. Holâ—ote speakinge of the Emperoure of Germanie saithe thus Hic est Rex Regum cui omnes subditae sunt Nationes Populi c. The Emperoure is the Kinge of Kinges vnto whom al Nations and Countries be in subiection The Romaines of late yeeres wrote thus vnto the Emperoure Conradus Excellentissimo Praeclarissimo Vrbis Oibis totius Oâ—mino c. Vnto the moste excellente and moste Noble Emperoure the Lorde bothe of the Cittie and also of al the whole Worlde Therefore M. Hardinge to moue this vaine quarrel without somme cause it was great folie Councelles ye saie In olde times were holden by Authoritie of the Pope For proufe whereof yee allege Socrates in the eight booke and the seconde Chapter But Woorde or Sentence yee allege none Howe be it it was a great ouersight to allege the Eighth Booke of Socrates whereas Socrates him selfe neuer wrote but Seuen and so far to ouerleape your Authoure Notwithstandinge this smal Erroure maie wel be dissembled emongest so many How be it touchinge the thing it selfe yee maie as easily finde it in the Eighth Booke of Socrates that neuer was written as els where For in deede emongeste al that euer he wrote this thinge certainely that you allege he wrote neuer The Apologie Cap. 12. Diuision 5. Ca. 13. Diui. 1. And although the modestie and mildenesse of the Emperoure Ferdinando be so greate that he can beare this wronge bicause peraduenture he vnderstandeth not wel the Popes packinge yet ought not the Pope of his holinesse to offer him that wronge nor to claime an other mans right as his owne But hereto somme wil replie The Emperoure in deede called Councelles at that time yee speake of bicause the Bishop of Rome was not yet growen so greate as he is nowe but yet the Emperour did not then sitte togeather with the Bishoppes in Councel or once bare any stroke with his Authoritie in theire consultations I answeare nay that it is not so For as witnesseth Theodorete the Emperoure Constantine sate not onely togeather with them in the councel at Nice but gaue also aduise to the Bishoppes howe it was best to trie out the mater by the Apostles and Prophetes vvritinges as appeareth by these his owne woordes In disputation saithe he of maters of Diuinitie vvee haue set before vs to folovve the Doctrine of the Holy Ghoste For the Euangelistes and the Apostles vvoorkes and the Prophetes saieinges shevve vs sufficiently vvhat opinioÌ„ vve ought to haue of the vvil of God M. Hardinge For the sittinge of Emperoures in Councelles you treate a common place not necessarie No man euer denied but Emperoures maie sitte in them we acknowledge two sortes of settinge one for the assessours an other for the Iudge No Emperoure euer sate as a Iudge in Councel but many both Emperoures in person and their Lieutenauntes for them haue sitten as being ready to assiste and defende that whiche the Bishoppes had Iudged and decreed VVhat maner a seate greate Constantine had in the firste Councel at Nice Eusebius in his life and Theodoritus doth declare After that al the Bishoppes were sette in their seates to the number of 318 in came the Emperoure last with a smal companie A lowe litle chaire beinge sette for him in the middest he would not sitte downe before the Bishoppes had reuerently signified so mutche vnto him and as Theodoritus writeth not before he had desired the Bishoppes to permitte him so to doo Nowe thinke you that the Supreme head of the Churche should haue comme in last and hane sitten beneath his subiectes and haue staied to sitte vntil thei had as it were geuen him leaue Neither consulted he with the Bishoppes but required them to consult of the maters thei came for as Theodorite witnesseth Neither spake he there so generally as you reporte nor framed his tale in that sorte as you faine vniuersally of the wil of God ‡ but of the Godhed saieinge that the bookes of the Gospels and of the Apostles and the Oracles of the Prophetes doo plainely teache vs what we ought to thinke of the Godhed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the coÌ„trouersie about whiche the Arians made so mutche adoo was touchinge the equalitie of Godhed in Christe and his consubstantialitie with God the Father And by those wordes and other whiche there he vttered he tooke not vpon him to define or Iudge but onely to exhorte them to agree together in one Faithe For amonge those Bishops certaine there were that fauoured the Heresie of Arius Suche examples you bringe for defence of your parte as make mutche against you Not that you delight in making a rodde for your selfe but bicause you haue no better and somwhat must you needes saie lest the stage you plaie your parte on shoulde stande stil The B. of Sarisburie Emperoures ye saie sate in Councelles as Assessours onely but not as Iudges That is to saie thei sate by the Bishoppes helde theirpeace tolde the clocke saide nothinge Yet youre Doctours saie Assessor Episcopi non potest esse Laicus The Assessoure of a Bishop maie not be a Laieman But touchinge the mater it selfe Eusebius that was alwaies neare aboute the Emperoure Constantine wrote his life and was presente at the Councel saithe thus Constantinus quasi Communis quidam Episcopus à Deo constitutus Ministrorum Dei Synodos conuocauit Nec dedignatus est adesse considere in medio illorum consorsque fieri ipsorum c. Constantine as if he had benne a Common Bishop appoited by God called togeather Councelles of Goddes Ministers and disdeigned not him selfe to sitte in the middes emongest them and to be partetaker of theire dooinges Againe Constantinus him selfe saithe thus Ego intereram Concilio tanquam vnus ex vobis I was presente at the Councel emongeste you as one of you Againe Eusebius saithe Vnus Vnicus
Sanctae synodo quae apud Nicaeam congregata est Constantinus the Emperoure beinge Presidente of the Holy Councel that was keapte at Nice These be not our woordes but the Popes registred euen in his owne Recordes Therefore I truste yee wil not refuse to geeue them credite But you saie The Emperoure determined and defined nothinge Yet the Emperoure him selfe contrarie to youre saieinge saithe thus Ego suscepi perfeci res salutiferas persuasus Verbo tuo O Lorde I tooke in hande and broughte to passe vvholesome thinges beinge persvvaded by thy VVorde And againe writinge hereof vnto the Bishoppes of sundrie Churches he saithe Ego vobiscum interfui tanquà m vnus ex vobis Non enim negauerim conseruum me vestrum esse Qua de re mihi maximè gratulor I was presente at the Councel with you as one of you For I cannot denie mee selfe to bee youre Felovve Seruante In whiche thinge I moste reioise Likewise againe he saithe Ego Nicaeam contraxi magnum numerum Episcoporum Cum quibus cùm essem vnus ex vobis Conseruus vester vehementer esse cuperem etiam ipse suscepi inquisitionem Veritatis I caused a greate companie of Bishoppes to come to Nice with whome togeather I tooke in hande the Examination of the Truthe beinge mee selfe one of you and mutche desieringe to be therein youre Felowe Seruante Likewise saithe Eusebius Imperator quasi Iuculentam facem accendens ne quae occultae Erroris reliquiae superessent oculo Regio circumspexit The Emperoure as hauing enkendled a greate flame lookte wel aboute with his Princely Eie that no priuie remnantes of erroure shoulde reaste behinde The Bishoppes in the same Nicene Councel beinge at variance emongeste them selues offered vp theire Bookes of accusation not vnto the Pope or to his Legates of whom they had then no greate regarde but vnto the Emperoure Neither did the Emperoure put ouer theire quarelles vnto the Popes Iudgemente but vnto the Iudgemente of God Againe the same Emperoure Constantine saithe If any Bishop vvickedly offende by the hande of Goddes seruante that is to saie by my hande he shal be pounished To be shorte Cardinal Cusanus saithe Sciendum est quòd in vniuersalibus octo Concilijs vbi Imperatores interfuerunt non Papa semper inuenio Imperatores Iudices suos cum Senatu Primatum habuisse officium Praesidentiae per interlocutiones ex consensu Synodi sine mādato conclusiones iudicia fecisse Et non reperitur instantia in octo Concilijs praeter quam in tertia Actione Concilij Chalcedonensis Wee muste knowe that in the Eight General Councelles where the Emperoures were present and not the Pope I euermore finde that the Emperoures and theire Iudges with the Senate had the Gouernemente and Office of Presidence by hearinge and conferring of maters and that they made Conclusions and Iudgementes with the consente of the Councel and without any further Commission And there is no manner instance or exception to be founde in the firste Eight Councelles sauinge onely in the thirde Action of the Councel of Chalcedon Here yee see plainely by the Authoritie of Cardinal Cusanus one of youre owne special Doctours that in the Eight firste General Councelles the Emperoure was Presidente and not the Pope Where as the Emperoure willed the Bishoppes to conclude theire maters by the Apostolical and Prophetical Scriptures He speaketh not saie you so generally as wee reporte him nor frameth his tale in that sorte as wee saine vniuersally of the vvil of God but of the Godhedde For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in your fansie signifieth onely the Substance and Nature of God and not Goddes VVil or his Religion Here M. Hardinge it were somme pointe of Learninge to knowe what skilful Greke Reader told you this tale Verily Cassiodorus in plaine wise trāslateth it thus Euangelici Apostolici libri erudiunt nos quid de Sacra Lege sapiamus The Bookes of the Euangelistes and Apostles teache vs what wee ought to thinke not onely of the Substance and Nature of God but also of the Holy Lavve Therefore Theodoretus addeth further these woordes Accipiamus Explicationes quaestionum nostrarum ex dictis Sancti Spiritus Let vs take the resolution of our questions out of the woordes of the Holy Ghoste And immediately before he saithe De rebus Diuinis disputantes praescripram habemus Doctrinam Sancti Spiritus In our Disputations not onely of the Godhedde but also of Godly maters wee haue laide before vs the Doctrine of the Holy Gospel In like sense S. Hilarie saithe Non est relictus hominum eloquijs de Dei rebus alius praeterquam Dei Sermo Omnia reliqua arcta conclusa impedita sunt obscura In maters touchinge God there is no speache leafte vnto menne but onely the woorde of God Al other Authorities be shorte and narrowe and darke and troublesome Beleue them not hencefoorth therefore M. Hardinge that tel you that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth onely the Substance and Nature of Goddes Diuinitie For as yee maie easily see your Glose is vaine and fighteth directely againste the Texte The Apologie Cap. 13. Diuision 2. The Emperoure Theodosius as saithe Socrates did not onely sitte amongest the Bishoppes but also ordered the whole argueinge of the cause and tare in peeces the Heretiques Bookes and allowed for good the Iudgemente of the Catholiques M. Hardinge It is wonder to see howe these menne abuse the Ecclesiastical histories VVhereas thei talke a litle before of the sitting of Emperours in general Councelles a man would thinke that now also Theodosius had benne saide to haue sitten among Bishoppes in some general Councel But there is no sutche mater Theodosius the Emperour conferred with Nectarius the Bishop of Constantinople howe al Christen men might be brought to an vnitie in Faithe And after that Nectarius had lerned of Sisinnius a greate Clerke the best way to be if al the heades of eche Heresie and Secte might be induced to be iudged by the olde Fathers and Doctours of the Churche the godly Emperoure hearing this aduise caused bothe the Heretikes and Catholiques also to write eche of them sutche thinges as eche of them had to saie for his Belefe And after praier made reading ouer al the writinges he reiected the Arians the Macedonians and the Eunomians ‡ embracing onely thier sentence who agreed vpon the Consubstantialitie of the sonne of God Here saie these Defenders Theodosius did not onely sitte amongest the Bishoppes but also ordered the whole arguing of the cause tearing the papers of the Heretikes and allowing the Iudgemente of the Catholiques To whiche obiection I make this answeare First that Theodosius here tooke counsel of Nectarius the Bishop and folowed it Secondely that he intended not to Iudge whether opinion of al the Sectes were truer but onely sought howe to ridde the Churche of cōtrouersies Otherwise
thinges he had donne should vse that good mannes Body to an occasion of VVickednesse or Idolatrie So saithe S. Augustine Nemo conscius erat Sepulchri Mosis ne populus si cognouisset vbi esset adoraret Noman was made priuie to Moses Graue leste if the people had knowen where his Body had benne they shoulde adoure it Your obiection of the Sacrifice is otherwhere answeared more at large S. Augustine saithe Nunc manibus non offerimus Carnem Sed Corde ore offerimus Laudem Nowe wee offer not vp fleashe with our handes but with Harte and mouth wee offer praise Againe he saithe Intùs habeo Sacrificium quo flectam Deum meum Within mee selfe I haue a Sacrifice where with I maie pacifie my God The Apologie Cap. 17. Diuision 1. 2. When Eldras went about to repaire the ruines of the Temple of God he sente not to Ephesus although the moste beautiful and gorgeous Temple of Diana were there and whē he purposed to restore the Sacrifices and ceremonies of God he sente not to Rome although peraduenture he had heard that there were the solemne Sacrifices called Hecatombae and other called Solitaurilia Lectisternia and Supplicationes and Numa Pompilius Ceremonial Bookes or Manuals or Portueses He thought it yenough for him to let before his eies and folowe the Paterne of the Olde Temple whiche Salomon at the beginninge builded according as God had appointed him and also those olde customes and ceremonies whiche God him selfe had written out by special woordes for Moses The Prophete Aggaeus after the Temple was repaired againe by Esdras and the people mighte thinke they had a very iuste cause to reioice on theire owne behalfe for so greate a benefite receiued of Almighty God yet made he thē al burst out into teares bicause that they whiche were yet aliue and had seene the former buildinge of the Temple before the Babylonians destroied it called to minde howe far of it was yet from that beautie and excellencie whiche it had in the olde times past before For then in deede would thei haue thought the Temple woorthily repaired if it had answeared to the Anciente Paterne and to the Maiestie of the firste Temple S. Paule bicause he woulde amende the abuse of the Lordes Supper whiche the corinthians euen then begonne to corrupt he set before them christes Institution to folowe saieinge I haue deliuered vnto you that thinge that I firste receiued of the Lorde And when Christe confuted the Errour of the Phariseis Ye muste saithe he retourne to the firste beginninge for from the beginninge it vvas not thus And when he found great fault with the Priestes for their vncleanenesse of life couetousnesse would cleanse the Temple from al euil Abuses This house saith he at the first beginning vvas a House of Praier wherein al the people might deuoutely and sincerely praie togeather And so it were your parte to vse it now also at this daie For it was not builded to the ende it should be a denne of theues Likewise al the good and commendable Princes mentioned of in the Scriptures were praised specially by these woordes that they had walked in the waies of theire Father Dauid That is bicause they had retourned to the Firste and Original Fundation and had restoared the Religion euen to the perfection wherein Dauid leaft it And therfore when we likewise saw that al thinges were quite troddē vnder foote by these men that nothing remained in the Temple of God but pitieful spoiles and decaies wee reckened it the wisest and the safeste waie to sette before our eies those Churches whiche we knewe for a suertie that they neuer had erred and yet neuer had neither Priuate Masse nor Praiers in a strange and Barbarous Language nor this Corruption of Sacramentes and other toies And for so mutche as our desire was to haue the Temple of the Lorde restored anew we would seeke none other Fundation thē the same which we knewe was longe agone laide by the Apostles that is to wite Our Saueour Iesus Christ And for so mutche as wee hearde God him selfe speakinge vnto vs in his VVoorde and sawe also the notable Examples of the Olde and Primitiue Churche againe how vncertaine a mater it was to waite for a General Councel and that the successe thereof woulde be mutche more vncertaine but specially for so mutche as we were moste ascertained of Goddes VVil and therefore counted it a wickednesse to be too careful and ouercumbred about the Iudgementes of Mortal Menne wee coulde no longer stande takinge aduise with fleashe and bloude but rather thought good to doo the same thinge that bothe might rightly be donne and hath many a time benne donne aswel of other good men as also of many Catholique Bishoppes that is to remedie our own Churches by a Prouincial Synode For thus wee knowe the Olde Fathers vsed to put maters in experience before thei came to the Publique Vniuersal Councel There remaine yet at this daie Canons written in Councelles of Free Citties as of Carthage vnder Cyprian as of Ancyra Neocesarea and Gangra whiche is in Paphlagonia as somme thinke before that the name of the General Councel at Nice was euer hearde of After this fashion in Olde time did they spedily meete with and cutte shorte those Heretiques the Pelagians and the Donatistes at home by Priuate Disputation without any General Councel Thus also when the Emperour Constantius euidently and earnestly tooke parte with Auxentius the Bishop of the Arians faction Ambrose the Bishop of the Christians appealed not vnto a General Councel where he sawe no good coulde be donne by reason of the Emperours might greate laboure but onely to his owne Cleregie and People that is to saie to a Prouincial Synode And thus it was decreed in the councel at Nice that the Bishoppes shoulde assemble twise euery yeere And in the councel at carthage it was decreed that the Bishoppes shoulde meete togeather in eche of their Prouinces at leaste once in the yeere whiche was donne as saithe the councel at chalcedon of pourpose that if any Errours or Abuses had happened to springe vp any where they might immediately at the firste entrie be destroied euen where they firste began So likewise when Secundus and Palladius reiected the councel at Aquileia bicause it was not a General and common councel S. Ambrose Bishop of Millaine made answeare that no man ought to take it for a newe or straunge mater that the Bishoppes of the VVeast Parte of the world did calle togeather Synodes make Priuate Assemblies in their Prouinces for that it was a thing before then vsed by the Weaste Bishoppes not seldome and by the Bishoppes of Graecia vsed oftentimes and commonly to be donne And so Charles the Greate beinge Emperoure helde a Prouincial coūcel in Germanie for puttinge awaie Images contrarie to the Seconde councel at Nice Neither pardy euen amongest vs is this so very a strange and new a trade For wee
Prouincial Synode maie be ordered as it is concluded in the Councel of Nice Likewise S. Ambrose saithe Sciebant esse consuerudinem vt in Oriente Orientalium esset Concilium Intra occidentem Occidentalium They knewe it was a Custome that a Councel of the East Bishoppes shoulde be holden in the Easte and a Councel of the VVeaste Bishoppes aparte in the Weaste S. Augustine saithe Literas Episcoporum per Sermonem fortè sapientiorem cuiuslibet in ea re peritioris licet reprehendi si quid in eis fortè à Veritate deuiatum est Bishoppes Letters if they swarue any thinge from the Truthe maie be controlled by the discretion of any other man that hath more skil in the mater In like sorte Abbate Panormitane your own Doctoure saith as it hath benne alleged before In concernentibus Fidem etiam dictum Vnius Priuati esset praeferendum dicto Papae fi ille moueretur mehoribus rationibus Noui Veteris Testamenti In maters concerning the Faithe the saieinge of any one Priuate Man were to be taken before the saieinge of the Pope if he were moued with better reasons of the Olde and Nevve Testamente then the Pope Howe be it wée haue not by our Prouincial Councel remoued or shaken the Authoritie of any one Anciente General Councel M. Harding For of al the Anciente Councelles that haue benne touchinge the cases that lie bitwéene vs in controuersie yee are not yet hable to allege one Wée haue vpon good causes remoued your Vanities vnséemely Folies haue restoared againe so mutch as in vs late the Decrees Canons of the Anciente Councelles Hincmarus the Bishop of Remes saith thus Cùm duarum aut trium Prouinciarum Praesules in vnum conueniunt si Antiquorum Canonum iustitutione muniti aliquid praedicationis aut dogmatis instituunt quod tamen ab Antiquorum Patrum dogmaribus non discrepet Catholicum est quod faciunt fortasse dici potest Vniuersale When the Bishoppes of twoo or three Prouinces meete togeather if they by the warrante of the Olde Councelles appointe any mater of preachinge or Doctrine so that it disagree not from y◠Doctrine of the Ancient Fathers it is Catholique that thei doo and perhaps maie be called Vniuersal The credite of the Emperoure Charles Booke reportinge the Decrees of the Councel of Frankfoorde touchinge the Adoration of Images I leaue wholy to the indifferente discretion of the Reader It was Printed not at Geneua as you surmise but in Parise The setter out proueth it not to be forged by many good and likely Reasons An Anciente Copie of the same is yet stil to be séene in Rome in Laterane euē in the Popes owne Librarie Augustinus Steuchus the Maister of the same Librarie reporteth y◠same The Emperour Ludouicus Sonne vnto Charles wrote a Booke yet extante and remaininge in France to like purpose Freere Eckius also beareth witnesse vnto y◠same Booke of the Emperoure Charles although vntruely and guilefully as his manner is For he saith that Charles wrote four Bookes in Defence of Images whereas in deede the Bookes are directely written againste Images Although yée thinke Eli Phili or I knowe not who maie easily be charged with corruption forgerie yet why the Pope him selfe shoulde corrupte forge his owne Booke in his owne Librarie against him selfe it were harde for you to shewe good Reason The Councel of Frankforde yée saie was Godly and Catholique and made Decrees againste Imagebreakers in the behalfe of Images Yet notwithstandinge Auentinus saith In Frankfordiensi Concilio Scita Graecorum de Adorandis Imaginibus rescissa sunt In the Councel of Frankford the Grecians Decrees for the Adoration of Images were quite abolished Regino saithe Pseudosynodus Graecorum quam pro adorandis Imaginibus fecerunt reiecta est The False Councel of the Greekes whiche they made for Adoration of Images was repealed in the Councel of Frankforde Likewise Ado saithe Pseudosynodus quam Graeci Septimam vocant pro Adorandis Imaginibus abdicata est penitùs The False Councel whiche the Greekes calle the Seuenthe wherein Decrees were made for the Adoration of Images was there vtterly put awaie Hincmarus the Archebishop of Remes speakinge of the same Councel of Frankforde saith thus Pseudolynodus Graecorum destructa est penitùs abdicata De cuius destructione non Modicum Volumen quod in Palatio adolescentulus legi ab eodem Imperatore Romam est per quosdam Episcopos missum The False Councel of the Greekes was repealed and vtterly ouerthro wen in the Councel of Frankforde Whereof when I was a yong man I readde a prety bigge Booke in the Popes Palaice in Rome whiche Booke was sente thither by certaine Bishoppes from the saide Emperoure Charles Certaine woordes of the saide Levvde or False Councel of the Greekes emongest others are these Qui timet Deum Adorat Imagines vt Filium Dei Qui Adorat Imaginem dicit hoc est Christus non peccat peccat qui nō Adorat Imaginem Qui non Adorat imaginem est Haereticus Imago Adoranda est eodom cultu quo Sancta Trinitas He that feareth God Adoureth an Image as he would Adoure the Sonne of God He that Adoureth an Image and saith This is Christe offendeth not He offendeth that Adoureth not an Image He that Adoureth not an Image is an Heretique wee muste Adoure an Image with the same Reuerence wherewith wee Adoure the Holy Trinitie Nowe whether these and other like woorthy saieinges and sentences were to be reproued or no it maie please you M. Hardinge to consider That Councel yée saie is called General not whereun to al Christian Nations doo resorte in déede but whereunto al Christian Nations are lawfully summoned As this answeare is true not denied so by the same your late Councel of Tridente maie in no wise be called General For what lawful Sommones sente your Pope Pius either to Preter Gian into Ethiopia or to other Bishoppes and Christians in India or Europa onely and that not whole excepted into any other Kingedome or Countrie of the worlde But yée saie In Persia Media Egypte Mauritania and in other Countries adioininge there are fewe Christians at this daie to be founde Yet the Authours of Nouus Orbis discribing the state of the world saie thus In al Countries vvhither so euer yee comme there be somme Christians Againe In India many Kinges princes professe Christe And againe In Armenia cilicia in a manner the vvhole people is Christened Onely they are subiecte to the Cham of Tartarie Their Priestes be maried And vvho so is vnmaried maie be no Priest Yée saie The Patriarkes of Assyria and Armenia that neuer sawe neither the one Countrie nor the other were at Rome yée knowe not when and subscribed to al the Articles of your Councel of Tridente O M. Hardinge yee can grate no greate credite by open mockerie It is no
Councel of your Priuate Masse VVhiche thinge thus of your parte confessed to our pourpose is sufficiente Now touchinge the Authoritie of your Amphilochius not long sithence yee thought his force had benne inuincible And therefore yee stoode vp alofte and braied alowde Novve M Ievvel and his Consacramentaries doo stagger I doubte not And for that cause as if it had benne somme greate woorthy Authoure yee alleged him seuen times with special reuerence in one Booke And yet nowe at the laste yee are contente for shame to turne him ouer and to let him goe Perhaps yee thought for the while a weake threede was sufficient to leade the people and that as folkes vse sommetimes to please children yee might quenche their thirste with an emptie cuppe Thus mutche hitherto touchinge somme partes of your Reioinder Concerninge your Former Booke whiche yee haue intitled a Confutation I neede to saie nothinge By the iudgemente of the wise it saithe sufficiently of it selfe But what meante you M. Hardinge therein to make so large discourse I wil not saie in the Defence for that woorde your frendes maie not beare but at the leaste in the fauoure of Open Stevves and to calle the same Malum necessarium that is to saie although an il thinge yet sutche a thinge as no good Common weale maie be without it VVhat meante you to that purpose to shewe vs the name and Authoritie of S. Augustine and thus to vpbraide vs in the ende In good soothe Maisters ye are too yonge to cōtrolle the Cittie of Rome in her doinges VVhat needed you to bestowe so fine eloquence in so fowle a cause Is vice growen so colde in Louaine that it muste be enflamed and authorized by open VVritinge VVhat meante you to allege the Prophete Dauid the Euangeliste S. Mathevve and S. Paule the Apostle for proufe of your Pardonnes VVil yee telle vs that Dauid Matthevve and Paule were Pardoners Or if yee dare to telle vs so must wee beleeue it If yee so manifestly mocke vs with open folies howe maie wee truste you in higher Mysteries S. Paule saithe Though our outwarde man be corrupted yet our inwarde man is renewed daie by daie Here yee telle vs in greate soothe that these woordes vndoubtedly serue to proue Purgatorie Christe saithe vnto Peter I haue praied for thee c. Therefore yee saie Christe novve requireth vs not to be obediente to Peter or Paule but to the Pope that sitteth in theire Chaire Christe saithe The Sonne of Man came not to destroie but to saue Ergo saie you The Breade and VVine in the Sacramente lose no parte of their former vertues but remaine in Fourmes and Accidentes euen as they vvere before as if the Sonne of God had come downe from Heauen to saue Accidentes Thus yee nippe of the sense and meaninge of the Holy Scriptures and feede vs onely with emptie woordes as if yee woulde pike awaie the corne and geeue vs the chaffe or conueigh awaie the iewels and throwe vs the bagge O M. Hardinge be not wilful let your owne conscience leade you VVas this the meaninge of S. Paule was this the comminge of Christe into the worlde was this the sense of the Holy Ghoste I wil not saie what Olde Doctour or Anciente Father but what Summiste what Canoniste what Childe what Heretique euer either so vndiscretely or so vnreuerently vsed the VVoorde of God I leaue the misconstrueinge and falsifieinge of so many Fathers the allowinge and soothinge of manifest Forgeries the vpholdinge of Abuses and open Erroures your weake Proufes your seely Coniectures your simple Gheasses your greate Ouersightes your bolde Affirmations your heapes of Vntruthes your disdeigneful Scornes your immoderate Scoffes your vngentile and vnciuile woordes as for example Villanes Theeues Fooles Disardes Lourdaines c. I leaue other your vnmannerly and vncleanely speaches Hungry Dogges eate dirty puddinges As common as life vvith beggers They serue the belly and the thinges beneath the belly VVas this a presente M. Hardinge meete either for the Modestie of a Virgine or for the Maiestie of a Prince specially sutche a Virgine and sutche a Prince so Chaste so Graue so Learned so VVise so Vertuous so Godly as Christendome seldome hath seene the like VVhat thought you that either her wisedome coulde not espie your fraudes and mockeries or that her chaste eares coulde quietly beare your lothesome talke Or thought you by the weight of sutche reasons to mooue Mountaines and to woorke woonders and to force her Maiestie to leaue christe and his Gospel and comme to Louaine to folowe you Yee threape her Maiestie fondely with kindenesse and as yee woulde haue the worlde imagine with good likinge and fauouringe of your side as if her Maiestie hauing benne brought vp from her cradle in the knowledge and feare of God and through Goddes greate Mercie and accordinge to his knowen VVil by the good aduise and counsel of the states of her Realme hauinge refourmed the House of God from the filthe and soile of your diuises shee stoode nowe in a mammeringe and were not hable to discerne either Falsehedde from Truthe or Darkenesse from Light or as if your Errours were not so grosse that a blinde man maie groape them with his Fingers Yee telle her Maiestie shee hath neither Parlamente nor Lavve nor Churche nor Cleregie The Churche of Englande yee commonly calle the Tovver of Babylon the Synagog of Antichriste and the Schoole of Sathan ye charge her Maiestie with disordered proceedinges with mainteinance of Infidelitie of Sacrilege of Schisme of Heresie For your possible power ye dishonour her Maiestie bothe abroade and at home where yee maie geate credite to your folies yee sclaunder the gouernmente yee disquiete her Maiesties louinge Subiectes yee breede Seditions yee procure Rebellions yee hazarde her estate And yet dare yee to pouder al this poison with a fewe dissembled and sugred woordes and to offer the same vnto her Maiestie for a presente VVel M. Hardinge if yee had foreseene the thankes that her Maiestie moste iustely yeelded you for your trauailes yee woulde not haue benne so bolde so rudely to presse into her presence It behooued you to be aduised not onely what yee wrote but also what Personage shoulde viewe your writinges If yee shal happen to write hereafter sende vs fewer woordes and more Learninge If yee shal diuise to talke any more of your Priuate Masse leaue your vagaries and goe directly to the pourpose Telle vs no moe sutche longe tales either of the Sacrifice or of other maters so farre from the question It is no good Logique to shifte of the thinge yee haue in hande and to mocke your poore Reader with an other Treade not so nicely and so gingerly M. Hardinge Saie not your Masse is a Circumstance and a mater of Facte and standeth onely vpon supposalles and gheasses and therefore needeth no further proufe VVhy soulde yee so trifle with the simple This is the Issue
Churche of God before your Masse was euer knowen and were then thought no Toies Touchinge these woordes Sursum corda Lifte vp your Hartes ye saie they were applied in olde times vnto praier and not onely or chiefely to the Ministration of the Sacramente and that as ye séeme to saie by the witnesse of S. Cyprian As for these emptie Woordes Onely or Chiefely ye vse them onely as a false light to blinde your Reader For in our Apologie yee founde them not Touchinge S. Cyprian Yée thought it beste to dissemble and to shifte his woordes and to commaunde him to silence For thus he saithe euen directely againste the whole practise of your Churche Sacerdos ante Orationem Praefatione praemissa parat Fratrum mentes dicendo Sursum Corda vt dum respondet Plebs Habemus ad Dominum admoneatur nihil aliud se quà m Dominum cogitare debere Before Praier the Priest with a Preface prepareth the hartes of the Brethren saieinge vnto them Lifte vp your Hartes that when the People ansvveareth VVee lifte them vp vnto the Lorde they maie be put in minde to thinke of nothing els but of the Lorde Where is this order M. Hardinge where is this Ecclesiastical Tradition now becomme Throughout your whole Territorie of Rome in what Churche in what Chaple is it keapte Where doothe your people answeare the Prieste at the Common Praier Or where dooth the people vnderstande either the meaning of the Sacramentes or any thing that is pronounced by the Priest Or why are you so vnaduised to allege manifeste Authorities against your selfe Ye saie the people was taught by these woordes not to coÌ„sider what was meant onely by yâ— Sacramentes but to geue attendance vnto yâ— Praier Wherein your own Massebooke is casâ—ly hable to control you And in the Greeke Liturgies not before any other publike Praier but immediately before the Holy Ministration the Prieste saithe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let vs lifte vp our Hartes And Chrysostome saithe Clamamus in conspectu Sacrificij Sursum Corda Wee crie alowde in the sight of the Oblation Lifte vp your Hartes S. Augustine saithe Sursum Corda Habeamus Si Resurrexistis cuÌ„ Christo dicit Fidelibus Corpus Sanguinem Domini accipientibus dicit Si Resurrexistis cum Christo quae sursum sunt sapite vbi Christus est in Dextra Dei sedens Quae sursum sunt quaerite noÌ„ quae super terram Let vs lifte vp our Hartes If ye be risen againe with Christe he saith vnto the Faitheful he saithe vnto them that receiue the Body and Bloude of our Lorde If ye be risen againe with Christe sauer those thinges that are aboue where Christe is al the right Hande of God Seeke for the thinges that be aboue not for the thinges that be in Earthe Againe he saithe In Sacramentis Fidelium dicitur vt Sursum Corda habeamus ad Dominum At the Ministration of the Sacramentes of the Faithful it is saide Let vs lifte vp our Hartes vnto the Lorde Likewise againe Inter Sacra Mysteria Cor habere Sursum iubemur In the time of the Holy Mysteries wee are commaunded to Lifte vp our Hartes But what néede wee to rehearse the Ancient Fathers Your own late New Doctours haue saide yâ— like And to leaue the reste your own Manipulus Curatorum that is to saie the Ordinarie and Direction of al your whole Cleregie saith thus Sacerdos ante Canonem dicit Sursum Corda Quasi dicat quòd volens sumere istud Sacramentum debet habere Cor suum eleuatum ad Deum Before the Canon the Prieste saithe Lifte vp your Hartes As if he vvoulde saie vvho so vvil receiue this Sacramente ought to haue his Harte lifted vp vnto God These woordes be plaine and can in no wise be denied It were wisedome M. Hardinge in sutche cases to auouche nomore then ye knowe Otherwise your woordes wil goe for Toies Howe be it the matter beinge graunted that these woordes perteine to the Holy Ministration yet if wee woulde reason thus Christes Body is in Heauen Therefore it is not Really and Fleashely in the Sacramente Ye saie VVee shoulde make a foolishe Argumente Our Rhetorique is better stuffe then our Logique This Argumente M. Hardinge is taken of the Nature of Christes Humanitie whiche beinge the Very Natural Body of a Man by the Iudgemente of the Auncient Fathers muste needes be in one onely place at one time and can reache no further For otherwise it were not a Very Natural Mannes Body Therefore S. Augustine saithe as he is alleged by Gratian Corpus Domini in quo Resurrexit in vno loco esse oportet The Body of our Lorde wherein he rose againe muste needes be in one Place Like wise againe he saithe Christus secundum Praesentiam Corporalem simul in Sole in Luna in Cruce esse non potuit Touchinge Bodily presence Christe coulde not be in the Soone in the Moone and vpon the Crosse al at once And againe Christus vbique est Virtute non Opere Diuinitate non Carne Christe is euery where By his Power not in deede By his Godhed not by his Fleashe S. Cyril saithe Christus cum Discipulis suis etfi non Corpore tamen Virtute Deitatis semper futurus est Christ wil euermore be with his Disciples by the Povver of his Diuinitie although not in his Body Therefore to conclude S. Augustine saith Videre Ascendentem Credite in Absentem Sperate venientem Tamen per Misericordiam occultam etiam sentire Praesentem Behold Christe Ascendinge Beleaue in Christe beinge Absente Truste in Christe that shal comme againe And yet by his priuie mercie feele him Presente Beleeue saith S. Augustine in Christe Beinge nowe Absente and not here Thus the Auncient Catholique Fathers were bolde reuerently to reason of Christes Humanitie yet was not M. Hardinge yet borne that shoulde so bitterly charge them with Foolishe Argumentes Nay rather Ruffinus saithe Stulta adinuentio Calumniae est Corpus Humanum aliud esse putare quà m Carnem It is but a Foolishe findinge of a Cauil to saie that the Body of a Man is any other thing then Fleashe But Chrysostome saithe Christe is whole here and whole there But Chrysostome in the same place many waies expoundeth his whole meaning For thus he saithe if it woulde haue pleased M. Hardinge to haue seene his woordes Offerimus quidem sed ad RecordationeÌ„ facientes Mortis eius Hoc Sacrificium Exemplar illius est Hoc quod nos facimus in Commemorationem fit eius quod factum est Idipsum semper offerimus Magis autem Recordationem Sacrificij Operamur Wee offer in deede But in Remembrance of his Deathe This Sacrifice is a Token or Figure of that Sacrifice The thinge that wee doo is sonne in Remembrance of that thinge that was donne before VVe offer alvvaie the same thing yâ— Christe offered Nay rather wee woorke the Remembrance of that Sacrifice