they be that searche the knowledge of one Truethe not onely in the Latine tongue as M. Hardinge saith but gentium Linguis that is In the Natural and Vulgare Tongues of this countrie Doubtlesse it were very muche to say that the mere Englishe man or Scotte or Picte or Britton that vnderstoode no Latine was hable neuerthelesse to Reade and search the Scriptures in the Latine Tongue But to leaue coniectures Beda saithe expressely and in moste plaine woordes that one Cedman an Englishe Poete Translated the Creation of the worlde and the whole storie of the Genesis the Exodus and sundrie other stories of the Bible into Englishe Rime Likewise as it is saide before kinge Adelstane aboute niene hundred yéeres past caused the whole Bible to be Translated into Englishe And Sir Iohn Treuisa saith that Beda him self turned S. Iohns Gospel into English And againe he saith the Kinge Aluredus caused the Psalter to be turned into English And vntil this day there be diuers suche Translations yet remaininge to be seene whiche for many causes beare good proufe of greate Antiquitie Therefore that this Iland hath continued thirtéene hundred yéeres without hauinge the Scriptures in Englishe it can beare no manner appearance or shew of Trueth But beinge admitted and graunted for true If prescription of wante maye make good proufe then maye wee saye This Ilande stoode and continued foure thousande whole yéeres not onely without the Englishe Bible but also without any knowledge of Christe or God Likewise wée may truely say The Gospel and the Truethe of God stoode and continued in this Iland for the space of many hundred yeeres without either the Supremacie of Rome or Transubstantiation or Priuate Masses or any other like fantasies True it is our Fathers of late yeeres haue beene leadde in ignorance haue beene violently forced from the Scriptures But the examples and wantes of our Fathers are not alwaies sufficient Rules of Faith The Heretique Eutyches saide Sic a progenitoribus meis accipiens credidi In hac Fide genitus sum consecratus Deo in ea opto mori This Faithe haue I receiued from mine Ancesters In this Faithe I was borne and Baptized and in the same I desire to die And yet the same Faithe was an Errour and no Faithe So saide the Arian Heretique Auxentius Quemadmodum ab infantia edoctus sum ita credidi credo As I haue beene taught from my Childehoode so I haue beleeued and so I beleeue stil. So likewise the Idolatrous Iewes saide vnto the Prophet Hieremie Sic fecimus nos Patres nostri Reges nostri Principes nostri Et saturati sumus panibus bene nobis erat Thus haue wee doone and our Fathers before vs and our Kinges and our Princes And we had stoare and plentie of al things and a mery worlde and did ful wel But God saith vnto them In statutis patrum vestrorum nolite ambulare c. Ego Dominus Deus vester Walke not in the statutes of your Fathers I am the Lorde your God How be it wee sitte not in Iudgement to condemne our Fathers God onely is their Iudge S. Paule saithe Solidum Dei fundamentum stat habens hoc signaculum Nouit Dominus qui sint sui This fundation standeth sounde hauinge this seale The Lorde knoweth who be his owne God was hable to preserue the Bushe in the middest of the Flame and Daniel in the Caue in the middest of the Lions and the three Children in the middest of the Fornace of Flaminge Fier and his people of Israel in the middest of the Red Sea Euen so was he hable to preserue his owne in the middest of that deadly time of darkenesse S. Cyprian saithe Ignosci potuit simpliciter erranti Post inspirationem verò Reuelationem factam qui in eo quod errauerat perseuerat sine venia ignorantiae peccat Praesumptione enim atque obstinatione superatur He that erreth of simplicitie as our Fathers did may be pardoned But after that God hath once inspired the harte and reueled his trueth who so continueth stil in his errour offendeth without pardon of ignorance For he is ouer borne by presumption and wilfulnesse Upon these woordes of Beda M. Hardinge Concludeth thus The Latine tongue for the studie of the Scriptures was common to al the Nations of this Realme Ergo The Scriptures were not translated into Englishe A very Childe may soone see the simplicitie and the weakenesse of this reason For euen now notwithstandinge the whole Bible be Translated into the Englishe tongue extante in euery Churche and common to al the people yet the Latine tongue is neuerthelesse Common to al the Nations of this Lande for the readinge of Olde Commentaries and the Aâ—cient Doctours and so for the meditation and studie of the Scriptures Now let vs weigh M. Hardinges Considerations in this behalfe First if there had any faultes escaped in the Englishe Translation as he vntruely saithe there haue many he woulde not thus haue past them vncontrolled He lackte neither eloquence nor good wil to speake but onely good mater to speake of Secondly the Scriptures Translated into English haue béene deliuered vnto the people by suche Bishoppes and other Spiritual guides as in déede haue had a care for their soules and haue geuen their liues and Bloud for their sheepe But the Bishops of M. Hardinges side can onely espie faultes in Translations but they can amende none They haue burnte a greate number of Bibles but they haue hitherto Translated none Christes Woordes are rightly verified of them Neither doo yee enter your selues nor wil you suffer others that woulde entre For the highest Principle of their Religion is this Ignorance is the Mother of True Religion To limite and to diet the people what they may reade and what they ought to leaue was sometime the Superstitious discretion of the Rabbines Herein wee may saye as S. Hilarie saithe Archangeli nesciunt Angeli non audiuerunt Propheta non fensit Filius ipse non edidit The Archangels know it not the Angels haue not hearde it the Prophete hath not fealte it the Sonne of God him selfe hath reueled to vs no suche thinge Certainely now the Uele being drawen aside and our faces being open to beholde the Glorie of God S. Paule saithe Omnis Scriptura diuinitùs inspirata vtilis est c. Not onely one parte of the Scriptures but Al and euery parte thereof is profitable c. And againe Quae cunque Scripta sunt ad Nostram Doctrinam Scripta sunt Al thinges that are written are written for our instruction And therefore Irenaeus saith as it is before alleged Ex omni Scriptura Diuina manducate Eate you of euery parte of the Holy Scripture Humilitie and good life whereof M. Hardinge woulde séeme to make some great accoumpte is sooner learned of Knowledge then of
the feare of God with faithe and charitie But al was invaine 42 For none came so colde was their deuotion in that behalfe Nowe if Chrysostome had cause to complaine of the peoples slackenesse in comminge to the Communion in that greate and populous Citie of Antioche where the Scriptures were daily expounded and 43 preached where discipline and good order was more straitely exacted where in so greate number some of likelihoode were of more deuotion then others what is to be thought of many little townes and villages through the worlde where little preachinge was hearde where discipline slaked where the number of the faithfuls beinge smal and they occupied altogeather in worldly affaires fewe gaue good example of deuotion to others Doubtlesse in suche places was muche lesse resorte of the people at the Masse time to receiue the Sacrament with their priestes And where as least this place might seeme plainely to auouche the hauinge of Masse without a number Communicatinge with the Bishop or Priest for auoidinge of this authoritie the Gospellers answeare by way of coniecture that in Chrysostomes time the Priestes and Deacons Communicated togeather dayly with the partie that offred the Sacrifice though none of the people did we tel them that this poore shifte wil not serue their purpose For though they say some sufficient nuâ—ber euer Communicated with him that celebrated the Daily Sacrifice in that greate and famous Churche of Antioche where many Priestes and Deacons were whiche neither beinge denied they shal neuer be hable to proue What may be saide or thought of many thousande other lesser Churches through the world where the Priest that saide Masse had not in readinesse a sufficient number of other Priestes and Deacons to receiue with him so to make vp a Communion Of suche Churches it must be saide that either the Sacrifice ceased and that was not doone which 44 Christe commaunded to be doone in his remembrance whiche is not to be graunted or that the memorie of our Lordes death was oftentimes celebrated of the Priestes in the daily oblation without tarieinge for others to Communicate with them and so had these Churches Priuate Masses as the Churches now a daies haue Now to conclude of this moste euident place of Chrysostome euery childe is hable to make an inuincible argument against M. Iuel for the Priuate Masse as they cal it in this sorte By reporte of Chrysostome the Sacrifice in his time was daily offred that is to say the Masse was celebrated but many times no body came to Communicate Sacramentally with the Priestes 45 as it is before proued Ergo There were Masses donne without other receiuinge the Sacrament with the Priestes And then further Ergo Priuate Masses in Chrysostomes daies were not straunge and then yet one steppe further there to staye Ergo M. Iuel accordinge to his owne promise and offer must yeelde subscribe and recant vnto a gheasse The B. of Sarisburie Now is M. Hardinge come as he saith to the windinge vp of his Clew meaninge thereby as may be thought that the substance of al that he hath alleged hitherto hangeth onely by a twined threade This Coniecture is taken out of certaine woordes of Chrysostome and the whole force thereof standeth onely vpon this woorde Nemo which is in English No body Chrysostomes woordes be these Wee doo daily offer the Sacrifice or as M. Harding deliteth rather to say wee doo daily say Masse and there is No Body to Communicate Ergo saith he Chrysostome receiued alone And so haue wée without question a plaine Priuate Masse Here woulde I first know whether M. Harding wil rest vpon the bare woordes of Chrysostome or rather qualifie them somewhat and take his meaninge If he presse the woordes so precisely as he séemeth to doo then did not Chrysostome him selfe Communicate For he was Some Body and the plaine woordes be No Body doth Communicate By which woordes doubtlesse Chrysostome him selfe is excluded as wel as others And so there was no Sole receiuinge nor any receiuinge at al and therefore no Prinate Masse If he wil rather take Chrysostomes meaning it apppeareth his purpose was to rebuke the negligence of the people for that of so populous a Citie they came to the holy Communion in so smal companies which companies he in a vehemencie of speache by an eâ—aggeration in respecte of the whole calleth No body The like manner of speache is vsed also sometimes in the Scriptures S. Iohn saithe of Christe Testimonium eius nemo accipit Not for that no body at al receiued his witnesse For his Disciples and many others receiued it but for that of a greate multitude very fewe receiued it In like phrase Chrysostome him selfe saith otherwhere Nemo diuina sapit nemo coÌ„temnit ea quae in terra sunt nemo attendit ad CoeluÌ„ No body sauoureth godly thinges No body despiseth the thinges of this worlde No body hath regarde to Heauen In these woordes M. Hardinge must néedes confesse that Chrysostome in stéede of fewe by heate of speache and by way of comparison saide No body And al be it this onely answeare compared with the manner of Chrysostomes eloquence whiche commonly is hoate and feruent and with the common practise of the Churche then may suffice a man more desirous of trueth then of contention yet I haue good hope it may be prooued notwithstandinge M. Hardinges Nemo that Chrysostome neither was alone nor could be alone at the holy Ministration therefore coulde say no Priuate Masse For if the whole companie of the Laye People woulde haue forsaken him yet had he companie sufficient of the Priestes and Deacons and others of the Quiere And if the whole Quiere woulde haue forsaken him yet had he companie sufficient of the Lay People as it may be clearely proued That there was then a greate number to serue in the Mynistery it may diuersely wel appeare Ignatius calleth Presbyterium The sacred College The Councel and companie of the Bishop Chrysostome him selfe in his Liturgie saithe thus The Deacons bringe the disshes with the holy Breade vnto the holy Aultare the reast carie the holy Cuppes By whiche woordes appeareth bothe a number of the Ministerie and also prouision for them that woulde receiue Cornelius writeth that in the Churche of Rome there were fourtie and sixe Priestes seuen Deacons seuen Subdeacons fourtie and twoo Accolutes Exorcistes Readers and other Officers of the Churche fiftie and twoo Wydowes other afflicted people that there were reléeued a thousande fiue hundred Nazianzene complaineth of the number of the Clergie in his time that they séemed to be moe then the rest of the people And therefore Themperour Iustinian afterwarde thought it néedeful to abridge the number to make a law that in the greate Churche at Constantinople where Chrysostome was Bishop there should not be aboue the number of threescore Priestes one hundred Deacons fourtie wemen foure score and tenne
cause emonge the wise nor hindreth ours If wée be no members of the Churche that wishe al the people euery where to vnderstande what they Praie to ioyne their hartes togeather and to be lifted vp vnto God what then be they that wishe al the Churche to be drowned in ignorance and the people to know nothinge If S. Paule were now aliue he woulde answeare him as sometime he answeared Elymas For certainely he him selfe knoweth That he wilfully peruerteth the manifest way of the Lorde M. Hardinge The .15 Diuision That Emperour had dominion ouer some Nations that vnderstoode not the Greeke commonly Yet no man can tel of any Constitution that euer he made for Seruice there to be had in their Vulgare and Barbarous tongue So many Nations hauinge beene conuerted to the Faith the common people whereof vnderstoode neither Greeke nor Latine if the hauinge of the Seruice in their Vulgare tongue had beene thought necessary to their Saluation The Fathers that stickte not to bestow their Bloud for their Flockes woulde not haue spared that smal paine and trauaile to put their Seruice in Vulgare tongues If it had beene necessary it had been doone if it had beene doone it had beene mentioned by one or other It appearâ—th by Arnobius vpon the Psalmes by Epiphanius writinge against Heresies and by S. Augustine in his Bookes De Doctrina Christiana that by accompte of the antiquitie there were 72. tongues in the worlde Cicero saithe that they be in number infinitie Of them al 78. neither M. Iuel nor any one of his side is able to shew that the Publike Seruice of the Churche in any Nation was euer for the space of sixe hundred yeeres after Christe in any other then in Greeke and Latine The B. of Sarisburie Arnobius S. Augustine and Epiphanius saye there be thréescore and twelue sundrie Languages in the worlde Cicero saith they be infinite Here must I note by the way that Ciceroes woordes wel alleged doo vtterly confounde M. Hardinges Doctrine of hearing that thinge that the hearers vnderstande not in suche sorte as he mainteineth the hearinge of Masse For thus he saithe In his linguis quas non intelligimus quae sunt innumerabiles surdi profectò sumus In those tongues that wee vnderstande not which be innumerable certainely wee be deafe By which woordes M. Hardinge might perceiue that the simple people hearing him at his Masse is starke deafe and heareth nothinge Yet saithe M. Hardinge is not M. Iuel hable to shew that euer the Publique Seruice was in any other tongue then in Greeke or Latin And thus beinge required by mée to shew any one example that the people had their Common Seruice in a strange tongue and as it appeareth not hable to shew any he altereth cunningly the whole case and willeth mée to shew Which thinge notwithstandinge I might iustely refuse to doo by the order of any Schooles yet am I wel contente to yéelde to his request bothe for the goodnesse and pregnancie of the cause and also specially good Christian Reader for the better contentation of thy minde not doubtinge but of thée selfe thou wilte be hable to finde some distrust and wante in M. Hardinges side who notwithstandinge so many woordes and so greate vauntes yet is hable to shew nothinge And to auoide multitude of woordes the case beinge plaine Eckius saithe The Indians had their Seruice in the Indian tongue Durandus saithe The Iewes that were Christened had their Seruice in the Hebrew tongue Yet was neither of these tongues either Greeke or Latine Nicolaus Lyra and Thomas of Aquine saye The Common Seruice in the Primitiue Churche was in the Common Vulgare tongue By these few it may appeare it was but a brauerie that M. Hardinge saide Neither M. Iuel nor any one of that side is hable to shew that the Publique Seruice was in any other tongue then in Greeke or Latine For it is easy to be shewed euen by the Doctours of his owne side But what if Doctour Hardinge him selfe haue in plaine woordes confessed the same Although he haue wantonly denied Christe yet I trow he wil not denie him selfe Consider good Reader his owne woordes hereafter folowing in this selfe same Article But S. Paule say they requireth that the people geue assent and conforme them selfe vnto the Priest by ansvvearinge Amen to his praier made in the congregation Herevnto M. Hardinge answeareth thus Verily in the Primitiue Churche this vvas necessary vvhen the faith vvas a learninge and therefore the praiers vvere made then in a coÌ„mon toÌ„gue knovveÌ„ to the people What can there be more plainely spoken Here M. Hardinge not onely confesseth that the Common Praiers were pronounced in a Common tongue knowen to the people but also further saith the same at that time was necessary and auoucheth it with his warrant Verily Now quite contrary as a man that had vtterly forgotten him selfe he saith The Common Seruice was neuer saide but either in the Gréeke tongue or in the Latine and therein he offreth stoutely to stande against M. Iuel and al others of this side Whiche thing is easy for him to doo séeing he dareth to stande so stoutely against him selfe Uerily his sayeinges cannot stande bothe togeather If he be true in the one in the other he must néedes be false Yet good Christian Reader for thy better satisfaction it may please thee to know that in the Primitiue Churche the Common Seruice was not ministred by one man alone but by the Priest and whole Congregation altogeather as may appeare by the general consent of the olde Fathers Clemens Alexandrinus saith In orationibus veluti vnam vocem habent Communem vnam mentem In the Common praiers they haue al as it were one voice and one minde S. Chrysostome saith Not onely the Priest geueth thankes to God but also al the people And what doost thou maruel to see the Priest and people in the Praiers talke togeather And here to leaue S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Basile Nazianzenus Dionysius Ariopagita with many other like Fathers Isidorus describinge the order of the Churche in his time writeth thus Oporâ—es vt quando psallitur ab omnibus psallatur Et cùm oratur vt ab omnibus oretur cumque Lectio legitur facto silentio aequé audiatur à cunctis When they Singe they must Singe altogeather when they praie they must Praie altogeather and when the Lesson is readde silence beinge commaunded they must here altogeather It were very muche for M. Hardinge to say Al these thinges were doone in a learned tongue and that the Vulgare people in euery Countrie vnderstoode either the Greeke or the Latine Yet for that nothinge séemeth harde for him to say let vs sée what the olde Fathers wil reporte in that behalfe I haue already shewed by Theodoretus Sozomenus and S. Hierome that the Seruice was in the Syrian tongue Olde Father Origens woordes in my iudgement
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
man were fast asleape he coulde neuer fal into so deepe a Dreame In these Fantasies he séemeth wel to agrée with the Olde Heretiques Eutyches and Manichee For euen suche a Bodie they imagined that Christe receiued of the Blissed Uirgin and yet were they Heretiques notwithstandinge For whiche of al the Olde learned Fathers euer taught vs this strange Doctrine Who euer durst to spoile Christe of his Place of his Quantitie and of the natural Proportions of his Bodie If the Doctours of the Churche say thus why are they not alleged If they say not thus why is this mater caried away with such countenance of Antiquitie Or why doothe M. Hardinge thus auouche this vnsensible vnsauerie learninge onely vpon his owne credite without the Authoritie of any Doctour The Manichees in olde times the better to mainteine their errour to auoide absurdities were driuen to say there were twoo Gods The one Good the other I◠Euen so M. Hardinge to mainteine his errours to auoide infinite absurdities is driuen to say There are twoo Christes The one Local the other not Local The one aboue the other beneathe The one with proportion of Bodie the other without proportion How be it he seemeth to publishe this principle vnawares against him selfe For if Christes Bodie in the Sacrament be not Local as he saithe then is it no Natural or Real Bodie This rule S. Augustine taketh to be infallible His woordes be these Tolle loca Corporibus nusquam erunt qui nusquam erunt nec erunt Take away the places from the Bodies and the Bodies shal be no where and bicause they shal be nowhere they shal haue no beeinge and so shal be no Bodies at al. And he speaketh not thus onely of other natural Bodies but specially and namely of the Bodie of Christe Certainely the more spiritual a thinge is the more it is voide from the circumstance and necessitie of place Wherefore when M. Hardinge saith The Bodie of Christe is in Heauen as in a place and in the Sacrament without place he séemeth secretely to say that Christes Bodie in the Sacrament is more Glorious more Spiritual and Diuine then is the very Bodie of Christe in déede that is in Heauen in the Glorie of God the Father Whiche conclusion how wel it may stande either with the reast of his owne Doctrine or with the trueth of our Christian Religion I leaue it in consideration to the Reader But what néedeth this new diuised difference of Christes Bodie Local and Christes Bodie not Local Or what forceth these men to say that onely the bare Substance of Christes Bodie is in the Sacrament without length breadthe or any other respecte of Quantitie Wil M. Hardinge now at the last forsake the Reuerent Simplicitie of his beleefe and leane to Reason Or wil he in Goddes secrete Mysteries geue credite to his eies and harken to the course of Nature Uerily God as he is hable by his Omnipotente Power to make Christes Bodie present without Place Quantitie so is he likewise hable to make y◠same Bodie present in Place and with Quantitie and al other natural Dimensions If M. Hardinge wil say naye Duns him selfe his owne Doctour wil reprooue him His woordes be plaine Idem Corpus localiter dimensiuè potest esse in diuersis locis Et Deus potest quodcunque Corpus vniuersi conuertere in Corpus Christi sicut Panem facere Corpus Christi vbique esse non solùm Sacramentaliter sed etiam Localiter Dimensionaliter One Bodie bothe Locally and with the natural Dimensions of a Bodie may be in sundrie places And God is hable to turne any Bodie in the worlde into the Bodie of Christe as wel as Breade and to cause Christes Bodie to be euerywhere not onely by way of Sacrament but also by way of place and Dimensions Whiche saieinge séemeth also to be wel liked and allowed of Durandus Therefore M. Hardinge should not thus nicely shrinke backe and so dissemble in darke speaches but should rather boldely and plainely say Christes Bodie is in the Sacrament not onely Substantially but also Locally and by way of place as hauing as good warrante for the one as for the other For it is a Catholique mans parte to be bolde of Goddes Omnipotent Power and what so euer God being Omnipotent is hable to doo to beléeue it is already doone without any regarde had to his wil or promise If he thinke it lawful for him without cause to denie this manner of Christes Presence let him not be offended if wée vpon good and iust cause denie the other Uerily Alexander de Hales a greate Doctour of that side reckeneth M. Hardinge to be in a greate errour in this behalfe This is his Resolution Quidam ponebant Corpus Christi esse sub Sacramento non secundum quantitatem c. Sed haec positio est erronea Some healde that Christes Bodie is vnder the Sacrament not accordinge vnto Quantitie But this Opinion is erroneus Thus muche I thought good onely to touche not so muche for any greate credite of the Authour but that it may appeare That notwithstandinge al these men woulde so fayne haue Christe Really and Fleashly Present yet they reprooue one an other of errour and ignorance and cannot agree emonge them selues in what sort they may haue him Present How be it the Ancient Fathers of the Churche haue written farre otherwise in this behalfe For like as Athanasius saithe Aequalis patri secundum Diuinitatem Minor patre secundum Humanitatem Christe accordinge to his Diuine Nature is equal vnto the Father and accordinge to his Manheade is inferiour vnto the Father Euen so saithe Gregorie Nazianzene Christe accordinge to his Bodie is within the limitation of place accordinge to his Spirite and Godhead he is without the limites of any place But that any one of al the Olde Fathers euer saide Christes Bodie is sometime in one place and sometime in many sometime limited and sometime not limited I thinke it not easy for M. Hardinge wel to prooue As for the difference that he hath diuised of Uisible and Unuisible Local and not Local whiche is bothe Trenche and Bulwerke to mainteine this péece it is a very toye onely meete to beguile Children as neither hauinge fundation in the Scriptures or holy Fathers nor effectually seruinge to prooue his purpose For we reason not of Respectes and Qualities but as S. Augustine S. Cyril and other Catholique Doctours doo of the very Nature and Substance of Christes Bodie Neither can M. Hardinge wel mainteine That what so euer is Inuisible is therefore of Nature Infinite or may be at one time in a thousande places As touchinge Christes Beinge in a Mysterie as it requireth no Local Presence accordinge to M. Hardinges owne Confession so likewise it requireth no Natural or Real Bodie as hereafter God willinge it shal be shewed more at large M. Hardinge The .2 Diuision And howe the
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
remember either borne or doone to deathe for vs or sittinge in his throne And whiles we reduce the Sonne of God to our memorie by the picture no lesse then by writinge it bringeth either gladnesse to our minde by reason of his Resurrection or comforte by reason of his Passion Thus farre S. Gregorie And if men praye kneelinge before any Image or triumphant signe of the Holy Crosse they woorship not the VVoodde or Stoane Figured but they honour the highest God And whom they can not beholde with senses they reuerence and woorship his Image representinge him accordinge to auncient insâ—itution not restinge or staiynge them selues in the Image but transferring the adoration and woorship to him that is represented Muche might be alleged out of the Fathers concerninge the woorshippinge of Images but this may suffise And of al this one sense redoundeth that what Reuerence Honour or VVoorship so euer is applied to Images it is but for Remembrance Loue and honour of the primitiues or Originalles As when we kisse the Gospel booke by that token we honour not the Parchement Paper and Incke wherein it is written but the Gospel it selfe And as Iacob when he kissed his Sonne Iosephes coate embrewed with Kiddes bloude holdinge and imbrasinge it in his armes and makinge heauie moane ouer it the affection of his loue and sorow rested not in the Coate but was directed to Ioseph him selfe whose inforâ—unate Deathe as he thought that blouddy coate represented So Christen men shewinge tokens of reuerence loue and honour before the Image of Christe of an Apostle or Martyr with their inwarde recognition and deuotion of their hartes they staie not their thoughtes in the very Images but deferre the whole to Christe to the Apostle and to the Martyr geuinge to eche one in dewe proportion â–ª that whiche is to be geuen puttinge difference betweene the Almighty Creatour and the Creatures finally rendringe al Honour and Glorie to God alone who is maruelous in his Sainctes Suche woorshippinge of Images is neither to be accompted for wicked nor to be dispised 203 for the whiche we haue the testimonies of the auncient Fathers bothe Greekes and Latines vnto whiche further auctoritie is added by certaine general Councelles that haue condemned the breakers and impugners of the same The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge hath made a very large entrie to so smal a house The whole question standeth onely in this one pointe of Adoration whiche is here very lightly past ouer in fewe woordes Al the rest is vsed onely as a floorishe to beginne the gaâ—â—e Neither doothe he any wise directly answeare that was demaunded that is whether Images in olde times were set vp to be woorshipped but onely sheweth his owne fantasie in what sorte they may be woorshipped Wherein notwithstandinge he séemeth not to agrée thorowly neither with the rest of his companie nor with him selfe His final Resolution is this The Adoration that is made in this sorte is not Principally directed to the Image The sense of whiche Woordes is this The corruptible creature of VVood or Stoane may be woorshipped although not Principally or chiefely as God him selfe whiche is thereby represented And thus he taketh an indifferent way bitwéene bothe as if he would saie An Image may be Woorshipped and yet it may not be woorshipped Againe It may not be woorshipped and yet it may be woorshipped And for Confirmation hereof he allegeth certaine Autorities forged vnder the names of S. Basile and Athanasius Notwithstandinge he know right wel that neither of these twoo Fathers euer either vttered suche woordes or had cause to mooue suche mater Onely they are alleged in that childishe Councel of Nice the Seconde â—monge a greate number of other like lies and Fables Good Christian Reader if thou be learned consider and weigh that Councel And thou shalt say I haue reported muche lesse then thou hast founde And the same Athanasius as he is here brought in to prooue the Adoration of Images so els where in the same Councel he is forced to say that Christe dwelleth in Reliques and Deade mens Boanes As for Gregorie notwithstanding he speake expressely of Images yet he speaketh not one Woorde of the Adoration of Images In Conclusion M. Hardinge beinge not hable to allege no not so muche as one Ancient Father for the woorshippinge of Images these manifest forgeries onely excepted yet he blusheth not to say in a brauerie that he mighte allege a greate number moe By suche faces and viâ—inge of emptie stoare the simple people is ofte deceiued But what néedeth M. Hardinge either to holde by these counterfeite and forged déedes or elsby these fonde diuises of Principal and not Principal Adoration thus to simper and to season the mater bitwéene bothe Certainely the Bishoppes in his Seconde Councel of Nice thinke them selues hable to prooue bothe by Scripture and also by Ancient Autoritie that Images ought vndoubtedly to be honoured For as it is saide before they allege these Scriptures Woorship the footestoole of his feete Adoure him in his holy hille Al the ritche of the people shal woorship thy face Hereof they conclude thus Ergo Images must be woorshipped And therefore Theodosius the Bishop of Mira in the same Councel alloweth it wel and specially for that his Archedeacon was taught the same by reuelation in a Dreame Therefore one of them saithe Venerandas imagines adoro id perpetuâ— docebo I Adoure the reuerent Images and wil maineteine the same while I liue An other saithe Historias Imaginum honoro palam Adoro I woorship the stories of Images and Adoure them openly An other saithe Imagines perfectè adoro I geue perfite Adorâ—tion vnto Images An other saithe Eos qui diueâ—sum statuunt auerâ—or anathemaâ—izo Al suche as holde the contrary I vtterly forsake and holde them accursed Briefely the whole Councel there determineth thus Eos qui circa Adoraâ—ionem Imaginum laborant aut dubitant nostra Synodus anathematizat Al suche as stagger or stande in doubte of the Adoration of Images are accursed by this Councel They saye Wee knowe that Images are Creatures Corruptible and therefore wee neither vse them nor take them as Goddes And thus they thinke them selues very wise menne that can knowe that Birdes and Children be hable to knowe Euen so the Heathens were wonte to say of their Idolles Cicero confesseth Ioâ—em lapidem non esse Deum That Iuppiter is a stoane and no God Lactantius hereof writeth thus Non â—psa inquit Adoramus sed eos ad quorum Imagines facta quorum nominibus Consecrata sunt The Infidel wil say euen as M. Hardinge here saith VVe woorship not our Images but our Goddes vnto whose likenesse the Images are made and in whose names they are Consecrate The like â—ereof we may finde in S. Augustine in Athanasius in Sozomenus and in others And this excuse was then as now thought sufficient But S. Augustine
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
quod impetrauit The Lawe is this that who so hath made a false suggestion shal lose what so euer he haue gotten by the same O M. Hardinge Credite without trueth is no credite Your woorke is ouer weake It hath no fundation It cannot stande Chrysostome telleth you Sutche is the Nature of Errour It vadeth of it selfe and wil comme to grounde without resistance Remember the place ye sometime stoode in Remember from whence ye are fallen Remember the causes of your fal It is no shame to rise againe God is able to restoare yow The wise man saith There is confusion that bringeth grace and glorie God hath endewed yow largely with greate giftes Turne the same to the obedience of the Faith of Christe As there is wisedome in séekinge the Victorie so there is wisedome in geuinge place Folowe the same Counsel ye geue others Denie your owne learninge denie your owne estimation denie your selfe Geue the glorie vnto God FINIS THE TABLE A. ABdias pagina 8. Accidentes are broken and geue a cracke 454. Accidentes corrupted 621. Accidentes are Christes Body it selfe 459. Accidentes by M. Hardinges doctrine are the Sacramente 634. 637. Accidentes perfourme the Sacramente 427. Holy outwarde Accidentes 455. 464. Adoration 379. Christe very God 379. VVee Adore Baptisme the woorde of God c. 379. 408. 409. Adoration of Oile Crosse Gibbeâ— VVater our Ladies Girdle 398. Adoration of the Sacramente lately inuented 381. 410. Origens woordes O Lorde I am not woorthy expounded 399. Adoration implieth no Real presence 402. 404. VVee Adoure Christe sittinge in Heauen 403. VVho so eateth Christes Fleashe adoureth the same 404. Dangers in Adoration 410. 411. Noman ought precisely to adoure the SacrameÌ„t but vvith a condition 41â— VVee ought to honour Christe as he woulde be honoured 417. 418. Amphilochius A vaine Fable 82. The true Amphilochius 85. Angelleâ— presente at the mysteries and at our Praiers 586. Aphricae spake Latine 181. 182. 183. The Apostles and other holy Bys hoppes and Fathers vvere maried 573. Asia the lesse 160. 161. Athanas. countrefeite 233. 502. Augustine of Englande 185. Aultars in the middest of the people 195. Aultares of timber 195. One onely Aultar in the Churche 196. 488. B. Bacchus and Ceres vvere thoughte to be honoured of the Christians 406. Barbarous tongue 155. Latine tongue Barbarous 155. VVe be Incorporate into Christe in Baptisme 392. Christes Bodie is a Creature 350. Christes Bodie equal in nature with our Bodies 350. Christes Bodie a meane bitvveene God and man after M. Hardinges fantasie 348. 350. Christes Bodie entred the doores being shutte 351 â–ª No Bodie vvithout place 351. Christes Bodie in one place 152. 361. 362. 371. Christes Bodie not in the Earthe 357. Christes Bodie present by Faith by Baptisme 358. Christes Bodie in the Sacramente in vvhat sense 359. 360. 458. 471. Christes Bodie presente in a Mysterie 37â— Christes Bodie receiued spiritually 36. Christes Bodie not eateÌ„ Fleashly with the mouth 404. Christes Bodie by M. Hardinges doctrine entreth not into our Bodies 627. The Sacram â–ª not properly the Bodie of Christ. 369 Secundum Literam 369. 370. Errours touchinge Christes Bodie 349. Christes Bodie not equal to the Godhead 350. 363. Christes Bodie vvithout any dimension or proportion of partes 620. 639. Christes Bodie vvithout place 362. Christes Bodie vvithout quantitie 350. Christes Bodie crucified in a thousand places 362. Christes Bodie spiritually presente spiritually seenâ— spiritually touched 365. 366. Christe borne in his ovvne handes expouÌ„ded 368. Christes Bodie not in many places 348. No miracle in the Sacrament 349. 355. Abel Esay Iohn Baptiste helde Christe in their handes 355. Christes Bodie ful here and ful there 360. Christes Bodie not superiour to the vvoorde of God 45. 613. Christes Bodie is not in the holy vessels 45. 401. The vnreuerence Opinions and speeches of M. Hard. side touchinge the Bodie of Christe 625. Breade remaineth in the Sacrament 44. 382. 40â— The fourme and quantitie of the Commuâ—ion Breade 443. C. Canopie 413. Canopie reprooued by Linvvoode 416. The stealinge avvaie of God 418. Catholique that folovveth the Faith of Peter 244. Chrysostomes Liturgie or Communion â—â— Reformation of the Churche 106 144. 150. 204. The Churche the expounder of Goddes vvil 121. Churche reformed vvithout Councelles 206. The Corruption of the Churche 414. 494. The Churche inferiour vnto Christe 490. The Churche not to be beleeued vvithout Scriptures 537. Clemens 7. Concomitantia 396. Confession 16. Consecration 18. 19. 21. Consecration vnder silence 545. Vse breedeth contempte 551. The Mysteries kepte secrete from Infidelles 553. Doubtes touchinge Consecration 411. A Holy Cosse 153. Constantines Donation 2â—8 Constancie 387. Contention breedeth impudencie 461. Communion ministred vnto al the people 11. 12. 15. 42. 65. Communion one onely in a daie 16. Communion not dayly ministred but onely vpoÌ„ certaine daies 24. 62. 63. 91. 136. Communion so called of Communicatinge togeather 27. 37. Communion after Supper 31. CoÌ„munion of the people at Rome euery daie 51. Communion better then the Masse by M. Hardinges owne Confession 60. Proufes and considerations for the holy Communion 83. 123. 135. 149. The Halfe CommunioÌ„ prooued by vveemen children Sickfolkes Infantes and Madde men 96. The vvhole Communion graunted by the CouÌ„cel of Basile and the Councel of Trident. 97. In the Commu greate difference bitweene the Prieste and the people 97. VVhole Christe in either parte 98. Proufes for the halfe Communion 99. Drinke ye al of this expounded 102. 120. Proufes for the whole Communion 103. 149. The vvoordes of S. Iohn perteine not to the Sacrament directly 104. The Prieste drinketh for the people 105. The whole com is Christes institution 103. 106. The halfe Communion a thinge indifferent 108. The Rusâ—ians consecrate in Metheglen 113. The Cuppe is of Christes institution 118. 120. Infantes receiued bothe kindes 139. 141. The halfe Communion came firste from Heretiques 147. The vvhole CoÌ„munion continued a longe vvhile 150. Goddes VVoorde taketh no authoritie of any Councel 108. Councel of Constance 121. 124. Councel of Constance concluded againste nature against the Scriptures and against the Faithe 143. The Churche reformed vvithout General Councel 206. Custome 49. 97. 143. Custome the best expounder of the Lavve 120. D. Decretalle Epistles 67. 68. 22â— Deacons allovved to coÌ„secrate the Mysteries 130. Dionysius 10. A Disiunctiue for a Copulatiue 127. Dissension of Godly menne 39. 536. Dissension of M. Hard. side 317. 395. The Diuision or breakinge of the Sacram. 440. The Diuision of the SacrameÌ„te condemneth Priuate Masse 440. 444. The Mystical Significations thereof 442. The Diuision or breakinge of Accidentes 453. 454. Dooues of Siluer and Gold 41â— E. The Godheade cannot be eaâ—â—n 392. Eleuation 373. Diuers contrary meaninges of Eleuation 374. Sancta Sanctis 376. Eleuation condemneth priuate Masse 378. â— Paule came into Englande 167. England not subiecte to the B. of Rome 167. The Faith first preached in Englande 190. The CommoÌ„ praiers of the Churche of Englande agreeable to the Olde
pleased him to say that he him selfe and his fellowes so cal it he had done right But here is brought in a whole troupe of doctours in a ranke Mâ—lchisedech Malachias Clemens the Apostles fellowe the Deacons of Asia Abdias the Apostles Disciple and Bishop of Babylon that saw Christe in the fleash S. Andrew S. Iames Martialis Dionysius who had conference with Peter Paule Iohn Irenaeus Iustinus Martyr Hippolytus Martyr Basile Chrysostome Cyril of Ierusalem al the reste of the Doctours in al ages in al partes of the worlde And who would not be affraide to sée suche an armie come against him How be it gentle reader be of good cheare Al this is but a camisado These be but visardes they be no faces They are brought in like Mummers for a shewe say nothing That M. Harding lacked in weight he would néedes make vp in tale and so vseth this onely as a floorishe before the fight as a streame blâ—wen vp with winde and weather carieth with it much frothe filth by the very rage drifte of the water euen so M. Hardinge in this place flowinge wanderinge ouer the bankes with Copia verborum by the violence force of his talke carieth a great deale of errour vntruthe alonge before him Notwithstandinge thus hath he geuen thée good Christian reader as he saith a taste of his proâ—fes without allegation of any woordes for confirmation of thy faithe concerninge the Masse Miserable is that faithe that in so weightie maters can be confirmed with bare names by hearinge nothinge I maruel that M. Harding euer durst either to allege such authorities as he knoweth the most hereof be or thus openly to mocke the worlde For briefly to touche Melchisedech Malachias the institution of Christ what weight can there appeare in these reasons Melchisedech brought foorth breade and wine to banket Abraham and his armie beyng wearie of the chase Or Malachias Prophesied that al the nations of the worlde should be turned vnto God should offer vnto him a pure Sacrifice Or Christe ordeined his last Supper amongst his Disciples badde them doo the same in his remembraunce ergo there was priuate Masse in the Churche Who euer made any such argumentes in any schoole what wil M. Harding make folke beleue that Melchisedech Malachias or Christe said priuate Masse Or doth he thincke that these reasons must be taken bicause he speaketh the woorde But he wil saie and Malachias signified the Sacrifice of the newe testament We denie it not But did they signifie a Sacrifice done by one man alone in a strange language the people lookinge on him and no man knowynge what he meaneth Why may we not thinke rather they signified the Sacrifice of the holy Communion whereas the whole people dooth lifte vp their handes and hartes vnto heauen and pray and sacrifice togeather reioisinge in the crosse of Christ and so celebratinge the lordes death vntil he comme for the Sacrifice that is prophesied by Malachie as it is expounded by Tertullian S. Hierome and other holy Fathers is the Sacrifice of prayer contrite harte as hereafter in the seuentienth article it shal further appeare Touching the witnesses here alleged first I maruel that M. Hardinge would euer bringe them foorthe but muche more that he woulde thus sette them out with such circumstances of commendation as that they saw Christe in the fleshe or that they were the Apostles fellowes For he knoweth wel that many of them are litle woorthy of suche credite as partely beynge euer doubted of and suspected to be written not by them whose names they beare but by Heretiques to whom M. Hardinge séemeth nowe to flie for ayde partely also obscure vnknowen vnacquainted not readde not séene not harde of in the worlde before this tyme. But most of al I maruel that he would euer hasarde his cause on these witnesses who as he him selfe very wel knoweth wil speake against him And therefore he hath here cunningly suppressed their woordes and hath onely made a mustre of their names but woulde suffer them to say nothinge And that thou good reader maist haue a taste hereof and sée the faithfulnesse of these mennes dealinge let vs first consyder Clemens who as it is reported here was the Apostles fellowe The title of the booke séemeth to be De Apostolicis traditionibê° that is Of orders taken diuised by the Apostles of Christe for the better gouernment of the Churche A woorthy booke no doubte and in al ages to be had in great price if men had béen perswaded it had béen written in dede by Clement But S. Hierome by the reporte of Eusebius maketh mention onely of one epistle of Clementes that he thought woorthy to be receiued which epistle notwithstandyng is not nowe to be founde One other epistle of Clementes he speaketh of but he sayth it was neuer allowed by the Churche And further S. Hierome sayth Certaine other bookes there are reported to be abroade in the name of Clement as the disputation of Peter and Appion whiche bookes were neuer in vse amongst our fathers neither conteine they pure and Apostolical doctrine Thus muche S. Hierome Nowe whence then commeth M. Hardinges Clement It was founde very lately in the I le of Candie by one Carolus Capellius a Uenetian written in Gréeke and in these countreis neuer hearde of nor séene before Here the reader be he neuer so simple yet must he thinke thus muche with him selfe Clemens was Bishop of Rome as it is thought nexte after S. Peter And were the Bishop of Romes bookes and suche bookes so strange so holy and of such weight kept in Candie so farre of from Italie in an Ilande in the sea and not in Rome written in Gréeke not in Latine And coulde suche a woorthy woorke diuised by al the Apostles and set foorth by the Apostles fellowe be layde vp in secresie for the space of a thousande fiue hundred yéeres and more and no man misse it Thus muche the reader may soone consider with him selfe be he neuer so simple But what if this booke were neuer written by S. Clement what if it were written by no honest man what if it were written by an Heretique Uerely it was a common practise in olde times to sette wicked bookes abroade vnder the names and titles of the Apostles and other godly Fathers Leo sometime Bishop of Rome writeth thus Apocriphae Scripturae quae sub nominibus Apostolorum multarum habent seminarium falsitatum non solùm interdicendae sed etiam penitus auferendae atque ignibus tradendae sunt Secrete Scriptures whiche bearyng the names of thâ—apostles conteyne a â—â—rcerie and occasion of muche falsheade are not onely to be forbidden but also vtterly to be taken awaye and to be committed to the fyre By this we see that thapostles names were borowed sometimes to auoutche Heresies and wicked doctrine As touchyng
and thus shal Christes callinge be verie comfortable M. Hardinge The .6 Diuision Now this presupposed that the Masse standeth vpon good and sufficient groundes for the stay of al true Christen mens beliefe lette vs come to our special purpose and say somewhat of Priuate Masse as our aduersaries cal it The B. of Sarisburie The groundes he here speaketh of be his Doctours suche as he hath already brought foorthe laide vp in great secresie and hidden from al the worlde by the space of one thousande yeeres and more and nowe of late founde out by chaunce some in Ilandes in the Sea some in Arches vnder the grounde some so defaced with moulde and canker that it was harde to geasse their meaninge some ful of impudent lies and fables one parcel not agréeinge with another some diuised and written by heretikes and euer mistrusted and condemned of the Churche yet euery of these as M. Hardinge wel knoweth fully reportinge the holy Communion and manifestly testifieinge against Priuate Masse These be M. Hardinges greatest groundes Nowe iudge thou gentle reader what woorthy buildinge may stande vpon the same Doubtlesse this beginninge is verie simple M. Hardinge The .7 Diuision The chief cause why they storme so muche at priuate Masse is for that the Priest receiueth the Sacrament alone whiche thinge they expresse with great villanie of woordes Now in case the people might be stirred to suche deuotion as to dispose them selues woorthely to receiue their housel euery day with the Priest as they did in the Primitiue Churche when they looked hourely to be caught and done to deathe in he persecution of Paynimes that they departed not hence sine viatico without their viage prouision what should these menne haue to say In this case perhappes they would finde other defaultes in the Masse but against it in this respecte onely that it is priuate they should haue nothinge to say at al. So the right of their cause dependeth of the missedoinge of the people whiche if they would amende these folke should be driuen either to recante or to holde their peace To other defaultes of the Masse by them vntruely surmised answeare shal be made hereafter Now touchinge this VVhere no faulte is committed There no blame is to be imputed That oftentimes the Priest at Masse hath no comparteners to receiue the Sacrament with him it proceedeth of lacke of deuotion of the peoples parte not of enuie or malice of his parte The feast is common 13 al be inuited they may come that liste they shal be receiued that be disposed and proued None is thrust away that thus commeth it may be obtruded to none violently ne offred to none rashely wel none commeth This is not a sufficient cause why the faithful and godly Priest enflamed with the loue of God feelinge him selfe hungrie and thirstie after that heauenly foode and drinke should be kepte from it and imbarred from celebratinge the memorie of our Lordes death accordinge to his commaundement from his dutie of geuinge of thankes for that great benefite from takinge the cuppe of Saluation and callinge vpon the name of God for these thinges be done in the Masse The B. of Sarisburie God be thanked both our life and maner of teachinge notwithstanding these sclaunderous reportes is voide of villanie Or if there had ben any defecte in vs this man of his courtesie should not haue supplied it with an other villanie Here M. Hardinge graunteth that the people in the Primitiue Churche receiued the holy Communion euery day and so consequently vnawares he confesseth that in the Primitiue Churche was no Priuate Masse which as he sayth came in afterwarde by the negligence and vndeuotion of the people It is great pitie that so good a thinge as it is supposed should haue no better beginninge One special principle of these mennes doctrine is to embarre the people from readinge and vnderstandinge of the Scriptures and to suffer them to know nothinge for that as some of them haue saide they be Dogges and Swine and therefore should not precious stones be layde before them Yet now must their negligence be the rule of Christes Religion This is laide as the grounde and foundation of the whole cause and therefore it ought the better to be considered Eckius Pigghius Hosius and others haue often cried out amayne in their bookes and Pulpites where was your Religion before Lùther first beganne to Preache So may wée likewise say And where was your Priuate Masse whiche is the crowne of your kingedome before your people firste beganne to growe negligent and to wante deuotion Some haue saide the Church is gouerned by the Pope some by the general Councels some by the holy Ghost M. Hardinge saith better it is not amisse that the Churche be gouerned by the negligence and vndeuotion of the people Charitie say they is colde and the people is carelesse But therefore hath God appointed Pastours and Ministers to ouersée and control the people and not to suffer them to perishe in their negligence Were it a mater of tiethes or other paimentes the people should be called vpon and not suffered in any wise to be negligent neither should their negligence stande for excuse How much lesse should it be suffered when the case toucheth God The Bishoppes and Fathers in the seconde Councel holden at Bracara in Spayne decreed thus If any man resorte vnto the Church and heare the Scriptures and for negligence or wantonnesse withdraw him selfe from the Communion of the Sacrament and in the reuerende mysteries doo breake the rule of discipline wee decree that suche one be put out of the Catholike Church Vntil he haue done penance and shewed the fruites of his repentance that hauing obteined pardon he may be receiued againe to the holy Communion Thus the godly Fathers in olde time did not flatter and fauour the peoples negligence in this case as M. Harding and his felows doo but exhorted warned reprooued rebuked them called them malâ—pert and impudent that woulde be present and not receiue and excommunicated them for their negligence But these men contrarywise turne away their faces from their brethren and suppresse their voyce and wil not be hearde and speake nothyng but in an vnknowen tongue and finde no faulte with the people but rather make them beléeue that they receiue for them and applie Christes death vnto them by their Masse and that the verie hearyng thereof is sufficient for them and meritorious and thus as muche as in them lieth they increase the negligence of the people and discourage them from the holy Communion The people is tought nothyng they vnderstande nothyng they heare nothing and sauyng onely a few childish and vnséemely gestures they sée nothing neither comforte nor memorie of Christe nor benefite of his passion And this is the cause of their negligence therefore they stande thus backe and withdraw them selfe How be it what néedeth M. Harding thus to charge
founded by S. Iohn the Euangelist sheweth that when Bishoppes came from forreine partes to Rome the Bishops of that see vsed to sende to them if they had been of the Catholike faith the Sacrament to receiue whereby mutual Communion between them was declared Irenaeus his woordes be these Qui fuerunt ante te presbyteri etiaÌ„ cùm non ita obseruarent presbyteris Ecclesiarum cùm Roman accederent EucharistiaÌ„ mittebant The Priestes by whiche name in this place Bishops are vnderstanded that were afore thy time though they kepte not Easter as they of Asia did yet when the Bishoppes of the Churches there came to Rome did sende them the Sacrament 25 Thus those Bishops did Communicate togeather before their meeting in one place The B. of Sarisburie This storie is common and knowen to many The weast Churche in kéepinge of Easter day folowed S. Peter the East Churche folowed S. Iohn and keapte it otherwise Hereof grew contention and brake out into cruel heates Uictor the Bishop of Rome on the one side and Polycarpus the Bishop of Smyrna on the other side bothe godly men and both Martyrs Eche parte woulde haue the other to yelde Uictor being a man of a fierie nature was minded to Excommunicate the whole Churche of Asia and al others what so euer that in kéepinge of Easter day woulde not folow the Churche of Rome Irenaeus the Bishop of Lions hearing thereof wrote vnto him a sharpe letter out of Fraunce willinge him in anywise to procéede no further for that it might tende to suche a breache as would not afterwarde be recouered Emonge other woordes he saith thus as it is here alleged The Priestes that were in Rome before thee notwithstandinge they keopte not the Easter as they of Asia doo yet they sente the Sacrament vnto the Priestes of those Churches when they came to Rome Hereof M. Hardinge concludethe Ergo these Bishoppes did Communicate before they mette togeather and noteth also by the way in the Margine that the Gréeke in Eusebius differeth from the common Translation of Rufinus And yet is the same Translation alleged and vsed in the booke of Councels amonge the Decrees of Uictor But if M. Hardinge had marked the mater wel he should haue séene that his owne Translation in Englishe varieth also somwhat from the Gréeke In this shorte storie three thinges specially may be noted Fyrst that Irenaeus a Bishop of Fraunce durst to write so roughly to the Bishop of Rome with out any style of Superioritie onely calling him and al others before him Bishops of Rome by the name of Priestes Secondly that so notable learned men and Martyrs of Christe agreeing otherwise in the substance of Religion yet notwithstanding in certaine smal maters of no greate weight contended and striued so extremely and so longe and coulde in no wise be reconciled Whiche thinge well considered M. Harding hath lesse cause to triumphe if God haue suffered any suche sparkle of dissension in the special members of his Churche in these daies Thirdly where was then that great superioritie of the Bishop of Rome when notwithstanding his threates and commaundementes the Church of this Ilande of Britaine wel neare vntil seuen hundred yeres after Christe in the kéepinge of Easter day folowed the maner of the Gréeke Church without any regarde therein had to the Churche of Rome But to the mater these Bishoppes saithe M. Hardinge Communicated togeather before they mette If he meane in Faithe and Religion it is not denied if in the vse of the Sacramentes it is not proued In my iudgement this woorde Eucharistia in this place of Irenaeus signiâ—eth not the Sacrament alreadie consecrate but rather other common Breade wherewith one Bishop vsed then to present an other as with a special token of consent in Religion and Christian concorde whiche Breade the receiuer afterwarde if he thought it good might vse at the holy Ministration In that sense it séemeth Paulinus wrote vnto S. Augustine Panem vnum sanctitati tuae charitatis gratia misimus in quo etiaÌ„ Trinitatis soliditas continetur Hunc panem tu eulogiam esse facies dignatione sumendi In token of mutual loue I haue sente vnto thee one loafe of Breade in whiche also the soundenesse of the holy Trinitie is conteined This loafe you shal cause to be a louinge present of my behalfe vouche-sauinge to receiue it And in the next Epistle folowinge Quinque Panes misimus tibi pariter filio nostro Licentio Non enim potuimus in benedictione secernere quem cupimus eadem nobis gratia penitus annectere Fiue loaues haue I sent vnto thee and vnto my Sonne Licentius For I coulde not seuer him in blissing whom I desier throughly to ioigne with vs in grace Hereby it may appeare that this Breade was not the Sacramente and namely by that Paulinus writeth in an other place Panem vnum quem vnanimitatis indicio misimus charitaâ—i tuae rogamus vt accipiendo benedicas I pray you to take and blesse this one Loafe whiche I haue seâ—te vnto you in token of vnitie If it had béen already Consecrate he woulde not haue desired S. Augustine to haue blist it But Irenaeus vseth this woorde Eucharistia whiche is taken for the Sacrament I answeare it might so be called for that it was prepared for the Sacrament How be it herein I wil not striue Tertullian nameth it Hospitalitatis Contesseratio and séemeth to speake it of the Sacrament Whiche thinge beinge also graunted in this place of Irenaeus let vs now see M. Hardinges reasons The Bishop of Rome saithe he sent the Sacrament vnto them that came out of Asia Ergo there was Priuate Masse This Conclusion is farre fette and hangeth loosely For I might demaunde whiche then of the thrée saide Masse He that sente the Sacrament or he that receiued it or els the Messenger that brought it It were a straunge mater to sée a Masse and yet no man to say Masse Uerely Irenaeus hath not one woorde neither of the Communion nor of the Masse onelesse M. Hardinge wil say that Mittere is Latine to Communicate or Mittere Eucharistiam is Latine to say Masse If it were Common Breade then was it but a present If it were the Sacrament then was it to be receiued not streight vpon the way or perhappes late in the night or in the Inne at the common table emonge other meates but afterwarde at his pleasure in his Congregation Thus wée sée this place first is doubtful and beinge neuer so plaine yet it proueth nothinge for Priuate Masse But immediatly after foloweth a manifest mention in what order the Bishops vsed then to Communicate togeather whiche thinge M. Hardinge thought better to dissemble Cùm res ita haberent Communicabant inter se mutuò in Ecclesia Anicetus concessit Eucharistiam Polycarpo The maters between them thus standinge they Communicated togeather and Anicetus in the Churche
that the Christian people there receiue the Bodie of Christe euery daie It séemeth this custome grewe first from Peter and was planted in Rome A man may here wel demaunde when the custome was that the whole people should communicate dayly togeather where then was the custome of Priuate Masse Bisides this M. Hardinge to proue the custome of the peoples receiuinge at home hath alleged S. Hierome that earnestly reproueth that custome and would not haue them receiue at home S. Hieromes woordes be these Why dare they not goe to the temples builte in the remeÌ„brance of Martyrs Why goe they not to the Church What is there one Christe abroade and an other Christe at home If the people did wel why dothe S. Hierome thus reproue them If they did it why doothe M. Hardinge thus allowe them Here M. Hardinge interlaceth other mater of the office of wedlocke the woords of Persius the Pagane Poete and the superstitious Ceremonie of the Heathens as I take it litle perteininge vnto his Masse Where as the whole people receiued the holy Mysteries euery day the man and wife remembringe sometimes what they had done betwéene them selues and thinkinge them selues for the same not to be in so cleane state of life as the rest were for yâ— cause forbare the Churche for the time and hauinge the Sacrament sent vnto them receiued it Priuately at home Unto this superstition S. Hierome him selfe gaue greate occasion many times bothe writinge and speakinge vnséemely of the state of Mariage in defence whereof S. Augustine wrote a Booke againste Iouinian intitled De bono Coniugij and S. Hierome afterwarde was driuen to make his answeare by way of purgation vnto Pammachius for the same In this errour were diuers of the olde learned Fathers Tertullian saieth I allowe not Mariage for fornication and that stande bothe in one thinge Origen saithe No man can offer the continual Sacrifice that is to say the Sacrifice of Praier vnlesse he be a Virgin S. Hierome saithe It is good not to touche a woman Therefore it is il to touche a woman Upon occasion of whiche errour the people sometimes forbare the Churches where Martyrs were buried Wherein M. Hardinges translation swarueth muche from the Original For in stéede of Churches he hath translated Martyrs Shrines as though the bones of holy menne had then bene shrined and offeringes made vnto them as of late yéeres hath bene vsed True it is Almighty God for the testimonie of his Doctrine and Trueth hath oftentimes wrought great Miracles euen by the dead Carcasses of his Sainâ—â—es in witnesse that they had bene his Messengers and the Instrumentes of his wil. But as these were good inducementes at the firste to leade the people to the trueth so afterwarde they became snares to leade the same people into errour and that euen in the time of the olde Fathers aboue eleuen hundred yéeres agoe S. Augustine saithe I know many woorshippers of Craues and Images that drinke and quaffe disorderly ouer the deade and offer meate vnto their Carcasses and burie them selfe ouer the buried and make accompte that euen their very dronkennes and glottony is a Religion that pleaseth God Gelasius saithe It is reported that with procession they furnishe vp their Churches builte in the name of deade menne and the same for ought that I can learne while they were aliue not altogeather good faithful men S. Martin on a time came to a Chapel builte in the name of a holy Martyr But afterwarde he learned by reuelation that the same Martyr had bene sometime a common théefe for a robberie had bene put to death and by errour of the people was honoured for a Saincte Likewise S. Augustine saithe Some there be that carie aboute Martyrs bones to sale and yet it may wel be doubted whether euer they were Martyrs or no. Thus muche briefely and by the way of the Reliques and Miracles of Martyrs boanes for that M. Hardinge vpon so smal occasion séemeth to touche them in suche forte as if he woulde haue them shrined and set vp againe As for the Matrimonie of the Godly as S. Paule saithe it is cleane and honorable in al estates And therefore S. Chrysostome saithe Vse thy Mariage with sobrietie and thou shalt be the chiefe in the kingedome of Heauen And the same Chrysostome expoundinge these woordes of S. Paule Mariage is honorable writeth thus Here he toucheth the Iewes that recken the Mariage bedde to be vncleane and that a man risinge froÌ„ the same can not be in cleane life But o you moste vnkinde and most insensible Iewes The thinge is not filthie that God hath graunted of nature vnto man c. Touchinge Erasmus M. Hardinge hath alreadie refused his authoritie and turned him ouer to his owne defence Where he saithe euery man was wonte in olde times to receiue the Sacrament seuerally at home it would muche better haue sounded of M. Hardinges side if Erasmus had saide euery man was wonte then to say Masse seuerally at home And al be it in that shorte not vpon S. Hierome he séeme to vnderstande these woordes of S. Paule haue ye not houses to eate and drinke in of the priuate receiuinge of the Sacrament yet otherwhere writinge of purpose and good deliberation vpon the same he saithe S. Paule meante it onely of common meates and not of the Sacrament In his Paraphrase he expoundeth it thus Hie vnanimitatis Christianae mysterium agitur c. Here is practised the Mysterie of Christian vnitie and not prouision made for the belly For that ought ye to doo in your priuate houses and not in the publike Congregation If ye woulde fille your bellies haue ye not houses where ye may doo it by your selues alone And againe if any man be so greedie of meate that he can not tarie let him eate at home Thus saithe M. Hardinge Erasmus gathereth the Priuate Masse out of the Scriptures M. Hardinge is ouer quicke in his Conclusions He maketh him selfe sure of the Consequent before he sée the Antecedent For Erasmus hath not one woorde there neither of Priuate Masse nor of single Communion How then can he geate that of Erasmus that Erasmus him selfe hath not Neither is this any necessarie forme of reason Men receiued the Sacrament in their houses Ergo they receiued the Sacrament alone For they might receiue in their seueral houses with their wiues and families altogeather as it is alreadie proued by the example of Hippolytus Martyr And S. Hierome saieth The Sacrament was sent home to the man and wife Otherwise it might be saide God commaunded that euery man shoulde eate the Easter Lamme in his house Ergo God commaunded that euery man shoulde eate that Lamme alone How be it I make smal accoumpte of this mater as nothinge touchinge the Priuate Masse but onely shewe the féeblenesse of these Conclusions Yet saithe M. Hardinge bothe S. Hierome and S.
patrum and Iacobus de voragine and Vincentius in speculo who séeme to intitle this Booke by the name of Amphilochius haue furnished the same with many vnsauerie vaine tales yet was there none of them so impudent once to make any mention of this peeuishe fable of M. Hardinges Masse But for so muche as the glorious name of this holy Father is here brought in to beare witnesse to these maters and that in the night season in a dreame and a vision with the visible appearance of Christe and his Apostles and the greatest staie of M. Hardinges cause resteth hereupon and many are amased with the strangenesse hereof and many are ledde away as though it were mater of good trueth and specially for that the Booke is not commonly to be had and it woulde be chargeable to sende to Verona into Italie for a copie suffer me therefore good Christian Reader to geue thee some taste of the same that thou maiste be hable of thée selfe to iudge further and to see by what Doctours M. Hardinge proueth his Priuate Masse To passe ouer the idle talke and conferâ—nce with Diuels the Uisions the Dreames the Fables and other fantastical vanities whiche are the whole contentes and substance of this newe Booke Tertullian hath a good discreete saieing Furibus aliqua semper excidere solent in indicium The theefe euermore leaueth somwhat behinde him that he may be knowen by Let vs therfore compare M. Hardinges Amphilochius with Socrates Sozomenus Gregorie Nazianzene Gregorie Nyssene and other olde writers of approued credite that haue of purpose writen S. Basiles life Socrates and Sozomenus say that Basile in his youth was Libanius Scholar M. Hardinges Amphilochius saithe Basil was Libanius schoole fellowe Nazianzene and Gregorius Presbyter saye that Basile continuinge at Caesaria was wel acquainted with Eusebius the Bishop there before he wente into Pontus M. Hardinges Amphilochius saithe that at his returne from Pontus whiche was soone after Eusebius knewe him not neither had euer spoken with him or séene him before M. Hardinges Amphilochius saithe Basile was Bishop of Caesarea in the time of Themperour Iulianus wherevpon also are founded a greate many fonde fables Nazianzene his nearest frende saithe he was chosen Bishop there a longe while after in the time of Themperour Valens and was not Bishop there at al duringe the whole time of Iulianus M. Hardinges Amphilochius telleth a longe tale how that S. Mercurie being then deade and a Sainte in Heauen at the commaundement of our Ladie tooke his owne Speare out of his Chappel where it was keapte and wente out with the same into the fielde slewe Themperoure Iulian that the same Speare was founde bloudie afterwarde Nazianzene Socrates Theodoretus and Sozomenus say it coulde neuer be knowen by whome he was slaine M. Hardinges Amphilochius saithe Basile foretolde the death of Iulian Theodoretus saieth it was one Iulianus Sabba that foretolde it not S. Basile M. Hardinges Amphilochius saithe Themperour Valens yelded gaue place vnto Basile Sozomenus saithe Themperour continued stil his purpose and would not yéelde M. Hardinges Amphilochius saithe Nazianzenus was present at S. Basiles burial Nazianzene him selfe that ought to know it best saithe he came afterwarde and was not present Gregorius Presbyter saithe Nazianzene came a great while after that Basile was buried M. Hardinges Amphilochius is so impudent that he saieth Nazianzenus came in al haste and sawe the blissed bodie and fel vpon it when it was buried Whereby it séemeth that this Amphilochius was not very wise nor circumspecte in his talke For if Nazianzene sawe S. Basiles bodie how was it buried If it were buried how coulde he sée it Againe M. Hardinges Amphilochius saieth Gregorie Nazianzene ruled the Apostolique sée for the space of twelue yéeres By thapostolike sée he muste néedes meane either Rome or Constantinople If he meane Rome Nazianzene was neuer Bishop there If he meane ConstaÌ„tinople where in déede he was Bishop yet was that neuer called thapostolike sée and so what so euer he meante he made a lie Now iudge thou indifferently good Christian Reader whether Amphilochius the Bishop of Iconium S. Basiles special nearest frende writinge of him that he knew so wel coulde possibly so many waies be deceiued If M. Hardinge had knowen him better I thinke he woulde haue spared this authoritie How be it Vlpian saithe Etiam monstra poâ—tentosi partus prosunt Euen Monsters and il shapen children may goe for children To come to the mater M. Hardinges Amphilochius thus telleth on his tale Basile saithe he beinge once made Bishop besought God that he might offer vp the vnbloudie Sacrifice with his owne woordes he fel in a traunce came againe to him selfe and so ministred euery day On a certaine night Christe with his Apostles came downe to him from heauen brought breade with him awooke Basile and bade him vp and offer the Sacrifice Up he arose was streight at the Aultare said his praiers as he had writen them in his paper lifted vp the breade laide it downe againe brake it in thrée partes receiued one reserued an other to be buried with him honge vp the thirde in a golden Dooue And al this was donne Christe and his Apostles beinge stil present who came purposely from Heauen to healpe Basile to Masse We may now the better beleue Homer that Iuppiter with his Goddes wente downe sometime for his pleasure to banket in Ethiopia Or that an Angel euermore ministred the Sacrament vnto Marcus that holy Mounke Or that Angels came from heauen to consecrate Amphilochius Bishop of Iconium Or that the holy Ghost was sente from heauen to Remigius with a boxe of Holy Oyle Or that when holy Arnulphus began Matins at Midnight and saide Domine labia c. and al his Monkes were a sleape a number of Angels supplied the lacke and answeared him Et os meum annuntiabit Iaudem tuam But M. Harding layeth on more weight and forceth this fable to his purpose and al be it in the whole tale there is not once the name of Masse yet is he content to take paynes conningly to falsifie the texte and seuen times togeather to translate it onely by the name of Masse For with him offerre sacrificium is to say Masse likewise Ministrare Deo is to say Masse and ministerium ministrationis is the seruice of the Masse For as Midas what so euer he touched had power to turne the same into golde so M. Hardinge what so euer he toucheth hath a special power to turne the same into his Masse But let vs a litle vewe the Circumstances and weighe the likelihoodes of this mater Basile besought God that he might make the Sacrifice with his owne woordes And shal we thinke he had more fancie to his owne woordes then he had to the woordes of Christe He awooke stoode vp and suddainly was
setting foorth of the Councels nor alleged by Gratian but that the Deacon in the absence of the Priest might Consecrate the holy Mysteries and deliuer the same vnto the people as may wel be geathered by the woordes of Rufine But let vs graunt M. Hardinge that the Sacrament was reserued Yet hath he gotten very smal aduantage for his halfe Communion For if he woulde say thus The Sacrament was reserued Ergo it was reserued in one kinde the Sequele of his argument would be to weake No Logique coulde make it good I graunte the holy Mysteries were sometimes keapte in the primitiue Churche vpon sundrie occasions but they were keapte in Bothe kindes as manifestly appeareth by Nicephorus and by the first Epistle of complaint sent by Chrysostome vnto Innocentius This beinge true as it can not be denied that the Sacrament was reserued in bothe kindes what then hath M. Harding gotten by this inuincible argument for his halfe Communion in one kinde M. Hardinge The .19 Diuision VVhere oftentimes wee finde it recorded of the Fathers that Christian people in time of persecution receiued of the Priestes at Churche in fine linnen clothes the Sacrament in sundrie portions to beare with them and to receiue it secretely in the morning before other meate as their deuotion serued them for the same cause and in respect of other circumstances it must of necessitie be taken onely for the kinde or forme of Breade The places of Tertullian and S. Cyprian be knowen Tertullian writing to his wife exhorteth her not to marie againe specially to an Infidel if he die before her for that if she doo she shal not be hable at al times for her husbande to doo as a Christian woman ought to doo VVil not thy husbande knovve saith he vvhat thou eatest secretely before al other meate And in case he doo knovv it he vvil beleeue it to be Breade not him vvho it is called S. Cyprian writeth in his Sermon De Lapsis That when a woman had gonne about with vnwoorthy handes to open her Cofer where the holy thinge of our Lorde was layde vp she was made affraied with fier that rose vp from thence as she durst not touche it which doubtlesse must be taken for that one kinde of the Sacrament The B. of Sarisburie The mater that hangeth in question betwene vs is whether the people being assembled togeather in the Churche at any time within the space limited receiued the Communion vnder one kinde M. Harding answeareth me not of the order of the Churche but of seueral men and Priuate houses Thus he flieth that thinge that should be proued and the thinge that néedeth no proufe as nothinge pertinent vnto the mater he proueth onely to coniecture In the place of Tertullian he vseth a manifest corruption as I haue already shewed His coniectures be these Wemen receiued the Sacrament in a linen clothe Tertullians wife receiued it at home before meates S Cyprian saith A woman keapte it at home in a Cheaste Ergo The Sacrament was ministred in one Kinde These be colde gheasses no prouâ—es To say They had the Breade Ergo They had not the wine is a very fainte reason and hangeth onely of ignorance for that M. Hardinge knoweth not in what order these thinges were keapte But that women and others keapte the Sacrament carried it about them and that in Bothe Kindes it is euident and cannot be denied Gregorie Nazianzene thus writeth of his sister Gorgonia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If her hande had layde vp any portion of the tokens of the pretious Body and of the Bloude minglinge it with her teares c. Here Nazianzene contrary to M. Hardinges iudgement saith she had laide vp bothe partes And what should I stande longe to heape examples M. Hardinges owne Amphilochius of whome he séemeth to make so greate accompte emonge other his fables whereof he hath good stoare saith That a certaine Iewe came and receiued emonge the Faithful and priuily carried parte of either Kinde home with him How or wherein it is not written Yet wil it not followe M. Hardinge cannot tel wherein the Iewe carried home the wine therefore Amphilochius tale is not true Now if M. Harding had his owne request yet is he farre of from his purpose For if he woulde reason thus One woman receiued the halfe Sacrament in one Kinde at home Ergo The People receiued in like sorte openly in the Churche Which is the thing that should be prooued this argument would hardely holde To be shorte these thrée examples here alleged are nothing els but méere abuses of the Sacrament And therefore as it appeareth by S. Cyprian God shewed him selfe by miracle to be offended with it frayeing the woman that so had keapte it with a â—lame of fier And it was decréed in the CouÌ„cel holden at Câ—saraugusta in Spaine That if any man receiued the Sacrament and eate not the same presently in the Churche he should be accursed for euer Thus M. Hardinges reasons holde onely by gheasse grounded vpon abuse and beinge graunted yet are not hable to proue his purpose M. Hardinge The .20 Diuision The examples of keepinge the holy Sacrament vnder the forme of Breade onely to be in a redinesse for the sicke and for others in time of daunger that they might haue their necessarie vitaile of life or viage prouision with them at their departure hence be in manner infinite Here one or twoo may serue in steede of a number For though M. Iuel maketh his vaunte that wee haue not one sentence or clause for proufe of these articles whiche he so defaceth with his negatiue yet I wil not accumulate this treatise with tedious allegation of authorities S. Ambrose at the houre of death receiued the Communion vnder one Kinde keapte for that purpose as it appeareth by this testimonie of Paulinus who wrote his life And bicause it may be a good instruction to others to die wel I wil here recite his woordes At the same time as he departed from vs to our Lorde from about the eleuenth hovver of the day vntil the houre that he gaue vp the ghost streatchinge abroade his handes in manner of a Crosse he praied VVee savve his lippes mooue but voice vvee hearde none Horatus a Priest of the Churche of Vercels beinge gonne vp to bedde hearde a voice three times of one calling him and sayeing to him arise and haste thee for he vvil departe hence by and by VVho goinge downe gaue to the Saincte our Lordes Body whiche taken and swallowed downe he gaue vp the ghost hauinge with him a good viage prouision so as the soule beinge the better refresshed by the vertue of that meate may now reioyse with the companie of Angels whose life he lead in the earthe and with the felowship of Elias The B. of Sarisburie It is no vaunte to say the truthe Neither did I denie that euer any one man receiued
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
of the people Gelasius of the Priestes He complaineth that the reste of Gelasius is not to be founde as though it were suppreste by some of vs and yet it is thought the Pope hath it whole in his Librarie He diuiseth newe causes of vnitie of the Mysterie suche as Gelasius neuer knewe He concludeth at the laste that this breache of Christes Institution and Ministration vnder One Kinde that is nowe vniuersally vsed in the Churche of Rome was firste brought in and practised by the Manichees whiche were in olde time wicked and horrible Heretiques He saithe I haue guilefully alleged Gelasius and to the intent it mighte the sooner appeare he hath noted it specially in the Margin But if M. Hardinge himselfe had meante no guile he woulde haue shewed plainely wherein I haue béene guileful or what I might haue gotten by this guile or what aduantage I mighte haue loste by plainer dealinge For guile without cause is meere â—olie and no guile But I recited the woordes in Latine and had forgotten to Englishe them Nowe surely that is but a simple guile and might wel haue béene spared out of the Margin But my woordes be these Gelasius saithe that to Minister the Sacrament in one Kinde is open Sacrilege And what guile canne he finde herein This woorde Sacrilege and the refusinge of the Cuppe are bothe specially named by Gelasius There remaine onely these woordes To minister the Sacrament and there saithe M. Hardinge lieth the guile How be it therein as it shal wel appeare I say nothinge but that Gelasius saithe and M. Hardinge him selfe woulde haue him say For thus saithe Gelasius The diuision of the Mysterie whereby he meaneth the Sacrament is Sacrilege But the Priest that Ministreth in One Kinde diuideth the Mysterie Ergo the Priest that Ministreth in One Kinde committeth Sacrilege This argument is perfite and formal founded vpon Gelasius woordes I trowe this is no guileful dealinge The vnitie of the Mysterie that M. Hardinge hath here fantasied that either parte is in other and therefore harpeth so often as it were by reportes vpon these woordes Vnum idem is but his owne voluntarie He is not hable to allege either Gelasius or any other olde Father that euer expounded Vnum and Idem in that sorte He calleth it one Mysterie as Hugo Cardinalâ—s saith although otherwise a very grosse writer Propter vnitatem Institutionis For the vnitie of the Institution and for that the Breade and Wine beinge sundrie portions haue bothe relation vnto one Christe and for that cause by S. Hieromes iudgement S. Paule saithe vna fides vnum Baptisma one Faithe one Baptisme And for that also that beinge as I saide two sundrie portions yet they make not two sundrie Sacramentes but one onely Sacrament And therefore Durandus a late writer seemeth to say wel In multis locis communicatur cum Pane Vino id est cum toto Sacramento In many places they Communicate with Breade and Wine that is saith he with the whole Sacrament Of whiche woordes the Reader be he neuer so simple may easely geather that the Communion in One Kinde is but the Halfe Sacrament and so the diuision of one Mysterie and so further the selfe same thinge that Gelasius calleth Sacrilege M. Hardinge The .30 Diuision But for auoidinge that our aduersaries woulde hereof conclude it is to be vnderstanded that this Canon speaketh against the Heretiques named Manichaei who in the time of Leo the first abouâ—â— fourtie yeeres before Gelasius wente aboute to spreade their Heresie in Rome and in the partes of Italy Their Heretical opinion was that Christe tooke not our fleashe and Bloude but that he had a phantastical bodie and died not ne rose againe truely and in deede but by way of phantasie And therefore at the Communion they absteined from the Cuppe and the better to cloke their Heresie came to receiue the Sacrament in the forme of Breade with other Catholike people Against whome Leo saithe thus Abdicant enim se Sacramento salutis nostrae c. They driue them selues away from the Sacrament of our Saluation And as they denie that Christe our Lorde was borne in trueth of our fleashe so they beleue not that he died and rose againe truly And for this cause they condemne the day of our Saluation and gladnes that is the Sonneday to be their sadde fastinge day And where as to cloke their infidelitie they dare to be at our mysteries they temper them selues so in the Communion of the Sacramentes as in the meane time they may the more safely keepe them priuie VVith vnwoorthie mouthe they receiue Christes Bodie but to drinke the Bloude of our Redemption vtterly they wil none of it VVhiche thinge we woulde aduertise your holines of that bothe such men may be manifested by these tokens vnto you and also that they whose Diuilishe simulation and faininge is founde beinge brought to light and bewraied of the felowship of Saintes may be thrust out of the Churche by Priestly authoritie Thus farre be Leo his woordes Gelasius that succeded fourtie yeeres after Leo imployed no lesse diligence then he did vtterly to vanquishe and abolishe that horrible Heresie Of whome Platina writeth that he banished so many Manichees as were founde at Rome and there openly burned their bookes And bicause this heresie should none els where take roote and springe he wrote an Epistle to Maioricus and Ioannes two Bishoppes amongst other thinges warninge them of the same Out of whiche Epistle this fragment onely is taken whereby he dothe bothe briefely shew what the Manichees did for clokinge of their infidelitie as Leo saithe and also in as muche as their opinion was that Christes Bodie had not very Bloude as beinge phantastical onely and therefore superstitiously absteined from the Cuppe of that holy Bloude geueth charge and commaundement that either forsakinge their Heresie they receiue the whole Sacramentes to witte vnder Bothe Kindes or that they be keapte from them wholy Here the woordes of Leo afore mentioned and this Canon of Gelasius conferred together specially the storie of that time knowen it may soone appeare to any man of iudgement against whome this fragment of Gelasius was written Verely not against the Church for ministringe the Communion vnder one Kinde but against the detestable Manichees who goeinge aboute to diuide the Mysterie of the Bodie and Bloud of Christe denieynge him to haue taken very fleashe and Bloude so much as in them laye loosed Christ whereof S. Iohn speaketh and woulde haue made frustrate the whole woorke of our Redemption The B. of Sarisburie To auoide the inconuenience growinge of this authoritie M. Hardinge is driuen to auoide the companie of Pigghius Hosius Tapper D. Cole and al others his fellowes of that side and to say that Gelasius wrote this decrée againste the Manichées notwithstandinge al they say he wrote it againste certaine superstitious Priestes D. Cole referreth him selfe vnto
prooued soundely and substantially without surmise or gheasse then it behooueth me to yéelde But good Reader marke them wel bothe and consider the proufes For if he faile in either of these he prooueth nothinge as I hoape it wil appeare M. Hardinge The .8 Diuision Nowe how wel I am hable to prooue this I referre it to your owne consideration The lesse Asiâ— beinge a principal parte of the Greeke Churche had then the Seruice in the Greeke tongue But the people of sundrie Regions and Countries of the lesse Asia then vnderstoode not the Greeke tongue Ergo the people of sundrie Regions and Countries had then their Seruice in an vnknowen tongue The firste proposition or Maior is confessed as manifest no learned man wil denie it and if any woulde it may easely be proued The seconde proposition or Minor may thus be proued Strabo who trauailed ouer al the Countries of Asia for perfite knowlege of the same nere aboute the time of S. Paules peregrination there who also was borne in the same in his 14. Booke of Geographie writeth that where as within that Cherronesus that is the streight betweene sea and sea there were sixteene Nations by reporte of Ephorus 70 of them al onely three were Greekes al the reste Barbarous Likewise Plinius in the sixth Booke Naturalis historiae Ca. 2. declareth that 71 within the circuite of that Lande were three Creeke Nations onely Dores Iones Aâ—oles and that the reste were Barbarous Amongest whome the people of Lycaonia was one who in S. Paules time spake before Paule and Barnabas in the Lycaonical tongue The Scripture it selfe reporteth a diuersitie of language there and there about as it appeareth by the seconde Chapter of the Actes VVhere the Iewes geathered togeather in Hierusalem for keepinge of the feaste of Pentecoste wonderinge at thApostles for their speakinge with so many sundrie tongues amonges other prouinces different in language they reckeÌ„ Pontus and Asia Cappadocia Phrygia and Pamphylia VVhiche twoo prouinces are of al attributed vnto the lesse Asia VVhiche maketh a good argument that al Asia the Lesse had not onely the Greeke tongue And therefore so many of them as were of other language hauinge the Seruice in Greeke had it in a tongue they vnderstoode not They that wil seeme to searche the cause why that lande had so greate diuersitie of languages impute it to the often change of conquestes for that it was ouercome and possessed of diuerse nations of whiche euery one coueted with enlarginge their Empier to bringe into the Countries subdued their lawes their customes and their language Nowe this beinge proued by good and sufficient authoritie that in Asia of sixteene Nations three onely were Greekes it followeth that the other thirteene hauinge their seruice in Greeke had it not in their owne but in astraunge tongue For els if they had al naturally spoaken Greeke why shoulde not they haue beene called Greekes Thus we see it is no newe thinge proceedinge of a general corruption in the Churche some peoples to haue the Seruice in an vnknowen tongue The B. of Sarisburie Take heede good Reader M. Hardinge hath here throwen a great Miste of learninge to daâ—â—e thy sighte Onlesse thou eye him wel he wil steale from thee Thus he frameth his Syllogismus The lesse Asia beinge a principal parte of the Greeke Churche had then the Seruice in the Greeke tongue But sundrie Countries of the same Asia vnderstoode not the Gréeke tongue Ergo they had their Seruice in an vnknowen tongue Here is a fayre glosse But be not deceiued M. Harding knoweth wel yenough it is but a fallace that is to saye a deceiteful argument named in the Schooles Ex meris particularibus or A non distributo ad distributum Onlesse he amende the Maior and make it an vniuersal and say thus Al Asia the Lesse had the Seruice in the Greeke tongue it can in no wise holde That Asia the Lesse had the Seruice in Greeke it is doubted of no man nor learned nor vnlearned But that al Asia the Lesse had throughout in al partes the same Seruice if it be denied M. Hardinge with al his learninge is not hable to proue it and therefore he did better to tourne it ouer without any proufe at al. The Minor is this sundrie Nations in Asia the Lesse vnderstoode not the Greeke And to prooue this M. Hardinge hath directed al his drifte But to what ende for neither is it denied by any of vs nor is it any parte of our question And yet not withstandinge is not M. Hardinge hable to prooue it with al his gheasses He allegeth the Actes of the Apostles where as mention is made of sundrie languages and amonge the same certaine prouinces of this Asia specially named for their difference in speache But what if answeare were made That al there rehearsed were not diuerse tongues but rather certaine differences in one tongue Certainely Beda séemeth plainely so to say His woordes be these Verely this man was with him for he is of Galilie not for that the people of Galilie and the people of Hierusalem vsed sundrie tongues but for that euery prouince of Iurie hauinge a peculiar manner of vtterance in their speache coulde not avoide the same And hereunto he applieth this storie of the Actes of the Apostles But saithe M. Hardinge There must needes be greater difference betweene these Countries of Asia and that bicause of often ouerthrowes and conquestes that there had happened The coniecture is good But the greatest Conquerours that came there were the Macedonians the Thebanes and other Grecians who no doubte planted there the Greeke tongue as it may soone appeare to any man that can with iudgement consider of it S. Paule vnto the Ephesians the Galathians and the Collossians dwellinge al in this same Asia the Lesse wrote in Greeke And S. Luke writinge of S. Paules beinge and preachinge at Ephesus saith It came so to passe Vt omnes qui habitabant in Asia audirent Sermonem Domini Iesu Iudaei simul Graeci that al they that dwelte in Asia hearde the woorde of the Lorde Iesus bothe Iewes and Greekes S. Luke that had trauailed ouer that whole Countrie with S. Paule knewe none other Nation there but Iewes and Greekes Maister Hardinge hath a gheasse there shoulde be some other Barbarous people also but what they were or where aboute they dwelte or what tongue they spake he can not tel Uerely Polycarpus was Bishop of Smyrna Gregorius was Bishop in Pontus S. Basile was Bishop of Caesaria in Cappadocia Amphilochius Bishop of Iconium in Lycaonia Gregorius S. Basiles Brother Bishop of Nyssa in Caria or Thracia Al these in sundrie Countries within Asia the Lesse preached openly in the Gréeke tongue and the vulgare people vnderstoode them Yet saithe M. Hardinge Strabo beinge borne in the same Countrie and liuinge vnder the Emperours Augustus and Tiberius in the time of S. Paule writeth in
Nations biside with many other authorities to like purpose to auoutche the thinge that M. Harding so earnestly prooueth and no man denieth that the Nations of the East parte of the worlde had seueral tongues and spake not al one onely tongue Let M. Hardinge therefore consider better who they be that as he saithe denie the Maiestie Vtilitie and necessitie of the gifte of tongues For we confesse that the knowlege thereof is necessary not onely for the furtherance but also for the continuance of the Gospel neither doo we doubte but by what tongues the Heathens were conuerted vnto God by the same tongues they made their petitions vnto God the contrary whereof M. Hardinge by his silence confesseth he can not prooue Which not withstandinge he passeth ouer the mater by these woordes Hitherto of the Greeke and of the Seruice in that language and so endeth this péece of his treatie with a pretie vntruethe hauinge in deede prooued somewhat of the tongue but of the Seruice whereupon his whole cause resteth not one woorde at al. Whiche thinge that it may the better appeare let vs lay togeather the partes and members of his argument His Maior is this Al Asia the Lesse had the Seruice in the Greeke tongue The Minor But many Countries of the saide Asia vnderstoode not the Greeke tongue The Conclusion Ergo many Countries had their Seruice in an vnknowen tongue The Minor he warranteth but by gheasse onely and none otherwise although bothe S. Luke in the nientienth of the Actes and also the very storie of the times followinge be to the contrary The Maior he toucheth not at al. Therefore his Syllogismus halteth downe right of one side and concludeth onely vpon the Minor And thus M. Hardinge shoareth vp his straunge doctrine with a strange Maior a strange Minor and a strange Conclusion M. Hardinge The .11 Diuision Nowe concerninge the Latine tongue whiche is the learned tongue of the VVeast That the Latine Churche or the VVeast Churche for so it is called had the Seruice in Latine I graunte The chiefe Regions and Countries of the Latine Churche within the foresaide sixe hundred yeeres were these Italie Aphrike Illyrike bothe Pannonies nowe called Hungarie and Austria Gallia nowe Fraunce and Spaine The Countries of Germanie Pole and Swethen and those Northe partes receiued the faithe longe sithence The Countries of Britaine here had receiued the Faithe in moste places but were driuen from the open profession of it againe by the cruel persecution of Diocletian the Emperour at whiche persecution S. Albane with many others suffered Martyrdome After that these Countries had beene instructed in the Faithe as thinges grewe to perfection they had their Seruice accordingely no doubte suche as was vsed in the Churches from whence their firste Apostles and Preachers were sent And bicause .73 the first Preachers of the Faithe came to these VVeast parties from Rome directed some from S. Peter some from Clement some others afterwarde from other Bishoppes of that See Apostolike they planted and set vp in the Countries by them conuerted the Seruice of the Churche of Rome or some other very like and that .74 in the Latine tongue onely for ought that can be shewed to the contrary VVherein I referre me onely to the firste sixe hundred yeeres Nowe that suche Seruice was vnderstanded of those peoples that spake and vnderstoode Latine no man denieth For to some Nations that was a natiue and a Mother tongue as the Greeke was to the Graecians The B. of Sarisburie I finde no faulte with M. Hardinges Cosmographie but I trowe Cosmographie in this case maketh smal proufe His proufe for the Latine Seruice hangeth vpon twoo pointes The first is that al the faithe of the Weast parte of the world came onely from the Bishoppes of Rome The seconde is that the planters of the same Faithe ministred the Common Seruice euery where in the Latine Tongue He knoweth wel that either of these pointes is vntrue and wil neuer be prooued And somewhat to touche hereof by the way S. Paule saith that he him selfe had filled al places with the Gospel of Christe euen as farre as Illyricum and that not from Rome but from Hierusalem and promiseth that he woulde passe by Rome into Spaine as by reporte of some afterwarde he did and Theodoretus saithe that Paule came into this Ilelande nowe called Englande and here planted the Gospel The like is commonly surmised by the writers of the Brittishe Chronicles of Ioseph of Arimathaea And although Coniectures in suche Antiquities be often vncertaine and darke yet it may séeme very likely that the Religion of Christe came first into this Ilelande not from Rome but from the Greekes both for that in the kéepinge of Easter day we folowed the Churche of Graecia not the Church of Rome and also for that when Augustine was sente in hither by Gregorie we woulde in no wise acknowlege or receiue the Bishop of Rome As for Lazarus Nathanael Saturninus that preached firste in Fraunce I haue saide before Auentinus saithe Lucius S. Paules companion wente into Germanie and S. Paule saithe Titus wente into Dalmatia It is knowen that the Churche of Rome for certaine other causes and namely for the greate state and renoume of that Citie euen from the beginninge was notable aboue al others and was careful in enlarginge the Glorie of Christe and yelded many Martyrs vnto God Yet may we not thinke that al thinges therefore came from Rome For Tertullian calleth Hierusalem Matrem Fontem Religionis The Mother and the Springe of Religion And S. Augustine saithe Fides orta est à Graecis The Faithe sprange firste from the Greekes Nowe that he further saithe The planters of the Faithe in al these Weaste Countries made the Common Praiers euery where in the Latine Tongue bisides that it is manifestly false as God willinge hereafter shal wel appeare it hath not no not so muche as any likelihoode or shewe of truethe For Good Reader consider this reason The planters of the Faithe came from Rome Ergo they keapte euery where the order of Rome If this argument woulde holde then woulde I likewise reason thus The Churche of Rome was firste planted by them that came from Graecia or from Hierusalem Ergo Rome keepeth the order of Graecia or of Hierusalem But M. Hardinge presuminge this of him selfe without other proufe that the Churches of these Countries followed the order of the Churche of Rome concludeth further Ergo they had their Seruice in Latine as had the Church of Rome Euery Childe séeth that this is a Fallax or a deceitful argument called A secundū quid ad simpliciter He might as wel haue saide thus They folowed the order of the Churche of Rome Ergo they had their Exhortations and Sermons in Latine for so had the Churche of Rome But is M. Hardinge so vnaduised or so negligent in his maters that he seethe
Therefore I truste M. Harding wil no more denie but wée are hable to shew somwhat that the Common Seruice in the Primitiue Churche was in some other tongue and not onely in Gréeke or Latine Now if M. Hardinge be hable to shew any such sufficient example of his side I wil yeelde accordinge to promisse M. Hardinge The .16 Diuision For further answeare to the authoritie of Iustinians ordinance wee holde wel with it Good men thinke it meete the seruice to be vttered now also with a distincte and audâ—â—le voiâ—e that al sortes of people specially so many as vnderstande it may the more be stirred to deuotion and thereby the rather be moued to say Amen and geue their assent to it through their obedience and credite they beare to the â—hurche assuringe themselues the same to be good and healthful and to the glorie of God And for that purpose wee haue commonly seene the Priest when he spedde him to say his Seruice to ringe the saunce Bel and speake out alowde Pater noster By whiche token the people were commaunded silence reuerence and deuotion The B. of Sarisburie I must needes answeare M. Hardinge as Cicero sometime answeared his aduersarie Mimi ergo exitus est non Fabulae This geare goeth by gesture and not by speâ—che S. Cyprian declaringe the order of the Churche in his time saith Sacerdos ante orationem parat animos fratrum dicendo Sursum corda The Priest before the â—raiers prepareth the hartes of the brethren saiyng thus vnto them Lifte vp your hartes The Deacons in S. Chrysostomes and Basiles time vsed to cal vpon the people with these woordes Oremus Attendamus Let vs praie Let vs geue eare Like as also the Priest in the Heathen Sacrifices was wonte to commaunde silence and to say to the multitude Fauete linguis This was doone in the Churche of Christe as S. Cyprian saith to put the people in remembrance that in theyr praiers they shoulde thinke of nothinge els but onely of the Lorde And therefore Chrysostome saith The Priest in the holy Ministration speaketh vnto the people and the people vnto the Priest But M. Hardinge for ease and expedition hath diuised a shorter way to teache the people by a Belrope He turneth his backe vnto his brethren and speaketh out twoo woordes alowde Pater noster and causeth the Sanctus Bel to play the parte of a Deacon to put the people in remembrance that now they must pray If any other man woulde say so muche he were a scoffer M. Harding speaketh it and it is good earnest and cause sufficient to auoide Iustinians law Augustus Cesar warned his sonne in lawe Tiberius Vt ore non digito loqueretur That he should speake with his mouthe and not with his finger And Cato was wonte to say when he saw twoo Augures méete togeather He merueiled that either of them coulde absâ—â—ine from smilinge For that theire whole profession and occupation stoode in mockinge of the people I wil not apply this to M. Hardinge notwithstandinge he séeme to professe the like God graunte his Bel may remember him to feare God least he him selfe be leafte As a soundinge peece of Brasse or as a tincklinge Cymbal M. Hardinge The .17 Diuision Now to say somwhat touchinge the Common praiers or Seruice of the Churches of Aphrica where S. Augustine preached in Latine as you say and I denie not and thereof you seeme to conclude that the common people of that Countrie vnderstoode and spake Latine as their vulgare tongue That the Aphricane Churches had their Seruice in Latine it is euident by sundrie places of S. Augustine in his exposition of the Psalmes in his Bookes De Doctrina Christiana and in his Sermons and most plainely in an Epistle that he wrote to S. Hierome in which he sheweth that the people of a Citie in Aphrica was greatly mooued and offended with their Bishop for that in reciting the Scriptures for parte of the Seruice to them he readde out of the fourth Chapter of Ionas the Propher not Cucurbita after the olde texte whiche they had beene accustomed vnto but Hedera after the new translation of S. Hierome Now as I graunte that some vnderstoode it so I haue cause to doubâ—e whether some others vnderstoode it or no. Nay rather I haue greate probabilitie to thinke they vnderstoode it not For the bewraieing of Hannibals Ambassadours to the Romaines by their Punical language wherof Titus â—iuius writeth and likewise the conference betwixte Sylla the Noble man of Rome and Bocchus Kinge of Numidia had by meane of Interpreters adhibited of bothe partes as Salust recordeth In Bello Iugurthino declareth that the tongue of Aphrica was the Punical tongue before the Romaines conquest Now the same people remaininge there vntil S. Augustines time what should mooue vs to iudge that they forgate their owne natiue and mother tongue and learned a new the Latine tongue I confesse that many vnderstoode and spake Latine by reason of the Romaines common resorte thither of their lawes there executed of their garrisons there abidinge and specially of the greate multitude of Latine people thither sente to inhabite Deductis Colonijs by August the Emperour first then by Adrianus and afterwarde by Commodus who woulde haue had the greate Citie Carthago newly reeâ—â—â—ied to be called after his owne name Alexandria Commodiana as Lâ—â—pridius writeth These Romaine Colonies that is to weete multitudes of people sent to inhabite the Countrie placed them selues aboute the Sea coasies in the chiefe Cities in Carthago Vtica Hippo Leptis c â–ª and there aboute And by these meanes the Romaine or Latine speache spredde abroade there and became to be very common as that which remained stil amonge the Inhabitantes that were of the Romaine kinde and was learned by longe vse and custome of others dwellinge amongst them specially in the Cities where the Romaines bare the sweâ— and gouernement For these considerations I thinke the Latine tongue was there very common But that it was common to the inwarde parties of the Countrie also and to the vplandishe people amongst whom the olde accustomed language is longest keapte as experience teacheth it is not likely For though the Nobilitie and Cities change their Language to be the more in estimation yet the common and base people of the Countrie fal not so soone to a change In this Realme of Englande after VVilliam Conquerours time by occasion of greate resortes of Frenche men hither and of our Countrie men into Fraunce also of the Frenche lawes and special fauour by the Princes borneâ— and preferrements bestowed vpon them that spake Frenche the most parte of the Nobilitie Lawâ—ers Marchantes Captaines Souldiers and welâ—hy folke had skil in the vnderstandinge and speaking of the Frenche tongue but yet the common and â—plandishe people spake litle or nought at al. Whereof grâ—w this Prouerbe in Englande of olde time â—acke woulde be a Gentleman but Lacke can no Frenche The like
Primitiue Churche this vvas necessary vvhen the Faithe vvas a learninge And therfore the Praiers vvere made then in a common tongue knovven to the people for cause of their further instruction VVho beinge of late conuerted to the Faithe and of Painimes made Christians had neede in al thinges to be taught But after that the Faithful people was multiplied and increaced in greate numbers and had beene so wel instructed in al pointes of Religion as by their owne accorde they conformed them selues to the Ministers at the Common Praiers in the Latine Churche the Seruice was set out in Latine and it was thought sufficient parte of the people in the Quier to answeare for the whole And this hath beene esteemed for a more expedite and conuenient order then if it were in the Vulgare tongue of euery Nation The B. of Sarisburie Who so wil mainteine an vntruthe ought to be circumspecte and to remember wel how his tales may stande togeather M. Hardinge a litle before wrote thus Cicero saith Tongues be in number infinite Of them al Neither M. Iuel nor any one of his side is hable to shew that the publique Seruice of the Churche in any Nation was euer for the space of sixe hundred yeeres after Christe in any other tongue then in Greeke or Latine Now contrarywise either of forgeatfulnesse what he hath saide before or of some other better aduise he saith thus Verily in the Primitiue Churche this was necessary when the Faithe was a learninge And therefore the praiers were made then in a Common tongue knowen to the people for cause of their further instruction By these woordes he vtterly ouerthroweth that he so confidently saide before and very wel confirmeth my assertion M. Iuel may now take his ease For M. Hardinge him selfe is hable to prooue against him selfe that in the Primitiue Churche the Seruice was ministred in the Common tongue and that he confirmeth for a veritie and saith It was necessary so to be and coulde not be otherwise These saieinges of M. Hardinges beinge directely contrary cannot possibly stande bothe togeather If the one be true the other of necessitie must néedes be false The reason that he geathereth in this place standeth vpon the diuersitie of times Then saith he the people vvas ignorant and needed of al thinges to be taught Novv they are instructed and vnderstande the Faithe and are increased in multitude Therefore it is better novv for expedition the Seruice be saide in a strange Language and that onely the Clerke make answeare to the priest in steede of the vvhole Congregation Thus saith M. Hardinge not by the authoritie of S. Ambrose S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Chrysostome or any other like olde Catholique Doctour but onely by warrant of late Doctours Thomas of Aquine and Nicolas Lyra the former of whiche twoo liued at the least twelue hundred yéeres after Christe His reason in shorte is thus The people novv is instructed ▪ Ergo They ought to haue their Seruice in a strange tongue If M. Hardinge minde to perswade the worlde he had neede to bringe other argumentes But what if the people be not instructed What if they know nothing no not the Articles of the Christian Faithe What if there be noman to instructe them What if the Priest be euen as is the people the blinde leade the blinde Yet I trowe M. Hardinge wil not alter his new Decrée but his strange Seruice must continue stil. Uerily the vnderstanding of God is the soule life of Gods Churche and as it was necessary at the first plantinge thereof so is it alwaies necessary for the continuance of the same S. Hilarie saith Ecclesiae in quibus verbum dei non vigilar naufragae fiunt The Churches wherein Goddes woorde is not watcheful suffer wrecke Neither did S. Paule say let this order holde for the time while the faithe is a learninge as M. Hardinge woulde haue him say but thus he saith Haec quae scribo Domini sunt mandata Omnia ad ae dificationem fiant The thinges that I write are the commaundementes of the Lorde Let al thinges be doone to edifie The edifieinge of the people whiche is the final cause hereof continueth stil therefore ought the vnderstandinge of the people which is the efficient cause hereof to continue stil. M. Hardinge The .29 Diuision I graunte they cannot say Amen to the blessinge or thankes geuinge of the Priest so wel as if they vnderstoode the Latine tongue perfitely Yet they geue assent to it and ratifie it in their hartes and doo conforme them selues vnto the Priest though not in special yet in general that is to witte though not in euery particular sentence of praise and thankes geuing or in euery seueral petition yet in the whole For if they come to Churche with a right and good intent as the simple doo no lesse then the learned their desier is to render vnto God glory praise and honour and to thanke him for benefites receiued and with al to obteine of him thinges behooueful for them in this life and in the life to come And without doubte this godly affection of their mindes is so acceptable to God as no vnderstandinge of woordes may be compared with it This requisite assent and conforminge of them selues to the Priest they declare by sundrie outwarde tokens and gestures as by standing vp at the Gospel and at the preface of the Masse by bowinge them selues downe and adoringe at the Sacrament by kneelinge at other times as vvhen pardon and mercie is humbly asked and by other like signes of deuotion in other partes of the Seruice The B. of Sarisburie Yet once againe M. Hardinge woulde make the worlde beléeue that the ignorant people vnderstandeth the Latine tongue although not perfitely and that they may in general geue their consent vnto what so euer the Priest saithe although they know not one woorde what he saieth And so betwéene S. Paule and M. Hardinge there appeareth a plaine contrarietie For S. Paule saith The vnlearned cannot say Amen to thy praier bicause he knoweth not what thou saiest Yes saithe M. Hardinge although he know not what thou saiest yet may he neuerthelesse say Amen But hereto he laieth his correction I graunt saith he they cannot say Amen to the blissing and thankes geuinge of the Priest So vvel as if they vnderstoode the Latine tongue O M. Hardinge who taught you thus to qualifie the peoples duties Why doo you thus openly deceiue your brethren Why teache you them to say Amen To edifie them selues to be thankeful and to conforme their hartes vnto God Nor so vvel but in woorse wise as you your selfe confesse then you know they are bounde to doo Your owne tongue confesseth against your selfe that you leade the people of God from the better vnto the woorse I know the humble affection and deuotion of the harte is more pretious before God then any vnderstanding or sounde of woordes For that in déede is the praieing
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
yet Goddes highe goodnesse hath so ordeined as eche thing may be prouided for according to his owne condition and nature Therfore where as mankinde dependeth most of sense and receiueth al learninge and institution of sensible thinges therefore it hath neede of a man to be a gouernour and ruler whome it may perceiue by outwarde sense And euen so the Sacramentes by whiche the Grace of God is geuen vnto vs in consideration of mannes nature beinge so made of God as it is are ordeined in thinges sensible Therefore it was behooueful this gouernement of the Churche to be committed to one man whiche at the firste was Peter and afterwarde â—che successour of Peter for his time as is afore declared Neither can this one man haue this power of any consent or companie of men but it is necessarie he haue it of God .104 For to ordeine and appointe the Vicare of Christ it perteineth to none other then to Christe For where as the Churche and al that is of the Churche is Christes as wel for other causes as specially for that we are bought with a greate price euen with his Bloude as S. Paule saithe howe can it perteine to any other then to him to institute and appointe to him selfe a vicare that is one to doo his steede The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge standeth very longe in discoursinge this mater by natural reason â–ª And for that he knewe S. Augustine saithe Si ratio contra Diuinarum Scripturarum authoritatem redditur quamlibet acuta sit fallit verisimilitudine Nam veta esse non potest If natural reason be alleged against the authoritie of the holy Scriptures be it neuer so suttle it beguileth menne by a likenes or colour of the Trueth for true it cannot be And for that he also sawe the reasons he hath brought are very simple and carrie no weight he hath therefore thrust a great many of them in a thronge togeather bothe to fil the Hearers senses also that the one might the better aide the other For his entrie in mirthe and game he calleth vs Gospellers God open the eies of his harte that he may sée the brightnesse of Goddes Gospel and consider what it is that he hath refused Surely it is an horrible thing for a Christian man thus to make mockerie of the Gospel of Christe S. Paule saithe Si opertum est Euangelium in illis qui pereunt est opertum If the Gospel be couered it is couered from them that perishe It misliketh him that we builde the vnitie of the Churche vpon Christe onely and not also vpon the Pope and this he calleth these New Gospellers Doctrine God be thanked these Gospellers haue good warrant for their Doctrine S. Paule saithe Eum dedit Caput super omnia ipsi Ecclesiae quae est Corpus eius God hath geuen Christe to be Heade ouer al euen to the Churche whiche is his Bodie And againe Ille est Caput qui dat salutem Corpori Christe is the Heade that geueth health vnto the Bodie Christe is our peace Al we are one in Christe Iesu. Therefore S. Gregorie saithe Nos quoque à vobis non longè sumus quoniam in illo qui vbique est vnum sumus Agamus ergo â—i gratias qui solutis inimicitijs in Carne sua fecit vt in omni orbe terrarum vnus esset Grex vnum Ouile sub se Vno Pastore We are not farre away from you bicause in him that is euery where we are al one Therefore let vs geue him thankes that enemitie beinge broken in his Fleashe hath caused that in al the worlde there shoulde be one Flocke and one Folde vnder him selfe beinge the one Shepehearde These places and infinite other like are good warrantes of our Doctrine Nowe if M. Hardinge be hable by the Scriptures or Holy Doctours to say as muche for the Bishop of Rome that he is the Heade of the Churche that is to say the Heade of Christes Bodie or that the Church receiueth influence or health from him Or that he is our Peace or that we are al one in him or that al the worlde is one Flocke and one Folde and he the one Sheepehearde Or that S. Paule as he saide There is one Lorde one Faithe one Baptisme so he saide also There is one Pope then haue we some cause to thinke accordinge to M. Hardinges fantasie that the vnitie of the whole Churche is founded and builte vpon the Pope Certainely it seemeth S. Augustine woulde not geue this priuilege vnto S. Paule His woordes be plaine Nec Paulus radix eorum erat quos plantauerat sed ille potius qui ait Ego sum vitis vos estis Sarmenta Caput etiam eorum quomodo esse poterat cum dicat Nos omnes vnum esse Corpus in Christo ipsumque Christum Caput esse vniuersi Corporis Neither was Paule the roote of them whome he had planted but rather he that saith I am the vine and you are the sprigges But the Heade of them how coulde he be seeinge he him selfe saithe Al we in Christe are one Bodie and That of the whole Bodie Christe him selfe is the Heade If S. Paule as S. Augustine saithe coulde not be Heade of the Churche howe may we then thinke that the Bishop of Rome may be Heade of the Churche But mankinde saithe M. Hardinge dependeth moste of sense Therefore the whole Churche must haue one man to rule and gouerne ouer it and that man is Peters successour and Christes Vicare in Earthe I maruel that none of the Olde Fathers coulde euer vnderstande either the necessitie of this reason or this special name and title of Christes Uicare How be it one true woorde M. Harding hath vttered amongst many others that is that to apointe Christe Uicare it perteineth onely vnto Christe and to none other Of whiche grounde we may wel reason thus Christe neuer ordeined nor appointed nor once named the Bishop of Rome or his Successoure to be his Uicare that is to be an Uniuersal Bishop ouer the whole Churche therefore by M. Hardinges owne position the Bishop of Rome hath of longe time vsurped a power againste Christe without Commission and in déede is not Christes Uicare S. Hierome saithe generally of al Bishoppes Nouerint Episcopi se magis Consuetudine quà m dispositionis Dominicae Veritate Presbyteris esse maiores Lette Bishoppes vnderstande that they be greater then the priestes by order and Custome of the Churche and not by the trueth of Goddes ordinance If Christe as S. Hierome saithe appointed not one priest aboue an other howe then is it likely he appointed one Priest to be as M. Hardinge saithe Prince and ruler ouer al Priestes throughout the whole worlde As for the Uniuersal supplieinge of Christes roome Tertullian saithe The Holy Ghoste is Christes Vicare For thus he writeth Sedet ad dextram Dei Patris misit Vicariam vim
the Empresse Eudoxia to appointe a Councel and yet coulde not obteine it Afterwarde he desired the Emperour Theodosius that he woulde cal a Councel to some place within Italie and the Emperour contrary to the Bishoppe of Romes petition appointed it to be holden at Ephesus After that he made the same request to the Emperour Martianus and the Emperour likewise contrarie to the Bishops humble request commanded the Councel to be keapte at Chalcedon And where as Leo had besought bothe these Emperours that it might please them to take a longer daie for the Councel for that the time of the Summon seemed very shortie and the waies were laide with enimies and therefore dangerous for the Bishoppes to trauel yet woulde neither of them alter one daie but charged eche man to appeare as they were Summoned And Leo the Bishop of Rome with al his Uniuersal power was faine to yeelde Hereby we maye soone coniecture howe true it is either that Pope Gelasius writeth That onely the Apostolique See of Rome decreed by her Authoritie that the Councel of Chalcedon should be Summoned Or els that M. Hardinge woulde haue vs beléeue That al Councelles were summoned by the Pope Neither was the Bishop of Rome nor his legate in his absence euermore the President or Chiefe of the Councel For it is knowen that in the Councel of Nice Eustathius the Patriarke of Antioche was the president and the Bishop of Romes Legates Uitus and Uincentius sate in the fourth roome beneath In the Councel of Constantinople Menna was the chiefe In the Councel of Sardica Osius of Corduba in Spaine In the Councel of Aquileia S. Ambrose of Millane In the Councel of Carthage Aurelius the Bishop there In the Councel of Chalcedon Leo the Bishop of Romes Legate had chiefe roome but by way of intreatie onely and by the Emperours special graunte not of dew right or Uniuersal Authoritie But saith M. Hardinge the Bishop of Rome allowed General Councels This is not denied So did others not onely Patriakes or Bishops but also Ciuil Princes In the Councel of Chalcedon it is written thus Diuae memoriae Theodosius confirmauit omnia quae iudicata sunta Sancta Vniuersali Synodo Generali Lege Theodosius the Emperour of godly memorie hath confirmed al thinges by a General Law that were determined in the Vniuersal Councel So likewise the Emperour Martianus Sacro nostrae Serenitatis edicto venerandam Synodum confirmamus By the holy Edicte of our Maâ—estie wee confirme that reuerende Councel So Eusebius witnesseth that the Emperour Constantinus confirmed the Determinations of the Councel of Nice So the Bishoppes in the Councel of Constantinople wrote vnto the Emperour Theodosius by these woordes Rogamus tuam clementiam vt per literas tuae Pietatis ratuÌ„ esse â—ubeas confirmefque Concilij Decretum Wee desire your fauour by your Highnesse letters to ratifie and Confirme the Decree of the Councel Now seinge it was lawful for Princes and Ciuile gouernours to confirme the Decrées Determinations of Councels how can wée doubt but it was lawful for Bishoppes also to doo the same Therefore Theodoretus saith The Conclusions of the Councel of Nice were sente abroade to other Bishoppes that were away And Uictorinus saith That many thousandes of Bishoppes allowed that same Councel and agreed vnto it Aboue al others the Subscription and Confirmation of the foure Principal Patriarkes was specially required for that bothe their charge and also their Countenance and Credite was greater then others Emonge whiche foure the Bishop of Rome was euer the first and therefore his consent séemed to beare greatest weight And for that cause the Emperour Martianus required Leo the Bishop of Rome to write vnto the Councel of Chalcedon and to declare that he gaue his consent to the Rule of Faith that was there determined And in like sorte the Emperour Theodosius requireth al Bishoppes to Subscribe and to geue their assente to the Councel of Nice For it is a rule agréeable vnto Law and Reason Quod omnes tangit ab omnibus debet approbari The thinge that toucheth al ought to be allowed by al. And therefore Iulius beinge Bishop of Rome pronounced that al the Actes of the Councel of Antioche were voide and of no force for that he being one of the foure Patriarkes was not called thither as wel as others For it appeareth by Eusebius Theodoretus and others that to al General Councels al Primates and Metropolitanes were specially summoned And this séemeth to be that Canon that Iulius allegeth that it was not lawful to make rules and orders for the whole Churche without the consent of the Bishop of Rome beinge one of the foure chiefe Patriarkes and hauinge in his Prouince one greate portion of the Churche And therefore Leo Bishop of Rome testifieth his consente to the Councel of Chalcedon by these woordes Fraternitas vestra nouit me definitionem Sanctae Synodi toto corde complexum esse Your brotherhoode knoweth that I haue embraced with my whole harte the Determâ—nation of that holy Councel And likewise vnto the Emperour Martianus he writeth thus Constitutionibus Synodalibus libens adieci sententiam meam Vnto these Constitutions of the Councel I haue gladly geuen my assent The ende hereof was not to shewe his Soueraine Power aboue al others but that the Decrees so ratified by him others might be had in more estimation So Leo him selfe writeth Clementia vestra arbitratur malum faciliùs delendum si per vniuersas Ecclesias Definitiones sanctae Synodi Apostolicae Sedi placuisse doceantur Your Highnes thinketh this â—uil wil the rather be suppressed if it be declared throughout al Churches that the Decrees of the holy Councel be wel liked of the Apostolique See But that the whole ratification of Councelles depended not onely of the Bishop of Rome but also of others no lesse then of him it is easie to be prooued The Bishops in the Romaine Councel in the time of Damasus condemned the Councel of the Arians holden at Ariminum for that neither the Bishop of Rome whose minde shoulde haue béene knowen before al others nor Uincentius nor any of the reaste had agreed vnto it Likewise the Councel of Carthage and of Aphrica are allowed for good not withstandinge the Bishop of Rome woulde not allow them The Councel of Chalcedon decreed that the Bishop of Constantinople should be in dignitie nexte vnto the Bishop of Rome and shoulde Consecrate the Metropolitanes of Asia Pontus and Thracia This decree Leo the Bishop of Rome very muche misliked and would neuer assent vnto it yet that not withstandinge it is in force and continueth stil. Liberatus thereof writeth thus Cùm Anatolius consentiente Concilio Primatum obtinuisset Legati verò Romani Episcopi contradicerent à ludicibus Episcopis omnibus illa contradictio suscepra non est Et licet sedes Apostolica nunc
Nos quoque diligimus pacem vnanimitatem cum Ecclesia Catholica cui tu per Dei gratiam praefectus es We also loue Peace and Unitie with the Catholique Churche ouer which you by the Grace of God are made gouernour Here Athanasius is pronounced Gouernoure of the Catholike Churche Yet was he not the Bishop of Rome So likewise saith S. Cyprian Haec Ecclesia vna est quae tenet possidet omnem sponsi sui Gratiam in hac praesidemus This Churche is one that keepeth and holdeth the Grace of her Spouse In this Churche we are the Rulers Here S. Cyprian calleth him self the president or ruler of Goddes Churche Yet was he the Bishop of Carthage and not of Rome To be shorte in like sorte Origen pronounceth generally of al Priestes Si tales fuerint vt à Christo super illos aedificetur Ecclesia If they besuche as vpon them the Churche of God maie be builte Here Origen imagineth that euery priest is the fundation of Goddes Churche Yet were it harde to saie Euery Priest is Bishop of Rome S. Ambroses meaninge therefor is That euery Bishop or Patriarke within his Precinctes or Prouince is the Ruler of the whole Churche And this is it that Cyprian seemeth to saie Episcopatus vnus est cuius à singulis in solidum pars tenetur The Bishoprike is one a portion whereof is possessed in whole of euery Bishop Therefore M. Hardinge seemeth to doo wronge to S. Ambrose thus violently to abuse his woordes to proue the Bishop of Romes Uniuersal power Here M. Hardinge doubtinge least his Reader being wearie of theise colde sclender shiftes and lookinge for some other more substantial and formal reasons woulde saie I heare not yet the Head of the Vniuersal Churche purposely preuenteth the mater and saith what forceth that whether that very terme be vsed in any ancient writer or no Gentle Reader I beseeche thée marke wel this dealinge This name the Heade of the Uniuersal Churche is the very thinge that we denie and that M. Hardinge hathe taken in hande to proue and boldely auoucheth that he hathe already plainely shewed and proued the same Yet nowe in the ende findinge him self destitute he turneth it of as a thinge of nought and saith VVhat forceth that whether he were called by that very name or no As though he woulde saie Al the olde Fathers of the Churche bothe Greekes and Latines wanted woordes and eloquence and either they coulde not or they durst not cal the Heade of the Churche by his owne peculiar name Howe be it if the Bishop of Rome be so called it maie be shewed If not then is my first assertion true Uerily touchinge the title of Uniuersal Bishop S. Gregorie calleth it Nouum Nomen A New Name vnacquainted and vnknowen vnto the worlde And saith further If we quietly take this mater we destroie the Faith of the Vniuersal Churche This therfore was the cause that the ancient Doctours neuer called the Bishop of Rome the Heade of the Churche for that they knewe he was neither reputed nor taken so nor was in deede the Heade of the Churche M. Hardinge hauing not yet found the thinge that he so long sought for at the last is faine to make it vp by shifte of Reasō The Vniuersal Churche saith he is the house of God Damasus is the Ruler of the House of God Ergo Damasus is Ruler of the Vniuersal Churche This Syllogismus is a manifest Fallax and hath as many faultes as lines First There is an Equiuocation or double vnderstandinge of these woordes The house of God For bothe the Uniuersal Churche and also euery particular Churche is Goddes House Againe There is an other Fallax whiche they cal Ex meris particularibus or A non Distributo ad Distributum Thirdely there is an other foule faulte in the very Forme of the Syllogisme easy for any Childe to espie For contrary to al Logique and order of Reason he concludeth in Secunda Figura Affirmatiu◠Where as M. Hardinge knoweth al the Moodes or Formes of the Seconde Figure must néedes Conclude Negatiuè The weaknes hereof wil the better appéere by the lyke The Vniuersal Churche is the Catholique Churche But Arsenius saithe Athanasius the Bishop of Alexandria was Ruler of the Catholique Churche Ergo Athanasius the Bishop of Alexandria was Ruler of the Vniuersal Churche Thus hitherto M. Iuel maye truely saye M. Hardinge hath yet brought neither Clause nor Sentence sufficient to prooue that the Bishop of Rome was called either the Uniuersal Bishop or the Heade of the Uniuersal Churche M. Hardinge The .32 Diuision But to satisfie these menne and to take awaie occasion of cauille I wil alleage a fewe places where the expresse terme heade is attributed to Peter the first Bishop of Rome and by like right to his successours and to the See Apostolike Chrysostome speakinge of the vertue and power of Peter and of the stedfastnes of the Churche in the .55 Homilie vpon Matthew hath theise wordes amonge other Cuius pastor caput homo piscator atque ignobilis c. By which wordes he affirmeth that the pastoure and heade of the Churche beinge but a fisher a man and one of base parentage passeth in firmnes the nature of the diamant Againe in an Homilie of the praises of Paule he saith thus Neither was this man onely suche a one but he also which was the heade of the Apostles who oftentimes saide he was readie to bestowe his life for Christ and yet was ful sore afraied of death If he were heade of the Apostles then was he heade of the inferioure people and so heade of the vniuersal Churche Hierome writinge against Iouinian saith Propterea inter duodecim vnus eligitur vt capite constituto Schismatis tollatur occasio For that cause amonge the twelue one is specially chosen out that the heade beinge ordeined occasion of schisme maie be taken awaie VVhereby it appeareth that Peter was constituted heade for auoidinge of diuision and schisme Nowe the danger of the inconuenience remaininge stil yea more then at that time for the greater multitude of the Churche and for sundrie other imperfections the same remedie must be thought to continewe onlesse we woulde saie that Christ hath lesse care ouer his Churche nowe that it is so muche encreased ▪ then he had at the beginninge when his flocke was smal For this cause excepte we denie Goddes Prouidence towarde his Churche there is one heade for auoidinge of schisme also nowe as wel as in the Apostles time VVhich is the Successour of him that was heade by Christes appointement then the Bishop of Rome sittinge in the seate that Peter sate in Cyrillus saith Petrus vt princeps Caputque caeterorum primus exclamauit tu es Christus filius Dei viui Peter as Prince and heade of the reste first cried out thou art Christ the sonne of the liuinge God Augustine also in a Sermon
Corporally Carnally c. Which woordes M. Hardinge is not hable to shew that in this case of beinge Really in the Sacrament any one of al the Olde Fathers euer vsed M. Hardinge The .2 Diuision Againe 128 wee cannot finde where our Lorde performed the promise he made in the .6 Chapter of Iohn The Breade whiche I wil geue is my Fleashe whiche I wil geue for the life of the worlde but onely in his last Supper VVhere if he gaue his Fleashe to his Apostles and that none other but the very same whiche he gaue for the life of the worlde it foloweth that in the blessed Sacrament is not meere Bread but that same his very Body in substance For it was not meere Bread but his very Bodie that was geuen and offered vp vpon the Crosse. The B. of Sarisburie This Principle is not onely false in it selfe but also ful of dangerous Doctrine and may soone leade to Desperation For if noman may eate the Fleash of Christ but onely in the Sacrament as here by M. Harding it is supposed then al Christian Children and al others who so euer that departe this life without receiuinge the Sacrament must néedes be damned and die the Chrildren of Gods anger For Christes woordes be plaine general Onlesse ye eate the Pleashe of the Sonne of Man ye shal haue no life in you Wherunto wée may adde this Minor Christian Children receiue not the Sacrament and therfore by M. Hardinges iudgement eate not the Fleashe of the Sonne of Man Hereof it must néedes folow That Christian Children haue no life in them but are the Children of Damnation This is the Conclusion of M. Hardinges Doctrine But litle care these men who or how many perishe so their fantasies may stande vpright But our Doctrine grounded vpon Gods holy Woorde is this That as certainely as Christe gaue his Bodie vpon the Crosse so certainely he geueth now that selfe same Bodie vnto the Faithful and that not onely in the Ministration of the Sacrament as M. Harding vntruely imagineth but also at al times when so euer we be hable to say with S. Paule I thinke I know nothing but Iesus Christe and the same Christe Crucified vpon the Crosse. Therfore S. Ambrose writeth thus Quid petis O Iudaee vt tribuat tibi Panem queÌ„ dat omnibus dat quoridiè dat semper O thou Iew what desirest thou That Christe should geue thee Bread He geueth it to al meÌ„ he geueth it daily he geueth it at al times If it be true that S. Ambrose saithe that Christe geueth that Breade whiche is his Bodie at al times then is it false that M. Harding saith that Christ performeth his promise geueth his Bodie onely at the Ministration of the Sacrament And therfore S. Augustine saith Non tantùm in Sacramento sed etiam re ipsa comedunt Corpus Christi They eate Christes Body not onely in the Sacrament but also in very deede Here S. Augustine saithe contrary to M. Hardinges Doctrine that wée eate Christes Bodie not onely in the Sacrament but also otherwise yea and so farre he forâ—eth this difference that he maketh the eatinge of Christes Bodie in the Sacramente to be one thinge and the very true eatinge thereof in déede to be an other thinge Againe touchinge the Fathers of the Olde law he saith that Abraham Moses Aaron and others receiued the Bodie of Christe truely and effectually longe time before that Christe either had receiued Fleashe of the Blessed Uirgin or had ordeined the Sacrament and that euen the selfe same Bodie that is receiued now of the Faithful To be shorte of Christian Children and other Faithful that neuer receiued the Sacrament he writeth thus Nulli est aliquatenus ambigenduÌ„ tunc vnumquenque Fidelium Corporis Sanguinisque Domini participem fieri quando in Baptismate efficitur Membrum Christi c. No man may in any wise doubte but that euery faithful man is then made partaker of the Body and Bloud of Christe when in Baptisme he is made a Member of Christe and that he is not without the felowship of that Breade and of that Cuppe although before he eate of that Bread and drinke of that Cuppe he departe this worlde beinge in the Vnitie of Christes Bodie For he is not made frustrate of the Communion and benefite of that Sacrament while he findeth that thinge whiche is signified by the Sacrament So farre S. Augustine By these wée may see It is not al true that M. Harding so constantly auoucheth If it might haue pleased him to take aduise of Beda S. Augustine S. Ambrose and other godly Fathers he should soone haue founde that the Faithful may otherwise eate Christes Body and that verily and in deede and not onely in the Sacrament M. Hardinge The .3 Diuision If the woordes spoken by Christe in S. Iohn of promise that he performed in his holy Supper The Breade that I wil geue is my Fleashe had beene to be taken not as they seeme to meane plainely and truely but Metaphorically Tropically Symbolically and Figuratiuely so as the trueth of our Lordes Fleashe be excluded 129 as our Aduersaries doo vnderstande them then the Capernaites had not any occasion at al of their great offence Then should not they haue had cause to murmoure against Christe as the Euangelist sheweth The Iewes saith S. Iohn stroue amonge them selues sayeinge how can he geue vs his Fleashe to eate And muche lesse his deere Disciples to whome he had shewed so many and so greate miracles to whom he had before declared so many parables and so high secretes should haue had any occasion of offence And doubtlesse if Christe had mente they should eate but the signe or figure of his Bodie they woulde not haue saide Durus est hic Sermo This is a harde saieing and who can abide to heare it For then should they haue doone no greater thinge then they had doone oftentimes before in eatinge the Easter Lambe And how coulde it seeme a harde woorde or saieing if Christe had meante nothing els but this The Bread that I wil geue is a Figure of my Bodie that shal cause you to remember mee The B. of Sarisburie This reason holdeth onely of the ignorance of the Capernaites and hangeth thus The Capernaites mystooke Christes woordes and vnderstoode not what he meante Ergo Christes Body is Really and Carnally in the Sacrament And thus M. Harding as his manner is buildeth one errour vpon an other For vnderstanding hereof it shal be necessary first to open the very sense and meaning of Christes woordes Nexte to shew how peruersely and grossely the Capernaites were deceiued and last of al to consider M. Hardinges Conclusion First of al the Iewes desired Christe to geue them Bread in the Wildernesse as Moses had geuen before vnto their Fathers Christe to pulle them from the grosse and material cogitations of their bellies promised them an
Bodie that is to saie a Figure of my Bodie For so the Olde learned Father Tertullian saithe Then must he saie Christus Corporis sui Figuram Discipulis suis commendauit Christe deliuered vnto his Disciples a Figure of his Bodie For so the Olde learned Father S. Augustine saith Then must he saie Sacramentum Corporis Christi secundum quendam modum Corpus Christi est The Sacrament of Christes Bodie after a certaine phrase or manner or Trope or Figure of speache is the Bodie of Christ For so againe S. Augustine saith Here M. Hardinge seeinge the inconueniences and absurdities of his Doctrine thought good to heale it vp with some plaister By these woordes Really Carnally c. The Godly learned Fathers saithe he Meante that Christes very Bodie and Fleshe is there but not in any Natural or Carnal wise And thus M. Hardinges Doctours wrote one thinge and meante an other For M. Hardinge knoweth that al Aduerbes taken of Nownes signifie euermore a qualitie and neuer the Substance whiche thinge Children are taught to knowe in the Grammar Schoole and may be resolued thus Viriliter virili modo muliebriter muliebri modo And therefore his very Canonistes saie in their manner of Eloquence Deus non est remunerator Nominū ▪ sed Aduerbiorum God rewardeth not Nownes but Aduerbes That is to say God regardeth not the Dooinge of any thinge but the Manner of the Dooinge But M. Hardinge thinketh he may take vpon him to ouerlooke and to maister the Grammar Rules For onlesse we make Nownes Aduerbes and Aduerbes Nownes these mens Diuinitie cannot stande Therefore as they haue diuised a newe Diuinitie so must our Children learne for their pleasure a Newe Grammar But what are these Olde Learned Fathers that saie Christes Bodie is thus Really and Fleashly in the Sacrament Where be their Woordes What be their Names If they haue neither Names nor Woordes howe can they be allowed for sufficient witnesses M. Hardinge wel knoweth that the Olde learned Fathers neuer saide so yet must he needes imagine bothe causes that moued them so to say and also Expositions what they meante by so saieinge So Montanus the blinde Senatour beinge at supper with the Emperour Tiberius highely commended the great Mullet that he hearde saie was set on the table before them and shewed how rounde how faire how fatte it was how it filled the Charger and howe it laie and euermore turned his face and pointed with his finger to the higher ende of the table and yet was not the Mullet there but farre beneath at the lower ende Reason woulde that M. Hardinge had firste beene sure of the Effecte before he had thus gonne aboute to gheasse the causes M. Hardinge The .6 Diuision 132 And the Fathers haue bene driuen to vse these termes for the more ample and ful declaration of the Truethe and also for withstandinge and stoppinge obiections made by Heretiques And because the Catholike faithe touchinge the veritie of Christes Bodie in the Sacrament was not impugned by any man for the space of a thousand yeeres after Christes beinge in earthe and about that time 133 Berengarius firste beganne openly to sowe the wicked seede of the Sacramentarie Heresie whiche then soone confuted by learned men and by the same first Authour abiured and recanted now is with no lesse wickednesse but more busily and more earnestly set foorth againe the Doctours that sithence haue written in the defence of the true and Catholike faithe herein haue 134 more often vsed the termes before mentioned then the Olde and Auncient Fathers that wrote within M. Iuelles sixe hundred yeeres after Christe VVho doubtlesse woulde no lesse haue vsed them if that matter had beene in question or doubte in their time And albeit these termes were strange and newe as vsed within these fiue hundred yeeres onely and that the people were neuer taught for sixe hundred yeeres after Christe as M. Iuel saithe more boldely then truely and therefore more rashely then wisely Yet the Faithe by them opened and declared is Vniuersal and olde verily no lesse olde then is our Lordes Supper where this Sacrament was firste instituted The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge thinketh he may leade alonge his simple Reader and easily carrie away the mater vnder the bare Titles and Names of the Learned Fathers But what priuie mysterie is this As I saide before haue M. Hardinges Doctours no names Or is not he hable to name his owne Fathers He shoulde haue sette them out as his wonte is with al their Circumstances what they were when and where they liued what they wrote and how they haue béene euer are nowe estéemed emonge the learned But he wel knewe that these Good Fathers liued al within the compasse of two hundred or thrée hundred yéeres paste as Thomas Duns Ockam Henricus de Gandauo Robertus de collo torto and suche others These be M. Hardinges greate Fathers by whome he claimeth his newe Doctrine in respect of S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Chrysostome S. Ambrose and others not woorthy to haue the name of Children But the Catholique Faithe touchinge the Sacrament saithe M. Hardinge for the space of a thousande yeeres stoode vpright Berengarius was the firste that beganne to sowe the seede of the Sacramentarie Heresie It is likely M. Hardinge hath no greate regarde howe his tales hange togeather For before in the First Article to serue his turne he saide The Messalians were the first Fathers of this Heresie Nowe he seemeth to be otherwise aduised and saith This Heresie was neuer hearde of within sixe hundred yeeres after the Messalians were repressed and that the first founder of it was Berengarius Yet M. Hardinge might soone haue knowen that one Iohannes Scotus a famous learned man and Scholar vnto Beda and one Bertramus as appeareth by his booke helde and mainteined the same Doctrine in the time of the Emperoure Lotharius two hundred yeeres and more before Berēgarius Wherefore it seemeth not to be so true as M. Hardinge assuereth it That Berengarius was the First Authour of this Doctrine But for further declaration hereof it shal be necessary to open Berengarius whole iudgement in this mater and afterwarde to consider the Confutation of the same Thus therefore Berengarius wrote as his greatest aduersarie Lanfrancus reporteth of him Per-Consecrationem Altaris Panis Vinum fiunt Sacramentum religionis non vt desinant esse quae erant c. By the Consecration of the Aultar the Breade and the Wine are made a Sacrament of Religion not that they leaue to be the same they were before but that they be altred into an other thinge and become that they were not before as S. Ambrose writeth And the Sacrifice of the Churche standeth of two thinges the one Visible the other Inuisible that is to saie the Sacrament and the mater or Substance of the Sacramente Whiche Substance notwithstandinge that is
peragendam palam edicit attendamus To doo the Holy Eleuation speaketh out alowde let vs be attent and then the Priest saith as he holdeth vp the Sacrament Holy thinges for the Holy Amphilochius of whom mention is made before in the life of S. Basile speakinge of his wonderous Celebratinge the Masse amonge other thinges saith thus Et post finem orationum exaltauit Panem finè intermissione orans dicens Respice Domine Iesu Christe c. And after that he had doone the praiers of Consecration he lifted vp the Breade without ceasing praieing and saieinge looke vpon vs Lorde Iesus Christe c. The same S. Basile meante likewise of the Eleuation and holdinge vp of the Sacrament after the custome of the Occidental Churche in his Booke De Spiritu Sancto where he saith thus Inuocationis verba dum ostenditur Panis Eucharistiae calix benedictionis quis Sanctorum nobis scripto reliquit VVhiche of the Sainctes hath lefte vnto vs in writinge the wordes of Inuocation whiles the Breade of Eucharistia 157 that is to witte the Blessed Sacrament in forme of Bread and the consecrated Chalice is shewed in sight He speaketh there of many thinges that be of greate authoritie and weight in the Churche whiche we haue by tradition onely and cannot be auoutched by holy Scripture Of shewing the holy Mysteries to them that be present in the Sacrifice the olde Doctours make mention not seldome S. Chrysostome declareth the manner of it saieinge that suche as were accompted vnworthy and heynous sinners were put foorth of the Churche whiles the Sacrifice was offered whiles Christ and that Lambe of our Lorde was Sacrificed VVhiche being put out of the Churche then were the Vailes of the Aultar taken away to the intent the holy Mysteries might be shewed in sight doubtelesse to stirre the people to more deuotion reuerence 158 and to the Adoration of Christes Bodie in them present And thus for the Eleuation or holdinge vp of the Sacrament wee haue saide inoughe The B. of Sarisburie H. Hardinge seemeth in parte to disclaime this Article as a mater of smal weight and none of the Principal Keyes of his Religion wherein I see not but I maye safely and easily graunte vnto him addinge notwithstanding thus much withal That the lesse it is the lesse hurte is in it Yet notwithstanding of late daies it was otherwise esteemed and moste seuerely exacted as the thinge wherin stoode their Adoration whiche was the whole price and bewtie of their Masse The prieste was wicked that woulde not vse it The people was wicked that woulde not allowe it Their greatest Doctours haue trauailed painfully to know the cause and signification of this Mysterie and yet cannot finde it Al this notwithstandinge it is nowe confessed to be a smal mater of no greate weight and suche as the Churche may wel spare without hinderance But as M. Hardinge here saithe his Doctrine maye sufficiently be mainteined and stande vprighte without this Ceremonie of Eleuation euen so may wée truely and iustely saye That the Heauenly and infallible Doctrine of the Gospel of Christe maye likewise stande vpright and be mainteined not onely without this Newe Ceremonie but also without their Priuate Masse without their Halfe Communion without their Strange Unknowen Praiers without their Supremacie of Rome without their Transubstantiation and other like Fantasies by them diuised Yet are not they al of that side hitherto fully resolued touchinge their owne Eleuation neither when nor where nor wherfore it first came in vse nor what it meaneth Some of them saye The liftinge vp of the Sacramental Breade signifieth Christes Incarnation Some of them saye It signifieth Christe hanginge vpon the Crosse Some of them That it signifieth the takinge downe of his Bodie from the Crosse Some his Resurrection Some his Ascension into Heauen Some That it signifieth a Sacrifice special aboue al Sacrifices Some others saye That the Prieste lifteth vp the Chalice to signifie That Christe crieing out with a lowde voice gaue vp the Sprite M. Harding saith It is lifted vp doubtlesse to the intente the people may Adoure Thus many and moe Mysteries they haue imagined in one thinge and yet the same as it is confessed no Keye of their Religion Disagréement euermore argueth ignorance S. Augustine saith Si vix aut omnino nunquam inueniri possint causae quas in istis rebus instituendis homines sequuti sunt vbi facultas tribuitur sine vlla dubitatione resecanda existimo If the causes whiche men folowed in diuisinge suche thinges can hardely or neuer be founde I thinke it best when opportunitie and occasion is geuen they be abolisshed and put away without scruple or staggeringe They haue assaied earnestly to prooue this Ceremonie by the warrante of Gods Woorde as if God him selfe had commaunded it Gerardus Lorichius saith Hunc ritum Dauid videtur praeuidisse in Spiritu Dauid seemeth to haue forseene this order in the Sprite And to this purpose he allegeth the Authoritie of Rabbi Iohai whome I maruel M. Harding had forgotten Durandus for the same allegeth the Woordes of Christe Ego si exaltatus fuero à Terra omnia traham ad meipsum If I be once lifted vp from the Earthe I shal drawe al thingès to mee selfe And to spéede the mater the better forewarde Linwoode saithe The Pope hath geuen liberal doale of Pardons And the more to astonne the Simple people Alexander of Hales saithe They haue of them selues inuented and diuised many strange Miracles They haue earnestly and sadly disputed whether the Cuppe shoulde be holden vp open or couered They saye It is a mater of special meede and hable to Confounde Heresies They haue wrested and corrupted the Scriptures and falsified the Rabines for the same M Hardinge also woulde seeme to allege a multitude of Olde Doctours and longe continuance euen from the Apostles time To be shorte they haue holden them for Heretiques and burned them that durst to speake against it Yet nowe in the ende M. Hardinge saithe It is but a smal mater and the reast of their Religion maye welstande without it I woonder he procéedeth not herein with as good courage as in the reast Neither did I sâ—offe hereat as a Lucian as it pleaseth M. Hardinge in his Choler to reporte but reuerently and soberly spake the Truethe euen as in the presence of God It pitied mee to sée Gâ—â—des people so deceiued and that euen by suche as had taken vpon them to be the Fathers and Guiders of the People But O merciful God What Religion maye this be that noman maye touche or truely reporte of it without surmise or suspicion of Scoffinge And where as M. Hardinge as a man somewhat ouermuche subiecte to his Passions saithe further I maye be ashamed to shewe my face emonge learned menne If he meane the learned of his owne side verily it can
then God had appointed him When Dauid of his Deuotion woulde haue builte a Temple vnto God God forbade him by the mouthe of his Prophete Nathan and saide Thou shalt builde me no Temple Afterwarde Salomon set vpon to builde the Temple not when he woulde himselfe but onely when God had so willed him Neither folowed he therein any parte of his owne fantasie but onely that selfe same Plat and Proportion that God had geuen to his Father For so saith Dauid him selfe Al this paterne was sent to mee in writinge by the hande of the Lorde whiche made me vnderstande al the workemanship of the paterne Here marke good Christian Reader In euery of these Examples God hath bridled our Deuotion and hath taught vs to worship him not in such sort as may séeme good in our eies but onely as he hath commaunded vs. Yet can M. Harding by his conninge applie euery of these same Examples to prooue thereby that wée may honour God in suche sorte as wée of our selues can best diuise This was euermore the very roote of al Superstition And therefore almighty God saith My thoughtes be not as your thoughtes nor my waies as your waies VVho euer required these thinges at your handes M. Hardinge woulde fayne in al that he taketh in hande be called Catholique and yet neuerthelesse mainteineth a méere Particular Deuotion onely vsed within this Realme and that onely within these few late yéeres and neuer either vsed or knowen in any other Christian Countrie els and therfore suche as can in no wise be called Catholique But he saith There is now founde one amonge other Monstruous and strange formes c. This I trowe is not that Sobrietie Modestie that was promised at the beginning Suche Eloquence woulde better become some other person then a man professinge Learning grauitie Herein I wil gladly geue place to M. Hardinge It is rather a testimonie of his impatience inordinate Choler then good proufe of the cause Certainely if the Sacrament be bothe God and Man as here I know not how godly it is auouched then is this but a very simple honour for so greate a Maiestie Undoubtedly this is a very strange monstrous Doctrine to tcache the people that Christe being bothe God Man and now Immortal and Glorious may Canker and Putrefie and bréede woormes The time was when who so had vttered such woordes of Blasphemie had béene reckened a Monster emonge the Faithful But this is the iust iudgement of God He geueth men vp into a reprobate minde to turne Goddes Trueth into a Lie and to worship and serue a Creature forsakinge the Creator whiche is God blessed for euer I trust our Doctrine abbridgeth not any parte of Christes Glorie Wee Adoure him as he hath commaunded vs sittinge in Heauen at the Right hande of the Power of God And therefore O M. Hardinge ye haue burnte your brethren and scattered their boanes vpon the face of the Earthe and wrought vpon them what your pleasure was onely bicause they woulde not be traitours vnto God and geue his Glorie vnto a Creature Chrysostome expoundinge the complainte of Laban against Iacob for stealing away of his Goddes writeth thus Quare Deos meos furatus es O excellentem insipientiam Tales sunt Dij tui vt quis eos furari queat Non erubescis dicere Quare furatus es Deos meos Wherefore hast thou stollen away my Goddes O what a passinge Folie is this Be thy Goddes suche ones that a man may steale them And art thou not ashamed to say Wherefore hast thou stollen away my Goddes This mater néedeth no farther application Uerily the thinge that M. Hardinge calleth God and Man may soone be stollen away with Pixe and Canopie and al togeather If Chrysostome were now aliue he woulde say to M. Hardinge as he saide to Laban Art thou not ashamed c. And touching the honouring of Christe he saith Discamus Christum prout ipse vult venerari Honorato nanque iucundissimus est honor quem ipse vult non quem nos putamus Nam Petrus eum honorare putabat cùm sibi pedes eum lauare prohibebat Sed non erat honor quod agebat sed contrarium Let vs learne to honoure Christe as he hath willed vs. For to him that is honoured that honour is most pleasant that he him selfe woulde haue not that wee imagine For Peter thought to honour Christe when he forbade him to washe his feete How be it that was no honour vnto Christe but contrarie wise it was dishonoure To conclude where as M. Harding in the impatience of his heate demaundeth of vs VVith vvhat Face wee can finde faulte with the hanginge vp of the Sacrament vnder a Canopie Wee may easily answeare him thus Euen with the Same Face wherewith Linwoode founde faulte with the same and with the Same Face wherwith al Christendome Englande onely excepted hath euermore refused to doo the same M. Hardinge The .4 Diuision Now concerning this article it selfe if it may be called an article wherein M. Iuel thinketh to haue great aduantage against vs as though nothing coulde be brought for it though it be not one of the greatest Keyes nor of the highest mysteries of our Religion as he reporteth it to be the more to deface it of the Canopâ—e what may be founde I leaue to others neither it forceth greatly But of the hanginge vp of the Sacrament ouer the aultar wee finde plaine mention in S. Basiles life written by Amphilochius that woorthy Bishop of Iconium VVho telleth that S. Basile at his Masse hauing diuided the Sacrament in three partes did put the one into the golden Dooue after whiche forme the Pixe was then commonly made hanging ouer the aultar His wordes be these Imposueâ—unt Columbae aureae pendenti super altare And for further euidence that suche Pyxes made in forme of a Dooue in remembrance of the holy Ghost that appeared like a Dooue were hanged vp ouer the aultar wee finde in the Actes of the General Councel holden at Constantinople that the Cleregie of Antioche accused one Seuerus an Hereâ—ike before Iohn the Patriarke and the Councel there that he had riffled and spoiled the holy Aultars and molted the Consecrated vessels and had made away with some of them to his companions Praesumpsisset etiaÌ„ Columbas aureas argenteas in formaÌ„ Spiritus Sancti super diuina lauachra altaria appensas vna cum alijs sibi appropriare dicens non oportere in specie Columbae Spiritum Sanctum nominare VVhiche is to say that he had presumed also to conuerte to his owne vse beside other thinges the golden and syluern Dooues made to represent the holy Ghost that were hanged vp ouer the holy Fontes and Aultars saieinge that no man ought to speake of the holy Ghost in the shape of a Dooue Neither hath the Sacrament bene kepte in al places and in al times in one maner of
with receiuinge al alone Albeit respecte had to the thinge receiued howe many soeuer receiue it is al of al and al of euery one receiued Concerninge the breakinge of the Sacramente and the diuidinge of it in three partes First it is Broken by the Prieste that we maye knowe our Lorde In fractione Panis In the breakinge of the Breade as the two Disciples acknowledged him to whom Iesus appeared in the day of his Resurrection as they were goynge to Emaus And also that thereby the Passion of Christe maye be represented to our remembrance at whiche his Pretiouse Bodie was for our sinnes broken rente and torne on the Crosse. And this maner was vsed at the Sacrifice in the Apostles time as it is witnessed by Dionysius S. Paules Scholar Opertum Panem Pontifex aperit 183 in frusta concidens c. The Bishoppe saithe he openeth the couered Breade diuidinge it in peeces c. The B. of Sarisburie I maruel M. Hardinge woulde so sclenderly passe this mater ouer for that it is thought to make muche both against his Transubstantiation and also against his Priuate Masse whiche are both Keies and Lockes of his whole Religion For first of al the Breaking it self seemeth to argue that there is very Breade there remaininge to be Broken And albeit as it is reported by Petrus Lombardus Some helde that there is in the Sacrament a very Real Breakinge notwithstandinge there be nothinge there to be Broken Some that the Bodie of Christe it self is there Broken and that verily and in deede without any helpe or shifte of Figure and Some that there is nothinge Broken but onely the Shewes and Accidentes and Some others that there is no manner Breaking there at al notwithstanding vnto our eies and senses there appeare a Breaking Yet the Holy Euangelistes witnesse plainely That Christe tooke Breade and Blissed it and Brake it and S. Paule saith Not the Accidentes of Breade but The Breade that we Breake is the Participation of Christes Bodie And in the primitiue Churche the very Supper of Christe was commonly called the Breakinge not of Accidentes but of Breade And Cyrillus calleth the Broken Portions of the Sacrament Fragmenta Panis Fragmentes or Peeces of Breade Further by this same Ceremonie Gerardus Lorichius one of M. Hardinges Doctours prooueth that euery Masse ought to be Common none Priuate For thus he writeth Diuiditur Hostia vt non solùm ipse Sacerdos Missae officium faciens sed Ministri quoque imò omnis populus astans participet The Hoste is Broken that not onely the Priest that ministreth the Masse but also the Deacons yea and al the people standinge by maie Communicate Likewise saith Durandus In Primitiua c. In the Primitiue Churche the Priest receiued one portion and the Deacons an other and the thirde was ministred to al the People that was present And therefore Dionysius saith as M. Hardinge hath alleged him Pontifex opertum Panem aperit in frusta concâ—dit The Bishop vncouereth the Breade that stoode couered and cutteth it in peeces Here note also by the way Dionysius saith not The Bishop cutteth the Shewes or Accidentes but the Breade in peeces I graunte this Tradition was vsed in the Apostles time but it is vtterly broken and abolished in the Churche of Rome at this time and therefore it standeth M. Hardinge in smal steede onlesse it be to shew the worlde how boldely he his Church haue broken the Traditions Orders of the Primitiue Churche of God Neither is there any manner mention in Dionysius either of the Breakinge in three partes or of any these Mystical Significations Againe the Woords of Dionysius be otherwise then M. Harding reporteth them For he saith not In frusta concâ—dens Diuiding it in peeces which perhappes M. Hardinge woulde haue vs to vnderstande of three but In multa concîdens Cuttinge it in many peeces And to that vse serued a knife whiche as it appeareth by Chrysostomes Liturgie or Communion was called Sacra Lancea For in suche sorte the Breade was cutte in Peeces not that one man might receiue the whole but that it might suffice the Congregation And therefore it is decreed in an epistle that beareth the name of Clement Let so many Hostes or Portions be prouided as may be sufficient for al the people This I say was the cause of this Ceremonie and not as M. Harding vainely Gheasseth To know our Lorde in the Breakinge of Breade M. Hardinge The .2 Diuision Now touchinge the diuidinge of the Sacrament in three partes it may appeare to be a Tradition of the Apostles or otherwise a custome very auncient for as muche as Sergius the Bishoppe of Rome who liued within foure â—core yeeres of the sixe hundred yeeres after Christe that M. Iuel referreth vs vnto wrote of the Mysterie of that Breakinge or Diuidinge the outwarde Forme of Breade and declared the Signification of the same It is no smal argument of the antiquitie of this obseruation that S. Basile as Amphilochius writeth of him diuided the Sacrament in three partes at his Masse as is aboue rehearsed And where as Sergius saith that the portion of the hoste whiche is put into the Chalice betokeneth the Bodie of Christe that is now risen againe and the portion whiche is receiued and eaten sheweth his Bodie yet walking on the earth and that other portion remaininge on the aultar signifieth his Bodie in the Sepulchre what I pray you is there herein that any man should be offended withal I acknowledge that the Mysterie hereof is otherwise of some declared and of al to this ende to put vs in minde of the benefites purchased to vs by Christe in his Bodie The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge of good policie to winne credite fathereth al his Mystical fantasies vpon the Apostles Of Sergius the firste it is written that he diuised the Agnus Dei to be songe at the Breakinge and Distribution of the Mysteries but of the Breakinge of the same in three partes notwithstandinge it be strongely avouched by M. Harding yet of Sergius the first there is written nothinge Indeede Gratian allegeth this Decree in the name of Sergius the Pope but without Date or any manner further addition And therefore it may as wel be Sergius the Seconde that was called Oâ— Porci Or Sergius the Thirde that tooke Formosus his predecessour beinge deade out of the graue and beheaded him and threw out his Carkesse into the Tiber. Therefore this mater for ought that may appeare beareth smal certaintie But let vs graunt that Gratian meante Sergius the first yet was he welneare sâ—euen hundred yeeres after Christe Neither were it any greate inconuenience to say That as he was hable to diuise these Mystical Significations so he was also hable to diuise the number of partes and manner of Breakinge But what greate Mysteries there
rest But for as muche as many either of simplicitie or of the greate reuerence thei beare towardes that Holy Mysterie haue persuaded them selues that Christes woordes touchinge the Institution thereof must of necessitie be taken plainely and as they sounde that is to saie without Figure and for as muche also as S. Augustine saith It is a daungerous mater and a Seruitude of the Soule to take the Signe in steede of the thinge that is Signified Therefore to auoide confusion least the Simple be deceiued taking one thinge for an other I thinke it necessarie in fewe woordes and plainely to touche what the Ancient learned Fathers haue written in this behalf And to passe by that Christ him self saith Doo this in my Remembrance And that S. Paule saith Ye shal declare the Lordes Deathe vntil he come And likewise to passe by a greate many other Circuâ—stances whereby the trueth hereof maie soone appeare The nature and meaninge of a Sacrament of the Olde Fathers is thus defined Sacramentum est Sacrum Signum A Sacrament is a Holy Token Whiche Definition is common and agreeth indifferently to al Sacramentes Therefore S. Augustine saith Signa cùm ad res Diuinas pertinent Sacramenta appellantur Signes when they be applied vnto Godly thinges are called Sacramentes And the cause why Sacramentes are ordeined is this That by meane of suche Uisible and Outwarde thinges we maie be leadde to the consideration of Heauenly thinges Therefore Dionysius saith Non est possibile animo nostro ad immaterialem illam ascendere Coelestium Hierarchiarum contemplationem nisi ea quae secundum ipsum est materialâ— manuductione vtatur It is not possible for our minde to lifte vp it self to the Spiritual contemplation of Heauenly thinges onlesse it haue the Corporal leading of suche natural thinges as be aboute it Likewise againe Nos Imaginibus Sensibilibus quantum fieri potest ad Coelestes contemplationes adducimur By Sensible Images we are leadde as much as may be to Heauenly contemplations And touching this holy Mysterie of Christes Bodie and Bloud the cause of the Institution thereof was as Chrysostome saith to keepe vs stil in Remembrance of Christes greate benefite and of our Saluation Whiche thinge S. Hierome openeth in this sorte Vltimam nobis memoriam reliquit Vt si quis peregrè proficiscens aliquod pignus apud eum quem diligit relinquat vt quoties illud viderit possit eius beneficia amicitiam memorari quod ille si perfectè dilexit non potest videre sine ingenti dolore sine fletu He leafte vnto vs his last Remembrance As if a man goinge a farre iourney leaue a token with his frende to the ende that he seeinge the same may Remember his benefites and his frendeship which token that frende if he loue vnfainedly cannot see without greate motion of his minde and without teares So saithe S. Basile Quid vtilitatis habent haec Verba Nempe vt Edentes Bibentes perpetuò memores simus eius qui pro nobis mortuus est ac Resurrexit VVhat profitte haue these woordes Verily that wee Eatinge and Drinkinge may euermore be mindeful of him that died for vs and rose againe So S. Ambrose Quia morte Domini liberati sumus huins rei memores in Edendo Potando Carnem Sanguinem quae pro nobis oblata sunt Significamus Bicause wee are made free by the Death of our Lorde beinge mindeful thereof in Eatinge and Drinkinge wee Signifie the Fleashe and Bloud that Christe offered for vs. Origen expoundinge these woordes of Christe Onlesse ye Eate the Fleashe of the Sonne of Man c. saith thus Agnoscite Figuras esse quae in Diuinis voluminibus scriptae sunt ideo tanquaÌ„ Spirituales non tanquam Carnales examinate intelligite ea quae dicuntur Nam si quasi Carnales ista suscipitis laedunt vos non alunt Know ye that these be Figures written in the Holy Scriptures and therefore examine and vnderstande ye the thinges that be spoken as men Spiritual and not as Carnal For if ye take these thinges as Carnal men they hurte you and feede you not Tertullian expoundeth Christes woordes in this wise Hoc est Corpus meum hoc est Figura Corporis mei This is my Bodie That is to say This is a Figure of my Bodie S. Ambrose speaking of the Sacrament of Christes Bodie vseth oftentimes these termes a Figure a Similitude a Signe a Token of Christes Bodie S. Augustine biside infinite other places saith Christus adhibuit Iudam ad ConuiuiuÌ„ in quo Corporis sui Figuram Discipulis â—uis commendauit Christe tooke Iudas vnto his Table whereat he gaue vnto his Disciples the Figure of his Bodie And writinge against the Heretique Adimantus he saith Non dubitauit Dominus Dicere Hoc est Corpus meum cùm daret Signum Corporis sui Our Lorde doubted not to say This is my Bodie when he gaue a Token of his Bodie So Chrysostome Si mortuus Christus non est cuius Symbolum ac SignuÌ„ hoc Sacramentum est If Christe died not whose Signe and whose Token is this Sacrament So S. Hierome In Typo Sanguinis sui non obtulit Aquam sed Vinum In token of his Bloude he offered not Water but Wine I leaue other like Authorities welneare infinite These fewe maie suffice for a taste This was the Olde Fathers manner of writinge neither was there any man then that euer controlled them therefore or called them Figurers M. Hardinge The .2 Diuision For the Better vnderstandinge of suche places where these termes are vsed in the mater of the Sacrament the Doctrine of S. Augustine In Sententijs Prosperi maye serue very wel which is thus Hoc est quod dicimus quod omnibus modis approbare contendimus Sacrificium Ecclesiae doubus confici duobus constare visibili Elementorum Specie inuisibili Domini nostri Iesu Christi Carne Sanguine Sacramento id est externo Sacro Signo re Sacramenti id est Corpore Christi c. This is that we saye saithe he whiche by al meanes we goe aboute to proue that the Sacrifice of the Churche is made of two thinges and consisteth of two thinges of the visible shape of the elementes whiche are Breade and VVine and the inuisible Fleashe and bloude of our Lorde Iesus Christe Of the Sacrament that is the outwarde Signe and the thinge of the Sacrament to witte of the Bodie of Christe c. By this we vnderstande that this woorde Sacrament is of the Fathers two waies taken First for the whole Substance of the Sacramente as it consisteth of the outwarde Formes and also withal of the very Bodie of Christe verily presente as S. Augustine saithe the Sacrifice of the Churche to consist 186 of these two Secondly it is taken so as it is distincte from that hidden and diuine
morninge neither at high Masse there Shal al suche in a Terme or Parlement time when greate resorte is be denied that spiritual conforte And if they be shal they not seeme reiected and put from their deuotion VVhich inconuenience that it might not happen Leo willeth not onely twoo but three foure or moe Masses to be doone on a day for his wordes reporte no lesse Cùm plenum pietatis atque rationis sit vt quoties Basilicam in qua agitur praesentia nouae plebis impleuerit toties Sacrificium subsequens offeratur Let there be no stickinge at the iteratinge of the Masse for as muche as saithe he it is a thinge ful of godlinesse and reason that how often the Churche where the seruice is doone is filled with a new companie of people so often the Sacrifice there eftsoones be offered Here he willeth plainely that Masse be doone Toties quoties at euery new resorte of the wel disposed people and that for these weightie causes least parte of the people shoulde seeme not receiued and that they be not defrauded of their deuotion The B. of Sarisburie I marueile with what honest countenance M. Hardinge coulde allege this godly Father so vnaduisedly to prooue his Masse For he knoweth wel and being learned cannot choose but know that Leo bothe elswhere in al other places and also specially in this same place beareth witnesse directly against his Masse But as Alcumistes professe a skil to turne al manner Metalles into Golde so these men seeme to haue learned a skil to transubstantiate and to turne al thinges what so euer into their Masse It is euident by S. Augustine and S. Hierome that liued not longe before Leo that then in Rome where Leo was Bishop the whole people receiued the Holy Communion euery day Whiche Communion Leo calleth Missa by a Latine woorde then newly receiued in the Latine Churche In which Churche like as also in the Churche of Graecia and Asia there was onely one such Masse or Communion saide vpon one day onlesse it had otherwise beene thought necessary vpon occasion of the multitude of Communicantes vntil the time of Pope Deusdedit whiche was in the yeere of our Lorde six hundred and fifteene as it shal appeare in the nexte diuision of this Article Uerily in these woordes of Leo there appeareth no manner token neither of Priuate Masse nor of Sole Receiuinge nor of Single Communion nor of sundrie Aultars nor of moe Pristes then one in one Churche And notwithstandinge these woordes of Leo be plaine yenough of them selfe yet by conference and sight of other places wee may the better be assuered of his meaning In the Councel holden at Agatha in the time of Coelestinus the first whiche was aboute the yeere of our Lorde foure hundred and fourtie it was decreed thus In Paschate Natali Domini Epiphania Ascensione Pentecoste Natali S. Iohannis Baptistae si qui maximi dies in Festiuitatibus habeÌ„tur non nisi in Ciuitatibus aut Parochijs Missas reneaÌ„t Vpon Easter day the day of our Lordes Birthe the Epiphanie the Ascension Witsonneday the Natiuitie of S. Iohn Baptist and likewise vpon other greate Solemne Feastes let the countrie people holde their Masses or Communions no where els but onely either in greate parisshes or in the Citties The like Decrée was made in the Councel of Aruerâ—e That al Countrie Priestes and al wealthy and chiefe Citizens should vpon solemne Feastes resorte to the Citties and Communicate togeather with their Bishoppes Upon suche Solemne Daies the resorte oftentimes was so greate that the Churche was not hable to receiue the whole companie Therefore order was taken and that agréeable to natural courtesie to the intent no parte should be excluded from the Holy Mysteries that the whole people shoulde come in partes in suche wise as the Churche might easily receiue them and that to that ende it should be lawful for the Priest to Minister the Communion twise or oftener vpon one day Upon like occasion to increase the number of M. Hardinges witnesses S. Augustine saith the Communion in some places was twise saide in his time Thus he writeth In quibusdam locis vbi maior frequentior est populus Dei Quinta Sabbati Hebdomadae vltimae Quadragesimae bis offertur mane ad vesperam alijs autem in locis ad finem tantùm diei mos est offerri In certaine places where as the resorte of people is greater vpon Shyre thursday the Oblation is twise made first in the morninge and after towardes night but in other places where as the people is not so greate the same oblation is made onely before night And this M. Hardinge cannot denie S. Augustine speaketh of the Communion and not of the Masse To the same ende S. Gregorie ministred the holy Communion at three sundrie times vpon Christmasse daye Thus vpon occasion of greate resorte the Masse or Communion that day was twise or thrise or oftener saide not that the people shoulde heare Masse as M. Hardinge witingly mistaketh it but that the whole people might Communicate Whiche thinge of late yeeres bicause through disuse they knew not what it meante they turned it onely to a fantastical Mysterie that the First Masse signified the time of ignorance before the Law the Seconde the time in the Law the Thirde the time of Grace Thus hast thou good Christian Reader this learned Fathers vndoubted meaninge confirmed plainely bothe by the knowen storie and Circumstance of that time as may appeare by the twoo Councelles of Aruerne and Agatha and also by the euident witnesse of S. Augustine and S. Gregorie Now let vs sée what large Commentaries and Coniectural Gheasses M. Hardinge hath here diuised to transforme the Holy Communion into his Priuate Masse First he saithe The greate Vntuersal Councel of Chalcedon offered the Title of Vniuersal Bishop vnto this Leo beinge then the Bishop of Rome This note is bothe impertinent to the cause and also woorthily suspected of greate vntrueth For that greate Councel is extant whole and perfit and yet in the same no suche Canon or Title to be founde Onely Gregorie reportetâ— it but the same Gregorie reporteth further withal that Leo woulde neuer suffer him selfe to be called the Uniuersal Bishop and saith It was a Proude and a Glorious Title and meete for Antichriste Where as Leo saithe The aftercommers should seeme reiected he meaneth from the receiuinge of the Holy Communion and not as M. Hardinge imagineth from the hearinge of Masse And here wée haue by the way specially to note these woordes of Leo Sacrificium offerre non possunt By whiche woordes Leo teacheth vs plainely that the Sacrifice whereof M. Hardinge maketh so greate accoumpte is offered no lesse by the People then by the Priest And where as M. Hardinge noteth further that this Latine woorde Iteretur may stande as wel with three or foure or moe Masses as with twoo
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
obseruinge of the Gospel and for the keepinge of the Feaste of the true and firme Easter and for thy reuerent and pure Image whiche thy holy Apostles haue leafte to me by Tradition to haue and keepe for a representation of thine Incarnation Then quod our Lorde if this be the mater for whiche thou arte inuaded and set against be not dismaied be of good comforte in harte and minde being assured hereof that who so denieth Easter or my cleane Image I shal deny him before my heauenly Father and his chosen Angels And he that suffereth persecution with me for keepinge of Easter the same shal also be glorified with me Hast not thou heard what I commaunded Moyses the Lawgeuer to doo Make me saide I twoo Cherubins iâ— the Tabernacle of the Testimony to be a prefiguration or foretokening of my Image c. The B. of Sarisburie I trowe This good Olde Monumente of Antiquitie hath laine longe in the dust at Uerona with M. Hardinges Amphilochius The Churche piteously bemoaneth her selfe vnto Christe that she is soare persecuted and vexed for his Image Christe to comforte her with al saith Who so denieth mine Image shal be denied before my Father In the ende he confirmeth the vse of suche Images by the Example of the Cherubines Here M. Hardinge to increase some credite to his new Doctour shoulde haue shewed vs when the Churche was thus vexed for hauinge the Image of Christe and whoo vexed her and what kinde of vexation it was and how longe it continewed and in what countrie and when it ceassed The Churche is builte vpon a Mounte her Persequutions cannot be hidden If she euer were thus vexed for hauinge of Images I meane before the time of Athanasius it must néedes appeare If neuer then was she a very Wanton thus to complaine without cause If these threates be true that who so denieth the grauen or painted Image of Christe shal be denied before God the Father then must Epiphanius the Bishop of Cyprus and Serenus the Bishop of Massilia both Godly and Zelous Bishops and a greate number of other godly Learned Fathers that rente brake downe and defaced Christes Images be vtterly denied before God To be shorte to say that God commaunded Moyses to make the golden Cherubines purposely to be Figures of these Images of Wood or Stoane it is a very Fabulous and a Childish fantasie without any grounde how be it good yenough to mainteine and colour a Childishe Doctrine Notwithstanding if there be any weight either in this hidden Athanasius or in his sayeinges then may wee wel coniecture that he vseth this Worde Image in this place not for any suche material forme painted or grauen by mans hande but for the whole Conuersation of the Sonne of God in this mortal life whiche is as muche as Verbum Caro factum est The woorde became Fleashe and is expressed and set foorthe as an Image before our eies in the whole Doctrine and Policie of the Churche as the déepest grounde and very fundation of the Christian Faithe And thus S. Paule saithe Christus est Imago patris Christe is the Image of the Father Otherwise God is Inuisible S. Iohn saithe Noman euer saw God But the Sonne that is in the Fathers bosome he hath reueled the Fathers wil. In his conuersation in the Fleashe as in an Image wee beholde God the Father So in the booke of the Apocalyps Imago bestiae The Image of the Beast is called not any material Image Painted or Grauen but the Doctrine the Seduction the Errours the Lies the Blasphemies the Idolatrie and the whole Conuersation of Antichriste So S. Basile saith Christe called his Fleashe and Bloud the whole Mystical Doctrine of his Gospel whiche he published in his dispensation in the Fleashe So S. Augustine séemeth to saye Eius Passionis Imaginem in Ecclesia Celebrandam dedit He gaue the Image of his Passion to be frequented in the Churche And Pachymeres the Gréeke Paraphrast expoundeth this woorde Imago thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He calleth Pictures the Images or inwarde and deepe considerations of our Mysteries For this Image of Christe the Churche of God was often persecuted This Image as some of the Olde Fathers saye was represented and figured by the Cherubines and vndoubtedly who so euer denieth this Image Christe shal denie him before God his Father This Exposition is agréeable bothe to the tenour of Goddes Woorde and also to the storie of the Time and therefore wée may safely iudge if this were Athanasius in déede that this was his very meaninge Otherwise the common and knowen Athanasius that is extant and abroade writeth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The inueÌ„tion of Images is of il and not of good And the thinge that hath an il beginning can neuer be iudged good in any thinge as beinge in al respectes and altogeather il This is this holy Fathers moste cleare iudgement not cast vp in corners and hidden in the dust but open to the eies and sight of al the Worlde M. Hardinge The .9 Diuision Of al the Fathers none hathe a plainer testimonie bothe for the vse and also for the woorshippinge of Images then S. Basile whose auctoritie for learninge wisedome and holinesse of life beside antiquitie is so weightie in the iudgemente of al men that al our Newe Maisters laied in balance against him shal be founde lighter then any feather Touchinge this mater makinge a confession of his faithe in an Epistle inueighinge against Iulian the renegate he saithe thus Euen as we haue receiued our Christian and pure Faithe of God as it were by right of heritage right so I make my confession thereof to him and therein I abide I beleeue in one god father almightie God the Father God the Sonne God the Holy Ghoste One God in substance and these three in personnes I adore and glorifie I confesse also the Sonnes Incarnation Then afterwarde S. Mary who accordinge to the Fleashe brought him foorthe callinge her Deiparam I reuerence also the holy Apostles Prophetes and Martyrs whiche make supplication to God for me that by their mediation our moste benigne God be merciful vnto me and graunte me freely remission of my sinnes Then this foloweth Quam ob causam historias imaginum illorum honoro palam adoro hoc enim nobis traditum à Sanctis Apostolis non est prohibendum sed in omnibus Ecclesijs nostris eorum Historias erigimus For the whiche cause I doo bothe honour the stories of their Images and openly Adâ—â—re them For this beinge deliuered vnto vs of the holy Apostles by tradition is not to be forbidden And therefore we set vp in al our Churches their stories Lo M. Iuel here you see a sufficient testimonie that Images were set vp in the Churches longe before the ende of your sixe hundred yeeres and that they were honoured and woorshipped not onely of the simple Christian people but of Bishop
verily it hathe alwaies beene thought that painters haue had no lesse grace then either Oratours or Poetes VVho listeth to see examples hereof he maye peruse the seconde Nicene Councel where he shal finde amonge other moste notable thinges concerninge this pointe one of S. Euphemia the Martyr an other of Abraham sacrificinge his Sonne Isaac woorthy of euerlastinge memorie that of Asterius the holy Bishop this of Gregorie Nyssene very elegantly described Virgil maketh Aeneas to weepe to hope for better fortune to gather courage of minde to take good aduise and order for redresse and helpe of his greate calamities by occasion of beholdinge a Painters woorke at Carthago wherein the battaile of Troye was expressed VVhiche that wise Poete woulde not haue doone were it not that Pictures haue greate force to moue mennes hartes Ouide likewise in the Epistle of Laodamia to Protesilaus hir husbande beinge foorth at warres maketh hir so to write of his Image whiche she had caused to be made of waxe for hir comforte in his absence as it maye wel appeare that Images haue a meruailouse power to stirre vehement affectes and to represente thinges absent as though in manner they were presente in the mindes of the beholders Amonge al other examples for this purpose that seemeth to me most notable whiche Appianus writeth of C. Iulius Caesar li. 2. De bellis ciuilibus After that Caesar had beene murdered of the Senatours in the Councel house one of his frendes to shewe the crueltie of the facte to the people laied Caesars bedde in the open markette place and tooke foorth of it his Image made of waxe whiche represented three and twentie woundes after a beastly sorte stabde into his face and al the rest of his bodie yet gapinge and as it were freshe bleedinge VVith whiche shewe he stirred the people to more wrathe and rage then he coulde haue doone with any oration or gesture whiche was declared foorthwith For as soone as the people sawe it not hable to beare their griefe nor staye their furie any lenger they wrought greate and strange cruelties againste them that were founde to haue committed that murder The thirde cause why Images haue beene set vp in Churches is the keepinge of thinges in memory necessary to our saluation For when we cast our cies on them our memorie whiche otherwise is fraile and weake gathereth togeather and imbraceth the benefites and merites of our Sauiour Christe and the vertuouse examples of Sainctes whiche we ought to folowe that if we be suche as they were we maye by Goddes grace through Christe attaine the blisse they be in and with them enioye life euerlastinge And verily they that haue Images in regarde and reuerence must be so minded as they beholde not onely the thinges by them represented but also perfourme the same in deede with most diligent imitation The B. of Sarisburie Touchinge the Seconde commoditie of Images whiche is the mouinge and sturringe of the minde M. Harding is faine to pray ayde of the Heathenish Poetes Uergile and Ouide not the meetest Authorities for a Doctour of Diuinitie and for proufe hereof to bring in their idle fables with an olde profane storie of Appiā Therefore he séemeth now to drawe very déepe and not farre from the lies I marueile he had forgotten the yonge man in Eunuchus who for that he sawe Iuppiter painted in a Table was streightway thorowly mooued and emboldened to his youthful purpose I graunte Images doo oftentimes vehemently moue the minde diuersly to sundrie affectiōs And I recken him a blinde man that wil holde the contrary Salust saithe Quintus Maximus and Publius Scipio when so euer they behelde their Ancesters Images were by and by inflamed with nobilitie of courage to auance them selues to like aduentures But euery thinge that may delite or mooue the minde is not therefore meete for the Churche of God Goddes house is a house of praier and not of gasinge And to answeare one profane storie by an other the Olde Lacedaemonians woulde not suffer any Image or Picture to stande in their Councel house least the Senatours mindes by meane thereof shoulde be drawen from that they had in hande to other fantasies Certainely the wise man saithe Aspectus Imaginis dat insipienti concupiscentiam The sighte of an Image in the vnwise sturreth vp concupiscence The thirde commoditie touchinge Remembrance is like the first And therfore is already answeared M. Hardinge The .12 Diuision And nowe we are come to declare howe Images maye be woorshipped and honoured without any offence That Godly woorship whiche consisteth in Spirite and Trueth in wardely and is declared by signes outwardly in recognizinge the Supreme dominion whiche properly of the Diuines is called Latria is deferred onely to the Blessed Trinitie As for the Holy Images to them we doo not attribute that woorship at al but an inferiour reuerence or Adoration for so it is named whiche is nothinge elles but a recognizinge of some vertue or excellencie protested by outwarde signe as reuerent kissinge boowinge downe kneelinge and suche the like honour VVhiche kinde of Adoration or woorship we finde in the Scriptures oftentimes geuen to creatures The whole acte whereof is not withstanding referred not to the Images principally but to the thinges by them represented as beinge the true and proper obiectes of suche woorship For although the honour of an Image passeth ouer to the original or firste samplar whiche the learned calle Archetypum as S. Basile teacheth Yet that highe woorship called Latria belongeth onely to the blessed Trinitie and not to the reuerent Images least we should seeme to be woorshippers of creatures and of maters as of Golde Siluer Stoanes VVoodde and of such other the like thinges For we adoure not Images as God saith Athanasius neither in them doo we put hope of our Saluation ne to them doo we geue Godly seruice or woorship for so did the Gentiles but by suche adoration or reuerence we declare onely a certaine affection and loue whiche we beare towarde the originalles And therfore if it happen their Figure and shape to be defaced and vndoone we let not to burne the stockes as very woode and beinge of other stuffe to conuert the same to any vse it maye best serue for S. Gregorie praisinge muche one Secundinus for that he desired the Image of our Sauiour to be sente vnto him to the intent by hauinge his Image before his eies he might the more be stirred to loue him in his hart After a fewe woordes vttered in this sense he saithe further VVe knowe thou demaundest not the Image of our Sauiour to the intent to woorship it as God But for the remembrance of the Sonne of God that thou mightest be enkendled with the loue of him whose Image thou desirest to beholde And verily we fal not downe before it as before God But we adoure and woorship him whom through occasion of the Image we
shadowes of him selfe and fighteth stowtely against the same Therefore he maie soone attaine the Uictorie For wee saie not that the common people of al sortes and degrees ought of necessitie to reade al the holy Scriptures This is onely M. Hardinges fantasie We saie it not We knowe some are blinde and many vnlearned cannot reade But thus we saie That in the Primitiue Churche who so euer woulde and could reade might lawfully reade without controlmente Therefore S. Augustine saith as it is before alleged Aut ipsi legite aut alios legentes requirite Either reade your selues or geate some other to reade vnto yowe I graunt at the first preachinge and publishinge of the Gospel certaine Barbarous Nations that receiued the Faithe of Christe had neither Bookes nor Letters Yet were they not therefore ignorant or leafte at large to beléeue they knewe not what They had then certaine officers in the Churche whiche were called Catechistae whose dutie was continually and at al times to teache the Principles of the Faithe not by Booke but by Mouthe Of these mention is made in the Actes of the Apostles in the Councel of Nice and els where This office bare Origen that Ancient learned Father This doctrine Dionysius calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oracles or Instructions geuen from God And saithe They paste from one to an other not by Writinge but by Mouthe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from minde to minde Neither did these Traditions conteine any secrete or priuie Instructions or Inuentions of Men as it is imagined by some but the very selfe same Doctrine that was conteined written in the Scriptures of God And in this sorte the Gospel it selfe and the whole Religion of Christe was called a Tradition So Tertullian calleth the Articles of the Faithe An Olde Tradition So the Faithe of the Holy Trinitie in the Councel of Constantinople is called a Tradition And the Faithe of twoo sundrie Natures in Christe in the same Councel is called Apostolorum viua Traditio The Liuely Tradition of the Apostles So it is written in Socrates Credimus in vnum Deum Patrem secundum Euangelicam Apostolicam TraditioneÌ„ Wee beleeue in one God the Father accordinge to the Tradition of the Gospel and of the Apostles So S. Basile calleth it a Tradition To beleeue in the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghoste Therefore S. Paule saithe Teneâ—e Traditiones quas accepistis siue per Sermonem siue per Epistolam Keepe the Traditions that ye haue receiued either by Mouthe or els by Letter By these woordes the Doctrine of the Apostles is called a Tradition And for this cause S. Cyprian saithe Vnde est ista Traditio An de Dominica Euangelica Veritate descendens an de Apostolorum MaÌ„datis atque Literis veniens From whence is this Tradition whether cometh it from our Lorde and from his Gospel or els from the Epistles and Commaundementes of the Apostles Thus were the Barbarous Nations instructed by Tradition and by Mouthe and were made perfite in euery pointe and parcel of the Faithe and as Irenaeus saithe Had their Saluation by the Holy Ghost written in their Hartes and were as muche bounden vnto the same as vnto any writinges and letters of the Apostles Of suche liuely and cleare Doctrine S. Paule saithe Christe was set out and Crucified before the â—ies of the Galathians And thereof he saithe to the Philippiens My praier is that your Charitie may yet more and more abounde in al knowlege and in al vnderstandinge And thus notwithstandinge they were Barbarous yet were they hable to render an accoumpte of al the Religion and Faithe in Christe For thus Irenaeus writeth of them Si quis illis annuntiaret ea quae ab istis Haereticis inuenta sunt statim clauderent aures Yf any man woulde shewe these Barbarous Nations what thinges these Heâ—etiques haue inuented they woulde stoppe their eares and not abide it Likewise if a man woulde shewe them of the Profanation of Christes Holy Mysteries of Transubstantiation of Real and Fleashely Presence and of other like horrible disorders that nowe are holden and defended in the Churche of Rome as Irenaeus saithe Fugerent longo longiùs ne audire quidem sustinentes blasphemum colloquium They woulde flee away as farre as they were hable and would not abide the hearinge of suche blasphemous talke Thus were these Nations sufficiently instructed notwithstanding they were Barbarous and wanted Bookes But they of M. Hardinges side neither wil teache the people as their dutie is nor suffer them to reade the Holy Scriptures and to teache them selues Christe may iustly say to them as he did sometimes vnto others the like Woe be vnto you ye Scribes and Phariseis Ye shutte vp the Kingedome of Heauen before men and neither doo ye enter your selues nor suffer others that would enter Of suche Irenaeus speaketh in the nexte Chapter folowinge Hoc non est sanantium nec viuificantium sed magis grauantium augentium ignorantiam Et multò verior hic Lex inuenitur Maledictum dicens omnem qui in errorem mittit Coecum in via This is not the parte of them that would heale or gâ—ue life but rather of them that augment the burthen and increase ignorance And herein is the Lawe wel verified Accursed is he that leadeth the blinde out of his way M. Hardinge The .5 Diuision That it is not conuenient nor seemely al sortes of persons without exception to be admitted to the readinge of the Holy Scriptures I neede to say nothinge Euery reasonable man may easely vnderstande the causes by him selfe This is certaine diuerse Chapters and stories of the Olde Testament conteine such matter as occasion of euil thoughtes is like to be geuen if VVomen Maidens and Younge men be permitted to reade them Gregorie Nazianzene whome the Greekes called the diuine saith mooued with great considerations that it is not the parte of al persons to reason of God and of godly thinges neither behooueful the same be done in al times and place nor that al thinges touchinge God be medled withal VVhiche aduertisement taketh no place where al be admitted to the curiouse readinge of the Scriptures in their owne vulgare Tongue The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge saithe It is not conuenient nor seemely that al the people shoulde reade the Holy Scriptures As if he woulde say in plainer wise It is not meete nor seemely that God shoulde speake vnto euery of the poore simple people without exception How be it God him selfe saithe not so but rather the contrary S. Augustine saithe as it is alleged before God speaketh as a familiar frende vnto the harte bothe of the learned and also of the vnlearned For he hath no acceptation or choise of personnes If it be not seemely for the people of God to reade and
Ignorance Chrysostoms saithe Magna aduersus peccatum munitio est Scripturarum Lectio Magnum Praecipitium profundum barathrum Scripturarum ignoratio nihil scire de Diuinis Legibus magna Salutis perditio Ea res haereses peperit vitam corruptam inuexit hoc sursum deorsum miscuit omnia The readinge of the Scriptures is a greate fense against sinne And the Ignorance of the Scriptures is a dangerous downefal and a great Dungeon To know nothinge of Goddes Lawes is the losse of Saluation Ignorance hath brought in Heresies and vitious life Ignorance hath turned al thinges vpsydowne Therefore the Apostles of Christe and al other godly Fathers haue euermore incourraged the people to reade the Scriptures and euermore thought the Churche of God to be in best case when the people was best instructed S. Paule saith Let the Woorde of God dwelle abundantly emongest yowe Polycarpus saithe to the people Confido vos bene exercitatos esse in Sacris Literis My trust is that ye be wel instructed in the Holy Scriptures Origen saith vnto his people Geue your diligence not onely to heare Goddes Woorde in the Churche but also to be excercised in the same in youre houses at home and daye and night to be studious in the lawe of the Lorde S. Augustine saith Reade ye the Holy Scriptures For to that ende God woulde haue them written that we might receiue comforte by them S. Hierome saithe as it is alleged before Laici non tantùm sufficienter sed etiam abundanter Verbum Dei habere debent se inuicem docere The Laye People ought to haue the Woorde of God not onely sufficiently but also abundantly and to instructe one an other S. Chrysostome willeth the Father with his Childe and the Husbande with his Wife at home in his house to talke and reason of the Woorde of God Theodoretus writeth thus Passim videas haec nostratia dogmata c. Ye maie commonly see that not onely the Teachers of the People and Rulers of the Churches but also Tailers Smithes and Clothe woorkers and other Artificers doo vnderstande the Principles of our Religion And further that not onely learned wemenne yf there be any suche but also suche Wemenne as liue by their laboure and Sewsters and Maide seruantes but also Husbandmenne and Ditchers and Heardmenne and Graffers canne reason of the Holy Trinitie and of the Creation of the worlde and of the Nature of mankinde a greate deale more skilfully then either Plato or Aristotle was euer hable to doo Therefore Origen saithe vnto his hearers of the Laye People Me dicente quod sentio vos decernite examinate si quid rectum est aut minùs rectum While I speake that I thinke meete examine and iudge yow whether it be wel or otherwise Thus in olde times the Uulgare People and suche as M. Hardinge calleth Swine Rude and Rasshe people and Curious Busie Bodies were hable not onely to vnderstande the Scriptures but also to iudge of their preachers And therefore the wicked Renegate Emperoure Iulianus reprooued the Christians euen as M. Hardinge nowe dooth vs for that they suffered their Wemen and Children to reade the Scriptures But the Enimies of Goddes Trueth for feare and conscience of their weakenes haue euermore vsed violently to take awaie the Woorde of God not onely from wemen and Children but also from al the whole people Chrysostome saithe Haeretici Sacerdotesâ—claudunt ianuas Veritatis Sciunt enim si manifestata fuerit Veritas Ecclesiam suam esse relinquendam se de Sacerdotali dignitate ad humilitatem venturos popularem Heretique priestes shutte vp the gates of the Trueth For they knowe that yf the Trueth once appeare they must needes leaue their Churche and from the dignitie of their Priesthoode come downe to the state of other people For Tertullian saithe Scriptura Diuina HaereticoruÌ„ fraudes furta facilè conuincit detegit The Holy Scripture wil easily bewraye and confounde the guiles and theaftes of Heretiques Christe saithe He that dooth yl hateth the Light And therefore they saie as it is written in the Prophete Amos Tace ne recorderis nominis Domini Holde thy peace and neuer thinke vpon the name of the Lorde But miserable is that Religion that cannot stande without hidinge and suppressinge of the Trueth of God FINIS THE XVI ARTICLE OF CONSECRATION VNDER SILENCE The B. of Sarisburie Or that it was then lawful for the Priest to pronounce the woordes of Consecration Closely and in Silence vnto him selfe M. Hardinge The .1 Diuision The mater of this Article is neither one of the higheste Mysteries nor one of the Greatest Keies of our Religion howe so euer M. Iuel pleaseth him selfe with that reporte thinkinge therby to impaire the estimation of the Catholique Churche The diuersitie of obseruation in this behalfe sheweth the indifferencie of the thinge For elles if one manner of pronouncinge the woordes of Consecration had beene thought a necessary pointe of Religion it had beene euerywhere vniforme and inuariable That the Breade and VVine be Consecrated by the woordes of our Lorde pronounced by the priest as in the personne of Christe by vertue of the whiche through the grace of the Holy Ghoste the Breade and VVine are Chaunged into our Lordes Bodie and Bloude 213 this thinge hathe in al times and in al places and with consente of al inuariably beene doonne and so beleeued But the maner of pronouncinge the woordes concerninge Silence or open vtterance accordinge to diuersitie of places hath beene diuerse The B. of Sarisburie This saithe M. Hardinge is but a smal Keye of our Religion Whiche thinge may very wel appeare bothe otherwise and also by the smal weight and sclendernes of his proufes How be it in cases of Religion and in the Seruice of God nothinge ought to be iudged smal specially that may deceiuâ— the people Uerily how smal so euer they wil now haue this keie to séeme as it hath béene heretofore cause of no smal Superstition so it hath shutte out Goddes people from the sight and vnderstandinge of our greatest Mysteries Certaine it is That the Religion of Christ may wel stande without this kinde of Mystical Silence as it may also without TraÌ„substantiation or Priuate Masse or any other their like fantasies But if the mater be so smal wherefore doothe M. Hardinge take so greate paines to prooue it and that by so greate vntruethes and so manifest Fables Wherefore are they not ashamed to say that Christe him selfe at his Laste Supper Consecrated in Silence and Secresie and that in like order and forme as they doo nowe Or how durste the Byshoppes in this present Councel of Tridente so solemnely to abanne and accurse al them that dare to finde faulte with the same So smal a mater as this is now supposed to be should neuer néede so greate a doo But whether these woordes be
Sacrifice is a Thankesgeuâ—nge and a Remembrance of the Fleashe of Christe whiche he hath offered for vs. Likewise Eusebius saithe Christe after al other thinges donne made a marueilous Oblation and a passinge Sacrifice vnto his Father vpon his Crosse for the Saluation of vs al geuinge vnto vs to offer continually vnto God a Remembrance in steede of a Sacrifice So Nazianzenus calleth the Holy Communion A Figure of that greate Mysterie of the Deathe of Christe This it is that Eusebius calleth The Sacrifice of the Lordes Table Whiche also he calleth Sacrificium Laudis The Sacrifice of Praise But Eusebius saithe further This Sacrifice is dreadful and causeth the harte to quake M. Hardinge may not wel geather by any force of these woordes that the Sonne of God is Really offered vp by the Prieste vnto his Father For al thinges what so euer that put vs in remembrance of the Maiestie and Iudgementes of God of the Holy Fathers are called Dreadful Saincte Cyril saithe Lectio Diuinarum Terribilium Scripturarum The readinge of the Diuine and Terrible Scriptures S. Chrysostome calleth the woordes of Baptisme Verba arcana metuenda horribiles Canones dogmatum de Coelo transmissorum The Secrete and Dreadful woordes and Terrible Rules of the Doctrine that came from Heauen And speakinge of the Hande and Uoice of the Deacon he saith thus Manu illa Tremenda continua Voce clamans alios vocat alios arcet With that Terrible Hande and continual Voice crieinge somme he calleth in and somme he putteth of This Sacrifice maketh the Harte to tremble for that therein is laide foorthe the Mysterie that was â—idden from Worlds and Generations The horrour of Sinne The Deathe of the Sonne of God That he tooke our heauinesse and bare our sorowes and was wounded for our offenses and was Rente and Tormented for our Wickednesse That he was carried like an innocent Lambe vnto the Slaughter that he cried vnto his Father O God O my God why haste thou thus forsaken mee There wee cal to Remembrance al the Causes and Circumstances of Christes Deathe The Shame of the Crosse The Darkeninge of the Aire The Shakinge of the Earthe The rentinge of the Uele The cleauinge of the Rockes The opening of the Graues The Descendinge into Hel and the Conqueringe of the Diuel Therfore Chrysostome saith Quamuis quis lapis effet illa nocte audita quomodò cum Discipulis tristis fuerit quomodò traditus quomodò ligatus quomodò abductus quomodò iudicatus quomodò denique Omnia Passus cera mollior fiet terraÌ„ omnem terrae cogitationem abijciet Any man hearinge of the order of that night how Christe was moorneful emonge his Disciples how he was deliuered howe he was bounde howe he was leadde away howe he was arreigned and howe meekely he suffered al that was donne vnto him were he as harde as a Stoane yet woulde he be as safte as Waxe and woulde throwe bothe the Earthe and al Earthely Cogitations away from him Thus saithe Nicolaus Cabasilas one of Maister Hardinges late Gréeke Doctours Hoc facite in meam Commemorationem Sed quaenam est haec Commemoratio c. Doo yee this in Remembrance of mee But what is this Remembrance Howe doo wee consider Our Lorde in the Holy Ministration What doo wee conceiue him dooinge Howe dealinge what sufferinge what thinke wee what speake wee of him Doo wee imagin of him in that time of the Holy Mysteries that he healed the Blinde That he raised the Deade That he staied the Windes Or that with a fewe loaues he fead thousandes whiche are tokens that he was God Omnipotente No not so But rather wee cal to remembrance suche thinges as declared his weakenesse his Crosse his Passion his Deathe In respecte of those thinges he saide Doo yee this in my Remembrance The Prieste bothe by his woordes and also by the whole Circumstance of his dooinge seemeth to say Thus Christe came to his Passion Thus he vvas vvounded in the side Thus he died Thus Bloude and VVater issued and streamed from his vvounde These Considerations thus laide before our eies are hable to cause any godly harte to quake and tremble As for the Real offeringe vp of Christe in Sacrifice that learned Father Eusebius saith nothing Uerily it is but a simple Sophisme to say This Sacrifice is Dreadeful and causeth vs to quake Ergo The Prieste offereth vp the Sonne of God vnto his Father M. Hardinge The .6 Diuision That Christe Sacrificed him selfe at his Supper Hesychius affirmeth with these woordes Quod DnÌ„s iussit Leuit. 4. vt Sacerdos virulum pro peccato Oblaturus ponat manuÌ„ super capuâ— eius iugulet eum coram Domino Christum â—ignificat quem nemo obtulit sed nec immolare poterat nisi semetipsum ipse ad patiendum tradidisset Propter quod non solùm dicebat Potestatem habeo ponendi animam meam potestatem habeo iterum sumendi eam sed praeuâ—niens semetipsum in Coena Apostolorum immolauit quod sciunt qui Mysteriorum percipiunt virtutem That our Lorde commaunded saithe he the Priest whiche shoulde offer a calfe for sinne to put his hande vpon his heade and to sticke him before our Lorde it signifieth Christe whom noman hath offered neither coulde any man Sacrifice him excepte he hadde deliuered him selfe to suffer For the whiche he saide not onely I haue power to laye downe my Soule and I haue power to take it againe But also preuentinge it he offered vp him selfe in Sacrifice in the Supper of the Apostles whiche they know that receiue the vertue of the Mysteries By these woordes of Hesychius wee learne that Christe offered and Sacrificed his Bodie and Bloude twise Firste in that Holy Supper vnbloudely when he tooke Breade in his handes and brake it c. VVithout Diuision of the Sacrifice for it is but one and the same Sacrifice And afterwarde on the Crosse with Sheddinge of his Bloude and that is it he meaneth by the woorde Preuentinge The B. of Sarisburie Wee denie not but it may wel be saide Christe at his laste Supper offered vp him selfe vnto his Father Albeit not Really and in deede but accordinge to M. Hardinges owne Distinction in a Figure or in a Mysterie in suche sorte as wee saye Christe was offered in the Sacrifices of the Olde Lawe and as S. Iohn saithe Agnus Occisus ab Origine Mundi The Lambe was slaine from the beginninge of the VVorlde As Christâ— was slaine at the Table so was he Sacrificed at the Table But he was not slaine at the Table Uerily and in deede but onely in a Mysteriâ— Therefore he was not Sacrificed at the Table Really and in déede but onely in a Mysterie So saithe S. Augustine Nonne semel immolatus est Christus in semetipso Et ramen in Sacramento non tantùm per omnes Paschae Solennitates sed etiam omni die populis immolatur Nec vtique
as in a Sacramente or in a Mysterie In this sense S. Augustine saithe Gratia Dei in Veteri Testamento velara laâ—ebat The Grace of God laie hidden coouered in the Olde Testamente And againe In Veteri Testamento occultabatur Nouum id est occultè Significabaturâ— The Newe Testamente was hidden in the Olde that is to saie It was secretely Signified in the Olde Here least M. Hardinge should take these woordes strictly and grossely as he doothe the reste and saie The Newe Testamente in déede Really was coouered in the Olde S. Augustine him selfe hath preuented him and opened his owne meaning in this wise as it is saide before Occultabatur id est occultè Significabatur It was Coouered that is to saie it was secretely Signified By whiche exposition beinge S. Augustines M. Hardinge might haue learned likewise to expounde these woordes Caro operta forma Panis id est occultè Significata The Fleashe coouered in the Fourme or Substance of Breade that is to saie Priuily Signified in the Forme or Substance of Breade But M. Hardinge thought it best to leaue the mater and to make his quarel to the woordes This woorde Liethe saith he importeth a scoffe wherewith to bringe his Catholique teachinge into contempte Uerily this must needes be a marueilous tender and a miserable Doctrine that maie no waies be touched without suspicion of a scoffe But why is he more angrie with vs for vtteringe these woordes Liethe hidden then he is with his owne Doctours vtteringe the same In his Glose vpon the Decrees it is written thus Species Panis sub qua latâ—t Corpus Species Vini sub qua later Sanguis The Fourme of Breade vnder whiche is hiddeÌ„ the Bodie The Fourme of Wine vnder whiche is hidden the Bloude These be his owne felowes woordes they are not ours VVillihelmus Hasfliginensis one of M. Hardinges Newe Doctours saith thus Quaerite Dominum dum inueniri potest In Templo inuenitur Materiali Ibi latet sub Specie Panis Seeke the Lorde while he maie be founde He is founde in the Material Churche of stoane There he is hidden vnder the Fourme of Breade An other like Doctour saith thus Ibi est Corpus Christi in tanta quantitate sicut fuit in Cruce Vnde mirum est quomodò sub tam modica Specie tantus homo lateat The Bodie of Christe is there as greate in quantitie as he was vpon the Crosse. Therefore it is marueilous how so greate a man can be hidde vnder so smal a Fourme Yf this woorde Hidden so necessarily importe a scoffe then must M. Hardinge needes thinke that his owne Doctours scoffe at him and laugh him to scorne Certainely it is no indifferent dealinge the woordes beinge al one so fauourably to allowe them in his owne bookes and so bitterly to mislike them in al others Perhaps he wil saie It is no Catholique Fourme of speache to saie Christe liethe in the Sacramente And yet I sée no greate reason but it maie stande as wel with the Catholike Doctrine to saie Christe liethe in the Sacrament as Christe sittethe in the Sacramente Yet Iohannes a S. Andrea a greate Doctour and a special Patrone of that side is wel allowed to write thus and that without any manner controlmente or suspicion of scoffe Id temporis contentio nulla erat vtrùm Corpus Christi insideret Eucharistiae At that time there was no strife whether Christes Bodie were Sittinge in or vpon the Sacramente or no. Thus was it lawful for him to write and his writinges are taken for good and Catholike But M. Hardinge saithe Christes Bodie is in the Sacrament without Circumscription or Respecte of place Strangely VVoonderously and Singularely and by the might of Goddes Omnipotent power and the manner of his Beinge there is knowen onely vnto God These be faire and orient and bewtiful colours but altogeather without grounde and to vse the termes of M. Hardinges Religion they are nothinge els but Accidentes and Shewes without a Subiecte It is a strange and a marueilous mater that this presence of Christe in the Sacrament beinge so certaine and so singulare as M. Harding seemeth to make it yet al the Olde Learned Catholique Fathers should so lightly passe it ouer in silence without any manner mention as if it were not woorthe the hearinge or that M. Hardinge should so assuredly and so certainely know it and yet God him selfe should not know it Or that God should know it and yet beinge a mater so Singulare and so necessarie to be knowen shoulde neuer reuele the same to any either of the Learned Fathers or of the Holy Apostles or make them priuie to that knowledge In déede it behooueth vs to humble our hartes vnto the miracles and marueilous woorkes of God But euery M. Hardinges fantasie is not a Miracle The Heretique Praxeas saide euen as now M. Hardinge saithe Deo nihil est difficile Vnto God nothinge is harde But Tertullian that learned Father answeared him then euen as wee now answeare M. Hardinge Si â—am abruptè in praesumptionibus nostris vâ—amur hac sententia quiduis de Deo confingere poterimus If wee so rashly vse this sentence to serue our Presumptions or fantasies wee may imagine of God what wee liste S. Steuen saw Christe in Heauen Standinge S. Paule saithe Christe is now at the Right hande of God Sittinge whiche thinge also wee confesse in the Articles of our Faithe But in the Sacrament saithe M. Hardinge Christe is Presente without any manner suche Circumscription or Circumstance or order of place that is to say as greate in quantitie as he was vpon the Crosse yet neither Standing nor Sitting nor Lieinge nor Leaninge nor kneeling nor Walkinge nor Reasting nor Moouinge nor hauinge any manner Proportion or Position of his Bodie either vpwarde or downewarde or backewarde or forewarde A very Bodie and yet not as a Bodie In a place and yet not as in a place This is M. Hardinges Catholique Doctrine without Scripture without Councel without Doctoure without any likinge or sense of Reason Yet must euery man receiue the same at M. Hardinges hande as the Singulare Strange Woonderful Omnipotent Woorke of God To Conclude Christes Bodie is in the Mystical Breade of the Holy Communion not Really or Corporally or in déede as M. Hardinge fansieth but as in a Sacramente and in a Mysterie euen as the Bloud of Christe is in the Water of Baptisme FINIS THE XXVII ARTICLE OF IGNORANCE The B. of Sarisburie Or that Ignorance is the Mother and cause of true Deuotion and Obedience M. Hardinge Maister Iuel had greate neede of Articles for some shewe to be made against the Catholike Churche when he aduised him selfe to put this in for an Article Verily this is none of the highest Mysteries nor none of the greatest keyes of our ReligioÌ„ as he saith it is but vntruely and knoweth that for an vntrueth For him selfe imputeth it to D.
the heathen Poetes imagin that Atlas holdeth vp the Heauens But for God the Creatour and Cause of al Causes to come from Heauen to holde vp Accidentes it seemeth a very simple Seruice M. Hardings reason standeth thus God is Omnipotent Ergo Accidentes in the Sacrament stande without Subiecte M. Hardinge The .9 Diuision And that this beinge of Accidentes without Substance or Subiecte in this Sacramente vnder whiche the Breade not remaininge the Bodie of Christe is Present maye the rather be beleeued it is to be considered that this thinge tooke place at the firste Creation of the worlde after the Opinion of some Doctours VVho doo affirme that that first light whiche was at the beginninge vntil the fowrth daye 182 was not in any Subiecte but susteyned by the power of God as him liked For that first light and the same were as whitenes and a Bodie whited saithe S. Basile Neither then was VViclef yet borne who might teache them that the power of God can not put an Accident without a Subiecte For so he saith in his booke De Apostasia Ca. 5. as Coclaeus reporteth Hereof it appeareth out of what roote the Gospellers of our Countrie springe VVho smatchinge of the sape of that wicked tree and hereby shewinge their kinde appointe boundes and borders to the power of God that is infinite and incomprehensible And thus by those Fathers we maye conclude that if God can susteine and keepe Accidentes with Substance he can so doo without Substance The B. of Sarisburie It is greate violence to force an ancient Father to beare false witnes and specially against him self This reporte of S. Basiles meaninge is as true as is that longe peeuishe Fable so often alleged vnder the name of Amphilochius that is to wite a vaine Shewe without Substance And bicause M. Hardinge onely nameth Damascene and Paulus Burgensis in his Margin as beinge afrayde to touche their woordes he maie remember that Damascene saith Non aliud est ignis quà m lux vt quidam aiunt The Fier is nothinge els but the light as some menne saie And Burgensis saith Quidam tradunt lucem fuisse nubem lucidam Some menne write that the light was a Bright Clowde By these expositions it appeareth that either the Fiere or the Clowde was a Subiecte to receiue the light Certainely neither Burgensis nor Damascene nor Basile euer saide that the light stoode without a Subiecte Therefore that note in the Margin might wel haue benne spared But it is an easy mater with shewe of names to deceiue the simple S. Basile saith The light was in the worlde before the Sonne was made Therefore it was and had his Beinge without the Sonne His woordes stande thus Aliud quidem est c. The brightnes of the light is one thinge and the Bodie Subiecte vnto the same that is the Sunne is an other thinge And saie not nowe vnto me It is impossible to diuide these thinges a sundre For I saie not that thou or I canne possibly diuide the Bodie of the Sonne from the Light Yet notwithstandinge the thinges that we maie parte a sundre onely by Imagination the same thinges God the Creatour of Nature is hable to sunder verily and in deede Hereof M. Hardinge geathereth his reasons thus The Light was not in the Sonne Ergo It was in Nothinge It was not in the Sonne Ergo It was not in the Ayre It was not in the Sonne Ergo It was an Accident without a Subiecte This erroure commeth of the Equiuocation or double takinge of this Woorde Beinge in For one thinge may be in an other as in an Instrument as the Light is in a Candle whiche is the similitude that Basile vseth The same thinge maie be in an other as in a Subiecte as Light in the Aire This diuersitie considered now let vs weigh M. Hardinges reason The Light saith he was not in the Sonne as in an Instrument to carrie it aboute the world Ergo It was not in the Ayre as in a Subiecte This argument seemeth very Light A man maie easily and sensibly with his fingers féele the folie of it in the Darke Verily S. Basiles woordes to the contrary shine so cleare that I maruel M. Hardinge coulde not or woulde not sée them For thus he writeth before in the same Booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Illustrabatur aër vel potiùs lumen sibi totum in totum permistum habuit The Ayre was lightened or rather it had the whole Light wholy Mingled with it self Againe he saith The worlde was inuisible bicause the Ayre was without lighte S. Basile saithe The Lighte was in the Ayre and that wholy through the whole as in a Subiect Yet M. Harding forceth S. Basile to saie contrary to him self The Light was onely an Accident without Subiecte and was staied in nothinge Nowe iudge thou good Christian Reader what credite thou maist geue to M. Hardinges woordes in reportinge of the Ancient Doctours But he saith Goddes power is Infinite and Incomprehensible Therefore he is hable to susteine Accidentes This erroure springeth of misunderstandinge S. Basiles woordes For where as S. Basile writeth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dies tum fiebat non per motum Solarem sed diffuso illo primigenio Lumine The daie was made not by the moouinge or passinge of the Sonne but by powringe abroade the first Light It appeareth that in steede of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche is powred abroade M. Hardinge by erroure read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche is Borne vp or Susteined But he maie not wel mainteine his Accidentes by shiftinge of woordes or by misunderstandinge or corruptinge of his Doctours That is here alleged of Wiclife and of his ofspringe as it sheweth muche Choler so it maketh smal proufe We knowe that God is Omnipotent and hable not onely to susteine Accidentes but also to restoare the Deade from the graue yea although he be putrified within him self fight against the Sprite of God But Tertullian saith Non quia omnia potest facere ideò credendum est illum fecisse sed an fecerit requirendum We maie not beleue that God hath donne al thinges bicause he canne doo them But rather we must see whether he haue donne them or no. For Argumentes taken of Goddes Omnipotent Power were a readie Buckler in olde times to serue Praxeas and Eutyches and other like Heretiques FINIS THE ELEVENTHE ARTICLE OF DIVIDINGE THE SACRAMENTE The B. of Sarisburie Or that the Prieste then Diuided the Sacramente in Three partes and afterwarde receiued al him self alone M. Hardinge The .1 Diuision Of the Priestes receiuinge the Sacramente him selfe alone ynoughe hath beene saide before This terme Al here smatchethe of spite For if any deuoute person require to be partaker with the Prieste beinge woorthely disposed and examined he is not tourned of but with al gentlenes admitted And in this case the Priest is not to be charged