so odiouse a thinge was in his eares the name of the churche that for the worde churche he gaue the worde Reipub. coÌ„mon welthe Much like honestie showed an other of youre coÌ„panions in translating the Grieke writer of the ecclesiasticall historie Socrates Who making mention of certeine lettres sent by Iulius then pope to the bishoppes assembled at Antioche wherein he repreheÌ„deth them that contrarie to the canons and rules of the churche theie had holden a Councell not calling him thither whereas by the order of the churche there maie be no Councell kepte withoute the auctoritie of the B of Rome He turned the wordes there maie be no lawes made or no councell holden into these there maie be no churches consecrate without the B. of Romes auctoritie Which wordes if they had bene so had giueÌ„ yet no small preeminence to the B. of Rome for whose licence to consecrate a churche theie shoulde be faine to runne from the fardest parte of the Easte churche to Rome in the west But seing this coulde by no meanes be the minde of the author who in that chapitre mencioneth not one worde of the dedicating of anie churche and that the complaint of the bishop had bene moste childishe and without all witte to haue saide that theie had done euel in not calling him to their councell because by the canons without his auctoritie there mighte be no churches consecrate and that also thereof he him selfe coulde not be ignorant it must necessarilie folowe that he did it of wicked malice In your doinges and allegations M. Iuell is your faithe the 〈◊〉 yowe and dealing any better No truly For if it had neuer woulde yow so falsely and vntruly haue alleaged the wordes of that excellent and learned bishop of blessed memory Steuin Gardiner B. of winchestre vpon whome in youre replie to M. Doctour Cole yow father these wordes as writteÌ„ by him in his booke called Marcus Anton. Constantius Quôd ait panem in sua substantia vel natura manere vel substantiam sentit Accidente vel naturâ— proprietatem and calle it a strange phrase of speache to say Substantiam accidente as truly it had bene if he had either so saide or written But because he did neither yow haue well signified to the worlde that it is no newe or straunge thing with yow to carie aboute in youre vnquiet heade a lieng sclaunderouse tongue The wordes of the bishop entreating of the place obiected by the heretike out of Gelasius arre these Quòd addit in sua substantia vel natura manere he meaneth panem vinum which wordes go before vel subsistentiam sentit accidentium vel naturae proprietatem The which how farre they differ from youres all men may see and youre selfe can not be ignorant This manner of dealing to laie to the catholikes charges wordes that they neuer spake vsed long ago Celsus the heretike as Origene reporteth of him But to let this passe if yow had ment which of all other in goddes matters especially yow ought to haue done to deale plainely simply and vprightely woulde yow euer haue brought ageinst the reading of sainctes liues in the churche the third councell of Carthage Woulde you haue alleaged the first parte of the canon Placuit vt praeter scriptur as canonic as nihil in ecclesia legatur that is we haue agreed that nothing be reade in the churche besides the canonicall scriptures and haue lefte oute the last Sub nomine diuinarum scripturarum vnder the name of holie scripture Wherebie might haue appeared that the scope of those fathers gathered together in that councell was not to banishe oute of the churche the legendes of sainctes liues but to agree vpon such bookes of holie scripture as the auctoritie whereof being oute of doubte theie woulde haue to be readen in the churche for scripture and no other And therefore in that canon we finde named for canonicall scripture to be reade in the churche the bookes of the Machabees the epistle of S. Paule to the Hebrues and also that of S. Iames all though theie be not enrolled in youre registâ—r of Genâ—ua And that this councell ment nothing lesse then to forbid the reading of sainctes liues in the churche the other wordes that folowe if yowe had not guilefullie suppressed them woulde well haue declared where the same councell by expresse wordes permitteth that yearelie on the martirs daies their liues maie be reade in the churche Thus plaide yow before with the decree of Anacletus excepte yowe will saie that there yowe cut of the first parte and here yowe left oute the last Thus alleaged yow corruptelie the wordes of Leo his epistle which being that the prieste maie celebrate Masse offer the sacrifice because yowe woulde not haue those wordes sticke in youre readers teethe yowe wer so bolde to change with him and as the englishe prouerbe hath to steale a goose and sticke in her place a fether Whereas for those wordes yowe saie that Leo permitteth the prieste to ministre two or three communions in one daie Thus till yowe coate the place where yowe finde those wordes will we saie that yowe haue sarued Theophilus Alexandrinus as before in the article of communion vnder one kinde I haue noted Thus alleaged yow once in a sermon that yow made in S. Peters churche in Oxford in the Lent a saing of S. Austen for the mariage of votaries then which neither he nor all the other fathers that euer wrote haue or can speake more directlie ageinst them And yet yow so cunning a Maister yow ar in youre arte made it iust to serue youre purpose For whereas S. Austens wordes ar these Quapropter non possum dicere a proposito meliori lapsas si nupserint foeminas adulteria esse non coniugia Sed planè non dubitauerim dicere lapsus ruinas à castitate sanctiori quae vouetur Deo adulterijs esse peiores that is wherefore I can not saie that such women if theie fall from their better purpose and marie that this is adulterie and not mariage but this I dare be bolde to saie that the falling and sliding awaie from holie chastite vowed to god is worse then adulterie yow deuide the senteÌ„ce iust in the middest and where he saithe that he caÌ„not calle such mariages adulterie that swete soppe yowe keepe for youre owne toothe but that which foloweth that he dareth be bolde to call such manner of dealing worse then adulterie that sower sauce yow make no mention of at all but leaue it to such scrupulouse consciences as will not breake their fast with youre deintie delicates Thus much touching youre vneuen dealing in Christes cause Whereof I can saie no more but hartelie praie to god that bothe yowe and as manie take youre parte maie earnestlie repent and be hartely sorie therefore YOVRE rebellion and open war proclaimed agenst youre prince your sacking his townes your robbing his treasour your
sacrifices and executed the ceremonies he had also therein the souereintie and superioritie And thus much for answer to that obiection made of two high priestes But to make this matter more euident and to folowe my purpose this is not sainct Austens minde alone that the man should so fret and fume at him therefore For Gregorius Nazianzenus hath of Moyses and Aaron in plaine wordes that they wer bothe priestes and alleageth to proue it as sainct Austen did the Psalme where they ar so called with diuerse other auncient writers whome because I take the case to be cleare emongest the learned I here forbeare to alleage and am for this tyme contented to giue to our aduersaries the larger scope to put the case as though Moyses had being no priest corrected and reproued AaroÌ„ that was one that he prescribed to him what he should doe that he made him priest as it appeareth by the scriptures he did The which imagined to be true I aske this question whether it doe therefore folow that princes being lay men may at this day in matters of religion comptroll the bishoppes and prescribe vnto them what ordre they shall obserue and folow therein whether they maie also giue ordres to priestes and consecrate bishoppes now because Moyses consecrated Aaron then No trulie if yow will beleue Iohn Caluin it is an vntrue and a false collection â–ª For that Moyses saieth he had bothe the charges that is of thinges aswell ecclesiasticall and spirituall as ciuile and politike together to that I answer that it was done first by miracle and secoÌ„darily that that was but temporall till such time as thinges wer better staied For afterward saieth he as sone as god had ordeined a forme such as he â—ould should continue there remained to Moyses but onely the ciuile gouernement concerning the priestehood it was necessarie that he should resigne that to his brother Aaron And good reason whieâ— for it passeth naturall power that one man should susteine bothe the charges Hetherto Caluin Now if it be so that this auctoritie of Moyses cam to him by miracle or that he had it by especiall commission then can we not yow wot of either of these two cases gather a necessary consequence And thus might we answer our aduersaries good readers euen by their owne Doctour But cleauing to the scriptures and auncient fathers of Christes churche we hold the first opinion that Moyses was a priest and that in that respect he had auctoritie ouer the priestes and not as he was a prince The next example that they alleage is of Iosue who being also a ciuile magistrate receiued they saie at the time that he was appoincted to gouerne the people expresse commaundement and by name of religion and worshiping of god But by what wordes that would I faine knowe For in that chapitre by them in their apologie alleaged can I finde no wordes wherebie there might be grounded in temporall men as we call them or ciuile magistrates anie such auctoritie ouer matters of religion as they labour to induce For first this is out of all question that in one of these two sentences it is which I shall here alleage or that elles it is not there to be looked for The first of the which two is this Conforâ—are esto robustus c. Be of good comfort and be strong that thow maiest kepe and doe all the lawe which Moyses my seruant hath commaunded the. Swarue not either to the right hande or to the lefte that thow maiest vnderstande all thinges that thow doest Is there here good readers any auctoritie giueÌ„ to meddle with religion was there not as much as this cometh to saied to euery one of the children of Israell that they should trulie obserue the coÌ„maundementes giuen to theÌ„ by Moyses Is there not as much saide to euery one of vs touching the obseruing of the commaundementes of almighty god and yet had neither the children of Israel then nor we nowe auctoritie ouer religion pardie The other sentence is this Non recedat volumen c. that is to saie let not the booke of this lawe departe from thy mouthe but thow shalt spend thy time bothe nighte and day in the meditation thereof that thow maiest kepe and doe all thinges that ar written therein TheÌ„ shalt thow directe thy waie and vnderstande the same Where I pray yow is Iosua here coÌ„maunded to meddle with religioÌ„ in that that he is bidden to study the scriptures Now surelie that is far fetcht and nedeth no greate refutacion For this know I well will they graunte and for a maxima and very principle is it holden in their religion that thiese wordes perteine to euerie man a like aswell to the cartar as to the king or duke and make as much for the one to be a king as theie doe for the other to entremeddle in the order of religion Well may euery man and easelie perceiue how much they would haue triumphed if they had had but one suche texte to serue their purpose for kinges as the catholikes haue for priestes out of the holie scriptures many If they could haue fouÌ„de but one place in all the whole corps of the scriptures where had bene saide that the lippes of the ciuile magistrate should kepe the knowledge of goddes moste holie will and pleasure and his mouthe be the treasour of the same as is saide of the priestes O lord howe is it likely that their lippes mouthes and tongues should haue sowned and clattered thereof long before this that ruffle so with the example of Iosue because or for no cause that he was willed to study the scriptures dissembling in the meane season the .27 cha of the booke of Numeri where in plaine wordes it is to be found that Iosue was subiect to Eleazarus the high priest at whose bidding the scripture saieth he should goe furth and come in he and all the children of Israel It foloweth that king Dauid brought home the arcke restored religion was present not onelie as to admonishe or encourage them that accompanied it but deliuered also to them psalmes and himnes disposed the order of euery thing instituted the ceremonies and solemnitees and ruled after a sorte the priestes That Dauid brought home the arcke it can not be denied to the house at the least of Obed Edom. Although in an other place we reade how Dauid being strooken with a merueilouse feare for that which so latelie before he had sene happen vnto Oza for the onelie staieng being no priest th'arcke which otherwise was in greate daunger to fall he would not presume to carie the same into the tabernacle prepared to receiue it but called vnto him Sadock and Abiathar the priestes willing them in expresse wordes to carie it to the place appointed therefore lest happely god might strike them once again for doing the like vnlaufull acte to that which thorough their absence before they had done
that will afterwardes carpe and reproue the same proue he maie wel him selfe a foole or maliciouse or not catholike but me an heretike shall he neuer proue Hetherto S. Hierome with whome if one would after this sorte expostulate What meane yowe S. HieroÌ„ to boaste so much apon the iudgemeÌ„t of one who as he is a maÌ„ although learned yet not the learnedest in the world so maie he both dâ—ceaue and be deceauid Whie saie yow that who so euer â—â—ndeth faulte with your faithe â–ª after Damasus the popes approbation and allowance thereof shall neuer be hable to proue yowe an heretike Maie not many heades finde out that wherein one hath failed Me thincketh I saie to him that should thus question with him I heare him expounding his owne wordes and answering for him selfe in this wise What arte thow man that findest faulte with my wordes and vnderstaÌ„dest not my meaning Am I thinckest thow he that will pinne my faithe to anie mans backe what so euer he be Doe not I knowe as well as thow that Damasus is a man that he maie deceaue and be deceauid yea truelie But on thother side as I knowe all this rightwell so am I not ignoraÌ„t that he that sitteth in Peters chaire that the B. of Rome in matters of faithe can not giue wrong iudgement And therefore cease to maruell if apon the trust of this priuileage I chalenge all the whole worlde and saie that of them all there is no one that can proue me an heretike whome Damasus being thus qualified hath alowed for a good christian It is not Damasus so hath this qualitie to be the chief gouernour of Christes churche altered him that I stay my self apon It is Peter it is Christ him self If apon anie other persuasion I had vsed thiese wordes â–ª well might I haue bene saide to haue abused my self But that this was euen from the beginning my meaning and not inueÌ„ted sence for my defence loke once again to my wordes where I saie not simplie I desire to be corrected of the but of the which holdest Peters faithe and seate nor yeat spake of the alowing of my faithe by Damasus but apostolatus sui iudicio by the iudgement of his seate of his apostleship Thus much touching S. Hierom. of whose minde if any man yeat doubte in this coÌ„trouersy him shall I praie to take the paines for his better instruction to reade a certeine other epistle of his to Damasus and apon these wordes which he vttred of Peters chaire Quicunque extra hanc domuÌ„ agnuÌ„ comederit prophanus est who so euer eateth the lambe he meaneth receiueth the blessed body and bloud of Christ out of this house he is prophane to serche for the iudgement of Erasmus where he shall finde in expresse wordes that S. Hieromes opinion was that all churches should be subiect to the churche of Rome S. Austen as before yow hard called Peter B. of Rome heade of the churche he tolde Bonifacius his successor that he was placed in Christes churche aboue the rest of the bishoppes And did he not well de clare by sending to the same Bonifacius his boke written ageinst the two epistles of the PelagiaÌ„s to be iudged and examined by him that he tooke him for no lesse in deede then he had pronounced of him in wordes For trulie S. Austens learning being such as in his age there liued not his matche for the perusing of his worckes bothe had he had little neede oâ— his helpe and if he had had much there liued yet manie to haue bene consulted thereapon better learned then he and more nearer to him toe then was Rome to the place where he had his abiding had it not bene that persuading him selfe as did S. Hierome in the like case before he had made his full and sure account first that his iudgement in that that he was Peters successor and heade of the churche was by the verie mouthe of Christ him selfe warranted in matters of faithe neuer to erre and nexte that his worcke being confirmed by auctoritie such as was his should so quell and beate downe to the grounde the heretikes his aduersaries as with the worlde they should neither be hable to susteine their credite gotten nor after that gaine newe Theodoritus saide of the B. of Rome Vos enim summosesse conuenit for yow must be the chiefest of all other and of the churche it selfe that it was the greatest the noblest of all other and that which gouerned all the worlde It is euideÌ„t that he wrote as he thought wheÌ„ being vniustly deposed he appealed to the B. of Rome desired his helpe and that he would coÌ„maunde him to appeare before him there to pleade his cause and showe his righte as he did in dede and was restored by him By these auctorities it appeareth M. Iuell that the fathers of Christes churche be not so thinne soweÌ„ on our side as yow beare the worlde in hande theie ar seing that I haue here brought yow not one alone as yow demaunded but manie not their bare wordes which although of theÌ„ selfe moste plaine and manifest might perhappes haue bene subiect to your wrangling interpretations but their seuerall actes and deedes the best expositors of their owne mindes confirming most manifestly the same Will yow haue nowe some allowed example of the primitiue churche to testifie the same What better examples can yowe haue then that in all controuersies arising either betwene bishop and bishop priuatelie or in the whole churche publickelie sence the beginning the B. of Rome hath bene onelie he to whome the parties grieued wer they catholikes or heretikes good or bad haue had recourse for helpe What better examples then that emongest so manie appeales made vnto him there is not so much as one instance to be giuen of some one that laufullie and orderly appealed from him and whose such appeale toke effect Who hath cited to his coÌ„sistorie euen from the fardest parte of the Easte churche and as Theodoritus writeth ecclesiasticam secutus regulâ—â— folowing the rule of the churche offenders and transgressors of the holie canons The B. of Rome Who is it without whose licence and consent the primitiue churche forbad councels to be holden or bisshoppes to be condemned Trulie the pope The whole councell of Nice affirming the same if we will giue credite to Athanasius who was present thereat and affirmeth it to be so although the canon thereof for of 70. there agree apon we haue onelie at this daie 20. be perished and not nowe to be had Where I can not but note by the waye the circumspect manner of writing vsed by Athanasius who saieth not that the councell of Nice decreed or ordeined this but onelie that by their iudgemeÌ„tes they coÌ„firmed and renewed the same His wordes ar these In Nicena synodo 318. episcoporuÌ„ concorditer ab omnibus roboratum â–ª it was in the councell holden at Nice by ful consent of all the
to them thiese perniciouse persuasioÌ„s that they be here in earth by almighty god placed in his churche to be the heads thereof and not membres to be fathers and not children to rule in causes of religion and not to be ruled that to them it belongeth in the right of their crowune to approue doctrine or to condemne it to alter at their pleasure the state of religion by actes of parliament without the consent of their cleargie to depose bishops and put other in their places in their stiles and titles boldely to write them selues gouernours in their realmes in all things and causes aswell ecclesiasticall as temporall and yet no ordre all this while broken because forsoth theie be such as theie beare them in hand they ar that is to say the heades the rulers the shepherdes the fathers maisters and guides in religion Thiese be theie therefore good readers that as the prophete saith call bonum malum malum bonum tenebras lucem lucem â—enebras good euel and euel good darckenes light and light darckenes Thiese be they that as their Idol of Geneua in this poinct trulie giueth answer goe about to make princes iustle with god Finally thiese ar those lowsy brokers that leading as it wer by the hand their good and vertuous princes after this sweete poysoned bait from the most pleasaunt and fertile valeis of humilitie to the toppe of the highe barren and craggy mountaines of pryde and arrogaÌ„cie showing them when they haue them there the riches and ornaments of the churche the landes and reuenues thereof by good and vertuous princes their predecessors and auncestors long time before for this entent especially thereto giuen that the ministres of Christes most holy word and blessed sacraments being by hauing of their owne deliuered from that comberouse care of prouisioÌ„ for them selues that afterward the holy ghost who was the procuror of such almoise and stirred from time to time the deuocion of good men thereto forsaw thorough the decay of pietie and coldenes of charitie towardes the latter ende of the world they wer likelie to fall into might thereby the more quietlie folow their vocation promise of all the same to make them the lordes and maisters if they will doe them homage and fall down and worship them that is to say harckeÌ„ to their doctrine submit them selues thereto and graunt to it within their realmes and dominions fauorable entreteinement And that this is true good readers that they haue thus shamefully abused and deceiued their princes and not surmised or imagined by me to bring them in to hatred whome god I take to recorde I pity much and hate nothing I hope by his assistaÌ„ce who is the giuer of all good thinges â—o plainely to proue that yow your selues shall at the eye see it and they if there remain yet in them anie sparcle of grace shall not be hable to denie it The which that I may the better perform I shall truly bring furth as it wer into the face of the open courte all such euidence of importance as either parte hath to alleage for them selfe so truely Itrust that the councel of th'other side shall haue no cause to complaine that either I haue suppressed and coÌ„cealed their necessary proofes one waie or obscured their beauty in the bringing of theÌ„ furth on th' other But because an indifferent and vpright iudge must alwaies haue an earnest eye to the issue which is betwene vs who should gouerne in ecclesiasticall causes the prince or the priest it shall not be amisse because to be chief gouernour in thinges and causes ecclesiasticall is nothing elles but to haue the supreme iurisdiction thereto belonging to examine first in what poinctes that consisteth that so by conferring our euidence wyth the same whether it agre with euery parte with none with some and with which we maie at the length by good scanning comme to the knowledge of euery mans owne Iurisdiction therefore ecclesiasticall consisteth especially in thre poinctes in auctoritie to iudge ouer doctrine whych is sound and which is other in the power of the keyes that is to say as our sauiour him self hath expounded it in loosing and binding excommunicating and absoluing in making rules and lawes for the gouernement of the church and in the ministery of the word and the sacraments To the first of thiese three what title Kinges and princes haue it shall if theie haue anie be seene hereafter But for priestes yow shall see to begin withall an auncient commission out of the scriptures where almighty god speking to Aaron vsed thiese wordes Praeceptum sempiternum eâ—t in gener ationes vestra vt habeatis scientiam discernendi inter sanctum prophanum inter pollutum mundum docâ—atisqué filios Israel omnia â—egitima mea that is to say it is a precept that shall euer endure thorough all your generations to haue the knowledge to discern and put difference betwene holy thinges and prophane betwene cleane and polluted and that yow teache the children of Israel all my commaundements To whome gaue almightie god here the power to iudge of doctrine whome commaunded he to teache anie other then Aaron and his race which wer priestes In the booke of DeuteroÌ„ saieth he not also that if there arise any hard or doutefull question the priest must be consulted that he that of pride will spurn ageinst his ordinance shall suffer death therefore and agein in the same booke in an other place that apon the priestes word all causes shall hang. Ezechiel the prophete doeth he not witnesse the same â–ª and when there is anie controuersy sayth he they shall stay in my iudgements and giue iudgement Aggeus and Malachias prophetes bothe bid they vs enquier for the law of god at the priestes handes or at the kinges No assuredlie they send vs not to kinges which had they bene the chiefe gouernours in those matters without faile they would haue doen but to the priestes whose lippes they promise shall not misse to kepe the true knowledge because theie ar our lordes angels Haue we any such warrant of worldely princes No trulie And wer it not more theÌ„ necessary that we should if princes should rule them in matters of religion of whom thiese wordes be spoken But to procede is this auctoritie giue to them onely in the olde testamentâ—ar they not put trow yow in as greate trust in the newe Or ar they thinck yow excluded and kinges admitted theâ—eâ—â—â— If it had bene so neuer would S. Paule tâ—at blesâ—ed aposâ—le haue made his accopte that god had placed in his churche first apostles next to them prophetes then doctours and so furth Emongest all the which although that frantick foole that preaching not many yeaâ—eâ— sence at Powles crosse went about with his rayling Rhetoricke to make his audience as foolish as he was maâ—de in beleâ—ing that this place should make ageinst the auctoritie of the pope because
of England I could not me thought either for their part which I coueâ— to make as strong as the naughtines of the cause will suffer doe better or for mine owne assurance worcke more warily then to take and cull out such proufes as for the maintenaunce of their opinion they haue there heaped to gether For them because there I persuade my selfe the reader may finde the verie force and strength of all that they haue for theÌ„ selues in this matter to saie as the place where bothe of good reason they should and for their craftie conueiance I nothing doubte but they would bring furth of their groundes the very best if they haue any better then other For my parte or rather for Christ and his churches whose quarell although farre vnworthy at this time I susteine it shall thus stande in steede that if it fortune in your iudgementes good Readers their said groundes and reasons to seeme such as any good man yea happely with some of them some of them selues may mislike they caÌ„ not yeat flee to their olde starting hole that it is but one doctours minde as they vse being sore pressed customably to doe whereas the booke bothe by the manner of the publishing thereof appeareth and sence hath byn acknowleged to be no priuat mannes acte The first argument therefore of theirs to proue that lay men in that they be kinges may take on them the ordering of matters in religion that to them belongeth the auctoritie and ouersight thereof is taken froÌ„ the example of Moyses who being a ciuile magistrat receiued neuerthelesse at the handes of almighty god bothe the charge and ordre of all the religion and ceremonies deliuered the same to the people and when Aaron being a bishop had contaminat the true religion by making the golden calf he failed not sharpely to rebuke and reprehend him therefore To this argument good Readers which out of this example they frame that therefore by good consequence it foloweth that the kinges emperours and other ciuile magistrates of our time may doe the like thus doe we answer that that auctoritie which Moyses had ouer the priestes was not because he was a prince but in that he was a priest as appeareth most euidentlie in the psalme where he is so called But ageinst this answere laboureth as they say with toothe and naile the author of that booke which walketh abrode in manie mennes handes vnder the name of a harborough for faithefull subiectes whose replie is this that in that psalme how euer the olde interpretors haue giuen vs the word the hebrue text hath Cohanim a word indifferent to signify priestes or princes aud that therefore such as doe best vnderstand the tongue giue it thus Moyses Aaron inter ministros eius Moyses and Aaron emongest his ministres And to proue that it may well so be the scripture he saieth calleth Dauid his sonnes Cohanim that is to saie ministres for well he woteth that no man wilbe so fond to saie that a kinges sonnes wer priestes yea he addeth that the best emongest the Hebrues interpreting thiese wordes giue it in Chorei Shemo Moyses AaroÌ„ inter eos qui inuocaÌ„t nomen eius Moyses and Aaron emongest them that call apon his name Thiese in effect be the reasons that moued the man to thinke that Moyses was no priest To be short Whome he taketh for the best or whome he accoÌ„pteth for the worst in the hebrue toÌ„gue or what his habilitie to iudge thereof is I confesse in good fayth I knowe not But of this I am well assured that S. HieroÌ„ Pagninus and whose translatioÌ„ for his religion he nede not to suspect Sebastianus Munsterus emongest all men taken for singulerly learned in that tongue inrerpret the worde to signify priestes And if all this satisfy him not the 70. interpretours traÌ„slate it so For thiese ar theire wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Moyses and Aaron in the nombre of his priestes And for so vndoubted a truthe was it taken with S. Hierom that he in the exposition of this psalme vsed thiese wordes Vterqué Moyses scilicet Aaron domini aduentum sacerdotali praeconio nunciauit Bothe of them that is to say Moyses and Aaron did with their priestly voyce denounce before hand the comming of our lorde Now touching the indifferency of the worde Cohanim to signify a minister or a priest we graunte it to be true but that because in some one place it so signifieth it ought therefore so to be expouÌ„ded in this that we vtterly denie And for proofe hereof we bring Abrahamus Esdras emongest the olde Rabbini called Sapientissimus He expownding this place of the psalme calleth Moyses and Aaron by the name of priestes And because no man should cauill about the ambiguitie of the worde Cohanim he graunteth it to be a worde doubtfull But to take away all such ambiguitie and to make vs assuredly vnderstaÌ„d when it signifieth this or that he giueth this rule that being ioined and applied to the name of god or any thing to him belonging as here it is it signifieth allwaies a priest but otherwise referred to prophane thinges a minister as maie be answered of Dauids children in the second booke of kings the .8 chapiter And surely so long as he standeth apon his bare vauntes of the best without naming at all any I se no cause but that we may well rest in that interpretacion which thiese â—ower for their knowledge in that tongue of the learned sort accompted most excellent beside the nombre of the .70 interpretours haue deliuered vnto vs especially seing that interpretacion which the very best emongest the Hebrues he saith haue giuen apon that place that is Moyses and Aaron emongest them that call apon his name I thinke to him that considereth well the wordes that followe Et Samuel inter eos qui inuocant nomen eius will seme and proue to be euen the very wurst But because yow shall well perceiue that Moyses was in dede a priest beside the testimonies allready brought furth I shall here alleage certein other to proue the same First S. Austen writing apon the same psalme where bothe he and Aaron ar called priestes maketh as it wer ageinst the priestehood of Moyses a certein obiection and afterward concludeth that Moyses was not withstanding a priest His wordes ar thiese Ibi quidem non videtur sacerdos essenisi Aaron Aperâ—è enim in illis literis Aaron nominatur sacerdos dei De Moyse noÌ„ ibi dicitur quòd sacerdos erat Sed si hoc non erat quid erat Nunquid maior sacerdote esse poterat Expropriat psalmus iste quia ipse sacerdos erat Moyses Aaron in sacerdotibus eius Ergo erant illi domini sacerdotes that is to say there it semeth that there was no other priest but Aaron for in that place is he plainelie named a priest but of Moyses there is no such word
apon D. Coles wor des in the margeÌ„t of your boke that no B. of Rome before S. Gregories time would euer be called vniuersall biâ—shop finallie then would yowe not so ignorantlie haue confounded together these termes vniuersall bishop and heade of the churche as though theie had in that place signified all one thing The which that theie doe not no maÌ„ doeth more plainelie expresse then S. Gregorie him selfe who writeth of S. Peter after this maÌ„ner The charge saith he and supremacie of all the whole churche was committed to him and yeat was he not called vniuersall apostle Lo M. Iâ—ell if you had taken the paines to haue scanned the place of S. Gregorie alleaged by yow by this and such other would yow euer haue brought in to the lighte this deade mouse this false argument and vntrue consequent There was neuer anie B. of Rome called or that would be called by the name of vniuersall bishop therefore â–ª theie be not or ought not to be heades of the churche Seing that S. Peter as saithe S. Gregorie had the charge of the whole churche although he wer neuer called by the name of vniuersall apostle If S. Peter might be heade of the churche and without anie absurditie haue the charge thereof as S. Gregorie thought although he wer not called vniuersall apostle whie should yow thicke it now anie more impossible for the pope to be called head of the churche although he be not called vniuersall bishoppe And so haue yowe by the waie an answer to your wise demaunde also that is if no B. of Rome would euer take apon him to be called th'vniuersall bishoppe or heade of the whole churche for the space of six hundred yeares after Christe where then was the heade of the vniuersall churche all that while or howe it coulde then continue without a heade more theÌ„ nowe For we saie vnto yow that that is moste false and vntrue which yowe lay for a grounded truthe that is that no B. of Rome woulde euer be called by the name of heade of the churche within the first six hundred yeares after Christe as hath bene sufficientlie proued before and that also as we haue declared yowe abuse your selfe in the framing of your saide questioÌ„ in taking for all one the heade of the churche and the vniuersall bishoppe And thus haue yow one cause whie this place of S. Gregorie maketh nothing ageinst the supremacie of the B. of Rome And other cause is for that that Iohn the B. of Constantinople by this name or title of vniuersall bishoppe vnderstoode him selfe onelie to be a bishoppe and none elles Which meaning neither in the first six hundred yeares nor at anie time sence anie B. of Rome that I could yeat heare of euer had And that this is the true meaning of S. Gregorie and not forced by me the verie wordes of the same man written to Iohn archebishop of Constantinople doe well witnesse with me Qui enim indignum te esse fatebaris vt episcopus dici debuisses ad hoc quandoque perductusâ— es â–ª vt despectis fratribus episcopus appetas solus vocari that is to saie for thow Iohn B. of Constantinople which once grauntedst thy selfe to be vnworthie the name of a bishoppe art nowe at the length comme to that passe that thowe labourest to be called a bishop alone And a little after Thow goest about saieth he to take awaie that honour from all other which by singularitie thow desirest vnlaufullie to vsurpe to thy selfe Thus maie yowe see M. Iuell howe this place being by th'author him selfe expounded fardereth yow nothing at all and also by suche auctorities and reasons as haue for our parâ—e bene before alleaged vnderstand howe vnaduisedlie it was saide of yowe that the catholikes as sure as god is god if theie would haue vouchesaufed to folowe either the scriptures either the auncieÌ„t Doctours and couÌ„cels would neuer haue restored again the supremacie of the B. of Rome after it was once abolished Doe yow not hereby giue occasioÌ„ to meÌ„ to thinke that your lacke of faithe and mistrust in goddes omnipotency in other thinges groweth euen thereof that yow thincke god is not god For towching the supremacie hauing in the scriptures nothing in the councels as little in the fathers writinges onelie thiese fewe wordes that might se me to impugne the same and yet doe not howe will yow be able to discharge so manie auctorities of the fathers such consent of councels such conformitie of examples and force of reasons as haue bene and maie be brought ageinst yow howe will you satisfie your owne conscience which telleth yowe that so manie ceremonies so manie ordonances so manie decrees of bishoppes of Rome as Thomas Beacon otherwise called Theodore Basile or by what name so euer he be elles termed hath heaped together deliuered by them to the worlde some of them as emongest a nombre that which of all other yowe make lest account of holie water within little more then a hundred yeares after Christe and the most parte in the pure state of the primitiue churche would neuer haue bene by such common and generall confent without contradiction of anie receiued by the whole worlde vsed and frequented in all the churches scattred and dispersed thorough out the same onlesse the authors thereof had had vniuersall auctoritie to establishe that which hath bene vniuersallie receiued Thus hauing hetherto touching the supremacie saide so much as maie presently serue for your chalenge leauing the rest for a whole booke either by me when god shall sende better laisure or some other better able when he shall thincke best to be thereof made I shall nowe passe to the nexte article in question THAT THE PEOPLE VVAS TAVGHT VVITHIN THE FIRST SIX HVNDRED YEARES AFTER CHRISTE TO BELEVE that in the Sacrament of the altar for so dothe S. Austen terme it is conteined Christes bodie reallie substantiallie corporalie and carnallie TErtullian an auncient writer of Christes churche reporteth of heresie that the nature thereof is either when it is pressed with the auctoritie of scripture to denie it platlie to be scripture or if she receiue it with additions and detractions to the framing of her purpose to peruert it or finally with false gloses and vntrue expositions in such sorte to water it that it maie seme to haue a far other sense then had euer the holie ghost the author thereof This lesson and manner of olde heretikes was neuer I trowe more diligently put in execution or earnestlie practised theÌ„ in this our most miserable and wretched time nor in anie controuersie more perspicuouse and easie euen at the eye to be perceiued then in this of the moste blessed sacrament of Christes owne bodie and bloude For when our aduersaries demaunde of vs scripture for the confirmation of our parte and we bring them the wordes not of Peter not of Paule not of anie of thother apostles but of Christe him selfe that
auteÌ„ ministri adsint pro viribus quas eis dominus subministrat omnibus subuenitur alij baptizaÌ„tur alij recoÌ„ciliantur nulli dominici corporis coÌ„muni one fraudantur that is to sai If the ministres be present according to the strength that god hath giuen theÌ„ all men ar holpen some ar baptised other some ar recoÌ„ciled none ar deceiued of the communion of our lordes body Much more might here be saide touching this point wer it not that I am lothe to trouble yow with the ofteÌ„ repeating thereof that I feare me you ar sory to haue hard so much as once And therefore if this satiâ—fie you not for the rest I remitte you to that learned worcke of late sette furth at Loâ—ainâ— wherein you haue I doubte not allready for this matter founde such stoare of testimonies such weight of auctorities as in your owne iudgement yow maie haue cause to thincke tâ—at yow holde by the worst ende of the staffe Your obiections also ageinst the catholike faithe in this article because they arre there with like dexteritie answered and soluted I here passe ouer in silence One I excepte emongest the rest which because yow mencioned it not in your sermon where vnto the author without wandring any farder kept him selfe he also in his booke speaketh not of The place that yow bring ageinst vs is yow say out of Theophilus Alexandrinus and is alleaged by yow without cotation after this sorte Si Christus mortuus fuisset pro diabolo non negaretur illi poculum sanguinis If Christe had died for the diuell the cup of the bloud should not haue bene denied him Here M. Iuell good faithe and true dealing woulde that yow shoulde haue coted to vs this place But I feare me it will so fall oute in the ende that in all Theophilus worckes there shall no such place be founde True it is that these wordes we finde in him Si enim pro demonibus crucifigitur vt nouorum dogmatum assertor affirmat quod erit priuilegium aut que ratio vt soli homines corporieius sanguinique coÌ„municent non demones quoque pro quibus in passione sanguinem suum 〈◊〉 That is to say for if Christ wer crucified as this 〈◊〉 of newe doctrine affirmeth for the diuelles also what priuileage haue men or what reason shoulde there be why they onelie should be partakers of his body and bloud and not the diuelles also for whome in his passion he should haue shed his bloud If this be the place that you meane why alleage you it so falsely and corrupte bothe th'authors wordes and minde If this be not it then showe vs where we shall finde it which if yow coulde doe then shoulde yow be answered in this wise that in Theophilus time the vse of this sacrameÌ„t was indifferent to be receiued as the deuotioÌ„ of the receiuor thereof serued him either vnder bothe the kindes or one alone as a thing by Christ so left and the libertie whereof the church directed by the holy ghost had not as then in any wise restreined So that at those daies the prieste had doen him opeÌ„ wrong to whome desiring bothe the kindes he woulde haue giuen but onely one yea if it had bene the diuell that he had denied it to if Christ had died for the diuell But now I praie yow applie this testimony to the present state of the churche which nowe is and you shall see how handsomly it fitteth yow Theophilus Alexandrinus when the churche had as yet not restreined the vse of this sacrament touching the laie people to one kinde was of the minde that in this case to denie to the diuell if Christe had died for him the cup had bene a disordre Therefore now that the churche hath decreed that they shall communicate vnder onely one he is also of the same minde Thus must yow reason if yow deale truly which if you doe how little this place maketh for your purpose a meane wit wilbe easely able to iudge Thus much touching this present controuersy nowe to the next which is as by our aduersaries it is termed of priuate Masse THAT THERE VVAS MASSE SAIDE VVITHIN THE FIRST SIX HVNDRED YEARES ALTHOVGH THERE VVER none that did receaue with the priest OVr lorde be thancked therefore truthe which well may be for the tyme pressed but neuer shalbe vanquished hath at the length with much a doe gotteÌ„ of her enemies maugre their heades the confession of that which hetherto they haue all so stoutely denyed For now relinquishing and geuing ouer their olde plea that the Masse is a new inuention the name strange and to the auncient doctours vnknoweÌ„ they flee to an other shyft as here by their common proctour M. Iuell yowe may good readers perceiue and saye that there was no priuate Masse in all the whole world for the space of six hundred yeares or more after the apostles time Here M. Iuell forasmuch as this terme priuate which by reason of the equiuocation that it hath might haue brought vs into some doubte how yow had vnderstand it is by yow expounded in diuerse places of your sermoÌ„ to be taken for the priestes sole or alone receiuing of the â—acrament without company and so as yowe take it as this worde priuate is contrary to publike or common to many And yowe herein stick not scrupulously in the other significations thereof as some of your fellowes doe that is that that Masse is no lesse priuate which is saide in priuate mennes houses out of the church or which is done especially for some one man or woman but seeme honestly to confesse that S. Austen mencioneth these two kinde of masses the first in his bookes de ciuitate Dei where he reporteth that a priâ—st of his diocesse saide Masse in a ferme or house of the countrye troubled with euell sprites who immediatly thereapon none otherwise theÌ„ do the heretikes of our time auoyded the place and were no more hard of Where we might also stande apon this till the contrary were proued that the priest receiued then alone For by the place it appeareth not of any that receiued with him The second in his bookes of confessions Where he telleth vs that he offred for his mother after her deceasse sacrificiuÌ„ praetijnostri the sacrifice of our raunsome Forasmuch I saie as yow seme not to pitche in these last pointes I shall assaye to satisfie yow in the first and then after to answere such obiections as you make for the fortifieng of your parte Yow saie that within the first six hundred yeares after the apostles and more there was no Masse saide in the churche vnlesse there were some that did receiue with the priest Against this I reason thus Chrysostome liued within the space of fower hundred yeares after the apostles time but Chrysostome and the priestes in his time sayd Masse when none did communicate ergo to you M. Iuell within the first six hundred yeares after
your sermon printed they ar to be sene that all men maie vnderstand how handsomely my L. of Salesburie can plaie hiâ—k scornersparte and then after shape thereto such an answere as I trust shall to all reasonable men be sufficient Moreouer the priest by the masse booke is taught to saie accipite edite Take ye eate ye and habete vinculum charitatis c. that is Haue ye the band of charitie that ye maie be mete for the hoâ—e misteries And to vvhome shall vve thinke the priest speaketh these vvordes It vver a vaine thing for him in the open congregation to speake to him selfe and specially in the plurall numbre yet vver it a greate deale more vaine for him to speake the same vvordes to the bread and vvine and to saie to them Take ye eate ye or haue ye the band of charitie that ye may be meâ—e for the holie misteries Therefore it is euident that these vvordes should be spoken to the people I haue good hope M. Iuell bothe by these testimonies alleaged out of the Masse booke so far from the purpose and also by your chalenge wherein yowe promise being ouercome to yelde that yowe will at the length doe as honest soldiours pressed against their mindes to serue in an euell cause ar wont to doe that is when it commeth to the push either cast awaie their weapons and suffer them selues to be taken or keping them in their handes fight verie weaklie For suerlie M. Iuell if this be not your meaning beare with me if I tell yow as the truthe is and as I beleue it must nedes be a greate deale worse and such as declareth inuinciblie to the worlde your cankred stomack and maliciouse minde towardes your mother the catholike church For standing the case so as yow meane nothing lesse then that good which I conceiue of yow what true dealing is this of youres to proue that no Masse maie be saide without there be company to receiue with the priest to alleage these wordes Take eate as spoken by the priest to the people Whereas your owne conscience if yow haue any telleth yow I dare saie that they ar a parte of other wordes going before cutt by you from the rest to serue your scoffing spirit and that they ar not nor euer were any more taken for the priestes owne wordes then ar those that immediatlie followe This is my bodie And as yow would I nothing doute laughe at his simplicitie that hearing the priest say This is my bodie would take the consecrated host to be the priestes bodie because he repeteth the same wordes at the altar that Christ spake at his supper So perswade your self that other men cease not to lament from the bottom of their hartes to se yow not of simplicitie but of malice willfullie to do the like But I shall here whollie alleage the wordes as they ar in the canon of the Masse that yowe maie if it be possible be deliuered of that greate scruple that so troubleth your minde whether those wordes Take eate should be spoken by the priest to him self in false latin which yow thinck were to greate an ouersighte or to the bread and wine which yow thinke and I would yow neuer might thinck worse were a farre greater The wordes ar these Qui pridie quâm pateretuâ— c. who the daie before that he suffred toke bread in to his holie and venerable handes and lifting vp his eyes into heauen to the o god his father allmightie geuing to the thanckes blessed brake and gaue it to his disciples saieng Take eate this is my bodie By these wordes if yow doe not euery man I trust elles doth moste manifestlie perceiue that these ar not the priestes wordes and therefore neither spokeÌ„ to him self neither yet to the bread or wine But because I doubte not but yow ar werie to heare so much of your owne follie therefore I will dwell no longer in the aggrauating of that which as in the eyes of all men is brimme ynough so would I to god that yow had neuer geuen occasion to me or to anie other once to haue mencioned it To your other obiection that yow make of these wordes habete vinculum charitatis haue yow the band of peace that yowe maie be mete for the holie mysteries I answere that if there be any such place in the masse booke as hauing sought therefore I finde none such that such wordes first forbidde not the priest to saie masse if none be disposed to communicate with him then that they do not necessarilie prouoke the people to the sacramentall receiuing but maie well be vnderstand of the spirituall communicating with the priest in those holie misteries by earnest meditacion of Christes death and passion the which the more effectually to doe they ar exhorted to be one with an other in loue and charitie And thus vnderstand we that other place where the priest after the Agnus praieth that that holie commixtion of Christes bodie and bloude maie be bothe to him and to all that receiue it healthe of bodie and soule For we saie that as many as being present at the masse doe hartely ioine with the priest in the swete remeÌ„brance of Christes bitter death and passion doe all receiue with the priest Christes bodie and bloud they spirituallie and he corporallie And this call we a true communion But what if now in euery leafe of the masse booke M. Iuell you had fouÌ„de exhortacions to the people to coÌ„municate Verely except yow had founde withall that vnlesse they would the priest should not all would not helpe yea it would hinder yow thus much that where as you and your mates haue borne the worlde in hand that the cleargie hath kepte the laitie from communicating now it woulde appeare by this that the priest loketh for them and their owne defaulte kepeth them awaie Well if the masse booke haue failed yow M. Iuell as it was neuer other like but that it would yow haue yet I dare saie other witnesses Yea verely yow vauÌ„te to haue the helpe of the canons of the apostles of Clemens of Dionisius of Calixtus of Iustinus of Leo of Chrisostome of S. Gregorie yea of S. Paule and of Christ him selfe Which be suerly good witnesses and such as in lawe maie be called omni exceptionâ— maiores and for the better abeling of theÌ„ of whose credite might most be doubted your selfe haue saide so much as no man I trow can saie more For you call theÌ„ good growndes to builde apon So that now there remaineth no more but to consider how they proue your entent The which that I maie the better doe I shall alleage your owne wordes as they ar in your sermon touching this matter to be founde that so the reader maie be the more able to iudge whether your euidence be to the yssue or no. In the .xxxv. leafe of your saide sermon yow haue these wordes And I trust yovv shall clearlie see that for
heretikes Which they haue so done within these fewe yeares with such spirituall fruite and encrease with such exceding greate gaine of lost soules not sparing their owne bloud and liues in Christes cause in Africa in India in Persia and elles where that god hath well testified by sundry miracles wrought now by them in those parties no lesse then once in the primitiue churche by his apostles how highly he estemeth their labour loke I saie apon them whose vertuouse life and godly conuersatioÌ„ shall once I trust be the bane and vtter ruine of all heresiesâ— and yow shall finde it to be true that bothe at Colein at Augusta at Treuires at Cambray at Tournay and in other places of their abode there passeth no Sonday or holie day in the yeare in which there communicate not with the priest bothe of men and women greate store And yet arre they it is well knowen as farre all this while from yowe in your heresies as yow be from them in perfection of life and true religion Well although the testimonies of Clemens Dionisius Iustinus martir with the rest sarue not your purpose yeat yow haue other that touche vs more neere you will saie as fivst the. 10. canon of the apostles which yowe alleage in this manner Fideles qui in ecâ—lesiam ingrediuntur scripturas audiunt communionem sanctam non recipiunt tanquâm ecclesiasticae pacis perturbatores a communione arceantur that is to say Such christian men as come to the churche heare the scriptures and receiue not the holy communioÌ„ let them be excommunicated as men that trouble the peace and quietnes of the churche To this I answere that this canon being truly alleaged according to the Greke the founteine from whence it was taken first hath no such thing in it that all that be present at the Masse or holy communion shoulde communicate but onely continue there to the ende that by their either often whipping in and oute either ouer hasty departure from thence they might not trouble the churche or be scandulouse to any Secondarily that if it wer to be vnderstand as yow say that yeat yow must adde some more force thereto before it well will serue your turne seing there is neuer a worde there that forbiddeth which is the thing that yow must proue the prieste to receiue alone if none will receiue with him And for the first that yowe maie perceiue how this translation hath deceiued yow and how euell it squareth with the grieke knowe yow that the founteine and originall copie hath thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which wordes Haloander a birde of the same wing that yow arre translateth after this sorte neque apud praeces sanctam coÌ„munionem permanent that is they that abide not out or continue not to the ende of the praiers and holy communion This translation beside that the wordes in the greke doe beare it 〈◊〉 for the other there is neuer a worde to signifie or â—â—â—resse the receauing of the communion it hath also to â—â—inteine it the auctoritie of Theodorus Balsamon the grieke writer and Patâ—â—â—ke of Antioche who in his commentaries apon the canon next before this hath these wordes Dicere fideles laicos consecratos qui sacra non tractant oportere quâ—â—â—die sanctis commâ—â—â—care alioqui segregari nec est ex senteÌ„tia canonis nec potest fieri Eâ— ideo nonus canon dixit puniri 〈◊〉 qui non 〈◊〉 that is To saie that the faithefull laie men and those that be not laie but yeat handle 〈◊〉 the holy misteries ought daily to communicate 〈◊〉 to be excommunicate it is neither the meaning of the canon nor it can sâ— be and therefore the. 9. canon the next which in some bookes is noted for the. 9. in some other for the. 10. hath that the faithefull not continuing to the ende shalbe punished Thus vnderstandeth he the seconde canon of the councell holden at Antioche in the daies of Aureliaenus the emperour Where examining those wordes of the canon by which all they arre excoÌ„municated who comming to the churche refuse the holy participation of the sacrament propter aliquam insolentiam for some insolency he writeth thus Diâ— quôd iâ— non existimabuntur sacram participationeÌ„ auersari qui â—am odio habent abominantur velqui vt nonnulli dicebant propter pietateÌ„ humilitateÌ„â—am fugiunt Illi enim non solum segregabuntur fed etiam vt haeretici extermin abuntur hi vero propter pietatem venia digni habebuntur Sed illi qui prae contemptu arrogantia ex ecclesia ante sanctam participationem inordinatè exeunt nec intueri sustinent That is in effect to say thus much Thincke not that the canon here speaking of theÌ„ which shoonne the participation of the blessed sacrament is to be vnderstand of them that haue it in hatred or abhomination or of them as some saied that of a certeine pietie and humilitie absteine from it For of these two kinde of men the first shall not onely be segregate for a time but as heretikes rooted out for euer the other for their deuotion and worthy reuerence towardes the sacrameÌ„tes shalbe thought worthy pardon But those ar they whome this canon noteth who of contempte and arrogancie departe ageinst ordre out of the churche before the holy participation not so much as vouchesausing to beholde the same Thus yow see M. Iuell how this patriarke and learned Grecian expoundeth the canon by yow alleaged not as to signifie a precise necessitie in all that be present at the Masse to receiue with the prieste but to continue there onely to the ende that by that meanes although they did not sacrameÌ„tally they might year at the leaste in ioining their praiers with the priestes and by holy meditating apon Christes deathe and passion together with him communicate the one with the other spiritually He addeth in his saide commentaries apon the aboue named seconde canon of the councell of Antioche that he thinketh the distribution of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which name I iudge he calleth oure holy breade to haue bene taken oute of this canon that they which wer not partakers of the liuely and holie misteries shoulde be bouÌ„de to tarito the ende of the diuine ministery and to receiue the same at the priestes handes ad sanctificationem to sanctifie them Thus vnderstandeth this greke canon Ioannes Monachus Zonoras him selfe a Grieke borne also as in his commentaries extant thereapon to him that listeth to searche maye be more at large seene But let the canon be expounded euen as oure aduersaries would haue it let it be so that the primitiue churche appointed greate penalties for them that being present at the Masse woulde not receiue with the priest Yeat is there all this while nothing brought ageinst the priestes receuing the sacrament alone why he may not take it being so disposed if other will not And yet is this the point ye wote well
conuey the faulte from youre selues to an other But the truthe is well knowen to be far otherwise bothe by him who for that that he was a principall doer therein lurcketh presentlie in Scotland and also by that other who so euer he wer that made the booke entituled the harborough for faithefull subiectes Who entending to laie all the burden vpon a straungiers backe hauing forgotten by misfortune the chiefe rule of his arte that a lier should be mindefull euen in the first leafe of his booke declareth him to haue bene an EnglishemaÌ„ when in begging as it were a pardon for him he vsethe thiese wordes considering the griefe vvhich like a good membre of that bodie vvhich then sufâ—red he felt and afterwarde he declareth that that bodie was England and no other Yow maie remembre it is not so long sence when to put men to deathe for religion was a thinge horrible yow saide and expresselie ageinst the worde of god and charitie of the ghospell Nowe the sworde being as yow thincke in your handes yowe teache in your lessons yow crie out in youre sermons and neuer left crieng till yow had brought it to passe that it was decreed by publike auctoritie that such as in religion beleue not as yow doe bothe may and ought to suffer deathe therefore And surelie if the Quene oure moste graciouse ladie would alter the present state of religion yow woulde not faile shortly to sing youre olde songe againe that for religion no man ought to be punished by deathe and I feare me assaie either with some such feditiouse booke as ageinst Quene Marie ye made or by some other practise of which youre parte lacketh no store to remoue her from all manner of gouernement both spirituall and temporall For if youre libertie in the lorde be such as ageinst youre prince that pleaseth yow not yow can saie nothing to much as the author of the harborough saithe he could not that wrote the blast ageinst the gouernement of women had he kept him selfe in the particuler parson of his souereigne lady Quene Mary who douteth but that yow would vse it And for the better proufe hereof I referre me to that booke of late made by your companions of the succession whereby euery man that wit hath may easely perceiue vpon such premisses what conclusion was to be looked for none other forsoothe then the speedy dispatch of her whose clemency being oure gratiouse and souereigne lady because it coulde be brought by no meanes to serue youre furiouse sprite you thought to worcke by other meanes and to prouide for the maintenaunce of youre kingdome youre selues But this power ar ye growen vnto whereof I maruell also that ye make not youre vauntes that ye can make kinges and depose them when ye lyâ—t This mutabilitie and inconstancie in youre owne doctrine in so shorte a space in youre communion first one while decreing that it be ministred in common and leauened bread by and by reuoking that and bringing it to vnleauened at one time coÌ„maunding that youre seruice be in all places vsed in the Englishe tongue not long after chaunging the same in some places in to the latine and yet that reiected once againe and the Englishe restored and all this within the space of little more theÌ„ a yeare This daie youre coÌ„munion table placed in the middâ—st of the quier the nexte daie remoued in to the bodie of the churche at the thirde time placed in the chauncel againe after the manner of an altar but yet remoueable as there is anie communion to be had Then youre ministres face one while to be turned towardes the Southe an other while towardes the northe that the wethercocke on the toppe of the stieple hathe bene noted not to haue turned so ofteÌ„ in the space of one quarter of a yeare as youre ministre hath bene caused benethe in the bottom of the churche in lesse then one monethe as though yow coulde not sufficientlie declare howe restles an euell heresie is excepte yow muste make youre communion table to ronne aboute the churche the ministre first after it and then rounde aboute it to expresse the same This inconstancie I saie and tottring in and oute first aboute the ordre of youre communioÌ„ and then in other thinges before noted causeth diuerse men and emongest the nombre my selfe to suspecte youre doctrine of newnesse because naturallie we see this hurlie burlie and shifting in and putting oute to chauÌ„ce in thinges at their first beginning and contrarie wise neuer in those that haue bene of long and settled continuance If such a communion as yow now haue deuised had euer bene before yow shoulde haue founde presideÌ„tes and formes thereof that shoulde haue directed yow so certeinelie that yow neuer could haue fallen in to this inconuenience of making and marring building and pulling downe But yow had no such forme and therefore I maruell not if it happened vnto yow as it hath THE fowerth cause or consideration that hath moued me hath bene this that besides youre owne misliking with youre owne doinges I finde which is a suer marcke wherebie to knowe the false and malignant churche that yow arre at dissensioâ— emongest youre selues one with an other which hath not neither begonne of late but euen as the poet fained of Cadmus men sprange vppe together with that vnhappie seede of your deuelishe doctrine What shoulde I heare trouble youre eares with the vnpleasant remembrance of that implacable dissension for which euen at this daie their ofspringe ar one with an other at deadlie foode of youre first parentes Luther and Zuinglius or of youre elder brothers Caluin and Oecolampadius What shoulde I remembre youre owne good agrement at home which youre last assemblie in youre conuocation hath made to all the realme so manifest and well knowen And yet is this dissension of youres not in owtewarde ceremonies or triffling matters as yo we woulde haue men to beleue or in the diuersitie of apparell as wherewith for lacke of other stuffe to the greate defacing of youre parte yowe arre constreined to charge vs but in the highest misteries and greatest pointes of oure religion For howe manie opinions ar there emongest yow coÌ„cerning the iustificatioÌ„ of a Christian man howe manie of the valew of good worckes howe manie aboute baptesme howe agree yow with youre late head that calleth god the author of their damnation that arre damned excepte yowe call him so toe how can yow be saide to agree who call that laufull which the chiefe of youre coÌ„panie calleth blasphemie howe agree yow with youre selues in that highe misterie of the sacrament of Christes bodie and blood of whome some of yow and the better some to if learning and honestie maie take anie place defende with Luther Christes reall presence in the sacrament other some with Zuinglius denie the same My leisor serueth me not M. Iuell or if it did my purpose is not here which a iust volume woulde scarse receiue
saye or any other so much as one example of crueltie that maye be able to matche this For who woulde euer thincke in men endowed with reason and those especially whose mouthes and tongues sounde so commonly the Gospell the Gospell such inhumanitie shoulde haue bene founde as first to cut of the priuy partes of their ChristiaÌ„ brother then to frie them after to cause him by violence to swallowe them downe and last of all to rippe the stomacke of him being yeat a liue to see what was become thereof Maruell not now good readers if at S. Macarius they buried the catholikes quicke if they cut the very infantes in two if they ripped the bellies of priestes and drewe oute by little and â—â—ttle their entrailles winding the same either about some sticke or tree Maruell not if at a vilage called Patte sixe or seuâ—n leagues distant from Orleance they spared not so much as the innocent age of infancy but whereas two little children had by chaunce gotten oute of the belfrie whither the residue to the nombre of twenty or fiue and twenty were for their sauegarde fledde these cruell murderers not gospellers but manquellers meting with them in their flight brought them backe againe and threwe them in to the fier there to perishe with the reste If I shoulde here particulerly reherse all the cruell and horrible actes done by the Caluinistes in Fraunce a whole booke truly shoulde I make thereof This which allready hath bene brought maye suffise for the comparing of them I will not saie with the Donatistes onely but with the moste cruell and barbarouse tirauntes that euer liued Of the rest who so is desierouse to haue more perfect knowledge him remitte I to the booke entituled Du Saccagement des Eglises printed at Paris and written by Claudius de Sainctes oute of the which I haue takeÌ„ what so euer hath here bene alleaged touching this cruell dealing of theirs Arriani The nexte comparison is of oure gospellers with the Arrians Whose vilanie and hatred towardes the blessed sacrament of the altar was such that they trode it vnder their wicked feete The churches in Africa they ouerthrewe and made of them stables for their horses Of the vestimentes and altar clothes they made shurtes and breeches They burned the bookes they spoiled the churches of their ornamentes as in an epistle written by the bishoppes of Egypte to Marcus the pope it appeareth more at large Finally as Gregorius Nazianzenus writeth mysteria verterunt in comoedias The misteries of oure religion they turned in to plaies and comedies What one thing is there of all these that yow and your companions haue omitted to doe M. Iuell wherein agree yow not with them Can yow saye that yow haue not abused the sacrament by treading it vnder youre feete That yow haue not ouerthrowen churches and turned them to worse vses then to stables that yow haue not made breeches shurtes yea cotes for plaiers and dizzardes of the holie vestimentes and altar clothes that yow haue not burned the churche bookes and other ornamentes and moste shamefully spoiled the temple of god haue yow not to conclude which I tremble as often as I remembre turned the misteries of oure faithe the sacramentes of the churche the pledges of oure redemption into comedies and playes I woulde to god yow neuer had But as it is more manifest that yow haue so done then that it can be denied so seme yow to giue little token of repentaunce thereof when yow brag of youre infamouse companie of plaiers that they arre one of the three engines set vp of god to plucke downe the popes triple crowne as much to saye although yow plainely expresse it not as to ouerthrowe all true religion Iulianus Apostata the yeare 365. Iulianus the emperour who of a good and vertuouse catholike prince became sodenly a cruell wicked and tirannouse persecutor of Christ in his membres beganne the foundation of this goodly newe religion of his with the robbing of churches and spoiling the cleargie of their priuileages He banished aftâ—rwarde the priestes and faithefull he ouerthrewe the aultars and caused the sacrifice to ceasse as in a sermon that Chrisostome made of the two martirs Iuuent and Maximus who being bothe souldiours and men of armes woulde he saith sacrifice and offer vp them selues to god seing the sacrifice of the churche ceassed it maye moste manifestlie appeare He reproued the Christians as witnesseth Cirillus and called them wretched men for doing reuerence as then was the guise of Christian men to the crosse of Christe for making the signe thereof in their forheades for painting of it on the doores of their houses he reproued them for worshipping the reliques of martirs for visiting their tombes for praieng to them at their graues and sepulâ—hres calling them deade men He ouerthrewe the image and picture of Christe The arcke or shrine wherein were religiously kepte the bones of S. Iohn Baptist he brake open burnt them and dispersed abroade the asshes Now to make the comparison Whether yow contemne as Iulianus did the crosse of Christe whether with him yow call them wretched men that reuerence it that make the signe thereof on their foreheades that painte it on their doores kepe it in their houses let youre burning and breaking of so many thousandes youre banishing them oute of the churches youre troubling and vexing of such honest men as being desirouse to haue with them some liuely remembraunce of Christes deathe and passion to stur vp their colâ—e deuotion to moue their dull and heauy affectioÌ„s kepe them for that purpose youre iudgementes agreing all on him whome entring in to a churche falling vpon his knees yow beholde marcking his forheade with this signe which was notwithstanding once as witnesseth Chrisostome the manner of kinges at their entraunce in to the churche to be moste assuredly an enemie to Christes gospell Finally let that horrible acte done in the late troubles in Fraunce by youre companions who in the contumelie of the same comming in to a churche where was the image of Christe crucified strangled first two priestes and then hanged them vp after on either side of it be a moste ample and sufficient testimonie thereof As for the rest denie that yow agree with him if yow can So little shall that displease me that yow shall I protest make me very glad to heare thereof giue me good cause to hope and occasion to praie that at the length yow will and also maie falling awaye from all other heretikes and all their diuelishe heresies drawe home to the lappe of youre mother that suer sanctuarie from whence to your owne harme and her greate griefe yow haue so farre strayed Ethnikes Iues. The Ethnikes and heathen men brake the image of Christe as Sozomenus writeth The Iues as Athanasius reporteth crucified it on a certeine time euen as their fathers did Christe him selfe They asked of him in
whose house the image was founde how being a Iewe he durst kepe the image of Christe They accused him to their highe prieste therefore I maruell not here that the Paganes and Iewes did this but I maruell and neuer can be satisfied with marueiling how they that professe the name and faithe of Christ dare doe it How the Iewes argument made to their fellow Thow art a Iewe by name and faithe therefore thow doest euell to reteine with the the image of Christ holdeth how the conclusion is inferred I see well But on the other side how this argument framed in Luthers schole thow arte a ChristiaÌ„ thow doest therefore nought to kepe with the the image of Christ how this reason I saie concludeth I confesse in good faithe I wote not nor in their newe logicke haue learned as yeat so farre The Ethnikes had a peuishe propertie although they coulde in no wise abide the image or picture of Christ to make yeat figures and pictures whereby to mocke and scorne the Christians And is not this the exercise that yow put such of youre brethern to in mocking and scorning the catholikes as being ignorant and altogether vnlearned arre for preaching or writing vttrely vnmeete Doe yow not suborne theÌ„ to poison after this sorte such by the eyes as they arre not able by the eares with their wicked handes which they can not with their doltish heades and foolishe tongues Antichrist Hippolitus an auncient bishop a learned father and constant martyr of whome S. Hierome maketh mentioÌ„ in a booke intituled De scriptoribus ecclesiasticis writing of the comming of Antichrist and of the ende of the worlde hathe of him these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sed ecclesiarum â—des sacrae tugurij instar erunt praetiosumqueue corpus sanguis Christi in diebus illis non extabit â—iturgia extinguetur But the churches that is to saie shalbe in Antichristes time like cotages the pretiouse bodie and bloud of Christ shall not be to be had the sacrifice shalbe quite extinguished Who is he that heareth this and seeth what yow haue doen that can yeat doute whether youre doinges be laufull and yowe the foreronners of Antichrist The Diuell With the Diuel to conclude although by other diuerse and sondrie waies yow haue well testified youre agreing yeat in my opinion in no one thing more either often or euidently then in that hatred that yow beare and feare that yow seme to stande in of Christes crosse Gregorius Nazianzenus and Theodoritus reporte bothe that after Iulianus the emperour had renied his faithe he kepte companie with coniurours and sorcerours With whome chauncing to be on a time as a diuell was raised â—p to doe some feate being a fearde of that terrible and vnwoonted sight more of a custome vsed in cases of feare when he was a Christian then for any deuotion he made on his foreheade the signe of the corsse whereapon the foule finde vanished awaie How flie you I praye yow and youre companions from him how seke you by all meanes to auoide his companie how wary and circumspect be yow that yow entre in to no frendeship or acquaintaunce with him whome yow once see demeane him selfe after this sorte Hethertoe touching youre agrement with the olde heretikes with infidelles and Paganes with Iewes with Antichrist and Sathan not so much I confesse as some other of greater reading had bene able to haue alleaged neither yeat so little for all that but that yow maie if you be not a lette to youre selfe take some coÌ„moditie thereby For who is there of yowe so euell aduised or voide of grace that loking on the one side to the olde heretikes Simon Magus AeÌ„rius Manichaeus Iouinianus Vigilantius the Donatistes the Arrians with the rest of that companie before rehâ—rsed and finding that they haue heretofore bene noted by the doctours and auncient writers for heretikes for molesters and troublers of the churche of Christ for maintening the same opinions and doing the same actes then which yow bothe mainteine and doe now and casting his eye on the other side to all such other heretikes as these latter times and daies of oures haue brought furth the nombre whereof is infinite and obseruing diligently that what other heresies so euer they haue propre to themselues be they Anabaptistes be they Adamites be they Libertines be they Swenckfel dians be they if yow list Dauid georgians that yeat they agree neuâ—rthelesse with yow in youre doctrine what such man is there I saie who weighing with him selfe all this can thinke other then that he hath bene and is deceauid At the leaste M. Iuell if yow can not winne of youre selfe so to thinke if you haue bene so long nooseled in this swete companie that yow will nedes continue therein still yeat blame not vs if when yowe denie the merite of good worckes with Simon magus if when yow take awaie free will with the Manichees barre the deade of the sacrifice of the churche and suffrages of the liuing as did AeÌ„rius if when yow denie the worshipping of sainctes with Vigilantius we call yowe with Irinaeus with Epiphanius with S. Hierome and with S. Austâ—Ì„ heretikes Be not offendid with vs if you goe aboute with Iouiniâ—n to compare matrimonie with virginitie to condemne vowes to ouerthrowe fasting if we vse S. Austens wordes spoken by Iouinian that did the like and call yowe moÌ„stres and youre doctrine heresie Take it not in euell parte if we note yow of sacrilege for pulling downe the altars as Optatus did the Donatistes when â—hey did the like if we answere yow when in youre inuectiues ageinst the blessed sainctes you call them with Iulian deade that yow offende therein as Cirillus answered Iulian when he so saide If yow breake the image of Christ and tomble it oute of the churche with the Ethnikes bende not the browes at vs if with the Christians we gather to gether the brokeÌ„ pieces and place it in the churche againe If yow scorne and laugh at vs for doing reuerence to Christes crosse cite vs not to the long chappell in Poules if we wepe for yow according to the councell of Chrisostome willing vs for men laughing in such a case to wepe as for them that be oute of their wittes To conclude if yow thinke to continue in this companie and yeat enioye the name of catholikes beare with me if I vse to yow the wordes of S. Austen in a cause not much vnlike by him spoken to the Donatistes The wordes arre these Quae est ista dementia vt quum malè viuitis latronum facta facitis quum iure punimini gloriam martyrum requiratis What a madnesse is this quoth he that being of euell liues as yow ar doing the actes of theues as yow doe and being therefore laufully ponished yow chalenge yeat the glorie of martyrs What a worlde is this M. Iuell that scowring olde heresies as yow and youre companions doe doing
our aduersaries them selues I appeale to their consciences knowe right well that we might abundantlie and in greate store haue heaped together onelie because the gainesaiers might happelie haue excepted ageinst them that not with standing they wer martirs and in the whole course of their liues verie apostles yet because they wer bishoppes of Rome theie wer not in that cause which was their owne indifferent witnesses so would I also haue forborne the alleaging of this answer of Innocentius for the same cause had it not bene that S. Austen him selfe had iustified his parson ageinst our aduersaries in this behalfe For he writing to one Paulinus a bishoppe after long discoursing with him touching the heretikes Pelagius and Celestius telleth him at the length howe the councels of Carthage and Mileuite had written about them and their heresies to Innocentius the pope not onelie the certificate of their doinges but also certeine familier letters beside To all the which saieth he ille no bis rescripsit eodeâ— modo quo fas erat atque oportebat apostolicae sedis antistitem he answered vs by his lettres againe euen as it was right and as was for the B. of the apostolicall See meete Nowe I praie yowe considre here with your selues good Readers â–ª if Innocentius when he wrote to these fathers to auaunce him selfe and his See had being led thereunto by blinde affection without the warrant of goddes worde the vsage of the churche the auctoritie of the canons praised them that keping and obseruing the examples of antiquitie and hauing in remembrance the ecclesiasticall discipline they had referred as theie ought their doinges to his iudgement if he had besides borne them in hande that the auncient fathers had decreed not by mannes iudgement but by goddes him selfe that what so euer wer to be doen wer it of those prouinces that wer neare to Rome or far of it should not be determined before that it wer brought to the knowledge of that seate of his if he had excommunicate Pelagius and Celestius without auctoritie and finallie doen and saide so manie thinges as ar in his saide epistles more at large to be sene for the prerogatiue of his churche and all false howe had then S. Austen saide trulie that he answered in all pointes aright and as the B. of the apostolicall seate shoulde Shall we thincke that S. Austen was ignorant and so deceauid or that he flattred and so lied Orcan we iustly thincke that S. Austen if he had not taken him as heade of the churche would euer haue willed him to haue cited Pelagius being not then in Britaine but in the east partes as in the same epistle it appeareth to co me to Rome But thus much be saide by the waie to that question whie I rather vse the auctoritie of Innocentius then anie of those other popes before him I might here bring furth for examples alowed of the primitiue churche seing hetherto they haue bene practised and neuer disalowed howe that Vrsatius and Valens two ringleaders and chiefe capitaines emongest the Arrians at the length being wearie of their heresies and har telie sorie therefore of alâ— the bishoppes in the worlde went to no other but to onelie Iulius the pope to be absolued and by him receiued into the churche and admitted to the coÌ„munion and coÌ„panie of the faithefull as witnesseth Epiphanius and other howe that the same Iulius restored to their bishoprikes being vniustely depriued Athanasius to Alexandria Paulus to Constantinople Marcellus to Ancyra and Asclepas to Gaza all in the East churche and therefore impossible to haue bene doeÌ„ had not his auctoritie bene vniuersall I might here put yow in remembrance of a nombre of bishoppes of Rome that wrote their lettres in to the fardest parte of the worlde sometimes commaunding other whiles forbidding this or that of the like that directed their commissions to this bishop and to that to execute their auctoritie in countries and prouincies far from Rome as namelie to passe ouer Pius Victor Fabianus and such other of Leo the first who in Grece and the countries bordering thereapoÌ„ appointed the B. of Thessalonia in Fraunce the B. of Arles and in Spaine Hormisdas an other bishoppe to be his vicaires and deputes in those parties Which had bene a matter of all other to be laughed at if they writing such letters and making such delegations had had nothing or no more to doe there then other men But omitting manie other bothe before and sence that haue doen the like I shall at this time onelie alleage Gregorie the first of that name him rather then anie of the rest because in this controuersie yowe beare your selfe on his auctoritie so bolde Did not he ordeine that Maximianus the B. of Siracusa should in his stede ouersee all the churches of Scicilie Did he not write his lettres to all the bishoppes of Numidia coÌ„maunding them that they should giue ordres to no Donatistes Did he not direct his letters to Adeodatus the metropolitane of Numidia to take good heede that none wer promoted to holy ordres by mony And will yow yet M. Iuell hearing this persist in your lewde opinion that S. Gregorie then whome emongest all that range of bishops that haue either gone before him or folowed after yowe coulde neuer haue founde one that more maketh in this point for the catholike faithe and lesse for yow should be a patrone of your heresie But because it maie the better appeare to all men in what distresse yow ar that be driuen to such shamefull shiftes and extreme refuges for the vpholding of your newe founde religion I shall here occasion so aptelie offering it selfe examine that place of S. Gregorie which yowe tosse so coÌ„monlie in your mouthes repete so often in your bookes where he sharpe lie reprehendeth Iohn the B. of Constantinople for taking apon him the name of vniuersall bishop a title alltogether he saithe prophane and mete for antichriste a title which Leo his predecessour hauing offred vnto him by the whole councell of Calcedon refused Thus hath S. Gregorie To this auctoritie the trâ—the it selfe compelling me I must nedes folowe in answering that excellent clercke and man for his lerning not in one thing or two but Vniuersallie in all emongest those of the olde worlde wor thie to be reconed for for no lesse doe the wise and learned iudge him to be howe euer some foolish calfe haue in vaine murmured to the contrarie who being vrged as yowe knowe by your selfe M. Iuell with this place tolde yow that it serued nothing to disproue the souereintie as in deede it doeth not For if yow had reade S. Gregorie so diligentlie as reason woulde yow should before yowe had alleaged him so impudentlie then had yow founde that allthough the B. of Rome had neuer bene called vniuersall bishoppe yeat had that bene no proufe that he is not therefore heade of the churche theÌ„ would yowe not so foolishelie haue noted