good and bound them by the force of reason If he made any other Lawe touchinge matters of Religion Pope Ioannes then beinge approued it or at the leste Iustianian asked approbation thereof as it maie appeare in his owne Epistle wherein he confesseth in the facte it selfe that his Lawes could not binde in supernatural causes belonginge to faithe except the heade of the Vniuersal Churche confirme them Syluerius and Vigilius were deposed rather by Theodora the Emperesse then by Iustinian the Emperoure Ye do wronge to impute that wicked tyrannie vnto him He is not to be burthened there with onlesse the man be countable for his wiues iniquities Howe so euer it was that extraordinary violence and tyrannie can not iustly be alleaged to the defence of your false assertion Neither woulde your selfe haue mentioned the same if ye coulde haue founde better matter As hungrie Dogges eate durty puddinges accordinge to the prouerbe cleane yenough for sutche vncleane writers so your fowle matters be defended by fowle factes The B. of Sarisburie Iustinian yée saie might wel make somme Moral Lawe to keepe Priestes and Bishoppes in good order Wherein neuerthelesse Pope Paule 3. condemneth you vtterly For thus he writeth and reasoneth substantially against the Emperoure Charles the Fifthe Ecce ego super Pastores meos Beholde saithe Almighty God I mee selfe wil ouersee my Sheepheardes Ergo saithe Pope Paulus The Emperoure maie not deale with the manners of Priestes and Bishoppes How be it the Emperours made Lavves Touchinge the Holy Trinitie Touchinge the Faithe Touchinge Baptisme Touchinge the Holy Communion Touchinge the Publique Praiers Touchinge the Scriptures Touchinge the keepinge of Holy daies Touchinge Churches Chaples Touchinge the Consecration of Bishoppes Touchinge Non Residences Touchinge Periurie c. It were mutche for you M. Hardinge to saie as nowe yée woulde séeme to saie Al these were Moral Lawes and perteined onely to good order But the Pope yee saie allowed the Emperours Ecclesiastical Lawes Otherwise of the Emperours owne Authoritie they had no force The truthe hereof by the Particulares maie soone appeare By one of the Emperours Lavves it is prouided That the Bishop of Constantinople shal haue Equal Povver and Prerogatiue with the Bishop of Rome This Lavve the Pope coulde neuer brooke And yet that notwithstandinge Liberatus saithe It holdeth stil by the Emperours Authoritie whether the Pope wil or no Againe it is prouided in the same Lavve that the Churches of Illyricum in their doubteful cases shal appeale to Constantinople not to Rome The Emperoure Constantine saithe If the Bishop moue trouble by Doctrine or otherwise by my hande he shal be pounished For my hande is the hande of Goddes Minister Iustinian the Emperoure in his Lavve commaundeth That the Prieste or Bishop in pronouncinge the Publique Praiers and in the Ministration of the Sacramentes lifte vp his voice and speake alowde that the people maie saie Amen and be sturred to more Deuotion Againe he saithe as it is noted in the Glose vpon the Authentiques Papa Temporalibus immiscere se non debet The Pope maie not intermeddle with Temporal Causes In the same Lawes the same Emperoure Iustinian saithe Wee Commounde the moste Holy Archebishoppes and Patriarkes of Rome of Constantinople of Alexandria of Antioche and of Hierusalem The same Emperoure Iustinian commaundeth That al Monkes either be driuen to studie the Scriptures or els be forced to Bodily Laboure Carolus Magnus made a Lavve That nothinge shoulde be readde openly in the Churche sauinge onely the Canonical Bookes of the Holy Scriptures And that the Faitheful People shoulde receiue the Holy Communion euery Sonnedaie I leaue the rehearsal of infinite other like Examples Nowe M. Hardinge wil you saie or maie wee beleue that al these and other like Lavves were allowed by the Pope In déede your Gloser saithe Ad quid intromittit se Imperator de Spiritualibus vel Ecclesiasticis cùm sciat ad se non pertinere VVherefore doothe the Emperoure thus busie him selfe with these Spiritual or Ecclesiastical maters seeinge he knoweth they are no parte of his Charge To so profounde a question after a longe solemne studie he diuiseth this answeare Dic quòd Authoritate Papae hoc facit Scie thou that he doothe it by the Popes Authoritie And then the whole mater is discharged and al is wel Notwithstandinge somme likelihoode hereof yee would seeme to geather euen out of Iustinians owne woordes For thus he saithe vnto the Pope although far otherwise then you haue forced him to saie Omnia quae ad Ecclesiarum statum pertinent approued in the Right Faithe therefore wee wil that he be presente at the hearing and debatinge of Cases in the Councel for as mutche as the Disputation is of the Faithe For Pope Nicolas him selfe saithe as it is alleged before Fides Vniuersalis est Fides omnium Communis est Fides nō solùm ad Clericos verùm etiam ad Laicos ad omnes omninò pertinet Christianos Faithe is Vniuersal Faithe is common to al Faithe perteineth not onely vnto Priestes but also vnto Laiemenne and generally to al Christians As touchinge the Pope and his Vniuersalitie of Povver in and ouer al Councelles of Bishoppes wée maie rightly saie as Athanasius saithe of Constantius the Arian Emperoure Obtendit in speciem Episcoporum Iudicium sed interim facit quod ipsi libet Quid opus est Hominibus Titulo Episcopis He maketh a shew of Iudgementes or Determinations of Bishoppes In the meane while he doothe what he listeth him selfe VVhat are wee the neare for these menne that beare onely the name of Bishoppes Sutche commonly be the Popes Prelates What so euer Learninge they haue bisides Diuinitie is commonly the least parte of theire studie And therefore when they are assembled in Councel they maie wel iudge by Authoritie but not by Learninge Verily Luitprandus saithe Imperator vti experientia didicimus intelligit negotia Dei facit amat ea tuetur omnibus viribus Ecclesiasticas res Ciuiles Sed Iohannes Papa facit contra haec omnia Wee see by experience that the Emperoure vnderstandeth Goddes causes and fauoureth and perfourmeth the same and with al his power mainteineth bothe Ecclesiastical and Temporal maters But Pope Iohn dooth al the contrarie The Apologie Cap. 14. Diuision 6. The Emperoure Iustinian made a Lawe to correcte the behaueour of the Cleregie to cutte shorte the insolente lewdenesse of the Priestes And albeit hee were a Christian and a Catholique Prince yet putte hee downe from theire Papal Throne twoo Popes Syluerius and Vigilius notwithstandinge they were Peters Successours and Christes Vicars M. Hardinge Iustinians lawe concerninge good order to be kepte amonge Priestes morally was good and bound them by the force of reason If he made any other Lawe touchinge matters of Religion Pope Ioannes then beinge approued
it or at the leste Iustinian asked approbation thereof as it maie appeare in his owne Epistle wherein he confesseth in the facte it selfe that his Lawes coulde not binde in supernatural causes belonginge to faithe except the heade of the Vniuersal Churche confirme them Syluerius and Vigilius were deposed rather by Theodora the Emperesse then by Iustinian the Emperoure Ye do wronge to impute that wicked tyrannie vnto him He is not to be burthened there with onlesse the man be countable for his wiues iniquities Howe so euer it was that extraordinary violence and tyrannie can not iustly be alleaged to the defence of your false assertion Neither woulde your selfe haue mentioned the same if ye coulde haue founde better matter As hungrie Dogges eate durty puddinges accordinge to the prouerbe cleane yenough for sutche vncleane writers so your fowle matters be defended by fowle factes The B. of Sarisburie Iustinian yée saie might wel make somme Moral Lawe to keepe Priestes and Bishoppes in good order Wherein neuerthelesse Pope Paule 3. condemneth you vtterly For thus he writeth and reasoneth substantially against the Emperoure Charles the Fifthe Ecce ego super Pastores meos Beholde saithe Almighty God I mee selfe wil ouersee my Sheepheardes Ergo saithe Pope Paulus The Emperoure maie not deale with the manners of Priestes and Bishoppes How be it the Emperours made Lavves Touchinge the Holy Trinitie Touchinge the Faithe Touchinge Baptisme Touchinge the Holy Communion Touchinge the Publique Praiers Touchinge the Scriptures Touchinge the keepinge of Holy daies Touchinge Churches Chaples Touchinge the Consecration of Bishoppes Touchinge Non Residences Touchinge Periurie c. It were mutche for you M. Hardinge to saie as nowe yée woulde séeme to saie Al these were Moral Lawes and perteined onely to good order But the Pope yee saie allowed the Emperours Ecclesiastical Lawes Otherwise of the Emperours owne Authoritie they had no force The truthe hereof by the Particulares maie soone appeare By one of the Emperours Lavves it is prouided That the Bishop of Constantinople shal haue Equal Povver and Prerogatiue with the Bishop of Rome This Lavve the Pope coulde neuer brooke And yet that notwithstandinge Liberatus saithe It holdeth stil by the Emperours Authoritie whether the Pope wil or no Againe it is prouided in the same Lavve that the Churches of Illyricum in their doubteful cases shal appeale to Constantinople not to Rome The Emperoure Constantine saithe If the Bishop moue trouble by Doctrine or otherwise by my hande he shal be pounished For my hande is the hande of Goddes Minister Iustinian the Emperoure in his Lavve commaundeth That the Prieste or Bishop in pronouncinge the Publique Praiers and in the Ministration of the Sacramentes lifte vp his voice and speake alowde that the people maie saie Amen and be sturred to more Deuotion Againe he saithe as it is noted in the Glose vpon the Authentiques Papa Temporalibus immiscere se non debet The Pope maie not intermeddle with Temporal Causes In the same Lawes the same Emperoure Iustinian saithe Wee Commounde the moste Holy Archebishoppes and Patriarkes of Rome of Constantinople of Alexandria of Antioche and of Hierusalem The same Emperoure Iustinian commaundeth That al Monkes either be driuen to studie the Scriptures or els be forced to Bodily Laboure Carolus Magnus made a Lavve That nothinge shoulde be readde openly in the Churche sauinge onely the Canonical Bookes of the Holy Scriptures And that the Faitheful People shoulde receiue the Holy Communion euery Sonnedaie I leaue the rehearsal of infinite other like Examples Nowe M. Hardinge wil you saie or maie wee beleue that al these and other like Lavves were allowed by the Pope In déede your Gloser saithe Ad quid intromittit se Imperator de Spiritualibus vel Ecclesiasticis cùm sciat ad se non pertinere VVherefore doothe the Emperoure thus busie him selfe with these Spiritual or Ecclesiastical maters seeinge he knoweth they are no parte of his Charge To so profounde a question after a longe solemne studie he diuiseth this answeare Dic quòd Authoritate Papae hoc facit Scie thou that he doothe it by the Popes Authoritie And then the whole mater is discharged and al is wel Notwithstandinge somme likelihoode hereof yee would seeme to geather euen out of Iustinians owne woordes For thus he saithe vnto the Pope although far otherwise then you haue forced him to saie Omnia quae ad Ecclesiarum statum pertinent festinauimus ad notitiam deferre Vestrae Sanctitatis Necessarium ducimus vt ad notitiam Vestrae Sanctitatis peruenirent Nec enim patimur quicquam quod ad Ecclesiarum Statum pertinet vt non etiam Vestrae innotescat Sanctitati quae Caput est omnium Sanctarum Ecclesiarum What so euer thinges perteine to the state of the Churches wee haue spedily brought to the knowledge of your Holinesse VVee thought it necessarie that your Holinesse should haue knowledge thereof VVe suffer not any thing that concerneth the State of the Churches but it be brought to the knowledge of your Holinesse whiche is the Heade or Chiefe of al the Holy Churches The Emperoure willeth the Pope to take knowledge of his Lavves for that he was the Chiefe of the Foure Principal Patriarkes and in respecte of his See the greatest Bishop of al the Worlde for whiche cause also he calleth him the Heade or Chiefe of al Churches So Iustinian saithe Roma est Caput Orbis Terrarum Rome is the Heade of al the VVorlde So S. Chrysostome saithe Caput Prophetarum Elias Elias the Heade of the Prophetes So saithe Prudentius Sancta Bethlem Caput est Orbis The Holy towne of Bethlem is the Heade of the VVorlde So Nazianzene calleth S. Basile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oculum Orbis Terrarum The Eie of al the Earthe So Iustinian calleth the Bishop of Constantinople an Vniuersal Patriarke Epiphanio Vniuersali Patriarchae These and other like woordes passe oftentimes in fauoure as Titles of Honoure But they importe not alwaies that Vniuersal Gouernemente or Infinite Authoritie that the Pope sithence hath imagined But touchinge the Confirmation and allowance of the Emperours Lavves in these woordes of Iustinian yee finde nothinge Onlesse yee wil saie Notitia is Latine for Allovvance or Peruenire is Latine to Confirme The Emperours pourpose was as it plainely appeareth by his woordes by these al other meanes to bringe the See of Rome into credite For thus he saith Properamus Honorem Authoritatem Crescere Sedis Vestrae Omnes Sacerdotes Vniuersi Orientalis Tractus subijcere vnire Sedi Vestrae Sanctitatis properauimus Plus ita Vestrae Sedis crescer Authoritas VVe laboure to auance the Honoure and Authoritie of your See VVee laboure to subdewe and to ioine al the Priestes of the Easte Parte vnto the See of your Holinesse Thus shal the Authoritie of your See
Pope is Antichriste For bothe Heauen Earthe knoweth he is not Christe The Apologie Cap. 18. Diuision 1. But forsomutche as these menne auouche the Vniuersal possession of the Catholique Churche to be their owne and cal vs Heretiques bicause we agree not in iudgemente with them let vs know I beseeche you what proper marke and badge hathe that Churche of theirs whereby it maie be knowen to bee the Churche of God Yewis it is not so harde a matter to finde out Goddes Churche if a manne wil seeke it earnestly and diligently For the Churche of God is sette vpon a highe glisteringe place in the toppe of an Hille and builte vpon the Fundation of the Apostles and Prophetes There saithe Augustine lette vs seeke the Churche there lette vs trie oure maters And as he saithe againe in an other place The Churche muste be shevved out of the Holy and Canonical Scriptures and that vvhiche can not be shevved out of them is not the Churche Yet for al this I wote not how whether it be for feare or for conscience or despaire of victorie these menne alwaie abhorre and flee the VVoorde of God euen as the Theefe fleeth the Gallowes And no woonder truely For like as menne saie the Cantharus by and by perisheth dieth as soone as it is laide in baulme notwithstandinge Baulme be otherwise a moste sweete smellinge ointemente euen so these men wel see their owne matte is damped and destroied in the VVoorde of God as if it were in poison Therefore the Holy Scriptures whiche oure Saueour Iesus Christe did not onely vse for Authoritie in al his speache but did also at laste seale vp the same with his owne Bloude these menne to the entent they mighte with lesse businesse driue the people from the same as from a thinge daungerous and deadly haue vsed to cal theim a Bare Letter Vncertaine Vnprofitable Doūbe Killinge Deade whiche seemeth to vs al one as if they shoulde saie The Scriptures are to no pourpose or as good as none at al. Hereunto they adde also a Similitude not very agreeable how the Scriptures be like to a Nose of VVaxe or a Shipmans Hose how thei may be fashioned and plied al manner of waies and serue al mennes turnes M. Hardinge VVhere ye saie the Churche is builded vpon the Fundation of the Apostles and Prophetes and shewed by the Holy Canonicall Scriptures we confesse the same with S. Augustine VVhen ye adde the Churche whiche can not be shewed out of the Scriptures to be no Churche we saie that though S. Augustine haue no suche woordes in the Chapters whiche ye alleage in the Margent yet were it neuer so muche graunted that he had those woordes in that place they shoulde make nothinge for your pourpose S. Augustine in that Booke disputeth againste the Donatistes who would restraine the Catholike Churche to the onely Countrie of Aphrike denieinge other Christen menne to be members thereof S. Augustine refutinge their Heresie declareth the Sonne of God to be Heade and all the true Faithfull to be the Body of the Churche and that it is not sufficient to holde with the Head alone or with the Body alone but we muste holde with bothe together if we will be saued The Donatistes did graunte the Heade Iesus Christe and denied his Body the Churche For this cause saithe S. Augusiine Ipsum Caput de quo consentimus ostēdat nobis Corpus suum de quo dissentimus Let the Heade vpon whom we agree shewe vnto vs his Body whereupon we disagree The Head is Christe who spake firste by his Prophetes afterwarde by him selfe and laste of all by his Apostles In his igitur omnibus quaerenda est Ecclesia In all these saithe he the Churche muste be sought If thou marke good Reader that whiche I haue here rehersed out of S Augustine it is to be seene that he bindeth not the proufe of the Churche simply to the Holy Scriptures but onely in a case when he hath to doo with an Heretike who wil not admitte the auctoritie of the Churche Therefore a true Churche maie be founde whiche is not shewed in the Scriptures so the contrarie thereof be not shewed in the Scriptures Now if these Defenders will haue that to be no Churche which can not be shewed out of Scriptures they shall vnderstande that as therein they plaie the Donatistes so we must needes folow's Augustine in bringinge Scripture against them not as the onely proufe in deede whiche they falsely saie but as a very good and chiefe kinde of proufe moste profitable in all cases and necessary at suche time as the aduersarie will admitte none other proufe c. VVherefore it remaineth that it is the Synagog of Antichriste and Lucifer VVho as he fell out of Heauen like a lightninge so he maketh a blase and shewe of a Churche in the Earthe for a time But as we can tell when it was not borne so shall it not be longe but that through Gods power it will vanishe awaie dispersed and be scattered by the lightsome Maiestie of Christes true Churche whiche from S. Peters time to this daie florisheth in her Head the Bishop of Rome and in her members throughout the worlde vvhiche abide in the Vnitie of the same Bishop VVee esteeme and vnderstande the Scriptures to be the sense and the woorde If they can pretende the bare woorde they thinke themselues good inough to make a sense of their owne VVhiche bare woorde as they misuse it Pighius perhaps compareth to a nose of waxe But the Scriptures he neuer meante to dishonour with that similitude If it were lawfull for vs to vse Scripture after our owne interpretation as they doo we shoulde not lacke sufficient matter in the Holy Bookes to ouerthrowe by our owne applieinge all theire false opinions and Heresies But we are bounde to that religious awe and reuerence of them that excepte we haue an Authour to auouche the sense whereof we take holde we dare bringe foorthe nothinge And yet reade our Bookes who will he shall lacke neither Scriptures in them nor witnesses of our interpretation in any controuersie of this age Let it be agreed that for decision of controuersies suche sense of the Scriptures be taken for Scripture whiche the Holy Ghost hath taught the Churche and then let the worlde iudge who flieth the woorde of God as the Theefe dothe the Gallowes The B. of Sarisburie Contrarie to that wée haue here alleged of S. Augustine ye saie A true Churche maie be founde whiche is not shewed in the Scriptures Whereby it appeareth ye are lothe your Churche shoulde comme to the trial of this Standerde But for as mutche as this quarrel groweth of S. Augustine let S. Augustine him selfe be the Iudge And to allege a fewe woordes in stéede of many thus he saithe Vtrùm ipsi Ecclesiam teneant Diuinarum Scripturarum Canonicis Libris ostendant Ecclesiam Christi
sicut ipsum Caput Christum in Scripturis Sanctis Canonicis debemus agnoscere VVhether they haue the Churche or no let them shewe by the Canonical Bookes of the Holy Scriptures VVee muste knowe the Churche of Christe euen as wee likewise knowe Christe whiche is the Heade of the Churche in the Holy Canonical Scriptures Againe he saithe Ecclesiam sine vlla ambiguitate Sancta Scriptura demonstrat The Holy Scripture sheweth the Churche without any doubtefulnesse Againe Quaestio est vhi sit Ecclesia Quid ergo facturi sumus Vtrùm in verbis nostris eam quaesituri an in Verbis Capitis sui Domini nostri Iesu Christi Futo quòd in illius potiùs Verbis eam quaerere debemus qui Veritas est optimè nouit Corpus suum The question or doubte is where the Churche should be What then shal we doo VVhether shal wee seeke the Churche in our owne woordes or in the VVoordes of her Heade whiche is oure Lorde Iesus Christe In my Iudgemente wee ought rather to seeke the Churche in his VVoordes for that he is the Truthe and beste knoweth his owne Body Againe Non audiamus Haec dico Haec dicis Sed audiamus Haec dicit Dominus lbi quaeramus Ecclesiam Ibi discutiamus causam nostram Let vs not heare these woordes This saie I This saiste thou But these woordes set vs heare Thus saithe the Lorde there let vs seeke the Churche there let vs discusse oure cause And againe Nolo Humanis Documentis sed Diuinis Oraculis Sanctam Ecclesiam demonstrari I wil not haue the Holy Churche to be shewed by Mannes Iudgemente but by Goddes VVoorde Likewise saithe S. Chrysostome Nunc nullo modo cognoscitur quae sit vera Ecclesia Christi nisi Tantummodò per Scripturas Now can noman knowe whiche is the true Churche of Christe but Onely by the Scriptures Againe he saithe in like fourme of woordes Volens ergo quis cognoscere quae sit Vera Ecclesia Christi vnde cognoscat in tanta confusione similitudinis nifi Tantummodo ' per Scripturas If a man be desirous to knowe whiche is the true Churche of Christe how can he know it in sutche a confusion of likenesse but Onely by the Scriptures These woordes be so euident and so plaine that noman with modestie maie wel denie them And whereas you saie Al this notwithstandinge A true Churche maie be founde whiche is not shewed in the Scriptures S. Ambrose saithe Ecclesia fulget non suo sed Christi Lumine The Churche shineth or is knowen not by her owne Lighte but by the Light of Christe whiche is by the VVoorde of God And chrysostome saithe Qui Sacra non vtitur Scriptura sed ascendit aliunde id est non concessa via hic Fur est Latro Who so vseth not the Scripture but geateth vp an other waie that is by a waie that is not lawful he is a Theefe and a Murtheier Againe he saithe Hierusalem hîc semper Ecclesiam intellige quae dicitur Ciuitas Pacis cuius Fundamenta posita sunt super Montes Scripturarum Here by Hierusalem euermore vnderstande thou the Churche whiche is called the Cittie of Peace The Fundations whereof are saide vpon the Mountaines of the Scriptures Ye magnifie your Churche of Rome and saie It shieth on highe vpon the Mounte Yet S. Bernarde saithe to the Pope and his Cleregie as it is alleged before Vos estis Tenebrae Mundi Ye are the Darkenesse of the VVorlde Therefore ye maie not wel vaunte your selues so mutche of the brightnesse of your Beames As for that ye cal our Churche the Synagoge of Lucifer and Antichriste we maie wel suffer it to blowe euer as the vaine vnsauery smoke of somme impatiente Cholerique humoure Our cause is not the woorse M. Hardinge in the Iudgemente of the wise for that you haue learned so readily to speake il But what Louanian vanitie is this to saie The Members of the Churche of Christe abide in the Vnitie of the Pope What Scripture or Doctoure or Father euer tolde you of sutche Vnitie S. Paule saith Wee are alone not in the Pope but in Christe Iesu And what so greate Vnitie can you saie there is or hathe benne in your Popes Platyna saithe Post Stephanum semper haec consuetudo seruata est vt acta Priorum Pontificum sequentes ant infringereat aut omnino ' tollerent It hathe benne an ordinarie custome emonge the Popes euer sithence the time of Pope Steuin that the Popes that folowed afterworde would euermore either breake or abolishe the Actes of the Popes that had benne before them Erasmus saith Iohannes 22. Nicolaus totis Decretis inter se pugnāt idque in his quae videntur ad Fidei negotium pertinere Pope Iohn 22. and Pope Nicolas in theire whole Decrees are contrarie the one againste the other yea and that in maters that seeme to belonge to cases of the Faithe To be shorte the Popes haue fouly corrupted the Scriptures they haue corrupted the Decrees Canons of Councelles they haue benne Sorcerers Idolaters Scribes Phariseis Thei haue benne Arian Heretiques Nestorian Heretiques Monothelite Heretiques Montaniste Heretiques thei haue mainteined damnable Heresies against y◠Godhed of Christe against y◠Personne of Christe against y◠VVil of Christe against the Immortalitie of the Soule they haue henne contrarie to themselues one directly and expressely againste an other Yet muste the Pope beare vp the whole Churche of God euen as Atlas beareth vy the Heauens and onlesse al the worlde abide in him is there no Vnitie in the Churche Thus saith Hosius Vnum praeesse toti Ecclesiae vsque ade ò est necessarium vt absque hoc Ecclesia Vna esse non possit It is so necessarie a thinge that one haue the gouernmente of the whole that otherwise the Churche of God cannot be One. Likewise it is noted in the Popes ovvne Gloses vpon his Decretalles Constat Ecclesiam ideo esse vnam quia in Vniuersali Ecclesia vnum est caput Supremum scilicet Papa It is plaine that the Churche is one for that in the Vniuersal Churche there is one Supreme Heade that is the Pope An other of your Doctours doubteth not to steppe yet a litle farther and thus to expounde the woordes of Christe Fiet Vnū Ouile Vnus Pastor Quod quidem de christo intelligi non potest Sed de aliquo alio Ministro qui praesit loco eius There shal be one Folde and one Shepehearde These vvoordes vvee maie not vnderstande of Christe but of somme other Minister that ruleth in his roome By whiche Doctours Catholique Iudgemente wée finde that the Vnitie of the Churche hangeth not of Christe but of the Pope But these be ouer vaine and grosse vanities For though the Pope were no Pope yea though Antichriste were the Pope yet is Christe hable to holde his Churche in perfite Vnitie S. Paule saithe Christus est
his owne Iudgemente but onely as in the personne of the Heretique Zuenkfeldius Therefore ye saie wée charge him wrongefully with the allowinge of that thinge whiche he expressely and plainely reproueth Firste of al the Authour of the Apologie protesteth that if there were any ouersight herein it procéeded onely of erroure and not of malice as it maie wel appeare in that he was not deceiued alone For if he were deceiued in mistakinge these woordes diuerse others the beste Learned of this age haue benne deceiued therein as wel as he Nicolaus Gallus hereof writeth thus Hosius Cardinalis Legatus Sanctissimi praesidens Concili◠Tridentini in suo Libro de Expresso Verbo Dei ait Nos verò Dei de Coelo sententiam potiùs expectabimus c. Non oportet Legis aut Scripturae esse peritum sed à Deo doctum Vanus est labor qui Scripturis impenditur Scriptura enim Creatura est egenum quoddam Elementum Cardinal Hosius Legate vnto the most Holy Father and President of the Councel of Trident in his Booke De Expresso Verbo Dei saithe thus We wil rather waite for Goddes wil from Heauen c. It behooueth not a man to be skilful in the Lawe of God or in the Scriptures but to be taught of God It is but loste laboure that is spente in the Scriptures For the Scripture is a Creature and a poore kinde of out warde Elemente Thus Nicolaus Gallus burdeneth your owne Catholique Frende Hosius with these woordes and not the Heretique Zuenkfeldius Likewise saithe Flacius Illyricus speakinge of the same woordes of Hosius Vnum locum ex plurimis proferam in quo Hosius alterius cuiusdam sententiam de hac re citans comprobat Nos Dei de Coelo Sententiam potiùs expectabimus c. vanus est labor qui Scripturis impenditur One place I wil allege out of many where Hosius bringinge in the saieinge of one certaine man meaninge Zuenkfeldius allovveth vvel of the same These woordes saithe Illyricus Hosius vttereth in the name personne of Zuenkfeldius Yet neuerthelesse he alloweth them as his owne To like pourpose writeth Iacobus Andreae who after he had reported al the foresaide woordes in the ende concludeth thus Hactenus Hosius Quae verba siue Hosius suo siue aliorum nomine recitet certè hanc else Asoti Hosij de Sacra Scriptura sententiam non est obscurum Thus farre Hosius whiche woordes how so euer Hosius reporte them either in his owne name or in the name of somme other without al doubte this is the Judgemente that bothe Asotus and Hosius haue of the Holy Scripture So likewise saith that moste Graue and Learned Father Iohannes Brentius Intereà vociferantur Sacram Scripturam else Dubiam Ambiguā Praeceptorem Mutum Literā Occidentem Literam Mortuam adeoque fi Reuerendis illis Patribus libuerit Aesopi Fabulas In the meane while they crie out y◠the Holy Scriptures are Blinde and Doubteful a Doūbe Scholemaister a killinge VVrite a deade Letter yea and if it shal like these Reuerende Fathers no better then Esopes Fables Perhaps ye wil saie of these Learned Menne as yée saie of some others Thei vsed onely their patched Notebookes and scattered Authorities by snappes and peeces here and there a line or twoo and vnderstoode not what they wrote Notwithstandinge what so euer it shal please you to saie as therein your grace is very greate yet you sée by these fewe and muste néedes confesse if the Authoure of the Apologie thouchinge this place of Hosius were happily ouerseene by erroure yet he had to many of the beste Learned of this age to keepe him companie in his erroure Verily they saie not as you saie Thus saithe Zuenkfeldius They saie as wée saie Thus saith Hosius It Hosius were hable to blinde so many wée must thinke he was a skilful Writer The fairest coloure ye can laie hereon is this How so euer these woordes be vttered by Hosius yet was this no parte of his meaninge Yet Iacobus Andreae saith Hanc else Asoti Hosij sententiam non est obscurum Without doubte this is the very meaninge of Alotus and Hosius And Illyricus saith Hosius alleginge the saieinge of one certaine man whereby he meaneth the Heretique Zuenkfeldius allovveth vvel of the same But for as mutche as yée saie This Glose is more maliceous then the Former Erroure and that therein wee spitefully discouer our Malice without Reason without Learninge without VVitte and require vs to repente for shame as if it were a Sinne not againste Hosius but againste the Holy Ghoste I beseche you therefore indifferently to consider with what reuerence and modestie not onely Hosius but also sundrie others your Frendes of that side haue vsed to speake and write of the VVoorde of God Ludouicus a Canon of the Churche of Laterane in Rome in an Oration openly pronounced in your late Chapter at Tridente saithe thus Ecclesia est Viuum pectus Christi Scriptura autem est quasi Mortuum Atramentum The Churche is the Liuely Breaste of Christe But the Scripture is as it were Deade Inke Likewise saide the Bishop of Poiters in the same your Chapter Scriptura est res manimis muta sicut etiam sunt reliquae Leges Politicae The Scripture is a Deade and Doumbe thinge as are al other Politique Lawes Albertus Pigghius saithe Si dixeris haec referri oportere ad Iudicium Scripturarum Communis re sensus ignarum esse comprobas Sunt enim Scripturae Muti Iudices If thou saie These maters muste be put ouer to the Iudgemente of the Scriptures thou she west thee selfe to be voide of common reason For the Scriptures are doumbe Iudges and cannot speake Eckius calleth the Scriptures Euangelium Nigrum Theologiam Atramentariam The Blacke Gospel and Inken Diuinitie Againe Pigghius saithe Ecclesia habet illam potestatem vt possit Scriptis quibusdam impertiri Canonicam Authoritatem quam nec ex se nec ex suis Authoribus habent The Churche hath power to geeue Canonical Authoritie vnto certaine Writinges whiche otherwise they haue not neither of them selues nor of their Authours There maie be certaine Bookes allowed for Scripture saithe he that haue no credite nor Authoritie of them selues Therefore the meaninge hereof must néedes be this The Churche of Rome hath Authoritie to make Scriptures Againe he saithe Sunt Scripturae vt non minùs verè quà m festiuè dixit quidam velut Nasus Cereus qui se horsum illorsum in quancunque volueris partem trahi retrahi fingique facilè permittit As one man bothe truely and merily saide the Scripture is like a Nose of VVaxe that easily suffereth it selfe to be drawen backewarde and forewarde and to be moulded and falshioned this waie and that waie and how so euer yee liste Thus M. Harding yée teache the people to reuerence weighe the
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
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
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
But the people had a Grace geeuen them to discerne Sprites and to iudge whom thei should receiue into the number of the Prophetes and whom as skilful exchangers they shoulde refuse Euen so nowe in the time of the Newe Testamente Many haue taken in hande to VVrite Gospels But the skilful exchangers and triers of Coines haue not allowed them So saithe S. Augustine Manichaei legunt Scripturas Apocryphas nescio à quibus Sutoribus Fabularum sub nomine Apostolorum scriptas The Manichees reade Secrete Hidden Scriptures written I knowe not by what Cobblers of Fables vnder the name of the Apostles So saithe Eusebius of the Gospel countrefeited vnder the name of S. Peter Nos Petrum reliquos Apostolos sicut Christum recipimus Sed Pseudepigrapha reijcimus Veluti gnari eorum sensus sententiae Scientes quòd talia non recipimus tradita ab Apostolis Wee receiue Peter and the reste of the Apostles as wee woulde receiue Christe him selfe But Countrefeite VVritinges vnder theire names wee refuse vttersy as hauinge vnderstandinge of their sense and meaninge knowinge wel that wee haue receiued no sutche thinges deliuered by the Apostles Thus had the Churche of God the Sprite of Wisedome whereby to discerne the True Scriptures from the False Yet male wée not geather hereof that the Authoritie of the Churche is ouer and aboue the Scriptures S. Augustine saith In istis temporalibus Legibus quamuis de illis homines iudicent cùm eas instituunt tamen cùm fuerint institutae firmatae non licebit ludici de illis iudicare sed secundum eas In these temporal or Worldly Iawes although menne be Iudges ouer thē while they be a making yet after the same Lawes be once made and established it is no senger lawful for the Iudge to Iudge of them Onely it is lawful to Iudge by them Likewise againe he saithe Spirituales siue qui praesunt siue qui obtemperant Spiritualiter iudicant non de cognitionibus Spiritualibus quae lucent in Firmamento id est de Scripturis Non enim oportet de tam sublimi Authoritate iudicare c. Homo enim licet Spiritualis factor ramen Legis esse debet non Iudex De illis dicitur Iudicare in quibus potestatem habet corrigendi Menne Spiritual whether thei ruse or be ruled Iudge accordinge to the Sprite But they Iudge not of the Spiritual knowledge that shineth in the Firmamente that is to saie of the Scriptures For it is not lawful for any man to be Iudge ouer so high Authoritie For be the man never so mutche Spiritual yet muste he be a Dooer and not a Iudge of the Lavve There a Man is saide to be a Iudge where he hath Power and Authoritie to correcte The Apologie Cap. 10. Diuision 1. Moreouer wee allowe the Sacramentes of the Churche that is to saie certaine Holy Signes Ceremonies whiche Christe woulde wee shoulde vse that by them he might sette before our eies the Mysteries of our Saluation and might more strongely confirme the Faithe whiche wee haue in his Bloude and might seale his Grace in our hartes And these Sacramentes togeather with Tertullian Origen Ambrose Augustine Hierome Chrysostome Basile Dionysius other Catholique Fathers wee doe calle Figures Signes Markes Badges Printes Copies Fourmes Seales Signettes Similitudes Paternes Representations Remembraunces and Memories And wee make no doubt togeather with the same Doctours to saie that these bee certaine Visible vvoordes Seales of Righteousnes and Tokens of Grace M. Hardinge VVith what face saie ye that ye allowe the Sacramentes of the Churche Haue ye not abandot ned almoste al the Sacramentes of the Churche Retaine ye any mo by name of the Sacramentes then two Baptisme and your Supper of the Lorde Of whiche the one after that Doctrine as it is by you taught and ministred auaileth nothinge but to your further condemnation The sounde and true Doctrine whiche the Catholike Churche holdeth and beleueth touching this point is this There be seuen Sacramentes in which vnder coouer of visible thinges the Power of God worketh mans helth They be these Baptisme Confirmation the Sacrament of the aulter Penaunce extreme Vnction Order VVedlocke And these so we cal Sacramentes as neuertheles we acknowledge the name of Sacrament may be extended to many other thinges That it be knowen what a Sacrament is this woorde Sacrament signifieth sommetime a holy thinge sometime the signe of a holy thinge instituted by God As it is taken for a signe only so is it found generally not only in the Newe Lawe but also in the Olde Lawe But in the Newe Lawe these signes after a Peculiar and Special manner be called Sacramentes whiche do not only signifie a holy thinge but also do sanctifie and make holy those to whō thei be adhibited being such as by institution of Christe conteine grace in them and Power to sanctifie VVhereof a Sacrament is by the best learned diuines defined to be a visible signe of inuisible grace so as it beare the image of it * and be cause of the same For the plaine vnderstāding of this Definition how a Sacrament beareth the forme signe or image of inuisible grace it appeareth euidently in Baptisme where washinge of the body sheweth the clensinge of the sowle Also in the Sacramente of the Aulter where the formes of Breade and VVine out wardly represent the spiritual nourishing of the soule The like appeareth in other Sacramentes Neither is it a New and straung Doctrine to say that the Sacramētes of the Gospel conteine grace in them for the Fathers teache the same not seldom Chrysostome expounding the Mysterie of the Poole called Bethesda in Hebrewe that was in Ierusalem saith that sicke folke were healed at the mouing of the water to the intent men might be brought to vnderstande the vertue of Baptisme For then was it comming to passe saith he that Baptisme shoulde be ful of power and grace S. Ambrose in his booke de Sacramentis speaking of Baptisme saith it is not euery water that healeth but that water healeth whiche hath the Grace of Christe Cyrillus vpon the foresaide Chapter of S. Iohn saith that in Baptisme it is not VVater simply that worketh but when as it hathe receiued the grace of the Holy Ghoste S. Augustine in a Sermon saith the VVater in Baptisme is enriched with a more gifte in maner then was the Virgine Mary For the saith he deserued Chastitie to her selfe this hath geuen to vs sanctifications She deserued that she sinned not this that it might purge sinnes It is saide vniuersally by S. Cyprian of al the Sacramentes that the fatte of Gods anointinge powereth fulnes of grace into the ministerial sanctifications whereby he meaneth the Sacramentes Yet we meane that they conteine grace and power to sanctifie after suche maner of speakinge as we saie of Potions and drinkes prepared for sicke Persons that thei
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
as he seethe the Pope he woorshippeth him with bare heade touchinge the grounde with his knee Againe when he commeth to the foote of the Popes throne he kneeleth downe Laste of al when he commeth vnto the Popes Feete he kisseth them deuoutely in the reuerence of our saueour This is ordered as a special Ceremonie and appointed vnto the Emperoure as parte of his duetie Likewise it is written of the Empresse as concerninge her duetie Imperatrix Coronata mox osculatur Pedem Pontificis The Empresse beinge Crowned immediately kisseth the Popes foote Againe of the Pope him selfe it is written thus Papa nemini omninò mortalium reuerentiam facit assurgendo manifestè aut Caput inclinando seu detegendo The Pope him selfe geeueth no manner of reuerence to any man aliue either openly by standinge vp or by bowinge downe or by vncoueringe his Heade But the Pope saie you humbly for his owne personne refuseth sutche honoure and hereby teacheth Kinges and Emperours and al their Subiectes to be humble A strange case to teache Humilitie in the Schole of Pride Sutche Humilitie taught Iulius Caesar Diocletian and Maximinus Iulius Caesar raughte oute his foote for Pompeius Poenus to kisse that folkes might sée his Golden Slipper sette with stoanes Pomponius Laetus saithe Diocletianus edicto sanxit c. Diocletian commaunded by Proclamation that al menne shoulde fal downe and kisse his Feete whereunto also be added a certaine reuerence adourninge his shoes with Golde and Diamondes Maximinus also afterwarde did the like Sutche Humilitie shal Antichriste teache auancinge him selfe aboue al that is woorshipped or called God Sutche Humilitie yâ— Diuel tooke vpon him to teache when he saide to Christe I wil geue thee al these thinges if thou wilte fal downe and woorship me Thus maie the Pope cal him selfe Lorde of Lordes Kinge of Kinges and sette his foote on Emperours neckes and yet neuerthelesse if he can frame a newe title and saie He is Seruus Seruorum Dei The Seruante of Goddes Seruantes it is no Pride it is but Humilitie Antoninus saith Non minor honor debetur Papae quà m Angelis Vnde Papa recipit à Fidelibus Adorationes Prostrationes Oscula pedum quod non permisit Angelus à Iohanne Euangelista sibi fieri There is no lesse honour dewe vnto the Pope then vnto the Angels of God Therefore the Pope suffereth the Faitheful to VVoorship him to fal downe before him and to kisse his Feete whiche thinges the Angel of God woulde not suffer S. Iohn the Euangeliste to doo vnto him This M. Hardinge is no maliceous Railinge as yée cal it nor Spite nor Poison nor Vntruthe stuffed with false and cankered sclaunders By the reporte of your owne Doctours and by your owne Confession it is the Truthe The Porphyrie Stoole of easemente serueth ye saie to put the Pope in minde of his Humanitie that is to saie that he maie remember him selfe in the middes of al his glorie to be a man No no M. Hardinge your owne Authours and stories can tel you that stoole serueth to put the Pope in remembrance of his Virilitie that the worlde maie knowe he is no woman But let your imagination stande for true Yet maie wée thinke your Popes are so forgeatful or so dulheaded or so blockishe that they haue neede to be taught by so vile examples to knowe them selues Certainely this is a Mystical kinde of Stoole of Easemente Wée cannot lightly lacke Mysteries at his handes if so homely a place be so ful of Mysteries Kinge Alexander the Greate vnderstoode him selfe to be a Man Mortal for that he was sommetimes of natural necessitie forced to sléepe But Christes Vicare Peters Successoure The Doctoure of al Doctoures The Father of al Fathers The Maister and Teacher of al the worlde were it not for a stoole of casemente woulde quite forgeate his owne Humanitie and coulde neuer remember him selfe to be a Man The Apologie Cap. 7. Diuision 3. What is he that commaundeth the Emperoure to goe by him at his horse bridle and the Frenche Kinge to holde his stirope M. Hardinge VVhat he is we knowe not * nor you neither Sir Defender This we knowe that in these woordes moste impudently you belie the Pope For neuer was there Pope that commaunded either Frenche Kinge or Emperoure to doo the seruice you speake of Parte of that I haue readen perteininge hereunto I will here recite The woorthiest and greatest Prince that euer was in Earthe Constantine the Greate to witnesse openly the reuerence whiche he bare in his harte to Christe our Sauiour and to S. Peter whose Successoure the Pope is as likewise Christes Vicar in Earthe disdained not to honour S Syluester Pope in his time with doinge the office of a footeman to him and with leadinge his Horse by the Bridle VVherein he seemeth as firste of all Emperours he professed the Faithe of Christe openly so firste of all Princes to haue geuen to the posteritie an example of Humilitie That no man doubte of it this muche I finde recorded by an olde Father of the Greeke Churche Matthaeus Hieromâ—nac hus as vttered by Constantine him selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VVhiche â—n Englishe is this muche Submittinge our selfe to the office of a foote man and holdinge his Horse by the Bridle wee leade him foorthe out of his sacred Palais in the woorship and reuerence of S. Peter That sithens bothe Emperoures and Frenche Kinges of Humilitie and deuotion and to witnesse their humble obedience to Christe in his Vicar haue donne the like seruice yea though the Pope shewed him selfe neuer so vnwillinge thereto wee finde it reported in sundrie good recordes But that he euer commaunded any suche seruice to be donne vnto him ye can neuer she we it by any indifferente and credible witnesse Paulus Aemylius an Italian of Verona in the seconde Booke of his Chronicles whiche bothe diligently and eloquently he wrote of Fraunce describeth howe honorably Pipine that woorthy Kinge of Fraunce receiued Steuen the Pope that succeded Zacharias when he came into his Realme He bothe killed his feete and wente by him at his Horse bridell The like honour of holdinge the Stirope would Charles the fifthe the late greate Emperoure haue downe at Bâ—nonâ—a to Pope Clement the seuenth had not the Pope with mutche adoo put him from it The B. of Sarisburie This thinge Sir Defender knoweth notwithstandinge you M. Hardinge dissemble it cunningely and wil not be knowen that ye knowe it Neither dooth Sir Defender as you saie by these woordes impudently belie the Pope For trial hereof he referreth you to the Popes owne Booke of Holy Ceremonies wherein in it is particularely appointed and laide out in order to auoide confusion what eche estate ought and is bounde to doo Thus therefore it is appointed Cùm Papa per scalam ascendit c. When the Pope taketh his staires to mounte on Horsebacke the greattest Prince that is
Mellitus Iustus Mellitus to be Bishop of London and Iustus to be Bishop of Rochester Which thinges thus declared it foloweth orderly in the storie Then these Warres being ended these Bishoppes Consecrated aftervvarde died the beloued Father Augustine After the Warre he died he saithe and not Before as they haue sithence altered it in the Latine I trwo M. Harding yée are not so mutch amazed with the admiration of your Augustine that yée wil saie he had power to Consecrate Bishoppes and to vse his Archiepiscopal Authoritie beinge deade As for these woordes that wée find reported by the Parenthesis in the Latine as written by Beda Quamuis Augustino iam mùlto anté tempore ad coelestia Regna sublato For as mutche as they are quite contrarie to the very course and order of the storie and specially for that they are not once touched in the Aunciente Saxon Translation sundrie Copies whereof at this presente are extante and to be séene of sutche Reuerende Antiquitie as maie not iustely be called in question therefore wée haue good cause to iudge that the saide woordes haue benne sithence forced and shifted in by somme good skille and policie leste Augustine so holy a man should be founde guiltie of so greate a Crueltie 596 August commeth into Englande 597 598 599 600 601 August receiueth his Palle 602 603 604 August consecrateth Mellitus and Iustus 605 Gregorie dieth The vvarre against the Britaines The Saxon Chronicle of Peterburrough 606 607 608 August dieth Flores Historiar Verily in the Olde Englishe Chronicle it is recorded not onely that this Augustine the Italian Monke by his complainte caused the King of Kente to arme his people against the true and Faithful Christians of this Countrie then beinge in Wales or that he was aliue at the time of the battaile but also that he was him self presente in personne goeinge towarde the same The woordes be these Augustine came againe and tolde kinge Ethelberte that the Britaines woulde not obeie him Wherefore the Kinge was wrothe and sente to Elfrede the king of Northumberland to comme to healpe him to distresse the Britaines of VVales And Augustine the Archebishop of Canturburie mette vvith them at Leicester The King of Leicester at that time was called Brocuale He beinge afraide of the twoo Kinges fledde out of the Lande and came neuer againe And the twoo kinges seised al his landes and departed them bitweene them selues And afterward thei went to wardes Wales The Britaines heard of them and sente menne to them in their shirtes and harefoote to aske mercie But they were so cruel that they had of them no pitie c. Hereby it appeareth that this Augustine not onely enkendled this cruel Warre but also was aliue and present in the Armie Therefore M. Hardinge it shal hencefoorth be good bothe for you and for your Felowes not to aduenture so rasshely in iudgemente before yée knowe Thus mutche briefely as anweare vnto them that so faine woulde haue their Augustine acquited of Pride and Crueltie The Apologie Cap. 1. Diuision 2. Wherein thei doo mutche like to the Coniurers Sorcerers now a daies whiche woorkinge with Diuels vse to saie they haue theire Bookes and al theire Holy and hid Mysteries from Athanasius Cyprian Moses Abel Adam and from the Archangel Raphael to the ende that their conninge being thought to comme from sutche Patrones and Founders might be iudged the more high and Holy After the same manner these menne bicause they woulde haue theire owne Religion whiche they themselues and that not longe sithence haue brought foorth into the world to be the more easily and rather accepted of foolishe personnes or of sutche as cast little whereabout they or others doo goe they are woonte to saie they had it from Augustine Hierome Chrysostome from the Apostles and from Christe him selfe Ful wel knowe they that nothinge is more in the peoples fauoure or better liketh the common sorte then these names M. Hardinge Nay Sirs your selues maie with more reason be likened to Enchaunters Necromancers and VVitches For as they saie that they haue their Bookes and their mysteries from those Doctours and firste Fathers and from Raphael the Archangel but cannot shewe the deliuery thereof by any succession from hand to hande as for example who receiued the same from Raphael from Adam from Abel c. and who kept them from time to time so ye saie also that ye haue your Gospel and euery part of your Doctrine from the Apostles from Christe from the Prophetes from the Patriarkes from heauen from Gods owne bosome who is Father of lightes But ye cannot shewes vs your lauful succession by whom and by whose preachinge as by handes it came downe alonge from Christe and his Apostles vnto you VVhere laie your sacramentary Doctrine hidden bitwene the time of your Prophete Zuinglius and your Patriarke Berengarius Howe and by what deliuery from hande to hand continewed the same those fiue hundred yeeres She we vs your succession VVhere be your Bishops where be your Churches The Doctrine whiche the Catholikes of our Countrie holde and professe as wel touchinge the blessed sacramente as al other pointes of our faithe they haue receiued it of theire Bishops and they of their Predecessours by order vntil they reache to S. Augustine S. Augustine receiued it of S. Gregorie * he of others before him * and they al one of an other by continual aescente vnto S. Peter who receiued it of Christe Christ of God his Father * And this Doctrine we finde taught and plainely set forth in the bookes that S. Augustine Hierome Chrysostome Ambrose Basile Cyprian Dionyse and the other holy Fathers haue leafte to the Posteritie And so they be witnesses of the truth of the Doctrine which our Bishops haue taught vs. Preache ye and crie ye out neuer so mutche make so many Lawes in your Parlamentes as ye liste imbrue your swordes in the Bloude of the Catholike Christians as ye crie for it in your pulpites yet shal that rocke whereon we staie be too harde for you Neither shal ye euer be able to ouerthrowe the Catholike Churche builded thereupon For certaine we are that neither al your power nor Hel gates shal preuaile againste it The B. of Sarisburie Marcus Varro was woonte to saie Vtile est Ciuitatibus vt se viri fortes etiamsi falsum fit Dijs genitos esse credant It is very behoueful for Cities and Common Weales that menne of Valiante courage beleue thē selues to be the Children of the Goddes yea although in deede it be vntrue Vnto whiche woordes S. Augustine addeth these Haec Sententia cernis quà m latum locum aperiat falsitati Ye see howe large a scope this saieing dooth open to the Mainteinance of Falsehedde Many vaine menne to auance the Nobilitie of theire bloud haue fette their petite degrées somme frō Achilles somme frō Aeneas somme from Hercules and somme from the
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
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
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