pleased him to say that he him selfe and his fellowes so cal it he had done right But here is brought in a whole troupe of doctours in a ranke Mâ—lchisedech Malachias Clemens the Apostles fellowe the Deacons of Asia Abdias the Apostles Disciple and Bishop of Babylon that saw Christe in the fleash S. Andrew S. Iames Martialis Dionysius who had conference with Peter Paule Iohn Irenaeus Iustinus Martyr Hippolytus Martyr Basile Chrysostome Cyril of Ierusalem al the reste of the Doctours in al ages in al partes of the worlde And who would not be affraide to sée suche an armie come against him How be it gentle reader be of good cheare Al this is but a camisado These be but visardes they be no faces They are brought in like Mummers for a shewe say nothing That M. Harding lacked in weight he would néedes make vp in tale and so vseth this onely as a floorishe before the fight as a streame blâ—wen vp with winde and weather carieth with it much frothe filth by the very rage drifte of the water euen so M. Hardinge in this place flowinge wanderinge ouer the bankes with Copia verborum by the violence force of his talke carieth a great deale of errour vntruthe alonge before him Notwithstandinge thus hath he geuen thée good Christian reader as he saith a taste of his proâ—fes without allegation of any woordes for confirmation of thy faithe concerninge the Masse Miserable is that faithe that in so weightie maters can be confirmed with bare names by hearinge nothinge I maruel that M. Harding euer durst either to allege such authorities as he knoweth the most hereof be or thus openly to mocke the worlde For briefly to touche Melchisedech Malachias the institution of Christ what weight can there appeare in these reasons Melchisedech brought foorth breade and wine to banket Abraham and his armie beyng wearie of the chase Or Malachias Prophesied that al the nations of the worlde should be turned vnto God should offer vnto him a pure Sacrifice Or Christe ordeined his last Supper amongst his Disciples badde them doo the same in his remembraunce ergo there was priuate Masse in the Churche Who euer made any such argumentes in any schoole what wil M. Harding make folke beleue that Melchisedech Malachias or Christe said priuate Masse Or doth he thincke that these reasons must be taken bicause he speaketh the woorde But he wil saie and Malachias signified the Sacrifice of the newe testament We denie it not But did they signifie a Sacrifice done by one man alone in a strange language the people lookinge on him and no man knowynge what he meaneth Why may we not thinke rather they signified the Sacrifice of the holy Communion whereas the whole people dooth lifte vp their handes and hartes vnto heauen and pray and sacrifice togeather reioisinge in the crosse of Christ and so celebratinge the lordes death vntil he comme for the Sacrifice that is prophesied by Malachie as it is expounded by Tertullian S. Hierome and other holy Fathers is the Sacrifice of prayer contrite harte as hereafter in the seuentienth article it shal further appeare Touching the witnesses here alleged first I maruel that M. Hardinge would euer bringe them foorthe but muche more that he woulde thus sette them out with such circumstances of commendation as that they saw Christe in the fleshe or that they were the Apostles fellowes For he knoweth wel that many of them are litle woorthy of suche credite as partely beynge euer doubted of and suspected to be written not by them whose names they beare but by Heretiques to whom M. Hardinge séemeth nowe to flie for ayde partely also obscure vnknowen vnacquainted not readde not séene not harde of in the worlde before this tyme. But most of al I maruel that he would euer hasarde his cause on these witnesses who as he him selfe very wel knoweth wil speake against him And therefore he hath here cunningly suppressed their woordes and hath onely made a mustre of their names but woulde suffer them to say nothinge And that thou good reader maist haue a taste hereof and sée the faithfulnesse of these mennes dealinge let vs first consyder Clemens who as it is reported here was the Apostles fellowe The title of the booke séemeth to be De Apostolicis traditionibê° that is Of orders taken diuised by the Apostles of Christe for the better gouernment of the Churche A woorthy booke no doubte and in al ages to be had in great price if men had béen perswaded it had béen written in dede by Clement But S. Hierome by the reporte of Eusebius maketh mention onely of one epistle of Clementes that he thought woorthy to be receiued which epistle notwithstandyng is not nowe to be founde One other epistle of Clementes he speaketh of but he sayth it was neuer allowed by the Churche And further S. Hierome sayth Certaine other bookes there are reported to be abroade in the name of Clement as the disputation of Peter and Appion whiche bookes were neuer in vse amongst our fathers neither conteine they pure and Apostolical doctrine Thus muche S. Hierome Nowe whence then commeth M. Hardinges Clement It was founde very lately in the I le of Candie by one Carolus Capellius a Uenetian written in Gréeke and in these countreis neuer hearde of nor séene before Here the reader be he neuer so simple yet must he thinke thus muche with him selfe Clemens was Bishop of Rome as it is thought nexte after S. Peter And were the Bishop of Romes bookes and suche bookes so strange so holy and of such weight kept in Candie so farre of from Italie in an Ilande in the sea and not in Rome written in Gréeke not in Latine And coulde suche a woorthy woorke diuised by al the Apostles and set foorth by the Apostles fellowe be layde vp in secresie for the space of a thousande fiue hundred yéeres and more and no man misse it Thus muche the reader may soone consider with him selfe be he neuer so simple But what if this booke were neuer written by S. Clement what if it were written by no honest man what if it were written by an Heretique Uerely it was a common practise in olde times to sette wicked bookes abroade vnder the names and titles of the Apostles and other godly Fathers Leo sometime Bishop of Rome writeth thus Apocriphae Scripturae quae sub nominibus Apostolorum multarum habent seminarium falsitatum non solùm interdicendae sed etiam penitus auferendae atque ignibus tradendae sunt Secrete Scriptures whiche bearyng the names of thâ—apostles conteyne a â—â—rcerie and occasion of muche falsheade are not onely to be forbidden but also vtterly to be taken awaye and to be committed to the fyre By this we see that thapostles names were borowed sometimes to auoutche Heresies and wicked doctrine As touchyng
is vaine and puffeth vp the minde God make vs learned to the Kingedome of God that wée maie humble al our knowledge to the obedience of Faithe It reioiceth mee mutche that ye saie ye loue mée and in respecte of our olde frendship and loue haue thus written to mée Howe be it our olde priuate frenship néedid not so many publique witnesses Ye saie Ye wil folowe the later parte of Chiloes Counsel Oderis tanquam amaturus Hate so as afterwarde thowe maiste loue Bytweene whiche your two saieinges of hatinge and louinge I knowe not howe yowe include a plaine contradiction Onlesse ye wil saie Ye can hate and loue in one respecte bothe togeather But I take it in the best sense wherein I doubt not but ye meante it Howe be it touchinge your frendly aduise I maie answeare yowe likewise with an other péece of Chiloes Counsel Obsequendum est amicoâ— vsque ad aras A man maie folowe his frendes Counsel so it be not either against God or against his Conscience The people of Alexandria saide vnto Timotheus Eâ—si non communicamus tecum tamen amamus tâ— Although wee Communicate not with yowe yet wee loue yowe notwithstandinge Ye promisse to deale herein without either gal or bitternesse For that as yowe saie Glikes Nippes and Scoffes Bittes Cuttes and Gyrdes these be your woordes becomme not your stage And doubtelesse sutche kinde of dealinge as it is moste commendable in it selfe so it seemeth moste sitting for them that traueile in Goddes causes Christe saithe Learne of mee for I am meeke and gentle But whoe 's woordes then be these M. Hardinge From what Sprite haue they procéeded Upon what stage were they spoken These woordes I saie wherewith ye seeme so mutche so often to solace your selfe to refreasshe your Sprites Goliath Thersites Rasshe Presumptuous VVicked Vnlearned Ignorant Peeuishe Lucians Scoffers Coggers Foisters Pearâ—e Insolente Vaunters Braggers Sectaries Schismatiques Heretiques Sacramentaries Newe maisters Newe Fanglers False reporters Sclaunderers of the Churche Terrible seducers The Enimies of the Sacrifice The Enimies of the Churche The Ministers of the Diuel Sitters in the Chaire of Pestilence Monsters Heathens Publicanes Turkes Infidelles Antichristes and Forerenners of Antichriste These woordes be yours M. Hardinge not onely for that they be vttered by yowe but also for that they perteine directely and properly vnto your selfe With these and other like pearles ye haue thorowly besette your whole Booke that it might the more glitter in the eie of your Reader Herewith your stage is fully freight Some man woulde thinke it were Vetus Comoedia So faitheful ye seeme to be in kéepinge your promise Yf ye vtter sutche woordes of pure loue and frendship what then maie wée looke for yf ye once beginne to hate They say the Scorpion embraceth louingely with his feete but smiteth his poison with his taile Thus ye suffer the teÌ„pestes of your affections sometimes to blowe you oute and to tosse yowe of from the shoare In a man of professed grauitie reasons had benne more conueniente then reproches Sutche eloquence might better becomme some of your yonger Iannizers who as their frendes saie here haue not yet learned to speake otherwise As for these woordes and these stages they maie not wel chasâ— vs awaie from the Gospel of Christe Yt is not needeful for vs to heare your good reportes but it is most needeful for vs to speake the Trueth The aduertisement that yow allege out of Salomon There is a waie that vnto a man seemeth right but the ende thereof leadeth to damnation is common toucheth vs bothe aswel yowe as mee or rather somewhat more yowe then mee Ye were once deceiued before by your owne confession But they that haue indifferently weighed the causes and suddainesse of your change haue thought ye are as mutche or rather mutche more deceiued nowe Marke I beséeche yowe M. Hardinge what ye were lately and what ye woulde nowe seeme to be what waie ye trodde then and what waie ye â—reade nowe The difference is no lesse then is bitweene Light and Darknesse Life and Deathe Heauen Hel â–ª So greate a change would require some good time of deliberation But if ye be thorowly changed as yow saie and if ye be touched in deede either with theâ— zele of God or with the loue of your brethren be not then ashamed to telle vs what thinges God hath donne for yowe Let your Reader vnderstande that yow your selfe sometime were that man of whom Salomon speaketh That yow sometime were in a waie that seemed right and yet the ende thereof leadde to damnation That yow sometime bent your whole harte and studie to deface the Churche of God That yow preached so many yeeres togeather directly contrary to your conscience That yow sometime witingly and willingly and of purpose and malice deceiued Goddes people That yow sometime were the Minister of the Diuel â–ª a Turke an Heathen an Infidel a Forerenner of Antichriste and that from this rueful state ye were suddainely changed not by readinge or conference of the Scriptures or Anciente Fathers but onely for that ye sawe the Prince was changed Thus must ye deale M. Hardinge yf ye deale truely So wil your frendes thinke ye dissemble not nowe as yow did before but are mooued onely of true zele pure conscience Certainely either as wee saie ye are nowe deceiued or at the leaste as your selfe must needes graunte not longe sithence ye were deceiued And S. Augustine saithe Hoc est erroris proprium vt quod cuique displicet id aliis quoque oportere existimet displicere This is the very nature of Errour that what so euer misliketh any man he thinketh al others shoulde likewise mislike the same Sutche is the miserie of Adams children their harte is euermore inclined vnto il and errour Hereof false prophetes oftentimes take occasion to saie Good is Il and Il is Good Light is Darknesse and Darknesse is Light And oftentimes the people is wilfully leadde awaie and cannot abide to heare sounde Doctrine but turneth their eares to heare Fables Therefore Salomons counsel is wise and good And for that cause wee truste not our owne eies to choose our waie but wee calle vnto God with the Prophete Dauid O Lorde shewe vs the waie that wee maie walke in Wee seeke vnto him that saithe I am the Waie the Trueth and the Life I am the Light of the World who so foloweth mee walketh not in darknesse but hath the Light of Life And wee thanke God that with his Daiespringe from aboue hath visited vs and directed our feete into the waie of peace into the same waie that Christe hath shewed vs and the holy Apostles and anciente Catholique Fathers haue trodden before vs. Touchinge your exhortation to humilitie and the denieal of my learninge whiche I trust of your parte proceedeth from a meeke and humble sprite I maie safely denie that thinge that I neuer auouched It cannot
I wil here rehearse it onely in Englishe remittinge the learned to the Greeke VVhen Iohn otherwise named Chrysostome gouerned the Churche of Constantinople very wel a certaine man of the Macedonian Heresie had a wife of the same opinion VVhen this man had hearde Iohn in his Sermon declare how one ought to thinke of God he praised his doctrine and exhorted his wife to conforme her selfe to the same iudgement also But when as she was ledde by the talke of noble wemen rather then by her husbandes good aduertisementes after that he sawe counsaile tooke no place excepte que he thou wilt beare me companie in thinges toutching God thou shalt haue no more to doo with me nor liue any longer with me The woman hearinge this promisinge fainedly that she woulde agree vnto it conferreth the mater with a woman seruant that she had whome she esteamed for trustie and vseth her helpe to deceiue her husbande About the time of the Mysteries she holdinge fast that whiche she had receiued sâ—ouped downe makinge resemblance to pray Her seruant standinge by geueth to her secretely that whiche she had broughte with her in her hande That as she put her teeth to it to bite it hardeneth into a stone VVith that the woman sore astonied fearinge leasie some euil shoulde happen vnto her therefore whiche came by the power of God ranne foorthwith to the Bishop and bewrayinge her selfe sheweth him the stone hauinge yet in it the printes of her bitte representinge a strange mater and a wonderous colour and so with teares of her eyes besought forgiuenes promisinge her husbande she would consent and agree to him If this seeme to any incredible saithe Sozomenus that stone is witnes whiche to this day is keapt amonge the Iewels of the Church of Constantinople By this storie it is cleare the SacrameÌ„t was then ministred vnder One Kinde onely For by receiuinge that one forme this woman woulde haue perswaded her husbande that she had communicated with him and with that holy Bishop Els if bothe kindes had then beene ministred she shoulde haue practised some other shifte for the auoiding of the Cuppe whiche had not beene so easie The B. of Sarisburie I may not disgrace the credite of this storie al be it in Sozomenus and Nicephorus of bothe whome the same is recorded there be sundrie thinges that may wel be filed But I see no cause yet wherefore M. Hardinge shoulde blowe the triumphe For in al this longe rehearsal there is not one woorde spoaken of the Communion vnder One Kinde The Breade so changed into a stone and keapte for a memorie emonge the Iewels there was a witnesse of the womans dissimulation and not of M. Hardinges halfe Communion Yet saith he by this storie it is cleare the Sacrament was then ministred vnder one Kinde onely For by receiuinge that one forme the woman would haue perswaded her husbande that she had Communicated with him Els if bothe kindes had then beene ministred she woulde haue practised some other shifte for thauoidinge of the Cuppe whiche had not beene so easie Nowe truely here is but a colde Conclusion hanginge wholy as it may appeare onely vpon the sleight of a womans witte For as this woman had diuised to deceiue her husbande in the Breade why might she not as wel diuise to deceiue him in the Cuppe Why might she not take the Cuppe and faine that she dranke and yet drinke nothinge Doubtles suche dissimulation is sooner wrought in the Cuppe then in the Breade and she that durst so to dissemble in th one parte of Goddes Sacramentes would little feare to dissemble in the other Here we sée the certaintie of M. Hardinges gheasses He reapeth the thinge that was neuer sowen and geathereth of his authours the thinge that was neuer spoaken But touchinge the trueth of this whole mater if a man liste onely to goe by gheasse as M. Hardinge doeth why may he not thus imagine with him selfe If this woman would thus dissemble in a case so dangerous what néeded her to take the Breade at her maides hande and specially at that time in that place and in the sight of the whole people Or how coulde she so openly receiue it without suspicion Or why might she not haue brought it in a Naptkine secretely aboute her selfe The burthen was not greate her fayninge and hypocrisie had beene the easier And thus muche to answeare one gheasse by an other But that there was no suche dismembringe of the holy Communion at that time we may wel vnderstande both by S. Basile Nazianzene Gregorie Nyssene and others of that age and also by these plaine woordes of Chrysostome Est vbi nihil differat Sacerdos a subdito vt quando frueÌ„dum est horrendis Mysterijs In some cases there is no difference betweene the Prieste and the people as when they must enioye the reuerende Mysteries Bysides that the Gréeke Churche neuer had this halfe Communion neither before that time nor neuer sithence And therefore Pope Leo the tenthe calleth the vse of the whole Sacrament according to Christes Institution the Bohemians and the Grecians Heresie M. Hardinge The .24 Diuision The place of S. Basiles Epistles ad Caesariam cannot be auoided by no shifte nor Sophistrie of the Gospellers These be his woordes Al they whiche liue the solitarie life in wildernesse where is no â—rieste keepinge the Communion at home communicate them selues And in Alexandria and in Egypte eche of the people for the moste parte hath the Communion in his house Here I mighte aske M. Iuelâ— how they coulde keepe wine consecrated in smal measures as shoulde serue for euery mans housel a parte in those countries of extreeme heate specially in wildernes where they had neither Prieste nor Deacon as in that place S. Basile writeth For lacke of whome they keapte it in stoare a longe time that they might not be destitute of it at neede Againe here I mighte aske him whether it was the forme of Breade onely or of VVine also whiche Christen menne and specially wemen were wonte deuoutely to receiue of the Priestes in their cleane linnen or Napkins to beare home with them takinge great heede that no fragmentes of it fel downe to the grounde as both Origen and also S. Augustine doo witnesse I thinke he wil confesse that linnen clothe is not a very fitte thinge to keepe liquour in The B. of Sarisburie The Gospellers whome M. Hardinge so often vpbraideth with that name as if he him self had no parte in Goddes Gospel haue litle neede to auoide that thing whereby they sée them selues nothinge hindred For the question is moued of the whole Congregation answeare is made of seueral personnes Wee speake of the order of Churches M. Hardinge answeareth of forestes and wildernesse Uerely if he coulde finde any thing to purpose in the Churche he woulde not thus hunte the Mountaines neither woulde he flee for ayde into Egipte if he coulde finde any neere at home The
Inâ—er blandimenta nuâ—ricum As he was plaieinge vnder his Nâ—rce Signiâ—ieing thereby that his Nurces vnderstoode and spake Latine In his Booke De Catechizandis rudibus He writeth thus Let them know there is no voice that soundeth in Goddes eares but the deuotion of the minde So shal they not scorne at the head Priestes and Ministers of the Churche if they happen in makinge their praiers vnto God to speake false Latine or not to vnderstande the woordes that they speake or to speake them out of order He addeth â—urther Non quâ—d ista corrigenda non sint vt populus ad id quòd planè intelligit dicaâ— Amen Not for that suche faultes shoulde not be amended â–ª to the ende that the people to the thinge that they plainely perceiue may say Amen Here S. Augustine willeth that the Priestes vtter their Latine Seruice distinctely and truely that the people may vnderstande them Againe he saithe thus Volens etiam causam Donatistarum ad ipsius humilimi vulgi omninâ— imperitorum atque idiotarum notitiam peruenire eorum quantum fieri posset per nos inhaerere memorià e psalmum qui eis cantaretur per Latinas literas fâ—ci Beinge desirous that the cause of the Donatistes shoulde come to the knowlege of the lowest sorte and of them that be vtterly ignorant and voide of learninge and as muche as in vs lay might be fixed in their memorie I wrote a Psalme for them to singe in the Latine tongue And Possidonius writynge S. Augustines life saithe that Ualerius that was Bishop of Hippo before S. Augustine for that he was a Greeke borne and had smal skil in the Latine tongue was the lesse hable to Preache vnto the people and to discharge his dewtie there I doubte not but by these fewe woordes it may wel appeare that the people of Hippo vnderstoode the Latine al be it not in suche good order as they that had learned it at the Schoole and therefore would oftentimes speake amisse placing one woorde for an other and Gender for Gender and Case for Case as for example Dolus for Dolor S. Augustine saith Multi fratres imperiâ—iores Laâ—initaâ—is loquuÌ„tur fâ—c vt dicant Dolus illum torquet pro eo quod est Dolor And for that cause in his Sermons vnto the people he submitteth oftetimes him selfe vnto their capacitie For thus he speaketh vnto the people Saepe verba non Latina dico vt vos intelligatis Many times I vtter woordes that be no Latine that yee may vnderstande mee And againe he saith Ego dicam Ossum sic enim potius loquamur Melius est vt nos reprehendant Grammatici quà m non intelligant populi I wil saye Ossum for your better vnderstandinge although it be no Latine woorde And so hardely set vs speake For better is it that the Grammariens finde faulte with vs then the people should not vnderstande vs. Hereby it is plaine that at the Citie of Hippo whereof I specially spake the Common Seruice of the Churche was pronounced and Ministred in the Latine tongue for that the whole people there vniuersally vnderstoode and spake Latine M. Hardinge The .18 Diuisioâ— And where as S. Augustine as you allege him without shewing the place as your manner is whereby you may easely deceiue the Reader hath these woordes in his Sermons to the common people diuers times Nâ—nc loquar Laâ—iné vt omnes intelligaâ—is Novv vvil I speake Latine that you may al vnderstande mee of that saiâ—ing if any suche be may be gathered that sometimes he spake in the Punical tongue to the Punical Christians not vnderstandinge the Latine but now amonge the Latine Aphricanes that were of the Romaine kinde and vnderstoode not the Punike he woulde speake Latine that al suche should vnderstande him Who so dâ—sireth further to be perswaded that the people of Aphrica called Poeni spake and vnderstoode their owne Punical tongue and not the Latine tongue as likewise the people of Spaine named Iberi spake that language whiche was proper to them let him reade Titus Liuius De Bello Macedonico For there he recordâ—th that when those of Aphrica or of Spaine and the Romaines came togeather for parle and talke they vsed an Interpreter And Vlpianus the Lawer a greate Officer about Alexander Seuerus the Emperour at the beginninge of Christian Religion writeth that Fidei commissa may be leafte in al Vulgare tongues and putteth for examples the Punical and the Frenche or rather Gallical tongue The B. of Sarisburie I sée there is no pardon to be hoped for at M. Hardinges handes Bicause I noted not in what Booke and Chapter this place is to be founde therfore he beareth men in hande I séeke meanes to deceiue the Reader If this poore quarel may stande for proufe then is it no harde mater by the same Logique to conclude the like against him For M. Harding oftâ—times vseth the authoritie of S. Augustine and other Fathers without any noting of the places as his owne Booke is best witnesse Ergo M. Harding séeketh meanes to deceiue his Reader But in my iudgement better it is not to note the places at al then falsely to note them as M. Hardinges manner is to doo as where he vntruely allegeth the Decrée of the Councel of Ephesus against Nestorius for the Communion in One â—inde whiche Decrée neither is to be founde in that Councel nor euer was recorded or mentioned by any olde Father Or where he allegeth the Decrée of the first Councel of Nice for the Supremacie of the Bishop of Rome him selfe confessinge that the same Decrée was burnte I know not how and coulde neuer yet be séene vntil this day Uerily this is a ready way to deceiue the Reader I passe by other petite faultes as that he allegeth the sixth booke of Ambrose De Sacramentis in stéede of the fifth or the .xxxiiij. Chapter of the sixth booke of Eusebius in stéede of the .xliiij Or that Steuen Gardiner allegeth Theophilus Alexandrinus in stéede of Theophylactus Or the thirde booke of S. Augustine De. Sermone Domini in Monte where as S. Augustine neuer wrote but twoo The place wherewith M. Hardinge findeth him selfe greeued is to be founde in S. Augustine De Verbis Apostoli the woordes be these Prouerbium notum est Punicum quod quidem Latinè vobis dicam quia Punicè non omnes nostis There is a Common Prouerbe in the Punike tongue whiche I wil reporte vnto you in Latine bicause ye doo not al vnderstande the Punike Here it is plaine that the Latine tongue was knowen to al the hearers and the Punike tongue onely vnto some And therefore in an other Sermon vnto the people he saithe thus Omnes nouimus Latinè non dici sanguines aut sanguina Wee doo al know reckeninge him selfe with the people that these woordes Sanguines or Sanguina are no Latine and againe as I haue before reported touchinge a Latine
his letters that he sate in iudgement and hearde bothe parties Now if receiuing of appeales necessarily importe this Uuiuersal power then was the Emperours power Uniuersal for he receiued al appeales out of al Countries without exception and that euen in Causes Ecclesiastical Againe then was the Bishop of Romes power not Uniuersal for it was lawful then to refuse him and to appeale to some other And thus M. Hardinges reasons renne roundely against him selfe M. Hardinge The .22 Diuision For whiche cause â–ª that See hath euer hitherto of al Christian Nations and now also ought to be hearde and obeied in al pointes of Faith For that See though it hath failed sometimes in Charitie and hath beene in case as it might truely say the woordes of the Gospel spoken by the foolishe Virgins Our Lampes be vvithout lighte Yet it neuer failed in faithe as Theodoretus witnesseth and S. Augustine affirmeth the same VVhiche special Grace and singular Priuilege is to be imputed vnto the praier of Christe by whiche he obteined of God for Peter and his successoues 108 that their Faith should not faile Therefore the euil life of the Bishops of Rome ought not to withdrawe vs from beleeuinge and folowinge the Doctrine preached and taught in the holie Church of Rome For better credite hereof that is earnestly to be considered whiche S. Augustine writeth Epistola 165. where after that he hath rehearsed in order al the Popes that Succeeded Peter euen to him that was Pope in his time he saithe thus In illum ordinem Episcoporum c. In to that rewe of Bishops that reacheth from Peter him selfe to Anastasius which now sitteth in the same Chayre if any traitour had creapte in it shoulde nothinge hurte the Churche and the innocent Christen folke ouer whom our Lorde hauinge prouidence saithe of euil rulers VVhat they saye vnto you doo ye but what they doo doo ye not For they saye and doo not to thintent the hope of a faithful person may be certaine and suche as beinge set not in man but in our Lorde be neuer scattered abroade with tempest of wicked Schisme And in his 166. Epistle he satthe Our Heauenly Maister hath so farre forewarned vs to be ware of al euil of dissension that he assured the people also of euil rulers that for their sakes the seate of holsome doctrine should not be forsaken in whiche seate euen the very euil men be compelled to saye good thinges For the thinges whiche they saye be not theirs but Goddes who in the seate of vnitie hath put the doctrine of veritie By this we are plainely taught that al be it the successours of Peter Christes Vicares in earthe be found blame woorthy for their euil life yet we ought not to dissent from them in Doctrine nor seuer our selues from them in Faithe For as muche as notwithstandinge they be euil by Gods prouidence for the suretie of his people they be compelled to saye the thinges that be good and to teache the truthe the thinges they speake not beinge theirs but Gods who hath put the doctrine of veritie in the seate or chayer of vnitie whiche singular Grace commeth specially to the See of Peter eyther of the force of Christes prayer as is saide before or in respecte of place and dignitie whiche the Bishops of that See holde for Christe as Balaam coulde be brought by no meanes to curse that people whom God woulde haue to be blessed And Caiphas also prophesied bicause he was high Bishop of that yeere and prophesied truely beinge a man otherwise most wicked And therefore the euil dooinges of Bishops of Rome make no argument of discreditinge their Doctrine To this purpose the example of Gregorie Nazianzene maye very fittely be applied of the Golden Siluerne and Leaden Seale As touchinge the value of Metalles Golde and Siluer are better but for the goodnesse of the Seale as wel dooth Leade imprinte a figure in waxe as Siluer or Golde For this cause that the See of Rome hathe neuer ben defiled with stinkinge Heresies as Theodoretus saithe and God hath alwaies keapte in that Chaire of Vnitie the doctrine of Veritie as Augustine writeth For this cause I saye it sitteth at the sterne and gouerneth the Churches of the whole worlde For this cause Bishops haue made their Appellations thither iudgement in doubtes of Doctrine and determination in al controuersies and strifes hath bene from thence alwaies demaunded The B. of Sarisburie This is a very poore healpe in déede M. Hardinge here is faine to resemble the Bishops of Rome touchinge their Doctrine to Balaam to Caiphas and to a Leaden Seale and touchinge their liues to confesse they are Lampes without light Yet saithe he al this notwithstandinge we may not therefore departe from them For Christe saith The Scribes and Phariseis sitte in Moses Charie Doo ye that they saye but that they doo doo ye not for they saye and doo not For as muche as it liketh M. Hardinge to vse these comparisons it may not muche mislike him if some man vpon occasion hereof happen to say as Christe sayde in the like case Wo be vnto you ye Scribes and Phariseis ye blinde Guides ye painted Graues Ye shutte vp the Kingedome of Heauen before men ye neither enter your selues nor suffer others that woulde enter Ye haue made the House of God a Caue of Theeues Certainely Balaam not withstandinge he were a False Prophete yet he opened his mouthe and blissed the people of God Caiphas although he were a wicked Bishop yet he prophesied and spake the trueth A seale although it be cast in leade yet it geueth a perfit printe The Scribes and Phariseis although they were Hypocrites and liued not wel yet they instructed the Congregation and saide wel The Manichées although they were Heretiques and taught not wel yet outwardly in the conuersation and sight of the worlde as S. Augustine saith they liued wel But these vnto whom M. Hardinge claimeth the Uniuersal power ouer al the worlde neither blisse the people of God nor preache Goddes Trueth nor geue any printe of good life or Doctrine nor instructe the Congregation nor say wel as the Scribes and Phariseis did nor by M. Hardinges owne Confession liue wel as the Manichees did S. Augustine saith Qui nec regiminis in se rationem habet nec sua crimina detersit nec filiorum culpam correxit Canis impudicus dicendus est magis quà m Episcopus He that neither regardeth to rule him selfe nor hath washte of his owne sinnes nor corrected the faâ—ltes of his Children may rather be called a filthy dogge then a Bishop Yet al this corruption of life notwithstandinge M. Hardinge saithe The Sée of Rome can neuer faile in Faithe For Christe saide vnto Peter I haue praied for thee that thy Faithe may not faile The like confidence and trust in them selues the Priestes had in the olde times as it may appeare by
and thus shal Christes callinge be verie comfortable M. Hardinge The .6 Diuision Now this presupposed that the Masse standeth vpon good and sufficient groundes for the stay of al true Christen mens beliefe lette vs come to our special purpose and say somewhat of Priuate Masse as our aduersaries cal it The B. of Sarisburie The groundes he here speaketh of be his Doctours suche as he hath already brought foorthe laide vp in great secresie and hidden from al the worlde by the space of one thousande yeeres and more and nowe of late founde out by chaunce some in Ilandes in the Sea some in Arches vnder the grounde some so defaced with moulde and canker that it was harde to geasse their meaninge some ful of impudent lies and fables one parcel not agréeinge with another some diuised and written by heretikes and euer mistrusted and condemned of the Churche yet euery of these as M. Hardinge wel knoweth fully reportinge the holy Communion and manifestly testifieinge against Priuate Masse These be M. Hardinges greatest groundes Nowe iudge thou gentle reader what woorthy buildinge may stande vpon the same Doubtlesse this beginninge is verie simple M. Hardinge The .7 Diuision The chief cause why they storme so muche at priuate Masse is for that the Priest receiueth the Sacrament alone whiche thinge they expresse with great villanie of woordes Now in case the people might be stirred to suche deuotion as to dispose them selues woorthely to receiue their housel euery day with the Priest as they did in the Primitiue Churche when they looked hourely to be caught and done to deathe in he persecution of Paynimes that they departed not hence sine viatico without their viage prouision what should these menne haue to say In this case perhappes they would finde other defaultes in the Masse but against it in this respecte onely that it is priuate they should haue nothinge to say at al. So the right of their cause dependeth of the missedoinge of the people whiche if they would amende these folke should be driuen either to recante or to holde their peace To other defaultes of the Masse by them vntruely surmised answeare shal be made hereafter Now touchinge this VVhere no faulte is committed There no blame is to be imputed That oftentimes the Priest at Masse hath no comparteners to receiue the Sacrament with him it proceedeth of lacke of deuotion of the peoples parte not of enuie or malice of his parte The feast is common 13 al be inuited they may come that liste they shal be receiued that be disposed and proued None is thrust away that thus commeth it may be obtruded to none violently ne offred to none rashely wel none commeth This is not a sufficient cause why the faithful and godly Priest enflamed with the loue of God feelinge him selfe hungrie and thirstie after that heauenly foode and drinke should be kepte from it and imbarred from celebratinge the memorie of our Lordes death accordinge to his commaundement from his dutie of geuinge of thankes for that great benefite from takinge the cuppe of Saluation and callinge vpon the name of God for these thinges be done in the Masse The B. of Sarisburie God be thanked both our life and maner of teachinge notwithstanding these sclaunderous reportes is voide of villanie Or if there had ben any defecte in vs this man of his courtesie should not haue supplied it with an other villanie Here M. Hardinge graunteth that the people in the Primitiue Churche receiued the holy Communion euery day and so consequently vnawares he confesseth that in the Primitiue Churche was no Priuate Masse which as he sayth came in afterwarde by the negligence and vndeuotion of the people It is great pitie that so good a thinge as it is supposed should haue no better beginninge One special principle of these mennes doctrine is to embarre the people from readinge and vnderstandinge of the Scriptures and to suffer them to know nothinge for that as some of them haue saide they be Dogges and Swine and therefore should not precious stones be layde before them Yet now must their negligence be the rule of Christes Religion This is laide as the grounde and foundation of the whole cause and therefore it ought the better to be considered Eckius Pigghius Hosius and others haue often cried out amayne in their bookes and Pulpites where was your Religion before Lùther first beganne to Preache So may wée likewise say And where was your Priuate Masse whiche is the crowne of your kingedome before your people firste beganne to growe negligent and to wante deuotion Some haue saide the Church is gouerned by the Pope some by the general Councels some by the holy Ghost M. Hardinge saith better it is not amisse that the Churche be gouerned by the negligence and vndeuotion of the people Charitie say they is colde and the people is carelesse But therefore hath God appointed Pastours and Ministers to ouersée and control the people and not to suffer them to perishe in their negligence Were it a mater of tiethes or other paimentes the people should be called vpon and not suffered in any wise to be negligent neither should their negligence stande for excuse How much lesse should it be suffered when the case toucheth God The Bishoppes and Fathers in the seconde Councel holden at Bracara in Spayne decreed thus If any man resorte vnto the Church and heare the Scriptures and for negligence or wantonnesse withdraw him selfe from the Communion of the Sacrament and in the reuerende mysteries doo breake the rule of discipline wee decree that suche one be put out of the Catholike Church Vntil he haue done penance and shewed the fruites of his repentance that hauing obteined pardon he may be receiued againe to the holy Communion Thus the godly Fathers in olde time did not flatter and fauour the peoples negligence in this case as M. Harding and his felows doo but exhorted warned reprooued rebuked them called them malâ—pert and impudent that woulde be present and not receiue and excommunicated them for their negligence But these men contrarywise turne away their faces from their brethren and suppresse their voyce and wil not be hearde and speake nothyng but in an vnknowen tongue and finde no faulte with the people but rather make them beléeue that they receiue for them and applie Christes death vnto them by their Masse and that the verie hearyng thereof is sufficient for them and meritorious and thus as muche as in them lieth they increase the negligence of the people and discourage them from the holy Communion The people is tought nothyng they vnderstande nothyng they heare nothing and sauyng onely a few childish and vnséemely gestures they sée nothing neither comforte nor memorie of Christe nor benefite of his passion And this is the cause of their negligence therefore they stande thus backe and withdraw them selfe How be it what néedeth M. Harding thus to charge
Basile cal it the Communion not withstandinge it were priuately receiued whiche is cleane contrary to M. Iuelles sense But neither S. Hierome nor S. Basile euer called it the Masse that litle furthereth M. Hardinge sense They cal it a Communion not for that he that receiued it communicated with others in other places as M. Hardinge gheasseth but for that it was a portion of the holy Communion ministred and diuided openly in the Congregation to be receiued of the faithful The reason that M. Hardinge hereof geathereth muste néedes be this The husbande and his wife receiued the Sacramente at home Ergo the Prieste saide Priuate Masse He muste néedes be very simple that wil be ledde by suche single proufes S. Hieromes plaine woordes necessarily importe the contrary For if this were the custome in Rome for the space of foure hundred yéeres that the people shoulde communicate euery day Then must it néedes follow that duringe that time there was no custome there of priuate Masse M. Hardinge The .20 Diuision Damasus Bishoppe of Rome in S. Hieromes times writeth in libro pontificali that Milciades Pope and Martyr ordeined that the Sacrament in sundry portions consecrated by a Bishop should be sent abroade amonge the Churches for cause of Heretiques that the Catholike people of the Churches whiche woorde here signifieth as the Greeke woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dothe so as it is not necessary to vnderstande that the Sacrament was directed onely to the material Churches but to the people of the Parishes mighte receiue the Catholike Communion and not communicate with Heretikes VVhiche doubtles must be vnderstanded of this priuate and single Communion in eache Catholike mans house and that where Heretikes bare the sway and Priestes might not be suffered to consecrate after the Catholike vsage Els if the Priestes might without let or disturbance haue so doone then what neede had it bene for Milciades to haue made such a prouision for sendinge abroade hostes sanctified for that purpose by the Consecration of a Bishop The place of Damasus hath thus Milciades fecit vt oblationes consecratae per Ecclesias ex consecratu Episcopi propter Haereticos dirigerentur Milciades ordeined that consecrated hostes shoulde be sente abroade amongst the Churches prepared by the consecration of a Bishop The two woordes propter haereticos for Heretikes added by Ado the writer of Martyrs liues openeth the meaninge and purporte of that Decree The B. of Sarisburie This gheasse is one of the weakest of al the reste and therefore M. Hardinge hath staied it vp on euery side with other gheasses that one gheasse mighte healpe an other The firste gheasse is what Damasus shoulde meane by these woordes propter Haereticos The next gheasse is that this order was taken by Milciades againste certaine Heretikes that in the holy Ministration keapte not the Catholike vsage The thirde gheasse is that this woorde Ecclesia muste néedes signifie the people of the parishes and not the material Churche The fourthe gheasse is that the Sacrament was then Consecrate in litle rounde Cakes as of late hath bene vsed The fifthe gheasse is that the Sacrament was sente to euery seueral house whiche must haue bene an infinite labour to the Deacon that caried it and wounderous paineful The sirt gheasse is that first euery husbande receiued the Sacrament in his house alone so the wife and so the seruantes so likewise the children euery one seuerally by him selfe alone Whiche thinge I recken M. Hardinge him selfe thinketh not very likely So many gheasses are here in a thronge heaped togeather Which if I denie altogeather M. Hardinge is hardely hable to proue If I graunte him altogeather without exception yet al are not hable to proue his priuate Masse Firste in this place of Damasus neither is there mention of any Masse nor any perfite sense or reason in the woordes For thus it is written Milciades fecit vt oblationes consecratae per Ecclesias ex consecratu Episcopi dirigerentur quod declaratur fermentum Milciades caused that th' oblations consecrate by the Churches by the Consecration of the Bishop shoulde be directed whiche is declared leauen Neither is there any kinde of thinge either goinge before or followinge after whereby we may gheasse the meaninge It is muche to sée so learned a man as M. Hardinge is so scanted of authorities that he is thus driuen to proue his Masse by suche places as be vtterly voide of sense reason But a man must vse such weapons as may be gotten The twoo woordes propter Haereticos that are patched in by Ado a man of late yeeres as they doo nothinge healpe the sense so haue they no healpe of the storie of that time For a man may wel demaunde of Ado this newe Doctour what were these straunge vnknowen Heretikes without name that you at the laste for a shifte haue espied out where beganne they where dwelte they what taught they howe longe continued they who mainteined them who confuted them what Councel condemned them For it séemeth somewhat straunge that there should be companies routes of Heretikes in the worlde that noman euer knew but Doctour Ado. And where as M. Hardinge putteth in of his owne bisides his booke for Damasus hath no suche thinge nor any other thinge like that these newe founde Heretikes in the Ministration keapte not the Catholique vsage he shoulde haue shewed for his credites sake what other vsage they keapte that was not Catholique for his woorde is not yet Canonized The worlde wil beleue neither him nor Ado without some proufe Further to increase absurdities he saithe by these woordes per Ecclesias is meante not the material Churche but the people of the Church that is to saie in plainer termes Ecclesia is not a Churche but a priuate house I graunte the Gréeke woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of whiche our Englishe woorde Parishe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 séemeth to haue bene taken signifieth a Congregation or méetinge of neighbours or a companie dwellinge within some space togeather whether it be in compasse more or lesse So saithe Eusebius Dionysius writeth vnto Basilides the Bishop of the diuisions of Pentapolis Athanasius saithe that Demetrius tooke vpon him the Bishoprike of Alexandria and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the diuisions in Egypte In these places and certaine others that might be alleged out of Basile Nazianzene and other Gréeke fathers this woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 séemeth to signifie a Bishoprike or a Diocese and not a seueral parishe And therefore Irenaeus thus writeth vnto Uictor Bishop of Rome The Priestes of Rome meaninge thereby the Bishoppes there sent the Sacrament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to them that came out of other dioceses or diuisions And Eusebius thus writeth of Hippolytus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He beyng Bishop of an other diuision Thus much touchinge this woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beyng moued therto by the
where he saithe Some of the people withdrew themselfe Ergo no man did receiue Or Many absteined Ergo the Priest receiued alone these reasons be of no value neither are woorthy of any answeare For of the same premisses the contrary wil rather folowe S. Augustine saithe Many in the East parte absteined Hereof wée may wel geather Ergo Some absteined not Otherwise he shoulde haue saide Al absteined and not some Then further Some absteined not Ergo some receiued with the Prieste So did not the Prieste receiue alone and so hath not M. Hardinge yet founde his Priuate Masse M. Hardinge The .27 Diuision S. Chrysostomâ— many times exhortinge his people to prepare themselues to receiue their rightes at least at Easter in one place saith thus what meaneth this The moste parte of you be partakers of this Sacrifice but once in the yeere some twise some oftener Therefore this that I speake is to al not to them onely that be here present but to those also that liue in wildernesse For they receiue the Sacrament but once in the yere and peraduenture but once in two yeres VVel what then whome shal wee receiue those that come but once or that come often or that come seldome Soothely wee receiue them that come with a pure and a cleane conscience with a cleane harte and to be shorte with a blamelesse life They that be suâ—he let them come alwaies and they that be not suche let them not come not so muche as once VVhy so bicause they receiue to them selues iudgement damnation and punishement The auncient doctoures specially Chrysostome and Augustine be ful of such sentences The B. of Sarisburie It is néedelesse to answeare suche places as make no shew of proufe Chrysostome as M. Hardinge wel knoweth hath neither here nor els where either the name or the sense of Priuate Masse Onely he exhorteth the people to examine and prepare themselues and so to come woorthily to the Lordes Supper Nowe if M. Hardinge thinke he may founde his Masse vpon this place he may also presume the like of S. Paule that where he saide Probeâ— se ipsum homo â–ª Let a man examine him selfe he meante to erecte Priuate Masse M. Hardinge The .28 Diuision Now to this ende I driue these allegations leauinge out a greate number of the same sense Although many times the people forbare to come to the CoÌ„munion so as many times 36 none at al were founde disposed to receiue yet the holy Fathers Bishoppes and Priestes thought not that a cause why they shoulde not daily offer the blessed Sacrifice and celebrate Masse VVhiche thinge may sufficiently be prooued whether M. Iuel that maketh himselfe so sure of the contrary wil yeelde and subscribe accordinge to his promisse or no. Of the daily Sacrifice these woordes of Chrysostome be plaine Quid ergo nos Nonne per singulos dies offerimus offerimus quidem sed ad recordationem facientes morâ—â—s eius vna est hostia non multae c. Then what doo wee doo wee not offer euery day Yes verely wee doo so But wee doo it for recordinge of his death And it is one hoste not many Here I heare M. Iuel say though against his wil I graunte the daily Sacrifice but I stande stil in my negatiue that it can not be shewed there was euer any suche Sacrifice celebrated without a Communion that is as they wilhaue it without some conuenient number to receiue the Sacrament in the same place with the Prieste For proufe of this these be suche places as I am perswaded withal The better learned men that be of more readinge then I am haue other I doubte not The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge notably betrayeth him selfe laiynge foorth for a countenaunce a fewe of Chrysostomes woordes and the same nothing to the mater hewinge and manglinge them as him listeth best requiringe also subscription as vpon sufficient proufe and yet in the same place and with one breath him selfe secretly confessinge the insufficiencie and weaknesse of his proufe These woordes of S. Chrysostome as they make nothinge for Priuate Masse so doo they very wel declare what the Olde Fatâ—â—â—s meante by these woordes Oblation and Sacrifice in the Holy Ministration Chrysostome compareth the Sacrifices of the Iewes in the Lawe with the Sacrifice of Christe in the Gospel He saithe the Sacrifices of the Lawe were many and vnperfite and therefore dayly renewed This of the Gospel is one and perfite and therefore euerlastinge And resembleth the same vnto a soueraine salue whiche beinge once layde on the wounde healeth it vp throughly and needeth no more laieynge on He saithe further that we of the Gospell haue a Saâ—rifice also and that dayly but in remembrance of that Sacrifice once made vpon the Crosse. And although we Sacrifice in sundry places yet saith he the Sacrifice is but one bicause it hath relation vnto that one Sacrifice of Christe And therefore he addeth Quomodo vna est hostia non multae Quia semel oblata est oblata est in sancta sanctorum Hoc autem Sacrificium exemplar illius est How is it one oblation and not many Bicause it was once offred it was offred into the holy place but this Sacrifice meanynge the Ministration of the Sacrament is an example of that And what he meaneth by this woord Exemplar he sheweth a fewe lynes before Quae formam tantùm alicuius habent Exemplar ostendunt non autem virtuâ—em Sâ—cut in Imaginibus exemplar hominis habet imago non etiam virtutem The thinges that beare onely a likenes shewe the samplar of some other thinge but not the power of the same as an Image sheweth the patterne of a man but not the power of a man Hereof S. Chrysostome concludeth thus The thinge that wee doo is doone in remembrâ—unce of that thinge that was done before For Christe saide doo this in my remembrance Hereby it appeareth in what sense the olde Fathers vsed these woordes Oblation and Sacrifice But what dooth al this fâ—rther M. Hardinges Priuate Masse Or if it further it not what dooth it here It is but a faynte Conclusion to saye Chrysostome had the daily Sacrifice Ergo Chrysostome had Priuate Masse Soothely good reader if it had lyked M. Hardinge to haue geuen thée leaue to reade the nâ—â—te lynes folowinge in Chrysostome thou mightest easily haue seene the whole order of the holy Ministration in his time For thus he saithe vnto the people Per singulos dies intras in Ecclesiam Thou commest daily to the Churche Whereby wée sée the Priest was not in the Churche alone Then touchinge the receiuinge he saith The Deacon at that houre calleth the holy and by that voice as it were beholdeth the peoples spottes For like as in a flocke where as be many sounde sheepe and many infected the one must needes be sundred from the other euen so fâ—rethâ—t in the Church For some are sounde and
Pope Calixtus Peracta Consecratione omnes Communicent qui noluerint Ecclesiasticis carere liminibus Sic enim Apostoli statueruÌ„t Sancta Romana tenet Ecclesia The Consecration beinge doone set al Communicate onlesse they wil be remoued from the Churche For so the Apostles appointed and so holdeth the holy Churche of Rome By this Decrée these two were bounde either to Communicate with the priest or to departe foorth of the Churche If they did Communicate then hath M. Hardinge here no Priuate Masse If they departed foorthe then coulde the prieste saye no Masse at al for Soter at least requireth the presence of two Againe the argument that M. Hardinge geathereth out of this Decrée Three persons were present Ergo Two of them did not receiue is vtterly vnsensible and voyde of reason Rather he might haue concluded thus Soter willeth that two be present Ergo muche more he willeth that the same two doo Communicate It may also stande with reason and with the common practise of the Churche at that time that these two whose presence Soter requireth were Priestes or Deacons or otherwise of the Cleargie and that ouer and beside the companie of the people as in déede it is determined by the Glose And so this Decrée of Soter agreeth with an other Decrée of Anacletus made to the like purpose that is That the Bishop at the ministration haue aboute him a certaine number of Deacons Subdeacons and other Ministers bisides the common multitude of the laye people And likewise with an other Decrée of the same Soter that is That euery Priest makinge the Sacrifice haue by him an other Priest to assist him and to make an ende of the Ministration if any quame or sicknesse happen to fal vpon him And this assistance of the priest is required notwithstandinge the presence of others either of the Clerkes or of the Laitie Nowe beinge Priestes or Clerkes and beynge present at the Ministration the lawe specially constrained them to receiue the holy Communion with the Minister as it appeareth by this Decrée written in the Canons of the Apostles If any Bishop or Priest or Deacon or any other of the Clerkes after the Oblation is made doo not Communicate eyther let him shewe cause thereof that if it be founde reasonable he maye be excused or if he shewe no cause let him be excommunicate Thus who so euer these two were whose presence Soter required whether they were of the Laitie or of the Clergie the lawe constrained them to receiue togeather with the Priest And therefore M. Hardinge hath hitherto founde a Communion and no manner â—oken or inklinge of the Priuate Masse M. Hardinge The .30 Diuision In a Councel holden at Agatha a Citie of fraunce then called Gallia aboute the time of Chrysostome an olde Decree of Fabianus Bishop of Rome and Martyr and also of the Councel Elibertine in the time of S. Syluester Anno Domini .314 was renewed that al secular Christen folke shoulde be houseled three times euery yere at Easter Witsontide and Christmas It was there also Decreed that they shoulde heare the whole Masse euery Sonneday and not departe before the Priest had geuen blessinge So they were bounde to heare Masse euery Sonneday and to receiue the Communion but thrise in the yere The selfe same order was decreed in the Councel of Orleance Then of like specially in smal Townes and Villages they had Masse without the Communion of many togeather sometimes The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge knoweth wel that these Decrées whiche he here allegeth coulde neuer be founde writen neither in the Councel holden at Agatha in Fraunce nor at the other Councel holden at Eliberis now called Granado in Spaine but were set foorthe many hundred yeres after in the name of those Councels by one Gratian a man of great diligence as may appeare by his geathering but of no great iudgement as wée may sée by his choise Yet here M. Hardinge shuffleth a greate many of them togeather that the one may the better countenance the other But let vs receiue the authoritie of these Decrees and graunte there was no errour committed by Gratian in his geathering Yet wil they stande M. Harding in smal stéedâ— For as in many other maters they vtterly cast him so they nothing reléeue him for his Masse For thus it is concluded by bothe these Councels Qui in naâ—ali Domini Paschate Penâ—ecoste non Communicant Catholici non credantur neâ— inter Catholicos habeantur They that receiue not the Communion at Christmas Easter and Witsonnetide let them not be taken nor reckened for Catholike people It appeareth by these general Councels that in the whole Churche of Rome sauinge onely a few Massinge Priestes there is not one man woorthy to be accompted Catholique And to drawe neare to the purpose who so wil narrowly vewe the poinctes of these Decrées shal soone sée they cannot stande with the very forme and order of the Churche of those daies For bisides that I haue alreadie prooued by the authoritie of S. Hierome and S. Augustine that the holy Communion was then ministred vnto the people in Rome euery day Fabianus also Bishop of Rome whiche is likewise brought foorthe here for a witnesse hath plainâ—ly Decréed not that the people should heare Masse euery Sonneday as it is soothely warranted by M. Harding but that they should receiue the Communion euery Sonneday His woordes be plaine Dercernimus vt in omnibus Dominicis diebus altaris oblatio ab omnibus viris mulieribus fiat tam Panis quà m Vini Wee Decree that euery Sonneday the oblation of the Aultare be made of al men and wemen bothe of Breade and of wine Here besides that in these woordes is included the receiuinge of the Communion euery Sonneday may be noted also by the way that by this authoritie of Fabian men and wemen made the Sacrifice of the Aultare and that of Breade and Wyne and therefore after the order of Melchisedech Therefore S. Bernarde saith Non solus Sacerdoâ— sacrificat sed totus conuentus fidelium Not onely the Priest sacrificeth but also the whole companie of the faithful These thinges wel considered the sense that M. Harding woulde so faine wringe out of these Decrees wil séeme vnlikely Moreouer when did S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Chrysostome or any other learned Father or Doctour of that age euer vse this manner of speache Audire Missas To heare Masse Certainely this phrase was so farre vnacquainted and vnknowen in that worlde that the very Originals of these Decrees haue it not but onely haue these woordes Tenere Missas To holde Masse as may be seen in the booke of Councels noted purposely in the Margine The Italians this day séeme to speake farre better For of them that heare Masse and vnderstande not what they heare they say Videre Missas That is not to
patrum and Iacobus de voragine and Vincentius in speculo who séeme to intitle this Booke by the name of Amphilochius haue furnished the same with many vnsauerie vaine tales yet was there none of them so impudent once to make any mention of this peeuishe fable of M. Hardinges Masse But for so muche as the glorious name of this holy Father is here brought in to beare witnesse to these maters and that in the night season in a dreame and a vision with the visible appearance of Christe and his Apostles and the greatest staie of M. Hardinges cause resteth hereupon and many are amased with the strangenesse hereof and many are ledde away as though it were mater of good trueth and specially for that the Booke is not commonly to be had and it woulde be chargeable to sende to Verona into Italie for a copie suffer me therefore good Christian Reader to geue thee some taste of the same that thou maiste be hable of thée selfe to iudge further and to see by what Doctours M. Hardinge proueth his Priuate Masse To passe ouer the idle talke and conferâ—nce with Diuels the Uisions the Dreames the Fables and other fantastical vanities whiche are the whole contentes and substance of this newe Booke Tertullian hath a good discreete saieing Furibus aliqua semper excidere solent in indicium The theefe euermore leaueth somwhat behinde him that he may be knowen by Let vs therfore compare M. Hardinges Amphilochius with Socrates Sozomenus Gregorie Nazianzene Gregorie Nyssene and other olde writers of approued credite that haue of purpose writen S. Basiles life Socrates and Sozomenus say that Basile in his youth was Libanius Scholar M. Hardinges Amphilochius saithe Basil was Libanius schoole fellowe Nazianzene and Gregorius Presbyter saye that Basile continuinge at Caesaria was wel acquainted with Eusebius the Bishop there before he wente into Pontus M. Hardinges Amphilochius saithe that at his returne from Pontus whiche was soone after Eusebius knewe him not neither had euer spoken with him or séene him before M. Hardinges Amphilochius saithe Basile was Bishop of Caesarea in the time of Themperour Iulianus wherevpon also are founded a greate many fonde fables Nazianzene his nearest frende saithe he was chosen Bishop there a longe while after in the time of Themperour Valens and was not Bishop there at al duringe the whole time of Iulianus M. Hardinges Amphilochius telleth a longe tale how that S. Mercurie being then deade and a Sainte in Heauen at the commaundement of our Ladie tooke his owne Speare out of his Chappel where it was keapte and wente out with the same into the fielde slewe Themperoure Iulian that the same Speare was founde bloudie afterwarde Nazianzene Socrates Theodoretus and Sozomenus say it coulde neuer be knowen by whome he was slaine M. Hardinges Amphilochius saithe Basile foretolde the death of Iulian Theodoretus saieth it was one Iulianus Sabba that foretolde it not S. Basile M. Hardinges Amphilochius saithe Themperour Valens yelded gaue place vnto Basile Sozomenus saithe Themperour continued stil his purpose and would not yéelde M. Hardinges Amphilochius saithe Nazianzenus was present at S. Basiles burial Nazianzene him selfe that ought to know it best saithe he came afterwarde and was not present Gregorius Presbyter saithe Nazianzene came a great while after that Basile was buried M. Hardinges Amphilochius is so impudent that he saieth Nazianzenus came in al haste and sawe the blissed bodie and fel vpon it when it was buried Whereby it séemeth that this Amphilochius was not very wise nor circumspecte in his talke For if Nazianzene sawe S. Basiles bodie how was it buried If it were buried how coulde he sée it Againe M. Hardinges Amphilochius saieth Gregorie Nazianzene ruled the Apostolique sée for the space of twelue yéeres By thapostolike sée he muste néedes meane either Rome or Constantinople If he meane Rome Nazianzene was neuer Bishop there If he meane ConstaÌ„tinople where in déede he was Bishop yet was that neuer called thapostolike sée and so what so euer he meante he made a lie Now iudge thou indifferently good Christian Reader whether Amphilochius the Bishop of Iconium S. Basiles special nearest frende writinge of him that he knew so wel coulde possibly so many waies be deceiued If M. Hardinge had knowen him better I thinke he woulde haue spared this authoritie How be it Vlpian saithe Etiam monstra poâ—tentosi partus prosunt Euen Monsters and il shapen children may goe for children To come to the mater M. Hardinges Amphilochius thus telleth on his tale Basile saithe he beinge once made Bishop besought God that he might offer vp the vnbloudie Sacrifice with his owne woordes he fel in a traunce came againe to him selfe and so ministred euery day On a certaine night Christe with his Apostles came downe to him from heauen brought breade with him awooke Basile and bade him vp and offer the Sacrifice Up he arose was streight at the Aultare said his praiers as he had writen them in his paper lifted vp the breade laide it downe againe brake it in thrée partes receiued one reserued an other to be buried with him honge vp the thirde in a golden Dooue And al this was donne Christe and his Apostles beinge stil present who came purposely from Heauen to healpe Basile to Masse We may now the better beleue Homer that Iuppiter with his Goddes wente downe sometime for his pleasure to banket in Ethiopia Or that an Angel euermore ministred the Sacrament vnto Marcus that holy Mounke Or that Angels came from heauen to consecrate Amphilochius Bishop of Iconium Or that the holy Ghost was sente from heauen to Remigius with a boxe of Holy Oyle Or that when holy Arnulphus began Matins at Midnight and saide Domine labia c. and al his Monkes were a sleape a number of Angels supplied the lacke and answeared him Et os meum annuntiabit Iaudem tuam But M. Harding layeth on more weight and forceth this fable to his purpose and al be it in the whole tale there is not once the name of Masse yet is he content to take paynes conningly to falsifie the texte and seuen times togeather to translate it onely by the name of Masse For with him offerre sacrificium is to say Masse likewise Ministrare Deo is to say Masse and ministerium ministrationis is the seruice of the Masse For as Midas what so euer he touched had power to turne the same into golde so M. Hardinge what so euer he toucheth hath a special power to turne the same into his Masse But let vs a litle vewe the Circumstances and weighe the likelihoodes of this mater Basile besought God that he might make the Sacrifice with his owne woordes And shal we thinke he had more fancie to his owne woordes then he had to the woordes of Christe He awooke stoode vp and suddainly was
Subdeacons one hundred and tenne Readers and fiue twentie Singers Hereby wée may sée that Chrysostome beinge at Antioche in so Populous a Citie although he had none of the Lay people with him yet coulde not be vtterly lefte alone Now if wée say that some of these Priestes Deacons or other Communicated with the Bishop I tel them saithe M. Hardinge boldely and with a solemne countenaunce whiche must needes make good proufe This is but a poore shifte and wil not serue their purpose But if it be true it is ritche yenough if it agrée with Chrysostomes owne meaning it is no shifte therefore sufficiently serueth our purpose And bicause he sitteth so fast vpon the bare woordes and reposeth al his hope in Nemo if wée liste to cauil in like sorte wée might soone finde warrant sufficient to answeare this mater euen in the very plaine woordes of Chrysostome For thus they lie Frustra assistimus Altari In vaine wee stande at the Aultare Wee stande saith he and not I stande and therefore includeth a number not one alone How be it our shiftes are not so poore wée néede not to take holde of so smal aduantages It is prouided by the Canons of the Apostles That if any Bishop or Priest or Deacon or any other of the Quiere after the Oblation is made doo not receiue onlesse he shew some reasonable cause of his so dooinge that he stande Excommunicate There was then neither suche number of Aultares nor suche cheuisance of Masses as hath beene sithence Al the Priestes receiued togeather at one Communion The like law in the Churche of Rome was afterwarde renewed by Pope Anacletus The Councel of Nice decréeth thus Accipiant Diaconi secundum ordinem post Presbyteros ab Episcopis vel a Presbytero Communionem Let the Deacons in order after the Priestes receiue of the Bishops or of the Priest the holy Communion Likewise the Councel of Carthage Accipiant Diaconi ex ordine Eucharistiam post Presbyteros eis dante Episcopo vel Presbytero Let the Deacons receiue the Communion in order after the Priestes either the Bishop or the Priest ministring it So the Councel of Laodicea It is lawful onely for the Priestes of the Churche to enter into the place where the Aultare standeth and there to Communicate So the Councel of Toledo Let the Priestes and Deacons Communicate before the Aultare the Clerkes in the Quiere and the people without the Quiere Nicolaus Cusanus writinge vnto the Clergie and Learned of Bohemia hath these woordes Hoc est singulariter attendeÌ„dum quod Sacerdotes nunquaÌ„ sine Diacono celebrabant in omni Missa Diaconus de manu Sacerdotis accepit Eucharistiam sub specie Panis Sacerdos de manu Diaconi Calicem This thinge is specially to be noted that the Priest did neuer Celebrate without a Deacon and that in euery Masse the Deacon receiued the Sacrament in the kinde of Breade at the Priestes hande and the Priest the Cuppe at the Deacons hande But what néedeth muche proufe in a case that is so playne Chrysostome him selfe in the Liturgie that commonly beareth his name followeth the same order After that the Priestes haue receiued saith he the Archedeacon commaundeth the Deacons to come foorthe and they so comminge receiue as the Priestes did before This was the very order of Chrysostomes Masse touchinge the Clergie and that by the witnesse of Chrysostome him selfe Now let M. Hardinge iudge vprightly whether these shiftes be so poore as he woulde make them But if the whole Clergie had béene so negligent that not one of them al being so many and so straitely charged woulde haue Communicated with the Priest as M. Hardinge séemeth to condemne them al onely vpon his owne woorde without any euidence Yet let vs sée whether M. Hardingâ—s Nemo were hable of necessitie to shutte out al the rest of the people Chrysostome in diuers places séemeth to diuide the whole multitude into three sortes whereof some were Penitent some Negligent and some Deuoute The Penitent were commaunded away and might not Communicate The Negligent sometime departed of them selues and woulde not Communicate The Deuoute remained and receiued togeather Now that the Deuoute remained stil with Chrysostome the whole time of the holy Mysteries it is plaine by the very fame place that M. Hardinge here allegeth for his purpose For thus Chrysostome saith vnto the people Thou art come into the Churche and hast songe praises vnto God with the rest and hast confessed thee selfe to be one of the woorthy in that thou departedste not foorth with the vnwoorthy By these woordes he sheweth that some were woorthy and some vnwoorthy that the vnwoorthy departed and the woorthy remained And againe in the same Homily he saithe The Deacon standinge on high calleth some to the Communion and putteth of some thrusteth out some and bringeth in some Chrysostome saith Some are called and some are brought in to Receiue with the Priest Where then is now M. Hardinges Nemo Uerely if there were some people with the Priest then was there no place for No body If No body receiued then is it not true that Chrysostome saithe that Some Receiued Here of a false Principle M. Hardinge as his wonte is gheasseth out the like Conclusion If there were so few Communicantes in that populous Citie of Antioche where the Scriptures were daily expouÌ„ded and preached then it is likely in Countrie Churches there were none at al. This argument hangeth onely by likelyhoode as doo the reast of his makinge and beinge set in order it standeth thus There was no Priuate Masse in the greate Citie of Antioche Ergo there was Priuate Masse in the Countrie Surely â–ª Good Reader this is a very Countrie Argument what so euer it seeme to M. Hardinge And further where as to aduance the Citie and to abase the Countrie he saithe The people in Cities were duly taught by opèn Sermons herein he must nâ—â—des be content that his gheasse geue place vnto the truethe For Chrysostome hâ—â— selfe saithe farre otherwise Thus he speaketh vnto the people in the Citie Dum per Hebdomadam semel vocamus vos ignaui estis alij quidem non aduenitis alâ— aâ—tem praesentes sine â—ucro disceditis quid non faceretis si nos hoc continuâ—â—â—â—â—remus Where as beynge called by vs but once in the weeke yet yee be slothful and some of you come not at al and other some beynge present departe without profite what would yee not doo if wee should cal you euery daye I note not this for that I misselyke with daily preachinge but for that vntrueth so boldly presumed shoulde not passe vntouched Yet saithe M. Hardinge In smal Countrie Churches either the priest let cease the daily Sacrifice or els he receiued alone But the daily Sacrifice ceassed not for then that had beene leafte vndoone that Christe commaunded to be doone Ergo there was
Priuate Masse O M. Hardinge is it not possible your doctrine may stande without lyes So many vntruethes in so litle roome without shame of the worlde without feare of God Where did Christe euer commaunde you to make your Sacrifice By what Commission By what woordes Where did Christe wil you to doo it euery daye Where did Christe euer cal it the daily Sacrifice Or where euer learned you that the remembrance of Christes death perteyneth more to the priest then to the people And if your Masse be that Sacrifice who euer commaunded your priest to saye your daily Masse What Lawe what Decrée what Decretal what Legantine what Prouincial Or what priest euer was there that saide if daily Peccham in his Prouincial was neuer so straite He saithe no more but thus Statuimus vt quilibet Sacerdos quem Canonica necessitas non excusat conficiat omni â—ebdomada saltem semel We ordeine that euery priest onlesse he be excused by some Canonical necessitie doo Consecrate euery weeke once at the least There is oddes betweene once a weeke and once a daye And Linwoode writinge vpon the same allegeth these woordes of S. Augustines Quotidiae Eucharistiae communicare nee laudo nec vitupero As for receiuinge the communion euery daye I neither prayse it nor dispraise it Innocentius the thirde noteth that there were priestes in his time that woulde scarcely saye masse at foure times in the yeere And Thomas of Aquine thinketh it sufficient for a prieste that is not charged with Cure to say Masse onely vpon principal feastes It is also written in Vitis Patrum that a certaine holye man beinge made prieste woulde notwithstandinge neuer saye Masse while he liued Yet was there none of these euer charged with foresâ—owinge or ceassinge the daiely Sacrifice or leauinge vndoone that thinge that Christe had commaunded to be doone Concerninge the priestes Sole receiuinge whiche is grounded onely vpon it selfe without further proufe Uerily I sée no cause but that Nicolaus de Cusa beinge a Cardinal of Rome ought to carie as good credite herein as M. Hardinge with al his gheasses He saithe and willeth his woordes to be specially noted as it is before touched that in those daies the priest did neuer receiue without the Deacon Yet hath M. Hardinge a certaine surmise by him selfe that the priestes in the Countrey receiued alone But what a woonderful case is this The Masse that we must needes beleue is so Auncient so Uniuersal so Catholique so Holy so Glorious cannot be founde neither in Churches nor in Chapels nor in secrete Oratories nor in Priuate houses in Towne or Citie but must be sought out in some Petie parishe in the Countrie and that by coniecture onely and by gheasse and by suche recordes as directely condemne the whole order of the Masse and wil suffer no man to be present thereat but onely suche as wil receiue For thus saithe Chrysostome If thou stande by and doo not Communicate thou arte maliperte thou art shamelesse thou art impudent Thyne eies be vnwoorthy the â—ight hereof vnwoorthy he thine eares O thou wilt saye I am vnwoorthy to be partaker of the holy Mysteries Then art thou vnwoorthy to be partaker of the praiers thou mayste no more stande here then a Heathen that neuer was Christened And touchinge him selfe he saithe In vaine wee come to offer the daily Sacrifice In vaine wee stande at the Aultare Meaninge thereby as may appeare that if he saide Priuate Masse for lacke of companie it was in vaine Here M. Hardinge séeinge that his Masse euen by his owne authoritie is shrewdly cracâ—te and leafte for vayne assayeth to salue it as wel as he may The Masse saithe he is not in vayne in it selfe but vnto the people that wil not come This is a Glose biside the texte yet let vs take it as it were true But if hearinge of the Masse be a thinge pleasaunt vnto God and meritorious vnto the people if Christe be there offred in déede for the sinnes of the worlde if the Priest alone may receiue for al the rest if it be sufficient for the people to Communicate spiritually as M. Hardinge hath auouched then is not the saieinge of the Masse in vaine no not vnto the people no although they neuer woulde Communicate Chrysostome saithe It is in vaine M. Harding saithe It is not in vaine And yet to sée a greater contradiction M. Hardinge him sâ—lfe in this place saithe It is in vaine vnto the people And yet the same M. Hardinge hath saide before It is commaunded by Councels it is sufficient for the people to Communicate in spirite it is not in vaine vnto the people If M. Hardinge wil stande vnto the authâ—ritie of Chrysostome let him not dissemble but speake plainely vnto the people â–ª as Chrysostome spake Let him saye to them that come to heare his Masse If yee receiue not ye are shamelesse yee are impudent yee are not woorthy to be partakers of the common praiers departe yee from the Churche yee haue no more place here then Turkes and Heathens Your eies â—e vnwoorthy to see these thinges vnwoorthy be your eares our Masses can not profite you they are not meritorious for you they please not God they prouoke his anger they are al in vaine This is Chrysostomes sense and plaine meaninge and this is a fayre winding vp of M. Hardinges Clewe Now let vs examine this inuincible argument wherewithal euery Childe as M. Hardinge vaunteth is hable to proue the Priuate Masse The Maior is this The Sacrifice in Chrysostomes time was daily offred The Minor is this But many times no man came to Communicate with the Priest The Conclusion Ergo There was Priuate Masse Here the Maior is apparent false The Minor proued at aduentures onely by blinde gheasse and so not proued at al Therefore the Conclusion must néedes follow after as it may Onlesse M. Hardinge looke better to it I trow it wil proue but a childish argument As for the Maior it is plaine by the sixte Councel of Constantinople by S. Augustine vpon S. Iohn by S. Basil Ad Caesariam patritiam By the Epistle of the Councel of Alexandria in the defence of Macarius and by the Councel holden at Laodicea and by sundrie other authorities to that purpose before alleged that the Sacrifice was not daily offred as M. Hardinge imagineth Touchinge the Minor it is not proued but hangeth as I haue saide onely by gheasse M. Hardinge him selfe sawe that this is but a sclender proufe Chrysostome Ministred euery day Ergo he receiued alone And therefore he sought further to finde his Single Communion in the Countrie But Chrysostome saith There is No body to Communicate By this it may appeare as I haue already saide that Chrysostome him selfe did not Communicate onlesse wée wil say Chrysostome was No bodie and so No body receiued alone and No body him selfe saide M. Hardinges Priuate Masse And therefore No body may
with al. He woulde haue it free for the whole Churche to determine of it but not for euery Churche particular This is a shifte to deceiue the ignorant For he knoweth wel that al other Churches throughout the worlde from the firste plantinge of the Gospel vntil this day doo stil minister the Holie Communion in Bothe Kindes as Christe commaunded and that Christes Institution was neuer openly and by consente broaken but onely in the Churche of Rome whiche Churche also is not vniuersal but meere particular and that the same breache in the same Churche of Rome sprange not of any consent of Bishoppes or other learned men but as it is prooued before onely of the simple deuotion of the people And doothe M. Hardinge thinke the people may safely breake Christes Institution without any General Councel and may not safely returne againe to the same without a general Councel Uerely there needeth no Councel where as nothinge is donne by Councel Touchinge the indifferencie of this mater wherupon M. Hardinge hath buâ—lte this whole treatie and in what sorte the breache of Christes Institution may séeme a thinge indifferent I know no better answeare then that is already made by S. Cyprian who in the like case maketh answeare thus Si quis de antecessoribus meis non hoc obseruauit tenuit quod nos Dominus exemplo magisterio suo docuit potest simplicitati eius de indulgentia Domini venia concedi nobis veró non poterit ignosci qui nuÌ„c a Domino admoniti instructi sumus c. If any of my predecessours haue not followed and keapte that thinge whiche the Lorde by his example and commaundement hath taught vs he for his simplicitie may be pardoned but if wee wilfully offende there is no pardon for vs that are already warned and instructed of the Lorde Wee geue God thankes that whiles he instructeth vs what wee shall doo for the time to come he forgeueth vs that is past bicause wee haue eâ—â—ed of simplicitie Thus farre foorthe the breache of Gods ordinance may be borne with al by the iudgement of S. Cyprian But he addeth further Post inspirationem verò reuelationem factam qui in eo quod errauerat perseuerat prudens sciens sine venia ignorantiae peccat praesumptione aâ—que obstinatione superatus After that God hath once opened and reueled his truthe who so continueth stil in his errour willingly and wittingly offendeth without hope of pardon as beinge ouercome with Presumption and Wilfulnesse M. Hardinge The .8 Diuision And where as it was ministred in bothe kindes at Corinth as it appeareth by S. Paule and in sundrie other places as wee finde moste euidently in the writinges of diuers auncient Fathers Yet the Churche hath beene mooued by diuerse and weighty causes to take order that the people should receiue their Communion vnder one kinde not onely in the Councel of Basil but also in that of Constance and longe before them aboue a thousande yeeres in 52 the first Councel of Ephesus as many doo probably geather and namely Vrbanus Regius a Doctour of Luthers schoole confesseth in his Booke De locis Communibus One cause and not the least was that thereby the heresie of Nestorius might the rather be extinguished who amongst other errours helde opinion 53 that vnder the forme of Breade in the Sacrament is conteined the Body of Christe without his Bloud and vnder the forme of the Wine his Bloud onely without his Body Many other causes mooued those Fathers to take that order for the auoiding of many inconueniences daungers and offences whiche might happen in the vse of the Cuppe as vnreuerence of so high a Sacrament whereof Christen people at the beginninge had a maruelous care and regarde the lothesomenesse of many that can not brooke the taste of wine the difficultie of gettinge and impossibilitie of keepinge wine from corruption in countries situated neare to the Northe Pole in that Clyme where is knowen to be greate extremitie of colde biside a number of the like So that it had beene bisides reason to haue bounde al to the necessitie of bothe kindes The B. of Sarisburie He graunteth that S. Paule at Corinthe and sundrie other holy Fathers in their seueral Churches ministred the Sacrament in Bothe Kindes He might as wel haue saide al the Apostles and al the holy Fathers sauinge for hindering of his cause But the Churche afterwarde vpon good causes as it is here alleged tooke order to the contrary and namely to confute the Heretique Nestorius Here must thou marke good Christian Reader The Question is vvhether M. Hardinges halfe Communion vvere euer ministred openly to the people in the Church vvithin the space of sixe hundred yeres after Christe For prooufe hereof he allegeth that this order was allowed in the Councels of Constance and Basil the former wherof was begunne holden in the yeere of our Lorde a thousande foure hundred and fouretenth and the same neither general nor euer generally receiued And what force can he finde herein to prooue his purpose It is also probably geathered saithe M. Hardinge that the same order was taken a thousande yeeres before in the firste Councel of Ephesus Here he is driuen vtterly to leaue his learning as he coÌ„monly doeth only to holde by bare gheasse But if this new diuise were brought in to confute the Heretique Nestorius why then tooke it place first in the Councels of Constance and Basil a thousande yeres after that Nestorius was dead his Heresie quite forgotten If it were so ordred in the Councel of Ephesus why is there no Acte or mention therof extant in that Councel nor any learned man within a thousand yeres after to recorde the same But Vrbanus Regius a Doctour of Luthers Schoole confesseth it First Urbanus Regius departed this life not aboue twéentie yeres agoe and therefore is a very younge witnesse to testifie a thinge doone so longe before Bysides this the Booke of CoÌ„mon Places that is abroade in his name is nothing els but a heape of thinges geathered togeather by longe readinge as the manner of studentes is out of diuers and sundrie bookes and that as wel of the one side as of the other onely for healpe of memorie and increase of knowledge Neither was that Booke euer corrected or publisshed by him but onely deliuered to the Printer as it was by his widowe after his death as appeareth by Pomeranus that dedicated that booke to the Prince of Mensburg And therefore these collections doo witnesse his diligence but not his iudgement As touchinge that note concerninge the Councel of Ephesus it may be thought he had it out of Alardus or Michael Vaehe or some other like writer of this age Nestorius emongst other errours saithe M. Hardinge helde opinion that vnder the forme of Breade in the Sacrament is conteined the Body of Christe without his Bloud and vnder the forme of wyne the Bloud onely
and teache al nations baptizinge them c. And yet the Churche hâ—â—h not feared to baptize Infantes that be without capacitie of teachinge and for the due administration of this Sacrament to many â—ath thought powring or sprinklinge of water vpon them sufficient though this be not spoaken of I say it is muche to be considered to this purpose that the Apostles â—â—ickte not for a time to alter and change the very essential forme of woordes with which Christe woulde this Sacrament to be ministred For whereas he commaunded them to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy â—host they Baptized in the name of Iesus Chiste 54 Onely intendinge thereby to make that to be of more fame and celebritie So to retourne to the Sacrament of the Body and Bloud of Christe whereof we treate no man can denye but many thinges were at th'insâ—itution of it doone by th' example of Christe and by him commaunded whiche now be not obserued and yet in that respecte no faulte is founde Christe washed the Apostles feete and gaue them an expresse commaundement to doo the same with these moste plaine woordes If I that am your Maister and Lorde haue vvashed your feete you also ought to vvashe one an others feete For I haue geuen you an example that as I haue doone you doo so likevvise Whiche commaundement of Christe accordinge to the outwarde letter verely bindeth no lesse then these woordes Drinke ye al of this yet this commaundement is not keapt but cleane growen out of vse Though it appeare by S. Bernarde who calleth it Magnum Sacramentum A greate Sacrament and longe before by reporte of S. Cyprian that Christe did not onely wasshe his Apostles feete but commaunded also by solemne request and ordeined that the Apostles afterwarde should doo the same VVhether this ordinance of Christe hath been abolisshed for that it should not be thought a rebaptization as it may be geathered of S. Augustine or for any other cause it forceth not greatly But this is muche to be marueled at that this so earnesâ—ly commaunded is so quietly and with such silence suffred vndoone and in the ministration of the Sacrament the vse of the cuppe so factiously and with so muche crieing out required Neither in many other rites and ceremonies wee doo not as Christe did Christe celebrated this Sacrament after that he had supped wee doo it in the morning and fastinge Christe sate at the table with his xij Apostles neither sitte wee at a table neither thinke wee it necessarie to obserue suche number Christe brake the breade wee thinke it not necessarie to breake the hoste that is to be deliuered to the faithful participantes Here is to be noted that S. Cyprian rebukinge them which thought sprinklinge or powring of water not to be sufficient for Baptisme declareth that the Sacramentes be not to be esteemed according to their extreme and rigorous obseruation or administration of al the externe elementes but rather accordinge to the integritie and soundenesse of faithe of the geuer and of the receiuer and that diuine thinges vsed in a compendious sorte conferre and geue neuerthelesse to the right beleuers their whole vertue lib. 4. Epist. 7. Many other commaundementes of God concerninge outwarde thinges might here be rehearsed whiche notwithstandinge by litle and litle in the Churche haue ben omitted as the forebearinge of strangled thinges and bloud which was commaunded by God in the Olde Testament and according to the pleasure and aduise of the Holy Ghoste decreed by the Apostles in the New Testament Yet for as much as concerneth outwarde thinges both this and many other the like haue in processe of time growen out of obseruation and haue without any scruple of conscience beene abrogated The B. of Sarisburie The best staye that these men can lay holde vpon is to denie Christes Institution And therefore M. Hardinge saith here In no wise wee doo not graunt it which is an argument of good courage but of smal proufe But he addeth further If it were Christes Institution yet notwithstandinge by the authoritie of the Churche and vpon good consideration it might be broken His reasons be these In the olde Testament Dauid did eate the Shewbreade notwithstandinge it were forbidden the people in the wildernesse ceased from Circumcision notwithstandinge it were commaunded â–ª the Machabees fought and defended them selues vpon the Sabboth day notwithstanding God had appointed that day to reast In the New Testament wée Baptize Infantes that can receiue no teachinge and sometime wee thinke it sufficient to sprinkle them or to powre them ouer and the Apostles contrary to Christes Institution Baptized in the name of Iesus Onely If M. Harding coulde haue brought any suche example or authoritie as was required suche poore healpes should not haue needed For these allegations are partly true partly false partly not agréeinge to that wée haue in hande neither in place nor in time nor in the ende nor in the manner of dooing nor in other circumstances therfore make litle to this purpose Dauid tooke of the Shewbreade but he was forced thereto by extremitie of famine Neither did he euer decrée that it should be lawful for al others to doo the like The people ceased from Circumcision in the wildernesse but they had Gods special dispensation so to doo as it is noted by Lyra for that they were in continual trauel from place to place and people beinge newly Circumcised coulde abide no labour yet made they no law that Circumcision should quite be abolished The Machabees might lawfully defende them selues vpon the Sabboth day For as Christe expoundeth the law Man is not made for the Sabbothe but the Sabboth is made for man And therefore the Iewes did il that beinge beséeged vpon the Sabboth day as Dion saith stoode stil and yeelded them selues vnto their enemies Yet did not the Machabees proclaime that it should be lawful vpon the Sabboth to goe to the fielde Touching Baptisme first wée teache the Fathers afterwarde wee Baptize them and their children and this is no breache of Christes commaundement For after wée be once become Gods people God hath promised That he wil be our God and the God of our children And by the Prophet Ezechiel he saithe your children be my children They that sprinkled them that they Baptized vsed bothe the woorde and also the element or kinde of water that was commaunded neither dooth it appeare that Christe gaue any commaundement of dippinge the partie into the water But these men take quite away from the people bothe the element kinde of wine and also the woordes of Consecration Last of al in that he saithe The Apostles contrary to the Institution Baptized in the name of Christe Onely Bisides the méere sophistication of the mater he also falsifieth the woordes putting that behinde that S. Luke set before And that thou maist the
must correcte S. Hierome that saithe The lordes Supper must be common to al And likewise Chrysostome that saith In the holy Mysteries there is no difference betweene the Priest and the People For it is nowe otherwise agréeed that the Lordes Supper may not be Common vnto al and that in the Mysteries there must be a difference betwéene the Priest and the People The obiection that is made of keepinge children from the Communion is but childishe and nothinge to the mater For in so dooinge we diuide not the Mysteries nor breake any parte of Christes Institution no more then when by order of Excommunication we remoue the wicked from the whole vse of the Sacrament For notwithstandinge it appeare by S. Augustine S. Cyprian and others that Infantes in the Primitiue Churche in sundrie places were admitted to the holy Communion yet afterwarde vpon good aduise they were iustly remoued from it bicause that beinge in that age they were not thought hable to examine and proue them selfes accordinge to the doctrine of S. Paule and so to eate of that Breade and to drinke of that Cuppe In like sorte in the lawe of Moses notwithstandinge al menchildren were commaunded to be Circumcised yet none were admitted to eate the Passeouer but onely suche as coulde demaund what it meante The Churche saithe M. Hardinge is the interpreter of Gods minde The Churche knoweth that this was not Christes Insttrution Uerily if the Churche knowe it nowe at laste she hath beene longe in learninge this lesson For the olde Catholike Churche as it is wel knowen tooke it farre otherwise and that folowinge the plaine woordes of God whereby Gods ordinary way is to reuele his minde and bicause Christe ministred vnto his Disciples in Bothe kindes and commaunded them to doo the same therefore that Churche vnderstoode him euen as his woordes sounded and ministred vnto the people the whole Communion in Bothe Kindes Nowe whereas M. Hardinge saithe The Churche of Rome of late yeeres hath more secrete intelligence of Goddes mynde then the elder Churche had any time before me thinketh he imagineth Christe thus to saye to his Apostles Doo the same to others that ye haue seene me doo to you For a time it shal be lawful after it shal not be lawful Nowe it is my Institution the time shal come when it shal be no lenger my Institution After fourteene hundred yeeres there shal be a certaine Councel of fiue hundred Bishops and eight hundred Monkes and Friers there shal be terrible contention whether the Pope be aboue the Councel or the Councel aboue the Pope One Pope shal be deposed an other shal be erected againste hâ—m and so two Popes at one time â—hone shal excommunicate and curse and seeke al meanes to depose the other Kinges and Princes shal be in partes The whole worlde shal be troubled Thâ—â— shal these meters be concluded That I commâ—unde they shal breake that I bynde they shal loose Oâ—lesse M. Hardinge geue suche exposition to Christâ—s woordes he cannot be greatly relieued by them Thus haue we reason sufficient to open the errour of M. Hardinges Churche and godly charitie to ioyne with the olde Catholike Churche of the Apostles and holy Fathers whiche we doubte not was the Churche of God M. Hardinge The .11 Diuision And although herein we coulde be content Infantes not to be spoken of â–ª yet it may easily be proued that the Communion vnder bothe kindes hathe not euer beene general And as we doo not condemne it but confesse it might be restored againe by the authoritie of the Churche lawfully assembled in a general Councel vpon mature deliberation before had and a holsome remedie againste the inconueniences thereof prouided euen so are we hable to shewe good authoritie for the defence of the one kinde no we vsed in the Churche The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge woulde haue vs put Gods woorde to dayeinge and none otherwise to be obedient to Christes commaundement then if a few Bishops geathered at Trident shal allowe it But we may answeare suche a Councel as kinge Agesilaus sometime answeared the Maâ—edonians through whose countrey he desired to haue passage againste his enemies For when they had sente him woorde that the mater was greate and that therefore they woulde wel consider of it Let them consider sâ—ide he whâ—le they list but in the meane time I wil passe through If the Councel vpâ—n aduise wil restore againe the whole Communion why then dooth Pope Leo cal it The Heresie of the â—reekes and of the Bohâ—mians Or why dooth Gerson in title his booke Conâ—â—a Haâ—esim Communicandi Laicos sub vtraque specie against the Heresie of 〈◊〉 the â—oye people vnder Bothe Kindes I trowe Councelles be not called to restore the worlde to Heresies The greate inconueniences that M. Hardinge woulde haue a general Councel to make prouisees for are noted by Gerson the greatest Promoter of the Councel of Constance and are these The liquoure mought be sheadde It cannot be caried about without daunger In winter it woulde soone sower and turne to Uineger In Sommer it woulde putrifie and bréede woormes It woulde be lothesome for men to drinke In some Countreis it is harde to be gotten The laye people shoulde touche the Cuppe Some of them haue Beardes some haue Palsies The dignitie of the priest and laye man shoulde be al one These and other like inconueniences are suche as Christe and his Apostles neuer knewe yet the Councel that is nowe holden at Trident vpon mature and solemne deliberation hath pronounced and published If any man wil saye that these be not iust causes why the people shoulde stande content with the Halfe Communion accursed be he And notwithstandinge the Bishoppes in that Councel haue already yelded that certaine Countries and Kingedomes may vse the whole Communion accordinge to Christes Institution yet haue they added so fonde conditions vnto the same that al men may sée they sitte there onely for a countenaunce to mocke the worlde M. Hardinge The .12 Diuision And bicause M. Iuel beareth the worlde in hande nothinge can be brought for it of our side some places I wel â—llege here that seeme to me very euidently to proue that the vse of bothe kindes hath noâ— alwaies beene thought necessarie to al persons and that the Communion vnder one kinde hath beene practised and holden for good within the sixe hundred yeeres after Christe that he woulde so faine â—inde vs vnto Here may be alleged first thâ—example of our Lorde him selfe out of the .xxiiij. Chapter of S. Luke whiche is spoken of before where it is declared that he gaue the Sacrament vnto the two Disciples at Emaus vnder the forme of Bread onely whiche place ought to haue the more weight of authoritie in a Catholike mans iudgement bicause it is brought by the Councel of Constance and also by the Councel of Basile for proufe of the Communion vnder one kinde That it was the Sacrament the auncient
quotiescunque discors sententia inuenitur illius Concilij sententia magis teneatur cuius antiquior potior extat authoritas When so euer contrarietie in sentence is founde in the Actes of Councels let the sentence of that Councel be taken that hath the elder and better authoritie It this determination of Gelasius be good there is no cause why these twoo so late Councels should weigh downe any Catholike mans conscience specially against so many contrary Councels as haue beene before Doubtlesse it is a maruelous case that either of these twoo Councels should at last sée that thing in the woordes of S. Luke that the Councel of the Apostles coulde not see Yet to healpe M. Hardinge foorthwarde let vs graunte S. Augustine vnderstoode these woordes of the Sacrament In déede he calleth it in the same place Sacramentum Panis The Sacrament of Breade meaning thereby that the substance of Breade in the same remaineth stil but he calleth it not The Forme or shadow of Bread as M. Hardinge doothe But let vs graunte it was the Sacrament Now haue an eye good Reader to M. Hardinges fingers and marke how he iuggleth with S. Augustines woordes S. Augustine saithe Per Sacramentum Panis vnitate Corporis participata These plaine woordes it liketh M. Hardinge to English thus Thereby they were made partakers of the vnitie of Christes Body that is to say made one Body with Christe Alas this was no parte of S. Augustines minde Beware good Reader this man séeketh waies to deceiue thee Lyra him selfe confesseth that these woordes of S. Augustine haue Mysticam interpretationem A mystical vnderstandinge and may not be taken neither of the Sacrament nor of Christes Natural Body but of his Body Mystical whiche is the Churche and that who so euer is partaker or member of the Churche knoweth Christe who so euer is without the Churche knoweth not Christe But who can better reporte the same then S. Augustine him selfe His woordes be these plaine and cleare and in the same place how be it M. Hardinge thought good to dissemble them Nec quisquam se Christum agnouisse arbâ—â—retur si eius Corporis particeps non estâ— id est Ecclesiae cuius vnitatem in Sacramento Panis Apostolus commendat dicens vnus Panis vnum Corpus multi sumus Let no man thâ—nke he knoweth Christe onlesse he be partaker of his Body that is to say of the Churche the vnitie of whiche Churche the Apostle commendeth in the Sacrament of Breadâ— sayeinge Wee beinge many are one Breade and one Bodie The Churche was that body whereof the twoo Disciples were made partakers and members and so came to the knowledge of Christe Now notwithstandinge wée haue graunted that S. Augustine expoundeth this place of the Sacrament yet dooth not Sâ— Augustine say that Christe ministred the halfe Sacrament to his Disciples in One Kinde onely But saith M. Harding Luke speaketh onely of the Breade Ergo There was no wine This argument may be good in M. Hardinges Diuinitie but it is of smal force in good Logique As for your Synecdoche whereby of the parte ye vnderstande the whole saieth M. Hardinge It is but a patche of your diuise and wil not serue Yet S. Augustine S. Gregorie Bede Iulianus Dionysius Lyra Wideforde and others that vnderstande these woordes of S. Luke of hospitalitie must néedes craue the warrant of a figure and vnder the name of Breade must néedes conceiue meate and Wine also otherwise there had beene a very simple and a drie feast Now if M. Hardinge can allowe them the figure of Synecdoche why may not he as wel allow vs the same It is a manner of speache commonly vsed in al the Scriptures But Christe streight way vanished from their sight vpon the breakinge of the Breade and therefore had no leasure to deliuer the other portion neither is their any mention made of the Cuppe O what miserable straites these menne be driuen into To make vp their tale they are gladde to say that Christ lackte leasure But there is nothinge written of the Cuppe I graunte Neither is there any thinge there written that Christe did Consecrate the Breade And this place is priuileged aboue al others We muste conceiue no more of it then is spoken Then was there a Sacrament without Consecration Neither is there any thinge there written that either Christ him selfe or the Disciples did eate the Breade Thus hath M. Hardinge with muche a doo founde out at last not a Communion of One Kinde that he sought for but a Communion of No Kinde at al. And so haue we a Sacrament without Sacrament and a Communion without Communion What shal I say further If I graunte M. Hardinge his whole demaunde yet hath he wonne nothinge against me but very muche against him selfe For the question is moued of Lay people M. Hardinge bringeth examples of Christe and two Disciples who were of the number of the seuentie and two that were sente abroade to preache the Gospel and therefore it may wel be thought they were Ministers and not of the Laye â—â—rte Lyra and others thinke the one of them was S. Luke him selfe Epiphanius thinketh it was Nathanael Therefore M. Hardinge may wel geather hereof yâ— Priestes may receiue in One Kinde which thing he wil in no wise graunte But he can conclude nothinge against the people Suche lucke hath he to allege mater againste him selfe M. Hardinge The .13 Diuision Here might bâ— alleged the place of thactes in the .2 Chapter where mention is made of the Communion of breakiâ—â—e of the Breade the Cuppe not spoken of whiche the Heretiques called VValdenses did confesse that it must be vnderstanded of the Sacrament In confessione ad vladiâ—â—aum and likewise the place of the .20 Chapter and specially that of the .27 Chapter of the Actes 57 VVhere Chrysostome and other Fathers vnderstande the Breade that S. Paule in peril of shipwracke tooke gaue thankes ouer Brake and Eate to be the holy Sacrament The B. of Sarisburie He thought it not good to recite the woordes as knowinge they woulde not greatly serue his purpose That the two former places were meante of the Sacrament it appeareth saieth he not onely by the VValdenses but also by thexposition of the olde Fathers Yet coulde none of them in either of these places euer finde out the halfe Communion in One Kinde But here is no mention of the Cuppe Ergo saithe M. Hardinge the Communion was ministred in Breade alone A learned man before he conclude so vnaduisedly shoulde foresee what woulde follow M. Hardinge graunteth as shal hereafter appeare that if a Priest doo Communicate in One Kinde alone he committeth sacrilege for so it is determined by Gelasius Now let vs laye these two verities of M. Hardinges both togeather The firste is If a Prieste minister in One Kinde he committeth sacrilege The seconde is The Apostles were Priestes and ministred onely in One Kinde for here is no manner mention of the Cuppe
Communion as he him selfe seeth may be easely answeared and William Wideford a Doctour of his owne learning saith is foolishely and falsely brought in to serue this turne Yet he woulde not passe it ouer without some brauerie But now wil he bringe in suche authorities so cleare so forcible and so inuincible as can not possibly be auoyded How be it God be thanked these authorities be neither so weighty nor so strange I knew them al and had weighed them wel before I spake any thinge in that behalfe Here he doubleth a greate many thinges before by him alleged for his Priuate Masse in déede seruinge as wel to the one purpose as to the other M. Hardinge The .17 Diuision Melciades that Constant Martyr of Christe and Bishop of Rome ordeined that sundrie hostes prepared by the consecratinge of a Bishop shoulde be sent abroade amonge the Churches and Parishes that Christian folke who remained in the Catholike faithe might not through heretiques be defrauded of the holy Sacrament Whiche can none otherwise be taken then for the forme of Breade onely bicause the wine cannot so conueniently be caried abroade from place to place in smal quantitie for suche vse muche lesse any longe time be kepte without corruption The B. of Sarisburie This argument hangeth onely vpon lacke of carriage For if it were possible to diuise a way that the Sacrament might be caried aboute in bothe kindes then were this gheasse soone answeared For otherwise Melciades speaketh not one woorde of the Communion in One Kinde Now that the carriage of bothe kindes is not impossible the examples of antiquitie doo wel declare S. Hierome writeth thus of Exuperius the Bishop of Tholouse in Fraunce Nihil illo diâ—ius qui Corpus Domini in canistro vimineo sanguinem portabat in vitro There was no man richer thâ—n he that carried the Lordes Body in a wickeâ— Basket and his Bloud in a Glasse Likewise Iustinus Martyr declaring the order of the Churche in his time saithe thus Illis quae cum gratiarum actione consecrata sunt vnusquisque participat Eadem ad eos qui absunt Diaconis dantur perferenda Of the thinges that be consecrate that is the Breade Water and Wine euery man taketh parte The same thinges are deliuered to the Deacons to be carried vnto them that be away Here haue we founde not onely a possibilitie but also a common vsage practise of carrieyng the Sacrament in Bothe Kindes This is the first inuincible argument that al the worlde cannot answeare M. Hardinge The .18 Diuision The Councel of Nice decreed that in Churches where neither Bishop nor Priest were present the Deacons them selues bringe foorthe and eate the holy Communion VVhiche likewise can not be referred to the forme of wine for cause of sowringe and corruption if it be longe keapte The B. of Sarisburie This later clause Ipsi proferant edant Let them bringe it foorth them selues and eate neither is in the Gréeke nor in the Decrées nor in the former edition of the Councels Certaine woordes somewhat like are founde in Rufinus in this sorte Praesentibus Praesbyteris Diacoâ—â— ne diuidant Eucharistiam sed illis agentibus Solùm ministrent Si verò praesbiter nullus sit in praesenti tunc demum etiam ipsis liceat diuidere In the presence of the Priestes let not the Deacons diuide or minister the Sacrament but onely serue the Priestes in their office But if there be no Priest present then let it be lawful for the Deacons to minister Here is very smal healpe for M. Hardinges purpose onlesse perhappes he wil say that Proferre or diuidere Is to minister in One Kinde But if he thinke this a very fonde Translation as it is in déede then this authoritie might haue béene spared M. Hardinge vpon occasion of these woordes would haue men beléeue that the Deacon in the absence of the Priest wente to the Pyx and tooke out the Sacrament and receiued it But Rufinus speaketh not one woorde neither of takings foorthe of the Sacrament nor of the receiuing of the Deacon but of Diuidinge or Ministringe to the people And his meaning séemeth to be this that in the absence of the Priest the Deacon might Consecrate and so serue the people Whiche thinge notwithstanding it séeme in some parte contrary to an other Canon of the same Councel namely in the presence of a Priest yet that it was so vsed in the primitiue Churche it appeareth by most manifest and certaine prouâ—es S. Ambrose imagineth S. Laurence beinge a Deacon thus to say vnto Sixtus the Bishoppe when he saw him ledde to his Martyrdome Experire vtrum idoneum ministrum elegeris cui commiseris Dominici sanguinis Consecrationem O â—ather trie whether thou haue chosen a â—itte minister vnto whom thou hast committed the Consecration of the Lordes Bloud By these woordes wée sée that Deacons then vsed to Consecrate Therefore Eutropius was not wel aduised when he without cause corrupted and altered S. Ambroses woordes and for Dominici sanguinis Consecrationem redde Dominici sanguinis dispensationem For it followeth immediatly in S. Ambrose Et consummandorum consortium Sacramentorum That is The fellowship of perfiting the Sacraments And the Emperour Iustinian in his Authentiques De ecclesiasticis diuersis capitulis Let the Bishop appoint vnto the wemen that be vnder his gouernement suche Priest or Deacon as they shal choose to make answears vnto them or to minister vnto them the holy Oblation The same also may euidently be geathered by the seconde Canon of the Councel Ancyrane the woordes be Diaconi similiter qui immolauerunt honorem quidem habeant cessare verò debent ab omni Sacro ministerio â—iue a Pane â—iue a Calice offerendo vel praedicaÌ„do Let the Deacons that haue offered vnto Idoles keepe their estate stil. But they must geue ouer al holy Ministerie both of offring the Bread and Wine and also of preachinge This parte of the Deacons office was afterward in sundrie decrées abrogated First Bergomensis in the life of Honorius saith It was Decreed by Zosimus Bishop of Rome that the Deacon shoulde not minister in the presence of the Bishop or Priest And longe before that time order was taken in the Councel holden at Arle in Fraunce that Deacons should not minister the Sacrament at al. The woordes be De Diaconis quos cognouimus multis locis offerre placuit id minimé fieri debere Touchinge Deacons of whom we heare say that they make the oblation in many places we haue thought it good that they doo so no more M. Hardinge wil not denie but these be proufes sufficient that the Deacons in those daies vsed to minister the holy Communion Therefore the meaninge of the Councel of Nice is not that the Deacon should goe to the Pix and take the Sacrament reserued as M. Hardinge séemeth to geather vpon a false texte being neither in the Gréeke nor in the former
of the people Gelasius of the Priestes He complaineth that the reste of Gelasius is not to be founde as though it were suppreste by some of vs and yet it is thought the Pope hath it whole in his Librarie He diuiseth newe causes of vnitie of the Mysterie suche as Gelasius neuer knewe He concludeth at the laste that this breache of Christes Institution and Ministration vnder One Kinde that is nowe vniuersally vsed in the Churche of Rome was firste brought in and practised by the Manichees whiche were in olde time wicked and horrible Heretiques He saithe I haue guilefully alleged Gelasius and to the intent it mighte the sooner appeare he hath noted it specially in the Margin But if M. Hardinge himselfe had meante no guile he woulde haue shewed plainely wherein I haue béene guileful or what I might haue gotten by this guile or what aduantage I mighte haue loste by plainer dealinge For guile without cause is meere â—olie and no guile But I recited the woordes in Latine and had forgotten to Englishe them Nowe surely that is but a simple guile and might wel haue béene spared out of the Margin But my woordes be these Gelasius saithe that to Minister the Sacrament in one Kinde is open Sacrilege And what guile canne he finde herein This woorde Sacrilege and the refusinge of the Cuppe are bothe specially named by Gelasius There remaine onely these woordes To minister the Sacrament and there saithe M. Hardinge lieth the guile How be it therein as it shal wel appeare I say nothinge but that Gelasius saithe and M. Hardinge him selfe woulde haue him say For thus saithe Gelasius The diuision of the Mysterie whereby he meaneth the Sacrament is Sacrilege But the Priest that Ministreth in One Kinde diuideth the Mysterie Ergo the Priest that Ministreth in One Kinde committeth Sacrilege This argument is perfite and formal founded vpon Gelasius woordes I trowe this is no guileful dealinge The vnitie of the Mysterie that M. Hardinge hath here fantasied that either parte is in other and therefore harpeth so often as it were by reportes vpon these woordes Vnum idem is but his owne voluntarie He is not hable to allege either Gelasius or any other olde Father that euer expounded Vnum and Idem in that sorte He calleth it one Mysterie as Hugo Cardinalâ—s saith although otherwise a very grosse writer Propter vnitatem Institutionis For the vnitie of the Institution and for that the Breade and Wine beinge sundrie portions haue bothe relation vnto one Christe and for that cause by S. Hieromes iudgement S. Paule saithe vna fides vnum Baptisma one Faithe one Baptisme And for that also that beinge as I saide two sundrie portions yet they make not two sundrie Sacramentes but one onely Sacrament And therefore Durandus a late writer seemeth to say wel In multis locis communicatur cum Pane Vino id est cum toto Sacramento In many places they Communicate with Breade and Wine that is saith he with the whole Sacrament Of whiche woordes the Reader be he neuer so simple may easely geather that the Communion in One Kinde is but the Halfe Sacrament and so the diuision of one Mysterie and so further the selfe same thinge that Gelasius calleth Sacrilege M. Hardinge The .30 Diuision But for auoidinge that our aduersaries woulde hereof conclude it is to be vnderstanded that this Canon speaketh against the Heretiques named Manichaei who in the time of Leo the first abouâ—â— fourtie yeeres before Gelasius wente aboute to spreade their Heresie in Rome and in the partes of Italy Their Heretical opinion was that Christe tooke not our fleashe and Bloude but that he had a phantastical bodie and died not ne rose againe truely and in deede but by way of phantasie And therefore at the Communion they absteined from the Cuppe and the better to cloke their Heresie came to receiue the Sacrament in the forme of Breade with other Catholike people Against whome Leo saithe thus Abdicant enim se Sacramento salutis nostrae c. They driue them selues away from the Sacrament of our Saluation And as they denie that Christe our Lorde was borne in trueth of our fleashe so they beleue not that he died and rose againe truly And for this cause they condemne the day of our Saluation and gladnes that is the Sonneday to be their sadde fastinge day And where as to cloke their infidelitie they dare to be at our mysteries they temper them selues so in the Communion of the Sacramentes as in the meane time they may the more safely keepe them priuie VVith vnwoorthie mouthe they receiue Christes Bodie but to drinke the Bloude of our Redemption vtterly they wil none of it VVhiche thinge we woulde aduertise your holines of that bothe such men may be manifested by these tokens vnto you and also that they whose Diuilishe simulation and faininge is founde beinge brought to light and bewraied of the felowship of Saintes may be thrust out of the Churche by Priestly authoritie Thus farre be Leo his woordes Gelasius that succeded fourtie yeeres after Leo imployed no lesse diligence then he did vtterly to vanquishe and abolishe that horrible Heresie Of whome Platina writeth that he banished so many Manichees as were founde at Rome and there openly burned their bookes And bicause this heresie should none els where take roote and springe he wrote an Epistle to Maioricus and Ioannes two Bishoppes amongst other thinges warninge them of the same Out of whiche Epistle this fragment onely is taken whereby he dothe bothe briefely shew what the Manichees did for clokinge of their infidelitie as Leo saithe and also in as muche as their opinion was that Christes Bodie had not very Bloude as beinge phantastical onely and therefore superstitiously absteined from the Cuppe of that holy Bloude geueth charge and commaundement that either forsakinge their Heresie they receiue the whole Sacramentes to witte vnder Bothe Kindes or that they be keapte from them wholy Here the woordes of Leo afore mentioned and this Canon of Gelasius conferred together specially the storie of that time knowen it may soone appeare to any man of iudgement against whome this fragment of Gelasius was written Verely not against the Church for ministringe the Communion vnder one Kinde but against the detestable Manichees who goeinge aboute to diuide the Mysterie of the Bodie and Bloud of Christe denieynge him to haue taken very fleashe and Bloude so much as in them laye loosed Christ whereof S. Iohn speaketh and woulde haue made frustrate the whole woorke of our Redemption The B. of Sarisburie To auoide the inconuenience growinge of this authoritie M. Hardinge is driuen to auoide the companie of Pigghius Hosius Tapper D. Cole and al others his fellowes of that side and to say that Gelasius wrote this decrée againste the Manichées notwithstandinge al they say he wrote it againste certaine superstitious Priestes D. Cole referreth him selfe vnto
Nations biside with many other authorities to like purpose to auoutche the thinge that M. Harding so earnestly prooueth and no man denieth that the Nations of the East parte of the worlde had seueral tongues and spake not al one onely tongue Let M. Hardinge therefore consider better who they be that as he saithe denie the Maiestie Vtilitie and necessitie of the gifte of tongues For we confesse that the knowlege thereof is necessary not onely for the furtherance but also for the continuance of the Gospel neither doo we doubte but by what tongues the Heathens were conuerted vnto God by the same tongues they made their petitions vnto God the contrary whereof M. Hardinge by his silence confesseth he can not prooue Which not withstandinge he passeth ouer the mater by these woordes Hitherto of the Greeke and of the Seruice in that language and so endeth this péece of his treatie with a pretie vntruethe hauinge in deede prooued somewhat of the tongue but of the Seruice whereupon his whole cause resteth not one woorde at al. Whiche thinge that it may the better appeare let vs lay togeather the partes and members of his argument His Maior is this Al Asia the Lesse had the Seruice in the Greeke tongue The Minor But many Countries of the saide Asia vnderstoode not the Greeke tongue The Conclusion Ergo many Countries had their Seruice in an vnknowen tongue The Minor he warranteth but by gheasse onely and none otherwise although bothe S. Luke in the nientienth of the Actes and also the very storie of the times followinge be to the contrary The Maior he toucheth not at al. Therefore his Syllogismus halteth downe right of one side and concludeth onely vpon the Minor And thus M. Hardinge shoareth vp his straunge doctrine with a strange Maior a strange Minor and a strange Conclusion M. Hardinge The .11 Diuision Nowe concerninge the Latine tongue whiche is the learned tongue of the VVeast That the Latine Churche or the VVeast Churche for so it is called had the Seruice in Latine I graunte The chiefe Regions and Countries of the Latine Churche within the foresaide sixe hundred yeeres were these Italie Aphrike Illyrike bothe Pannonies nowe called Hungarie and Austria Gallia nowe Fraunce and Spaine The Countries of Germanie Pole and Swethen and those Northe partes receiued the faithe longe sithence The Countries of Britaine here had receiued the Faithe in moste places but were driuen from the open profession of it againe by the cruel persecution of Diocletian the Emperour at whiche persecution S. Albane with many others suffered Martyrdome After that these Countries had beene instructed in the Faithe as thinges grewe to perfection they had their Seruice accordingely no doubte suche as was vsed in the Churches from whence their firste Apostles and Preachers were sent And bicause .73 the first Preachers of the Faithe came to these VVeast parties from Rome directed some from S. Peter some from Clement some others afterwarde from other Bishoppes of that See Apostolike they planted and set vp in the Countries by them conuerted the Seruice of the Churche of Rome or some other very like and that .74 in the Latine tongue onely for ought that can be shewed to the contrary VVherein I referre me onely to the firste sixe hundred yeeres Nowe that suche Seruice was vnderstanded of those peoples that spake and vnderstoode Latine no man denieth For to some Nations that was a natiue and a Mother tongue as the Greeke was to the Graecians The B. of Sarisburie I finde no faulte with M. Hardinges Cosmographie but I trowe Cosmographie in this case maketh smal proufe His proufe for the Latine Seruice hangeth vpon twoo pointes The first is that al the faithe of the Weast parte of the world came onely from the Bishoppes of Rome The seconde is that the planters of the same Faithe ministred the Common Seruice euery where in the Latine Tongue He knoweth wel that either of these pointes is vntrue and wil neuer be prooued And somewhat to touche hereof by the way S. Paule saith that he him selfe had filled al places with the Gospel of Christe euen as farre as Illyricum and that not from Rome but from Hierusalem and promiseth that he woulde passe by Rome into Spaine as by reporte of some afterwarde he did and Theodoretus saithe that Paule came into this Ilelande nowe called Englande and here planted the Gospel The like is commonly surmised by the writers of the Brittishe Chronicles of Ioseph of Arimathaea And although Coniectures in suche Antiquities be often vncertaine and darke yet it may séeme very likely that the Religion of Christe came first into this Ilelande not from Rome but from the Greekes both for that in the kéepinge of Easter day we folowed the Churche of Graecia not the Church of Rome and also for that when Augustine was sente in hither by Gregorie we woulde in no wise acknowlege or receiue the Bishop of Rome As for Lazarus Nathanael Saturninus that preached firste in Fraunce I haue saide before Auentinus saithe Lucius S. Paules companion wente into Germanie and S. Paule saithe Titus wente into Dalmatia It is knowen that the Churche of Rome for certaine other causes and namely for the greate state and renoume of that Citie euen from the beginninge was notable aboue al others and was careful in enlarginge the Glorie of Christe and yelded many Martyrs vnto God Yet may we not thinke that al thinges therefore came from Rome For Tertullian calleth Hierusalem Matrem Fontem Religionis The Mother and the Springe of Religion And S. Augustine saithe Fides orta est à Graecis The Faithe sprange firste from the Greekes Nowe that he further saithe The planters of the Faithe in al these Weaste Countries made the Common Praiers euery where in the Latine Tongue bisides that it is manifestly false as God willinge hereafter shal wel appeare it hath not no not so muche as any likelihoode or shewe of truethe For Good Reader consider this reason The planters of the Faithe came from Rome Ergo they keapte euery where the order of Rome If this argument woulde holde then woulde I likewise reason thus The Churche of Rome was firste planted by them that came from Graecia or from Hierusalem Ergo Rome keepeth the order of Graecia or of Hierusalem But M. Hardinge presuminge this of him selfe without other proufe that the Churches of these Countries followed the order of the Churche of Rome concludeth further Ergo they had their Seruice in Latine as had the Church of Rome Euery Childe séeth that this is a Fallax or a deceitful argument called A secundū quid ad simpliciter He might as wel haue saide thus They folowed the order of the Churche of Rome Ergo they had their Exhortations and Sermons in Latine for so had the Churche of Rome But is M. Hardinge so vnaduised or so negligent in his maters that he seethe
cause emonge the wise nor hindreth ours If wée be no members of the Churche that wishe al the people euery where to vnderstande what they Praie to ioyne their hartes togeather and to be lifted vp vnto God what then be they that wishe al the Churche to be drowned in ignorance and the people to know nothinge If S. Paule were now aliue he woulde answeare him as sometime he answeared Elymas For certainely he him selfe knoweth That he wilfully peruerteth the manifest way of the Lorde M. Hardinge The .15 Diuision That Emperour had dominion ouer some Nations that vnderstoode not the Greeke commonly Yet no man can tel of any Constitution that euer he made for Seruice there to be had in their Vulgare and Barbarous tongue So many Nations hauinge beene conuerted to the Faith the common people whereof vnderstoode neither Greeke nor Latine if the hauinge of the Seruice in their Vulgare tongue had beene thought necessary to their Saluation The Fathers that stickte not to bestow their Bloud for their Flockes woulde not haue spared that smal paine and trauaile to put their Seruice in Vulgare tongues If it had beene necessary it had been doone if it had beene doone it had beene mentioned by one or other It appearâ—th by Arnobius vpon the Psalmes by Epiphanius writinge against Heresies and by S. Augustine in his Bookes De Doctrina Christiana that by accompte of the antiquitie there were 72. tongues in the worlde Cicero saithe that they be in number infinitie Of them al 78. neither M. Iuel nor any one of his side is able to shew that the Publike Seruice of the Churche in any Nation was euer for the space of sixe hundred yeeres after Christe in any other then in Greeke and Latine The B. of Sarisburie Arnobius S. Augustine and Epiphanius saye there be thréescore and twelue sundrie Languages in the worlde Cicero saith they be infinite Here must I note by the way that Ciceroes woordes wel alleged doo vtterly confounde M. Hardinges Doctrine of hearing that thinge that the hearers vnderstande not in suche sorte as he mainteineth the hearinge of Masse For thus he saithe In his linguis quas non intelligimus quae sunt innumerabiles surdi profectò sumus In those tongues that wee vnderstande not which be innumerable certainely wee be deafe By which woordes M. Hardinge might perceiue that the simple people hearing him at his Masse is starke deafe and heareth nothinge Yet saithe M. Hardinge is not M. Iuel hable to shew that euer the Publique Seruice was in any other tongue then in Greeke or Latin And thus beinge required by mée to shew any one example that the people had their Common Seruice in a strange tongue and as it appeareth not hable to shew any he altereth cunningly the whole case and willeth mée to shew Which thinge notwithstandinge I might iustely refuse to doo by the order of any Schooles yet am I wel contente to yéelde to his request bothe for the goodnesse and pregnancie of the cause and also specially good Christian Reader for the better contentation of thy minde not doubtinge but of thée selfe thou wilte be hable to finde some distrust and wante in M. Hardinges side who notwithstandinge so many woordes and so greate vauntes yet is hable to shew nothinge And to auoide multitude of woordes the case beinge plaine Eckius saithe The Indians had their Seruice in the Indian tongue Durandus saithe The Iewes that were Christened had their Seruice in the Hebrew tongue Yet was neither of these tongues either Greeke or Latine Nicolaus Lyra and Thomas of Aquine saye The Common Seruice in the Primitiue Churche was in the Common Vulgare tongue By these few it may appeare it was but a brauerie that M. Hardinge saide Neither M. Iuel nor any one of that side is hable to shew that the Publique Seruice was in any other tongue then in Greeke or Latine For it is easy to be shewed euen by the Doctours of his owne side But what if Doctour Hardinge him selfe haue in plaine woordes confessed the same Although he haue wantonly denied Christe yet I trow he wil not denie him selfe Consider good Reader his owne woordes hereafter folowing in this selfe same Article But S. Paule say they requireth that the people geue assent and conforme them selfe vnto the Priest by ansvvearinge Amen to his praier made in the congregation Herevnto M. Hardinge answeareth thus Verily in the Primitiue Churche this vvas necessary vvhen the faith vvas a learninge and therefore the praiers vvere made then in a coÌ„mon toÌ„gue knovveÌ„ to the people What can there be more plainely spoken Here M. Hardinge not onely confesseth that the Common Praiers were pronounced in a Common tongue knowen to the people but also further saith the same at that time was necessary and auoucheth it with his warrant Verily Now quite contrary as a man that had vtterly forgotten him selfe he saith The Common Seruice was neuer saide but either in the Gréeke tongue or in the Latine and therein he offreth stoutely to stande against M. Iuel and al others of this side Whiche thing is easy for him to doo séeing he dareth to stande so stoutely against him selfe Uerily his sayeinges cannot stande bothe togeather If he be true in the one in the other he must néedes be false Yet good Christian Reader for thy better satisfaction it may please thee to know that in the Primitiue Churche the Common Seruice was not ministred by one man alone but by the Priest and whole Congregation altogeather as may appeare by the general consent of the olde Fathers Clemens Alexandrinus saith In orationibus veluti vnam vocem habent Communem vnam mentem In the Common praiers they haue al as it were one voice and one minde S. Chrysostome saith Not onely the Priest geueth thankes to God but also al the people And what doost thou maruel to see the Priest and people in the Praiers talke togeather And here to leaue S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Basile Nazianzenus Dionysius Ariopagita with many other like Fathers Isidorus describinge the order of the Churche in his time writeth thus Oporâ—es vt quando psallitur ab omnibus psallatur Et cùm oratur vt ab omnibus oretur cumque Lectio legitur facto silentio aequé audiatur à cunctis When they Singe they must Singe altogeather when they praie they must Praie altogeather and when the Lesson is readde silence beinge commaunded they must here altogeather It were very muche for M. Hardinge to say Al these thinges were doone in a learned tongue and that the Vulgare people in euery Countrie vnderstoode either the Greeke or the Latine Yet for that nothinge séemeth harde for him to say let vs sée what the olde Fathers wil reporte in that behalfe I haue already shewed by Theodoretus Sozomenus and S. Hierome that the Seruice was in the Syrian tongue Olde Father Origens woordes in my iudgement
Primitiue Churche this vvas necessary vvhen the Faithe vvas a learninge And therfore the Praiers vvere made then in a common tongue knovven to the people for cause of their further instruction VVho beinge of late conuerted to the Faithe and of Painimes made Christians had neede in al thinges to be taught But after that the Faithful people was multiplied and increaced in greate numbers and had beene so wel instructed in al pointes of Religion as by their owne accorde they conformed them selues to the Ministers at the Common Praiers in the Latine Churche the Seruice was set out in Latine and it was thought sufficient parte of the people in the Quier to answeare for the whole And this hath beene esteemed for a more expedite and conuenient order then if it were in the Vulgare tongue of euery Nation The B. of Sarisburie Who so wil mainteine an vntruthe ought to be circumspecte and to remember wel how his tales may stande togeather M. Hardinge a litle before wrote thus Cicero saith Tongues be in number infinite Of them al Neither M. Iuel nor any one of his side is hable to shew that the publique Seruice of the Churche in any Nation was euer for the space of sixe hundred yeeres after Christe in any other tongue then in Greeke or Latine Now contrarywise either of forgeatfulnesse what he hath saide before or of some other better aduise he saith thus Verily in the Primitiue Churche this was necessary when the Faithe was a learninge And therefore the praiers were made then in a Common tongue knowen to the people for cause of their further instruction By these woordes he vtterly ouerthroweth that he so confidently saide before and very wel confirmeth my assertion M. Iuel may now take his ease For M. Hardinge him selfe is hable to prooue against him selfe that in the Primitiue Churche the Seruice was ministred in the Common tongue and that he confirmeth for a veritie and saith It was necessary so to be and coulde not be otherwise These saieinges of M. Hardinges beinge directely contrary cannot possibly stande bothe togeather If the one be true the other of necessitie must néedes be false The reason that he geathereth in this place standeth vpon the diuersitie of times Then saith he the people vvas ignorant and needed of al thinges to be taught Novv they are instructed and vnderstande the Faithe and are increased in multitude Therefore it is better novv for expedition the Seruice be saide in a strange Language and that onely the Clerke make answeare to the priest in steede of the vvhole Congregation Thus saith M. Hardinge not by the authoritie of S. Ambrose S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Chrysostome or any other like olde Catholique Doctour but onely by warrant of late Doctours Thomas of Aquine and Nicolas Lyra the former of whiche twoo liued at the least twelue hundred yéeres after Christe His reason in shorte is thus The people novv is instructed ▪ Ergo They ought to haue their Seruice in a strange tongue If M. Hardinge minde to perswade the worlde he had neede to bringe other argumentes But what if the people be not instructed What if they know nothing no not the Articles of the Christian Faithe What if there be noman to instructe them What if the Priest be euen as is the people the blinde leade the blinde Yet I trowe M. Hardinge wil not alter his new Decrée but his strange Seruice must continue stil. Uerily the vnderstanding of God is the soule life of Gods Churche and as it was necessary at the first plantinge thereof so is it alwaies necessary for the continuance of the same S. Hilarie saith Ecclesiae in quibus verbum dei non vigilar naufragae fiunt The Churches wherein Goddes woorde is not watcheful suffer wrecke Neither did S. Paule say let this order holde for the time while the faithe is a learninge as M. Hardinge woulde haue him say but thus he saith Haec quae scribo Domini sunt mandata Omnia ad ae dificationem fiant The thinges that I write are the commaundementes of the Lorde Let al thinges be doone to edifie The edifieinge of the people whiche is the final cause hereof continueth stil therefore ought the vnderstandinge of the people which is the efficient cause hereof to continue stil. M. Hardinge The .29 Diuision I graunte they cannot say Amen to the blessinge or thankes geuinge of the Priest so wel as if they vnderstoode the Latine tongue perfitely Yet they geue assent to it and ratifie it in their hartes and doo conforme them selues vnto the Priest though not in special yet in general that is to witte though not in euery particular sentence of praise and thankes geuing or in euery seueral petition yet in the whole For if they come to Churche with a right and good intent as the simple doo no lesse then the learned their desier is to render vnto God glory praise and honour and to thanke him for benefites receiued and with al to obteine of him thinges behooueful for them in this life and in the life to come And without doubte this godly affection of their mindes is so acceptable to God as no vnderstandinge of woordes may be compared with it This requisite assent and conforminge of them selues to the Priest they declare by sundrie outwarde tokens and gestures as by standing vp at the Gospel and at the preface of the Masse by bowinge them selues downe and adoringe at the Sacrament by kneelinge at other times as vvhen pardon and mercie is humbly asked and by other like signes of deuotion in other partes of the Seruice The B. of Sarisburie Yet once againe M. Hardinge woulde make the worlde beléeue that the ignorant people vnderstandeth the Latine tongue although not perfitely and that they may in general geue their consent vnto what so euer the Priest saithe although they know not one woorde what he saieth And so betwéene S. Paule and M. Hardinge there appeareth a plaine contrarietie For S. Paule saith The vnlearned cannot say Amen to thy praier bicause he knoweth not what thou saiest Yes saithe M. Hardinge although he know not what thou saiest yet may he neuerthelesse say Amen But hereto he laieth his correction I graunt saith he they cannot say Amen to the blissing and thankes geuinge of the Priest So vvel as if they vnderstoode the Latine tongue O M. Hardinge who taught you thus to qualifie the peoples duties Why doo you thus openly deceiue your brethren Why teache you them to say Amen To edifie them selues to be thankeful and to conforme their hartes vnto God Nor so vvel but in woorse wise as you your selfe confesse then you know they are bounde to doo Your owne tongue confesseth against your selfe that you leade the people of God from the better vnto the woorse I know the humble affection and deuotion of the harte is more pretious before God then any vnderstanding or sounde of woordes For that in déede is the praieing
where he commaundeth al Bishoppes and Priestes to minister the Seruice with a lowdo voice geueth this reason withal Vt mentes audientium ad maiorem animi compunctionem ad reddendam Domino gloriam excitentur That the mindes of the hearers maie be stirred vp to more deuotion and to render praise vnto the Lorde And S. Basile saithe Tanquam ab vno ore vno corde Confessionis Psalmum offerunt Domino verba poenitentiae eorum quisque propriè ascribit sibi As it were from one mouthe and from one harte they offer vp vnto the Lorde the Psalme of Confession and the woordes of repentance euery of them applieth particularly vnto him selfe So likewise it is written in the Prologue before S. Augustine vpon the Psalmes Quomodo debiâ—è potest Deo psallere qui ignorat quid psallat Howe canne he singe dewly or deuoutely vnto God that knoweth not what he singeth It is thought by these not withstandinge M. Hardinges contrary and Priuate iudgement that the vnderstandinge of the Publique Seruice is no hinderance vnto deuotion and their authoritie in this case maie serue onlesse M. Hardinge wil condemne them altogeather as he doothe others for Newe Maisters M. Hardinge The .38 Diuision 89. The Nations that haue euer had their Seruice in the Vulgare Tongue the people thereof haue continewed in Schismes errours and certaine Iudaical obseruances so as they haue not beene rekened in the number of the Catholike Churche As the Christians of Moschouia of Armenia of Prester Iohn his lande in Ethiopia Bessarion askinge by waie of a question of the Greekes his countrie men what Churche that is againste the whiche Hel gates shal neuer preuaile answeareth him selfe and saithe Aut Latina aut Graeca est Ecclesia tertia enim dari non potest Siquidem aliae omnes haeresibus sunt plenae quas sancti Patres Generales Synodi condemnarunt Either it is the Latine or the Greeke Churche for there is no thirde that can be graunted For al other Churches be ful of Heresies whiche the holy Fathers and General Councels haue condemned Wherefore of these Churches no example ought to be taken for Seruice in the Vulgare Tongue as neither of the Churches of Russia and Morauia and certaine other to whome aboue sixe hundred yeeres paste it was graunted to haue the Masse in the Sclauons Tongue throughe special licence thereto obteined of the see Apostolike by Cyrillus and Methodius that firste conuerted them to the Faithe VVhiche manner of Seruice so many of them as be Catholike for good causes haue leafte and vsed the Latine as other Latine Churches doo Concerninge the reaste yet keepinge their Sclauone tongue biside other errours and defaultes for whiche they are not herein to be esteemed woorthy to be folowed we maye saie of them the woordes of Gregorie Nazianzene Priuilelegia paucorum non faciunt legem communem The Priuileges of a fewe make not a thinge lawful in common The B. of Sarisburie This argument seemeth to holde thus Seruice in the Vulgare Tongue is cause of Schismes and errours Ergo within sixe hundred yeeres after Christe it was ministred in some place in a tongue vnknowen vnto the people The force of this Conclusion is euident A very childe may soone see through it If the Antecedent were true then should the Iewes the Greekes and the Latines whiche euermore had their Seruice in the Uulgare Tongue for that cause haue béene ful of Schismes and errours S. Augustine S. Hierome other Fathers say that pride and wilfulnes of minde Tertullian saithe that Knowledge of Philosophie and affiance of learninge hath caused diuision and heresies in the Churche and therefore calleth the Philosophers the Patriarkes of Heretiques The Bishoppes in the Councel of Toledo saie thus Ignorantia est maâ—er omnium errorum Ignorance is the Mother of al errour But that the vnderstandinge of the Common Seruice was euer thought the cause of Schisme or errour in the Churche I thinke it was neuer either written or spoken by any olde Doctour either Gréeke or Latine or Iewe or Gentile Epiphanius reckeneth vp foure scoare sundrie Heresies that had beene before his time S. Augustine reckeneth foure scoare and niene Yet doo they not say that any one of al those Heresies euer sprange of vnderstandinge the Common Seruice No man woulde saie thus but M. Hardinge neither wil M. Hardinge thus say when faction and contention laide aparte he shal either saie that he knoweth or haue regarde to that he saithe Touchinge the Christians whiche be in infinite numbers in Moschouia Armenia Ethiopia and els where whome vpon very shorte aduise he hath condemned altogeather for Schismatiques if he woulde haue credite geuen vnto his tale it woulde haue behooued him bothe to haue declared their particular errours and Heresies and also substantially to haue prooued that their vulgare Seruice gaue occasion vnto the same The Christians of Russia and Morauia saithe M. Hardinge afterwarde vpon good causes receiued the Latine Seruice How be it of al these good causes he vttereth none But after Cyrillus and Methodius by longe preachinge and greate paines had conuerted them to the Faithe of Christe and for the better continuance of that they had begonne were desirous that the people so conuerted mighte haue their Common Seruice in their mother tongue and the mater stoode in suspence at Rome in the Consistorie before the Bishop there and his Cardinalles a voice was hearde by an Angel from Heauen Omnis Spiritus laudet Dominum omnis lingua confiteatur ei Let euery spirite prayse the Lorde and let euery tongue make confession vnto him By this storie it appeareth the Angel of God from heauen was authour that these Nations shoulde haue their Seruice in their Common Tongue Nowe if M. Hardinge be able to shewe that either Euangeliste or Angel or voice from heauen euer willed them to leaue their owne natural speache and to vse the Latine then may he say they had good causes so to doo Bessarions authoritie in this case cannot seeme great bothe for other sundrie causes whiche I leaue and also for that he liued at the least fouretiene hundred yéeres after Christ and beinge out of his owne countrie and created Cardinal and Bishop of Tusculum he manifestly flattered the Bishop of Rome M. Hardinge The .39 Diuision Wherefore to conclude seeing 90 in sixe hundred yeeres after Christ the Seruice of the Churche was not in any other then in the Greeke and Latine tongue for that any man is hable to shewe by good proufe and the same not vnderstanded of al people seeinge the auctorities by M. Iuel alleged importe no necessary argument nor directe commaundement of the Vulgare Tongue but onely of plaine and open pronouncinge and that where the tongue of the Seruice was vnderstanded seeinge the Churche of the Englishe Nation had their Seruice in the Latine tongue to them vnknowen wel neare a thousande
knowledge expoundeth it or if either his woordes or his purpose of writinge may seeme any way to leade to that ende then may M. Hardinge séeme to haue some honest colour for his defence Otherwise wée may iustly say He racketh the Doctours and forceth them to speake what him listeth to sâ—rue his tâ—rne First it is certaine that in al that Epistle S. Cyprian neuer gaue vnto Câ—rnelius any suche ambitious Title but onely calleth him by the name of Brother For thus he saluteth him Cyprian vnto his Brother Cornelius sendeth greetinge And maketh his entrie in this wise Deere Brother I haue readde your letters Thus S. Cyprian beinge Bishop of Carthage claimeth brotherhoode and equalitie with the Pope One special occasion of his writinge vnto Cornelius was this emongst others Cornelius being Bishop of Rome and hauinge Excommunicate certaine notorious wicked men and afterwarde beinge threatened and il vsed at their handes began to fainte and to be weary of his office S. Cyprian hearinge thereof wrote comfortably vnto him willed him in any wise to procéede and to deale boldly not to yéelde consideringe it was Gods cause and not his awâ—e Amonge other woordes he saith thus Christiani non vltrà aut durare aut esse possumus si ad hoc ventum est vt perditorum minas insidias pertimescamus Wee can no lenger continue or be Christian men if wee beinge Bishoppes once beginne to shrinke at the threates and fetches of the â—icked Upon occasion hereof he sheweth what hurte and confusion of Sectes Schismes insueth in any Prouince or Diocesse wâ—ere as the Bishops Authoritie and Ecclesiastical Discipline is despised For euery Bishop saith S. Cyprian within his owne Diocese is the Priest of God and for his time is a Iudge appointed in the place of Christe and as the Churche is one so ought he likewise to be but one And thus he writeth generally of the authoritie of al Bishops not onely of the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome And notwithstandinge he directeth his Epistle onely to Cornelius yet are al his reasons general and touche bothe him selfe beinge Bishop of Carthage and also al other Bishoppes what so euer Now therefore to drawe that thinge by violence to one onely Bishop that is generally spoken of al Bishops it is a guileful fetche to misâ—eade the Reader and no simple or plaine dealinge But M. Hardinge séemeth to grounde his errour vpon the mistakinge of these woordes of S. Cyprian Vnus Sacerdos and Fraternitas vniuersa That is One Bishop and The whole Brotherhoode For where as S. Cyprian saith There must be one Bishop in a Churche he imagineth there must be one Bishop to rule ouer the whole vniuersal Church And where as againe S. Cyprian saith The whole Brotherhoode must obey one Bishop He geathereth that al Christian people throughout the whole worlde which he vntruely calleth The whole Brotherhoode must be obedient vnto one vniuersal Bishop And thus he buildeth one errour vpon an other But mistakinge of the Doctour maketh no sufficient prouâ—e It maye soone appeare S. Cyprian meante that for the auoiding of Schismes and diuisions there ought to be onely one Bishop within one Diocese and not one Bishop to rule ouer al the worlde For thus he expoundeth his owne meaninge Cùm post primum esse non possit quisquam qui post vnum qui solus esse debet factus est iam non secundus ille sed nullus est Seeing that after the first Bishop is chosen there can be none other who so is made Bishop after that one whiche must needes be alone is nowe not the seconde Bishop but in deede is no Bishop So likewise when the Heretique Nouatus had by wicked practise diuided the people of Rome into Sectes and had solemnely sworne them that gaue eare vnto him that they should no more returne vnto Cornelius the Bishop there and so had rent one Bishoprike into twoo and made twoo Bishoppes in one Citie Cornelius complaining thereof vnto Fabius the Bishop of Antioche and informinge him of the same writeth thus vnto him Nouatus nescit vnum Episcopum in Catholica Ecclesia esse debere Nouatus knoweth not that there oughte to be but one Bishop in a Catholique Churche not meaning thereby the whole vniuersal Churche throughout the worlde but onely his owne particular Churche of Rome So when Chrysostome the Bishop of Constantinople sawe Sisinius beare him self as Bishop within the same Citie he saide vnto him One Citie may not haue twoo Bishoppes So likewise S. Hierome saithe that notwithstanding the power of al priestes by the authoritie of Goddes woorde be one and equal yet menne by policie to auoide contention appointed one prieste in euery Citie to order and to directe his brethren Thus was the vnitie of the whole Churche preserued Thus were al Churches as one Churche And all Bishoppes as one Bishop For who so dissented from one dissented from al. So saithe S. Cyprian Ecclesia cohaerentium sibi inuicem Sacerdotum glutino copulatur The churche is coupled and ioined in one by consent of Bishops agreeing togeather Likewise againe he saithe Hanc vnitatem firmiter tenere vendicare debemus maximè Episcopi qui in Ecclesia praesidemus vt Episcopatum quoque ipsum vnum indiuisum probemus This vnitie must we keepe and defende specially that be Bishoppes and beare rule in the Churche that we may declare in deede that our Bishoprike is one and not diuided And therefore S. Hierome saithe Episcopi nouerint in commune debere se Ecclesiam regere Let Bishoppes vnderstande that they ought to gouerne the Church in common â–ª or as al in one In this sense is euery Bishop for his time as S. Cyprian saithe in the steede of Christe to euery suche Christe saithe He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me And therefore Ignatius saithe The Bishop in his Churche is the forme of God the Father of al And so muche as is possible resembleth in his office Christe our God For this cause S. Cyprian saithe Hereof spring Schismes and Heresies for thaâ— the priest of God in euery seueral Diocese is not obeied As likewise againe he saithe to like purpose Qui cum Episcopo non sunt in Ecclesia non sunt They that be not with the Bishop be not in the Churche So likewise Ignatius They that be of Christe are with the Bishop Thus S. Cyprian spake these woordes generally of the authoritie of al Bishops in their seueral dioceses and not of any special authoritie of the Bishop of Rome as â—t is here vntruely affirmed by M. Hardinge But he wil replie S. Cyprian saith Vniuersa fraterniâ—as That is The whole Brotherhoode ought to be obedient to that one Bishop And that whole brotherhoode must needes be the whole companie of al Christian people Notwithstanding this
of Rome in the highest state of the Churche as Athanasius with al the Fathers of that Alexandrine Councel recordeth If this I saye be true then is it easely seene vpon howe good grounde this doctrine standeth whereby it is affirmed that the Bishop of Rome his primacie hath his force by Goddes Lawe and not onely by mans Lawe muche lesse by vniuste vsurpation The Scriptures by whiche as wel these as al other holy and learned Fathers were leadde to acknowlege and confesse the Primacie of Peter and his successours were partely suche as Anacletus and Gregorie here allegeth and Cyprian meaneth as it appeareth by his thirde treatise De simplicitate praelatorum and sundry moe of the Newe Testament as to the learned is knowen of whiche to treate here largely and piâ—hâ—hely as the weight of the matter requireth at this time I haue no leysure neither if I had yet might I conueniently performe it in this treatise whiche othervvise vvil amounte to a sufficient bignesse and that matter throughly handled wil â—il a right great volume VVherefore referringe the readers to the credite of these woorthy Fathers who so vnderstâ—â—de the Scriptures as thereof they were perswaded the primacie to be attributed to Peters successour by â—od him selfe I wil proceede keepinge my prefixed order Where at the preeminence of power and auctoritie whiche to the Bishop of Rome by special and singular priuilege God hath graunted is commended to the worlde by many and sundrie Councelles for auoidinge of tediousnesse I wil rehearse the testimonies of a fewe Amonge the Canons made by three hundred and eightene Bishops at the Nicene Councel which were in number 70 and 96 al burnt by heretikes in the East Churche saue .xx. and yet the whole number 97 was kepte diligently in the Churche of Rome in the original it selfe sent to Syluester the Bishop there from the Councel subscribed with the saide 318. Fathers handes the. 44. Canon whiche is of the power of the Patriarche ouer the Metropolitanes and Bishops and of the Metropolitane ouer Bishops in the ende hath this Decree Vt autem cunctis ditionis suae nationibus c. As the Patriarke beareth rule ouer al Nations of his iurisdiction and geueth lawes to them and as Peter Christes Vicare at the beginninge sette in auctoritie ouer Religion ouer the Churches and ouer al other thinges perteining to Christe was 98 Maister and Ruler of Christian Princes Prouinces and of al Nations so he whose Principalitie or Chieftie is at Rome like vnto Peter and equal in auctoritie obteineth the rule and soueraintie ouer al Patriarkes After a fewe woordes it foloweth there If any man repine againste this Statute or dare resist it by the Decree of the whole Councel he is accursed Iulius that woorthy Bishop of Rome not longe after the Councel of Nice in his epistle that he wrote to the. 90. Arriane Bishops assembled in the Councel at Antioche against Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria reprouinge them for their vniuste treatinge of him saithe of the Canons of the Nicene Councel then freshe in their remembrance that they commaunde Non debere praeter sententiam Romani pontificis vllo modo Concilia celebrari nec Episcopos damnari That without the auctoritie of the Bishop of Rome neither Councelles ought to be keapte nor Bishoppes condemned Againe that nothinge be Decreed without the Bishop of Rome Cui haec maiora Ecclesiarum negotia tam ab ipso Domino quà m ab omnibus vniuersorum Conciliorum Fratribus speciali priuilegio contradita sunt To whom these and other the weightie matters of the Churches be committed by special Priuilege as wel by our Lorde him selfe as by al our Brethern of the whole vniuersal Councelles Amonge other principal pointes whiche he reciteth in that Epistle of the Nicene Councelles Canons this is one Vt omnes Episcopi c. That al Bishoppes who susteine wronge in weightie causes so often as neede shal require make their appeale freely to the See Apostolike and flee to it for succour as to their Mother that from thence they may be charitably susteyned defended and deliuered To the disposition of whiche See the auncient auctoritie of the Apostles and their successours and of the Canons hath reserued al weightie or great Ecclesiastical causes and iudgementes of Bishoppes Athanasius and the whole companie of Bishoppes of Egypte Thebaida and Lybia assembled togeather in Councel at Alexandria complaininge in their Epistle to Felix the Pope of great iniuries and griefes they susteined at the Arrians allegeth the determination of the Nicene Councel touching the Supreme auctoritie and power of that See Apostolike ouer al other Bishoppes Similiter à supradictis Patribus est definitum consonanter c. Likewise say they it hath beene determined by common assent of the foresaide Fathers of Nice that if any of the Bishoppes suspecte the Metropolitane or their felowe Bishoppes of the same Prouince or the Iudges that then they make their appeale to your holy See of Rome to whome by our Lorde himselfe power to binde and louse by special priuilege aboue other hathe been graunted This muche alleged out of the Canons of the Nicene Councel gathered partely out of Iulius Epistle who wrote to them that were present at the makinge of them whiche taketh away al suspicion of vntrueth and partely out of Athanasius and others that were a great parte of the same Councel The B. of Sarisburie A scarcrowe stufte with strawe and set vpright may séeme a farre of to be a man Euen so a forger of lies and fables prickte vp in the apparel of auncient names may séeme to the ignorant an Olde Catholique Father No maruel though this authoritie like M. Hardinge beste aboue al others for it is moste vaine and shameles aboue al others and therefore méetest to helpe vp a shameles Doctrine It is no newe practise in the Churche of Rome to forge euidence in the name of Olde Fathers as God willinge hereafter it shal better appeare But as for this Epistle and certaine others that are carried aboute vnder the name of that Godly Bishop Athanasius I wil onely rippe vp the stuffinge and open some parte of the contentes of them and so wil not refuse M. Hardinge him selfe to be the Iudge First that they were neuer written in Gréeke and therefore not by Athanasius it may appeare by sundrie tokens and namely by the allusion of these two Latine woordes Vertex and Vertuntur Romana Sedes est sacer vertex in quo omnes verâ—untur The Latine is rude and barbarous and many times vtterly voide of sense The manner of vtterance is childishe and bablinge emptie of mater and ful of woordes without measure The substance of the whole is nothinge els but flatteringe and auancinge of the Sée of Rome farced vp and set out with lies without shame The authour hereof speaking of the Churche of Rome saith Inde Ecclesiae sumpsere Praedicationis exordium
the Councel of Carthage and gaue his consente That the Bishop of the first See should not be called neither the Prince or Chiefe of Priestes nor the Highest Priest nor by any other like title He knoweth also that S. Augustine afterward confirmed the same in a Councel holden at Hippo Regius in his owne Diocesse Likewise he knoweth that the same S. Augustine Decréed amonge other Bishoppes to the number of 217. in the Councel of Aphrica that it shoulde not be lawful for any man of those countreis to seeke for ayde ouer the Seas and to appeale to the Bishop of Rome and that whosoeuer so appealed shoulde stande Excommunicate and so vtterly condemned that Infinite Dominion and Uniuersal Power that so many haue sithence dreamed of Againe writinge vpon the Gospel of S. Iohn he saith Petrus erat oculus in Capite Peter was an eye in the Heade He saith not Peter was the Heade In these woordes appeareth plainely S. Augustines certaine and vndoubted iudgemente touchinge this mater The reast that is here brought in standeth onely vpon M. Hardinges geatheringe It is true that as wel S. Augustine as also other Godly Fathers rightly and wel in olde times yelded greate reuerence to the See of Rome bothe for the Antiquitie of the Churche and for the honour and memorie of S Peter and for the constancie of the Holie Martyrs that there had suffred and also for the puritie of Religion whiche was preserued there a longe tyme without spotte and might be a standerde vnto others But the greatest increase of outwarde estimation in the worlde vnto that See was the Imperial Seate and Presence of the Prince as notably appeareth by the firste Councel of Constantinople For these causes S. Augustine saith The See of Rome had the highest place and chiefe preeminence aboue others Perhaps M. Hardinge wil presse me further with this woorde Principatus whiche he expoundeth The Principalitie Howbeit I beleue he wil not saye Pâ—incipatus signifieth an Uniuersal power or Supreme gouernement and so his aduauntage of this woorde is not so greate Uerily Princeps in the Latine tongue is often vsed for a man that for his vertue or roome or any singular qualitie is to be had in estimation aboue others So Cicero saith Socrates princeps Philosophorum Grauitate dicendi princeps Plato princeps orbis terrarum Pompeius Like as also Chrysostome saithe Caput Prophetarum Elias Elias the Heade of the Prophetes In these places Princeps is taken not for a Prince or Gouernour but onely for a man that for his qualities is to be estéemed aboue the reaste And in this sense S. Augustine calleth the See of Rome as it was in his time Principatum Sedis Apostolicae and not in respecte of any Supreme gouernement for that he himselfe in the Councel of Aphrica as it is alreadie prooued vtterly denied him I graunte as S. Augustine saith The Bishop of Rome truely and diligently dooinge the parte of a Bishop he that then woulde haue denied him the chiefe preeminence for the respectes aboue touched had béene wicked or arrogant But the same Bishop of Rome nowe claiming to him selfe the title of Uniuersal Bishop as S. Gregorie saithe Is the Forerenner of Antichriste and the consenting to the same as the same Gregorie saithe Is the renouncinge and forsaking of the faithe I coulde further saye that M. Hardinge in these authorities of S. Augustine hath leafte out and transposed what he thought good and so hath shewed no simple dealinge In the first place S. Augustines woordes be these Episcopus videbat se Romanae Ecclesiae in qua semper Apostolicae Cathedrae viguit principatus per Communicatorias literas esse coniunctum He sawe him selfe by Letters of Conference to be ioyned with the Churche of Rome in which Churche the chiefe preeminence of the Apostolique See had euer flourished S. Augustine saith The Bishop there was ioyned with the Churche of Rome not by waye of Obedience or Subiection but by Letters of CoÌ„ference wherin is implied an equalitie or a felowship And afterwarde in the same Epistle S. Augustine saith That Meltiades the Bishop of Rome with certaine other Bishops hearde the mater betwéen Caecilianus and Donatus A casis nigris not by any his Uniuersal or Supreme Power as M. Harding imagineth but by special Commission from the Emperour And so was the Bishop of Rome the Emperours Delegate and that not in any Soueraine Authoritie but felowlike and equally ioyned with other Bishops and That afterwarde the same cause vpon complainte and mislikinge of Donatus was by the Emperour taken out of the Bishop of Romes handes and by a new Commission was put ouer to the hearing of the Bishop of Arle in Fraunce But where was then the Bishop of Romes supreme gouernement In the seconde place M. Hardinge hath notably falsified bothe S. Augustines woordes in the Latine and also his owne Translation in the Englishe S. Augustines woordes be these CoÌ„munis est nobis omnibus qui fungimur Episcopatus officio quamuis ipse in eo praeemineas celsiore fastigio Specula pastoralis Which woordes M. Hardinge by wilful deprauation hath altered thus Celsiore fastigio speculae pastoralis And so hath leafte the Adiectiue Communis without a Substantiue and the principal Uerbe Est without a Nominatiue Case And to serue his turne hath caused S. Augustine to speake false Latine This place of S. Augustine may be Englished thus The pastoral Watche Tower is common to vs al that beare the office of Bishops albeit thy preeminence is greater as sittinge in the higher roome M. Hardinges Translation is thus Thou thy selfe hast the preeminence ouer al being in the toppe of the pastoral Tower Wherein these woordes Ouer al are not sounde in S. Augustine but onely diuised at pleasure by M. Hardinge In the thirde place bisides other corruption he dissembleth the woordes that S. Augustine in the very same place allegeth out of S. Cyprian very wel seruing to this purpose The woords be these Nec Petrus vindicauit sibi aliquid aut arroganter assumpsit vt diceret se primatum tenere obtemperari sibi a nouellis posteris potius debere Neither did Peter chalenge any thinge or proudely presume of him selfe to say that he had the primacie and that therefore others as Nouices and vnderlinges should be obedient vnto him Al these thinges M. Harding dissembleth and so to fournishe out his mater and to smouthe his Reader he leaueth out what he listeth M. Hardinge The .15 Diuision The notable saieing of S. Hierome may not be let passe Ecclesiae salus a summi Sacerdotis dignitate pendet cui si non exors quaedam ab omnibus eminens detur potestas tot in Ecclesiis efficientur schismata quot Sacerdotes The safetie of the Churche hangeth of the worship of the high Priest 103 he meaneth the Pope Peters successour
yet Goddes highe goodnesse hath so ordeined as eche thing may be prouided for according to his owne condition and nature Therfore where as mankinde dependeth most of sense and receiueth al learninge and institution of sensible thinges therefore it hath neede of a man to be a gouernour and ruler whome it may perceiue by outwarde sense And euen so the Sacramentes by whiche the Grace of God is geuen vnto vs in consideration of mannes nature beinge so made of God as it is are ordeined in thinges sensible Therefore it was behooueful this gouernement of the Churche to be committed to one man whiche at the firste was Peter and afterwarde â—che successour of Peter for his time as is afore declared Neither can this one man haue this power of any consent or companie of men but it is necessarie he haue it of God .104 For to ordeine and appointe the Vicare of Christ it perteineth to none other then to Christe For where as the Churche and al that is of the Churche is Christes as wel for other causes as specially for that we are bought with a greate price euen with his Bloude as S. Paule saithe howe can it perteine to any other then to him to institute and appointe to him selfe a vicare that is one to doo his steede The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge standeth very longe in discoursinge this mater by natural reason â–ª And for that he knewe S. Augustine saithe Si ratio contra Diuinarum Scripturarum authoritatem redditur quamlibet acuta sit fallit verisimilitudine Nam veta esse non potest If natural reason be alleged against the authoritie of the holy Scriptures be it neuer so suttle it beguileth menne by a likenes or colour of the Trueth for true it cannot be And for that he also sawe the reasons he hath brought are very simple and carrie no weight he hath therefore thrust a great many of them in a thronge togeather bothe to fil the Hearers senses also that the one might the better aide the other For his entrie in mirthe and game he calleth vs Gospellers God open the eies of his harte that he may sée the brightnesse of Goddes Gospel and consider what it is that he hath refused Surely it is an horrible thing for a Christian man thus to make mockerie of the Gospel of Christe S. Paule saithe Si opertum est Euangelium in illis qui pereunt est opertum If the Gospel be couered it is couered from them that perishe It misliketh him that we builde the vnitie of the Churche vpon Christe onely and not also vpon the Pope and this he calleth these New Gospellers Doctrine God be thanked these Gospellers haue good warrant for their Doctrine S. Paule saithe Eum dedit Caput super omnia ipsi Ecclesiae quae est Corpus eius God hath geuen Christe to be Heade ouer al euen to the Churche whiche is his Bodie And againe Ille est Caput qui dat salutem Corpori Christe is the Heade that geueth health vnto the Bodie Christe is our peace Al we are one in Christe Iesu. Therefore S. Gregorie saithe Nos quoque à vobis non longè sumus quoniam in illo qui vbique est vnum sumus Agamus ergo â—i gratias qui solutis inimicitijs in Carne sua fecit vt in omni orbe terrarum vnus esset Grex vnum Ouile sub se Vno Pastore We are not farre away from you bicause in him that is euery where we are al one Therefore let vs geue him thankes that enemitie beinge broken in his Fleashe hath caused that in al the worlde there shoulde be one Flocke and one Folde vnder him selfe beinge the one Shepehearde These places and infinite other like are good warrantes of our Doctrine Nowe if M. Hardinge be hable by the Scriptures or Holy Doctours to say as muche for the Bishop of Rome that he is the Heade of the Churche that is to say the Heade of Christes Bodie or that the Church receiueth influence or health from him Or that he is our Peace or that we are al one in him or that al the worlde is one Flocke and one Folde and he the one Sheepehearde Or that S. Paule as he saide There is one Lorde one Faithe one Baptisme so he saide also There is one Pope then haue we some cause to thinke accordinge to M. Hardinges fantasie that the vnitie of the whole Churche is founded and builte vpon the Pope Certainely it seemeth S. Augustine woulde not geue this priuilege vnto S. Paule His woordes be plaine Nec Paulus radix eorum erat quos plantauerat sed ille potius qui ait Ego sum vitis vos estis Sarmenta Caput etiam eorum quomodo esse poterat cum dicat Nos omnes vnum esse Corpus in Christo ipsumque Christum Caput esse vniuersi Corporis Neither was Paule the roote of them whome he had planted but rather he that saith I am the vine and you are the sprigges But the Heade of them how coulde he be seeinge he him selfe saithe Al we in Christe are one Bodie and That of the whole Bodie Christe him selfe is the Heade If S. Paule as S. Augustine saithe coulde not be Heade of the Churche howe may we then thinke that the Bishop of Rome may be Heade of the Churche But mankinde saithe M. Hardinge dependeth moste of sense Therefore the whole Churche must haue one man to rule and gouerne ouer it and that man is Peters successour and Christes Vicare in Earthe I maruel that none of the Olde Fathers coulde euer vnderstande either the necessitie of this reason or this special name and title of Christes Uicare How be it one true woorde M. Harding hath vttered amongst many others that is that to apointe Christe Uicare it perteineth onely vnto Christe and to none other Of whiche grounde we may wel reason thus Christe neuer ordeined nor appointed nor once named the Bishop of Rome or his Successoure to be his Uicare that is to be an Uniuersal Bishop ouer the whole Churche therefore by M. Hardinges owne position the Bishop of Rome hath of longe time vsurped a power againste Christe without Commission and in déede is not Christes Uicare S. Hierome saithe generally of al Bishoppes Nouerint Episcopi se magis Consuetudine quà m dispositionis Dominicae Veritate Presbyteris esse maiores Lette Bishoppes vnderstande that they be greater then the priestes by order and Custome of the Churche and not by the trueth of Goddes ordinance If Christe as S. Hierome saithe appointed not one priest aboue an other howe then is it likely he appointed one Priest to be as M. Hardinge saithe Prince and ruler ouer al Priestes throughout the whole worlde As for the Uniuersal supplieinge of Christes roome Tertullian saithe The Holy Ghoste is Christes Vicare For thus he writeth Sedet ad dextram Dei Patris misit Vicariam vim
Spayne ordeined thus Presbyteri Clerici ne appellent nisi ad Aphricana Concilia Let it not be lawful for Priestes or Clerkes to Appeale to Rome but onely to the Councelles holden in Aphrica So in the Mileuitane Councel Si ab Episcopis appellandum putauerint non prouocent nisi ad Aphricana Concilia vel ad Primates Prouinciarum suarum Ad transmarina autem qui putauerint appellandum à nullo intra Aphricam in Communionem recipiantur If they thinke it meete to Appeale from their Bishops let them not Appeale but onely to the Councelles of Aphrica or vnto the Primates of their owne Prouinces But if they shal make their Appeale beyonde the Seas that is to Rome let no man in Aphrica receiue them to the Communion So likewise in the Councel of Aphrica Si fuerit prouocatum eligat is qui prouocauerit Iudices cum eo ille contra quem prouocauerit vt ab ipsis deinceps nulli liceat prouocare If Appeale be made let him that shal Appeale choose other Iudges of his side and likewise letthe other doo the same against whom he Appealeth that from them afterwarde it be lawful for neither of them to Appeale And agayne in the same Councel Non prouoceÌ„t nisi ad Aphricana Concilia Let them not appeale but onely vnto the Councelles holden within Aphrica and so foorthe woorde by woorde as is alleged out of the Councel of Mileuita But here I may not wel passe ouer Gratians Glose touchinge this mater For where as the Councel hath determined that if any man appeale beyonde the Seas he stande Excommunicate Gratian hath expounded salued it with this preatie exception Nisi forte Romanam Sedem appellauerint Onlesse they appeale to the See of Rome And so by his construction he excepteth that onely thinge out of the lawe for whiche onely thing the whole lawe was made For it is plaine and without al question that the Councel of Aphrica specially and namely meante to cut of al appeales to the See of Rome And yet those onely appeales Gratian by his Construction woulde haue to be saued But what can be so plaine as the Epistle of the twoo hundred seuentéene Bishoppes in the Councel of Aphrica sent vnto Coelestinus Bishop of Rome declaringe at length bothe the state and conueyance of the cause and also their griefe and misâ—iking of the whole mater The woordes lie thus Decreta Nicena siue inferioris gradus Clericos c. The Decrees of the Councel of Nice haue euidently committed bothe the Clerkes of inferiour roumes and also the Bishoppes them selues vnto their Metropolitanes For bothe iustly and discretely they prouided that al manner actions should be determined in the same places where they beganne and likewise thought that no Prouince should wante the Grace of the Holy Ghoste whereby Christian Bishops might be hable bothe wisely to consider and also constantly to mainteine the right And specially seeinge that libertie is geuen that if either partie mislike his Iudges order he may lawfully appeale either to a Conuocation of Bishoppes within the same Countrie or els to a General Councel Onlesse any man wil thinke that God is hable to inspire the Iustice of trial into one man alone meaning thereby the Bishop of Rome and wil denie the same to a greate number of Bishoppes beinge in Councel altogeather And how can your beyonde sea iudgement appeare good seeinge that the witnesses whiche be parties necessarie either for that they be wemen or for that they be aged and weake or for many other incident impedimentes cannot come vnto it As for any Delegates that should be sent as from your side wee finde no suche mater determined in any Councel And touchinge that you sent vs of late by Faustinus our felowbishop as parte of the Nicene Councel in the very true Councelles of Nice whiche wee haue receiued from holy Cyrillus the Bishop of Alexandria and from Atticus the Bishop of Constantinople c. wee finde no suche mater Neither sende yee nor graunte yee your Clerkes to execute causes at any mannes request least wee seeme to bringe a smokie puffe of worldly pride into the Churche of Christe whiche vnto them that desire to see God sheweth the light of simplicitie and humilitie c. The Byshoppes of the East parte of the worlde beinge Arians writinge vnto Iulius the Bishop of Rome tooke it gréeuousely that he woulde presume to ouer rule them and shewed him It was not lawful for him by any sleight or colour of appeale to vndoo that thinge that they had doone S. Cyprian findinge faulte with suche renninge to Rome and defeatinge of Iustice writeth vnto Cornelius the Bishop there in this sorte Cum aequum iustumque sit vt vniuscuiusque causa illic audiatur vbi crimen est admissum singulis pastoribus portio gregis sit adscripta quam regat vnusquisque gubernet rationem sui actus Domino redditurus oporteâ— vtique cos quibus praesumus non circumcursare nec EpiscoporuÌ„ concordiam cohaerentem sua subdola fallaci temeritate collidere sed agere illic causam suam vbi accusatores habere testes sui criminis possint nisi paucis desperatis perditis minor videtur esse authoritas Episcoporum in Aphrica constitutorum qui iam de illis iudicauerunt c. Seeinge it is meete and right that euery mans cause be hearde there where the faulte was committed and seeinge that euery Bishop hath a portion of the flocke allotted vnto him whiche he must rule and gouerne and yelde accompte vnto the Lorde for the same therfore it is not meete that they whom wee are appointed to ouersee doo thus ren aboute with their appeales and so with their suttle and deceiteful rashenesse breake that concorde and consent of Bishoppes But there ought they to pleade their cause where they may haue bothe accusers and witnesses of the faulte Onlesse perhaps a few desperate and lewde fellowes thinke the authoritie of the Bishoppes of Aphrica whiche haue already iudged and condemned them to be lesse then is the authoritie of other Byshoppes Hereby it is cleare that the godly Fathers and Bishoppes in olde times misliked muche this shiftinge of maters to Rome for that they saw it was the hinderance of right the increase of ambition the open breache of the holy Canons And therefore the Emperour Iustinian foreséeinge the disorders that hereof might grow to bridle this ambitious oultrage thought it necessary for his subâ—â—â—â—es to prouide a straite Law in this wise to the contrary Si quis Sanctissimorum Episcoporum eiusdem Synodi dubitationem aliquam adinuicer â—habeat siue pro Ecclesiastico iure siue pro alijs quibusdam rebus prius Metropolita eorum cum alijs de sua Synodo Episcopis causam examiner iudicet Quod si vtraque pars rata non habuerit ea quae
Nos quoque diligimus pacem vnanimitatem cum Ecclesia Catholica cui tu per Dei gratiam praefectus es We also loue Peace and Unitie with the Catholique Churche ouer which you by the Grace of God are made gouernour Here Athanasius is pronounced Gouernoure of the Catholike Churche Yet was he not the Bishop of Rome So likewise saith S. Cyprian Haec Ecclesia vna est quae tenet possidet omnem sponsi sui Gratiam in hac praesidemus This Churche is one that keepeth and holdeth the Grace of her Spouse In this Churche we are the Rulers Here S. Cyprian calleth him self the president or ruler of Goddes Churche Yet was he the Bishop of Carthage and not of Rome To be shorte in like sorte Origen pronounceth generally of al Priestes Si tales fuerint vt à Christo super illos aedificetur Ecclesia If they besuche as vpon them the Churche of God maie be builte Here Origen imagineth that euery priest is the fundation of Goddes Churche Yet were it harde to saie Euery Priest is Bishop of Rome S. Ambroses meaninge therefor is That euery Bishop or Patriarke within his Precinctes or Prouince is the Ruler of the whole Churche And this is it that Cyprian seemeth to saie Episcopatus vnus est cuius à singulis in solidum pars tenetur The Bishoprike is one a portion whereof is possessed in whole of euery Bishop Therefore M. Hardinge seemeth to doo wronge to S. Ambrose thus violently to abuse his woordes to proue the Bishop of Romes Uniuersal power Here M. Hardinge doubtinge least his Reader being wearie of theise colde sclender shiftes and lookinge for some other more substantial and formal reasons woulde saie I heare not yet the Head of the Vniuersal Churche purposely preuenteth the mater and saith what forceth that whether that very terme be vsed in any ancient writer or no Gentle Reader I beseeche thée marke wel this dealinge This name the Heade of the Uniuersal Churche is the very thinge that we denie and that M. Hardinge hathe taken in hande to proue and boldely auoucheth that he hathe already plainely shewed and proued the same Yet nowe in the ende findinge him self destitute he turneth it of as a thinge of nought and saith VVhat forceth that whether he were called by that very name or no As though he woulde saie Al the olde Fathers of the Churche bothe Greekes and Latines wanted woordes and eloquence and either they coulde not or they durst not cal the Heade of the Churche by his owne peculiar name Howe be it if the Bishop of Rome be so called it maie be shewed If not then is my first assertion true Uerily touchinge the title of Uniuersal Bishop S. Gregorie calleth it Nouum Nomen A New Name vnacquainted and vnknowen vnto the worlde And saith further If we quietly take this mater we destroie the Faith of the Vniuersal Churche This therfore was the cause that the ancient Doctours neuer called the Bishop of Rome the Heade of the Churche for that they knewe he was neither reputed nor taken so nor was in deede the Heade of the Churche M. Hardinge hauing not yet found the thinge that he so long sought for at the last is faine to make it vp by shifte of Reasō The Vniuersal Churche saith he is the house of God Damasus is the Ruler of the House of God Ergo Damasus is Ruler of the Vniuersal Churche This Syllogismus is a manifest Fallax and hath as many faultes as lines First There is an Equiuocation or double vnderstandinge of these woordes The house of God For bothe the Uniuersal Churche and also euery particular Churche is Goddes House Againe There is an other Fallax whiche they cal Ex meris particularibus or A non Distributo ad Distributum Thirdely there is an other foule faulte in the very Forme of the Syllogisme easy for any Childe to espie For contrary to al Logique and order of Reason he concludeth in Secunda Figura Affirmatiu◠Where as M. Hardinge knoweth al the Moodes or Formes of the Seconde Figure must néedes Conclude Negatiuè The weaknes hereof wil the better appéere by the lyke The Vniuersal Churche is the Catholique Churche But Arsenius saithe Athanasius the Bishop of Alexandria was Ruler of the Catholique Churche Ergo Athanasius the Bishop of Alexandria was Ruler of the Vniuersal Churche Thus hitherto M. Iuel maye truely saye M. Hardinge hath yet brought neither Clause nor Sentence sufficient to prooue that the Bishop of Rome was called either the Uniuersal Bishop or the Heade of the Uniuersal Churche M. Hardinge The .32 Diuision But to satisfie these menne and to take awaie occasion of cauille I wil alleage a fewe places where the expresse terme heade is attributed to Peter the first Bishop of Rome and by like right to his successours and to the See Apostolike Chrysostome speakinge of the vertue and power of Peter and of the stedfastnes of the Churche in the .55 Homilie vpon Matthew hath theise wordes amonge other Cuius pastor caput homo piscator atque ignobilis c. By which wordes he affirmeth that the pastoure and heade of the Churche beinge but a fisher a man and one of base parentage passeth in firmnes the nature of the diamant Againe in an Homilie of the praises of Paule he saith thus Neither was this man onely suche a one but he also which was the heade of the Apostles who oftentimes saide he was readie to bestowe his life for Christ and yet was ful sore afraied of death If he were heade of the Apostles then was he heade of the inferioure people and so heade of the vniuersal Churche Hierome writinge against Iouinian saith Propterea inter duodecim vnus eligitur vt capite constituto Schismatis tollatur occasio For that cause amonge the twelue one is specially chosen out that the heade beinge ordeined occasion of schisme maie be taken awaie VVhereby it appeareth that Peter was constituted heade for auoidinge of diuision and schisme Nowe the danger of the inconuenience remaininge stil yea more then at that time for the greater multitude of the Churche and for sundrie other imperfections the same remedie must be thought to continewe onlesse we woulde saie that Christ hath lesse care ouer his Churche nowe that it is so muche encreased ▪ then he had at the beginninge when his flocke was smal For this cause excepte we denie Goddes Prouidence towarde his Churche there is one heade for auoidinge of schisme also nowe as wel as in the Apostles time VVhich is the Successour of him that was heade by Christes appointement then the Bishop of Rome sittinge in the seate that Peter sate in Cyrillus saith Petrus vt princeps Caputque caeterorum primus exclamauit tu es Christus filius Dei viui Peter as Prince and heade of the reste first cried out thou art Christ the sonne of the liuinge God Augustine also in a Sermon
peragendam palam edicit attendamus To doo the Holy Eleuation speaketh out alowde let vs be attent and then the Priest saith as he holdeth vp the Sacrament Holy thinges for the Holy Amphilochius of whom mention is made before in the life of S. Basile speakinge of his wonderous Celebratinge the Masse amonge other thinges saith thus Et post finem orationum exaltauit Panem finè intermissione orans dicens Respice Domine Iesu Christe c. And after that he had doone the praiers of Consecration he lifted vp the Breade without ceasing praieing and saieinge looke vpon vs Lorde Iesus Christe c. The same S. Basile meante likewise of the Eleuation and holdinge vp of the Sacrament after the custome of the Occidental Churche in his Booke De Spiritu Sancto where he saith thus Inuocationis verba dum ostenditur Panis Eucharistiae calix benedictionis quis Sanctorum nobis scripto reliquit VVhiche of the Sainctes hath lefte vnto vs in writinge the wordes of Inuocation whiles the Breade of Eucharistia 157 that is to witte the Blessed Sacrament in forme of Bread and the consecrated Chalice is shewed in sight He speaketh there of many thinges that be of greate authoritie and weight in the Churche whiche we haue by tradition onely and cannot be auoutched by holy Scripture Of shewing the holy Mysteries to them that be present in the Sacrifice the olde Doctours make mention not seldome S. Chrysostome declareth the manner of it saieinge that suche as were accompted vnworthy and heynous sinners were put foorth of the Churche whiles the Sacrifice was offered whiles Christ and that Lambe of our Lorde was Sacrificed VVhiche being put out of the Churche then were the Vailes of the Aultar taken away to the intent the holy Mysteries might be shewed in sight doubtelesse to stirre the people to more deuotion reuerence 158 and to the Adoration of Christes Bodie in them present And thus for the Eleuation or holdinge vp of the Sacrament wee haue saide inoughe The B. of Sarisburie H. Hardinge seemeth in parte to disclaime this Article as a mater of smal weight and none of the Principal Keyes of his Religion wherein I see not but I maye safely and easily graunte vnto him addinge notwithstanding thus much withal That the lesse it is the lesse hurte is in it Yet notwithstanding of late daies it was otherwise esteemed and moste seuerely exacted as the thinge wherin stoode their Adoration whiche was the whole price and bewtie of their Masse The prieste was wicked that woulde not vse it The people was wicked that woulde not allowe it Their greatest Doctours haue trauailed painfully to know the cause and signification of this Mysterie and yet cannot finde it Al this notwithstandinge it is nowe confessed to be a smal mater of no greate weight and suche as the Churche may wel spare without hinderance But as M. Hardinge here saithe his Doctrine maye sufficiently be mainteined and stande vprighte without this Ceremonie of Eleuation euen so may wée truely and iustely saye That the Heauenly and infallible Doctrine of the Gospel of Christe maye likewise stande vpright and be mainteined not onely without this Newe Ceremonie but also without their Priuate Masse without their Halfe Communion without their Strange Unknowen Praiers without their Supremacie of Rome without their Transubstantiation and other like Fantasies by them diuised Yet are not they al of that side hitherto fully resolued touchinge their owne Eleuation neither when nor where nor wherfore it first came in vse nor what it meaneth Some of them saye The liftinge vp of the Sacramental Breade signifieth Christes Incarnation Some of them saye It signifieth Christe hanginge vpon the Crosse Some of them That it signifieth the takinge downe of his Bodie from the Crosse Some his Resurrection Some his Ascension into Heauen Some That it signifieth a Sacrifice special aboue al Sacrifices Some others saye That the Prieste lifteth vp the Chalice to signifie That Christe crieing out with a lowde voice gaue vp the Sprite M. Harding saith It is lifted vp doubtlesse to the intente the people may Adoure Thus many and moe Mysteries they haue imagined in one thinge and yet the same as it is confessed no Keye of their Religion Disagréement euermore argueth ignorance S. Augustine saith Si vix aut omnino nunquam inueniri possint causae quas in istis rebus instituendis homines sequuti sunt vbi facultas tribuitur sine vlla dubitatione resecanda existimo If the causes whiche men folowed in diuisinge suche thinges can hardely or neuer be founde I thinke it best when opportunitie and occasion is geuen they be abolisshed and put away without scruple or staggeringe They haue assaied earnestly to prooue this Ceremonie by the warrante of Gods Woorde as if God him selfe had commaunded it Gerardus Lorichius saith Hunc ritum Dauid videtur praeuidisse in Spiritu Dauid seemeth to haue forseene this order in the Sprite And to this purpose he allegeth the Authoritie of Rabbi Iohai whome I maruel M. Harding had forgotten Durandus for the same allegeth the Woordes of Christe Ego si exaltatus fuero à Terra omnia traham ad meipsum If I be once lifted vp from the Earthe I shal drawe al thingès to mee selfe And to spéede the mater the better forewarde Linwoode saithe The Pope hath geuen liberal doale of Pardons And the more to astonne the Simple people Alexander of Hales saithe They haue of them selues inuented and diuised many strange Miracles They haue earnestly and sadly disputed whether the Cuppe shoulde be holden vp open or couered They saye It is a mater of special meede and hable to Confounde Heresies They haue wrested and corrupted the Scriptures and falsified the Rabines for the same M Hardinge also woulde seeme to allege a multitude of Olde Doctours and longe continuance euen from the Apostles time To be shorte they haue holden them for Heretiques and burned them that durst to speake against it Yet nowe in the ende M. Hardinge saithe It is but a smal mater and the reast of their Religion maye welstande without it I woonder he procéedeth not herein with as good courage as in the reast Neither did I sâ—offe hereat as a Lucian as it pleaseth M. Hardinge in his Choler to reporte but reuerently and soberly spake the Truethe euen as in the presence of God It pitied mee to sée Gâ—â—des people so deceiued and that euen by suche as had taken vpon them to be the Fathers and Guiders of the People But O merciful God What Religion maye this be that noman maye touche or truely reporte of it without surmise or suspicion of Scoffinge And where as M. Hardinge as a man somewhat ouermuche subiecte to his Passions saithe further I maye be ashamed to shewe my face emonge learned menne If he meane the learned of his owne side verily it can
Spirite that quickeneth or geueth life the fleashe profiteth nothinge The woordes whiche I haue spoken to you be Spirite and life As though he had saide thus The Fleashe of it selfe profiteth nothinge but my Fleashe whiche is ful of Godhead and Spirite â–ª bringeth and woorketh immortalitie and life euerlastinge to them that receiue it woorthily Thus we vnderstande in this Blissed Sacrament not onely the Bodie and Bloude of Christe but al and whole Christe God and Man to be present in substance and that for the inseparable vnitie of the person of Christe and for this cause we acknowledge our selues bounden to adore him as verâ—e true God and Man For a clearer declaration hereof I wil not let to recite a notable sentence out of S. Augustine where he expoundeth these woordes of Christe Then if ye see the Sonne of man goe vp where he was before There had beene no question saithe he if he had thus saide Yf ye see the Sonne of God goe vp where he was before But where as he saide The Sonne of man goe vp where he was before what was the Sonne of man in heauen before that he beganne to be in earth verily here he saide where he was before â–ª as though then he were not there when he spake these woordes And in an other place he saith Noman hath ascended into heauen but he that descended from heauen the Sonne of Man whiche is in heauen He said not VVas but the Sonne of Man saith he whiche is in heauen In Earth he spake and saide him selfe to be in heauen To what perteineth this but that we vnderstande Christe to be one persone God and Man not two leaste our Faith be not a Trinitie but a quâ—ternitie VVherefore Christe is one the woorde the soule and the fleashe one Christe the Sonne of God and the Sonne of Man one Christe The Sonne of God euer the Sonne of Man in time Yet one Christe accordinge to the Vnitie of person was in Heauen when he spake in Earthe So was the Sonne of Man in Heauen as the Sonne of God was in Earth The Sonne of God in Earth in fleashe taken the Sonne of Man in heauen in vnitie of personne Thus farre S. Augustine The B. of Sarisburie It is true That Christes Bodie and his Godheade are ioined inseparably and therefore must be Adoured both togeather For we maie not diuide the Godheade from the Manheade and so imagin two sundrie Christes the one to be honoured the other to stande without honoure as did the Heretique Nestorius But as the Bodie and Soule of Man beinge ioined both in one are honoured both togeather so must the Humanitie and Diuinitie of Christe beinge ioined both in one likewise be honoured both togeather Otherwise to saie as the Heretique Nestorius saide Thomas touched him that was risen againe and honoured him that raised him vp it were greate blasphemie Neuerthelesse notwithstandinge the Bodie and Godheade of Christe be ioined in one Persone yet are they distincte and sundrie Natures The one Finite the other Infinite The one in place the other incomprehensible without place The one a Creature the other the Creator Neither is there any Godly honoure dewe vnto the Bodie of Christe in respecte of it self but onely for that it is ioined in one Person with the Diuinitie Al these thinges be true and out of question Likewise the woordes that Christe spake in the sixth Chapter of S. Iohn are here alleged by M. Hardinge are vndoubtedly true howe be it not accordinge to the simple sounde and tenoure of the letter For that as S. Augustine saith were Flagitium facinus An Hainous wickednes And as Origen saith It woulde kil the soule And therefore Christe him self expoundeth his owne meaninge touchinge the same It is the Sprite that geueth life the Fleashe profiteth nothinge The woordes that I haue spoken be Sprite and life Whiche woordes S. Augustine expoundeth thus Spiritualiter intelligite quae locutus sum NoÌ„ hoc Corpus quod videtis maÌ„ducaturi estis Vnderstande ye Spiritually the thinges that I haue spoken Ye shal not eate this Bodie that ye see Likewise Chrysostome Secundum Spiritum verba mea audienda sunt Qui secundum Carnem audit nihil lucratur nihil vtilitatis accipit My woordes must be hearde Spiritually Who so heareth them Carnally or accordinge to the Fleashe geateth nothinge nor hath any profite by them He saith further by waie of obiection against him self Quid ergo est Carnaliter intelligere Simpliciter vt res dicuntur neque aliud quicquaÌ„ cogitare And what is meante by these woordes To vnderstande accordinge to the Fleashe He answeareth It is to vnderstande simply and plainely euen as thinges be spoken and to thinke vpon nothing els Thus therefore Christe saide to cutte of theire Carnal cogitations The woordes that I spake are sprite and life As if he shoulde saie Neither is my Fleashe meate nor my Bloude drinke to enter into your mouthes and to feede your bodies But if your Soules be hungrie I am Spiritual meate to feede yowe yf your Soules be thirstie I am Spiritual drinke to refreashe yowe To this purpose S. Chrysostome saith thus Omnia tibi Christus factus est Mensa VestimentuÌ„ Domus Caput Radix c. Christe is become â—l thinges vnto thee Thy Table thy Apparel thy Howse thy Heade and thy Roote S. Paule saith As many of yowe as are Baptized in Christe ye haue put on Christe Beholde howe Christe is made thy Apparel And wilt thou learne howe he is become thy Table He saith vvho so eateth me shal liue through me And that he is thy Howse he saith VVho so eateth my Fleashe dvvelleth in me and I in him And that he is thy Roote againe he saith I am the Vine and you are the Branches So saith Gregorius Nyssenus Christe vnto the stronge is stronge meate vnto the weaker sorte he is Hearbes and vnto infantes he is Milke So saith Origen Ne mireris Quia verbum Dei Caro dicitur Panis Lac Olera pro mensura credentium vel possibilitate sumentium diuersè nominatur Marueile not For the woorde of God is called both Fleashe and Breade and Milke and Hearbes and accordinge to the measure of the beleuers and the possibilitie of the receiuers is diuersely named And likewise Gregorie Nazianzene Quemadmodum Dominus noster Iesus Christus appellatur Vita Via Panis Vitis Lux vera mille alia sic etiam appellatur Gladius Like as our Lorde Iesus Christe is called the Life the Waie the Breade the Vine the true Light and a thousande thinges els so is he also called the Swearde Nowe as Christe is Breade euen so in like manner of speache he is a Swearde and none otherwise Thus is Christe vnto vs a Spiritual Table a Spiritual Apparel a Spiritual Howse a Spiritual Heade a Spiritual Roote Spiritual Meate Spiritual Herbes Spiritual
stil although it be not Bare or Common Oile so the Nature or substance of the Breade remaineth still although it be not Common or Bare Breade In like sorte he writeth of the Water of Baptisme Non tanquam Aquae Simplici studeas huic Laâ—achro Ne Aquae Simplicitaâ—i mentem adhibeas Beholde not this Bathe as Simple VVater Consyder not the Simplicitie of the VVater Of these conferences of places we maie wel geather thus The Water in the Holy Mysterie of Baptisme notwithstandinge it be not Bare Common Water yet neuerthelesse contineweth stil in the Nature and Substance of very Water So likewise the Breade in the Holy Mysterie of Christes Bodie notwithstandinge it be not Bare and Common Breade yet neuerthelesse in Nature and Substance is Breade stil. But Cyrillus saith It is no Breade it is no Wine notwithstandinge it appeare so vnto the senses Chrysostome saith The substance of Breade is consumed Emissenus saith It is turned into the substance of Christes Bodie and Damascenus and Theophylactus later writers of no greate credite auouche the same It is plaine that both Cyrillus and al other olde learned Fathers laboure euermore with al vehemencie and force of woordes to sequester and pulle their hearers from the iudgement of their senses to beholde that Breade that geueth life vnto the worlde And therefore he calleth it Spiritual Breade and of Christes Bloude he saith thus Bibe vinum in corde tuo Spirituale scilicet vinum Drinke that VVine not with thy Bodily mouth but in they harte I meane that Spiritual VVine Againe he sheweth wherefore the Iewes were offended with Christe and openeth the very cause of the grossenes of their erroure Iudaei non audientes Verba Christi secundum Spiritum Scandalizaâ—i abierunt reâ—rò eò quòd existimarent sefe ad humanaruÌ„ Carnium esum incitari The Iewes not hearinge Christes VVoordes accordinge to the Sprite were offended and went from him for that they thought they were encourraged to eate Mannes Fleashe Againe he saith Gustate videte quòd suauis est Dominus Num hoc Corporeo palato vt istud dijudicetis vobis praecipitâ— NequaquaÌ„ sed potius certa Fide Taste and see that the Lorde is delectable What are you commaunded to iudge this with youre Bodily mouth No not so but with vndoubted Faith In this sense the Water in Baptisme geueth place to the Bloude of Christe and of it self seemeth nothinge Likewise the Breade in the Sacrament of Christes Bodie geueth place to the Bodie of Christe and in respecte thereof is vtterly nothinge Whiche thinge concerninge the Water of Baptisme Paulinus seemeth to expresse thus Fonsque nouus renouans hominem quia suscipit dat Munus siue magis quod deâ—init esse per vsum Tradere Diuino mortalibus incipit vsu. Likewise Chrysostome Non erit Aqua Potationis sed Sanctificationis It shal not be Water to Drinke as it was before but VVater of Sâ—nctification as before it was not This is the very Substance of the Sacramentes in respecte whereof the corruptible Elementes of Breade Wine and Water are consumed taken for nothinge This thinge Chrysostome expresseth notably to the eie by this example Lanae cùm tinguntur naturae suae nomen amittunt tincturae nomen accipiunt non vltrà vocas Lanam sed vel PurpuraÌ„ vel CoccinuÌ„ vel Prasinum c. VVool when it is died looseth the name of his owne Nâ—ture and taketh the name of the Coloure Thou callest it no lenger wool but Purple or Scarlet or greene c. Notwithstandinge the very Substance of Wool remaineth stil. And so Pachymeres saith The Holy Oile is no lâ—nger called Oile but it is turned into Christe His woordes be plaine Oleum enim est Christus For the Cile is Christe Not meaninge thereby that the Oile is no Oile but onely that in respecte of Christe that thereby is Signified the Oile is Consumed and appeareth nothinge So Paulus that Famous learned Lawier saith Res vna per praeualentiaÌ„ trahit aliam One thinge by force of greater weight draweth an other with it Thus therefore saithe Cyrillus The Breade that wee see is now not Breade â—ut Christes Bodie and the VVine that wee see is now not VVine but Christes Bloud As if he should say These Elementes or Creatures are not so muche the thinges that they be in déede as the things that they represent For so S. Augustine saith generally of al Sacramentes as it hath beene alleged once or twise before In Sacramentes wee may not consider what they be in deede but what they signifie And to the same ende S. Ambrose saith Magis videtur quod non videtur It is better seene that is not seene And al this is wrought bothe in the Mysterie of Baptisme and also in the Mysterie of Christes Bodie not by the woorke or force of Nature but by the Omnipotent power of the Sprite of God and by the warrant of Christes Woorde Thus Emissenus thus Damascene thus Theophylacte say the Bread is changed into the Substance of Christes Bodie I meane euen so as the same Theophylacte saith VVee our selues are Transelemented Transubstantiate into the Bodie of Christe For thus he imagineth Christe to say Miscetur mihi Transelementatur in me And in like sorte Chrysostome speakinge of the Corruption and Renewinge of the worlde saith thus Opus erat quasi Reelementationem quandam fieri It was needeful that the Elementes were Transubstantiate or made new So S. Peter saith Efficimur consortes Diuinae naturae VVee are made partakers of the Diuine Nature And a Heathen writer saithe Homo transit in Naturam Dei A man is turned into the Nature of God Al these and other like Phrases of speache must be qualified with a sober and a discrete construction otherwise accordinge to the simple tenour of the woordes they cannot stande Therefore S. Chrysostome intreating of the Exposition of the Scriptures saith thus Diuina opus est Gratia ne nudis verbis insistamus Nam ita Haeretici in errorem incidunt neque Sententiam neque Auditoris habitum inquirentes Nisi enim tempora locos auditorem alia huiusmodi consideremus multa sequentur absurda VVee haue neede of Goddes Heauenly Grace that wee stande not vpon the Bare VVoordes For so Heretiques fal into errour neuer consideringe neither the minde of the Speaker nor the disposition of the Hearer Onlesse wee weigh the Times the Places the Hearers and other like Circumstances many inconueniences must needes folow Uerily Bertramus an Ancient writer saithe Ipse qui nunc in Ecclesia c. He that now in the Churche by his Omnipotent Power Spiritually turneth the Breade and the VVine into the Fleashe and Bloud of his Bodie the same inuisibly made his Bodie of the Manna that came from Heauen and of the VVater that flowed from the Rocke inuisibly he made his owne Bloude Thus
of these woordes conclude that Christe is Really Hidden either in deade mens Boanes or in the Prophete Esaie or in the Letter of the Lawe Certainely S. Augustine speaketh not one Woorde neither here nor els where neither of Accidentes without Subiecte nor of any Real Presence And al be it his woordes here be not very darke yet in other places bothe often and plainely he expoundeth him selfe For thus he saithe Mysteria omnia Interioribus Oculis videnda sunt id est Spiritualiter Al Mysteries muste be considered with the Inner Eyes that is to say Spiritually And againe In Sacramentis aliud videtur aliud intelligitur In Sacramentes wee see one thinge and wee vnderstande an other thinge So Chrysostome speakinge of the Water of Baptisme Ego non aspectu iudico ea quae videntur The thinges that be seene in Baptisme I consider not with my Bodily eie So likewise Origen Bene Circumcisionem Signum appellauit quia in ipsa aliud videbatur aliud intelligebatur He called Circumcision rightly a Signe for that in it one thinge was seene and an other thinge was vnderstanded Thus in Sacramentes we sée one thinge with our eye and an other thinge with our minde With our Bodily eie we sée the Bread with our Faithe wee see the Bodie of Christe Thus the Sacramente consisteth of twoo partes Of the whiche the one is before our eies the other in Heauen and so the one Uisible and the other Inuisible So saithe S. Augustine Non oportet esse contentum superficie Literae sed ad intelligentiam peruenire We may not stande content with the outwarde sighte of the letter but muste goe further vnto the meaninge S. Augustine meaneth not by these woordes that the vnderstandinge of the Scriptures lieth Really hidden vnder the Letter He him selfe better expoundeth his owne meaninge in this wise In veteri Testamento occultabatur nouum quia occult◠Significabatur The Newe Testament was hidden in the Olde bicause it was secretely or Inuisibly Signified in the Olde Nowe let vs examine the grounde of M. Hardinges gheasses S. Augustine nameth Visibilem Speciem the visible kinde of the Elementes Ergo saith M. Harding he meaneth onely the Accidentes or outwarde Formes of Breade and VVine and not the Substance The weakenesse of this Conclusion procéedeth of the misvnderstandinge of the Termes For S. Augustine in this place vseth not this woorde Species for the outwarde Shewe but for the very Substance of the thinge it selfe So S. Ambrose saithe twise togeather in one place Sermo Dei Species mutat elementorum The Woorde of God changeth the Kindes of the Elementes And againe Ante benedictionem alia Species nominatur Before the Consecration it is called an other Kinde In these and other like places M. Hardinge cannot wel say that Species signifieth an Accident or outwarde Shewe Neither doothe this woorde Uisible importe any suche External Forme as is here imagined But onely excludeth the Bodie of Christe whiche is in Heauen Inuisible to our Bodily eies and Uisible onely to the eies of our Faithe And so the Water in Baptisme is called Forma Visibilis a Visible Kinde or Element accordinge to the general Definition of al Sacramentes So S. Augustine saith Aliud Iudaei habebant aliud nos sed specie Visibili quod tamen idem Significaret The Iewes had one thing for their Sacramēt we an other in deede of an other Visible Forme or Kinde which notwithstādinge Signified the same thinge that our Sacramēt doothe Signifie Likewise he saithe Quod videtur Speciem habet Corporalem quod intelligitur fructum habet Spiritualem The thinge that we see hath a Corporal Shewe but the thinge that we vnderstande hath fruite Spiritual And in this sense Chrysostome saithe of the Sacrament of Baptisme Christus in Sensibilibus Intelligibilia nobis tradidit Christe in Sensible thinges hath geuen vs thinges Spiritual By these we see bothe M. Hardinges grosse erroure and also for what cause the Olde godly Fathers cal Christes Bodie Inuisible That is for that beinge in Heauen we sée it with our Faith with our minde and with the eies of our vnderstandinge Neither maie M. Hardinge of this woorde Inuisible reason thus as he seemeth to doo Christes Bodie is Inuisible Ergo it lieth hidden vnder Accidentes For S. Ambrose in like phrase of woordes speaketh thus of Baptisme Sacri Fontis vnda nos abluit Sanguis Domini nos redemit Alterum igitur Inuisibile alterum Visibile testimonium Sacramento consequimur Spirituali The Water of the Holy Fonte hath washed vs Christes Bloude hath redeemed vs. Therefore by a Spiritual Sacrament we obteine two Testimonies the one Inuisible the other Visible Here S. Ambrose saith Christes Bloude in Baptisme is Inuisible Yet maie we not conclude thereof that Christes Bloude is hidden vnder the Accidentes or Shewes of Water So Origen saith Baptismus Iohannis videbatur Christi Baptismus est Inuisibilis Iohns Baptisme was seene But Christes Baptisme is Inuisible And notwithstandinge al these thinges be plaine to any man that hath eies to see yet that the weakenes and folie of these shiftes maie throughly appeare let M. Hardinge shewe vs wherein in what respecte his naked Shewe of Formes and Accidentes canne be the Sacrament of Christes Bodie For thus he saith and doubleth and repeteth the same and maketh it the staie and grounde of this whole Treatie The Signe or Signification of this Sacrament as S. Cyprian saith standeth in Refreashinge and Feedinge So saith Rabanus Maurus Quia Panis Corporis Cor confirmat ideò ille congruenter Corpus Christi nuncupatur Et quia vinum Sanguinem operatur in Carne ideò illud ad Sanguinem Christi refertur Bicause Breade confirmeth the harte of the Bodie therfore it is conueniently called the Bodie of Christe And bicause wine woorketh Bloude in the Fleashe therefore it hath relation to the Bloude of Christe Likewise bicause Water washeth awaie the soile and filth of the Bodie therefore as Gregorie Nyssene saith Christe appointed it to the Sacrament of Baptisme to Signifie the Inwarde Wasshinge of our Soules Nowe although M. Hardinge canne saie many thinges yet this thinge I thinke he wil not say that our Bodies be feadde with his Shewes and Accidents Or if he so saie as in deede they are driuen so to saie then wil the very Natural Philosopher reprooue his folie For the Philosopher saith as in deede true it is Ex ijsdem nutrimur sumus We consist of the same thinges wherewith we are nourished Therefore if M. Hardinge wil saie The Substance of our Bodie is feadde with Accidentes then must he likewise saie The Substance of our Bodie dooth stande of Accidentes Hereof we maie very wel reason thus The Accidentes or Shewes of Breade and Wine feede not our Bodies as Christes Bodie feedeth our soules Ergo The Accidentes and Shewes of Breade and Wine are not the Sacramentes of Christes
name any Figure in these cases it is lawful for M. Hardinge to heape Figure vpon Figure and that not suche Figures as haue beene vsed by any the Ancient Fathers but suche as he him selfe for a shift can best diuise Tertullian saith M. Harding supposeth that Christe when he had the Breade in his hande and saide Hoc This shewed onely the Uisible Accidentes and Formes of Breade as if Christe had saide This Whitenesse this Roundenesse this Breadth this Lightnesse c. is my Bodye By whiche skilful construction it must néedes folow that Christe had a Bodie made of Accidentes How be it saith M. Hardinge this Interpretation of Tertullian in deede is not according to the right sense of Christes woordes Hereby it appeareth what affiance M. Hardinge hath in the iudgement of this learned Father After so many faire woordes he beginneth vtterly to mislike him and concludeth in the ende that he wrote he knew not what and tooke vpon him to expounde Christes woordes and yet vnderstoode not what Christe meante and that not in any deepe Allegorie or other Spiritual or secrete meaning but euen in the very Literal Sense and outwarde sounde of Christes woordes And thus Tertullian is charged not onely with Ignorance but also with Presumption But if as M. Hardinge saith Tertullian vnderstoode not Christes meaning what if some man woulde likewise say M. Hardinge vnderstandeth not Tertullians meaninge And what if the simple Reader vnderstande not M. Hardinges meaninge It were to muche to say further M. Hardinge vnderstandeth not his owne meaninge Uerily Tertullian not once nameth any one of al these M. Hardinges strange Fantasies neither Forme nor Accident nor Uisible nor Inuisible nor Outwarde Element nor Secrete Presence nor Really nor Substantially nor I know not what He wrote and meante plainely in these cases as others the learned Fathers wrote and meante And touchinge the woordes of Christe This is my Bodie he saithe not These Shewes or Accidentes of Breade as M. Hardinge ful vnaduisedly expoundeth him but this Breade is my Bodie Wherein he hath the consent bothe of the Scriptures and also of the Ancient Doctours of the Churche S. Paule saith Not the outwarde Fourme or Accident but The Breade that wee Breake is the Participation of Christes Bodie Irenaeus saithe Panis in quo Gratiae actae sunt est Corpus Domini The Breade wherein thankes are geuen is the Bodie of the Lorde Origen saithe Dominus Panem Discipulis dabat dicens Hoc est Corpus meum Our Lorde gaue Breade vnto his Disciples saieinge This is my Bodie So S. Cyprian Vinum fuit quod Sanguinem suum dixit It was Wine that he called his Bloud So Chrysostome Christus cùm hoc Mysterium tradidit Vinum tradidit Christe when he gaue this Mysterie he gaue wine Likewise Cyrillus Christus Fragmenta Panis dedit Discipulis Christe gaue Fragmentes or peeces of Breade to his Disciples Thus Tertullian vnderstoode and expounded the woordes of Christe Wherfore it is greate folie to charge him with this new imagination of Accidentes and so vnaduisedly and without cause to reprooue him for speakinge that he neuer spake By these wée may the better iudge of M. Hardinges owne Exposition For thus he saith VVhen Christe saide Hoc This he shewed not foorth the Visible Accident or Forme of Breade but his very Natural Bodie It appeareth that M. Hardinge either litle considereth or not muche regardeth his owne woordes For al the reast of his side holde for most certainâ— that their Transubstantiation is not wrought before the vttering of the last Syllable Whiche thinge notwithstanding M. Harding contrary to aâ— his felowes I wil not say contrary to him selfe saith that the Breade is turned into Christes Bodie onely at the vtterance of the first Syllable And so by this Newe Diuinitie Christes Bodie is made Present and the Sacrament is a Sacrament before Consecration al is ended before it be begonne whiche in M. Hardinges Schooles not longe sithence was counted an errour aboue al errours whiche to shifte they were faine to diuise Indiuiduum Vagum Againe if this Pronowne Hoc haue relation to Christes Bodie then must wee of force by M. Hardinges Fantasie thus expounde the woordes of Christe This is my Bodie that is to say My Bodie is my Bodie Whiche Exposition of M. Hardinges D. Holcote saith is vaine and peeuish and to no purpose And where as M. Harding saith None of al the Olde Fathers euer expounded these woordes of Christe by a Figure I maruel he canne so boldely vtter and publishe so greate vntrueth without blusshinge For he knoweth right wel that scarcely any one of al the Olde Fathers euer expounded it otherwise Damascene and Theophylacte are very Younge Doctours in comparison of them that wee may iustly cal Olde as standinge farre without the compasse of the first sixe hundred yéeres and otherwise freight with greate errours and sundrie folies Therefore I thinke it not amisse for shortenesse of time to passe them by Yet by the way let vs a litle viewe M. Hardinges Logique Thus he teacheth vs to reason Tertullian by this Pronowne Hoc vnderstoode the outwarde Accident or Fourme of Breade Ergo Christes Bodie it selfe is a Figure M. Hardinge The .10 Diuision And the cause why Tertullian so expounded these woordes of Christe was that thereby he â—ight take aduantage against Marcion the heretique as many times the fathers in heate of disputation doo handle some places not after the exacte signification of the woordes but rather folow such way as serueth them best to confute their aduersarie VVhiche manner not reporting any vntrueth S. Basile dooth excuse in the settinge foorth of a disputation not in prescribinge of a Doctrine As he defendeth Gregorius Neocaesariensis against the Sabellians for that in a contention he had with Aelianus an Ethnike to declare the Mysteries of the Trinitie he vsed the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in steede of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the learned men that be wel seene in the Fathers know they must vse a discreation and a sundrie iudge betweene the thinges they write Agonisti 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say by way of contention or disputation and the thinges they vtter Dogmatic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is by way of settinge foorth a doctrine or mater of Faith Neither in that contention did Tertullian so muche regarde the exacte vse of woordes as how he might winne his purpose and driue his aduersarie denieing that Christe tooke the true Bodie of man and that he suffered death in deede to confesse the trueth which he thought to bringe to passe by deducing of an argument from the Figure of his Bodie whiche consisteth in that whiche is visible in the Sacrament to prooue the veritie of his Bodie And therefore in framing his reason by way of illation he saith Figura autem non esset nisi veritatis esset Corpus There were not a Figure onlesse
Bloude the Capernaites hearinge his woordes imagined euen as M. Hardinge nowe dooth that he meante a very Fleashly Eatinge with their Bodily mouthes and therefore beganne to be offended and saide His speache was ouer harde and departed from him Upon occasion hereof S. Augustine writeth thus Ipsi erant duri non sermo Christus instruxit eos qui remanserant ait illis Spiritus est qui viuificat Caro autem nihil prodest Verba quae locutus sum vobis Spiritus sunt vita Spiritualiter intelligite quod locutus sum Non hoc Corpus quod videtis manducaturi estis nec bibituri illum Sanguinem quem fusuri sunt qui me Crucifigent Sacramentum aliquod vobis commendaui Spiritualiter intellectum viuificabit vos They were harde Christes woorde was not harde Christe instructed them that remained and saide vnto them it is the Sprite that geueth life the Fleashe profiteth nothinge The woordes that I haue spoken are Sprite and Life Vnderstande ye spiritually that I haue spoken Ye shal not Eate this Bodie that ye see neither shal ye drinke that Bloude that they shal sheadde that shal Crucifie me I haue recommended vnto you a certaine Sacrament Beinge Spiritually vnderstanded it wil geue you life These woordes be plaine of them selfe and neede no longe construction The difference that M. Hardinge hath diuised bytweene Christes Bodie in Substance and the self same Bodie in respecte of qualities is a vaine Glose of his owne without Substance For S. Augustine saith not as M. Hardinge woulde faine haue him to saie Ye shal not Eate this Bodie with your bodily mouth Quale videtis vnder suche Conditions and qualities of Mortalitie and Corruption as yowe nowe see it but Quod videtis that is Yowe shal not eate the same Bodie in Nature and Substance that nowe ye sée Neither was the Bodie of Christe at that time when he Ministred the holy Communion and spake these woordes to his Disciples endewed with any suche qualities For it was neither Spiritual nor Inuisible nor Immortal but contrarywise Earthly Uisible and subiecte to Death To be shorte S. Augustine speaketh not one woorde neither of this Carnal Presence nor of Secrete Beinge vnder Couerte nor saith as M. Hardinge saithe that the very Bodie of Christe is a Figure of Christes Bodie nor imagineth in Christe two sundrie sortes of Natural Bodies nor knoweth any one of al these M. Hardinges strange Collections Thus onely he saith Non hoc Corpus quod videtis manducaturi estis Touchinge your Bodily mouth Ye shal not Eate this Bodie of mine that ye see Of whiche woordes M. Hardinge contrary to S. Augustines expresse and plaine meaninge as his common wonte is concludeth the contrary Ergo with youre Bodily Mouth ye shal eate this self same Bodie in Substance that ye see Nowe for as muche as M. Hardinge wil saie Wée diuise Figures of our selues without cause and that Christes woordes are plaine and ought simply to be taken as they sounde without any manner Figure I thinke it therefore necessarie in fewe woordes to shewe bothe what hath leadde vs and al the Ancient Writers and Olde Doctours of the Churche thus to expounde the Woordes of Christ and also howe many and howe strange and monstrous Figures M. Hardinge with his Bretherne are driuen to vse in the Exposition of the same And to passe ouer al the Olde learned Fathers whiche in their writinges commonly cal the Sacrament a Representation a Remembrance a Memorie an Image a Likenes a Samplar a Token a Signe and a Figure c. Christe him self before al others seemeth to leade vs hereunto bothe for that at the very Institution of the holy Mysteries he saide thus Doo ye this in Remembrance of me And also for that in the sixth Chapter of S. Iohn speakinge of the Eatinge of his Fleashe he forewarned his Disciples of his Ascension into Heauen and shewed them that his very Natural Fleashe Fleashely receiued canne profite nothinge Moreouer it is not agréeable neither to the Nature of a Man Really and in deede to eate a mannes Bodie nor to a mannes Bodie Really and in deede without Figure to be Eaten For that S. Augustine saith were Flagitium facinus An horrible wickednes And againe he saithe Horribilius est humanam Carnem manducare quà m perimere Sanguinem humanum bibere quà m fundere It is a more horrible thinge to eate mannes Fleashe then it is to kille it and to drinke mannes Bloude then it is to shead it For this cause he concludeth Figura ergo est Therefore it is a Figure And in like manner Cyrillus saithe Sacramentum nostrum non asseuerat Hominis manducationem Our Sacrament auoucheth not the Eatinge of a man Againe in these woordes of Christe we finde Duo disparata that is two sundrie termes of sundrie Significations and Natures Panis and Corpus whiche as the learned knowe cannot possibly be Uerified the one of the other without a Figure By sides al this in euery of these clauses whiche so nearely touche Christes Institution there is a Figure To drinke the Cuppe of the Lorde In steede of the Wine in the Cuppe it is a Figure To drinke Iudgement Iudgement is a Spiritual thinge and cannot be dronken with the mouth Therefore it is a Figure My Bodie that Is geuen that Is broken in steede of That Shal be geuen and That Shal be broken is a Figure I am Breade Christe Really and in deede was no material Breade It is a Figure The Breade is the Communication of the Lordes Bodie In steede of these woordes It representeth the Communication of the Lordes Bodie It is a Figure The Cuppe is the Newe Testament The Cuppe in deede and verily is not the Newe Testament Therefore it is a Figure In euery of these Clauses M. Hardinge must needes see and confesse a Figure and so it appeareth that in the very Institution of Christes Holy Mysteries there are vsed a greate many and sundrie Figures al notwithstandinge both consonant to Reason and also agréeable to Goddes Holy woorde But nowe marke wel I beseeche thée good Christian Reader howe many and what kindes of Figures M. Hardinge and the reste of his companie haue benne forced to imagin in these cases First they saie This pronowne Hoc This signifieth not This Breade as al the Olde Writers vnderstande it but Indiuiduum Vagū whiche is neither Breade nor any certaine determined thinge elles but onely one certaine thinge at large in generalitie This Uerbe Est They expounde thus Est hoc est Transubstantiatur Suche a Figure as neuer was vsed of any Olde Authoure either Holy or Profane or Heretique or Catholique or Greeke or Latine In these woordes Take ye Eate ye This is my Bodie They haue founde a Figure called Hysteron Proterō whiche is when the whole speache is out of order and that set byhinde that shoulde goe before For thus they are driuen to shifte it and turne it This is
shadowes of him selfe and fighteth stowtely against the same Therefore he maie soone attaine the Uictorie For wee saie not that the common people of al sortes and degrees ought of necessitie to reade al the holy Scriptures This is onely M. Hardinges fantasie We saie it not We knowe some are blinde and many vnlearned cannot reade But thus we saie That in the Primitiue Churche who so euer woulde and could reade might lawfully reade without controlmente Therefore S. Augustine saith as it is before alleged Aut ipsi legite aut alios legentes requirite Either reade your selues or geate some other to reade vnto yowe I graunt at the first preachinge and publishinge of the Gospel certaine Barbarous Nations that receiued the Faithe of Christe had neither Bookes nor Letters Yet were they not therefore ignorant or leafte at large to beléeue they knewe not what They had then certaine officers in the Churche whiche were called Catechistae whose dutie was continually and at al times to teache the Principles of the Faithe not by Booke but by Mouthe Of these mention is made in the Actes of the Apostles in the Councel of Nice and els where This office bare Origen that Ancient learned Father This doctrine Dionysius calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oracles or Instructions geuen from God And saithe They paste from one to an other not by Writinge but by Mouthe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from minde to minde Neither did these Traditions conteine any secrete or priuie Instructions or Inuentions of Men as it is imagined by some but the very selfe same Doctrine that was conteined written in the Scriptures of God And in this sorte the Gospel it selfe and the whole Religion of Christe was called a Tradition So Tertullian calleth the Articles of the Faithe An Olde Tradition So the Faithe of the Holy Trinitie in the Councel of Constantinople is called a Tradition And the Faithe of twoo sundrie Natures in Christe in the same Councel is called Apostolorum viua Traditio The Liuely Tradition of the Apostles So it is written in Socrates Credimus in vnum Deum Patrem secundum Euangelicam Apostolicam TraditioneÌ„ Wee beleeue in one God the Father accordinge to the Tradition of the Gospel and of the Apostles So S. Basile calleth it a Tradition To beleeue in the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghoste Therefore S. Paule saithe Teneâ—e Traditiones quas accepistis siue per Sermonem siue per Epistolam Keepe the Traditions that ye haue receiued either by Mouthe or els by Letter By these woordes the Doctrine of the Apostles is called a Tradition And for this cause S. Cyprian saithe Vnde est ista Traditio An de Dominica Euangelica Veritate descendens an de Apostolorum MaÌ„datis atque Literis veniens From whence is this Tradition whether cometh it from our Lorde and from his Gospel or els from the Epistles and Commaundementes of the Apostles Thus were the Barbarous Nations instructed by Tradition and by Mouthe and were made perfite in euery pointe and parcel of the Faithe and as Irenaeus saithe Had their Saluation by the Holy Ghost written in their Hartes and were as muche bounden vnto the same as vnto any writinges and letters of the Apostles Of suche liuely and cleare Doctrine S. Paule saithe Christe was set out and Crucified before the â—ies of the Galathians And thereof he saithe to the Philippiens My praier is that your Charitie may yet more and more abounde in al knowlege and in al vnderstandinge And thus notwithstandinge they were Barbarous yet were they hable to render an accoumpte of al the Religion and Faithe in Christe For thus Irenaeus writeth of them Si quis illis annuntiaret ea quae ab istis Haereticis inuenta sunt statim clauderent aures Yf any man woulde shewe these Barbarous Nations what thinges these Heâ—etiques haue inuented they woulde stoppe their eares and not abide it Likewise if a man woulde shewe them of the Profanation of Christes Holy Mysteries of Transubstantiation of Real and Fleashely Presence and of other like horrible disorders that nowe are holden and defended in the Churche of Rome as Irenaeus saithe Fugerent longo longiùs ne audire quidem sustinentes blasphemum colloquium They woulde flee away as farre as they were hable and would not abide the hearinge of suche blasphemous talke Thus were these Nations sufficiently instructed notwithstanding they were Barbarous and wanted Bookes But they of M. Hardinges side neither wil teache the people as their dutie is nor suffer them to reade the Holy Scriptures and to teache them selues Christe may iustly say to them as he did sometimes vnto others the like Woe be vnto you ye Scribes and Phariseis Ye shutte vp the Kingedome of Heauen before men and neither doo ye enter your selues nor suffer others that would enter Of suche Irenaeus speaketh in the nexte Chapter folowinge Hoc non est sanantium nec viuificantium sed magis grauantium augentium ignorantiam Et multò verior hic Lex inuenitur Maledictum dicens omnem qui in errorem mittit Coecum in via This is not the parte of them that would heale or gâ—ue life but rather of them that augment the burthen and increase ignorance And herein is the Lawe wel verified Accursed is he that leadeth the blinde out of his way M. Hardinge The .5 Diuision That it is not conuenient nor seemely al sortes of persons without exception to be admitted to the readinge of the Holy Scriptures I neede to say nothinge Euery reasonable man may easely vnderstande the causes by him selfe This is certaine diuerse Chapters and stories of the Olde Testament conteine such matter as occasion of euil thoughtes is like to be geuen if VVomen Maidens and Younge men be permitted to reade them Gregorie Nazianzene whome the Greekes called the diuine saith mooued with great considerations that it is not the parte of al persons to reason of God and of godly thinges neither behooueful the same be done in al times and place nor that al thinges touchinge God be medled withal VVhiche aduertisement taketh no place where al be admitted to the curiouse readinge of the Scriptures in their owne vulgare Tongue The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge saithe It is not conuenient nor seemely that al the people shoulde reade the Holy Scriptures As if he woulde say in plainer wise It is not meete nor seemely that God shoulde speake vnto euery of the poore simple people without exception How be it God him selfe saithe not so but rather the contrary S. Augustine saithe as it is alleged before God speaketh as a familiar frende vnto the harte bothe of the learned and also of the vnlearned For he hath no acceptation or choise of personnes If it be not seemely for the people of God to reade and
visite him who comminge vnto him with pretence to bringe conforte through his heauenly knowledge receiued confort But amonge the people how greate number is there of lewde Losels Gluttons and Dronkerdes whose bealy is their God who folow their vnruly lustes Is it to be thought this sorte of persones may without meditation and exercise of praier pearse the vnderstandinge of the Scriptures and of those holy Mysteries whiche God hath hidden as Christe confesseth from the Learned and wise man and opened vnto litle ones The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge alloweth these whom he calleth Curious Busy Bodies of the Uulgare sorte to atteine to the vnderstandinge of Gods Woorde not by readinge but onely by Special ReuelatioÌ„ and Miracle and none otherwise and that within the space of a thousande yéeres one or twoo onely and no moe For so S. Antonie atteined vnto the knowledge therof vtterly without any booke or Reading or any other healpe of vnderstandinge So that sicke man lieinge bedreade of whom S. Gregorie maketh that woorthy mention So that Barbarous and vtterly vnlearned sclaue that suddainely by Reuelation was taught to Reade And so like wise perhaps M. Hardinge him selfe beinge so longe a time and so earnest a Preacher of the same Gospel and Trueth of God that he now so wilfully condemneth without either Booke or Readinge or other conference onely vpon the Change of the Prince and none otherwise vnderstoode that thinge that before he coulde not vnderstande and by Miracle and Reuelation vpon the suddaine was wholy altered vnto the contrary True it is Fleashe Bloud is not hable to vnderstande the holy wil of God without special Reuelation Therefore Christe gaue thankes vnto his Father For that he had reueled his secretes vnto the little ones And likewise opened the hartes of his Disciples that they might vnderstande the Scriptures Without this special healpe and promptinge of Goddes holy Sprite the Woorde of God is vnto the Reader be he neuer so wise or wel learned as the Uision of a sealed Booke Buâ—â—â—â—s Reuelation is not special vnto one or twoo but general to al them that 〈◊〉 members of Christe and are endewed with the Sprite of God Therefore 〈◊〉 â—hrysostome saithe generally vnto al the people Audite quotquot estis mundani â—â—xoribus praeestis ac liberis quemadmodum vobis Apostolus Paulus Praecipiat legere â—cripturas idque non simpliciter neque obiter sed magna cum diligentia Herken al yee men of the worlde that haue wiues and Children how S. Paule the Apostle of Christe coÌ„maundeth you to Reade the Scriptures and that not sleightly or as by the way but with greate diligence Againe he saithe Domi Biblia in manus sumite Domi vacemus diuinarum Scripturarum lectioni Take the Bible into your handes in your houses at home At home in our houses let vs applie the Readinge of the Holy Scriptures So likewise saithe S. Hierome Hîc ostenditur verbum Christi non sufficienter sed abundanter etiaÌ„ Laicos habere debere docere se inuiceÌ„ vel monere Here wee are taught that the Lay people ought to haue the Woorde of God not onely sufficiently but also with abundance and to teache and counsel others But emongest these Busy Bodies of the Uulgare sorte M. Hardinge findeth a greate number of Losels Gluttons and Dronkardes whose belly is their God Thus he nameth the parte but he meaneth the whole For euen so writeth Hosius one of the Chiefe of that Companie Non est Consilium in vulgo non ratio non discrimen In this Vulgare sorte there is neither Counsel nor reason nor discretion And farther he calleth the flocke of Christe Beluam multorum Capitum A Wilde beaste of many heades As M. Hardinge also a litle before calleth them Swyne and others calle them Filthy Dogges Euen so the Phariseis iudged and spake of the simple People that folowed Christe Turbauista quae non nouit Legem maledicti sunt These rabbles of rascalles that are Unlearned and know not the Lawe are accursed In suche regarde they haue theÌ„ whom S. Paule calleth Ciues Sanctorum domesticos Dei Cittizens with the Sainctes and of the Householde of God If loosenesse of life be a iust cause to baÌ„nishe the people from the Woorde of God it is commonly thought that the Cardinalles and Priestes in Rome liue as loosely as any others S. Bernarde of the Priestes of his time writeth thus Non est iam dicere vt Populus sic Sacerdos quia nec sic Populus vt Sacerdos Wee mayâ— not nowe saye As is the People so is the Prieste For the people is not so wicked as is the Priest Therefore by M. Hardinges iudgemente the Priestes ought no lesse to be banished from Goddes Woorde then the rest of the People M. Hardinge The .12 Diuision And where as learned men of our time be diuided into contrary sectes and write bitterly one againste an other eche one imputinge to other mistakinge of the Scriptures if emongest them who woulde seeme to be the leadars of the people be controuersies and debates aboute the vnderstandinge of the Scriptures howe maye the common people be thought to be in safe case out of al daunger of errours if by readinge the Bible in their owne tongue they take the mater in hande If any man thinke I sclaunder them for that I saie they be diuided into contrary sectes let him vnderstande their owne Countriemenne I meane them of Germanie and special setters foorthe of this newe doctrine reporte it in their bookes and complaine lamentably of it Namely Nicolaus Amsdorffius in his booke intituled Publica Confessio purae doctrinae Euangelij c. Also Nicolaus Gallus in his booke of Theses and Hypotyposes who acknowledgeth the strifes and debates that be emongst them to be not of lighte matters but of high Articles of Christian doctrine For euen so be his woordes in Latine Non sunt leues inter nos concertationes de rebus leuibus sed de sublimibus doctrinae Christianae Articulis de lege EuaÌ„gelio c. The same man in the last leafe of his foresaide booke with greate vehemencie reporteth Haereses permultas esse prae manibus plerasque etiamnùm haerere in calamo That very many Heresies be already in hande and many as yet sticke in the penne as though he meante they were ready to be set foorthe Of late there haue beene put foorthe in printe twoo greate bookes one by the princes of Saxonie the â—ther by the Erles of Mansfeld chiefe mainteiners of the Lutheranes in whiche be recited eleuen sectes and the same as detestable Heresies condemned they are conteined in this cataloge or rol Anabaptistae Seruetiani Stancariani Antinomi Iesuitae Osiandriani Melancâ—thonici Maioristae Adiaphoristae Suencfeldiani Sacramentarij Albeit the Iesuites haue wronge to be numbred amonge them This muche is confessed of the sectes and controuersies of our newe Gospellers by their
and other like maters incident vnto the same suche as the Godly people in the Olde times neuer learned How be it if the people were thorowly instructed and knewe the meaninge of al Mysteries woulde M. Hardinge thereof conclude That therefore they shoulde not heare the Woordes of Consecration Is this the Logique of Louaine who euer taught him to frame suche a Syllogismus In what Forme in what Moode may it stande How may this Antecedente and this Consequente ioine togeather But where he addeth That in consideration hereof the Fathers thought it coÌ„uenient that woordes of Consecration should be pronounced in Silence this bisides other great wantes is also a great vntrueth to make vp his simple Syllogismus For what were these Fathers what names had thei where dwelte they In what Councel in what Countrie mette they This is a very strange case that beinge Fathers and suche Fathers hable to alter the Traditions of the Apostles and the whole state of the Churche nomâ— should knowe them but onely M. Hardinge As for S. Basile whose name he muche abuseth to this purpose it is plaine that he speaketh not neither of the Sacrament nor of the woordes of Consecration And here good Christian Reader marke I beséeche thée the circumspection constancie of M. Harding For proufe of his late inuented order of the Latine Churche he sheweth vs examples of the Gréeke Churche to auouche his Consecration in Silence he allegeth the Authoritie of S. Basile who by his owne Confession euermore pronounced the same alowde with open voice neuer in Silence He shoulde neither so vnaduisedly auouche the names of Ancient Fathers nor haue so smal regarde vnto his Reader True it is as S. Basile saith Familiar vse breedeth conteÌ„pte And for that cause Pope Innocentius saith The woordes of Consecration were commaunded to be saide in Silence Ne Sacrosancta verba vilâ—scèrent Lâ—â—st the holy woordes should be despised The like hereof is surmised also by Iohn Billet Thomas of Aquine saith That the Oblation and Consecration belonge onely to the Priest and that therefore the woordes be spoken in Silence as nothinge perteininge to the People But if the people be thus naturally inclined the lesse thei heare or know thinges the more to haue them in admiration then were it good they should neuer heare neither the Woordes of Baptisme nor any parte of the Gospel nor the Lordes Praier nor the Name of God or Christe no nor the Masse it selfe And as now their eares be barred from hearinge the woordes that make the Sacrament so were it good policie their eies were also barred from séeinge the Sacrament For naturally contempte groweth as wel of Sight as of Hearinge or rather more For by M. Hardinges skil these were good waies to breede Reuerence in the people to increase Deuotion But this is an vnreuerent reuerence and a disordred honoure of God The people of God is not made to serue the Sacramentes but the Sacramentes are made to serue the people But these be the secrete woorkes policies of Satan to make the simple beléeue they Reuerence the Sacramentes yet vnderstande no parte neither of the meaning nor of the vse of the SacrameÌ„tes Lactantius saith Hinc fida silentia instituta sunt ab hominibus callidis vt nesciret populus quid colereâ— Therefore suttle and crafty men diuised to haue their Sacrifices wrought in Silence that the people shoulde not knowe what thinge they honoured for their God M. Hardinge The .5 Diuision If in the Olde lawe Priestes were chosen as S. Ambrose writeth to couer the Arke of the Testamente bicause it is not lawful for al personnes to see the deapth of Mâ—steries If the Sonnes of Caath by Goddes appointemente did onely beare the Arke and those other Holy thinges of the Tabernacle on their shoulders when so euer the children of Israel remooued and marched forewarde in VVildernes beinge Cloâ—ely folded and lapte within vailes courteines and palles by the Priestes and might not at no time touche nor see the same vpon paine of deathe whiche were but Figures of this howe muche more is this highe and woorthy Mysterie to be honoured with Secretenes Closenes and Silence The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge séemeth to reason thus In the time of the Olde Testament it was not lawful for euery of the people to beholde the Arke of God and the thinges therein conteined Ergo the Prieste ought to pronounce the woordes of Consecration in Silence and secretely to him selfe This simple reason holdeth from Moses to Christe from the Olde Testament to the Newe from Séeinge to Hearinge and to be shorte from somewhat to nothinge and serueth onely to control al the Ancient Fathers of the Churche who as M. Harding knoweth and hath already in parte confessed neuer pronounced these woordes in suche secrete sorte nor euer vsed these policies for increase of Reuerence Notwithstandinge M. Hardinge the better to leade alonge his simple Reader hath conningly drawen in the names of twoo Olde Fathers Ambrose and Origen to the intent to make his owne Conclusion to séeme theires And thus vnder his painted cooueringes and Ueles of Eloquence he foldeth vp Closely not the Arke of God but as his woonte is greate Untruethes M. Hardinge The .6 Diuision For this cause as they reporte saithe Carolus Magnus that noble vertuous and learned Emperour writinge to his Schoolemaister Alcuinus our Countreiman and first teacher of Philosophie in Paris It is become a Custome in the Churche that the Canon and Consecration be saide by the Priest Secretely that those woordes so Holy and perteininge to so greate a Mysterie shoulde not growe in contempte whiles al in manner throughe common vse bearinge them awaie woulde singe them in the highe waies in the streetes and in other places where it were not thought conuenient VVhereof it is tolde that before this Custome was receiued Sheapheardes when they sange them in the fielde were by Goddes hande strooken Luther him selfe in Praeceptorio is muche against them that would haue the CanoÌ„ of the Masse to be pronounced with a lowd voice for the better vnderstanding The B. of Sarisburie It appeareth M. Harding is muche sâ—anted of good Authorities when he is thus driuen by Tales Fables to couÌ„treuaile the Tradition of the Apostles and that by suche Fables as he him selfe is faine to cutte of in the middest and cannot truely reporte without shame How be it nothinge commeth amisse that may serue to astonne the simple Suche groundes be sufficient for suche Doctrine The tale as it is tolde by Innocentius and Durandus emongst other Fables is this Certaine Shepeheardes hauinge by often hearinge learned the woordes of Consecration began to practise the same emongst them selues ouer their Breade in the fielde vpon a stoane Suddainely the breade was fleashe the poore men were amased God was angrie Fiere came from Heauen and burnte them vp not one leafte aliue to tel these tidinges Hereupon saithe M.
places the rehearsal of a fewe may serue for many Origen in a Homilie speaking reuerently of this blessed Sacrament saith that when a man receiueth it our Lorde entreth vnder his roofe and exhorteth him that shal receiue it to humble him selfe and to saie 241 vnto it Domine non sum dignus vt intres sub tectum meum I Lorde am not worthy that thou enter vnder my Roofe The B. of Sarisburie Who so euer erreth in this Article committeth Idolatrie and geueth Goddes honoure to a corruptible creature that is no God Therefore it behooued M. Hardinge herein to leaue his gheasses and to allege none but good substantial and weighty reasons and that so muche the more for that none of the Olde Catholique Fathers euer either erected Temples or Proclaimed Holy Daies in the name of the Sacrament or euer willed the People to Adoure it as the Maker of Heauen and Earthe or to beléeue in it or to calle it God This notwithstanding the reasons that M. Harding hath here founde out are so sclender so simple guilefully and vntruely geathered that his freÌ„des of that side maie happili suspecte he hath vsed some collusioÌ„ to betraie their cause But to take awaie occasion of cauil first wée stedfastly beléeue plainely confesse that Christe is the Sonne of God Uery God of Uery God That he is the True God and life euerlastinge That he is God Blissed for euer and that Who so euer trusteth in him shal neuer be confounded And wée vtterly deteste and accurse the Arians the Nestorians the Photinians and al other like Heretiques that either haue taught or any waie doo teache the contrary Neither is this question mooued of Christ him selfe vnto whom we knowe al manner godly Reuerence honoure is be we but onely of the Mystical Breade whiche by the witnesse of the Catholike learned Fathers is not Christe him selfe but onely a Sacramente of Christe Whiche Sacramente Ireneus saithe standeth of two thinges the one Earthly the other Heauenly not that the one is Really lapped vp or shutte within the other wherein reasteth M. Hardinges errour but that as Chrysostome saithe The one is Sensible the other Intelligible as it is also in the Sacramente of Baptisme Or that as S. Augustine saithe The one parte is the Signe the other the thinge Signified Or that as Tertullian saithe The one parte is the Figure the other the thinge Figured The Sacramente is the Earthely thinge Christes Bodie is the Heauenly thinge The Sacrament is Corruptible Christes Bodie is Glorious The Sacramente is laide vpon the Table Christes Bodie is in Heauen The Sacramente is receiued into our Bodies Christes Bodie is onely receiued into our Soules For manifeste proufe of this difference S. Augustine writeth thus Huius rei Sacramentum alicubi quotidiâ— alicubi certis interuallis dierum in Dominico praeparatur de Mensa Dominica sumitur quibusdam ad vitam quibusdam ad exitium Res verò ipsa cuius est Sacramentum omni homini ad vitam nulli ad exitium quicunque eius particeps fuerit The Sacramente of the Bodie of Christe is prepared in the Churche in some places euery daie in somme places vpon certaine daies and is receiued from the Lordes Table of some vnto life of some vnto Condemnation But the thinge it selfe that is the Bodie of Christe beinge in Heauen whereof it is a Sacramente is receiued of eueryman vnto life and of noman to Condemnation who so euer be partetaker of it Againe he saithe Qui non maneâ— in Christo c. He that abideth not in Christe nor hath Christe abidinge in him doubtelesse he eateth not his Fleashe not drinketh his Bloude notwithstandinge he Eate and Drinke the Sacrament of so greate a thinge vnto his iudgemente By these fewe examples it is plaine that the Sacramente of Christes Bodie is one thinge and Christes Bodie it selfe is an other thinge and that in Common and natural manner of speache neither is Christes Bodie the Sacramente nor the Sacramente Christes Bodie By these woordes of Ireneus M. Hardinge as he hath no manner likelyhoode to prooue that he séekethe for so he vtterly ouerthrowethe his whole fantasie of Transubstantiation For Ireneus calleth the Earthely parte of the Sacramente not the Formes and Accidentes as M. Hardinge imaginethe but the very Substance and Nature of the Breade and that sutche Breade as increasethe and nourrishethe the Substance of our Fleashe For so he writeth Ex quibus augetur consistit Carnis nostra Substantia But Origen teachethe vs when wée receiue the Sacramente to saie Domme non sum dignus Therefore saithe M. Hardinge the Sacramente was called Lord and God Alas what a miserable case is this that cannot possibly stande without Falsifieinge and Mayminge of the holy Fathers Of the Falsiâ—ieinge afterwarde But touchinge the Mayminge and manglinge of these woordes of Origen yf it might haue pleased M. Hardinge to haue reported them whole as he founde them there had ben no manner cause of doubte For thus the woordes lie Intrat etiam nunc Dominus sub tectum Credentium duplici Figura vel more c. Euen nowe the Lorde entrethe vnder the roufe of the Faithful by two sundrie waies For euen nowe when the Holy and Godly Bishoppes enter into your house then throwgh them the Lorde entreth And be thow persuaded as yf thow receiuedst the Lorde him selfe And when thow receiuest that Holy Meate and that vncorruptible Banket the Lorde entret vnder thy roufe Our Lorde saithe Origen entreth vnder our roufe bothe when wee receiue a Holy man and also when wee receiue the Holy Sacrament And as Christe entreth into vs by the one so doothe he also enter into vs by the other So saithe the same learned Father writing vpon the Gospel of S. Mathew Qui Discipulos Christi tradit ipsum Christum tradit Who so betraieth the Disciples of Christe betraieth Christe him selfe Now if M. Hardinge wil say by force of these woordes that Christe entreth Really and Substantially into our mouthes then must he also saye that Christe likewise entreth Really and Substantially into our material houses But for ful Resolution hereof S. Ambrose saithe That the Bodie of Christe it selfe entreth not into our Bodies Thus â—e writeth Non iste Panis qui vadit in ventrem sed Panis Vitae aeternae qui animae nostrae substantiam fulcit Christes Bodie is not the Breade that entreth into our bellie but the Breade of euerlasting life that feedeth the Substance of our Soule And therefore S. Cyprian saithe The Bodie of Christe is the meate of our Soule not the meate of our Bodie â–ª For this cause Origen him selfe in the selfe same Homilie saith thus Domine non sum dignus vt intres sub â—ectum meuÌ„ Sed tantùm dic verbo tantùm veni Verbo VerbuÌ„ est aspectus tuus â–ª Lorde I am not woorthy that thou shouldest enter vnder my
seipsum Quis audeat manducare Dominum suum Et tamen ait qui manducat me viuet propter me VVhat manner a voice is it that ye haue heard of our Lorde inuitinge and biddinge vs to the feast VVho hath inuited VVhom hath he inuited And who hath made preparation The Lorde hath inuited the seruantes and hath prepared him selfe to be meate for them VVho dareth be so bolde as to eate his Lorde And yet he saithe He that eateth mee shal liue for cause of mee Cyrillus accompteth 246 the SacrameÌ„t for Christ and God the worde and for God in this saieing Qui carnem Christi manducat vitam habet aeternam Habet enim haec caro Dei verbum quod naturaliter vita est Proptereà dicit Quia ego resuscitabo eum in nouissimo die Ego enim dixit id est Corpus meum quod comedetur resuscitabo eum Non enim alius ipse est quà m Caro sua c. He that eateth the fleashe of Christe hath life euerlastinge For this fleashe hath the woorde of God whiche naturally is life Therefore saithe he that I wil raise him in the laste daie For I quothe he that is to saie my Bodie whiche shal be eaten shal raise him vp againe for he is no other then his fleashe c. The B. of Sarisburie It is true that S. Augustine saithe that Christe prepared him selfe to be meate for vs. For Christe him selfe saith He that eateth mee shal liue through mee Neither was it so needeful for proufe hereof to borrowe S. Augustines woordes out of Beda He might haue founde the same meaninge both in S. Augustine him selfe and also in other olde Fathers in sundrie places S. Augustine writeth thus Panis est Panis est Panis est Deus Pater Deus Filius Deus Spiritus SaÌ„ctus Deus qui tibi dat nihil melius quaÌ„ tibi dat It is Bread it is Breade and it is Breade meaning thereby not the Sacramente but the Spiritual Breade of life God the Father God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost God that geueth it vnto thee geueth thee no better thinge then him selfe So S. Hierome Sancti vescuntur Coelesti Pane saturantur omni Verbo Dei eundem habentes DominuÌ„ quem Cibum Holy men eate the Heauenly Breade and are filled with euery Woorde of God hauinge the same Lorde that is their Meate So S. Gregorie Praesepe natus impleuit qui Cibum Semetipsum mortalium mentibus praebuit Beinge borne he filled the mâ—nger that gaue him selfe Meate to the mindes or Soules of men In this sense and none otherwise Cyrillus saithe I that is to saye my Bodie that shal be eaten shal raise him vp againe For Christe is none other then his Fleashe Al these saieinges be true and out of question Yet notwithstandinge that M. Hardinge woulde geather hereof is not true that is that either S. Augustine or any of these holy Fathers euer called the Sacramente either Lorde or God or Christe him selfe S. Augustine in diuers places teacheth vs that Christes Bodie it selfe and the Sacramente thereof are sundrie thinges And the difference he openeth in this sorte That Christes Bodie is receiued inwardely with the minde but the Sacrament is outwardely pressed and bruesed with the toothe And therefore he calleth the Sacrament Panem Domini The Breade of the Lorde But Christe him selfe he callethe Panem Dominum The Breade that is our Lorde And expoundinge these woordes of Christe Geue vs this day our dayly Breade He saithe thus This Dayly Breade wee may vnderstande either for the Sacramente of Christes Bodie whiche wee receiue euery daye as then the whole people vsed to doo or for that Spiritual foode of Christes Bodie it selfe of whiche our Lorde saithe Woorke ye the Meate that perisheth not and againe I am that Breade of Life that came downe from Heauen Here wee see an other notable difference bitwéene Christes Bodie it selfe and the Sacrament of his Bodie And if it had pleased M. Hardinge to haue taken better viewe of his places thus he might haue séene S. Augustine him selfe euen in the same place expounde him selfe For thus he saithe Nulli est aliquatenus ambigendum tunc vnumquenque Fidelium Corporis Sanguinis Domini participem fieri quando in Baptismate membrum Christi efficitur nec alienari ab illius Panis Calicisque consortio etiam si antequam Panem illum Comedat Calicem bibat de hoc saeculo in vnitate Corporis Christi constitutus abscedat Sacramenti enim illius participatione ac beneficio non priuatur quando ipse hoc quod illud Sacramentum Significat inuenit Noman may anywyse doubte but that euery Faithful man is then made partetaker of the Bodie and Bloude of Christe when in Baptisme he is made a member of Christe and that he is not put from the felowship of that Breade and Cuppe although he departe this life in the Vnitie of Christes Bodie before he Eate of that Breade or Drinke of that Cuppe For he looseth not the partetaking and benefite of that Sacrament so longe as he findeth the thing that is the Bodie of Christe it self whiche is Signified by that Sacramente Here S. Augustine teacheth vs that a Faithful man is partetaker of Christes Bodie it selfe ye althoughe he receiue not the Sacrament of his Bodie And as S. Augustine in these woordes here alleged by M. Hardinge saithe Christus praeparauit Cibum Seipsum So writinge vpon S. Iohn he saithe thus Christus inuitauit nos ad Euangelium suum ipse Cibus noster est quo nihil dulcius sed si quis habeat palatum in Corde Christe hath called vs vnto his Gospel and he himself is our Meate then whiche meate there is nothinge sweeter if a man haue wherwith to taste it in his harte So againe he saithe Deus Panis intus est Animae meae God is the inwarde Breade not to enter into my Bodily mouthe but of my Soule Thus wée see The one parte of M. Hardinges tale is true That Christe him selfe is our Breade But the other partâ— is vnture That the Sacramente is that Breade And it were a strange forme of reasoninge to say thus Christe is our foode wee eate him with our Soule and with our Sprite and liue by him Ergo the Sacrament in S. Augustines time was called Lorde and God The errour falshead of this Argumente bisides sundry other infirmities standeth in the Equiuocation or double taking of this woorde Eating whiche hath relation sometime to the material mouthe of our Bodie Sometime to Faithe whiche is the Spiritual mouthe of our Soule S. Iohn saith Christe hath wasshed vs with his Bloude And S. Bernarde saithe Lauemur in Sanguine eius Let vs bathe our selues in the Bloude of Christe Yet M. Hardinge may not hereof conclude that the Water of Baptisme in deede and Uerily is that Bloude M. Hardinge The .8 Diuision Noman