neither of the Scriptures nor of the olde Fathers Howe be it Christes example in dooinge and commaundement to doo the same may not be taken for a shewe or Accident but for the effecte and Substance of his Supper Doo this saithe Christe the same that you haue seene mee doo Take Blisse Breake Diuide in my remembrance Whiche woordes S. Chrysostome expoundeth thus Hoc facite in memoriam beneficij mei salutis vestrae Doo this in remembrance of my benefite and of your Saluation This is no Accident or light fantasie that may be leafte at our pleasure but the very substantial pointe of that Sacrament whiche we are specially commaunded to continue vntil he come and for wante whereof S. Paule saithe that Supper is not the Lordes Supper Certainely Alexander of Hales and Humbertus two of M. Hardinges owne Scholastical Doctours are ful againste him in this pointe Alexander saithe Consecration is for the Communion therefore of bothe the Communion is the greater Humbertus saith Hoc quoticscunque feceritis id est benedixeritis fregeritis distribueritis in mei memoriam facietis Quia quodliber horum trium si sine reliquis fiat perfectam memoriam Christi non repraesentat As often as ye shal this doo that is to say as often as ye shal Blisse Breake and Distribute ye shal doo it in my remembrance For what so euer one thinge of these three thinges be donne without the reste it representeth not the perfite remembrance of Christe And thinketh M. Hardinge that the Sacrifice whereof neither Christe nor his Disciples euer spake one woorde is the Substance of his Supper and the Mystical Distribution in remembrance of his death whereof he gaue vs suche a straite commaundement in so manifest and so plaine woordes is no parte of the Substance The allegation of whiche Sacrifice to this purpose is méere vaine The olde Fathers neuer complained of ceasinge thereof bicause they knewe it coulde neuer cease For the strength and vertue of Christes Sacrifice resteth in if selfe and not in any diligence or dooinge of ours Christe beinge a Prieste after the order of Melchisedech hath offred vp one Sacrifice for al vpon his Crosse Ful and pâ—rfâ—t therefore wée néede none other One and euerlastinge therefore it néedeth no renewinge By priuilege geuen to him selfe Onely therefore it can not be wrought by any other This Sacrifice notwithstandinge is reuiued and freashly laide out before our eies in the Ministration of the holy Mysteries as it is wel recorded by sundrie of the olde godly Fathers S. Augustine saithe Was not Christe once offred in him selfe Yet that notwithstandinge by way of a Sacrament he is offred euery day vnto the people not at Easter onely but also euery day And he saith no vntrueth that beinge demaunded the question saithe Christe is offred For if Sacramentes had not a certaine likenesse of the thinges whereof they be Sacramentes then shoulde they in deede be no Sacramentes And of this likenesse many times they beare the names of the thinges them selues as the Sacrament of Christes Bodie by a certaine manner of speache is the Bodie of Christe Likewise againe he saithe Cùm non obliuiscimur munus Saluatoris nonne Christus quotidie nobis immolatur Ex ipsis reliquijs cogitationis ex ipsa memoria quotidiè nobis sic immolatur quasi quotidiè nos innouet When we forgeat not the gifte of our Sauiour is not Christe dayly offred vnto vs Through the remnantes of our cogitation and by way of our very memorie Christe is so offred vnto vs euery day as if he daily renâ—wed vs. And againe likewise he saithe Holocaustum Dominicae Passionis eo tempore offert quisque pro peccatis suis quo eiusdem Passionis fide dedicatur Christianorum fidelium nomine baptizarus imbuâ—tur At that time dothe euery man offer vp the Sacrifice of Christes Passion for his sinnes when he is indewed with the Faith of Christes Passion and beinge Baptized receiueth the name of faithful Christians Thus is the Sacrifice of Christes Passion expressed in the holy Ministration yet not as M. Hardinge imagineth by any action there doone by the Priest alone but by the Communion Participation of the people as S. Augustine also otherwhere witnesseth Dum frangitur Hostia Sanguis in or a fideliuÌ„ funditur quid aliud quà m Dominici Corporis in Cruce immolatio designatur While the oblation is brokeÌ„ â–ª and the bloude that is the Sacrament of the Bloude is powred into the mouthes of the faithful what other thinge is there expressed or signified but the sacrificinge of the Lordes Bodie vpon the Crosse This Sacrifice of Christe on his Crosse is called the Daily Sacrifice not for that it muste be renewed euery day but for that beinge once done it standeth good for al daies and for euer What force then is there in this reason The Fathers neuer complained of ceasinge of the Daily Sacrifice Ergo they had priuate Masse For it may be answeared in one woorde they had the Holy Communion euery Daie and therefore they complained not How be it neither is the holy Communion that Dayly Sacrifice it selfe but a memorie of the same neither was the Communion then ministred euery Daie For proufe whereof I woulde with M. Harding to marke this Epistle sente from the Councel of Alexandria in the defence of one Macaâ—ius who was charged by his enimies that he had forcibly entred iâ—to the Churâ—he and broken the Cuppe of the holy Ministration They make his defence in this manner The place where they say the Cuppe was broken was no Churche nor any Prieste at that time neare there about and touchinge the daie it was no Sonnedaie Seinge then there was no Churche in that place nor Ministration of the Sacramentes nor the day required the same what manner Cuppe was it then or when or where was it broken It appeareth plainely by these woordes of the Councel that they had no Ministration of the Sacramentes at that time in Alexandria but onely vpon the Sonnedaies And yet noman euer complained of the ceasinge of the Daily Sacrifice notwithstandinge For they knew that the Sacrifice of Christes Deathe is Daily and for euer and canne neuer cease M. Hardinge The .26 Diuision S. Ambrose witnesseth that the people of the Easte had a custome in his time to be houseled but once in the yeere And he rebuketh harpely suche as folowe them after this sorte Si quotidianus est cibus cur post annum illum sumis â–ª quemadmodum Graeâ—â— in oriente facere consueuerunt If it be oure daylie meate saithe he why takest thou it but once in the yeere as the Greekes are wonte to doo in the Easte S. Augustine vttereth the same thinge almost with the same woordes And in the seconde booke De sermone Domini in monte the twelfthe Chapter expoundinge the fourthe
Churche singeth with him Then followeth in order the readinge of the holy Scriptures whiche is done by the Ministers After that the Caâ—echumeni that is they that are newly come vnto the Religion of Christe and are not yet baptized and Energumeni that is suche as are molested with euill Sprites and suche others as are inioyned to penaunce are commaunded foorth And so there remaine suche as are méete to haue the sight and Communion of the holy thinges It followeth And shewyng foorth the giftes of the holy Sacramentes he goeth to the Communion him selfe and likewise exhorteth others And a litle after that The Priest vncoueringe the Breade that came couered and in one cake or loafe and diuidinge the same into many portions and likewise diuidinge the vnitie of the Cuppe vnto al Mystically and by way of a Sacrament he fulfilleth and diuideth vnitie It foloweth againe Then the Minister receiuinge him selfe and distributinge the holy Communion vnto others in the ende concludeth with holy thankes geuinge togeather with al the whole holy companie of the Churche I beleue M. Hardinge him selfe wil say here is yet but bare witnesse for his Priuate Masse In the Liturgie of S. Basile whiche is also brought for a witnesse in this mater The Prieste prayeth thus Al we receiuinge of one Brâ—ade of one Cuppe c. It foloweth The Prieste diuideth the holy Breade into fower partes the quéerâ— singeth the Communion and so they communicate al. Another witnesse is Chrysostome His Liturgie or as M. Hardinge deliteth to speake his Masse is thus ordred After that the Prieste hath communicate with the Ministers then the great doore is sette open The Prieste sheweth foorth the Cuppe vnto the people sayinge With the feare of God and faithe and loue approche ye neare The Deacon sayeth Come ye neare in peace The people answeareth In the name of the Lorde Againe The Deacons receiue the Communion Afterwarde the Mysteries be caried vnto a place where the people must communicate Ignatius an other witnesse writinge vnto the people of Philadelphia hath these woordes Vnus panis pro omnibus fractus est unus calix omnibus diuidebatur One breade was broken for al and one cuppe was diuided vnto al. What néedeth it me to discourse further of the rest By these fewe I doubte not it may soone appeare howe faithfully these men allege the Catholike Fathers onely amasinge the reader with naked names Here wée sée suche as can not communicate are commaundeth foorthe The whole Churche prayeth singeth and receiueth the holy Sacramentes al togeather Suche Masses they be that the olde Catholike Fathers canne witnesse of And of other Masse they knowe none M. Hardinge him selfe confesseth that in the Primitiue Churche the people receiued the Communion euery day Yet not withstandinge for his Priuate Masse he allegeth the names of Doctours of the Primitiue Churche And so like a craftie Apothecarie in his markes or papers he hath the Masse but in his boxes he hath the Communion But he wil say he alleged al these Doctours by way of digression to an other purpose to prooue the Sacrifice Firste there is very smal proufe in suche witnesses as say nothinge and besides that it is a simple kinde of Rhetorike to vse so large digressions from the mater before ye once entre into the mater And as touchyng the Sacrifice if you haue any at al you haue it onely of the institution of Christe otherwise you haue none But wée are sure we haue Christes institution Wherefore it followeth wée haue the Sacrifice that Christe appointed Touchinge Hippolytus the Bishoppe and Martyr that as M. Hardinge saithe liued in Origens time and is now extant in Gréeke it is a very litle booke of smal price and as smal credite lately sette abroade in printe about seuen yéeres paste before neuer acquainted in the worlde Suche be M. Hardinges auncient authorities for his Masse It appeareth it was some simple man that wrote the booke bothe for the Phrases of speache in the Gréeke tongue whiche commonly are very childishe and also for the truthe and weight of the mater He beginneth the firste sentence of his booke with enim whiche a very childe would scarsely doo He hath many vaine gheasses of the birthe and life of Antichrist He saithe and soothely auoutcheth that Antichriste shal be the Diuel and no man and shal onely beare the shape of a man Yet S. Paule calleth Antichrist the Man of sinne Besides this he hath a further fantasie that Antichriste shal subdewe the kinges of Egypte Aphrica and Ethiopia and that he shal builde vp againe the Temple of Hierusalem And that S. Iohn that wrote the bookes of Apocalyps or Reuelations shal come againe with Elias and Enoch to reproue Antichriste And al this saith he without either warrant of the Scriptures or authoritie of the Churche And writinge that booke namely vpon the Prophete Daniel he allegeth the Apocalyps of S. Iohn in the stéede of Daniel whiche is a token either of great ignorance or of marueilous obliuion Moreouer he saithe that the soules of menne were from the beginninge whiche is an Heresie with other dreames and phantasies many moe This is M. Hardinges Catholike doctour Concerninge the place of him here alleged Venite pontifices qui purè mihi sacrificium die noctéque obtulistis ac pretiosum Corpus Sanguinem meum immolastis quot idie If he wil precisely builde vpon the woordes then muste al other Priestes stande backe and haue no place in Heauen but Bishoppes onely For although they offer vp as M. Hardinge saithe the dayly Sacrifice yet it is wel knowen accordinge to the nature and vse of the woorde they are Priestes onely and not Bisshoppes If he wil make reckeninge of this woorde Quotidiè Dayly then where shal the Bishop of Rome and his Cardinalles stande that scarsely haue leasure to Sacrifice once through the whole yeere And if it be Christe him selfe that they offer vp vnto the Father as they say Howe is the same Christe offered vp vnto Christe him selfe Howe is Christe bothe the thinge that is offred and also the partie vnto whome it is offered But there is no inconuenience to a man in his dreame And if it be the Masse that Hippolytus here speaketh of how is it offered bothe day and night For Hostiensis saithe It is not lawful by the Canons to say Masse in the nighte season sauinge onely the night of Christes Natiuitie But the meaninge of Hippolytus séemeth to be this that al faithful people in this respecte be Priestes and Bishoppes like as S. Peter also calleth them and that euerie of them by faithe maketh vnto God a pure Sacrifice and bothe day and night as it were reneweth and applieth vnto him selfe that one and euerlastinge Sacrifice of Christes pretious Bodie once offered for al vpon the Crosse. Thus are the woordes of Hippolytus plaine and without â—auil
and causeth him to come to him as though it were about some mater of the common weale At that time 39 he saieth Masse in his Chappel hauinge none other bodie with him but his seruaunt When the Patriarke had consecrated the Sacrament and had bâ—gunne to say our Lordes Praier they three onely begunne to say our Father and so foorthe VVhen they were come to these woordes Forgeue vs our trespasses as vve forgeue theÌ„ that trespasse against vs the Patriarke made a beeke to his seruante to holde his peace Then the Patriarke helde his peace also and the noble man remained alone sayeinge foorthe the verse forgiue vs as wee forgiue Then the holy â—ather turninge him selfe towardes him by and by saithe with a milde voice Consider with how terrible woordes thou saiest to God that as I forgiue so forgiue thou me also VVhere at the saide noble man as though he had felte the torment of â—ier foorthe with fel downe on his face at the holy Fathers feete sayeinge My Lorde what so euer thou biddest me thy seruante to doo I wil doo it And so he was reconciled vnto his enemie without al dissemblinge Here M. Iuel wil graunt I â—rowe that this was a Priuate Masse The place was priuate The audience not publique nor common the purpose touching the noble man was priuate The Communion also Priuate I meane for the Patriarkes parte alone for biside that the story maketh no mention of any other coÌ„municantes he coulde not be assured of that noble man to communicate with him For where as he coulde by no meanes before bringe him to forgiue his enemie he had but a smal coniecture he should bringe it to passe nowe And againe though he had conceiued no distrust of his reconciliation vpon this holy policie yet wee may doubt whether the Patriarke foorthwith without further and more mature probation and examination whiche S. Paule in this case requireth woulde haue admitted him to receiue our Lordes Bodie so vpon the suddaine Now for the seruante it is a streight case that so holy and so great a Patriarke and Bishop of so populous a Citie as Alexandria was vnderstanding that Masse coulde not be celebrated without breache of Christes institution as M. Iuel holdeth opinion excepte he haue a number to communicate with him in the same place shoulde haue none of his spiritual flocke with him at so weightie a mater of conscience but one onely and him his owne householde seruaunt He was noâ— so simple as not to thinke that the seruant mighte be letted from receiuinge by some suddaine pange cominge vpon him or with some cogitation and conscience of his owne vnwoorthinesse suddainely comminge to his minde If either this or any other let had chaunced in what case had the Patriarke been then He had been like by M. Iuels doctrine to haue broken Christes institution and so Goddes commaundement through an others defecte whiche were straunge But I iudge that M. Iuel who harpeth so many iarringe argumentes againste Priuate Masse vpon the very woorde Communion wil not allowe that for a good and lawful Communion where there is but one onely to receiue with the Prieste Verely it appeareth by his Sermon that al the people ought to reâ—eiue or to be driuen out of the Churche Now therefore to an other example of the Priuate Masse The B. of Sarisburie This is the best proufe of al others A shorte answeare may wel serue it For beinge but a litle vewed it is hable to answeare it selfe There is neither authoritie in the tale nor weight in the mater The translation is péeuishe and all without the compasse of sixe hundred yéeres S. Augustine saith that certayne Heretiques in his time named the Donatistes that they might the rather preuayle in disputacion against S. Augustine and other Christians and that the worlde might vnderstande they had some companie of their syde therefore for a shewe subscribed their articles with the names of certaine that were deade and oftentimes suche as neuer were Donatistes Suche a policie me thinketh M. Hardinge hath here begunne to practise For what is this Leontius that wrote this storie or who euer heard of his name before I trowe he hath raised vp one of the seuen Sleapers to helpe him to Masse He should haue shewed vs as his manner is what this straunge Doctour was what bookes he wrote where when in what age and in what credite he liued If he had saide This Iohn the Almonar liued aboue sixe hundred yéeres after Christe and this Leontius that wrote his life a greate while after that this one circumstance woulde haue answeared the mater wholy For notwithstandinge the rest of this tale were true yet my assertion standeth still good that within the space of sixe hundred yeeres after Christe M. Hardinge is not hable to finde his Priuate Masse Vincentius in his booke that he calleth Speculum writeth thus After Gregorie was dead Bonifacius ruled the Churche of Rome This Bonifacius obteined of the Emperour Phocas that the Churche of Rome should be the head of al Churches and that bicause the Churche of Constantinople wrote it selfe by that title The nexte yere after that Augustine that was called the Englishe mens Bishop died The yeere folowinge Iohn the Almonar was in great fame at whiche time also Mahomet first spread his Religion in Arabia The same computation of yéeres appeareth in Freculphus Sabellicus Palmerius and others Wherefore M. Hardinge might wel haue spared this tale as nothinge els but bewrayeing his wante of better mater and prouinge that his Masse is of the very age of Mahomet But to leaue both thaduantage of the time also the exception against the Authour let vs consider the likelihood of the dooynge if Iohn the Almonar saide this Priuate Masse in his Chappell howe safely he might so doo by the order of the holy Canons whiche to breake Damasus saithe is blasphemie against the holie Ghoste M. Hardinges Leontius saith Iohn the Almonar saide Masse in his Oratorie at home beyng sure of no more coÌ„panie but of one of his owne householde seruauÌ„tes alone But Pope Soter as it is before alleged by M. Hardinge straitely commaundeth that no prieste presume to celebrate the Sacrament without the companie of two togeather And againe that no prieste dare to Minister without the companie of some other priest And in the Councell holden at Orleance it is decréed thus It is lauful for euery Christian man to haue a Chappel in his house but to haue Masse saide there it is not lawful And in the Councel holden at Laodicea It is not lawful for Bishoppes or priestes to minister the Oblations at home Likewise Pope Felix It is not lawful to minister the Communion at home but vpon exceedinge great necessitie The same order was taken in the Councel of Acon and in sundrie other Councels Which Decrées beinge so manie and so straite
hanged vp ouer the Altare made in the forme and shape of a Dooue After this a litle before the ende of this treatise it followeth howe that S. Basile at the houre that he departed out of this life receiued that parte of the hoste himselfe which he had purposed to haue enterred with him in his graue and immediatly as he lay in his bedde gaue thankes to God and rendred vp the ghoste That this was a Priuate Masse no man can denie Basile receiued the Sacrament alone for there was no earthly creature in that Churche with him The people that answeared him were suche as Christe brought with him And that al this was no dreame but a thinge by the wâ—l of God doone in deede though in a vision as it pleased Christe to exhibite Amphilochius plainely witnesseth declaringe 〈◊〉 that one Eubulus and other the chiefe of that Clergie standinge before the gates of the Churche whiles this was in dooinge sawe lightes within the Churche and men clothed in white and hearde a voice of people glorifieinge God and behelde Basile standinge at the Altare and for this cause at his comminge foorthe fel downe prostrate at his feete Here M. Iuel and his consacramenâ—arâ—es doostagger I doubte not for graunte to a Priuate Masse they wil not what so euer be brought for proufe of it And therefore some doubte to auoide this authoritie must be deuised But whereof they should doubte verely I see not If they doubte any thinge of the bringinge of the breade and other necessaries to serue for consecration of the hoste let them also doubte of the Breade and fleash that Elias had in the ponde of Carithe Let them doubte of the breade and potte of water he had vnder the Iuniper tree in Bersabee Let them doubte of the potte of potage brought to Daniel for his dinner from Iewrie into the Caue of Lions at Babylon by Abacuk the Prophete But perhaps they doubte of the â—uthoritie of Amphilochius that wrote this storie It may wel be that they woulde be gladde to discredite that woorthy Bishop For he was that vigilant Pastour and good gouernour of the Churche who first with Letoius Bishop of Melite and with Flauimus Bishop of Antioche ouerthrew and vtterly vanquished the Heretiques called Messaliani otherwise Euchitae the firste parentes of the Sacrament arie heresie whose opinion was that the holy Eucharistie that is the blessed Sacrament of the Altare doothe neither good nor euil neither profiteth ought nor hurteth Euen as our Sacramentaries doo ascribe al to faithe onely and 40 cal the most woorthiest Sacrament none other but tokeninge breade whiche of it selfe hath no diuine efficacie of operation Therefore I wondre the lesse I say if they woulde Amphilochius his authoritie to be dimished But for this I wil matche them with great Basile who esteemed him so muche who loued him so intierly who honoured him so highly with the dedicatioÌ„ of so excellent woorkes I wil ioyne them also with the learned Bishop Theodoretus who seemeth to geue him so soueraine prayse as to any other Bishop he writeth his stories of neuer naminge him without preface of great honour nowe callinge him admirandum the wonderful at an other time Sapâ—â—enâ—â—ssimum the most wise and most commonly Laudatissimum mostprayse woorthy If they 〈◊〉 Basile him selfe whether he were a man woorthie to obteine by his praier of God such a vision it may please them to peruse what Gregorius Nyssenus what holy Ephrem of Syria and specially what Gregorie Nazianzene wrote of him whiche two Gregories be not affraide to compare him with Elias with Moses with S. Paule and with who so euer was greatest and for vertue of most renoume VVherby without al enuie he hath obteined of al the posteritie to be called Magnus Basile the greate much more for deserte of vertue and learninge then those other for merite of Chiualrie the Great Charles the Great Pompey the Great Alexander If they denie the whole treatise and say that it was neuer of Amphilochius dooinge that were a shifte in deede but yet the woorst of al and furthest from reason and custome of the best learned and muche like the facte of kinge Alexander who beinge desirous to vndoe the fatal knotte at Gordium a towne in Phrygia hearinge that the Empier of the worlde was boded by an olde prophecie to him that coulde vnknitte it not findinge out the endes of the strenges nor perceiuinge by what meanes he coulde doo it drewe foorth his swoorde and hewed it in pieces supplyinge wante of skil with wilful violence For thautoritic of this treatise this muche I can say Byside that it is set foorth in a Booke of certaine holie mennes liues printed in Colen and biside very great likelihoode appearinge in the treatise it selfe it is to be seene in the Librarie of S. Nazarius in the Citie of Verona in Italie writen in veleme for three hundred yeeres past bearinge the name of Amphilochius Bishop of Iconium The B. of Sarisburie If this serue not the turne nothinge I trowe wil euer serue The authoritie of S. Basile and Amphilochius is so greate the mater so cleare the wonder so straunge the antiquitie so auncient the fable so likely the dreame so plaine The original hereof at Verona in Italie in the Librarie of Nazarius keapte as a Relique faire writen in veleme aboue thrée hundred yéeres agoe Basile a woorthie Bishop Ephrem a holy Father Amphilochius a man that had conference with the heauenly powers Not one shewe or circumstance leafte out that may serue to winne credite And what shoulde néede so muche a doo if there were not some suspicion in the mater He that neuer saw this Booke nor knoweth the contentes thereof happely by suche circumstances and colours may be deceiued But I mee selfe haue had this vnknowen Doctour in my poore Librarie these twentie yéeres and more written likewise in veleme as true as faire and of as good recorde in al respectes as that other of Verona in déede not vnder the name of Amphilochius but no doubtes very auncient as it may soone appeare For the same Authour in the same booke hath written also the life of Thomas Becket who liued at the least seuen hundred yéeres after that Amphilochius this writer was dead Therefore that storie writen by him of one that was to come so many hundred yéeres after him must needes be a Prophecie and not a storie The very names of olde godly Fathers are woorthy of muche honoure But as it is wel knowen many vaine tales haue béene couered vnder the name of olde Fathers The life of S. Basile hath béene set foorthe fully and faithefully by sundrie olde woorthie writers as by his owne Brother Gregorius Nyssenus by his déere frende Gregorie Nazianzene by Gregorius Presbyter by Socrates by Theodoretus by Sozomenus by Nicephorus touched also in diuerse places by Chrysostome And not withstandinge of late yéeres he that wrote Vitas
God This muche S. Augustine there And this is the right meaninge of that Constitution 76 And thus he ordeined for the Greeke Churche onely and thereto onely it is to be referred for that some thought the Sacrifice should be celebrated rather with silence 77 after the maner of the Church of Rome specially at the Consecration And as that Constitution perteined to the Greekes and not to the Latines so was it not founde in the Latine Bookes vntil â—regorius Haloander of Germanie of late yeeres Translated the place And where M. Iuel allegeth this commaundement of Iustinian against the hauinge of the Seruice in a learned tongue vnknowen to the common people it is to be noted how he demeaneth him selfe not vprightly but so as euery man may thereby know a Scholer of Luther Caluine and Peter Martyr â–ª For where as by th'allegation of that ordinance he might seeme to bringe somewhat that maketh for the Blessed Sacrifice of the Churche commonly named the Masse he dissembleth the woorde of the Sacrifice whiche Iustinian putteth expressely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id est diuinam oblationem The Diuine or holy Oblation and termeth it otherwise in his replies by the name of Common Praiers and in his Sermon by the name of the woordes of the Ministration refusinge the worde of the Churche no lesse then he refuseth to be a member of the Churche Thus through Foistinge and Cogginge their Die and other false playe these new perillous teachers deceiue many poore soules and robbe them of the sure simplicitie of their Faithe And where was this commaundement geuen In Constantinople the chiefe Citie of Greece where the Greeke tongue was commonly knowen The B. of Sarisburie The Glose that M. Hardinge hath here imagined wherewith to defeite this good Emperours whole purpose may seeme somwhat vnto the ignorant Iustinian saithe he speaketh of the open vtterance and sounde of voice and agreeth with S. Augustines place De Magistro Therefore it nothinge toucheth Praiers to be had in the Vulgare tongue Here is a very Uulgare Conclusion as I trust hereafter it shal appeare Good Christian Reader if it shal please thee onely to peruse these woordes of the Emperour Iustinian and of S. Augustine by vs alleged I wil make thee Iudge and Arbitrour of the whole S. Augustine saithe Wee neede no vtterance of voice to Pray vnto God For the Sacrifice of Iustice is sanctified in the Temple of our minde and in the secrete Chamber of our harte As Clemens Alexandrinus also saithe God looketh not for the voices of our tongues to declare our meaninge For before our Creation he knoweth what thoughtes woulde come into our mindes And therefore God saithe in the Prophete Esay Antequam clament ego exaudiam I wil heare them yea before they crie Herevpon S. Augustine demaundeth this Question Wherefore then dothe the Priest lifte vp his voice and pray alowde in the open assemblie in the Churche He answeareth Not that God but that men may heare him that the people by the sounde of his voice and vnderstandinge his meaning may be put in minde and by consente be ioyned togeather and be lifted vp to God This is the very meaninge and minde of S. Augustine agréeinge fully with these woordes of S. Cyprian The Priest before Praier prepareth the mindes of his brethren sayeing thus Lifte vp your hartes To the intente they may be put in minde they ought to thinke of nothinge els but of the Lorde For not the sounde of voice but the minde and vnderstandinge must pray vnto the Lorde with pure intention Al this saithe M. Hardinge perteineth to the sense and vnderstandinge of the Praier and nothinge to the Vulgare tongue And doothe he thinke the people can vnderstande the praier without vnderstandinge of the tongue S. Augustine if he were aliue woulde be ashamed to sée suche a Comment vpon his woordes He saithe further The Priest lifteth vp his voice not that the people may vnderstande him but onely for a token to shew that he praieth And thus he maketh the Minister of God woorse then a Brasen Trompet whiche if it geue no certaine sounde as S. Paule saithe no man can prepare him selfe to warre This is the iuste iudgement of God that who so séeketh to blinde others shal be geuen ouer and become blinde him selfe And not withstandinge S. Augustines minde concerninge the speakinge of the Priest be plaine in it selfe yet afterwarde in the same Booke he openeth it in this manner more at large Constat inter nos verba esse signa At signum nisi aliquid significet non est Signum Wee are agreed vpon this that the woordes wee speake be tokens But a token onlesse it betoken some thinge is no token Now if the Priest after M. Hardinges construction vtter his woordes whiche are the tokens of his meaninge in an vnknowen tongue and the people vnderstande not what is tokened accordinge to S. Augustines meaninge he speaketh and yet saith nothinge and sheweth tokens and yet tokeneth nothing Further S. Augustines woordes be cleare The Priest in the assemblie speaketh alowde Significandae mentis causa vt homines audiant c. to the ende to declare his minde that men may heare him and by the sounde of his voice be put in remembrance But M. Hardinge saithe No the Priest speaketh not alowde to the intente to declare his minde neither that menne may heare him nor be put in remembrance but onely to geue a token that he praieth And thus by his Glose he vtterly destroieth the texte Now let vs resolue bothe S. Augustines and Iustinians woordes into their causes whiche is an infallible waye of vnderstandinge The ende of them bothe is according to the Doctrine of S. Paule that the people may say Amen Then further The people must answeare Amen vnto the Praier then must they vnderstande the Praieâ— Yet futher The people must vnderstande the Praier then must the Priest vtter the same praier bothe with a lowde voice and also in the peoples Vulgare tongue Let vs againe resolue it forewarde The Priest by M. Hardinges iudgemente may praye openly in a strange tongue then he néedeth not to speake alowde â—e speaketh not alowde then can not the people vnderstande him The people vnderstandeth not the Priest Then can they not say Amen Thus M. Hardinge must néedes conclude his Glose with the open breache of S. Paules Doctrine M. Hardinge saithe further This law tooke place onely in Constantinople and not in the Churche of Rome And so he coucheth twoo manifest vntruethes togeather in one sentence But what wil he say Iustinian was not Emperour of Rome or had nothinge to doo in the Churche of Rome Uerily he writeth him selfe the Emperour of Rome of Fraunce of Almaine and Germanie c. And deposed twoo Bishoppes of Rome Siluerius and Uigilius whereof it may appeare he had somewhat to doo in the Churche of Rome Touchinge this
reporteth of him And further I trust it wil be prooued that the thinges that M. Hardinge allegeth stande without the compasse of sixe hundred yéeres and therefore not withstandinge they were true yet cannot greatly further his purpose This Augustine vpon his arriual into England had a place allotted him in Kent There he and his companie songe and praiâ—d and saide Masse this Masse was a Communion as shal appeare and preached and Baptized In what language it is not noted by Beda But be it in Latine Hereof M. Hardinge formeth vp this argument Augustine and his companie praied togeather in Latine for that they were strangers newly sente in out of Italy and vnderstoode not the Englishe tongue Ergo the Englishe people had the Latine Seruice M. Hardinge shoulde not thus mocke the worlde He knoweth wel a Childe woulde not make suche reasons For Augustine was no Parishe Prieste ne serued no Cure but onely had a place seuerally appointed to him selfe Neither did any Englishe man resorte to his Seruice onlesse it were to sée the strangenesse of his dooinges He might as wel reason thus The Iewes this day in Venice haue their Seruice in the Hebrewe tongue Ergo the people of Italy haue their Seruice in the Hebrewe Hitherto I trowe this matter is but simply prooued M. Hardinge The .22 Diuision VVhere as S. Augustine after that the Englishe Nation had receiued the faith and he had beene Archebishop ouer them hauinge founde the Faithe beinge one diuersitie of customes in diuerse Churches one maneâ— of Masses in the holy Romaine Churche an other in that of Fraunce for this and certaine other purposes sent two of his Clergie Laurence and Peter to Rome to be aduertised amongst other thinges what order maner and custome of Masses it liked S. Gregorie the Churches of the Englishe nation shoulde haue Hereunto that holy Father answeared that what he espied either in the Romaine or Frenche or any other Churche that might be most acceptable to almighty God he should choose out and geather togeather and commende the same to the Church of Englande there to be leafte in custome to continue Li. 1. Ca. 27. If it had then ben thought necessarie the Seruice of the Masse to be in Englishe or if it had beene traÌ„slated into the Englishe tongue it is not to be thought that Bede who declareth al thinges concerninge maters of Religion so diligently specially professing to write an Ecclesiastical storie woulde haue passed ouer that in silence And if the Masse had beene vsed in the Englishe tongue the Monumentes and Bookes so muche multiplied amonge the Churches woulde haue remained in some place or other And doubtelesse some mention woulde haue beene made of the time and causes of the leauinge suche kinde of Seruice and of the beginninge the newe Latine Seruice As certaine of S. Gregories vvoorkes tourned into Englishe by Bede him selfe haue beene keapte so as they remaine to this daie The B. of Sarisburie Here was a shorte victorie Peter and Paule coulde neuer so easely conquere Kingdomes But this mater stoode not so muche in winninge the vnfaithful as in killinge the Godly After that was once donne streight waies Augustine had the conqueste and was out of hande made Archebishop and wrote to Rome bothe thereof and also for resolution of certaine questions méete as he saithe for that rude people of Englande As whether a woman might be Baptized while she were great with Childe or after her deliuerie and how longe after she shoulde forbeare the Church with certaine other secrete questions toutchinge bothe man and wife so Childishe and so rude that a man may wel doubte whether Augustine were ruder or the people Amonge other thinges he demaunded Counsel toutchinge the Masse for that in diuerse Countries he had seene diuers orders of Masses and yet good Reader of them al he had seene no Priuate Masse For the Masse in Rome at that time was a Communion as I haue already shewed and as it appeareth by these woordes whiche the Deacon pronounced at euery Masse alowde vnto the people He that receiueth not the Communion let him geue place The difference stoode in addition of certaine Ceremonies For the Countries abroade as we may iudge keapte stil that simple order that they had first receiued But the Churche of Rome was euer alteringe For Gregorie him selfe vnto whome this Augustine writeth added the Introite and the Antemes and Alleluia and willed the Introite to be doubled twise and the Kyrie eleeson nientimes and added also a certaine portion to the Canon Of these and other like differences Augustine demaundeth and of the same Gregorie maketh answeare Hereof M. Hardinge gheasseth thus It appeareth not by Beda The Seruice vvas in Englishe Ergo the Seruice vvas in Latine What kinde of Logique haue we here Or howe may this reason holde It concludeth ab authoritate negatiuè I beleue M. Harding him selfe wil not allow it By the like forme of reasoninge a man might as wel say It appeareth not by Beda that the preachers instructed or exhorted the Englishe people in Englishe Ergo they instructed and exhorted the Englishe people in Latine Yet againe he gheasseth further There is no Booke to be founde of the Englishe Seruice in that time Ergo the Seruice vvas in Latine O what folie is this Who is hable to shewe any Booke written in Englishe a thousande yeeres agoe Or if it coulde be shewed yet who were hable to vnderstande it There is no booke to be founde of the praiers that the Druydes made in France or the Gymnosophistae in India and wil M. Hardinge thereof conclude that therefore the Druydes or the Gymnosophistae praied in Latine Suche regarde he hath to his Conclusions M. Hardinge The .23 Diuision S. Gregorie him selfe is a witnesse of right good authoritie vnto vs that this lande of Englande whiche he calleth Britaine in his time that is almost a thousande yeeres paste had the common praiers and seruice in an vnknowen tongue without doubte in Latine muche in like sorte as we haue of olde time had til nowe His woordes be these Ecce omnipotens Dominus penè cunctarum gentium corda penetrauit ecce in vna fide Orientis limitem Occidentisque coniunxit Ecce lingua Britanniae quae nihil aliud nouerat quà m barbarum frendere â—am dudum in diuinis laudibus Hebraeum coepit Halleluia resonare Beholde our Lorde Almightie hath now perced the hartes almost of al Nations Beholde he hath ioyned the borders of the East and the Weast in one Fâ—ithe togeather Beholde the tongue of Britaine that coulde nothinge els but gnass he barbarously hath begonne now of late in diuine Seruice to sounde the Hebrewe Halleluia The B. of Sarisburie S. Gregorie in that place vpon Iob speaketh not one woorde neither of the Latine nor of the Englishe Seruice Onely he sheweth the mighty power of God that had conuerted al the worlde to the obedience of his Gospel These be
great number of Bishoppes meetinge togeather in Councel And howe may suche beyondesea Iudgement be thought good whereunto the personnes of the witnesses which in trial of trueth are thought necessary either for that thei be wemen or for the infirmitie of their age or for many other incident lettes cannot be brought Now that any should be sente abroade as it were from your holmes side we finde it not decreed in any Councel As for that you sent vs lately by our Brother Faustmus as parte of the Councel of Nice we must doo you to wite that in the true Councelles whiche we haue receiued from our Holy Felowbishop Cyrillus of Alexandria and the Reuerende Father Atticus the Bishop of Constantinople taken out of the very Originalles it cannot be founde And sende you not any your Clerkes hither to execute Iustice at any mannes request leaste we seeme to bringe the smokie puffe of the worlde into the Churche of Christe Thus farre the woordes of the Councel The Bishop of Rome when he sawe he was taken with the manner and found an open falsarie for that the Canons of his makinge disagreed from the very Originalles thought it good policie to saye the Originalles were burnte by the Arians and so no true copie nowe remaininge but his onely And therefore he imagined a letter to be written in the name of Athanasius and other Bishops of Aegypte vnto Marcus the Bishop of Rome wherein they besought him a copie of the Nicene Councel for that al their Bookes were vtterly destroyed But this shifte was to simple For it were harde for M. Hardinge to shewe what helpe Athanasius coulde haue founde in any of those Canons that are nowe presumed to be burnte wherewith either to relieue him selfe in that case or els to molest and greeue his aduersaries But bothe Iulius the Bishop of Rome and also Athanasius the Bishop of Alexandria make mention hereof Therefore there is no cause saith M. Hardinge why this mater shoulde be suspected of any vntruethe This remouinge of suspition I know not howe séemeth somwhat to increase suspicion If there were not a soare what shoulde it thus neede to be salued In deede Iulius allegeth a Canon of the Councel of Nice But M. Hardinges Canon he allegeth not And the compiler of the Councelles gaue this note in the Margine touchinge the same Hoc Statutum solùm reducibile est ad quintum sextum Caput Niceni Concilij Verùm apertè non inuenitur This Decree maye onely be reduced to the fifth and sixth Chapter of the Councel of Nice But expressely it is not founde Suche credite is to be geuen to this Iulius in his allegations As for M. Hardinges Athanasius his tale is so simple that it wil soone bewray it selfe For as I noted before he writeth vnto Marcus the Bishop of Rome of the burninge of the Bookes and yet Athanasius him selfe certainely knewe that Marcus was deade at the least nine yéeres before that burninge happened Euen so the vaine forger of the Emperour Constantines greate Dotation imagineth him to Decrée that the Bishop of Constantinople shoulde be subiecte vnto the See of Rome And yet neither was the Citie of Constantinople at that time builte nor any suche name yet knowen in the worlde nor any Bishoprike there erected A man might saye Non satis commodè diuisa sunt temporibus tibi Daue haec Againe the same Athanasius writinge vnto Foelix saithe The Arianes had falsified the Nicene Councel but writinge vnto Marcus of the same mater as a man that had vtterly forgotten him selfe he saith The Arrianes had burnte the Councel of Nice But if it were burnte howe was it falsified If it were falsified how was it burnte These tales hange not wel together But for as much as M. Harding woulde so faine haue the Pope to holde by burnte euidence if it may please thée gentle Reader discretely to weigh the whole circumstance of the mater thou shalte soone finde that al this great adoo was nothinge els but a greate fable For firste it appéereth by Theodoretus that the whole Actes and Copies of the Councel of Nice were sente abroade vnto al Bishops that were awaye And Marius Uictorinus writinge against Arius saith that the same Actes were sente abroade into the whole worlde that many thousande Bishops subscribed and agréed vnto them Whiche thing being vndoubtedly true it were very muche for M. Hardinge to saye that al these copies in al partes of the worlde coulde be destroyed vpon the suddayne and that altogeather in one place and with one fyer and at one commaundement The Arianes neither were so mightie to atchieue it nor so foolishe to attempte it Cetainely the like neuer happened to any other Councel But what néedeth woordes where the mater is plaine The Bishoppes of Aphrica had the very copies of these Canons Alypius the Bishop of Tagasta in this conference with Faustinus saide Adhuc tamen me mouet quoniam cùm inspiceremus Graeca exemplaria huius Synodi Nicenae ista ibi nescio qua ratione minimè inuenimus But this one thinge muche moueth me that conferringe and examininge the Greeke examples of this Nicene Councel these maters of the superioritie of the See of Rome that is alleged I know not how we founde not there And Cyrillus the Bishop of Alexandria beinge desired for trial of this mater to sende the true Original of this Councel made answeare in this sorte Necesse habui fidelissima exemplaria ex authētica Synodo vestrae charitati dirigere I thought it needeful to sende vnto you the true examples of the very authentique Councel Likewise Atticus the Bishop of Constantinople to the same request answeareth thus Canones sicut statuti sunt in Nicaea Ciuitate à Patribus in integro ad vos direxi I haue sente vnto you the Canons in the whole euen as they were made and ratified by the Fathers in the Citie of Nice Nowe if these Canons were quite burnte as M. Hardinge saith how were they afterwarde founde whole as the godly Father Atticus and the learned Bishop Cyrillus saithe And if they were afterwarde founde whole how then were they quite burnte before Or howe is it that no man neither in Aphrica nor in Europa nor in Asia neither in the East Churche nor in the Weast was euer hable to sée these Canons but onely the Bishop of Rome that so ambitiously claimeth by them And if he haue them in déede and that of suche authentique recorde vnder the handes of the thrée hundred and eightéene Bishops as it is boldely auouched why are they not shewed Why haue they béene for the space of these thertéene hundred yeeres still kepte inuisible Uerily the Councel of Nice were wel woorthe the shewinge Al these thinges rightly weighed may seeme sufficient to discrie a Forger Yet gentle Reader the better to satisfie thy minde marke how earnestly with what cunninge M. Hardinges Athanasius forceth on
Bodie that is to saie a Figure of my Bodie For so the Olde learned Father Tertullian saithe Then must he saie Christus Corporis sui Figuram Discipulis suis commendauit Christe deliuered vnto his Disciples a Figure of his Bodie For so the Olde learned Father S. Augustine saith Then must he saie Sacramentum Corporis Christi secundum quendam modum Corpus Christi est The Sacrament of Christes Bodie after a certaine phrase or manner or Trope or Figure of speache is the Bodie of Christ For so againe S. Augustine saith Here M. Hardinge seeinge the inconueniences and absurdities of his Doctrine thought good to heale it vp with some plaister By these woordes Really Carnally c. The Godly learned Fathers saithe he Meante that Christes very Bodie and Fleshe is there but not in any Natural or Carnal wise And thus M. Hardinges Doctours wrote one thinge and meante an other For M. Hardinge knoweth that al Aduerbes taken of Nownes signifie euermore a qualitie and neuer the Substance whiche thinge Children are taught to knowe in the Grammar Schoole and may be resolued thus Viriliter virili modo muliebriter muliebri modo And therefore his very Canonistes saie in their manner of Eloquence Deus non est remunerator Nominū ▪ sed Aduerbiorum God rewardeth not Nownes but Aduerbes That is to say God regardeth not the Dooinge of any thinge but the Manner of the Dooinge But M. Hardinge thinketh he may take vpon him to ouerlooke and to maister the Grammar Rules For onlesse we make Nownes Aduerbes and Aduerbes Nownes these mens Diuinitie cannot stande Therefore as they haue diuised a newe Diuinitie so must our Children learne for their pleasure a Newe Grammar But what are these Olde Learned Fathers that saie Christes Bodie is thus Really and Fleashly in the Sacrament Where be their Woordes What be their Names If they haue neither Names nor Woordes howe can they be allowed for sufficient witnesses M. Hardinge wel knoweth that the Olde learned Fathers neuer saide so yet must he needes imagine bothe causes that moued them so to say and also Expositions what they meante by so saieinge So Montanus the blinde Senatour beinge at supper with the Emperour Tiberius highely commended the great Mullet that he hearde saie was set on the table before them and shewed how rounde how faire how fatte it was how it filled the Charger and howe it laie and euermore turned his face and pointed with his finger to the higher ende of the table and yet was not the Mullet there but farre beneath at the lower ende Reason woulde that M. Hardinge had firste beene sure of the Effecte before he had thus gonne aboute to gheasse the causes M. Hardinge The .6 Diuision 132 And the Fathers haue bene driuen to vse these termes for the more ample and ful declaration of the Truethe and also for withstandinge and stoppinge obiections made by Heretiques And because the Catholike faithe touchinge the veritie of Christes Bodie in the Sacrament was not impugned by any man for the space of a thousand yeeres after Christes beinge in earthe and about that time 133 Berengarius firste beganne openly to sowe the wicked seede of the Sacramentarie Heresie whiche then soone confuted by learned men and by the same first Authour abiured and recanted now is with no lesse wickednesse but more busily and more earnestly set foorth againe the Doctours that sithence haue written in the defence of the true and Catholike faithe herein haue 134 more often vsed the termes before mentioned then the Olde and Auncient Fathers that wrote within M. Iuelles sixe hundred yeeres after Christe VVho doubtlesse woulde no lesse haue vsed them if that matter had beene in question or doubte in their time And albeit these termes were strange and newe as vsed within these fiue hundred yeeres onely and that the people were neuer taught for sixe hundred yeeres after Christe as M. Iuel saithe more boldely then truely and therefore more rashely then wisely Yet the Faithe by them opened and declared is Vniuersal and olde verily no lesse olde then is our Lordes Supper where this Sacrament was firste instituted The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge thinketh he may leade alonge his simple Reader and easily carrie away the mater vnder the bare Titles and Names of the Learned Fathers But what priuie mysterie is this As I saide before haue M. Hardinges Doctours no names Or is not he hable to name his owne Fathers He shoulde haue sette them out as his wonte is with al their Circumstances what they were when and where they liued what they wrote and how they haue béene euer are nowe estéemed emonge the learned But he wel knewe that these Good Fathers liued al within the compasse of two hundred or thrée hundred yéeres paste as Thomas Duns Ockam Henricus de Gandauo Robertus de collo torto and suche others These be M. Hardinges greate Fathers by whome he claimeth his newe Doctrine in respect of S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Chrysostome S. Ambrose and others not woorthy to haue the name of Children But the Catholique Faithe touchinge the Sacrament saithe M. Hardinge for the space of a thousande yeeres stoode vpright Berengarius was the firste that beganne to sowe the seede of the Sacramentarie Heresie It is likely M. Hardinge hath no greate regarde howe his tales hange togeather For before in the First Article to serue his turne he saide The Messalians were the first Fathers of this Heresie Nowe he seemeth to be otherwise aduised and saith This Heresie was neuer hearde of within sixe hundred yeeres after the Messalians were repressed and that the first founder of it was Berengarius Yet M. Hardinge might soone haue knowen that one Iohannes Scotus a famous learned man and Scholar vnto Beda and one Bertramus as appeareth by his booke helde and mainteined the same Doctrine in the time of the Emperoure Lotharius two hundred yeeres and more before Berēgarius Wherefore it seemeth not to be so true as M. Hardinge assuereth it That Berengarius was the First Authour of this Doctrine But for further declaration hereof it shal be necessary to open Berengarius whole iudgement in this mater and afterwarde to consider the Confutation of the same Thus therefore Berengarius wrote as his greatest aduersarie Lanfrancus reporteth of him Per-Consecrationem Altaris Panis Vinum fiunt Sacramentum religionis non vt desinant esse quae erant c. By the Consecration of the Aultar the Breade and the Wine are made a Sacrament of Religion not that they leaue to be the same they were before but that they be altred into an other thinge and become that they were not before as S. Ambrose writeth And the Sacrifice of the Churche standeth of two thinges the one Visible the other Inuisible that is to saie the Sacrament and the mater or Substance of the Sacramente Whiche Substance notwithstandinge that is
of Constantinople in his time for he speaketh of the Image of the Crucifixe VVhosoeuer is desirous to see testimonies of the Fathers for proufe of Images let him reade the seuenth general Councel holden in Nicea the Citie of Bithynia againste Imagebreakers and there he shal finde no smal number The B. of Sarisburie In the Communion booke that beareth the name of Chrysostome there is mention made of Nicolas Bishop of Rome who as I haue shewed before liued welneare fiue hundred yéeres after Chrysostome and was in order the seconde Bishop there after Dame Iohane the woman Pope Suche is the credite and Antiquitie of M. Hardinges witnesses This seconde Councel of Nice was holden welneare eight hundred yeeres after Christe To open the whole folie and fondenes thereof it woulde require a longe treatie Irâ—ne the Empresse a wicked woman the Kinges Daughter of Tartarie an Heathen borne caused that Councel to be summoned in despite of the Councel of Constantinople that had decreed against Images She tooke her owne Sonne Constantinus and pulled out his eies onely because he woulde not consent to the idolatrous hauinge of Images The Bishops and Doctours in that Councel manifestly corrupted the Scriptures and falsified the holy Fathers without shame They saide Imago melior est quà m Oratio An Image is better then a praier And againe Who so euer wil not Adoure the Godly Images accursed be he M. Hardinge The .7 Diuision I wil not let here to recite some whiche so farre as I remember be not founde there one onely excepted whiche is of S. Basile euery one of right good and aucient auctoritee Simeon Metaphrastes a Greeke writer describinge the life of S. Luke the Euangelist saithe that he made the Images of Christe and of his Mother Mary Sainct Ambrose witnesseth that in his time the Images of the Apostles were vsed in pictures For where he declareth the maruelouse appearinge of the Holy Martyrs Geruasius and Protasius vnto him in a vision he saithe that a thirde personne appeared with them that tolde him where their bodies laye whiche seemed like to S. Paule the Apostle as he vnderstoode his face by viewe of his Picture Gregorie Nyssene S Basiles brother writinge the life of Theodorus the Martyr bestoweth much eloquence in the praise of the Churche where his Holy Relikes were kepte commendinge the shape of liuinge thinges wrought by the keruer the smoothenesse of Marble poolishid like Siluer by the Mason the liuely resemblance of the Martyr him selfe and of al his woorthy actes expressed and excellently sette foorth to the eie in Imagerie with the Image of Christe by the painter In whiche Images he acknowlegeth the fightes of the Martyr to be declared no lesse then if they were described and written in a booke Paulinus the Bishoppe of Nola in his booke that he made inverses of the life of Felix the martyr praiseth the Churche whiche the Martyrs Bodie was laied in for the garnishinge of it with painted Images in bothe sides of bothe kindes bothe men and women the one kinde on the one side and the other kinde on the other side VVhere he speaketh expressely by name of the Images of scabbed Iob and blinde Tobie of faire Iudith and great queene Hester for so he nameth them The B. of Sarisburie S. Paule saithe Luke the Physician and not Luke the Painter He painted the Blessed Uirgin with the colours of his speache wherein he was counted more eloquent then any of the rest but otherwise to painte her he had no leasure How be it Theodorus Anagnostes saithe Eudoxia sent the same Image from Hierusalem to the Empresse Pulcheria vpon what credite it is not knowen But this Simeon Metaphrastes whome M. Hardinge here painteth out in his colours and calleth him a Gréeke Writer was a poore Scholemaister in Constantinople and wrote Sainctes liues which may wel be called the Legends of Lies and liued two hundred yéeres agoe and not aboue Of so righte good ancient authoritie be M. Hardinges witnesses Touchinge that is here alleged of S. Ambrose of Gregorius Nyssenus and of Paulinus I graunte as there were Painters and Grauers at that time so were there also Pictures Images at the same time that not onely in Priuate houses and market places but also in the Congregations and open Churches Eusebius saithe that the vse thereof was brought firste into the Churche by the Heathens And S. Hierome saith speakinge of the Curiositie of the Heathens in this behalfe Argento auro decorauit illud vt fulgore vtriusque materiae decipiat simplices Qui quidem error ad nos vsque transiuit vt Religionem in diuitijs arbitremur He adourneth his Image with Siluer and Golde that by the shine and glitteringe of bothe these Metalles he maye deceiue the simple Which errour doubtles is now cropen in emongst vs that be Christians so that now we thinke our Religion staÌ„deth in ritches S. Hierome would not haue complained hereof if it had not béene vsed in some places in his time Neither could Epiphanius the Godly Bishop of Cyprus haue rente in sunder the Picture of Christe painted in a cloth or cal it a Superstition vnfitte for the Church of God Nor could Serenus the woorthy Bishop of Massilia haue broken in péeces Images wrought in timber Stoane onles suche Pictures and Images had then béene vsed Wée denie not but Images were then in vse but we denie they were then woorshipped of the people or set vp to the intent they shoulde be woorshipped M. Hardinge The .8 Diuision Athanasius hath one notable place for hauinge the Image of our Sauiour Christe whiche is not common where he maketh Christ and the Churche to talke together as it were in a Dialogue In Sermone de Sanctis patribus Prophetis The Greeke maye thus be translated Age inquit dic mihi cur oppugnaris Oppugnor inquit Ecclesia propter doctrinam Euangelij quam diligenter accuratè teneo propter verum firmum Pascha quod agito propter religiosam puram Imaginem tuam quam mihi Apostoli reliquerunt vt haberem depictam arram humanitatis tuae in qua Mysterium Redemptionis operatus es Hic Christus Si propter hoc inquit te oppugnant ne grauiter feras néue animum despoÌ„deas cum scias si quis Pascha neget aut Imaginem me â—um negaturum coram patre meo â—lectis Angelis Rursus verò qui compatitur mecum propter Pascha conglorificaturum An non audisti quid Moysi praeceperim Facies inquam mihi duos Cherubinos in Tabernaculo Testimonij scilicet ad praefigurandam meam Imaginem c. The Englishe of this Latine or rather of the Greeke is this Come on quod Christe to the Church tel me wherefore art thou thus inuaded and vexed declare me the mater Forsoothe Lorde quod the Churche I am inuaded and vexed for the exacte
to know Goddes Holy Wil for whome then is it séemely The danger of Fantasies and il thoughtes that may thereby be moued is but a fantasie The Prophete Dauid saithe Eloquia Domini eloquia casta The Woordes of God be holy and Chaste VVoordes Againe he saithe VVhereby shal a yonge man amende his life He answeareth not by fleeinge but by keepinge the holy VVoordes And may we thinke that M. Hardinge meaneth any good Faithe that to the intent as he saith to pul yonge men from euil thoughtes thus withdraweth them from the readinge of Goddes Woorde whiche euerywhere reprooueth Sinne and neuerthelesse geueth them leaue to reade Ouide Terence Propertius and suche others whiche for the most parte are nothinge els but examples and Schooles of Sinne Uerily if Goddes holy Woorde be a prouocation of il thoughtes whiche blasphemous Woordes I maruel M. Hardinge can vtter without horrour the worlde thinketh that many Unmaried Priestes in the Churche of Rome are as muche inclined to the same as any Woman Maiden or Yonge man For it is not a Gowne or a Cappe that mortifieth the affections of the minde Nazianzene speaketh not of readinge the Scriptures but of coÌ„tentious disputinge and reasoninge of God or godly thinges whiche as S. Paule saithe oftentimes woorketh the subuersion of the hearers And in this sense S. Cyprian seemeth to say De Deo etiam vera dicere periculosum est Of God it is dâ—ungerous to speake yea although ye speake the trueth Hereof M. Hardinge maketh vp a very sâ—leÌ„der reason It is not seemely for euery man to contende and dispute of God Ergo it is not seemely for the Laye People to reade the Scriptures I graunte the Rabines did not amisse to restraine the people from readinge certaine Chapters of the Olde Testament vntil they were growen in yeeres and iudgement For the Scriptures of God are not al of one sorte Some partes be easy Some partes be harde Some meete for beginners some méete for them that know more But al meete and made for the people of God Yet were it greate folie and wante of discretion to beginne firste with the hardest So Iustinian the Emperour appointeth an order for the readinge of the what Bookes and Titles he woulde haue read the First yeere what the Seconde so foorth For otherwise who so would wade without order shoulde lose his time But where as M. Harding saithe It is not seemely nor conuenient the Scriptures shoulde be read of al personnes without exception it had benne good skil and some credite vnto his cause yf he coulde haue told vs plainely owt of al the whole people what personnes he thinketh meete to be excepted Yf he saie Olde Menne that were muche vnseemely If he saie Children S. Paule saith Timothee was brought vp from his Childhoode in the Scriptures and neuer thought it vnconuenient Yf he saie The Unlearned Chrysostome answeareth Nihil opus est Syllogismis Rustici aniculaeque intelligunt To vnderstande Goddes Woorde wee neede no Syllogismes or knowledge of Logique Husbande menne and Olde wemen doo vnderstande it Yf he saie Wemen This same was it that Iulianus the wicked Emperoure charged the Christians withal for that their wemen were so skilful in the Scriptures But Nazianzenus answeareth for his sister Gorgonia that she was skilful both in the Olde Testamente and also in the Newe Yf he saie Maidens S. Hierome answeareth That al the Maidens aboute Lady Paula were forced daily to learne the Scriptures Yf he saie Yonge Menne or Boies Cyrillus answeareth In Sacris Literis educati fiunt posteà religiosissimi quaÌ„uis noÌ„ aequè eloqueÌ„tes Beinge brought vp in the Scriptures afterward they become most godly â–ª men al be it perhaps not so eloquente Yf he saie the Poore S. Paule answeareth NoÌ„ multi genere nobiles At Corinthe emonge them that first receiued the Gospel There were not many of greate birth or muche wealthe Yf he saie Heretiques S. Augustine beinge inclined to the Heresie of the Maniches by readinge the Scriptures was conuerted Yf he saie Heathens S. Luke wil saie that Queene Candaces Chamberlaine beinge an Heathen read the Scriptures without controlment Nowe if neither Olâ—e menne nor Children nor the Learned nor the Unlearned nor Wemen nor Maidens nor yonge menne nor Boies nor the Poore nor the Riche nor Heretiques nor Heathens be excepted from the readinge of Goddes Woorde what other sorte of menne then is there that M. Hardinge would haue excepted Yf it be conueniente for euery of these to reade the Scriptures for whome then is it not conueniente M. Hardinge The .6 Diuision And the Scripture it selfe saie they sheweth plainely that of conuenience the Scriptures ought not be made common to al persons For Christe affirmeth the same with his owne woordes where he saithe to his Apostles Vnto you it is geuen to knowe the Secretes of the kingedome of God but to others in Parables that when they see they shoulde not see and when they heare they should not vnderstande 205 They to whom it is geuen to knowe these secretes be none other then the Apostles and their Successours or Disciples They to whom this is not geuen but must learne Parables be they for whom it were better to be ignorant of the Mysteries then to knowe them least they abuse them and be the more greeuousely condemned if they sette little by them whiche wee see commonly doone amonge the common people The B. of Sarisburie It were muche better for M. Hardinge not to knowe the Woorde of God then thus wilfully to abuse it They vnto whom Christe woulde not open the Secretes of the Kingdome of Heauen were not the Common sorte of the Laie People as M. Hardinge supposeth but the Bishoppes the Priestes the Doctours the Scribes and the Phariseies and other like reprobates whom God had geuen ouer in the hardenesse of their hartes as it is plaine by the Woordes that Christe allegeth owt of the Prophete Esai O Lorde harden the harte of this people stoppe their eares blinde their eies least happily they be conuerted and so be saued And thus that Ancient Father Irenaeus immediatly after the Apostles time expounded it and applieth thereto these woordes of S. Paule In quibus Deus huius saeculi excoecauit corda infidelium vt non fulgeat illis illuminatio Euangelij Gloriae Dei In whome God hath blinded the hartes of them that be vnfaithful that the brightenesse of the Gospel of the Glorie of God may not shine vnto them And likewise these woordes Tradidit illos Deus in reprobum sensum God hath deliuered them ouer into a reprobate vnderstandinge And in the ende he compareth them with Pharao and Antichriste So likewise Dionysius the Carthusian whose authoritie I trowe M. Hardinge wil not denie saithe of them Iusto Dei Iudicio negata est illis praedicatio Euangelij tanquam indignis intelligentia Spirituali The
not one Scholar hable to knowe his letters How be it he taketh it for no inconuenience what so euer may healpe to serue his turne But in the olde times the Prickes or Uowelles were not founde Therfore saith he the people coulde not Reade So likewise in olde times the Gréeke tongue was written without Accentes as it is euident vntil this day by sundrie Bookes olde â–ª Marble Stoanes that are so written Yet notwithstandinge men were then hable to reade the Gréeke tongue without Accentes Certainely M. Hardinge knoweth that euen now not onely the learned of the Iewes but also the very Children of tenne yéeres of age are hable to Reade without Prickes or Uowelles Yet notwithstandinge saithe M. Hardinge This was donne by Goddes Secrete Prouision least the Laye people should reade Goddes VVoordes and so Pretious Sâ—oanes should be throwen before Swine This doubtles was donne by Gods prouision that it might appeare in what regarde M. Hardinge hath the people of God that is by his owne confession as vnpure and vncleane beastes and filthy Swine and none otherwise M. Hardinge The .8 Diuision Here I neede not to spende time in rehersinge the manifolde difficulties of these holy letters through whiche the readinge of them to the simple and vnlearned people hauinge their wittes exercised in no kinde of learninge their mindes occupied in worldly cares their hartes caried away with the loue of thinges they lust after is not very profitable As the light shineth in vaine vpon blinde eies saithe a holy Father so to no purpose or profite is the labour of a worldly and natural man taken for the atteininge of thinges that be of the Spirite Verily emonges other this incommoditie is seene by dayly experience hereof to proceede that of the people such as ought of right to take least vpon them be now become censours and iudges of al despisers of the more parte and whiche is common to al Heretiques mockers of the whole simplicitie of the Churche and of al those thinges which the Churche vseth as Pappe or Milke to nourrishe her tender babes withal that it were better for theÌ„ not to reade then by readinge so to be pufte vp and made insolent VVhiche euil commeth not of the Scripture but of their owne malice and â—uil disposition The B. of Sarisburie The Laie people is occupied in worldly affaires Ergo saith M. Hardinge they may not be suffered to reade the Scriptures As if he would say They are in the middest of diseases Therfore they may vse no Physitian They are in the thronge of their enimies Therfore they must be leaâ—te naked without weapon But the godly learned Fathers haue euermore reprooued this reason thought it childishe S. Chrysostome saith thus vnto the Laie people Lectio diuinarum Scripturarum vobis magis necessaria est quà m Monachis The Readinge of the Scriptures is more necessary for you then it is for Monkes And touchinge Worldly Cares the worlde wel séeth the the Bishop of Rome his Cardinalles others of that profession are no lesse troubled therewith then they that are most déepely drowned in the worlde S. Gregorie beinge by the Emperour auanced to the Bishoprike of Rome writeth thus of him selfe Sub colore Episcopatus ad saeculum retractus sum in quo tantis terrae curis inseruio quantis me in vita Laica nequaquam deseruisse reminiscor Vnder the colour of my Bishoprike I am drawen backe into the world wherein I am so muche troubled with worldly cares as I doo not remember the like when I liued in the worlde And againe he saithe Tanta me occupationum onera deprimunt vt ad superna animus nullatenus erigatur So many cares and busines doo presse me downe thâ—t I can in no wise liâ—te my minde vp to Heauen Yet Gregorie in comparison of his Successours might vndoubtedly séeme a Saincte For as now they haue one foote in the Churche and an other in the worlde or rather not one foote in the Churche but bothe harte and bodie in the worlde Yet notwithstandinge by M. Hardinges Doctrine these onely muste haue the Supreme Iudgemente and Exposition of Goddes Woorde and what so euer they saie therein it ought to stande in more weight then the Iudgement of a General Councel or the Determination of the whole worlde He addeth further Knowledge bloweth vp the harte and increaseth Pride Thus saith M. Harding beinge him selfe learned ful of knowledge I wil not vse his owne Conclusion Ergo ful of Pride But thus he saith euen as Epimenides the Poete saide Cretenses semper mendaces The men of Creta be euer liers beinge him selfe a man of Creta and therefore by his owne iudgement a lier as others were This slouthful quarel against the Knowlege of God mighte be mainteined by great Antiquitie For S. Hierome and S. Augustine saie there were men then in their time of the same iudgement herein that M. Hardinge is nowe S. Hierome saithe Inertiae se otio somno dantes putant peccatuÌ„ esse si Scripturas legerint â—os qui in Lege Domini meditantur die ac nocte quasi garrulos inutilesque contemnunt Gâ—uinge them selues to sleape and slouthfulnes they thinke it Sinne to Reade the Scriptures and such as bothe day and night are studious in the Lawe of God thei despise as prattelers and vaine men Likewise S. Augustine Sunt quidaÌ„ homines qui cùm audierint quòd humiles esse debent demittunt se nihil volunt discere putantes quòd si aliquid didicerint Superbi futuri sint remanent in solo lacte quos Scriptura repreheÌ„dit There be certaine men that when they heare they muste be humble abase them selues and wil learne nothing fearing that if they atteine to any knowledge they shal be proude and so they remaine stil onely in Milke But the Scripture of God reprooueth them The Olde learned Father Irenaeus expoundinge these woordes of S. Paule Scientia Inflat writeth thus Paulus ait Scientia inflat Non quòd veram Scâ—entiam de Deo culparet Aliôqui se ipsum primùm accusaret S. Paule saithe Knowledge puffeth vp the Minde not for that he founde faulte with the true knowledge of God Otherwise he shoulde firste of al others haue reprooued him selfe For he was learned And S. Chrysostome saithe Hoc omnium malorum causa est quòd Scripturae ignorantur This is the cause of al il that the Scriptures are not knowen But they that reade the Scriptures despise suche Superstitious orders and Idolatrous deformities as haue beene vsed whiche M. Hardinge calleth the Milke and Simpliâ—itie of the Churche Uâ—rily and they that see the light despise the darkenes and they that know the Truethe â—espise Falsheade S. Paule after he once vnderstoode Christe despised al that he had beene trained in before as Filthe and Doâ—nge And therefore he saithe When I was a Childe
verae ad nullam rem fugiant nisi ad Scripturas Alioqui si ad alia respexerint scandalizabuntur peribunt non intelligentes quae sit vera Ecclesia per hoc incident in Abominationem desolationis quae stat in Sanctis Ecclesiae locis Therfore he commaundeth that Christian men that wil be assured of the true Faithe resorte vnto nothinge els but onely vnto the Scriptures For els if they haue regarde to any other thinge they shal be offended and shal perishe not knowinge whiche is the true Churche and by meane thereof they shal fal into the Abomination of desolation that standeth in the Holy places of the Churche In like sorte writeth Origen vpon the same place Animae imperitae verbi Iustitiae quia facilé Seducuntur non possunt inseducibiliteâ— permanere in conspectu Abominationis desolationis stantis in loco Sancto The soules that be vnskilful of the Woorde of Iustice bicause thei are easily deceiued cannot stande without erroure in the sight of the Abomination of desolation standinge in the Holy place S. Hierome saithe In aduentu Messiae populus qui sub Magistris fuerat consopitus ibit ad montes Scâ—ipturarum ibique inuenient montes Mosen montes Propheras Montes Nouâ— Testamenti Et in talium montium lectione versatus si non inuenerit qui doceat tamen illius studium comprobabitur quòd confugerint ad Montes At the comminge of Christ the people that was laide a sleape vnder their teacheâ—s shal goe to the Mountaines of the Scriptures There shal they finde these Mountaines Moses the Prophetes and the Newe Testamente And beinge occupied in the readinge of these Mountaines notwithstandinge they finde noman to teache them yet shal their good wil be wel allowed for that they haue fleadde vnto the Mountaines So S. Bastle Diuinae Scripturae faciunt ad certitudinem bonorum ad confusionem malorum The Holy Scriptures are hable both to confirme the godly and also to confounde the vngodly So Chrysostome Nec ipsis omninò Ecclesiis credendum est nisi ea dicant vel faciant quae conuenientia sint Scripâ—uris We maye in no wise beleeue the Churches them selues onles they say and doo suche thinges as be agreeable to the Scriptures M. Hardinge The .13 Diuision The peril of it is knowen by sundry examples bothe of times paste and also of this present age For out of this roote hath spronge the secte of the Valdenses otherwise called Pauperes de Lugduno For Valdo a Marchaunt of Lions their firste Authour of whom they were named Valdenses being an vnlearned Laye man procured certaine Bookes of the Scripture to be translated into his owne language whiche when he vsed to Reade and vnderstoode not he fel into many errours Of the same welspringe issued the filthy puddles of the Sectes called Adamitae or Picardi Bogardi and Turelupini and of late yeeres beside the same secte of Adâ—mites newly reuiued also the Anabaptistes and Suenckfeâ—dians VVherefore that Edicte or Proclamation of the woorthy Princes Ferdinando and Elizabeâ—th Kinge and Queene of Spaine is of many muche commended by whiche they gaue streighte â—â—mmâ—undement that vnder greate penalties noman shoulde translate the Bible into the vulgarâ— â—pâ—nishe tongue and that noman shoulde be founde to haue the same translated in any wise These and the like be the reasons and considerations whiche haue moued many men to thinke the settinge foorthe of the whole Bible and of euery parte of the Scripture in the vulgare tongue for al sortes of persons to reade without exception or limitation to be a thinge not necessary to Saluation nor other wise conuenient nor profitable but contrarywise dangerous and hurteful The B. of Sarisburie The Storie of Ualdo is here brought in vpon the reporte and credite of Frier Alphonsus Touchinge whiche Ualdo whether be were learned or vnlearned it forceth not greatly Origen saith Vide quà m prope periculis sint hi qui negligunt exerceri in Diuinis Literis ex quibus solis huiusmodi examinationis agnoscenda discretio est Marke how neare vnto danger they be that refuse to exercise them selues in the Scriptures For thereby onely the iudgement of this trial must be knowen If he were learned then is this no true reporte if he were vnlearned then was Gods woorke so much the greater who as S. Paule saith oftentimes chooseth the weake thinges of the worlde to condemne the stronge and the foolishe thinges of the worlde to reprooue the wise The greatest Heresies that he mainteined stoode in reproouing the Idolatrous woorshipping of Images of Extreme Unction of Exorcismes Coniurations of Eare Confessions of vnséemely Singing in the Churche of Fained Miracles of the idlâ— and sclaunderous liues of Priestes Bishops of the liues and manners of the Churche of Rome of the oultrage Tyrannie of the Pope of Monkes Freers Parâ—ons Pilgrimages Purgatorie And notwithstanding the reproouing hereof were then iudged Heresie yet sithence that time infinite numbers of godly men haue receiued it as Gods vndoubted Trueth M. Harding in parte hath yelded vnto the same He addeth farther Out of this welâ—pâ—inge of Vâ—ldo issued foorth the Anabaptistes and the Swenkefeldians I maruel M. Hardinge can either speake so vnaduisedly or so soone forgeate what he hath spoken For immediatly before he wrote thus Out of Luther haue spronge three diuers Heresies The Anabaptistes the Sacramentaries and the Confessionistes If the Anabaptistes sprange out of Ualdo and were so longe before Luther how coulde they then afterwarde springe out of Luther If they sprange first out of Luther how were they then before Luther By this reporte the Father is yonger then the Childe and the Childe was borne before the Father These be mere Monsteâ—s in speache Contradictions in Nature If the one of these reportes be true the other of necessitie must néedes be false But M. Harding taketh it for no greate inconuenience what so euer may healpe to deface the Trueth The Proclamation of Ferdinandus and Elizabeth the Kinges of Spaine for not â–ª Transâ—atinge the Bible into the Spanish tongue as it is of very smal Authoritie being made within these thréescoare tenne yeeres that is to say welneare fifteene hundred yeeres after Christe so it is likely it was first diuised not against the Christian people of that Countrie but onely against the Renegate Iewes there who by dissimulation and feare of the law beinge become Christians afterwarde returned againe to their Olde Errours and bothe by their example and also by misunderstanding of certaine places of the Scriptures hardened and confirmâ—d others in the same Against whom also was diuised the Spanish Inquisitiâ—n and that by the same Princes and at the same time So Iulianus the Renegate Emperour thought it good policie to suffer no Christian mannes Childe to be sette to Schoole So the wicked princes Antiochus and Maximinus for like policie burnte the Bookes of God to the intent the
vttered Secretely or Alowde he imagineth that by the power thereof the substance of the Breade and Wine is Really and wholy changed into the Substance of the Bodie and Bloude of Christe The vntrueth hereof is manifestly reprooued by S. Augustine S. Chrysostome Theodoretus Gelasius and by the general consente of al the Olde Fathers and is answeared more at large in the tenthe Article of this Booke Certainely this errour neither was euer confirmed in the Latine Churche before the Councel of Laterane in Rome whiche was aboue twelue hundred yéeres after Christe nor euer receiued in the Greeke Churche from the Birthe of Christe vntil this daie M. Hardinge The .2 Diuision The Greekes in the Easte Churche haue thought it good to pronounce the woordes of Consecration Clara voce as we finde in Chrysostomes Masse and as Bessarion writeth Aâ—ta voce that is plainely out Alowde or with a lowde voice Sacerdos Alta voce â—uxta Orientalis Ecclesiae ritum verba illa pronunciat Hoc est Corpus meum The Prieste saithe Bessarion after the rite or manner of the East Churche pronounceth with a lowde voice these woordes This is my Body VVhiche manner of Lowde pronouncinge was thought good to be vsed in the Greeke Churche as it maye be gathered by that Bessarion writeth who beinge a Greeke borne and brought vp in learning amongst the Greekes knewe right wel the order of that Churche to the intent the people might therby for the better maintenaunce of their Faith be stirred and warned to geue token of consente and of beliefe thereto VVhen the Prieste saithe he pronounceth those woordes with a loude voice the people standinge by â— n vtraque parte that is firste at the Consecration of the Body and againe at the Consecration of the Bloude answeareth Amen as though they saide thus Truely so it is as thou saiest For where as Amen is an Aduerbe of Affirminge in Hebrewe in Greeke it signifieth so muche as Truely And therefor the people answearinge Amen to those woordes Verily say they these giftes sette foorthe are the Bodie and Bloud of Christe So we beleeue So we confesse This far Bessarion It is declared by Clement Lib. 8. Constitutionum Apostolicarum that the people saide Amen when the woordes of Consecration had beene pronounced VVhereby we vnderstande that order to haue beene taken by the Apostles The same Custome also may be geathered out of S. Ambrose who saithe thus Dicit tibi Sacerdos Corpus Christi tu dicis Amen hoc est verum Quod confitetur lingua teneat affectus De Sacram. li. 4. ca. 5. The Priest saithe The Body of Christe and thou saiest Amen that is to saye True Holde with thy harte that whiche thou confessest with the tongue He saithe likewise hereof De ijs qui initiantur Mysterijs ca. 9. Frustrà ab illis respondetur Amen c. Amen is answeared in vaine by them who dispute against that whiche is receiued saithe Leo. Sermone 6. De Ieiunio 7. Mensis The B. of Sarisburie It is clearely witnessed by al these doctours against M. Hardinge and the order of the Churche of Rome that the woordes of Consecration were pronounced with a Lowde Uoice and that the People not onely hearde but also vnderstoode and answeared the same Wherefore M. Harding can finde but smal reliefe in these Authorities Uerily in his Churche whiche he so often calleth Ancient and onely Catholique the people neither answeareth nor vnderstandeth nor heareth the woordes of Consecration Thus it appeareth He hath alleged these fiue Doctours in thrée special pointes against him selfe M. Hardinge addeth hereto Amen is as muche as Verum est It is true And therefore the People answearinge Amen confessed thereby that they beleeued the very Real and Substantial Changinge of the Breade into the Bodie of Christe It was needelesse and owt of season to renewe this mater in this place But he thought it better skil to speake from the purpose then vtterly to holde his peace and to saie nothinge First as it is saide before The Latine Churche neuer receiued this newe Beleefe before the Councel of Laterane holden in Rome the Greeke Churche neuer vntil this daie Therefore by M. Hardinges skille the people thus answearinge saide Amen to that thinge that they beleeued not and so Confirmed the Childe eight hundred yeeres and more before it was borne In deede The people saide Amen to that they hearde spoken by the Prieste But the Prieste spake nothinge neither of Real Presence nor of Transubstantiation nor of Accidentes without Subiecte Therefore it is not likely the Peoples answeare had relation to any suche mater Otherwise they should seeme to answeare that thinge that was not spoken The Prieste onely vttered these Woordes of Christe This is my Bodie Whereunto the Greekes make answeare in this sorte as it is recorded in the Councel of Florence Firmiter credimus Verbis illis Dominicis Sacramentum fieri Wee beleue steadfastly that by these woordes of our Lorde there is made a Sâ—cramente Likewise S. Ambrose Post Consecrationem Corpus Christi Significatur After the Consecration the Bodie of Christe is Signified Againe Ante Consecrationem aliud dicitur post Consecrationem Sanguis nuncupatur Et tu dicis Amen hoc est Verum est Before the Consecration it is called an other thinge After Consecration it is named the Bloude of Christe And thou saiest Amen that is to saie It is True So Dionysius writeth vnto Sixtus the Bishop of Rome of one that had benne Baptised emougste Heretiques Gratiarum actionem in Ecclesia audiuit ad illam vnà cum alijs respondit Amen He hearde the Thankesgeuinge in the Churche and to the same togeather with others he answeared Amen So S. Augustine Fratres nostri eadem Sacramenta celebrantes Vnum Amen respondentes Our Brethren resortinge to one Sacramente and answearinge al one Amen This answearinge Amen imported not any suddaine Transubstantiation but a Thankesgeuinge vnto God for our deliuerie by the Death of Christe But Leo saith They answeare Amen in vaine that dispute against the same thinge that they receiue For cleare vnderstandinge of whiche woordes it behooueth thée good Reader to remember that Leo as wel herein as also in sundrie other places bendeth the whole force of his learninge against the Heretique Eutyches whoe 's erroure was this muche like vnto the common erroure that is nowe defended that Christes Bodie after his Ascension was turned wholy into the God-head and so was no lenger a Mannes Bodie Against whiche erroure Leo taketh an argumente of the holy Mysteries wherein the Faithful People as with theire Bodily Mouth they receiue the Mystical Breade and Wine so with their Sprite and Faith they receiue the Bodie and Bloude of Christe and that verily and in Trueth and in witnesse thereof the receiuer saith Amen But saith Leo he saith Amen in vaine that denieth the same thinge that he receiueth That is to saie