shal afterwarde be shewed more at large Donatus a Casis nigris was by the Emperour lawfully remooued from the Bishop of Rome to the Bishop of Arle in Fraunce Ostiensis woordes be these Non nocebit error si appelletur ad Maiorem quà m debuerit vel ad parem The errour shal not hurte if the appeale be made either to a higher Iudge then was meete or to an equal Where also it is thus noted in the Margin Appellari potest ad parem si de hoc sit consuetudo Appeale may be made vnto the equal if there be a custome of it Hereby it is plaine that the right of appeale by fine force of Law concludeth not any necessarie superioritie muche lesse this infinite power ouer the whole Uniuersal Churche But M. Harding might soone haue foreséene that this his first principle of Appeales woulde easily be turned against him selfe First for that it is wel knowen that Appeales then euen in the Ecclestastical causes were made vnto the Emperours and Ciuile Princes Secondely for that the Bishop of Rome determined suche cases of Appeale by warrant and Commission from the Emperour Thirdly for that maters beinge once hearde and determined by the Bishop of Rome haue béene by appeale from him remooued further vnto others As touchinge the first that appeales in Ecclesiastical causes were lawfully made vnto the Prince it is cleare by Eusebius by Socrates by Nicephorus and by S. Augustine in sundrie places Donatus beinge condemned by thréescore and tenne Bishops in Aphrica appealed vnto the Emperour Constantinus was receiued S. Augustine saith Parmenianus vltrò passus est suos adire CoÌ„stantinuÌ„ Parmenianus willingly suffered his felowes to goe vnto Themperour Constantinus Againe he saith Infero adhuc verba Constantini ex literis eius vbi se inter partes cognouisse innocenteÌ„ CaecilianuÌ„ comperisse restatur Here I bringe in the woordes of Constantine out of his owne letters wherein he confesseth that he hearde the parties and founde Caecilianus to be innocent Likewise he saith An fortè de Religione fas non est vt dicat Imperator vel quos miserit Imperator Cur ergo ad ImperatoreÌ„ legati vestri venerunt What is it not lawful for the Emperour or for such as shal be sent by the Emperour to pronounce sentence of Religion Wherefore then came your Embassadours vnto the Emperour And so likewise againe Si nihil debent in his causis Imperatores iubere Si ad Imperatores Christianos haec cura pertinere noÌ„ debet quis vrgebat maiores vestros causam Caeciliani ad lmperatoreÌ„ mittere If Emperours haue nothing to commaunde in these cases or if this mater nothing touche a Christian Emperours charge who then forced your predecessours to remoue Caecilianus mater vnto the Emperour Therefore the Emperour Constantinus summoned the Bishops of the East that had béene in the Councel of Tyrus to appeare before him to rendre accompte of their dooinges His woordes be these Vt re ipsa quà m sincerè ac rectè iudicaueritis oftendatis idque Coram me I wil you to make your appearance and to shew in deede how sincerely and iustly ye haue dealte And that euen before me By these few examples it may wel appeare that appeales in Ecclesiastical causes in those daies were made vnto the Prince and that it was thought lawful then for the Prince to haue the hearinge of the same Yet was not the Prince therefore the Head of the Uniuersal Churche Certainely S. Gregorie thought it not amisse to commit a Spiritual mater touching the purgation of a Bishop to Brunichilda the Frenche Quéene Notwithstanding it be noted thus in the Glose Fuit tamen hic nimiuÌ„ papaliter dispensaâ—um As touching the Bishop of Romes power herein it is certaine he hearde suche maters of appeale by warrant of the Emperours Commission and not as hauiâ—ge authoritie of him sâ—lfe S. Augustine openinge the contention betweene Caecilianus and Donatus a Casis nigris vttereth this mater at large in this wise An forte non debuit Romanae Ecclesiae Episcopus Milâ—iades cum Collegis transmarinis Episcopis illud sibi vsurpare iudicium quod ab Aphris septuaginta vbi Primas Tigisiâ—anus praesedit fueâ—at terminaâ—um Quid quòd nec ipse vsurpauiâ— Rogatus quippe Imperator Iudices misit Episcopos qui cum eo sederent But shoulde not the Bishop of Rome Miâ—â—icdes with otâ—er hâ—s fellowes Bishopâ—es beyonde the seas ioined togeatâ—er in Commission take vpon him tâ—e iudgeâ—ent of that thinâ—e that was determined before by threâ—score and tenne Bishoppes of Aâ—hrica emongest whom the Primate of Tigiâ—ita sâ—te as President And what if he never tooke it vpon him as of him selfe For the Emperour beinge intreâ—ted by the partie sente other Bishoppes to sitte with him The very copie of this Commission is yet to be seene bothe in Eusebius and also in Nicephorus Neither was the Bishop of Rome alone in that Commission but ioined togeather with Rheticius Maternus Marinus and Marcus whom the Emperour calleth his Commission fellowes The woordes of the Commission be these Constantinus Imperator Miâ—tiadi Episcopo Romano Marco c. Constantâ—nus the Emâ—erour vnto Miltiades the Bishoppe of Rome and vnto Marcus For as muche as sundrie letters haue beene sente vnto mee from Amlâ—inus â—ur moste Noble President of Aâ—hrica whâ—â—ein Caecilianus the Bishoppe of Carthage is â—ccused of many mateâ—s by ceâ—taine his fâ—lowes of the same Countrie c. Therefore I haue thought it good thâ—t the â—aide Caeciliâ—nus togeather with tenne Bishoppes his accusers and other tenne such as he shâ—l thâ—nke meete saâ—le to Rome that there in your presence togeather with Rheticius and Mâ—ternus and Marâ—nus your Felow Commissioners whom for that cause I haue wâ—lled to trâ—vel to â—ome he may be heâ—rde c. Here it is euident to be seene that the Bishop of Rome was the Emperours Delegate and in Ecclesiastical Iurisdiction had his authoritie and power not from S. Peter but from the Emperour Whereby it is easie to be geathered that the Bishoppe of Romes power was not so Uniuersal then as M. Hardings woulde séeme now to make it and that the worlde then vnderstoode not this Decrée of Pope Clemens the fifth whiche as it is reported he afterwarde published in the Councel of Uienna Omne ius Regum pendet a Papa Al the right of the Prince is 〈◊〉 frâ—m thâ— Pope Neither was the Bishop of Romes determination of suche force but that it was lawful then for the partie greeued to refuse his Iudgement and to appeale further And therefore Donatus beinge condemned before Miltiades appealed from him and vpon his complaint vnto the Emperour was put ouer vnto the Bishop of Arle in Fraunce and to certaine others And in conclusion vnderstandinge that iudgement there woulde passe against him last of al he appealed to the Emperours owne pâ—rson And the Emperour him selfe confesseth by
at Rome 51. 53. The Communion is better then the Masse by M. Hardinges ovvne confession 60. No Priuate Masse in good tovvnes and Citties 71. Priuate Masse is an Abomination and not an Oblation Lorichius 378. No Priuate Masse in the Primitiue Churche 14. Priuate Masse neuer ordeined in any Councel 22. Priuate Masse grâ—vve of lacke of deuotion 14. Masse abused to vvitchecrafte and poisoninges 2. To heare Masse to see Masse 70. One man may say three Masses in one daie 479. The sale of Masses 481. Errours in the Masse 3. 532. The Prieste receiueth the Sacramente for others as the mouthe of the people 588. The Prieste presumeth to applie the merites of Christe by his Masse 591. M. Hardinges proufes for Priuate Masse 93. Matrimonie honourable 52. Matrimonie misliked of certaine learned Fathers 52. Miracle in Baptisme 355. Fained miracles 515. The first Fathers of idle Monkes 85. Monasteries dennes of Theeues 85. N. In the name of Christe onely 115. Nature is that God vvil 367. Nestorius â—â—â—â— Nobody taken for a â—evve 88. O. Opus Operatum 594. Against Opus Operatum 600. Othe 119. P. Paulinus historicus 133. The people not so il as the Prieste 16. The people compared to svvine and dogges 518. M. Hardinges Iudgemente of the people 527. 534. 550. M. Harding calleth the people Curious buâ—ie bodies of the Vulgare sorte 531. The people better instructed in Religion then the Priestes 619. Poison ministred in the Sacramente 2. Praiers Common and Priuate 215. CommoÌ„ Praiers more effectual then Priuate 215. M. Harding liketh vvel the Praiers in the knovveÌ„ Vulgare tongue 152. 206. Examples of praiers in the Common tongue 156. 158. 168. 169. 175. 176. 196. 219. The people singinge Psalmes togeather 153. 168. Byrdes speake they knovve not vvhat 170. A Popiniaie taught to saie the Creede 170. The Emperour Iustinians Constitution for the CoÌ„mon Praiers to be pronounced alovvde 171. Praiers conceiued vvith the minde 171. Praiers vttered vvith the voice 171. Praiers in an vnknovven tongue vtterly vnprofitable 212. 215. The Prieste and the people in the Common Praiers speake togeather 178. The people ought to ansvveare Amen 172. The Common Praiers in Englande in the English tongue 188. 190. 191. The Common Praiers in Fraunce in the Frenche tongue 184. The VVoordes of S. Paule 1. Corin. 14. make for Praiers in the Common tongue 198. 199. M. Hardinge saithe that vnderstandinge of the vvoordes vvithdravveth the minde 214. Preparation to the Communion 15. Priestes vvicked treen vvoorse then the people VVoulues Diuels 16. Number of Priestes 17. 89. Priestes and Ecclesiastical Iudges often deceiued 118. Real Presence 316. Christes Body not Corporally presente 406. Spiritual presence 357. 358. 404. 430. 449. 471. 585. 607. Christe presente in Baptisme 352. 353. Christe presente by Grace 347. Spiritual Eatinge 320. 322. 324. 335. 389. 391. 392. 401. 430. 601. 627. Carnal vnderstandinge 322. The Fathers of the olde Testamente receiued the Body of Christe 321. The cause of the Capernaites offense 323. 324. The Omnipotente povver of God 324. 35â— Berengarius Recantation 327. 328. Christes Body Deified 331. Christes Fleas he tvvo vvaies taken 330. Iouisible and Inuifibly 335. Christe our Spiritual Breade 389. Very and verily 337. Christe laide on the table In vvhat sense 336. VVee are made one vvith Christe 339. Christe is iâ— vs Corporally Carnally Naturally 339. Christe mingled vvith vs. 340. Christe Corporally in vs by Faithe 344. VVee are Naturally in Christe 344. Christe Corporally and Naturally in vs by Faithe by Raptisme c. 345. 346. VVee are incorporate into Christe 345. Pope The Pope holdeth his authoritie not by the Scriptures but by custome 221. 235. Childis he AllegatioÌ„s of the Scriptures to prooue the Popes Supremacie 221. Vpon this Rocke I vvil builde my Church 221. 233. The Churche builte equally vpon al the Apostles 309. The keies geuen to the reste as vnto Peter 229. Christe Heade of the Churche 256. Christes Vicare 256. 257. Peter vvas not Vniuersal Bishop 227. Peter vvas not Heade of the Churche 261. 262. 311. The places of S. Cyprian fully ansvveared Vnus Episcopus Vniuersa â—raternitas Hinc Schismata oriuntur 228. 229. 230. 231. Anacletus countrâ—â—â—â—ited 223. Anacletus corrupteth the Scriptures 224. The B. of Rome firste of Bishoppes expounded 241. The principalitie of the Citie of Rome The principal Churche 243. 244. 247. The Noblenesse of the Citie of Rome 304. The Chieferie the Heade 249. 306. 307. 309. 310. The Highest Prieste 251. Paule vvente vp to Hierusalem to visite Peter 253. The Supremacie prooued by Aristotle and Homere and by drifte of reason 254. To seeke to Rome for Counsel 259. 294. To take vp and compounde maters 259. Appeales to Rome condemned 265. 266. Appeales from equal to equal 272. Appeales in Ecclesiastical causes to the Prince 272. The Prince calleth Bishops in Ecclesiastical causes before him selfe 268. The Pope had no Iurisdiction ouer the Easte 278. 279. The Pope excommunicated others and vvas excommunicate by others 280. The Pope dâ—posed by the Bishoppes of the Easte 281. The Pope CoÌ„firmeth Bishoppes vvithin his ovvne Prouince 282. The Pope had neither povver nor authoritie to calle Councelles 284. 285. 259. The Pope confirmeth Councelles as also doo others 286. Councelles allovved against the Pope 287. The Emperours confirmed Councelles 286. The Pope coulde not restoare Bishoppes 289. Reconciliation to the Churche of Rome 290. 291. Damasus ruler of the house of God 305. The Pope saluted by the name of Brother 228. 263. No Bishop but Ambrose 241. The Primacie Common to many Bishoppes 245. Paule equal vnto Peter 252. 253. 303. Al Bishoppes rule the Churche togeather 260. Paule Heade of al nations 303. Iohn greatter then Peter 309. The meaning of this name Vniuersal Bishop 220. The Bishoppe of Rome is not the Vniuersal Bishop 298. The Bishop of the Vniuersal Churche 299. The Bishop of Constantinople the Vniuersal Bishop 242. 300. The Pride of the see of Rome 224. 234. 235. 247. 251. 252. The Authoritie of the Pope more then the Authoritie of the Scriptures 107. The visitinge of the Pope 254. The Pope equal vvith Christe 258. Flateringe of the Pope 262. Seruus seruorum Dei 297. The intolerable tyrannie and pride of the See of Rome 314. The Pope cannot erre 274. Many Popes haue erred 275. The Pope Doctour of bothe Lavves by Authoritie not by knovvledge 259. M. Hardinge compareth the Pope vvith Balaam and Caiphas 274. The Pope sometimes no member of the Church 220. The Pope hath his holinesse of his Chaire 276. The Pope a forger 221. The Pope a Cogger a Foister taken in manifeste forgerie 236. The Supremacie of Rome condemned by Councelles 235. 238. 240. 263. The vniuersal Bishoppe is the forerâ—nner of Antichriste 2â—0 S. Gregories ful iudgemente of the name of Vniuersal Bishop 225. S. Gregorie refused to be called Vniuersal 227. The Supremacie of Rome the destruction of the Churche 255. The Bishop of Constantinople enioiâ—th the Pâ—erogatiue of olde Rome 241. Phocas a Traitour
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
goinge against this wil withdrawe them selues from the auctoritie of the Bishop of Rome Lo this is one chief inuincible reason that maketh me to be vnder the Bishop of Rome and compelleth me to confesse his primacie This farre Luther Thus I haue briefely touched some deale of the Scriptures of the Canons and Councelles of the Edictes of Emperours of the Fathers saieinges of the reasons and of the manifolde practises of the Churche whiche are wonte to be alleaged for the Popes primacie and supreme auctoritie VVith al I haue proued that whiche M. Iuel denteth 125 that the Bishop of Rome Withein sixe hundred yeeres after Christ hath beene called the Vniuersal Bishop of no smal number of menne of greate credite and verie ostentimes heade of the Vniuersal Churche both in termes equiualent and also expressely Nowe to the nexte article The B. of Sarisburie The case goeth somewhat hardely of M. Hardinges side when he is thus driuen for wante of other authorities to craue aide at Luthers hande Touchinge alteration in religion whiche it pleaseth him to name lightnes if he woulde soberly remember his owne often chaunges and the light occasions of the same he shoulde finde smal cause to condemne others Certainely D. Luther after God had once called him to be a minister of his Trueth neuer lookte backewarde from the plough nor refused the Grace that God had offred him notwithstandinge he sawe al the powers of the worlde were against him His argument is taken of the effectes or tokens of Goddes wil. The Pope saide he is auanced vnto a Monarchie or Emperial state of a Kingedome But he coulde neuer be so auanced without Goddes wil Ergo it was Goddes wil it shoulde be so Argumentes that be taken of Goddes permission or of the tokens of his wil make no necessary proufe either that the thinges in them selues be good or that God is pleased with them For God suffred Nabucodonozor Sennacherib Pharao and others and their very estates procéedinges were euident tokens of Goddes wil. For if his wil had béene otherwise they coulde not haue reigned Yet neither were they good men nor was God pleased with their dooinges So shal God suffer Antichriste to sitte euen in the holy place Daniel saithe Faciet prosperabitur He shal take his pleasure and shal prosper And againe Roborabitur fortitudo eius non in viribus suis. His power shal be confirmed but not through his owne strength but through the strength of God Yet shal not God therefore loue or fauour Antichriste or delite in his wickednes For S. Paule saith The Lorde shal kil him with the sprite of his mouth and shal destroy him with the brightnes and glorie of his comminge Now for as muche as it hath pleased M. Harding for the Conclusion hereof to touche the Effects of Godes wil I trust it shal not be paineful to thée gentle Reader likewise shortely to consider the effectes and sequeles of this Uniuersal power It is graunted that the Churche of Rome for sundrie causes before alleged was euermore from the beginninge the chiefe and moste notable aboue al others Notwithstandinge Eneas Syluius beinge him selfe a Bishop of Rome saith Ad Romanos pontifices ante Nicenum Concilium aliquis sanè si non magnus respectus fuit Verily there was some respecte had to the Bishoppes of Rome before the Councel of Nice although it were not great S. Cyprian in his time complained That Pride and Ambition seemed to lodge in priestes bosomes Origen in his time complained that the Ministers of Christe seemed euen then to passe the outrage of worldly Princes Yet was the Churche of God in those daies euerywhere vnder cruel and vehement persecution Therefore to abate this ambitious courrage order was afterwarde taken in the Councel of Carthage that no man shoulde be intitled the Highest Bishop or the Prince of Bishoppes or by any other like name The Greeke Bishoppes in the Councel of Antioche and the Bishoppes of Aphrica beinge in number twoo hundred and seuentéene in the Councel there founde them selues greeued with the Pride and Arrogancie of the Sée of Rome For that Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople tooke vpon him to be called the Uniuersal Bishop therefore Gregorie the Bishop of Rome called him Lucifer and the Messenger of Antichrist and saide He had chosen vnto him a proude and arrogant a pompous and a blasphemous name But after that by great sute made vnto the Emperour Phocas the Bishoppes of Rome them selues had once obteined the same title and had possessed enioied the same a longe while in the ende their pride was suche that it seemed intolerable Then they beganne to decrée and determine That euery mortal man is bounde to be subiecte to the Sée of Rome that vpon paine of damnation and that without the Obedience of that Sée noman is saued That the Bishop of Rome is an Uniuersal Iudge ouer al men and that he him selfe may be iudged by noman neither by Emperour nor by Kinge nor by al the Cleregie nor by the whole people For that it is written by the Prophets Esaie The Axe shal not glorie against him that heweth with it That what so euer he doo noman may presume to say vnto him Domine cur ita facis Sir why doo you thus That he hath al manner Lawe and Right in Scrinio pectoris sui in the Closet of his breaste That al other Bishoppes receiue of his fulnes That no Councelles can make lawes for the Churche of Rome and that the Bishop of Romes authoritie is plainely excepted out of al Councelles That notwithstandinge the Pope drawe innumerable companies of people after him into Helle yet no mortal man may dare to reâ—roue him That the Popes wil or pleasure standeth as a lawe In illis quae vult est ei pro ratione voluÌ„tas And that there is none other reason to be yéelded of his dooinges but onely this Quia ipse voluit For he woulde For of that that is nothinge he is hable to make some thinge Quia deâ—eo quod nihil est potest facere aliquid That he hath the right of bothe sweardes as wel of the Temporal as of the Spiritual That the Temporal Prince may not drawe his swearde but onely at his becke and sufferance ad nutum Patientiam Ecclesiae That he is Haeres Imperij the Heire apparent of the Empier and is seuen and fiftie degrees greater then the Emperour and that bicause in suche proportion the Sunne is greater then the Moone That it is lawful for him to depose kinges and Emperours as he did the Emperoure Henry the sixthe and Chilpericus the Frenche Kinge Then he made the Emperour of Christendome to lie downe flatte before him and spared not to sette his foote vpon his necke addinge withal theise woordes of the prophete Dauid Thou
wearishe bodies nothing like that they seemed before then saide he vnto them Lo these be they of vvhom ye stoode so muche afraide these be their greate bodies these be their mighty boanes Euen so good Reader if thou stande in feare of these M. Hardinges Authorities and Argumentes and thinke them terrible and inuincible for that they are embossed and wrought out by arte take them rippe them open them searche them weighe them strippe them naked shake them out conferre them with the places from whence they were taken consider the Causes and the Circumstances what goeth before what commeth after marke the Storie of the time examine the Iudgemente of other Fathers and thou shalt marueile wherfore thou stoodest so muche afraide or euer thoughtest them to be inuincible It were aboue al thinges to be desired of God that his Heauenly Trueth might passe foorth without these contrarieties and quarrels of iudgementes and many godly wise men are muche offended to see it otherwise But thus it hath been euer from the beginning Cain was against Abel Esau against Iacob The Kingedome of Darkenesse was euer against the Kingedome of Light The Scribes and Phariseis were greeued with Christe Celsus Prophyrius Iulianus Symmachus were greeued with the Glorie of the Gospel Christe him selfe is the stoane of offense laide to the Resurrection and ruine of many But through these offenses and contentions the Trueth of God breaketh out and shineth more glorious Blissed therefore be the name of God that hath offered this occasion For I haue no doubte in God but of this necessarie conflicte through his mercie there shal issue some sparkle to the glorie of his holy name For as Moses Rodde deuoured the Roddes of the Sorcerers euen so wil the Trueth of God deuoure Errour Darkenesse cannot stande before the light Tertullian saithe Scriptura diuina Haereticorum fraudes furta conuincit detegit The Holy Scripture discloaseth â–ª and confoundeth the suttleâ—ies and robberies of Heretiques And Nehemias saith Greate is Veritie and preuaileth But M. Hardinge threatened afore hande that mine Answeare be it true be it false shal soone be answered How be it if he wil not dissemble but deale plainly and laye out the whole and answeare the whole as he seeth I haue dealte with him perhappes it may require him some longer time But if he dismembre my sayinges and â—ulle out my woordes and take choise of my sentences without regarde what goeth before or what cometh after or if he sende vs ouer suche pretie Pamflettes as he lately printed togeather and ioined with the Turkish Newes of Malta I warne him before hande I may not vouchesaue to make him answeare Notwithstanding before he addresse him selfe to his seconde Booke I would counsel him first to consider better the ouersightes and scapes of his former Booke and further to thinke that what so euer he shal write it wil be examined and come to trial And let him remember it is not sufficient to cal vs Sacramentaries and Heretiques or to condemne our Bookes for pelfe and trasshe and fardles of lies before he see them For these thinges wil now no lenger goe for Argumentes But before al thinges let him write no moe Vntruethes For thereof he hath sente vs yenough already Let him nomore wreast and racke the Scriptures Let him nomore neither misallege nor mysconstrue nor corrupte nor alter the holy Fathers Let him nomore imagin Councels and Canons that he neuer saw Let him nomore bring vs neither his Amphilochius nor his Abdias nor his Hippolytus nor his Clemens nor his Leontius nor any other like childishe forgeries nor his Gheasses nor his Visions nor his Dreames nor his Fables Let him nomore bringe one thinge for an other And to be shorte let him bring no moe Contradictions in his owne tales nor be founde contrarie to him selfe Otherwise the more he striueth the more he bewraieth his owne cause Now good Christian Reader that thou maiste be the better hable bothe to satisfie thine owne Conscience in these cases and also to vnderstande as wel what is saide as also what is answeared of either partie I haue laide foorth before thee M. Hardinges Booke without any diminution fully and wholy as he him selfe gaue it out And to euery parcel thereof accordinge to my poore skil I haue laide mine Answeare whether sufficient or insufficient thou maiste be Iudge To thee it is dedicate and for thy sake it is written Here muste I say vnto thee euen as S. Hierome saithe to his Reader in the like case Quaeso Lector vt memor Tribunalis Domini de iudicio tuo te intelligens iudicandum nec mihi nec Aduersario meo faueas néue personas loquentium sed causam consideres I beseche thee good Reader that remembringe the Iudgemenâ—seate of the Lorde and vnderstandinge that as thou doost iudge so thou shalt be iudged thou fauer neither mee nor mine Aduersarie that vvriteth against mee and that thou regarde not the personnes but onely the cause God geue thee the Sprite of Vnderstandinge that thou maiste be hable to iudge vprightly God geue thee eies to see that thou maist beholde the comfortable and glorious face of Gods Trueth that thou maist know thee good and merciful and perfit wil of God that thou maiste gròw into a ful perfite man in Christe and no lenger be blowen away with euery blast of vaine Doctrine but maiste be hable to know the Onely the True and the Liuing God and his onely begotteÌ„ Sonne Iesus Christe To whom bothe with the Holy Ghost be al Honour and Glorie for euer and euer Amen From London the .vi. of Auguste 1565. Iohn Ievvel Sarisburien ¶ AN ANSVVEARE TO M. Hardinges Preface IT misliketh you muche M. Hardinge that in so many and sundrie cases by mee mooued wherin standeth the greattest force of your Religion I shoulde saie You and others of that parte are vtterly voide not onely of the Scriptures but also of the Olde Councelles and Ancient Fathers and that in suche an Audience I should so precisely so openly discoouer the wantes and weakenesse of your side And therefore The greatter my heape riseth the lesse saie you is mine aduantage Whereunto I may easily replie The larger is mine Offer the more wil your discrete Reader mislike the insufficiencie of your Answeare and the more enlarged is your libertie the lesse cause haue you to complaine Wise men ye saie woulde more haue liked greatter Modestie Uerily the men that you cal Wise woulde haue thought it greattest Modestie to haue dissembled and saide nothinge But what may the same Wise menne thinke of your Modestie that hauinge so often made so large and so liberal offers of so many Doctours are not hable in the ende to shewe vs one Neither looke wee so fiercely nor shake wee the swearde so terribly as you reporte vs. This was euermore your and your felowes special and peculiar commendation Who bisides your fierce and cruel lookes and bisides the
the very Breaking of the Breade the very Gestures and Woordes that the Priest vseth at his Masse beare manifest witnesse against Priuate Masse Here I leaue out a greate number of Councels Canons and olde Fathers as Iustinus Martyr Dionysius Tertullian Epiphanius and Eusebius with sundrie other auncient writers bothe Gréekes and Latines thinkinge it sufficient by these fewe to haue geuen a taste of the reste Our proufes hange not vpon coniecture or vncertaine Gheasses we pray not ayde of Sicke folke Wemen Boyes and Children for the Proufe of the holye Communion as M. Hardinge is driuen to dooe for proufe of his Masse we séeke not out secrete Oratories or priuie Chapels wée forge no new Doctours suche as the worlde neuer knewe before as these men dooe for lacke of others wée allege neither Dreames nor Uisions nor fantastical Fables Wée rest vpon the Scriptures of God vpon the authoritie of the aunciente Doctours and Councels and vpon the Uniuersal practise of the moste famous Cities and Churches of the worlde These thinges wel compared and weighed togeather iudge thou now gentle Reader whether M. Hardinge haue hitherto iuste cause either to blowe vp the Triumphe with suche courage or to require any man to Subscribe THE SECONDE ARTICLE OF COMMVNION VNDER BOTHE KINDES The B. of Sarisburie Or that there was then any Communion ministred vnto the People vnder one kinde M. Hardinge The first Diuision This being a Sacrament of Vnitie euery true Christian man ought in receiuinge of it to consider how vnitie may be atchiued and keapte rather then to shew a streightnesse of conscience aboute the out warde formes of Breade and wine to be vsed in the administration of it and that so muche the more how muche the ende of euery thinge is to be esteemed more then that whiche serueth to the ende Otherwise herein the breache of vnitie is so litle recompensed by the exacte keepinge of the outwarde Ceremonie that accordinge to the saieinge of S. Augustine who so euer taketh the Mysterie of vnitie and keepeth not the bonde of peace he taketh not a Mysterie for him selfe but a testimonie against him selfe Therefore they haue greate cause to weigh with them selues what they receiue in this Sacrament who mooued by sclender reasons made for bothe kindes doo rashely and daungerously condemne the Churche for geeuinge of it vnder one kinde to al that doo not in their owne personnes Consecrate and offer the same in remembrance of the Sacrifice once offred on the Crosse. And that they may thinke the Churche to stande vpon good groundes herein may it please them to vnderstande that the fruite of this Sacrament whiche they enioy that woorthely receiue it dependeth not of the ouâ—warde formes of Breade and Wine but redoundeth of the vertue of the Fleashe and Bloude of Christe And where as vnder either kinde 46 whole Christe is verely present for now that he is risen againe from the dead his Fleashe and Bloud can be sundred no more because he dieth no more this healthful Sacrament is of true Christian people with no lesse fruite receiued vnder one kinde then vnder bothe The Sacramentaries that beleeue not the truthe of Christes Body and bloud in this holy Sacrament I remit to sundrie godly treatises made in defence of the right faith in that pointe I thinke it not necessarie here to treate thereof or of any other mater â–ª whiche M. Iuel hath not as yet manifestly touched in his sermon The B. of Sarisburie The former article of Priuate Masse by M. Hardinges owne confession procéedeth not from God but from the negligence of the people but the abuse of the Communion vnder one kinde from whence so euer it first procéeded standeth now onely vpon the wilfulnesse of the Priestes who séeinge and knowinge the Institution and Commaundement of Christe yet notwithstandinge haue diuised waies against their owne knowledge violently to repel the same And that the whole case may the better appeare the Question that standeth betweene vs is moued thus VVhether the holy Communion at any time vvithin the space of sixe hundred yeres after Christe vvere euer Ministred openly in the Churche vnto the People vnder one Kinde For proufe whereof M. Hardinge hath here brought in Wemen Children Sicke folkes Infantes and Madde men that these haue sometimes receiued the one kinde some in their Priuate houses some in their death beddes some otherwise as he did before for proufe of his Priuate Masse If in al this longe treatie he haue brought any one example or proufe sufficient of the Ministration in one kinde openly vsed in any Churche it is good reason he be beléeued But if he after al these vauntes hauinge published suche a booke as al the worlde as it is supposed is not hable to answeare haue hither to brought no suche neither example nor proufe then may we iustly thinke there is nothinge to be brought at al but that by his eloquence and faire speache he seeketh to abuse the simplicitie and ignorance of his Reader The Councel of Basile aboue one hundred and thirtie yéeres paste made no conscience to graunte the vse of bothe kindes vnto the kingedome of Bohemia and this Councel nowe presently holden at Trident vpon certaine conditions hath graunted the same to other Kingedomes and Countries and were it not they should séeme to confesse the Churche of Rome hath erred they woulde not doubte to graunte the same freely to the whole worlde None of them al can tel neither when nor where nor how this errour firste beganne Some thinke it sprange only of a certaine superstition and simplicitie of the people But whence so euer it first beganne as Tertullian writeth of the frowardnes that he saw in certaine of his time it must now néedes be mainteined and made good against the trueth His woordes be these Consuetudo initium ab aliqua ignorantia vel simplicitate sortita in vsum per successionem corroboratur it a aduersus veritatem vendicatur Sed Dominus noster Christâ—s Veritatem se non Conâ—uetudinem cognominauit Viderint ergo quibus nouum est quod sibi vetus est Haereses non tam nouitas quam veritas reuincit Quodcunque aduersus veritatem sapit hoc erit Haeresis etiam vetus consuetudo Custome either of simplicitie or of ignorance geatinge once an entrie is inured and hardened by succession and then is defended against the trueth But Christe our Lorde called him selfe the Trueth and not Custome Let them take heede therefore vnto whome the thinge seemeth newe that in it selfe is olde It is not so muche the noueltie of the mater as the trueth that reproueth an Heresie What so euer sauoureth against the trueth it is an heresie be the Custome thereof neuer so olde To come néere the mater Vnitie saithe M. Hardinge is the substance of this Sacrament and who so receiueth not the same in Vnitie receiueth a testimonie against him selfe As this is true auoutched by
I would or no. Here I doubte not but wise men wil regarde more that Luther wrote when his minde was quiet and calme then vvhen it vvas enraged vvith blusteringe stormes of naughty affections The B. of Sarisburie There is nothinge so easie as to speake il There was nothinge further of from Luthers mynde then vpon any determination of any Councel to minister the Sacrament vnder one kinde and so to breake Christes Institution into halfes But he thought it not méete that Goddes truethe immortal should hange of thautoritie of a mortal man and stande for true no further â—hen it shoulde please a man to allowe of it Notwithstandinge suche interest and authoritie the Pope hath claimed to him selfe â—orcinge the worlde to beleue as he him selfe writeth That he hath al right and lawe in the closet of his breaste And one Syluester Prierias gouerâ—our of Pope Leos Palaice was not ashamed nor afraide to write these woordes A Doctrina Romanae Ecclesiae Romani Pontificis sacra Scriptura robur authoritatem trahit The holy Scripture taketh strengthe and authoritie of the Churche and Bishop of Rome This was the thinge that D. Luther misselyked and thought intolerable And therefore he saide he would haue Goddes woorde receiued onely bicause it is Goddes woorde and spoken by him not bicause it is authorized by a Councel and if the Councel woulde allowe the Ministration in one kinde then he said he woulde vse Bothe bicause Christe in his Institution appointed Bothe But if the Bishops in the Councel woulde agree vpon Bothe kindes as a mater standinge wholy in their pleasures as though they had ful power to controlle or to ratifie the wil of God then he saide he woulde haue no regarde vnto the authoritie of suche a Councel that setteth it selfe aboue God but rather woulde vse one kinde onely or none at al. For this cause M. Hardinge reproueth Doctor Luther so bitterly and calleth him arrogante because he woulde not haue Goddes wil subiecte to the wil of man Yet it appeareth that S. Paule in the like case did the like For not withstandinge he had Circumcised Timothée yet when he sawe certaine come in that woulde needes force the same vpon Titus also and so make it necessarie he withstoode them stoutely and would not yelde Thus he writeth Neither was Titus that then was with me compelled to be Circumcised for the cominge in of certaine false Brethren whiche came vpon vs to trie out our libertie that we haue in Christe Iesu to the intent to bringe vs into bondage Vnto whome we gaue no place by yeldinge no not for any time that the trueth of the Gospel might remaine amonge you Eusebius in his storie saieth there was an olde lawe in Rome that no Emperour should consecrate a God onlesse the same God had beene firste allowed by the Councel Tiberius beinge Emperour when he hearde of the wonderful woorkes that were wrought by Christ in Iewrie thought therefore he was a God and promoted a bil vnto the Councel that Christe mighte be proclaimed and taken for a God But the Councel was otherwise bente and woulde allowe him for no God Tertullian laugheth at their folie His woordes be these Apud vos de humano arbitrio diuinitas pensitatur Nisi homini Deus placuerit non erit Deus Homo iam Deo propitius esse debet Emongst you the diuinitie and state of God is weighed by mans iudgement Onlesse God please man God Emongst you shal be no God Nowe therefore man must be good and fauourable vnto his God The like folie seemeth to be in them that thinke Goddes trueth is no trueth onlesse the Consent of a Councel allowe it to be truethe To this same purpose Luther wrote a booke vnto the Knightes of the order of Russia after they had obteined from the Pope a dispensation to marie notwithstandinge their vowe He chargeth them that in any wise they marie not by warrant of that dispensation otherwise he saithe they offende God and be woorse then adulterers as hauinge more regarde vnto man then vnto God and hauinge Goddes owne dispensation as if it were not sufficient woulde seeke further for the dispensation of a man Luther wrote not this in the despite of any godly Councel no more then the prophete Esaie when he saide Inite Concilium dissipabitur Goe geather your CouÌ„cel and it shal be broken But he could not suffer to see Goddes glorie so defaced that a companie of men shoulde presume to allowe or disallowe his trueth as if it were not true in it selfe but must fal or stande onely at thier pleasure The rest that followeth is nothinge els but vnseemely slaunder But God be blissed that hath deliuered that godly man from liynge tongues But Luther saith M. Hardinge was contrary vnto him selfe Euen so Marciâ—n the Heretique charged S. Paule that he spake against the Ceremonies yet him selfe shaued his head at Cenchreae and obserued the Ceremonies that he woulde not circumcise Titus yet had circumcised Timotheus that he would sometime defende the law sometime reproue the lawe so was euermore contrary to him selfe And he that had M. Hardinges sprite perhaps would no more doubte to finde faulte with S. Paule for inconstancie then with Luther If Luther were euer contrary to him self yet might no man worse charge him in that behalfe then M. Hardinge But Luther euermore followed Gods callinge neuer returned backe vnto his vomite neither fought against his owne conscience nor against the manifest knowen trueth And therefore although he were contrary vnto him selfe as passinge from errour vnto trueth yet was he not contrary vnto God M. Hardinge The .7 Diuision Now to put this mater that Luther iudged it a thinge indifferent whither one receiue the Sacrament vnder one kinde or bothe more out of doubte Philip Melanchâ—on his scholar and nearest of his Counsaile writeth Sicut edere suillam aut abstinere a suilla sic alterutra signi parte vti medium esse That as it is a thinge indifferent to eate Swines fleashe or to forbeare Swines fleashe so it is also to vse whiche parte of the signe a man listeth By the woorde Signe he meaneth the Sacrament likinge better that straunge woorde then the accustomed woorde of the Churche least he might perhaps be thought of the bretherne of his secte in some what to ioyne with the Catholikes Bucer also is of the same opinion who in the conference that was had betweene the Catholikes and protestantes for agreement in controuersies of religion at Ratisbone confirmed and allowed this article by his ful consent with these woordes Ad controuersiam quae est de vna aut vtraque specie tollendam cum primis conducturum vt sancta Ecclesia liberam faceret potestatem SacramentuÌ„ hoc in vna vel in vtraque specie sumendi Ea tamen lege vt nulli per hoc detur occasio quem vsum tantopere
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
denied that is that the Sacramente vvas euer Ministred vnto the people in one Kinde Openly in any Congregation or in the open order and vsage of any Churche Yet were there Churches then erected yet were there Priestes and people then yet was the holy Ministration then openly vsed in forme and order and learned men to recorde the same Al this not withstandinge M. Hardinge hath hitherto founde nothinge in the open Ministration in the Congregation and assemblie of the people whereby to prooue his Halfe Communion Wherfore there is no cause yet shewed to the contrary but M. Iuel may say nowe as he truly before saide in his Sermon The vvhole Communion vvas vsed throughout the vvhole Catholique Churche vnder Bothe Kindes sixe hundred yeeres after Christes Ascension in al Congregations and Churches vvithout exception But Christe hathe leaâ—te these maters to the discretion and determination of the Churche By what recorde may that appeare M. Hardinges woorde is no Charter Or if it be true where did the Churche euer so determine of it within the compasse of sixe hundred yeeres S. Augustine in this case is very reasonable his woordes be these Vbi authoritas deficit ibi consuetudo Maiorum pro lege tenenda est Where authoritie faileth there the Custome of our Elders muste holde for a Lawe But hauinge Goddes Woorde and Christes Institution we wante no authoritie The authoritie of the Church is greate I graunte but the causes that moued the Church of Rome to breake Christes Institution as the keapinge of the VVine Beardes and Palsies and suche like are not greate Not withstandinge M. Hardinge enlarge them muche and cal them Importante and vveightie causes The two Councels of Basile and Constance where this mater was firste concluded as they were at the leaste fourtene hundred yéeres after Christe and therefore not to be alleged in this case againste may assertion so the authoritie of them bothe â—angeth yet in question For the Thomistes say the Councel of Basile came vnlawfully togeather and that therefore al their determinations were in vaine And Pigghius saithe the other Councel of Constance concluded againste Nature againste the Scriptures againste Antiquitie and againste the Faithe of the Churche These be the twoo Councels that M. Hardinge woulde haue vs yeelde vnto VVe are bounde to heare the Churche saith M. Hardinge But much more are we bounde to heare God This saieing of S. Cyprian is woorthy déepely to be noted Non iungitur Ecclesiae qui ab Euangelio separatur He hath no felowship with the Churche that is diuided from the Gospel And likewise writinge against certaine that abused the Cuppe of Christe Ministringe therein Water in stéede of Wine he geueth this lesson to al Bishoppes and others toutchinge the Reformation of the Churche Religioni nostrae coÌ„gruit timori ipsi loco officio Sacerdotij nostri custodire Traditionis Dominicae veritatem quod prius apud quosdam videtur erratum Domino monente corrigere vt cùm in claritate sua Maiestate Coelesti venire coeperit inueniat nos tenere quod monuit obseruare quod docuit facere quod fecit It behoueth the Religion that we professe and our reuerence towardes God and the very place and office of our Priesthoode to keepe the trueth of the Lordes Tradition and by the Lordes aduertisement to correcte that thinge that by certaine hath beene amisse that when he shal come in his glorie and Maiestie he may finde vs to holde that he warned vs to keepe that he taught vs to doo that he did M. Hardinge The .29 Diuision Nowe for answeare to M. Iuelles place alleged out of Gelasius whiche is the chiefe that he and al other the aduersaries of the Churche haue to bringe for their purpose in this pointe this muche may be saide Firste that he allegeth Gelasius vntruely makinge him to sounde in Englishe otherwise then he doothe in Latine M. Iuels woordes be theâ—e Gelasius an olde Father of the Churche and a Bishop of Rome saithe that to Minister the Communion vnder one Kinde is open Sacrilege But where saithe Gelasius so This is no syncere handlinge of the mater And bicause he knewe the woordes of that Father imported not so muche guilefully he reciteth them in Latine and dothe not Englishe them whiche he woulde not haue omitted if they had so plainely made for his purpose The woordes of Gelasius be these Diuisio vnius eâ—usdemque Mysterij sine grandi sacrilegio non potest peruenire The Diuision of one and the same Mysterie can not come without great sacrilege Of these woordes he cannot conclude Gelasius to say that to minister the Communion vnder one kinde is open sacrilege Gelasius rebuketh and abhorreth the diuision of that highe Mysterie whiche vnder one forme and vnder bothe is vnum idemque One and the same not one vnder the forme of Breade and another vnder the forme of VVine not one in respecte of the Bodie and an other in respecte of the Bloude but vnum idemque one and the selfe same The woordes afore recited be taken out of a fragment of a Canon of Gelasius whiche is thus as we finde in Gratian. Comperimus autem quod quidam sumpta tantum Corporis sacri portione a calice sacrati cruoris abstineant Qui procul dubio quoniam nescio qua superstitione docentur adstringi aut integra sacramenta percipiant aut ab integris arceantur quia diuisio vnius eiusdemque Mysterij sine grandi sacrilegio non potest peruenire VVhiche may thus be Englished But we haue founde that some hauinge receiued onely the portion VVherein is the holy bodie absâ—eine from the Cuppe of the sacred Bloude who without doubte for as muche as I know not with what supersitition they be taught to be tied either let them receiue the whole Sacramentes or let them be keapte from the whole bicause the diuision of one and the same Mysterie can not come without greate sacrilege Here mighte be saide to M. Iuel â–ª she we vs the whole Epistle of Gelasius from whence this fragment is taken that we may weigh the circumstance and the causes why he wrote it conferringe that goeth before and that followeth and we wil frame you a reasonable answeare But it is not extant and therefore your argument in that respecte is of lesse force â—he B. of Sarisburie Neither are we the aduersaries of the Churche nor Gelasius the chiefest that we bringe for our purpose We follow Christe as he hath commaunded vs whome it became Gelasius also to followe But it is a worlde to sée into howe many faces and fashions M. Harding is faine to turne him selfe to auoide this authoritie of Gelasius He leaueth the whole route of his owne companie and is gladde to renne alone He expoundeth Gelasius by Leo as though they wrote bothe of one thinge And yet others of his owne side say that Leo wrote of Heretiques and Gelasius of Catholikes Leo
whether there be any suche Lawe or no for these woordes come euen from the perswasion of the Diuel Againe he saithe Haec Diabolicae inspirationis operatio est non sinentis nos aspicere Thesaurum ne diuitias acquiramus Proptereà ille suadeâ— nihil omninò esse commodi diuinas audire Leges ne quando ex auditu sequi videat actionem This is the workinge of the Diuels Inspiration He woulde not suffer vs to see the Treasure leaste we shoulde geate the riches Therefore he counseleth vs that it vtterly auaileth nothinge to heare the Lawes of God least that vpon the hearinge he may see our dooinge followe Here we sée the doctrine of simple ignorance whiche M. Hardinge so stifly mainteineth is called by Chrysostome The Diuels studie The Diuels iudgement the Diuels Inspiration And where he saithe God wil cal vs to no reckeninge of our knowlege or lacke of knowlege Chrysostome plainely auoutcheth the contrary by these woordes Dices non legi Non est haec excusatio sed crimen Thou wilt say I haue not readde the Scripture This is no excuse but a sinne Christian simplicitie is not wilful ignorance that is to say to beleeue euery fable that is tolde and to examine and know nothinge As Christe saithe Be ye Simple as Dooues so he also saithe Be ye Wise as Serpentes Take heede ye be not deceiued S. Paule saithe He that knoweth not shal not be knowen Chrysostome hereof writeth thus Paulus ait Verbum Christi inhabiter in vobis abundanter Sed quid ad haec respondent fucis stultiores Benedicta omnis anima Simplex Et Qui simpliciter ambulat in fiducia ambular Hoc videlicet omnium malorum est causa quòd non multi Scripturarum testimonia in opportunis rebus sciunt adducere Non. nâ— eo loco Simplex pro stulto aut pro eo qui nihil nouit intelligendus est sed pro homine non malo nec versuto Nam si ita intelligeretur superuacaneum fuisset dicere Estote prudentes sicut Serpentes S. Paule saithe Let the vvoorde of God dvvel in you abundantly But what wil these fooles say hereto O say they Blissed is the simple soule And He that vvalketh simply vvalketh surely This is the very cause of al mischiefe that in cases of necessitie there be not many hable to allege the Scriptures For a Simple man in that place may not be taken for a foole or a man that knoweth nothinge but for a man that meaneth no il or vvoorketh no fraude For if it were to be taken so it had beene in vaine for Christ to saie Be ye vvise as Serpentes Therefore M. Hardinge in the defence of ignorance thus assuringe the worlde that God wil not be offended with wante of knowlege deceiueth the people of God and saithe not the trueth The reason that M. Hardinge hereof geathereth standeth thus The people as S. Augustine saithe cannot atteine profounde knowledge and God beareth vvith their simpliâ—itie Ergo they ought to haue their Seruice in a strange tongue M. Hardinge The .33 Diuision Novve though the people knovve not the Latine tonge and albeit it vvere better they had the Seruice in their owne vulgare tonge for the better vnderstandinge of it yet as it is for as much as 85 it consisteth in manner altogeather of the Scriptures that greate profite cometh bothe to the reader and to the hearer of it Origen sheweth at large in the twentith homilâ—e vpon Iosue Because it were ouer longe to bringe al that he saithe there to this purpose the summe of the whole maye thus be abbridged First that the heauenly powers and Angels of God whiche be within vs haue greate likinge in our vtterance of the woordes of the Scripture Though we vnderstande not the 86 woordes we vtter with our mouthe yet those powers saithe he vnderstande them and thereby be inuited and that with delite to healpe vs. And speakinge of the powers that be within vs to whome charge of our soules and bodies is committed he saithe that if the Scriptures be readde of vs they haue pleasure therein and be made the stronger towarde takinge heede to vs yea and that if we speake with tongues and our spirite praie and our sense be without fruite And there he allegeth to that purpose the common place of S. Paule to the Corinthians callinge it marueilous and in maner a mysterie shewinge how the spirite praieth the sense beinge without fruite After this he declareth the euil powers and our ghostly ennemie the Diuel by our readinge and hearinge of the Scriptures to be driuen from vs. As by enchauntementes saithe he Snakes be staied from dooinge hurte with their venime so if there be in vs any Serpent of contrary power or if any Snake waite priuily to mischiefe vs by vertue of the holy Scripture rehearsed so that for weerines thou tourne not away thy hearinge he is put away S. Augustine confirmeth the same doctrine where he saithe Psalmus Daemones fugat Angelos in adiutorium inuitat The Psalme readde deuoutely or hearde putteth Deuilles to flight and prouoketh Angels to healpe At length Origen shewinge howe by meate or drinke we finde remedie for sore eyes though we feele no benefite foorth with in eatinge or drinkinge he concludeth his special parte of comparison with these woordes In this wise vve must beleeue also of the holy Scripture that it is profitable and doothe good to the soule Etiamsi sensus noster ad praesens intelligentiam non capit although presently our sense doo not atteine the meaninge or vnderstandinge because our good povvers by these vvoordes be refresshed and fedde and the contrary that is our aduersarie povvers are vveakened and put to flight At length makinge obiection to him selfe on the behalfe of his hearers as though they shoulde laie this doctrine to his charge for excuse of takinge further paines in preachinge and expoundinge the Scriptures to them thereto he answeareth and saithe No no we haue not saide these to you for that cause neither haue we vttered these thinges to you for excuse but to shew you In Scripturis sanctis esse vim quandam quae legenti etiam sine explanatione sufficiat that in the holy Scriptures there is a certaine power or strengthe whiche is sufficient for one that readeth it yea without any expoundinge of it This sufficiencie he referreth I thinke to the procuringe of the good powers to healpe vs and to the driuinge away the malice of euil powers our ghostly enemies that they hurte vs not The B. of Sarisburie It appeareth M. Hardinge is not so certaine of his doctrine but he may alter and varie without discredite He helde before for certaine that the ignorant people vnderstandeth the Latine tongue although not perfitely or in exacte wise Now he séemeth to be resolued otherwise that they vnderstande it not at al. These contrary saieinges wil hardely stande togeather onles he meane the
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
haue the worlde beléeue that S. Gregorie woulde euer take these names and titles from Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople to the intent to lay them vpon his owne Sée of Rome Or is it likely that M. Harding knoweth S. Gregories minde better then euer S. Gregorie knew it him selfe Uâ—rily S. Gregorie not onely misliketh these titles in others but also disclaimeth the same from him selfe and from his Sée of Rome for euer For thus he writeth and his woordes be plaine Nullus Romanorum Pontificum hoc Singularitatis nomen assumpsit None of the Bishoppes of Rome â—uer receiued this name of singularitie Nullus decessorum meorum hoc tam profano vocabulo vti consensit None of my predicessours euer consented to vse this vngodly name Nos hunc honorem nolumus oblatum sucipere Wee beinge Bishoppes of Rome wil not take this honour beinge offered Vnto Vs. And the reason that he forceth against the Bishoppe of Constantinople may serue as wel against the Bishop of Rome For thus he saith Quid tu Christo Vniuersalis Ecclesiae Capiti in extremi Iudiâ—ij dicturus es examine qui cuncta eius membraâ—â—bimet conaris Vniuersalis appellatione supponere what answeare wilt thou make vnto Christe that in deede is the Head of the Vniuersal Church at the trial of the last Iudgement that thus goest about vnder the name of Vniuersal Bishop to subdue al his members vnto thee This is the very definition of an Uniuersal Bishop Thus the Bishop of Rome attempteth to subdue the whole Churche of God al the members of Christ vnto him selfe Therefore by S. Gregories iudgement he is the Forerenner of Antichriste And writing vnto Eulogius the Patriake of Alexandria he vseth these woordes Sanctitas vestra mihi sic loquitur Sicut iussistis Quod verbum Iussionis Peâ—o a meo auditu remouete Quia scio quis sim qui sitis Loco mihi fratres estis moribus patres Your holinesse writeth thus vnto me As you commaunded This woorde of Commaunding I beseeche you take away from my hearing For I know bothe what I am and also what you are In place or dignitie ye are my brethren in life and manners ye are my Fathers Againe he saith Ecce in praefatione Epistolae c. Beholde euen in the very preface of the Epistle that you sent vnto me you haue written the name of that Presumptuous title calling me the vniuersal Pope notwithstandinge I haue forbidden it I beseche your holinesse to doo it no more For you doo defraude your selfe when you geue an other more then reason woulde The selfe same meaninge M. Hardinge might haue founde twise written euen in the same place of S. Gregorie that he here allegeth if it had pleased him to consider either what went before or els what folowed immediatly after Before he writeth thus Non mea causa sed Dei est Nec solus ego sed toâ—a turbatur Ecclesia Quia piae Leges quia venerandae Synodi quia ipsa Domini nostri Iesu Christi mandaâ—a Superbi atque Pompatici cuiusdam sermonis inuentione turbantur It is Gods cause it is not mine Neither onely I but also the whole Churche is troubled For both the godly Lawes and the Reuerende Councels and the very coÌ„mâ—undementes of our Lorde Iesus Christe are comâ—red with the diuise of this proude pompous Title Immediatly after it foloweth thus Nunquid ego in hac re pijssime Domine propriaÌ„ cauâ—am defendo O my most Gratious Souâ—raine doo I herein defende mine owne right By these it may appeare that S. Gregorie being Bishop of Rome woulde not suffer the name of vniuersal Bishop to be geuen neither to any other Bishop nor to him selfe And where as S. Gregorie saithe The charge and chieftie of the whole Churche is committed vnto Peter in the sense it is spoken in wée denie it not S. Paule likewise saith of him selfe in like sense Incumbit mihi quotidiana cura omniuÌ„ EcclesiaruÌ„ There lieth vpon me the daily charge of al Churches And further saith I recken me selfe to be nothing inferiour in trauaile to the highest Apostles And wil M. Harding hereof reason thus Peter had the charge of the whole Churche Ergo The Pope is an vniuersal Bishop Certainely S. Gregorie saith Peter him selfe notwithstandinge he receiued the whole charge yet is he not called the vniuersal Apostle And can the Pope be that thinge that S. Peter him sâ—lfe coulde not be S. Gregorie driueth his reason thus If this title of vniuersalitie might belonge to any man it should chiefely belonge vnto S. Peter But it belongeth not vnto S. Peter Therefore it can belonge to no man Hereby it is plaine that the Bishop of Rome challengeth this day a title that S. Peter neuer had that no holy nor godly man woulde euer take vpon him that S. Gregorie vtterly refused and detested and called blasphemie And yet wil he séeme to mainteine his estate by the authoritie of this holy Father If S. Gregorie werâ— now aliue he woulde crie out as he did to the Emperour Mauritius O tempora O Mores O what a time is this O what manners are these Thus muche is M. Hardinge furthered by the authoritie of S. Gregorie M. Hardinge The .5 Diuision S. Cyprian declaringe the contempte of the 93 High Priest Christes Vicar in earthe to be cause of Schiâ—mes and Heresies writeth thus to Cornelius Pope and Martyr Neque enim aliunde Haereses obortae sunt c. Neither haue Haeresies or Schismes risen of any other occasion then of that the Prieste of God is not obeied and that one Priest for the time in the Churche and one Iudge for the time in steede of Christe is not thought vpon To whom if the whole brotherhead 95 that is the whole number of Christian people whiche be brethren togeather and were so called in the Primitiue Churche woulde be obedient accordinge to Goddes teachinges then no man woulde make a doo against the Colledge of Priesâ—es no man woulde make him selfe Iudge not of the Bishop nowe but of God after Goddes iudgement after the fauour of the people declared by their voices at the election after the consent of his felow bishoppes No man through breache of vnitie and strife woulde diuide the Churche of Christe No man standinge in his owne conceite and swelling with pride woulde set vp by him selfe abroade without the Churche a new Heresie The B. of Sarisburie Iâ— M. Hardinges cause were true he woulde not auouche it with suche vntrueth and so often corruption of the holy fathers If S. Cyprian writing this Epistle to Cornelius the Bishop of Rome once name him either the Highe Priâ—ste Or Christes Vicar General in earth Or Vniuersal Bishop Or Head of the Vniuersal Churche Or say that the vvhole Brotherhoode of al Christian people ought to be obedient vnto him As M. Hardinge vntruely and contrary to his ownâ—
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
M. Hardinge meaneth it is a vile subiection and seruitude it is no vnitie S. Hierome saithe Nomine vnitatis Fidei infidelitas scripâ—a est Nam illo tempore nihil tam pium nihil tam conueniens seruo Dei videbatur quà m vnitatem sequi à totius mundi communione non scindi Infidelitie hath beene written vnder the name of Faithe and Vnitie For at that time nothinge seemed either so godly or so meete for the Seruant of God as to folow vnitie and not to be diuided from the Communion of the whole worlde They séemed saithe S. Hierome to folowe vnitie and yet notwithstandinge they honge in infidelitie So likewise saithe the wise man In tanto viuentes ignorantiae bello â—ot tanta mala pacem appellabant Where as they liued in suche a warre of ignorance so many and so greate mischiefes they called Vnitie M. Hardinge The .20 Diuision But here perhappes some wil say it can not appeare by the euente of thinges and practise of the Churche that the Pope had this supreme power and Auctoritie ouer al Bishoppes and ouer al Christes flocke in matters touchinge Faithe and in causes Ecclesiastical Verily whosoeuer peruseth the Ecclesiastical stories and vie weth the state of the Church of al times and ages can not but confesse this to be most euident And here I might allege first certaine places of the New Testament declaring that Peter practised this preeminence amonge the Disciples at the beginninge and that they yelded the same as of right apperteininge vnto him As when he first and onely moued them to choose one in the steede of Iudas and demeaned him selfe as the chiefe auctour of al that was donne therein when he made answeare for al at what time they were gased and wondered at and of some moâ—kte as being dronken with new wine for that in the .50 day thei spake with tonges of so many Nations when hevsed that dreadful seueritie in punishing the falsehead and hypocrisie of Ananias and Saphira his wife when variance being risen about the obseruation of certaine pointes of Moyses lawe he as chiefe and head of the rest saide his minde before al others Amonge many other places lefte out for breuitie that is not of least weight that Paule beinge returned to Damasco out of Arabia after three yeeres wente to Ierusalem to see Peter and abode with him fiftene dayes 105. But because our aduersaries doo wreathe and wreaste the Scriptures be they neuer so plaine by their Priuate and strange constructions to an vnderstandinge quite contrary to the sense of the Catholike Churche I wil referre the reader for further proufe of this matter to the stories bearinge faithful witnesse of the whole state and condition of the Churche in al ages In whiche stories the practise of the Churche is plainely reported to haue ben suche as thereby the primacie of Peters Successour may seeme to al menne sufficiently declared For perusinge the Ecclesiastical stories with writinges of the Fathers beside many other thinges perteininge hereto we finde these practises for declaration of this special auctoritie and power Firste that Bishops 106 of euery Nation haue made their appeale in their weightie affaires to the Pope and alwaies haue sued to the see Apostolike as wel for succour and healpe against violence iniuries and oppressions as for redresse of other disorders Also that the malice of wicked persons hath beene repressed and chastised of that auctoritie by Excommunication Eiection and Expulsion out of their dignities and roomes and by other censures of the Churche Furthermore that the ordinances and elections of Bishoppes of al Prouinces haue beene confirmed by the Pope Beside this that the approuinge and disallowinge of Councelles haue perteined to him Item that Bishoppes wrongefully condemned and depriued by Councelles by him haue beene assotled and restored to their Churches againe Lastly that Bishoppes and Patriarkes after longe strifes and contentions haue at lengthe vpon better aduise beene reconciled vnto him againe The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge assaieth to prooue the Possession and Occupation of this Uniuersal Authoritie by the Practise bothe of S. Peter him selfe and also of other Bishoppes in Rome that folowed after him And touchinge S. Peter he thinketh it sufficient to saie thus Peter beinge amonge the rest shewed his aduise firste before al others and at the sounde of his woordes Ananias and Saphira fel downe deade Ergo Peter was the Heade and had an Vniuersal power ouer the whole Churche Here be very weake proufes to mainteine so greate a Title I thinke M. Hardinge him selfe doothe not beleue that who so euer firste vttreth his minde in any Councel or woorketh any strange miracle by the power of God is therefore the Heade of al the worlde For oftentimes in greate Councelles the yongest or lowest beginneth firste and the eldest and Heade of al speaketh laste Certainely in this assemblie of the Apostles after that S. Peter had opened his minde al the reast had donne last of al not S. Peter but S. Iames pronounced the Sentence whiche thinge belonged onely to the Heade and President of that Councel He must be very simple that wil be leadde with suche simple gheasses But who so euer wel and throughly considereth S. Peters whole dealinge at al times emonge his Brethren shal soone see that neither he bare him selfe nor the reast receiued or vsed him as the Heade of the Uniuersal Churche He calleth the reast of the Disciples his Brethren he calleth himselfe Compresbyterum Felowe elder He commaundeth not nor chargeth any man but heareth and intreateth others as his equalles and felowes Beinge sente into Samaria by his brethren he repined not as beinge their Heade gouernour but went his way as their Messenger And beinge reproued for goeinge to Cornelius and dealingâ— with Heathens he excused him selfe and came to his answeare The reast of the Apostles no doubte honoured S. Peter as the special member of Christes Bodie with al reuerence But it appeareth not that any of them euer tooke him or vsed him as their Heade or yelded him this Infinite or Uniuersal power S. Paule compareth him selfe with him in Apostleship and saithe Mihi concreditum est Euangelium Praeputij sicut Petro Circuncisionis â–ª To mee is committed the Gospel amonge the Heathens euen as vnto Peter emonge the Iewes And Iames Peter and Iohn which seemed to be the pillers gaue vnto me and Barnabas the right handes of felowship And afterwarde he saithe I withstoode Peter euen vnto the face for that he was woorthy to be rebuked And againe vnto the Corinthians Arbitror me nihil inferiorem esse eximijs Apostolis I take me selfe to be nothinge inferiour vnto the chiefe Apostles Hereby it plainely appeareth that Paule estéemed and tooke Peter as his Felowe and not as his Heade Where as it liketh M. Hardinge to say that we wreathe and wreast the
owne persons Whiche is plainely gathered of Theodoretus his Ecclesiastical storie who writeth thus Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia who was the chiefe piller of the Arianes and they that ioyned with him in that faction falsely accused Athanasius to Iulius the Bishop of Rome Iâ—â—ius folowinge the Ecclesiastical rule commaunded them to come to Rome and caused the reuerende Athanasius to be cited to iudgement regulariter after the order of the Canons He came â–ª The false accusers went not to Rome knowinge right wel that their forged lye might easily be deprehended In the cause and defence of Iohn Chrysostome these Bishops came from Constantinople to Innocentius the Pope Pansophus Bishop of Pisidia Pappus of Syria Demetrius of the seconde Galatia and Eugenius of Phrygia These were suiters for Chrysostome He him selfe treated his mater with Innocentius by writinge In his Epistle emonge other thinges he writeth thus Least this outragious confusion runne ouer al and beare rule euery where write I pray you and determine by your auctoritie suche wicked actes doone in our absence and when we withdrewe not our selues from iudgement to be of no force as by their owne nature truely they be voide and vtterly none Furthermore who haue committed these euils 107 put you them vnder the Censure of the Churche And as for vs sithe that we are innocent neither conuicte neither founde in any defaulte nor proued giltie of any crime geue commaundement that we be restored to our Churches againe that we maie enioye the accustomed charitie and peace with our bretherne Innocentius after that he vnderstoode the whole mater pronounced and Decreed the iudgement of Theophilus that was against Chrysostome to be voyde and of no force This whole tragedie is at large set foorthe by Palladius Bishop of Helenopolis In vita Iohannis Chrisostomi who liued at that time By this Appeale of Chrysostome and by the whole handelinge of the mater and specially by the purporte of his Epistle to Innocentius The Superioritie of the Pope is euidently acknowleged And so is it plainely confessed by Athanasius and the Bishoppes of Aegypte Thebais and Lybia assembled in Councel at Alexandria by these woordes of their Epistle to Foelix Vestrum est enim nobis manum porrigere c. It is your parte saye they to streatche foorthe your helpinge hande vnto vs because we are committed vnto you It is your parte to defende vs and deliuer vs it is our parte to seeke helpe of you and to obey your Commaundementes And a litle after For we knowe that you beare the cure and charge of the Vniuersal Churche and specially of Bishoppes who in respecte of their contemplation and speculation are called the eyes of our Lorde as alwaies the Prelates of your See firste the Apostles then their Successours haue doone Theodoretus that learned Bishop of Cyrus beside the Epistle he wrote to Leo for succour and helpe in his troubles in an other that he wrote to Renatus a priest neare aboute Leo sayeth thus Spoliarunt me Sacerdotio c. They haue violently robbed me of my Bishoprike they haue caste me foorth of the Cities neither hauinge reuerenced mine age spente in Religion nor my hoare heares VVherefore I beseeche thee that thou perswade the most holie Archebishop he meaneth Leo to vse his Apostolike auctoritie and to commaunde vs to come vnto your Councel or Consistorie For this Holie See holdeth the Rudther and hath the gouernement of the Churches of the whole worlde partely for other respectes but specially for that it hath euermore continued cleare from stinche of Heresie and that none euer sate in it who was of contrary opinion but rather hath euer kepte the Apostolike grace vndefiled In whiche woordes of Theodoretus this chiefely is to be marked that the holie See of Rome as he saithe hath the gouernment of the Churches of al the worlde most for this cause that it was neuer infected with Heresie as al other Churches founded by the Apostles were The B. of Sarisburie It is certaine that the Bishops of Rome to atteine the preeminence and fulnes of power ouer al the worlde letted not to vse many ambitious and importune meanes and manifestly to falsifie the Canons of the Holie Councel of Nice Sithence whiche time they haue not beene idle but haue forged new Canons to this purpose vnder the name of Clemens Anacletus Euaristus Telesphorus Higinus and other Martyrs and bisides haue diuised other like Canons of their owne The Decretal Epistle that is abrode vnder the name of Iulius séemeth to sauour of some corruption bothe for sundrie other causes and also for that it agréeeth not with the very true Epistle of Iulius whiche Athanasius allegeth in his Apologie and yet ought bothe these Epistles to be al one without difference Wherfore we haue good cause to thinke That al is not Gospel that commeth from Rome Thus ambitiously to auance them selues vnder pretence of suche Appeales oftentimes not vnderstandinge the case as it wel appeareth by that is written of Apiarius and by the storie of Flauianus and Eutyches they founde faulte with good Catholique Bishops and receiued Heretiques into their fauour wherwithal the Bishoppes in the General Councel of Aphrica fynde them selues muche gréeued Firste therefore I must shewe that there laye no such ordinarie Appeale from al Countreis of the worlde to the Bishop of Rome that therefore the same is by M. Hardinge vntruely auouched That doone I trust it shal not be harde to answeare these places of Chrysostome Athanasius and Theodoretus here alleged And that there laye not any suche Appeale to Rome it is plaine by consent of General Councelles by the authoritie of Holie Fathers and by the Lawes and Ordinances of Emperours and Princes By whiche groundes it is easie to vnderstande the practise and order of the Churche in those dayes In the Councel of Nice it is Decréed thus Ab alijs excommunicati ab alijs ad Communionem ne recipiantur Let not them that stande Excommunicate by one Bishop be receiued againe to the Communion by any other M. Hardinges Appeales and these woordes can not wel stande togeather But he wil saye The Bishop eyther of ignorance or of malice maye Excommunicate the partie wrongfully In this case the same Councel hath prouided remedie of Appeale not vnto the Bishop of Rome but vnto a Prouincial Synode within the Countrey These be the woordes Ergo vt haec possint digna examinatione perquiri rectâ— visum est per singulos annos in singulis prouincijs bis in anno Episcoporum Concilium fieri vt simul in vnum conuenientes ex communi Prouincia huiusmodi quaestiones examinent Therefore that these thinges maye be wel examined it is wel prouided that euery yeere in euery Prouince at two seueral times there be holden a Councel of Bishops that they meetinge togeather out of al partes of the Prouince maye heare and determine suche complaintes The Bishoppes in the Councel holden at Tela in
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
folowe any other Gospel accursed be he Yet was neither S. Ambrose nor Anastasius the Bishop of Rome As for the Execution of Sentence and Depriuinge or Deposinge of Bishops M. Hardinge knoweth the Bishop of Romes authoritie was to weake And therfore Innocentius saithe of Pelagius Quibus acceptis literis aut quando committer se nostro Iudicio Vpon what letters or when wil he yelde him selfe to my iudgemente For this cause Felix the Bishop of Rome praied ayde of the Emperour Zeno And the Emperour answeared Admisimus depositionem Anthymi We haue admitted the Deposition of Anthymus Otherwise the Popes sentence had béene in vayne And therefore the Emperour Constantinus saith of him selfe Si quis Episcoporum inconsultè tumultuatus sir Ministri Dei hoc est mea executione illius audacia coercebitur If any Bishop vndiscretely reare tumulte his rashenesse shal be repressed by the handes of Goddes Minister that is By my Execution And likewise the Emperour Iustinian hath set out a lawe in this sorte Si quis Episcopus definitum tempus emanserit c. If any Bishop tarie out his time appointed and beinge called home refuse to come let him be depriued and put from his Churche and an other better chosen in his roome he addeth by the vertue of this present Lavve By the force of this Lawe Bishops were deposed For without it the Pope was not hable to put his sentence in execution Nowe if M. Hardinge wil reason thus The Pope excommunicated other Bishoppes Ergo He was Heade of the Churche Then of the same principle we may wel to the contrary reason thus The Pope him selfe was Excommunicate by other Bishoppes Ergo The Pope was not the Heade of the Churche For the Antecedent That the Pope was pronounced Excommunicate by other Bishoppes it is out of question For it is recorded in the Ecclesiastical storie that Iulius beinge Bishoppe of Rome was Excommunicate by the Bishoppes of the Easte Pope Leo was excommunicate by Dioscorus Pope Uigilius was Excommunicate by Menna the Bishop of Constantinople And Pope Honorius was Excommunicate by the sixthe Councel holden at Constantinople Or if M. Hardinge repose more force in deposinge of Bishoppes then in Excommunication then let him likewise remember That Pope Iulius was deposed by the Bishoppes of the East as it is recorded by Sozomenus Pope Hildebrande by the Councel of Brixia Pope Iohn by the Councel of Constance Pope Eugenius by the Councel of Basile and two Popes togeather Syluerius and Uigilius by the Emperour Iustinian Thus M. Hardinges owne groundes ouerthrowe his whole buildinge and conclude plainely against him selfe M. Hardinge The .25 Diuision For the Popes auctoritie concerninge Confirmation of the Ordinations and Elections of 110 al Bishoppes many examples might easely be alleged as the request made to Iulius by the .90 Ariane Bishoppes assembled in Councel at Antioche against Athanasius that he woulde voutchsafe to ratifie and confirme those that they had chosen in place of Athanasius Paulus Marcellus and others whome they had condemned and depriued Also the earnest sute whiche Theodosius the Emperour made to Leo for confirmation of Anatolius and likewise that Martianus the Emperour made to him for confirmation of Proterius bothe Bishoppes of Alexandria as it appeareth by their letters written to Leo in their fauour And as for Anatolius Leo woulde not in any wise order and confirme him onlesse he woulde firste professe that he beleeued and helde the doctrine whiche was conteined in Leo his Epistle to Flauianus and woulde further by writinge witnesse that he agreed with Cyrillus and the other Catholike Fathers againste Nestorius For this if nothinge elles coulde be alleged the testimonie of holy Gregory were sufficient to make good credite Who vnderstandinge that Maximus was ordred Bishop of Salonae a Citie in Illyrico without the auctoritie and confirmation of the See Apostolike standinge in doubte least perhappes that had beene donne by commaundement of Mauritius the Emperour who did many other thinges wickedly thereof writeth to Constantina the Empresse thus Salonitanae ciuitatis Episcopus me ac responsali meo nesciente ordinatus est Et facta est res quae sub nullis anterioribus Principibus euenit The Bishop of the Citie of Salonae saith he is ordred neither I nor my deputie made priuie to it And herein that thinge hath beene done which neuer happened in the time of any Princes before our daies Thus it appeareth that before a thousande yeeres pasâ—e Bishoppes had their Ordination and Election confirmed by the See Apostolike The B. of Sarisburie If this reason may stande for good and who so euer hath the allowinge of the Election or Consecration of Bishoppes muste therefore be taken as Heade of the Churche then must the Church of necessitie haue many Heades For it is certaine the allowance hereof perteineth to many S. Ambrose saithe that al the Bishoppes bothe of the East and of the Weast gaue their Consent and Allowance to his Election Theodosius the Emperour standinge in the defence of Flauianus the Bishop of Constantinople saith That al the Bishops of the East of Asia Pontus Thracia and Illyricum had allowed his Election Eudoxius entred into the Bishoprike of Antioche without the allowance and Consent of Georgius the Bishop of Laodicea and of Marcus the Bishop of Arethusa and of other Bishoppes that had interest therein and is reproued for the same Gregorius Presbyter saithe for that the Election and Installation of Gregorie Nazianzene was paste before the Bishoppes of Egipte and Macedonia were come and so made without their consent that therefore they vtterly refused to allowe him or to admitte him as Bishop there not for any mislikinge in the partie but for that they thought them selues defrauded of their voices Anacletus decreeth thus Episcopus non minus quam à tribus Episcopis reliquisque omnibus assensum praebentibus vllatenus ordinetur Let a Bishop in no wise be ordred of lesse then three Bishoppes al the rest geuinge their assent to the same Hereby it appeareth that to the ratifieinge of the Election of any one Bishop the consent of al other Bishoppes within that Prouince was thought necessary Whiche Consent they testified emonge them selues by writinge letters of conference one to an other And therefore when Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople had intitled him selfe the Uniuersal Bishop Gregorie counselled Eulogius the Bishop of Alexandria and other Bishoppes of the East neither to write to him nor to receiue letters from him by that title Likewise the Bishoppes of the East when they had Excommunicate Iulius the Bishop of Rome gaue commaundement that no man shoulde either receiue his letters or write vnto him in token they helde him for no Bishop Neither did onely Bishoppes allowe such Elections but also bothe the Prince and the people When S. Ambrose beinge once chosen and appointed Bishop of Millane beganne
them selues Iewes that is The people of God but they are the Synagoge of Satan O fight not M. Hardinge thus against God fight not against your owne Conscience It is harde for you thus to kike against the pricke The more ye fight the more ye bewray your owne nakednesse These coloures and shadowes must néedes vade God with his Trueth wil haue the Uictorie Amen M. Hardinge The .12 Diuision Now to be shorte where as the chiefe argumentes that be made against the beinge of Christes Bodie in many places at once be deduced of nature in respecte that this article seemeth to them to abolishe nature it may please theÌ„ to vnderstande that God who is auctour of nature can by his power doo with a Bodie that whiche is aboue the nature of a Bodie nature not destroied but keapte and preserued whole VVhiche Plato the Heathen Philosopher woulde soone haue been induced to beleue if he were aliue VVho asked what was nature answeared Quod Deus vult that whiche God wil. And therefore wee beleeue that Enoch and Elias yet mortal by nature doo by power of God liue in Bodie and that aboue naâ—ure Abacue was by the same power caught vp and in a moment caried from Iewrie to Babylon his nature reserued whole S. Peter by God accordinge to nature walked on the earth the same by God bisides nature walked vpon the waters Christe after condition of nature assumpted suffred death in Bodie the same Christe by his diuine power entred with his Bodie in to his Disciples through doores closed The B. of Sarisburie Our proufes are grounded not onely vpon Natural Reason but also vpon the expresse and knowen Wil of God And by suche Argumentes the learned Fathers were wonte in olde times to dispute of Christes Humanitie against Apollinarius Manichaeus Eutyches and other like Heretiques without controlment For Natural Reason holden within her bandes is not the enimie but the daughter of Goddes Trueth And therefore he must be very vnreasonable that wil thus without cause be angrie with Reason But it appeareth that M. Hardinge as he is vtterly without Scriptures and Doctours in these cases so is he also voide of Reason As touchinge Plato it seemeth there was harde holde when a Natural Philosopher must stande foorth to proue Christes Mysteries This mater within these fewe hundred yeeres hath benne atteÌ„pted many waies by Logique by Philosophie by the Metaphysiques by the names of Olde Fathers But when none of al these healpes woulde serue they imagined brought foorth Animosam Fidem a Faith without any woorde of God bolde to beleeue they knewe not what In the ende findinge theire wante and weakenes herein for that this Faith had no grounde they diuised Miracles and fieres yenough and ioined them with it Then was the mater sufficiently and fully prooued But Plato saith Natura est quod Deus vult Nature is that thinge that God wil. First what if M. Hardinge vnderstande not what Plato meante And what if Plato neuer vnderstoode what M. Hardinge meaneth Yet must Platoes name serue to prooue al M. Hardinges faÌ„tasies Plato saith Nature is what so euer God wil. Must we therefore conclude That Colde is Hoate White is Blacke Accident without Subiecte Subiecte without Accident a Bodie is no Bodie a Nature Finite is Infinite What a strange kinde of Philosophie hath M. Hardinge founde out It is a simple weapon that these menne wil refuse to serue theire turne The Philosophers called Epicuraei helde this fantasie that God sitteth in Heauen idly and at ease neuer incombringe or troublinge him self with the rule of the worlde and that therefore Nature ruleth it self onely by chance and at aduenture without any certaine direction of Goddes gouernement and that what so euer is donne therein is no parte of Goddes dooinge Contrary wise the Philosophers called Stoici helde an other fantasie that God him self is nothinge elles but nature and that therefore al thinges are wrought by necessitie and force of Destine and that God is hable to woorke no Miracle nor to doo any thinge contrary to the common course of Nature Both these folies Plato reproued by this shorte answeare Natura est quod Deus vult His meaninge is that Nature is subiecte and obedient vnto God and that there is neither Chance nor Necessitie in the course of Nature but al thinges are ordred by Goddes appointement and Natural Causes are onely the instrumentes of Goddes Wil. And therefore some compare Nature to the horse and God to the horseman that bridleth her and turneth her whither he listeth And for the same cause Origen saith Anima mundi est Virtus Dei The Soule of the Worlde is the power of God And S. Baâ—ile saith The Worlde is the schoole of our soules to leade vs to knowe God Therefore God was hable by his power to diuide the Sea to pul backe and to staye the Sonne to open the Earth to make the water of Iordane to stande as a walle to staie the Fier from burninge and the water from drowninge If any man liste to knowe the cause hereof there is none other but Goddes Wil. In this sense the Philosopher Simonides was wonte to saie Solus Deus est Metaphysicus God alone is Supernatural And Pindarus for the same called God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The best or skilfullest Artificer Likewise S. Augustine saith Quomodo est contra Naturam quod Dei fit voluntate cùm voluntas tanti Conditoris sit cuiuscunque rei Natura Howe is it against Nature that is donne by Goddes Wil seeinge the Wil of so noble a Creator is the Nature of euery thinge This vndoubtedly was Platoes meaninge Nowe let vs examine M. Hardinges reasons Nature is what so euer God wil Elias and Enoch are yet alieue in theire bodies Abacuc was caught and carried to Babylon S. Peter walkte vpon the Sea Ergo Christes Bodie is at one time in a thousande places These argumentes holde A posse ad Esse and might haue stande the Heretiques Manichaeus and Eutyches in some good steede but in Catholique Schooles they haue no place But howe is M. Hardinge so wel assuered of Goddes wil Howe knoweth he that God wil haue Christes Bodie to be in a thousande places at one time to be euerywhere to be infinite to be no Bodie Uerily the Ancient Fathers for any thinge that may appeare neuer knew it Contrary wise he might haue saide Gods holy Wil was that Christe should take the Natural Substance of a Mans Bodie and that in al thinges he should be like vnto his Brethren and that his Bodie shoulde be a Creature and as S. Augustine saith should be in one place This is Goddes knowen and expresse Wil therefore by Platoes iudgement this is Nature Certainely S. Augustine saith as it is before alleged Christus Corpori suo Immortalitatem dedit Naturam non abstulit Christe gaue Immortalitie to his Bodie but he tooke not from it the
be no greate glorie for mée to beholde those faces that haue bene so often turned O M. Hardinge We haue no cause to be ashamed of the Gospel of Christe It is the Mightie Power of God vnto Saluation I pray God that bothe you and I may leaue these worldly respectes and faces of men and so vse the giftes that God hath lent vs and so freely discharge our consciences in this life that Christe be not ashamed of vs before his Father but we may come to see God face to face Touching the mater it selfe M. Harding thinketh it best to claime his Eleuation euen from the Apostles time So the Romaines in olde times bicause they knew not from whence their Ancilia came vnto them they thought it not amisse for the more credite of the mater to say they were sent to them from Heauen So Romulus and Theseus bicause they were base borne and noman knew their Fathers therefore were reckened to be the Children of the Goddes Dionysius Chrysostomus and Basile as they are woorthy of muche credite for their Antiquitie so in this case they say nothinge that of our parte is denied The Question is VVhether the Priest did then holde vp the Sacrament ouer his Head or no. This thinge M. Hardinge dissembleth passeth by and turneth his whole proufe to an other thinge that neither is doubted of nor denied First where as Dionysius saith In conspectum agit He bringeth the Mysteries into â—ight This maketh very smal proufe of M. Hardinges side excepte happily he wil say No man can bring a thing to sight onlesse he holde it ouer his head But that thou mayst throughly and fully sée bothe the very grounde and sense of these woordes of Dionysius and also M. Hardinges peruerse and strange Construction touchinge the same it may please thee gentle Reader to vnderstande that in those daies the manner was that the Sacrament being al in one whole loafe or Cake vndiuided should remaine stil vpon the Holy Table couered vnder a faire clothe vntil the time of the Distribution therof vnto the people Touching whiche Ceremonie Pachymeres the Greeke Paraphrast writeth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Holy giftes being opened after the praiers or Consecration and yet remaining stil couered vntil the time of the Distribution c. So likewise saith Maximus in his Scholie vpon the same place And addeth further Not onely the Holie Breade was set foorth couered but also the Holy Cuppe whiche thinge he saith nowe is not donne This order or Ceremonie of the Churche then wel considered Dionysius is plaine yenough of him self without other CoÌ„mentarie For thus staÌ„de his woordes Profert ea quae laudauit in conspectum per Symbola reuerenter proposita dona Sacrificiorum commonstrans ad Sacram illorum Communionem ipse accedit hortatur alios The priest bringeth forth the thinges that he hath praised into sight by the tokens reuerently sette before him and shewinge foorth the Gistes of the Mysteries both he him self draweth neare to the Holy Communion of the same and also exhorteth others This shewinge and bringinge into sight was nothinge els but the vncoueringe and laieinge a broade of the Mysteries If M. Hardinge wil saie This exposition is wreasted or violent let him then heare Dionysius expounde him self Thus he writeth afterwarde in the Speculation or exposition of the same In conspectum profert c. He bringeth forth the thinges that he hath praised into sight c. It foloweth Nam Opertum Indiuisum Panem aperiens in multas partes diuidens Vnitatem Poculi omnibus impertieÌ„s Symbolicè implet Vnitatem For vncoueringe the Breade that was couered and stoode whole and vndiuided and cuttinge it into many partes and partinge the Vnitie of the Cuppe vnto al the people by waâ—e of a Sacrament he fulfilleth Vnitie If al this wil not content M. Hardinge yet Dionysius saith againe in plainer sorte 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Munera quae tecta fuerant in apertum profert He bringeth foorth into open sight the Gistes or Sacramentes that before were couered This vndoubtedly was the meaninge of these woordes onles perhaps M. Hardinge wil saie Dionysius vnderstoode not his owne meaninge Uerily Pachymeres the Paraphrast expoundeth it thus Profert in conspectum ostendens haec esse Christi Symbola He bringeth these thinges into sight shewinge that they be Tokens and Signes of Christe Hitherto there is no manner mention of holdinge the Sacrament ouer the Heade But M. Hardinge replieth Maximus saith Dionysius meante the holdinge vp of the one parte of the Sacrament This maie easily be graunted But the same Maximus what so euer he were or when so euer he liued saith not The same one parte was holden ouer the Priestes Heade and therefore M. Hardinge is but weakely reliued by his Authoritie And againe the same Maximus as a man not very certaine what to saie diuiseth two other expositions of Dionysius woordes bisides this But let this Exposition of Maximus stande for good The priest held vp from the Table and shewed foorth the Sacrament to declare that the holy Communion was readie that the people might prepare them selues and drawe neare And therefore he spake alowde Holie thinges for the Holy Whiche woordes Chrysostome expoundeth thus Quando Sacerdos dicit Sancta Sanctis Hoc dicit Si quis non est Sanctus non accedat When the priest saith Holy thinges vnto the holy thus he saith If any man be not holy let him not come neare So likewise Nicolaus Cabasilas a Greeke writer of late daies Sacerdos clamat Sancta Sanctis propemodum dicens Ecce panis vitae accurrite participes futuri sed non omnes verùm si quis est Sanctus The priest speaketh alowde Holy thinges for the holy As though he shoulde saie Beholde the breade of life come neare and take parte how be it not al but if any man be holy And lest he shoulde seeme to discourrage any man in respecte of his vnworthines he saith further Sanctos autem vocat non virtute perfectos sed quicunque ad illam tendunt perfectionem He calleth them holy not that be ful perfite in vertue but that be inclined to perfection To this ende therfore the minister shewed foorth the Breade that the people might prepare them selues to the Distribution And therfore it is writen thus in Chrysostomes Liturgie Sacerdos ostendit Calicem populo diceÌ„s Cum timore Dei Fide dilectione accedite The priest sheweth the Cuppe vnto the people saieinge vnto them drawe neare with the feare of God and with Faith and loue And the people answeareth Blissed is he that cometh in the name of the Lorde This same was S. Basiles meaninge in his booke De Spiritu Sancto The woordes of Inuocation that there are spoken of were of suche authoritie in the Churche and of suche weight that neither M. Hardinge nor I beleue any
autem Fides vestra postulat instruenda Panis est Corpus Christi The thinge that you see is Breade whiche thinge your eies doo testifie But touchinge that your Faith woulde be instructed of the Breade is Christes Bodie in suche sorte and sense as is saide before Samona Methonensis and Cabasilas are very younge to be alleged or allowed for Doctours As for Marcus Ephesius he seemeth wel to brooke his name For his talke renneth altogeather ad Ephesios For where as S. Basile in his Liturgie after the Woordes of Consecration calleth the Sacrament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saie a Token or a Signe of Christes Bodie this Doctour Marcus imagineth of him self that S. Basile speaketh thus of the Breade before it be Consecrate A very Childe woulde not so Childishely haue gheassed at his Authours meaninge Yet M. Hardinge herein seemeth not muche to misselike his iudgement Howe be it he knoweth that the Breade before Consecration is neither Sacrament nor Signe of Christes Bodie no more then any other common bakers Breade Otherwise it should be a Signe and signifie nothinge and a Sacramente before it were Consecrate and made a Sacramente Yet D. Steuen Gardiner seemeth to consider better and more aduisedly of the mater For he thinketh it likely that Basiles Liturgie was disordred and that sette bihinde that shoulde haue benne before that one ignorant Simple Scribe corrupted al those bookes throughout the whole worlde M. Hardinge saithe S. Basile calleth the Breade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Signe or Token before it be Perfitely Consecrate As if there were two sortes of Consecration the one Perfite the other Unperfite And yet he knoweth it is commonly holden in the Schooles that the very beginning and ende of Consecration is wrought not by degrées but in an Instant Thus Consecration is no Consecration No Sacrament is a Sacrament That is a Signe is no Signe that is no Signe is a Signe Bookes be corrupted and disordred That commeth after that shoulde goe before and that is before that shoulde come after And yet al these shiâ—tes wil scarsely serue to healpe out a Common Erroure M. Hardinge The .7 Diuision Sithe for this poynte of our Religion we haue so good auctoritie 181 and beinge assured of the infallible faithe of the Churche declared by the testimonies of these woorthie Fathers of diuers ages and quarters of the worlde wee may wel say with the same Churche against M. Iuel that in this Sacrament after Consecration there remaineth nothinge of that whiche was before but onely the accidentes and shewes without the substance of Breade and wine The B. of Sarisburie The certaintie of this Article resteth onely vpon the most vncertaine grounde of Transubstantiation The Determination whereof for so muche as it is not muche more then thrée hundred yéeres olde nor necessarily geathered of the force of Goddes Woorde as Duns him selfe confesseth nor euer anywhere receiued sauinge onely in the Churche of Rome therefore is neither so Infallible as M. Hardinge maketh it nor so Ancient nor so Catholique Time wil not suffer me to say so muche as might be saide to the contrary S. Paule acknowledgeth very Breade remaining stil in the Sacrament and that suche Breade as may be Diuided and Broken whiche woordes cannot without Blasphemie be spoken of the Bodie of Christe it selfe but onely of very Material Breade Christe likewise after Consecration acknowledgeth the remaininge of very Wine and that suche Wine as is pressed of the grape For thus he saithe I wil drinke no more of this Generation of the Vine Chrysostome saithe In similitudinem Corporis Sanguinis Christus nobis Panem Vinum secundum ordinem Melchisedech ostendit in Sacramento Christe shewed vs not Accidentes or Qualities but Breade and VVine in the Sacramente accordinge to the order of Melchisedech as a Likenesse or Figure of his Bodie and Bloud Againe he saith Christus quando hoc Mysterium tradidit Vinum tradidit Non bibam inquit ex hac Generatione Vitis quae certè Vinum producit non Aquam Christe when he deliuered this Mysterie deliuered not Shewes or Accidentes but VVine Christe saithe after Consecration I wil no more drinke of this Generation of the Vine Doubtlesse the Vine bringeth foorthe VVine and not Water Cyrillus saithe Christus credentibus Discipulis Fragmenta Panis dedit Christe gaue to his Faithful Disciples Fragmentes or Peeces of Breade I passe by S. Cyprian S. Augustine Gelasius Theodoretus and other Ancient and Holy Fathers accordinge vnto whose moste plaine Woordes and Authorities if there be Breade remaininge in the Sacrament then is there somewhat els bisides Accidentes What M. Harding may say that saith so much it is easy to see but that Shewes and Accidentes hange emptie without the Substance of Breade and Wine none of the Olde Fathers euer saide M. Hardinge The .8 Diuision And this is a matter to a Christian man not harde to beleeue For if it please God the almightie Creator in the condition and state of thinges thus to ordeine that substances created beare and susteine accidentes why may not he by his almightie power conserue and keepe also accidentes without Substance sithe that the very Heathen Philosophers repute it for an Absurditie to say Primam causam non posse id praestare solam quod possit cum secunda that is to say that the first cause whereby they vnderstande God cannot doo that alone whiche he can doo with the seconde cause whereby they meane a Creature The B. of Sarisburie Cicero saith A simple Poâ—te when he cannot tel howe to shifte his maters imagineth some God suddainely to come in place a litle to astonne the people and there an ende So M. Hardinge findinge him self muche encumbred with his Accidentes is faine to bringe in God with his whole Omnipotent Power to holde them vp Children in the Scholes are taught to knowe that an Accident hath no Beinge without a Subiecte Which rule beinge otherwise euermore true hath Exception as M. Hardinge saith onely in this Sacrament wherein be the Accidentes and Shewes of Breade and Wine and yet no Subiecte For they are not in the Breade bicause as he saith that is gonne nor in the Aier for that cannot be seene nor in Christes Bodie for that is not rounde c. So there is a white thinge yet nothinge is white And a rounde thinge yet nothinge is rounde Therefore for as muche as these Accidentes neither are hable to stande alone nor haue any subiecte there to reast in for that cause M. Harding saith they be susteined by the Power of God One saith Nec Deus intersit nisi dignus vindice nodus Inciderit Neuer bringe foorth any God in a Tragedie to plaie a parte onles it be vpon some occasion of greate mater meete for a God to take in hande S. Paule saith Deus portat omnia verbo virtutis suae God beareth al thinges by the Woorde of his power And
Christum persequuntur qui ab eo Christiani dicuntur Amici tui Deus proximi tui aduersus te appropinquauerunt stererunt Coniurasse videtur contrate vniuersitas populi Christiani a minimo vsque ad maximum A planta pedis vsque ad verticem non est sanitas vlla Egressa est iniquitas à senioribus Iudicibus Vicarijs tuis qui videntur regere populum tuum Arcem Sion occupauerunt apprehenderunt munitiones vniuersam deinceps liberè potestatiuè tradiderunt incendio Ciuitatem They are nowe become the persecutours of Christe that of his Name are called Christians O God thy frendes that are neâ—rest aboute thee approache neare and stande against the. The whole Vniuersal Bodie of Christian people seemeth to haue conspired against thee euen from the lowest vnto the highest Wickednes proceedeth forth from thy Vicares the elder Iudges that seeme to gouerne thy people Like heathens and Infidelles they haue inuaded thy Castel of Sion whiche is thy Holy Churche and haue taken al her holdes and freely and by authoritie haue throwen thy whole Cittie into the fier Againe he saith There remaineth nowe nothinge but that Antichrist the Man of sinne the Childe of perdition be reueled Seeinge therefore the Resolution of these Iudges is oftentimes vncertaine doubtful I wil not saie as S. Bernarde seemeth to saie vngodly and wicked we maie the more indifferently and the better saie nowe to M. Hardinge as S. Augustine sometimes saide to the Heretique Maximinus Nec ego Nicenam Synodum tibi nec tu mihi Ariminensem debes tanquam praeiudicaâ—urus obijcere Nec ego huius authoritate nec tu illius teneris Scripturarum authoritatibus noÌ„ quorumcunque proprijs sed quae vtriusque sint communes res cum re causa cum causa ratio cum ratione decertet Neither wil I prescribe against thee by the Councel of Nice nor mâ—ist thou prescribe against mee by the Councel of AriminuÌ„ Neither am I bounde to this Councel nor thou to that By the authoritie of the Scriptures whiche are neither thine nor mine but indifferent and common to vs both let vs compare mater with mater cause with cause and reason with reason Againe he saith in like sorte to the Heretique Cresconius Non debet se Ecclesia Christo praeponere c. Cum ille semper veraciter iudicet Ecclesiastici autem Iudices sicut homines plerunque fallantur The Churche saith S. Augustine maie not set her self aboue Christe c. For Christe euermore iudgeth truely but the Ecclesiastical Iudges as beinge menne are often dâ—ceiued Therefore wée appeale from the Churche to Christe From the partie to the Iudge From the Churche defourmed to the Churche Refourmed From a Churche particular to the Churche Catholique From the False to the True From the Newe to the Olde From a doubtful variable vncertaine vnaduised sentence to a Sentence most firme most stable most certaine most constante that shal stand for euer M. Hardinge The .8 Diuision Nowe if M. Iuel be not so precise in his iudgement of allowinge the firste sixe hundred yeeres after Christ as to condemne the Church that folowed in the next generation then we may allege vnto him the twelfthe Councel of Toledo in Spaine holden in the yeere of our Lorde 680. for proufe that many Masses were celebrated in one Churche in one day For the same appeareth plainely by this Decree of the Fathers there RelatuÌ„ nobis est quosdaÌ„ de Sacerdotibus non tot vicibus CoÌ„munionis Sanctae gratiaÌ„ sumere quot Sacrificia in vna die videntur offerre sed in vno die si plurima per se Deo offerant Sacrificia in omnibus se Oblationibus à Communione suspendunt in sola tantùm extrema Sacrificij Oblatione Communionis Sanctae gratiam sumunt Quasi non sit â—oâ—ies illis veâ—o singulari Sacrificio participandum quoties Corporis Sanguinis Domini nostri Iesu Christi in molatio facta constiterit Nam ecce Apostolus dicit Nonne qui edunt Hostias participes sunt Altaris Certum est quòd hi qui Sacrificantes non edunt 〈◊〉 sunt Dominici Sacramenti Quicunque ergo Sacerdotum demceps Diuino Altaâ—io Sacrificium Oblaturus accesserit se à Communione suspenderit ab ipsa qua se indecenter priuauit graâ—â—a Con munionis anno 〈◊〉 repuâ—â—um â—e nouerit Nam quale erit illud Sacrificium cui nec ipse Sacrificans particeps esse cognoscitur Ergo modis omnibus â—st tâ—nendum vt quoâ—â—escunque Sacrificans Corpus Sanguinem Domini nostri Iesu Christi in Altario iâ—molat toâ—â—s perceptionis Corporis Sanguinis Christi se participem praebeat It is shewed vnto vs that there be certaine Priestes who doo not receiue the grace of the Holy Communion so many times howe many Sacrifices they seeme to offer in one daye But if they offer vp to God many Sacrifices by them selues in one daye in al those Oblations they suspende them selues from the Coâ—â—â—nion and receiue the grace of the Holy Communion onely at the last Oblation of the Sacrifice as though they ought not so oftentimes to be partakers of that true and singular Sacrifice as the Sacrifice of the Bodie and Bloude of our Lorde Iesus Christ hath beene doone For beholde the Apostle saithe Be not they whiche eate Sacrifices partakers of the Aultar It is certaine that they who dooinge Sacrifice doo not eate be giltie of our Lordes Sacrament VVherefore what Priest so â—uer hereafter shal come vnto the Holy Aultar to offer Sacrifice and suspende him selfe from the Communion be it knowen vnto him that he is repelled and thrust awaye from the grace of the Communion wherof he hath vnseemely bereued him selfe wherby is meanâ—e that he standeth excommunicate for the space of one yeere For what a Sacrifice shal that be whereof neither he him selfe that Sacrificeth is knowen to be partaker wherefore by al meanes this is to be kepte that howe oftentimes so euer the Priest dooth Sacrifice the Bodie and Bloude of Iesus Christe our Lorde on the Aultar so oftentimes he receiue and make him selfe partaker of the Body and Bloude of Christe Here by the woorde Sacrifice and offeringe of the Sacrifice the Fathers vnderstande the daiely Sacrifice of the Churche 〈…〉 For though the woorde Missa be of great antiquitie and many times founde in the â—athers yet they vse more commonly the woorde Sacrifice Neither can the enemies of this Sacrifice expouâ—de this Canon of the inwarde Sacrifices of a mannes harte but of that Sacrifice whiche the Priest coâ—meth to the Holye Aultar to offer of the Sacrifice of the Bodie and Bloude of Christe our Lorde offered on the Aultar for so be their woordes where he receiueth the Grace of the Holy Communion whiche is the participation of the Bodie and Bloude of our Lorde Thus muche graunted as by any reasonable vnderstandinge it cannot be drawen nor by racking can
of Christe both Iewes and Gentiles For that cause S. Paule saith I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christe for it is the Power of God vnto Saluation And God forebidde that I should reioice in any thinge but onely in the Crosse of Iesus Christe And I recken mee selfe to know nothinge but onely Iesus Christe and the same Christ Crucified vpon the Crosse. Thus S. Paule triumphed of that thing that in the world was so deepely despised As if he would haue saide This is that infirmitie that hath conquered the worlde This is that vilanie and reproche that hath lead captiuitie away captiue that hath spoiled the Principalities Powers of Darkenes Thus as Theodorete recordeth the ChristiaÌ„s euerywhere in their common resortes and in the open market places published and Proclaimed the Uictorie and Triumphe of the Crosse Whiche as Chrysostome saithe they were not ashamed to set as a posâ—e to any thinge that they did and to any thinge that they possessed Likewise God that the worlde might the more deepely thinke of the Death of Christe wrought oftentimes strange Miracles by the same as he did by Paules Naptkins by Elizeus boanes and by Peters shadowe Then the first Christened Emperour Constantinus séeinge that thinge became so glorious that before had béen so sclaunderous to increase the estimation thereof commaunded streitely by a Law that from thence foorth no offender should suffer vpon a Crosse. These thinges had in remembraunce wée graunt al that M. Hardinge hath here alleged The Uision of Ezechiel the markinge of the mens foreheades with the Hebrewe letter TAV The sight of a Crosse offered vnto Constantinus in the aire The staininge of Crosses in the Souldiers Coates in the time of the Renegate Emperour Iulian The printinge or burninge of the Crosses in the apparel of the Iewes at Hierusalem The findinge of the holy Hieroglyphical letter bearinge the forme of the Crosse in the Temple of Serapis in Egypte And to conclude we graunt that the people being newly brought to the knowlege of the Gospel after they had pulled downe the Scutchins of the Idolle Serapis other like Monumentes of Idolatrie in the place thereof streight way set vp the Crosse of Christe in token of Conquest in their entries in their Walles in their Windowes in their Postes in their Pillers briefely in their Flagges BaÌ„ners Armes Scutchins Targets and Coines Al these thinges I say we yelde vnto M. Hardinge without exception Euen so Christian Princes this day vse the same Crosse in their Armes Banners bothe in peace in warre of diuers formes and sundrie colours as in token they fight vnder the banner of Christe Labarum emonge the olde Romaines was the Emperial standarde of Armes ritchely wrought in Golde beset with stoane carried onely before the General of the fielde therefore reuerenced of the souldiers aboue al other Sozomenus as a Gréeke writer therefore not hable to gheasse rightly of the Latine tongue séemeth to cal it Laborum For thus he writeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The one of the standerdes whiche the Romaines cal Laborum Onles there be an errour in the Gréeke Notwithstandinge it may be thought The Emperour Seuerus had some respect vnto the same when he gaue this Watchewoorde vnto his Souldiers Laboremus Let vs labour Likewise S. Gregorie writeth Christum belli socium habuisti cuius Labarum insigne gestasti ipsaÌ„ dico viuificatricem Crucem This standarde the Christian Emperour Constantinus so blased with the Crosse as others before him had donne with Minotaurus or with Aquila And notwithstandinge Eusebius saie Constantinus vsed this Crosse as a preseruation of his safetie yet doubtelesse his affiance was onely in Christe and not in the Material Crosse. For Nicepâ—orus saithe Constantinus caused these woordes to be grauen in the Crosse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iesus Christus vincit Iesus Christe conquereth and not the Crosse. Otherwise S. Ambrose writeth thus Helena the Empresse by whose meanes the Crosse was founde out Inuenit Titulum Regem Adorauit non Lignum vtique Quia hic Gentilis est error Vanitas impiorum Shee founde out the Title but she Woorshipped Christe the Kinge and not the Woodde For that is an heathenishe errour and the vanitie of the wicked Laste of al where as M. Hardinge saithe The professours of this Newe Gospel cannot abide the Signe of our Lordes Crosse let him vnderstande it is not the Crosse of Christe nor the Signe thereof that we finde faulte with al but the Superstitious Abuse of the Crosse. God be thanked it hath wel appeared vnto the worlde that they whome M. Hardinge thus condemneth haue béene hable net onely to abide the Signe of Christes Crosse but also to take vp their Crosses and to folowe Christe and to reioice and triumphe in the same Neither is there any such great mater yet shewed wherefore these men should glorie of the Antiquitie of their Cause For notwithstandinge al this longe discourse and greate adoo Yet is it not hitherto any waie prooued either that this Crosse was an Image or that it was set vp in any Churche or that it was Adoured of the people Certainely the Letter that Ezechiel sawe in a Uâ—sion the Crosse that Constantinus sawe in the aire the markes that were either stained with water or burnte with fiere in the labourets garmentes the secrete Mystical letters in the Temple of Serapis the Cognisances of the Crosse painted or grauen in Flagges Banners Targettes and Coines were onely barres laide a Crosse and no Images Againe the same Crosses were abroade in other places in the Aire in the Fielde in the Labourers Coates in priuate houses and in mens purses and not set vp in any Temple as it is plaine by that is already spoken To be short it appeareth not by any of these allegations that any man was theÌ„ taught to knéele doune vnto these Crosses or to saie Aue Crux spes vnica Alhaile ô Crosse our onely â—oape or to yelde them any godly honour Whiche thinge M. Hardinge not hauing prooued notwithstandinge his longe discourse of woordes hath prooued nothinge And where as he would force Prudentius to saie the Crosse was then carried aboute in Procession vpon a pole as the maÌ„ner is now in the Church of Rome he openly misuseth that godly Father and dooth him wronge For it is plaine that Prudentius in yâ— place speaketh not one woorde neither of Churche nor of Priest nor of Clerke nor of any goeinge in Procession Onely he speaketh of the Souldiers marchinge in the fielde and folowinge the Crosse as their Standarde So Eusebius writeth of the Emperour Constantinus He commaunded the Signe of the Crosse to be carried before al his Armies And the nexte verse that foloweth in Prudentius is this Hoc signo inuictus transmissis Alpibus vltor c. Where he describeth the dangerous warre